Hello, all! I hope you're doing well and staying safe.
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The glare never fades from his face, though his lips do curl ever so slightly in a snarl, his white teeth sparkling in the dim light.
If I were any other person, I'd be terrified, running for my life and screaming to anyone who would listen.
Now that I think about it, I doubt it would do any good; one thing I know for certain thanks to Billy's stories and catching the Cullens moving ultra-quick like—is that he'd be able to catch before I took one step.
Another thing that keeps me here is that while I'm definitely feeling fear, I'm not afraid of him. It's a dichotomy that's leaving me seriously confused. I know he's a dangerous predator; I've seen him embrace the vampire within him with Royce, and when Laurent attacked me, but I don't think that was the full picture.
The morbid part of me wants to see it … just directed at something that isn't me.
If I were any other person, knowing what I know and standing in front of a snarling vampire, I probably wouldn't be here.
Because I'm purposefully abnormal, it keeps me standing here, ignoring my survival instincts and staring at said snarling vampire in the face … which probably isn't the best thing to do at this moment.
Still, I'm not afraid.
I know he won't hurt me.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have me nervous as hell, though.
My heart pounds harshly in my chest, sounding loud even to my ears, and if the stories of vampires are true, then it must be incredibly loud for him. Any attempts I make to calm myself are in vain. My heart never quiets, and my breathing never slows, so I decide just to ignore it and focus on the matter at hand.
There's so much I want to know, coupled with questions that seem never-ending. Every time I think about my questions, it leads to another one and another one, spiraling out of control.
As much as I want answers, now isn't the time.
Or is it?
One more glance at his pissed-off snarl tells me, no. Now isn't the time.
"Uh, Edward? You okay?"
Idly, I wonder if Alice or Emmett are nearby. Considering the latter is sucking my off my cousin's face, tells me he's not going to leave anytime soon, so I'm hoping Alice is hanging out nearby, ready to intervene.
"You know about me? My family?"
My reply is quiet, no louder than a whisper. "Yes. I know you're a vampire, that you're all vampires; I know you have superhuman strength, hearing, and eyesight. I know you drink the blood of animals, which is why the people of La Push trust you. They said vampires with golden eyes are the ones you can trust; that they respect human life. They know someone who brought attention to another way of life for the vampires, so they don't hurt humans."
Briefly, the cold look on his face thaws. He smiles fondly, and I have a feeling he's thinking of his father, but I don't say anything about it. Instead, I continue with my word vomit, because clearly, I don't know when to stop.
"You're different than others that have come into the area. Like … like Laurent," I say, shivering slightly when I remember the deep red of his eyes.
"That's the thing," he interrupts, his face dark and foreboding. "I'm not that different from him. I've killed humans and enjoyed it. And I have no regrets. When you and I first met, it had been less than a year since I'd killed someone."
"I figured," I tell him with a single nod. "Like I said, your eyes. That's why I wanted to get as far away from you as possible."
He hums but doesn't comment further.
"But once we started spending time with one another, I … well … I told you. You grew on me." I shrug a shoulder, hoping to keep my embarrassment at bay. "You're still a pain in the ass, but I like that about you."
An unamused snort leaves him, his face losing the coldness that was there. "I don't know why you're not afraid of my family or me. I can kill you with a snap of my fingers," he hisses, leaning toward me. "You wouldn't even know it."
"I know, but you won't. And I told you why I'm not scared," I reply, my tone bordering on sharp. "I was frightened you'd kill me at first … but make no mistake," I tell him, pointing a finger in his face. "If I die by your hand, I will haunt your ass."
"Only by my hand? Not my teeth, which would be my preferred way?"
"No. Any other way, and I'll still haunt you. It just won't be in vengeance."
"Ah. So you believe in ghosts now?"
Seriously, I nod. "Yeah. I mean, I kind of always believed in them, but it was borderline. But when I learned vamps and shapeshifters were real, not to mention, there were vampires with special psychic abilities? Yeah, I crossed the border into believe-town."
Once more, his face hardens. "It seems you've been told a lot," he remarks. "There are guidelines to follow."
My heart thunders in my chest as I think of Billy, though he didn't mention one word of vampires with psychic gifts. I came to that conclusion all on my own, thanks to Alice's uncanny predictions.
"Hey, you told me you're a mind reader!" I defend, stepping toward him. "Which I don't really believe, by the way," I grumble before continuing. "Don't blame Billy for any of that shit! And I figured it out all on my own!"
"Thanks to Alice, who wouldn't mind her business!"
"She saved Jess! Don't blame her either, asshole."
He matches my glare with one of his own. "That's not a problem, really. Humans have psychic talents. It's the fact that Billy is telling people outside of La Push about us! It needs to be settled. Now."
"Don't you dare hurt him, Cullen! I mean it!"
I stop as he closes his eyes, taking slow, measured breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. At his sides, his hands tense and relax. The muscles in his jaw periodically tics as he grinds his teeth, and ever so slightly, I can see a vein appear in his forehead.
