Chapter 7

Port Angeles

I was interrupted by Alice. It must have been something important if she was intentionally seeking me out instead of just waiting at our meeting place.

I saw a vision playing in her head before she could reach me. Bella would be in danger tonight. I cursed out loud and without saying anything to Alice, I turned around and started running in the direction of Port Angeles.

The sun was setting now and I hoped it would be down completely by the time I reached the city. In the vision Alice showed me it was dark. I stole a pair of pants and a shirt from a little town on the way and tore my own as I was running through the Olympic National Park. I put the new clothes on, feeling lucky that the pants fit right. The shirt was larger than what I usually wore but it didn't matter at that moment. The sun was out already, and I feared I might be too late. Where was Stefan?! Why would he let his sister walk alone in a rundown part of Port Angeles, especially in the dark?!

I got into Port Angeles on foot and went to the area Alice showed me in her vision, hiding in the shadows of taller buildings and trees. This was the hard part, but I needed to get to her. I caught her scent within ten minutes and followed it further. At first, there was no one around, some distant thoughts of pedestrians. All of them seemed to be avoiding this area of town. After a second I realised why. It was an industrial area, with factories and storing garages only. Why would Bella even be here?

I heard the thoughts then. Four minds, four men. And the things they were thinking…I couldn't even dare say those to myself. These disgusting human beings were the ones Alice saw.

I rushed then, not a care in my mind that someone might see a flash of my figure darting in front of them. The four men will be dead tonight. I was getting close and that's when something changed. I couldn't hear one of the guys anymore.

"What have you done, you stupid bitch?" I heard a man yell. I finally turned the corner and there they were.

"Go to sleep," Bella spoke calmly, not an ounce of fear in her voice. "And you're going to follow his example."

I saw a burly guy with greasy hair fall as though he got frozen in one space.

"You won't remember what happened here and you will never try a thing like that again," Bella spoke just as calmly. "You feel very tired now."

The greasy guy fell down next to his friend. I straightened in shock. What did she do?

And just when she lost her stare on the other two men, I saw one of them take out a knife from his pocket. I got out of my hiding spot behind the corner and ran in front of Bella at the best speed that could still be considered somewhat human.

The second man screamed, I heard Bella gasp behind me as the first man's blade came upon me. I turned my body just slightly, but the weapon missed still. I looked at the two men in front of me now ready to tear them both limb to limb.

"Edward." A woman's voice spoke, but I didn't recognize it. I could feel the animal inside me rise again. It was marveling at the idea of ending these lowlifes.

"Edward, please." The soft voice asked again.

The venom started piling in my mouth…and then something touched my hand. The warm shock went through my entire being, calming down the enraged beast. Bella. I relaxed my posture but didn't turn my head. I couldn't let these humans escape.

"Nothing happened today." Bella peered her head beside me. "If you ever think about doing what you did today, you're going to stick a fork into your thigh as hard as you can."

The man's eyes glazed over and they continued standing there until Bella told them to run as fast as they could.

"Let's go," Bella spoke calmly and quietly. I had to repeat what had just happened to me. Did she know some kind of hypnosis? But she had no watch or soothing music or anything else that humans could do. Was that the reason why I couldn't hear her thoughts?

Regeneration, immortality (still questionable), hypnosis, impenetrable mind, unappealing blood, what was she? What creature possessed those qualities?

How could it be that the more I knew Bella, the more questions I had, and the more unexplainable things kept happening to me? It should've been the other way around, shouldn't it? I was the vampire, the unexplainable dark creature of the night. How come I was the one that was questioning everything I ever knew?

"Edward," Bella called to me again and I slowly turned around. The look in her eyes couldn't be deciphered. There was pain and worry but also gratitude. I was so scared for the last few hours, so concerned for her safety, I couldn't stand being away from her, not when she was here in front of me unharmed.

"Bella." I breathed and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to me. I contained myself, afraid I was going to push too tight. "I was so worried about you." I breathed out and pulled her away, keeping a hold on her shoulders. I dared to look into her big brown eyes then and noticed there was a glint of amusement and happiness present.

"How did you know where I was?" She asked and then immediately looked over me and made a comical face. "Better question yet, what in the hell are you wearing?"

I looked at Bella's attire and noted that I was significantly underdressed. Her grey woolen pea coat was buttoned all the way up, a soft-looking black scarf was barely visible underneath it. Surely, in only a cotton shirt I would have to be very cold.

"God, you're freezing cold." Bella gasped, placing her soft, just slightly warmer than mine, hand on my cheek. I was dead, how come she was so cold? "C'mon, let's find somewhere we can talk."

