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Description
When I came home Alice was watching ‘Casablanca’, sitting on Jasper’s lap. She was a glutton for old movies, once buying the sunglasses Audrey Hepburn wore in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s.’

“So I’m guessing that we’re sitting somewhere else tomorrow?” Alice asked me.

Jasper was confused. “Why would we sit somewhere else?”

“Edward asked Bella to lunch,” Alice said. “It’s about time,” she continued, “I thought he was never going to do it.”

“I was working up to it,” I defended.

Alice giggled. “You were so nervous. It was funny. So do we get to meet her?”

Jasper panicked for a second, wondering if he was strong enough to be near her.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea, Alice,” I told her.

She turned to her husband, kissing him on the cheek. “You’re stronger than you think you are,” she told him.

He marveled how much confidence she had in him, even though they had been together for so long. Alice giggled, “You’re so silly sometimes,” she told him, leading him by the hand to their room, leaving me alone.

I looked at the clock, Bella wouldn’t be asleep for hours. Yet I was anxious to see her, though I had only seen her a hour ago.

“Hello, Edward.” It was Carlisle, home from his shift at the hospital.

“Hello, Carlisle,” I said politely. I wondered how I could make this a short conversation. I wanted to hunt before I returned to Bella.

He frowned. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, why?”

“You seem nervous about something. Has something happened to Bella Swan?”

“No! God, no, she’s fine.” Images of the night ran through my head. I was still livid, I still wanted to kill them.

“Sit down, Edward,” he told me.

I sat, not really having much choice in the matter. Carlisle’s voice told me I had authority to refuse.

“What happened?” he asked me simply.

I was silent for a while, trying to gather my thoughts.

‘Don’t upset yourself, Edward. Know that I will never be ashamed of you.’

“There were men. Four of them. They wanted to hurt her.”

“Edward! My god-is she all right?” Carlisle’s voice was full of concern.

“She’s fine, I saved her. But I-“

Carlisle held his breath. His head filled with images of me.

“No, I didn’t. I wanted to, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not in front of her.”

Carlisle exhaled, then comprehension dawned on his face. “You love her. Esme told me you did, but I hadn’t truly seen it yet. But you love her.”

“Yes, I do.”

It was the first time I had said it in so many words, yet I knew it to be true. I loved her. I tried to deny myself of the truth, but it came through anyway.

Carlisle smiled. “You just realized it, didn’t you?”

I smiled back. “She is amazing.”

Carlisle clasped me on the shoulder. “I’m so proud of you. But, Edward,” he eyes turned serious, “I want you to be careful.”

I nodded, understanding his meaning. “I will.”

“Do you mean to hunt?”

“Yes.”

Carlisle nodded. “Good.”

Her scent was still with me, following me as if Bella herself was by my side. It was comforting, even if the scent tantalized me like no other.

I hunted, knowing I had to, if only to fill the hours until I saw her again. It was what gave me the strength to be near her, to resist the urge to kill her.

I was amazed by the anger that I still had for those monsters in Port Angeles. I still wanted to kill them, wanted to make them pay for attempting to hurt Bella.

I was not that monster anymore. I couldn’t go and find them, kill them, because I wanted them to pay for their sins. Though they deserved it, killing them would still go against Carlisle’s beliefs.

I went to Bella’s house, waiting for her to go to sleep. I felt calmer than I had on the way over, I no longer was making plans to return to Port Angeles.

I was right where I wanted to be.

It took her longer to go to sleep tonight. Usually she read until 10:30 and was asleep. Tonight it was past eleven and she was still up. I wondered if she was scared, if the shock of what happened to her-what almost happened to her had finally sunk in.

The light finally went out. I could go in.

She was restless tonight, talking more than she usually did.

“Edward!” she called to me more than once.

I wanted to go to her side, to comfort her. I couldn’t. I was merely an observer.

She finally settled down, her talking gently receding.

I went to her, finally unable to conquer my desires. I traced her cheek bone. She smiled, leaning into my hand. I wanted to keep my hand there, letting it frame her face and simply stay there as long as she let me, completely enveloped in her presence, reveling in the peace that washed over me.

I had to leave soon, it was almost time to break it to my family that I was taking Bella to school. I wanted to know what she was going to say to her friends.

More than that, I wanted to be with her.

Rosalie was going to be furious.

I tore my hand away from Bella’s face, inhaling the scent that still lingered, running back to the house.

“Where have you been?” Emmett greeted me.

“Out,” I snapped, since when did he become the protective big brother?

