BPOV.

It was a restless night at the Cullen house. We were all overcome with differed emotions. I didn't know what the rest of my family was thinking about, in particular Rosalie, because I hadn't spoken to her since Edward's departure. I knew that she had been angry with me since my return from Volterra, but the situation with Edward had made our relationship a lot worse. Part of me understood her anger, I knew the price of my mistake. The incident with Demetri was totally the result of my foolishness. I still felt ashamed of my gullibility. And while the others understood my motives and forgave me for my hasty decision, Rosalie kept blaming me. In her opinion, by escaping from Volterra, I put our entire clan on the black list of Aro. I didn't agree with her logic, if Aro actually had a blacklist, I was definitely the only one on it. I had rarely discussed my family with Demetrius, and Aro couldn't read my mind, so the main trio of Volterra hardly knew anything about the Cullens. Thus, while I understood why Rosalie had a vendetta against me, her comments about Edward infuriated me. She couldn't fathom how I could endanger the entire Cullen family because of some human when I rushed to protect him from bullets. This was the question to which even I didn't have answers to. Although one thing I knew for sure: I didn't regret what I had done.

My dear Alice, on the other hand, had a theory to explain my actions. She was sure that in the near future my friendship with Edward was to grow into something big. I didn't know whether to be happy or cry. After so many years of loneliness, I had finally met the right one. Who would have thought that my fate would be in the body of an eighteen-year-old boy. Deep down, I knew Alice was right. Something about Edward had attracted me from the first day we met. First, his appearance of course. His emerald eyes had caught me in their trap, which had taken me by surprise. Then I was drawn to his extraordinary life story. I had seen that Edward was constantly in a shackling tension, even when he had been distracted by studies or socializing with friends. I hadn't known then what was wrong with him, but my guesses had been far from the truth. But then, after all our conversations, I had realized that I just liked Edward. None of my family had understood why I had wasted my time talking to a human. I had been sure that the sidelong glances of all the Cullens hadn't gone unnoticed by Edward. However, despite everything, we had continued to get to know each other. At some point, I had realized that Edward's gaze began to linger on my lips longer during our conversations, sometimes he just tried to quietly look at me during the lessons. At first, I had been afraid that I had unwittingly made it clear to Edward that I was interested in him, while it hadn't been true. I had even been thinking about ending our communication until I had realized that my interest in him was real. Yet I had no idea what to do with that new information. My secret had made it impossible for me to hope for anything. I hadn't been able to tell Edward about me, and starting a relationship with a lie was unacceptable. But now that the truth had surfaced, could I count on anything? Did Edward want to keep communicating with a such creature like me? The way he had reacted to me confirmed his interest. I had seen Jasper's eyes nearly pop out of his head when he noticed how Edward tried to protect me from Rosalie's remarks. Or his reaction to my suggestion of a solo trip to Volterra. I had even considered asking my brother how Edward felt that evening, but I realized that wouldn't be fair. I wanted our relationship to develop naturally. Suddenly, my thought process was interrupted by a melodious knock on the door of my room. There was only one person in this family who knocked like that.

"Come in, Alice."

My sister walked towards me with a dancing step and sat down on the couch next to me.

"Put on the leggings we purchased a year ago today. They accentuate your butt." I rolled my eyes, yet didn't ignor the new information completely.

"Is that the only thing you wanted to tell me?"

"No, but that was the most important one. I've been thinking about what you should wear all morning. You'll look like a great athletic couple."

"We're not a couple, Alice."

"Not for long."

I decided not to comment on her words.

"So, what else did you want to tell me?"

"Jasper is going to meet Jenks tonight. I'll go with him, so he'll be more cooperative. I'm not quite sure what he'll be able to tell us yet, but I think we'll get the ball rolling."

This was great news. At that moment, our pseudo-lawyer was the only source of information.

"I'll pass this on to Edward. Hopefully we'll have more good news by tomorrow." I covered my face with my hands for a few seconds. "I hope the trail doesn't lead us to Volterra. I don't know what we'll do in that case."

"The future is not clear yet, but I know for sure that we cannot avoid meeting with the Volturri. No matter what guesses we make, I still see you in the throne room. But something tells me that the answer is not so simple, we need more information."

