Edward

Green eyes set in beautiful rich tan skin framed by shiny black pin straight hair. Her image was stuck behind my eyelids like someone had wallpapered it there.

Alice and I were running through the forest, side by side. Most often she hunted with Jasper but she made a conscious effort to drink less on their outings together so I didn't have to always go alone. Usually I was happy to have the company but today I wasn't so sure. Luckily Alice was my favorite sibling for many many reasons, one being the fact that I knew she could tell that I was in an off mood- but also that she had consciously decided not to push me to explain, instead waiting for me to talk to her when I was ready. I was grateful. I still had a few more things to absorb before I was ready to share my odd interaction today.

As long as I've been a vampire I have heard every thought in every mind around me. This defect of mine has been tedious to say the least, complicating friendships and making the idea of a relationship impossible. I had considered it once with my good friend Tanya but despite my efforts to tune her out she could keep no secrets. I always knew. That idea evaporated before I could even act on it, spoiled unintentionally by her deepest darkest secrets. It's not fair to judge people by their thoughts and even though I tried not to I couldn't really help myself.

I always knew.

Until today.

Today I found myself confused for the first time in over a century. Because I couldn't hear a single thought out of the strange beautiful green eyed girl's head. To make matters worse, that wasn't even the most interesting thing about her. Humans in general tended to naturally avoid my kind. An instinct so primal they didn't even realize why they were afraid, they just knew we were intimidating. Most people didn't look at us too closely, or speak to us more often than necessary. Usually this fact was welcome, a key factor in preserving our way of life. If they didn't look too closely they couldn't start wondering what exactly made us so different and we didn't have to disappear. But this girl didn't treat me any differently than any other human on Earth. Her mind may be closed to me but that didn't affect my keen observational skills. Her pupils never dilated, her heart rate never faultered or accelerated. I was utterly fascinated. She effortlessly trusted me to help her rescue an animal, without so much as an indecisive pause. I've never saved an animal before, only killed and drained them of their blood, so that was a unique moment for me as well. Another first on the list of many I had experienced with her today. And I don't even know her name! Her smile had stunned me in place. The kindness radiating from her filled my dark spaces, replacing them with a brilliant sun that warmed my cold dead heart until I thought it might start beating again right then and there.

And then she was just gone.

I had to find her.

Alice cleared her throat, bringing me out of that moment with her and back into reality. I didn't like it. I wanted to go back into my memory with the girl, to live forever in the moment when she first smiled at me. I slowed to a light jog and sniffed the air. "There's a herd of elk by the creek about 150 yards east from us. Or we can keep going until we hit the border and see if anything more interesting pops out. What do you say?"

"Depends. If we keep running long enough will you tell me what happened today or am I wasting my time here?" So much for not being pushy, Alice.

I rolled my eyes and stopped running altogether. She stopped too, walking over and taking a seat on a fallen moss covered log. She patted the spot beside her gingerly, and I reluctantly joined her. I could see then that she had seen my interaction today- days ago. But had hidden it from me carefully so the emotions of shock and awe would be genuine in the moment. I honestly loved Alice for that. I wished I could give that gift back to her. How unbelievably boring it is to never be taken by surprise, constantly several steps ahead of the rest of the world. I would know.

"It was amazing Alice. She is amazing. How do I find her?" I asked, not bothering to catch her up. I should know by now that Alice is always several chapters ahead of me, mind reader or no.

"So far all your ideas to pursue her end in you scaring her off completely. So don't do that." Alice said, frowning and wagging her delicate finger at me. "Stalking people is creepy Edward."

I hung my head and heaved a sigh. She was right of course. I didn't know how to do this. All of my instincts were flawed. I considered the idea of letting the girl go and it stung like I had stuck my heart directly into a wasps nest.

"Ah. See? Much better." I could see now in Alice's visions that if I left well enough alone she would find her way back to me. In this version of the future she was smiling at me again. The stinging subsided and was replaced by her warmth. I watched enthusiastically as she stuck her hand out to introduce herself-

"I'm Leah Clearwater." Her voice flowed like a stream. The name suited her perfectly.

Alice smiled now and I did my best to stop listening. I wanted to really experience these moments for the first time with Leah. I trusted Alice to warn me again if I was going to blow it but for now I felt calm, resolute in my path. Patience was the key and now that I knew patience would lead to the future in Alice's visions I wasn't going to mess it up.

"Let's go get those elk I'm starving!" I laughed and took off as fast as my legs could take me, soaring both physically and internally.