After an exhausting practice Paloma was actually looking forward to going home. Their father was probably at the hospital, which meant that at least for one night her and Emiliano could somewhat act like themselves.

The halls of Forks High School were empty and silent the only sound in the hallway coming from her footsteps. The other girls had left, but Paloma had chosen to linger always enjoying the small moments that she had to herself. She came to a stop at the open classroom door, it was only left slightly ajar which she found odd considering that it was the music room.

Curiosity won over as she pushed the door to the classroom open where her eyes immediately landed on the grand piano in the corner of the room. Immediately she felt a lump forming in her throat as she subconsciously crossed to room to it.

Sitting down on the bench her fingers lightly running over the piano keys. It had been years since she had played or had even considered it. Since her mother died their father had made sure that there wasn't another piano in the house, and Paloma never questioned his decision. The piano always made her think of her mother too.

She didn't know why she suddenly had the sudden urge to play the instrument, considering she wasn't sure she had the ability to play correctly anymore. Maybe it was because lately she found herself missing her mother, Camila Ibarra was clearly the only thing that kept the Ibarra family together. Now in her absence they were each drowning in their own loneliness and grief.

With a deep breath she began playing one of the few piano pieces that she had memorized letting her fingers run over the keys like if it hadn't been years since she played the piano. Admittedly the first couple of notes were sloppy as muscle memory slowly began to take over, but as she placed she couldn't believe she had ever allowed her father to let her stop.

"Harmonies of the Night." A familiar voice said causing her to miss a key, a sound echoed through the room as she looked up to find Edward Cullen standing in the doorway. She froze not sure how to react, but was in disbelief that he seemed to always appear in the best and worst moments. "I didn't know you played the piano."

"We don't really know anything about each other." Paloma countered and it was nothing short but the truth. They seemed unable to stay away from each other while knowing nothing about each other. It was the weirdest feeling to not know someone at all and still want to see them.

"It's just... most teenagers don't know how to play the piano."

"Coming from the guy who can recite Shakespeare?"

"I can play the piano too." He added causing Paloma to roll her eyes, because of course he could also play the piano. It was like the universe was making it impossible for her to stay away from him.

She watched in silence as he crossed the room to her and took a seat on the bench. He was sitting so close that their shoulders we touching and even though him being so close sent a chill down her spine she felt like he wasn't close enough.

"My only love sprung from my only hate. Too early seen unknown, and known too late." Paloma began to quote as she randomly pressed down on some piano keys creating a random melody. "Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy."

Edward studied her for a moment like if he couldn't believe the words she had spoken. He might have even seemed a little confused until a small smile played on his lips. "Seems like I'm not the only one who knows Shakespeare."

"This has to be third time a school I've gone to has assigned Romeo and Juliet. Kind of impossible to not memorize a couple of lines." Paloma replied making no attempt to hide the fact that she was not enjoying having to sit through class analyzing a story that she unfortunately already knew too well.

"You don't like it?" He questioned.

"Shakespeare had better plays. Macbeth or King Lear, but everyone only every talks about Romeo and Juliet." She continued already knowing that he was exactly the kind of guy who would like a story like Romeo and Juliet. From what she had heard about his dramatic breakup with Bella Swan he seemed like he had been entirely devoted to her. "I mean a story about  two teenagers that are so recklessly in love that they get the people they care about killed and end up taking their own lives? Like if anyone cane love someone so much that they would do that."

"You don't think that it's possible to love someone so much that life has no meaning without them?"

She raised an eyebrow surprised and a little amused at his words. "You do?"

"So Paloma Ibarra knows her Shakespeare and can play the piano." He said the change of subject welcome, considering that she really didn't want to talk about love. She also didn't know much of love to begin with, of course she loved her siblings. And at some point she saw the way that her parent's loved each other, but she had never experienced that kind of love herself. "What else is there to know?"

"I know five languages." She replied unsure if it was a good idea to tell him any of this. It felt personal, and things that even she decided to forget about herself. Things that made her feel like a different person. "I know archery and self-defense. Two things that I've always hated."

"Then why do them?"

"My dad. He thought all those things were important. Sure, the languages are kind of fun...but everything else... sometimes it felt like my dad was raising soldiers and not children. My mom though... she loved music."

She remained quiet all other words dying as she realized that she had said too. Paloma had gotten to wrapped up in her self-pity that she forgot that she wasn't alone. Or that she didn't even know anything about Edward, but now he knew too much about her. There was nothing worse the being too vulnerable, and she hated the way that she felt now.

Edward must have noticed this sudden realization as he finally looked away from her and looked down at the piano keys. Without a word he began playing his fingers moving expertly across the keys like he was born to play the piano. It was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the melody that he was playing. It was a piece of music that she didn't recognize and then suddenly it occurred to her that maybe it was an original piece.

It had to be. They way they music seemed to posses him entirely felt personal, like every note of music had significance. It was a hauntingly beautiful piece of music and although she didn't know what had inspired it, the hopeful notes in the beginning quickly turned into a melody that seemed to express tragedy. It almost seemed like it was painful for him to play and when he finished it took him what felt like an eternity to meet her eyes.

