Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Three

Bella gazed in the video store as she passed but carried on walking. She wasn't in the mood for a movie tonight. Bella spotted a comic book store on her way back to her hotel. She'd never been into them before but now seemed as a good a time as any to start. The dark mysterious stranger had filled her every waking and sleeping thought but now she had met him, spoke to him and seen the heated way he had looked at her she knew it would only get worse. She needed a distraction.

She stepped inside and the two teenage boys working there eyed her warily. She picked up a random comic and flipped over wondering if this was going to be a waste of time. She turned her head to the left sensing someone watching. The young boy was holding a clipboard and didn't tried to hide the fact that he was staring. Bella put the comic down and walked around the other side of the stand intending to head for the exit. The two boys appeared beside her and she turned to face them folding her arms. "Problem guys?" she asked.

"We saw you with that kid the other night," the one with the bandanna told her. Bella assumed they were talking about Laddie.

"Yeah, and?" she asked.

The kid with darker hair reached passed her and handed her a comic. "Take this," he told her holding it out.

"Vampires everywhere?" she asked, reading the titled skeptically. These kids had to be pulling some kind of joke on her. No in this town could possibly know of her past.

"Read it," Bandanna kid told her. "It could save your life."

"Yeah, okay," Bella said. She folded the comic in half, stashing it in her bag as she continued back to her hotel.

Bella dropped her back on the table by the door and fell straight asleep. The comic forgotten as she dreamed of Dwayne.

Bella returned to the boardwalk the next night as she had planned with Laddie. She stopped at burger bar as she headed for the benches Laddie had pointed out. She was putting her purse away as she down when she saw the comic the weirdo brothers had given her the night before. Bella pulled out to read as she ate.

Half an hour later Bella was chuckling at the content of the comic when the Lost Boys sat down with her. Dwayne sat next to her and Laddie jumped up on the table beside him. David, Marko and Paul across from her.

"Hey," Bella said, closing the comic.

"Hey," they all chorused back.

"What you reading that's so funny?" Laddie asked.

"It's just a goofy comic two kids gave me when I was on my back to my hotel last night."

"What is it?" Paul asked picking it up and turning it over. "Vampires everywhere."

"It's ridiculous," Bella commented.

"You don't believe in vampires?" Dwayne asked.

"It's not that," Bella said. "That doesn't describe the way I imagine them." Bella was lying through her teeth and she knew it.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

Bella rubbed her wrist where James had bit her uncomfortably. "I think they'd be something to fear," Bella said. David's eyes flickered to her wrist and he caught sight of her scar. "The vampires is that comic don't scare me like the ones I imagine."

"Imagine? Or remember?" David asked coolly. Bella's eyes snapped up to meet his and the guys looked at him confused. "Be honest with me now Bella. Is that a vampire bite on your wrist?"

Dwayne, Marko, paul and Laddie's eyes all followed where David's were looking. Dwayne reached across and gently took her hand in his larger ones examining the mark. Bella sucked in a shocked breath as a wave of awareness shot through her body from where Dwayne was touching. Dwayne experienced something similar but he stored away to examine later. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," Bella said.

"Why don't you give us a chance to?" Dwayne asked. Bella looked up meeting his eyes. The pair shared a long look before Bella nodded.

"Okay," she agreed and took a deep breath. "Yes, David, it is a vampire bite." Bella launched into the whole tale of meeting the Cullen's. She explained what they were like, sparkling in the sun and diamond hard skin. She told them about James and Phoenix, about Edward leaving after her disastrous birthday. His suicide attempt in Italy and how she had saved him. She told the story of how he traded immortality for marriage and how she tried to say no time and time again. "So the morning of the wedding rolled round and I felt trapped. I didn't want to marry Edward, I didn't even want to be with him. His brother Jasper knew and he helped me get away and that how I ended up here. When I said I was just passing through it's because I know the Cullen's will be coming for me and I can't go back to them."

"We can protect you," Dwayne told her. He wrapped his arm around her and Bella dropped her forehead to his shoulder.

"How?"

"Everything you read in this comic, Bella, is true," David said. Bella turned her head looking at the comic he had pushed towards her along the table.

"What?"

"We are vampires, Bella, and if you want to us to keep you safe from the Cullen's we can."

Bella stared at the comic her mind reeling. "That's why they gave me the comic," Bella muttered.

"What?" Dwayne asked.

"The two kids, in the comic book store. They gave me this because they saw me with Laddie."

"The Frog brothers," Marko hissed. He was still pissed they almost managed to stake him.

"Calm down, Marko," David said. "You know they can't hurt us."

"So, what now?" Bella questioned.

"I think we should finish off out chat in private," David suggested. Bella nodded and stood following the guys to their bikes.

Dwayne climbed on his, holding his hand out for Bella. She smiled taking it and climbing on. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he pulled away and dropped her head to the middle of his back, biting her lip when her hands came into contact with bare skin. Bella could feel his toned stomach under the fingers and she groaned. Dwayne smirked when he heard knowing why. They pushed their bikes dangerously fast and Bella's hair trailed behind her bright against the moonlight.

A/N: Posted on 30/09/2015. All outfits are on my profile. Violet x.