Under The Sea.
Chapter One.
I awoke to a bright light streaming in from my window. Almost instantly I felt a smile break across my face. It was a sunny, beautiful Saturday, meaning Edward and I would be spending it in our meadow. I turned over onto my side, wanting to see his beautiful face next to mine. My searching hand grasped nothing but air.
"Edward?" I murmured groggily. Nothing. How odd, I thought to myself dejectedly. Edward had spent the night with me, laughing together about things Emmett had done that day until I fell asleep. He was supposed to be here when I woke up.
I slipped out of bed to get dressed, trying not to pout. He would call me later, I was sure of it. He always did.
I put on a white tank top, and a pair of faded old jeans before going down stairs. Screw the shower.
After nearly falling down the stairs because of my back-pack where I had put it on the first step, I walked into the kitchen to find Charlie reading the paper. He folded and put it on the table when I came in.
"Hey, Bells. Good morning," he said as he shuffled over to the stove. "What do you want for breakfast?" He grinned at me, grabbing a frying pan. I blanched.
"Oh, no, not going to happen," I said, removing the pan from his dangerous grasp and pushing him back to the table. The last time he "tried" to make breakfast, we had to replace the microwave. And the toaster.
"Hey, I've been getting better at cooking! I've been watching the Food Network," he said proudly, picking the paper back up.
I rolled my eyes. "Dad, no matter how many hours of Emril or Rachel Ray you watch, you still cause serious harm to the kitchen. Do I need to remind you of the egg-beater incident?" I eyed him sternly.
He "hurumphed" and snapped the paper open, but I knew he got the picture. We met eyes and dissolved into giggles. It made my heart warm to share these precious moments with Charlie, seeing as we didn't have much time left together. The wedding was just coming up so fast . . .
I shook off that thought and made Charlie some strawberry pancakes, his favorite. After setting his food on the table and earning a huge crinkly-eyed smile from him, I turned to the cupboard to get my food. As I was pouring Lucky Charms into a bowl, (yes, marshmellows actually are a vegetable, in my world) a bikini top fell out of the box and into my bowl.
I let out a squeak, utterly astonished.
"What's wrong, Bella?" My dad asked, still looking at the comics.
"Er, nothing. Just saw a b-bug." I stuttered, snatching the bra off the counter-top before Charlie could see it. I wouldn't know how to explain that one.
"Um, Dad? I actually have to go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a minute." I darted out of the room, keeping the top hidden behind my back. I raced up the stairs, nearly falling on my face again. I shut the bathroom door tightly behind me, and the examined the object in my hands. Yup, it was a bikini top, but what the hell was it doing in my cereal box? Unless I was sleep walking now or Charlie suddenly has a very disturbing fetish, someone else had to have done this.
I turned the midnight-blue colored piece of clothing around and around in my hands, my mind spinning. Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head.
Alice.
I gritted my teeth, and thought of ways to torture her when I was a vampire. What the fuck did that little pixie from Hell have in mind now? I knew she had been trying to buy me new clothes, but I didn't think she would resort to putting them in my food. She might really be crazy.
I threw the top in the trash bin and walked out of bathroom, wondering how Jasper put up with her. He always seemed so quiet and reserved. Opposites really do attract. Just look at you and Edward, a nasty little voice in my head whispered. I immediately wiped that thought out of my mind, determined not to let it get to me. Edward loves me just as much as I love him, for some reason I don't understand. But hey, I wasn't complaining. If he wanted to waste his time on me, I certainly wasn't going to stop him.
I returned to the kitchen and cautiously continued to pour my cereal into a bowl, waiting for a thong to fall out. Nope, nothing. I silently sighed in relief and sat down at the table next to Charlie, who was talking about going fishing today with Billy. I nodded absently, trying not to look at the phone too much, trying not to be desperate. Edward would call.
After breakfast, I cleaned up the kitchen and Charlie nearly ran out the door with his fishing pole, saying "I need to get there before all the good spots disappear" and the door slammed behind him. I shook my head, smirking.
When the kitchen was spotless, I went up to my room, deciding to take that shower after all. I walked to my underwear drawer, and then gasped. When I opened it, a pair of sandals greeted me.
What the hell?
I just stood there and stared at the expensive looking black sandals that certainly weren't mine, that were sitting innocently on my bras and panties. I'm going to kill Alice! I snatched the shoes off my clothes and stalked towards my open window. With a grunt, I flung them out the window. I wasn't accepting her ridiculous clothes. If I wanted new swim suits or shoes, I would buy them myself.
