STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS THE TWILIGHT UNIVERSE AND ALL OF THE CHARACTERS.
How had it come to this?
If anyone had told Edward two days ago that he would become emotionally tethered to a human girl, he would have dismissed it with a hollow laugh. Yet here he was, standing in the shadow of a tree outside her window, utterly consumed by thoughts of Bella Swan.
It was a position he would never have imagined himself in. Stalking—there was no other word for it. The shame of the act gnawed at him, but it wasn't enough to drive him away. Every instinct in him rebelled against being here, yet his feet had carried him to this very spot almost of their own accord.
He had tried to leave Forks. Repeatedly. Each attempt felt like dragging himself through quicksand, his body resisting, his mind screaming for a reprieve that never came. Nothing else mattered anymore—nothing except her. It was infuriating. Maddening.
Even in the midst of disposing of Lonnie and his henchmen—something that should have required his full focus—she had been on his mind. Bella had invaded every corner of his consciousness, leaving no room for anything else.
Finding where she lived had been painfully simple. Chief Swan's house was well-known in a town as small as Forks, and the information was freely offered in the thoughts of passersby. That knowledge had brought him here, to the tree just outside her window, where he stood now, fighting the almost overwhelming urge to climb inside and see her.
He tilted his head up, his eyes scanning the darkened glass. She was there, just beyond that fragile barrier, unaware of his presence. The thought was both comforting and unbearable.
"Stalking a human while she sleeps? Kind of creepy, dude," a voice called out, shattering the stillness of the night.
Edward spun around in an instant, his body coiled like a spring, every muscle primed to strike. His eyes narrowed as they scanned the darkness, searching for the intruder.
"Woah, man, relax," Emmett said, stepping into the moonlight with his hands raised in mock surrender. His grin was wide and disarming. "Don't want any trouble, dude."
Edward exhaled sharply, his posture easing slightly when he recognized Emmett—and Jasper, who lingered a few paces behind. Wordlessly, Edward turned back to the tree next to Bella's window and sank down against its rough bark. He pressed the heels of his hands against his temples, silently cursing this newfound obsession with Bella Swan.
In the past, no one would have been able to sneak up on him—not even the vampires who now stood before him. Yet here he was, startled by Emmett of all people, the one whose thoughts were loud enough to drown out a symphony.
"What are you two doing here in Forks?" Edward muttered without looking at them.
"I think we should be the ones asking you that question," Jasper replied, one eyebrow arching in faint amusement.
"Is this some new trend among vampires we didn't know about?" Emmett teased, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Cause I gotta say, stalking human girls while they sleep seems a little boring."
Edward let out a humorless chuckle. "Would you believe me if I said I can't help it?"
"Nah," Emmett quipped with a smirk. "You've always been weird. This is right up your alley."
Edward rolled his eyes. "Charming as ever."
"Look, Edward," Jasper began, his voice calm but firm, "we're probably the last people you want to see right now, but we're here to help you."
"Help me?" Edward repeated, his tone flat and skeptical. "And how exactly do you plan to manage that? Just curious."
"Well," Emmett interjected, crossing his arms theatrically, "if you keep acting like an ass, we might decide not to help you at all."
"Even better," Edward said dryly, his gaze shifting back to Bella's window. "Now please, run along. Go chase some squirrels in the forest. If you're lucky, you might even catch a bunny."
"We're not going anywhere," Jasper said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He shot a pointed look at Emmett, silently telling him to stand down.
"Well, that's unfortunate," Edward said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "I've already hit my limit on tolerating you two tonight. I don't want your help—not that you could do anything to fix my… conundrum anyway."
"Okay, fine. We'll leave," Emmett said with a shrug, his voice nonchalant.
Jasper gave him a sharp look as if questioning his sanity, but Emmett met his gaze with a silent message.
Trust me.
"That was easier than I expected," Edward remarked, leaning his head back against the tree.
"But don't come running to us when you hurt her," Emmett said casually, turning as though he were about to walk away.
Edward was in front of him in an instant, his face inches from Emmett's, his emerald eyes blazing with fury. "I would never hurt her," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The sudden intensity of Edward's emotions was palpable, even for Jasper. The empath took a cautious step forward, trying to diffuse the situation, but Edward's focus was locked on Emmett.
"Yeah, that anger you're feeling right now?" Emmett said, unfazed by Edward's proximity. "That's not something you feel for some random human girl." His tone was steady but pointed, and his words hung in the air like a challenge.
Edward clenched his fists and stepped back, his jaw tightening. He wanted to punch the tree beside him, but he knew the force of it would bring the entire thing crashing down, waking Bella in the process. Instead, he leaned against the tree and pressed his forehead to its rough bark, his voice strained as he muttered, "I don't want to care about her."
He let out a ragged sigh, his fingers digging into the tree bark. "I don't know why I care so much about her…" The words were more to himself than to the two vampires standing nearby.
"Because you love her," Jasper said softly, his voice tinged with an almost painful understanding.
