What I Like About You
Chapter 1
"All my life I've been a good girl
Tryna do what's right, never told no lies
Then you came around and suddenly my world
Turned upside down, now there's no way out.." Jonas Blue
We shouldn't have fallen in love last summer, but we did. I should not have fallen in Love with Edward Cullen the summer of my Junior year, but I did and now he is gone. To make things worse, his sister is my best friend and has been since her family moved to Forks, Washington. When we were thirteen and started thinking about boys, guess what? We promised we would never go for the other's brother…
"You are coming over tonight, right?" Alice questioned as we walked to fifth period English. I looked at my much shorter best friend and shrugged, he was going to be home this weekend. "What do you mean? You don't know? Be-lla! It's the start of our senior year Spring break, we need to plan!" she insisted, I rolled my eyes at her enthusiasm as we sat down at our desks and waited for class to begin.
"Of course Alice, it's not like I have a boyfriend or anything, speaking of boyfriends, is Jasper coming home this weekend?" I asked, changing the subject. Luckily the bell rang and class started.
I loved Alice, but it was hard keeping her in the dark. I wanted to tell her how much I missed her brother; but, instead, I had to lie and it wasn't just to Alice, it was to my dad, my mom, everyone.
Looking out the window, I wondered how everything had become so complicated; my name is Bella, or Isabella Marie Swan if I'm in trouble. My Dad, Charlie, is an ex-Marine, who is now Chief of Police here in Forks and my mom, Renee, is an interior decorator with Alice's Mom, Esme. I have an older brother, Emmett, he is off at college playing Football with his best friend and Alice's older brother Edward. Their father, Carlisle is Chief of Medicine and Doctor at the hospital, it was this job that brought the family to Forks, ten years ago.
Everything was fine until the summer of my junior year, Alice had gone to Paris for an internship, our mothers were going with her and then going on some Europe tour, Emmett had left for college early, needing to be at some Football camp and Jasper had enlisted in the army before the final bell of the school year had even rung. That left just Edward and me.
After dropping our mothers and Alice at the airport, Edward and I rode back to Forks in his dads Range Rover, my dad had not been able to come due to work. The drive home was long and boring. I listened to my road trip playlist with my earbuds in and doodled in my sketchbook. When I looked up after an hour or so, I was met with bright green sparkling eyes that quickly averted their gaze when the owner realized I had seen him looking at me. I rolled my eyes and went back to my doodles. After a while I noticed I was drawing a pair of bright green eyes, snapping my notebook shut, I looked out the window at the passing trees and shrubbery and thought about the next two months. What was I going to do without my best friend?
A few days after saying goodbye to Alice and my mom, I was at the Cullens, my father had been called out of town and he didn't want me to be at home alone. Ironically Carlisle was at work that night too, perhaps being at home alone would have been better, it's not like I planned to fall for Edward Cullen, but I guess fate had other ideas.
Ten Months ago
I drove my little red Volvo to the Cullens, their house somewhere I could drive to in my dreams. When I arrived at the house, Carlisle was in his scrubs, rushing to his car.
" Oh hi, Bella, Sorry, been called into work. I've left some money for Pizza and Edward is here. Have a good night darling" I smiled, nodded and waved at the man, who was like a second father to me. I proceeded to walk into the house, just as I was about to head to Alice's room, I heard the Piano being played. I dropped my bag quietly and walked into the sitting room, keeping myself hidden, I'd heard him play before, but not like this. It was beautiful.
What would I do without your smart mouth
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all, all of me
And you give me all, all of you
How many times do I have to tell you
Even when you're crying you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every move
You're my…
I took a step forward, but the floorboard beneath me creaked and the music stopped. I tried to hide, but he was there before I could even turn.
"my, my Bella were you spying on me?" Edward asks, I look up under my long eyelashes and roll my eyes at the six-foot-tall boy in front of me and shake my head. I always knew he was good at playing the piano, it wasn't the first time I had watched him, it was just the first time I got caught.
"Why would I be watching you? I was just coming to say hi" I say in response. This time it's his eyes that roll.
"Sure Bella, sure. See something you like?" he asks, quirking his left eyebrow, before turning and going back to the piano. I don't respond, instead, I stay and watch, my heart aching for the boy I've silently crushed on since I was thirteen. What he doesn't know is how much I wish the song he sings is for me. That he desired me as much as I desired him.
