VIOLENT DELIGHTS : Rosalie Hale

by julesrowe

"We're twins, we're not conjoined." In which Bella Swan's twin sister has a life of her own (and an author attempts to make the twin trope work). Or, a sapphic coming-of-age story in the world of Twilight. [Rosalie Hale x fem oc] [Twilight]

6. CHAPTER FOUR

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE

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IN MY DREAM IT WAS very dark, and what dim light there was seemed to be radiating from Rosalie's skin. I couldn't see her face, just her back as she walked away from me, leaving me in the blackness. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up to her; no matter how loud I called, she never turned. Troubled, I woke in a cold sweat, and couldn't sleep again until dawn broke. After that, she was in my dreams every night, but always on the periphery, never within reach.

The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense, and, at first, hilarious.

To my sister's utter dismay, she found herself the center of attention for the rest of that week. Tyler Crowley was impossible, following Bella around, obsessed with making amens to her somehow. He was grateful to me after someone had told him I'd taken my top off to stop his bleeding, but his guilt extended from me to my sister, who would have inevitably been his victim had it not been for Edward Cullen. Bella tried to convince him what she wanted more than anything else was for him to forget all about it — especially since nothing had actually happened to her — but he remained insistent. He followed her between classes and sat at our now-crowded lunch table.

Mike and Eric were even less friendly toward him than they were to each other, which only served to make me tease Bella even more over her growing fan club. No one seemed concerned about Edward, though both Bella and I explained over and over that he was the hero — how he had pulled her out of the way and hard nearly been crushed, too. I was a little more convincing than my sister, and people ate my words up with delight. Jessica, Mike, Eric, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away.

Adam became my boyfriend. There was no fanfare, just one night basking in the afterglow, he asked me and I said yes. It took up a few days conversation at school, though I wasn't sure what the big deal was. It was kind of obvious we were together anyway.

The Cullens and the Hales sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only among themselves. None of them, not Edward, not Rosalie, glanced my way anymore. When she sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, she seemed totally unaware of my presence. Only now and then, when her fists would suddenly ball up — skin stretched even whiter over the bones — did I wonder if she wasn't quite as oblivious as she appeared. I grew indifferent to the cold shoulder. If anything, my suspicions over her family only grew.

I'd tried talking to her, on the first day after the accident. To pass along my thanks to her brother, for saving Bella's life. She was already seated when I got to Physics, looking straight ahead. I sat down, expecting her to turn toward me. She showed no sign that she realized I was there.

"Hey Rosalie." I said pleasantly, to show her I didn't mean any harm.

She turned her head a fraction toward me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way. I was thrown for a minute, and then continued, undeterred. "I wanted to thank your brother."

Nothing. I took a bit of a breath. "If it weren't for Edward, I wouldn't be a twin anymore. So uh, tell him I owe him one."

She seemed angered by my words, if nothing else. Those fists clenched up tight, but she pretended like she hadn't heard me. I frowned, sharing a look with Adam who shrugged.

And that was the last contact I'd had with her, though she was there, a foot away from me, every day. Sometimes, I caught myself watching her — from a distance, though, in the cafeteria or parking lot, when I wasn't distracted by my boyfriend and his rowdy friends. I watched as her golden eyes grew perceptibly darker day by day. But in class I gave no more notice that she existed than she showed toward me. It was the same with Emmett Cullen and Edward in Spanish. I didn't even try with them. I grew more paranoid. And the dreams continued.

It wasn't long before I clocked on to Bella's depression. Even Renée noticed, calling a few times, worried. I reassured her that it was just the weather bringing Bella down, but I put in more of an effort to hang out with her, even if that usually meant reading or doing homework in her room.

The snow washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. I was just as disappointed as Mike that he'd never gotten to stage his snowball fight, but he was pleased that the beach trip would soon be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, and the weeks passed.

Adam made me aware of another event looming on the horizon — the first Tuesday of March, he asked me if we were going to bother to go to the spring dance in two weeks. It was girls' choice. I'd frowned at him in the car. "You don't want to?"

"I'd have to put on a suit." He scrunched up his nose.

I chuckled. "It'll be fun though. You, me, dancing...our own little private after party."

This got him. Boys were unbearably predictable. "You wanna go?"

"It's been a while since I slipped on a dress." I muse, and his eyes sparkle at the very mental image. "You know, you've never taken me anywhere nice either. This could be like our first real date."

"I'll get a suit then."

Bella, of course, would not be going, and by the end of the next day I'd heard her excuse through the grapevine. It was creative, I'd have to give her that. Apparently she would be missing out on the dance to go to Seattle that Saturday. I had little doubt 'Seattle' would be her bedroom, where she'd be nice and warm re-reading one of her Austen copies while the rest of us froze our asses off just to wear something feminine.

Another development over the course of that month had been my newfound phobia of the truck. I hadn't driven it since the day of the accident. I couldn't really make direct eye-contact with that dent in the back, even as I walked briskly past it to Adam's waiting Camaro. Bella didn't seem to mind driving herself to school every day and back. In fact, she seemed grateful for it. She didn't have to interrupt us when we either made out or argued if we were in Adam's car. The month of being his designated passenger had done the rust machine some good. I spent most of my free time fixing it up for free, every time Adam scrounged up enough money from working Sundays at the grocery store to buy a new part or wiring. I still wanted to take the whole thing apart and give the block a good deep clean, but that would have to wait for a week where he wouldn't need to drive.

Bella had made chicken enchiladas by the time Adam dropped me off home. I wasn't in the best of moods, and she could tell we'd had a fight from the way I hadn't lingered in the driveway to kiss him on the porch. Charlie was oblivious as ever. I let my mood lighten watching Charlie warily taste Mexican for maybe the first time ever. He seemed to like it. It had been a fun process watching him slowly begin to trust us in the kitchen.

"Dad?" Bella asked when he was almost done.

"Yeah, Bella?"

"Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday...if that's okay?" She didn't sound very sure.

"Why?" He sounded surprised, as if he were unable to imagine something that Forks couldn't offer.

"Well, I wanted to get a few books — the library here is pretty limited — and maybe look at some clothes." We had more money than we were used to having, since, thanks to Charlie, we hadn't had to pay for a car.

"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage." He seemed unsure.

"You can stop in Montesano and Olympia — and Tacoma, if you have to." I offer to Bella helpfully.

"You're not going with your sister?" Charlie grew a fraction more alarmed.

"We're not conjoined, Dad." Bella rolled her eyes with a blush.

"Seattle is a big city — you could get lost." He fretted. I was amused that he trusted me more than Bella. A little smug, even.

"Dad, Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle — and I can read a map, don't worry about it."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Bella blanched. "That's all right, Dad, I'll probably just be in dressing rooms all day — very boring."

"Ok, okay." The thought of sitting in women's clothing stores for any period of time immediately put him off. Then he turned to me. "Why aren't you going with your sister?"

"Because I'll be busy getting ready for the dance." I wasn't bothered by the accusation in his voice. It would be safer if Bella went with me. She didn't have the greatest luck in the world. He opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. "Bella doesn't dance, Dad."

He, of all people, should understand. Bella didn't get her balance problems from Renée.

He did understand. "Oh, that's right." He realized. "So you're going with Wexler, then?"

I nod, lifting my glass of water to my lips. "He comes inside this time, all right? I want a word."

"Dad." I roll my eyes. "That's totally —"

"I want a word, Gracie."

Bella was late to English the next morning, getting a little snarky greeting from Mr. Mason as she walked into class in a daze. I was ready to pounce on my sister as soon as she got to her seat. "What the hell happened? You left before I did."

"I was talking to Edward Cullen." She murmured lowly, aware of the glances we were getting our way. My eyebrows shot up, and she nodded. "Later."

I nod back, focusing back on my notes. The rest of the morning passed in a blur. If Edward Cullen was talking to Bella again... my mind drifted, inevitably, to the blonde I kept dreaming about. It was so stupid that I couldn't get her out of my head. I was impatient to get to lunch, dragging Adam a little. I wanted to see her face, to see if she was no longer the cold, indifferent person I'd known for the last several weeks. Jessica babbled on and on about her dance plans as our groups converged in the crowd to get into the cafeteria — Lauren and Angela had asked the other boys and we were all going to go together — completely unaware of my inattention.

Disappointment flooded through me as my eyes unerringly focused on her table. She was sat there, as icy as ever, an ever-perfect sculpture fiddling with the stem of a red apple. If anything, she seemed in an even more foul mood than before. Nothing had changed. At least, until I realized Edward Cullen was absent from their table while I was halfway through the lunch line. Bella seemed in a mood about it. She didn't buy anything more than a bottle of lemonade, that familiar air of depression back again. She hadn't noticed Edward was sitting at a table alone. I push past babbling Jessica to get to my sister, leaning down to get to her ear. "Edward Cullen's staring at you."

