Chapter 71

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Nate remained seated across from Carlisle, his hands clasped together, eyes fixed on him.

"I want to apologize," he finally said, his voice firm but loaded with sincerity. "For putting your family in this position."

Carlisle tilted his head slightly, listening with patient calm.

"At first, all of this… investigating, asking questions, finding out more than I should… it was just to keep my mind occupied," Nate continued, a trace of exhaustion in his eyes. "Then, when I realized what was happening, it turned into protecting Bella." He paused before letting out a dry, humorless laugh. "But now that I have all the information… I'm starting to think it would've been better to remain ignorant."

A heavy silence filled the study as Carlisle regarded him with that unshakable calm that seemed to envelop every word he spoke.

"That's how things happen sometimes, Nate," Carlisle replied softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "And I want you to know that I appreciate you not sharing our secret with others. That you respect our way of life."

Moving calmly, Carlisle stood, carefully arranging some papers on the desk before walking silently around it. He stopped in front of Nate, hands clasped behind his back, his figure radiating serenity.

"That was all," he continued, with that discreet warmth that defined him. "We just wanted to lay the cards on the table." He looked at him sincerely, a soft glint in his eyes. "You're important to Bella, who is my son's partner… and you're also close to my daughter."

"As long as we stay in Forks, you're welcome here, Nate," he affirmed firmly before letting out a quiet, calm laugh. "I must admit, despite all the downsides, it's refreshing not having to hide from a human."

He paused for a moment, inclining his head slightly.

"I hope we can get along from now on."

Nate looked at him calmly and nodded.

"So do I," he replied simply, letting the sincerity in his voice show.

When they left the study, the murmur of the rain seemed more distant. Nate walked beside Carlisle, with Alice following closely behind. When Carlisle stepped ahead to speak with Esme in the kitchen, Alice stopped in the hallway, raising a hand to gently halt Nate.

He turned to look at her calmly, noticing that Alice hesitated for a moment, lowering her gaze before lifting it again to meet his.

"I'm sorry," she finally said in a low voice, almost a whisper. "For putting you in this situation. You… you deserved to have a normal life."

Nate regarded her with an almost cold calm in his eyes, though a flicker of honesty surfaced as he replied:

"I can't be angry about something that, in the end, I brought upon myself," he said quietly. "I asked the questions. I didn't stop."

Alice stared at him, her golden eyes shining with a mixture of relief and sadness before she cautiously asked:

"If the day ever came… would you hate the idea of becoming a vampire?"

Nate looked away for a moment before meeting her gaze again, reflecting.

"I'd be lying if I said the idea isn't appealing," he replied calmly. "Youth, power, possibilities… they're incredible things." He lowered his gaze briefly before lifting it again, a quiet determination in his eyes. "But it's not a decision to take lightly." His lips curved into a soft smile, tinged with melancholy. "Especially because of my grandmother. She's the last family I have left. I think I need to stay and be with her in her final years."

Alice watched him silently before smiling, relieved, a spark of amusement lighting her eyes.

"It would be interesting to see you as a vampire…" she murmured before letting out a soft laugh.

For a moment, they stood in silence before they began descending the stairs together.

Then, without warning, Alice stopped, a slight frown forming as she replayed every word of the conversation in her mind.

Suddenly, she looked at him with curiosity, as if an idea had just lit up in her head.

"Hey, about that thing you asked Carlisle, about hunting vampires…" she began, her voice calm but intrigued.

Nate glanced at her, raising an eyebrow as he waited for her to finish the sentence.

But Alice just sighed softly and shook her head.

"Forget it," she said with a small smile, brushing it off as she looked at him again. "You'll tell me when you're ready."

Before he could reply, she gently took his arm, pulling him lightly as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on, Nate. You have to keep your promise to Esme," she said, amusement in her voice, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You said we'd all cook together, and I'm not letting you escape."

Nate let out a quiet laugh, resigned, as he followed her toward the kitchen.

When they arrived, he paused for a moment, taking in the scene with mild surprise. The entire Cullen family was gathered there: Esme was arranging utensils with barely contained excitement while Carlisle watched her with a smile; on the other side, Emmett and Jasper were speaking in low voices, Rosalie gazed distractedly out the window, and Edward, arms crossed, observed calmly. Bella stood nearby, her hands folded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

As soon as Esme saw him, her eyes lit up, and she approached with a warm smile, gently taking his arm.

"Come on, Nate! I need your help to refresh my memory on how to do this," she said humorously as she pulled him toward the counter, which was covered with fresh ingredients.

Amid the activity, some of the Cullens watched him with curiosity, though with relaxed smiles. Even Rosalie, from her corner, raised an eyebrow, interested in the scene.

Bella stepped forward with a smile, grabbing a knife decisively.

"I want to help," she announced, grabbing a carrot to start cutting it.

Nate looked at her with a mix of amusement and alarm, raising an eyebrow.

"With all due respect," he said as he leaned forward to gently stop her hand, "I'd rather cook without any accidents."

With a swift movement, he took the knife before she could protest and handed it to Edward, who took it with an impassive expression.

Bella looked at him, pretending to be angry, causing Emmett to burst out laughing in the background.

"Bella, don't take it personally," Edward commented quietly. "But for once, I agree with Nate."

The usual tension dissolved into a lighter atmosphere, almost like that of a normal family. They all gathered around the kitchen while Nate, with an unexpected charisma, coordinated each step of the preparation with Esme. Even though the food was only for him and Bella, everyone wanted to help, passing ingredients, measuring spices, or stirring pans that didn't really need stirring.

At one point, while Bella was organizing napkins and Edward was slicing vegetables with mechanical precision, Nate leaned slightly toward him as if inspecting the cuts.

"Thank you," he thought, knowing Edward would hear him. "For standing up for me with your family."

Edward barely reacted, not taking his eyes off the cutting board as he murmured in a neutral tone:

"I did it for Bella."

Nate simply nodded, accepting the response without adding anything else.

When everything was ready, Bella and Nate sat at the table while Esme carefully set the plates in front of them. The Cullens remained nearby, some leaning against the walls, others standing, watching with curiosity as two humans ate among predators with angelic faces.

Bella ate with a smile, looking at Nate with genuine gratitude.

"It's delicious," she said sincerely, and Esme beamed with pride, even though she couldn't taste any of it.

The atmosphere felt relaxed, and Nate noticed how even the most reserved ones seemed satisfied with the interaction. Rosalie seemed to be in a good mood, almost as if she felt a sense of accomplishment, and out of the corner of his eye, Nate saw that the usually stoic Jasper had a small smile on his face.

For a moment, Nate felt a bit foolish remembering how, just a few months ago, his main goal had been to get these people out of his life.

That was when Alice, hands clasped and a playful smile on her face, leaned toward him.

"Remember you wanted to see our abilities?" she said in an amused tone, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Nate raised an eyebrow as he chewed, curious.

"Well, I have a surprise for you." Her tone turned theatrical as the Cullens exchanged a knowing, conspiratorial smile. "There will be thunder today."

"So, when you're done eating," she added, leaning a little closer, "you'll finally see what we're capable of."

Nate froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, noticing how Bella looked at him, confused, while the Cullens' smiles hinted that something important was about to happen.