Evening Star: Edward's Story

Chapter Fifteen: Anger Management

I told you that I'd be uploading more often now that I got the book published! :)

I wasn't really planning to write this chapter--it sort of wrote itself. Edward can't keep his angst at bay for very long, can he?

Special thanks to @NehaPattinson for recommending Evening Star and for being one of the first "likes" on the Evening Star Facebook page!

Again, here's the Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Evening-Star/137086816354801

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P.S.  For some STRANGE reason, I keep getting FORBIDDEN error notices when I try to access this chapter. So please know that I'm not ignoring you if I don't respond to your comments--it won't LET ME access the chapter except through editing it!!! GRRRRRRR.....

--Cassandra

Chapter Fifteen: Anger Management

Bella swirled in her seat to face me as I pulled the Vanquish into the valet parking in front of the gorgeous Italian Renaissance-inspired hotel. "HERE?" she nearly screeched.

I sighed again, my smile gone. "Bella, it's merely a hotel."

"A five-star hotel" Bella huffed, throwing her hands into the air petulantly.

I turned to face her as a valet approached the Vanquish. "How do you know that this is a five-star hotel?" I wasn't sure how she had obtained this information, considering that five-star hotels were apparently far outside of her experience.

Bella seemed speechless, her mouth hanging open in utter shock and...anger? How could she possibly be angry? At me?

And suddenly I couldn't help feeling angry, too. I had planned this day and this evening, so carefully, so lovingly, thinking only of what would please Bella, what would enhance our love for one another. I merely wished to give her the kind of romantic day that any girl in love would dream of! Frustration and, yes, anger-more than a little anger-filled me. I gritted my teeth together, my jaw frozen with fury, and the monster within me glared balefully into her surprised brown eyes, my anger burning deep into the depths of her beautiful soul. A growl rose unbidden from my chest and rumbled out of my lips before I could stop it.

I turned straight ahead to glare out the front windshield, refusing to look at her as I struggled for control. I didn't want Bella to see me fighting the monster within as I tried to control myself-tried not to hurt her. I didn't want the emotions coursing through me to ruin our evening. Our special evening.

But was it too late?

I fixed my eyes forward, gritting my teeth, frozen in place as anger washed through me. I held my breath as I fought to control my emotions, my thoughts, my actions.

Every part of me was begging to lash out-to rip, to tear, to destroy something, anything-I had to release this powerful, pent-up anger somehow, someway.

"Edward?"

Bella's voice reached me as if from a great distance, and somehow through the waves of anger crashing through me, I realized that her voice was not angry. No, it was timid.

Scared.

Had I ruined our evening with my uncontrolled vampiric emotions? How badly had I frightened this delicate girl who sat so trustingly beside a monster? I broke out of my statue-like stillness, my hand ghosting of its own volition to pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger, at last sucking in a deep, calming breath.