I grabbed my towel out of my closet warily, expecting to see a Gucci purse or a Porsche in there. Luckily there was no such thing. I marched over to the bathroom and shut the door with more force than necessary. I turned on the shower and waited for the water to get warm, while I tapped my foot impatiently.
Finally, I stepped into the cascading water and all thoughts of Alice dissolved. My frustration melted away as the water beat down on my tense skin. After soaping-up and shampooing, I just stood there and relaxed until the hot water started to run out. With reluctance, I turned it off and wrapped myself in my towel. As I was combing my hair, I saw the bikini piece still in the trash can, and my annoyence flaired again. I flung the comb into the drawer then stormed out of the bathroom. I walked back into my room, and started digging through my clothes. I didn't find anything suspicious. Finally appeased with my wardrobe, I pulled on a simple maroon sundress with spagetti straps that went to just above my knees. I was throughly enjoy the unsually warm weather here in Forks.
I bounced back downstairs and checked to see if there were any messages on the phone. None. I felt my heart sink. He'll call, I told myself fiercely. I went into the living room for something to do, and found my faithful book, Wuthering Heights sitting on the coffee table where I left it yesterday. Grateful for the distraction, I sat down in the recliner and started leafing through the book to find where I had stopped reading. As I was flipping pages, I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the lumpy chair. I got up and stuck my hand under the cushion, wondering if the remote had slipped under it when Charlie was watching TV. I found a shapeless object, and pulled it out to inspect what it was.
In my hand was a bikini bottom.
"Stop that!" I screeched at no one, horrified and embarresed at the same time. How long would Alice keep this shit up? I stood up and stuffed the bikini bottoms under the cushin again. I started pacing back and forth, just to blow off steam. I would have punched the walls, but Carlisle said I should stop hitting things that would hurt me more than them. Damn vampire.
What was Alice thinking? Did she honestly expect me to like this stuff? I told her on a daily basis that I didn't need new clothes or jewelry or cars! And stupid me, I thought she was actually listening to me and taking my wishes to heart. Nope, she just went right along and did what she wanted. Like always.
Infuriated and needing to get out of the house, I decided to go grocery shopping. Charlie needed some milk and I needed more tampons . . .
With that thought, I grabbed a pair of sneakers and my car keys and hopped into the car. I despised the car Edward had gotten me, when my beautiful truck "just happened" to die. But I needed to be away from this house before I found the deed to a mall in the refridgerator. And this car did have some up-sides to it. It had much better radio reception in it, so I turned the station to classical. I immediately relaxed when I heard "Claire De Lune" start playing. Maybe Edward and I could dance to this for our wedding, since we didn't technically have a song. I absently thought about this on my way to Walmart.
I jerked my car into a parking spot, earning quite a few stares from gawking people. I blushed and hurried inside.
The whole time there passed much too quickly, seeing as how I only needed about two things. As I placed the milk and tampons next to the register, the check out boy gave me a dorky look.
"Anything special for the weekend?" He asked, gesturing towards the items. Ugh, pervert.
"Nope," I said uncomfortably, wishing he'd hurry up. My total came up as $12.36, which I paid for with cash, happy not to use the credit card Edward had given me. Him and his damn gifts.
I placed my things in the backseat of the car, and quickly slipped into the driver's seat. Before I started the car, a piece of paper on the floor caught my attention. I picked it up and read it curiously.
Are you enjoying your gifts? I gasped, not because of the question, but because I knew that hand-writing. Edward's. I continued reading.
I thought you would look beautiful in them. Please be wearing them when I pick you up at two o'clock. I love you, E.
I glanced up at the digital clock on the dashboard and panicked. It was 1:46. I roared out of the parking lot, nearly running over a old lady who gave me the finger, and raced home. For once, I was grateful for how fast this car could go. At 1:52 I pulled into the driveway, and started a mad dash towards the house, almost forgetting the groceries. I threw the milk into the fridge, and hurried upstairs, stripping clothes as I went. I rushed to the bathroom and snatched the bikini top out of the trash and hastily put it on. I ran into the living room and dug the matching bottoms out of the recliner and through those on, too. Finally I darted outside to grab the black sandals that were scattered on the lawn. As I was putting them on, I heard the purr of Edward's Volvo coming down the street. I dashed back into the house before he could pull up.
As I was checking my hair in the mirror, I heard three soft knocks on the front door, and my heart exploded. I stumbled towards the door and jerked it out of my way, to the most gorgeous person in this rainy town.
