"Wait , What!" Edward exclaims , "How did you?" Edward is baffled by Alice's victory , a perplexed look in his eye . "Oh" , he becomes defeated , his head down . He looks so childlike , cross-legged , sulking . After a few moments he lifts his head slowly chuckling , "Good game sis" .
Alice returns a happy smile then looks across to me . "I hope you don't mind us all being here like this , I got restless and Jasper was desperate to speak to you, he wanted to clear things up".
A moment of anger bubbles up inside of me, and I bark , "As I've already explained to all of you , I didn't need an apology" , but as soon as I've said it , I feel calm and disappointed in myself for my recent outburst. I look across at Jasper who smiles sweetly at me and realise he is responsible for my appeasement, his incredible ability to control emotions evident on his face. Alice and Edward glance at each other then begin to chuckle , turning their heads towards me . "Damn those mood swings huh?" Alice giggles . One look at Edward's teasing face and I'm unable to hide the grin spreading across my own.
Edward stands up and meanders over to the bed , perching next to me , grasping my hand lightly . At that moment , another stabbing pain seizes me , and I find myself winded by the sensation. This sucks . "I'm sorry Bella" ,he drops my hand suddenly. He must assume he squeezed it too hard . Alice shakes her head and glares at me , "The pills ,take them , now" , her stern voice alarms me , Yes Boss ! I state in my head. I lean over and swallow the pills down quickly .
"Alice , there's no need to be harsh" Edward jumps to my defence quickly .
"I'm not being harsh Edward , I'm being authoritative , seen as you boys are obviously going to tiptoe around Bella" She winks at me , "Now , Jasper , you and I should probably give Bella and Edward some space, don't you think?" She gives Edward a meaningful look and smiles , then she and Jasper swoop out the window , hands clasped together .
What was that look about ? What did Alice see ? What does she , and now Edward know?
I take a deep breath and roll over , pressing my face deep into the pillow . There is a constant ache in my abdomen and back, and the stabbing pains are becoming less persistent but still noticeable. I feel Edward's cool fingers caressing my back , soothing the soreness . This pain is already becoming tiring and I'm agitated . A stab hits me hard and I attempt to hide the pain , flinching evidently . Edward leans into me , and whispers in my ear "In pain or not , you're beautiful Bella , if there's anything I can get for you , you must tell me straight away . None of this suffer in silence cliché , okay?"
I grunt and scrunch my body into a ball. Edward wipes the hair out of my face and exposes the left side .He twirls his finger around my ear and cheekbone, and I feel my eyes drifting closed , I must be more tired than I thought , this pain thing is wiping me out , I guess a night awake with a vampire and a constant roll of rom-coms takes its toll on a girl.
Edwards POV
Bella sleeps softly , grunting every so often , it's only been an hour since she fell asleep but I feel myself missing her . I hate to see her in pain like this , with no control over a natural process . It's frustrating , especially when I can't read her mind , I can't tell if she's being modest or how much pain she is in , or how she is feeling. I pace around her room for a while longer , then settle for sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. After a short while a voice I don't appreciate chimes . "I hope she doesn't think bad of me , I just panicked , I don't get girl stuff , she'll know that right? I hope she isn't mad at me for coming here , what if the bloodsucker's there , who am I kidding , I know the bloodsucker will be there. Should I have told Charlie? No , Bella would never forgive me"
God , he is irritating . I make my way downstairs , knowing he will knock on the door shortly , and I don't wish for him to wake Bella . Not whilst she isn't in any pain as she is sleeping .
I silently twist the handle on the door and am greeted by Jacob , stood awkwardly , about to knock. The disgust that I answered shows plainly on his face . "Bella in?"
"She's asleep"
"I've heard that before , can I see her , please?" He tries to shrug around me , but I block his path.
"It's the truth Jacob , Bella has been in a great deal of pain and needs her sleep , please leave her to rest." I stare into his eyes , trying to share my honesty . I hear his doubtful thoughts , so interrupt our staring contest . "Can I give her a message ?" I ask , trying my best to be pleasant.
"Just have her call me" , he spits back and turns on his heels , striding down the driveway and breaks into a jog .His thoughts are aggravated and feature many profanities .