Bella blinks owlishly, and I feel my lips twitch. "I wonder why he's sitting alone today."

I wasn't dumb, I knew about her crush. But, selfishly, I knew the only way we were going to get answers was through Bella. I couldn't believe our only hope wrested on my sister's atrocious conversation skills. Bella followed my gaze to Edward who was smiling crookedly at her, staring from an empty table across the cafeteria from where he usually sat. Once he'd caught Bella's eye, he raised one hand and motioned with his index finger for Bella to join him. She stared in disbelief, and he winked. Bella's mouth fell open like a fish. I chuckled. I was starting to actually like this guy.

"Does he mean you?" Jess had noticed the interaction, insulting astonishment in her voice.

"Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework." Bella muttered for her benefit. "Um, I'd better go see what he wants."

"Go get 'im, tiger," I joke with a pat to her shoulder, and Bella shoots me a glowering look as she walks away.

She stumbled twice on her way to him, though there was nothing in her way but perfectly even linoleum. I rolled my eyes, turning to pay for my two slices of pizza. The conversation, of course, had quickly turned to Bella and Edward. Bella and Edward. Their names sounded nice together, I thought. The rest of the group didn't seem so thrilled they were sitting together. I didn't get the animosity the rest of the school seemed to had with the Cullens. Sure, they were rude to us, but that was only because they were hiding something. They'd never done anything to Jess or Mike.

I didn't find out Bella had fainted in Biology until I got home, confused that the truck wasn't in the driveway when my sister was in the shower. By the time I came out of my room for my own turn in the bathroom, the truck was inexplicably exactly where Bella always parked it. I peeked my head through her door on my way to the bathroom, getting her rundown of the day as she dried her hair. "So he admits something's up then."

"He's not superman." Bella tells me, as if embarrassed she'd used my joke as something to accuse him of. I rolled my eyes.

"No shit, we don't live in a comic book." I remind her. "Radiation gives you cancer, not superpowers."

"Well, he's talking at least." Bella supplies.

"And you're happy about it." I grin, and she gives me a look. "It's cute, you know. I've never seen you in love before."

"It's not love." She blushed furiously, but she didn't sound very convincing. "Go away Gracie."

"Love you too, Belly-bee." I tease her as I push off her doorframe to get to my shower.

The next day, Edward and Emmett Cullen were missing from gym. Rosalie still looked as sulky as ever, so I decided not to push my luck in class. Mike was in a happy mood during lunch, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised sun tomorrow. I'd have to see that before I believed it. But it was warmer today — almost sixty. Maybe the beach would actually be pleasant.

That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about our trip to La Push in the morning. I was sure he felt guilty, like I did, for leaving Bella home alone on the weekends, but he'd spent too many years building his habits to break them now and I wasn't going to give up my time with the boys and with Adam. Of course, Charlie knew the names of all the kids going, and their parents, and their great-grandparents, too, probably. He seemed to approve of everyone except Adam and his friends. By this point, I couldn't blame him. He'd caught the tail end of our arguments a few times when Adam returned me home and I slammed the door in his face with unnecessary drama. Charlie was just being protective, in a much cuter way than Mom.

I meant to sleep in that morning, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see I was bathed in clear yellow light, streaming from underneath the curtains of my window. Sure enough, there was sun out there. It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didn't seem to be as close as it should be, but it was definitely the sun. I groaned, rolling over and slipping my quilt over my head to block it out. Sleep prevailed for another few hours.

The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store, but I'd never stopped there — not having much need for any supplies required for being outdoors over an extended period of time. In the parking lot I recognized Mike's Suburban, Tyler's Sentra and Bella's truck. As Adam pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other boys I had class with; I was fairly sure their names were Ben and Conner. Jess was there, flanked by Angela and Lauren. Three other girls stood with them, their faces vaguely familiar. They had all seemed to be waiting for us — Adam had been late to pick me up first, and then we'd had to drive out to pick up Ed and Toby from either side of town. They seemed surprised we'd brought the boys, as if we weren't all kind of a package deal. Paul was going to meet us on the Rez.

It was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible from the rolled down windows. I'd been to the beaches around La Push many times during Bella and I's Forks summers with Charlie, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach was a familiar sight. It was still breathtaking. The water was dark grey, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue sky. We picked our way down to the beach, Mike leading the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and Toby gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Adam asked me. I was sitting sideways on his lap, my elbow slung over his shoulder and his arms wrapped around my waist. It would be more comfortable than sitting on the bone-colored benches. Across the fire pit from us, Bella was talking to Mike, and on either side of her the other girls clustered, gossiping excitedly, their eyes darting regularly towards me and Adam, and then Mike and Bella. I thought this was a lot more entertaining than watching Eric and Toby struggle with keeping the teepee of sticks upright.

"No." I admit, curious. Mike was doing something on the other side, kneeled down...I couldn't see. But suddenly there were flames, licking their way up the dry wood.

"It's blue." I blink with surprise.

"The salt does it. Pretty, huh?" Adam wasn't look at the fire now, and I blushed. He could be cute when he wanted to be. A soft kiss, twin goofy smiles, and we were content to watch the strange blue and green flames crackle toward the sky. After a half hour of chatter, Adam, Ed and Toby decided they wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was an easy choice for me to follow my boyfriend, mostly because most of the other girls besides Angela and Jessica decided to stay on the beach as well. Bella was the last to join us, and suddenly I was grateful I was going. I could remember the number of times she'd fallen in.

The hike wasn't too long, though the forest was a little dark and creepy, a murky green light overtaking the scene. Adam led the pack and I trudged along beside him, laughing brightly when he used a stick to pick up a worm and chase Jess with it, shrieking her head off. I lost sight of Bella after a bit, but I knew Mike was with her towards the back of the group, keeping an eye on her. I reminded myself I didn't have to be my sister's keeper, though old habits died hard. Eventually we broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.

I was very glad I'd worn my hiking boots and not my beat up sneakers, which had never had very good traction on wet surfaces. I leaped fearlessly over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges, very nearly fallen in on more than one occasion before balancing myself. It was all too thrilling not to. Adam watched me with a lovestruck look on his face as I childishly pointed out every new discovery like a toddler at an aquarium. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return.

I was completely absorbed with every new pool, going as far as to borrow Adam's pocket knife to carve out some limpets we could roast over the fire. I'd never had them before, but I'd seen them on the discovery channel. I was curious. The girls were disgusted, but the boys eagerly helped me carry the bunch in our hands, with every intent of daring each other to try one after we'd cooked them.

We didn't leave until we got hungry. Bella tried to keep up with me better this time, so naturally she fell more than once. She got some shallow scrapes on her palms, and the knees of her jeans were stained green, but it could have been worse. I couldn't catch her with my hands full of limpets.

When we got back to First Beach, the group we'd left behind had multiplied. As we got closer we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation come to socialize. I recognized Paul at once, raising a hand to wave at him, forgetting my hands were full and dropping several shellfish on the ground. I cussed while Adam laughed at me, trying to pick them up between the pebbles.

The food was already being passed around, so we hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we entered the driftwood circle. Paul teased me for my limpet plan, but he helped us set them up against some ash to the edge of the fire, clearly knowing what he was doing. They didn't take very long to cook, but they were rubbery and awful, the boys and I causing a riot as we laughed over the faces we made trying to chew. The girls were convinced we'd get food poisoning, because we'd forgotten to wash them before we charred them. I figured one limpet wasn't going to kill me.

We had sandwiches and sodas to get rid of the taste, much to my relief. I was a lot hungrier than I'd thought. Paul rattled off the names of the seven others with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was also named Jessica, and the boy who'd been glancing at me and Bella was named Jacob. I didn't think much of him.

During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, blackening the waves. As soon as Adam and I were done eating we got up for a walk down for the beach, getting teases and hollers as we left. I shot the group a smirk over my shoulder, winking and grinning, laughing when Adam caught me. Our fingers drifted for each other, intertwining easily.

Down the beach, watching the view across the ocean with his arms around me and his lips against my jaw, Adam tells me he's in love with me for the first time. I already knew. I'd seen it in his eyes sometimes, that puppy dog look I'd seen in Johnny before, and a few boys before him. It was nicer when Adam said it. It sent a thrill down my spine, which I thought was something else. I never said it back, turning in his arms to kiss him, like it was a reward. I realized then, as I was kissing him, that it wasn't love I was feeling. I was proud I'd gotten here with him. I felt successful. The power of taming the so-called womanizer of Forks was getting to my head. But I wouldn't tell Adam that, he was being so good today I wouldn't ruin it.

