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The Swan house was quiet, save for the occasional creak of wood expanding in the night heat. Nate sat at the table next to Bella and Charlie, a simple meal already laid out in front of them: roast beef, mashed potatoes, and stewed vegetables.
Charlie seemed relaxed, even relieved, chatting in his calm voice about anything that would take the edge off the stress of the accident. Nate tried to pay attention, but his thoughts were pulling him in a completely different direction.
They exist.
They really exist.
He brought a piece of meat to his mouth, unable to taste it. In front of him, Bella hid it well. She smiled and nodded at her father's jokes, but Nate knew her face. Her mind wasn't there.
"The cold ones." Bloodsuckers. Skin as hard as stone. Fast as lightning.
Everything is falling into place… but nothing said they could read minds.
He stared at Bella for a moment. She was carefully cutting her meat, oblivious to his thoughts. Nate remembered something else: when he'd first met them in the school cafeteria, none of the Cullens had acted like Edward. Even in their conversations with Alice… They didn't have the same pauses, and they didn't seem to be listening to invisible words in the air. That led him to an unavoidable conclusion.
Not everyone does. It's just Edward. Only he can… hear me.
He lightly gripped the fork in his hand. Bella had been in danger. And what hurt him most was not knowing why she'd been saved.
Did he do it out of kindness?
Or was he just protecting his lunch?
He shook his head as if he could free himself from the thought.
"Everything okay, Nate?" Charlie asked from his seat.
Nate forced a smile. "Yeah, just… tired. It was a weird day."
Charlie laughed softly. "That's an understatement."
The conversation quickly fizzled out. Dinner ended without incident, and after helping Bella clear the dishes and do the necessary washing, Charlie said goodbye with a yawn, leaving the two teenagers in the living room.
"I'm going to sleep," said the police chief, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't stay out there too long, okay?"
"Sure, Dad," Bella said with a soft smile.
They both walked out the front door. The air was cold, and damp, with that thick calm that only the woods of Forks knew how to maintain. Nate walked beside her to his car, parked on the sidewalk, his footsteps crunching on the wet gravel.
Bella was the first to break the silence.
"I'm going to talk to him."
Nate looked at her, already knowing who she was talking about.
"With Edward?" he asked, though it wasn't necessary.
She nodded. "I'm not going to dwell on this question. I want to know how he did it. How he was able to move like that? How he stopped the truck with one hand."
Nate watched her silently. He could sense the stubbornness in her voice, the fire of curiosity burning in her eyes. He paused before answering, lowering his tone slightly.
"Maybe you should wait a bit. You two will inevitably be the center of attention at school," he said. "And Edward… he didn't seem well today. He might still be in shock; maybe he needs some more time."
Bella frowned. "I know. But if anyone deserves to know the truth, it's me. I was there."
Nate leaned against his car door. He thought about warning her directly, telling her to back off, that it was dangerous, but he held back.
No. If I insist that she move away, she will only come closer faster.
"Maybe later," Bella murmured as if she were talking more to herself than to him. "When things calm down… when everything is clearer."
Nate nodded, even though he knew in his mind what that meant.
You won't. You won't wait. You'll run straight to him.
Before saying goodbye, they shared a quick hug. Nate held her a second longer than necessary. He didn't want to leave her alone. Not after what he'd seen. Not knowing what he knew now.
"Thanks for coming to the hospital. You arrived quickly… and thanks for staying for dinner, too," Bella said with a tired smile.
"I always knew you'd end up in the hospital, but I thought it was going to be because of some kind of carelessness on your part," Nate replied jokingly.
Bella just giggled and punched him lightly on the arm.
He opened his car door. The engine started with a soft roar as Bella pulled away toward the porch, giving him one last look before entering the house.
Nate didn't start right away.
He stood with his hands on the wheel, his face tense, his eyes fixed on nothing.
Bloodsucker.
That's what they said in the stories. Skin as white as ash. Beauty that isn't human. And thirst. Always thirsty.
He remembered the first day of school. When he'd walked Bella to the administration building. Edward was there. He saw all the emotions that had flitted across Edward's face that day. And for a second, there was an emotion that had shaken him at the time, but that Nate hadn't fully understood until now.
Hunger. He was hungry.
He clenched his jaw. If there was one thing he had a hard time forgiving, it was Bella being around him without fully knowing it. Not understanding how vulnerable she was. How dangerous her attraction to that thing could be.
But I won't hurt him... at least not yet.
He saved Bella's life. That means something.
Sigh.
Or maybe he just didn't want anyone else to take her away from him before he did.
He put the car in reverse. The taillights illuminated the wet road, and then he drove down the quiet street until he disappeared around the bend.
As the forest surrounded him, an idea took shape, settling like iron in his chest.
If he touches her with that intention…
If one day I discover that he didn't save her... but rather marked her...
I'll tear it to pieces. With my own hands.".
And with that burning determination, Nate disappeared into the darkness, while Forks slept in its blanket of fog.
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-Author's Note: I feel repetitive, but the support the story is getting is incredible (we're third in the Power rankings; for me, sharing the top 3 with a work by EmmanuelCapricorn is almost legendary). I'm supposed to slow down, but if I keep seeing support with Powerstones, I'll upload more extra chapters! Thank you very much!
Spoiler: The next two chapters are not from Nate's perspective.;)