"Hmmmmmm... mmm?" I watched him frame his answer carefully. "What would you say to meeting the Cullens?"
I gulped a big one and spooned another delicious marshmallow into my mouth.
He paused when I didn't respond. "What would you say to meeting... my vampire family?"
I coughed, sputtering chewed oat and marshmallow across the table. My eyes widened out of control and I couldn't get my lips to say anything.
"Are you afraid of me... now?" He sounded hopeful.
"Yes," I admitted; how could I deny it—my eyes were like two twin oceans of truth.
"Don't worry," he smirked. "I'll protect you."
"I'm not afraid of them," I explained. "I'm afraid they won't like me the way... you do. Won't they be, well, surprised that you would bring someone... human... home to meet... them? Do they know that I know about them? Do they know about me?"
"Oh, they already know everything. They'd taken bets yesterday, you know, five dollars"—he smiled, but his voice was harsh—"on whether I'd bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can't imagine. After all, she is a psychic. Anyway, they clearly have no idea how deeply I love you but I'm thinking maybe, if you come over, and they see how much we love each other, it will be clear how much we love each other. No one believes me when I say it, no one understands how much I love you and that I will never hurt you. I just want to show them. I just want to feel understood." He looked down. "At any rate, we don't have secrets in the family. It's not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that."
"And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don't forget that." I smiled, thinking of his guts.
"You paid attention when I talked to you," he smiled approvingly, feeling understood.
"I've been known to pay attention to you every now and then," I grimaced. "So did Alice see me coming?"
His reaction was strange. "Something like that," he said uncomfortably, turning away so I couldn't see whatever was happening when he turned away. I stared at him curiously.
"Is that any good?" he asked, turning back to me abruptly and making eyes at my breakfast cereal with an agonized, ravenous look on his face. "Honestly, it doesn't look very appetizing."
"Well, I understand that it's not my ripped open, half-dead body... " I joked,

317

Chapter 15

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