Hello everyone! I'm so thrilled you've decided to read this story. It's been on my mind for months, and I'm excited to finally bring it to life. I ask for your patience as I juggle a full-time job, but I promise I'll see this story through to the end. If you haven't had a chance to check out my recently completed story, feel free to give it a read as well! Thank you for your support!
This story will be entirely in Edwards point of view. The first scene takes place after Edward saves Bella from the alley and they meet her friends at the restaurant. Hope you enjoy! :) (I do not own Twilight...)
"I think Bella should eat something..." I trail off, glancing at her, hoping to get a moment alone.
"Yeah... I should eat something," Bella replies, catching my hint. She looks at her friends awkwardly, silently hoping they'll pick up on it too.
"Of course!" Angela says, her excitement clear as she grabs Jessica's arm and pulls her toward the car. "We'll see you at school, I guess."
"Cool…" Bella murmurs, her eyes turning toward me. I motion toward the restaurant's front door, letting her take the lead as I follow quietly behind.
As they walk away, I hear the soft whispers and giggles of her friends. Their thoughts couldn't be more different. Angela was thrilled for Bella, excited that she's finally caught my attention. But Jessica? Her mind is a whirlwind of jealousy and confusion, wondering why someone like Bella, of all people, gets to live out her dream. I rolled my eyes at her thoughts.
The dim light of the Italian restaurant flickered as we stepped inside, its cozy ambiance lost on me. Bella had been shaken, her pale face still drawn with the weight of what had just happened in that alley. I could see her trying to gather herself, but there was a tension in her body I couldn't ignore.
I turned to her, my voice barely a whisper, "Let me know if this is too much." My words were careful, laden with concern, though my mind was anything but calm. I needed to make sure she was okay, needed to keep her close, but that desire, that need, was more difficult to control than I was letting on.
She hesitated, looking at me with those wide. For a brief second, she seemed to consider saying something, opening her mouth slightly before closing it and nodded. Times like this make me hate not being able to read her mind.
She didn't know, of course, that the battle inside me was far from over. Every instinct told me to stay far away, that I should leave her with her friends and let her return to her life without any further interruptions from me. But the pull of her, the magnetic force that seemed to draw me closer to her, was strong. My desire for her, my need to be near her, made the thought of leaving feel unbearable. But I couldn't give in to that.
As the host sat us at one of the empty tables, I couldn't stop myself from watching her, trying to gauge every expression, every subtle shift of her posture. I knew I needed to stay calm, to not allow myself to slip. If I did, I might never recover. Her blood was calling me with every heartbeat.
The waitress approached to take our order but spent far more time focused on me than on Bella. I could feel Bella's irritation radiating off her as the girl flirted with me, completely ignoring Bella's presence. In any other situation, this would have looked like a date, and it was bold of her to act so forward.
"Water, please," I said flatly, my gaze never leaving Bella. The waitress huffed, clearly irritated that I didn't give her any attention, and stormed off to finally place Bella's order.
"You're not going to eat?" Her voice was laced with confusion.
"I'm on a special diet," I lied, coming up with something on the spot. She gave me a skeptical look but, after a pause, decided to let it go.
As the minutes passed and the food arrived, I noticed Bella barely touched it. She picked at her plate, distracted. Something was on her mind. And it wasn't just about the situation with the men in the alley. I could tell she was struggling with something bigger than that, something I knew I couldn't answer for her.
After a few moments of silence, she suddenly looked up, her expression serious. "Edward," she started, her voice steady despite the clear tension in her body, "I need to know something."
I felt a ripple of unease slide through me. She was about to ask something I hadn't been prepared to answer, but I couldn't stop her from asking. So, I simply nodded.
"How did you find me in that alley?" Her brow furrowed slightly. "I mean, you were there so fast. And when you said you heard their thoughts... how was that even possible?"
The question hit me hard. It was a valid one, of course. How could she make sense of what she'd seen, what I'd done, without asking questions? Her confusion was palpable, and I knew I couldn't avoid it any longer.
"I followed you," I said, my voice quiet, almost too calm. "I was... watching you."
She stared at me, clearly trying to process my words, and I caught the brief flash of shock in her eyes. I was surprised by my own honesty, too. I was a monster in human form, and she was still trying to figure out the pieces of a puzzle that didn't fit into her world.
"But that doesn't explain how you could hear their thoughts... or how you..." she trailed off, clearly struggling to find the right words. "How you stopped the van that day."