I close the door quietly and zoom back into Bella's room . I'm glad that Charlie is at work and I can be myself , and therefore be here for Bella properly .
As I stand at the end of her bed , I see Bella's face scrunch into a pained expression , and I realise it must hurt more than I can appreciate. I slide the covers back and slip into her bed beside her , gliding my fingers up her back and around her waist in an attempt to soothe her pain . Her face relaxes and I feel a sense of ease . At least I can help her somehow .
I begin to ponder about how little I know on this subject and decide on some research. I move to get out of bed but Bella pulls me into her . She knows I'm here . The thought warms my heart. I can't leave her . I reach over to the pocket of my jacket laid across her drawers and slip out my phone , opening google .
After a short while , I feel content that I can help Bella through this tough time , after reading up on symptoms , causes , do's and don'ts . I find that heat is actually a better source of pain relief than the cold . This knock me back slightly , but I consider the options available to me . What can I get her that is warm ? Warmth . My mind flicks to Jacob and I immediately banish the idea , no way! Now let's think , a hot water bottle maybe . Yes . A hot water bottle . That I can do .
I wonder if Bella has one in the house , and decide to take a look round in the bathroom or anywhere visible in Bella's room . I slip out from under the covers , causing Bella to roll over onto her side . The sight that greets me shocks me but I remain calm and cannot feel anything but love for Bella. This is totally natural. She has bled through her sweat pants onto the sheets slightly . I decide I have to do something to prove to Bella that she doesn't need to be embarrassed and that I am here for her . I step over to her drawers and pull out another pair of sweats and a baggy shirt , just as Bella begins to roll over in bed. I carry them downstairs and place them in the clothes dryer to warm up , pour a glass of orange juice , and I am back upstairs before she has rolled over fully.
I then dig through the bag of supplies Alice left for Bella at the end of her bed , the tag reads ,'The Ultimate Period Kit'. I cannot help but smile at my sister's strange sense of humour . I pull out another set of Tylenol and place them next to the glass of orange juice next to Bella's lamp on her bedside table , and decide to leave her for a while . I take a quick look around and don't find a hot water bottle . I could leave and buy one , returning before Bella wakes , but I don't want to take the chance of her waking up to an empty room. I sit on the chair in the corner of her room and marvel at her beauty as she sleeps , envying the serenity that she reaches through sleeping .
Bella's POV
I wake from a dreamless sleep , feeling groggy and drowsy . My abdomen is sore and I brace myself for the agony to come . I shift under the duvet and horror strikes me . I am damp . Oh no . Edward is sitting in the chair in the corner of my room , gazing at me , a concerned look on my face , no doubt pondering why I look flustered . "Is everything alright Bella , are you in pain?" I ignore his question and lift the sheet , moving to one side . Crap , I'm bleeding , onto the sheets . Urgh .I wish the ground could swallow me now and I feel like I want to scream. I roll over and begin to cry , hiding my face from the god sat no more than a few feet away. "Bella , speak to me , what's wrong?" His voice is filled with worry and I hear his quiet footsteps making his way over to my bed . The duvet shuffles back .
"Don't" , I say loudly into the pillow .
"Bella , please" He says . He sounds hurt .
"I'm bleeding" I whimper , tears absorbing into my pillow .
"Yes Bella , I-"
"Everywhere" I continue. I proceed to cry loudly and Edward rolls me into his arms . I begin to sob into his arm , my tears soaking through his cashmere sweater .
"Bella , I already knew you were bleeding . I didn't want to wake you so I left you to sleep .I hope you don't think bad of me . You are just so peaceful when you are sleeping . It's no big deal Bella really , what will it take for you to believe that I have no issues concerning this . I love you and I'm here by your side through anything ."
He plants a firm kiss on my lips and the embarrassment melts away. "I love you Edward"
"I love you too Bella"
I wince as a shockwave of stabbing pains runs through me and I fold over , hugging my waist. "Here Bella , take these". His honey voice spills over me and I take the pills from his hand , then swallowing them with the help of the glass of orange juice .
"Want to snuggle some more?" He asks me . I shake my head and shuffle off his lap .
