"And so we've come full circle," he concluded. "Have you always stayed with Carlisle, then?" I wondered. "Almost always." He put his hand lightly on my waist and pulled me with him as he walked through the door. I stared back at the wall of pictures, wondering if I would ever get to hear the other stories. Edward didn't say any more as we walked down the hall, so I asked, "Almost?" He sighed, seeming reluctant to answer. "Well, I had a typical bout of rebellious adolescence — about ten years after I was… born… created, whatever you want to call it. I wasn't sold on his life of abstinence, and I resented him for curbing my appetite. So I went off on my own for a time." "Really?" I was intrigued, rather than frightened, as I perhaps should have been. He could tell. I vaguely realized that we were headed up the next flight of stairs, but I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings. "That doesn't repulse you?" "No." "Why not?" "I guess… it sounds reasonable." He barked a laugh, more loudly than before. We were at the top of the stairs now, in another paneled hallway. "From the time of my new birth," he murmured, "I had the advantage of knowing what everyone around me was thinking, both human and non-human alike. That's why it took me ten years to defy Carlisle — I could read his perfect sincerity, understand exactly why he lived the way he did. "It took me only a few years to return to Carlisle and recommit to his vision. I thought I would be exempt from the… depression… that accompanies a conscience. Because I knew the thoughts of my prey, I could pass over the innocent and pursue only the evil. If I followed a murderer down a dark alley where he stalked a young girl — if I saved her, then surely I wasn't so terrible." I shivered, imagining only too clearly what he described — the alley at night, the frightened girl, the dark man behind her. And Edward, Edward as he hunted, terrible and glorious as a young god, unstoppable. Would she have been grateful, that girl, or more frightened than before? "But as time went on, I began to see the monster in my eyes. I couldn't escape the debt of so much human life taken, no matter how justified. And I went back to Carlisle and Esme. They welcomed me back like the prodigal. It was more than I deserved." We'd come to a stop in front of the last door in the hall. "My room," he informed me, opening it and pulling me through. His room faced south, with a wall-sized window like the great room below. The whole back side of the house must be glass. His view looked down on the winding Sol Duc River, across the untouched forest to the Olympic Mountain range. The mountains were much closer than I would have believed. The western wall was completely covered with shelf after shelf of CDs. His room was better stocked than a music store. In the corner was a sophisticated-looking sound system, the kind I was afraid to touch because I'd be sure to break something. There was no bed, only a wide and inviting black leather sofa. The floor was covered with a thick golden carpet, and the walls were hung with heavy fabric in a slightly darker shade. "Good acoustics?" I guessed. He chuckled and nodded. He picked up a remote and turned the stereo on. It was quiet, but the soft jazz number sounded like the band was in the room with us. I went to look at his mind-boggling music collection. "How do you have these organized?" I asked, unable to find any rhyme or reason to the titles. He wasn't paying attention. "Ummm, by year, and then by personal preference within that frame," he said absently. I turned, and he was looking at me with a peculiar expression in his eyes. "What?" "I was prepared to feel… relieved. Having you know about everything, not needing to keep secrets from you. But I didn't expect to feel more than that. I like it. It makes me… happy." He shrugged, smiling slightly. "I'm glad," I said, smiling back. I'd worried that he might regret telling me these things. It was good to know that wasn't the case. But then, as his eyes dissected my expression, his smile faded and his forehead creased. "You're still waiting for the running and the screaming, aren't you?" I guessed. A faint smile touched his lips, and he nodded. "I hate to burst your bubble, but you're really not as scary as you think you are. I don't find you scary at all, actually," I lied casually. He stopped, raising his eyebrows in blatant disbelief. Then he flashed a wide, wicked smile. "You really shouldn't have said that," he chuckled. He growled, a low sound in the back of his throat; his lips curled back over his perfect teeth. His body shifted suddenly, half-crouched, tensed like a lion about to pounce. I backed away from him, glaring. "You wouldn't." I didn't see him leap at me — it was much too fast. I only found myself suddenly airborne, and then we crashed onto the sofa, knocking it into the wall. All the while, his arms formed an iron cage of protection around me — I was barely jostled. But I still was gasping as I tried to right myself. He wasn't having that. He curled me into a ball against his chest, holding me more securely than iron chains. I glared at him in alarm, but he seemed well in control, his jaw relaxed as he grinned, his eyes bright only with humor. "You were saying?" he growled playfully. "That you are a very, very terrifying monster," I said, my sarcasm marred a bit by my breathless voice. "Much better," he approved. "Um." I