After some time, I straightened out and began to pluck the strings of my new violin in an unfamiliar tune. I knew Christian was watching me, but when I turned to meet his golden eyes, he looked perplexed.
I stopped plucking. "What is it?"
"I can't begin to describe." He said without hesitation.
"Try."
"Vampires are creatures of habit, Alex. We are unchanging. We feel hunger, but that hunger is for blood, to feed. But this is different. There are new hungers, ones I don't even understand. They're so foreign."
I knew I looked confused, but I couldn't help it.
"I didn't think it was possible to feel something new in this life. I feel so... human."
"You mean to say, you've never felt this way before?" I was hesitating, not wanting to hear if he'd ever wanted someone else, ever loved someone else before.
"I was turned pretty young. I was only 18, as I've told you. I was born at the very start of the European Renaissance, changed when it was still young. I stayed with my coven until just a few years ago. We'd been together a long time. We traveled to the States sometime after the Renaissance had ended. I believe it was in the 1800s. By then, I had been alive for 350 years, so it actually took a while to update my accent." He laughed to himself. "I wasn't a vegetarian, then, either. I was like other vampires, feeding on humans, red eyes, the whole lot. About 200 years after, so roughly five years ago, I found the Cullens and a new way of life. My coven had been devastated by the Volturi, but I never knew why. My 'mother', the woman my creator loved, had found me before the Volturi attacked and sent me away; told me to find the Cullen clan. I don't know how she knew them or how she knew the Volturi were coming for them, either. I'm still searching for answers, quietly though; I don't want to bring any trouble to my new family since they were so gracious with me." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to tell you my life story. The short version is no. I stayed with my clan and I didn't have any romantic attachment to them. I was considered a nomad as I searched for the Cullens, and then upon arrival, I felt nothing then, either." He wrung his hands, anxious. "I met the Denali clan. There are three sisters and one of them, Irina, had appeared to be quite taken with me, but I wasn't interested."
His tale ended and I was pretty much speechless. So I said the only thing I could think of. "I'm sorry you lost your family. You must still be adjusting; I couldn't imagine.." I trailed off. I didn't know what else I could've said. He's only been without human blood for five years after indulging for over 400 years. It was impressive I wasn't dead, but still, I wasn't afraid. I was beginning to wonder if I really was an idiot.
He shrugged. "It's okay. It's hard some days, but the Cullens were kind to me. I showed up on their doorstep famished and sad. I hadn't eaten the entire search, afraid to stop, afraid the Volturi would find me."
"How did you know about them coming if you were sent away?" I probably shouldn't have asked, but I did anyway.
"I stayed, secretly, until they came. I had left, but came back a few hours later and hid myself. I left when I watched them rip my mother apart; she was trying to protect the others. She died first. I didn't stay to watch the others and I didn't help. I feel like a monster, actually. But I was terrified."
Oh no. "Christian, you couldn't have helped them," I didn't know if this would help, but I continued. "You would've been killed along with them and your mother wouldn't have been able to rest. She made you run for a reason."
"I wish I knew what that reason was." He paused. "Thank you, Alex."
"What was your mother's name?" I asked.
"Agnes. Unlike the Cullens, we didn't use our last names, since we didn't assimilate with humans."
"Agnes.." I whispered.
Standing up silently, I placed my violin on my shoulder again and began to play a slow, soft tune, once again not knowing where it would take me. It was a hauntingly beautiful melody that rang with a melancholy whine. It lasted about two or three minutes, and when I was done, I glanced down to Christian, still sitting at my side.
"For Agnes." I said.
He looked like if he could've cried, he would have. He stood up then and took the hand that held my bow.
"We should get back," he said.
I realized then how late it had gotten; the sun disappearing from the sky.
We walked through the forest in a peaceful silence, his hand still holding mine. When we got to the house, the lights were on inside. Walking in, I saw Bella and Edward chatting in the kitchen. She looked up to greet us and then continued their conversation.
"How often?" she asked casually.
"How often, what?" I parroted.
"Edward spies on me at night."
I faced him in horror and he and Christian laughed.
"You know, he does it, too." Edward said nonchalantly.
"You what?" I turned on Christian.
He put both his hands up, feigning innocence and took a seat beside his cousin.
"We come here almost every night," Edward answered Bella.
She whirled, stunned. "Why?"
"You girls talk in your sleep." He spoke matter-of-factly.
As I sat down, I banged my forehead on the table and left it there. Edward was filling in Bella on what she says in her sleep, but I frankly didn't want to know what Christian had heard. He was tapping my shoulder relentlessly.
Then we all heard the sound of tires on the brick driveway, saw the headlights flash through the front window, down the hall to us. I stiffened.
"Should your father know we're here?" Christian asked.
