I know, I know. It's been a little while since I updated. That doesn't mean to say that this chapter was any more difficult to write than normal. I've got so many projects going right now, I'm having trouble prioritizing. But here it is.

In this chapter, as the title should suggest, I wanted to show that after two and a half months of being around one another, Keira and Edward have begun to show different feelings for each other instead of the typical "It's my job to protect you" attitude Edward's been having lately.

Getting ready for this dance, and then actually going to it will be a turning point for them. I hope I don't disappoint for anyone who's reading.

Now, enough from me. Read!

Stirrings

November, 1945

Keira

The Friday night before the dance, I stayed at Abigail's house to have a "slumber party," even though it was just the two of us. Abigail promised she'd asked Jennifer and another girl from our grade, but they'd both cited their own preparation rituals and couldn't come. Honestly, my mother had been absolutely beside herself when I told her about the night I would be spending away from the house. I knew she liked Abigail, though not nearly as much as she liked Edward — I couldn't imagine why.

Abigail's mother Phoebe and her father Cooper were nearly as ecstatic as my own mother, promising I would not only have a good time with Abigail, but I would also get into bed on time. My mother was going to spend the night practicing the hair style we'd chosen for me on herself, and I carried my dress to Abigail's after school so we could show each what we'd been able to find.

"I've never really had a slumber party," Abigail confessed as we walked from school to her house which was only a few blocks from my house. "I think my mother jumped for joy the minute I told her I was having a friend over."

Together, we laughed, and I made my own confession. "My mother was the same. I don't think I've ever seen her that elated before. Not even when she was getting ready for my fourteenth birthday."

"I'll bet you had a lot of friends over," Abigail surmised.

I bowed my head. "Perhaps, not a lot," I amended, modest. "But a few."

"Do you miss your friends from Seattle?" she asked softly as we walked arm in arm down the sidewalk.

"Sometimes. I lived there my whole life until we moved here." I heard her exhale lightly, and I squeezed her arm. "But now I've made new friends," I promised. "And I've never seen Fisher so happy."

She blushed, gently tugging on my arm to pull me up the driveway of her house. "He's going to look so handsome in his suit," she mused. "I can tell already."

I laughed softly. "That he will," I agreed.

The foyer of Abigail's house was empty as we stepped inside, but less than a minute later, her mother Phoebe came down the stairs dressed in a deep green A-line dress with an apron around her waist.

"Oh, Abigail," she greeted, "you're home."

They embraced, and Phoebe turned to me. "You must be Keira," she concluded. "I'm Phoebe Williams. It's wonderful to meet you."

I blushed again as she took my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Williams."

"Oh, please, call me Phoebe. I've got some tea and cake in the kitchen for you girls. Why don't you go put your things away, and it'll be just us girls until Coop gets home."

I stuttered, but Abigail took my hand to pull me up the stairs.

"Cheerful, isn't she?" Abigail noted sarcastically.

"She is," I nodded. "Like my own mother. And Coop? Your father?"

"Nice how she has a nickname for him, huh?" she commented. "Think I could start calling Fisher 'Fish' one day?"

We giggled softly, stepping into her room then, and I took note of the surroundings. Abigail's room was the same size as mine and light blue, with a smaller desk and a larger chest of drawers while her bed was a little bigger than mine. She led me to the closet, and I hung my dress inside while setting my bag in the floor.

"Sometimes, Kyle calls Fisher 'Fish'," I commented as we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. "Fisher actually doesn't like it much."

Abigail glanced at me with a bit of worry in her eyes, but I quickly continued.

"But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you called him that at all," I added, and she blushed again.

After tea and cakes in the kitchen nook with Abigail and her mother, we retreated to Abigail's room where she promptly pulled out her record collection. She had several newer labels, along with older ones from the last few years, and almost immediately, Moonlight Serenade by the Glenn Miller Orchestra began playing over the small speakers of her record player.

"My mother loves this song," I commented.

Abigail smiled as she thumbed through her collection. "So," she said after a minute, "I've been noticing you and Edward spending quite a bit of time together. Is there anything you want to tell me? Other than the fact that he's taking you to the dance."

