This is a one-shot written for Kharizzmatik and Shear Envy's A Picture Says It All contest.
I am thinking of continuing it, let me know if you would like to read more!
Left leg over right.
Right leg over left.
Bounce legs.
Left leg over right.
Right leg over left.
Bounce legs.
I have been repeating this pattern for the past hour, trying to stave off the river of urine that was threatening to burst from me.
"Fuck Bella, stop moving so damn much. You're driving me insane."
I glared at my husband as I continued to bounce my legs, "Jacob, why in the hell are you going thirty-five miles per hour? I'm going to piss my pants if we don't get to a gas station."
We left over three hours ago from our home in Riverside, California, and were now in the middle of the Mojave Desert moving at a snail's pace.
"I'm taking in the scenery, Bella, and if you so much as get a drop of piss on my new leather seats, I'll fucking leave you here," Jacob's newest pride and joy was his black Porsche Boxster. I wanted a new Range Rover, but he was being a douche bag bought the Porsche instead. I forgave him after he appeased me with a Chanel shopping spree. I loved being married into a family of plastic surgeons.
"What scenery? There is nothing to see, and if you don't want fucked up seats, I suggest you drive a hell of a lot faster and get me to a damn bathroom!" I huffed; my bladder was going to explode. Jacob wanted this whole trip. He complained that we never spent enough time together, so he spent weeks planning out what he called "the perfect vacation." Our destination would be The Grand Canyon. Woo-fucking-hoo, he acted like it would be the greatest thing ever to see a huge hole in the ground, I couldn't care less. Then to add more shit to the pile, he told me we would be driving the whole way. Ten hours in a tiny car does not equal a happy Bella. When I explained this to Jacob, he said that he wanted plenty of us time. He assured me that long stretches of barren road would give us plenty of time to catch up on each other's lives and reconnect.
There has been no catching up or reconnecting; only bickering. Jacob increased the speed to forty miles per hour, "Oh, awesome, now forty. Don't you get going too fast now, darling, we wouldn't want to actually make it to the canyon before next week," I said annoyed.
"Would you please shut the fuck up? Damn it, we can't even enjoy a nice road trip anymore! What in the hell is wrong with you, Bella?" he slammed his hands on the steering wheel.
"What is wrong with me?" I asked, "You're the one that- I didn't even-shit. I don't even know what to say, Jacob."
"Well, that's a first," he snapped.
"You're such an asshole, you know? Why did I even get married to you?" he waved his hands over the Prada purse sitting in my lap, then down to the Jimmy Choo heels on my feet. Oh yeah, money and lots of it. I sank back in my seat, "I'll stop moving if you drive faster."
My head smacked against the window as Jacob cut the wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes, "What the fuck, Jacob?" I shouted as I looked over to him. His jaw was clenched shut, and I could see fire in his eyes.
"If you have to piss that fucking bad, get out of my car right now."
"You can't be serious, right here on the side of the road?" he narrowed his eyes even more, but said nothing. He slid the car in park as I got out. I slammed the door as hard as I possibly could and watched as his eyes grew wide with anger.
"You bitch! Don't fucking hurt my car!" the car, his car, that's all he cared about these days.
"Get your head out of your ass, Jacob," I pushed off of the car and found a small creosote bush to do my business behind. I hiked my skirt up around my stomach and rolled my thong down and off my legs. I squatted and let go, feeling relief instantaneously. It was magical; there was a choir of angels led by Brent Smith from Shinedown singing for me. Or at least there was until I fell over, "Fuck me sideways! Jacob, I just fell in a puddle of my own piss. Damn it! Why couldn't you have just taken me to gas station? I have dirt all over my ass now, thank you! I hope your fucking happy, asshole" I was so pissed, literally. Jacob turned the car off and I heard him get out. I tried to stand up which only caused me to fall once again. I looked up to see Jacob standing over me with his hands behind his back, "Oh, I don't need any help, thank you for offering," I said sarcastically. He continued to stand over me, but moved his hands to his sides.
In his right hand was an empty beer bottle.
'Jake, w-what're you doing?" my voice was low. He remained silent with a look of indifference on his face as he rose the bottle above his head.
"I'm getting my perfect vacation," he said coldly, as the bottle crashed against my head.
I felt and heard a sickening crack, and then darkness took over my vision. Everything disappeared.
"Hello?"
Flash of light.
"Hello?"
More light.
"Wake up, ma'am."
I felt a gentle tap on my forehead
"Open your eyes, darlin'."