Edward grinned from ear to ear as he took in my outfit. I was wearing nothing but the midnight-blue colored bikini and black sandals. I started feeling self-concious. I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping for some sort of coverage. Edward pushed his way in through the door and took hold of my arms.
"No no, Love, don't cover yourself. You look stunning." He said, pushing me up against the wall. His sweet breath was making my head swim.
"W-why did Alice give me this stuff?" I whimpered, wanting an answer and his lips on mine. Edward chuckled, and brushed some hair out of my face.
He leaned in close to my face. "What makes you think Alice gave you those?" He whispered against my lips, making my heart stutter. If Alice didn't give me the clothes and shoes, that means Edward did. Which meant he put the bra in my cereal, he put the panties under the seat, and oh my God. He put the shoes in my underwear drawer.
Edward, seeing my embarressment at him looking at my underwear, took it the wrong way. "Oh, you most be uncomfortable being so exposed. Here, why don't I even the playing field?" He said, and he peeled his black shirt off.
I couldn't breathe, seeing his beautiful chest bare. He smirked at me while he kicked off his shoes and socks. My dead brain couldn't comprehend what he was doing when his hands went to his belt. Finally I understood, and my heart went into over-time. Edward, hearing my heart freak out, laughed softly and pulled down his shorts. I started praying to any God that would hear me that I could see him in all his true glory, but alas, he was wearing swim trunks.
He looked me in the eyes and grinned.
I swallowed to speak, but before I could say anything, Edward started talking. "I hid your presents in places I thought only you would use, like your favorite cereal, your underwear drawer, and under your chair so Charlie wouldn't stumble upon them." He explained, while I had the mental picture of Charlie finding a bra in the cereal box. I shuddered.
"So, do you like them?" He asked, then swooping down to kiss my exposed collar bone.
"Depends. What do I need them for?" I mumbled, lost in the feeling of his lips. Lately, Edward had been a LOT more affectionate towards me. More touches, longer kisses. Heaven.
Edward checkled, breaking into my daydreaming. "We're going swimming, obviously," he gestured to my outfit.
"We are?"
"Yes. You, me, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie" - I cringed slightly on that one - "Carlisle, and Esme." He finished, kissing my forehead.
"Um, sounds like fun." Not really, having to see perfect Rosalie in a bathing suit would certainly destroy what little confidence I have. "Where are we going?" We couldn't be going to La Push, seeing as how the Cullens are banned, and I'm pretty sure I'm not so welcome anymore.
"We're going to a special place on Long Beach, so we can be out in the sun without other people seeing."
"Cool. When are we going?" I asked, snuggling into his chest.
"Right now." He wound is arms tight around my waist, and before I could blink, I was sitting in the passanger's seat of the Volvo, and Edward was pulling out of the drive-way. I made a face.
"You know, I have two perfectly functioning legs, Edward. I don't need you to carry me everywhere," I huffed, annoyed that he did everything for me. I had no way to reciprocate. It's not like I could give Edward a piggy-back ride. I stopped breathing for a moment, and then bursted into a fit of laughter at the mental image of Edward riding on my back.
Edward looked away from the road and smiled at me. "Do I get to hear the joke?"
"Nope," I gasped, trying to stop the on-slaught of giggles. My sides were starting to hurt.
I looked him in the eye. "I think I just realized how lucky I am to have someone willing to carry me." I said honestly, loving Edward that much more for simply being the gentleman that he was.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Love," he leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. I felt a blush rise to my face almost immediately.
I playfully pushed him away. "Focus on the road, or we're going to be a smear on the pavement before we get to go swimming." He rolled his eyes, but did as I asked. But he did grab one of my hands softly. I squeezed back.
Soon we were pulling in a empty space in the middle of nowhere, it seemed. When I opened my door and stepped out, I heard the sound of crashing waves close by. I could smell the sea salt.
Edward was by my side in a flash. "I was going to open that for you," he complained, eyeing my door. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, hush," I said as I playfully slapped his arm, which felt like slapping concrete.
Edward picked me up and darted through the trees, and for a while we ran in comfortable silence. Then after a minute, I felt something tugging the shirt I had slipped on over my swim suit. I assumed it was a tree branch, and I ignored it. But after a moment, the pull became so strong I almost lost my grip on Edward's neck.
