I stared at him for a few moments. He thought I fit in his world? Me? Accidents, deafness and my two year (or hundred year – depending on how you viewed it) age difference aside… I was ordinary, and he was… well, Edward.

"That's nice of you to say." I carefully enunciated. I love you too, I thought to myself. His eyes filled with sadness.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

I avoided answering and smiled at the table. "So are we going to talk about your tragic story? Or is this evening of revelations a one way street?"

He didn't respond for a second, and I thought I had missed it, so I looked up at him in concern, but he held a hand out, with a single finger pointing up in a gesture of 'wait', tilting his head as if he were listening to something.

"Your father and a few friends are dropping by." Edward signed and said. His face was a little dark and moody, as if this were not news he was overly excited about. "They're about a minute away."

I'm sure my face relayed my panic and confusion – Charlie said he would be out late tonight, and then my disappointment at not having more time to spend with him.

"I'm assuming this wouldn't be the best time to be introduced to your father?" he raised an eyebrow in jest.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin." I admitted. I had said I was spending tonight with Angela probably, and here I was with a boy in my house when I thought Charlie was away? Not ideal. He furrowed his brow, considering something.

"Would you mind if I came back to visit you tonight? Not for any nefarious purposes," he grinned, as I raised my eyebrows in a taunting way. "But to share my story with you?"

"And how exactly would you sneak past the Chief of Police?" I asked. "I thought you said you couldn't turn into a bat."

He laughed, rose, and stroked my hair. He began heading towards the back door.

"I'll be back when it's clear, and I promise I won't be detected."

"I'm not sure what to say about a man sneaking into my room at night. What will the neighbours say?" I asked, half blushing, folding my hands under my chin. I was glad we were ending on this happy, and exhilarating note. Edward bowed, mischievously, and disappeared. I felt a gentle rush of cool air from behind me, and turned back to observe my surroundings. I had a glass of water on the table beside a stack of school books. I quickly opened a couple, tied up my hair, and made myself look as comfy as possible, instead of the on-edge, heart-racing I was feeling. A few moments later, I saw the flash of headlights pull into the driveway through the front bay window.

I tried to look casual and confused as Charlie walked into the entranceway. I could see him from here. He was still in his police gear, and he hung his gun belt and jacket up quickly, before disappearing outside again. When he returned he was backing through the door, pulling a short figure through. I immediately recognised the long, silky black and grey hair of Billy Black, who was being wheeled in by my father, up our awkward stairs. Shortly after the reversing old men came my truck mechanic, Jacob Black. I grinned, and got out of my seat, rubbing my leg as I stretched it out and walked over to them. Jacob saw me first, signing a hello with the salute he'd no doubt picked up from Charlie.

"Hey Jacob, Billy, Dad. Can I help with anything?"

"Hey Bella. We were going to – and the TV cracked out – came here." Charlie said. He had turned his head away from me a couple of times, gesturing towards our guests, so I had missed things, but I go the gist.

"So you're watching the game here tonight? I'm sorry – I didn't make any dinner…" I gestured to the kitchen, where the 'evidence' of my schoolwork lay. I really would have to dedicate at least a few hours tonight to it.

"That's okay Bella." Billy's voice surprised me. I wasn't sure if he usually talked in such a booming way, or if he was raising the level for my sake. "We'll order in. Jacob I think it's been at least a good couple of weeks since we had pizza." He wheeled himself over to the couch, pulling himself into a comfortable position on it. Jacob followed me into the kitchen, while Charlie dialed his phone. Probably a pizza place I supposed. Jacob sat down at the kitchen table across from me.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked, and then asked another. "And how would you sign that?"

I signed 'what's this' with him, and then looked down at my books. What had I cracked open? Trigonometry.

"It's trig. I'm not very good at it." I offered. Jacob looked in fear at the equations.

"Not looking forward to that." He turned his nose up. "I also suppose I'll have Ms. Whistler for that, and I hate her."

"I don't know her, but I'm pretty sure there's a universal dislike of math teachers built into teenage bodies. I don't exactly love my trig teacher either." I pushed the book aside, a question popping into my mind.

"What is school on the reservation like Jake?" I asked, knowing it wasn't a politically correct line of questioning, but knowing he wouldn't mind.

