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I stopped breathing, panicked. I had just seen her-what could she have possibly gotten into since I saw her last?

That girl was a magnet for trouble.

I rushed through the minds of the students-concentrating on my biology classmates.

‘Yes! This is awesome-well, not that she’s sick but maybe she’ll see me differently. I lucked out-Cullen’s not here today to distract her. I wondered what happened at lunch. They looked too close. Maybe I can ask her about it-‘

I let out a growl. Damn that Mike Newton! The conniving little-

This wasn’t the time. He said Bella was sick.

I got out of my car, still hearing Newton’s voice in my head. He was taking her to the nurse now, she begged to sit for a second, the nausea overtaking her. He was getting concerned, she was green.

I saw them-Bella lying on the sidewalk, her eyes closed. Newton stood idly, being the sheer nuisance that he was.

“Bella?” I called to her, panicked by her state.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded. “Is she hurt?” Leave it to Bella to slip on a stable surface and get a concussion.

“I don’t know. I think she’s fainted. She didn’t even stick her finger.” The boy was no use.

“Bella? Can you hear me?”

She moaned. “No, go away.”

I laughed, partly out of relief that she was ok, partly because even sick she was entertaining.

Leave it to Cullen to steal my moment. “I’m supposed to take her to the nurse. She wouldn’t go any farther.”

I took more enjoyment than I should out of stealing Newton’s thunder. “I’ll take her.” I used my most authoritative voice, leaving no room for argument. “Go back to class.”

“I’m supposed to do it.” If he thinks I’m just going to let him steal my moment-

I didn’t have time for this. I picked her up, cradling her to my body. If she could handle the cold sidewalk, she could certainly handle the coldness of my body.

Her eyes flew open. “Put me down!” she demanded.

I had already started walking, thanking Alice for the opportunity to not only usurp Newton’s plans, but for the chance to be with Bella.

She was warm. I felt like a freezing man just offered a fire, the warmth consuming me. I was careful not to hold her too close-she was small, fragile. I didn’t want to hurt her.

“Hey!” ‘That son of a-how could he just-how is any one supposed to even talk to Bella with him constantly there?’

“You look awful,” I told her, teasing her.

“Put me back on the sidewalk,” she demanded.

“So you faint at the sight of blood?” I appreciated the irony.

She closed her eyes again, the thought apparently disturbing her.

“Not even your own blood,” I mused.

I walked to the front office, still entertaining myself with this new discovery.

I heard a gasp. ‘Oh my.’ Her thought processes stopped, her mind filled with images, none of which were appropriate, yet interesting.

“She fainted in biology.”

Mrs. Cope held open the door to the nurse’s office. I placed Bella on the cot, moving to the opposite side of the tiny room. It was warm, the scent of her still lingered with me, the images in Mrs. Cope’s head still in her consciousness, still giving me the ability to see them.

The nurse was startled by my unorthodox entrance.

“She’s just a little faint. They were blood typing in Biology.”

She nodded, it was a fairly common occurrence. “There’s always one.” ‘Yet they’re not brought in by knights in shining armor.’“Just lie down honey. It will pass.”

I chuckled, quickly hiding it.

Bella sighed, “I know.”

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Sometimes,” Bella shrugged.

I coughed, hiding another laugh.

Only Bella.

“You can go back to class now,” she told me.

“I’m supposed to stay with her.” In more ways than one.

She pursed her lips. She didn’t like having so many people in the office, but she let me, getting some ice for Bella. School systems everywhere held the credo that ice was the answer.

Bella closed her eyes, “You were right,” she moaned.

I smiled smugly. “I usually am-about what in particular this time?”

“Ditching is healthy.”

She tired to slow her breathing.

I thought back to my fear-seeing her lying on the ground. It felt like nothing I had ever experienced. The weightiness of the dread was incredible. “You scared me for a minute there,” I said, my voice catching ever so slightly. I tried to lighten the situation. Next I would be pledging my life to her if I wasn’t careful. “I thought Newton was dragging your dead body to bury it in the woods.”

“Ha ha,” she said sarcastically.

“Honestly-I’ve seen corpses with better color. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder.”