struggled. "Can I get up now?" He just laughed. "Can we come in?" a soft voice sounded from the hall. I struggled to free myself, but Edward merely readjusted me so that I was somewhat more conventionally seated on his lap. I could see it was Alice, then, and Jasper behind her in the doorway. My cheeks burned, but Edward seemed at ease. "Go ahead." Edward was still chuckling quietly. Alice seemed to find nothing unusual in our embrace; she walked — almost danced, her movements were so graceful — to the center of the room, where she folded herself sinuously onto the floor. Jasper, however, paused at the door, his expression a trifle shocked. He stared at Edward's face, and I wondered if he was tasting the atmosphere with his unusual sensitivity. "It sounded like you were having Bella for lunch, and we came to see if you would share," Alice announced. I stiffened for an instant, until I realized Edward was grinning — whether at her comment or my response, I couldn't tell. "Sorry, I don't believe I have enough to spare," he replied, his arms holding me recklessly close. "Actually," Jasper said, smiling despite himself as he walked into the room, "Alice says there's going to be a real storm tonight, and Emmett wants to play ball. Are you game?" The words were all common enough, but the context confused me. I gathered that Alice was a bit more reliable than the weatherman, though. Edward's eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "Of course you should bring Bella," Alice chirped. I thought I saw Jasper throw a quick glance at her. "Do you want to go?" Edward asked me, excited, his expression vivid. "Sure." I couldn't disappoint such a face. "Um, where are we going?" "We have to wait for thunder to play ball — you'll see why," he promised. "Will I need an umbrella?" They all three laughed aloud. "Will she?" Jasper asked Alice. "No." She was positive. "The storm will hit over town. It should be dry enough in the clearing." "Good, then." The enthusiasm in Jasper's voice was catching, naturally. I found myself eager, rather than scared stiff. "Let's go see if Carlisle will come." Alice bounded up and to the door in a fashion that would break any ballerina's heart. "Like you don't know," Jasper teased, and they were swiftly on their way. Jasper managed to inconspicuously close the door behind them. "What will we be playing?" I demanded. "You will be watching," Edward clarified. "We will be playing baseball." I rolled my eyes. "Vampires like baseball?" "It's the American pastime," he said with mock solemnity. =========================================================================== 17. THE GAME It was just beginning to drizzle when Edward turned onto my street. Up until that moment, I'd had no doubt that he'd be staying with me while I spent a few interim hours in the real world. And then I saw the black car, a weathered Ford, parked in Charlie's driveway — and heard Edward mutter something unintelligible in a low, harsh voice. Leaning away from the rain under the shallow front porch, Jacob Black stood behind his father's wheelchair. Billy's face was impassive as stone as Edward parked my truck against the curb. Jacob stared down, his expression mortified. Edward's low voice was furious. "This is crossing the line." "He came to warn Charlie?" I guessed, more horrified than angry. Edward just nodded, answering Billy's gaze through the rain with narrowed eyes. I felt weak with relief that Charlie wasn't home yet. "Let me deal with this," I suggested. Edward's black glare made me anxious. To my surprise, he agreed. "That's probably best. Be careful, though. The child has no idea." I bridled a little at the word child. "Jacob is not that much younger than I am," I reminded him. He looked at me then, his anger abruptly fading. "Oh, I know," he assured me with a grin. I sighed and put my hand on the door handle. "Get them inside," he instructed, "so I can leave. I'll be back around dusk." "Do you want my truck?" I offered, meanwhile wondering how I would explain its absence to Charlie. He rolled his eyes. "I could walk home faster than this truck moves." "You don't have to leave," I said wistfully. He smiled at my glum expression. "Actually, I do. After you get rid of them" — he threw a dark glance in the Blacks' direction — "you still have to prepare Charlie to meet your new boyfriend." He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. I groaned. "Thanks a lot." He smiled the crooked smile that I loved. "I'll be back soon," he promised. His eyes flickered back to the porch, and then he leaned in to swiftly kiss me just under the edge of my jaw. My heart lurched frantically, and I, too, glanced toward the porch. Billy's face was no longer impassive, and his hands clutched at the armrests of his chair. "Soon," I stressed as I opened the door and stepped out into the rain. I could feel his eyes on my back as I half-ran through the light sprinkle toward the porch. "Hey, Billy. Hi, Jacob." I greeted them as cheerfully as I could manage. "Charlie's gone for the day — I hope you haven't been waiting long." "Not long," Billy said in a subdued tone. His black eyes were piercing. "I just wanted to bring this up." He indicated a brown paper sack resting in his lap. "Thanks," I said, though I had no idea what it could be. "Why don't you come in for a minute and dry off?" I pretended to be oblivious to his intense scrutiny as I unlocked the