CHAPTER 14
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> Road
The cold Forks night, along with the thin drizzle falling over Edward's Volvo, set an odd rhythm…
The darkness wrapped around the streets as if trying to hide something.
The rain-soaked glass distorted the glow of the streetlamps…
The wind pressed against the car.
Something felt wrong…
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The empty streets were far too dark…
Not a soul in sight, only a few cars passing by.
The houses and shops in Forks had their windows and doors shut tight; the whole atmosphere felt muted.
Rain puddles mirrored the faint yellow of the streetlights…
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The air between Bella and Edward felt heavy…
The sound of the engine weighed on the silence; the windows were foggy with rain.
He simply reached forward to wipe a small spot clear.
Inside the Volvo it was warm, yet he felt cold, distant…
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The silence was thick. Uncomfortable.
Bella glanced sideways at Edward. His hands strangled the steering wheel, jaw tense, body rigid; he wore an expression of pain… yes, pain, as if he wanted to confess something.
Before the silence became even more unbearable, she spoke.
"Can I ask you just one more question?" I pleaded, while Edward sped through the empty road. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the street at all.
He only sighed.
"Just one," he agreed reluctantly, his jaw clenching even tighter.
"It's just… well. You said you followed me. I was wondering how you even knew where to find me in the first place.
I didn't see you at school."
He deliberately looked away.
"I thought you'd stopped avoiding me," I muttered.
He almost smiled at that.
"Fine. I followed your scent…" Edward kept his eyes on the road, barely aware of what he had just said.
That caught me off guard, but I forced myself to hold my composure.
What kind of answer was that? Was he messing with me?
I had no choice but to store that question away for later. I'd have to research it. Could a normal human do something like that?
Of course not…
I tried to restart the conversation. I wasn't about to let him shut down now, not when he was finally opening up a little. I needed to know why he was so different.
"Could you explain something again…?" I asked, hoping to pry out a bit more.
He just shook his head at me.
"What?"
Bella asked, unsure.
"How does the mind-reading thing work? You were… well, a little vague at the restaurant. What does it feel like? Does your whole family do it too…?"
I felt stupid asking something like that. I couldn't believe I'd said it out loud.
"You've already asked more than one question," he pointed out. I only looked away, nervous.
"I'm the only one with this ability, and I can't hear everyone. It's not as easy as it sounds.
I have to be close. The better I know someone, the easier their 'voice' becomes to distinguish. I can hear them from farther away…
But even then, never more than a few miles." He went quiet for a second, looking strangely calm—
As if he'd taken a weight off his shoulders.
I wanted to try my luck again.
"Why do you think you can't read my mind?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I'm not sure," he murmured. "My only idea or theory is that maybe your mind works differently from everyone else's. It's like your thoughts are inside something that protects them, and I only catch faint sounds."
He smiled—barely, a weak curve of his lips.
"Is that why you're always pulling away from me?" Bella asked, almost sad.
"Is something wrong with my mind? Am I strange?"
She kept asking, worried, but he slipped back into that cold, distant look, like he had already said too much…
She knew she wouldn't get anything else out of him.
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He slowly lowered the car windows.
The rain was easing; the damp night air struck her face.
The night felt slightly less heavy, though the grey clouds gave the road a somber look.
And the fact that it was empty only filled her chest with unease.
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As they continued down the road at high speed, they suddenly saw the red and blue flashing of a police siren in the distance.
Charlie's cruiser was there, along with many people around it; something had clearly happened.
Her father was never late coming home.
—Both exchanged confused glances—
Edward noticed Carlisle's car too.
He instantly caught a strange scent drifting in the air.
He heard voices from far away: someone had died…
His hands tightened on the steering wheel.
His eyes grew tense.
She looked at him, not understanding why his body had suddenly gone rigid, but the atmosphere made her skin crawl.
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> Logan
Logan kept walking, still furious.
Had they really just rejected him?
"Screw them…" Logan muttered, exhausted.
Even in the vast darkness of night, his determination glowed faintly.
He could still feel that strange scent that tormented him, though faint now—barely a trace.
But ever since he left Cullen territory, it had disappeared…
Were his senses not reacting?
They weren't perfect, but the only thing not working… was him.
Crushed beneath his thoughts.
He was just a seventeen-year-old kid; alone and unsure what to think anymore.
Why him?
Looking forward, he shook his head; his eyes hardened, an aura rising around him.
"Fine… if no one does anything, if no one helps me, I'll do it myself," he told himself with renewed confidence—though he wasn't even sure he believed it…
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After walking for a while and feeling slightly steadier after his internal talk, Logan reached the streets of Forks.
The streetlamps lit his face; their yellow glow gave the empty streets a grim contrast—no one in sight…
Far ahead he caught a strange scent, and the sound of voices, faint whispers.
Still far, but close enough that he could hear them even in his human form.
A strange feeling struck his chest, like something had happened…
And he simply needed to get there fast.
As he approached, he recognized the streets.
This road leads to the… police station?
His steps quickened with the unease forming inside him.
A metallic scent hit his nose.
—Blood?—
The lights became visible in the distance.
The flashing sirens painted the scene.
Many cars were gathered there; he recognized scents from familiar townsfolk.
Charlie's scent.
A swarm of questions filled his mind.
—What happened?—
He ran toward the station.
Far ahead, a car sped past him.
He froze.
And he felt it.
His instincts forced him to turn.
The people inside stared at him in surprise as they passed.
He recognized them: Bella and Edward?
His face hardened.
To him, the Cullens were now the same as the others.
Vampires.
Monsters.
Demons.
The skin they wore would never fool him; that scent of rot would always expose what they were.
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To be continued.