“Poor Mike. I’ll be he’s mad.”

“He absolutely loathes me,” I said, taking cheer in the thought.

“You can’t know that,” she protested, suddenly becoming thoughtful as the words spilled out.

“I saw his face-I could tell,” I lied.

“How did you see me?” she asked.

“I was in my car, listening to a CD,” I replied honestly. Thinking of you-wondering how far I can fall in love with you before I lose my mind.

The nurse pressed a cold compress on her head, “here you go, dear. You’re looking better.”

“I think I’m fine,” Bella said, sitting up. I expected to see her have to lie back down, but she was able to keep her equilibrium.

Mrs. Cope poked her head in. “We’ve got another one.”

Bella jumped off the cot, handing the compress back to the nurse. “Here, I don’t need this.”

Newton came in, helping another boy from biology. ‘What are they still doing here? Stupid Cullen-that should be me next to Bella. I wish he’d keep his nose out of her business.’

I smelled the blood coming from the boy’s finger. “Oh no. Bella, get out of the office.”

She looked at me, questions in her eyes.

“Trust me, go.”

For once she listened, getting out of the office as quickly as possible.

“You listened to me.”

“I smelled the blood,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she did so.

That was impossible. “People can’t smell blood.”

“I can-that’s what makes me sick-it smells like rust. And salt.”

I was astonished. She was right, it did smell. I wasn’t sure if it was like rust and salt, but it would make sense-the iron and the sodium-but humans did not have the olfactory capabilities to detect that.

She frowned. “What?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing,” I told her.

Newton came sulking back, still upset that he wasn’t the one to save Bella.

“You look better,” he accused. ‘All because you had Cullen by your side, I’m sure.’

“Just keep your hand in your pocket,” she said, refusing to rise to her bait.

‘Great. She hates me now.’“It’s not bleeding anymore. Are you going back to class?”

I rolled my eyes. Newton was an idiot.

“Are you kidding? I’d just have to turn around and come back.”

‘Oh. Right. Dummy.’“Yeah, I guess,” ‘Come on, ask her. Now’s your chance to show up Cullen!’“Are you coming this weekend?”He glared at me. ‘Dare to say something, Cullen.’

As much as I wanted to toy with Newton, they were going to La Push, which vampire were forbidden to go, because of the treaty. Besides, we were hunting this weekend.

“Sure. I said I was in,” Bella replied.

He gave her the particulars, his eyes flickering to me every once in a while, his thoughts still provoking me to ask if I was invited.

Bella assured him she was going, his thoughts becoming more optimistic as time went on.

“I’ll see you in gym, then,” he said.

“See you,” she said, then groaned.

“I’ll take care of it,” I said, my lips near her ear. “Go sit and look pale.”

“Ms. Cope?”

‘Too young, too young, too young-my he looked handsome carrying in the Swan girl-too young-come on-‘ “Yes?” she said breathlessly.

“Bella has gym next hour and I don’t think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?”

“Do you need to be excused too, Edward?”

“No, I have Mrs. Goff,” she won’t mind. ‘She’ll probably be thankful that she won’t have to deal with someone who knows a language better than her.’

Ms. Cope scribbled hastily on two pieces of paper. “Okay, it’s all taken care of. You feel better, Bella.”

I closed my mind to the thoughts of Ms. Cope-I couldn’t possibly concentrate on Bella when she filled my mind with dime store romance images.

I turned to face her-she gave a convincing act of being sick.

“Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?” I already knew her answer, even without reading her mind.

“I’ll walk.”

I opened the door for her-an automatic action on my part.

I watched her walk-felt the steady beat of her heart as if it were my own. I wore a polite smile, afraid to show her what I was truly thinking.

“Thanks,” she said suddenly. “It’s almost worth getting sick to miss gym.”

“Anytime,” I told her distractedly. I was cursing myself-I should have gone hunting yesterday. I shouldn’t be feeling this remarkable pull of bloodlust.

“So are you going? This Saturday, I mean?” Her voice was hopeful. I smiled, happy at her apparent wish for my company.

“Where are you all going, exactly?” I was hoping, and it was a vain hope, that perhaps that Newton had it wrong. That it wouldn’t be the dog’s beach.