"There's less of you pale faces around that's for sure." He joked quietly, making sure I read his lips. He was obviously trying to avoid a chastising from his father, who was just in the other room. I smiled, enjoying the comment, and sticking out my tongue as an appropriately adult response. "It's good. We tend to learn more about history and politics than you do I think. More about how things used to be, cultural heritage, legends and stories, songs and even languages sometimes. I suck at that part though. It's funny – I'm pretty good at learning ASL, but my ancestral tongue? Too many rules man. I think I'm better with my hands, learning that way."

I nodded, picturing how it would be. I would love to take a peek into that world sometime too.

"What did you think we did? Run around the forest hunting all day?" he laughed.

"Absolutely." I kept my voice and face as serious as possible. "Headdress making, dreamcatcher weaving, chanting around fires, the whole Hollywood shindig." I barely got to the word 'weaving' before my face cracked into a smile.

"Actually…" Jacob laughed. "I did learn how to do a bunch of that stuff, so I suppose I can't laugh at you too much."

"That's actually really cool Jacob. I get forced through trig and gym and you get epic mystical arts and crafts time." I held up my hands in a 'WTF' gesture and he shrugged.

"I can't help you there. I suppose I could teach you how to make your own epic mystical arts and crafts, if you taught me some sign stuff." He bartered eagerly. I nodded in agreement.

"Deal." I said, and signed. Jacob copied the word, and the sign, and then looked around eagerly.

"Alright, what do you wanna make?" he asked, sort of confused. I looked back at him in disbelief.

"Uh – I thought you were supposed to be watching a game right now." I nodded my head towards the living room where our fathers were undoubtedly talking sports statistics and plays in front of the television. I couldn't hear it, just a bubbling of general sound coming from the flickering bright light behind Jacob's back.

"I came for you actually." He shrugged his shoulders. "The game is of minimal interest. I wanted to see how you were suffering, how the Tank was faring, and now I get to teach you how to build shit."

I sneered at him comically. "I'm suffering well thanks." I couldn't exactly tell him about the most interesting parts of my week, but I could fill him in on the minor details. "Acquired a new desk chair, helped some friends dress-shop, fell behind on homework, went for a marathon like run… the usual really."

"And the Tank?"

"Still lumbering." I shook my head at how easy it was to talk to him. It was as though we had been close friends for years. He spoke with a loud boom that made it very hard to miss what he was saying, and always faced me. He didn't have Edward's explicit enunciation or immaculate signing knowledge, but he wasn't hard to communicate with.

"How about dream catchers?" he asked.

"To make?" I clarified. He nodded, and gestured out my window.

"We could start now. Go grab some sticks."

I looked at him, then at the dusk-lit forest that was eerily close to night. It was also raining outside and I was warm and comfortable.

"Soft pass. Next time. It's wet and dark." I tried to explain.

"That's what she said." He quipped back. I bit my lip as I tried to hold back my laughter. Seriously? Dirty jokes was where we were headed now. I shook my head in fake disappointment.

"I expected better from you Jake."

"That's what she said." He repeated, laughing harder. I kicked him swiftly, not honoring him with a response, but I could tell that he knew I found it hilarious. Not in front of our dads though. That was just weird. I couldn't tell how loudly we were actually talking, or how much they could hear. Maybe I should have taken Jacob's offer on dreamcatcher supply collection.

"Go watch the game. I have homework to do." I kicked him again, smiling still and he ruffled my hair as he stood. I had to pull it out of my ponytail and put it back up, frowning grumpily at him as he headed to the living room.

It wasn't long before pizza arrived, and the boys insisted I come eat and watch the game with them. I grabbed some pizza, and did my best to focus on the television. Charlie even turned the subtitles on for me, before I made him switch them off; they covered a lot of the screen, and during important play backs we would miss things. I tried to pay attention, but my mind kept drifting back to Edward, and his promise to return tonight. What questions would I even ask? I supposed it depended on what direction his story took as he told it. I picked at the remnants of my pizza and suddenly the TV was switched off. I looked around in confusion, seeing the men animatedly discussing the game. Jacob and Charlie were rooting for the same team, and had pleased looks on their faces. Billy was grumpy looking.

I stuck around long enough to say my goodbyes and remind Jacob that we'd be doing 'epic crafting time' sometime soon. After Billy and Jacob were loaded back into their truck and headed home I said my goodnight to Charlie. My stomach was knotting in anticipation. Butterflies. I had butterflies. Some secret alone time with a love interest in my room. Even without the 'nefarious' shenanigans that would be expected of two teenagers sneaking into a room at night, I still felt nervous and shy somehow. I was sharing my bedroom, my sanctuary with someone soon. That thought both terrified and thrilled me.