Unwillingly, I followed her lead. Bella intertwined our fingers and pulled our joined hands into the pocket of her coat. She walked fast, making the right turns to get us out of the industrial area and into a busier street. I could hear her heart beating faster than usual in her chest the entire twenty minutes we spent walking in complete silence. Finally, at the last turn, we made it to a soft-lit parking lot and Bella released the hold on my hand and reached into her purse to grab the car keys.

I got into the car quietly, not sure what exactly I was supposed to do now. How can I explain this situation? How can I explain the way I found her, or how I got to the city in the first place...Rose was surely going to rip my head off after tonight.

It didn't matter. I decided. Bella was safe, she was safe.

Bella sat down in the driver's seat and turned the car on, immediately turning on the heater.

"It'll be warm soon." She promised.

"It's okay, I'm not that cold," I spoke finally.

"Yeah, sure you're not." She deadpanned. "How did you know how to find me?" She switched the topic.

"I can't…It's just…It's not my secret to tell." I half-lied. I hated doing it, especially to Bella, but her knowing would put her in so much danger.

"I am getting pretty tired of all these secrets between us," Bella gave me a look.

"I know and I agree," I admitted, rubbing my face in frustration.

I could tell her the truth, couldn't I? Rose would be pissed, but…Bella isn't human, surely the Volturi wouldn't care if she knew. Two sides of me were battling now, and the irrational one was winning.

I wanted to tell her so badly, my entire being begged me to tell her the truth, to stop the lies...Could Bella be safer if she knew what I was, could she live with this truth?

"Where's your car?" Bella asked, making me sigh in defeat.

"Back in Forks," I pushed my fingers through my hair.

"How did you even get here then? Weren't you supposed to be camping in the mountains somewhere?"

"What did you do to those men?" I decided to switch the topic.

"Hypnosis." Her answer was quick and easy. If it wasn't for her heart-flattering when she spoke those words, I would have believed her. After all, it was my original explanation for the way she made those men act.

"Somehow, I don't believe that," I spoke calmly.

She snorted. "Tough luck, I don't expose information for free."

"Fine then." I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

"Fine." She agreed and started driving.

I stole a glance at Bella a couple of times during the drive. She looked angry, her lips pressed tight, eyebrows furrowed making a small crinkle right in between them appear. Her right arm was stretched out, holding the steering wheel at the bottom of the base. Her speedometer went way past the speed limit and she constantly switched lanes to overpass the traffic.

"Slow down," I spoke calmly when I heard the thoughts of a cop in the distance.

"No."

"There will be a cop in about 8 miles, slow down," I revealed quietly. She already had too many questions for me, what's one more? Especially if my instruction gets her out of a ticket.

Bella snorted, not quite believing me, but reluctantly she followed my advice and got to the speed limit just in time. We bypassed the patrol car and she looked at me waitingly.

"You can speed now." I waved my hand in the air and immediately she pushed on the gas.

We were nearing Forks now, I could see uncertainty in her movements now.

"Where to?" Bella asked reluctantly.

"Do you remember how to get to my place?"

The uneasy silence was crushing me. Being with Bella, even when we didn't talk, was comfortable, but not right now, not since the van almost hit her. There was no feeling of understanding and kinship in the air anymore, just a feeling of innuendo and pain.

We were getting close to my house, we just needed to turn into the gravel road up ahead. She made a turn easily, which surprised me. In the nighttime, it was almost impossible to see, even with my vampire senses. Bella drove up to the house and stopped the car.

"Bella." I started. I had to say something to get rid of the strange feeling between us. "I'm sorry I can't tell you the truth."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why can't you tell me the truth?" She asked annoyed. "Believe me, Edward, I can keep a secret."

"I wish it was that easy." I took a breath. Her scent washed over me, soothing my soul and unclouding my mind.

"Fine, don't tell me your secret, Edward, I can respect it if you want privacy. But tell me something. Tell me something that would make me understand why you rushed to Port Angeles to save me. Give me a reason to hold on to this." She pointed at me and then herself.

I looked away and took another unnecessary breath. I couldn't lose her. Bella's eyes were watery, I could tell she was holding herself back from crying. My heart ripped in two. I was the reason for this, my inability to tell her the truth was the reason for all of this. I should've never invited her to sit with my family at lunch, I should've never gotten so close to her. I was a monster, only bringing suffering and heartbreak to everyone I ever met. How could I do this to her? Out of all people in this world, why did it have to be Bella Salvatore?