“Down to La Push, to First Beach,” she informed me. She studied my face, hoping to gauge my reaction. My eyes narrowed, not because of her, but the thought of those dogs anywhere near her.

I thought of Newton’s reaction. “I don’t think I was invited.”

She sighed, disappointed by my answer. “I just invited you.”

I thought of Newton’s reaction to seeing me coming with Bella-seeing her only pay attention to me, giving him nary a thought.

It was pleasing.

“Let’s you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. W don’t want him to snap.”

She pouted, though her eyes were thoughtful. “Mike-schmike.”

Another burst of joy exploded in me. I wanted to grab her and swing her about, then find Newton and laugh in his face that he hadn’t succeeded in wooing Bella.

She was mine.

We made it to the parking lot, my mind still taking in the joy of her expressions. Then I noticed she wasn’t near me anymore, instead making her way to her car.

Panic seized through me. “Where do you think you’re going?” I caught her jacket in my fist, determined not to let her out of my sight.

She looked back at me, confused. “I’m going home.”

“Didn’t you hear me promise to take you safely home? DO you think I’m going to let you drive in your condition?”

“What condition? And what about my truck?” she complained.

“I’ll have Alice drop it off after school.”

‘Edward! It’s so slow. Must I?’ Alice complained

I smiled. It would do her some good not to be near vehicles that could go up to sixty in seconds.

I dragged her to my car. I felt like a beast, dragging one’s mate while making odd grunting noises, but she insisted on making it difficult.

Mate?

I shook it off. I had other things to think about.

“Let go!” she grumbled, though I just took her to the passenger side of the Volvo, finally freeing her, the force of which made her stumble into it.

I suppressed my laughter. It wasn’t gentlemanly.

“You are so pushy!” She accused.

“It’s open,” I told her.

She continued to defy me-I wasn’t used to it-there were not many people who would.

“I am perfectly capable of driving myself home!” she yelled.

I sighed, already in the car. “Get in the car, Bella.”

She pursed her lips. She wanted to go to her truck.

I wouldn’t let her.

“I’ll drag you back,” I threatened, taking a chance that that was what she was thinking.

She narrowed her eyes, getting into the car.

“This is completely unnecessary.”

I didn’t answer her, instead turning up the heat for her benefit. She was half-drowned and with her luck she would catch cold. As much as the heat would heighten her scent, I didn’t want her to get ill. I turned on some music, hoping to distract myself.

“Claire de Lune?” She asked, surprised.

I was shocked. There weren’t a lot of teenagers that knew that song.

“You know Dubussy?”

“Not well,” she confessed. “My mother plays a lot of classical music around the house-I only know my favorites.”

“It’s one of my favorites too,” I told her softly.

I wondered what her mother was like-if she was just an older version of Bella. I wondered how was it that I found someone with a dislike of the smell of blood, who knew classical music, who appreciated it.

Who ignited my mind like no other, who, if I could dream, would permeate them, leaving me no choice but to spend my days and nights thinking of her.

“What is your mother like?”

“She looks a lot like me, but she’s prettier.”

I raised my eyebrows. Bella, as far as I was concerned, was the epitome of beauty.

“I have too much Charlie in me. She’s more outgoing than I am and braver. She’s irresponsible and slightly eccentric and she’s a very unpredictable cook. She’s my best friend.”

Her voice ended in a note of sadness, making me ache to pull her to me, to comfort her and make the sadness in her go away.

“How old are you, Bella?” I had to remind myself that she was a child, with all her life ahead of her. She wasn’t as old as me, that no matter how old she seemed, it was no where near old enough.

I was, after all, over ninety years old.

“I’m seventeen,” she responded, confused.

“You don’t seem seventeen.” My voice was more accusatory than I wanted it to be.

She laughed, the musical sound piercing my self-indulgent wallowing.

“What?” What ever it was, I most likely had no idea.

“My mom always said I was born thirty-five and getting more middle aged every year,” she explained laughing. Then she sighed, “someone has to be the adult.” She paused, then continued. “You don’t seem like a junior in high school yourself.”

I made a face. Of course I didn’t! I was a doctor twice over. I graduated high school so many times, ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ made me ill.

