Author's note: Hello, my lovelies! Yet another chapter for you all to enjoy.

Chapter twenty four

A whole week passed and not a word came. It was impossible to describe how agonisingly slowly the time moved in those seven days. Occasionally, I allowed myself to give in to the sorrow and did nothing but brood for hours on end. At other times, I resented myself for becoming such a sappy little twit, resolute in the notion that I didn't need a man of any description to complete my existence, but those determined moments were few and far between. When I wasn't drowning in depression, or filled with rage, I simply went robotically through the motions of everyday life, coming close to the zombie-like state my mother had been subjected to back in Phoenix. I continued to play the illness card, but knew Charlie would see through the deceit soon enough.

Masochistically, I revelled in the dismal weather that so perfectly complimented my mood for those woeful days. I even went for walks through it, although, never straying too far from home, as the Seattle Ripper was still very much at large. After several weeks of quiet, the murderer had claimed yet another victim, this time in the Olympic National Park. Through my personal depression, I still felt a pang of sympathy for my dad. Just when his job had started to return to normal, the shit storm blew up all over again.

Alice drove me to and from work each day and Esme often joined us for lunch, sometimes with Jasper in tow, but, I neither saw nor heard anything of the man who had become the central focus of my life. For the first few days, Alice insisted on telling me everything would turn out alright, but, after my reaction to those assurances on the third day, she relented. Esme had repeated her mantra about giving him time and I desperately wanted to do so, but had spent the entire week horrendously undecided. In fact, by the end of the seventh day, I still had a painstakingly thought out text message saved on my phone, just waiting to be sent. As time went on, however, any semblance of bravery I'd had about the idea, managed to slip away.

It was a rare dry, but still wonderfully grey, day, when I decided to take a stroll to the local convenience store. I was craving junk food and trashy reading material, in a vain effort at mental distraction. In the end, I only ended up buying the local newspaper, as, when it came down to actually deciding on a food to eat, I'd realised I wasn't really feeling all that hungry.

My eyes skimmed over the headline as I began the short journey back home. Predictably, it was all about the latest killing, but, unlike some more prevalent publications, this one kept the distasteful sensationalism to a bare minimum. Opening to the main story's page, I discovered the victim was a middle aged male hiker, not local to the area. He was left in an absolute mess and, if not for the wallet found in the guy's pocket, identification would have been impossible. I winced, but, as sick as it sounded, was glad to have found something that was actually successful in removing Carlisle from my mind, if only momentarily. Of course, the moment I realised that, he took centre stage once more. The heat beginning to boil in my gut told me this was one of my 'angry' periods.

As I shut the pages of the paper with an aggressive smack, my eyes flew up to the porch to find an unfamiliar figure waiting. I stopped in the driveway, wondering who the stranger could be. He was tall and clad completely in black, but, the second he turned to face me, I knew exactly what he was.

Vampire.

Fear immediately clutched my heart. Was this the Volturi member Carlisle had warned me about? Why was he waiting outside my door? Did he know about my friendship with them? I could feel my pulse begin to thump furiously beneath the skin and was at an absolute loss as to what I should do. Before panic could overwhelm me, my sensible side came to the forefront of my brain and used reason to calm me down. Although a strong possibility, there was no guarantee that this person was the Volturi member mentioned. Also, he had no idea what my relationship to the Cullens was, so I could simply downplay the amount of time spent with them, making myself appear more of an acquaintance than an actual friend. I tried furiously to come up with a believable story, but anxiety was making my mind go blank.

I still hadn't moved from my spot, so he started to leisurely descend the porch steps. He was as breathtakingly beautiful as the others, actually coming a very close second to Carlisle in the looks department. The lack of colour possessed by his skin made the varying shades of bronze in his hair all the more striking and the smart, black clothing gave him a sophisticated, professional appearance. He could have walked off the set of a Vogue photo shoot, for all I knew. That sweet smell radiated from him and encircled me, before entering my nostrils, but, there was something disconcerting about him, which had me resisting the charms that drew me so strongly to his counterparts.

He halted a few feet from me and my fear intensified. There was nothing dangerous in his posture or expression, but, one look into his eyes told me how precarious my situation was. They were scarlet and I knew instantly what that meant. The brows above them were delicately knitted into a frown, before they straightened and his coral-stained lips curved into a languorous smile. They parted and a voice escaped, soft, low and beautifully perilous.

