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The car came to a gentle stop by the curb, in front of a silent park that was beginning to empty. The sky was no longer purely blue nor entirely gray: it lingered in that in-between moment when sunset seemed to hold its breath before yielding completely tonight. The park's lampposts were on, casting warm circles of light over the damp paths and empty benches.
Nate switched off the engine and leaned back slightly, letting the silence drift through the cabin for a moment. Then he turned toward Alice.
"So… how do you propose we do this?"
Alice had her hands folded in her lap, her gaze attentive but calm. One of those looks that neither pressures nor retreats. She gave a small smile.
"Like a continuation of our game," she said. "Remember? The question-and-answer game in English class."
Nate studied her for another second, sizing her up as he always did. There was something almost provocative in how relaxed she was.
"All right," he finally said. "But this time on one condition."
Alice tilted her head, curious.
"No lies," Nate added, dropping his voice. "The first one I catch… the game's over. And so is this peace-making attempt."
Alice's smile faded slowly—not from annoyance, but because she understood the seriousness behind his words. She nodded deliberately as if sealing an important pact.
"Agreed," she said, her tone no longer light but firm. "Not a single lie, not even half-truths."
"Ladies first," Nate remarked casually.
"Sure. Let me see… how do you feel being in such an isolated place with a vampire?" Alice asked, smiling to show her teeth.
Nate considered it for a moment. The promise of honesty hung in the air, and in the spirit of greater transparency, he decided to play by her rules.
"Nervous. It's like being trapped with a sleeping lion. It feels as if any sudden move could wake it… and make it attack me," Nate said gravely.
"But it's also strange. You look so human, like any girl my age, yet… your presence feels like a lamppost. I unconsciously want to come closer, as if something primitive in my mind is urging me to give in to whatever I want."
Alice pondered his words for a second, then spoke:
"That's normal. We have that effect on humans. Almost everyone ends up mesmerized when they're close enough. It's like… a mechanism of our species. We're made to prey on humans, and we adapted to make them easier to catch. I don't think we needed that feature, but if it makes you feel better, I'd say you handled it better than most," she replied, her tone serious—almost like a professor explaining a complex theory.
Nate thought for a moment, then flashed a self-satisfied smile.
"That doesn't count as an answer, since I didn't ask it. So it's still my turn."
Alice narrowed her eyes for a second before nodding and returning his smile.
"Exactly what does your family feed on, and why did they decide not to consume humans?" Nate asked anticipation in his eyes.
Alice looked at him for a moment and shrugged as if she'd already expected the question.
"Honestly, I thought you'd already know. We feed on blood, like any other of our kind, but we choose animal blood. In part, it's all thanks to Carlisle. He taught us a different way of life. We're not monsters… we just live. At least, none of my family wishes to harm anyone. That's not who we are."
Nate watched her, realizing there were no lies in her words. For a moment, he felt guilty for having called Edward a "monster" so many times, though he still harbored reservations. Even so, he promised himself to give him the benefit of the doubt next time they met.
Seeing Nate fall silent, Alice quickly pointed a finger at herself and asked playfully:
"It's my turn, right?"
Nate simply nodded.
Alice stared into his bright amber eyes before asking the question she'd been holding back:
"How do you do it? How can you discover so many things? We've lived among humans for decades, and you're the first to uncover our secret. And more: you're the only one who's figured out Edward's gift."
Nate frowned for a second. It was hard to explain since he'd never told anyone. He took a breath and said:
"I can't explain how I do it. I've always felt it's instinctive like my mind points things out to me. Don't get me wrong—I'm not being modest; I know I'm smart and observant. But that instinct… it's like it hands me the pieces, highlights everything important, and my mind just puts them together, making the answer easier to reach."
Alice only nodded as she listened.
"It's something like my visions… or Edward's mind-reading. What you're describing sounds like a gift, though on a smaller scale."
Nate stared at her for a few seconds.
"Do you have visions? How much can you see?"
Then he murmured to himself in a low voice:
"They can't be perfect visions, or they'd have known I was investigating… and they'd have left."