“Why did your mother marry Phil?” Better keep the subject on her.

She took a deep breath. “My mother…she’s very young for her age. I think Phil makes her feel younger. At any rate, she’s crazy about him.” The tone in her voice indicated she had trouble understanding why.

“Do you approve?”

“Does it matter? I want her to be happy…and he is who she wants.”

“That’s very generous,” I commented. “I wonder…”

“What?” She asked me.

It was too much to hope for. Yet I couldn’t help it. I had to ask.

“Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think?”

Would she allow you to become damned? Would she allow you to be with someone who could kill you in an instant?

“I-I think so,” she stammered. “But she’s the parent, after all. It’s a little bit different.”

“No one too scary then,” I teased.

She smiled, my mood lifting along with the edges of her smile. “What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial piercings and extensive tattoos?”

“That’s one definition, I suppose.” ‘Or being immortal, forced to drink blood to survive, wanting very desperately to drink your blood that calls to me, to proclaim you mind until the end of my existence.’

“What’s your definition?” she asked me.

I couldn’t bring myself to answer her-I knew I would tell her the truth. “Do you think I could be scary?” I tried to act like I was teasing her, raising one eyebrow, letting a grin start pulling at my lips.

She looked at my face. “Hmmm…I think you could be, if you wanted to.”

“Are you frightened of me now?” It would happen eventually. I had to prepare myself for that day.

“No,” she said, a bit too quickly. I smiled, happy with her answer.

“So, now are you going to tell me about your family?” She asked, I assumed to distract me from the intense thread of our conversation. “It’s got to be a much more interesting story than mine.”

Yes. My adoptive parents are actually vampires, Carlisle turned me and my other brothers and sisters are also vampires. We’ll live until the end of the world and thirst for blood. We move every few years so no one gets suspicious.

“What do you want to know?” I asked her. I already knew I would tell her the truth if she asked-I would find myself telling the whole story.

I had put my family in danger once. I wouldn’t do it again.

“The Cullens adopted you?” she asked innocently.

“Yes.” They did. Carlisle and Esme loved me as deeply as if I were their natural son.

“What happened to your parents?” she asked hesitantly, sadness creeping into her voice.

“They died many years ago,” I told her simply. ‘During the Spanish Influenza that you read in history books.’

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“I don’t really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now.” My human memories were vague, if not completely gone.

“And you love them.”

“Yes,” I thought of Esme’s worry when I left, how concerned Carlisle was for my well-being. “I couldn’t imagine two better people.”

“You’re very lucky.”

“I know I am.” How could I not, being the prodigal son that I was?”

“And your brother and sister?”

I glanced down, wondering what I should tell her about Emmett and Alice. I noticed the time, soon I would hear Rosalie’s complaints and then all of their jabs at my obsession with Bella.

“My brother and sister and Jasper and Rosalie, for that matter, are going to be very upset if they have to stand in rain waiting for me.” Especially Rosalie. She hated getting wet.

“Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go,” she muttered. The thought displeased her.

“And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don’t have to tell him about the Biology incident.” I grinned, it was a miracle that man was able to confidently send Bella off to school with the amount of trouble she got into.

“I’m sure he’s already heard. There are no secrets in Forks,” she sighed.

I laughed. Yes, yes there were. Silly Bella.

“Have fun at the beach…good weather for sun bathing,” I told her.

“Won’t I see you tomorrow?” she asked, I swore I heard distress in her voice.

“No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked. I smiled, taking pleasure in the fact she wanted to know what I was doing, that she was disappointed she wouldn’t see me tomorrow.

“We’re going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier,” the half lie slipped easily out of my lips.

“Oh,” she said, disappointed. “Well, have fun.” She tried to be enthusiastic. It was charming.

“Will you do something for me this weekend?” I tried to dazzle her, hoping that I would be able to get her to obey, just this once.

Her eyes were wide, her heart rate increased. She nodded.

“Don’t be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So…try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?” I smiled at her, watching her slowly regain control over herself.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she snapped, clearly taking offense at my request. She jumped out of the car, slamming the door.

I smiled all the way back to school.

