Chapter Two

I sat upstairs in my room, legs crossed under me and in my sweats and a tank top. My hair was in a ponytail, like it usually was when I was ready for bed. But I wasn't going to bed yet. Edward left only so Charlie wouldn't find out about our late night visits in my room. We weren't doing anything my dad wouldn't approve of, but he would get the wrong impression, then never forget about it. And Edward would get in trouble, more trouble than I would since he was older than me.

It was summer. Edward was obsessed with my sleeping patterns. He made sure I got at least seven hours of sleep a night, and he always hummed me to sleep, but his arms around me were usually enough anyway. I waited for him to arrive for another one of our conversations. We talked about so much, yet so little. No topic was off limits. We just didn't get very far. It was usually vampires. But these conversations were one of the best parts of my day, though there was many.

I looked around my room. This was home. I was comfortable there and happy--despite what I thought when I first moved to Forks. My far wall with my window was covered with pictures, notes, movie tickets, and so on. Pictures of myself and Edward mostly. Three notes from Edward--all simple, hardly able to be called love notes, but I had a whole box of letters from him. Most of the movies I had gone to with Jacob Black. I was able to get Edward and Jake to go to one together, but they hadn't gotten along, so there wasn't ever a second try. Not that I didn't try, but the old Quileute legends of werewolves and vampires wasn't as unreal as it sounded. I knew that now.

Edward was wiling to be decent with Jake because I asked him. I wanted them to be friends. Jake, however, insisted on being rude and mean to Edward. So I just did what I could to keep them from killing each other. There was the possiblilty that Jake would be hurt, but Edward was a vampire. He would be fine. Jacob and Alice, Edward's sister, were my two best friends in Forks.

Along with all my pictures, I had a huge poster of myself and Edward. Alice made it for us before a party when we first started dating. I had an entire wall of books. My bed, my dresser, a desk angled in the corner. Pictures covered the floor because I was running out of space. My room had never been clean exactly. And it was even worse now that I spent so much time with Edward and so little time at home with nothing to do.

Mom's suggestion of me modeling for Victoria's Secret had once been a dream to me. I wanted to for so long, but that was another thing Edward continued to change in me. I belonged to him. Forever. My dream didn't sound so appealing now. My body belonged to Edward, and that didn't bother me.

We only met months ago. But I could see myself with him for the rest of my life, forever even. Alice could see the future. That was her gift. She saw two things in my future--one my decision, on Edward's. She saw me as a vampire and she saw me married to Edward. Marriage had never really been in my plans really, not to a point where I had thought about who I would marry or where we would live. But I saw myself married at a young age, like my parents were. Edward wanted to get married, and he had already decided to marry me. I knew him well enough to know he would probably bribe me to marry him.

I didn't jump when Edward appeared at the end of my bed. I was used to him appearing out of nowhere by now. I smiled at him as he leaned over the end of my bed to kiss me. He put his freezing hand on my neck. I knew the blood pulsing through my veins tortured him, but he still loved me. I held my breath when he kissed me again. He was going father than usual.

I took a handful of his thick, curly hair. When I kissed him, he pulled away and I knew he thought he was out of line by going as far as he had... which was strange to me. Most would never have felt any guilt in making out with any girl. "I don't mind," I told him, leaning back against the head of my bed to give him his space. He was still a vampire and my sudden movements often bothered him, made his struggle not to kill me harder.

"I do," Edward replied, clearly beating himself up. "You wouldn't understand. You're so... tempting. I can't lose control with you and I'll go too far anyway if I start down that road."

I nodded. "No, I understand that part. But we were only kissing."

Edward grinned. "You're from the twenty-first century," he replied, touching my cheek softly. "What are you thinking about?"

"Marriage," I answered quietly. Honestly, even if I was reluctant. "And I wish I could fast forward in time to see what I have to do to convince you to change me now. Alice said she saw me as a vampire."

