Past Time

24

"So, he's going to tell Bella, what he is?" Edward asked me while we lounged in his room, I just got done telling him what happened.

I looked away from the mess of books that were scattered all over his floor, to look at him. "I believe so."

"I hope he does. Bella deserves to know the truth," Edward said softly, looking out his window to look at the night sky.

"Would you have told her what you are?" I asked him curiously.

Edward seemed to hesitate, but only for a moment before he looked away from the window and at me. "Honestly, I would have. I know what kind of danger that would have brought me, and my family, but she would deserve to know the truth."

"Yeah," I nodded my head. "I suppose so."

"You don't think so?" Edward asked me.

"What I think doesn't matter. I didn't tell Trevor what I was, and that wasn't because it would have put me in danger, but because it would have put him in danger." I told him. "I can only imagine the obstacles I would have had to face to keep him out of death's reach, just because he knew that I was a vampire."

"You think I would have had to go through obstacles, too?" Edward guessed my thought.

"I can't imagine that you wouldn't have," I told him honestly. "I mean, come on. The Volturi would have come after you, and your family."

"I know," Edward said, his voice going soft again.

"I hope you didn't choose me just because I'm a safer option," I joked.

Edward looked at me with a small smile. "I chose you because you are what my heart wants. If it was still beating, I imagine it would be beating in rhythm to your name."

"You're such a romantic," I laughed.

"As true as that is," he said, smiling at me. "What I said is no less the truth."

I touched his cheek, loving how warm his skin felt to me, and smiled at him. "I don't doubt the truth of your words, Edward. I believe you mean what you say, just like I believe in how I feel about you."

"How do you feel about me?" Edward asked me, his eyes not leaving mine. Wondering what I was thinking, and I could never be happier that he couldn't read my mind. What I was thinking was maybe too much, too soon. Words that even I was afraid to admit to myself.

"That's best left for another time," I told him softly, withdrawing my hand from his face.

Edward looked at me with a question full in his eyes. He almost looked as if he was afraid that I didn't feel anything for him, and I almost felt bad for not telling him. Yet I was afraid, afraid that if I told him how I truly felt, he would run away in fear of my feelings being too strong. So I couldn't tell him, not yet.

"Audrey-"Edward started to say, but I quickly interrupted him.

"Please, don't try to push me to tell you. I have very strong feelings for you, so you have no reason to worry." I promised him.

Edward stared at me for a moment, before finally nodding his head. What I said was enough, and I felt relieved.

"Audrey!" I heard Alice calling my name from downstairs.

I looked at Edward with a raised eyebrow but went downstairs with him following quietly behind. 

"It's Joseph," Alice told me in a hushed whisper, handing me their house phone. 

"I have no idea how he got your number," I told her.

Alice shook her head at me with a smile. "He probably found it in a phone book or something. Don't worry about it."

Not saying anything, I snatched the phone from her hand. I was annoyed that Joseph would think that I wanted to talk to him.

"What?" I snapped into the phone.

"Audrey, please don't be mad at me. You're like my daughter," Joseph said in a soft voice.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Joseph?"

"I want your forgiveness," Joseph told me.

"I'm not ready to give it to you," I told him icily.

"I raised you! I helped you become better! You have no right to treat me like this!" Joseph yelled at me.

I felt myself grow quiet for a moment. "While that may be true, what you did was unforgivable. You made me think he was dead all these years, and you knew how much he meant to me. You can't expect me to forgive you in the snap of a finger."

"But you have Edward now, so it all ended up good in the end!" Joseph said.

"You're thinking like a human, which has you acting like one. Once you clear your head, you'll understand where I'm coming from. Only then will I even consider forgiving you," I told him, and hung up the phone. I looked at Alice. "Block his number."

Alice gave a swift nod of her head and did as I said.

"You do have me now if you need someone to talk to," Edward told me.

"You have our whole family to talk to," Alice said to me.

I smiled at them. "I'm well aware of that, and thank you. I just need to go for a walk, get some air." I held up my hand when I saw Edward opening his mouth. "I need to be by myself. I'll talk to you later."

I walked outside, looking around at the green that surrounded Cullen's house. It's all so beautiful here. They can be who they want here, and I liked that. They're an honest, loving family. Not that Joseph wasn't loving, he was. He treated me like the daughter he could never have, and I loved him like the father I never had.

But what he did was wrong. He should have told me that he changed, Trevor. I may have been mad at first, but I quickly would have gotten over it. We might have even become mates, then again, we might not have. For all I know, the only thing that attracted me to Trevor could have been that he was human and that his blood sang to me. Maybe I never would have met Edward, and he would have ended up with, Bella. Would that really have been such a bad thing? Surely nothing too bad would have happened. Right?

I feel like this chapter was a bit choppy, and I'm sorry. I really liked how it started, not so much how it ended..but whatever. I hope you enjoyed it, though!