THE ENTIRE DRIVE HOME I tried to ease my mind. Emmett seemed to be just as distracted.

Surprisingly, I wasn't too scared to sit next to him - not yet, at least. I kept glancing at him through the corners of my eyes. I hated the way my heart would skip a beat each time I did.

He was still so devastatingly gorgeous, even with a scowl on his face. I realized at that moment that no matter how inhuman Emmett seemed, it was his smile that gave him such warmth. It was the smile of a boy who climbed trees and wrestled with his brothers or helped his mom with the cooking.

     Eventually, we were pulling up to my pale blue home. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as he turned off his headlights. The last thing I needed was for Daylin to wake up. Glancing at the clock in the car, I was shocked to see just how late it was.

     12:03 AM

     Damn. Had I been at Quil's that long? It was hard to tell, I'd never checked my phone. I was too busy being stoned.

     In the silence of Emmett's car, I felt my bottom lip tremble as I stared into my lap. I twiddled my thumbs, unable to make eye contact with him. I prayed that he'd speak up first.

  My prayers were answered.

    "What were you doing there?"

     His voice was gruff and colder than usual, but I could hear the protective undertone in his words.

     "I... I was just hanging out with Embry and-"

     "Don't lie. I can smell it on you,"

     "Why does it even matter?" I whispered. I felt like I was in trouble, and I hated it.

     "You could've gotten hurt, and there would've been nothin' I could do. I can't- I can't protect you if you're-" He cut himself off, and I heard him sigh.

     "...Emmett."

     He finally looked over at me. He was nervous, I could see it etched onto his face.

     "How did you even know I was there? I didn't tell anyone I was going,"

     "I can't tell you."

     It was my turn to clench my fists. I was irritated, high, and beyond tired. Sick of the secrets, I decided to shove aside my fears. It was time to ask the burning question that had been on my mind since the beginning of the night.

     "Emmett. I need you to be honest with me. Okay? I can't... I can't keep doing this. T-The mystery, the secrets, I'm over it,"

     He nodded, staring at the steering wheel.

     "...you can ask. But you already know the answer."

     The hairs on my arm stand up. This wasn't happening, this wasn't real.

     "Are you a vampire?"

     It wasn't a question. He knew it, I knew it. I was just so terrified to finally hear confirmation. I didn't want the impossible to be true.

     "Yes," he firmly stated.

I could hear my heartbeat it was going so fast. When he looked at me, I saw the pain in his eyes.

     "Evelyn, I need you to listen to me-"

     "What do you eat. Tell me,"

     "...you don't want me to answer that. Please, let me explain first-"

     I didn't give him the time to do anything, instead choosing to bolt out of the car. My pulse raced, my knees felt weak. My mind was going off the rails, my world was crashing down.

I wished I hadn't smoked, everything felt intensified.

At least if I would've been sober I could've had a fighting chance against my anxiety. Sadly, that wasn't the case - I wasn't in control. Tears of confusion and fear welled up in my eyes. My breathing became irrational as I sped to the front door.

     "Evelyn, please don't walk away from me," his voice sounded strained. Was he holding back tears, too?

     Before I could take out my key, Emmett was in front of me, blocking the door. I nearly screamed, covering my mouth in surprise as I backed away. I tripped over my feet as I stepped back, but he managed to grab me, stopping my fall. He pulled me up, and I shoved him away in a hurry. I knew it only worked because he moved away, not because of my strength. Or lack thereof, I guess.

     "Don't touch me," my voice shook.

     I was scared. I didn't know what he was capable of. It was obvious that he could move at the speed of light, judging by how fast he'd gotten in front of me.

Who knew what else he was capable of.

      My mind recalled that afternoon in his room, the way his fingers gripped my hips. It hurt, and he didn't notice until I'd pointed it out. There was no doubt in my mind that he was stronger than normal men.

      "I wouldn't ever dream of hurting you, please believe me," he begged, "I don't want to scare you, so please- please don't do this,"

     "Emmett," I began with a crazed look, "my whole life I've believed that myths are myths. And now, you're trying to tell me that vampires are fucking real? Honestly, I can't- I can't even-" I was breathing quickly, placing a hand on my forehead as my eyes darted around.

      I could feel the tears begin to fall. I hated that he was seeing me like this. But I knew what was happening, I'd felt this feeling before. The soles of my feet tingled, my chest grew tight. I needed to leave. The last thing he needed to see was me having a panic attack.