Edward nodded, but his grin had faded. He looked so serious. Not angry or annoyed. Just serious, like I was trying to tread some unknown waters in the ocean. "Can we not fight about that tonight? Please?" he whispered. "I don't want to see you like this. I can't ruin your life like this."

I looked away. He was pleading with me. So I moved on and looked back to his face. I laid down. I couldn't think of anything else besides becoming a vampire, but I didn't have to talk about it. So I was silent. Edward moved to his usual position behind me, pulling me along with him. Gently, but he was strong enough to pick me up without putting any energy into it. He always used my big feather pillow as a cushion while he laid, staring at me or at the ceiling. It was sort of his pillow. I used his chest as my pillow and wished so badly that Edward would make me a vampire now, but he refused.

I glanced at my clock. It was midnight. Sunday, May 24th, 2009. It was raining outside. My birthday was eleven days away, and then I would be seventeen. I would be the same age as Edward--one more year closer to my death, another day closer to the day I lost Edward... and the day he lost me. I could never, ever consider what it would feel like to leave the world now that I had Edward. I couldn't live with the fact that Edward had lived a hundred and eight years waiting for me. He explained how birthdays and Christmas weren't important as a vampire. He told me how years were like days to him. So he didn't have much time with me. No matter how I looked at it, there was no highlight, no good point. I was dying. He wasn't.

A hundred and eight years, and he would be lucky to have me for another eighty. I wondered if he would still love me when I looked old enough to be his grandmother. I didn't know why he loved me or how he could. I knew I was probably missing one key detail about why Edward hated being a vampire. I had to be if he would rather lose me forever than change me. He claimed that I had too much to live for. But what could I live for as a human that I couldn't as a vampire? Yes, I would struggle, but Edward would help me. Alice would too. They would tell me ways to make it easier, but I would have to become a vampire first. And Edward wouldn't do that. He wouldn't change me, but I wouldn't give in. I knew six other vampires who would help me.

"What are you thinking about how?" Edward asked, but his voice told me he had some idea.

"Vampires. Does your face change any?"

"The color of it, yes, and your eyes, but not the structure of your face," he explained quietly.

"So you always looked the same?" I asked, wondering how any human could possibly be that gorgeous. But he was. I smiled at the thought. "What color were your eyes?" Edward's eyes fascinated me. I couldn't imagine him with blue eyes or green. Or even brown--the normal color of brown. Not the kind they faded into when he was thirsty.

"Green," he answered. "Not as green as yours though."

"Why do you hate being a vampire? You're not a murderer. You only drink animal blood."

"I've killed before, Timberlee. I am a murderer. And if you knew the second you saw me that I was a vampire, would you have tried?"

I was silent. No, I wouldn't have even attempted to be friends with Edward if I knew, which made me glad it took so long for me to figure it out. But vampires were always like fictional monsters. Now I knew one and he wasn't a monster at all. I was able to know his character before I knew what he was. I loved him before I knew. And now I loved him even more because I knew. He was this monstrous creature, but he wasn't a monster himself. But I could never show him that.

Edward started humming my lullaby then. I loved it. So peaceful and just beautiful. It put me to sleep right away, but my sleep wasn't as it usually was when I was with Edward. Not deep and serene. It was horrible.

My dream was frightening. I was in a forest with Edward and I couldn't hear the words I knew he was speaking, but I knew he was hurting me more and more with each word. It didn't make sense thought--Edward couldn't hurt me. He wouldn't. I fell to my knees, sobbing. He disappeared and I removed the treasured ring he once gave me. I threw it after him, yelling out, "I trusted you" over and over.

I sat up. Edward looked at me in concern. I stared down at my hand, still trying to wake up. The beautiful ring was still on my finger. I closed my eyes and started to cry. I was in Edward's arms immediately. I'd never clung to anyone so tightly before. "Sh. It's all over. It was just a dream," he told me softly, wiping my tears away. But it was no use. More kept coming to replace them.

