Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

As some of you may have heard, hurricane Ike made landfall on the Texas coast at about 2:10 AM on Saturday morning. I was in the path of that storm, but luckily, my family's home did not sustain any severe damage.

My neighborhood is still recovering after Ike, and it'll be awhile before things get back to normal. I ask that you keep those who have been affected by the hurricane in your hearts. Especially, those living along the Texas coast who are still without power, food, and water.

If you were in the path of Ike, I hope you and your family are safe. May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

On a happier note, I've finished chapter six. A big thanks to all of you who reviewed.

Enjoy.

Chapter 6: Packing

It wasn't until we were standing at the front door that I noticed her body went rigid. I automatically tensed up next to her, because I knew her high from the hunt had vanished as quickly as it appeared. The look on her face was a mixture of shock, realization, guilt, and pain. An expression I knew all too well from my own personal hell before Bella came into my life.

She sank down to the ground dry-sobbing as soon as she made it pass the threshold. This was what I have been afraid of; the very thing I wanted to keep her away from.

"Bella…" I called moving closer to her.

"I killed someone, Edward! I killed him!" Bella cried curling up into a ball on the floor.

I kneeled down next to her, "We all make mistakes, Bella."

She sat up within a tenth of a second, "How could I do something like that? I'm a murderer."

I looked into her dry eyes not knowing what to say. Although, my mind was racing on what to do next. Should we stay here? Should I take her somewhere far away? Should I take her back to my family? Then, I had to consider the possibility of Bella saying yes to any of those questions.

"I killed an innocent man. A man who probably has a wife and kids. A man who deserves to live more than I do," Bella ranted with remorse dripping into her sweet voice.

She turned her face up to look at me. There was fear, pain, and regret behind those lovely crimson eyes. I couldn't tell what she wanted to say to me, but I had a feeling it wasn't something I wanted to hear.

"I don't deserve to live, Edward. I want you to kill me. If you make it quick, I probably won't feel it at all. You can do that, can't you? " Bella spoke the words with such desperation that made me flinch back from her.

'If I make it quick,' what makes her think that I'm going to consider it at all? How could she even think of asking me of such a thing? Although, it breaks my heart to see her in agony, I would never be able to destroy her. I love her. Why couldn't she see that?

"You'll get through this, Bella," I said firmly.

She squared her shoulders and snarled, "Why? Why did you turn me? I'm nothing but a monster! A blood-thirsty monster!"

"Yeah?" I asked. "So, am I," I stated flatly.

Her nostrils flared and she shrieked, "I didn't ask to become a monster like you!"

I nodded, "No, you didn't, Bella. I'm sorry. A thousand times, I'm sorry. How many times do you want me to apologize for what I am? What you are now?"

Bella sat emotionless and I softened my expression, because I succeeded in distracting her from those ridiculous suicidal thoughts.

Bella huffed in frustration, "I-I'm…One moment I was going after that cougar and the next…I caught his stupid scent in the wind and my instincts demanded that I go after him. It literally took over and that's all I could think about. There was one part of me fighting to restrain myself, but he just smelled more appetizing."

Her eyes burned with the pang of hunger she felt recalling the hunt.

"It doesn't have to be like that, Bella. You can learn to control your hunger," I stated hopeful.

She narrowed her eyes, "How, Edward?"

"It's possible. My family-"

"You have a family?" She cut me off with a surprised look on her face.

I nodded, "They live in Forks, Washington."

"Even vampires have families," She said under her breath.

"You can be a part of that family," I stated with confidence.

"They live among humans?" Bella asked.

"Yes. My siblings go to school. My father, well, the person who created me. He's a doctor and extremely in control of his thirst," I said with excitement creeping into my voice.

"I see why you left. How does a vampire compete with that kind of self-restraint?" She asked with worry coating her voice.

"Hmm…So, will you come back with me?" I asked.

She grew tense again, "I don't think that would be a very good idea."

"Why?" I asked.

I thought it was a very good idea. She'll have a family, a support system, and a normal life again after she adjusts.

"Why?" She repeated my question. I nodded. "Because I don't want what just happened today to repeat itself in a place where your family has already taken root. I don't want to cause them any problems. You should go back, though," Bella explained.

I shook my head. Although, it was touching she cared about my family's well-being, there was no way I would leave for Washington without her. She was my life now. The one thing I couldn't live without.

"I am wherever you are," I said.

She scoffed, "What makes me so damn important to you?"

Good question. Would she knew what I meant if I said we were connected by blood and venom? Her blood? My venom? I would never be able to forget the sweet taste of her on my lips. It has been imprinted in my mind forever. She simply belong with me.

"You just are," I replied evenly.

