Chapter 3

Curiosity struck me like lightning. I had stepped outside about a nanosecond before Edward darted next to me and hovered over me like a protective shield. He was tense. And furious. His eyes were a dangerous color. Black, with red lacing. Somehow I could tell that it was not due to his thirst.

"Edward, what happened?" My eyes flickered to the police men on the shore line and back to Edward's eyes. The bright lights of the sirens were giving me a headache and I immediately buried my face in Edward's chest.

He caressed my back, rubbing my arms in a quick up-and-down motion in attempt to warm me up. "Nothing, dear. I'm dealing with it. Go back inside, I won't be long." He kissed my hair and I complied with his wish.

From inside, I was listening with everything I had to make out the conversation between the policeman and Edward. I heard random words like medication, fire, eighteen, and silver. I tried unscrambling them in my mind to see if they had a link to each other. I sat on the bed with my face in my palms. I didn't like this. But with the agony of my headache and the premonition of something very, very bad happening, I tipped to my side, crashing against the pillows and fell deeply asleep.

I had that dream again where I was lost for good in outer space. It felt that way last time, when I was running along that empty high way. This time, however, there was no silver pick-up truck. All the colors became very dim. I was floating. Suddenly, every cell in my body started dislodging itself from my body, breaking apart every nerve, every muscle, every bone. They were gravitating at full speed toward a silhouette standing about 20 feet in front of me, in the blackness. I couldn't stop it. I was helpless. I watched my body rip at the seams. My arms disintegrated below me, into a bottomless pit, like a ball of yarn, unraveling. Then, the magnetic force in front of my pulled at my legs. Painlessly and furiously, I watched as they fell like sand. Then I felt my throat closing. The silhouette motioned his hands as if he were choking me. I grabbed my neck as reflex and as I was just about to scream, I woke up. . .

"STEPHANIE!" I heard his voice over my face, hard and demanding. His hands were at my sides, shaking me to life.

I came back into consciousness. My body was coiled around my pillow, shaking violently and sweating. I heard my teeth clatter as I shivered. Then my eyes opened and I felt like they were glassy. "Edward..." I said, shaking. My eyes were focused on nothing but whatever was in front of me. All I saw were blurs.

He pulled the blanket over my fragile body and repositioned his hands around my face. "Stephanie, speak, please!" He stroked my jaw line. I finally looked up at him, and took a deep breath, realizing my nightmare was over. His eyes were deep with worry, squinted. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth was in a razor sharp line.

"Edward, I-" I shivered as I spoke "Edward, I'm sorry. I had a nightmare." I took his hands in mine and held them to my cheek, using them as pillow. I needed to cool my body down.

"Do you feel like telling me about it?"

I didn't want to. Talking about it would just make the horrific images of my body being ripped apart come back into focus, and I couldn't afford that right now.

"I...It's all hazy now. I can't seem to remember it..." I sighed and closed my eyes, holding back tears. One of his hands escaped the cage I trapped them in and touched my forehead. That felt amazing. Then his icy lips washed over mine. I was cured, for now.

"Sometimes you scare me more than anyone would think is possible." He smiled and tapped my nose with his finger. I untangled myself out of the sheets and blankets and crawled into his lap. He held me tightly against his chest and pressed his face in my hair.

"What time is it?" I finally asked, coming back to reality. Piece by piece.

"Seven in the morning."

"I feel like I've been up all night." Then the memory flashed into my mind like a speeding car. "Edward! The cops...on the shoreline...that wasn't a dream."

His loosened his hold on me and growled. "What is it?" I urged.

He spoke in a monotone voice, low and precise. "There was an incident. Trees were burned down and a few young animals were slaughtered over on the mainland. It was gruesome, Steph, for any human to see." He probably just mourned at all the wasted blood. "So the police did the obvious thing and came here to investigate, try to get clues. They knew it wasn't me, Carlisle is good friends with the police over there. We've known each other for a while."

"So, did they find who did it?"

"Yes. A human. His name is Steven. Apparently he had escaped from the mental ward in the hospital Carlisle works at. He called me while you were sleeping. He says we're safe here now."

"Steven, hmm." I tried to collect any memory I had that could trace back to a Steven. But it was seven in the morning. I had nothing. "Well, at least we're safe." I embraced him and he returned it. Rocking me back and forth, kissing my head.


As the mornings strolled into daylight, Edward and I kept ourselves busy with every activity imaginable. As the setting sun would lower itself into the horizon, we would relax on the sand, tangled in each other's arms and legs. There was a special perfection about these 2 weeks. Edward and I, connected in every way, expressing our love in every way. We were always in harmony. We were completely isolated from the rest of the world and that made this feel like fantasy even more. No one was around to interrupt our moments of pure bliss. And everytime he touched me, the butterflies that dwelled in my stomach fluttered their wings a little faster.

We laid on the sand our last night on Isle Esme. Edward lay on his back, his hands resting behind his head. I lay on my stomach, in between his legs. My chin rested itself on his stomach and I traced swirly lines all over his cool, marble, white torso. I made childish noises as my finger slid off his chest and crashed into the sand. He laughed at my entertainment. It was another blissful moment. His hands reached to brush my hair out of my eyes. I gazed into him.

"You know, I never asked if you ever got to go hunting."

"Stephanie, do you think I can bear to allow you to seduce me like this if that weren't the case?" He smiled his crooked smile.

I was seducing him? I quickly took into account our position. I was completely pressed up against the part of him I suddenly felt on my stomach. I giggled softly and shifted my weight forward a little to press my lips to his chest. The friction made him come alive. The butterflies were flapping their wings at full force. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too." His brushed his fingers up and down my arms. His eyes closed and his head was facing the sky now. The sun was just about to disappear under the ocean, when I decided to follow its course. Besides, Edward's body was much more beautiful than the sunset.

My heart started beating frantically as I started nibbling on his cold hard skin. I slowly shifted myself lower on him, so I can kiss his lower stomach. I pressed my lips in dotted circles onto him. I felt him breath deeply. My lips grazed him lower, down his center, until they were stopped by the waist band of his shorts. Hmm.

My fingers crept down his chest, slid over his lower stomach, and started undoing the button and zipper. I felt him rise, underneath his shorts, almost pushing me away with his stiff arousal. I saw him arch his neck back and squeeze his eyes shut.

"Stephanie..." He moaned in anticipation. He needed to be free of this sexual confinement. I felt him even harder against me, poking my ribs. Once the zipper was fully down, I wrapped my fingers around the belt holders.

"Edward, I need you tonight. Just one more time, on our last night here."

"I'm your's." Edward vowed. And with that, he started leaning up. No.

I put my hand against his chest, trying to push him back down. Yeah, right. "It's my turn to do the work."

Edward fell back onto the sand with a thundering crash breathing deeply, gasping at what I had just said. I ripped his shorts down his legs and his throbbing hardness catapulted to his stomach.