Paloma couldn't help but be nervous as she knocked on the door, she didn't even know if her visit was going to be welcomed. Saira had stopped answering her messages and calls, Paloma hadn't heard from her in days and even if she wasn't going to be welcomed she wanted to hear it herself. Maybe she had even waited too long to come. 

After not receiving a response Paloma opened the door to find Saira seated by her window. "Saira?" 

"Hey." Saira said trying to force a smile but ultimately failing. Paloma had almost expected her to be angry through she had no reason to be. It had to be Paloma's own guilt about knowing the truth about what happened and not being able to say it. "What are you doing here?"

Paloma stepped into the room closing the door behind her feeling award and uncomfortable. She didn't know what she was expected to do or say in a situation like this. "I came to drop off some homework. Don't want you falling behind."

"Thanks." She replied taking the folder and placing it to the side. 

It was difficult seeing her like this. Saira who had always prioritized school. Who never missed a day even when she was sick. Now all her aspirations seemed to have died. Paloma had many boyfriends in the past, none that she ever really loved. She didn't even believe that kind of love was possible until Saira and Kennedy. But it made sense they had known each other their entire lives. 

"I'm also really worried about you." Paloma added taking a seat beside her still not entirely sure if her presence was welcome. 

Saira remained quiet for a moment before looking up to meet Paloma's eyes. "I think she's dead Paloma."

Paloma knew that Saira was right, that Kennedy was dead and probably drained of her blood. Yet, she still wanted to cling onto the hope that maybe she was alive no matter how naive that made her. "You don't know that." 

"I do."

"There's nothing I can say that can make better." She said in some way knowing how she felt. It felt like so long ago that her mother died and yet the ache of knowing that she was gone forever was never changing. But that pain was a reminder that her mother had existed and in some way she was grateful for that pain. "The grief never really goes away, but you won't want it too."

Paloma was surprised when Saira wrapped her arms around her and started crying. She had never been very good at comforting others and she had never had any real friends. This was new to her and she didn't know what to do except hold her while she cried. 

There was no ignoring the guilt that she felt knowing what had undoubtedly happened to Kennedy and not being able to tell Saira. Though knowing the truth would possibly be more difficult than staying in the dark. 

Paloma considered mentioning to her brother what Edward had told her about Luciana, but she knew that more than anything he would question how she had gotten that information. So, the best that she could do was make sure that Paul stayed away from her. Something that she was starting to believe was going to be impossible the more she read. Luckily Luciana was still in Seattle and far away from Paul, but her sister was going to return tomorrow in the afternoon.

She had spent do much time reading about vampires and now she found herself focussing on werewolves. Paloma didn't know what to do but she did know that she would have to talk to Paul. 

A small sound coming from her window broke her concentration, she was all but ready to dismiss is but when she heard it again she couldn't help but stand and open her window. Paloma felt her eyes go wide at the sight of Edward standing under her window. Instinctively she took a step back not sure what to do, but she wasn't given the chance to think the situation through because suddenly Edward was standing in front of her. 

"You must have lost your mind." Paloma whispered as she followed him across the room, he stopped in front of her desk looking at all her things with obvious curiosity. "If Emiliano knows you're here he'll hurt you or kill you if he can."

"The only thing that can hurt me is you. I don't have anything else to be afraid of." He said so casually as if he didn't know the weight of the words he just said. Instead he picked up a picture frame of a picture she had taken with Luciana on the day of her high school graduation.

Paloma immediately reached over taking the picture away from him, the fact that he was in her room was already making her nervous the last thing she wanted was for him to see embarrassing childhood photos.

"Why are you here?" She questioned unable to ignore how nervous she was beginning to feel. Emiliano's room was at the other end of the hall and yet she couldn't help but worry. But there was also something exciting about it. 

"You said we could talk."

"No I didn't." Paloma replied doing her best to keep her voice down. "I specifically said that I couldn't"

Edward smiled a little as he took a step closer to her. "You said you wouldn't be able to sneak out because your sister was home. Well, she's not home."

She couldn't argue with him knowing that he was right. When they had spoken earlier she was not aware that Luciana and their father were going to stay the night at Seattle. Now she didn't have a good enough excuse to not allow him to talk. 

Shaking her head knowing that she was about to do something incredibly stupid she locked the door to her bedroom, hoping that it was late enough the Emiliano was already in bed. 

"Hold on." Edward warned as he picked her up in his arms. 

She wasn't entirely sure what to expect when he leaped out the window and began running through the woods at an incredibly speed. The world was a blur and Paloma couldn't deny how exhilarating it felt. She didn't know where he was taking her but it was far away enough that she began to wonder if maybe he was planning on taking her to a dark corner of the woods and drain her of all her blood. 

When he came to a stop Paloma was surprised to find that he had brought her to a small cottage in the middle of the woods. 

Paloma walked up the steps to the small cottage wondering why he had brought her here. She suspected that he probably didn't want his family to know that he was speaking to her either. "You have another house?"

"The others come here when... they need some privacy." He replied as he unlocked the door, Edward didn't have a very wide range of emotions and she could see that he was uncomfortable now.

