~Enjoy the long chapter~

My jaw dropped a bit as I saw the way his skin reflected the sun. Like a thousand tiny pieces of prisms were the fabric of his skin. It was beautiful, and I knew there was no camera that could capture the true beauty of this. The way it seemed to sparkle like diamonds on a ring.

Edward slightly approached before laying down on the grass, the buttons of his shirt undone, revealing an even more diamond like skin. I slowly approached before sitting next to him but not too close, still unsure of where my boundaries lie. I smiled at him before laying near him but not too close, assuring him I wasn't afraid.

We laid their for a while in silence, enjoying each other's presence. I watched him curiously as his lips moved too fast for me to catch what he was doing. He was singing to himself. That was the answer I had gotten as the question escaped my lips.

Hesitantly, always afraid he would disappear, I reached out one finger and stroked the back of his shimmering hand, where it lay within my reach. I marveled again at the perfect texture, satin smooth, cool as stone. When I looked up again, his eyes were open, watching me.

"You never really told me a lot about your life at home. Mystic Falls" he said suddenly. "Just a bit here or there. Small details"

"I'm not sure what to say. It's a long story. Besides, I'm not sure if it's all my story to tell" I admitted.

He nodded. "I keep waiting for you to run away, screaming"

I scoffed and laughed. "I may not tell you a lot about Mystic Falls, but you should know enough has happened that this, it definitely doesn't make me run away, screaming. It takes a lot more than that"

"I don't scare you?" he asked playfully, but I could hear the real curiosity in his soft voice.

"No more than usual."

He smiled wider; his teeth flashed in the sun. "Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered. I looked to see his eyes watching me, suddenly intent. "It's still so strange for me, not knowing."

I looked down, my finger tracing his hand with interest. "I was just wondering what you were thinking. And I was wondering what my sister would say if she found out about this. About everything"

"And if you could tell her, what would she say?" Edward asked, wanting to get a better idea on her.

I laughed a little. "She would probably like you a lot and say that you remind her of Stefan." I shook my head in amusement, temporarily forgetting she had no humanity.

"Who is Stefan?"

"A local vampire at my home town. He's Damon's brother. He's like you and the rest of your family. His main focus is the blood of animals, but if he slips up, it gets really bad. So he's currently on bloodbags instead. But. He was in animal blood for a long while"

"Bloodbags. Hm..." Edward said, sounding intrigued by that. "Not something I would approve of per say, but it is quite the method. Still as strong as non vegetarian vampires yet not killing people. But I can't imagine how many bloodbags it takes to sustain a vampire"

I shrugged. "It's not that bad. Unless they are pretty hungry."

We were silent again as he thought about it. Subconsciously, I leaned closer to him. Closer than I should have because he tore his hand away gracefully and was on the other side of the meadow.

"I'm sorry" I apologized. "I'm so used to seeing vampires closer than that to humans and not hurt them. But they're not your kind, so I'm not sure where to draw a line." My voice was quiet now as though I had spoken a secret.

"Give me a moment," he called, just loud enough for my less sensitive ears.

I sat very still. After ten incredibly long seconds, he walked back, slowly for him. He stopped, still several feet away, and sank gracefully to the ground, crossing his legs. His eyes never left mine. He took two deep breaths, and then smiled in apology.

"I am so very sorry." He hesitated. "Would you understand what I meant if I said I was only human?"

I nodded quickly. "I do. Once again I'm sorry for being... Difficult"

Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as the reminder of potential danger slowly sank in. He could smell that from where he sat. His smile turned mocking.

"I'm the world's best predator, aren't I? Everything about me invites you in — my voice, my face, even my smell . As if I need any of that!" Unexpectedly, he was on his feet, bounding away, instantly out of sight, only to appear beneath the same tree as before, having circled the meadow in half a second. "As if you could outrun me!" He laughed bitterly.

He reached up with one hand and, with a deafening crack, effortlessly ripped a twofoot- thick branch from the trunk of the spruce. He balanced it in that hand for a moment, and then threw it with blinding speed, shattering it against another huge tree, which shook and trembled at the blow. And he was in front of me again, standing two feet away, still as a stone.

"As if you could fight me off," he said gently.

