CHAPTER TWELVE:
Edward's entire body stiffens, and I have to fight the urge to inch back. His expression is changing to quickly for me to read, and his eyes are blank. I slump again, against the bed- this was not how I was expecting my evening to go.
"Well?" I ask, after a long silence, "Are you going to say anything?" When he still doesn't respond, I sigh. "Edward, please calm down. I'm fond of my room. I don't want you destroying it." This seems to break through his shock, and his eyes narrow slightly as they fix on mine.
"You're fond of your room? That's all you can say? Nothing about how I'm a monster? How I'm not even human?" I reach out, clasping on to one of his hands before he can jerk it away. I suspected that the only reason I got close enough to do so was because he was expecting me to push him away, or something.
"Look at me," I order, trying to sound more confident then I really am. My voice, fortunately, doesn't portray the nerves twisting in my stomach. He does, and his honey-gold eyes are so tortured that I have to suck in a breath. "Edward, I don't care that you're a vampire." He actually flinches slightly when I finally say it out loud. "It doesn't matter to me."
"It doesn't matter?" His face is incredulous, with a hint of anger.
"No," I said softly, "it doesn't matter to me what you are." He holds my gaze for several angry seconds, before sighing.
"You are infuriating," he says, his voice slightly rueful. I smile, a small smile but a smile nonetheless.
"You're not the first one to say that." There's a few long moments of silence, and then I realize that I'm still holding Edward's hand. A blush instantly heats up my cheeks, and I quickly let go of his hand, and look down at my lap. He's the one who breaks the silence.
"Don't you have any questions?" My brow furrows, and I look back up at him.
"Questions?"
"Yes, questions," his voice his patient, "like how I can come out during the day, or how come I don't burn in the sun."
"Actually, I do have one question," I purse my lips slightly, "how old are you?"
"That's you question?" His voice is incredulous again, and then he just sighs and shakes his head. "Of course it is." I smile at him.
"That's not an answer, you know."
"I'm seventeen." He flashes a pearly white smile at me. I roll my eyes.
"And how long have you been seventeen?"
"A while." He admits, after a few seconds. I can't help but smile slightly.
"A while, huh?"
"A long while." He agrees, "now it's my turn." His expression turns more serious. "How do you know about vampires?" I immediately look down again, at my lap. My mind races, trying to come up with an explanation other then 'I'm a witch and I learned about your species in my Defense Against the Dark Arts class at Hogwarts, the magical school I go to- or I did go to. Right now I can't because the Wizarding World has been taken over by a mass-murdering sociopath who hates muggle-borns- that's witches with non-magical parents- and wants to wipe us out, and if any of them catch me I'll either be killed or locked away in Azkaban, which is almost a fate worse then death'.
"I can't tell you," I say, finally, still not looking up- as desperately as I tried to scramble together a plausible explanation, none were coming to me.
"Bella-" I lift a hand, making him pause, and look up again.
"I respected your secret, Edward. From the first time I laid eyes on you, I knew what you were, but I never said anything! Can you please respect mine?" He looks at me, for a long, long moment, before he sighs and nods his head.
"I will. For now." The last two words are partly warning, but a relieved smile still breaks over my face.
"Thank you Edward." I tell him, before taking another large bite out of my burger. The sauce drips down my chin and onto my hands, and I blush. "Um, can you pass me the serviette?" He silently pulls it out of the take-away bag and hands it to me. I wipe my chin and wait for him to say something, when he doesn't I start chewing on my lip.
I'm the one who breaks the silence. Or... well, I didn't exactly break the silence. More, I just decided looked at his perfect mouth, thought 'fuck it' and then half pounced on Edward, pressing my lips firmly against his.
For a second he was unresponsive stone beneath my touch, and then his arms were around me, his cold, marble lips moving against mine. My fingers knotted in his hair, burger discarded, and I clutched him to me. My blood boiled under my skin, burning my lips, and it was perfect.
For several long seconds we stayed wrapped in each other's embrace, and then his hands gently, but with irresistible force, pushed my face back. I opened my eyes to see his bewildered expression.