"I'm gonna go freshen up first" . I plant a kiss on the right corner of his mouth and he smiles and watches me as I leave the room . I cannot hide my embarrassment at the growing patch of blood on the back of my sweats . I am aware that I shouldn't feel conscious because of how understanding Edward is . He is such a gentleman. I close the door to the bathroom and undress , loading my clothes into the hamper , then step into a warm shower. The heat of the water is soothing to my cramping . Periods suck , so bad .
After I shower, shave and brush my teeth , I wrap myself in a towel and step over to my private cabinet. No Charlie allowed . I reach behind the bottles of moisturiser and various lotions , reaching for the box of tampons I keep in the corner . I tip it towards me and feel surprised at how light it is. My heart stops . It's empty. Crap , erm , okay okay , this is fine . I have an emergency stash of pads in my bedroom underneath my underwear . It's gonna be fine .
I move into my bedroom cautiously , ignoring Edward's puzzled expression and head straight to my underwear drawer. I yank it open and dig through the black hole of panties and bras , to find nothing but the wooden bottom of the drawer. Panic begins to flood through my veins . Where are they?
I cast my mind back to last month . Did I use them ? Oh crap! I did , and I remember making an extremely bold mental note to buy more . I wasn't due for another week, I didn't even think to stock up just yet. Anger builds inside of me and I feel as though I could scream.
Meanwhile the entire time I have been stood here , Edward has been staring at me , a concentrated look on his face .
"Bella , tell me what's wrong" , he pleads .
I sink to the floor in humiliation. The one product every girl needs and I just happen to forget to keep a supply . Why oh why could Alice's 'Ultimate Period Kit' not contain any tampons ? I kick myself hard several times mentally , leaving my mind internally bruised . A steady stream of tears breaks from my eyes and I can only imagine how weak I must look , Dripping wet , curled into a ball , wrapped in a towel , crying . The picture of beauty , not !
"Bella!" Edward insists . I try to tell him what's wrong , but I cannot find the words . This feeling is alien to me . I've never felt so bewildered in Edward's presence . I open my mouth but all that escapes is a strangled sob. What am I supposed to say ? I picture it in my head … "Edward , the problem is I have been a total dumbass and forgotten to buy a basic female essential , which in my current situation , is posing as quite a predicament"
What the hell do I say to him? He moves over to me and crouches on the floor beside me . He places my hand in his and pulls me towards him . He plants a kiss softly on my forehead and asks calmly "Bella , sweetheart , what were you looking for ?"
I succumb to my embarrassment and reply "Tampons … well pads actually , but it appears I'm all out of those too" . I look up through raw eyes at his beautifully carved face and see his eyes soften , a smile peeking at the corner of his mouth .
"Bella , please tell me you weren't embarrassed to tell me this" , he chuckles , enjoying his own little private joke .
"It isn't funny Edward , I can't believe I've been so stupid . And now I'm sat here crying like a total goon. I must look such a mess ."
"Bella", he lifts my chin and kisses me firmly. "I can tell you , you look positively ravishing" , he grins. I return his smile and look down at the floor.
"Now, my love ,I assume the rush you were in means you need your tampons as a matter of urgency, and I suggest you move your delicious body up and away because as lovey as you look , you are naked and wet and probably bleeding all over your nice fluffy carpet , which I am sure you won't appreciate in the long run. So , come on , up , onto the rocking chair , sit , wait . Now"
His humour and honesty alarms me and I can see that he is making an effort to assure me of the fact that I shouldn't feel uncomfortable talking to him about this stuff. It's sweet and my love for him increases by a million percent .
I sit on the rocking chair as instructed and watch Edward , who has in an instant , stripped and remade the bed . His speed astonishes me , as always . I get up to help him, but he flashes over to me and gently pushes my shoulders downwards , forcing me back into the oak arms of the rocking chair . "Stay" he commands . He disappears out the door , and I momentarily wonder where he is off to . The confusion doesn't last long , as he reappears a moment later with a folded pile of comfy looking clothes. I smile at him as he strolls towards me and places the stack on my lap . They are warm. Bless his heart , he has heated these up for me in advance . I don't deserve even one piece of him . "You get changed ,do what you need to do ,get comfy , I have to slip out for a short while ,would you like me to call Alice to keep you company ?"
"Please. Where are you going?" I ask as he kisses my forehead.
"That , my love, is top secret , Alice will be with you soon." He calls , as he drops out the window.
