Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Argument

The partially overcast skies gave us a good enough cover for disappearing into the Oregon woods behind Bella's apartment complex. She silently kept up with my pace and I looked over at her wishing that I could read her mind.

At the edge of the parking lot, I could see rays of sunshine pushing pass the barrier of thick clouds creating a spotlight on that area. I steered clear of sunrays while Bella seemed to be walking right into it. Quickly, I snatched her to my side keeping her under the gray clouds.

She shrugged my arm away, "What is your problem?"

"You can't just walk into the sunlight like that, Bella," I warned.

She rolled her eyes, "What? Am I going to burst up in flames or something?"

I looked down at her gravely and replied, "Yes."

Her crimson eyes grew wide with alarm and I couldn't hold my laughter in anymore. My whole body was shaking with it. She watched too many Hollywood versions of vampires to actually believe that myth.

"You're a jerk," She spat and walked past me.

I heard her light footsteps moving further away from me. Turning, I took three long strides to catch up with her.

"That wasn't very nice," I commented.

She glanced briefly up at me and looked back towards the edge of the woods. A movement so swift, no human eyes would have caught it.

"You're not very nice," She retorted.

I could tell from her tone that she was annoyed by me, but the undeniable sweetness of her voice was still there. When I didn't answer her, she looked up at me as if she expected me to protest her statement. How could I? I forced her into this life, my life, and I can't believe how that would be categorized as 'nice'.

We were venturing into the edge of the woods, disappearing between a variety of maples and pines. The early autumn leaves were beginning to change their colors. A mixture of green, orange, yellow, and red swaying in the chilly breeze. Of course, it wasn't cold to me or to Bella. We can only taste and smell the chill in the air now.

"How do you know my name?" Bella asked brushing a tree trunk with her fingertips as she passed it.

I turned away from the leaves and looked at her. Her lips were rosy and the red tint under her translucent skin almost makes her look human. With the exception of her ethereal beauty.

"Forgive me. I pulled your record from the orphanage," I replied.

She gave a short laugh, "How did you manage that?"

I smiled, "I pretended to be a dean of admission from Yale trying to recruit you to the Ivy League."

"That would definitely work. You have no idea how many hours I sat with Sister Agnes talking about college," She spoke freely.

She tilted her chin to the side to look up at me.

"So, you were following me, then?" Bella asked.

I nodded.

"Why me?" Bella questioned shaking her head with confusion.

I hesitated. She had absolutely no idea how much she appealed to me as a human and even more so as a vampire.

"I couldn't resist your blood, Bella," I said recalling her scent and a pang of hunger rippled through my stomach.

She growled softly under her breathe, "You should've just stayed away from me."

"I tried but nothing I did kept me from forgetting the call of your blood. I'm sorry, Bella," I apologized.

The look in her eyes was so cold and angry that forgiveness seemed impossible.

"I had a life, Edward!" She exclaimed her voice throwing daggers into my heart.

I grimaced from the pain it caused but she was wrong.

"You didn't have a life, Bella. You can't call burying your head into your work to avoid coming home to an empty apartment a life!" I retorted.

Bella's eyes began to glisten as my words hit home. I'm sure she would be crying if she were still human. I groaned, because I was being a jerk. She just provokes the strongest responses from me somehow.

"You're right," She admitted softly. "And thanks to you, I'm now a bloodsucking monster with such a wonderful life," She spat at me sarcastically.

My frustrations grew because I couldn't believe this all started from a two word question.

"So, please show me the wonderful life you have created for yourself, Mr. Cullen. I can hardly imagine being a murderer as wonderful," She stated with an antagonizing tone.

I couldn't believe how angry her words made me feel inside. Maybe because they were true or maybe she was getting back at me for what I said earlier. Regardless of the motive, my muscles were twitching from the anger she brought to the surface. I liked her so much better when she was screaming.

"I wish you would have killed me that night," She said like her life meant nothing to me.

Without a second thought, I pinned her back against the nearest tree. The force knocked her against the trunk with an ear-shattering crack. She could've of easily thrown me off but she didn't. Instead, she stood there with my hand grasp around her neck looking at ease. She wasn't even afraid, not even a hint of fear from the night I bit her.

"Right now, I wish I did," I stated through my tightly clenched teeth.

My threat was empty and I knew it, but what she said next made me change the way I went about this.

She smiled, "Here's your chance."

I stepped closer and placed my other hand against the tree as I peered down at her. A stance similar to a boy talking to his girlfriend. Her smug expression changed to a nervous look. I heard her gulp and smiled. She was still a girl after all, vampire or not.

Gently, I released my hand from her neck and touched her cheek. I stroked my thumb across her cheekbone several times before I spoke again, and she looked intensely aware of my actions.

"What makes you think I would take a chance like that? You're too precious to me," I merely whispered.

It took her longer than it should for her to process my words.

"W-What do you mean?" She asked desperate to find a way to put more distance between our bodies.

I don't see how that was possible when her back was pressed tightly against the trunk. With a feather light touch, I traced her delicate jaw line to her soft lips.

"It means I need you," I simply answered.

She looked stunned by my answer, but she didn't say anything. I didn't expect her to. I gently brushed the stray strands of her hair back in place before speaking.

"You must be starving," I stated.

She nodded fervently.

"Let's run the rest of the way," I said taking her hand.

I couldn't help but let my fingertips stroke against her palm. She didn't pull away from me oddly enough. I thought that's what she's been dying to do ever since I held her hostage against the tree. Nevertheless, it brought me joy to have her hand in mine once again.

"Let's go," She insisted.

With her hand in mine, I knew nothing could ever go wrong again.

To be continued…

Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will."

For3ver Immortal