Alice laughed, a nearly musical, genuine sound.
"There you go again. I just mentioned something and you've already uncovered what would take the most hours."
She cleared her throat before replying.
"My visions are pretty subjective. They're driven more by choices than anything else. I can't see you clearly in them for that very reason. Every time I have a vision about you, it doesn't take long before it shifts. It's strange… and a bit annoying."
She wrinkled her nose at the end.
Nate smiled, partly relieved not to be under the gaze of such a convenient power.
"Is it normal for people to have those 'abilities'?"
Alice thought for a moment, then answered:
"Edward says he was always good at reading people. Before becoming a vampire, it was as if he had his ability already, just on a smaller scale. Gifts aren't that common, but they're not unheard of. Many humans have special things. One example is Bella, who somehow can't be read by Edward's mind-reading. That's pretty rare… because his ability works even on other vampires."
Nate now understood why Edward was so interested in Bella. In a world full of open doors, the only one you want to open… is the one that stays closed.
Alice fell silent for a few seconds as if giving Nate time to process before continuing their game:
"Why do you insist on keeping Edward away from Bella?"
Nate noticed Alice's brow furrowing as she asked. He let out a sigh. He felt reluctant to answer, but finally spoke:
"I was never alone as a kid. I always knew how to shine around others… but at the cost of masks, pretending interest, or in a way, manipulating those around me… With my abilities, it was always too easy to be 'perfect' in others' eyes."
He paused, took a deep breath, and continued:
"But there were people who stood by me unconditionally. People who loved me just as I was. With them, I didn't have to pretend or analyze… I just had to be Nate. They were like a ray of sunshine in an existence as cold as mine."
Alice watched him, forgetting even to blink.
"But when they died, I was devastated. Everything in my life felt fake, pure appearance. When I lost what was real, nothing else mattered. Pretending no longer mattered. Understanding didn't either. I felt empty."
"Honestly, part of me wanted to end it all… but I felt it wasn't what my parents would have wanted. I ended up in Forks and focused on the first thing I found: the memory of my father. Thanks to him, in a way, I reached out to others. First Charlie, Billy, Jake… and then Bella."
"Before I knew it, what started as a distraction became something real. I began to care about these people. They're kind, they're good, and they're transparent. And bit by bit, they earned a place in my life. That's why I don't want to lose them again. Even if it forces me to do things I don't want to do… I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe."
Alice remained silent, her hand reaching out to rest on Nate's. The chill sent a shiver through him, but he made no move to pull away.
They stayed that way for a few seconds until Nate removed his hand and cleared his throat.
"I didn't mean to make the atmosphere so heavy. I think we should move on."
Alice watched him for a moment, then nodded and said:
"Now I understand why you protect her so much. I won't take Edward's side anymore. I think that's something you two need to work out on your own."
Nate nodded, promising himself he would talk to Edward—but that would be for another time. Now he felt more intrigued by the person in front of him.
"Since it's my turn… I'm curious."
Alice raised an eyebrow, waiting.
Nate settled back in his seat and turned toward her before speaking:
"Where do vampires come from?"
Alice's expression shifted immediately. She grew serious and began to speak:
"Centuries ago, in a distant land, a man—gripped by fear of his mortality—fervently wished for eternal life. In his desperation, he committed despicable acts and did the unthinkable to achieve his goal. In the end, none of his efforts bore fruit and, like any mortal, he reached his deathbed. Lying there, helpless, he prayed to every deity known and unknown… until, finally, one answered his plea."
"That deity promised him youth and eternal life, but in return, he must with his own hands snuff out the lives of innocent people. The man, already corrupted to the core, accepted the bargain… and thus became the first vampire."
Nate's eyes widened, completely incredulous. He whispered:
"Are you serious?"
"No," Alice replied, unable to contain a laugh.
Nate, who had been frozen, couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
"Sorry," Alice said playfully. "I know we said no lies, but I had to do something to lighten the mood."
Nate, incapable of being upset by such a good joke, simply asked again:
"Then… where do vampires come from?"