He's either super pissed, or he really wants to kill me.
Or it could be a combination of both. Sometimes there's no telling with him.
"Let yourself out," he finally grinds out through tight lips.
"Edward, we should calm down and talk." I take a step toward him, hand outstretched.
His eyes flash dangerously in warning, and I stop, letting my arm fall back down. "Edward, I know everything I've … spewed ... is a surprise, but we need to talk."
"Apparently, there's nothing left to say," he sarcastically quips, a sardonic grin twisting his lips. "Billy has said it all, from what I can gather."
"Hey, he didn't do maliciously," I defend. "He's thankful for you and your family. And honestly, he doesn't tell every single person that wanders into La Push. He only told us because Charlie is his best friend; because he knew, we could be trusted with the information. Granted, we didn't believe it, but seeing is believing; you can thank Paul for that one."
He glowers. "I intend to."
"Knock it off! It was an accident, okay? And I haven't told anyone, and I don't intend to, so don't get your underwear in a twist, all right? It's probably a good thing I was told because if I didn't know you were a vampire, I would have gotten in your face and challenged you on the shit you've done."
"I haven't done anything to you."
"Not physically, but attitude-wise? Yes, you have; and the looks you've given me? Anyone else would have been on the floor."
He smirks at this, but that same dark and twisted look is still on his face.
"If you say so. Now leave."
Taking a chance, I step forward and place a hand on his arm. He looks from my hand to my face with a puzzled expression.
"What is wrong with you—why are you this close to me? I told you it's dangerous."
"I might be apprehensive, for sure, because sometimes you freak me the fuck out, but I'm not scared. And Edward, if you think it's dangerous for me to be near you, then what about what happened a little while ago on that couch over there. We couldn't have gotten any closer."
He looks puzzled by this, his facial expression matching my feelings perfectly. I don't know why I'm not afraid; I guess I'm just not wired right.
"I want you to leave. I have somewhere I need to be."
My hand tightens on his shirt, tugging on the soft fabric. The neckline slides down, exposing his shoulder and the seam there strains under the pressure I'm putting it under. "I'm not going anywhere; and don't you dare take anything out on Billy or Paul! Do you hear me?"
He sneers, obviously not impressed by my harsh words, and shrugs off my hand. "I don't have to listen to you."
"I'm not giving you orders. Just think before you act, okay? They're good people. They were only telling their people that they could trust you, should the need arise. Don't make a fool of yourself."
He scoffs, shaking his head once. "Well, since everything is out in the open now, I guess I can do this."
In the blink of an eye, he's gone, the only thing left behind from his departure is a gust of wind that blows my hair every which way, tickling the nape of my neck.
Spinning around, I try to see where he went, but see nothing except the open window in his bedroom, the curtains softly billowing with the breeze.
Rushing over, I lean out of the window, noting that we're several stories up. Did he jump or go somewhere else?
I highly doubt he jumped down with the number of people still milling about, so that option is definitely nixed.
There's a fire escape to the left, and I purse my lips, wondering how stable it is for me to climb on. Throwing my leg over the windowsill, I plant my foot on the metal and shake my leg, breathing a sigh of relief as it remains stable.
Climbing out fully, I charge up the stairs instead of going down, the metal clanking loudly under my feet. I wonder if he really went this way, because I didn't hear this when he left.
Then again, I didn't see or hear him leave at all.
Up on the roof, there's a small patio area with string lights hanging above two poles and a black cloth tented above. A dark brown wicker sofa with crème colored cushions rest underneath it, surrounded by lush plants and a solitary table that's starting to rust where it rests on the concrete.
Vaguely, I wonder if this is Edward's space. It does look like something he'd do, but there's still so much mystery to him, it's hard to tell.
Plus, with how quickly he moves, he can go anywhere in the world. Why would he make something like this?
"Edward, you're an asshole!" I call out, my voice drifting on the wind. Wherever he is, I hope it carried far enough for him to hear.
Carefully, I head back down to Edward's apartment and close the window with a firm hand. The glass rattles in its frame before settling the space into silence.
Seconds later, there's a furious pounding on the door, followed by Alice's frantic voice.
"Bella? Edward, open the door. Now!"
Sensing the urgency in her tone, I race toward the door, fumbling with the locks for a moment before opening it, revealing Alice's wide, frantic eyes. Upon seeing me, she closes her eyes, resting a hand over her chest as she mutters something under her breath.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I begin warily. "Are you okay?"
"I am now. I thought … well ... Edward sent me a cryptic text that said he was going to kill someone and I—"
"Thought it would be me?" I interrupt.
She nods, a mixture of guilt and relief sweeping across her features.
"It's fine," I reply, turning around and heading back into the apartment. "I would have thought the same if I were in your place."
I head into his small library, trailing my fingers over every book, record, and CD before switching things around. I start with his books before moving on, all the while, feeling Alice's eyes on me.