"I'm not sure..." I said, looking to my sister, trying to think it through quickly.
"Another time then..."
And then we were alone.
"Edward!" Bella hissed.
We heard a ghostly chuckle, then nothing else.
My father's key turned in the door.
"Girls?" he called.
"In here." I hoped he couldn't hear the hysterical edge to her voice. She grabbed her dinner from the microwave and sat at the table with me as he walked in. His footsteps sounded so noisy compared to the boys.
"Can you get me some of that? I'm bushed." He stepped on the heels of his boots to take them off, holding the back of Edward's chair for support.
I got up to get it for him, since Bella was eating. She scarfed down her food anyway. I filled two glasses with milk for them while the lasagna was heating up. I didn't feel hungry at the moment. Charlie sat in the chair and the contrast between him and its former occupant was comical.
"Thanks," he said as I placed his food on the table.
"How was your day?" Bella asked, gulping down the milk. Her words were rushed; she seemed to be itching to escape.
"Good. The fish were biting... how about you? Did you get everything done that you two wanted to?"
"Not really â it was too nice out to stay indoors."
"It was a nice day," he agreed. What an understatement, I thought to myself. Finished with her food, Bella stood to rush up the stairs. Dad surprised us both by being observant. "In a hurry?"
"Yeah. I'm tired. I'm going to bed early." She said.
"No plans tonight?" he asked suddenly.
"No, Dad, I just want to get some sleep."
"None of the boys in town your type, eh?" He was suspicious, but trying to play it cool.
"No, none of the boys have caught my eye yet." She was careful in her quest to be truthful with Dad.
"I thought maybe that Mike Newton... you said he was friendly."
"He's just a friend, Dad."
"And you, Alex?"
I looked up in shock. "Nope, no one!"
"Well, you two are too good for them all, anyway. Wait till you get to college to start looking." Every father's dream, that his daughter will be out of the house before the hormones kick in.
"Sounds like a good idea to me," I agreed as I headed up the stairs with my sister.
"'Night, honey," he called after us. No doubt he would be listening carefully all evening, waiting for us to try to sneak out.
"See you in the morning, Dad." See you creeping into my room tonight at midnight to check on me.
When we got to the door, I closed it loud enough for him to hear. I knew Bella would make for the window, so I grabbed her arm and pulled her onto my bed.
"What are you doing?" she whispered furiously.
"I have a feeling they'll be in here all night if you open that window, so let's talk first."
She huffed a small sigh, but her anger dissipated.
For about an hour, she filled me in on all that had happened in the meadow Edward had taken her to and everything about his story that he divulged. She informed me about their first kiss and his inability to stay away from her, the way her blood calls to him.
When it was my turn, I told her I knew about the blood thing and told her my side; that I called to no one. That I had no scent, but he didn't seem to know why. I saw the surprise and confusion cross her face, but continued. I told her about the beautiful scene in the glade, about Christian's story and his mother, Agnes. I finished it by telling her of his declaration to me, but that I still wasn't sure what we were. She rolled her eyes when I was done and pulled me over to the window.
"Is now okay?" she asked sarcastically.
"Yeah whatever, call your lover boy." I rolled my eyes back.
She opened the window and leaned out, hesitating. I could tell she probably felt ridiculous.
"Edward?" she whispered into the darkness.
The quiet, laughing response came from behind us. "Yes?"
We whirled, one hand flying to my throat in surprise.
They lay, smiling hugely, across the beds. Edward on hers. Christian on mine. Their feet dangling off the edges, pictures of ease.
"I'm sorry." Edward pressed his lips together, trying to hide his amusement. Christian had his head down in my mattress, his body shaking with laughter.
Bella excused herself for a 'human minute' and rushed to the bathroom with her pajamas. Even though I was more introverted than my sister, I didn't mind changing in front of Christian.
I turned towards Edward. "Turn, please." He raised his brows at me and turned to face the wall my sister's bed touched.
Then, without hesitating, I stripped off my dress and changed into a comfortable black tee-shirt and soft bottoms. Part of me wanted him to see me, wanted him to hate what he saw under the cover of my clothes and leave. I don't know why I felt an urge to push him away, when I knew that it would hurt, but it was there, all the same.
He saw me, but he didn't leave. He watched me carefully as I changed. I didn't drag it out â that would've been obvious. When I was done, I watched his eyes travel to my face, but I didn't understand the emotion I saw in them. Using his inhuman speed, he appeared at my side, even though I was only two feet away. He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me back to my own bed. I sat on it and brought my knees up to my chest. He laid back down where he had been not even 30 seconds before. He hugged his arms around my waist and just lay there, unmoving like stone.
Not long after, Bella came back in the room, mortified when she saw my clothes had been changed. Edward was still facing the wall when she came in. I respected that. She made her way over to the bed and sat beside him, turning him around.
