• Sometimes, Edward reflected, it was too easy. Sitting in the rocking chair, watching Bella sleep he restrained a chuckle. When he first saw Bella that day in school oh so short but long time ago, he knew he found the perfect toy. He could read her anxiety as easily as he could read a textbook. He could read her mind even, but he knew her desire to feel special and decided to pretend like he couldn't.



    He easily remembered the argument with Emmett and Jasper as to who would get to play with her. Edward won claiming his privilege as the oldest. And then he began. After a hundred odd years he'd become quite good at acting.

    First he pretended to not like her. To be angry and distant. Trying to gain an air of mystery. He used her shyness and lust against his looks to open her mind up to finding him fascinating. Desirable.

    And then he vanished. From school at least. He still watched her. Watched her fret and wonder if she caused him to vacate the school. Such a silly girl, to believe that she could be a cause of it, as opposed to him getting sick. Coincidences do happen, after all.

    But he encouraged her belief.

    Making her think constantly about him.

    When he returned, he began to be erratic around her. Telling he liked her, but he could hurt her. That he was dangerous.

    Girls liked dangerous men.

    Humans liked forbidden fruit.

    And confusion made them so much easier to manipulate.

    Rescuing her from the crash clinched the matter in the girl's mind. She belonged to him right then and there.

    Constantly he tested her, tested her faith in him, her desire for him. And always she ignored the obvious danger signs and stayed with him.

    Such a silly, foolish girl.

    He came to her at night to watch her sleep. To touch her and make her dream of him. The warmth was quite nice.

    Soon, oh so very soon, Edward knew, she would beg him to taste her. To take her blood.

    And of course, he'd oblige her.