Description
I stopped breathing, panicked. I had just seen her-what could she have possibly gotten into since I saw her last?

That girl was a magnet for trouble.

I rushed through the minds of the students-concentrating on my biology classmates.

‘Yes! This is awesome-well, not that she’s sick but maybe she’ll see me differently. I lucked out-Cullen’s not here today to distract her. I wondered what happened at lunch. They looked too close. Maybe I can ask her about it-‘

I let out a growl. Damn that Mike Newton! The conniving little-

This wasn’t the time. He said Bella was sick.

I got out of my car, still hearing Newton’s voice in my head. He was taking her to the nurse now, she begged to sit for a second, the nausea overtaking her. He was getting concerned, she was green.

I saw them-Bella lying on the sidewalk, her eyes closed. Newton stood idly, being the sheer nuisance that he was.

“Bella?” I called to her, panicked by her state.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded. “Is she hurt?” Leave it to Bella to slip on a stable surface and get a concussion.

“I don’t know. I think she’s fainted. She didn’t even stick her finger.” The boy was no use.

“Bella? Can you hear me?”

She moaned. “No, go away.”

I laughed, partly out of relief that she was ok, partly because even sick she was entertaining.

Leave it to Cullen to steal my moment. “I’m supposed to take her to the nurse. She wouldn’t go any farther.”

I took more enjoyment than I should out of stealing Newton’s thunder. “I’ll take her.” I used my most authoritative voice, leaving no room for argument. “Go back to class.”

“I’m supposed to do it.” If he thinks I’m just going to let him steal my moment-

I didn’t have time for this. I picked her up, cradling her to my body. If she could handle the cold sidewalk, she could certainly handle the coldness of my body.

Her eyes flew open. “Put me down!” she demanded.

I had already started walking, thanking Alice for the opportunity to not only usurp Newton’s plans, but for the chance to be with Bella.

She was warm. I felt like a freezing man just offered a fire, the warmth consuming me. I was careful not to hold her too close-she was small, fragile. I didn’t want to hurt her.

“Hey!” ‘That son of a-how could he just-how is any one supposed to even talk to Bella with him constantly there?’

“You look awful,” I told her, teasing her.

“Put me back on the sidewalk,” she demanded.

“So you faint at the sight of blood?” I appreciated the irony.

She closed her eyes again, the thought apparently disturbing her.

“Not even your own blood,” I mused.

I walked to the front office, still entertaining myself with this new discovery.

I heard a gasp. ‘Oh my.’ Her thought processes stopped, her mind filled with images, none of which were appropriate, yet interesting.

“She fainted in biology.”

Mrs. Cope held open the door to the nurse’s office. I placed Bella on the cot, moving to the opposite side of the tiny room. It was warm, the scent of her still lingered with me, the images in Mrs. Cope’s head still in her consciousness, still giving me the ability to see them.

The nurse was startled by my unorthodox entrance.

“She’s just a little faint. They were blood typing in Biology.”

She nodded, it was a fairly common occurrence. “There’s always one.” ‘Yet they’re not brought in by knights in shining armor.’“Just lie down honey. It will pass.”

I chuckled, quickly hiding it.

Bella sighed, “I know.”

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Sometimes,” Bella shrugged.

I coughed, hiding another laugh.

Only Bella.

“You can go back to class now,” she told me.

“I’m supposed to stay with her.” In more ways than one.

She pursed her lips. She didn’t like having so many people in the office, but she let me, getting some ice for Bella. School systems everywhere held the credo that ice was the answer.

Bella closed her eyes, “You were right,” she moaned.

I smiled smugly. “I usually am-about what in particular this time?”

“Ditching is healthy.”

She tired to slow her breathing.

I thought back to my fear-seeing her lying on the ground. It felt like nothing I had ever experienced. The weightiness of the dread was incredible. “You scared me for a minute there,” I said, my voice catching ever so slightly. I tried to lighten the situation. Next I would be pledging my life to her if I wasn’t careful. “I thought Newton was dragging your dead body to bury it in the woods.”

“Ha ha,” she said sarcastically.

“Honestly-I’ve seen corpses with better color. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder.”

