Stephenie Meyer owns all the lovely characters from the Twilight series.

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Chapter 2: Lurking In The Shadows

EPOV

As soon as I saw that she was done with the dishes, I quietly sneaked back over to the window. I watched as she pulled her long, brown hair out of her ponytail and it fell, with it's little waves, down to the middle of her back. How I would love to smell the sweet scent of her shampoo again as I nestled into her ha–I had to stop myself from thinking that way, or it would only lead to trouble. I knew I could never really see her again, without hurting her the way I did, but being the masochist I was I had to at least check on my dearest Bella.

I was at least glad to see she was somewhat happy now, although it wasn't back to full capacity, it was definitely enough for her to get by on. I just wish it wasn't Jacob that did so. I knew he was capable of giving her what I couldn't, a family, children, someone to grow old with, someone to be intimate with, but I didn't want to think about that part. But he was also just as capable as me of hurting her by accident. I had seen the way Emily's face looked in his mind, saw what had happened when her werewolf fiancé, Sam, had accidentally lost control. I was afraid of that happening to Bella, so I kept an eye on her.

I turned back to the window to see her telling her dad goodnight, while he sat and watched the television still. She slowly walked up the stairs, looking down, to make sure she didn't trip, I'm sure. I quickly walked over to the nearby tree and climbed up, hunching behind a big branch so that I went unseen, but still had a clear view of her, in her bedroom. She pulled out her pajamas and went to do her normal nightly routine. Shower, pajamas, teeth, bed. I sat there, waiting, thinking about how I used to wait for her, and how often times, still, I would go in and watch her sleep. Back when she still had the nightmares, I would have to sit there watching as tossed and turned and woke up screaming. I hated it, but it almost felt like I could be there for her by being in the room.