What the h-
Before I could understand what was pulling me, Edward spun around with me still on his back and let out a fiercesome snarl. We came to a stand still. When my eyes finally adjusted, I could only see me and Edward in the forest. Before I could ask Edward what he growled at, I heard a booming laugh, and then I was ripped off of Edward's back and was being flung through the woods.
"Emmett, put her down RIGHT NOW!" I heard Edward yell from somewhere behind me. I finally had the thought to look up, and I saw Emmett's huge grin smiling down at me. He was carrying me in his arms.
"Don't worry Bells," he said, effortlessly dodging a tree. "I'm not gonna hurt you, I just need to win this bet." And he-impossibly-sped up.
We finally broke through the last bit of trees, and I could see the beach only a few feet away. There was no humans in sight.
There was, however, my vampire family.
Esme was wearing a light pink sundress, and she was sitting next to Carlisle on a towel, who was wearing nothing but a pair of black swim trunks and a plain white shirt. Alice who was building what looked to be an exquisite and strange sand castle, was wearing a black bikini that looked striking against her pale white skin. Rosalie and Jasper where nowhere to be found.
Emmett set me down on my shaky feet, chuckling to himself.
Edward snatched me up in his arms a second later, and was cursing out a stream of profanities at his brother. "What is wrong with you?" He screeched at Emmett, his ocher eyes on fire. "You could have hurt her!" Edward then immediately started checking me for bruises or cuts, his hands running all over my body.
Emmett didn't fail to notice. "Hey Edward, if you're going to feel up your fiance, do it where we don't have to see," he laughed.
Edward looked like he was going to take a chunk out of Emmett. Emmett then puffed up like a rooster, ready for the challenge.
"Boys! Enough!" Esme scolded them, getting up off her towel. She walked over to me and gave me a hug. I squeezed her back thankfully.
"Mom's right, Edward. Besides, I had to take Bella. It was part of our bet." Emmett said, punching Edward in the arm. It made a resounding smack.
"Who's bet?" I asked curiously.
"Me and Jasper's," Emmett grinned. I looked around for Jasper again, confused. I still didn't see him.
Edward, seeing my puzzled expression, pointed towards Alice's magnificent castle. I squinted at it, and I finally realized what was so odd about it. It wad two pale white feet sticking out from under it. Jasper was under that thing?
"Hey Jasper, you lost the game!" Emmett shouted at the sand pile, throwing his fists in the air victoriously.
"What?" I heard the muffled cry, and then sand was flying everywhere as Jasper jumped up abruptly from under Alice's creation.
"Hey!" Alice wailed, looking at the destroyed castle. "That took me five whole minutes!" She shouted. Jasper ignored her.
Jasper marched over to where we were standing. "That's not fair! You cheated!" He poked a finger at Emmett's gigantic chest.
"I did not!" Emmett growled.
"Did too!"
They looked like the were about to fight, but Carlisle stepped in this time, much to my surprise. "No more fighting, you're worrying Bella." He ordered calmly. When Carlisle puts his foot down in the family, you have no choice but to listen. The boys mumbled apologizes to each other.
We all set off to the campfire that was blazing a few feet away.
"Where's Rosalie?" Edward asked, snaking his arm around my shoulders. I started listening too; I had been curious why she wasn't here.
Jasper laughed. "She went to go get another towel out of her car. Emmett thought it would be funny to fling her first one in the ocean," he explained, snickering again.
Emmett snorted, rolling his eyes. "She said she didn't want to get her hair wet, so I casually offered her blanket to the water gods as a gift." We laughed at his joke. A few moments later, a chunk of drift wood came flying out of the forest and crashing into the back of Emmett's skull, breaking with a ear-splitting crack. Emmett shook the splinters out of his hair nonchalantly, while Rosalie strutted into view. Of course, she was agonizingly beautiful. She had her hair piled up on her head in a stylish bun, and was wearing a red one-piece bathing suit with a plunging neck-line that would put anyone from Baywatch to shame.
I sighed at my own plainess, but Edward came to my rescue. He kissed me hard on my mouth, making me forget any reason to dislike my body, when Edward seemed to love it so much. He pulled away and we smiled at each other.
Rosalie, however, wasn't as happy. "It's your stupid fault, Emmett. I told you that I didn't want to go swimming, but you just had to push it!" She snarled, stomping past us. Emmett gracefully pulled her into his arms, and tried to kiss her. Rosalie looked like a cat struggling to stay out of water. I giggled when Edward sighed and started pulling me towards the fire again.