“Edward! We were very worried about you,” Esme admonished.

Alice merely smiled at me. ‘You’re falling in love with her.’ She thought smugly.

Rosalie came down the stairs, worried that her hair wasn’t exactly right. “Aren’t we going now?” she asked impatiently.

“Actually, I’m going to take Bella to school today,” I told her.

Rosalie’s eyes widened. “You’re taking her to school?” she hissed.

“Yes,” I said defiantly.

“What the hell is the matter with you Edward? She is a human. Do you plan to change her as Alice sees or is she just your play thing? You’re going to have to kill her or change her, Edward. You cannot continue this! I will not allow you to destroy this family all for a human!” she screamed at me.

“Are you done?” I hissed.

“Not. Even. Close.”

“Edward! Rosalie!” Esme cried.

I felt Jasper’s effects on us.

“Thank you,” Esme told him. “Now, Edward has made a choice, Rosalie. He has to live with that choice, as do all of us.”

“Edward.” She turned to me. “Please understand that Rosalie is worried as we all are. We just want to make sure that nothing…happens.”

“Nothing is going to happen!” I shouted.

“Edward Anthony! You will not speak to me like that. Apologize this instant!”

“I’m sorry, Esme,” I said sincerely.

“Thank you. We will talk later. Pick up Bella. Rosalie, I’m sure you can just drive to school yourself.”

“Fine,” she said curtly. “I think I’ll take the convertible.”

I cringed. She insisted on not fitting in.

“Sweet!” Emmett exclaimed. “Rose, can I drive?”

“Maybe if you’re a good boy,” she said coyly, walking to the garage.

I sighed. This day was not boding well.

Alice bounced to me. Oddly enough she was optimistic during the entire episode. “It’s ok, Edward. Actually, you’re really going to really like this day.”

I doubted it, though I trusted Alice unequivocally, but I doubted that it would be a good day.

I got in my Volvo, realizing that the jacket Bella was still tossed in the back seat. It still had her scent, though it was, albeit, faded.

I hoped I could get her to accept a ride. I thought she would-it was obvious that she had somewhat of a crush on me. After all, she said my name in her sleep.

I waited in her driveway, hoping that she wouldn’t try to run me over in that ridiculous truck of hers. I hoped that she would accept my offer of a ride.

If wishes were horses…

Description
When I came home Alice was watching ‘Casablanca’, sitting on Jasper’s lap. She was a glutton for old movies, once buying the sunglasses Audrey Hepburn wore in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s.’

“So I’m guessing that we’re sitting somewhere else tomorrow?” Alice asked me.

Jasper was confused. “Why would we sit somewhere else?”

“Edward asked Bella to lunch,” Alice said. “It’s about time,” she continued, “I thought he was never going to do it.”

“I was working up to it,” I defended.

Alice giggled. “You were so nervous. It was funny. So do we get to meet her?”

Jasper panicked for a second, wondering if he was strong enough to be near her.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea, Alice,” I told her.

She turned to her husband, kissing him on the cheek. “You’re stronger than you think you are,” she told him.

He marveled how much confidence she had in him, even though they had been together for so long. Alice giggled, “You’re so silly sometimes,” she told him, leading him by the hand to their room, leaving me alone.

I looked at the clock, Bella wouldn’t be asleep for hours. Yet I was anxious to see her, though I had only seen her a hour ago.

“Hello, Edward.” It was Carlisle, home from his shift at the hospital.

“Hello, Carlisle,” I said politely. I wondered how I could make this a short conversation. I wanted to hunt before I returned to Bella.

He frowned. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, why?”

“You seem nervous about something. Has something happened to Bella Swan?”

“No! God, no, she’s fine.” Images of the night ran through my head. I was still livid, I still wanted to kill them.

“Sit down, Edward,” he told me.

I sat, not really having much choice in the matter. Carlisle’s voice told me I had authority to refuse.

“What happened?” he asked me simply.

I was silent for a while, trying to gather my thoughts.

‘Don’t upset yourself, Edward. Know that I will never be ashamed of you.’

“There were men. Four of them. They wanted to hurt her.”

“Edward! My god-is she all right?” Carlisle’s voice was full of concern.

“She’s fine, I saved her. But I-“

Carlisle held his breath. His head filled with images of me.

“No, I didn’t. I wanted to, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not in front of her.”

Carlisle exhaled, then comprehension dawned on his face. “You love her. Esme told me you did, but I hadn’t truly seen it yet. But you love her.”

“Yes, I do.”