"So, Adam told me he loved me today."

"Ouch." Bella winced, and I gave her a look. We were sitting in her bedroom, freshly showered after getting back from the beach. We'd had to leave because of the rain, but the drive back to Forks had seemed somehow twice as long. "I give it a week."

"Shut up." I roll my eyes with a blush.

"I think you have a real phobia, you know." She tells me.

"Yeah, well, do you blame me?" I nod my head at her door. Charlie was downstairs, watching a basketball game. She grimaced. Then I noticed the way her fingers were fiddling with something. "What's with you?"

"When you used to hang out with Rebecca and Rachel Black...did they ever tell you any Quileute legends?" It was clear she'd been waiting for me to be finished to drop some kind of bombshell. I frown at her, confused with where this was going. "Well, I talked to Jacob Black...and he told me about this legend they have...about the Cullens."

"The Cullens?" My face must have done something funny, because she shook her head.

"I don't know, it's stupid." She was already getting up, not meeting my eyes. "Just some spooky story, probably. I'm gonna get ready for bed."

"Bella." I try, but she brushes me off with a mumble about being tired. "Okay. Well, good night, I guess."

"Don't break Adam's heart." she finally looks up at me as I open her door, and I give her a look. "I mean it. He's nice now."

"That's the problem." I grumble as I leave her room, but I say it too low for her to hear.

I dreamt of Rosalie Hale again that night. It was the same dream as ever, just the darkness and her. But then Adam was there. And he was telling me he loved me. I could hear waves crashing against the shore, but I couldn't see it, just the dark and Adam, and Rosalie turning away in the distance. I tried to pass him to get to her, but then there was another Adam, and another, and another. They kept telling me they loved me. I kept trying to get out of their grips, their hands clawing at me.

I woke up in a cold sweat, nearly screaming at the pale figure in my doorway. But it was Bella, and she looked like a mess. She was frowning at me. "Hi...shit, what time is it?"

I pulled the curtain back a little, but it was still dark out. I frowned.

"Couldn't sleep." Bella mumbled, already shutting the door behind her. She shuffled over, and I scooted closer to my window, making room for her. She climbs into my bed and then into my arms, letting me wrap over her shoulders while she rests her head against my chest. I knew she was listening to my heartbeat, but I wished it was calmer than it had been after my nightmare.

I'm halfway back to sleep when Bella speaks again, barely above a whisper.

"I think the Cullens might be vampires."

I bolt upright, smacking Bella in the process. "OW!"

"Shit, sorry." I rub her forehead while she scowled at me in the semi-darkness of my room. "Wait no, what do you mean vampires?!"

And she tells me about Jacob Black's story at last. About Edward Cullen's conversations, the strange things we'd both noticed and fixated on. She told me the nightmare she'd just had. And at the end of it all, she looked to me, eyes full of hope that I'd be the one to talk sense to her. Just like when we were kids and I'd tell her the monsters under her bed weren't real. That the boogeyman wasn't going to get her because he didn't exist. That the reason Christmas came a day late for us sometimes was because Santa was actually Mom. Except this time, I couldn't tell her that the Cullens weren't vampires. Because somewhere deep down, everything was clicking into place. Only, I had more questions than answers.

I couldn't put it off anymore.

I hated using the Internet here. The modem in Bella's room was sadly outdated, our free service substandard; just dialing up took so long that I kept myself busy by making my sister's bed — something she never did. Bella came up with a bowl of cereal for me, and we ate slowly while we waited. But even when the cereal was close to disintegrating in the last dredges of milk, we had no luck. I went back down, washed our bowls and spoons, dried them, and put them away. When I came back up Bella was listening to her CD player. She hadn't noticed the monitor had finally come alive. I nearly bolted to it.

Naturally, the screen was covered in pop-ups. I sighed, slipping into the hard folding chair, meticulously closing all the little windows while my sister drifted over to watch over my shoulder. Eventually I made it to my favorite search engine. I shot down a few more pop-up ads and then typed in one word. Vampire. Bella and I shared a look and a deep breath before I hit search.

It took an infuriatingly long time, of course. When the results came up, there was a lot to sift through — everything from movies and TV shows to role-playing games, underground metal, and gothic cosmetic companies. Then I found a promising site — Vampires A—Z. I waited impatiently for it to load, quickly killing each ad that flashed across the screen. Finally the screen was finished — simple white background with black text, academic-looking. Two quotes greeted us on the home page: Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet dight with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both. —Rev. Montague Summers.

If there is in this world a well-attested account, it is that of the vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affidavits of well-known people, of surgeons, of priests, of magistrates; the judicial proof is most complete. And with all that, who is there who believes in vampires? — Rousseau.

The rest of the site was an alphabetized listing of all the different myths of vampires held throughout the world. The first I clicked on, the Danag, was a Filipino vampire supposedly responsible for planting taro on the islands long ago. The myth continued that the Danag worked with humans for many years, but the partnership ended one day when a woman cut her finger and a Danag sucked her wound, enjoying the taste so much that it drained her body completely of blood.

I read carefully through the descriptions, looking for anything that sounded familiar, let alone plausible. Bella stayed silent behind me, offering no comment, but I could feel her breathing on my ear. It seemed that most vampire myths centered around beautiful women as demons and children as victims; they also seemed like constructs created to explain away the high mortality rates for young children, and to give men an excuse for infidelity. Still, my mind drifted to Rosalie, because of course it would if someone mentioned the word 'beautiful' next to 'woman'. Alice Cullen was equally remarkable in her own way, and the Cullen boys and Jasper Hale could each give the elite of Hollywood a run for their money. But supernatural beauty was too much of a stretch to run on alone.

Many of the stories involved bodiless spirits and warnings against improper burials. There wasn't much that sounded like the movies I'd seen, or Buffy. Only a very few, like the Hebrew Estrie and the Polish Upier, who were even preoccupied with drinking blood.

Only three entries really caught my attention: the Romanian Varacolaci, a powerful undead being who could appear as a beautiful, pale-skinned human, the Slovak Nelapsi, a creature so strong and fast it could massacre an entire village in the single hour after midnight, and one other, the Stregoni benefici.

About this last there was only one brief sentence.

Stregoni benefici: An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires.

It was a relief, that one small entry, the one myth among hundreds that claimed the existence of good vampires.

Overall, though, there was little that coincided with Jacob's stories or my own observations. I'd made a little catalogue in my mind as I'd read and carefully compared it with each myth. Speed, strength, beauty, pale skin, eyes that shift color; and then, according to Bella, Jacob's criteria: blood drinkers, enemies of the werewolf, cold-skinned, and immortal. There were very few myths that matched even one factor.

And then another problem, one that I'd remembered from the now-startlingly large collection of vampire movies and TV shows that I'd seen and was backed up by today's reading —

vampires couldn't come come out in the daytime, the sun would burn them to a cinder. They slept in coffins all day and came out only at night. The scenes flickered through my memory. Blade, Underworld, Fright Night, Buffy. That Brad Pitt movie with the really bad makeup. Dracula. The Lost Boys — Michael Emerson had been my first ever crush. God, how many times had I watched that movie? And then last year, my new favorite movie — Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman. In each and every one of those movies, they'd burnt to a crisp. They were only ever out at night.

No, that wasn't right. In Van Helsing, Transylvania was cloudy like Forks. Whenever the clouds moved over the sun, the villagers ran indoors for cover and —

I shuddered, snapping off the computer's main power switch, not waiting to shut things down properly. Bella was startled as I whirled around at her. "This is dumb. This is so stupid. Vampires? We're researching vampires. What the hell is wrong with us? Ugh, stupid."

I didn't wait for her reply, storming out of the room with my head in a fog. I needed to get out. I couldn't breathe anymore. Everything was suddenly too much. Before I even noticed, or cared that I was still in my pajamas, I'd pulled on my raincoat and my boots and stomped out the door.

It was overcast, but not raining yet. I ignored the truck with the stupid caved in bump and started east on foot, angling across Charlie's yard toward the ever-encroaching forest my bedroom window faced. It didn't take long till I was deep enough for the house and the road to be invisible, for the only sound to be the squish of the damp earth under my boots and the sudden cries of the jays.

There was a thin ribbon of a trail that led through the forest here, but I'd stopped following it back when I was eight and had it memorized. I'd always had a good sense of direction. My good memory bothered me now, as I took a turn off the trail past a moss-grown fell log I knew well. I needed the images to stop replaying on loop in my head.

