Title: You Found Me

Full Summary: Edward Masen has lived the life of a nomadic vampire, travelling with James and Victoria since he awoke as an immortal. His ability to read minds has had the unusual side effect of making him a vampire with a conscience. Despite the ridicule from his coven mates, he's confident he's making the best of his existence and doing what's morally right... until he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow in Forks. As he attempts to befriend her and learns more about the sleepy town of Forks, Edward finds there's a lot more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible.

Pairings: Canon

Rating: M, for language and sexing.

Chapter: Twenty-seven; Enchanted

POV: Bella

AN: So here's part two of the chapter posted earlier this week. Hopefully you're not too confused by the end of it. We're finally getting somewhere, I promise.

xx

"Have I told you that you look gorgeous, yet?" Edward breathed into my ear as he helped me out of his car. "Blue is definitely your colour."

"Just a few," I mumbled, wobbling unsteadily on the perfectly matching pumps Alice had supplied to complement my dress. They were only a few inches high but it was enough to exacerbate my clumsiness. Thank god, Edward wouldn't let me fall.

Since I'd descended from Alice's room, he was perpetually by my side, only letting go of my waist once I was safely seated in the confines of his car.

"I hope you're aware you're a total cliché by asking me that," I commented teasingly.

He shrugged apologetically. "I can't help it. You've reduced me to a state of fumbling for words. Clichés are all I have right now. I can't think straight when you're so utterly mesmerizing."

"Uh huh, you seemed to have the willpower of a titan on the way here," I pressed as he pocketed his keys, guiding me towards an elegant looking building. I'd begged for our itinerary during the car ride to Seattle, but he'd refused to budge, no matter how much I pleaded or fluttered my lashes at him. "I still don't know where we're going."

"For dinner. I promised you dinner and a show, didn't I?"

"You did," I agreed, "but we both know you won't partake in the former. We could have done something we'd both enjoy."

"I'll enjoy it, trust me." He beamed at me, looking as gorgeous as he claimed I did in his perfectly tailored charcoal suit.

"Lounge 88," I read the graceful cursive plastered on the side of the building. That told me absolutely nothing.

Edward smirked, leading me through the heavy wooden doors, effortlessly supporting my weight as well as his own. He greeted the host politely. "Reservations under Masen."

The host nodded smoothly, leading us on a winding path through the restaurant to a cozy table near the back, right next to a slightly raised stage where a pianist was supplying live dinner music. The table was set with more silverware than I could possibly use, my plate adorned with a simple white rose.

"Wow," I murmured taking in the pristine but definitely charming atmosphere. It seemed I was being reduced to one syllable words more and more frequently lately. Edward seemed to have that effect on me.

"What do you think?" Edward helped settle me into my seat. I chuckled at his proud smile.

"It's lovely," I admitted. "Thank you for doing this. I know I whined and complained about it but really, thank you. This is all sorts of romantic. I didn't know I wanted this until just this moment."

He settled into his adjacent seat. "I'm glad." He leaned over to kiss my temple. "I've told you before, I'll do my best to be everything you'll ever need, even if you don't know you do."

He handed me a delicate paper menu, ignoring his own. "I hope you're hungry, because you're eating for two."

I laughed at his choice of words. "Some people might take that the wrong way."

Edward shrugged, winding his fingers with mine under the table. "Let them. We know the truth."

I nodded, skimming the menu. Everything sounded good. "This is so overwhelming. I have no idea where to start." I eventually settled on randomly selecting an item just as the waiter approached our table. Salmon, it turned out. I insisted Edward choose the second for me.

He was more decisive, immediately pointing to the filet mignon. He waited until the waiter left to confide he'd chosen it only because it was the most expensive item on the menu.

"That has to mean it will be good, right?" he rationalized. "I can't remember what most of these things taste like, cooked, anyway."

I laughed. "I'm noticing a pattern. Vampires prefer luxury in all aspects of their lives. Even in food they won't eat."

He shrugged, kissing my temple lightly, his eyes a smoldering honey. "What can I say? I like the best."

When I was several bites into the salmon – which was as delicious as expected – Edward discreetly nodded to a pair of other patrons. Two men, executives of some sort, if I had to guess. "They think we're a newlywed couple. The man on the right estimates your age to be approximately twenty-five."

I nearly choked on a forkful of salmon. "Is that a good thing?"

Edward nodded eagerly. "You look very mature for your age. It helps that you're all dressed up. It can be a curse being eternally seventeen. I'm fortunate my mannerisms suggest I'm older than I appear. People are more likely to trust my body language than my face. These days, it's easy enough to find the fountain of youth with the right balance in your checking account. The waiter hasn't even thought to card us," he pointed out, gesturing to the bottle of wine that sat on our table in a bucket of ice.