I waited for him to say something, to let go of my face, but he was just frozen there, his hands holding my face just inches from his. Blood rushed to my cheeks as he still didn't move, and I went to pull myself away, but instead he leaned forwards, bending his face to mine, brushing his lips slowly along my jaw, from my ear to my chin, back and forth, and then to my lips...
The kiss was icy, yet burning with passion. I parted my lips, moaning softly as I breathed in his heady scent. "Edward!" I gasped, arching my head back as his lips moved from my mouth to my throat, tasting the sensitive flesh.
And then, in a flash, he was gone. Bewildered, I gaped at the empty space where he'd been a second ago, then my bedroom door opened. "Dad?" I squeaked, spinning around. Charlie stood in the doorway, blushing slightly as he saw me awake, kneeling on the floor. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Sorry Bells, I was just checking up on you before I went to bed." He said, gruffly, "usually you're... asleep."
"Um, no, I was just looking for my, uh, hair pin," I stammered, "I, uh, dropped it."
"Okay." Charlie says, before hastily backing out. "G'night Bells."
"Night dad." I answer, softly. For several long seconds I just sit there, before I stand up, grab my pajamas, and flee the room. Call me a chicken, but I couldn't quite bring myself to wait and see whether Edward returned or not- I was a wuss.
I showered, toweled my hair dry and dressed in my warmest pajamas, before heading back into the bedroom. I wasn't sure whether I was relieved or disappointed when I didn't see him there. I hesitated in the doorway for a few seconds, until something white caught my eye.
Hurrying over to the bed, I picked up the folded piece of white paper, gently smoothing it out flat to read:
Goodnight Bella
A smile crossed my face as I looked down at his note. "Goodnight Edward." I said, softly.
-
-
Monday morning I was awake before dawn, exhausted, with bags under my eyes that rivaled a vampire's. Two of my classmates had been confirmed dead on Potterwatch, and I was a wreck. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat- it felt like there was a vice in my chest that was getting tighter and tighter, making it harder and harder to breathe.
I was one of the last people to arrive, due to the fact that in the interest of not having to socialize I'd made sure I'd arrive just on time for class. Waste of time that turned out to be though, because I couldn't concentrate to the teachers, all I could do was fight off the alternating bouts of drowsiness and anxiety.
Lunchtime couldn't have come quick enough, and I escaped to the library, curling up amongst the book stacks. It was there Edward found me.
As he walked around the corner my whole body jolted slightly, and I felt my cheeks warm. "Hello Bella," he greeted me, gracefully sliding down beside me.
"H-hey Edward." I greeted him back. He hesitated for a few seconds, before speaking.
"I'm sorry I left. I needed to go..." his mouth twisted slightly, as he tried to come up with wording that wouldn't leave me running and screaming in terror.
"Hunt." I supplied, with a small, but real, smile. The first real smile since Friday night.
"Yes, I didn't want to..." he stopped again.
"Play with fire." I couldn't help putting out there, and he chuckled, softly.
"I didn't want to hurt you." He told me, softly, reaching out to gently run his fingers along my jaw. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I reached up to brush my fingertips against his icy jaw.
It was him who initiated the kiss this time, leaning forwards slowly and pressing his lips to mine. It was much gentler, softer, but the fire it lit in me was just as fierce. "E-Edward!" I groaned against his lips, curling my hands in his hair.
"Bella," he mumbled back, "Bella..." the way he said my name, the reverence he said it with, the tone of wonder... it made my heart sing. Eventually, oxygen became an issue and I had to pull back, taking big, deep breaths.
"So... I guess that means you like me too." I said before I could stop myself, and my cheeks instantly flamed red.
"And that's the problem, is it not?" Edward said, quietly.
"Only if you let it be a problem."
"I'm not human, Bella. I'm not good for you." His voice was agonized again, and he ran a hand through his hand.
"There's a reason why half the population is overweight- we never want what's good for us." I counter, reaching out to hold his hand in my own.
"True." Edward agreed, with a small smile. I smiled back at him.
"True."