Edward's POV
I pick my phone out of my pocket and dial Alice's number , she answers instantly , expecting my call. "Edward?"
"Alice ,I need you to get over to Bella's house and keep her company for a while. I need to step out for a while"
"I thought the blood wasn't bothering you , are you okay?" She asks , concerned .
"No , its nothing like that , don't worry , just go spend some time with her until I return please"
"Fine by me" I can sense her smile , she loves spending time with Bella .
"See you Alice"
"Bye" she says , and I end the call.
I press the button on my keys to unlock my Volvo and slide into the seat . Before I start the car ,I dial one last number .
Bella's POV
I flush as I wrap my fresh pair of underwear in a large amount of toilet paper, a last resort . I can't bear the thought of bleeding everywhere again .I pull up my pants and walk slowly back into my bedroom . The toilet paper is uncomfortable ,but I can't go out and buy anything yet .Any movement hurts , and I feel nauseated and dizzy 90% of the time . I refuse to tell Edward this . The will only fuss .
Alice arrives a few minutes after Edward left , and plants herself at the foot of the bed . I am just about to tell her about my eventful morning , when Alice says , "Don't worry , I've already seen it , but I couldn't be certain it was going to happen , so I warned Edward that it may have been a possibility".
That's why Edward was so calm .
"Anyway , what will we be doing today , going for a jog ? Baking ? Maybe a shopping spree?" No way can Alice believe I could do any of those things today .The thought of baking churns my stomach . Alice smirks and has obviously seen the horror in my eyes .
"I'm kidding Bella , Christ , you believe I would put you through that , hah , no way. How about a movie ?" I relax instantly and nod . Alice reaches into her bag and pulls out 'Sex in the city' . I can deal with that . A moment of pain winds me and tense and grimace . It feels as though someone just dropped a stack of bricks onto my abdomen . I try my best to hide my discomfort but Alice knows the signs. "Hurts doesn't it?" I don't respond . " Look Bella , believe me when I say , I completely understand how you're feeling here . I suffered badly too , I believe Rosalie was the same . I don't remember much from my past life , but the pain , I do remember . So don't sit here trying to hide it okay , who are you pretending for?" She makes a very valid point , but I cannot imagine an Alice , or a Rosalie , that had to huddle away in pain . I cannot even imagine either of them ever bleeding.
"Bella , I used to scream, it got that bad . Rosalie told me that the pain once put her in hospital ." My mind flashes back to a painful time when I lived in phoenix with my mother, when I was 15. The pain got so bad I fainted and I woke up in the emergency room , embarrassed and furious with my mother for putting me in that position.
"Alice , I'm so glad I have you to talk about this stuff with. Thankyou"
"My pleasure Bella , now come on, let's watch this movie".
Edward's POV
I pull into the car park at the local Walmart , and park . I step out of the car and see Rosalie stood waiting , tapping her foot. Her thoughts are impatient .I move over to her and smile . "Thankyou for coming" I say politely. We begin to converse in a hushed tone that no normal human could comprehend.
"As much as I am not Bella's biggest fan , I can empathise here . You really have no idea what you're doing ?" She asks .
When I called her earlier and explained the predicament we were in , she knew I was asking for her help. I explained to her that I was slightly out of my depth , and asked for her assistance in shopping for a few things for Bella .
"You already know the answer to that" I smirk. We walk together through the store until we reach the female care section . "Okay" I begin , "Where do we start"
"Well , for a start , what does Bella use?"
I am momentarily confused , and I let it show on my face .
"Urgh , you are such a guy" She complains . "Pads or Tampons?"
"Both" I answer with certainty .
"Okay, that's a start, I guess we will buy both then. So , how heavy is she?"
What kind of question is that . Rosalie's thoughts are becoming frustrated at my obvious lack of essential knowledge. "Don't make this difficult for me Edward" I hear her think.
"I don't know , maybe like 90 pounds"
"No stupid , her flow, does she bleed a lot in a short space of time?"
"I guess so , I don't really know , she bled through her sweat pants this morning, if that helps."
"Okay she's pretty heavy then , right , now we have something to go on ."
Rosalie loads our basket with a few boxes and packets , then heads towards the checkout.