"Isabella Swan, I presume," he greeted, his intense gaze boring right through to my very soul.

I couldn't speak. How did he know my name? Had he already visited the Cullens and decided to come here to check whatever story they'd given him? Way to give me a heads up, Alice!

"Yes, I already know who you are," he confirmed, the voice ringing through the air at a calm pace. "So, allow me to introduce myself." A hand rose to rest against his chest. "I am Edward Masen."

A rush of air and he was right in front of me, his face barely inches from mine. The sudden action surprised me and I gasped, but managed to hold my ground. After all, he wasn't the first person I'd met to ever do that, which was when I realised my mistake.

"So, you know," he murmured, his crimson eyes circling my face, as though to memorise each and every feature. "Interesting."

I didn't like the way he looked at me and was filled with shame at giving the secret away so quickly, but, was unable to turn my eyes away from his. What was I going to do? I quickly rephrased the question. What was he going to do? I hadn't thought quickly enough to lie, pretending I had no idea what he was on about, so where would this conversation go and how would it end? A desperate urge to flee threatened to overtake me, but his display of speed had just proven such action would be fruitless.

He took a step backwards, stopping at arm's length from me. Again, a frown delicately distorted his striking features, as he continued to stare. Being subjected to that gaze made me feel like an insect, beneath a magnifying glass on a sunny day. I wanted so desperately to back away further, but was afraid of his reaction if I did so. As we opposed one another, it was as if everything around us ceased to exist. I no longer heard the rushing of tyres against asphalt, or leaves against the wind. The footsteps of people walking by were silenced and, even my own heartbeat went quiet. All I was aware of was the fear and need to get away from this dangerous creature as quickly as possible. My mind tried to scramble for an escape plan. I could explain that my father would be home soon, in an attempt to scare him off. If he was Volturi, he would have a greater awareness than most of the rules of concealment. Killing me would only begin a line of questioning, with the potential to lead back to him. Then again, he was here investigating the Seattle Ripper murders, so could just as easily pass my death off as the latest tragic victim of a serial killer. Oh, why was this happening now? I'd spent almost every day of the past five or six months with the Cullens, yet, it wasn't until one of them began distancing themselves, that the trouble started. Well, if this Edward Masen was going to kill me, I wished for him to get it over with as quickly as possible; the terrifying uncertainty was enough to drive me insane.

"I can't read you," Edward murmured, his eyes drifting towards the ground beside me.

I almost laughed in shock. What the Hell was he talking about? Perhaps he wasn't a member of the Volturi, but, simply some random, crazy vampire that had managed to somehow learn my name. Sadly, I knew that was little more than extremely wishful thinking on my part. His eyes returned to me.

"It's a talent I have, reading people," he explained and I noticed his voice held a faraway quality, as though his mind wasn't quite residing with his body on Earth. "Since my transformation, not a soul have I come across that couldn't be read. Some are harder than others, perhaps, but all offer their minds to me like open books." His eyes widened a little and he inched closer. "You, however, are completely closed. This will make my job considerably harder."

He began to circle me, taking slow, deliberate strides and I swallowed, before nervously licking my dry lips.

"You see," he continued. "When I first arrived in this little town, I had absolutely no intention of ever speaking to you, or any human, for that matter. I was sent to investigate a completely unrelated affair. However, when offered this assignment, I remembered that a few old friends of mine had decided to settle here and thought it might be a good opportunity to catch up. They've not lived here long, a few years, at most. Perhaps you know them. Although they all have differing surnames, they tend to be grouped under one: Cullen."

I stayed absolutely still, willing with all my might to keep my expression neutral. I could tell he was playing mind games and knew he was doing it blatantly for me to realise. He kept on speaking and completed one full circumference, before beginning another.

"Due to the time constraints placed upon me by this investigation, I have had little opportunity for socialising. However, I did manage to come across a couple of my friends some days ago, in Port Angeles. I believe Esme, the latest to return to the coven, had an interview of some kind. She was with Carlisle Cullen at the time. Now, unlike you, Carlisle's mind has never been hidden from me. During our companionship many years ago, he eventually learned to quiet his thoughts, out of courtesy, he claims, but, I suppose, several decades of separation have lowered his guard. He was not expecting to see me, therefore had no need to censor his mind and what I heard that day left an indelible mark of curiosity on me."

