Chapter 4

BPOV

After Edward told me the story, we went downstairs to the library where we sat down in front of the fire. When I sat down first, I sat down at the other end of the couch, giving room for Edward to sit down at the other end. He didn't seem to get the hint; instead he sat down and pulled me to him, throwing my legs over his lap and resting a hand on top of my thigh.

He stared at me for a while, his green piercing eyes searching mine, I began to squirm about to take my legs off of his lap but he stopped me.

I took a deep breath, "You know, you didn't finish telling me about your life before you became" I stopped and gestured towards him "what you are"

His eyes darkened and he cleared his throat, looking away from me

"Well, after I found out that Tanya had been cheating from me with my father, I realized there was nothing I could really do. So I just continued to do my duty on deliver the souls to the afterlife, however I still kept an eye on Tanya. One day, my father asked Tanya to marry him, he was so love struck he would do anything for her. What he didn't realise was that Tanya has also been going behind my father's back; she was sleeping with the governor. When the governor found out about the proposal, he told Tanya if she married my father, he would spread horrible rumours about her. But if she didn't marry my father, she would become the governor's mistress and with his wealthy status she would be very happy with him. She chose the governor. My father was heart broken and his business was declining in money. Tanya became the governor's mistress and was happy for some time but he was a harsh man and one night, he came home drunk and lashed out at her in rage and beat her until she begged for death." He looked at me when I gasped as I felt my heart wrench; "I came to her, when she called me, and she wept when she realised it was me." He stared of into space as he continued, "I wanted to leave her to suffer," he said between gritted teeth, "for what she had done to me and to my father but I couldn't find it in me to leave her like that." He turned back to me, "I gave her the choice. To be taken into the afterlife where she could rest in peace, or her to become like me." My heart almost skittered to a halt when I realised what the answer was. "She chose to become like me," he said finally.

I tensed, "You mean, she's also a reaper?" I asked

He only nodded, "She's in charge of Texas, and each reaper is given a particular part of the world to cover"

"How long have been in charge of Forks?" I asked

He shook his head, "I'm in charge of New York, just start about 9 years ago, I was originally in charge of London but I traded with a friend because I wanted a change of scenery."

"How long has Tanya been in charge of Texas?" I asked

He shrugged, "About 9 years as well"

"She followed you?" I said a little too loudly, and then I clapped my hand over my mouth, my cheeks flushing bright red.

He looked at me in surprise, and he nodded, "Yes, she did"

I blushed even more when he smirked at me and winked, my heart fluttered and something behind my belly moved a coiled lower.

I felt his hand trailed up my the length of my thigh over the curve of my hip and wrap around my waist, pulling me roughly to him and sliding on top of me, only placing half his weight on me.

My breath hitched, heart racing as my eyes flickered unconsciously down to his lips and back to his eyes.

Edward cocked his head to the side, "Are you jealous, Bella?" he breathed, bending his head down, brushing his lips across my cheek where I was blushing dramatically.

My eyes fluttered as I tried to control my breathing, I rested my hands on his chest trying to get some space from him. "N-no, I'm just…surprised" I stuttered slightly.

He chuckled, "Really?" mockery hid somewhere in his voice. He moved his lips from my cheek and down the line of my jaw until he came to that sweet spot beneath my ear. His hot breath on my neck made goose bumps break out along my arms which had somehow moved around his neck. "Are you certain, you're not jealous?" he asked again, I knew what he was getting at, he was trying to make me admit that I felt something for him.

His hand slid up my side, sensing that I might be questioning his motives, and he threaded his hands into my hair as his lips sucked at the skin behind my ear. "Very certain" I lied, my chest heaving and my hands unconsciously threading into his hair, pulling him closer.

I felt him smirk against my neck, "Then why are your legs wrapped around me?" he queried and he did something I didn't expect to come from him. He pushed his hips against mine and I couldn't stop the whimper that escaped my lips.

