Edward took me up the staircase and op to the third level.
"This," He put his hand on the doorknob. "is my room."
He opened it up and I gasped. It was like my dream room... sort of. The back wall was glass so you could look out over the woods. The east wall were shelves after shelves of CD cases. My dream room would have a wall of CDs and a wall of books. But this was pretty close.
In one corner the very expensive players were set up.
"Wow." I said as Edward guided me to the black leather couch. [1
I sat down and sank into the comfort. I watched Edward pick out some CD and put it into the player. "This is one of my favorites." He said as a slow orchestral song started but after about twenty seconds of that it switched to a rock sound.
Bouncing my head to the music, I started looking through his CDs.
I heard his almost silent footsteps back to the couch and could feel his eyes on me.
"How are these organized?" I asked.
"By year and then alphabetical by band name within that frame." [2 He answered but he sounded slightly distracted.
As I moved to the newer ones I caught a quick glimpse of Edward, and he looked like he was fighting a battle in his head.
I went back to looking for a particular CD. I smiled but then put on a disappointed face.
"You don't have Yael Naim." I mock pouted.[3
He puckered his eyebrows. "Yes I do." and he came over to were I was and looked.
"HA! You don't have it." I said smugly.
But Edward walked to the other side that was nearest to the CD player. He looked triumphant as he held up the CD I was looking for.
"Dang." I whispered and Edward laughed. "What was it doing over there?"
"Well... this is my favorites shelf." He explained.
"It's your favorite?"
"Well... I heard you singing a lot of the songs at lunch... so... it kind of turned into my favorites because of you." He avoided my gaze and fiddled with putting a random CD back in it's case.
I blushed and went back to sit on the couch. I was determined to do this and I was stalling.
"Um... Edward." He turned to look at me his eyes softened and looked confused at my tone of voice. "I... I need to tell you something."
Edward glided over to the couch and sat at the other end waiting for me to continue.
"Well, let you know something." I took a deep breath. "You know when you said I shouldn't keep things like Isaac to myself; that I could talk to you? Well, I'm going to try and let that happen." I felt a drop of sweat on the back of my neck. I was so nervous and I couldn't help it.
Edward moved closer and took my hand in his. His eyes were... I can't explain it. They were so concerned filled and mystified. He looked like he was in pain because he didn't know how to help me. I vowed never to see Edward like that again after tonight.
I tried to smile and took another deep breath. "Just... what would help is if you didn't interrupt and stay quiet." He nodded his head.
I looked down at our hands trying to figure out where to begin.
"Edward. I know you don't want me to say these things and know these things... gosh! I don't know how to put this. But Edward I can trust you right? You won't do anything rash right?"
He nodded his head.
"You're my best friend Edward and I know that you've been debating on something all night. And I wanted to let you know... that I know and I don't care."
He still seemed clueless as what I was saying but then realization hit him and he jerked his head to the side like I didn't really know what he was a vampire.
I took my sweaty palm and put it on his cheek; my pinky tracing the dark circles under his eye.
He jumped back just a little at my touch but he eased into his original position letting my hand rest on his face. He took a deep breath inhaling my scent.
"Please, just let me get done talking." I whispered. He looked dead straight in my eyes as if he could find the answers he was looking for there. "Edward. I know what you are. I know why you're always so cold. I know why you miss school every now and then. I know why you don't eat at lunch. I know why you don't interact with anybody. I know why you left for a week when I came here. I know why you even came to Forks. I know what you eat. And I know why your eyes get black..." I touched the dark circles under his eyes one more time then I put my hands in my lap and took a deep breath getting ready to continue.
"But I also know what you don't eat... or try not to eat. And I know that that is a hard choice and I am amazed you can do it." His expression was unfathomable. I looked into his eyes and tried to let him see my feelings on this. "You don't have to hide it anymore. Not around me. As I said earlier. I don't care. I don't care what you are. I've tried to. But it doesn't matter." I stated as I looked at the carpet in his room.
He spoke then. "You don't care!? It doesn't matter that... that I almost killed you the first day I saw you? It doesn't matter that at any moment I could reach out and break you neck just as easily as you would break a twig? It doesn't matter..." He scoffed.
We were silent for the longest two minutes just staring at each other. He took a deep breath and said softly, "Continue. When did you know? When did you find out?"
I leaned back onto the sofa and closed my eyes. "The first day. The first day I met you. In biology." I didn't let him ask his next question. "I thought you would have killed me. I thought I was dead. I didn't understand why you didn't end me. I guessed you would have waited till the end of class and then led me to somewhere secluded and then ended me. I knew I wouldn't have had a choice. I almost felt like that was supposed to happen. That I was supposed to die. But... you didn't. You left. I didn't understand at all. I didn't understand how you could even sit in a classroom!" I sighed. "Remember when I said I was sorry earlier? Well, I figured out why. I'm sorry because I know how hard it is for you to be with me. I'm sorry I put you through what I did and am still doing."
He put a hand on my lips. "Stop. You have nothing to be sorry for." He still wasn't happy. "So you really know that... that I'm a vampire?"
I nodded. "Now the only thing I don't know why is... why you try to so hard to be my friend."
He sat back but kept his hand on my cheek, apparently as stumped as I was. "I... I guess it's because," Edward looked into my eyes and I nearly gasped with its power. "Hmm." He tried again. "I try so hard to be your friend... because I... love you." He said the last two words like he was just realizing it himself.
Next thing I knew Edward surrounded me. His arms were wrapped around my back and his head leaned on top of mine. I smiled as I put my hands on his back, clinging to him. The heart inside me started racing. He petted my hair and inhaled my scent.
"Well, this went a bit deferent then I expected." I said and Edward laughed as he pulled away from me gently.
His eyes were beaming. I coyly smiled. "Edward." I said longingly. His smile grew at the tone of my voice. "I love you too." and I climbed into his lap and rested my head on his chest. The buzzing in my chest was finally at peace. He wrapped his arms around me again and leaned back so that we were almost horizontal with the couch. I stretched out and put my hands around his neck.
"I don't understand. You know what a sick horrible creature I am... why aren't you running?"
"Because Edward." I said like this was the most obvious thing in the world. "I love you."
Edward laughed. "I guess this means were not technically friends anymore. What are we going to do? One stupid vampire in love with a clumsy human. What has this world come to?"
"It's a very strange world Edward. You of all people should know that." I smiled as I ran my fingers through his hair. Edward closed his eyes relishing in the feeling.
"May I ask you something Bella?"
"Shoot."
"How... how did you know? How did you know what we are?" He looked at me seriously.
I exhaled heavily. "Well, that's a story."
"Will you tell me?"
"Of course. I just have to figure out where to begin." We sat up as I tried to figure out how to start.
"Okay, well... hmm... is your family listening?" I asked looking for a particular answer.
"Yes." He looked embarrassed and if he weren't a mythical creature he probably would have blushed.
"Okay. Then I'll explain it to them too in the living room." I got up from the couch and Edward held my hand as we walked slowly down the stairs.
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[A/N I know. It's kind of short. I'm almost done with the next chapter so it should be soon. It's kind of like a two part thing here... or three. I don't know. So review!
[1 I can't remember the exact color of Edward's couch... but black seemed like a stable color. Correct me if I'm wrong. (stupid dare)
[2 I don't remember either, how he organized his CDs but this is how I would do it if it I was Edward.
[3 I'm kind of addicted to Yael Naim right now. So um... yeah that's why I use her a lot.