Alice, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle were all sitting around it, just relaxing. Edward snapped out a towel and I laid down on it next to him. The warmth from the fire felt good with his cold arms around me.
Alice suddenly jumped up, bored with rebuilding her mansion. "C'mon Jazz, let's go swim," she said, already pulling Jasper by the arm into the water. Edward looked at me. "Would you like to swim, too, Love?" He gently tucked my hair behind my ear. I turned my head out towards the ocean. I wanted to go swimming, but I didn't necessarily want to take off my shirt and be left in nothing but a skimpy bikini when I was surrounded by beautiful vampires.
Edward sensed the reason for my hesitation, and pulled my face around to look in his eyes. "Haven't I told you how beautiful you really are? Why be self-conscience?" He whispered, his sweet breath attacking me.
I let out a big sigh, and without another word, pulled out of Edward's arms and stood up. Before I lost my nerve, I removed my shirt and waited for Edward to come with me. As I stood there with my eyes on my feet, too nervous to look at anyone, I realized that it was just a little too quiet. I looked up, and everyone seemed to be looking at me. Edward was smiling like the cat who swallowed the canary, Alice was beaming, Esme and Carlisle were trying not to look surprised, and Rosalie and Emmett had looks of utter shock written all over them.
Just when I thought I couldn't take the silence anymore, Emmett had to be the one to break it. "Whoa, Edward, I didn't know Bella was hot." He said, point-blank.
My eyes almost popped out of my head. The reason I thought they were staring was because I was plain, not because I was pretty. My mouth must have fell open, because Alice giggled. "Bella, you're gorgeous. How could you think you're not?"
"Yeah, Bella, just wait until you're a vampire. Then you'll be smoking." Emmett said, waggling his eyebrows like a creepy pervert.
Rosalie wasn't amused. She stormed out of Emmett's grasp and started heading for the water. "Oh, who cares? She's not that pretty," she hissed.
"Rosalie!" Esme gasped, horrified at her daughter's rudeness. I didn't say anything, too worried about Edward's reaction. He was already on his feet, and he was seething. Emmett came to our rescue. "Aww, Bells, don't worry about Rosie. She's just jealous." He whispered in my ear, winking at me.
"I heard that!" Rose screeched. Emmett let out his booming laugh and darted towards the shore after her. Edward smiled and relaxed.
He took my hand. "Come on, Love, let's go swim." He tugged my arm, and I followed him. When we reached the edge, the water splashed over my toes, making me gasp.
"What's the matter, is it too cold?" Edward was already in protector-mode. I simply shook my head at him and moved farther into the water. Surprisingly, it was kinda warm, nothing that I would expect here in Washington. Maybe this heat-flash warmed up the waters, too.
I finally waddled out to collar-bone deep water, and I turned around to splash Edward. He was nowhere in sight. "Edward?" I called. All I could see was Alice and Jasper swimming around a few feet away.
"Ed-" was all I got out until I was suddenly underwater, something jerking on my ankle. I opened my eyes beneath the water to see Edward's smirking face three inches from mine. Suddenly we shot back out of the water, and I gasped and sputtered for air.
"Sorry, Bella, I had to do it." He chuckled, wiping water off my cheek with an icy hand. I smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll get you back when I'm a vampire," I said menacingly.
"Oooooh," Emmett taunted from a couple yards away, coming closer. Edward laughed.
Suddenly Emmett seemed to remember something. "Oh, yeah! Jasper, you still have to make up for our bet," he said, now charging towards Alice and Jasper. Incredibly, Jasper paled even more. "No, no! You cheated!" He cried, backing away. Emmett only came closer.
"Nope, a deal's a deal, buddy-boy. Go put it on." He flung something at Jasper too fast for my eyes to catch, and Jasper sighed and started marching back to the shore. Edward laughed again.
"What does Jasper have to do?" I asked, curious to know what made Jasper so vehement about not doing the bet.
"Oh, you'll see." Edward playfully ruffled my hair. Emmett started laughing so hard it sounded like he was choking. Confused and more than a little weary, I turned back to look at Edward quizzically. He was still chuckling to himself quitely.
"You don't have to worry, beautiful. It's just another one of those stupid 'brother moments'," he said, kissing my temple. My vision a little blurry, I meekly said, "Oh, well, if that's all . . ." Edward sighed softly against my cheek and slowly started to spin us around in a elegant circle. Lost in the feel of his arms as he twirled me around on the ocean floor, I almost didn't notice when Emmett started his booming laugh again. Almost.
