CHAPTER 14

Edward was sat behind his desk, his eyes thankfully golden-brown again, his bronze hair looking like he had just got out of bed. He leaned back in his seat and gestured at the chair in front of his desk. I sat down, a little warily and looked across at him. After my conversation with Alice earlier, I was a little nervous of him, but not frightened and defensive like I had been the night before. He had a sheet of paper in front of him, which he pushed across the desk to me. I glanced down at it and saw that it was my contract. I swallowed uncomfortably. Jacob might have signed it on my behalf, but I knew its contents. He had shown it to me afterwards, saying that if there was aything I objected to he would find a loophole. At the time, I had just shrugged; I didn't care about the contract; I just cared that I was safe and earning my own keep. And Jacob had hinted that if it hadn't been him signing it, I never would have got the job.

"I... I'm sorry about last week, Mr Cullen," I said. Having spent the day talking through with Alice this inevitable meeting, she had advised that I apologise for leaving and hope that he would accept that and move on. Even when she said it, I had looked at her doubtfully. Now as I spoke the words, I didn't dare look at him.

"I'm sorry too, Isabella," he said, surprising me. I glanced up and saw that he was looking at me with infinite regret. "I have not made myself clear at all; I know that. I have taken advantage of my position over you." I felt my face redden at his words and I bowed my head again. This was not what I had expected at all. "The worst thing is that you were right last night when you compared me to... James." He said the name as if it pained him and I flinched at it as well. "I had no right to tell you what to do and I certainly did not mean to imply that I own you . I was so angry with you that I did not think through my words or my actions." His gaze flitted to my arm, which was bruised from where he had grabbed me the previous night. "Sometimes I forget my own strength, which is no excuse at all."

"It's ok, I bruise easily," I said, with a small smile. Edward scowled.

"It is most certainly not ok. I have no right to put my hands on you and hurt you; no one does. And it was not ok for me to leave you for three days without a word of explanation, but expect you to stay here and then rebuke you for doing the same thing. Though in my defence, I am more able to protect myself than you are." He looked across at me, his gaze intense for a moment.

"Mr Cullen..."

"Edward," he interrupted. I smiled a little at that and looked up to meet his eye.

"Bella," I replied and was rewarded with a small smile from the other side of the table.

"Does this mean we are friends again, Bella?" he asked, looking at me seductively through his eyelashes.

"I guess it does, Edward," I replied, shifting in my chair. "But, we do need to talk..."

"Yes," he said, a little solemnly. "We do. But can I suggest we do so over dinner, rather than in this office?"

I looked up at him, a little startled.

"If you don't want to..." he started to say, looking away. A small thrill went through me when I saw the trepidation on his face and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"No, no, I do want to," I said, hurriedly. "Can I shower and change first?"

"Will you wear the blue dress?" he asked. I blushed and nodded. He gave me a crooked smile.

"I will see you in the foyer in half an hour," he said. "Is that enough time?"

"Yes," I breathed, knowing that if he had said ten minutes, I would have been there.

"So when you left, I just... James used to go off for days at a time without a word and I guess I was scared. When he came back, he was even more aggressive than usual and... Since him, I haven't been in a relationship with anyone. I haven't even really had friends other than Jacob I guess," I said. "I know it's lame, but I don't really know how to do relationships. I mean I had a couple of casual boyfriends in high school, but James was my first proper boyfriend."

"Bella, did he... did he ever hurt you?" asked Edward, hesitantly.

"How do you mean?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to.

"Last night, when I was... perhaps a little aggressive in my manner... you put your hands over your stomach. I've seen you do that in the club when you deal with the more challenging customers."

I flushed and looked away from him.

"You noticed that?" I muttered. He laughed softly and caught my hand in his across the table.

"I notice everything about you," he replied.

"Do... do you mind if we don't talk about that, not tonight?" I said eventually. Edward gave me a level look and then nodded.

"As you wish, my love," he said. My face burnt and my heart rate picked up at the endearment and he smiled, widely. Again, I got the impression that he could hear my heartbeat, which should have been impossible. My mind flitted to all the times he had done something that should have been impossible; his speed, his strength and his ability to hear the quietest, smallest sound. I took a deep breath, knowing the time had come to ask him the question.