I blushed, bowing my head. "There actually isn't much else to tell," I insisted. "Rosalie, his sister, she was talking about it to his brother Emmett, and Edward noticed how I was wondering about it. And he asked me."

"But you said 'yes'," she giggled. "Surely, you must like him at least a little, Keira. Well, don't you?"

"I suppose you're right," I conceded. "He is very nice."

Abigail groaned softly. "Oh, Keira, please. He's absolutely gorgeous," she exclaimed. "He's just about the smartest boy in school, save his brother, and he's a complete gentleman. And he defended you against Ethan! How could you not like him?"

I smiled slightly. "I do like him," I revealed. "But he was so distant when we first met. I don't want to throw myself at him. I'm not some . . . loose girl. Why is it that everyone wants me to open myself up to him like a lamb being led to the slaughter?"

She giggled again, despite my annoyance. "Maybe it's because everyone sees something going on between the two of you that even you don't see," she persisted. "Honestly, Keira, the way he looks at you sometimes. It really is like he thinks he's supposed to protect you from the entire male student body. Except Fisher, of course. And maybe Kyle, but it's obvious they don't see eye to eye on several levels."

It's almost like . . . he loves you.

A stranger's voice pierced the inner part of my mind, and it felt so odd, like a dream trying to make itself into a memory.

Abigail's mother made meatloaf for dinner, and her father Cooper came in from his job at the local clinic just before dinner was served. He was tall, a lot like Edward, but the similarities stopped there. While Abigail's mother Phoebe's appearance was similar to Abigail's with lightly tanned skin and big brown eyes, dark, straight long hair and a small frame, Cooper was fair-skinned with brilliant grey eyes and light brown, curly hair. He had an easy smile and warm hands. He couldn't stop gushing about how Abigail hadn't brought many of her friends to the house since starting high school. I told him quite a few times that I was more than happy to spend time with her. She was a good friend, and I was glad to call her one of the best I'd had in a little while.

After dinner, Abigail showed me to the bathroom, and after we both finished our nightly routines, she decided it was time to show each other our dresses for the dance the next night. My dress was still hanging in its shop bag, and Abigail gasped excitedly the moment I pulled it out to show her.

"Oh, that's beautiful," she gushed. "I've never seen a dress like that before. You should put it on, and I'll put mine on so we can see them before everyone else does."

It was no problem at all to change from my pajamas to the teal dress I'd purchased while out with my mother. But as I pulled it on, the remnants of a dream-like memory made itself known yet again.

You look beautiful in this dress. He'll love you in it.

Chills slid up my back to my shoulders, and I hesitated as Abigail finished pulling on her dress. She moved to my side slowly.

"Do you need help with the eye-hooks?" she asked, reaching out to finish fastening the bodice as I stood there silently.

Her touch startled me, and I pulled away from her unconsciously, turning my eyes to hers as she gazed at me with shock in her eyes.

"Keira," she said softly. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something," she commented.

I realized my heart was in my throat, and I inhaled deeply, shutting my eyes as she turned me to face her. "I'm okay," I insisted. "Just got flushed for a minute."

With that, I lowered my eyes to her dress and stepped back to get a better look. The first thing I noticed was the intricate green and blue flower pattern covering the entire fabric, and then I saw the bundle of fabric at the back of her waist. Within the flower pattern, the dress was cream colored, and it had straps that anchored it to her waist as her long chestnut tresses fell passed her shoulders.

"Abigail," I said after a minute, "your dress is beautiful. It looks amazing on you," I breathed, laying my hands over her waist as she stepped back and then did a little turn to show me the whole dress.

"I'm glad you like it," she said modestly, demonstrating the dresses length as she stood barefoot before me. "I almost didn't buy it, but what can I say, it sang to me."

She laughed softly, and I laughed with her.

I wasn't as tired as I probably should've been, so when Abigail and I laid down for bed, I found myself lying there beside her with the strangest thoughts running through my head. I couldn't stop thinking about this voice in my mind, and I couldn't remember ever hearing any voice like it before. But it felt so real, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why I was thinking about it now.