“Poor Mike. I’ll be he’s mad.”

“He absolutely loathes me,” I said, taking cheer in the thought.

“You can’t know that,” she protested, suddenly becoming thoughtful as the words spilled out.

“I saw his face-I could tell,” I lied.

“How did you see me?” she asked.

“I was in my car, listening to a CD,” I replied honestly. Thinking of you-wondering how far I can fall in love with you before I lose my mind.

The nurse pressed a cold compress on her head, “here you go, dear. You’re looking better.”

“I think I’m fine,” Bella said, sitting up. I expected to see her have to lie back down, but she was able to keep her equilibrium.

Mrs. Cope poked her head in. “We’ve got another one.”

Bella jumped off the cot, handing the compress back to the nurse. “Here, I don’t need this.”

Newton came in, helping another boy from biology. ‘What are they still doing here? Stupid Cullen-that should be me next to Bella. I wish he’d keep his nose out of her business.’

I smelled the blood coming from the boy’s finger. “Oh no. Bella, get out of the office.”

She looked at me, questions in her eyes.

“Trust me, go.”

For once she listened, getting out of the office as quickly as possible.

“You listened to me.”

“I smelled the blood,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she did so.

That was impossible. “People can’t smell blood.”

“I can-that’s what makes me sick-it smells like rust. And salt.”

I was astonished. She was right, it did smell. I wasn’t sure if it was like rust and salt, but it would make sense-the iron and the sodium-but humans did not have the olfactory capabilities to detect that.

She frowned. “What?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing,” I told her.

Newton came sulking back, still upset that he wasn’t the one to save Bella.

“You look better,” he accused. ‘All because you had Cullen by your side, I’m sure.’

“Just keep your hand in your pocket,” she said, refusing to rise to her bait.

‘Great. She hates me now.’“It’s not bleeding anymore. Are you going back to class?”

I rolled my eyes. Newton was an idiot.

“Are you kidding? I’d just have to turn around and come back.”

‘Oh. Right. Dummy.’“Yeah, I guess,” ‘Come on, ask her. Now’s your chance to show up Cullen!’“Are you coming this weekend?”He glared at me. ‘Dare to say something, Cullen.’

As much as I wanted to toy with Newton, they were going to La Push, which vampire were forbidden to go, because of the treaty. Besides, we were hunting this weekend.

“Sure. I said I was in,” Bella replied.

He gave her the particulars, his eyes flickering to me every once in a while, his thoughts still provoking me to ask if I was invited.

Bella assured him she was going, his thoughts becoming more optimistic as time went on.

“I’ll see you in gym, then,” he said.

“See you,” she said, then groaned.

“I’ll take care of it,” I said, my lips near her ear. “Go sit and look pale.”

“Ms. Cope?”

‘Too young, too young, too young-my he looked handsome carrying in the Swan girl-too young-come on-‘ “Yes?” she said breathlessly.

“Bella has gym next hour and I don’t think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?”

“Do you need to be excused too, Edward?”

“No, I have Mrs. Goff,” she won’t mind. ‘She’ll probably be thankful that she won’t have to deal with someone who knows a language better than her.’

Ms. Cope scribbled hastily on two pieces of paper. “Okay, it’s all taken care of. You feel better, Bella.”

I closed my mind to the thoughts of Ms. Cope-I couldn’t possibly concentrate on Bella when she filled my mind with dime store romance images.

I turned to face her-she gave a convincing act of being sick.

“Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?” I already knew her answer, even without reading her mind.

“I’ll walk.”

I opened the door for her-an automatic action on my part.

I watched her walk-felt the steady beat of her heart as if it were my own. I wore a polite smile, afraid to show her what I was truly thinking.

“Thanks,” she said suddenly. “It’s almost worth getting sick to miss gym.”

“Anytime,” I told her distractedly. I was cursing myself-I should have gone hunting yesterday. I shouldn’t be feeling this remarkable pull of bloodlust.

“So are you going? This Saturday, I mean?” Her voice was hopeful. I smiled, happy at her apparent wish for my company.

“Where are you all going, exactly?” I was hoping, and it was a vain hope, that perhaps that Newton had it wrong. That it wouldn’t be the dog’s beach.