     "Y-You just need to get the hell out of my way, and- and leave me alone, okay? Go away!"

      He moved out of the way but refused to go, struggling to find the right words.

     "Please, Evelyn,"

     "I said go away-! I can't do this right now," I felt my voice crack as I began to try and unlock the front door with shaky hands. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball.

The door suddenly swung open. There stood a very angry, very concerned Daylin.

     My night couldn't get any worse.

     "Evelyn,"

     "D-Daylin, I'm sorry, I-"

     "Why are you crying?"

     I knew he wanted to yell at me. But I also knew he hated seeing me upset. All I could do was stare up at him, at a loss for words. I could barely breathe properly, let alone speak. Even though he wasn't shouting or cursing, I could feel the rage radiate off of him. It was all in his eyes, in the way his voice shook as he struggled to stay calm.

He took in my appearance, squinting as he examined. I noticed too late what he was doing, but I still looked down to avoid his gaze the second I realized where things were going.

     "Wait... have- have you been smoking pot?"

     I didn't respond.

     "Great. Fan-fucking-tastic," he scoffed, his gaze moving on to the other person nearby.

     "Wait, wait, wait, wait- who the fuck are you? Are you responsible for this?"

Daylin was shooting daggers at Emmett, who was still standing behind me, halfway up the stairs of the front porch. I hadn't noticed him move until then.

     Oh yeah, vampire speed. How could I forget?

     "No, Daylin he didn't do this- I didn't smoke with him,"

     "Yeah? Well what about the crying, huh? That's not his fault?" his voice was full of scorn. He looked like he was about to lunge for Emmett.

I began to step side to side as I wrung the bottom of my sweater with my hands. My grip was so tight that my fingernails stabbed through the material, digging into my palms. I wasn't focused on the pain.

     "Daylin, please, can we just go inside?"

     "You go inside, I'm dealing with this,"

     "No, both of us are going inside. He has nothing to do with this, he- he just drove me home. I didn't have any money for a cab, so I called him. I swear," I choked out, voice cracking.

Daylin could see how upset I was, it was the only thing keeping him from raining hellfire.

     "...fine. You," Daylin slowly approached Emmett, who didn't back down.

     "You stay the hell away from my sister. I'm not stupid, I know you're the reason she's upset,"

     "I would never hurt Evelyn," Emmett defended himself.

     It was the first thing he'd said since Daylin had come out, and I could only close my eyes and pray that my brother would listen to me.

     "Bullshit,"

     "I care about her-"

     "What's your name? And don't try to lie, I'll know,"

     It was true; Daylin was a human lie detector. If I hadn't been in shambles, I would've joked that maybe this didn't apply to vampires.

     "Emmett Cullen,"

     "Well, Emmett Cullen, I'd suggest you leave. And like I said, stay the hell away from my sister."

     With that, Daylin turned around and stalked into the house. He held the door open for me, indicating we were done. I looked over at Emmett, my heart beginning to break. He looked so torn. Every negative emotion resided in those black eyes.

     "Evelyn..."

      His voice cracked, and I had to turn back around. I couldn't handle seeing him like this. I couldn't handle him seeing me like this. So, I shadowed my brother, leaving Emmett alone on the porch. Daylin shut the door behind me, the room silent.

      A few moments later, I heard the Jeep's engine rumble to life, only for it to disappear. I'd calmed down, now that Emmett was gone and I was in the safety of my own home. I practiced a few breathing exercises, as Daylin walked off into the kitchen without a word.

     He came back, a bottle of water in hand. He gave it to me, and I reluctantly took it.

     "You feel any better?"

     I nodded, still trying to figure out where his mind was at. He caught onto this and sighed.

     "I'm not gonna yell at you. You know you fucked up,"

     "I'm sorry..." my throat felt raw as I apologized.

     "Evelyn, it's just... I love you. You're my baby sister, and- and we only have each other. But when I wake up and you're not here, I get scared. And then when you don't answer any of my texts or calls, I get even more scared," he explained quietly.

Guilt consumed me.

He continued, disappointment evident in his voice, "then you show up at our door in the middle of the night: mid panic attack, high, arguing with some boy? That's a lot for me to take in. I can't keep you safe if you don't at least tell me where you're going. I know your seventeen now, I know you want to have a life - hell, I encourage you to have one. But that doesn't mean you should sneak out to smoke weed with a boy, or anyone for that matter."