It took two hours of sobbing before I began to calm down. Edward held me even closer then, like he expected another rush of tears to come if I thought about it again. "Sorry," I said, feeling stupid for crying that long over a silly dream. Edward would never leave me if I was upset and he would never hurt me. I knew that. He told me so many times that he would never leave. I trusted him. I always would. "It was just a dream. I feel like such an idiot."

"Don't. You shouldn't. Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked gently, wiping away the last of my tears.

I shook my head. I would call Phoebe to talk to her. I didn't want Edward to think I doubted him because I didn't. The dream did suggest that somehow. I knew he wouldn't leave me. I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He wouldn't--not after what we'd been through. All my knowledge was against my dream, but it couldn't cancel out the horror I found in it. I knew it was just a stupid dream and I would never believe it could come true, but I was still afraid somehow. I could never forget it.

I sighed and relaxed in Edward's arms. I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep in fear that my nightmare would return. I was still shaking. "Did I say anything in my sleep?" I asked, praying that I didn't. I'd never been one to talk in my sleep, but every once in a while...

Edward shook his head. "Why?"

"No reason. Trying to distract myself, I guess," I lied, closing my eyes. I didn't want to remember the dream, even though I knew I would never forget, but I put it out of my mind. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I listened to Edward hum my lullaby. He was trying to put me back to sleep, but for the first time, it didn't help at all. I could never sleep after that dream and I wouldn't sleep until I somehow forgot it. Until I forgot my fear that it would return.

I got up early to make Dad breakfast before he had to leave. It was six in the morning and Edward left to go hunting. Dad came downstairs to find me in the kitchen. He looked surprised to see me awake, but I smiled. "Still in school schedule mode," I explained, and it was partially true.

"You feeling okay? You look like you cried all night."

"I'm fine, Dad," I replied, handing him a stack of pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon, toast, and a cup of orange juice to go with his coffee. By that time, Dad knew I went crazy cooking and cleaning when I had a lot on my mind. He knew immediately that I wasn't as fine as I said I was. I sat down across from him at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal.

"Anything you want to talk about or anything?" Dad asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied his plate of food. "I realize it's not easy to talk to your old man about most stuff, but I'm here if you need to."

"I know." I sighed. "Joe is gonna be given his lethal injection whenever his appeals stop or whenever he runs out of ideas to stay alive for another few weeks or whatever. I guess you heard Mom talk about it, and my thoughts on the whole thing. I still can't decide and I have to. It's frustrating to say the last. And to edit the cuss words," I said, trying to lighten my mood.

Joe was my biological father. Dad was on the opposite side of the law, so he had his opinions. But he had agreed to let me decide for myself. He didn't realize how complicated that made things though. If he would have said no, I wouldn't have to decide. That would have saved me so much trouble! But he didn't. And Charlie rolled his eyes. Mostly at my comment about cussing. But his jaw was tight with anger at the mention of Joe. He hated him as much as I did. Maybe more because he knew all the tiny details. "If you met him, would you be doing it for yourself or for him?" It was a good question and he had reason to ask it. He knew how hard I tried to be nice to everyone.

I shrugged. "Not sure. Probably some of both."

"Honey, he doesn't deserve to know you. He wanted to kill you. But you deserve to know him, which is the only reason why I agreed to let you meet him if you made that decision. Only you know what's right. Search inside that head of yours and you'll find some kind of answer." Dad was generally the kind of person who rarely said a lot at once. He was quiet, a man of few words. But when he gave advice, it was good. Simple, and it made sense.

We finished breakfast together. Dad stood and kissed my head. "I'll see you later," he said, putting on his gun belt. "Breakfast was good. Ever thought of being a chef?"

I shook my head with a grin. "Have a nice day," I called as he left. My father was one of the people I swore I would never understand. He was a good parent. Overly protective maybe, but he saw murders and worse in his line of work. He had reasons to be that way, even if I really wished he wasn't so extreme sometimes.