Not so gentle smack on the side of my face. My eyes opened lazily and I took in the form above me. Green eyes, not brown; pale skin, not tan; shaggy, bronze hair, not short, black hair; southern accent.
Not Jacob.
My eyes widened as I cowered away from the man kneeling over me, "Get the fuck away from me," I said as I tried to gain a sense of equilibrium. My skin felt like it was on fire; I looked down to see that my arms and legs had turned a nice shade of red, great a sunburn. The sun had almost completely set; there was only a sliver of orange left sinking into the ground. My shoes were gone, as well as my underwear. I looked down to see that I still had my skirt on, thank God.
"Ma'am, I'm not going to hurt you," the man said, putting his hands in front of him. I crawled backwards trying to distance myself from the stranger.
"Shit!" a stinging pain coursed from my hand through my arm. I turned my hand over to see a piece of brown glass protruding from my palm. I looked at the ground around me, finding broken glass surrounding me. Jacob.
"Here let me help you, ma'am," the stranger said moving towards me.
"Don't touch me," I warned. I plucked the shard from my hand and threw it away from me. Why did Jacob do this to me? Was he trying to kill me? Tears slipped from my eyes when the realization hit me that he was gone, he hurt me and left me.
"Ma'am, I promise, I will not hurt you. Please, let me help you," he extended his hand to me. I eyed him warily. He was dressed in faded blue jeans, worn out with holes in the knees, with a black t-shirt under a red and black flannel shirt, and black motorcycle boots. I could see tattoos extending down his arms under the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. His chin and jaw had a few days of scruff covering it, his hair was a mess that I didn't think could ever be tamed, and his eyes, his eyes were an emerald green hue that I could get lost in. He was hot; more than hot, he was beautiful.
He looked at me with sincerity, and what other option did I have, really? Stay here and rot in the desert, or take a chance with the random, hot stranger who stopped to help.
Hot stranger it was. I stuck my hand out toward his and he gently lifted me to my feet. I had trouble standing straight, still a little woozy from the blow to my head. He crouched down a bit, and I looked at him, confused. Before I could even register what was happening, he scooped my legs out from under me and began carrying me to his car.
"I can walk, you know," I said plainly.
"There's glass all around and you don't have any shoes. Plus, you could barely stand up on your own," he said sweetly, why was this man being so nice to me? Did he expect something from me? A thank-you-for-saving-me-from-getting-eaten-by-a-buzzard blowjob? Sorry, I don't do that.
"What do you want from me?"
"What do you mean?" he stopped walking and looked down at me.
"Why are you being so nice to me? What do you expect in return?"
He chuckled, "Ma'am, I don't expect anything in return. You were out cold in the middle of the desert; I just figured you could use a bit of help."
He carried me to his car and gently set me down.
"1970 Mustang, right?" I asked, his car was so pretty, candy-apple red with leather interior and a convertible top.
"1968, actually, but you were close," he smiled as he opened the door for me, I was surprised, I hadn't had someone do that for me in a very long time. I slyly glanced around his car as he was walking to the driver's side. Stretched across the back seat was a thick quilted blanket and pillow leaning against the door. He slept in his car?
Before I could snoop anymore, he opened his door and slid in, "Where do you need to go?" Where did I need to go? What did I do now? There isn't any kind of manual on what to do when your husband knocks you out in the middle of the desert and takes all of your stuff. Damn it, how could Jake have done this to me?
"I need to go to the Grand Canyon; you can just drop me off in the next town. I can find my way from there," I was going to get my answers. Jacob couldn't just leave me, I wouldn't have it. I loved the life I had too much. I looked at the clock, it was seven. When he stopped for me to pee it was eleven, surely he had made it to the canyon by now, "I'm going to teach that mother fucker a lesson," I was determined, "and get my stuff back." I was angry. He started the car and pulled onto the road.
"Would you mind if I asked you what happened? You don't have to answer if-"
I cut him off and launched into the tale of Jacob's bout of insanity that left me stranded in the desert. I paused to take a breath and looked over at my savior. His eyebrows were wrinkled together as he looked at me with his mouth slack, "What's your name?" I asked.
"Uh, Edward, Edward Cullen," weird name, "What's your name?"
"Bella Black, uh, Swan, um shit. I'm not really sure anymore, just stick with Bella, and no more of that ma'am stuff, I'm only twenty-three."
Edward smirked, "Okay, ma- Bella."
"Where did you get that twang from anyway?" I smiled.