I also couldn't stop recalling Abigail's voice in my mind as she spoke about Edward and how he looked at me. Recently, I'd begun to feel the same way, even if I didn't want to admit it to myself. I was only fifteen. No matter what I was feeling or seeing, something like this wasn't what I wanted in my life right now. I was supposed to be thinking about school and what I was going to do after I graduated. I wasn't supposed to be wondering about a boy in school who just happened to be a vampire who also just happened to think it was his job to keep me safe. But I couldn't stop myself.

In the morning, after breakfast, Abigail and I gathered up our dresses and everything we would need to get ready before we set off to my house. I unconsciously looked around while we walked, though I wasn't sure why, and about a block from my house, I caught a glimpse of Edward hiding behind a bush across the street. I bowed my head, silently telling him to stop hiding, and within seconds, I heard him behind us.

"Keira," he called, causing Abigail to jump slightly.

"Oh!" she giggled. "I didn't see you back there. Edward."

He smiled briskly, glancing at me. "Abigail," he nodded. "Let me carry your things."

Without waiting for a response, he took all our bags, carrying them effortlessly as we all walked. Abigail blushed deeply, eyeing me suspiciously and probably thinking how nice it was for him to carry our things, but how strange it was that he'd appeared out of nowhere.

Then he spoke again. "I was in town running some errands with Emmett," he began, "and I was wondering when you wanted us to pick you up."

I looked at Abigail, knowing that Fisher was probably out also "running errands" so he wouldn't be at the house while we were getting ready. "Well, the dance doesn't start until eight," I replied softly, to which Edward smirked. "Why don't you come at six? We can have something to eat before we go to the school."

He bowed his head. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll be sure to tell Emmett," he informed me as we arrived at my house and walked inside with all our bags.

Edward opened the door for us, causing Abigail to blush even more as my mother greeted us in the foyer.

"Oh, Keira, honey, how was your night?" she gushed, moving forward to embrace me like she hadn't seen me in days. "Abigail. It's wonderful to see you again."

Abigail nodded. "It's wonderful to see you too, Mrs. Jones."

"Oh, please. Call me Annabeth. Edward, I wasn't expecting to see you this morning."

He opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him. "He ran into us on the way from Abigail's house, and he offered to carry our bags for us."

"Well, that was very nice of him," my mother commented, blushing herself when Edward smiled.

"It was my pleasure," he insisted. "Should I take these upstairs?"

"I'll show you," I volunteered.

He stepped back for me to lead the way, and I eased up the stairs to my room slowly. When we were alone, he hung the dresses and bags up, whispering as softly as he could.

"I'm sorry," he implored. "I didn't mean to spy on you. I can't seem to stop myself anymore. I have to know you're all right."

"It's all right," I insisted. "I know you don't do it on purpose. Did you at least keep away from Abigail's house last night? She's probably already started to notice things about you the way I did."

"I was across the street all night," he swore. He paused, taking my hands in his for the first time in a week. "Keira, are you all right?"

I stood up straight. "I'm fine," I stated plainly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He bowed his head, his face suddenly closer to mine than it ever had been. "You know I only want you to be safe," he began. "And I wouldn't do anything to keep you from living your life. But last night, I heard something in your thoughts. A man's voice."

With his cool hands holding mine, I shook slightly with chills, remembering the voice and not remembering where I'd heard it.

"You don't remember at all?" Edward asked me softly.

I shrugged slightly. "I only know it feels like a dream, but not like any dream I've ever had before."

He lifted his fingertips to my forehead, easing a strand of hair from my face. While I was standing there thinking about it as hard as I could, I knew what he was doing. I knew he was reading my mind to see if he could figure it out despite me being unable to.

Edward stepped closer to me despite already being less than a few inches away, and even though he was supposed to be cold, I felt warm since my heart was pounding even harder now than it had in days, weeks maybe. I knew my mother and Abigail were not only right in the way he looked at me, but I also knew I'd felt just as much of his feelings in the way he touched me. After everything that had happened on Saturday, and after he'd promised to relinquish some of my privacy back to me, we had still spent a lot of time together.

Suddenly, a man's face flashed through my mind, and Edward's touch turned hard along with his voice as he spoke conclusively.

"Connor," he grit through his teeth.

"Who?" I asked quietly, absently raising my hands to his wrists as he still touched my face.