Since February, my relationship with my dad had changed so much. I learned that I really loved him. He was the perfect father for someone like me. The longer I lived with him, the more I came to love Forks, not just because Edward was there though, even though that was one reason. Edward was there. Jacob was there. And Charlie wasn't so bad either. We got along better, too, and I realized it was mostly my fault we didn't get along from the start. I was trying to find reasons to be mad at him. But it was stupid of me. Since April, I had discovered that Dad was the best father ever, even if I didn't always like him. Story of every teenager's relationship with their parent at times.

I did the dishes and dressed quickly. It was raining, but it had slowed down some. It wasn't pouring anymore, but the thunder was louder than ever and I could hear it echo in the mountains far away. I had gotten used to the near constant downpour. I didn't mind it anymore and I tried not to miss sunny Los Angeles. It got easier in some ways, harder in others. Edward made it all worth it though.

I was upstairs replying the various emails from home when Edward returned, driving his silver Volvo this time. his face always looked so beautiful--even more so when he returned every morning. And I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else, even if the looks didn't fit perfectly.

He kissed my hand when I opened the front door to let him in. I laughed joyously, having forgotten about my dream completely. He was my Romeo, my Knight in Shining Armor, romantic, handsome prince. He was my hero. When I thought of young love before, I never would have thought of it as sincere, but it was for me and for Edward. We could get through anything and we would. As long as we had each other. That was all we needed, all we would ever need.

Edward invited me to his house since we were unable to manage it after our trip to Olympia yesterday. I left a note for Dad so he wouldn't worry and grabbed my camera and shoes from my room. Edward's house was gorgeous and just outside of Forks. I loved it there! His family was so funny, and it was hard to see them as a family, even though they were a very close one. Seven of the most different people possible coming together on one common ground. Their characters were all so different, but somehow, they mixed perfectly.

Alice was the tiny, pixie-like girl near my age. A pointed chin, short black hair that was spiked in every direction. Sweet, loving, my idea of the perfect sister. She considered me her "more-than-sister", and I didn't even know what that meant exactly, but I appreciated it just the same. Jasper was her mate. He was new to the diet, so he usually kept his distance from me--especially because he nearly attacked me once when he smelled my blood. But he was also my guardian once when I had a vampire named James after me. Jasper proved to have a sweet character, but he liked to stay a while away now that he was no longer guarding me.

Emmett was huge. He thought my clumsiness was hilarious and always made me give him a high-five. Then he would laugh at how far I had to reach up to hit his hand. He was the tallest of the Cullens, and the strongest. He was my idea of a big brother, the big brother I never had. Rosalie was the one Cullen who continued to dislike me, but she was nicer now. Still rude, but nicer. She was tall, blond, super model-ish. She was always with Emmett. From what I had observed, when she wasn't glaring at me, I could see she was nice deep down. Just angry. And I didn't know all the reasons, but I knew one: She was jealous of me.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen was extremely friendly. Firm when it came to staying together as a family, but he always did it in a gentle way somehow. Compassionate and wise beyond his years. At least his age. He was born before Edward actually, and he was only twenty three, but he had a lot of time to gain the knowledge he had. Esme was darling! She, more than the others, wanted to make sure Edward and I stayed together. I knew it was mostly because he had been alone so long while his siblings had their mates. He was the first vampire Carlisle created, but he hadn't found anyone before me. That was a... shocking realization, but it only made me love him more.

We reached the Cullen residence and I stepped out into the rain. Esme's smile was wider than ever. "Get a whiff of that. Here comes the human," Rosalie muttered in a musical voice. And annoyed voice. Disgusted even. Alice ran over to hug me while Jasper followed, then stopped a few feet away. Out of arm's reach. Emmett gave me his usual high-five, followed by his big belly laugh. Carlisle smiled at me, one arm around Esme. I glanced at Edward and saw his emarrassed look--he thought it was humiliating how his family was there to see every moment of our relationship and knew all the details exactly.