Suddenly Edward stopped our under-the-sea dance, and was trying to repress snickers. I turned around in his arms, only to see one of the biggest shocks I could ever possibly imagine.
Jasper Whitlock Cullen, was wearing a pink Speedo.
When everyone got over the initial shock of it, the beach was suddenly filled with racous laughter, except for Jasper. Rosalie had her hand pressed over her perfect mouth, trying to smother her giggles. Emmett was doubled-over at the waist, gasping for air. (Which was slightly disturbing to see a vampire do.) Poor Esme and Carlisle tried not to laugh at their son, but seemed to be having a lot of problems with that plan. Edward was snickering loudly in my ear while I tried to cover my laughing with coughing. Even Alice was giggling in her wind-chime voice.
Jasper frowned at that one. "Oh Alice, not you, too. You were my only hope," he mumbled pathetically, looking down at his pale feet.
Alice ran over to his side and grabbed his hand, still chuckling slightly. "Jasper, you are my soul-mate, my lover, and my best friend. But there is no possible way that I wouldn't laugh at something like that."
And really, there wasn't. This Speedo had no right to be called swimwear. It could barely be called a piece of fabric. It was stretched tight around his lower-half, making me see things that I really didn't want to from my future brother-in-law. And it was pink, too. I'm not talking a soft, faded out pink, either. This was HOT pink. I don't even think Alice would wear it.
"J-jasper, I can't believe that you . . . actually put on . . . that thing!" Emmett spluttered out between echoing laughs.
Jasper's face exploded with embarressed fury. "You said I lost the bet!" He yelled at Emmett, charging foward menacingly.
"Yeah, but even if I'd lost the bet, I wouldn't have worn that thing!" Emmett laughed, backing away as Jasper came closer and closer.
Jasper pounced on Emmett, launching him deep under water. I strained my eyes for a moment, trying to see under the water's surface for them when they shot back out of the water.
"You lying, filthy, pathetic excuse for a brother-" Jasper snarled, grabbing Emmett around the neck. Even though it was terrifying to watch, I somehow knew they were only playing with each other. There was no real anger here, just two brothers goofing off.
"Pansy!" Emmett growled back at him, forcing him back under the water. Alice and Rosalie were swimming back to the shore, shaking their heads in annoyence. I simply thought it was funny. I turned back around in Edward's arms, and planted a small kiss on his bare chest, trying not to be overtly affectionate when his whole family was there.
Edward chuckled, and pulled my face up to his to kiss me. I thought it would be a chaste kiss, but Edward pulled me tighter against his body, deepening the kiss. I was in heaven. I completely forgot his family was there, and I was already thinking about our honeymoon. Only a few more weeks . . .
As I thought about pushing Edward's safety boundries just a little bit more, I was suddenly ripped for Edward's cold embrace, only to be in another pair of chilly arms. I looked up to see myself in Emmett's arms for the second time today. I can't say I was very happy about it.
"Emmett!" Edward snarled, obviously angered by his interruption.
Emmett backed away from his brother, taking me with him. "Oh, chill out, Ed. I'm only playin' with her," he laughed, pulling me closer. It was getting a little hard to breathe.
"Hey, Jasper, what do you say to a little game of monkey in the middle?" Emmett called to Jasper, still dodging Edward's advances. Jasper snickered. "Sure, sounds fun. Who's the monkey in the middle?"
Please not me, oh please not me, I silently begged. "Edward is!" Emmett boomed. Oh well, that's not too bad- I was jerked out of my reverie as Emmett launched me into the air. As I heard Edward yell at Emmett, I braced myself for hitting the water as fast as I was going. I prayed I wouldn't break any bones.
Before I collided with the water, Jasper snagged an arm around my waist, and then we were off. Tucked under Jasper's arm, he swam as fast as he possibly could with me, presumably to get away from Edward. I managed a look over my shoulder, and sure enough, Edward was right on Jasper's tail. Jasper saw him, and sped up.
"Em, catch!" Jasper screamed, then threw me over Edward's head, right into Emmett's arms again. As I crashed into Emmett's concrete-hard chest, I was sure my back was going to have bruises tomorrow. Before I could blink, I was submerged under the water, as Emmett raced away from Edward. After twenty seconds of being under the water consistantly, I was begining to get light-headed. Emmett seemed to realize that I was still human, so we broke the water, me gasping and panting for air, while he chuckled nervously.
