Let's keep the lights off.
Disclaimer: Twilight or its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N: Thank you in advance for reading. Edward is a little dark here, you are warned.
"The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness."
Victor Hugo
Chapter one : Apples and guests.
Bella was slowly pushing her half filled cart through the narrow corridors of the local grocery store. It was already 9.48 on a Friday evening, closing time. She was the last customer. She felt two gazes straight on her.
The female cashier was giving her the look "don't you dare make me a minute more than my shift."
The manager was smiling miserably whispering "Hm, chicken, pasta, milk, 2 sodas…No more than 20 dollars, does she think we can wait here for only 20 dollars? "
"Losers," she thought and started picking tomatoes from the vegetable stand in front of her. Some herbs and green salad were also added to her cart.
"Isn't she married with that Cullen guy? Don't they eat?" She heard the cashier talking to the manager.
"I heard that ..." he started to continue the gossip, when the sound that someone entered the store interrupted them.
Bella did not bother to look. She felt a little "happy" that the mean double would have to suffer a little more in that old miserable empty store. What was happening with her family was nobody's business.
She reached the stand with the fruits and started to examine every apple annoyingly slow. She had not noticed someone approaching her.
Bella finally found the one "perfect" apple. As she extended her hand to grab it, the fruit slipped from the rack. Her eyes followed it's route. It was like watching something falling in slow motion. She expected to witness her perfect apple smash to the dirty floor but that never happened. Instead, it miraculously rose up in the air and landed in a white fleshy nest that two unique hands had formed in perfect symmetry.
"Isabella," a very familiar male voice called.
She slowly moved her gaze from the red apple and looked higher. The hands and the voice had already indicated their owner. The face was just the confirmation. That disgustingly beautiful face and those piercing green eyes.
"Hello Edward," she said and stood still behind the cart .
"What are you doing here?" she asked him in marginally polite tone and then started changing looks from the apple to his face and back.
He was still keeping it, but his eyes were focused on her face. He had not offered it back...yet.
"It has been a long time."
Bella stood quiet for a moment. She could feel some tension in both of them.
"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked again, looking then back at the apple.
"Shopping, what else?" he answered and a smirk had appeared on his face.
He was standing opposite from her at the other side of the cart, deliberately preventing it's movement.
He took the apple in his right palm and with his left hand pushed the cart aside. Taking two steps, he stood in front of her.
Bella was trying to look nonchalant but she had already started to blush. It happened every time she was in a situation difficult to deal with.
Edward kept the fruit between them, in front of his face, and closed his eyes. He smelled it.
"Hm, fresh. You always pick the very best from the rack, don't you Isabella?" and he bit into it, looking straight into her eyes.
"You can go to hell," Bella spoke between her teeth and grabbed two apples, threw them in the cart and started heading towards the cashier machine.
Before managing to go further than 3 feet, she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist end Edward's lips almost an inch from her ear.
"I have already been there my girl," he whispered and passed beside her looking for something in a nearby shelf.
Their "small talk" had already drawn the attention of the two curious employees. They almost seemed they had forgot about the time. The male customer was not someone you can often find in that store and at that hour.
"Hmm, that's all," she said to the cashier who was still looking towards Edward. She then turned and started hitting the price stickers with the scanner.
"That will be 20. 37, cash or …" the cashier started saying.
"Ad these to the rest and keep the change," Edward interrupted her in a rather rude tone and passed her two 100 dollar bills while pushing Bella gently behind him.
"No, there is no need for you to pay for my groceries," she tried to protest.
"Dear, we are family, I'm a guest, it's the least I can do, Miss it is all together."
"Thank you sir, it will take a minute to wrap them though," the girl responded looking at the 3 bottles of alcohol in front of her.
"Take your time. We will be outside, can you bring them to the car?"
"Of course, the silver one?" she asked looking at the lot.
"Yes, thank you. Come my dear," and he started pushing Bella towards the door, slightly touching her clothed hip with his palm.
"A guest? My guest?" she whispered terrified and waited for his explanation.
He had opened the door and waited for Bella to pass outside but she stood still. She did not want to go anywhere with him.
"Bella, come with me to the car," he almost demanded when suddenly a loud sound startled both of them and all the lights went off.
They soon realized that there was no power, not only in the store but in the whole town.
"Fuck," Edward mattered and searched for his lighter and Bella's hand. He found her palm and tangled their fingers gently but with an unmistakable possessiveness. It was like he wanted to declare to the darkness that she was with him.
The result was totally unexpected. The touch felt like a strong jolt, like all the lost power had been gathered in those two bodies.
Edward used the lighter. The same time the manager opened an flashlight. The emergency lights were obviously hidden behind products.
"Hm," the manager mumbled. "The power supply company has got some serious problems since last week. The previous blackout lasted 15 hours but it was mostly during the day."
Edward seemed pensive for a moment.
"Do you have more flashlights and batteries?" he asked the man in calm way.
"I may have two more I can give you and a packet of butteries but that's all. We sold most of our supplies due to circumstances and the new merchandise will not be delivered until next Wednesday."
"We will take them and some candles too," Edward stated and put another100 dollar bill in front of the cashier under the weak light of the small device.
"Ok, shall I pack them with the rest sir?"
"Yes, and pack this too," he said and gave her a box of chocolates. "Still keep the change," he added and grabbing Bella he almost ushered her out in the cold and dark lot.
Once out side, she pushed him away shouting:
"How dare you? A guest? Take your money back and leave, I don't need you or them, I..."
He did not let her finish. Despite the dark her proximity was enough to make her warmth and smell totally detectable.
He grabbed her and almost violently pushed her on the wall behind them pressing his whole body on her small delicate form, his hands on each side of her restraining her own.
He put his head next to her ear again, breathing the delicate aroma of her hair.
"I dare because I can , I pay because I can, and I will be your guest because I need to be."
"Are we clear Isabella ? Cause I expected a more friendly respond from my precious sister in law."
A/N: So, should I bring the power back soon? Edward likes the darkness. Please review and I will hide those batteries.
