Conscience
Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I or will I ever, own Twilight or any of the characters or events associated with Twilight. They belong to the one and only amazingly brilliant Stephanie Meyer. I am merely borrowing them temporarily. So, unfortunately, as much as I wish Edward belonged to me, he doesn't and I'm trying my best to accept that. (My therapist says I'm making excellent progress.)
I don't know how long Alice and I sat there, side by side, neither of us uttering a sound. I was too shocked to say much of anything and Alice was restraining herself out of respect for my feelings, though I'm sure it was killing her to be so silent. Eventually, however, Alice stood up and left the room mumbling something about talking to Carlisle.
She had barely been gone a few minutes when I heard a soft know on the door. I ignored it, not feeling much like talking to anyone. The door opened slowly and Edward entered, shutting the door swiftly behind him.
"How are you?" he asked gently, taking the seat Alice had just vacated. I shrugged, I didn't feel much like discussing that particular subject. "I'm sorry it has to be like this," he whispered moving closer. "I was really hoping I could get to know you under… better circumstances."
Of all the things I'd expected him to say this was definitely not one of them. I'd expected, if anything, for him to come in here and tell me how bad he felt, like all the others had. This, however, caught me off guard. "Were you really?" I blurted before I could stop myself.
He smiled sadly, looking almost disappointed. "Yes, believe it or not, I really was. Since the first time I saw you I found you very… intriguing."
"You mean because of the whole obsessed with my blood thing?" I didn't really see any other reason for him to take an interest in me. After all, I wasn't all that interesting. I was just an average high school girl… up until now, anyway.
"There was that…" he replied, "but there was also something else." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "You know that I can read minds," he began. "That's my gift. But for some reason, I haven't been able to read yours. I'm not sure what it is about you, but… somehow you are immune to my gift."
I was silent for a moment, absorbing this new piece of information. Why would Edward's gift work on everyone else but not on me. "Alice's gift still works on me, though," I muttered thoughtfully. "Jasper's does, too." I remember Jasper's calming aura as they sat me down to explain what had happened. I just couldn't understand why Edward's should be any less effective than theirs had been.
"Carlisle says he's never heard of anything like this before. We're not really sure why you seem to be immune to my gift, but not the others'. He thinks it might be a mental thing, seeing as my gift affects your mind, while the others' abilities don't." He was quiet for a moment, a look of concentration on his perfect face. "What are you thinking?" he asked, a slight note of irritation in his voice. "It drives me crazy not being able to hear you thoughts. I'm so used to knowing what everyone else is thinking. I feel so… deaf… if that makes any sense."
"I guess I can see what you mean," I replied, "about the whole deafness thing. I'm really not thinking about anything interesting, though. Just about Charlie." A fresh wave of pain washed over me at the sound of his name. I missed him so much already, and I hated that I was causing him so much pain. Renee, too. I hated to think of how hurt they must be, grieving for their lost daughter. At least I knew that they were alive. That was something, wasn't it?
"I know it hurts now," he said sadly, "but it will get better eventually. Not perfect, but better." There was a sadness in his eyes that I hadn't noticed before, traces of pain behind the perfect golden color of his eyes. "You'll miss them, I'm not saying you won't, but over time , you'll be able to move on. We've all had to go through it, and I'll try to make it as easy as I can for you. I never wanted this to happen to you."
There was an honesty, a sincerity in his voice that I'd rarely heard since moving to Forks, actually that I'd rarely ever heard in anyone at all. I knew that he meant it. They all did. It truly hurt them to see this happen to me. Vampire with a conscience. I thought with a small giggle.That's not something you hear about everyday.
AN: I know the last few chapters have been very short and I haven't posted in a while. I'm going to start trying to write longer chapters, though, and update quicker. I've just been really busy. Between the play, school, and homework I barely have time to sleep let alone write. Hmmm… too bad I'm not a vampire. Oh Eddie dear…