“Down to La Push, to First Beach,” she informed me. She studied my face, hoping to gauge my reaction. My eyes narrowed, not because of her, but the thought of those dogs anywhere near her.

I thought of Newton’s reaction. “I don’t think I was invited.”

She sighed, disappointed by my answer. “I just invited you.”

I thought of Newton’s reaction to seeing me coming with Bella-seeing her only pay attention to me, giving him nary a thought.

It was pleasing.

“Let’s you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. W don’t want him to snap.”

She pouted, though her eyes were thoughtful. “Mike-schmike.”

Another burst of joy exploded in me. I wanted to grab her and swing her about, then find Newton and laugh in his face that he hadn’t succeeded in wooing Bella.

She was mine.

We made it to the parking lot, my mind still taking in the joy of her expressions. Then I noticed she wasn’t near me anymore, instead making her way to her car.

Panic seized through me. “Where do you think you’re going?” I caught her jacket in my fist, determined not to let her out of my sight.

She looked back at me, confused. “I’m going home.”

“Didn’t you hear me promise to take you safely home? DO you think I’m going to let you drive in your condition?”

“What condition? And what about my truck?” she complained.

“I’ll have Alice drop it off after school.”

‘Edward! It’s so slow. Must I?’ Alice complained

I smiled. It would do her some good not to be near vehicles that could go up to sixty in seconds.

I dragged her to my car. I felt like a beast, dragging one’s mate while making odd grunting noises, but she insisted on making it difficult.

Mate?

I shook it off. I had other things to think about.

“Let go!” she grumbled, though I just took her to the passenger side of the Volvo, finally freeing her, the force of which made her stumble into it.

I suppressed my laughter. It wasn’t gentlemanly.

“You are so pushy!” She accused.

“It’s open,” I told her.

She continued to defy me-I wasn’t used to it-there were not many people who would.

“I am perfectly capable of driving myself home!” she yelled.

I sighed, already in the car. “Get in the car, Bella.”

She pursed her lips. She wanted to go to her truck.

I wouldn’t let her.

“I’ll drag you back,” I threatened, taking a chance that that was what she was thinking.

She narrowed her eyes, getting into the car.

“This is completely unnecessary.”

I didn’t answer her, instead turning up the heat for her benefit. She was half-drowned and with her luck she would catch cold. As much as the heat would heighten her scent, I didn’t want her to get ill. I turned on some music, hoping to distract myself.

“Claire de Lune?” She asked, surprised.

I was shocked. There weren’t a lot of teenagers that knew that song.

“You know Dubussy?”

“Not well,” she confessed. “My mother plays a lot of classical music around the house-I only know my favorites.”

“It’s one of my favorites too,” I told her softly.

I wondered what her mother was like-if she was just an older version of Bella. I wondered how was it that I found someone with a dislike of the smell of blood, who knew classical music, who appreciated it.

Who ignited my mind like no other, who, if I could dream, would permeate them, leaving me no choice but to spend my days and nights thinking of her.

“What is your mother like?”

“She looks a lot like me, but she’s prettier.”

I raised my eyebrows. Bella, as far as I was concerned, was the epitome of beauty.

“I have too much Charlie in me. She’s more outgoing than I am and braver. She’s irresponsible and slightly eccentric and she’s a very unpredictable cook. She’s my best friend.”

Her voice ended in a note of sadness, making me ache to pull her to me, to comfort her and make the sadness in her go away.

“How old are you, Bella?” I had to remind myself that she was a child, with all her life ahead of her. She wasn’t as old as me, that no matter how old she seemed, it was no where near old enough.

I was, after all, over ninety years old.

“I’m seventeen,” she responded, confused.

“You don’t seem seventeen.” My voice was more accusatory than I wanted it to be.

She laughed, the musical sound piercing my self-indulgent wallowing.

“What?” What ever it was, I most likely had no idea.

“My mom always said I was born thirty-five and getting more middle aged every year,” she explained laughing. Then she sighed, “someone has to be the adult.” She paused, then continued. “You don’t seem like a junior in high school yourself.”