Edward had grudgingly accepted a glass, toasting with me. It would hold no nutritional value to him, but his venom would evaporate it eventually.

"Are you suggesting you'd like for me to be eternally eighteen?" I asked coyly, hoping if I opened a dialogue, he'd tell me how he felt about it. Alice had told me why he didn't want me to know but if anyone could get him to break down that protective barrier, I was certain I could.

His expression hardened. "That is entirely up to you, Bella. I've told you before, I will be happy with whatever choice you deem most fitting for you. Don't forget you have a family who loves you. There's no rush, I'll be here, always."

"But you're a huge part of my life. I wouldn't want to do something that would make you unhappy. Don't you see? What I want is directly tied to what you do. I need to know how you feel to make an informed decision."

He sighed. I looked to him hopefully. "I would love for you to be as I am, Bella. Tomorrow, if I had my way. But that opinion is based on entirely selfish reasons. I've had a century to live for myself and satisfy all my selfish whims. Now I finally have a reason to be selfless. I don't care what I want. What I need is for you to be happy."

I closed the small distance between us, wrapping my arms around him and laying my head on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me. Alice told me why you didn't want to and I understand but I had to know to make an educated choice. I promise I won't let it rule my decision. I know our relationship would be considered a whirlwind… we've known one another only a few months and been together even less time than that, but we're talking forever. I couldn't decide something like that without knowing how you felt."

He stroked my knee, his fingers gently fluttering under the satiny hem of my dress. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Eat your fish," he told me firmly, an undeniable smile ghosting his expression.

I did as I was bid, flaking a morsel of the fish onto my fork and slipping it in my mouth. Edward watched in fascination, his eyes darkening forebodingly. He squeezed my knee gently, slowly raising his fingers higher on my thigh. Something deep inside me coiled expectantly.

He did nothing more than place soft, barely noticeable, tantalizing caresses up and down my leg. I'd have barely known he was touching me if not for the cool temperature of his skin. I dropped my fork to the side of my plate, unable to concentrate on eating. Or anything but the hand on my thigh.

Silently, I pleaded for him to do what we both wanted. I didn't care if we were in a public place. The restaurant was dimly lit enough to conceal my flushed face. The tablecloth would conceal the rest. I knew I was rationalizing but I didn't care about much of anything right then except for feeling more.

Edward held out his fork, full of steak, to me with his free hand. Earlier, he'd meticulously cut it into bite sized pieces, in what I thought was part of a guise to pretend he was eating. Now I suspected ulterior motives, not that I minded.

"You should try this," he told me thickly, licking his lip. "It's very, very good."

I opened my mouth for him, wrapping my lips around his fork and matching his sultry expression. He swallowed hard, his fingers digging into my thigh beneath the table. Not hard enough to be painful, but enough to let me know I wasn't the only one affected. I pushed my hips forward in my chair ever so slightly, the silky fabric of my dress shifting around me. I shivered at the twin sensations of the silky material and Edward's hand playing against my now sensitive skin.

He touched my cheek gently. "What do you think?"

"It's very good," I told him truthfully. "I think I need more." I laced the final word with as much innuendo as my voice could hold. It was already strained with desire so it wasn't difficult.

Edward nodded diligently, pretending to understand. He retrieved another piece of steak from his plate. His darkened eyes let me know he was fully aware he was being antagonistic. He held out his fork to me. I shook my head minutely, reprimanding him.

"Eat. It'll make your… hunger go away." I swallowed hard at his tone. His voice oozed sex. There was no mistaking what he was promising.

I complied, opening my mouth slowly, not wanting to appear as overly eager as I was.

I was pleased to feel his fingers creep higher in response to my obedience. He softly stroked through the lace garment Alice had insisted I wear. I was never so thankful I'd given in to her inimitable peer pressure. The texture of the lace combined with Edward's cool fingers was so much more delicious than the steak. It was even better when he pushed them to the side.

It continued this way, him feeding me from his plate. For every bite I took, he rewarded me with delicate touches under the table. It might have been my imagination but it tasted better this way. It was a strange but decadent dichotomy, mingling food with touch. I could barely contain myself, only just managing to mask my irrepressible noises as enjoyment of the cuisine.

When one of Edward's fingers slipped inside me, I nearly convulsed in my seat, holding onto the ruse that he was feeding me by a very taut thread. I might have fisted the tablecloth, but I couldn't be sure, as all rational thought crumpled under the weight of pure want.

With practiced ease, he found the spot inside me that made me ache and writhe under him. I let him take control of the situation entirely, placing my all of my trust in his discretion.

He knew my limits. He knew I wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed exhibitionism. He wouldn't let me be embarrassed by this. He'd know… He'd know that… I struggled to complete the thought.

And then it didn't matter because the world disappeared and there was nothing left but delicious sensation.

When I finally opened my eyes again, Edward was leaning into me, kissing my neck and letting me float through the afterglow.