I knew that she wanted to be alone with him. That was the only downside to sharing this room with her, but I wasn't sure our dad wouldn't come checking on us, so until then, we had to stay.
Chatting amongst the four of us about nothing of importance, the time passed. After about an hour, we watched the boys tense and then quickly disappear in the darkness. Confusion passing over my face, I was about to stand when I heard, "Lay down." coming from the darkness.
I heard Bella move and I complied, as well. A minute later, Dad opened the door to our bedroom quietly, checking on us. When he finally closed the door and made his way into his room, the boys reappeared at our sides, almost giving me a heart attack at their unnatural speed.
"Well," I whispered, catching Bella's attention. "I'm sure you two want to be alone, so Christian and I will be back later."
"What?" Bella said, speaking at the same time as Edward.
"I don't want to kick you out of your own room," he said.
"You're not," I corrected. "I'm leaving for my sister and myself, because I really don't want to see you two do whatever it is you do when you're alone."
Christian smiled broadly and stood up. "We'll be back in an hour or two," he said. Walking to the window we never closed, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side. "Ready, your highness?" he said as he jumped out the window into the grass below, Using his vampiric ability, he rushed us to a secluded place on the other side of the woods.
"I had this place built when I first came to the Cullens in case I was rejected or needed to leave." He told me as he put me down.
"It's beautiful." I breathed.
We went inside and he gave me the grand tour. I didn't lie when I said it was beautiful, but now I knew it was only on the outside. It was a stone house with a couple decent sized windows, all covered by black curtains. The walls of the outside were covered in ivy, shrubbery decorated the perimeter. But on the inside, despite a couch and chair, there wasn't any furniture. The ground was hard, cold concrete. It was a one room cottage and I mean literally one room. The living room. There was no bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, but I figured it made sense since he needed none of those things. I laughed to myself as I took in my surroundings.
"It's kind of plain." He said. "I haven't come here since I joined them, I had no need to." He brushed off a cobweb from a ceiling corner.
I took a seat on the couch and he joined me. It was a comfortable, black three-seater. I felt a little awkward again, so I began glancing around the room. He touched my chin and turned my face to his.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good." I was dazed, not gonna lie.
He bent his face slowly to mine, laying his cool cheek against my skin. I held perfectly still. This was as close as we'd ever been so far.
"Mm.." he breathed.
"Are you okay?" I repeated back to him, shakily.
"Am I?" he asked back, his nose gliding to the corner of my jaw. I felt his hand, lighter than a moth's wing, brushing my hair back, so that his lips could touch the hollow beneath my ear.
I tried to exhale. His fingers slowly started tracing my collarbone and I lost all train of thought.
I pulled back; as I moved, he froze â and I could no longer hear the sound of his breathing.
We stared cautiously at each other for a moment, and then, as his clenched jaw gradually relaxed, his expression became puzzled.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No â the opposite. You're driving me crazy." I explained.
He considered that briefly, and when he spoke, he sounded pleased. "Really?" A triumphant smile slowly lit his face.
"Would you like a round of applause?" I asked sarcastically.
He grinned.
"I'm just pleasantly surprised," he clarified. "In the last five hundred years or so," his voice was teasing, "I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with... in another way than my coven. And then to find, even though it's all new to me, that I'm good at it... at being with you..."
"You're good at everything," I pointed out.
He shrugged, allowing that, and we both laughed in whispers.
After a minute, he got serious. "Jealousy is an odd demon," he said, out of nowhere.
I looked at him quizzically.
"Do you remember when Eric asked you to the dance?"
"Vividly."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "I felt like I was burning alive then. I hated the guy for a moment." He shook his head slightly. "It was so new I wasn't sure what it was at first."
He leaned toward me again and I tried to be as still as possible. With one hand in my hair, his lips brushed over mine. And then they were gone. I wasn't sure if that was considered a first kiss and my embarrassment wasn't going to let me ask, but I smiled anyway, feeling a redness creep up to my eyebrows.
He laughed lightly and then straightened. "It's been about an hour. Do you want to go back?"
I wanted to say no, but I was tired and there was no bed here, so I didn't protest. I took his hand in mine and we left the hidden cottage. Two minutes later we were climbing up the side of the house and through my bedroom window. Edward was awake, half laying, half propped up against the headboard with my sister asleep in his arms. He was smiling and he hushed us as we came in.
I rolled my eyes at him and laid in my own bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. Laying beside me over the covers, Christian used an arm to hold his head up and draped his other arm over me. I couldn't feel his chill through the blankets, but I didn't mind much since I could feel the weight of his arm. He began to hum softly in my ear, the same tune I played for his mother. I drifted off to sleep almost as soon as I shut my eyes.