Bella sat alone at her usual lunch table, picking at her food without much interest. It had been like this for weeks now ever since Kane Hanma arrived in Forks.
She wasn't sure what changed exactly. One day, the Cullen girls were distant but polite. The next? Cold silence. Even Alice, who once smiled at her in the halls, now acted like Bella didn't exist.
But Kane? He was something else entirely.
He never tried to fit in. He didn't talk much, didn't joke, didn't flirt. And yet, he dominated every room he entered. Not with words just presence.
Bella had caught herself staring more than once.
And today, she was done pretending she wasn't curious.
She stood up from her table and, before she could second-guess herself, made her way across the cafeteria toward him.
Kane was sitting alone, as usual. Tray untouched, arms crossed over his broad chest. His eyes flicked up as she approached.
"Bella," he said flatly, like he already knew her name. His voice was low and smooth, almost dangerous.
She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Mind if I sit?"
He didn't answer.
But he didn't say no either.
She took the seat across from him, trying not to fidget under his gaze.
"I've noticed you," she said. "Everyone has. You're… different."
Kane arched a brow. "That supposed to be a compliment or a warning?"
Bella smiled, just a little. "Maybe both."
He chuckled softly. "At least you're honest."
There was silence for a moment. Not awkward just heavy.
Bella leaned forward. "Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask," he said, eyes steady.
She studied his face. The sharp angles, the controlled stillness. "What are you? I mean… not in a bad way. But people don't move like you. Look like you."
"I'm just a guy," Kane said, smiling faintly.
Bella didn't believe that for a second. "Right. And I'm just clumsy."
"You are," he said without missing a beat, and that made her laugh, even if it stung a little.
She shook her head. "You don't act like anyone else here. Not even the Cullens. And trust me, they're weird enough on their own."
Kane's eyes narrowed slightly. "They bothering you?"
"No," Bella said quickly. "They're just… ignoring me. Lately. I don't know why."
He leaned back in his seat. "Maybe they know something you don't."
Bella frowned. "Do you?"
His smirk was slow, deliberate. "Maybe."
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Nope."
That annoyed her. But at the same time, it made her want to dig deeper.
"You're not afraid of them," she said. "Most people are."
"Fear is a choice," Kane said simply.
Bella's breath caught at that. Something about the way he said it like it wasn't just a line. Like he'd lived it.
"Why are you really here?" she asked softly. "Forks isn't exactly a magnet for people like you."
Kane looked at her for a long moment. His eyes held something unreadable almost ancient.
"Let's just say," he murmured, "I go where I'm needed."
She didn't understand what that meant. But it made her shiver anyway.
The bell rang.
Bella stood reluctantly. "Well… thanks for not telling me anything, I guess."
Kane just gave her that quiet, amused look again.
As she walked away, she felt his gaze linger on her. It didn't feel dangerous but it did feel intense.
For the first time since arriving in Forks, Bella didn't feel invisible.
She felt seen.
And that made Kane Hanma the most dangerous person she'd ever met.