It was nicer, off-trail. My mind had to focus more on stepping over gnarled roots and past thick ferns and brittle, thorned bushes. Eventually, my anger at myself started to ebb, and I slowed. A few drops of moisture trickled down from the canopy above me, but I couldn't be certain if it was beginning to rain or if it was simply pools left over from yesterday, held high in the leaves above me, slowly dripping their way back to the earth. A recently fallen tree — I knew it was recent because it wasn't entirely carpeted in moss — rested against the truck of one of her sisters, creating a sheltered little bench in the middle of nowhere. I stepped over the ferns and sat carefully, making sure my jacket was between the damp seat and my thick flannel pants wherever they touched, and leaned my hooded head back against the living tree.

This was the wrong place to have come. I should have known, but where else was there to go? The forest was deep green and far too much like the scene in last night's dream to allow for peace of mind. Now that there was no longer the sound of my soggy footsteps, the silence was piercing. The birds were quiet, too, the drops increasing in frequency, so it must be raining above. The ferns stood higher than my head, now that I was seated, and I knew someone could hike past me and not even see me.

Here in the trees it was much easier to believe the absurdities that embarrassed me indoors. Nothing had changed in this forest for thousands of years, and all the myths and legends of a hundred different lands seemed much more likely in this green haze than they had in my sister's messy bedroom.

I forced myself to focus on the two most vital questions I had to answer, but I did so unwillingly.

First, I had to decide if it was possible that what Jacob Black had told my sister about the Cullens could be true.

Immediately my mind responded with a resounding negative. It was silly and morbid to entertain such ridiculous notions. But what, then? I asked myself. There was no rational explanation for how Bella was still alive at this moment. I knew what I saw. I hadn't hit my head. I listed again mentally the things I'd watched happen in that rearview mirror: the impossible speed and strength, the dents, the way his hands had blurred out the evidence on the wrecked van. And then, the things I'd noticed in his sister. The eye color shifting from black to gold and back again. The inhuman beauty. The pale, frigid skin. How they never seemed to eat. The disturbing grace with which they moved. How I'd never seen them in direct sunlight. The way I'd heard Rosalie Hale speak sometimes, in that distinct mid-Atlantic accent people like Cary Grant and Grace Kelly used in the old movies. No one talked like that anymore — no one under the age of seventy talked that way anymore.

Edward had skipped class the day Bella had fainted during blood-typing. He hadn't told my sister no to the beach trip until he heard where we were going. Rosalie had kept her distance ever since the accident, because she was afraid I'd find out the truth.

Could the Cullens be vampires?

Well, they were something. Something outside the possibility of rational justification was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. Whether it be Jacob Black's cold ones or my own superman theory, the Cullens were not...human. They were something more.

So then — maybe. That would have to be my answer for now. And then the most important question of all. What was I going to do if it was true?

If Rosalie Hale was a vampire — I could hardly make myself think the words —

then what should I do? Involving someone else was definitely out. I couldn't even believe myself; if I hadn't been Bella's twin, I would've had her committed. No, it would have to stay between us. Only two options seemed practical. We had to be smart, avoid them as much as possible. Bella was absolutely forbidden from going to Seattle alone with Edward Cullen. We had to ignore them just the same as they ignored us. Pretend there was an impenetrable thick glass wall between us in the classes we shared together. Bella had to tell Cullen to leave her alone. The guilt nagged at me as I thought of this, because I'd never seen my sister enamored with anyone before.

Which brought me to our next option. We could do nothing different. After all, if Edward Cullen was something...sinister, he'd done nothing to hurt her so far. He'd saved her life. If it wasn't for him, my twin would be a dent in Tyler's fender. He'd done it so quickly, in fact, that it might have been sheer reflexes. But if it was a reflex to save lives, how bad could he be? And Rosalie Hale — she clearly valued my life enough to stay firmly out of it. My hurt thudded with hope at the very thought. My head, however, spun around in answerless circles.

I shivered and rose quickly from my place of concealment, suddenly aware that if there was one place a vampire should never find me, it was alone off-trail in the forest where my body would never be found.

It didn't take long to find the path again, safe and clear, winding its way out of the dripping green maze. I followed it hastily, my hood pulled close around my face, becoming surprised, as I nearly ran through the trees, at how far I had come. I started to wonder if I was heading out at all, or following the path farther into the confines of the forest. Before I could get too panicky, though, I began to glimpse some open spaces through the webbed branches. And then I could hear a car passing on the street, and I was free, Charlie's lawn stretched out in front of me, the house beckoning me, promising warmth and dry socks.

It was just noon when I got back inside. Bella was waiting for me, sat on the bottom steps of the staircase, her eyes full of resolution. Her expression only grew more grim, no doubt seeing the same look in my eyes. "I'm not going to stop talking to him if he talks to me."

"I know." I hang my coat. "Just...be careful."

We didn't need to say the word again.

I got out of my pajamas and put them in the wash, getting dressed for the day in a pair of jeans and a cropped tank from my Phoenix Weather Collection, since I was staying indoors in the heating. It didn't take much effort to concentrate on my task for the day, a paper on Macbeth that was due Wednesday. I settled into outlining a rough draft contentedly, more serene than I'd felt since...well, a while.

This had always been my way, though. I was impulsive to a fault, and of course the only decision I had ever agonized over in my life would involve deadly creatures of the night. I felt relief that this decision was over. And so the day was quiet, productive — I finished my paper before six, and joined my sister in her room where she was doing the same paper, her essay far more detailed and thought-out. I didn't really care for English the way Bella did, though I loved reading for pleasure. Which was exactly what I did, breaking out my dog-eared copy of Phantom of the Opera. Charlie came home with a large catch, and I asked Bella to pick up a book of recipes for fish while she was in Seattle next week. Which, in turn, reminded me that I still had not gotten a dress for the dance. The idea of going with Adam excited me less than it had before, and I tried not dwell on the why. I knew this wasn't what I should be thinking about. I should be afraid. I should worry for my sister's safety, driving to Seattle with him. But I couldn't feel the right kind of fear.

I slept dreamlessly that night, exhausted from beginning my day so early and all the bombshells that had been dropped. I woke, for the second time since arriving in Forks, to the bright yellow light of a sunny day. This time, as I grimaced and tugged my curtains back, I could not see a single cloud in my stretch of sky. Of course, Bella was excited. I was already sat for breakfast with Charlie when she came downstairs, and he picked up on her mood immediately.

"Nice day out." He commented.

"Yes." She agreed with a grin.

He smiled back, his brown eyes crinkling around the edges. When Charlie smiled, it was easier to see why he and my mother had jumped too quickly into an early marriage. Most of the young romantic he'd been in those days had faded before I'd known him, as the curly brown hair — the same color, if not the same texture, as Bella's — had dwindled, slowly revealing more and more of the shiny skin of his forehead. But when he smiled I could see a little of the man who had run away with Renée when she was just two years older than Bella and I were now.

Bella ate breakfast cheerily, watching the dust moats stirring in the sunlight that streamed in the back window. Charlie called out goodbye, and I heard the cruiser pull away from the house. It was only then she noticed my wary expression. "What?"

"It's sunny." I observe.

"Yeah." she smiled.

"They can't come out in sunlight." I remind her, voice low. I still couldn't say the word aloud again.

And so Bella's mood soured.

She left first, hesitating at the door before grabbing her rain jacket, folding it over her arm. Adam was late, again, and terrifyingly half-asleep at the wheel. I argued with him for a good five minutes that surely should've woken him up, nagging at him for staying up too late playing video games, before insisting on driving us. He hated when I drove his car, even if I was easily the better driver. He fell asleep on me before we pulled up to school.

I'd worn a t-shirt to school today, a cropped affair that showed off my toned mid-riff and the dangling belly button piercing Charlie had yet to see and hopefully never would. It felt nice to have my skinny arms out in the sun, even if it couldn't be over sixty. I envied the people I saw around who wore shorts like the nippy air didn't bother them. I missed shorts almost as much as I missed mini skirts.

Still, I had other things to worry about. I smacked Adam awake on the shoulder, his snoring cutting halfway. And the bickering began again over getting woken up, verbally parrying as we both got out of the Camaro and crossed around to each other at the rear. "Ugh, you're such a buzzkill today. What, are you on the rag or something?"

He had a bad habit of putting his foot in his mouth. Mine clamped shut, my eyes blazing as I stormed straight past him, shoving my shoulder hard against him as I went. He groaned melodramatically, and I didn't even care that people near us were staring. "Aw, come on babe, you can't get so sensitive Jeez."

