Let Me In-Chapter Six
It is not the socially unacceptable act of Edward's arousal at her proximity that made Isabella laugh; it is because she caught herself profoundly lustful of a human. Just a minute ago she felt self-conscious walking into his home, only to find that she was the one with the advantage.
Isabella is predator, a beautiful one at that and she forgot that a woman's beauty is an advantage. Her beauty had been a useful tool in her survival and would always be.
So as Edward gapes at 'the girl from the lake,' she picks herself off the floor and extends her hand with a dazzling smile, "I'm Isabella."
"Edward Cullen, please to meet you."
He clasps her hand and is prepared for another jolt and is not disappointed. Isabella's smile widens as their hands connect and electricity purrs between them. He excuses himself and proceeds upstairs back to his room while giving Emmett and Jasper a meaningful look. In turn, she gives Jasper and Emmett a friendly wave before they ascend. Tanya, not to be bested by Isabella, stomps upstairs after Edward.
Isabella does not take this personally. She is too elated at the moment. She found the entire situation hilarious because she was the one worrying about Edward and yet she is highly amused that she can get a reaction that intense from Edward. There is relief that Edward appears to feel the same gravitational attraction that she feels.
Esme seems to gather herself together, "well I'm sure you two have had enough excitement for one day. I hope you still want to move across the street from us after this."
As Esme takes the pair to her office, she hopes to engage them in conversation so that the incident does not make a prominent impression of her family in their minds. The more Esme learns about the Swans, the more she notices their peculiarity. The girl just does not act like a normal teenager. She assumes that because Isabella is home schooled she lacks some of the same social skills that most teenage girls have.
Esme also wonders how the Swans have acquired their fortune because Charlie is currently on sabbatical and never told her what field he worked in. She doesn't pry because she can tell he is uncomfortable discussing his wealth and she understands. She has been in the same position many times. Having money has provided her the luxury of raising her children and doing what she loves part-time, and people usually try to figure out how much the Cullens are worth. It is a distastefully annoying habit of many from this town.
She also notes that Charlie has not mentioned his wife during their entire exchange. He has only referred to 'us' as being himself and Isabella. Surely a teenage girl in a new town needs friends and a mother-figure.
"Why don't you stay in our guest house instead of the inn in town?"
The words are out of her mouth before she realizes that she has said them. She hasn't even consulted with Carlisle.
"That is so generous of you Mrs. Cullen, we would love to stay in your guest house, only if you allow us to pay you some sort of fee for your generosity."
It is Isabella who answers, not Charlie. Esme is taken back because she is still not use to Isabella's maturity.
"Oh, you two don't have to worry about paying us anything. The bill from the Agency is already outrageous and considering the incident you had to endure with my son, it's the least we can do until your home is ready."
Charlie looks worried and before he could say anything Esme smiles warmly, "you will not be imposing on us and I think Isabella and the kids will become great friends since they will be living so close."
Isabella cocks her head at this woman; she can see Esme frown as she takes in her piercing gaze. This human is pleasant but she is a bit presumptuous in speaking for her children and their friends. At this very moment Alice and Rosalie told the others that Isabella would be their next door neighbor. They were now discussing how they should proceed.
Isabella tunes out the teenagers upstairs when she hears Charlie's heartbeat accelerate as he accepts Esme's offer. He never questions Isabella's decisions regardless of the catalysts.
Charlie books a few appointments with Esme to discus the necessary renovations. It is all for appearances though because Esme looks like she already had everything planned. She confesses that she was trying to convince Carlisle to buy the house just so she could do the renovations, that way a family would be more likely to move in.
And so the two clients, now guests, bid Esme farewell only after promising the genial woman that they would return later in the week for dinner to officially meet Dr. Cullen. She hands them the key and assures them that they can move in that very night. Isabella and Charlie drive off as Esme tells her children and their friends the good news…they will have guests.
They return the rental car and purchase a new car before going to the shopping center to purchase some clothing items to look like they own more than the clothing on their backs.
Charlie is happy to have some stability even though he isn't sure how long it will last. Isabella can get bored with her prey sometimes. He notices that she is no longer interested in the little girl and he is relieved but he can see the way her eyes are trained on the boy. He likes Esme and doesn't want to bring any undue pain into her family so he prepares himself to talk with Isabella. He just wants to appeal to the goodness that he knows is within her to stop her from going after the boy.
Please do tell Charlie, what goodness do you see in Isabella?
Later that night after Esme helps Charlie and Isabella move into the guesthouse, Isabella steps outside in the dead of night. She is clad only in a sweater, jeans and some boots but she has no time to keep up appearances by donning a coat. She wanted to think. She is enamored by Edward and the relationships he has with his family, friends and even his girlfriend. It seems to be an anthropological study to her. For someone as unusual as Isabella, someone like Edward seems enthralling.
We find Isabella sitting in the snow behind the guest house staring into the trees surrounding the Cullen land. She hears footsteps' making temporary indentations in the snow as her visitor closes the distance between them. Of course she smells him and the aroma is mouthwatering.
"Isn't it a little too late to go wandering into the dark? You never know what's out there waiting for you."
"Are you trying to scare me off because I just came to say hello to the new neighbors and apologize for my earlier body slam. I was going to wait until the morning but I looked out the kitchen window and saw you."
Isabella chuckles to herself. She turns to see his amused green eyes and locks of bronze hair sticking from under his hat.
Standing up, she dusts the lingering snow from her clothing.
"Aren't you cold?"
Isabella looks at her sweater and jean clad frame and shakes her head to indicate her lack of feeling discomfort from the atmospheric temperature.
Edward shrugs and the two stand starring at each other. Isabella is comfortable with the silence as she retains all the physical information she can about Edward.
Edward notices that Isabella mannerisms are almost feral…especially when she cocks her head to the side and holds her body inhumanely still. She is shrouded in the darkness and he can barely see her features but she seems to glow and he remembers their first meeting.
"I want to know what happened at the lake and what happened to my sister."
Silence…
Edward sighs, "I know Carlie may have asked you not to tell us but it's important."
Silence…
"Are all women this stubborn?"
Edward is merely mumbling to himself and says it low enough that any normal person wouldn't have heard. Of course Isabella hears him clear as day and the phrase triggers a memory for Isabella that she would rather not relive. Faster than he could blink Isabella is in his face.
"What did you say?"
Her voice is measured and her eyes are black, she is a breath away from him. Edward is taken by the rapidity with which she moved but that's not what caused his brain to become unresponsive. It is her scent…she smells almost alluringly delectable…indescribable really.
He closes his eyes and inhales deeply wanting more of her scent to infiltrate his system. He doesn't understand why he never noticed it when he fell on her earlier. He must have been concentrating so hard on the physical reaction in his body that he missed this tantalizing scent.
It's bizarre…he isn't even aware that he is leaning in, until his lips graze hers.
He hears a low growl and feels the wind blow past his face…and just like that she is gone. As Edward's eyes open because her scent is no longer invading him, he sees a blur move towards the woods but he doesn't even see footsteps. His hands instinctively reach for his hair before he realizes that he has a hat.
What was she doing to him, first he nearly loses it after falling on her; now he's leaning in to kiss her without even realizing it.
He shakes his head and slowly walks into his home. He peers into the darkness one more time, in hopes of seeing her but it's like the encounter never happened, she's nowhere to be seen.
Annotation: Please pardon me for the delay in posting, as we all know, life happens