Midnight Sun Part 2

The Visiter

Dawn was on its way when I climbed through Bella’s window and sat in her rocking chair. Charlie had just departed on his fishing trip after fiddling under the hood of Bella’s truck for a few minutes. He must not have bought her acting job the night before. I chuckled to myself.

Despite my frequent visits to Bella’s bedchamber, I had never met the sunrise with her. On this special morning, I could be there when she awoke. Bella was sleeping soundly when I arrived. I listened to the gentle beating of her heart and watched the subtle rise and fall of her chest under the blanket. I was absolutely content. It had been a minor shock returning to her room after a couple of hours away. After all the fresh outdoor air, her concentrated scent burned my throat, but I could tolerate it. The continual exposure to her hair, skin, and breath yesterday had built my tolerance to such a degree that two hours away set me back only a little.

I was thinking a lot about my conversation with Emmett. Though nothing had been solved, I felt better for having gotten some worries off my chest and I had learned something too. It seems that in the world of desire, vampires and humans had more in common than I might have thought. If it weren’t for the possibility of killing Bella in an uncontrollable fit of bloodlust, or by squeezing her to mush in an excess of passion, we might even be physically compatible. Perhaps what I was could satisfy what she needed. Though it was no real consolation, it was good to know. I had to laugh at the absurdity of this situation. For now, I decided to put these concerns aside and just enjoy my time with Bella to the fullest extent possible. The future was unknowable, despite Alice’s visions.

Just then, Bella began to stir. She threw her arm over her eyes as if to block the light, then moaned and rolled to her side.

“Oh!” she cried, then sat straight up, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging loose. She was not quite awake.

“Your hair looks like a haystack…but I like it,” I said.

“Edward! You stayed!” Bella launched herself off the bed, flew across the room, and landed in my lap. Though she couldn’t move fast enough to actually surprise me, such a rambunctious attack would have been disastrous yesterday. I’d had neither the knowledge or the self confidence to hold myself in check. Today was altogether different. I wanted to press my face into her hair and inhale her scent.

When she realized what she had just done, Bella froze and nervously checked my reaction. I just laughed. It felt so good to just laugh.

“Of course,” I said, rubbing her back. She laid her head against my shoulder and I got my wish, burying my nose in her hair.

“I was sure it was a dream,” she said, referring, I assumed, to our day together.

“You aren’t that creative,” I joked.

“Charlie!” she squealed, jumping off my lap, only to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“He left an hour agoafter reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?”

She didn’t answer, just stood there, apparently stalled by indecision.

“You’re not usually this confused in the morning.” I stretched my arms out to

encourage her to return to my lap.

“I need another human minute,” she confessed.

“I’ll wait.” Bella was manic, her heart racing, her head befuddled, her skin flushed. It was endearing.

She came back a few minutes later, slightly less disheveled, her heart still racing. I reached toward her and she returned to my lap. I held her and rocked, relishing the contact, barely believing it was possible.