Disclaimerrrrr: Heyyyy, iiiii dontttt ownnn twilighttttt!!!!!. Pleaseeeeeeeee R&RRRRRRR!!!!!!!! Loveeeee, Nico'sGirlllllll! (Well, I'm actually going 2 try and change my name to Jack'sGirl, so we'll see about this )

"Yes" Count Cullen says. "I am. You didn't honestly think I disappeared into deep dark Africa, did you?"

"Well, yes I did, because that's what everyone thinks happened to you. You were in Africa, and you never came back! What were we supposed to think?" Edward Masen was the son of a wealthy lord, gone exploring in Africa. He never returned from his six-month voyage. He was thought dead. That had been more than five years ago. I had been a mere lass of twelve years old at the time I'd read it in the papers.

"Well, Carlisle found me in Africa. He began to… feed upon me. But he heard natives approaching, and fled. I underwent the change alone. When I awoke again, I sought him out, for I had no idea what had happened to me. I joined him, along with Esme, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper."

"How could you?" I gasp. There wasn't a soul in England who hadn't heard about the grief of Mr. Edward's parents. "Did you even go so far as to read about your memorial in the papers?" I certainly had. I followed the story as much as possible, thinking what a shame it was that it had been such a young and handsome man to take the fall. I had attended the memorial, a service open to the public. I sat in the back and watched as the Masen men and a few of Mr. Edward's close friends carried an empty casket down the cathedral's aisle, up the marble steps and placed before the altar. I had watched as Mrs. Masen had made a tearful testimony to her son and his vibrant, well-lived life, and that even though he was presumed dead, he was always alive in her heart, and in her mind he was still out there, desperately hacking through the jungle and simply forgetting time and time again to post a letter home. I can even remember the white, pure "Lilies." I say, the word slipping out.

"I beg your pardon?" he says, I notice from the corner of my eye that Ms. Alice is carefully getting up from the couch. Mr. Jasper follows her. Rosalie and Emmett have already left, and Carlisle and Esme soon follow suit. Edward and I are alone.

"There were lily flowers at your memorial service. The year was 1895. I was twelve years of age; the sky was gray with clouds of rain." I say. Edward's face bends, twisting into a grimace.

"I wanted to go, truly I did!" he says in a broken voice, "But I simply couldn't, for our entire operation would be found out and… I would rather my family think me dead than to have become this… this monster that I am!" He turns his head from me. "And now I've brought all of this upon you as well. I'm sorry, so terribly sorry for this. It would be perfectly acceptable if you were to never forgive me for this vile sin I've committed. I kill to stay alive, you see, for sustenance. But to create another of my own kind, bring this suffering into your world; that is the worst I could ever do." If Mr. Edward could cry, I assume he would be wracked with sobs by now.

"You shall not ever say that again." I say, daring to look into his deep burgundy eyes. "Never say that you are a monster!"

He lets out a hiss that sounds like coals being thrown upon fresh snow. "But, Miss Isabella that is simply what I am. Don't you see what I have done to you?" His white hand reaches across the short distance between us to stroke my face. His touch is warm now, no longer an icy bath.

"I should have killed you, for it would have been rescue from this vile existence…" he whispers, "But I simply couldn't, for removing you from this earth… would remove all the light from my life. You are the only light left."

I back up, frightened. The backs of my calves hit the plum velvet chaise. He follows me, and suddenly, his lips are upon mine. They are smooth as marble, pressing tightly. My heart scurries away inside my chest, for I have never kissed a man before. His hand reaches up to stroke my arm, so soft… But he is so fierce. I attempt to scream, but there is no air in my lungs for this action. I push him away. He staggers back when I do so. Of course, I had forgotten my new strength.

"Miss Isabella!" He cries. He reaches out with one pale arm, "I love you! I couldn't kill you, simply could not! I am selfish for it, but I do love you!"

"You are frightening me!" I say. I stretch out my arms, palms facing out, a signal for him to back down from his stance, and he follows the command of the gesture.

"Please," Edward says, a note of begging in his words, and… something else. "Please, Isabella, let me love you…"

"I…" My breath catches within my throat, " I need to go. I need time alone, thank you." I turn, maneuver myself between the settees, and yank open the heavy mahogany door, causing the brass horse head knocker to bounce and create quite the racket. Without even looking behind me, I disappear into the foggy morning.