Edward arrived at precisely noon. Naturally. He strikes me as the type who would consider tardiness a moral failing. I stepped out of the house and found him already standing beside his car, holding the door open like some Victorian gentleman resurrected by mistake.
I didn't comment on it. He didn't expect me to. That's what I like about him—he doesn't fill the silence with babbling fear.
The drive to his home wound through the forest, all filtered light and brooding trees. It felt appropriate, like a scenic route to a potential crime scene. He stayed quiet. I did, too. Our silence fit together well, like two puzzle pieces from completely different boxes that somehow matched anyway.
When we pulled up, I stared at the Cullen house—glass, wood, and an unsettling amount of open space.
"You live in an architectural thesis project." I said.
He smiled, faint but genuine. "It's… home."
Inside, the smell of cooking drifted through the air. A convincing illusion of normalcy. The Cullens were scattered around the kitchen, pretending they ate dinner like mortals.
Esme greeted me warmly. Carlisle too. Emmett gave a friendly wave.
Rosalie, however, didn't bother pretending she was glad to see me.
She glared. It was adorable.
"You must be the friendly one." I told her.
Edward tensed so quickly I heard the soft intake of air. Rosalie's eyes narrowed further.
"I just don't—"
"—like me? I already noticed." I said. "Your subtlety is nonexistent. It's refreshing."
The room froze.
Then, like a sprite summoned to cut tension with glitter, Alice appeared with Jasper, jumping down from a branch. She hugged me before I could sidestep.
"I'm Alice! And this is Jasper."
Jasper nodded politely. He looked at me as if analyzing the structural integrity of a thundercloud.
Alice squeezed my hands. "I adore you already."
"I hear that a lot." I replied. She reminds me of Enid, extremely bubbly and colorful, but only personality wise.
"She seems like the vampire here." Emmett joked.
To save his family from further social combustion, Edward guided me upstairs. His room was neat, sunlit, filled with music and books—a pleasant violation of the gothic crypt stereotype.
"No coffin?" I said. "A shame. It would've added charm."
Edward laughed. "I'm not—"
"—that kind of vampire. Yes, I know. Still disappointed."
He stepped closer. Too close. Close enough that I could see the faint gold specks in his irises.
"You're not afraid of me." he murmured.
"Of you? Don't be ridiculous. I've met my relatives."
He laughed again—really laughed. Something warm flickered in my chest. I ignored it. Emotions are gremlins that grow when fed.
He reached for my hand, slowly, as if expecting me to bite him. I didn't. Then he kissed me.
It was soft—far too soft for someone with fangs—and annoyingly pleasant. My brain refused to produce a sarcastic comment for several seconds. An eternity.
When he pulled back, he whispered, "I wasn't sure if you—"
"You're tolerable." I said. "A decent kisser, too."
His breath caught in that way people's do when they're trying not to smile too much.
It was… nice.
He took me outside next, crouching down. "Climb on."
"You want me to mount you like a feral animal?"
"Essentially."
"Fine."
I wrapped my arms around him, and he launched into the forest with supernatural speed. The trees blurred. The wind roared. For a moment, I understood why people enjoy roller coasters.
He stopped on a high ridge overlooking the woods. The sky was cloudy, dim, the way I like it. Edward turned to me, expression soft.
"Do you trust me?"
Trust. A dangerous, blood-soaked word. I considered.
"You haven't murdered me yet. That's promising."
He smiled—really smiled—and something traitorous inside me warmed at the sight.
I stepped closer to him. Out of curiosity. Out of interest. Out of something I refused to name. Whatever was happening between us wasn't normal. I liked that. A lot.
We looked at an amazing view at the top of a tree. It was.. fascinating, to say the least.
In that moment, I wondered how I've changed. Who would've thought my first boyfriend would be a vampire.
Edward chuckled. "Your first? I feel pretty proud about that."
Right. I forgot he can read minds. I'll keep any.. other thoughts to myself. Not that I'd have any, but it's not idiotic to think I wouldn't. Maybe I won't. Do vampires have any immoral thoughts? I'm curious to know. Do they procreate? If they're dead, but alive— it's some things they could still do.
The next moment we were back at his house and I was watching him play piano. I admit he did well. It was good, I guess. Of course, I had to show my skills as well.
Later that day, I drove to the diner Charlie always goes to. He insisted on me eating with him again. I only agree each time because of how alone he is. Routine comforts him, that's one of his more unfortunate mortal traits. The neon lights hummed above us as we slid into the booth, the same one we always ended up in, as if fate enjoyed forcing patterns on us.
He ordered his usual. I ordered something unidentifiable and greasy. The waitress didn't question it.
"How's school?" Charlie asked, stirring his coffee with the concentration of a man defusing a bomb.
"Dreary," I said. "but tolerable. I've cataloged at least twelve suspicious individuals and three possible cryptids."
Charlie snorted. "You say that like it's normal."
"It is for me."
His eyes softened a little. "Making any friends?"
"Not enemies, at the very least."
It was the closest thing to 'yes' I could offer.
Charlie smiled. A small one, but genuine. "Good. Just… keep being careful."
"I'm always careful. It's everyone else who isn't."
After dinner he dropped me off at home, giving me one of his awkward, concerned dad nods before retreating to the living room. I went upstairs, closed my door, and called Mother.
She answered on the first ring.
"Cara mia," Morticia breathed, "how is our gloomy little haven treating you?"
"Foggy. Poorly lit. Infested with monsters. I adore it."
"Wonderful."
"I've discovered vampires." I said. "And possibly werewolves. Hard to confirm. The boy named Jacob reacts to the Cullens the way villagers react to pitchfork sharpenings."
Mother hummed thoughtfully. "Just like my youth."
I was about to elaborate when I felt it—the shift in the air, like the room inhaling. I turned.
Edward stood inside my room, silent, deliberate, as if he'd materialized from the shadows themselves.
"I have to go." I told Mother. "A vampire wants my attention."
"Enjoy, dearest." she said, and hung up without surprise.
Edward's expression was a mix of guilt and hunger—not literal hunger, but the emotional kind that made his eyes too bright.
"You shouldn't just appear in people's bedrooms." I said. "It's intrusive. And clichéd."
"I know," he murmured. "but I wanted to see you."
He stepped closer. Slow. Careful. As if approaching a wild animal, one he wasn't sure would bite or kiss him.
He reached out, barely touching my hand.
My pulse betrayed me by accelerating.
"You… missed me." I said.
His voice was quiet. "More than I should."
He leaned in, and I didn't move away as he told me to stay still. His breath brushed my cheek, cool and unsettling in a pleasant way. I tilted my head just enough that our lips met.
It was soft at first. Then less soft. I took off my shirt without thinking. His hand found my waist, and mine found the edge of his shirt before my brain caught up with my body.
He froze then instantly jumped back against the wall. "Wednesday—" His voice cracked like thin ice. "I can't… I could hurt you."
I stepped back. Heat, unwelcome and humiliating, rising in my face. "To be clear, that wasn't me losing control. That was… curiosity." I stated.
He gave a small, strained laugh. "You're taunting me."
"Only because it's working."
For a moment he looked torn between horror and delight. Then he exhaled and moved back toward the bed—slowly, carefully sitting first.
I lay down beside him, leaving just enough space that he wouldn't implode from anxiety. Not touching fully. Just… near enough that it felt like a promise.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"I won't disappear before morning."
"Good." I said. "I enjoy knowing the monsters in my room stay where I left them."
His laugh vibrated the mattress. We didn't speak after that.
We drifted to sleep side by side— two creatures of different darkness, sharing the same quiet. And for once I didn't mind.