I was the first person to Trig, but I didn't care. Even math was a welcome reprieve from my idiotic boyfriend in that moment. As my rage bubbled down, I recognized the pattern I was repeating. Everything they did was hot — until that little magic four-letter word came around. And suddenly, their very existence got on my nerves.

I needed to stop self-sabotaging. I had liked Adam a whole lot. I'd fought forever with my mother just to stay with Johnny, and I'd broken up with him in a heartbeat for Adam. That had to count for something. I didn't need to run away every time someone dropped the L-bomb. Nothing had changed, I tried to convince myself.

Jessica, of course, came through with a delightful distraction as soon as she sat down at her usual seat between me and Bella. She, Angela, and Lauren were going to Port Angeles tonight to go dress shopping for the dance, and she wanted me to come with them. She invited Bella too, even if she didn't need a dress. Bella didn't say yes immediately the way I did, giving a vague answer about checking how much homework she got today first. Jess and I talked of nothing but the dance until we were forced to split up for my gym period and the girls' Spanish, continuing on as if without an interruption when we met up again after class finished, on our way to lunch. Her excitement was bringing mine back up again, much to my relief. Adam had been whining about the dance increasingly the closer we go to it, and I hadn't realized that had been affecting me until now. I loved dances. I loved dressing up and goofing off and taking pictures and seeing what everyone was like with their dates. The fallout of a school dance was even better. All the new hookups, the births of so many new relationships. It was just dumb, lighthearted, cheesy fun.

I was expecting it, of course. As soon as we entered the cafeteria, my eyes first darted for the Cullen's table, and it was predictably empty. The place was nearly filled — I'd had to wait after getting out of gym early because Bella and Jess' junior-level Spanish class had run late — but there was no sign of Rosalie or her family. I was surprised at the disappointment I felt not to see that perfect face.

We were late enough that everyone was already at our table. Bella avoided the empty chair next to Mike in favor of one by Angela. I watched with amusement as Mike held the chair out politely for Jessica, her face lighting up in response. We shared a look, and I winked at her. She would call me tonight, undoubtedly, just to go over this moment in detail over what that particular move meant.

Bella seemed miserable, and I knew why as I glanced back at the empty table. I glanced her way, on occasion, between conversations with the girls. My sister had it bad. Adam showed up late for lunch, apologizing for our fight this morning with an easy 'sorry' and a lopsided smile, and my cold shoulder lessened by a fraction. We shared a peck, but he wasn't getting anything else, pointedly still getting ignored while I talked to the girls about dress styles and colors.

I realized I'd been holding on to a last shred of hope when I entered Physics, saw her empty seat, and felt a new wave of disappointment. I hadn't wanted to be right. But there was no way it was a coincidence that I had never seen them in direct sunlight.

The rest of the day passed slowly. By the end of school Adam and I were making up, slowly kissing against his car, his arms around my waist, his sweet little nothings soothing my salted wounds. To be fair to him, I knew I had a temper. I was a messy little bitch when angered, and he angered me often. This had less to do with him falling asleep on me and more to do with his words on the beach, and I knew it. A part of me held out to hope that he hadn't meant it. That guys like Adam just knew when they should say it.

As soon as I walked through the door of Charlie's house, Jessica called to cancel our plans. Mike had asked her out to dinner, and we were still regaling over every moment in the build-up to his big move when Bella came home and I leaned the phone away from me to tell my sister our plans were canceled. We rescheduled our shopping trip for tomorrow night. I took the chance to call Adam, making our own plans instead. Band practice again.

I came home late — too late. Charlie was waiting up for me, clearly upset. The time had slipped away from me and I'd fallen asleep in Adam's bed. I knew it looked bad, my hair disheveled, my clothes mussed. I usually got home before Dad just to get rid of the evidence. But instead of the screaming fest I usually got from mom, I got a stern conversation about curfews with the boyfriend — home before dinner — and he actively avoided the topic of sex, even if it was obvious. I suspected he would rather ignore it than even think about his little girl being anything but a virgin. God I loved living with Charlie.

It was sunny again in the morning. I told myself if they weren't there today, then this was proof, even if I still didn't fully believe it. Lightning couldn't strike twice. I figured to hell with it, dredging through the back of my closet to find my favorite denim skirt. They were double stitched at the hem, where Bella had helped me adjust the length to show off more of my legs after I'd got them at Goodwill, a wide white studded belt looping through to cinch them into place where they hung low on my waist. I picked a tank to go with it, a ribbed warm orange number with three buttons down the front. As I fiddled with my hair in the mirror I knew I was going to give Adam a heart attack, and it filled me with some smug sense of satisfaction. Maybe I wasn't so over him embarrassing me in the parking lot as I thought.

There were some concessions to the outfit I used to wear all the time in Phoenix. My strappy kitten heels had to make way for sneakers. I had to ruin the whole thing with a jacket, or else I'd be a popsicle. Bella did a double take when she saw me come out of my room late, and I gave her a look not to say a word. Charlie wasn't home, thank god. My sister had dressed for the pleasant weather too, a deep blue V-neck blouse she used to wear in the dead of winter in Phoenix. I was willing to brave the cold for what was likely my only chance to dress nice.

Adam, predictably, bugs out when he sees me come out the front door. It makes me a little giggly, the way he races to me like a kid who got a bike for Christmas. The makeout session against the front door makes us a little late to head out, but we still beat Bella to school. I couldn't help but notice the missing silver Volvo in the parking lot.

People stared all day, and I welcomed the distraction. Adam was more attentive than ever, like a dog groveling over a bone, on his best behavior in the hopes of something special after school. He wasn't going to get it, because the Port Angeles scheme was back on again for tonight and made all the more attractive by the fact that Lauren had other obligations. I wasn't sure if I could handle her making sly digs at my sister all day just because of Tyler.

I rode with Jess in her old white Mercury after school, following my sister home so we could ditch our books and truck. Her car was making a funny popping sound every other mile, and I was concerned, surprising her when I check under the hood while we waited for Bella to come back out of the house. She had a worn out fan belt, it was going to be a problem but it was graciously an easy fix. I offered to fix it for her for free, and we made plans to look for a replacement belt while we were in Port Angeles. She was thrilled to have a friend who knew cars — the Mercury needed a lot more maintenance than the truck did, and the only auto repair shop in town, Dowling's, charged an arm and a leg for the simplest fixes.

We went to Angela's house next, and she was waiting for us. My excitement grew tenfold as we drove out of the town limits. It had been so long since I'd had a girls trip, the estrogen rush was invigorating. Jess drove faster than the Chief, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. Jess and I had the same taste in music, and we shouted along to every word of two whole Avril Lavigne albums, Angela and Bella grinning at us. On the songs we didn't care about as much, Jess and I chat about the boys we hung out with. First came the whole school's reaction to my outfit of the day, which made me very pleased. Jess told me Adam couldn't keep his eyes off me, comparing notes like we often did over our boys. I joked he couldn't keep his hands off either. I asked about her dinner with Mike, which had gone very well, and she was hoping that by Saturday night they would have progressed to the first-kiss stage. I recommended ways to bait him into it, but she was a lot more shy with Mike than she was with us.

Angela was passively happy to be going to the dance, but not really interested in Eric. Jess, overeager after our conversation, tried to get her to confess who her type was, but Bella interrupted with a question about dresses after a bit to spare her. I saw Angela give her a grateful glance in the rearview mirror, where the two shared the backseat.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quaint than Forks. But Jess and Angela knew it well, so they didn't plan to waste time on the picturesque boardwalk by the bay. Jess drove straight to the one big department store in town, which was a few streets in from the bay area's visitor-friendly face.

The dance was billed as semiformal, and we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Both Jess and Angela seemed surprised and almost disbelieving when Bella told them she'd never been to a dance in Phoenix. It made me smile fondly at our friends. They were good for my sister's terrible self-esteem.

"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend or something?" Jess asked dubiously as we walked through the front doors of the store.

"I left that stuff to Gracie." Bella tried to convince her, covering up for her dancing problems. "I've never had a boyfriend or anything close. I didn't go out much."

"Why not?" Jess demanded.

"No one asked me." She answered honestly.

She looked skeptical. "People ask you out here." She reminds her. "And you tell them no." We were in the juniors' section now, scanning the racks for dress-up clothes.

"Well, except for Tyler." I snort.

"Excuse me?" Bella gasped. "What did you say?"

"Tyler told everyone he's taking you to prom." Jess informed her with suspicious eyes.

"He said what?" Bella sounded like she was choking. She'd skipped straight past pink to purple.