"What are you doing?" Alice questions, amusement coloring her tone.
"I'm screwing with Edward, just like he screwed with me."
My plan isn't very mature, I realize, but it's the best I can come up with right now. Besides, I think it's rather fitting for what he did.
He messed with my stuff, so I'm going to mess with his.
"Uh-huh," she muses, leaning against the doorway. "And what did he do this time?"
"The sneaky nocturnal creep came into my room and touched my shit! Then, he refused to answer the questions he promised he would answer! The jerk."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alice's face freeze in shock, her eyes glazing over milky white for a moment before she shakes her head, massaging her forehead in frustration.
"Bella, do you—" she pauses, giving me a long, hard stare. She opens her mouth to speak once more but closes it, her lips pursed into a thin line.
I raise a single eyebrow, trying to convey everything through my eyes. Emotions war on her face—changing between happiness, fear, and trouble. I didn't know someone could look like that all at once, but Alice has it mastered.
"Do you know where he went?"
"La Push. He's pretty pissed."
"Oh, I'm sure. Not that I blame him much, either."
Muttering, she whips out her phone, and her fingers fly over the screen before she brings it up to her ear and begins stalking through the apartment. Shortly after she disappears, I hear her raised voice echo, but I can't make out what she says.
I tiptoe closer, heading into the living room, straining my ears as she hisses something into the device. I can't hear much, but I think I hear my name mingled with Edward's and Billy's.
I hope I didn't get Dad's friend in trouble, but from Edward's—and now Alice's—reactions, I have a feeling that just might be the case.
While I understand you'd want to keep something as awesome as vampires—and shifters, for that matter—secret from the majority, I don't see the harm in a few trustworthy people like me knowing about it. I'm not going to go around town telling everyone that a good chunk of the people in my life are supernatural creatures.
I'd never betray them like that.
Besides, that's a sure-fire way to get my ass locked in a padded cell for the rest of my life.
Continuing to eavesdrop, I strain myself to hear what she's saying, but without warning, she spins around, her face calm and composed, and no cell phone in sight.
Blinking, I look for the device, wondering when she had time to put it away. I know I didn't see her put her it away, so she must have done so with her vampire speed.
Damn, I'll never get used to that.
"Let's get you home, okay?" she suggests, smiling a little.
"Oh, no, I'm waiting here," I tell her, pointing at the floor to emphasize my point. "He's going to answer my questions."
Her smile immediately vanishes as she shakes her head, entwining my arm with hers and pulling me along. She doesn't tug hard, but I know she's holding back; I can feel the tension in her muscles.
"That's not a good idea, Bella," she says as she continues to try and move me along. "He's being stubborn, and I'm not sure he'll come back if you're here."
"He certainly gives Rose a run for her money."
Alice grins wryly. "Tell me about it. I can't get her to say more than two words to me at a time! I thought once she and Emmett started dating, she'd warm up to me more."
"She's cautious around new people. And stubborn."
"I know, and I'm willing to wait." She pauses before speaking again. "We really should go. Edward isn't in the best mood right now, and I don't think it would be a good idea if you were here when he gets back."
"Why? Because he didn't like what I said? What I know?"
Her frown deepens as we come to a stop by the front door. "I don't know. All I know is that he's pissed and brooding right now. He won't talk to anyone or listen to reason until he's calmed down … and while you are a force of nature and perfect for my brother, you're no match for him."
I jerk back, shocked at her accusation. "You think he'd hurt me? Really?"
I've had this thought many times in the past, but to hear it confirmed is a bit of a shock. How many times had he come close to him killing me? Did I really want to know that number?
As I think it, I also can't help but feel like it's entirely wrong, too. Sure, at first, those murderous thoughts might have been there, but now?
No. There's no way.
I mean we've been alone and kissed … a lot. And not just today.
I don't know whether that's my gut or stupidity talking, but I don't believe he'd hurt me.
"No!" Alice exclaims, throwing up her hands. "No, he wouldn't. Not … consciously. Sometimes … well, sometimes things happen, and people get hurt. It's not intentional, but it does happen. I don't know if it would happen with the two of you; I don't know if he'd have enough self-control to stop him from doing something stupid," she tells me, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "I'd like to believe he would be stronger than that … and I know he is. Still, multiple recent events have made me question everything."
The way she looks at me makes me think I'm at fault for the reasons she's questioning everything … but how?
"What? Why are you looking at me that way?"
Alice shakes her head, smiling. "No reason." Opening the door, she jerks her head toward the hall and holds out a hand. "Come on. I'll take you home."
Turning, I glare back where I had last seen Edward, muttering a string of curses under my breath. I want to put my foot down and plant myself in here, refusing to get up until he talks to me, but I don't think that'll work.
Alice seems determined to get me out of here, and while she's smaller than me, I know her size won't be an issue for my measly human strength.
"Fine." I stomp out into the hall, the string of curses I want to say swimming around my head. "Next time you see your brother, do me a favor, okay?"