His quiet footsteps stilled behind me and the grip on my newspaper tightened.

"It was only a quick thought and disappeared at the speed of light. Yet, I caught it. I thought I might have been mistaken at first, but, as time has passed, my certainty has grown."

There was a moment of silence, before a breeze pushed tendrils of hair in front of my eyes and his chilly breath blew against my ear. He was right behind me and my entire body tensed in response.

"Would you like to know his thoughts, Miss Swan?" he whispered, sending a thrill of dread up and down my spine. Goosebumps flared all over my body and I fought to control the trembling that threatened to seize my nerves. Edward moved to my front, our feet so close that the tips of our shoes almost touched. I turned my face away and closed my eyes.

"They were of you."

My eyes flew open, as my heart raced for a completely different reason. He saw the reaction and let out a barely audible breath of amusement. Now, more than ever, I wanted to get away from him, but, was frozen in place. Why couldn't I move? It was like some sort of terrifying spell had been placed upon me, rendering me immobile in this creature's presence.

"Now, this brought many questions to mind. Firstly, I wondered who this Bella Swan might be. Was she a local girl? Someone he worked with at the hospital? An acquaintance from Forks, perhaps? A quick internet search fixed that one."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw pale fingers reach for my chin and that was the motivation I needed to break the spell. I took a couple of stumbling steps back, trepidation causing my breaths to quiver. A wicked smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't close the newly-formed space between us.

"That now leaves the question of what you might be...to Carlisle, I mean. It was hard to get a proper picture of the emotions accompanying his thoughts, as they ceased the moment he became aware of my presence. I was tempted to speak directly to him, but, not only is he able to block his mind, but he can also be very hard to read, physically. That is why I have decided to visit you, Bella. I may not be able to read your mind, but your face is an open book."

Panic coursed through my veins. What had he already seen? God damn it, what had I gotten myself into? That was when Edward chose to move closer once again. I countered each step forward with a step back, but this didn't deter him. His movements were confusing, though. He didn't move in a straight line, but headed in a curve. It wasn't until I felt myself backed up against the wall of my house that I realised what he'd done. His hand shot out, to rest against the wooden panel above my head and he leaned in.

"So, what are you, Isabella Swan? Friend? Pet? Mild distraction?" His scarlet gaze searched my face, looking for the answer I refused to give. A chuckle escaped his lips. "God, I would give anything to know what you're thinking, right now."

The silence stretched on and my body was so overwhelmed by the fear that I felt my tear ducts welling up.

"Not going to tell me?" he asked, all trace of amusement leaving his beautiful, yet dangerous countenance. "Or, are you wondering the same thing, yourself?" He pushed away from the wall and retreated a step. "Very well. I'll give you some time to think about it."

Edward slowly stretched the space between us by several feet, before halting to subject me to one last intense moment of scrutiny. Then, his lips parted in the same lazy smile they had offered at the start. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Swan. Please send Carlisle my warmest regards and inform him that I shall be seeing him very soon."

With that, he slowly turned and walked away, leaving me bewildered and frightened. Once his form left my sight, the tension released from my body and I gave in to the terror. The newspaper fell to the ground, as my body started shaking uncontrollably and lungs inhaled oxygen with choked gasps. My knees wobbled and were no longer able to support my weight, so I slid to the ground, as tears fell from my lashes. Fitful sobs escaped my lips and my trembling hands pushed the hair away from my face. I sat there, a hysterical mess, as I tried to process the events that had just unfolded. There was no doubting he was the Volturi member, although that doubt had never really been present in the first place. Through my own predictable stupidity, he now knew that the Cullens had broken one of their laws and my chest constricted with terror, as I contemplated the repercussions.

I had to warn them.

The sobs ceased and the trembling subsided, as I scrambled to my feet and flew off in the direction of the Cullen mansion, paying absolutely no mind to the distance involved. Any hesitation I had about seeing Carlisle disappeared, as all events leading up to my meeting with Edward paled in significance. He-and his coven-was now in grave danger.

000

Alice had the door open, before I even reached the porch and her face screwed up in concern.

"Bella?"

"Where is he?" I demanded, frantically trying to catch my breath.

"He's inside," she replied, needing no elucidation on who I was talking about. "But, what's wrong?"

