I

couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Edward kept rotating in my mind. It didn't make it any easier to know he was sleeping across the hall, most likely snoring into la la land.

An owl suddenly hooted outside my balcony window. When I heard a gentle knock on my French door, I climbed out of bed to investigate. The sound didn't make me feel afraid, only attracted to the need of being summoned and wanted. As if I deserved the attention.

I drew back the curtains and looked out into the night sky. It didn't take long for me to find the owl perched on the balcony rail, silvery gray and spotted black like dabs of paint. Its feathers ruffled and spread out like quilted tufts of fingers. Large round eyes stared back at me like open windows, a glass soul of shining blue twilight.

I pulled the doors open and a Carliset of wind threw back my hair to beat around my face. The owl watched me with human like eyes that pined to be reached. I thoughtlessly lifted my hand and held it inches from its glossy coat. I let my finger graze the feathers below its beak.

It skipped onto my fingers. Its long sharp talons wrapped around them to feel like open arms of a friend

A rapping on my door destroyed the link. It flapped its wings and flew away, glancing back as if to memorize my face.

The rapping continued, becoming impatient.

I stepped into my room backwards, reluctant to leave just in case the owl returned. But the intrusion didn't relent. I was so angry, I made my way to the door and opened it without thinking.

Edward was stood in the dark hall, his hair sticking up at the crown. He barged into my room, and looked out to at the balcony.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked, without turning.

"What business is it of yours?" I knew full well what he was insinuating, that I was talking to myself and being weird again.

He drew a deep breath. "Today was a mistake."

"In what way?" I was suddenly interested to hear what he had to say.

"In…" He blew out. Even beneath his t-shirt I could see his muscles contract and fold.

The silence drew thin. I walked over to the French doors to close them, trying to catch a glimpse of the owls improbable return, realising I wanted it back, more than I wanted Edward to stay and demean me

The light switched on in the bathroom. The sound of running water came from the sink.

I resisted following, until he reached his limit.

Inside he was stood by the sink, leaning forward with his hands on either side of it. Water trickled down his nose and chin and into the basin. His eyes were closed, but with a tense expression on his face.

The bruise on his eye was turning yellow and gaudy, matching his sallow and gaunt cheeks. He looked like an anaemic awaiting transfusion, but that didn't seem to deter how attractiveness he was in an alluring and intimidating way.

"Are you here for a reason?" I asked, part of me not wanting to shake him from his altered state.

I could hear him breathe as if he'd been holding it the whole time.

"No," he said too quietly.

He opened his eyes and peered at his reflection in the mirror. But his eyes didn't seem to be looking at anything, just somehow beyond himself.

"I'm here to apologize."

"Did Carmen send you?" I wasn't buying the act for a second.

"No-one sent me."

"Okay, well you can…go, now." I was finding it hard to be ungrateful. It was after all, what I had wanted, an apology. So why couldn't I thank him?

I was about to tell him how I really felt, when he darted past me and headed out the door, done and dusted with his so called of an apology for my forgiveness. Something I was supposed to have given without actually saying it.

Why couldn't he just be normal? Why couldn't I?