      I never wanted him to feel like he was going to lose me, that would never happen. Not in a million years. I felt my eyes well up once more, and before the tears could even fall, he pulled me in for a hug.

     "I-I'm so sorry Day, I'm so sorry. I love you too, tonight's just been so weird, and- and I wanted to distract myself, I've been so stressed lately, and- I'm sorry, I won't ever sneak out again, I p-promise," I cried as he held me, hiccuping between words. He rubbed my back, his chin resting atop my head. It took a few minutes, but soon my tears turned into sniffles.

     "Or smoke weed?"

     "O-or smoke weed."

     For the first time that night, he smiled. Just seeing it made me feel better, and I returned it. He let out a little laugh, before pulling me back. Nobody could make me feel as guilty as my brother could. In turn, no one made me feel as safe as he did, either. We were each other's rocks, and I loved him for that.

      "Go get some rest kiddo. You'll feel better in the morning,"

     "I know, I know. Goodnight, Day,"

     "Night, Eve."

I made my way up to my bedroom, completely exhausted. I immediately flopped onto my bed with a huff. Pulling off my shoes, I threw them somewhere on the floor. The darkness of my room welcomed me to sleep. Pulling the covers over my body, I tried to close my eyes and rest.

     My brain had other plans in store.

   I found myself staring blankly at my ceiling as I processed everything that had happened that night. Between smoking weed for the first time and finding out what Emmett was, I'd certainly gone through it all. I still couldn't believe it, though.

     A vampire. He was a vampire. All the Cullens were. It was so out of this world, but it was the truth.

      I was scared of what I didn't understand. I knew what vampires ate. Blood.

      Emmett had multiple opportunities to drink mine. He could have done it out in the courtyard during our first meeting, or by the brick wall after school. He could have done it in his bedroom, but he didn't. He kissed me, held me...

      Was it all just a ploy? A longwinded plan to seduce me into submission?

     Even with my fear, I still found myself refusing to believe such things.

     I couldn't explain it, but I knew Emmett. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, or put me in danger. He wanted me to find out so I could be a part of his life, not so he could end it. He meant it when he told my brother he cared about me. The way he looked at me, the sound of his broken voice...

     I felt awful for pushing him away. But was I ready to be a part of his life? To accept the fact that vampires were real? I didn't have the answer, especially not after my long night.

Dozing off, I allowed my mind to fully succumb to sleep.

༻༺

     The loud ringing of my phone wouldn't stop until I did something about it. Turning over, I lazily grabbed it off of my nightstand, not bothering to check who was calling.

     "Hey, Evelyn..."

     I was surprised to hear Bella's voice.

     "Hey, Bella, what's up?"

     My voice was still groggy from waking up. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

     "...I heard. About what happened last night,"

     If I hadn't been awake before, I certainly was then.

     "You... you know?"

     "Yeah... I do. And I understand what you're going through. I-I wanted to, um, come over, maybe? And talk to you? I can answer your questions,"

     I was shocked. Bella knew the Cullens' secret and was so calm about it. She was even offering to answer questions I had.

     "Sure, yeah. Come on over whenever,"

     "Alright. Um... I'll see you in a few?"

      "Sounds good."

     Daylin was already gone for work, so I had the house to myself. It was relaxing, being alone for once.

      I went to the kitchen and pulled out a kettle from the cupboard. Filling it with water to boil, I set out two mugs while I waited. I hoped Bella liked tea.

     Just as the kettle whistled, I heard a knock. I made my way to the front door to meet my guest. I opened it, met by the sight of Bella. But, she wasn't alone.

     Edward Cullen stood by her side.

     My eyes didn't leave him as I recalled everything that happened the night prior. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew everything. Clearing my throat, I finally looked back towards Bella.

     "You didn't tell me-"

     "I was worried if I did, you... you might say no. And I think Edward can help you understand more than I could. Please, just... give them a chance."

     If it weren't for the pleading look on her face, I might've said no on the spot. Anxiety controlled my actions, although I hated to admit it.

     "Alright... um, come in."

     I stepped aside, watching as they entered. Leading them to the kitchen, I wondered what I was supposed to say.

     "So... vampires."

      Wow, groundbreaking.