"Tuscaloosa, Alabama," the corner of his mouth pulled up and formed the sexiest crooked grin I had ever seen on a man.
We reached Needles, California, right on the Cali-Arizona state line, around ten thirty.
"Are ya hungry?"
"Yes, but I don't have any money for you. If you want something, get it. I'll be okay," How was I going to pay for anything? I still had seven hours ahead of me to get to the Grand Canyon. I pulled my knees up to my chest and laid my head on them. Everything had been taken away from me, my house, my money, my purse, my phone, my shoes, even my fucking underwear, I choked through the sobs that were escaping from me. I felt Edward turn the car right and then stop. I looked up to see bright yellow golden arches.
"Um, yes, can I have a Big Mac, with large fries, and a large coke?"
"Will that complete your order?" a voice said through the speaker.
Edward glanced at me with a pitiful look, "No, I also need a double cheeseburger, another large coke and fries, a chocolate milkshake, a strawberry sundae, and an apple pie. Oh, and some chocolate chip cookies, please ma'am," I looked at Edward, how could he eat that much? "Now that will complete my order," he said with a grin. I laid my head back on my knees; I didn't want to be cheered up. He pulled around the building and paid, then parked.
He nudged my shoulder, "Hey," Edward said quietly, I gazed up at him through blurry eyes, "I know this ain't gourmet or anything, but you need to eat. I got plenty of stuff for ya to choose from," he held the bag open to me.
"I can't pay you back," my voice croaked.
"And I don't want you to, do you think I bought all this food just for me?" he smiled.
"I just don't understand why you've been so nice to me, I've got nothing I can give back to you, I don't even know how I'm going to get to the Grand Canyon," I sniffled, Edward handed me a napkin and I wiped my tear-swollen eyes.
"I've been learnin' that life isn't always about the gettin', it's about the givin'. It's a philosophy of mine. Listen, I can take you to the canyon, if that's where ya want to go."
"Don't you have some kind of life to get back to? A girlfriend, wife, kid, parents, a job?" he shook his head no, that was hard to believe, "Then, what are you doing?"
His voice took on a serious tone and all traces of a smile were erased, "My father died four months ago from a sudden heart attack," I began to say sorry, but he cut me off, "You don't have to apologize. He was a well-known lawyer throughout Alabama, never lost a single case. People revered him, said he was brilliant; everyone wanted to know how he did it. My momma and I knew all too well how he did it. My father was as twisted as a pig's tail. He would bribe and blackmail his client's opposition into submission. He once sent a mother of three to jail for running a stop sign and then getting t-boned by his drunk-driving client," It was hard to believe that someone could do that, "We lived very comfortably off of his lies. He always told me I would never want for anything," he paused and let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Anyway, my momma hated him for it. She tried to leave him on multiple occasions, but he would always pull her back in, promising change and begging her for forgiveness. She turned to alcohol to ease the pain. About a year ago, I came home from college for the weekend. I walked into our family room and saw my mom stretched across the couch. There was a broken wine glass on the floor, and I had this terrible feeling," he paused. I could already guess what happened, but I didn't interrupt, "The alcohol finally won, and she was free from my father, free from the world. My father acted as if he didn't care, only threw himself deeper into his work, into his lies and greed. I finished college, and got my law degree, I felt like I stepped aside to watch my life follow the way of my father's. Then he died, and I got everything, our house, his law firm, and $50 million dollars," my jaw dropped, do you know how many purses and pairs of shoes I could buy with that? Tons, "I gave it all away," he said firmly.
"Are you insane?" I said incredulously.
"That's exactly what everyone else said," he chuckled, "I sold the house, closed the firm, and gave away all of the money, except for two million, to an abused women's and children's home," I was astonished, "I bought this beauty," he patted the steering wheel, "and have been livin' out here on the road, happy as a horse with a trough full of sugar cubes. I go where I want and when I want. Always livin' in the present, livin' for adventure. I don't decide in advance where I'm going, I just follow the road. I only buy what I need and when or if I run out of money, I'll get an honest job doing something I love."
"I don't understand how you do it; don't you ever miss your house, your stuff?"
"Stuff don't make you happy, Bella, and the sooner everybody learns that, the sooner this world will be a better place. Now, eat this strawberry sundae, and put a smile on your pretty face."