"Is that an original?" Paloma questioned impressed that he had the talent to compose her own music. Her own talent didn't go beyond being able to play the pieces of music that he mother taught her.

He remained silent for a moment before he nodded. She then understood what he had done. She had allowed herself to be vulnerable with him and although maybe he hadn't told her any personal details about himself, he showed vulnerability to her in another way.

He had played for her a piece of music that clearly seemed to mean a lot to him. Paloma didn't know what he had wanted to tell her through that music, it would be impossible to know unless he told her. But what she did know was that something between them had changed.

Before their relationship had consisted of moments where they teased each other like a game, now they had shared an intimate moment. That changed everything.

It was an overwhelming feeling and Paloma rarely felt overwhelmed. She always had been someone to fully gave into her emotions, but this was different. Her families warnings circling her mind.

They were warnings without any foundation, but they were warnings all the same. And being this close to Edward now she felt just how dangerous he could be. He was perfect, like if every part of him was designed to draw her in and if she allowed herself she knew that she would be swept up in him completely.

"I should go." Paloma whispered so softly that she wasn't entirely sure whether she had spoken the words out loud. Standing up she picked up her bag and as she began to walk towards the door against her better judgment she looked back. It was an action that she instantly regretted as she looked back only to meet Edward's eyes again. He was looking at her with an expression that she couldn't place, but also like she was his prey. It was a look that sent a shiver through her but also gave her another reason to go.

The last thing she wanted to do was go, but she needed to listen to the small voice of reason she still had in her. Finally looking away she walked through the doors and didn't look back again.

Paloma sat on the bench looking out at their extensive backyard that led to the woods. It was almost impossible to see outside because of how completely the darkness seemed to swallow her surroundings. Her only source of light came the old porch lightbulb, and even in the darkness that she found herself in she felt comfortable.

When she was little there was a time that she was afraid of the dark. But her childhood felt more like a dream to her, a dream that she wished that she could go back to. When life was easier, but oddly enough sometimes it felt that her childhood had never happened. That was why it was easier not to think about it.

But when she spoke to Edward about a small fraction of her childhood it felt easy. What wasn't easy was sorting out everything that she felt in that moment. There was no describing what she felt other than confusion.

She was confused and if she was being honest with herself she knew that whatever it was that she felt was wrong.

Suddenly the door squeaked open just a couple of feet away causing her to look down at her book. "It's dark out you should come inside."

"I'll come inside soon." Paloma closed her eyes in irritation but didn't turn to face her brother. She knew that a fight between the two was coming and she wasn't sure if she had it in her to argue. With their father working the night shift at the hospital there was still a chance that maybe Emiliano might act a little more like himself. Even if that felt incredibly unlikely.

"Now Paloma." Emiliano said his tone serious showing that he was leaving no room for discussion.

Paloma didn't appreciate being ordered around like a small child and although she wanted to be the bigger person and not start a fight it felt impossible to do. Especially when Emiliano felt like he had any right to boss her around, sure he was older but that meant nothing when he refused to act like a real brother. "What's your problem?"

"It's dark and it's not safe."

Standing up Paloma looked at her brother in disbelief. "Our house isn't safe?"

"The woods is literally just a couple of feet away. You have no idea what kind of predators are out here." 

"What is going on Liano?" Paloma questioned instead. Knowing that there had to be a bigger reason why he wanted her to step inside that wasn't related to the possibility of a bear being out in the woods. There was clearly something going on with him and she desperately wanted to know what it was. Not only because she was curious, but she was simply worried about her brother.

And maybe considering that their father was it work. Liano could open up about what was troubling him.

Yet, Paloma knew exactly what the problem was. It was their father. Whatever pressure of expectations that he was putting on his only son were tearing Emiliano apart. What was more frustrating was that Liano himself couldn't see it.

Emiliano shook his head as he attempted to casually lean against the doorway. But nothing about Emiliano was casual it was like he found it impossible to relax. He was always on high alert and always so stressed. "Nothing is going on."

"Really? Cause you and dad have been acting weird since the moment we came to Forks."   Paloma argued knowing that it was a fact that Liano could not deny. No matter how endlessly loyal Emiliano was to their father there had to be a breaking point. "And don't try to deny it. Your random hunting trips, when you two never shown any interest in it before. Not to mention that I can't even sit outside my own house without you thinking that some wild animal is going to.... what? Attack? Yes, you've always been overprotective of me an I know its because you care but...."

"Just trust me!" He snapped like he simply couldn't listen to another word that she was saying. His expression was stone cold and even then she could almost laugh at his words.

"How can I trust you when you can't even trust me?" She countered her voice surprisingly calm considering that they were currently in the middle of an argument and she felt like she wanted to scream some sense into her brother.

Emiliano's demeanor only seemed to harden as his eyes never left hers as he pushed the backdoor open. "It's late Paloma. It's time to come inside."

Pushing past her brother she went inside knowing that the argument would never end. There was no winning because Emiliano wouldn't talk she was that now. He was a lost cause, and sometimes there was no point in fighting for a lost cause.