Chapter 6

Edward's Point Of View

That day I had sat beside her and managed to make it through a regular conversation. The urge had never been stronger but I survived it, and more importantly; so did she. I knew that I couldn't stay here in Forks any longer or else she might have the horrific fate that Alice had predicted. However it was too hard to leave without seeing her one last time…

I watched her from across the road, through the window of her cosy kitchen. Fortunately I was able to remain invisible in the shadows. She put something in the oven and sat herself at the small wooden table in the middle of the room. I wondered what it must be like. To be human. To have a normal life. To not have to worry every time you are around a creature with warm blood flowing through its body.

How could it be that I envied the shallow children I went to school with? The ones that fretted endlessly about their hair, their clothes, their nails and skin. Even though I couldn't hear her thoughts, I had realised this earlier today when I was speaking to her. There was nothing, no murmur of subconscious opinions, no wonderings, no day dreams. As I had never heard her before I, stupidly, assumed that she had little on her mind. How very wrong I was. By only looking into her eyes I could tell, she was no ordinary girl, not like every other teenager – she was more. So much more. Her deep brown eyes followed the words across the front page of the newspaper on the table and she turned to another page to continue reading.

Nearly silently she rose and set up the chopping board to prepare the next stage of the meal. I turned to go – smiling to myself. She was happy and my leaving was for the best. I began running up the road, staying out of the streetlamps. Then I heard something. The very thing that had my heart still been beating, would have caused the regular pattern to stop. Had my blood been warm, it would have run cold. Had I been anymore afraid I'd have I would have fallen to a heap right there; Bella Swan's blood-curdling scream.

I tore down the street like I had never moved before, up the road, across the grass and down the side of her house. I leapt through the window, shattering the glass on my way. I peered at the girl, my eyes meeting hers. A knife lay at her feet. And I definitely couldn't smell blood that wasn't already contained in her veins.

She was fine. Except for being startled by me.

"Edward?" she asked uncertainly.

"Bella, are you okay?" my breathing was uneasy and the words barely came out properly.

"Yes…I'm fine, but what about you, the glass…"

Before I could stop her she came over to me and gently lifted my arm towards he, she felt my arm from shoulder to wrist searching for scratches. I don't know what it was, but right then, it was like she was taking care of me. The weak caring for the strong. The mortal fearing for the immortal's life. And I liked it. I loved the idea of her looking after me.

"How?" she whispered.

"I shouldn't be here. I'm sorry." I began backing away but she clung to my arm.

"Bella…"

"No. Tell me. I want to know."

"Do you?"

"Yes." She responded confidently. I opened my mouth to answer her – then closed it. If I told her then there would be no going back. I needed time to think. I needed to talk to Alice.

I wouldn't get anymore time tonight; I could hear Charlie, Bella's father, only a couple of streets away.

"I will explain, I promise. But first I need you to do something for me." I had no right to ask a favour of her but I didn't have a choice.

"Anything" she breathed. She was already caught up in the world I did not want her to be drawn into – mine.

"When your father comes home, tell him that you were in your room when you heard the crash. Tell him that you came into the kitchen to find the tree had fallen through the window."

"Okay, but Edward. There's no tree." Such a minor detail.

"Don't worry about that." I jumped out of the glassless window.

"And Bella?" She tried to answer but no sound came out.

"Be careful" Bella nodded.

I slowly bent the tree to pull it towards the gaping hole in the kitchen, then I left, praying that Bella would disobey her instincts to be frightened and trust me instead. Just this once.

Author's Note

The day Edward sat beside Bella is in the story 'What If…' in Bella's POV if you're curious to see how that might have gone.

Thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favourites and subscribed. This will be the last update for a couple of days because of the holidays, so Season's Greetings!

If you're in need of more read 'What If…' for Bella fans or 'Heart Broken' for Jacob fans, both by me coolbeaniostwilightrules7 and send me some reviews because I love hearing what everyone else thinks! Thanks for reading! :-) (coolbeaniostwilightrules7)