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A/N: Wow, another chapter already? I know, I'm as surprised as you are. This one just came out - get those two together and the dialogue just about writes itself. Kind of.
A general thank you to everyone who has left reviews for this story - I hit refresh about 10 times/day in the hopes of seeing yet another lovely comment from a reader. I'm sorry if I haven't responded to your review yet - I will! Also, I have a request: while I am tickled pink by nice reviews, I kind of also want the critical ones. Didn't like Bella's whining? Think Edward is too awkward? Did the plot take a twist you don't agree with? I wanna know. Really. This is how we writers get better, and you would be doing me a favor by pointing out any holes you find. Just don't be mean :)
On with the show!
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Staring at the vampire in front of her, Bella took a tiny step back. Jake was gone, Tyler was gone, and even Jessica, Goddamn her, had left. It was nearly two in the morning; another bar at the end of the block would still be open, but all other businesses on this street would have closed by now. Police presence in the area was pretty light, too... She had her phone, but it was at the bottom her bag in the break room. The restaurant phone was there, too. Could she dial fast enough to -
Edward moved, sliding the paper bag he had brought with him along the counter toward her. It rustled softly under his hand, and the sound seemed to echo off the walls.
"This is for you," he said, his words slow and measured.
She flinched away from his voice. There was less than twenty feet of space between them now, with her on one side of the bartender's island and him on the other, and she wasn't about to narrow that distance.
"Wh-what is it?"
He took a long step backwards, away from the counter. "Some things which I owe you."
You don't owe me anything, she wanted to say. Just leave. Instead, she brushed stray hairs off of her brow and wrapped her arms around her waist, fingers digging into ribs. Each breath filled her lungs with a light shudder as her eyes flickered back and forth from the package to its courier. He stood motionless, watching her, but offered no further retreat.
Finally, she couldn't stand the stillness any longer. Crossing the floor with fast, uneven steps, she all but snatched the bag off the counter, and rushed back to the other side of the bar. Paper rustled again as she pulled out an unlabeled CD case. The disk inside was also blank; light from the break room bounced off its iridescent surface, throwing narrow arcs of color onto the walls.
She looked up at Edward. "What is this?"
"A recording of our initial conversations," he replied, gesturing vaguely at the disk. "You asked for a copy when we met. I thought it only fair to give it to you now.... Now that you are aware of the full implications of our relationship."
"We don't have a relationship."
A crease rippled his brow, but he said nothing.
The bag was not empty. Reaching in for its remaining contents, she stiffened when her fingers brushed against bound paper. Pulling the book out slowly, she bit her lip as the bag slipped away, revealing the title and cover. She recognized it instantly, and fought the urge to flip to the front page for the inscription she knew would be there.
It had been one of her sister's most valued books; a gift from a favorite college professor. Alice had tried to get her to read it on several occasions, insisting that evolutionary theory of animal behavior should be everyone's "thing."
This was the book he had been talking about that night? The realization that he had read it first left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"You shouldn't have taken this." Though the words came out evenly, she couldn't lift her eyes to his.
"I did not mean to. I didn't realize I was still holding it until after I had left your house. I tried to return it yesterday, but you were absent."
"You shouldn't have taken this," she repeated, louder. "You shouldn't have gone up there, you shouldn't have gone through her things -"
"I apologize," he interrupted. "I didn't realize that it was her room. I thought that -"
She slammed the book down on the counter, cutting him off. "What do you want from me??"
"I – Nothing. I don't want anything."
"Then why are you here? Why do you keep following me around?"
"I am not -" he broke off before his voice could gather more volume. "I only came here to return this book. And to give you the recording. After our previous... encounter, it did not seem wise to disturb you at home a second time."
She countered with another step back, clutching the book to her chest. "You need to leave. The bar is closed."
He cocked his head, eyes flickering around the room before settling on her face. This time, she forced herself to return his gaze. "Very well," he said after a long silence, lips gathered into a frown. Then, with one last appraising look around the bar, he turned and walked out.
Bella didn't wait for the door to close behind him before rushing into the break room. There, she stuffed the book and CD case into her canvas bag, slung it over her shoulder, and turned off the lights. The back door to the restaurant was still propped open; when she tried close it, the door stuck against the pavement. Her headache flared as she gritted her teeth and jerked it shut. Its locking mechanism slid into place with a heavy click. She paused there for a moment, leaning against the door frame, and waited for the coupled pounding in her head and chest to subside.
Walking across the floor of the restaurant, her legs felt shaky and weak. At the front door, she glanced back over her shoulder at the darkened room and took a deep breath. Then, pushing her weight against the glass door, she stepped out onto the sidewalk.