"All done," he told me, nodding to his now empty plate cheekily. I hadn't even noticed I'd eaten his entire entrée. He skimmed a finger down my warmed cheek. "You're so gorgeous right now. All pink and you smell delectable."

I giggled, pulling him into a kiss. "Thank you, it was delicious."

"You taste much better," he told me, sucking lightly on his finger, then wiping it off on the napkin. My already well exercised muscled clenched again at the sight.

I buried myself against his chest. "Do we have to make a quick escape, now?"

He shook his head. "The other patrons believe you were extremely pleased with your meal. Besides, we couldn't leave… dessert is yet to come."

"Well, that's a relief, I guess," I sighed, ignoring his comment about dessert. Right now, I was fully satiated in every possible way. I didn't think I could handle anymore.

Edward chuckled, looking at a woman seated several tables over. "Do you see her, the woman in red? She just asked her waitress what you were having. She was… inspired to order on the basis of your enjoyment of the dish."

I peeked out from where I was buried in Edward's suit jacket. "Ugh, I'm Sally!"

"As in When Harry Met Sally?" Edward smirked, obviously too pleased with himself to share in my mortification.

I nodded.

"She was faking it. You were not," he countered proudly, as if it made any difference.

"Well that makes it better then," I grumped, though it was a very half-hearted attempt. I wasn't feeling very grumpy at the moment, thanks to Edward's under the table ministrations. I was, however, feeling mildly uncomfortable with the sticky feeling left in the aftermath. "I think I need to head to the ladies room," I told Edward quietly.

He stood as I did, his hands automatically slipping to my hips to steady me. "Will you be okay to walk?" he asked doubtfully.

I didn't blame him. I was a catastrophe in heels on a good day. Combine that with rubber legs and watching me walk unsupported was bound to be worrisome.

"The floor is even in here. I can make it the forty feet to the bathroom. I hope," I muttered. "You can't very well follow me in there. If we both went into the ladies room, we'd draw more attention than just inquiries about the menu."

I made my way to the restroom and back without any incident. I was surprised to find Edward had disappeared from our table when I returned. I looked around, paranoid, unnecessarily worried that something had happened to him.

Until I spotted him sitting at the piano I hadn't paid much attention to before. It was situated only a few yards from our table on a slightly raised platform. Edward had replaced the middle-aged man who had been supplying a steady stream of soft, tinkling dinner music.

He was… incandescent sitting there beneath a smoky spotlight in his dark suit. He grinned at me, speaking softly into the microphone that sat atop the baby grand.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to someone I love very much. This song is for you, Bella."

Tears sprung to my eyes unbidden, as a string of melodic notes began to pour from the glossy instrument under Edward's command.

This was so much more than I'd ever expected of him. Or anyone. I'd never dared dream anyone would do something like this for me. These kind of grand gestures were reserved for movies and the rosy delusions of hopeless romantics. It was ridiculous that I was crying. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me.

Sometime in the middle of Edward's set the waiter set a massive slice of chocolate fudge cake down in front of me. I hardly noticed. My eyes were glued to the beautiful boy glowing under the spotlight.

I watched, captivated, as his fingers danced over ebony and ivory, letting the notes reverberate through me. The melody was soft and sweet at times, lively and energetic at others. I didn't recognize the song but it didn't matter; Edward was playing it for me.

I wondered why I'd never known he could play before. He was masterful, or so it seemed to my untrained ear. He played with an ethereal grace I was sure was as much him as natural vampiric ability.

Occasionally, he'd glance up from the keys, his eyes connecting with mine. Each and every time my grin widened a little a more. My face hurt from smiling so wide and my eyes strung with unshed tears but I'd never felt more special.

When he returned to our table several too short minutes later, I accosted him with a hug. "That was amazing," I gushed. "How come I've never heard you play before?"

He bashfully returned the embrace. "I haven't played since I was changed. Until tonight."

I stared at him, flabbergasted. "That was you ninety years out of practice?"

He shrugged noncommittally as if it was no big deal that he'd memorized a piece and played it immaculately on his first try. "I'd never really felt the desire to play after I was changed… until lately. Sometimes when I'm with you, music composes itself in my head," he explained. "I wanted you to be the first to hear it. As you know, Rosalie and Emmett ruined the Cullens' piano, so this seemed the best way."

"I'm sure Alice has already ordered a replacement. I hope she has, because I definitely want a repeat of that performance."

If my torn mattress had driven her to action, surely a broken piano warranted a replacement as well. I hoped so, because there was no way Edward was getting away with not doing that again.

"I'm sure she has," he agreed, fully aware of Alice's love of online shopping. "And I'd love to. Any time you'd like a private show, just ask. If Alice doesn't replace the piano, I will."