"I told them not to do this," he told me as we entered the kitchen. He sounded like he knew I would be overwhelmed, but I usually was when I went over to his house. Too many things for any human to observe at once. Too many people running around and appearing out of nowhere, but I saw the huge feast on the counter and laughed. It was just for me. That was usual though. Esme loved to cook!

"No, it's okay. It smells great!" I commented with a smile in Esme's direction.

Edward gave me a small smile, but I swore I saw a glare that flashed at Emmett so quickly that I couldn't be sure I'd actually seen it at all. "Um... I'm gonna take you on your official tour," he announced. He led me up a rounding staircase, which I had seen before. I'd been all over his house, just not giving time to observe all the details. We passed a cross I knew Carlisle's father had carved. It amazed me that anyone had kept it so nicely. I laughed at the five rows of graduation caps. I knew the Cullens repeated high school over and over, but I'd never given much thought to the decorations. "A small joke," Edward explained, his arm around me still. "The younger we start out in a new place, the longer we can stay."

I nodded in understanding. He showed me Carlisle's office and the bedrooms, which didn't have beds. We made it to Edward's room then. A plasma TV, an expensive stereo, rows and rows of CDs--ordered by year and artist. I glanced at Edward before I hit play on the remote. I listened for a few seconds. "Claude Debussy's 'Clair De Lune'," I said with my head cocked to one side and a smile on my face.

Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. He knew my fears about dancing. He grinned at me though, waiting for any form of protest. I chewed on my lip for a moment. I didn't know if I should argue or if that would only make the situation worse. Instead, I wet my lips and shook my head. "I'm not afraid of you," I told him stubbornly.

Edward laughed, throwing his head back. Then he gave me my favorite crooked grin. "You really shouldn't have said that, ya know?" He slipped me onto his back and jumped out the open window in one, fluid motion. He didn't land on the ground though. He stopped on the side of a tree, gripping it with his strong hands as I tried to take in everything that was happening. "Hold on tight," he instructed with another grin and he sprinted up the tree. I would have screamed from my fear of heights, but I trusted him too much. Edward jumped from tree to tree, and he always found a taller one it seemed like.

Edward stopped once he reached the tallest tree in sight. He smiled, letting me climb off his back onto a stead branch. I climbed up three more branches to sit on the highest branch that I knew would support my weight. Edward stood on another so his head was only a few inches higher than mine. I knew he would catch me if I fell or slipped, no matter where he was standing. He kissed me. I closed my eyes. His lips ran along my jaw line, my collarbone, and then he returned to my lips. His cold touch didn't bother me anymore, even if it was still freezing. I smiled when our lips met again. Edward pushed my hair from my face easily. I looked around my surroundings while he watched only me. The river, the mountains, the green moss covering every surface. The fog wrapped itself around the trees in a gorgeous layer. The dark clouds in the distance, ready to steal the light coming from beneath lighter clouds. "These things just don't exist," I whispered.

"They do in my world," Edward replied. And I had no doubt of that. Gorgeous scenes where nothing compared to werewolves and vampires. I smiled at Edward, looking at the mountains. He leaned in again. I kissed him first, my hand in his long hair. This time, he didn't stop so soon. But he pulled back to meet my eyes. "You happy?"

I nodded. There were no words to describe how happy I was. We stood on the same tree--two hundred feet above the world. It was so beautiful, so serene. It seemed like it would never end--the way Edward made me feel. He just got better and better. When I was with him, I wasn't afraid of anything. Except two things.

One, I was afraid to grow older.

Two, I was afraid to lose him when I did grow older.

Growing old was always my gear. I didn't necessarily fear the wrinkles or the gray hair. I feared being forgotten once I was gone. I wanted to do something extraordinary in my life. And not just be a model or in a movie or become some music legend. I wanted to make a difference that mattered at the end of time. Mom once told me that, often, loving someone was the best difference anyone could make in their life. I loved Edward more than anything in the world and I would never lave him until the day I left this world.

