Chapter 9

Hypocritical

"So, is it best just to pretend that I don't know that you're all vampires?" I asked Edward when we approached the house.

"Not anymore, they know you know." I was about to ask how, but Edward answered my question. "They heard." He said simply. Just then, the front door flew open with a loud bang almost hitting me in the face. Rosalie stood in the opening, and the phrase if looks could kill entered my mind. Then her glare moved from my face to Edward's. They just stood there staring at each other, then Rosalie turned around and stormed off. "Excuse my sister, she has no manners." Edward said looking down at me.

"It's cool." I said looking through the still open door. I moved my eyes to meet Edward's gaze. His caramel eyes danced with an emotion I didn't know; all I knew is any girl would kill to receive this look from anyone.

"Still want to go in?" My train of thought was interrupted by Edward's liquid voice.

"Yah." This seemed to be the only word that was able to escape my mouth. He motioned for me to go in and I entered the house. I stared in awe at what I saw. It had an open floor plan, lots of windows, and bright paint, most definitely not what I expected his house to look like.

"Expecting coffins, bats, and cob webs everywhere?" His voice sounded amused.

"No, just not…this." I said truthfully.

"It's the only place we don't have to hide." I nodded in sympathy, well as much as I could give.

"It's nice." I replied lamely, that seems to happen a lot lately. I tried making it up by smiling, but was unsuccessful when I realized I probably looked stupid. I awkwardly looked around and noticed a black grand piano in the corner of what looked like the family room. "Who plays the piano?" I asked curiously.

"Umm, I do." I was shocked at his response; he never mentioned he played the piano.

"Could you play me something?" I have always been intrigued with pianos ever since my mom bought me one when I was six. She even got me lessons, but I always complained that I sucked and finally she let me quit. Edward took me over to the piano and I sat next to him on the bench. His fingers started moving rhythmically and I watched in awe as a familiar tune filled the room. "Clair de Lune, it's one of my favorites."

"You know Debussy?" He asked, but never stopped playing.

"My mom used to play the CD for me when I was little so I would take a nap. After awhile it grew on me." I said as the memories flooded my mind.

"My mother was quite intoxicated by this song; it always brought a smile to her face." He said bringing on his own smile. "I was about four when it came out." My mind froze when I heard this, I knew he was old but not that old.

"Didn't it come out in 1905?" That would make him one-hundred and ten years old.

"Yes, after Carlisle, Alice and I are the oldest."

"Not to sound rude, but when did Carlisle change?" A small smirked played on his lips and a fresh blush licked my cheeks.

"He's about three hundred years old." I felt the need to let my mouth gape, but at the same time I thought that would be rude.

"What happened?" Edward finished playing the song and was now looking at me.

"His father and him hunted vampires, as ironic as it sounds. At the time people believed in them. Carlisle's father knew of a vampire that lived below the city and planned to kill the vampire that night with a group of other hunters. They were smart enough to know about the existence of vampires, yet they didn't have the correct knowledge of how to kill one. When the sun fell he and the group of hunters went to where the vampire was.

The vampire came out when the mob reached him and started attacking. The mob ran, whoever wasn't already killed, but the vampire grabbed Carlisle before he got away. Carlisle thought he was dead. Obviously he wasn't, and as soon as he realized this he ran out of town. He hated what he became, and knew his father would kill him if he found out. Carlisle tried everything to commit suicide believing it was better that he took his own life rather than his father.

He tried everything including not feeding and jumping off cliffs. Only later did he learn of the way to a vampire. When he discovered this though he already came to terms of what he was. He later moved to the states and got his degree in medicine." I let the story process a moment. When Carlisle first changed he thought he was a monster, but soon he realized what good he could do. It's sad to know that Carlisle had a horrible time coming to terms, but I'm sure it's not easy for anyone. I also didn't miss that he said there's only one way to kill a vampire, and he didn't say what it was.

I noticed Edward's face swift through my haze. "What's wrong?" I asked bluntly.

"Nothing," he replied. I glared at him knowing he wasn't telling the truth. "Just some unwanted thoughts." I thought this over for a second and mentally hit myself for forgetting Edward could read minds.

"Do you mind telling me what it is?" I asked trying not to sound overly rude. I knew it was nearly impossible to not sound rude at all, so I hoped for the best.

"Let me show you the rest of the house." Edward reached for my hand and I took it. I gathered that he didn't want to tell me what was going on, so I let it go. We walked a little way, and I noticed how he didn't let go of my hand. This fact made my chest feel like I just drank hot chocolate. When we entered the kitchen I saw that most of his family was in the room. Edward froze like he didn't know this was where his family was hiding out, and I stood behind him.