I made a face. Of course I didn’t! I was a doctor twice over. I graduated high school so many times, ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ made me ill.

“Why did your mother marry Phil?” Better keep the subject on her.

She took a deep breath. “My mother…she’s very young for her age. I think Phil makes her feel younger. At any rate, she’s crazy about him.” The tone in her voice indicated she had trouble understanding why.

“Do you approve?”

“Does it matter? I want her to be happy…and he is who she wants.”

“That’s very generous,” I commented. “I wonder…”

“What?” She asked me.

It was too much to hope for. Yet I couldn’t help it. I had to ask.

“Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think?”

Would she allow you to become damned? Would she allow you to be with someone who could kill you in an instant?

“I-I think so,” she stammered. “But she’s the parent, after all. It’s a little bit different.”

“No one too scary then,” I teased.

She smiled, my mood lifting along with the edges of her smile. “What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial piercings and extensive tattoos?”

“That’s one definition, I suppose.” ‘Or being immortal, forced to drink blood to survive, wanting very desperately to drink your blood that calls to me, to proclaim you mind until the end of my existence.’

“What’s your definition?” she asked me.

I couldn’t bring myself to answer her-I knew I would tell her the truth. “Do you think I could be scary?” I tried to act like I was teasing her, raising one eyebrow, letting a grin start pulling at my lips.

She looked at my face. “Hmmm…I think you could be, if you wanted to.”

“Are you frightened of me now?” It would happen eventually. I had to prepare myself for that day.

“No,” she said, a bit too quickly. I smiled, happy with her answer.

“So, now are you going to tell me about your family?” She asked, I assumed to distract me from the intense thread of our conversation. “It’s got to be a much more interesting story than mine.”

Yes. My adoptive parents are actually vampires, Carlisle turned me and my other brothers and sisters are also vampires. We’ll live until the end of the world and thirst for blood. We move every few years so no one gets suspicious.

“What do you want to know?” I asked her. I already knew I would tell her the truth if she asked-I would find myself telling the whole story.

I had put my family in danger once. I wouldn’t do it again.

“The Cullens adopted you?” she asked innocently.

“Yes.” They did. Carlisle and Esme loved me as deeply as if I were their natural son.

“What happened to your parents?” she asked hesitantly, sadness creeping into her voice.

“They died many years ago,” I told her simply. ‘During the Spanish Influenza that you read in history books.’

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“I don’t really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now.” My human memories were vague, if not completely gone.

“And you love them.”

“Yes,” I thought of Esme’s worry when I left, how concerned Carlisle was for my well-being. “I couldn’t imagine two better people.”

“You’re very lucky.”

“I know I am.” How could I not, being the prodigal son that I was?”

“And your brother and sister?”

I glanced down, wondering what I should tell her about Emmett and Alice. I noticed the time, soon I would hear Rosalie’s complaints and then all of their jabs at my obsession with Bella.

“My brother and sister and Jasper and Rosalie, for that matter, are going to be very upset if they have to stand in rain waiting for me.” Especially Rosalie. She hated getting wet.

“Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go,” she muttered. The thought displeased her.

“And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don’t have to tell him about the Biology incident.” I grinned, it was a miracle that man was able to confidently send Bella off to school with the amount of trouble she got into.

“I’m sure he’s already heard. There are no secrets in Forks,” she sighed.

I laughed. Yes, yes there were. Silly Bella.

“Have fun at the beach…good weather for sun bathing,” I told her.

“Won’t I see you tomorrow?” she asked, I swore I heard distress in her voice.

“No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked. I smiled, taking pleasure in the fact she wanted to know what I was doing, that she was disappointed she wouldn’t see me tomorrow.

“We’re going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier,” the half lie slipped easily out of my lips.

“Oh,” she said, disappointed. “Well, have fun.” She tried to be enthusiastic. It was charming.

“Will you do something for me this weekend?” I tried to dazzle her, hoping that I would be able to get her to obey, just this once.

Her eyes were wide, her heart rate increased. She nodded.

“Don’t be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So…try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?” I smiled at her, watching her slowly regain control over herself.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she snapped, clearly taking offense at my request. She jumped out of the car, slamming the door.

I smiled all the way back to school.