Edward lifted his head, turning to glare at Jasper. "Yes, of course. After one whole conversation and a single interaction with Bella Swan, I'm in love with her," he said sardonically. "And here I thought you were the empath."
"It's true, man," Emmett chimed in, stepping forward to back Jasper up. "We only get one shot at this, and you've somehow fallen for a human. But here's the thing—there's no going back from it. You do love her, whether you want to admit it or not."
Edward didn't respond immediately. His mind was a maelstrom of conflict, denial, and reluctant acceptance. He hated the truth in their words almost as much as he hated himself for feeling this way.
And yet, deep down, he knew they were right.
Edward slumped fully against the tree, his head tipping back to rest against its rough bark. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if the stillness might offer clarity, but his mind was a storm. What did this mean for him now?
He had never cared about finding his mate—had never even entertained the thought. Eternity alone had always seemed sufficient, a simple inevitability he could live with. And yet, if what Jasper and Emmett said was true, then he was now utterly and irrevocably bound to a human. A fragile creature who might not even reciprocate the overwhelming emotions she had stirred in him.
Humans change. They grow, evolve, and leave things behind. But Edward couldn't change. Whatever he felt for Bella now was permanent, carved into the very core of his being.
"It's a lot to take in," Jasper said, breaking the silence, his voice gentle but firm. "But you really do need to come with us so we can help you figure it out. Don't ruin the best thing about being a vampire."
"I doubt the best thing about being a vampire is falling in love randomly at first sight," Edward muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I had no control over it."
And that was what ate at him most. He hadn't chosen this. Her face was already a haunting reminder of his human life—of a time when choice had been stripped from him. Just as he hadn't chosen much in his human life, he hadn't chosen her either. He hated having decisions made for him, yet here he was, ensnared by fate once again.
"No," Jasper countered, "the best part about being a vampire is finally finding that other half. We feel emotions so much more deeply than humans—trust me, I'd know." His lips twitched in a brief, self-deprecating smile. "When you find that person, they make you better. You want to be better for them."
Edward let the words linger in the air, sinking into him like stones in a still pond. His mind churned, processing, resisting, and yet… accepting.
"She's my mate?" he finally asked, his voice quiet, uncertain—a question, not a statement.
"No other explanation," Emmett replied with a shrug, his tone matter-of-fact.
Edward raked his hands through his bronze hair, pulling slightly as though the action might ground him. He took a deep, unnecessary breath, his eyes distant as he considered what this revelation truly meant.
"Say that I do want your help," he began slowly. "That means…?"
"Yes, you'll have to see everyone again," Jasper said with a small nod, as though bracing Edward for the inevitable.
"Even…?"
"Yes," Jasper confirmed, his lips curving into a faint smirk. "Even Rosalie."
Edward groaned, dragging his hands down his face in exasperation.
"What's wrong with Rosie?" Emmett interjected, looking genuinely offended. "She's an angel."
Edward cast him a withering look. "Glad to know your sense of humor is still as intact as ever."
Jasper chuckled softly, but Edward's gaze drifted back toward Bella's window. The faint glow of her bedside lamp outlined the curtain, and the sight stirred a longing within him that he didn't fully understand. What might come of these new revelations? Of these feelings? He didn't know. But he couldn't deny their existence. For better or worse, they were there.
The weight of it pressed harder as he realized how difficult it would be to leave her, even for a short time.
"She won't disappear, dude," Emmett said, breaking into Edward's thoughts. "Let's just get a move on so Carlisle can whip you into shape."
Edward grimaced at the thought. "This is not going to be a happy reunion…"
"No," Jasper agreed, his expression deadpan. "Not in the least bit."
"It would be," Emmett said, leaning against a tree with mock casualness, "if you'd just listen for once and stop running off like you're still in your rebellious phase."
Edward scoffed, his brows rising in faux innocence. "Since when have I ever done that?"
"Oh, I don't know," Emmett drawled, "maybe when you ran off to be a vigilante for fifty years? Still haven't figured out why you thought that was a good idea."
"Got tired of chewing on furry animals," Edward retorted with a careless shrug. His gaze flicked toward Jasper, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "You should try it sometime. Oh, wait—you can't."
Jasper's jaw tightened, but he didn't take the bait. "Remind me again why we're trying to help him?" he muttered, glancing at Emmett.
"Beats me," Emmett replied, shrugging as he suddenly bolted into the trees. "Last one home has to eat a rotten deer!"
Edward blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before shaking his head. "Does he really think he can beat me?" he asked, more to himself than Jasper.
Jasper didn't waste time with a response. He was already sprinting after Emmett, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Edward hesitated, his gaze lingering on Bella's window one last time. The longing tugged at him, nearly overwhelming, but he knew he couldn't stay. Not now. Not yet.
With a resigned sigh, he pushed off the tree and darted after his brothers, leaving the glow of Bella's room behind as the forest swallowed him whole.