Cursed With Beauty

X8

It's been a few days since Annalise showed Edward what she meant when she said she was different, and things have been a lot more...open between the two.

Edward didn't have to pretend to eat, he didn't have to do things at a human rate or be afraid to be himself with her. He found being with her was the easiest thing he's ever done.

Annalise didn't have to constantly hide her face in fear of bei g gawked at all day, she could actually smile without someone staring for longer than a minute, and she could be herself with him.

"Are you always this quiet?" Edward asked her one day while they were sitting on his couch in his room.

Annalise had her legs crossed on the couch and her head resting against the couch. "I'm a quiet woman, Edward Cullen," she turns her head slightly to the side and opens one eye. "Have you not noticed that yet?"

She watched as the corners of his lips pull up into a smile, show g off his pearly whites. "I have. I guess I'm not used to anyone being as quiet as I usually am."

"Usually?" she raised a quirked brow.

"I can't seem to help the urge to want to know everything there is to know about you," he said. "Which leaves me asking questions."

She stares at him for a moment, both eyes are open by now, and she's debating in weather or not to answer a few of his questions. He's answered all of hers, the few she's asked, the least she could do is return the favor.

"I will answer three of your questions," she turns around on the couch to face him. "Make them count."

He doesn't say anything for quite a minute. She's guessing he's thinking of a good question to ask. It's not until she takes a deep breath and lets it out through her nose that she sees him stiffen.

"I apologize," she says softly. "I should do well to remember the part of you that thirst for my blood."

Edward nods."It is important that you never forget that." he says.

She nods. "Dully noted."

"How did your family...die?"

His question stung her, hard. She felt a pain in her chest, close to the fire she felt in her body the day at the hospital when he touched her. She knew, a part of her knee, that this question was coming but she still wasn't prepared for it.

Edward noticed her hesitation and places a comforting hand on hers. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to," he gently squeezes her hand. "I don't ever want you to do anything you're not comfortable with or that will hurt you in anyway."

As she stares into his eyes she can see nothing but genuine truth to his words. She could see that he meant it. If she didn't want to talk about her family's demise, she didn't have to.

"They were murdered," was all she said.

After a moment of silence, Edward slowly lifts a hand to cup her cheek. "I'm so sorry,"

A sad smile covered her lips. "Don't be. It was a long time ago," she said. "You have two more questions."

He stares into her eyes for a moment, then lowers his hand to rest on top of hers. "How old are you?"

She smiles. "Are you asking how long I've been alive on earth?"

He nods.

"A very long time," she says. "I'll be 523 years old in seven months."

She watches his eyes widen. "You're older than Carlisle," he states.

She chuckled. "Which would make me all of you and your family's elder."