I silently nodded. I didn't yet know where our relationship with Edward would lead, but I was definitely determined to help his family. They didn't deserve to die at the hands of criminals.

"I re-read all the information about Albert Hill in open sources. He has numerous international partners and clients, yet everything he does is legal. One of them could be our lead. But it will be impossible to check everyone, this is confidential information."

"Bella, don't worry. The truth will come out, I feel it. It won't even take us long. The main thing is to keep looking for leads." Alice's eyes became a little cloudy, which means she saw some kind of vision. "Edward will call you in a couple of minutes so you can start packing. Those leggings are in the bottom drawer in the closet."

After these words, Alice ran out of my room at vampire speed. I silently went to look for that mentioned piece of clothing.

Five minutes later, my phone finally rang.

"Hello."

"Hi Bella." Edward's velvety voice came over my speaker.

"Hi Edward. How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you? Is your offer still valid?"

"Of course, just tell me where and when."

"I have a path into the forest in front of my house, I usually run there. I'm ready to go whenever it's convenient for you."

"I can be there in ten minutes."

"Great, then I'll wait for you."

I got ready in two minutes and ran out of the house without saying goodbye to anyone. I had never made it to Edward's house on my own two feet before, but I ran with such confidence that I felt like I'd done it hundreds of times. I was approaching his house just from the direction of the forest, so I immediately noticed Edward standing at the edge of it. He was wearing a black long-sleeved, tights and shorts. Edward had his back to me so he didn't see me.

"You look like a professional athlete." Edward flinched in surprise and quickly turned around.

"God, Bella. I almost died here!" I laughed at his reaction. "How did you even get here? I thought someone was going to give you a ride."

"It was faster to run." I shrugged.

Edward's eyes widened, but then he apparently remembered that I wasn't an ordinary person. He silently shook his head.

"Someday I'll get used to your vampire stuff, but not today." Edward gave me an appraising look, noticing my sports outfit for the first time. "Wow, I wouldn't be shocked if Sports Illustrated photographers started emerging from the woods right about now."

I laughed at his absurd compliment.

"Trust me, I'm too pale and too dressed for this wonderful magazine."

"I doubt someone would see you in the same way. And there actually are real athletes in their sports equipment, and not just tanned girls in swimsuits." Edward chuckled and took the first step towards the forest. "I've already warmed up a bit, and considering the fact that you ran from your house to mine, you probably don't need it."

"You are right."

"Then shall we start?"

I nodded and Edward and I began to slowly run forward. I already knew that Edward was running, but I didn't know that he continued to do this even in Forks. There were no running team at this school, and local athletes, if they could be called such, didn't train more than a couple of hours a week. But Edward ran for his own pleasure and benefit, not to achieve any awards or scholarships. It was admirable, I liked his healthy attitude towards sports. His love of running was also reflected in his figure, and explained his long legs and lean upper body.

After running a little, I decided that I would start speaking first, since I didn't need to keep my breathing even.

"Since I don't have to hold my breath, I can tell you a couple of things for now." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod in agreement. "Jasper and Alice are going to meet Jenks tonight, Alice is confident that the meeting will go well. It's not yet clear if he works directly with the Hill family, or someone he knows works with him, but Jenks definitely has some information on it."

I saw how intently Edward listened to my every word. I had no idea how hard it was for him to trust the safety of his family to strangers. So, we decided to keep Edward informed of all our decisions so that he knew that we were really trying to help them, he didn't need any more stress.

"If you want, you may come to us after school tomorrow and we'll go over all the new information, or I'll just tell you all our decisions at school."

"If you're all comfortable, then I'd better come." Edward answered only in a slightly breathless voice, even though we had been running for more than ten minutes.

"No problem." I interrupted our conversation to think about how we could better organize our movements for the next day. "Probably, I'll come to school tomorrow with the guys in a BMW, I won't take my Mercedes. And then after class, I can drive with you in your Volvo to our house, I doubt you remember how to get to us."

Edward nodded again. For several minutes we ran side by side, moving further into the forest. We were both lost in thought until Edward suddenly stopped.