I smiled despite the ache in my chest and the uncertainty of my future. Edward seemed so sure of everything; I couldn't imagine not having the things that Edward happily goes without. All of my life I've been privileged, always getting what I want and then asking for more. I felt entitled, my father was chief of police in Seattle and my mother was an interior designer, we never hurt for money. I was nineteen when my parents cut me off from them, no more money, no more house, no more support. They wanted me to "discover life." I married into Jake's family and that brought about a new sense of superiority. I knew I wasn't in love with Jake; he wasn't in love with me. We were in lust with each other and I was in love with the money. Is that what drove him to leave me in such a harsh way? We got along great in the beginning, dazed by the fact we had each other to do whatever, whenever we wanted. After four years, our incompatibility and selfishness had gotten the best of us. This "perfect vacation" was supposed to help our marriage, but now I'm beginning to recognize it for what it truly was, a separation. Jake got to continue on with his life of luxury and comfort and I was without anything…except for a southerner and a strawberry sundae, which I was now devouring.
"Would you mind if we stopped somewhere for the night? I've been drivin' for near about two days, I could use some rest."
"Ahrih, hats ine," I said with a mouthful of sundae.
Edward pulled into a Motel 6 that was just down the road from McDonald's. I followed him into the lobby, "Two rooms for the night please ma'am," he said smoothly to the young blonde girl sitting at the check-in counter. Wow, he wasn't assuming that I would just shack up with him, Edward really was a gentleman.
"We don't allow one nigh-" she said as she looked up at Edward. He was giving her that crooked smile. I knew she would be defenseless against it, "Here are your keys, that will be $80.42, sir," she said shyly. Edward handed her a one hundred dollar bill.
"Keep the change, darlin'" he winked as we turned to walk back outside.
"If you need anything at all, please let me know!" she yelled to us, well more toward Edward, he was quite the charmer.
Edward popped his trunk and brought out a duffle bag, "Now, I know these will be a bit big on you, but I'm figurin' you could use some clean clothes," he brought out a pair of red gym shorts and a black t-shirt. I put the room key in my pocket and accepted the clothes from Edward. He threw his bag over his arm and we found our rooms.
"If ya need anything, I'm just a room over," Edward said sincerely as he walked into his room.
I slipped my hand in my pocket to get my key and pulled out a piece of paper. It was folded several times and my name was written on the outside in Jake's handwriting. A lump built in my throat as I opened my door and stepped in my room. The room made me sick, it screamed cheap. The bedspread looked like a rainbow threw up all over it, the carpet was hard and snot green and the walls were adorned with cheap pastel prints of nothing. I threw Edward's clothes on the bedside table and launched myself onto the rainbow puke queen-sized bed. I brought Jacob's note in front of my face and slowly opened it. I hoped that there would be some kind of explanation written out for me. The page was nearly blank except for one line in which Jacob had pressed the pen so deeply into the paper that I could feel the words he wrote and sense the hate with which he wrote them. One single line explained everything and nothing at the same time:
You were a mistake and a waste of my time. See you in Hell.
He hoped that I would have died, I couldn't deny that anymore. So he thought he would kill me and then just continue on his merry little way? That wasn't happening. I may not have anything right now, but after I sue him for everything he has, I'll be singing a different tune, a different, expensive tune.
I walked to the bathroom with my head held high; I wouldn't allow Jacob Black to break me. I turned on the water for a shower and grabbed the small bottles of shampoo and conditioner off of the vanity counter and stepped under the water.
"Son-of-a-bitch," I hissed as the hot water scalded my sun-blistered skin. I jumped away from the spray and reached to turn the hot water knob down. The temperature cooled and I sighed as I stepped under the water once again. It instantly soothed my stinging skin; I poured a large amount of shampoo in my hand and scrubbed my hair vigorously, hoping I could wash away all the shit that happened to me today. I ran my hand over my hair-line and felt the knot that had formed from bottle, and my hair had become matted with blood. I scrubbed my wound softly, knowing that only time would wash that away.
I stepped out of the shower feeling a thousand times better; I pulled Edward's shorts and shirt on over my tender skin and plopped down on the bed. I grabbed the remote and turned the on TV.
"This is a breaking news update," a woman's voice said as the intro music for a news show played, "Tragedy struck today as a Californian man died after driving his car into the Grand Canyon."
No.
"The body of noted plastic surgeon, Jacob Black, was recovered after he and his car plunged more than four-thousand feet into the Grand Canyon."
No, no no no no, this isn't possible.
"He came out of no where," a witness was speaking now, "There was a horrible sound as his car tore through the guardrail. We barely had enough time to get out of the way, much less try to stop him. He never let off the gas, just went straight over the cliff."