Edward clenched his jaw, letting go of me and stepping back. "I should've known that when I met him," he hissed, nearly berating himself for what he was seeing and hearing in my mind that I couldn't account for.

"What's wrong?" I pleaded.

For several seconds, he said nothing. I was afraid to move any closer, since it looked like having me close had caused this disturbance in his control.

"I should've known he had an ability," Edward growled softly. "But he kept it hidden from me."

I chanced a step closer to him. "Edward, I don't understand. Who's Connor? And what has he done?"

"Keira!" my mother called, breaking him from his growing anger and me from my intense confusion.

I jumped slightly, and Edward held me still, stepping to the door and whispering urgently.

"We'll talk tonight," he promised. "Emmett and I will stay in town until we absolutely have to go back and change. You'll be safe. I swear."

With that, he opened my door and walked me downstairs where my mother and Abigail were still standing in the foyer.

"Is everything all right?" my mother asked. "It certainly took a long time to hang up those clothes."

I blushed, and Edward laughed softly. "Everything's just fine," he lied. "I'll just be going. Six o'clock," he nodded toward me.

I nodded back, and he bowed to my mother, leaving without another word. My mind was racing over everything he'd said, and I was so confused.

"Well," my mother said. "Let's not waste any time. You two girls have a dance to prepare for."

She took my hand then, and Abigail followed us upstairs to the bathroom to get started.

Both Abigail and I had equally long hair, and while she chose a simple knot at the base of her head, my mother reproduced the hair style we'd selected a week earlier nearly perfectly. There were a few things I changed because I didn't want to outdo Abigail, but my mother agreed we both looked stunning. Both Abigail and I blushed at my mother's compliments.

I was surprised at how long it took to get ready. We had a small bite to eat before putting on our make-up, and Fisher came back from his errands with Kyle just before three o'clock. Kyle was apparently driving Fisher and Abigail to the dance in addition to picking up his own date on the way to the school. I had no idea who he was taking, and he wasn't alluding to any suggestions. I honestly didn't know of anyone who would want to go with him after the way he'd been acting, but that wasn't for me to decide.

My mother finished my and Abigail's make-up just before five-thirty, making the finishing touches before she released us to my room so we could finish our ensembles. She'd lent me a cream-white shawl to go with my teal dress, and she found a pair of my grandmother's diamond earrings for me to wear for the night. My mother found a sapphire bracelet to go with Abigail's dress along with earrings to match, and I thought my best friend was going to flood the room with more 'thank you's' than it seemed possible despite my mother insisting she was free to borrow anything we had that she needed.

The doorbell rang at six on the nose, and Fisher knocked on my mother's door less than a minute later.

"Are we decent?" he called through the door.

My mother laughed. "Just a moment," she replied, helping Abigail to her feet and then guiding us both to the door. "Come in," she requested.

Fisher opened the door then, and almost immediately, his eyes found Abigail as she stood next to me. He smiled instantly, reaching for her hands.

"You look beautiful," he admired.

Abigail blushed, glancing at me, and finally, my brother looked at me.

"Is this really my little sister?" he teased, pulling me into his arm and squeezing me against him gently.

Fisher was dressed in a double-breasted tuxedo, complete with a solid black bow tie and a pair of gold cuff links he'd no doubt borrowed from our father. He was wearing black cap-toed patent leather shoes, and his dark blond hair was combed back so that he looked more handsome than I'd ever seen him.

"I was just about to ask if this was really my older brother," I quipped, squeezing him even as he spoke.

"I almost don't want to let you go out with your date," Fisher said sadly, "but I don't think I would trust anyone but him with you being this beautiful."

I bowed my head, releasing him and then stepping into the hallway as he and Abigail followed me slowly. I looked down into the foyer, and I almost forgot to breathe as my eyes found Edward where he stood talking to my father.

He looked even more breathtaking than I could've possibly imagined. His auburn hair was strangely tamed despite it still showing a slight disarray with the shine of a polished penny. His pale skin wasn't in stark contrast next to his ivory-colored double-breasted suit jacket which was completed with a white bow tie. His black pants elongated his height even more, and his black cap-toed patent leather shoes seemed to shine brighter despite him being in a darker part of the house. Then he lifted his eyes to mine, their brilliant emerald color indicating he'd either gone hunting that afternoon or quite recently.

