Chapter Seven: Dinner at Angelo's

As Edward and I approached the restaurant, an awkward silence hanging heavy in the air between us, Jess and Angela were exiting, talking amongst themselves. Angela caught sight of me and then, upon noticing Edward, grinned curiously. She left Jess's side to hurry up to me, prompting Jess to notice Edward and I. I saw anger and hurt flash briefly in her eyes before she masked it and followed Angela's lead.

"Hey, where were you?" Angela greeted, reaching her arms out for a hug. I stepped forward, distancing myself from Edward, and met her embrace. "We were really worried about you."

I chuckled nonchalantly as we pulled apart. "I walked to the bookstore and ended up getting lost on the way to the restaurant," I lied easily and with a shrug. Angela glanced at Edward, asking a silent question: what about him? "Edward happened to be out and about. We ran into each other and got chatting. Lost track of time, I suppose." I shrugged. Angela eyed me skeptically, though a playful smile was dancing on her lips. I could feel the heat of Jess's anger rolling off her nearby form.

"Wow, what a coincidence," she chimed, her voice far too light and high.

"Yeah," I answered dismissively and with a wave of my fingers. "So, are you guys ready to head back? Did you find any good dresses?"

Angela was just about to answer when Edward took a step forward and closed the distance between us. "Actually," he interjected softly, "I was hoping to grab a bite to eat with Bella. I haven't eaten and I don't think she has either." He glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes, as if to check and see if I was going to play along.

"Oh," Angela and Jess chimed in tandem, though their tones were very different.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "I'm actually super hungry and wouldn't mind finishing up my conversation with Edward. Do you mind heading back without me?" I glanced at Jess. "I would love to meet up tomorrow to see the dresses you got."

Angela grinned. She glanced at Edward and then at Jess. "That sounds great." She pulled at Jessica's elbow, leading her away. "We'll see you tomorrow, Bella. Enjoy your dinner." Angela was practically beaming at me as she led Jessica away.

I turned back to Edward and raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Are we actually going to eat?"

He pondered this. "Are you actually hungry?"

I thought for a moment. In all of the adrenaline-fueled confusion of the alleyway confrontation, and Edward's subsequent arrival, I had completely overlooked the fact that I was, in fact, starving. I pursed my lips and then nodded. I gestured towards the front door of the restaurant, indicating that Edward was to lead the way. He obliged, the smallest of smiles on his lips.

In actuality, I was glad to have another opportunity to question Edward.

We seated ourselves at a table for four and then waited for the server to approach us. I glanced at Edward. He was gazing around the room, as if taking in the other people who were dining with us. I wondered what he was thinking. "So," I drawled, linking my fingers atop the table and leaning closer to Edward, "are you stalking me or something?"

The question clearly took him aback. He blinked at me and then asked, "What?"

I shot him a skeptical look. "Come on. You honestly expect me to believe that you just happened to be walking by the very alleyway in which I was being attacked?" I squinted my eyes at him. "No. Not after the way you've been acting. So spill it." I tilted my head to the side and stared expectantly at Edward. His lips were parted just slightly, seemingly in shock. The intensity of his gaze threw me for the briefest of moments, but I quickly recovered.

Suddenly, an anguished expression broke across Edward's face. He cradled his head with one of his hands. I continued to stare at him, my fingers crossed on the tabletop. After a few moments, he heaved a (rather dramatic) sigh and then met my gaze once again. I stared at him and asked, my voice steady, "How did you know where I was, Edward?"

He hesitated before admitting with a sigh, "I feel… very drawn to you." His honey-gold gaze bore into my own.

I frowned. This is not what I was expecting. Frankly, it was concerning. "Why?" I asked, hardening my voice.

A pained expression crossed Edward's features. He sighed deeply once again. "I can't… you wouldn't understand."

I squinted accusingly at him. "Try me."

Edward's eyes fell in shame. He started talking very quickly, as if the words were suddenly spilling out and he wasn't sure how to stop them. "I didn't intend to. But, you're the only one who I've never been able to… I wanted to understand why you were different. I overheard you and Jess and Angela making plans to come here today and I just found myself driving here. I wasn't going to approach or follow you, but then I heard what those men were thinking—I mean I saw them attack you and I couldn't stay away and I'm just trying to—"

I held up a hand and interrupted him. "Did you just say you heard what they were thinking?" I stared at Edward, my gaze intense and unwavering.

Edward's lips parted just slightly. I could tell he was going to make up another lie. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't. You're not going to lie your way out of this one. Tell me the truth."

Edward's gaze faltered and I knew that I had won. I was about to learn the truth—or a small piece of it, at least.

Edward took a steadying breath and then glanced around the restaurant, as if to make sure we weren't being watched or listened to. He leaned imperceptibly closer to me and then began, "I have a unique… ability." A small, humorless chuckle escaped his lips. "I can read every mind in this room." He smiled. "Apart from yours."