"I would probably like to take a break, and there seems to be a pleasant meadow to the side. Shall we sit down there?"

I was taken aback when I looked in the direction Edward was pointing. What he called a pleasant meadow was an incredibly beautiful place. It was the middle of spring, and the flowers were in bloom. The trees parted in this place, and the meadow was bathed in golden light. This place was from a fairy tale. It didn't fit into the usual rainy and gray Forks. I was about to gladly agree, when suddenly it dawned on me.

"It's sunny out there, Edward." I wasn't sure what intonation I used. On the one hand, I probably asked Edward whether he was ready to see how I looked in the sun. On the other hand, I tried to understand whether I was prepared to appear that way to him. Previously, my peculiarity didn't bother me much, except for what restrictions it imposed on my life. But now I was concerned about Edward's opinion of me.

"My eyesight is certainly not as good as yours, but I can see the sun too."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the sarcasm in Edward's voice.

"I'm very glad that you don't have any problems with your eyesight, but I'm talking about something else. You may have forgotten, but I sparkle in the sun."

"Ah…it." Edward ran a hand through his slightly damp hair. "In fact I didn't forget. If you don't mind, I'd want to look at you in the sun."

I gave it one final consideration and decided that if I wanted our relationship to progress, I'd have to do it eventually anyhow. I looked Edward in the eyes and silently walked towards the light. When I almost reached the beginning of the meadow, I turned to face Edward and took a step back. I instantly felt the warmth of the spring sun on my exposed parts of the body. Looking around, I almost missed Edward's reaction. At first, his eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly. His eyes flickered over my glowing skin. I didn't understand what exactly he was thinking at that moment, but at least he didn't run away from me screaming. Not knowing what to do, I tucked the loose strand of hair behind my ear. My action apparently knocked Edward out of his stupor and he took an uncertain step towards me. In a few steps, he covered the distance between us and froze in front of me.

There were traces of indecision on his face, which wasn't typical for Edward. Most of the time he looked so confident. Then he raised his hand even more uncertainly to my face, but then lowered it a little.

"Can I touch you? Your skin looks so... beautiful. You look beautiful." I held my breath at his words. He wasn't put off by my looks! Even with such a vivid reminder of how different we are, he still thought I was beautiful.

"Yes."

With my positive responses, Edward's hand was instantly on my cheek. He looked at me like I was the eighth wonder of the world. The warmth of his palm warmed me as it seemed from the inside. As he studied my face, I melted into the sensations of his touch. If I had any concerns about Edward's place in my life before, then at that moment I could safely claim that he was my mate. No one else had been able to evoke such feelings in me with a single touch. All my skin, where Edward's fingers had previously been, seemed to be on fire. I wished that Edward would lower his hand so that my entire body could be explored with his thin, long fingers. I felt his touches on my cheeks, on my lips, on my neck. At some point, I couldn't take it anymore. My eyes opened involuntarily and I met Edward's darkened eyes. He had a deep breath that burned my face. I wanted to be even closer to him, my body was torn with desire. But we both knew that I couldn't afford to do what our bodies asked for. There were two ways out of this situation, one of which was to run away. But I chose the second. In one swift motion, I moved closer to Edward's face. He inhaled sharply, but not out of fear. The expression on his face told me what I needed. With another sharp movement, I connected our lips.

It was the best kiss I had ever had in my entire life. Not for a second did I forget that Edward was incredibly fragile, but even with all the limitations, it was incredible. I couldn't tell how much time had passed, but I was snapped out of my heavenly delight by Edward's groan.

"Oh my god, did I hurt you?" I urgently began to study Edward for signs of damage. His lips were a bit swollen, but overall he looked fine.

"Um, I..." Edward's cheeks turned red. "It was a slightly different moan. I'm definitely fine." It was hard to believe, but Edward's face turned even redder.

At first, I didn't understand what Edward was hinting at. But then the meaning of his words came to me and I couldn't help smiling.

"God, Bella, you can maybe smile a little less. I get it, you just gave me the best kiss I've ever had, but you're embarrassing me."

I laughed at his words. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Really the best kiss?" Edward nodded silently. I smiled even wider. "That was my best kiss too.