I watched, inhaling sharply at his actions. I wasn't sure how to react. On one hand, the sane part of me told me to back up and watch him carefully, knowing I couldn't run. The other part dared to step forward towards him. It wasn't as though I hadn't seen super strength before. But this seemed stronger somehow. Were the Cold Ones stronger than the Originals? Even the vegetarians?

Don't be afraid," he murmured, his velvet voice unintentionally seductive as he slowly walked towards me again. "I promise…" I swear not to hurt you." He seemed more concerned with convincing himself than me. "Don't be afraid," he whispered again as he got back on the ground to join me.

I looked at him, unsure if I should say something. Clearly I should keep my distance. Not get too close. "I'm not" I said, looking at him. "Intimidated, yes. But not afraid"

"Please forgive me," he said formally. "I can control myself. You caught me off guard. But I'm on my best behavior now. I'm not thirsty today. Honestly" He winked, causing me to blush and take a deep breath.

Honestly, his way with words always seems to take my breath away. Whether it's formal or humor. His melodic voice doesn't exactly help me resist the temptation to kiss him that has been growing since I got in the car this morning. Even if he is making me... hike.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his tone thick with worry over my silent reaction to his actions.

"I'm fine. It's not like you attacked me. I just didn't realize quite how strong you were" I admitted.

"I'm sorry I frightened you. You don't need to worry about me hurting you." Edward said softly, looking at me.

I was silent as I nodded, watching him curiously. I reached over and took his hand again. "Just give me a warning if I start getting too close. It's not like I can read your mind" I teased, smiling at him.

Edward let out a melodic laugh as he smiled over at me. "I will try. I should have left long ago," he sighed. "I should leave now. But I don't know if I can."

"I don't want you to leave," I mumbled pathetically, staring down again.

"Which is exactly why I should. But don't worry. I'm essentially a selfish creature. I crave your company more than I should"

I raised an eyebrow over at him. "Good" I said, because I wasn't quite sure where my emotional state would be if he wasn't here.

Edward pulled away from me and was suddenly standing a few feet away from me. "It's not only your company I crave. Don't forget that. Hm... How can I explain this? You see, every person smells different, has a different essence. If you locked an alcoholic in a room full of stale beer, he'd gladly drink it. But he could resist if he wanted to. Now imagine a recovering alcoholic in a room. Now let's say you placed in that room a glass of hundred-year-old brandy, the rarest, finest cognac — and filled the room with its warm aroma — how do you think he would fare then?"

I winced a bit at the thought of that. "he'd drink it. It'd be nearly impossible to resist"

"Some vampires find a person that is like the hundred-year-old brandy" he said, glad I understood. " When I first saw you in class. It took everything in me not to lure you out into the hall and drain you dry. I imagined a hundred different ways to accomplish it. But somehow I was strong enough not to. Your scent is like a drug to me."

"Does that happen often?" I asked.

He looked across the treetops, thinking through his response. "I spoke to my brothers about it." He still stared into the distance. "To Jasper, every one of you is much the same. He's the most recent to join our family. It's a struggle for him to abstain at all. He hasn't had time to grow sensitive to the differences in smell, in flavor. So Jasper wasn't sure if he'd ever come across someone who was as appealing as you are to me. Which makes me think not. Emmett has been on the wagon longer, so to speak, and he understood what I meant. He says twice, for him, once stronger than the other."

I was silent for a long moment as he watched me, wondering how I would take it. "And what happened to the ones Emmett had found?"

"He killed them both. Even the strongest of us fall off their wagon sometimes. Emmett… these were strangers he happened across. It was a long time ago, and he wasn't as… practiced, as careful, as he is now."

I could imagine that. Large, buff Emmett walking down the street, his eyes a familiar butterscotch. He turns the corner and catches the scent of a girl in an alley, who was unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time. She didn't stand a chance as the vampire that had fed on animal blood came in contact with a scent so alluring in a dark alley.

"So if we had met, say, in a dark alley..."

"You would be dead" Edward said, looking at me. He glanced at me grimly, both of us remembering. "You must have thought I was possessed in class that day."

"I couldn't understand why. How you could hate me so quickly…"

"To me, it was like you were some kind of demon, summoned straight from my personal Hell"

"By the next morning I was in Alaska." He sounded ashamed, as if admitting a great cowardice. "I spent two days there, with some old acquaintances… but I was homesick. I hated knowing I'd upset Esme, and the rest of them, my adopted family."