"Jeez, you okay, Bells?" Emmett joked, patting me on the back. Well, I'm sure Emmett intended it to be "patting", but it felt like I was getting punched. I gasped harder.
"Bella, are you sure you're all right? Do you need somethi- oomph!" Emmett huffed as he was side-lined by Edward. Somehow Edward managed the tackle so Emmett would receive the whole brunt of the blow, and I wasn't even jostled. Edward gathered me back into his arms, gently rubbing my back on the spots where Emmett had pounded.
"Are you all right, love?" Edward asked, kissing my cheek. I sighed against him, relaxing. Nothing could bother me when I was with Edward.
"I'm perfect," I answered, looking into molten gold. I kissed his nose.
"Yes, you are." Edward replied, hugging me closer.
I heard a gaging sound from Emmett. "Gross, could you get a room? Jasper, could you rip out my pupils? I don't want to see anymore!" Emmett wailed.
"Fine, but you need to rip out mine next," Jasper snickered, coming up beside Emmett.
Edward growled deep in his chest. "I could help you guys with that," he hissed. Emmett and Jasper laughed and slapped the water. "Well fine! C'mon then!" Emmett shouted playfully.
"Go play with them," I whispered to him. There was really no point in whispering, because his entire family could hear me. I summoned up the courage to say what I was going to next in front of Emmett and Jasper.
"They'll never admit it, but they miss their brother. I know it bothers them that they won't be seeing as much of you when we get married." I finished, then glanced back over my shoulder towards the water. Emmett and Jasper stood there, looking a little stunned at my words. Though, of course, Emmett was the one that recovered first.
"Oh, you're so full of it, Bella! There's no way I would ever miss Eddie," he muttered, looking down. I didn't need to see his eyes to know that I'd hit the nail on the head.
"So go on, go be brothers. Have fun," I said as I climbed down from Edward's embrace. Edward seemed to be mulling over my words, and then a breath-taking smile spread across his features.
Edward kissed me swiftly, then disappeared from sight. I turned around when I heard the crashing sound come from the ocean. Edward had tackled Jasper and Emmett jumped on top of of them both. I laughed and kept walking back up the shore. I reached Carlisle ad Esme's towel and sat down shyly. Carlisle smiled warmly at me, then returned to reading his book. Esme put her arm around me and squeezed me tight against her.
I sat there with them for a while, just watching Edward and his brothers goof around with each other. It was such a relief to be able to sit back and relax, not having to worry about a bunch of psychotic vampires trying to kill me, or werewolves working too close to the vampires I love. It was simply us, just the way it was supposed to be.
After sitting for a while in complete content, Alice came over and plopped down next to me. She produced a comb out of nowhere, and without my permission, started fixing my wet hair.
"Alice," I whined, trying to turn away. Alice gripped my upper arm, holding me still.
"Oh, hush. Your hair looks like a hot mess, and I'm trying to help you. So shut it and be happy," she chirped, going back to de-tangling my hair.
"Fine," I sighed, already resigned. After two years, I knew not to mess with what Alice wanted. You just wouldn't win.
Esme giggled at my expression, and hugged me tighter.
After twenty minutes of Alice braiding my hair, Edward jogged back over to me, his hair still dripping wet. I laughed as he flopped down on the blanket next to me, and started kissing my neck.
"Edward!" Esme scolded, pulling me closer to her side.
"What?" He said, completely baffled. That made two of us.
Esme's frown deepened, and she replied, "That's very impolite to kiss a woman like that in front of other people." Then she made a shooing motion to Edward.
Edward's expression turned to one of shock, but before he could answer, Emmett walked up. "Really, Mom, you're going to punish Edward for kissing his fiance when Rosie and I have done it on practically every surface of the house?" He said, incredulous. He kind of had a point.
"I've never thought the day would come, but Emmett, I actually agree with you," Edward said, slightly amazed.
Esme huffed, but said no more. Carlisle leaned over and kissed her.
"Aha!" Emmett screamed, making us all jump. He was grinning from ear to ear, making his dimples show.
"What, you imbecile?" Alice screeched. "Well, Carlisle kissed Esme, and we're all sitting here, aren't we?" Emmett proudly demanded. We all laughed as Esme rolled her eyes and kissed Carlisle back.
After that, everything seemed to calm down. Emmett pulled Rose into his lap and kissed her hard, Jasper was laying on Alice's towel with his head on her thigh while she ran her fingers through his hair, Carlisle and Esme were curled up around his book, and Edward and I strolled down the beach hand-in-hand.