With a firm click, she shuts the door, a questioning curiosity clear on her face. "Sure. What is it?"
"You're agreeing just like that?"
She shrugs, completely unbothered by whatever I may ask of her. "You're my friend; I know how much of a pain in the ass he is, so I'm sure it's justified."
A slow smile pulls at my lips at her response. I could ask whatever I want from her, and I know she'll do it. Alice, while understandably cautious, is also reliable and trustworthy. If I ask her to do something, I know she'll do it without question.
The possibilities of what I could ask are endless and have the potential to be quite evil. I smirk at the thought, a few ideas on what she could do popping up right away.
As quickly as they come, I push them away.
It wouldn't be right to do that to her. For Edward, he would completely deserve it, but it should be me delivering those, not Alice.
I start to voice my request when she starts walking away without locking the door. Wondering if the door locks on its own, I test it out but find that it opens easily.
"Uh, Alice? Did you forget something?"
She turns back to me, confused. "No, I don't think so."
"You didn't lock the door."
"I don't have a key."
I gape, utterly surprised she doesn't access to this place. She's his sister; shouldn't she have an emergency key or something? "Really?"
"Yep," she replies, entwining her arm with mine as we head toward the elevator. "That apartment is Edward's place and his alone. He's the only one that has a key, and it'll remain that way. It's what he wanted, so we respect his wishes. Of course, we knew what was going on when he was there. We didn't like it, but it's his life; he has to learn and deal with things his own way." As she says this, she nervously side-eyes me and rushes to continue speaking before I can ask anything more. "I wouldn't have even come here if he didn't text me. So, what favor do you want me to do?"
Rapidly, I blink, trying to catch up from the rambling Alice had done.
Edward said he was surprised by my ability to beat his siblings in the excessive talking department, but I'm not so sure; I don't think I'm anywhere near that bad.
"Um," I start, my brain finally catching up. I have more questions for her, like what he was doing when he was here? Obviously, it was something his family didn't like, but what could it be?
A vague answer pops up in my head, and I know it to be true.
He was hunting humans; his red eyes attested to that.
But is it true? I don't want to assume, so I push the thought away, leaving it until I can talk to him … and get answers.
As much as I want to badger her, her words are final, telling me the subject is dropped. I suppose I could be my natural stubborn self and insist on her answering me, but I think that would be taking it too far.
"The next time you see your brother, pinch him or punch him. Hard."
She cackles, throwing her head back as her fingers steeple together in front of her chest as we head into the elevator. "Done. What about psychological torture?"
I smirk, pleased she's on the same wavelength. "Leave that to me."
"Ugh! That's not fair."
"There will be plenty of moments for you to mess up your brother's head. For now, let this be mine."
Heavily, she sighs, her shoulders dropping theatrically. "Fine, fine. I'll wait. You know," she muses after a moment. "It means a lot that he brought you here, and I'd say a lot more than talking happened," she pointedly says, tapping her lips. "What happened? Your lips are swollen, your clothes are wrinkled, and your hair is a mess." In a blinding quick move, she holds up a hand. "Don't go into details about what you did. I've seen enough from your cousin and my brother."
She shudders, her face screwing up in disgust. In the reflective surface of the elevator doors, I see my face matches her perfectly.
"We may need to turn the hose on those two."
Alice snorts. "You and Edward, too, by the looks of it."
"Hey! We had the common courtesy to go somewhere private."
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I groan and squeeze my eyes shut. Alice squeals happily, and I lightly bang my head against the wall.
"I knew it! So you guys made out? Did you confess your undying love for each other?"
At this, I can't help but snort. "We didn't come here for that. We needed a private place to talk, since your parents' house wasn't an option … and I'm not going into detail about anything; but no, we didn't exchange vows of undying love."
"But you did confess something?"
"Aside from the obvious? Yes."
She tries to smile, but it comes off as a grimace. "Yeah … so you know, huh?"
"Yep. Billy's legends; he speaks highly of your family."
The grimace fades, and Alice smiles fondly. "Yeah, he's a great guy, too; everyone is, really." After a moment, she continues, shooting me a speculative look. "You know, I'm surprised you believed in his stories."
"I didn't at first, but once I saw Paul phase, I stepped out of the 'normal' box and looked at things with a more open mind … once I stopped panicking."
She laughs, shaking her head.
"I drew about it," I confess, my words no louder than a whisper.
From the corner of my eye, I see her glance at me, but I keep my gaze focused on the windshield.
"When Rose, Jasper, and I hung out with Jake and everyone, it would almost always end at the beach, with Billy and the other elders sitting around a bonfire at twilight. He told us the myths and legends of his people, of your family, and I was always so entranced. There was just something about it that captivated me. I wanted to be a part of it; I actually yearned for it. Everyone would laugh it off afterward; Paul, Sam, and Jake would crack a joke, and the elders would laugh along, making their own comments. It saddened me, honestly. I … I wanted to be a part of that world. A part of that magic."
