Chapter 6

It took me a while to get dressed. I knew that it shouldn't preoccupy me so much as I wasn't planning on being seen but I still wanted to look good. I had to get a move on though, my truck only moved so fast.

I drove and drove listening to the roar and whine of my truck. I didn't think about what I was doing until I saw the road sign that indicated the next exit was Port Angeles.

"What were you thinking? Seriously, what was you plan? You're just going to sniff him out of a crowd and follow him around?" I muttered out loud. How could I have been this silly? Ugh. Well I was here already, I should do what I came here to do right?

I pulled into a parking lot in front of some closed retail shops and started walking on the sidewalk. It wasn't long before I decided that I should give up. I shouldn't spy on him in the first place, it was... wrong. I had the feeling that the Cullens had spied on me before since seeing them in the woods but I shouldn't. I should respect his privacy, I'm sure he wouldn't want a complete stranger meddling in his business. It was settled then, I would let it go.

I felt foolish coming all this way with such a terrible thing in mind. I wanted to clear my head so I decided to take a walk around the town for a little while. It really was a beautiful starry night and it felt well to just slow down and breath. I just kept walking and appreciating the taste of every scent so I didn't realize I had left to a less trafficked part of the town. All these buildings looked like warehouses.

Four men were stumbling about two streets down. I smelled and heard them before I saw them, they were drunk and stupid. I heard them heading down the street, I could have avoided them but I figured it didn't matter. They turned onto my street, I could see them two blocks ahead of me. One of them saw me out of the corner of his eye and elbowed on of his friends.

"Hey there good looking, what's cooking?" He let out with a loud laugh.

They had stopped walking and were just waiting for me to walk into them. I crossed the street. I looked around to plan my escape route. This seemed to amuse the short one.

"There's no way out of here pretty girl, you'll have to go through us and say hello." He slurred as he walked to my side of the street and waved his friends forward.

I could go through them. I could go through everyone of them, draining their blood before they had a chance to notice they were dying. My breath quickened and my pupils dilated, ready for the kill. I sighed and held my breath. I was about to walk off the sidewalk when a silver car nearly ran the four men over.

The car screeched to a stop and Edward Cullen got out of the drivers side. He growled for me to get in the car. I complied easily enough. He glared daggers at the drunk men and got back in the car.

"What were you thinking Bella, do you have any idea what those men were going to do to you?"

I didn't reply. How did he find me and what was he doing here? And there was nothing that those men could have possibly done to me. I thought he would know that, his family did have theories after all.

"Bella, please." He cut himself off. He was frustrated again. Why couldn't I evoke any other emotion in him? Frustration, irritation, and irrational anger was all I seemed to inspire in him.

"Please, please." He was having a hard time controlling his emotions, he was very angry, so much that he couldn't talk.

"Please forgive me. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. It's just those men, they... they deserve to die." He finished, infuriated again.

"Edward please don't be angry, and don't wish bad things upon other people. They were just drunk.."

"Just drunk? You have absolutely no idea of the vile and repulsive things they thought of doing to you." He interrupted.

I took this in slowly.

"And you do?"

"Of course I..." He stopped himself.

"Please let me out of the car." I said upset. He made me so angry. He was just plain arrogant, and the way he spoke to me, it... it hurt my feelings.

"I'm sorry Bella, please don't go."

His eyes were black fire and ice. Too persuasive. I shook my head in attempts to clear it.

"Why? So that you can yell at me about things that are out of my control? Or so that you can hide more things from me?"

"I'm sorry that I'm so inopportune that I have to nearly die everytime you're around me. You must be really tired of saving me. Well you don't have to. I can take care of myself." A tear spilled over the corner of my eye and rolled down my cheek.

The words stung me as they came out. I wish I could take them back or I wish that the Earth could crack open and swallow me whole. I would wish the worse upon myself if it meant not seeing the sadness I put in his eyes. I was the worse person ever.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"No. Its fine, I understand why you are so upset. You're right though, about the first part anyway. I shouldn't talk to you that way, you've done nothing wrong and I shouldn't take my anger out on you. I can also understand why you're frustrated about my secrecy."

He was quiet but I had a feeling he wasn't done. I felt like he was debating with himself whether or not to tell me the truth. He sighed and began again.

"And please don't be so silly Bella, you should know better than to think I regret "saving you" as you put it. Now please, have dinner with me. I will not accept no for an answer."

I was watching him for an indication of why he was asking to have dinner with me, was it out of guilt? I knew I shouldn't have cried. I couldn't find any though, he was staring straight ahead.

"Where would you like to go?"

"I haven't accepted your invitation yet."

"I thought I told you, you have no option." He gave me a devilish grin, it broke my resolve.

"Ok. Where are we headed then?" I grinned. This might be the happiest day of my life. I hated that.

"La Bella Italia." I wouldn't think it possible but his voice was even more irresistible but these words made it so.

He held the door open for me and as soon as he made his entrance the hostess perked up. I quickly deciphered her thoughts as she appraised Edward. This bothered me to no end.

"A table for two please."

The host walked us to a table big enough for four in the middle of the dining area.