Edward laughed, breaking into my thoughts. The sound was sudden and I would have jumped if his laugh wasn't so beautiful. "I'm standing on the tallest tree in the whole town, the whole forest, ready to catch you if you fall. And somehow, I feel human again for the first time in ninety years," he said. "Funny thing how that works, huh? How love works?"

I nodded. "I'm falling already," I told him. He looked confused and I laughed. "In love. And I keep falling. But nothing about love makes sense," I told him with a smile. It was one of my favorite songs by Leann Rimes. I met his eyes, gorgeous eyes, full of meaning. "Like a cloud full of rain shouldn't hang in the sky," I said, gesturing to the dark clouds in the distance. "Or ice shouldn't burn. I can stand when I'm falling, win when I'm losing. Something this strong shouldn't make me feel this weak. How you can touch my heart when you're holding my hand or a baby grand. How someone so perfect could fall for me." I knew the lyrics were out of order, but they were all true. I understood the song finally.

Edward spun me around so he could whisper something in my ear without me seeing him. I would have been afraid to lose my balance, but his touch on my hand alone kept me steady. He placed his other hand on my waist then. "How someone as perfect as you could fall for me," he said.

I laughed again. "I'm not perfect," I replied, and Edward scoffed. I looked over my shoulder at him. "Nothing about love makes sense," I repeated since that was one point we could both agree on.

"Especially a forbidden love," he muttered, looking at something mingled in the clouds. "A vampire in love with his pray. The lion and the lamb. But not just any lamb. My lamb."

"My lion," I said thoughtfully, my hand on the back of his neck. He kept his arms around me as I continued to look around. If there was ever a heaven on earth, I was in it. Unlike most assumed, money didn't matter. That was not the key to happiness. Looks and the past didn't matter. It was only the now that meant anything, the present. The present was the most important part of life.

Three more hours were spent on that tree branch, looking at the world move on without us. We observed that glory together. But mostly, we stared at each other while twisting our hands together, trying to memorize the feeling of the other's. Edward held me in his arms like a baby and jumped down. I laughed. There was no fear whatsoever inside of me. No worries at all. I could laugh in the face of fear when I was with Edward. It was refreshing.

We returned to Edward's room the same way we came--through the window. He set me on the floor and I could only smile at him. There were no words for what I felt. It wasn't like my other boyfriends. Edward was my first love. I knew that now and I would never doubt it. I never did.

A knock at the door made me jump and Edward only grinned at me. I was skittish because I couldn't hear the silent footsteps of vampires. It wasn't my fault. And I was looking at Edward's face anyway. Not for shadows under the door. Alice walked in before either of us answered, Jasper following stiffly. I smiled at him in sympathy and tried to do whatever I could not to make it harder. "We thought you were having Timberlee for dinner, and came to see if you would share," Alice joked. "Esme wants you to come eat before you fall over."

I smiled at the thought. I was amazed that I hadn't fallen over since I started dating Edward. Or at least not in his presence. If I did fall over, it wouldn't be from hungry. I would trip most likely and Edward would catch me no matter what. In so many ways. He always did.

Edward followed me downstairs at a human speed. Carlisle was reading at one end of the table. On the other end, Rosalie and Emmett were playing a game of cards. Esme handed me a plate of roast beef, asparagus, peas, and rice. Edward walked me to the table and I sat in his lap to eat, as I always did. Esme was an excellent cook--the best. Second only to Edward and that was only because I was biased.

"How can you eat that stuff?" Emmett assked, and I choked as I attempted to swallow while I laughed.

"It's good for her!" Esme exclaimed. "She's too thin."

Edward handed me a cup of water while I coughed. I was still laughing and Edward's reaction was too much like a reflex. It was slightly annoying to know that he was so prepared for me to fall over and die no matter what I did. My recovery was slow. Slightly confused, I handed Edward my fork when he asked for it. He flung a pea at Emmett behind Esme's back and Carlisle only glanced up from his book as if it happened all the time. I grinned, slumping back int Edward a little. He ducked behind me when Emmett started to get up, despite Rosalie's glare. I could only laugh. "Tiny little me. The vampire shield," I muttered.