"Hello, Bella." Alice was the first to speak. Her bell like voice brought all attention straight to her, then me. The room of siblings didn't look very happy, the only one that did was Alice.

"Alice, you're going to frighten her." The blond, I assume is Jasper, said. My gaze shifted feeling as if everyone was watching me. I never liked attention, and now it was as if I was the center of attention.

"Don't be silly, Jazz. Bella and I are practically best friends. Aren't we, Bella?" I looked up and straight into Alice's eyes. My breath got caught in my throat.

"Umm, sure." My voice came back and I readdressed my reply. "Yah, of course." A smile took over her face and I instantly felt less awkward. I shifted my weight between feet, now leaning slightly more next to Edward instead of behind.

I was sitting on a rock, and Edward was crouched next to me. We ended up here after a tour of Edward's house that resulted in Edward throwing me over his back and jumping out of his bedroom window.

"So, why did Carlisle change you?" I asked; soon after I winced cursing myself for the rude word vomit. "Not that I would rather have had you die, just curious." I mentally hit myself for how stupid I must have sounded.

"It's okay. In the early 20th century my father passed away with the first wave of the Spanish Influenza, then my mother fell ill. I remember her being very sick. The doctors knew she was dying; it was inevitable at the time. Carlisle was her doctor, and before she passed I caught the infection. The hospital was full of people; the doctors couldn't keep up with the numbers. Almost everyone who got the illness passed on, so my mother knew what was happening to her and how I would fallow.

"Carlisle believes my mother knew what he was. He came in to check on her when she asked him to do her favor. Since Carlisle knew her fate, he thought it was the least he could do. 'You must do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward.' An hour later she was gone.

"That night Carlisle changed me, no one would know I was missing with so many dying. He took me back to his house; three days later I was a vampire." Though out the story Edward's eyes glazed over, as if he was reliving his past, and now his eyes were normal telling me he was back to the present. I was speechless. "Years passed with it just being Carlisle and I. He was glad to have someone to talk to after being alone for two hundred years. Sometimes he still felt lonely.

"He found Esme after her baby passed. She herself was in critical condition; the doctors gave up on her, but her heart was still barely beating. That was enough for Carlisle to change her. Next came Rose. She was out in the cold dying of hypothermia when Carlisle found her. Then Rosalie found Emmett picking a fight with a bear," his lip curled a little when he said this. "Alice and Jasper found us. They were already changed. Alice saw us in one of her visions and wanted to join our family."

After Edward finished I was grateful that he explained things about the rest of his family too. After all, I didn't want to sound pushy by asking him about them as well. I bit my lip still unsure of what to say. I looked down at my hands lamely. "Now to be fair may I ask you something?" I was startled when Edward spoke again. What could he possible want to know about me?

"Sure," I replied.

"Who's Jacob?" I mentally sighed at his question. He just so happened to pick the one thing I didn't want to answer.

"Just a family friend. You met him," I said hoping he would let it go.

"A family friend who happens to have said something to make you believe I'm not a bad guy,"

"Yes," I said simply. I looked at Edward hoping that would be all he would want to know, yet when I saw his face I knew I had to continue. "he said you only eat animals."

"And what else did he say?" I bit my lip not knowing if what I was about to say would get Jake in trouble.

"He didn't tell me anything else. He told me if he did he would get in trouble. He didn't exactly say it was you either. Just that he wasn't allowed to hunt the vampires here because they said they didn't drink from humans, only animals, and that you guys had a treaty." Edward's face was hard.

"Jacob was the one that took you to hospital." I nodded. "What's his last name?"

"Black, Jacob Black." Edward took a deep breath, and for a second he truly did look like a vampire.

"I know this sounds hypocritical, but you shouldn't be around him. He's not very safe." This made me upset, no matter what I knew Jake would never purposely hurt me.

"You don't know him! How could you say that?" I stood up looking down at him.

"Bella, do you even know everything about him?"

"Of course!" I froze when I realized what I just said.

"Then you must know why he's not safe."

"I think I can make that judgment on my own." I said calmly.

"I'm not sure about that." My mouth dropped.

"You know, you sound just like him. I don't need a babysitter; I'm old enough to handle myself." I turned around and walked into the woods that were behind us. Ten seconds later I realized I didn't know how to get home. With all the pride I had left I turned around and stepped out to see Edward standing. I bit my lip nervously. "Can you take me home?" I asked and Edward's lips curled slightly.

"Of course."