"Perhaps something more private?" he asked quietly, his voice came out like silk.

"Oh... Sure. Will this do?" She asked as she walked us to a more secluded table.

"Yes, this is perfect." He flashed her a brilliant smile and she stuttered something unintelligible and walked off.

"That wasn't very nice of you."

"What wasn't nice?" He asked me with complete innocence.

"You shouldn't dazzle people that way, she may not be able to speak again."

"I don't know what you mean." A puzzled look was crossing his face.

"You have to know how you dazzle people. How couldn't you?"

"I dazzle people?"

"Very much. You just flash your perfect smile, use that seductive tone, or look up from underneath your lashes with those smoldering eyes..." I trailed off.

Then he did all those things to me at once. I stopped breathing and just stared in amazement.

"Not fair." I mumbled closing my eyes.

"Does that mean I dazzle you?"

"Yes, very much." I admitted.

"How could you see these things if I haven't been but a complete savage to you?" He demanded.

"I'm quite observant that's all."

I didn't mention that I had seen this twice, now with the hostess and the other when he was talking to Ms. Cope trying to switch out of Biology. I felt it would tempt me to ask too many questions if I brought it up. I also didn't want to remind I'm of why he hated me so much at first.

"Will you be eating anything?" He asked truly curious.

"I thought that's what we were here to do."

"Yes of course, you just didn't look very interested in the menu."

He waited for me to order and then told the waitress that he wouldn't be ordering anything, he wasn't hungry. She brought our drinks first. I didn't ever drink anything other than blood so the soda felt weird going down. I got goosebumps.

"Are you cold?"

"No its just the drink, I'm fine."

He shrugged off his jacket and put it around me before I could object.

"Thank you."

I his delicious scent nearly choked me. I didn't want to stop smelling it.

My food arrived but I didn't have any desire to eat it. I just wanted to look at his porcelain face all night.

"Eat." He demanded.

"I'll eat if you talk."

"Sounds reasonable." He agreed. "What would you like me to talk about?"

He watched intently as I put the first ravioli in my mouth.

"Tell me about what you meant earlier, about knowing what those men were thinking."

He surveyed my face for a while and sighed.

"You can trust me, I promise."

"I'm beginning to think I don't have a choice."

"But you do. You can tell me or not." I scrunched my nose at the second option. He smiled.

"First tell me why you aren't shaken up about what happened."

"I feel very...safe with you." It felt like the truth.

"Bella..." He stopped himself. I knew he didn't like what I had said though. I measured his expression and felt it was safe to proceed.

"So you read minds."

"A statement not a question?" He looked up.

"Yes."

"Yes, well I hear minds not read them but that's just a technicality."

"Ok, what am I thinking, right this instant?" I was hoping he didn't know, it would be too embarrassing.

"That's the thing, I can't hear you. You're the only like that one for me."

"Really? Why? What's wrong with me?"

"I tell you I can hear peoples thoughts and you think there's something wrong with you? You amaze me."

I gave him a shy smile.

"You don't seem surprised."

"I guess I'm not. I think I knew there had to be something remarkable about you."

I looked down to hide my face, his ghostly hand moved to my chin and pulled my face towards his. He closed his eyes and I watched in silence as his angelic face came closer.

He opened his eyes when they were inches from my own. His eyes pierced me with raging curiosity and he inhaled deeply.

"You smell lovely." He pulled away and opened his eyes slowly, they were darker than ever. I was too stunned to notice anything but his proximity.

"It's getting late. We should probably head home."

I simply nodded, still too stunned to speak.

We drove to my truck in silence, I didn't want him to leave. When we reached it he walked to my door and opened it for me. Then he opened the my truck door and waited until I was settled to speak.

"I'll drive behind you, no you could hit a deer or something. I'll drive in front of you. I'll drive slow so you can keep up." He grinned.

"Why would I hit a deer?"

"Your very prone to danger, haven't you noticed?"

"Are you counting yourself as one of these dangers?"

"Most definitely."

He walked away and jumped in his car. How was I supposed to drive in this befuddled state? He was right to drive in front. Maybe he knew the effect he had on me.

He made it to my cabin without an issue. I had a pretty good guess about how he knew where I lived.. He appeared at my door and opened it again. He helped me out of my seat and held me by the hand as he walked me towards home.

"You're very sweet Edward, thank you for tonight. I had a wonderful evening."

We reached my doorstep

"I enjoyed myself too." He said uncertainly.

I admit that I expected a little more from him but I guess I couldn't push it. I turned to go inside when he caught me by the elbow.

"Bella, wait."

"Oh no, you aren't going to ask for your jacket back are you?" I joked as I shrugged it off. "I'm just kidding, I don't mind. I just forgot I was wearing it."

He held it in place as he grabbed my by the shoulders.

"I am dangerous. I am. But I cannot stay away from you any more. I have tried but I'm selfish and I'm tired of doing what's right."

"I can help with that. I'm great at doing the wrong thing." I beamed at him and put my arms on his shoulders.

"Sleep well." He breathed into my face. Again the scent intoxicated me.