Edward's laugh came out in a gust of sweet smelling breath. I finished two plates of food to please Esme, but I ate slowly and watched Emmett and Rosalie play cards, trying to ensure that I wouldn't feel too sick after. Alice and Jasper had disappeared somewhere, promising to return. They were a perfect couple. Whenever I saw them, it made me want to grab Edward and go for one of our all-day walks. Just to talk with him.

"Timberlee," I heard Alice call in her beautiful, soprano voice. She appeared next to Edward and took my hand. She pulled me out of Edward's lap. "We need to have a talk," she told me. "The way things are going now, I'll never get you away from Edward for ten minutes."

I laughed at Edward's glare and followed her upstairs. Jasper was reading in the corner when we entered their room. I smiled gently because I knew my presence alone would make it hard for him to concentrate on anything. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked Alice.

"Well, lots of things, but you probably have more questions than I do," Alice replied. "Vampire talk." She grinned at me.

I nodded, glancing at Jasper. He was pretending he didn't hear us, but I knew he did. Not that he was eavesdropping. It was just part of being a vampire. "Will Edward change me?" I asked Alice.

"I don't know. I can't see anything until he's made the decision. So far, he's too stubborn. He doesn't want you to be like us. But I know you're just as stubborn as he is. With me on your side, you've got the advantage."

"I just wish he would change me now. Or as a birthday present this year. But he refuses and he won't even listen to why I want to be a vampire. He thinks my reasoning is as bad as my priorities, I guess."

Alice squeezed my hand. "You don't know how hard it is for us. We struggle all the time, even now. Edward's trying to save you from the pain."

I nodded. I knew that! "I know. But I'm pretty sure the pain--or even the thought--of losing him would be worse."

Alice knew how I felt. I knew she did, even though she'd never been in my place. I learned so much about her as we talked, cross-legged on the floor. She didn't remember her human life, but she found out that James had changed her. That it was an accident, that she would have died if things hadn't gone the way they did. But she didn't seem to mind at all, and I was glad. My encounter with James caused her to find out the truth.

I returned downstairs later that night, arms linked with Alice. I couldn't help smiling at Edward. He jumped to his feet, took my hand in his. "We've been talking about you," he announced.

"Lovely," I muttered, glancing at Rosalie. "Nothing too horrible, I hope?"

"No, no. Emmett things he could beat you at chess."

"Oh, is that a challenge?" I asked Emmett. "What's the bet?"

Emmett grinned. "I love a competitive girl," he said, jumping up to get the chess board. "You win and I eat a whole plate of food. I win and you have to..."

"Listen to you brag about it," Alice finished. "If you win, you just don't have to eat." Emmett agreed to those terms, but I swore I caught another glare from Edward to Emmett ass I moved to help set up the chess board. I played against Emmett twice, Jasper once, Edward four times, and Carlisle once. It was exhausting, but the least experienced player--me--was undefeated until Esme suggested that Carlisle play against me. I played one more game against Edward and lost, but I figured out he was cheating afterwards. He'd asked Alice to look into the future to see my next move, and he would read her mind to find out what it was. Once I figured that out, I pretended to be angry and elbowed Edward in the ribs, which he probably couldn't even feel. But I actually thought it was funny how they were able to use their gifts to conspire against me.

Esme made me dinner of chicken enchiladas, which Emmett refused to eat, despite our bet. As I always did, I devoured them. Edward drove me home in silence, but it wasn't awkward or uneasy. It was peaceful and I knew he too was thinking about our day. But it was coming to an end. I could tell Edward was thirsty, and when we turned onto my street, I saw Billy Black's truck in the driveway and I knew Jacob was there since Billy couldn't drive. So Edward would leave and return some time in my sleep after he'd hunted some more. More than he did that morning.