It was the first time I had said it in so many words, yet I knew it to be true. I loved her. I tried to deny myself of the truth, but it came through anyway.

Carlisle smiled. “You just realized it, didn’t you?”

I smiled back. “She is amazing.”

Carlisle clasped me on the shoulder. “I’m so proud of you. But, Edward,” he eyes turned serious, “I want you to be careful.”

I nodded, understanding his meaning. “I will.”

“Do you mean to hunt?”

“Yes.”

Carlisle nodded. “Good.”

Her scent was still with me, following me as if Bella herself was by my side. It was comforting, even if the scent tantalized me like no other.

I hunted, knowing I had to, if only to fill the hours until I saw her again. It was what gave me the strength to be near her, to resist the urge to kill her.

I was amazed by the anger that I still had for those monsters in Port Angeles. I still wanted to kill them, wanted to make them pay for attempting to hurt Bella.

I was not that monster anymore. I couldn’t go and find them, kill them, because I wanted them to pay for their sins. Though they deserved it, killing them would still go against Carlisle’s beliefs.

I went to Bella’s house, waiting for her to go to sleep. I felt calmer than I had on the way over, I no longer was making plans to return to Port Angeles.

I was right where I wanted to be.

It took her longer to go to sleep tonight. Usually she read until 10:30 and was asleep. Tonight it was past eleven and she was still up. I wondered if she was scared, if the shock of what happened to her-what almost happened to her had finally sunk in.

The light finally went out. I could go in.

She was restless tonight, talking more than she usually did.

“Edward!” she called to me more than once.

I wanted to go to her side, to comfort her. I couldn’t. I was merely an observer.

She finally settled down, her talking gently receding.

I went to her, finally unable to conquer my desires. I traced her cheek bone. She smiled, leaning into my hand. I wanted to keep my hand there, letting it frame her face and simply stay there as long as she let me, completely enveloped in her presence, reveling in the peace that washed over me.

I had to leave soon, it was almost time to break it to my family that I was taking Bella to school. I wanted to know what she was going to say to her friends.

More than that, I wanted to be with her.

Rosalie was going to be furious.

I tore my hand away from Bella’s face, inhaling the scent that still lingered, running back to the house.

“Where have you been?” Emmett greeted me.

“Out,” I snapped, since when did he become the protective big brother?

“Edward! We were very worried about you,” Esme admonished.

Alice merely smiled at me. ‘You’re falling in love with her.’ She thought smugly.

Rosalie came down the stairs, worried that her hair wasn’t exactly right. “Aren’t we going now?” she asked impatiently.

“Actually, I’m going to take Bella to school today,” I told her.

Rosalie’s eyes widened. “You’re taking her to school?” she hissed.

“Yes,” I said defiantly.

“What the hell is the matter with you Edward? She is a human. Do you plan to change her as Alice sees or is she just your play thing? You’re going to have to kill her or change her, Edward. You cannot continue this! I will not allow you to destroy this family all for a human!” she screamed at me.

“Are you done?” I hissed.

“Not. Even. Close.”

“Edward! Rosalie!” Esme cried.

I felt Jasper’s effects on us.

“Thank you,” Esme told him. “Now, Edward has made a choice, Rosalie. He has to live with that choice, as do all of us.”

“Edward.” She turned to me. “Please understand that Rosalie is worried as we all are. We just want to make sure that nothing…happens.”

“Nothing is going to happen!” I shouted.

“Edward Anthony! You will not speak to me like that. Apologize this instant!”

“I’m sorry, Esme,” I said sincerely.

“Thank you. We will talk later. Pick up Bella. Rosalie, I’m sure you can just drive to school yourself.”

“Fine,” she said curtly. “I think I’ll take the convertible.”

I cringed. She insisted on not fitting in.

“Sweet!” Emmett exclaimed. “Rose, can I drive?”

“Maybe if you’re a good boy,” she said coyly, walking to the garage.

I sighed. This day was not boding well.

Alice bounced to me. Oddly enough she was optimistic during the entire episode. “It’s ok, Edward. Actually, you’re really going to really like this day.”

I doubted it, though I trusted Alice unequivocally, but I doubted that it would be a good day.

I got in my Volvo, realizing that the jacket Bella was still tossed in the back seat. It still had her scent, though it was, albeit, faded.

I hoped I could get her to accept a ride. I thought she would-it was obvious that she had somewhat of a crush on me. After all, she said my name in her sleep.

I waited in her driveway, hoping that she wouldn’t try to run me over in that ridiculous truck of hers. I hoped that she would accept my offer of a ride.

If wishes were horses…