The Chicago summer heat had begun to wane around midnight, leaving these early morning hours warm, but not oppressive. Bella locked up and walked toward the nearest intersection, straining her neck in search of a cab. Ordinarily, she would have taken the train, but Edward's sudden appearance had drained the last of her stamina. A cluster of cars passed by without a single taxi, so she stepped back from the curb and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Plucking one out with her lips, she rummaged through the various pockets of her bag and jeans for a lighter, but could not find one.
"Shit." She snatched the cigarette out of her mouth, stuffing it back into the pack in disgust, and leaned against a skinny tree.
Shoes shuffled against pavement behind her. "Do you need a light?"
Bella jerked back and spun toward the voice.
Very slowly, Edward bent forward and picked up the bag which had fallen from her shoulder, offering it to her with an outstretched arm. When she didn't move, he set it back down at her feet and took a step back.
"I'm sorry. It seems that I can't help but startle you."
Her chest heaved as she stared at him, unable to move or reply.
"I..." He ran a hand through his hair, and looked down. "I was just waiting here to confirm that you left safely."
Tiny tremors ran up and down her arms and torso. Finally managing to close her mouth, she gripped the tree trunk behind her with white knuckles.
"You are waiting for a taxi? Yes, I suppose that you are, but why here? The next intersection has far more traffic."
Blinking, she tore one trembling hand away from the tree and shouldered her bag.
He reached into his pocket. "Well, never mind. I have the numbers of several taxi companies programmed into my phone. Would you like me to call one?"
She found her voice. "N – no. I'll... I'll take the El."
"I would not recommend that. It is quite late-"
"It's fine."
His dark eyebrows furrowed. "Then, could I at least accompany you to the station?"
She took one step away from him, then another. "No. Don't."
"Really Bella, this area isn't as safe as you may th -"
"Stop it!" she said suddenly. "Stop saying these things, stop following me, stop acting like you give a shit!"
He seemed taken aback by her outburst. "I do."
"What?"
"I do. Give a shit, as you put it."
"Wh- don't- " She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "What do you want with me?"
"I -" Edward rubbed the back of his neck, then let his hand fall back to his side. "I'm sorry. Clearly, I am not adept at this... I had thought that perhaps – well, I wondered if we might -"
"Might what? Hang out?" His discomfort brought on a sudden burst of courage, and she plowed forward. "It that it? Is that why you keep showing up everywhere? Because you want to be friends?"
His mouth tightened. "Yes, actually. I thought you might appreciate some company. I was obviously mistaken."
"Appreciate some – Jesus fucking Christ!" Her voice had begun to rise, and she spoke her next words slowly. "You are a hitman – a vampire. You kill people. You drink their blood, and you do it for money. And I'm supposed to appreciate your company?"
"Ah. I see. Killing for sustenance is far more deplorable than killing for peace of mind. Of course. I didn't realize that in the act of paying me to kill those men, you also rid yourself of any responsibility for their murder."
She stared at him in outrage. "I can't believe this. I can't fucking believe this! I hired you for a job – that's it. I don't want a lecture, I don't want your pity, and I sure as shit don't wanna be friends!"
"No, of course not." His words came out smothered in sarcasm. "You have more friendship than you know what to do with. When somebody requests your company, you have to decline in favor of laundry."
It took her a moment to realize that he was not referring to himself. "How did you - are you spying on me??"
"No!" he said quickly. "I was waiting for an opportune moment to speak to you alone, and I happened to overhear the conversation. But that is hardly the point."
Her eyebrows shot up, but she stayed silent.
He shook his head. "This misery is your own creation. You do nothing but feed it, pushing away the very people who could help. You have trapped yourself in that house, hiding behind your sister's death and blaming circumstance for what your life is lacking. James Pelzer and Pat Taylor have wronged you both, and they deserve to pay for their crimes, but their death will change nothing. Your sister will still be dead, mummified in her bedroom, and you will still be alone. Only now, life will have lost the one purpose you've given it. And I... I have done nothing to deserve your scorn; to the contrary, I have only tried to help."
As he spoke, Bella started to move back, edging toward the street one inch at a time. "Get away from me," she whispered when he fell silent. "Shut up and stop coming around with your bullshit excuses. Just – get away."
Something flashed over his face – a look of confusion, maybe even regret, but she didn't care. Gripping the strap of her bag, she turned her back on him and rushed into the empty street. But before she could reach the other side, he was already there. "Bella, you can't just run every time-"
Thrusting her cell phone forward, she stopped just short of the curb. "What part of fuck off didn't you understand?? Leave me alone, or I'm calling the cops!"