I could feel the heat in my chest, the pulse of guilt stirring within me. How could I explain it? I didn't want to tell her too much, not yet. She was already scared, I could see that in her eyes. I had to be careful. "I... I can hear the thoughts of everyone around me," I said, my voice low, careful not to make it sound too strange. Her eyes widened as I heard her breath hitch. "Everyone in this room, except for you..." I finished quickly. I heard her let out a soft breath as she calmed down.
She looked at me as if trying to grasp what I was saying. "Everyone's thoughts? All the time?"
I nodded. "Yes. It's... overwhelming. That's why I always have to keep my distance. People's thoughts are so loud, so constant. But when I'm near you..." I hesitated for a moment, struggling to find the words. "It's quiet. It's peaceful."
She absorbed this for a long moment. I could see her mind racing, the wheels turning, trying to reconcile the impossible with the world she knew. But it didn't stop her from asking the next question that was clearly weighing on her.
"And the van?" she asked, her voice softer now. "How did you stop the van that day?"
I couldn't bring myself to answer that. Not yet. Not when I knew the truth would only frighten her more and bring her one step closer to finding out what I am. Instead, I glanced at her and gave her a tight, half-smile, trying to mask the unease that had crept into my chest. She must have sensed it because after a brief moment of my silence, she nodded slowly, clearly unsatisfied, but not pressing the issue. She had enough to try and process.
The silence between us thickened. The air in the restaurant suddenly felt too hot, too thick, and I could feel the walls closing in. I couldn't fight it anymore. The truth burned in my chest, and I had to say it, had to let it out before it consumed me completely.
"I can't stay away from you anymore, Bella," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Her eyes widened slightly, and I saw a flicker of something in them, surprise, maybe even a touch of relief? I could see the same hesitation that had always been there when she looked at me. She didn't know what to make of me, of this. Of whatever this was that seemed to pull us together against all logic and reason.
I held my breath, waiting for her response. I couldn't look away from her, couldn't escape the pull that her presence had on me. She was the answer to something I had never fully understood until now, and yet, every time I got close to her, I only created more confusion.
And then, as if she had made a decision, she spoke. "I want to be your friend, Edward," she said, her voice steady, though it trembled ever so slightly at the edges.
The words hit me like a wave crashing against the shore. Friends. That word. That simple, quiet little word. She made it sound so easy. I had told myself I could be her friend. I had tried to be her friend. Even though I wanted to stay away, to convince myself that it was better for her, that keeping a distance was the only way to protect her from the dangerous attraction I felt for her. But I had failed. Over and over. And now she was making that choice for us.
I had to swallow the bitter taste in my mouth. "Okay…" I said, my voice hoarse, betraying the conflict swirling inside me.
It had always been confusing when it came to her. There had been moments where I let her close, when I let myself want her, convinced that I could be the friend she needed, the one who would stay by her side. But I had pulled away each time, terrified of what would happen if I crossed that line, unable to let myself give in to what my heart, what my very being, was telling me.
I had led her on, then pushed her away. I had told her we couldn't be friends, only to turn around and say the opposite. Each time, it was a different version of myself trying to protect her, trying to shield her from something I wasn't sure I could control. I was scared…Scared that the more I got close to her, the more I would want more, and that more was a danger neither of us could handle.
But now, Bella was making her own decision. And for once, I didn't want to run from it. I didn't want to push her away again.
So, I agreed.
"Friend," I said, the word sticking in my throat as I pushed my feelings down even further.
But even as I spoke, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I could feel the magnetic pull between us, like an invisible thread that tied us together. It was just as strong as the pull for her blood. She might want to be friends, but for me? I could never just be her friend. Not when my heart, my instincts, screamed that there was something more.
But I had to accept it. I had to keep the distance, had to respect her boundaries, had to keep her safe.
"So, as your friend, are you going to tell me what you really are?" she asked, the color slowly returning to her face.
Her question confirmed what I already suspected, she knew I wasn't human. Even so, the realization still caught me off guard. I quickly tried to shift the conversation. "You should eat."
She shot me an annoyed glance but began eating anyway. "I'll just have to guess then," she said matter-of-factly.
"I wish you wouldn't..." I murmured quietly
Still, the more I looked at her, the more I tried to bury the feelings that twisted inside me, the harder it became to pretend that her knowing was a bad thing.
And yet, I pushed it all down. I could be her friend. I would be. For her.
Even if it was killing me, piece by piece.
There's nothing wrong with being friends, right? Unless, of course, you're hopelessly in love with the other person and too afraid to admit it… Anyway, what do you all think? Feel free to leave a comment and don't forget to follow while you're at it!