In the days that followed, Catherine Earnshaw became Edward Cullens shadow. The library at Harvard University was a second home to them both, but it was a battleground for their silent war.
Edwards brow furrowed as he flipped through the pages of his book with a violence that spoke of his inner turmoil. The irritability that radiated from him was palpable, and Catherine, from her seat across the room, felt each thud like a hammer to her heart.
Suddenly, he could take it no more. With a screech of his chair against the floor, Edward stood, his anger as sharp as the sound that filled the once-quiet library.
Catherine flinched, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. "You dont have to follow me everywhere," Edward snapped, his patience worn thin. "I cant run away, can I?"
"Can I stand by your side, then?" Catherine asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"No, cant you see Im busy?" Edward retorted, his temper flaring like a lion cornered.
Catherine did not press the matter further. "Oh, then Ill just stand here," she said, resigned.
His anger was a far cry from the gentle demeanor he showed the world, and it was Catherine who seemed to push him to the brink of madness.
"Cant you have some self-respect?" Edward demanded, his voice laced with frustration.
Catherine fell silent, looking down at her feet, her heart aching with the sting of his words.
"Go back, dont come here again," Edward commanded, pulling away from her as if her touch contaminated him.
Watching him walk away, Catherine felt a bitter smile tug at her lips. She had been a proud person once, but in front of Edward, it seemed she had none of that pride left.
October brought a crisp chill to the air, and the breeze carried with it the sorrow of falling leaves. A new hair clip in Catherines long, black hair trembled precariously, as if mocking her pathetic state.
Edward, do you not know? I was once a person with so much pride, but in front of you, it seems I truly have none.
"Are you really with her?" Charlie Weasley, Edwards friend, asked as he pulled up a chair opposite him, disbelief coloring his tone.
Edward tore his gaze away from the girl outside and smiled faintly. "Charlie, theres a saying in the Tao Te Ching: To take, one must first give."
His calm and cool demeanor was a stark contrast to his earlier irritability, and it was this side of him that was truly frightening.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, his expression serious.
"To take it, one must temporarily give it," Edward replied enigmatically.
"Youre testing her?" Charlie said, shaking his head in a mix of mockery and admiration. "Youre truly terrifying."
Who was he? Edward Cullen, a man who always had others bowing to his will, never the other way around.
"Do you believe in coincidence in this world?" Edward asked.
"I do," Charlie replied.
"I dont. Ive never believed in coincidence," Edward stated firmly.
Charlie was taken aback. "So you suspect that she set you up that night?"
This time, Edward did not answer. Instead, he smiled like the bright sun, dazzling and deep, his dark eyes like the oceans abyss that one could get lost in with just a glance.
Such a man, inscrutable and unpredictable, made even Charlie, sitting across from him, break out in a cold sweat.
Below, Catherine gazed at Edward with infatuated eyes, her lips curving into a smile when he smiled. But sadly, she did not know why Edward was smiling at that moment.
He and she were like a cat and a mouse; he ran, and she chased. But alas, a cat could never... catch a cunning mouse.