I nodded and walked over to him, gently taking his hand. "You dont have to talk about this, you know"

"I know. I just want to be honest with you. Now that I can." He said. "But enough about that time. I want you to tell me about you. About your life before I met you" he looked at me with fascination and interest as he got back on the ground with me.

We laid there for a long while, talking about many topics, ranging from what he liked to do to more questions about Mystic Falls. It made me feel like I could relax. Like. All of the worries and pain escaped me.

"We should head back" he said suddenly, and I noticed it was becoming dark.

He stood up and held out a hand to help me up. I took it, feeling the icy cold feeling upon contact with him. The same feeling I had gotten used to today. He gently helped me to my feet. "I've told you, on the one hand, the hunger — the thirst — that, deplorable creature that I am, I feel for you. And I think you can understand that, to an extent. Though" — he half-smiled — "as you are not addicted to any illegal substances, you probably can't empathize completely. But there are other hungers. Hungers I don't quite understand"

"I think I know how you feel about that" I breathed out.

"Have you ever experienced anything like this before?"

"No. Not before... I mean, not until I met you" I admitted, my cheeks pinkening as a smile formed on my face.

"I don't know how to be close to you," he admitted. "I don't know if I can."

I leaned forward very slowly, cautioning him with my eyes. I placed my cheek against his stone chest. If anything was going to happen between us, we needed to test our boundaries. If we didnt, it would be hard to know where we truly stand. He wrapped his arms around me, gently holding me close.

"You're better at this than you give yourself credit for" I said, looking up at him.

Edward gently pulled away after a few moments. "I could show you how I travel through the forest" he offered, looking at her. "It's much faster. We could get back to the truck quickly."

I nodded. "Alright. How do we do this?"

"Climb on my back" he said, having it arched as he waited patiently.

"I'm heavier than the average backpack" I said with a grin, and he let out a laugh as I climbed on.

He began to run. When the vampires of Mystic Falls run with you, you don't really notice anything. Here, I could feel it. I could feel the way the wind blew as Edward avoided the trees at ease. My insides twisted a little at the fast motion. When we finally stopped, I didn't get off but rather took a deep breath, still connected to him.

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" When I didn't answer, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" I gasped a bit. "I just need a moment" It was a couple of minutes later that I climbed off finally and stepped away. "Thank you for being patient. That was a bit... Overwhelming" I said, unsure of a better word.

He turned towards me before I could blink. "It's okay." He said before looking at me as though he was trying to decide something.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at him.

"I'm going to try something" he replied before leaning closer.

He hesitated — not in the normal way, the human way. Not the way a man might hesitate before he kissed a woman, to gauge her reaction, to see how he would be received. Perhaps he would hesitate to prolong the moment, that ideal moment of anticipation, sometimes better than the kiss itself. Edward hesitated to test himself, to see if this was safe, to make sure he was still in control of his need.

And then he kissed me.

Blood boiled under my skin, burned in my lips. My breath came in a wild gasp. Without meaning to, my arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him close as I kissed him passionately, forgetting for a moment how dangerous this was My lips parted as I breathed in his heady scent. . He froze and gently pulled his lips away.

"Oops" I breathed out, looking at him, wondering what his thoughts were. Clearly I had been too much for him. "I'm sorry. Should I move?"

"No, it's manageable. Wait a moment please" There was a moment of long silence before suddenly he smiled, pleased with himself. "There."

He offered his hand to help me walk towards the truck. I took it, finding myself needing it

"Are you still faint from the run? Or was it my kissing expertise?"

How lighthearted, how human he seemed as he laughed now. He was a different Edward than the one I had known. And I felt all the more drawn towards him. It would cause me physical pain to be separated from him now.

"I can't be sure, I'm still woozy," I managed to respond. "I think it's some of both, though."

"Maybe you should let me drive. You're intoxicated by my very presence." He was grinning that playful smirk again.

"I can't argue with that," I sighed. I hesitated before nodding. "Don't break the truck" I warned before getting into the passenger seat that he had opened easily.

He was in the driver's seat before I could blink, and he started the engine before driving back to my house.