Edward smiled when he saw me, stepping over to the staircase to meet me, and he extended his arm to me as I stepped off the staircase.

"You look absolutely stunning," he whispered, and I blushed.

"You do too," I complimented.

He smiled wider, turning his eyes to Fisher's and then looking at Abigail. "You both look amazing," he insisted, nodding in Fisher and Abigail's direction.

My brother nodded back, and then my mother came downstairs.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "it's times like this when I wish we'd bought that camera in Seattle. Honey, we'll have to invest in one now," she informed my father. "We're probably going to be seeing a lot more of things like this. Ooh, wait just a minute!" she cried and disappeared into the kitchen.

She came back with a small tray of plastic containers I quickly realized all held fresh flowers. "Keira, Abigail, the single roses are for your dates. Edward, Fisher, the corsages are for the girls. Hopefully, you all know what to do with them."

I took the red rose meant for Edward, fumbling with the needle and absolutely certain that I must've pricked him with it, but he only smirked, taking my corsage and easily sliding it on my wrist. It was beautiful, with a bright-white peony in the middle surrounded by teal ribbons and green lace. Abigail successfully pinned Fisher's white rose to his jacket, and he put her corsage on her wrist. Hers was a purple peony with red ribbons and blue lace. I was curious about where my mother had bought these, but I didn't worry about it. And when Kyle came in the front door in his own suit, he immediately made his presence known.

"All right, kids, let's not have our own little shindig here in the front parlor," he complained. "My date's in the car, and I plan of making it to the dance on time, as opposed to some people."

Fisher rolled his eyes without saying anything, and he held out his arm to Abigail as my mother stepped in to kiss his cheek and mine. With that, Kyle led the way outside, and I immediately saw Emmett parked on the curb with Rosalie in the front seat touching up her make-up. Emmett smiled when he saw me, and Fisher stepped up beside me before he followed Kyle.

"I'll see you at the dance, sis," he whispered, kissing my cheek.

"See you there," I replied, watching him guide Abigail to the car.

Edward tugged on my arm gently, and I followed him to the car as Emmett pulled open the door to the backseat.

"You're really pretty," he admired with deep dimples.

Next to Rosalie, I took that as high praise.

I sat back and then turned into the car, and Edward followed to scoot in next to me as Emmett closed the door, and while we waited for Kyle to leave, Edward spoke softly.

"Emmett and Rose are going to take us to get you fed, and they'll pick us up from the restaurant at seven-thirty. I wanted to have plenty of time for us to talk."

I realized his meaning as Emmett pulled away from the curb, and I somehow knew he hadn't told them what he'd discovered that morning.

The ride to the restaurant was quiet, and I couldn't keep from thinking about what he'd seen in my head to prompt such a need to talk about it. I remembered the voice and the face, but there was no name. Not for me. I had no idea who the voice or the face belonged to, and I couldn't imagine what could've happened because of that. I wanted to believe it was hidden from me for a good reason, but then why could I remember certain things about it if not a name? I was also worried. What did it mean for me? Was I still in danger? Would I ever be safe?

Edward extended his hand to mine as the last word crossed my mind, and I was surprised, but I took his hand all the same. He was my friend, after all, and though there were things about him that made him just as dangerous as this face he was worried about, he hadn't hurt me in the two and half months I'd known him. And even if it surprised me, I trusted him. I didn't have any reason not to trust him now.

Despite Hoquiam being a small town, there were still enough "expensive" places in town for Emmett to pull up in front of the most expensive restaurant in town. I couldn't hide the shock on my face, and Edward smiled at me, grasping my hand gently and pushing the door to his side open. He climbed out first, helping me as Emmett rose from the driver's seat.

"Seven-thirty, little brother," he reminded Edward, clapping a hand over his shoulder. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he teased.

Edward pushed Emmett's hand away, still smiling and pulling me back from the curb as Emmett sat back inside the car and sped away. I realized Rosalie hadn't said a word, and I was suddenly worried something else might have happened while I'd been getting ready for the dance.

