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Cinque
The air in the hospital hallway was still. Stagnant. As if the atmosphere itself held its breath at the silent meeting of two wills. Nate and Edward stared at each other. Without moving. Without saying a single word. The white fluorescent light above their heads flickered with an almost symbolic slowness, casting faint shadows that danced between them.
Edward's golden eyes were wide, frozen in a mixture of shock and terror. He was like a deer caught in headlights, trapped, vulnerable. It wasn't fear of physical danger; it was fear of recognition. For the first time in almost a century, someone had discovered him.
Charlie, who was standing between them, turned his head from side to side, confused by the unexpected silence.
"Guys... am I missing something?" he asked, forcing a nervous smile. The intensity of that gaze between the two teenagers had made him uncomfortable.
Nate reacted first. He squared his shoulders and relaxed his face, regaining his friendly expression with practiced ease.
"It's nothing, Charlie," he replied matter-of-factly. "I think Edward is a little in shock about everything that happened. I understand. It's not every day you see a truck turning into someone."
He turned slightly toward Edward, his expression almost innocent.
"Maybe if the truck had had a little more momentum... it would have hit you too."
Edward remained motionless. His expression was frozen as if he still didn't know how to respond. But then Nate, casually looking away, let his thought emerge forcefully.
Dissemble, monster.
As if slapped in the face, Edward blinked. The word echoed in his mind with a harshness he hadn't expected. "Monster." That word. The same one he'd defined himself with for decades. The same title he'd silently repeated to himself every time he saw his reflection in a mirror.
His face twisted for a split second into a wounded grimace, so human it was almost moving. Then, as if something inside him had snapped shut, he repositioned himself.
"Nate. You're right, Mr. Swan," he said, looking at Charlie without taking his eyes off Nate. "Perhaps... the events of the day affected me more than I imagined."
Charlie nodded, patting him on the arm. "That's understandable. You saved my daughter, kid. No one's at their best today."
It was at that moment that the office door opened with a soft creak. Bella walked out, accompanied by a nurse, rubbing her temple with a slightly uncomfortable expression on her face.
"They've finished taking my information," he reported. "We can go."
Charlie smiled broadly. "Perfect. Time to go home."
But Bella barely paid attention. Her eyes locked on Edward as soon as she saw him, and she took a determined step toward him.
"Edward," she said softly, "I wanted—"
But Edward had already taken a step back. His smile was gentle, but laced with a sadness that didn't go unnoticed.
"I'm glad to see you're okay, Bella," he said sweetly. "Really."
She tried to move closer, insistent. "What happened... was strange. I know that—"
"Maybe you should go see your father, Edward," Nate interrupted, taking a step between them. His tone was casual, almost gentle. "You still seem a little shaken up."
Edward looked at him. A moment was enough to understand the message behind those words: leave now, before Bella says more than necessary.
"Yeah..." Edward murmured, trapped by the escape route Nate offered him. "Maybe so. I'm feeling a little under the weather." Then, as if regretting being so abrupt, he looked back at Bella gently. "I hope to see you at school when you're feeling better."
He turned gracefully on his heels, but the tension in his shoulders didn't go unnoticed.
"Edward..." Bella called, wanting to stop him. "We'll talk later."
He nodded without turning his face. He walked toward where Carlisle had left minutes before, without looking back.
Nate followed him with his eyes. As Edward was about to turn the corner, he thought, fully intending to be heard:
This is not over.
Edward paused for a moment. He turned to look at him, his eyes wide with nervousness. There was something almost desperate in his face, a silent plea that Nate couldn't quite decipher. Then, without another word, he disappeared down the hall.
Charlie watched the scene with a raised eyebrow.
"Edward seems like a nice guy," he commented, rubbing his chin. "But… he comes across as nervous. Don't you think?"
Bella looked down at the floor. Her voice was a whisper.
"It's more than that..."
Nate remained silent. Inside, he was a whirlwind of thoughts.
He's always been reading my mind. Now I know. He's not human. There's no other explanation. What kind of creature can stop a truck with one hand? What else can it do?
It had been an afternoon of discovery, of veiled truths, of masks falling away. And Nate knew he couldn't leave things like that. Not while Bella was in the middle of it all.
Charlie interrupted his thoughts with a more relaxed smile.
"Hey, why don't you come home with us? We could get some dinner. I'm sure Bella would feel better if you stayed a while."
Nate looked at him. He nodded without thinking twice.
"Sure. I'd love to."
As they walked toward the hospital exit, Bella between them, Nate couldn't help but glance briefly back down the hallway where Edward had left.
I'm not going to leave her alone. Not until I understand what you're capable of... and why you seem so interested in her.
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I wasn't going to upload a chapter today but the amount of Powerstones surprised me, if they keep coming I'll keep uploading extra chapters, thanks for reading!