I trail off with a laugh, shaking my head. "Rose would always give me shit for it, you know? Nothing serious, but still. She proclaimed that I took my love of horror too seriously. and I needed to get another hobby. Jasper agreed with her, being the annoying brother type that he is … especially when he saw that I was genuinely upset that vampires and shapeshifters weren't real." I smile wryly at this, shaking my head. "That statement didn't feel real to me. Ever. So, I started to illustrate the stories. I never wrote them down but drew them. Your family, the shape-shifters … I drew all of you."
Alice's eyes widen, and her mouth forms a small "o" of surprise, but she doesn't say a word.
"When I first saw you in town, way before we ever spoke, something felt familiar about you. It nagged at me, but I figured it was because you were new. It wasn't until I ran into Edward and felt the hardness of his skin and cold emanating from him that it clicked. I went home, looked in my old drawing book, and there it was; a representation of your family, of your golden eyes."
"I'd like to see it sometime," Alice tells me softly.
"It looks nothing like you. I just drew what I thought you'd look like, based on Billy's descriptions."
She shrugs a shoulder. "Still. I'd like to see it."
"Maybe one day."
Alice pouts at my response, but doesn't say more on the subject and instead, changes it.
"So, what did you confess? I have a theory, but I'd like to hear it from you."
I snort at this, wondering if Edward felt like this when I talked to him … minus the "getting pissed off" part. "What theory?"
"Really?" she raises a questioning eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "You do realize what him bringing you here says to me, don't you?"
Both of my eyebrows raise high on my forehead in anticipation. "No, I don't. We needed a place to talk since your parent's house was out of the question."
"Don't remind me, and trust me; there are a ton of places open for the holiday for people who can't go home for Thanksgiving or who don't want to go home. Or public parks, even. But he took you here," she says, tapping a finger against her chin. "I wonder why."
I shake my head and dart out of the enclosed space as soon as the doors open. Glancing around, I look for her car and spot it moments later, racing toward it.
Unsurprisingly, she keeps up with me easily.
Curse my stupid slowness.
"Bella, he doesn't even let his family come here, and yet, he brought you and then left you here. Doesn't that say something? Because it says something to me."
"I don't know," I reply, frustrated. Climbing into the car, I slam the door a little too hard, and Alice frowns but says nothing. "It's not like our topic of conversation was made for the public. We couldn't talk openly without the risk of people overhearing."
Her frown deepens, and she hums. "True. But something was said. Other than the nocturnal elephant in the room."
I want to laugh at her phrasing, but the memory of us making out, followed by the declaration of our feeling springs to mind, and I feel my cheeks heat in a blush.
Alice cheers, clapping her hands. "I was right! I knew it! It's good to know my intuition still works!"
"Why did you phrase it that way? Obviously, you know things, so I'd think you'd know about this too."
Immediately, her cheerful disposition fades into a deep frown. "I don't know what's going on," she murmurs. "Sometimes, I … know things, but when it comes to anything regarding you, I don't."
"What's that supposed to mean?" My tone comes out more defensive and accusatory than intended.
Alice either doesn't notice or doesn't care. "I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet."
Lightly, I huff, crossing my arms over my chest and turn to look out the window. As we leave the parking garage, I finally get a good look at the apartment building. It's the same one where I ran into Edward the second time; the very same one where we were standing close together, and someone told us to "get a room."
"Huh." I breathe, shaking my head. If I had known this was where I could find Edward, I would have been here every day, banging on his door and demanding answers. I suppose that's a good thing for him, though.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine," I reply, huffing a laugh. "It's just … it's weird. He took me to his apartment." I laugh once more. "If I had known he was there, I don't think anything could have stopped me from coming back and talking to him sooner."
"About your feelings?" she sing-songs, her tone teasing and playful, but there's also an anticipated seriousness there.
She wants to know what happened between us, and to be honest; I'd like to talk to her about everything that went down today.
Sure, I could talk to my mother, but it's kind of awkward talking to her about such things. I know she'll ask if we were safe and give me another talk on the practices of safe sex, all the while gloating that she knew Edward and I would end up together.
Yeah, I'm not going down that path.
Not to mention, she'll be extremely disappointed that I just blurted out I knew he and his family are vampires, thanks to Billy's stories.
The one thing she told me to do on Halloween was to tread carefully on that subject and ease into it … and here I am, jumping in feet first and running my mouth.
I'm not ready to see that disappointment on her face.
With Alice, I still feel that shame, but at least she's not upset.
Not like Edward.
It's strange, but there's this weird bubble in my chest when I think of his reaction over what I shared. He was more than upset; he was pissed.
I'm not sure whether it's because I know the truth, or because Billy told me.
I'm sure, somewhere in this supernatural world, there's a rule book stating that us puny humans can't know about their existence. If that weren't the case, then it'd be widely known that vampires and shapeshifters walk among us every day.
Any progress we made today in whatever is going on between us, has been pushed backward a thousand steps.