Fuck you, witness.
"The reason for Black's suicide is under investigation, just thirty minutes before driving to his death; Black went to the local police station and registered his wife, Isabella Black, as missing. Police are looking for her now," a picture of me flashed on the screen, it was one from our honeymoon trip to Spain. Jacob had his arm around my waist and was planting a kiss on my cheek as I smiled brightly back at the camera. The sight of it crippled me, "If you have any information regarding this woman's whereabouts, please contact us. We will keep you posted on this ongoing investigation." The woman stopped talking and pictures of pieces of Jacob's car being pulled from the canyon came across the screen, I turned off the TV and chunked the remote at the screen. I cried out as reality sank in.
I drove Jacob to kill himself.
There was a knock at the door, but I couldn't make myself get up to answer it. I curled into a ball as my sobs rocked through me. How could I ever face his family? I couldn't even fathom the hatred they would have for me for indirectly killing their only son.
I heard a key slide into the lock on my door, and Edward walked in, and sat down by my bed. He placed his hand lightly on my shoulder, "Bella, I just heard on the news, and well, I'm guessin' you heard too. I'm so sorry, darlin'" I looked up into his emerald eyes to see nothing but true sorrow and care.
"I just don't understand," I cried. He opened up his arms and I threw myself into them. He cradled my body to his and I wrapped my arms tightly around neck. I sobbed uncontrollably as he held on to me, never loosening his grip. My tears had thoroughly soaked the shoulder of his shirt when he spoke, "Sweet pea, I know you don't know me from Adam, but just know that I'm here for you, anything you need I can help ya. I'm startin' to think that you're my new adventure."
I sniffled and tried to calm my breathing, "Thank you so much, Edward," I realized that this was the first time I had actually thanked Edward for anything. He had done so much for me and I had been completely ungrateful for all of it, always thinking there was an ulterior motive to his kindness, when, in fact, his kindness was purely kindness, learned not from his parents, but on his own. Edward knew what he wanted out of life and was sure of himself, never expecting anything from others, only giving.
"You're welcome, darlin'."
I thought back to all of the times when my foolish selfishness chipped away at our marriage. I thought about the moments when giving instead of expecting to get could have saved us, saved him. I was Edward's dad in our marriage, sucking the life out of my spouse until they could handle it no more. Would I have time to redeem myself unlike his father? I lost my time with Jacob forever, and that hurt terribly, who knows what we could have become, could have had together. My only redemption lay in the future.
I yawned as the weight of the day settled on my shoulders.
"You should get some sleep, Bella," Edward whispered as he moved a piece of hair away that had become tear-and-snot-glued to my cheek. He picked me up with one arm and turned down my bedspread with the other. I climbed under the covers as Edward turned to leave, my heart ceased up at the thought of being alone.
"Edward," I said quietly.
"Yes, sweet pea?"
"Would you mind staying here with me? I can't stand the thought of being alone," I was still asking of him, but he did nothing but give.
"Sure, darlin'" he said sweetly. I settled into the bed and waited for Edward to join me; instead he grabbed a pillow from the closet and laid it on the floor.
"What're you doing?" I asked.
"Gettin' ready to sleep?" he answered with a confused look.
"On the floor?"
"Well, I wasn't going to get in the bed with you unless I was invited," Still being a complete gentleman.
"You can, you know, sleep up here with me, but only if you want to," I said nervously. I didn't want him thinking that as soon as I lost my husband I was ready to jump in bed with another man. He smiled crookedly at me and picked up his pillow. He set it down on the bed and I looked at his shirt.
"I'm sorry I ruined your shirt with my tears… and snot," it was disgusting.
"It's no problem," he said. Edward pulled his ruined shirt over his head and folded it before placing it on the bedside table. I took in the sight of shirtless Edward, he was beautiful, "Does this bother you? I can go get another shirt," I would allow no such thing.
"You're fine," shit, "I mean its fine, I don't mind." He laughed and laid down over the covers, "You're going to get cold," I rolled onto my side to face him. I lifted the bedspread up as he moved his body under it. Edward spread his arms out in invitation for me. I moved myself closer to him and snuggled my face into his neck. He smelled heavenly.
I knew that when I woke up there would be a whole new world out there for me, I had to come out with the real story of what happened between Jacob and I, I had to figure out what I would do with my life, and most importantly, I had to focus on becoming a better me.
Here, wrapped up in Edward's scent and body, I could feel the beginning of my new adventure.