He nipped my neck and pulled back, his eyes were hooded with what looked like lust and desire.

"I want to show you something," he said suddenly after a long pause, looking down at me.

I raised my eyebrows, slightly thrown by his sudden change in subject, "Um, okay" I replied as I let him pull me by the hand towards one of the doors in the library.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he continued to pull me down the hallway

He looked over his shoulder at as he said "I'm taking you to work with me" he flashed me smiled that didn't quite reach his eyes.

I frowned, not sure whether I liked the idea or not.

We finally came to door at the end of the hallway and we stood in front of it.

Edward turned to me and looked me in the eye. "Bella, please promise me one thing" he paused as he waited for me to promise.

I nodded "Okay" I said warily

"Promise me that you will keep an open mind about this, just give it a chance and don't think about how immoral it is or how heartless it is, because I know." He said as he grasped both my hands, "I was human once, and don't think for one second that I don't have any emotions. "

I was speechless; I didn't expect Edward would say something so vulnerable about himself. I only nodded and waved for him to continue to the door.

With that he turned, took a breath and pulled me through the door and for the second time that day I felt my stomach lurch and my feet found no evidence of flooring.

I grabbed onto Edward and held him close, as we were teleported to somewhere unknown.

All of a sudden we standing in a hospital ward and I saw a girl of about fifteen or sixteen lying on a crisp white bed. Doctors and nurses gathered around her as they pressed a defibrillator to her chest. She rose and jerked as they tried to jumpstart her heart, her pale face held no expression and I watched in horror. My eyes followed Edward as he moved around the bed and placed a hand on her forehead and he his eyes. The girl's jerking slowed until she lay there, still and her eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling.

I watched as the doctor announced her time of death and he moved away from the bed. I looked up and met Edward's eyes, which were filled with sympathy and despair.

He walked to my side and pulled me out the door with him by the hand. He rubbed small circles on my back as he steered me away from the scene.

"Wanna go get a drink?" he asked as we walked out of the hospital.

I only nodded and didn't look at him.

He tugged me along down the road and I could hear the roll of water, we must've been close to the beach because before I knew it we were walking along a pier with restaurants running along it.

Edward finally picked a place for us to eat; there was live music as well as some couples dancing at the front.

We ordered some drinks as well as some food and we didn't talk for about 15 minutes.

"Does it ever get to you?" I blurted out finally

He looked up at me from behind his lashes and I squirmed slightly

He shrugged, stirring his drink, "the first couple of decades it was pretty hard" he smirked, "but, as time went by, you just…don't think about it anymore" he leaned forward suddenly, grasping my hand in his, "Bella, you need to understand that this is part of life. People will come and go, just as nature planned it"

I looked at him, tears brimming in my eyes as I nodded. "I don't know how you could do it for such a long time. I admire you for that." I choked out as I wiped a tear from my cheek.

He smiled softly and then he stood up. I looked at him confused and then he held out his hand to me. "Would you like to dance, Bella?" he asked

I blushed and shook my head, "Trust me, Edward, I can't dance"

But he didn't take no for an answer and before I knew it he had already pulled me towards the other dancers.

I placed my left hand in his and my right hand on his shoulder. I tried to keep some distance between us but he was having none of that as he wrapped his arm around my waist, eliminating any space between us. Our hips caught each other as we started to sway and I could feel his breath on my cheek we were that close to each other.

My chest heaved and brushed against his as I felt his lips skim across my cheek, just back and forth. He breath was coming out shallow and fast as he kissed my ear and then my neck. Without thinking, I turned my head so that he could get better access and I felt his hand skim up to my neck, twisting in my hair, holding me in place. Slowly, but surely he ran his lips back up to my ear, along the line of my jaw, under my chin until he finally stopped at my lips. He held his lips an inch away from mine as he stared into my eyes. I looked down at his lips and I couldn't take it anymore as I suddenly grabbed the back of his head and crushed his lips to mine in a desperate kiss.