I stay staring at the beautiful boy in front of me for only a few minutes before running back to my bag, grabbing it and running up to Alice's room. I grab my sketchbook and sit by her window, opening it, just enough to be able to hear him play. I sketch for what seems hours, it's only when it starts getting dark, do I realize that I've been drawing one Edward Cullen playing the piano.
I decide to go and search for the object of my drawing and find out about food. Before leaving the room, I tidy up my appearance, Edward is still at the piano when I do find him. His shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscular arms, his bronze hair tousled, a pencil on his ear, his dark-framed glasses on and his beautiful face pulled into a frown as he works on something. I approach quietly, as I say his name, he slams his book closed and he looks at me with a startled expression.
"Edward?" I ask. His expression startled, he takes his glasses off, rubs his eyes then pushes his right hand through his hair.
"Bella?" he mimics me in tone but instead says my name, I roll my eyes at him and his antics.
"Whatever you were playing sounds beautiful, the person it's about is incredibly lucky," I say before filtering my brain, luckily I only mutter the last part quietly. Before he says anything I go to turn around, all but forgetting about being hungry, only to be stopped by him. He puts his hands gently on me and holds me in place, I look up into his dazzling green eyes, just as he tilts his head towards mine and gently kisses me. My first thought is to push him away, but instead, I lean into it further and the kiss deepens. when my brain finally starts working again, I pull away and look at him with a startled expression, just as he closes his eyes and groans before threading his hand through his hair once again.
"Uh, uhm, what?" I question after a minute of silence, still not quite believing I had been kissed by Edward Cullen; my best friends older brother, the quarterback of the school football team, valedictorian, homecoming King, my long term crush, someone who was out of my league and completely out of bounds. I feel my cheeks flame with embarrassment as he looks at me with a confused expression before opening his mouth, I run. I run out of the Cullen house, bypass my car and run into the forest behind the house and find my tree, the only one I was ever able to climb. Without thinking, I climb the tree and cry. Why was life so freaking confusing! Alice was going to kill me.
After a while I hear my name being called, I stay silent in my tree. I hear the crunching of leaves under feet, and see the light of a flashlight shining through the darkness, "Bella!" my name is called again, the crunching stops and I hear breathing, before a light flashes up across me, "Finally" he breathes out. Dropping the torch he begins to climb my tree and in moments he is sitting in front of me, I hadn't even had the chance to move.
"I'm sorry Bella, I shouldn't have kiss-" he starts, but I cut him off.
"No! Why are you apologizing? I wantedyoutokissme" I say quickly, averting my eyes briefly before looking at his beautiful face.
"I- wait- what?" he questions, "you wanted me to kiss you?"
"Yes" I breath out, I look away ashamed, it was now or never.
"You wanted me to kiss you?" he asks again, his eyes lighting up in the darkness, a smirk on his face, just like a kid in a candy store. I can't say anything just nod at his expression. "w-o-w" is all he says. After a few minutes of watching each other quietly, he speaks first, "I've wanted to do that for a while."
"Me too," I say in reply, smiling at him. "But, Edward, we can't do it again," I say quietly, his expression is gone in a second, replaced with a grim one.
"What do you mean, Bella? Why not? Is this about Alice?" he asks confused. "If this is about Alice, I'm sure she will understand, I've been in love with you since I was ten-" he says, I put a finger over his mouth to silence him, his words causing tingles to rush through me.
"Yes it's about Alice, she made me promise and she's my best friend, I can't betray her this way," I say sadly, I look into the eyes of the boy I've been in love with for years and begin to cry.
"Bella, what will be, will be."
He was right about that, the summer flew by after that night, we spent our days together and our nights hiding our growing relationship from our fathers and then our mothers once they returned. The day before Edward left for college, we said I love you the first time. The following morning Alice returned from Paris and the Love of my life left for College on the other side of the country. We talked every day and He came home at Christmas, we hid our relationship from everyone, meeting in the dead of the night to spend time together and exchange gifts, I gave myself to him in every way, he gave me a promise ring, a white gold band with an opal in the middle flanked by diamonds on either side, it was too much. He disagreed. He left again the day after new year's.
Thinking about Edward and my betrayal to Alice was difficult, I missed Edward with all my heart and I hated lying to Alice, this weekend would be even harder, especially given Edward and I were going away for Spring break together. But not uhm together?
….
End of Chapter One, Hope it's not to rushed! Let me know what you think!
All Characters remain the property of Stephanie Meyer, the story however is mine 3