I pushed past her and raced towards the lounge. Alice followed at vampiric speed, stopping in front of me to halt my advance. Her hands gripped my arms, as she tried to get me to explain myself.

"Bella, stop," she demanded.

I tried to shake her off. "No, I need to see him!" I insisted.

"No, you need to calm down," she corrected. "This won't solve anything-"

"Get off me!" I cried, wrapping my hands around her wrists in an attempt to pry her away. She was an obstacle, stopping me from reaching my goal and I cursed my inadequate strength.

"Bella, you can't talk to him in this state," she insisted.

"It's about Edward!" I cried and her face went rigid with shock.

She remained in stunned silence for several minutes, before letting out a whisper. "H-how..."

"He came to see me," I explained. "And he knows that you've told me what you are."

"What? When?" Her grip tightened, causing me to yelp, at which point her hands let go. "I'm sorry," she apologised, rubbing my biceps, before deciding to take my hands, instead. "When did he see you?"

"Just now. I was completely unprepared and didn't even have to answer any of his questions. He just saw the answer, right away. He wants to know what's going on and asked me to tell Carlisle he'd see him soon. That's why I need to talk to him. I need to warn him."

At that moment, a voice filtered down the stairs, one that filled me with both longing and despair. I turned to see the vampire in question stood on the middle step. My heart stopped as our eyes met and my body battled between launching at him and running away. After acknowledging me, he addressed Alice, but our gazes never broke contact. I was entranced by those eyes, by the way they seemed to reach in and latch onto my soul.

"Get Esme and Jasper," he instructed, his voice cool, calm and collected.

Although I wasn't paying attention to her, Alice must have hesitated, as he had to repeat the request.

"Go on," he said and I felt the air shift, as she disappeared from the room.

Silence remained, as we stood, watching one another and I had forgotten my reason for being there in the first place. Had it only been a week since I last saw him? It felt so much longer than that. My emotions still bore the wounds of our last meeting and his presence both healed and exacerbated them. I wasn't sure how that was even possible. Unless he planned on us staring at each other for the rest of the day, he would have to initiate conversation, because I'd lost all ability to speak.

"Come with me," he requested and started ascending the stairs. I followed.

We reached the study and I was assaulted by a wave of memories. My eyes flew to the shelf, where the splintered crack from his grip remained. It reminded me of his reaction after the kiss and a pang of anguish pulsed through me. I bit my lip and fought to contain my emotions, as I stopped a short way from the door. He continued to walk over to the window and looked out. The daylight illuminated his features, making his skin seem even paler than it already was and his hair took on a pale buttermilk shade. I wanted to reach forward and run my fingers through it, to touch him, hold him and never let go. He didn't move or speak and the atmosphere of the room threatened to crush me. Eventually, I couldn't take any more.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I'm so sorry for what I did. It was stupid and wrong and I never planned it. It just happened."

I took a step forward, hoping he would, at least, look at me. But, he didn't. His eyes continued to stare out the window, face impassive and the panic surged.

"Please, Carlisle," I begged. "I don't want this to ruin everything. I don't want to lose you, any of you, your friendship means too much to me. I'll never do it again, I swear; I won't ever let it happen again."

I took another step, close to falling to my knees to plead for forgiveness, as tears made their presence known. I saw his hands clench at his sides.

"I'm not asking for you to return my feelings," I insisted, worried that I was angering him and impatiently brushed the tears away. "I can move past this, get over it, put it behind me. It's okay that you don't feel the same. I understand that..." I almost choked on the words, my throat constricting with grief at the thought of bearing a love unrequited. It would kill me inside, but, I would struggle through that grief, if it meant keeping him in my life...if only as a friend. "I understand," I repeated, my voice low as I forced the words out. "That you don't...want me."

I waited, having just poured my heart out in a desperate apology, anxious to see or hear his reaction. The one I received was the last I ever expected. His eyes closed and his chin lowered, as his fists uncurled to rest on the window pane. When he spoke, his breath was a soulful whisper that had the power to confound me.

"I've never wanted anything more."

I couldn't register his words, to begin with. I was so wrapped up in my desolation, that it took a substantial amount of time for me to even realise he had spoken. When I finally heard his declaration, I was completely dumbfounded, unable to even think. He slowly opened his eyes, before removing his hand from the window and straightening. I didn't understand what was happening. I needed to rewind the past few seconds to hear what he said once more, just to remove the doubt from my mind.