Alice shrugged and responded:
"The truth is, nobody knows. Carlisle has met vampires thousands of years old, and they all say the same thing: they were turned by another vampire."
Nate stared at her for a moment, as if searching for traces of a lie in her words.
Alice raised her hands in a defensive gesture and continued:
"When you have immortality like we do… details like that cease to matter. You'd be surprised how little most of our kind care about origins."
Nate, though still a bit confused, chose to believe in the goodwill that had been shown so far and trusted Alice's words.
Alice, seeing that her answer had satisfied him, merely smiled.
The atmosphere had become unexpectedly comfortable. The game was forgotten without either of them noticing, and only pleasant conversation followed as if they'd both agreed to stop probing and simply learn about each other.
Nate stretched a little—after all, they'd been sitting in the car for quite some time, yet neither was bored. He observed her for a few seconds, then, in a low tone almost as if regretting what he was about to say, asked:
"Tell me something… don't you miss being human?"
Alice didn't need much thought before replying:
"Actually… I don't remember my time as a human."
Nate, puzzled, simply raised an eyebrow.
Alice offered a somewhat sad smile and continued:
"My earliest memories are from when I was already a vampire. I remember feeling lost back then… Luckily, my visions guided me. I didn't take long to investigate my past: I discovered I'd been confined in a psychiatric hospital because of those visions. I found my real name and a few scant details… nothing too relevant. Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter. I left all that behind and carried on with my un-life."
Nate empathized with Alice and smiled at her kindly.
"At least you found a home with the Cullens, right? Did your visions lead you to them?"
Alice hesitated for a moment before answering, as if reluctant to continue the story, but finally, her expression turned determined and she said:
"My visions led me to Jasper… I saw a future where he was my partner and we were with the Cullens. After that, I saw myself happy, and surrounded by my new family. For a long time, that image helped me through my lonely days."
Nate, visibly uncomfortable, couldn't hold back his question:
"I thought Jasper was interested in you, but I believed you weren't a couple."
Alice met his gaze and replied without blinking:
"We're not. My visions show me various futures—nothing is set in stone. When I found Jasper… he was involved with someone else. I know we said no half-truths, but it's not my place to tell you about his life. To sum it up, Jasper at that time was in love with someone who didn't return his feelings."
Nate grimaced and added:
"That must have been hard."
Alice smiled sadly.
"You have no idea… For vampires, emotions like love are stronger. Usually, our bonds are eternal: we choose a mate and remain with them forever. It's very rare to hear of a vampire having more than one bond like the one I'm describing. In Jasper's case… he agreed to come with me, mostly because he had nowhere else to go. But nothing happened between us. Jasper spent decades thinking about his old love."
"Only after a long time did he begin to look for me. Bit by bit we grew closer… We formed a sibling-like bond, but I didn't want it to go any further."
"Honestly, when I saw him in my visions, I thought the bond would be instantaneous… but it wasn't. I was excited because I thought he would be my home… but after years of rejection… he confirmed that the future isn't carved in stone."
Nate swallowed hard at the revelation. He could only imagine the sadness she must have felt after years in darkness, with the only comfort of visions that ultimately didn't come true.
Alice lowered her gaze, her brow heavy with sorrow. Nate, unconsciously carried away by the feeling of being near her—a feeling he'd contained since their first meeting—took her by the chin and gently lifted her face.
He leaned in slowly. Alice looked surprised but moved closer of her own accord.
Just as they were about to touch, Alice's phone rang, shattering the atmosphere they'd created in an instant.
Nate didn't jerk back; instead, he slowly returned to his seat and exhaled sharply. He recognized that he'd let himself be dazzled for a moment and tried to calm his racing mind.
Alice, on the other hand, stayed still for a few seconds before checking her phone. Seeing an incoming call from Jasper, she frowned and glanced around. Her eyes narrowed just before she declined the call.
They sat in silence for several minutes until Nate decided to break it.
"I think I'll take you home… It's late, and I think I need to rest."
Alice simply nodded in response.
The drive to the Cullens' house remained quiet.