When Edward returned home at twilight, he found his cousin sitting on the stairs.
"Where have you been?" Richard Stevens asked, rising to his feet and coming down the steps. He looked tired and worried, his shirtsleeves rolled up and his blond hair disheveled.
"Out." Edward put his hands in his pockets and walked past Richard, intending to go up the stairs.
"Ed, you were gone all night, I heard you leave. And then you were gone all day— I didn't know where you were."
"Well I'm back now."
Richard grabbed his arm. "You've been acting strange. You're up at all hours of the night, you stay in your room all day; you barely eat, you're so pale. What's going on?"
If he loves you, being a vampire would make no difference to him. Kier's words echoed in Edward's mind. He sighed.
"Edward, what is it? You can tell me, it's okay."
"Something happened," Edward whispered. "About a month ago."
"Go on," Richard urged.
"I was at a pub, and there was this man, he put something in my drink. I woke up in a room and he and this woman..."
Richard's stomach dropped. "Ed—"
"They were vampires; they drained my blood and made me drink something and I was in so much pain and then they left me in a gutter. "
"They drank your blood? Maybe you were drunk and just hallucinating, Ed, because vampires...vampires aren't real."
"Richard—this is why I wasn't going to tell you!" He pushed past his cousin.
"Wait! Ed-" he grabbed Edward's arm only for Edward to smack his hand away with more force than he ever had before. "Ow!" Richard shook out his hand.
Edward pulled his collar aside. "Look at my neck."
Richard leaned in to peer at Edward's throat. There were two round scars in his flesh. "What is that?"
"They're scars."
Richard poked the marks. "They look like fang marks."
"They are."
Richard stepped back and stared at his cousin, his mind slowly putting things together. And then it clicked. "Vampires are real."
"Mmhmm."
"You're a vampire now."
"Yes," Edward replied.
"And you have-" he interrupted himself and tapped his canine teeth with his fingers. "Those things?"
"Fangs? Yes, I have fangs."
"Are they out all the time?"
Edward shook his head.
"Can I see?" Richard peered at his cousin's mouth.
Edward sighed but curled his upper lip, displaying his fangs. "Satisfied?" He said after a moment.
"Do they hurt?"
"No, although sometimes they do cut my lip." Edward's fingers subconsciously ran over his bottom lip, tracing a series of small, thin slices.
"That's capitol, cousin." Richard's eyes were gleaming with excitement and Edward could hear his heart beating fast.
"You're not afraid?"
"Why would I be? Edward, you're a pussy cat, the kindest person I know. You wouldn't harm a fly- it would go against your moral center. I'm pretty sure you're not going to attack me and drain me for my blood."