He's never wanted anything more...than what?

My apology?

My friendship?

Me?

"But, how can it end well?" he asked, that mesmerizing face finally turning towards me, breaking me out of my bewilderment.

No, no, no, my brain cried. He couldn't offer me that tantalising glimmer of hope, only to yank it away, again! I was more alert than I had ever been, as I tried to salvage the situation.

"Why should it not?" I countered, trying to sound more assertive than I felt.

He was fully facing me, now and my breath caught in my throat. He really was an angel, heaven sent to bathe all below in his splendour.

"Look at us, Bella," he began. "You are mortal, I am not. Your heart beats sixty times a minute, whereas mine hasn't for over three centuries. I belong to a species designed to hunt yours. I should be trying to kill you..." His tawny irises fell to the desk. "Not falling in love with you."

Those words almost floored me. I had no response, as all five of my senses were busy containing the well of feeling rising within me. I had to be dreaming. There was no way I could be stood in Carlisle's study, listening to him declare the very feelings that I had been begging him to return. I should have been running to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and showering him with every ounce of love and passion my heart possessed, but something held me back. Despite what he was saying, there was hesitation and doubt in his voice.

"I tried so hard to keep this from happening, Bella," he continued. "From the very start, I didn't want you getting too close, for your own safety, as well as ours. But you did. Simply by being yourself, you left an ineffaceable mark on all three of us and, now, when I should be pushing you away, telling you to never come here again...I can't. I am physically incapable of doing it."

I saw the pain, mingled with longing, swimming in his eyes and I wanted so much to remove it, to comfort him, which made me advance a small step. As I did, the muscles in his jaw tensed and his struggle actually presented itself on his face. It was the first time I'd ever seen his countenance emote so strongly and I was filled with surprise and guilt for being the cause of it. I thought I had suffered this past week, but, what had he gone through?

"Bella, don't feel sorry for me," he pleaded. It was hard to see him this way, the edges of his composure beginning to fray. "Nobody deserves your sympathy less than I, right now. What I have done is selfish and wrong. Because of me, you are now in terrible danger. Because of my weakness, my inability to keep away..." Anger began to infuse with the desperation. "Even now, even knowing that Edward has spoken to you, cannot make me let you go."

The words were leaving his lips, but I focused on his actions. Did he realise he was closing the distance between us? It was as if his feet moved in demonstration of the pull he described and, despite bearing witness to his suffering, I found that I, too, couldn't bring myself to walk away. Now that I was presented with the possibility of him feeling the same, there was no way I was going to let it slip through my fingers.

"You are an intelligent woman. Surely you see the difficulties we face? It is forbidden for you to even know what I am, let alone embark on a relationship with me. Whatever chance you have at a normal existence is gone the moment you commit to me. Even the smallest things other couples take for granted will be an impossibility for us. I cannot eat in a restaurant with you, or stroll along the beach hand-in-hand with you. We will never settle down, grow old together or have children."

Yet more of the floor disappeared behind him and it would only take a few more steps for our bodies to be in direct contact. His whole being radiated desperation and he sounded as though he was trying to convince himself, as much as me, whilst begging for me to finalise a decision he found impossible to make.

"You grow every day, blossoming into the incredible woman I could never hope to deserve, whilst I watch, frozen, unchanging, forever the creature I became almost four hundred years ago. There is so much left for you to experience, to discover and I could never rob you of that. I have lived long enough to know what it is I truly want-"

"I know what-" I tried to interrupt, but he wouldn't let me stop him.

"You want this now, but, there is every possibility that time and maturity will make you feel differently and you may discover that I am no longer what you need. It would cripple me to let you go, but, I would do so, to ensure your happiness. Then, the day will come when I lose you forever..." I could barely breathe as I listened, seeing the wince of pain his own words inflicted upon himself. "And where you go, I cannot follow."

I was speechless. Never before had I considered Carlisle Cullen to be a coward, but, in that moment, listening to his words and watching his actions, which conflicted with each other so immensely, I felt tendrils of infuriation curl around my chest. He wanted to keep me safe, to ensure no harm came to any of us, which, in essence was an admirable trait, yet, in doing so, he would not only sacrifice his happiness, but, mine too. He wanted to bury his head in the sand, hide what we truly felt for each other, to keep the Volturi happy, without even consulting with me first. He was implying that I would get bored, lose interest and move on to bigger and better things, basically trivialising my love for him, in a last-ditch attempt to separate us. I wanted to hit him.