A car sped by, honking, and she stumbled out of its way. The phone flew from her hand, and as it bounced against the curb, the battery snapped apart from the casing. Frantically, she shoved the device back together, fingers ready to dial.
But the sidewalk was empty.
***
Several years prior, Edward had bought a baby grand piano. Though he had no formal training in music, he took to playing with an obsessive enthusiasm. A handful of lessons introduced him to basic technique and music theory, but he preferred to play on his own, following no particular pedagogy or style. Composition was not his forte – that much was clear from the start – but he had an excellent ear and sense of rhythm, as well as an abundance of time. Arranging songs for the piano became a favorite hobby, and after four years of honing the craft, he had a sizeable collection of sheet music for everything from Simon and Garfunkel to the Alan Parsons Project.
Now, the sounds coming out of the Steinway formed no recognizable piece of music. He had been pounding on the keys all morning, and as his energy waned with the rising sun, the notes became less and less distinctive, colliding into each other like bewildered ants. Finally, he stumbled away from the piano and collapsed into a worn sofa in the opposite corner.
Both windows in this room were covered with insulation and blackout cloth, providing as much reprieve from the day the windowless bedroom would have. Fiddling with the stereo, he turned the volume up as high as he could stand and closed his eyes. The music emerging from the speakers was not loud enough to disturb the neighbors, but it nearly saturated his supersensitive hearing. He spent most of the day like this, sitting around in a numbed daze, allowing the continuous stream of music to drown out anything else that might be running through his head.
As evening fell, a choleric restlessness welled up in him, and would not be chased away by ordinary activities. Even a vigorous swim in the cold, dark waters of Lake Michigan did not provide relief. Coming back to the apartment just after midnight, he didn't know what else to do with himself. Pacing from room to room, he was debating whether to go out to the suburbs to hunt deer when the phone began to ring.
Expecting a new job inquiry, or perhaps a wrong number, he didn't rush in crossing the living room to where the phone sat on a shelf. He nearly dropped it when he saw the digits flashing on the screen. Flipping it open, he cleared his throat.
"Hello?"
The line crackled, as though the phone on the other end was being rubbed against something, then went silent. He looked at the display, but the call had not been lost. Putting the phone back to his ear, he listened again.
"Y-You know... it's not like I haven't tried." Bella's voice was hoarse, and the cadence of her speech uneven.
"Pardon?"
"It's been two years, two fucking years... That's why I did all this, for Christ's sake... Found you, spent my inheritance... it's not like I fucking like my life."
"You've been drinking," he said, struggling to keep up.
"Yeah," she chuckled. "You bet."
The delicacy of the situation made Edward nervous. He hadn't expected this, though part of him was glad that she had called.
"And I don't push people away, all right?" she was saying. "They just don't get it, nobody gets it. Y'know, Jake an' me used to be like this" --he imagined her crossing her index and middle fingers on the other end-- "but he's been such an ass. Says I should just snap out of it. How, huh? Tell me! How am I supposed to snap out of it??"
He heard a crash in the background, glass smashing into glass. "Bella. Bella, what are you doing?"
"...go on an' on about what's right and what's just, an' even you don't get it."
"I understand," he broke in. "I understand that you're angry and suffering. But living with grief need not be the prison you've created."
"I am trying," she exclaimed. "That's why I need this! I need them dead, I need my life back!"
"This is your life. You will never have complete control over its circumstances. Accept that."
"No... no!"
He heard another crash, then more crackling through the speaker. "Oooowww," Bella whined in the distance.
"Bella? Hello?" Seconds ticked by as more bedlam sounded on the other end. Edward began to pace. "Bella? Are you all right?"
"Fuck," she groaned into the phone.
"What happened? Are you hurt?"
She didn't answer at first. One breath caught in her throat, then another. Sharp, quiet gasps sent static over the line.
"I h-hate this," she finally whispered, and he realized that she was crying. "I hate being like this. Sometimes I even hate this house, but I can't just leave.... I hate, I hate being alone here..." Her voice broke on the last word, terse sobs obscuring whatever else would have been said.
The nakedness of her words stuck him squarely in the chest. "Then... let me come over."
In the seconds that followed, it was as though the phone line had gone dead. Then, a long and tense breath whispered against his ear.
"Okay."
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End Notes: Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone! Now, if you want to absolutely, totally make my day, please consider voting for this story on the Indie TwiFic Awards. It has been nominated in two categories: Best Alternate Universe WIP and Most Original Story Line WIP. The URL is here : /
Thanks!!! It would mean ever so much to me :)