"Wait a second," I said as our conversation caught up with me. "You said that you've been composing music. Composing, not memorizing. Did you write that piece?"

Now he looked really shy, his eyes downcast with embarrassment. "Yes? I wrote it for you," he explained quickly. "If you didn't like it, I can play anything you'd like, provided I've heard it before. I am a little out of practice as you've said. Perhaps I should have adhered to classical standards."

I placed my hands on either side of his face, urging him to look at me. He did, reluctantly. "It was amazing. I can't believe you wrote that, or that you used me for inspiration. Don't doubt yourself, please. I can't believe you don't know how amazing that was."

"We hear differently," he explained. "Every minute flaw of a piece – in timing, sound quality, pitch – is amplified. I haven't played in decades. My memories of doing so are extremely foggy, mostly consisting of my mother teaching me to play. I remember enjoying it but not much else. While I don't remember ever being very good, I knew how to play innately. I assume I was quite accomplished prior to my change. Still, a practiced human and a practiced vampire represent two very different sound qualities."

"Well, to this human it sounded perfect. Don't deconstruct it for me. I just want to revel in how lucky I am to be here with you tonight."

He nodded to the cake I'd yet to touch. "Are you going to eat your cake? I hear death by chocolate is, well, to die for. Human females certainly seemed to have developed a rather intense crutch for it."

I grabbed my dessert fork, scooping up a small piece of the confection, not wanting to disappoint him by rejecting it, even though I was already full. It was rich and delicious.

"It's really good," I told him. "You don't remember ever having tasted chocolate?"

He shook his head. "It was a rare treat when I was growing up. I wouldn't have had it often and I don't remember any instances that I did."

It struck me as sad that he couldn't remember chocolate. I kissed him lightly, so he'd taste the chocolate on my lips. "What do you think?"

He smirked. "As far as human food goes, it tastes alright. I think you've skewered the results with your methods, though. You make anything taste bearable."

I didn't finish my cake. I'd already eaten all of Edward's steak and several bites of my salmon so I didn't feel too badly about it.

Edward let me take my time eating the portion I did. I knew I was prolonging the inevitable end of the night. For a date I hadn't wanted to go on in the first place, it had turned out spectacularly, easily placing amongst the most memorable nights of my life.

Eventually, I could delay no longer. Having paid the check and thanked the staff for allowing him to commandeer their piano – to which they responded he was welcome to play any time, and offered him a gig for several nights a week, if he was interested – Edward helped me to my feet.

"I'm kind of sad to leave," I admitted to Edward as he led me out the door, his guiding hands ever in place. "This was a lot of fun. Surprisingly."

"See? You should listen to me more–" He cut himself off abruptly, his posture stiffening into a sharp line, a loud growl rumbling in his chest. He pushed me gently behind him but remained holding onto one of my hands.

His eyes darted around us, looking for something. What exactly, I wasn't sure.

"Edward? What's going–"

"Bella, please," he begged, utter terror in his voice. I quieted instantly, my own fear rising in pitch to meet his. Something was wrong. I didn't know what.

"Get in the car," he commanded, hastily adding a "please" to soften the blow.

Hurriedly, he helped me into my seat. Not bothering to pretend to move at a human pace, he rounded the car in an instant, quickly settling in the seat next to me. Within a second he'd thrown the car in gear and we were roaring down the tiny side street towards the highway that would take us home.

I turned to him; his actions were making me afraid. Not of him, but that he thought we were somehow in danger. He was radiating panic. I'd never seen him act like this and it was a terrifying sight to behold. He held the steering wheel in a vice grip, his eyes on a repeated circuit, looking out the windows and in the mirrors for the inexplicable menace.

"Edward, please," I begged, unable to suppress my need to understand what was happening, even through the compressing fear. "Tell what's wrong."

He was either ignoring me, or was too busy to bother responding. He'd retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and was tapping at the keypad at a frenetic speed.

Only when I touched his arm was I able to snap him from his frenzied trance. His eyes shot to mine. "Edward?"

His lips hardened into a grim line. "It's going to be okay," he vowed, even though he had yet to explain what had him in such a state in the first place. "I'll keep you safe. I promise you. You don't need to worry." He glanced down at his phone. "We'll be home in – shit." He made a hasty turnoff into a nearly empty parking lot and slammed on the brakes.

Before I could blink, he was opening my door and pulling me into his arms.

"We're going to have to run the rest of the way," he gestured for me to climb onto his back. It was more than a little awkward in heels, but I complied not wanting to upset him any further. The moment he was sure I was secure, we were flying, the darkness of night covering us like a blanket.

"Alice?" Edward said into the phone, having given up texting for the moment. "We'll be there in ten minutes."

xx

Not sure when I expect the next chapter to be, but not too long. Until then… let me know what you think? We're getting close to 400 reviews, which is all sorts of awesome, so thank you.