Victim

Bella's POV

"... it doesn't have the mitochondria, chloroplasts, or nucleus," I finished explaining and looked up from the text to check his understanding.

Edward sat back in his chair, his face was blank and relaxed like someone daydreaming. His soft eyes were trained on me. The pale arm extending from his shoulder, rested comfortably on the desk, loosely gripping a pencil. He had hardly written any notes.

"Are you listening?" I questioned sternly.

"Yes, of course," his response was smooth and carefree.

"Then what did I just say?" He recited my words back to me without error. Lifting one corner of his mouth into a smug grin. His eyes never leaving me.

Maybe he is good with this chapter, I thought. No, he's good at biology all together. I hardly believed this ruse to begin with, but the feelings of being with him were worth it.

The first appearance of these emotions were what made me hate him so much. The way my mind wandered to him, wondering if he'd be in class. Not talking to him even if he was. How my cheeks would flush when our eyes met and my cowardice inability to maintain the contact. I wanted to be free from his sickness that plagued me, to have control of myself again. However, as time passed it became an addiction.

Call it Stockholm syndrome. He had captured me, his name always floating underneath the surface of my thoughts. My ears would perk at the mention of him.

Charlie and I had been visiting the Blacks when he had started conveying my tutoring situation.

"Is that true Bella?" Jacob asked me as we sat in the adjoining room to our fathers. Jacob following my focus as it was obviously diverted to our father's conversation.

"Yes," I responded flatly to Jacob's disgruntled look.

"That's awful, you should get out of that as soon as possible," he advised, beginning a conversation that would prove to be interesting.

But his advice had been fruitless, I was too far gone. Lost in the gravity of Edward Cullen's eyes. His pupils like black holes pulling me in, beautifully surrounded by gold planetary rings that twinkled when I looked at him.

I fought against my perpetrator as best I could. Trying to stay on track during class and our tutoring, but far too often I would look up to find those sedating eyes gazing at me. As was the situation right now.

I folded, our time was almost up anyways. Abandoning the biology in front of me I reached into my bag and produced the book he had lent me.

"Thanks for letting me borrow this. It was really good," I laid it on the table near him.

"You finished it?" He asked with raised eyebrows as I nodded. "What did you think?"

"It was really interesting," I answered enthusiastically.

The story was about a man in the 1800's named Latimer, who could read minds and see the future. He falls in love with Bertha, the only girl whose mind he can't read. They grow to hate each other and become miserable as he forsaw.

"He sees how unhappy their future together is," I continue, "but can't stop himself from following through."

"You must think he's really stupid," Edward suggested.

"No, I feel sorry for him." His face lightened and left eyebrow rose with curiosity.

"He was forced to live with an ability that took all the joy and mystery out of life. Bertha offered him a place of belief, where anything was possible." He slowly drew wide, clear eyes were fixed intensely on me.

"Even though he knew that their future would be loathsome and full of hate, he could believe that there might be a time before then that would make it all worth it. But Bertha never really loved him."

There were so many questions I wanted to ask him, but my focus was fading. My eyes drifted to his smooth, pale lips. The lower one hung loosely open, air passing back and forth between them.

They moved as he spoke, "Don't you think it's wrong? That both him and her could have had better lives if he was just strong enough to resist."

"No," I heard my voice answer. I felt intoxicated, like I was outside my body.

"Even though he knew the future, it wasn't his to control." I could smell his sweet aroma and was pulled towards him. Like gravity.

"He was the victim of love. Him having special abilities couldn't stop that." My voice grew weak as we grew closer.

"Who would want to stop it anyway." The pulsing rhythm of my heart pounded through my ribcage and up to my ears. Each thump marking our slow advancement.

I muttered softly, "While the heart beats, bruise it—" he whispered along with me, "—it is your only opportunity."

His cool breath swept over my tinted cheeks. His face so close to mine, my sight became blurry. Slowly, our lips met.

Cold like ice, they pressed against mine. Moving only once to suck softly on my upper lip. My tongue tasting the small part of his that I held.

Then he pulled away. His eyes were darker than they were before, and his stare even more intense.

Short of breath, I gazed back at him. Savoring the flavor and relishing in the feeling. My lips tingled and head spun.

All too soon, my face turned scarlet in embarrassment and I shielded my eyes. However, I could not hold back the smile that spread across my face. I felt slightly guilty, should I have done that?

I peeked up at Edward. A large grin, matching my own, spanned over his blissful, triumphant features. It was anything but wrong.

We were both silent. Our smiles never fading. My eyes dancing back and forth between him and embarrassment. Occasionally biting my lip, sucking in the lower part to relive the taste. I wondered if we could do it again.

Yet, being too cowardly to make the move, I began cleaning up our biology notes.

"You know, I don't think you need me to tutor you anymore. I'd rather use my time to see a movie or something." I glanced up at him to see if he got the hint.

His eyes had widened, and body stiffened, but they melted into delightful joy as understanding came over him.

"How about tomorrow night?" He assented, incapable of saying no.

"Great," I slung my bag over my shoulder.

"It's a date."

If you forgot what book they're talking about, it's The Lifted Veil by George Elliot.

Thanks for the reviews