Paloma couldn't help but feel slightly amused at his discomfort. "Got it."

"Not that I brought you here with that intention." Edward added as if the clarification was needed.

"Never crossed my mind." Paloma replied honestly as she stepped inside, although Edward had kissed her before she had never gotten the impression that he ever wanted to take it farther than a kiss. His hands never wandered like they tended to do with other boys. "So what did you want to tell me?"

"I'll tell you anything you want to know." He states as she looked around the small cottage curiously. Unlike the Cullen mansion, the cottage felt warm and almost like a real home. The mansion felt cold and void of any kind of life, though she hadn't really had a chance to actually take in her surroundings like she was doing now. 

Paloma couldn't help but wish that she had made some kind of list of all the questions that she had, there were so many and yet she didn't entirely know where to start. Though there was one question that she wasn't entirely sure how to ask. "How did you..."

"How was I created?" He finished almost like he had read her mind, but he probably expected that to be her first question. Edward took a seat on the couch in front of the fire place, knowing that they were undoubtedly about to have a long conversation. 

Edward looked up at her expectantly and although she knew it was a terrible idea to be close to him, Paloma took a seat on the couch regardless. She hoped that she was strong enough to keep her composure around him, that once he told her what she wanted to know that she would be able to finish the chapter in her life that was Edward Cullen. 

"Yes."

"It was 1918. Carlisle found me dying of the Spanish influenza." He said slowly and although he said he would answer any of her questions this seemed like something that he didn't want to relive. "My mother begged him to save me. He bit me then... I suspect he did it because he was lonely."

If Edward had been turned in 1918 she couldn't even imagine how old it meant Carlisle was. He was old enough to have felt so much loneliness to turn someone into a vampire. "What was it like?"

"The venom was excruciating. But what Carlisle did was much harder. Not many of us have the restraint to do that." Edward continued each word leaving his lips with difficulty. Paloma suspected that he didn't want her to know what it was truly like to be a vampire. Like it would change the way that she saw him.  "When we taste human blood, a sort of frenzy begins and its almost impossible to stop."

All the books she had read said as much, but there was something different about hearing it out loud. Frome hearing it from Edward who clearly found it a terrible fate. 

"Did Carlisle turn all of you?"

"No. Not all of us." He replied simply clearly not willing to go into detail, not that Paloma could blame him they weren't his stories to tell. But that didn't make Paloma any less curious. She wondered if they had chosen this or if like Edward they didn't have a choice. It almost seemed cruel to have any kind of choice ripped away from you. She couldn't imagine being forced to live as something that you hated, to see yourself as a monster for all eternity. 

"When was the last time you had human blood?"

"1927. Paloma I don't want to be a monster." He said quickly and she immediately saw the regret and disgust in his eyes. This was not something that was easy for him to talk about and she almost felt bad for making him relive moment in his life that brought him shame. 

Slowly she began to realize that he didn't want this. He didn't want to be a vampire. She had sensed this from him before but now it was so clear. Maybe it was difficult for Paloma to comprehend because she didn't see him as a monster.  "That's how you see yourself...a monster?"

"I know I'm a monster. My soul is damned."

Paloma didn't know what to say, but she did know that she couldn't continue to press him for more painful details about his life. And she didn't want to hear him refer to himself as monster and see how much he hated himself. "Tell me about Seattle."

If Paloma believed that Edward was hesitant on sharing about his past she had been wrong. It seemed that this question was much more difficult for him to answer. He didn't want to tell her, but he had promised to be transparent with her. "Her name is Victoria. She's the one creating all the newborns." 

"Why?" She asked eager to finally get some real answers about what was going on. About all the deaths that lead to her friend being killed and her family's obsession with ending what was happening. 

"Revenge." He finally said his gaze becoming intense. "Last year I killed her mate James. Now she wants to kill my mate. It's a long story... but it all happened when Bella and I were still together, I killed James protecting her."

Again Paloma couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy, everything seemed to go back to Bella for Edward. She had been the one to break up with him, and if she was his first love she couldn't blame Edward for still having feelings for her. But that didn't make Paloma any less frustrated with the situation. "And is she... is she your mate?"

"No. She must still think we're together. That's why I have been visiting Bella, it's my fault that she's in danger."

Paloma couldn't help but feel like a fool for feeling the slightest but of relief at his words. With everything going on her feelings for Edward should have no importance. "Is that army coming here?"

Edward shook his head, this being a question that he didn't have the answer to. "Whenever she makes that decision Alice will see it."

"What do you mean she'll see it?"

"Alice gets visions of the future." He replied a slight smile of his lips that broke the bleak tension. "In fact she saw you coming."

Paloma wasn't sure that she wanted to know anymore and it wasn't until she moved to stand up that she noticed that their fingers were laced together. Quickly pulling her hand away Paloma stood and moved to the other end of the room. "Thank you for telling me."

"Is that all you want to know?" Edward questioned as he stood looking surprised, like he had expected her to have an endless list of questions to ask him. 