"I told you guys it wasn't true." Angela murmured to us. Bella was dumfounded for a whole minute, but we had found the dress racks — I had work to do.

"That's why Lauren doesn't like you." Jess giggled while we pawed through the clothes.

"And you didn't say anything?" my sister whirled at me with betrayal in her eyes.

I shrugged. "I figured I must've missed him asking you. It's not like we're always together, it could've been true."

I knew what she meant with the look she was giving me. You know I hate dancing. You know I'm going to Seattle with Edward. "Well, you could've changed your mind. I kept forgetting to ask you about it, honestly."

Bella ground her teeth. "Do you think that if I ran him over with my truck he would stop feeling guilty about the accident? That he might give up on making amends and call it even?"

"Maybe." Jess snickered. "If that's why he's doing this." The dress selection wasn't large, but eventually we all had a few things to try on. Bella sat on a low chair just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror, while we flit in and out.

Jess was torn between two — on a long, strapless basic black number, the other a knee-length electric blue with spaghetti straps. Bella and I both encouraged the blue; she should be pulling all the stops. Angela chose a pale pink dress that draped around her tall frame nicely and brought out honey tints in her light brown hair. I fell in love with a red gown, only to find my meager b-cups could never hope to fill the bulging sweetheart neckline. I didn't dare wear it out of the changing room, sighing as I stared at myself in the mirror. This was always the problem. I was too tall for the stuff built for girls who were flat like me. The self-esteem boost of this morning was quickly wearing off, staring at the way I looked like an overgrown child wearing my mother's clothes again. If anyone noticed my foul mood as I came out and went looking through the racks, they didn't say anything. I ended up with a minty green satin number with double spaghetti straps. It was still a little loose around the chest and the hips, but the draped cut would allow me to cinch it a little with safety pins. At least, that was the hope.

We returned the rejects to their racks. The whole process was much shorter and easier than my usual shopping trips back home. I guess there was something to be said for limited choices. We headed over to shoes and accessories. I already had a pair of heels I could make work at home, so I didn't bother, secretly grateful the girls wouldn't notice how large my feet were if I had tried for shoes. I focused on looking through earrings, trying to find something within budget. Bella watched and critiqued, not in the mood to shop for herself, though I did nag her over the new shoes she needed. My sister seemed a little gloomy. But I couldn't ask about it from the jewelry counter, just out of hearing range with Jess. She found a set of rhinestone jewelry to match her silver shoes, and I'd tried not to bug out at the price tag I'd caught a peek at.

We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk, but the dress shopping hadn't taken as long as we'd expected. The new plan was to take our clothes back to the car and then drive around to find Jess' fan belt. But Bella interrupted, saying she would meet us at the restaurant in an hour — she wanted to look for a bookstore. We shifted our plans at once. I didn't trust Bella alone in Port Angeles. But Bella insisted we go looking for the 'belt thing' and maybe hit the boardwalk after. I reluctantly agreed — I knew what my sister was like when surrounded by books; it was something she had always preferred to do alone. I warned her to be careful and stick to the main roads with good lighting, walking off to the car with a bad feeling rattling my chest.

It didn't take long to find the right size fan-belt, on a strip of auto parts shops in an industrial area of town Jess and Angela were both eager to get out of. The shopkeeper had been startled when we'd walked in, three girls, and overeager to assist — but I already knew what I was looking for and my curt, straight-to-the-point tone veered him off. I was used to this. With the little side trip out of the way, we hit the boardwalk. It was pretty, but it was also freezing, sharp winds coming off the cold waves. I regretted my outfit choice, zipping up Adam's jacket, wishing my hair was longer like Jess and Angela's to give my neck more shelter. A few guys drinking beers at the end of the pier heckled us, but there were too many people around to feel unsafe. Jess and Angela huddled in closer regardless. I decided I wasn't going to pull out the mini skirt again unless I was sticking to Forks.

"Maybe I should take the necklace back. I've got one at home that would probably work, and I spent more than I was supposed to." Jess was starting to regret her big spend, and I was a little relieved. I didn't want her to get into trouble for it.

"I mean, you're only going to wear it once, you know?" I encouraged her.

"I don't mind going back to the store." Angela seals the deal. "Do you think Bella will be looking for us, though?"

"I think you underestimate what my sister's like in a bookstore." I chuckle knowingly. "We'll beat her to the restaurant for sure. And if not, well, she won't mind if we're a little late. She'll probably already have her nose in a book."

"We can be quick." Jess offered.

"Let's hurry, then." Angela said, and we turned around to double back.

We made it to La Bella Italia before the sun went down, but my sister was nowhere to be found. I'd been half-joking about Bella in bookstores before, and while it was fully possible my sister was still nestled away between aisles, I was worried. I didn't want her to walk alone back from the bookstore in the dark. Jess kept reassuring me, telling me it wasn't that far from the restaurant and that it was on a popular street so she'd be fine. My mind kept going back to those guys who'd heckled us on the boardwalk. Granted, Bella wasn't dressed like I was, but I was still scared. Jess tried to distract me by pushing for ordering instead of waiting for Bella, certain she wouldn't be long.

But every minute lingered. I couldn't really eat, eyes on the door, waiting for her to walk any minute. Angela seemed to share my concern as it turned into an hour later. It was well and truly dark now, and I called it. I needed to go find my sister.

Even Jess was worried now, so she didn't argue. We paid quickly, tugging our jackets back on and zipping up, heading off along the dark street to start looking for her. We'd hardly walked off before I heard her voice. "Gracie!"

Relief flooded my veins, spinning on my heel to see her waving her arm over her head to catch our attention. "Oh thank fuck."

"See? She's fine." but Jess' voice betrayed her relief as we rushed back, and then stopped, shocked, when we saw who was standing next to her.

Edward Cullen. In the dark of night, he had a little smile on his lips as his pitch black eyes zeroed straight in on me. Bella looked a little flushed. My mind flickered through all the movies again, lamely, comparing him to the likes of Michael Emerson and Louis de Pointe. I tried not to let my suspicion show on my face, imagining him skulking in the shadows, following her. Somehow this was more concerning than the guys on the pier.

Edward's expression grew suddenly very dark, and I averted my gaze from him to my sister. "Where have you been?"

It came out angrier than I meant it to, and Bella flinched. "I got lost. And then I ran into Edward." She waved a hand at him. Her tone was remarkably normal. Light, even.

Oh sure, he just 'happened' to be in the neighborhood.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" Edward seemed to ask me directly, voice soft — polite. He was doing something funny with his eyebrows as he said it.

"Er...sure." Jess agreed too quickly, sounding a little breathless. I shot her a quick scowl.

"Actually, we already ate." My tone was clipped, and my sister gave me a look. I shrugged. "We kept expecting you to walk in and join us, but you didn't."

Bella shrugged casually. "That's fine — I'm not hungry."

"I think you should eat something." Edward disagreed, seeming to look at her with immense care and concern in his creepy, dark eyes. They reminded me of sharks on the Discovery Channel. No one had eyes that dark. Still, he had a point. I didn't like the idea of Bella skipping dinner. She looked a little pale, and I didn't need her getting faint again. And then Edward turned to me again. "I could drive you both home tonight? That way, Angela and Jessica won't have to wait while your sister eats."

"Uh, no problem, I guess..." Jess stared intently at Bella, looking for some sign that this was what she wanted. Bella winked. I nearly did a double take — I'd never seen my sister wink before.

"Okay." Angela said quickly, in a hurry to be out of the way if that was what we wanted. "See you — "

"Actually, I think I'll go home with the girls." I cut in.

Edward frowned at me. "You don't want to wait for your sister?"

"We're twins, we're not conjoined." I repeat the usual comeback.

"It's okay, Gracie, stay." Jess seemed to be glad for a buffer between Bella and Edward, as if she didn't want this to be a date. "I'll bring your stuff to school tomorrow."

I frowned at her, ready to protest, but Bella tugs at my pinky. "Please."

I cave.

"See you guys tomorrow." Angela smiled at us, eyes lingering on Edward for a moment before she grabbed Jess' hand and began towing her away.

Jess' car was parked close by in a bright circle of light cast by a streetlamp. I watched them carefully, eyebrows furrowed, until they were safely in the car and away from Edward Cullen. Jess waved as she drove away, and I waved back. They had no idea what confrontation they were setting me up with. I watched the car disappear around the corner, hearing Bella take a deep breath behind me.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry." She said, but it wasn't to me. It was for Edward.

"What happened?" I cut the bullshit, eyes on him. He seemed surprised I wasn't asking my sister.

