Midnight Sun (Twilight #1.5)(153)

If she was meaning to offer me some of her food the answer was undeniably, 'no thanks'! I just rolled my eyes at the thought, "Just eat Bella." I commanded.

She sat at the table and never moved her gaze from my expressions. I continued to watch myself mirrored in her eyes. I saw how she placed the food in her mouth and watched as her communicative eyes delighted in each bite. She made a light coughing nose, pulling me from my distraction, "What's on the agenda for today?" she wondered.

"Hmmm..." I thought carefully on how I would tell her about meeting my family.

It is still her decision, I reminded myself.

"What would you say to meeting my family?" I framed the answer as a question, giving her options.

I heard the loud swallow of her food. Was she anxious?

"Are you afraid now?" I asked, afraid myself, though I formed the question as sounding hopeful so she wouldn't notice my panic that was bringing a light haze to my brain.

"Yes," she admitted.

There was an automatic tightening of my muscles. I wanted to reassure her, "Don't worry," I grinned playfully, hoping this would ease her mind. "I'll protect you," I added.

It was an understatement. No one would ever lay one finger on her.

"I'm not afraid of them," she explained, "I'm afraid they won't...like me. Won't they be, well, surprised that you would bring someone...like me...home to meet them? Do they know that I know about them?" She asked nervously.

"Oh, they already know everything. They'd taken bets yesterday, you know" I smiled at her, trying to show her how little stock I put in their games, but she could read the revulsion on my face, "on whether I'd bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can't imagine. At any rate, we don't have secrets in the family. It's not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that."

"And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don't forget that."

"You paid attention," I smiled.

Of course she paid attention, she was always absorbing more information than I was releasing.

"I've been known to do that every now and then," she frowned. "So did Alice see me coming?" she asked.

A memory came floating to the forefront of my mind; Bella as a vampire. Suddenly the onslaught of memories of Alice's visions overpowered me. I was temporarily still, "Something like that," I murmured.

I saw how my face looked in her eyes and turned my head swiftly, unable to hide my expressions of pain, horror and...happiness. A distraction, that is what I need right now.

"Is that any good?" I asked.

I was actually kind of curious now, "Honestly, it doesn't look very appetizing."

"Well, it's no irritable grizzly..."

I growled under my breath at her causal talk of our hunting. She ignored me. She continued to eat her food. Sometimes a crease would appear between her eyes and the curiosity would flare inside me. Unknowingly, I began probing her mind. It was something I did naturally, without effort. Once again I reached an invisible barrier that let me no farther than the deepest depths of her eyes. I turned towards the window to hide my facial expressions.

Another distraction, that is what I needed, "And you should introduce me to your father, too, I think."

"He already knows you," she exclaimed, horror in her voice.

It worked, I was distracted. Did she not want me to meet him... maybe I should explain, "As your boyfriend, I mean."

She glared at me apprehensively, "Why?"

I was confused, "Isn't that customary?" I wondered.

"I don't know," she admitted.

She hesitated for a minute before continuing, "That's not necessary, you know. I don't expect you to...I mean, you don't have to pretend for me."

Pretend? She was my life now, didn't she remember our conversation from only a few moments ago. There was nothing about my affections for her that were in any way false.

"I'm not pretending," I smiled to let her know that this was not a lie.

She didn't say anything, the quiet of the room biting at my uneasy thoughts. I watched as she moved her food around her bowl. She bit her lower lip. Would she break the skin? I was worried about her and my words came out sharper then I intended, "Are you going to tell Charlie I'm your boyfriend or not?"

"Is that what you are?"

Wasn't it? Maybe we hadn't declared our status, but I thought it was obvious. I decided that I was her...boyfriend, "It's a loose interpretation of the word 'boy,' I'll admit."

"I was under the impression that you were something more, actually," she admitted while she turned her gaze to the table.

A joyous feeling suddenly broke free and through my body. My frozen veins full of venom, of death, were instantly pulsing with a jubilant sensation, reveling in the life and soul of her, of Bella.

"Well, I don't know if we need to give him all the gory details," I mused.

Her gaze had not returned to me, and I took decisive action so I could read her conversational eyes. I lightly brought my finger to her chin, using the lightest of pressure, and brought her gaze to mine, "But he will need some explanation for why I'm around here so much. I don't want Chief Swan getting a restraining order put on me."