Twilight Collision

Chapter 5: Exposure

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters of this ever-so-awesome book.

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Bella.

Her name lingered in my mind. The girl that threatened to awaken the monster inside me finally had a name.

Ugh. This is just great. A girl with no memories. Like we haven't heard of that before!

My thoughts were interrupted by Rosalie's irritating mind. She was adoring her painted fingernails like any normal female human would do. I couldn't help but glare at her.

Esme was looking at her with sympathy.

Poor child.

Alice was not paying attention. She was searching the future for any possible danger because of our situation. I followed her visions for a few seconds until I could see that there was nothing definite that was showing.

The situation just got even more unusual. I already felt exasperated knowing that any second, I could lose myself to my desire to drink her blood and it was already proving to be a drawback, not being able to read her thoughts , now it was topped off with her lost memories.

I was already contemplating a way to find out more about her but since she couldn't remember anything, there was nothing more to contemplate about anymore.

I have never tried exerting this much effort in trying to read someone before. I was used to just getting the information I wanted from their minds. Now, I'm going to have to get those information some other way. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to know where she came from, why she was still alive. I wanted to know why I couldn't read her mind. I wanted to know why her blood smells so delicious to me.

Thinking about her blood made me cringe. It was painful, and I wanted to erase those thoughts.

I was too focused in trying to keep myself from losing control that I didn't realize that at the same moment I inhaled, Bella exhaled deeply, filling the room with her beautiful scent.

It caught me off guard and the monster finally saw the opportunity to break free.

A hiss escaped my mouth and before I knew it, my body had already sprung forward to attack the girl, only to be blocked by Carlisle.

Emmett and Jasper was in my side in an instant, grabbing each of my arms while Carlisle's strong hands were in my shoulder and he was trying to grab my attention. I was too focused on wanting her.

It was almost like the scene when we first saw her but this time, she was awake, and she saw everything. Our movements would be too fast for the human eyes but with the proximity and from where we were previously positioned, the difference was too obvious to ignore.

I looked over to Carlisle's shoulder only to meet her surprised eyes. I saw myself again, this time in her eyes. That brought me back to the present.

If I didn't know what she was thinking, her expression made up for it and it was clear as day. She knew we were different. I can see the shock and the realization reflected in her eyes as she never took it off me.

"You're not human".

That wasn't a question. I tried to read anything else from her face, but she was calm. I didn't even hear any fear from her words.

Hmmm... this rather complicates things. I might need to take care of this for all our sake.

I was surprised by where Jasper's thoughts were heading, and I suddenly faced him.

"No" I gritted my teeth. Jasper was confused by my fierce expression. I was surprised.

Why not? we can't risk it. You don't have to be involved. She can't remember anything, and no one knows that she's here anyway.

"You are not going to do anything" I said fiercely. I was defending her, the person that I longed to suck the life out of her body and I didn't know why.

No. I could not let him "take care" of the situation. It was unfair for her. This wasn't her fault.

I was the monster. If I had not tried attacking her, she wouldn't have seen past the human charade. We could have let her leave once she was okay and no harm would be done.

I was not going to let my brother hurt her.

"Please..." Bella begged in a grave tone and it caught as off guard. I looked at her questioningly and she was apologetic but still not scared.

"I'm sorry if I'm causing your family any distress"

Her words were confusing to all of us. I didn't understand. She knew we were different, but I don't see the panic or the screaming coming. With how I tried to attack her, she knew I intended to kill her and yet, she was apologizing for causing our family distress?!

"Why are you apologizing Bella? We should be the one to apologize for scaring you like that." It was Carlisle who voiced out, and it was her turn to look confused.

"Scared?"

"You said it yourself. We're not human. Do you have any idea what we are?" Carlisle asked cautiously.

Jasper was testing her emotions and I tried to read what he felt from her. Guilt, loneliness, distress but not fear...

She looked at all of us again before answering.

"It doesn't matter" Her words stunned us, and I saw Carlisle about to speak but she held her hand up to let her continue.

"You see, it doesn't matter to me what you are because anytime you could've gotten rid of me, but you didn't. The fact that I'm alive right now means more to me than knowing what you really are. I don't have to know if you don't want to tell me. You're not obligated. All that matters to me is that your family saved me and for that I am grateful and I don't want to be the reason for you fighting each other" She pointedly looked at me on the last part.

That was quite a long speech that she gave, and I was aghast! How could she not care about what we are?! Doesn't she have any sense of self-preservation? Or maybe because she doesn't really know what we are.

"You can't say that." I finally spoke to her directly and a sense of familiarity came to me. "You don't know the extent of danger you're in" I looked deeply into her eyes and tried to send her a message that we were dangerous. I was dangerous and she shouldn't be anywhere near me, but it was disturbing that as much as I wanted to warn her, I also wanted her to trust us that we will not do anything to harm her, intentionally at least.