"So, that's it?" I demanded, letting the displeasure coat my words. "You're just gonna throw it all away, for fear of having to face a little pain?" The volume of my voice began to rise with each syllable uttered. "You think this is just a little crush for me, that I would drop you the moment a better prospect came along? If so, then you have absolutely no idea how I feel about you!"

"If Edward-"

"I don't give a damn about Edward, the Volturi, or any other fucking thing that might come our way!" I was closing in, the few feet of space separating us quickly vanishing, as my temper urged me to confront him. "And restaurants and beaches can go to Hell, for all I care. You have no right to speak for me, Carlisle; you may be willing to give up, but, I'm willing to fight. There is nothing more important to me than this and I won't let anything take it away, not even your cowardice!"

Without warning, he lunged and my back collided with the wall behind me. My face was cradled between the tight grip of his hands, as his eyes bore furiously into mine and my hands flew up to grip the fabric of his shirt sleeves. My lips trembled, and it had been a long time since this man had frightened me.

"Cowardice?" he snarled, his voice a low rumble. The golden irises were on fire, rippling with the intensity of the moment. The composure had broken, stripping away to reveal the terrified, frenzied soul residing within. "Do you think I want to see you killed, to have you suffer a horrifically painful death, simply to satisfy my own personal gratification? I could never go on, knowing that my actions had caused you to suffer and I would gladly offer my own life in exchange for yours, without question or hesitation. It is not cowardice I suffer from, but the dread of losing you."

I gaped at him, unable to formulate a reaction to meet his. The fury subsided, as quickly as it had flared and his forehead rested against mine, as the gold was veiled by heliotrope coloured eyelids. His thumbs began stroking my cheekbones, running back and forth and I felt a swell of adoration in my heart. My fingers slid upwards, to curl around his wrists.

"I cannot lose you, Isabella," Carlisle murmured, his cool, sweet breath brushing against my face. "Not like that."

I began to weep and his hands slid into my hair, pulling me close. I clutched at the back of his shirt, as I nuzzled his neck and one of his hands left my hair, to wrap around my waist, pressing us even closer together. He began littering kisses upon the crown of my head, offering apologies between each one. I clutched to the moment, revelling in our mutual declarations of love, yet, wallowing in the grief that they hadn't come under better circumstances. I had been so determined and certain, just moments ago, yet, as I began to really consider our predicament, the doubts began to set in. Were we really doomed to failure? Was there no way to remedy our situation? A flicker of an idea lit in the back of my mind, but, it was one so daunting, so impossible, so scary, that I immediately doused it and the grip of my fists tightened.

Carlisle gently pulled my head away from his neck, to look at me and the hand that had tangled in my dark tresses slid down to caress my cheek. He didn't say anything, just looked at me, his eyes encompassing the entire surface of my face and his thumb began to dry my tears. I wished I could tell what he was thinking, to know if he had some idea about where to go from here, because I sure as Hell didn't.

"And still," he whispered. "I cannot let you go."

He leaned in to place a soft kiss on my temple, before resting our foreheads together once more. Our faces were so close, nose to nose and I felt the urge to press my lips to his again, knowing he wouldn't deny me, this time. My heart rate began to increase, as I thought of our first kiss in this very same room and wondered where the next one would lead, now that there was no uncertainty to restrain us. I slowly released the fabric from my palms and slid my hands down the shoulder blades, before moving to his chest and gently tugging at the shirt lapels. Unlike before, my actions were apprehensive, subconsciously thinking of the rejection my advances had received last time. Any fears I had were allayed, as he knew right away what I wanted and bent his head in reply.

Just as our lips were about to connect, the door to the study burst open and Alice entered, her face ashen with fear.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked, his grip on me shifting, as he turned slightly to look at his companion, but didn't let go.

"It's Edward," she replied, her voice high-pitched with panic.

Carlisle's hold around my waist tightened protectively. "What about him?"

"He's here."

A/N: Dun...dun...DUUUNNNNNNNNNNNN! Please tell me what you think about Bellisle's reunion. I really hope it lived up to everyone's expectations. The drama is really about to kick off, so I must go and get writing it. Byeeee!