"Edward, can I ask you something?" I said, suddenly.

"Of course, my love." He said it again, looking for my reaction again, a crooked smile on his face.

"I just wondered... I don't even know how to ask this. I don't want to offend you or sound weird..."

"Bella, just ask me," he said, leaning towards me, fixing me with a warm gaze.

"Last night, when I said you were like James..." I paused when he flinched and ducked my head apologetically. "I didn't mean the bad stuff. I meant the way you move, the way you seem to be able to hear the smallest sounds... the ones it should be impossible for you to hear. And you're so cold; it's like you're made of marble or something..."

"Bella..." he started to say, but I stopped him, holding up my hand.

"Edward, I feel mad for asking, but... are you a vampire?"

Edward laughed, but it wasn't a derisive laugh; it was slightly bitter. He sighed deeply and went to move his hands from mine, but I tightened my grip a little.

"You ask if I'm a vampire?" he said, eventually. "Tell me; do you really want an answer, Bella?"

"Yes," I said, blushing an even darker shade of red.

Edward exhaled slowly and glanced away from me.

"What if my answer was yes, Bella?" he asked, his voice sounding pained.

"Do you kill people?" I asked, automatically. He looked at me and gave a surprised laugh.

"That's all you care about?"

"Yes," I answered, honestly.

"Ok." He paused as the waitress brought over our order. "I don't drink human blood. When I go hunting, I drink animal blood."

"So that's where you disappeared to for three days?" I asked, trying to keep my tone nonchalant.

"Yes," he said, uncomfortably, looking away from me.

"Edward, James is a vampire too, isn't he?" My voice was faint but he squeezed my hands.

"Yes." And with one word, my world collapsed around me, as I remembered with sudden clarity exactly how my father had died.

"I think she fainted," Edward's voice like soft velvet in my ears brought me back to consciousness. He was cradling me in his arms, and he smiled as I opened my eyes. "Are you alright, my love?"

"E... Edward?"

"I'm here," he said, softly, stroking my hair with infinite tenderness.

"I... I want to go home."

He escorted me back to his car, but I remember little of the journey. When we reached my room, he tried to wish me goodnight, but I grabbed him and pulled him inside.

"Don't leave me, Edward," I said, softly. He looked down at me, a little confused. "Please."

"Bella, you know I can deny you nothing," he replied. "But, now that you know the truth, why would you want me to stay?"

"Because... I... I trust you," I said, amazed to know it was true. Edward leaned towards me.

"You are sure?" he asked.

"More than sure, my love," I replied, with a shy smile. Edward returned my smile and stepped into my room. We sat down side by side on the bed and then I looked across at him.

"I knew what James was," I said, suddenly. Edward bowed his head and then glanced across at me. "When they said about the puncture wounds in Dad's neck... but then it was like I forgot. Like I couldn't say any more what he was. How did he do that?"

"Vampires are very good at protecting their secrets, Bella," he replied, darkly. I let his words sink in and then looked at him a little nervously.

"Edward, how will you protect your secret?" I asked.

"I have no reason to protect my secret from you, Bella. Trust is a two way thing; you trust me to be with you and I trust you to keep my secret." He shrugged as if it was that simple.

"Why didn't James trust me?"

"James and I are nothing alike, Bella, I promise you," he said suddenly grabbing my hands and bringing them to his lips. "Don't think about him. You should try and get some sleep. Jasper will no doubt want you back to normal hours tomorrow."

"I guess," I replied, getting up to use the bathroom. When I came back in my cami and shorts, Edward was lying on his back on the bed. I got under the covers beside him and then snuggled up close to him as he put an arm around me.

"How did you become a vampire, Edward?" I asked, sleepily.

"That is a very long story, my love and you are tired. Go to sleep and maybe I will tell you another day."

"Will you be here when I wake up?" I yawned. Edward leaned down and kissed my lips.

"Of course, my love," he replied, softly and then I fell asleep.