"Don't worry about Rosalie," Edward whispered close to my ear. "Emmett was grumbling about his suit before we came to pick you up, and pardon me for saying, but I doubt they make it to the dance other than to have pictures taken. We don't usually do that, but since I wanted to, she thought she could bend the rules just this once."

My face flushed with blood, and Edward stopped on the sidewalk, turning me to face him. Since it was November, I was wearing the shawl my mother had given me, and his suit jacket was buttoned despite the cold not bothering him. He surprised me by lifting his hands to my face. He was cool, of course, and I shivered instantly, causing him to laugh.

"I'll never get used to that," he admitted. "I can honestly say I've never been so close to a human and not felt the need to run away. What have you done to me, Keira Jones?"

I unconsciously bit my lower lip, and he held out his arm again, allowing me to take it before he pulled me toward the restaurant.

To the outside world, the one that included my parents and nearly everyone else in town, Edward and I were two fifteen-year-old kids from the local high school having dinner at a fancy restaurant before the Fall Dance. In Hoquiam, the Fall Dance was about as important as prom, and the concept wasn't lost on me, especially when the Maitre D placed us in a booth near the dim part of the restaurant. It wasn't lost on Edward, even if he was able to hide his astonishment a little better than I was.

A waitress brought us menus and took our drink orders, eyeing Edward over her order pad and licking her lips every time he looked at her. A part of me I didn't know existed was a little annoyed by her overtures, and when she disappeared to get our drinks, Edward leaned closer to me while pretending to browse his menu.

"She thinks I look too old to be with you," he whispered. "And she thinks your dress is too fancy for you. But if you ask me, her shirt makes her look ten years older than she actually is, and she needs to step to the ladies room to redo her hair. Don't tell her I said that."

I smiled, even laughed, lifting my eyes as the waitress returned. She placed my sweet tea in front of me, and upon further inspection, I spotted several things about her that made me feel indifferent about the way she was acting. Her skin was unnaturally pale, and her brown eyes were somewhat depth-less. Her brown hair was pinned up into a messy bun at the crown of her head, and it looked like she hadn't paid much attention when she pinned it up. The maroon shirt she was wearing made her look usually tired, and I wondered silently how long she'd been working that day for it to be nearly six in the afternoon.

She placed Edward's drink in front of him, smiling broadly and again taking out her order pad. "Are we ready to order?" she asked, her voice somewhat masculine and hoarse. She cleared her throat, licking her lips again.

Of all the expensive food on the menu with no prices on it, I tried to find the plate that looked the least expensive, but it was impossible to eyeball anything at least less expensive than I thought it should've been. Finally, I chose one of the chicken dishes, also selecting a small appetizer with Edward so I wouldn't look like a complete glutton. Edward grinned as that particular thought crossed through my head, and the waitress whose name I still hadn't caught asked him a second time if he wanted anything else to eat

"No, thank you," he insisted softly.

Disappointed, she took our menus and my order, leaving the two of us alone while she took the order slip to the kitchen. The moment she was gone, Edward pushed his water away, turning his torso to me and instantly making me feel like I was sitting under a spotlight.

"I promise I'm not intentionally putting you on the spot," he assured me softly, again lifting his hand to my cheek. Another set of chills flickered through my body, and he scooted closer to me. "But I have to make for certain that he didn't hurt you, and the only way I can do that is if you try to remember him. I'm surprised the memory is so fragmented, but that says a lot about him. It means he has an ability like I do. Remember what I said earlier."

I glanced around the restaurant, feeling like every pair of eyes around us was on me as I sat there with Edward touching my face. I bowed my head, whispering uneasily. "What am I . . . I mean, what do I do?"

Without looking around us, he lifted his other hand to my other cheek. "You went shopping with your mother last week," he assessed, and I nodded. Then he continued. "Try to think of everything that happened that day. Did your mother drive, or did your father take you both?"

I lifted my eyes to his. "My mother drove our car."

"And the trip there was uneventful?"

