All through dinner, Edward was twitchy and distracted. He wasn’t much for conversation, responding only to small talk with short answers, and avoiding larger questions entirely.

“How did you know where I was?” Bella had asked earlier.

“I followed the trail of things that had been knocked over or run into,” he’d replied sarcastically.

Finally, after Edward had stepped outside several times for “some fresh air”

Bella asked him, “Are you all right?”

“Of course,” he replied evenly, but he had a strained look in his eyes.

“You seem… twitchy, and tense”

“I’m…” he paused, trying to think up an excuse, the booth had filled with the scent of her flow, and it was breaking his concentration, “I’m still mad about those guys, you know, attacking you…” This was to difficult, he was forgetting to act normally. He couldn’t go for another “fresh air” break, he’d been for two already, “…when I heard what they were thinking…”

“You heard what they were thinking?”

Edward froze, “What?”

“You just said you heard what they were thinking.”

“Did I?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Edward paused for a long time, “because that doesn’t seem like something I would-”

“Edward!” Bella cut him off.

“Alright, fine,” he finally relented, “Sometimes, I can sort of hear people’sthoughts.”

She just stared at him.

“All the time actually, within range. Except for you.”

She continued to stare at him. They were quiet for a long moment.

“Can you tell me what you’re thinking?” he asked her eventually, “It’s really frustrating…not being able to hear.”

“You always hear thoughts?” Bella asked doubtfully, “What about when you sleep, do you hear them in your dreams? Do you dream other people’s dreams?”

“Oh, no.”

“Well, why not then?” She obviously thought he was lying and that she had just trapped him.

“You see,” he began slowly, “The thing is, I don’t sleep. Ever.”

“Never?”

“Not at all.

She was quiet again for another long while, staring at her ravioli, stabbing it occasionally, “You don’t sleep,” she said quietly, “You’re skin is pale white and ice cold, there are dark circles under your eyes. You suffer from insane mood swings, and get these superhuman bursts of speed and strength. You never eat or drink anything, you think you hear voices… I know what you are…”

Edward was struck into silence, he had stopped breathing and was staring at Bella, scent forgotten. Had he been that obvious? Could she really have figured him out? A nervous curiosity overwhelmed him, he needed to hear her say it, too expose him for the horrific monster he really was, “Say it,” he demanded when she hesitated, “Out loud.”

“Meth addict.” She finished, and his jaw dropped.

“What?!” Instantly, a rolling, irrepressible laughter exploded out of him, and he had to work hard to keep it from being abnormally loud. The relief he felt was completely overwhelming, she could not have possibly been more far off. Bella was extremely indignant and kept shouting at him not to laugh at her. Every eye in the restaurant was on them, watching their odd scene. Edward finally calmed down enough to speak, although his voice was shaking and he knew if he could he’d be crying, “Bel-bella, I’m not a-a METH ADDICT!!” He gleefully shouted the last words, ignoring the dirty looks he was getting, dissolving into laughter again.

“Edward!” Bella scolded, “This is not funny, meth is a serious problem.”
Somehow, Edward managed to regain his composure, although he was obviously still smirking, and would chuckle occasionally. “Seriously Bella, I am not addicted to meth, nor have I ever participated in the use of any illegal substance.” He briefly wondered if human blood counted against that, but did not voice his concern.

“Well, what are you then?”

He chuckled again and eyed her mysteriously, "Not that." He replied simply,

"Not even close. Now, you're nearly done eating and it's getting late, I should be taking you home." He rose from the seat and she followed him as he paid for her meal.

"No way!" She teased, "I don't want to be driven home by a meth addict..."
Edward rolled his eyes and ignored her, strolling to the car and leaving her to hurry after him. “Hey, wait!” she called out, rushing toward him and falling down the stairs.  The cold concrete seemed to rush up and wrap around her, and when she opened her eyes, she found she was in Edward’s arms. His body was rock hard and unnaturally cold. She looked up into his eyes, and saw for only a millisecond a face fiercer than any alley rapist’s.

Edward had been wrong to catch Bella, he knew that the moment his arms were around her. It was too much for him; the scent of her so close, the feel of hot blood pulsing just below her skin. He nearly thought it was too late for him, but an image of Carlisle surfaced in his brain. He knew how upset his father would be. He couldn’t do that to him. Not now. Not again.
Bella looked up at his face. His eyes were narrow, harsh, his lips were pulled back into a snarl revealing white, shiny teeth that, for once, Bella had the instinct to flinch from. She had seen the monster in Edward’s face, and he couldn’t let her remember it. With great effort, he changed his lethal expression into the most dazzling one he could muster. A friendly, closed-mouthed smile, warm butterscotch eyes, “You should be more careful,” he murmured silkily, his voice quiet with the effort to control it. Clearly, the moment prior was forgotten, as he needed to help her to his car. For a moment Edward was worried he’d overdone it. Any more charming, and she might have fainted.

Working hard to keep his human-friendly face on, he started the Volvo, and briefly, Bella had just the wherewithal to notice he was pinching the bridge of his nose so harshly it was nearly violent.

‘I am NOT a monster,’ Edward thought fiercely, ‘That is not me.’

He squeezed his eyes shut a for a few seconds and then pulled out of his space, being sure to roll down both windows as he went.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bella had Edward’s jacket pulled tight around her, she was obviously uncomfortable from driving too fast through a cold night with the windows open. It was lucky for her she was too polite to say anything, because there was no way he could have taken this strong of a scent in this small of aspace. “I have another theory,” Bella stated abruptly after they’d driven a while.

Edward rolled his eyes, “By all means, do tell.”

“Greek marble statue brought to life by The Blue Fairy.”

The time Edward did not laugh. It was not a particularly dangerous guess, and was probably supposed to be humorous, on account of the Pinocchio reference. What disturbed him was that she clearly remembered the way he’d felt when he caught her. He had hoped to dazzle all thought out of her, not just of his face. He realized she’d gone with a Greek statue specifically, and was oddly flattered. An image of perfection was he? Alrightie then.

Regardless, the danger had still increased, she was too observant.

“Close?” Bella ventured cautiously, noting his serious expression.

Edward continued to stare silently at the road as he drove. Bella waited.

“Closer.” He said at last.