"Bella ran into some...trouble." his eyes darkened again, jaw clenching. "A bad group. I got there before anything happened."

My face must've turned into horror, because he continued on smoothly, voice still velvet. "I thought it best you were there for your sister tonight. I think she might still be in shock."

"I—oh Bells." I looked hopelessly at her, heart hammering as I tugged her to my chest, cradling her head against me. "I can't leave you alone for a minute."

Edward's lips twitched up at that. "She does seem to have a terrible habit of finding trouble."

"It was fine, nothing happened." Bella shoved out of my embrace, cheeks red. "I just took a wrong turn."

"Where's your pepper spray?" I frown at her.

"In my bedside table." She admits sheepishly, and I roll my eyes. "Please don't tell Charlie."

I sigh, nodding, forcing myself to relax. And then I turn to Edward. "Thank you."

His eyebrows quirk upward. "That's twice you've saved my sister's life now."

He smiles again. "I wouldn't keep counting."

I smiled back at that. At least he had humor for a dead guy. I turned to Bella again. "Come on, you're eating something."

"Gracie-" She began to groan, but I cut her off with a look. She huffed, but followed me to the door of La Bella Italia. Edward seemed to be watching us interact with clear amusement.

They lingered together, behind me, as I led them to the podium where the same hostess from earlier waited. Unlike her earlier boredom, she lit up this time. I had no doubt it had to do with the walking dreamboat behind me. "Hi again. Table for three?"

She seemed startled, as if she hadn't even noticed me there. "Oh, er, yes. Welcome to La Bella Italia. Please follow me." She was very distracted.

She led us to the same family-sized table in the middle of the most crowded part of the restaurant that the girls and I had just left from. It had been cleaned up and reset for four again. I had already moved to slip into a chair when Edward Cullen caught my elbow, startling me. He shook his head subtly, his other hand holding a bill out toward the hostess. "Perhaps something more private?"

She started, surprised, and then her hand curled around the tip. "Sure."

As we walked toward the back of the restaurant, she kept casting glances between Edward and me. I grew a little amused. Wrong twin, hun. She offered us a booth in a quiet corner of the restaurant where no one would be able to see us. I didn't like the idea of privacy with a vampire, but I knew there were too many people around for him to do anything. And he was in my good books tonight, for saving Bella again. I was more preoccupied with worrying over her.

Was she paler than usual? Was she shivering because she was cold, or because she had PTSD? I'd technically never promised not to tell Charlie, maybe I should. I was too scared to ask if it was the same guys from the pier, worried it'd be too much for her right now to bring it up. But if I did, maybe I'd save someone else tonight. I should definitely report it to Charlie. Figure out a way to exclude Bella, maybe. Say it was me instead.

"How's this?" the hostess asked, pulling me out from my spiral.

"Perfect." Edward smiled widely at her, baring his perfect teeth.

The poor thing was dazzled, taking a moment to recover. "Um...your server will be right out." She wandered away, listing slightly to the side. I watched with a twisted sense of schadenfreude.

"You really shouldn't do that to people." Bella disapproved. "It's hardly fair."

Edward turned back to her, adorably puzzled. I liked them together. They looked nice, staring into each other's eyes. "Do what?"

"Dazzle them like that — she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now."

I slipped into the booth first, Bella coming in next to me. Edward slipped in the other side, staying closer to the edge, angling his body so he was facing Bella. Cute. He still seemed confused about what he'd done.

"Oh, come on." Bella chided him. "You have to know the effect you have on people."

I was a little proud to be immune.

"I dazzle people?" He picked at the word, sounding unsure.

"You haven't noticed?" Bella asked, still critical. "Do you think everybody gets their way so easily?"

"Do I dazzle you?" His voice was still velvet, eyes sparkling. I'd noticed the change when we'd come into the restaurant. Gold again. Bright and liquid and clear.

Bella blushed. "Frequently."

I snorted.

"Hello." I got saved from the lovebirds by the waitress, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished behind the scenes, and this new girl didn't look disappointed. She flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth. "My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?"

I was amused yet again. She was speaking only to Edward, and Bella got annoyed at once. But Edward won a brownie point then, looking only at Bella. In fact, he'd hardly noticed the very pretty girl.

"I'll have a coke?" Bella asked more than said.

"Two cokes." Edward supplied.

"Jack and coke." I surprise both Edward and Bella, though he looks more disapproving than shocked. I shrugged. I needed some liquid courage. "You're driving."

"I'll be right back with that." She assured Edward with another unncecessary smile. Edward didn't see it, looking at me with concern.

"You shouldn't drink underage." He admonished me, voice still soft.

"I shouldn't do a lot of things." I brush off easily. I wasn't going to get judged by the undead. I turn to Bella. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Bella waved off.

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold...?" Edward was very intense.

"Should I?" My sister frowned.

Edward chuckled at her puzzled tone. "I think I can speak for your sister as well as myself when I say we're both waiting for you to go into shock."

"I don't think that will happen." Bella was a little breathless, and I noticed why late — Edward was smiling at her. "I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things."

Like fishing trips with Charlie. My mind flickered to a memory of one of the times Bella had fallen out of the canoe. My lips twitched.

"Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you."

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stood with her back to me and Bella as she placed them on the table, leaning unnecessarily low — I could imagine the eyeful Edward would be getting, if he could manage to tear his gaze from my sister. At least the feeling was mutual there. "Are you ready to order?"

"Bella?" He asked. Amber turned unwillingly to me, as if I were the obvious choice, looking visibly affronted when my sister spoke instead.

"Um...I'll have the mushroom ravioli."

"Nothing for me, thank you." I tack on.

"And you?" She turned back to Edward with a smile.

"Nothing for me either." He said. Of course not.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile was still in place, but he wasn't looking at her, and she left dissatisfied.

"Drink." He ordered my sister. I was already biting the end off a breadstick. Bella sipped at her soda obediently, and then drank more deeply, until the glass was entirely empty. Edward pushed his coke toward her, frowning a little. I was concerned too. Thirst, or shock?

She drank a little more while I sipped at my spiked coke, swirling the ice in my glass. My sister shuddered.

"Are you cold?" Edward said, and I was already unzipping Adam's jacket.

"It's just the Coke — Gracie keep that damn thing on, there are kids here." Bella glowered at me, but shivered again, her lips trembling slightly as if her teeth were about to chatter. I roll my eyes, zipping back up again. I threw an arm over her shoulder instead, rubbing her bicep. The v-neck blouse was too thin now, just like my outfit had kept me freezing all afternoon.

Edward looked upset. "Don't you have a jacket?"

"She left it in Jess' car." I supply. He pulled off his jacket, a nice light beige leather one that looked like it cost a small fortune. Underneath it, he wore an ivory turtleneck sweater. It fit him snugly, emphasizing how muscular his chest was. He looked like a male model.

He handed Bella the jacket, careful to aim it over the bread basket and our glasses. Bella flushed.

"Thanks." She slid her arms into his jacket, but it didn't seem to help. She shivered again, and I regretted sliding away from her. The sleeves were much too long, of course; she shoved them back so she could free her hands.

"That color blue looks lovely with your skin." he said, eyes never leaving her. I suppressed the urge to gag at the line, drinking a healthier gulp of coke and whiskey.

I pushed the bread basket toward Bella.

"Really, I'm not going into shock." She protested.

"You should be — a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." Edward seemed unsettled. But his eyes stayed golden, that same pretty butterscotch as Rosalie's.

"I feel very safe with you." Bella confessed, her voice airy again. Ugh.

But her words seemed to displease him; his alabaster brow furrowed. He shook his head, frowning.

"This is more complicated than I'd planned." He murmured to himself. I drank again, watching him.

And then I spring on him. "You're usually in a better mood when your eyes are so light."

He turned to me, stunned. "What?"

"Your sister." I say, voice a little stronger. Liquid courage. "She's bitchier when her eyes are black — I expect it then. She scowls more. She looks sadder when her eyes are light. I have a theory about that."

Edward's eyes flicked between me and Bella, eyebrows narrowed. "Have you been sharing these theories with each other?"

"Mm-hmm." Bella chewed on a small bite of the bread, trying to look indifferent.

"I hope Grace is more creative than you." Edward's lips twitched upward, a faint mocking smile. "Or do you steal from comic books like your sister?"

I flushed. "Actually, that was one of mine. Well, it was a joke. I called you Clark Kent."

"But you do have theories." Edward pressed.

"One." It wasn't a theory if I believed it, though. "We didn't come up with it this time, well, not on our own."

"And?" He prompted.