Again.
We admitted that we're attracted to one another and that there are feelings there, but what happens now?
Will he stick around and try to work this out, or will he walk away and forget about me? Will he stick around for the sake of his family, but ignore me?
Initially, the thought of any of that happening pisses me off, but it also kind of hurts. My chest flares and my stomach churns and clenches painfully. Resting my torso across my midsection, I squeeze my arm across, hoping to dispel the feeling.
All these uncomfortable feelings piss me off more. I hate that I'm having such a reaction to wondering what could happen between us. It sucks, and it's not fair.
At all.
"Are you okay?" Alice asks, concern dripping from every word.
Forcing myself to relax, I plaster a smile on my face. "I just feel off. I need to eat, I think."
Alice's lips purse before asking me where I'd like to stop.
"Nowhere, just take me home. I have a whole crap-ton of food there that Mom made, so I'll stuff my face there."
"If you're sure … so!" she says, clapping her hands, a bright smile on her lips. "What happened? What'd you confess?"
"Don't get too excited, energizer. I think any progress that was made today has caught aflame and been reduced to ash."
As quickly as her happy attitude came, it leaves just as fast. Her shoulders slump, and she looks incredibly heartbroken; like someone handed her a puppy and took it right back.
"Oh. Maybe you need a third party? Tell me what happened after you finished making out with my brother. I don't need those details," she tells me, her nose scrunched in disgust.
Rolling my eyes, I quickly relay everything that happened, starting with our confessions on how we feel about each other. As expected, she squeals, clapping her hands and nearly scaring the crap out of me when she lets go of the wheel to do so.
"Oh, Bella! It's about time!"
"Hands on the wheel!" I screech. "Not all of us are difficult to kill!"
Alice rolls her eyes, but complies, still grinning. "I knew you two would be a perfect match! You're just alike! Kind of. Ahh!" She squeals, hopping in her seat. I know she's excited, but seeing her jump around just reminds me of a little kid that has to go to the bathroom, but hasn't asked to go yet.
I smother a laugh at the image, focusing on the world blurring by my window.
"Now," she continues, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "You can make it official. I mean, technically, you two have been dating for a while now and—"
"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupt, waving my hands frantically.
Has my friend gone insane? I have no idea how or why she thinks Edward and I have been "dating for a while now." On what planet does she equate anything Edward and I have done as dating?
I mean, sure, we've made out more than once and hung out together, but dating? That's a bit of a stretch, and I tell her so.
"You're reaching here, Alice. We haven't been dating."
"You're so delusional, Bella. Do I need to slap some sense into you?"
I snort at this. "I'd love to see you try."
"Don't tempt me and face facts here, okay?" she begins with a laugh. "You're dating. We'll break this down. First up: the bickering banter. It may have started off as fighting because you couldn't stand each other, but it grew into more. You both did it to get a rise out of one another, just because you could and because you liked it."
I purse my lips at this because didn't Edward admit to this half an hour ago?
Instead of telling her, I keep quiet, but she continues anyway.
"Second, you've made out with him … more than once. That's not something friends or acquaintances do."
"They do if they're friends with benefits," I tell her, an evil smirk on my lips.
"Gross! TMI!"
I cackle, throwing my head back. "That's what you get!"
"Yeah, that's what I get all right," she grumbles. "Trying to help my friend not be a dumbass and realize what she has with my pain in the ass brother. That's what I get all right."
"I'm sorry."
Her eyes narrow, and playfully, she sneers. "No, you're not."
"Not really, no."
She huffs. "For that, I'll continue—"
"Wait, how do you know?"
Bashfully, she smiles. "I can sort of smell your scents on each other."
Heavily, I sigh, cursing vampires and their stupid extraordinary senses.
"Yeah," she says, hearing my unspoken complaint. "It's handy sometimes, and a pain in others."
When I think about it, it must really suck to be a vampire; if Alice can smell my scent over Edward, it makes me wonder about all of the other scents humans give off. Immediately, I feel a surge of sympathy for my vampire friends.
It can't be easy … or pleasant.
Before I can remark on this, however, Alice continues. "Third, you've spent time alone with him. You called him to rescue you; you've hung out alone more than once. And now you've admitted you're attracted to one another and that you like one another. You know what all that says? That you're dating. Period. It's not very traditional, but there are signs. It's all there."
For once, I'm speechless, though my mouth doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. I open and close it, ready to argue my case on why she's so wrong, but no words are coming.
In a twisted, weird way, I realize she's right.
It's not dating in the traditional sense, but I guess we are dating.
Kind of.
We've gone to the movies and hung out together, not to mention making out more than we should have.
"Well, shit," I breathe, allowing my head to fall back.
Alice laughs, the unspoken "I told you so" clear in her chuckles.
In response, I flip her off without looking, which only makes her laugh harder.
"Aw, I'm sorry. But, really? You didn't think it was dating on some level?"
"Obviously not," I drawl, rolling my head to the left so I can look at her. "Like you said, it's not traditional."
