Midnight Sun (Twilight #1.5)(205)

"She was always in the dark, that's why she didn't remember," Bella explained, distracting me.

I nodded. "I know. She understands now," I said darkly.

That was all James did; hurt people and their families, only leaving reminders of his presence.

Bella's hand came up to reach for my face, but the IV stopped her from moving far.

"Ugh." She winced.

My head came up from her pillow, concerned. "What is it?" I asked anxiously, the image of James still in my view - anger still coursing through me.

"Needles," she explained, looking up like she was going to be sick.

She took several deep breaths. Instantly, the anger left my body as humor replaced it. The absurdity of it all - she was beaten by a vampire, yet this...needle, of all things, makes her sick.

"Afraid of a needle," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. "Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off to meet him. An IV, on the other hand..."

She rolled her eyes.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

Instantly, I felt a chill in my stomach. I just stared at her, surveying her face, confusion sweeping over me. Then, it hit me. Maybe she didn't want me here, which is understandable, but it still made my heart ache, my body shriveled in pain. My eyebrows pulled together as a frown replaced my previous amusement.

"Do you want me to leave?" An obvious grimace appearing on my face.

"No!" She protested as loudly as she could. "No, I meant, why does my mother think you're here? I need to have my story straight before she gets back."

"Oh," I breathed, once again, relief burst through me; understanding replacing confusion. She still wants me here! Happiness swelled inside me like a balloon. "I came to Phoenix to talk some sense into you, to convince you to come back to Forks." I fixed my face, like I was trying to convince her myself, proving this lie was convincing. "You agreed to see me, and you drove out to the hotel where I was staying with Carlisle and Alice -- of course I was here with parental supervision," I infused innocently, "but you tripped on the stairs on the way to my room and... well, you know the rest. You don't need to remember any details, though; you have a good excuse to be a little muddled about the finer points."

Looking into her eyes I could see her mental processes whirling around before she spoke.

"There are a few flaws with that story. Like no broken windows," she said matter-of-factly.

"Not really," I chuckled lightly under my breath. "Alice had a little bit too much fun fabricating evidence. It's all been taken care of very convincingly -- you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to. You have nothing to worry about," I assured her, caressing her cheek with the lightest of touches, letting her warmth envelope me. "Your only job now is to heal," I ordered.

I continued to trace my fingers around her magnificent face. Her heart began to jump around wildly, the monitor echoing the erratic palpitations.

"That's going to be embarrassing," she muttered.

This could be more amusing than I realized. Now her heart was beating loudly enough for both of us to hear with all of this equipment magnifying it. I chuckled.

"Hmm, I wonder..."

I leaned in, deliberately trying to hear her reaction; the beeping noise hammered quickly along with her heart before my cold lips even reached her warm ones. Her heart continued to beat a little faster as I slowly moved in for the kiss.

Gently, I reminded myself; placing my lips upon hers, sending a spine tingling sensation through me as she lightly moaned in pleasure. Her heart was racing before it gave a huge bound and then it stopped altogether. Panic hit. I pulled back instantly as the light beeping noise started again. Relief, a feeling that seemed to be recurring over and over today, swept over me.

"It seems that I'm going to have to be even more careful with you than usual," I grimaced.

"I was not finished kissing you," she grumbled. "Don't make me come over there."

Affection gushed up inside me and against my careful stature; a smile crept up my face at her obvious love for me. It was amazing that she still yearned to be with me like I craved to be with her. After everything I had done to her she still wished for a proximity that I was still reluctant to give her; I was filled with a trepidation that I would hurt her, break her, kill her somehow. Despite my thoughts, I still bent down to press my lips lightly to hers. The heat crept up my face and down my veins as it brought warmth to my cold heart.

In the hallway, I could hear a discussion being whispered.

"How long will it take before she wakes up?" Renée asked the nurse. Soon, please tell me soon!

"It's up to her, Mrs. Dwyer."

"Well, thanks anyways," she sounded defeated. Edward is still in there I bet - they have had enough time alone. Who knows what those crazy kids were up to before this accident happened.

I pulled out of our kiss.

"I think I hear your mother," I smiled.

"Don't leave me," she cried irrationally.

Terror was obvious in her deep brown eyes. "I won't," I promised solemnly, and then I smiled serenely. "I'll take a nap."

I jumped from the stiff plastic chair by her side to the turquoise artificial-leather recliner

at the foot of her bed, leaning it all the way back, and closing my eyes. I became a statue.