Chapter 28

Esme's POV

Silence followed by nervous laughter filled the room. "What? You're joking..." she shook her head, "I can't believe you guys would actually think this is funny." With that, she jumped to her feet and started toward the door.

"Soph, wait," I followed her til she stood still before using my finger to tip of her chin to look at me, "We're not lying, honey. I know you've wondered why our eyes change and why we rarely eat or sleep. You're a smart girl, you knew something was off."

"You say I'm a smart girl yet you really expect me to believe you're a vampire?" she was angry; I didn't blame her.

Offering my hand, I gestured toward the door, "I want to show you something." With a questioning look, she reluctantly clasped onto my hand and allowed me to lead her outside. The sun was shining brightly just beyond the garden where the overhanging grape vines ended. As we stepped into the light, I removed my outer covering revealing my skin which began to shine like diamonds as the sunlight hit.

Sophie's eyes lit up at the sight and a gasp escaped her lips. I waited in silence while she examined me carefully then I felt two arms wrap around my neck and the warmth of her breath on my collar as she embraced me tightly. I was surprised to hear sniffles and feel the wetness from her eyes. "Sweetheart, you're crying."

"I know, I just...I don't know. It's a lot," she sniffed though allowing me to caress her hair. Pulling back suddenly, she looked at me sharply, "But vampires, they drink blood, human blood. Is that why I'm here?"

Carlisle smiled warmly, "No, Soph, not at all."

"But Renesmee, is it safe to have her in a house full of vampires? Should i be calling a social worker?"

Carlisle and i laughed, "We do maintain a diet of blood, but we choose to feed on animals as a sort of "vegetarian" diet because we don't wish to harm humans. It's a practice we have fine-tuned over centuries. You, my dear, have nothing to worry about."

"Your eyes?" she questioned.

"Turn dark when it's time for us to feed," Carlisle supplied, "The eyes of vampires who choose to feed on humans turn a crimson red while ours turn fawn."

"You don't sleep, do you?" she was trying to put everything together now like a long puzzle.

"No, and human food tastes like dirt so we try to steer clear of it," I allowed her to touch my cold skin.

"You're always cold," she commented.

"True," I took a few minutes to explain my story before Carlisle jumped in with his own. Sophie continued to shed tears here and there just as an emotional release, but after awhile, she seemed to be more interested in learning everything she possibly could than she was fearful and for that I was grateful. When our stories were through, we answered a good deal of questions before she ran out of things to ask.

"We're not scaring you away, are we?" I asked.

"Nope, not even close," she shook her head. "So, I'm guessing I can't bring you to school for show and tell. Family secret, right?"

Carlisle winked at her, "Well, if you wanted to have fun, we could always do a big reveal to your peers then replace their memories."

"You can do that?!" she seemed nearly beside herself with excitement.

"Damon can," I confirmed. "Soph, you want to get out of here for a bit? Why don't we go into the city for a bit, do some shopping maybe visit the aquarium. What do you say?"

Soph nodded before walking over to Carlisle and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Be ready in twenty minutes," she grinned before skipping inside.