"Is there anything else I should know?" She replied knowing that he had over a hundred years of experiences that could not be covered in one night. Of course she had more questions but getting more answers was dangerous. She couldn't allow herself to get any closer to him.

"Paloma I know you won't be happy about this but I need to ask something of you."

Paloma practically felt her heart stop in her chest, immediately fearing the worst. Since she arrived at forks it seemed that everything was some kind of tragedy. Things kept getting worse and Paloma had a feeling that things would be getting worse.  "What is it?"

"Don't get involved. You may feel like you have an obligation to your family but for your safety is important to me. This is me asking you to stay out of it."

Paloma looked at him surprised by his words, but also know that she couldn't give him the answer that he wanted, She wished that she could turn away from all the vampire problems that had absolutely nothing to do with her. But they had everything to do with her family. In the end no matter how flawed they were, her family was all she had. "I can't do that Edward."

"Please." He insisted and deep down she knew that she wanted no part in the conflict, she had no desire to kill vampires. But it all felt so unavoidable like she had no other choice but be involved, especially not when her family was so deeply involved. "I don't know what I would do if you got hurt."

"Can you take me home please?" Paloma said instead knowing that there was no point in arguing about it all. There was nothing that he could say that could sway her. 

Edward didn't object even when she didn't agree to his request. And even when they had returned to her room he still hadn't spoken a word, she suspected that he was upset with her. But she simply couldn't give him the answer that he wanted. Truthfully she hadn't expected him to care so much. 

Edward took a step towards the window but before he could disappear Paloma quickly reached out and got a hold of his wrist. She didn't know why she had done it, not until she looked up to meet his honey colored eyes. Maybe Edward couldn't read her mind but he had to see just how conflicted she was.

He didn't say anything as he stepped towards her again placing a hand on the side of her face pulling her closer. It was frustrating how she just couldn't seem to stay away even though logic told her to stay as far away as possible. She suspected that it must be equally frustrating to Edward. It was clear now more than ever that whatever it was that was happening between them that they simply couldn't ignore it anymore. It felt like the more they tried to stay away the greater the temptation and desire grew. 

"We can't." Paloma whispered. 

"I know." He replied as he rested his forehead against hers. It was all so complicated, even if her family didn't hate Edward and his family what possible future could they have together? He was a vampire and she was a human. In twenty years he would stay looking seventeen and she would be much older. He would always have to stay hidden in the shadows and Paloma wasn't one to hide away. There was so much more that she wanted than a life of hiding and living her short life with someone who would always remain frozen in time. 

The truth was that they had no future together. 

But none of that logic seemed to matter when he was so close to her now. So against any sense of reason Paloma pulled him forward closing the short space between them. 

A kiss from him felt all consuming in a way that clouded her mind making everything else going on around them unimportant. She hated that inability to resist him, the problem was that every time she let that wall of reason down it became harder to stay away from him. There was something so intoxicating about him that couldn't just be explained by his vampire nature. 

And maybe it was Paloma's tendency to do reckless things and her desire to constantly defy her father that played a role in her finding him so alluring. 

Paloma couldn't help but pull him closer, recognizing that there was some fear in her that this could very well be the last time that they might kiss. It felt like all the odds were against them but at least they had this moment. As she pulled Edward closer they took a step back knocking over a stack of books onto the floor. They both froze waiting for what inevitable was about to happen next.  

"Your brother's coming." Edward whispered softly and sure enough a knock on the door followed a couple seconds later. 

"Go." She urged him softly knowing that if she took too long to open the door Emiliano would become suspicious that something was going on. He brother was overly cautious at all times.

Thankfully Edward  didn't argue as he placed a quick kiss on her lips before disappearing not even a second later. Paloma smiled to herself for a moment before opening the door. 

"Is everything okay?" Emiliano questioned immediately once she opened the door looking behind her like he expected some terrible threat, he was always on high alert. 

"Yeah I just knocked some books off my desk by accident." Paloma replied not exactly lying to her brother as she opened the door wider from him to see the stack of books that had fallen over. "Any updates about Seattle?"

The change in topic quickly changed Emiliano's mood as he leaned against the door frame shaking his head. Her entire family was frustrated over all the vampire killing in Seattle not knowing the true motivations behind all the senseless killings. Paloma knew the truth now. That it was all some kind of revenge, but she couldn't tell her family that. They would never accept working the Cullens. She had to find a way of telling them without them growing suspicious that she was in contact with a vampire. 

"The number of deaths keep going up." Her brother informed looking at Paloma with worry. "Dad's been looking into Kennedy but they still haven't found her body."

His words hit her harder than she expected. The finality of them and how they were expecting to find her body drained of blood with no hope of her possibly being alive. Any kind of joy she had only moments ago immediately crushed. Maybe it would be easier for them to find her body, maybe it would help Saira move on. 

A/N: I know its been a while but I have been trying to get back into writing. There are a couple of really fun moments coming for this story so hopefully I'll be able to finish Act Two this month. The next chapter is actually going to be very fun and I can't wait for you all to ready