"Neither you nor my brother are traditional."
"True. Honestly, it didn't even cross my mind. I mean, I thought we were just … bickering."
"You were. But there was flirting in there too. Bickering flirting? Aggressive flirting?" Her lips smile as she muses this; her eyes squinted in concentration. "I don't know; it was definitely something. I would call it dating."
"So would my mother," I say with an unamused snort.
"Who do you think gave me the idea?"
I groan, covering my face. "Fantastic."
Lightly, Alice tugs on one of my wrists. "It's not that bad. Just think, she could have brought it up to you … while you were alone with Edward."
I shudder at the possibility, thanking heaven for small favors.
"True." I sigh, letting my head fall back once more. "Whether we're dating or not doesn't matter," I say a minute later. "He was pissed at my word vomit and the fact that I know. And he's mad at Billy; I hope I didn't screw up. I don't want him to hurt my friend."
Alice grabs my hand, squeezing once. "Don't worry," she tells me. "He would never. He respects Billy and Carlisle too much to screw their friendship."
"How long has your family known Billy?"
"Billy? Or Billy's family?"
I blink in surprise, but I suppose I shouldn't be shocked. Vampires are immortal; it's not uncommon they would know several generations in a family.
Without waiting for my answer, Alice continues. "We've known Billy's family since we made the treaty with his great-grandfather. Much like Laurent, there were rogue vampires in the area; we stepped in to help before they could expose us." She peers at me from the corner of her eye, her lips pressed together. "I think that's why Edward is so upset. The number one rule of our kind is to keep the secret. There are exceptions, of course, but for Billy to tell you so blatantly about us was a huge risk."
"But he only—"
"I know," she interrupts. "He considers you family because of Charlie, but still; it was dangerous to do. If the Volturi found out you knew before we were here, you … well, they'd eliminate you for knowing."
Swallowing thickly, I ignore the tremor in my hands and voice. "Really? They're that ruthless, huh?"
"They can be, but in some ways, they have to be."
I let this process for a minute, before realizing the truth to her words. After all, I had thought this very thing earlier; there have to be rules to protect those who are different. If there aren't serious consequences to revealing a secret, then what's to stop chaos from ensuing?
"So, you said there are exceptions?"
Alice looks at me, concerned, but answers anyway.
"Yes. Let's say a vampire meets their mate while he or she is still human. If that vampire intends to change them, and they agree, they're free to tell. But that person must be changed, or the Volturi will come after everyone involved. If a family member is changed and wants their sibling or whoever changed, or even a friend, they can be told. But the intent must be there. Otherwise, you risk getting yourself and the other person killed."
"Oh."
My heart pounds in my ears, thundering in my chest, and my hands shake at my sides. I fold my arms across me, trapping my hands underneath my armpits in an effort to keep them still. Unfortunately, the shaking merely travels down to my foot, where it taps against the floorboard in an irregular rhythm.
"But," she continues, stressing her point further. "Since Billy considers your family part of his family, you're safe. You know, considering he's part of a shapeshifter tribe and the risk of exposure is great to them as well. No one wants those secrets out."
Releasing a breath, I sink into the seat, finally relaxing. "So why was Edward so pissed about Billy telling me?"
"Because he's overdramatic!" she huffs. "Honestly, there is some risk, but not a lot, since you've covered by your connection to Billy. Besides, maybe Edward wanted to tell you himself, and he's pissy because someone stole his thunder."
I laugh, but I can't help wondering why he got so upset. If what Alice says is true, then why did he act that way? Is it like Alice said and he scared because their secret was exposed? Is he upset because he wanted to tell me himself, or is something else altogether?
I wish I had the answers, but once more, I'm put into a situation where only Edward can give me answers.
Jerk.
"Why did you leave your family today?" Alice questions, once more breaking into my thoughts. "Or did you have your celebration early?"
"No," I tell her with a sigh. "Family drama. The grandparents and the parental units were fighting. We were told to leave so they could talk."
Her mouth drops open, curiosity shining in her eyes. "What happened?"
Quickly, I run through the events that I witnessed just before I left, and Alice is appropriately shocked.
"Wow. No offense, but your grandmother sounds like a huge bitch."
I laugh. "She is. No question. I just wish I could have stuck around to see her get put in her place."
She makes a sound of sympathy while turning onto my street. My eyes zone in on my house, and from the outside, all seems quiet and calm. This is surprising, considering what was going on when I left.
Alice parks near the curb, leaving the engine idling. "Only your dad is home," Alice tells me, her eyebrows wrinkled together, nostrils flaring.
"Huh. She probably went hunting or something," I remark, looking back at the house.
The light above the sink is on, but there's no movement or activity from what I can see. The rest of the curtains are drawn, leaving me guessing as to what's going on beyond the walls.
Alice gapes, incoherent words falling from her lips as she tries to find the right words to say, but is obviously at a loss.
"What?"
"You know? Renee's told you?"
