Midnight Sun (Twilight #1.5)(157)

"Do you like it?" I inquired.

"You wrote this?" she inhaled quickly, realization in her eyes.

I nodded, "It's Esme's favorite." I noted.

We are just going to leave you two alone. Esme nodded to the others to leave, she is wonderful... no wonder he is so protective of her.

I ignored the crowd leaving the room because I was so absorbed by Bella's every reaction. I watched as she lightly closed her eyes in exasperation and shook her head back and forth. Did I do something?

"What's wrong?"

She looked saddened, or upset. "I'm feeling extremely insignificant." she explained.

I decided to take Esme's advice and play her song. The music slowed, and I began playing the beautiful song that I had composed and changed many times since I had met her until it became the sweetest of notes blending together to make magic.

"You inspired this one," I whispered, making sure she understood that she was the most significant thing in my world. She was speechless. The silence of her thoughts was just as frustrating as ever. I breathed her in, letting the flames rip down my throat. Desire was constantly raging a war inside me. She was still silent.

"They like you, you know." I admitted, "Esme especially."

Her eyes darted over her shoulder and then around the room. "Where did they go?"

"Very subtly giving us some privacy, I suppose," though I knew they could hear everything that was going on in the room.

Bella sighed and I turned to look at her again.

"They like me. But Rosalie and Emmett..." she trailed off but I understood where her thoughts were going, for once, I added.

Of course she would notice that they weren't here. I didn't want to talk about Rosalie. My lips turned down, "Don't worry about Rosalie, she'll come around." I lied smoothly, though I hoped one day she would.

She looked unconvinced, "Emmet?" she wondered.

"Well, he thinks I'm a lunatic, it's true, but he doesn't have a problem with you. He's trying to reason with Rosalie," I tried to explain.

I looked into her wide eyes, trying to read her thoughts. I saw the line between her eyes crease at the complexity of her mind, "What is it that upsets her?" she finally asked. She looked anxious, waiting for my explanation.

I didn't want to tell her something that would possibly upset her. The thought of causing her any type of pain sent an overwhelming feeling of remorse through my body. I took in a deep breath, a sigh really. The burning temptation was still present. I distracted myself, no more secrets, "Rosalie struggles the most with...with what we are. It's hard for her to have someone on the outside know the truth. And she's a little jealous." I explained, the words coming quickly.

Her eyes grew wide during my explanation, "Rosalie is jealous of me?"

"You're human," I shrugged. I thought it was obvious why she would be jealous of something as magnificent as her, "She wishes that she were, too." I continued to explain after seeing her question my first statement.

"Oh," she looked upset by this, but shock was still present on her delicate face. Her facial expressions changed to contemplation. I wanted to groan in exasperation from her quiet mind. What was she thinking? Her short pauses were the loudest silence I have ever heard.

"Even Jasper, though..." she left the sentence hanging, realizing I would understand her thoughts. She didn't know how much I didn't comprehend them, though. I sighed.

"That's really my fault," I explained, "I told you he was the most recent to try our way of life. I warned him to keep his distance."

I watched while a shiver ran down her spine. Was she finally scared or was she cold?

"Esme and Carlisle...?" she added quickly.

"Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn't care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she's been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing from my essential make up, that I was too young when Carlisle change me...She's ecstatic. Every time I touch you, she just about chokes with satisfaction." I finished her sentence.

"Alice seems very...enthusiastic." Bella noted.

Of course she noticed.

"Alice has her own way of looking at things," my lips grew tight at the many visions I had seen in her head since I meet Bella.

She must have read the hesitation in my voice, "And you're not going to explain that, are you?"

I saw myself mirrored in her eyes, watching as each of our expressions changed in unison. She knew I was keeping Alice's visions from her. There were several good reasons why I was keeping these from her. One, I didn't want to scare her, and two, I didn't want her to get any ideas. No, I would still not confess what I have seen through the eyes of a psychic.

"So what was Carlisle telling you before?" she asked, bringing me from my distraction.

She was incredible. She picked up on all the signs that I thought were subtle. Was she really that perceptive or was my fa?ade waning? I could see the wrinkle appear between my brows through the reflection of her deep brown eyes.

"You noticed that, did you?" it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

She shrugged, like there was nothing unusual about the whole situation, "Of course," she murmured.

Better tell her now, I suppose. I monitored her face, I continued to play her song. She seemed complacent enough so I answered, "He wanted to tell me some news - he didn't know if it was something I would share with you."