Twilight The Stranger's Gaze

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The house was silent—at least to any human ear. For Edward, however, every corner of his home vibrated with thoughts, restrained emotions, and barely hidden tensions.

He wandered through the house, crossing the second-floor hallway for the fifth time in less than ten minutes. Hands in his pockets, jaw clenched. He was irritated, though he couldn't say exactly why. Or maybe he could… and didn't want to admit it.

The truth was simple: uncertainty was killing him.

Ever since Alice had come back from her walk with Nate, several days ago, she had adamantly refused to tell him what had happened.

"I'm not sharing anything, Edward. If you want to know, you'll have to talk to him yourself," she had said.

The way she said it had disarmed him more than the words themselves. Alice never spoke to him like that. Not with that calm, guarded seriousness. Almost protective. As if, for once, she was defending someone else… instead of him.

The worst part was, she wouldn't let him read her mind. Not that Alice could block him—but her determination stopped him. She had asked him not to, with such a firm, uncharacteristic expression that Edward had given in. And now that decision was eating away at him.

His frustration found no relief at home. The air inside the Cullen mansion was thick.

Rosalie looked at him with open disdain every time they crossed paths. She blamed him for everything: that Nate had discovered the secret, that Bella was beginning to suspect, that the fragile balance they had worked so hard to preserve was now starting to tremble. She didn't say much, but when she did, her words were sharp as blades.

Alice… was a different story. Always so bright, so explosive, now walked around distant, distracted. He often saw her typing and erasing messages on her phone. Sometimes she smiled faintly. Sometimes she sighed. Edward had to bite back the urge to pry into her thoughts, but he kept his promise. Barely.

And then there was Jasper.

Edward wasn't stupid. He'd noticed the change. Jasper was hovering around Alice more than usual. He was no longer the silent, aloof presence he used to be. Something had shifted in his attitude. He was… protective. Present. Far more than normal. Even… strange, though Edward couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

All of this, coupled with his growing feelings for Bella—something he could no longer deny, even to himself—was pushing him toward an emotional edge he rarely approached.

So, that Sunday morning, just after the sun began peeking timidly through the gray clouds, he decided he'd had enough.

He took his phone, stopped in the middle of the hallway, and typed a simple message, no sugarcoating:

"I think it's time we talked."

He sent it without overthinking. He wasn't expecting an immediate reply. Part of him believed Nate would take his time, or even ignore him. But just a couple of minutes later, his phone buzzed:

"Meet me in the woods near the school in 30 minutes."

Edward stood still for a moment.

No signature. No clarification. And yet, Nate understood him instantly.

Always one step ahead.

Edward closed his eyes, gripping the phone tightly.

The anxiety surged.

The forest stood quiet, cool beneath the shade of the trees, the early breeze whispering through the leaves like ancient voices. Edward moved between the trunks with controlled speed, making no more sound than the faint crunch of leaves under his boots. The serious look on his face betrayed the tension coiled within.

He had left the house shortly after reading Nate's message. He didn't take the Volvo; he didn't want the engine's roar to alert someone who, despite his youth, seemed to measure every move with surgical precision.

As he neared the meeting point, he couldn't help but question how strange this all was. Why would this kid summon him to a forest, far from witnesses? Why wasn't he afraid that a Cullen—a vampire—might show up alone? He quickened his pace, instinct whispering that something wasn't right. Did Nate have some kind of ace up his sleeve?

And then he saw it.

The car was parked among the trees, the engine still faintly warm. Edward closed his eyes, sniffed the air, and quickly picked up the familiar scent: masculine, human, laced with metal and motor oil.

He followed it easily, and that too unsettled him. Did Nate want to be found this quickly?

It wasn't long before he spotted him. Nate stood leaning against a tree trunk, arms crossed, eyes on the sky with a calm expression as if he had no care in the world. As if he hadn't just invited an immortal creature to an isolated forest.

Edward watched him for a few more seconds, scrutinizing. He didn't seem to be carrying anything but his phone, but Edward couldn't shake the nerves sparked by the knife he'd found in Nate's room—the one that could do the impossible: hurt someone like him. Was he faking vulnerability?

He stepped forward, deliberately, snapping a branch beneath his boot.

Nothing.

Nate kept looking up, unfazed.

Ignoring me? Edward frowned slightly and tried reading his mind.

Silence.

Not like with Bella. With her, it was total void. With Nate… it was different. He sensed something, faint echoes of thoughts, flashes of words with no coherence. Like trying to tune into a static-ridden radio station.

Suddenly, Nate lowered his head and locked eyes with Edward, a half-smile on his face.

"You can't read my thoughts if I'm not thinking about anything," he said calmly, not moving from the tree. "Your gift is useful, but I think I've figured out how to dull it. At least a little."

Edward didn't answer right away. He simply observed him, scanning every expression. No fear. Not even tension. Just… control.

"That's new," he finally murmured. His voice was lower than usual, almost annoyed to admit it. "Most humans can't manipulate their consciousness like that."

"Maybe I'm not like most people," Nate replied, pushing away from the trunk and standing tall. "Though I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah. Since day one," Edward said bluntly. "You're not an ordinary person."