But then the waitress strode around the partition with Bella's food. I hadn't noticed that they'd been leaning towards each other across the table, not until both Bella and Edward straightened up as she approached. I leaned even further back, settling against the corner of the booth, nearly-empty glass in hand. She set the dish down in front of Bella — it looked pretty good, I'd have to remember to order that next time instead of the lasagne — and turned quickly to Edward.

"Did you change your mind?" She asked. "Isn't there anything I can get you?" God, she was shameless.

"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." He gestured with a long white hand to the empty cups in front of Bella, turning to me, "another drink, Grace?"

I nodded, grateful.

"Sure." She removed the empty glasses and waited for me to drain the last gulp of my jack and coke, handing it to her with a smile. She walked away briskly.

"You were saying?" Edward asked.

"Not here." I shook my head. "In the car."

"If..." Bella added, and then paused.

"There are conditions?" He raised one eyebrow, his voice ominous.

"I don't know about Gracie, but I have a few questions. Of course." Bella flushed.

"Of course."

The waitress was back with two more Cokes and my drink. She sat them down without a word this time, and left again. At least she had finally got the hint.

Bella took a sip.

"Well, go ahead." He pushed, his voice still hard.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?"

I rolled my eyes at that one, snorting softly. Bella glanced my way with a frown, but I just drank. It was a waste of a question, he'd obviously stalked her. Wasn't that kind of Vampire 101?

Edward looked down, folding his large hands together slowly on the table. His eyes flickered up at me from under his lashes, the hint of a smirk on his face, as if he had read my mind. I frowned. But he had already turned to my sister. "Next."

"But that's the easiest one." Bella objected.

"Next." He repeated. I chuckled.

Bella looked down, frustrated. She unrolled her silverware, picked up her fork, and carefully speared a ravioli. She put it in her mouth slowly, still looking down, chewing while she considered her next question. I waited patiently, watching her swallow and take another sip of Coke before she finally looked up at him again.

"Okay, then." I was amused at her ire, glaring at him, continuing slowly. "Let's say, hypothetically of course, that...someone...could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know — with a few exceptions."

I blanched white. Wait, what?

Bella hadn't talked to me about this. What did she mean — him? My eyes turned to Edward with a little bit of mortified horror. Shit.

But he made no outward sign of telepathy. "Just one exception." He corrected her, "Hypothetically."

He must mean Bella. He was staring at her.

"All right, with one exception, then." Bella was struggling to hide her delight. "How does that work? What are the limitations? How would...that someone...find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know she was in trouble?"

"Hypothetically?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Well, if...that someone..."

"Let's call him 'Joe'." I offer up.

He smiled wryly. "Joe, then. If Joe had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

Bella sulked. "We were speaking of a hypothetical case." She reminded him frostily. I laughed with him, our eyes warm.

"Yes, we were." I tease. "Should we call you 'Jane'?"

"How did you know?" Bella asked, unable to curb her intensity. She was leaning toward him again.

He wavered, seemingly torn by some internal dilemma. His eyes were locked with Bella, and I guessed he was making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell us the truth.

"You can trust me, you know." Bella murmured. She reached forward to touch his folded hands, but he slid them away minutely, and she pulled her hand back.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." His voice was almost a whisper, and then his eyes flickered to me. There was an air of respect in his next sentence. "I underestimated your sister. She's much more observant than you are."

Bella's lips twitched. "I thought you were always right."

"I used to be." He shook his head again. "I was wrong about you, too. You're not a magnet for accidents — that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

Truer words had never been spoken.

"And you put yourself into that category?" Bella guessed. Duh. His face turned cold, expressionless. "Unequivocally." Bella stretched her hand across the table again — ignoring him when he pulled back slightly once more — to touch the back of his hand with her fingertips.

"Thank you." Her voice was fervent with gratitude. "That's twice now."

His face softened. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"

Bella scowled, but nodded. I chuckled. Knowing my sister, there was definitely going to be a third. He moved his hand out from under Bella's, placing both of his under the table. But he leaned toward her.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," he admitted, speaking in a rush. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Grace seems to make it through the day without so many catastrophes, and she's your twin." He paused. They stared at each other, lovestruck, as if he'd just admitted he loved her and not that he'd stalked my sister. I scrunched my nose up at the two of them, drinking more.

"Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and that you've been interfering with fate?" Bella speculated, half-joking.

"That wasn't the first time." I spoke up, voice soft. They both looked at me. "Our first day of school."

Edward's gaze darkened, and he nodded, affirming my silent look for confirmation. Bella looked jostled.

"You remember?" he asked me, his angel's face grave.

"Yes." I was exceptionally calm.

"And yet here you sit." There was a trace of disbelief in his voice; he raised one eyebrow.

I shrug.

"And somehow you knew how to find me today...?" Bella prompted, seeming to want the conversation to turn.

Edward pressed his lips together, staring at Bella through narrowed eyes, deciding again. His eyes flashed down to her full plate, and then back to her.

"You eat, I'll talk," he bargained.

Bella quickly scooped up another singular ravioli and popped it in her mouth.

"It's harder than it should be — keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone easily, once I've heard their mind before." He looked at Bella anxiously, and I noticed she had frozen. She swallowed hard, and then stabbed another ravioli and tossed it in.

"I was keeping tabs on you." His eyes flicker to me, and I feel the rush of panic. He smiles. "Don't worry, it's not the same. You're a very...visual thinker. It's rare I catch any words. It's quite refreshing for me."

I wasn't sure if I was placated. "I usually try to stay out of your mind when you're with your boyfriend."

Thank god. I nod at him, and he gets that he's off the hook, turning back to Bella. "So I watched through Grace's eyes for the most part, not carefully — like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles — and at first I didn't notice when you took off on your own. Then, when I realized that you weren't with your sister anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in Jessica Stanley's head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in, and that you'd gone South...and I knew you would have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street — to see if anyone had noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried... but I was strangely anxious..." He was lost in thought, staring past us, seeing things I couldn't imagine.

"I started to drive in circles, still...listening. The sun was finally setting, and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then — " He stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury. He made an effort to calm himself.

"Then what?" Bella whispered. He continued to stare over my head.

"They were after your sister first." Edward growled, his upper lip curling slightly back over his teeth. I went stone still. "They saw her on the pier...I heard what they'd been thinking, planning for her, but she lost them. I thought she was safe. They were prowling town for her. But they found you. I saw your face in his mind." He suddenly leaned forward, one elbow appearing on the table, his hand covering his eyes. The movement was so swift it startled me.

"It was very... hard — you can't imagine how hard — for me to simply take you away, and leave them... alive." His voice was muffled by his arm. "I could have let you both go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them." He admitted in a whisper. I sat quietly, dazed, my thoughts incoherent, leaning weakly against the corner of the booth. I felt like jelly. My fingertips were buzzing, and I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the idea that I was being hunted and I never even knew it. "I'm still not sure...if I can stop myself. They'll be looking for you again by now."

"I need to call Charlie." I was a little breathless.

"I'll handle it." Edward promised, his vow sincere.

I frown. "You're not killing anyone for—"

"No." He cut me off before I could say 'me'. "But Carlisle will be able to handle it without violence. I just need you both to be...safe."

I still at that, but my heart was still thundering.

Edward turned to my sister. "Are you ready to go home?"

"I'm ready to leave." She qualified, tone severe. The waitress appeared as if she'd been called. Or watching.

"How are we doing?" She asked Edward.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." His voice was quiet, rougher, still reflecting the strain of our difficult conversation. It seemed to muddle her. He looked up, waiting.

"S-sure." she stuttered. "Here you go." She pulled a small leather folder from the front pocket of her black apron and handed it to him. There was a bill in his hand already. He slipped it into the folder and handed it right back to her.

"No change." He smiled. Then he stood up, and Bella scrambled awkwardly to her feet. They lingered just long enough to watch me neck down the half-glass of jack and coke I had forgotten in one gulp, the ice numbing my lips. Neither of them looked judgmental about it, and I let the buzz take the edge away from me as I followed Bella.

Amber smiled invitingly at Edward again. "You have a nice evening."

He didn't look away from Bella as he thanked her. My sister fought a smile. He walked close beside her to the door, still careful not to touch her, and I watched them while I kept the rear.

He opened the passenger door for Bella, while I slid myself into the backseat. The car was even nicer on the inside, and I let myself get distracted by its features as I waited for him to get in himself, starting the engine and turning the heater on high. It had gotten even colder somehow, and I guessed the good weather was at an end. I hugged myself in Adam's jacket, wishing he was here now.

Edward pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway.

"Now." He said significantly. "It's your turn."