"Trying to find you was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life and I was so afraid I was going to be late." I started slowly and looked at her face again. Those chocolate-brown eyes followed my lips as I talked. "I searched Port Angeles…I was planning to stay low, just be there in case what Alice saw would actually happen. But when I heard what those men were thinking…I got mad at them and at myself for not getting there sooner. And when we got into the car I got even more mad, just thinking that those excuses for men are still alive after what they tried to do to you. I am sorry you had to go through that, I am sorry I wasn't there with you in the first place, and...And I'm so sorry for my inability to tell you the truth."

Bella didn't speak for a while. She looked at me with unknown feelings in her eyes, processing my passionate speech in her head.

"How old are you?" Bella's first question was uncalled for and totally unexpected.

"Seventeen."

She looked at me with disbelief.

"I like spending time with you." Bella cleared her throat. "Having someone in your life who doesn't know your secrets is very refreshing. I'm not going to ask how you found me or what did you mean by 'when I read their thoughts' or even why you're lying about your age. I won't even ask how you got to me so fast in the parking lot. Can we just go back to talking? I've missed that."

I nodded and saw her smile shyly. Such a small gesture, but it warmed my cold unbeaten heart. If Bella was willing to forget all her questions about my strange behavior, I could take her hypnosis lie as a truth…At least for now.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She spoke finally.

"Goodnight Bella." I turned to leave her car, but her hand reached for mine again.

"Edward…" Bella called quietly. "...thank you for worrying enough to come find me."

"Always," I promised and my promise was truthful. I would always worry for her, always care what was happening to her, and I would always find her. Even if she finds out the truth and rejects me. I will always be there, hiding in the shadows, ready to protect her from whatever harm comes her way. That was the promise I made myself.

I quickly threw the new clothes in the garbage and jumped in the shower. I let the hot water run through my hair, the dirt from today's hunt, and a little debris were flowing away into the sewage.

I dried myself and put on my own clothes, feeling somewhat satisfied with how today went.

I heard my phone vibrate on my desk and went to look at the message.

"You should go check on Bella;)"

"Alice." I chuckled to myself, but if Alice told me it would be a good idea…

I jumped out of my window and ran through the forest to the Salvatore house. I could hear Caroline and Stefan talking downstairs. They were discussing someone named Josie and Lizzie Saltzman and how fast the two were growing. Maybe Caroline's kids? I switched my hearing to the other parts of the house, but instead of any more talking I just heard a heartbeat upstairs. That must have been Bella.

I climbed a tree closest to her bedroom window and hid behind the branches. Bella was lying on her bed, reading a book. She had a full glass on her bedside cabinet and I cringed my nose involuntarily. What was it with teenage drinking in this friend group?

There was no movement in her room for a few hours, except for the page turning and the occasional sips she took.

"Night, Ara," Stefan called.

"Night Steff," Bella replied softly and glanced at the clock. She sighed and put her book away, turning off the light in her bedroom. Her breathing became slower in just a few minutes and I decided to do the most outrageous thing I've done so far. I jumped.

Her window was wide open already and I sneaked through it. Bella was still sleeping, her steady breathing and quiet mumbling were making me wish again that I still had the ability to dream. Her scent enveloped the room and I wandered around. The book she was reading, "Wuthering Heights" looked old and very well-read. There weren't many pictures in the room. One on her bedside table looked old, it was black and white, with a grown man in the middle. He was holding the hand of a woman in her late 30s and below them were three little kids. Two boys and a girl with a heart-shaped face and curly dark brown hair. She must have been only 5 or 6 in the picture, but I could already see the resemblance between her and Bella. Could this girl be her?

I lost myself. Completely lost myself when I saw the writing underneath the picture. "Salvatore family, 1847". That must have been Giuseppe Salvatore with his wife Lillian that I read about, but the three kids…There wasn't a mention of their names. I didn't know what Bella's older brother looked like and the smallest boy was just about a year old, but I could tell his hair was lighter than the rest of his family…It couldn't be, could it? They were immortal.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Bella's voice made my body freeze. Crap! Oh, that was very bad.

I turned slowly and opened my mouth to say something when the door to her room flew open. Stefan, Caroline, and another man rushed into the room and the man, who looked older than the rest of the group, pinned me to the nearby wall.

"Okay, let's not put a hole through my wall, Damon." Bella's voice barely registered in my head since I was looking at a man whose mysterious death I had been trying to solve for the past 3 weeks.

"You?" I was shocked. "How are you alive?"

"I am a vampire, what's your excuse?"

Damon is here! Anyone else excited or is it just me? Please review!