"Wait ." I utter . "There's one more thing , I pull Rosalie towards the bathroom section and find a heart shaped hot water bottle . Perfect .
At the checkout , the cashier , young , glasses ,bad case of acne , drools over Rosalie. He doesn't take his eyes off her , and she glares at me with a 'save me' look in her eyes.
"Excuse me, can we hurry this up please ,we are in a hurry." I bark arrogantly at the spotty cashier ,and pull out my wallet.
The spotty cashier's face reddens . He is thinking that the reason we are in a rush is because Rosalie is bleeding right now . He couldn't be more wrong , the idea amuses me.
"Of course ,I'm sorry sir , I was just admiring your girlfriend's beauty."
From his thoughts I could see he was admiring much more than her 'beauty'
"Girlfriend!" Rosalie joins me in saying , both outraged at the presumption.
Rosalie's thoughts are disgusted , and I cannot help but chuckle in my own head .
"This is my sister" I proclaim .
"Oh , of course , I can see the resemblance. That'll be $14.50 sir." His face is so red that he looks like an embarrassed tomato ,his thoughts particularly amusing , he is currently considering whether or not I will be making a formal complaint , and how fierce both Rosalie and I look.
We bag up our items and march out of the store , and I walk Rosalie to her car. I hug her and thank her for her assistance in my time of need today. I head towards my own car and open the door swiftly . Although I know Bella is in good hands with Alice , I am anxious to get back to her .
"Aren't you going to invite me along to visit your fragile little human"
I hear spite in her voice and in her thoughts and reply "She's in enough pain right now , she doesn't need your grief" I do not understand her dislike for Bella , although recently she has been making more of an effort .
"Edward" her tone drops and she sounds empathetic , "I know what she's going through more than you , I might be able to help" I sense no nuisance in her thoughts , and can tell she will achieve no pleasure in causing discomfort to Bella today.
"You want to come along ?" I ask
"Actually , I do , don't give me that look."
We both drive to Bella's house and climb the stairs to her bedroom . She and Alice are wrapped in the afgan from Bella's bed and are watching some horrific rom-com. " Hello love", I greet her. I walk over and she wraps her arms tightly around me.
"Edward, where've you been , I missed you." She mutters into my chest . I kiss her head and take in the strawberry smell of her brown locks . I step back and wave the grocery bag infront of her . Surprise glistens in her eyes as she takes the bag from me and pulls it open. One look inside and tears pool in her eyes .
"Thankyou , so so much." She whimpers .
"Anything for you love"
Bella winces and gasps , then beds over and grips her waist , the Tylenol obviously wearing off .
"Woah , you're right Edward ,she does have it bad" Rosalie peeks her head round the doorframe .
"Rosalie" Bella says confused , clearly surprised to see her .
"Hey Bella , I'd ask how you were feeling but it seems pretty obvious."
Wow , Rosalie being genuinely nice to Bella , I never thought I'd see this .
I hug Bella into me , and look over at Alice , who is smiling gleefully . She is thinking exactly what I am thinking. I smile back at her . Bella swings the bag in her hand and looks smiles awkwardly, " I just need a few human minutes" she says shyly , and slides out of my grip , past Rosalie towards the bathroom .
"How's she been?" I ask Alice.
"She's suffering , but doing it graciously. She threw up once , but that's normal , it can come from the pain." She obviously senses my panic .
Rosalie plants a hand on my shoulder . "It's true , I used to be the same . It's the one thing I don't miss about being human."
Bella's POV
I cannot be happier in this moment in time . Edward is a gift from the gods. This was the last thing was expecting . I replace my stash of tampons and pads in my cupboard and freshen up . I still feel nauseated but I'm sure that it will be time for more pills soon and it will fade , I am seriously surprised at Rosalie's presence and I ask myself the reasons she may be here . I come to the conclusion that she , as a fellow woman , has joined the three of us to offer moral support . I look at myself in the mirror . I am a total mess . Thankfully , the toilet paper was efficient in its job , so my clothes remain unstained . I suppose that is a start. I brush my teeth again , banishing the taste of puke from my mouth and run a comb through my hair . I wash my face and spray on some perfume . I just pass as presentable , and decide I can finally leave the bathroom and return to the welcoming arms of the best boyfriend ever .