     Edward snickered, but Bella was quick to shoot him a look as they sat down at the small table. I poured Bella and myself some tea, looking over at Edward curiously. If I'd known he was going to be joining us, I would've set out a mug. Then again, did vampires drink? Or eat?

     "Would you like some tea?"

     "No. We don't... drink anything. Or eat food."

     I blinked, taking in my first ever vampire fact.

     So they really only survived off of blood? It seemed kind of sad. Food, especially back in Georgia, was a comfort thing.

     I joined them, the two mugs in hand. I gave one to Bella, who quietly thanked me. We sipped the tea in silence before Edward spoke again.

     "I know you have questions for me. I don't bite," he smirked.

     I gave him a hesitant look, unsure if I was ready to fully open Pandora's box. Once I knew everything, there was no going back.

      I couldn't stop my thoughts from drifting to Emmett. He was always there, in the back of my mind. I wanted to know more, so I could understand him.

     "Well, I guess, um... there's so much," I furrowed my brows, glaring down at my tea.

      It was time to find out about everything.

༻༺

     Our back and forth went on for a little under two hours. I was learning more than I initially expected to, but as I delved deeper and deeper, I grew more intrigued.

       I'd been relieved to hear that the Cullens didn't drink human blood. They only hunted animals, and in return, their eyes weren't red like the I'd heard about in stories - they were gold.

      The abilities they gained as vampires amazed me. Lightning speed and super strength were straight out of a comic book, but here I was, meeting someone who was capable of such things.

       I came to the conclusion that the Cullens weren't dangerous. They wanted to coexist with humans.

     Edward went on to tell me how Carlisle had found him and Esme, and turned them to keep them from dying. Then came Rosalie, followed by Emmett, and lastly, Alice and Jasper. I didn't bother asking how they all had been turned. It felt like a private thing.

      He told me some of them had gifts, special traits that followed them from their human lives, now intensified. I wasn't shocked to hear that Emmett's was his strength or that Rosalie's was her beauty. But I was surprised to hear that Edward could read minds, and Alice could see the future.

     My life seemed significantly less important. Just knowing that nearly indestructible, perfect immortals existed on the same planet as humans felt like comparing Chanel to the dollar store.

      How funny.

     Our conversation was coming to a close. I was a bit shocked to see how much time had passed, but I didn't mind. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt enlightened, in a sense. Hearing a small chuckle, my eyes drifted to Edward.

     "Your mind, it's much... clearer now,"

     "What'd it used to be like?"

     "Very stressed. Your anxiety, it's impeccable; worse than Bella's. I've never met a more anxious human,"

     The fact that this one-hundred-something-year-old vampire had yet to meet someone more skittish than I was rich.

       "Good to know."

     The longer we talked, the more Edward grew on me. I always thought of him to be so dreary, but I could see him in a different light now. He had the same dry humor as Bella, and the way he spoke of his family told me he was loyal and compassionate.

      He'd described how he didn't want to be like this. He called himself a monster.

      That word didn't suit him.

      The night before, I'd used the same one to describe his family, but now... it just didn't fit. The Cullens weren't monsters.

      It got to the point where they were ready to take their leave. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Yet, Edward stopped on the front porch. He turned around, causing me to hold the door open.

     "Emmett is going to come over tonight, to speak to you. Give him a chance,"

     "I, um- I dunno if Daylin would let him..."

     The couple glanced at one another with a knowing look, a mischievous glint in Edward's eyes.

     "I wouldn't worry. He won't be using the front door,"

     "Leave your window unlocked," Bella added.

     I nodded, thoughts drifting to Emmett. I hated the way we'd left things. I wanted to resolve our issues, but I was scared. I was scared to face him after I'd so blatantly disregarded his feelings.

      My mind replayed my words, how I'd shouted for him to leave me alone and to go away. I felt awful.

     "He isn't upset with you. He wants you to take him back. He wants you to accept him,"

     I was going to have to get used to the mind-reading, wasn't I?

     "Thanks, Edward. I... I want that too."

     We said goodbye and I closed the front door, my back turning to press against it. I let out a loud sigh, the empty house giving no response.

     Vampires were real. They were more complex than I'd expected.

     And I was hopelessly pining after one.

—edited

༻༺

The cat's outta the bag!

Now that Evelyn is completely in the know, things will be picking up FAST.

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~ May