The forest was still. Branches barely stirred in the morning breeze, and the air smelled of damp earth and resin. Nate had already been there for a few minutes, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the trail leading from behind the school.

"We both know why we're here," Nate said evenly.

Edward remained silent, analyzing him as if weighing the intent behind each word. Finally, he said:

"I came because we both know this can't go on."

"Yeah. Because you shouldn't be around Bella," Nate shot back without hesitation.

Edward closed his eyes for a second as if the words pained him.

"You don't understand—"

"I understand more than you think," Nate cut in. "I know what you are. I know what your kind does. And as strange as it sounds, I even respect it. But this thing with Bella… I can't let it slide."

Edward stepped forward, slowly. He kept his distance, but his voice carried a mix of suppressed rage and sorrow.

"You think I haven't tried to stay away from her? I did. I thought if I kept my distance, she'd be safe. But then I saw you with her. I saw how she laughed with you. How she looked at you."

"And you couldn't stand it," Nate said harshly. "You couldn't bear the thought of her being happy without you."

"It's not that simple!" Edward exclaimed, stepping again. His eyes burned with intensity. "You don't know what it's like… to hear her heart, feel how fragile she is, and still want to be near. Every second with her is a risk. For her. For me. But what am I supposed to do when she's the only thing that makes any of this make sense?"

"You walk away," Nate said, his tone so cold it surprised even him. "You let her live. Give her the chance at a normal life, free of monsters and impossible choices. If you love her… you leave."

Edward clenched his jaw. Lowered his gaze, fighting something inside him.

"I tried," he whispered. "I swear. But it became clear. The day of the accident. The fear in her eyes… and then… the thought that I'd done nothing, that I could've left her to die. Maybe I can protect her. Maybe we can get through whatever's coming."

"This isn't a game, Edward."

"I know!" his voice echoed through the trees. He quickly lowered his tone, regret flashing across his face. "I know. But… don't ask me to walk away like I don't feel anything. Like I can just turn it off."

Nate said nothing for a moment. Then, staring into Edward's eyes, he said:

"It's not about what you feel. It's about what you are. And you know that better than anyone. This ends badly. The way I see it, either you lose control and consume her… or you turn her into something like you."

Edward inhaled deeply, more out of habit than necessity.

"I don't want to turn her. That was never my intention. But I don't want to lose her either."

Nate nodded slowly. His eyes locked on Edward's with unwavering firmness.

"Then you'd better be very sure," he said in a low, serious voice. "Because if anything happens to her… if you're the reason Bella gets hurt, I don't care how fast you are, or how many centuries you've lived. I'll find a way to end you."

Edward didn't answer immediately. He stared, unmoving, unblinking. But in his amber eyes, something sparked—not fear, not anger, but recognition. Nate wasn't speaking from pride. He meant it. As a promise. Is an inevitable truth.

"Is that a threat?" Edward asked, though the answer was clear.

"No," Nate replied coldly. "It's a warning. And not just from me. If you lose control of Bella… you're putting your family at risk too. You know that, don't you?"

Edward's eyes narrowed slightly. Nate continued:

"The Quileute have already noticed you circling her. They've kept the treaty for years, but if you mess up… they won't stand by. Not if they believe you're breaking the rules. And if war breaks out, no one wins."

Edward took a deep breath, jaw clenched tight.

"You think I haven't thought about that? Tortured me with every possibility?"

"Not enough," Nate said. "Because you're still here. Still showing up around her. Getting closer every time."

A heavy silence fell between them.

Edward looked up. His gaze was no longer sharp, but filled with something close to desperation.

"You don't understand what this means to me. Things aren't the same for us. When a bond like this forms… it consumes. It transforms. If you were like me, maybe you'd understand."

He said it quietly, but there was more behind his words. Not just resignation. A hint. A veiled threat. As if the idea of Nate becoming "like him" wasn't so impossible.

But Nate didn't flinch. He smiled. A dry, sharp smile.

"If I were a vampire… you and I wouldn't be having this conversation," he said firmly. No raised voice. "Because I wouldn't waste time warning you."

Edward's eyes widened slightly. And for a brief second—a tiny one—fear crossed his face.

Nate stepped forward, tension now evident in his stance.

"But I'm not. And that's why I'm talking to you now. Because I still believe you can make the right choice."

Edward said nothing. His lips were tight, shoulders tense as if each of Nate's words struck a part of him he preferred to keep buried.

The wind picked up, stirring the leaves. The trees groaned softly.

Finally, Edward spoke, a voice lower than Nate expected.

"She… she's everything to me. I don't know if I can walk away."

Nate looked at him in silence, then sighed and added:

"This was my final warning. In the end, the choice is yours… but I hope you don't regret it. Because as of today, you've lost that right."

The two stared at each other. Two completely different figures, facing off beneath the gray forest light.

And although Edward was the immortal—the predator—he was the one who looked away first.

Nate said nothing more. He turned and walked away, leaving Edward alone among the trees.

Because deep down, he knew: the real danger wasn't just what Edward might do… but what Nate was willing to do if he failed.

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Author's Notes: An extra chapter because I don't know if I'll upload it tonight or tomorrow, I'm in exam week and I'm a bit busy, if I see Powerstone then I'll get ahead more!