I stared at him, face blank, mouth falling open just slightly. I had no clue what to do with this information. Without thinking, and rather childishly, I blurted, "Prove it."

Edward blinked at me and then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He must have been relieved that I hadn't simply walked out of the cafe. He glanced around the room and then settled his gaze on a couple that were sitting across from our table. Edward leaned close to me and whispered, "The gentleman is about to purposefully spill his drink on himself so that he can run to the bathroom to message his wife." I glanced in their direction, left in utter disbelief as the man very smoothly tipped his drink glass toward him, sending the liquid contents directly onto his lap. Conveniently, the man had already pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and was holding it a safe distance away from the spilling liquid. I watched as the man apologized to the woman and then excused himself to run to the bathroom. His fingers were already twitching against his phone.

When I turned back to gaze at Edward, he was already staring at me, with a guarded expression. He was waiting to see my reaction. I took a breath, squinted at him, and then said, "Do it again."

This time, Edward grinned. The boyish youth of his smile took me aback. He scanned the room once again, eventually settling on a family that were seated on the other side of the restaurant. I watched as Edward's honey-golden eyes studied them and then listened intently when he murmured, "The little boy on the end of the table is going to steal a bite of his sister's spaghetti the next time she stops looking."

I watched and, sure enough, the little boy-without any hint or indication that he was about to do so-sneakily stole a single spaghetti noodle off his sister's plate. I watched and listened in complete shock as Edward correctly predicted the very specific movements and actions of those around us in the restaurant.

On the sixteenth correct prediction, I held up my hand and exclaimed, "Okay, okay! I get it. I'm struggling to comprehend, but I get it." I crossed my arms on the tabletop and chewed on my bottom lip. I glazed at Edward to find he was studying me intensely, with a guarded expression. I took a deep breath. "So you can read every mind except mine, huh?"

"That's correct."

"Why?"

Edward smiled. "That's the question, isn't it?"

"You don't know?" I asked, incredulous.

He shook his head. "That's why I've been so… drawn to you."

"Okay, well… I understand that more now, but we need to set some boundaries. You can't stalk me, okay? You need to communicate with me. Starting now. What else don't I know?"

Edward's body visibly tensed.

"Come on," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't do that. Tell me."

"I can't," Edward said softly. "Not yet."

I crossed my arms and frowned at him. "Fine. You come find me when you're ready to talk." I pushed back my chair with a dramatic flair that was wholly unnecessary, and started to pull on my jacket. Edward stood quickly. The chair scraped against the ground as he did so.

"I'm sorry," Edward apologized, shaking his head. "I'm not ready yet."

My gaze softened as I stared at his regretful, forlorn expression. "Okay," I said quietly. "Like I said, when you're ready, we can talk." I flashed a small smile in his direction and then pulled my coat on. I started to head for the exit, when I heard a small "ahem" behind me. I turned to see Edward, a sheepish expression on his face. "Correct me if I'm wrong," he said, "but I think I'm your ride home."

My mouth lolled open for the briefest of moments before I realized that he was, in fact, right. "Well, shit," I muttered under my breath. Ignoring Edward's smirk, I marched out of the restaurant with an eye roll.

The car ride home was silent and uncomfortable. I spent much of it fuming in the passenger seat that I had not been able to accomplish my dramatic exit from the restaurant. I was still trying to process Edward's mind-reading abilities and figure out a logical explanation for it. Perhaps he had coordinated with the other guests in the restaurant? But that would have required a near-impossible amount of planning and coordination.

I suddenly realized that the heat in Edward's car was blasting and, coupled with my winter coat, was about to make me overheat. "Phew," I said, trying to break the proverbial ice, "I think I'm warm enough now." I started to reach for the temperature dial. By the time I noticed that Edward was doing the same, our fingers had collided in front of the temperature gauge. His cold fingers sent a jolt of energy through my entire body. My hands recoiled away from Edward's before I could tell my body not to. I glanced at him and said, with a hint of humor, "Are you okay? Because you're like really cold."

My humor did not land, however, as Edward pressed his lips together and stared fervently forward, watching the road. The rest of the car ride, we both sat in silence. I murmured a quiet, "Thank you," when Edward pulled up outside Charlie's house and quickly removed myself from his car. I watched, slightly offended, when he drove away without so much as a goodbye. This had been a very strange evening, indeed. And-I suddenly realized-it might be getting even stranger.

After saying hello to Charlie and summarizing (some of) the events of the Port Angeles trip, I hurried up to my room and pulled out the book I had purchased from the bookstore. I curled up on my bed and began to read. Soon, my reading led me to more research on "The Google," as my mother would put it. As the minutes bled into hours and as my research yielded very interesting results, I felt my heart quicken in my chest. Could this be true? And if it was, what did I do with this information now that I had it?

Needless to say, I did not get any sleep.