He knew my tricks and how to avoid them; his own tricks did nothing to me. In a way that made us good for one another, compatible if you will.

But as the next few days unfolded, I was becoming hesitant in believing his feelings towards me, and decided it was time for some reassurance.

“Edward,” I spoke calmly as I stood in my room on Saturday night, “We need to talk.”

“About what, dear Bella?” He was there in an instant, coming in through my window just as I had suspected he would.

“Us,” I replied simply, flopping – if a vampire can even do so – down onto my floor, and motioned for him to join me.

He obliged, and sat across from me with his head resting against the wall. “Go on,” he pressed after a moment of sitting in silence.

Little did he know, but he had interrupted my thoughts. I settled on asking him, “Do you like me?” My voice was barely a whisper, and I knew what he would say back.

“Of course I do Isabella, you know that,” he leaned forward, reaching for my hand, and I readily put it in his own.

Then he did something unexpected. He pulled me right up beside him swiftly and leaned in, his breath tickling my nose as he spoke in his beautiful melodic tone, “Now the question is, do you like me?”

“That’s the problem,” I muttered and tried to look away, but his crimson gaze held my eyes locked where they were.

“Liking me is a problem?” He looked genuinely confused, so I decided to clarify.

“Well Edward, I know I like you, but I’m not sure if you like me because of who I am, or because of why your father sent you here,” I sighed and snuggled into his shoulder, my head just below his chin.

He reached up to place his free hand on my hair and stroked it gently as he whispered, “You worry that I like you because I am obliged to? My dearest Bella that is so far from the truth it is a wonder it even crossed your mind… Then again, perhaps it is exactly what you should think. I am a monster, Miss Swan, and before I met you I was a terribly obedient and horrendous creature. But now, seeing the freedom you have, the life you are able to live… My world cannot possibly compare. If there were any way at all to leave my life behind and begin a new one here, and with you, I most certainly would do it.”