Edward pulled our intwined hands up to his lips and kissed my mine. "Are you having fun, love?"
"Of course I am, you know that," I bumped my shoulder into his, making me stumble. Stupid, rock-hard, unmovable vampire.
Edward caught me and laughed. "Actually, I couldn't know if you were having fun. It's not like I can read your mind or anything crazy like that," he teased. I snorted and leaned into his embrace, content.
After a few more minutes of strolling in the dimming sunset, I stopped walked and abruptly flung myself onto the ground before Edward could catch me.
I felt cool hands on my face a second later. "Bella, are you all right? Do I need to get Carlisle?" Edward sounded slightly panicked.
I rolled my eyes and threw my arms around his neck. "Come here," I tried to whisper as seductively as I could, probably sounding like an idiot. I brought my mouth up to his before he could respond. His lips moved softly against mine for a moment before he pulled away.
"Bella, I don't think this is such a good idea . . ." he whispered against my mouth.
I pulled him back to me. "Shut up," I said in response before nibbling on his lower lip. I was tired of him dancing around physical things with me. We were going to be married very soon, and I wanted to practice, goddamnit.
His mouth moved more urgently with mine, seeming to forget his earlier worries. His body rolled gently onto mine, pressing me into the soft sand while his hands rested on my waist. I panted harder, trying to maintain consciousness, and he took advantage of my open mouth. He hesitantly ran his tongue on the inside of my lips, testing my reaction. I moaned, but tried to hold still to make it easier for him. Encouraged by my response, his pushed his tongue deeper into my mouth, brushing it against mine.
We had discussed once that it wouldn't hurt me to tongue kiss, so long as I didn't go near his venom-coated teeth, and I didn't try to force myself onto him, breaking his self control, resulting in my death, or my de-virgining. But even though we've taked about it, we hadn't actually done it yet. Until now. And boy, was I loving it.
Trying to remember his rules, (and failing miserably) I pushed against his chest, trying to get him to roll over. Understanding what I wanted, he rolled onto his back pulling me on-top of him so my legs were straddling his hips. I kissed him harder, and decided to press my luck by grinding my hips into his. I waited, mentally cringing as I prepared myself of his usually reaction. So it doesn't need to be said that I nearly passed out when he did the extremely unexpected action of thrusting his hips back up to meet mine again.
My eyes rolled back slightly as he did it again. And again.
I couldn't believe how much he was getting into this. He never used to allow this. I wondered if that ment that he was trying to seduce me again, like the last time in the meadow. I didn't know if I'd be able to push him away this time. Well, so what if we don't wait for the wedding? It probably wouldn't hurt anything if we tried . . .
I was thankfully pulled away from my thoughts of bending my own rules when a rumbling boom echoed over the ocean. I -reluctantly- broke away from Edward's mouth, and looked up towards the sky, puzzled. There hadn't been any reports of there being a thunderstorm today. And there weren't any clouds in the dimming sky. So where did that clap of thunder come from? Just as I was about to ask Edward, he let out a low growl, and his top lip curled up over his teeth in a snarl.
Before I could say anything, the boom of thunder happened again, but this time I heard where it came from. Emmett was approaching us quickly, laughing.
"Jeez, you two. Do I need to get a parental figure to watch over you?" He snickered, Jasper coming up behind him.
"Hmm, it seems like it. Do you think we shuold tell Chief Swan about this?" Jasper asked, mockingly serious.
Emmett boomed out his laugh again. "Naw. Kids these days, they're all horny little toads," he said. At this point, I finally remembered that I was still firmly planted on Edward's hips. Mortified, I quickly got off of him and started scurrying to the ocean. I heard Edward's groan behind me, and if I didn't know any better, it would have sounded like it was out of disappointment.
I giggled and kept walking. I dove into the waves, determined to get away from the boys and their mocking.
I was floating softly in the water, the waves gently moving me every now and then. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sheer peace of the moment. It could have been minutes or hours for how long I was out there. I just didn't want to get out. It was too nice.
Just as I was beginning to contemplate getting out, I heard Edward's panicked cry.
"Bella!"
Just as he screamed my name, a huge wave knocked me under the water, forcing me to the bottom of the ocean.
Author's note: Ha, sorry for the cliff-hanger. I just had to do it. So, if you want me to continue this story, leave me a review, telling me why or why not I should continue this. If not, I shall hold the next chapter hostage, where no one but me can enjoy it. Mwuahahahaha!