"Why don't you sit with me," I suggested. I put my hand over hers, "How's the heart?"

"You tell me - I'm sure you hear it better than I do." She said sarcastically.

I chuckled low, it was true, I could hear her heart, and tell her that it was beating at eighty beats per minute, which is fast for her heart, but it has lowered since I startled her, then it was ninety beats per minute. We sat there in silence for several long moments. I was listening intently on her heart, as it finally reached about her normal heart rate of sixty-five beats per minute. Once she calmed down she turned to look at me, "Can I have a minute to be human?" she asked.

"Certainly," and I motioned my hand to indicate she should go ahead.

She looked at me for another moment, "Stay," she commanded.

"Yes, Ma'am." I replied and in that moment I froze, showing her that I wasn't going anywhere.

She rose from the bed swiftly, grabbed some clothes off the floor, a bag off the desk and left the room. She left the light off, but that was not an issue, I could see clearly in the dark. Her scent was still lingering, and I breathed in several generous gulps.

I heard her bang a door loudly, probably the bathroom door. I could hear her running water in the bathroom. After a few minutes, the scent hit me...she was in the shower. Her aroma floated under the bedroom door and right to my nose, surrounding my whole body. I could smell the soap she was using and I could smell her blood, as the shower water warmed it. Bella's scent when she was in the rain enriched her scent beyond belief...but this, this was almost torture.

Her scent was so extravagant and delicious that my mouth was watering and venom flowed freely in my mouth. I didn't know if I could take it, I grabbed at her mattress and pulled my free hand to my chest as I tried to cage the monster that was breaking free in this moment. As the scent continued to flow through the room, I was beginning to see her as my prey. All my desires had reared up in this moment, and I knew that I needed to keep them in check.

The water shut off then and I heard movement in the shower. The thirst was still overwhelming. I was becoming anxious at this moment that I would do something I would regret. Should I flee? I was quickly going through all the outcomes that could happen in this moment. Suddenly, pulling me from my distraction, I heard a thought that was screaming loudly.

Edward! I've only come here to warn you of the many flashes I have seen in my head since Bella left you alone in her room. Please, please, be careful. Alice's thoughts were a warning.

The visions that she had in her head had pulled me out of my hunting status. I was very grateful to her tonight. She could have easily let it play out, and see Bella possibly become a living statue like me. She had stayed close, just like I asked her to, and she might have saved Bella's life. Her visions had flashed through my head and shown me what I might have done. The thoughts instantly burned me, not in a thirsty way, in an way that would make me beg for death if they were to come true. The monster was now securely caged in my chest. I went to the window where I saw Alice standing in the trees, and whispered, "Thank you."

You're welcome, Edward. By the way, I hope you are still planning on asking her to come over. Alice mused.

I whispered with a little bit of a growl this time, "Thanks, Alice, you can go now."

Just a thought, Alice chuckled and ran swiftly from the house.

I heard the bathroom door open in that moment. I moved quickly back to her bed, and resumed my statute pose. I could hear Bella literally running down the stairs. She stopped in the middle, "'Night Dad," she called down to Charlie.

Charlie's thoughts were confused, and he was still not convinced she was not up to any good.

"'Night, Bella." he called back up to her.

I heard her jumping up the stairs. The bedroom door flung open, she turned quickly, and shut the door slowly behind her. She smiled at me and I returned her grin. I gazed at her appearance, her hair was still wet from the shower and she was wearing a holey t-shirt with grey sweat pants, and she was absolutely striking. Her smell was tremendously intoxicating, but now that she was here in the room, the monster who almost got free, didn't even scratch at my chest. I raised one eyebrow then, "Nice."

She frowned. She had gotten the wrong impression, "No, it looks good on you." I tried to explain.

"Thanks," she whispered.

She crossed the room and sat on the bed, crossing her legs beside me. She wasn't looking at me; she was staring at the floor.

"What was all of that for?" I asked about her running down the stairs and running back up.

"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out." She mused.

She is perceptive, "Oh," I said, trying to sound like I had no idea, "Why?"

"Apparently, I look a little over excited."

I reached over and lightly placed my finger under her chin to lift it up so I could see her face, and read her eyes. I took air in my lungs then, and the aroma coming off her body should be illegal.

"You look very warm, actually." I mused.

In the moment, I had to know what her skin felt like after being in that hot shower for so long. I slowly bent my face to meet her cheek. Bella didn't move. My mouth was to her ear, "Mmmmmm...," I breathed in her ear, she smelt absolutely delectable.

Her breathing picked up along with her pulse. I was instantly eager, like I had been when we first kissed.

"It seems to be...much easier for you, now, to be close to me," she thought.

"Does it seem that way to you?" I murmured.

It was true; it was getting easier for me to be around her. I'm afraid if I were to be away from her for any period of time that I would have to start all over, giving me yet another excuse to stay with her.

I moved my nose so it lightly caressed her jaw line. I reached up to move her hair away from her neck with the lightest of touches. She trembled under my touch. I moved my lips to the hollow under her ear and kissed lightly.

"Much, much easier," she breathed.

Her pulse was hammering.

"Hmm." I murmured in her ear.

"So I was wondering...," Bella began talking, but I hushed her immediately with my touch.

I started stroking her collarbone with my finger tip, but I was still curious, "Yes?" I breathed in her ear. She trembled again.

"Why is that, do you think?" her voice was trembling with pleasure.