door, and waved them in ahead of me. "Here, let me take that," I offered, turning to shut the door. I allowed myself one last glance at Edward. He was waiting, perfectly still, his eyes solemn. "You'll want to put it in the fridge," Billy noted as he handed me the package. "It's some of Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry — Charlie's favorite. The fridge keeps it drier." He shrugged. "Thanks," I repeated, but with feeling this time. "I was running out of new ways to fix fish, and he's bound to bring home more tonight." "Fishing again?" Billy asked with a subtle gleam in his eye. "Down at the usual spot? Maybe I'll run by and see him." "No," I quickly lied, my face going hard. "He was headed someplace new… but I have no idea where." He took in my changed expression, and it made him thoughtful. "Jake," he said, still appraising me. "Why don't you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I'll leave that for Charlie, too." "Where is it?" Jacob asked, his voice morose. I glanced at him, but he was staring at the floor, his eyebrows pulling together. "I think I saw it in the trunk," Billy said. "You may have to dig for it." Jacob slouched back out into the rain. Billy and I faced each other in silence. After a few seconds, the quiet started to feel awkward, so I turned and headed to the kitchen. I could hear his wet wheels squeak against the linoleum as he followed. I shoved the bag onto the crowded top shelf of the fridge, and spun around to confront him. His deeply lined face was unreadable. "Charlie won't be back for a long time." My voice was almost rude. He nodded in agreement, but said nothing. "Thanks again for the fish fry," I hinted. He continued nodding. I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. He seemed to sense that I had given up on small talk. "Bella," he said, and then he hesitated. I waited. "Bella," he said again, "Charlie is one of my best friends." "Yes." He spoke each word carefully in his rumbling voice. "I noticed you've been spending time with one of the Cullens." "Yes," I repeated curtly. His eyes narrowed. "Maybe it's none of my business, but I don't think that is such a good idea." "You're right," I agreed. "It is none of your business." He raised his graying eyebrows at my tone. "You probably don't know this, but the Cullen family has an unpleasant reputation on the reservation." "Actually, I did know that," I informed him in a hard voice. This surprised him. "But that reputation couldn't be deserved, could it? Because the Cullens never set foot on the reservation, do they?" I could see that my less than subtle reminder of the agreement that both bound and protected his tribe pulled him up short. "That's true," he acceded, his eyes guarded. "You seem… well informed about the Cullens. More informed than I expected." I stared him down. "Maybe even better informed than you are." He pursed his thick lips as he considered that. "Maybe." he allowed, but his eyes were shrewd. "Is Charlie as well informed?" He had found the weak chink in my armor. "Charlie likes the Cullens a lot," I hedged. He clearly understood my evasion. His expression was unhappy, but unsurprised. "It's not my business," he said. "But it may be Charlie's." "Though it would be my business, again, whether or not I think that it's Charlie's business, right?" I wondered if he even understood my confused question as I struggled not to say anything compromising. But he seemed to. He thought about it while the rain picked up against the roof, the only sound breaking the silence. "Yes," he finally surrendered. "I guess that's your business, too." I sighed with relief. "Thanks, Billy." "Just think about what you're doing, Bella," he urged. "Okay," I agreed quickly. He frowned. "What I meant to say was, don't do what you're doing." I looked into his eyes, filled with nothing but concern for me, and there was nothing I could say. Just then the front door banged loudly, and I jumped at the sound. "There's no picture anywhere in that car." Jacob's complaining voice reached us before he did. The shoulders of his shirt were stained with the rain, his hair dripping, when he rounded the corner. "Hmm," Billy grunted, suddenly detached, spinning his chair around to face his son. "I guess I left it at home." Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically. "Great." "Well, Bella, tell Charlie" — Billy paused before continuing — "that we stopped by, I mean." "I will," I muttered. Jacob was surprised. "Are we leaving already?" "Charlie's gonna be out late," Billy explained as he rolled himself past Jacob. "Oh." Jacob looked disappointed. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then, Bella." "Sure," I agreed. "Take care," Billy warned me. I didn't answer. Jacob helped his father out the door. I waved briefly, glancing swiftly toward my now-empty truck, and then shut the door before they were gone. I stood in the hallway for a minute, listening to the sound of their car as it backed out and drove away. I stayed where I was, waiting for the irritation and anxiety to subside. When the tension eventually faded a bit, I headed upstairs to change out of my dressy clothes. I tried on a couple of different tops, not sure what to expect tonight. As I concentrated on what was coming, what had just passed became insignificant. Now that I was removed from Jasper's and Edward's influence, I began to make up for not being terrified before. I gave up quickly on choosing an outfit — throwing on an old flannel shirt and jeans — knowing I would be in my raincoat all night anyway. The phone rang and I sprinted downstairs to get it. There was only one voice I wanted to hear; anything else would be a disappointment. But I knew that if he wanted to talk to me, he'd probably just materialize in my room. "Hello?" I asked, breathless. "Bella? It's me," Jessica said. "Oh, hey, Jess." I scrambled for a moment to come back down to reality. It felt like months rather than days since I'd spoken to Jess. "How was the dance?" "It was so much fun!" Jessica gushed. Needing no more invitation than that, she launched into a minute-by-minute account of the previous night. I mmm'd and ahh'd at the right places, but it wasn't easy to concentrate. Jessica, Mike, the dance, the school — they all seemed strangely irrelevant at the moment. My eyes kept flashing to the window, trying to judge the degree of light behind the heavy clouds. "Did you hear what I said, Bella?" Jess asked, irritated. "I'm sorry, what?" "I said, Mike kissed me! Can you believe it?" "That's wonderful, Jess," I said. "So what did you do yesterday?" Jessica challenged, still sounding bothered by my lack of attention. Or maybe she was upset because I hadn't asked for details. "Nothing, really. I just hung around outside to enjoy the sun." I heard Charlie's car in the garage. "Did you ever hear anything more from Edward Cullen?" The front door slammed and I could hear Charlie banging around under the stairs, putting his tackle away. "Um." I hesitated, not sure what my story was anymore. "Hi there, kiddo!" Charlie called as he walked into the kitchen. I waved at him. Jess heard his voice. "Oh, your dad's there. Never mind — we'll talk tomorrow. See you in Trig." "See ya, Jess." I hung up the phone. "Hey, Dad," I said. He was scrubbing his hands in the sink. "Where's the fish?" "I put it out in the freezer." "I'll go grab a few pieces before they freeze — Billy dropped off some of Harry Clearwater's fish fry this afternoon." I worked to sound enthusiastic. "He did?" Charlie's eyes lit up. "That's my favorite." Charlie cleaned up while I got dinner ready. It didn't take long till we were sitting at the table, eating in silence. Charlie was enjoying his food. I was wondering desperately how to fulfill my assignment, struggling to think of a way to broach the subject. "What did you do with yourself today?" he asked, snapping me out of my reverie. "Well, this afternoon I just hung out around the house…" Only the very recent part of this afternoon, actually. I tried to keep my voice upbeat, but my stomach was hollow. "And this morning I was over at the Cullens'." Charlie dropped his fork. "Dr. Cullen's place?" he asked in astonishment. I pretended not to notice his reaction. "Yeah." "What were you doing there?" He hadn't picked his fork back up. "Well, I sort of have a date with Edward Cullen tonight, and he wanted to introduce me to his parents… Dad?" It appeared that Charlie was having an aneurysm. "Dad, are you all right?" "You are going out with Edward Cullen?" he thundered. Uh-oh. "I thought you liked the Cullens." "He's too old for you," he ranted. "We're both juniors," I corrected, though he was more right than he dreamed. "Wait…" He paused. "Which one is Edwin?" "Edward is the youngest, the one with the reddish brown hair." The beautiful one, the godlike one… "Oh, well, that's" — he struggled — "better, I guess. I don't like the look of that big one. I'm sure he's a nice boy and all, but he looks too… mature for you. Is this Edwin your boyfriend?" "It's Edward, Dad." "Is he?" "Sort of, I guess." "You said last night that you weren't interested in any of the boys in town." But he picked up his fork again, so I could see the worst was over. "Well, Edward doesn't live in town, Dad." He gave me a disparaging look as he chewed. "And, anyways," I continued, "it's kind of at an early stage, you know. Don't embarrass me with all the boyfriend talk, okay?" "When is he coming over?" "He'll be here in a few minutes." "Where is he taking you?" I groaned loudly. "I hope you're getting the Spanish Inquisition out of your system now. We're going to play baseball with his family." His face puckered, and then he finally chuckled. "You're playing baseball?" "Well, I'll probably watch most of the time." "You must really like this guy," he observed suspiciously. I sighed and rolled my eyes for his benefit. I heard the roar of an engine pull up in front of the house. I jumped up and started cleaning my dishes. "Leave the dishes, I can do them tonight. You baby me too much." The doorbell rang, and Charlie stalked off to answer it. I was half a step behind him. I hadn't realized how hard it was pouring outside. Edward stood in the halo of the porch light, looking like a male model in an advertisement for raincoats. "Come on in, Edward." I breathed a sigh of relief when Charlie got his name right. "Thanks, Chief Swan," Edward said in a respectful voice. "Go ahead and call me Charlie. Here, I'll take your jacket." "Thanks, sir." "Have a seat there, Edward." I grimaced. Edward sat down fluidly in the only chair, forcing me to sit next to Chief Swan on the sofa. I quickly shot him a dirty look. He winked behind Charlie's back. "So I hear you're getting my girl to watch baseball." Only in Washington
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