I give her a blank look. Hadn't we just discussed that I know about vampires? That I've known for a while now? How does she think that I wouldn't know my own mother is a vampire?
"Yeah. I talked to her on Halloween. I couldn't stand it anymore … all the secrets and double meanings. We went for a short walk, and I confessed everything. She then made it a point to tell me that she did not go after humans and would never taste human blood."
Astonished, Alice sits back with a light laugh. "Okay, then." After a moment, she continues. "Your mother was pretty adamant she didn't want to taste human blood. She wanted to be as close to "normal" as she could get … and considering what you told me about your grandparents, it wouldn't surprise me if she hunted regularly," she tells me, her words coming out slow and careful. "For a newborn, even as controlled as your mother, you still need to feed constantly. Stress adds to that, so it's definitely good that she's taking care of herself."
Thoughtfully, I wonder how often Mom does go out to hunt. I hardly ever see her leave, but then again, I'm not with her twenty-four seven. For all I know, she goes out when we're at school or asleep.
"She's great. And gifted, I take it? Like you? I mean, her eyes are normal looking sometimes. Billy said newborns and "bad" vampires have red eyes, but she never did. It kind of threw me for a loop at first, to be honest."
"Yes! I was amazed by that too! I think that's what's helping her be so in control. She wanted so badly to return to you all—" she pauses, her head cocked to the side as if listening to something.
Suddenly, a smile grows on her lips, the look of it surprised but excited and a little bit smug. "You need to get inside."
"Okay, but—"
"We'll talk later. Promise."
"All right," I reply, drawing out the last word. "What's going on? Did you see something or whatever?"
"You can say that," she replies cryptically. "See you later!"
As soon as I'm out of the car, she speeds off, leaving me standing in the driveway, wondering what on earth she had seen.
Idly, I wonder if these vampires work on being cryptic or if it comes naturally to them.
Whichever the reason, they're a major pain in the ass.
Inside, the television volume drones on excitedly about the recent play from some football player. You can hear the crowd cheering in the background as the announcer enthusiastically calls out the play, intermixed with calls of "can you believe that?" and "oh my, God, this is amazing!"
My father is surprisingly silent, considering he's normally cheering with the television at anything that happens.
Peeking in, I see the reason why.
He's sound asleep, with his mouth hanging open slightly open and tiny grunts escaping him every so often.
As quietly as I can, I tiptoe to the stairs, peeking down to see if Jasper is in his room. The door is ajar, and there is no light on, so I'm guessing not.
Rose's room is empty as well, and I shake my head, wondering what the hell Alice could have seen to make her look so smug if no is here.
In my room, I close the door behind me and lay face first down on my bed, grunting into the mattress as I try to think of what to do.
My stomach growling answers that question pretty easily.
Flipping over, I try to muster the energy to get up when I spot movement from outside my window.
Slowly, I walk over and peer out, only to suck in a huge lungful of air and jump back as Edward's face pops into view.
"Asshole!" I hiss, throwing open the window. "You nearly stopped my heart!"
He rolls his eyes, lightly bouncing against the side of my house as if he's at a playground. "You're being overdramatic; your heart is fine. I would have heard it if it wasn't."
"Hey pot, weren't you the one flying off the handle because I know your secret?"
"Whatever. Can I come in, or would you rather have me hang out here all night?"
I shrug. "The second option works for me."
"This is what I get for trying to be polite and ask first."
"Yeah, it is," I say with a snicker. "I suppose you should come in before the neighbors see you."
Before I've finished speaking, he lithely jumps in, silent and quick as a cat. I won't admit it, but it was incredibly fascinating and attractive, seeing his body move so fluidly.
"You're lucky, my mother isn't here, and my father is sleeping."
He snorts a laugh, shoving his hands in his pockets after he closes the window. "Why do you think I'm here now? Your parents have already threatened me once."
An astonished laugh leaves me. "Really?"
Edward nods seriously. "First, it was your father, right after you hit your head. He's very inventive; he promised to build a flamethrower."
I laugh at this because that sounds just like him.
"Then, after your mother was turned, she told me if she ever caught me sneaking in, she'd take care of me herself. Of course, my own parents agree with yours, so I have no one on my side … except for Emmett. I'm not too sure that's a good thing," he muses thoughtfully.
"Poor baby," I coo, reaching out and patting his chest.
After a minute of awkward silence, I speak. "What are you doing here? The way you left; I didn't think you'd come to see me willingly."
"I wasn't mad at you … not completely, anyway. I always come back to you," he tells me honestly. Slowly, he brings a hand up and sweeps his fingers down the side of my face, before dropping it back down.
Briefly, I'm floored by his confession, but before I can even think of a response, he's speaking again.
"And you still have questions, right? Well, I'll answer them. I swear."
So, more talking is coming the next chapter. Along with a few surprises! ;)
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
I also hope everyone has a great week, and for those that celebrate it, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.
Stay safe and I'll see you soon!