I could feel her uncertainty wavering back and forth as she struggled to make up her mind. Meanwhile, I entertained my family's reaction when I return with Bella in my head. Carlisle would probably be surprised, Esme would see how I look at Bella and burst with joy, my brothers would tease me about finally bringing a girl home, and Alice…

Well, Alice probably saw all of this but decided to keep it a secret until she knew for sure I was returning. I can just imagine how antsy she is about me making up my mind. Only, I wondered if she knew that Bella would be the one making up my mind for me. Which reminds me…

"Bella, will you please come home with me?" I asked again.

I smiled a crooked smile and heard her quickly inhale. She nodded as if on queue. Then, she shook her head as if to clear some invisible haze away.

"Does that mean I have to move?" Bella asked looking around her dear apartment.

"I'll help you pack," I insisted.

Bella shrugged, "There's not much. How about I pack and you tell me more about your family?"

"Okay," I agreed happy to oblige.

By nighttime, Bella packed a box of clothes and a smaller box of miscellaneous items. My sisters would have had about a dozen boxes of clothes and another dozen of shoes. I was surprised when she informed me she was all done. In the time it took her to pack, I finished telling her my very boring life story. Bella truly was different from other women I have ran across.

"Are we leaving tonight?" Bella asked suddenly jerking me out of my silent thoughts.

"No, umm…I need to grab some things at my house. We'll leave sometime tomorrow," I stated.

Bella nodded, "Great. I'm going to go take a shower."

I tugged her back before she could venture off to the bathroom and obliterate my self-control. If only she knew just how tempting she was to me. I don't think I have a problem of taking her against the shower walls, but I'm sure Bella would mind.

"We should go turn your key in and take care of your lease," I suggested.

Bella bit her bottom lip, "I don't think I can be near people right now."

"Hungry again?" I asked.

She nodded with a frown hating to admit her weakness it seemed.

"You stay in the car and I'll take care of it," I mended my earlier statement.

I balanced the box of clothes in my right arm and encircled Bella's waist with my left. She was clutching the smaller box against her chest. About halfway down the stairs, a woman was making her way up and I held Bella tighter against me. Bella noticed my grip and quickly caught onto the problem she was about to face. The woman was going to pass by her any moment now. Bella turned her face into my shoulder after inhaling a deep breath of snowy air.

"Bella, is that you?" The woman stopped to ask.

'Where did she find this hunk of burning love?' Was what the woman thought eyeing me with intense interest. I pulled Bella closer to me if that was even possible.

To my surprise, Bella turned her face up to look at the woman.

"Hello, Vivian," Bella said with a slight edge to her voice.

Something told me she didn't like this woman very much. Vivian did a double take when she laid eyes on Bella's face and I didn't blame her. Bella's skin glowed in the dark of the night, and her crimson eyes were a deep brownish-burgundy color.

"Are you moving out?" Vivian asked Bella. She was really thinking, 'when did you get plastic surgery?'

I hated the woman already and I barely knew her for a few seconds.

Bella nodded still holding on to her breath. She was being very brave about resisting this woman's blood. She was trying and that's what mattered most.

'I would move out too if I had a guy like that,' Vivian thought.

"This is…" Vivian's voice trailed off in my direction.

"None of your business," Bella hissed and yanked me down the stairs after her.

'I guess she doesn't like to share. That's too bad because I would satisfy him far better than that innocent prude,' The last of Vivian's thoughts made it's way to me.

Bella was calm again by the time we reached the bottom of the steps. She exhaled and inhaled deeply, obviously trying to calm herself.

"You did a great job," I whispered beside her.

"I wanted to suck her dry," Bella admitted with a dangerous smile making it's way to her lips.

I chuckled nervously.

"Do you have a car or are we running?" Bella asked.

I pointed to the Vanquish parked a few yards away, "Yeah, it's right there."

"Oh, the Honda?" Bella asked trudging towards the car next to my Vanquish.

That's cute, she thought I drove a Honda. I pulled my key out and pressed a button on my remote. The car beeped several times and automatically unlocked.

I turned to Bella who looked surprised, "Yeah, that one."

A very smug grin was still on my lips when I walked ahead to put the box in my trunk. Bella trailed several fingers across the sleek paint job. I secretly wished she would admire my body the way she was admiring my car. I sighed at the thought.

Bella was at my side in an instant and she slipped the smaller box into the trunk of my car. She let her arm brush across mine as she passed by to slide into the passenger side. The brief contact sent my nerve endings begging for more.

I silently drove to the apartment office to turn in her key and to terminate her lease while Bella patiently waited for me in the car. I'm glad she decided to stay there, because the heated room made me suddenly aware of my thirst. We would have to go hunting again tonight.

To be continued…

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