Instantly, I was thinking of the drive from our house to Seattle. I remembered reading most of the way, only looking up every half hour or so to see where we were on the road. I didn't remember anything out of the ordinary, but then the flash of a bright memory previously forgotten became illuminated. A glittering ray of sun off to the south end of the interstate streaked passed my eyes, and with it, more of the memory came to light.

"He followed you there," Edward whispered, his voice filled with horror. "Keira, I'm so sorry. I should've . . ."

The waitress was more than a couple of tables away, and Edward sat up straight, taking my hand in his and turning me to face the restaurant as our appetizer arrived.

"Here we go," she announced, setting the dish of bruschetta and dipping sauce between me and Edward. "And your entree is just about ready," she informed me, a grin across her face as she looked at Edward.

I smiled at her despite the chills sliding up my spine. "Thank you."

It had been so long since I'd eaten in a nice restaurant. My father wasn't really one to want to eat out, and my mother loved to cook too much to set foot in an expensive restaurant for a meal she could probably make herself. But every now and then, probably once a month or so, we'd gone out as a family. It hadn't really been like that since my grandmother had passed away. When she'd been alive, she must've taken me and Fisher to a good restaurant every other week. Sitting in this restaurant with Edward brought back all those memories so quickly that I was immediately overwhelmed for the first time in months.

The waitress was long gone, off in the kitchen somewhere, and Edward scooted closer to me until he cradled me into him with my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know."

I shook my head. "It's all right. They're good memories. I'm starting to forget her, and I don't want to. So you can bring me to a nice restaurant whenever you want." I lifted my head slowly, allowing my eyes to meet his. "Thank you."

Without really thinking of what I was doing, I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, feeling electricity flicker through my body the moment our skin touched. It was different from what I felt when he held my hand. It was much different.

Edward lifted his hand to my face again, determination filling his eyes as he spoke. "I swear to you that I will never let another vampire harm you ever again," he persisted. "It doesn't matter what I have to do anymore. You're too innocent and vulnerable, and if I have to be by your side from now on, then that's what I'll do. I was wrong to bring you into my world, but now that I have, I won't allow you to suffer for it. Keira, I promise."

The inside of my chest swelled instantly, uncharacteristically, and I felt a smile cross my lips. There was something about him I couldn't quite pin down, and it had nothing to do with him being a vampire himself. He was so . . . good, and I honestly hadn't expected it. When I thought he would lean forward and kiss me, he instead kissed my cheek, turning me to the table again as the waitress returned with my food.

"Mediterranean Grilled Chicken," she announced, setting the plate in front of me. "Would you like anything else?"

I shook my head, lifting the napkin and silverware. "No, thank you."

She looked at Edward again, appearing disappointed that he wasn't eating. Then she smiled at me. "Enjoy."

With that, she stepped away from us, and I scooted closer to the table to eat my food. I tried not to notice how Edward watched me the entire time. I remembered how he didn't need to eat the same food as I did, and I knew he hadn't touched the water in front of him. I attempted not to look like I hadn't eaten all day, drinking my tea and taking my time since the food was actually very good.

Emmett and Rosalie were back at seven-thirty exactly, and by then, Edward and I were waiting in the vestibule of the restaurant. After paying for the food and leaving the waitress a tip, he'd thought it best for us to leave the inside of the restaurant since most of the people there were beginning to watch us. The smallness of the town began to sink in then, and I realized they were watching me as I sat with a boy who was clearly older than me. Edward's mannerisms and his demeanor toward me aside, he didn't act like a fifteen-year-old boy, and I could only imagine what those people were thinking.

The ride to the school was filled with silence, and I wasn't tempted to change that. I thought about everything Edward had said, and I found myself thinking about the other vampire. I still couldn't remember his name despite Edward's revelations, and it scared me more than I was willing to admit that I'd been followed away from my house. My mother had been in danger just as much as I had been, and I knew now that Edward wouldn't have been able to live with himself if anything had happened to either of us. In his eyes, protecting me and those around me was more important than appearances. I admired that about him.

Okay. If you've made it all the way down here, then I didn't completely alienate any of you who aren't used to seeing this. Quite honestly, I prefer Edward this way.

So, why doesn't Keira remember Connor? And what did he do to her? You tell me.

Next update shouldn't be too far off, but again, Priorities.

Thanks for reading!