Sometimes There Is No Brightside [Edward Masen-Cullen]

Chapter Twelve

The silence seemed to stretch on forever.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I opened my mouth to say something, but Edward held up his hand, motioning me to stay still.

The emotions crossing his face were hard to determine.

I noticed that he’d stopped breathing. Well, I supposed he really had no need to, really.

Eventually, I couldn’t take it any longer. "Edward-"

"Bea." His voice sounded threatening, as if he had to bring up all his strength to control it. "If you move one step closer now, I will kill you."

That wasn’t an idle threat. I forced myself to breathe steadily, but my heart refused to beat at a normal pace, hammering against my rib cage.

Then, after what must have been hours, Edward looked at me again. "I’m a monster, Bea. A predator, and you’re the prey."

"But didn’t you say that you were...vegetarian?" It seemed strange to say that in relation with vampires.

Edward gave a bitter laugh. "I said that I am trying to abstain from human blood, not that I’m really successful at it."

"You’re not a killer, Edward. You just...follow your nature, I suppose." I shrugged, helpless - what could I say?

"In theory, it is possible to solely hunt animals... and maybe I could even achieve that. It would not change anything about the predator-prey relationship between us, Bea, and that it has no future, makes no sense. Lambs don’t tend to kiss the lion."

I had to chuckle at that, however inappropriate. "Lambs don’t tend to love the lion, either."

Edward smiled bitterly at that. "They, at least, are smart enough to realize what’s bad for them."

"So you’re saying a lamb is smarter than I am?"

"Now that you’re phrasing it that way...yes." Edward gave me a quick smile, then he continued, still keeping his distance from me: "Lions hunt when they need to. Vampires when they get the chance to. And right now, you’re throwing yourself into my way."

I considered that for a moment, without backing away one inch. "But a lion would have torn the lamb apart already."

Edward groaned, running a hand through his copper hair. "Yes. I’m too damn close to doing precisely that, though."

I grinned.

Edward noticed and looked at me incredulous, almost accusingly. "What is there to smile about?"

"I think this is the first time I’ve heard you curse."

We both smiled, then I took one small step closer to him, ignoring his sharp intake of breath. Then another step, glad that he wasn’t backing away. Maybe there was still hope.

Finally I was so close before him that my warm body touched his cold one. I slowly raised a hand and caressed his face with my fingertips, tracing his edged jaw, his lips, his forehead, then ran my hand through his hair as he had done moments before.

He let me.

"I love you, Edward. You. So maybe your race has changed. So maybe I’m your prey. So maybe you could kill me. But what matters is that I love who you are, and your soul is still what it used to be. In a gorgeous wrapping, might I add." I smiled and lightly brushed his lips with mine again.

I had not know until then how true relief felt. But when Edward wrapped his cool arms around me and pressed me closer, I was happier than I ever thought would be possible. This was what true joy felt like.

I was so glad we left our sibling relationship behind us, because Edward was a much better lover than brother.