We sat in the hotel room, me nibbling a pretzel stick as Edward stood on the balcony, watching the sun come up. We hardly spoke on our way back to the hotel and since then the only thing he's said to me is when he asked if I wanted something to eat. To be totally honest, it freaked me out. First he disappeared into some room with a really hot vampire girl, then when he finally comes out, he basically ignored me. Not good.

"Hey Edward?" I ventured.

He came back into the room slowly, his face revealing nothing. "Yes, Bella?"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I sat down on the bed and clutched a pillow to my chest. "Something's going

On here and I really want to know what it is."

"Nothing's going on."

"Edward." I said simply, my eyes locking onto his. "Tell me."

He sighed and sat down on the bed next to me, taking my hand. "You're not going to like what I am about to tell you."

"I don't care." I lied. "Tell me what's going on."

"Well, nothing is going on now, but there is something in my past that I have been keeping from you…

"During one of my more restless decades in the 1920's, I settled in London, hoping for a change of scenery, and since it is notorious for terrible weather, it proved safe enough for me to live for a time. Yes, I had to go far out into the country to hunt, but the city life called for me and after many years in Canada, I longed for a change of scenery. I was barely there a month when I first met Daphne.

An old friend of Carlisle's who promised to keep somewhat of an eye on me during my stay invited me to a prominent club in the heart of London. Naturally, I accepted, hoping to meet some more of my kind. The building was old. It was really an old estate built by the same friend, Nicholas in the 1600's just for the purpose of being a meeting place for vampires.

She was in a green silk dress, sitting at an empty bar, and was one of the only ladies present. As soon as I entered the door, she beckoned me over and we began to talk. She was very intelligent and knew much about the world, although she was a young newborn. We instantly connected and planned to meet the next day, or night if by chance the sun was out. We would go dancing, out to shows, exploring the vast city… we were inseparable.

For the next few weeks we met every chance we got and soon became an item so to speak. It was easy being with Daphne and we shared our secrets with each other. I told her of my life since being changed and even some of what my life was before. I found that she was changed by accident and before, during her human life, it had been a dismal existence. She was a dancer of sorts, in a traveling variety act and was sold to the ringleader of the troupe when she was just a child by her poor father. After escaping, she had been in London for two days before it happened. She was out late at night, coming home from a party when a vampire attacked her but didn't finish the job as Nicholas heard her screams and ran him off.

I found that our relationship was honest, almost harshly so since I could ready her mind. But I found it refreshing that I could read someone's mind yet love everything I heard. Usually I hear nothing but random babbles and nothing that interested me, but with Daphne I couldn't get enough of her mind. Besides, she too, has special abilities and knew what it was like to be courted by the Volturi.

At the same time, she was still a mystery, in a way. How she carried herself and how everyone seemed to be drawn to her pleasant demeanor and beautiful features. From what I understood, her life had not been a particularly pleasant one before she was turned, yet she never had an unhappy thought while around me. For once I felt useful and needed, something I had been looking for for thirty years.

For the next four years we lived in London together, finally acquiring a stylish flat. Honestly, we had not been… physically intimate as we were waiting to be married before we would let anything like that happen. And, now, I'm glad that it did not come to that.

One day we had planned a trip around Europe for a change of pace. Our first stop was Rome and Daphne couldn't be happier. She had been to Rome once before and spoke Italian fluently. We had such a grand trip planned and since I had not done much traveling before, I was excited. And Rome was beautiful. There was so much to see… One could never see it all.

Our joy was short lived though, for the Volturi was watching us, even while in London. One night they came to our hotel and asked us to join them. When we refused, they threatened force Daphne used her ability to repel people to buy us some time but it wasn't enough. That's when we ran. We made it almost to Venice before they caught up to us. The last thing I saw was Alec stunning Daphne as one of the Volturi guards took her away. Then he numbed my senses as well. When the effects wore off, I was by myself in a cornfield.

I rushed to Volterra, right to the Volturi's lair where I was granted an audience with Aro, Marcus, and Caius. They told me that Daphne was killed in the struggle. I tried to hear her. To get a sense of where she was…but I heard nothing, nor did any of their thoughts give them away. In fact, even in their minds she was killed and burned for refusing to join them. It crushed me.

Still hoping and searching, I stayed in Europe for two years, constantly going back to Volterra. Soon, I came to terms with her death, finally going back to live with Esme and Carlisle, although I was not happy in the least bit. In fact, that is how Rosalie came to be in our family. When Carlisle found her, dying, he decided to save her. I think it also had to do with her blonde hair… but it wasn't enough. I mourned her death for years. Only when you came along did I finally decide to move on and allow myself to love you fully and wholly with all of myself."

I sat there, stunned, trying to take it all in. I didn't know what to make of Edward's story. Here he was, telling me this sad and beautiful love story. He was sharing this part of him that I had no idea about. This part of him involved another woman. It hurt… It honestly did.

"So you love her?" I dared to ask.

"No. I love you." He said evenly.

I wanted to believe him, I really did, but he didn't stop loving her because of natural causes… he lost her to the Volturi and thought she was dead. "You can tell me, honestly."

"Bella." Edward pulled me to him and I softened, despite myself. "It's true that at one point I loved her but now I only have eyes for you." He planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me about her?"

"I didn't think that I should. I'm sorry that I didn't before, but I didn't want to hurt you."

I buried my face in his shirt. "Okay."

"Love, are you alright? You honestly have nothing to worry about. You are the only girl for me. You're going to be my wife, Bella."

"Okay." I untangled myself from his arms and started towards the bathroom. "I'm going to go take a shower." I didn't really need a shower, I just felt like I couldn't be near him anymore.

"Do you want me to get you anything to eat, love?" He asked timidly.

"Sure."

"Any requests?"

"Anything. I don't care." I answered, my tone short. I locked the bathroom door behind me and turned the water on, hot. I waited until I was fully submerged before I let the tears fall freely.