Edward raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he didn't believe me.

"Even better than with that dude from Italy?"

"Demetri?!" How could he even compare them. "He wasn't even close."

"I have a hard time believing that I can kiss better than a god-knows-how old vampire."

I frowned at his words.

"Edward, Demetri may be more experienced than you, but it doesn't mean anything. Trust me, you didn't have any problems with the kissing technique. And the most crucial thing that Demetri and I lacked but that I have with you is a special connection. I know you feel it too. Our kisses with him were empty. You don't know everything about vampires, and for now I don't want to tell you one specific piece of information. But when you find out, you will understand that everything I say is true."

"Why don't you want to tell me about it now?"

"I have my reasons."

I didn't want Edward to know about mates. This information could affect his feelings, and I would like him to love me of his own accord not because of a sense of duty. Edward was clearly unhappy with my answer, but he decided not to put pressure on me. I held back the urge not to start kissing Edward again. In order not to succumb to temptation, I moved to the middle of the meadow. Edward followed me, looking around.

"Such a beautiful place, we'll have to run here again." Edward nodded in agreement.

"I often run here, but I've never gone beyond the track."

I thought of Edward running alone in the woods and frowned. The forest was not a safe place.

"I wouldn't run alone in the woods if I were you. Besides us, there are other vampires here."

The thought that something might happen to Edward caused me almost physical pain.

"I never thought that in such a quiet city could be some other danger besides wild animals."

I shrugged.

"Danger can be waiting for you everywhere. You know this better than anyone."

Edward sat down on the young grass of the meadow. I sat next to him. The sun was no longer as bright, but it still shone on my skin. Edward gently took my hand and ran his finger along my palm.

"Does the fact that we feel some kind of connection that you don't want to tell me about mean that my attraction is not one-sided?" Edward looked into my eyes.

I smiled and leaned closer to him.

"Didn't my kiss say it for me?" After all, I was the one who initiated the kiss.

"Just wanted to clarify." Edward smiled a slightly wry smile, and this time he leaned in for the kiss first. "I hope my kiss says it all to you too."

I laughed and laid my head on Edward's shoulder. I liked listening to his deep breathing and the beating of his heart.

"Don't you find it hard to be so close to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Emmett opened every window in the car that could be opened. He said that despite your diet, you still have a hard time being around people."

"It's different for everyone. You really smell more than just, um, edible for me. But I have excellent self-control, and even more so I understand that you are a person, a living and thinking being. For our family, this is important. Therefore, I don't experience any desire to bite you." I tried to explain it to him with some other examples. "Let's say your friends would abruptly start to smell like your favorite food, but you would understand that they are your friends. Could you kill them?"

"Of course not. But I understand why it can be difficult."

I didn't mention the fact that Edward is more than just a friend to me.

"But on the positive side, I can say that you smell very nice. Something vaguely reminiscent of honey and citrus. I could make a lot of money if I sold a similar perfume."

Edward laughed and nuzzled the top of my head, inhaling theatrically.

"I wouldn't confuse your smell with anyone either. Even my human sense of smell detects some flowers. The most pleasant bouquet I have ever smelled."

"I've been told several times that I smell like freesia, some citrus and peonies."

"Sounds like the truth. As I said, the best bouquet."

After a couple of minutes, we decided to walk back towards Edward's house, as he still had to get ready for school. All the way we talked about some little things, and made fun of each other. Suddenly, Edward became serious.

"Bella, I don't know how it works in your vampire world, but I know how it works here. That's why I want to know. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I smiled.

"Only if you will be my boyfriend."

Edward laughed but nodded his head. Those human terms didn't seem to even come close to describing how I felt about him, but they could work for now. We reached the place where we met a few hours ago.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye yet, but my parents are at home." Edward looked so sad, but I guess I looked no better.

Suddenly, an idea struck me and I bit my lip uncertainly.

"Your room is on the second floor, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"What if I told you that I could sneak in there without your parents knowing?"

Edward perked up at my words and smiled.

"I would say why are we still standing in this dark forest, if we could have been already in my room for a long time."

I laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Then go to your room and open the window for me."

Edward silently turned around and ran towards the house, faster than I had ever seen.