Chapter 2: What to Do About Nothing
XOXOXOXO
Deep breath in…deep breath out.
How was I supposed to keep myself from having a panic attack in front of this beautiful creature of a man?
Dr. Cullen had left me on the table to wait for Jessica to return with a wheelchair. I was pretty sure that as soon as I saw Edward again, the already noticeable wet spot in the crotch of my sweats would be particularly easy to see.
By anyone.
Within a ten mile radius.
That's how soaked a glimpse of him had gotten me.
I could already imagine the red flame of my embarrassment on my cheeks as he helped me into the cab and saw the wet spot on my sweats in front of him. He'd probably think that I'd wet myself or some kind of idiotic shit like that.
Imagine what I would be like in the same truck as him, mere inches between us. He probably smelled like Heaven mixed with a little bit of Hell.
Because isn't that what all gods were, a mixture of divinity and sin?
I couldn't think on it any longer, however, for at that moment Jessica came in with a wheelchair in hands and a grimace on her face. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong but decided against it at the last minute.
"Well, here you are, Bella. We'll get you situated here and then you'll be on your way home." She handed me a few sheets of paper to stow away in my pocket and then helped me down from the table and into the chair. She didn't say a word as she wheeled me out to the front of the E.R. doors.
"You wouldn't mind sitting out here by yourself, would you? I've still got some other things to do before my shift is over." I looked up at her and gave her a small smile, silently letting her know that I would be okay.
She smiled back briefly and turned on her heel leaving me there, out in the cool, brisk air.
I seriously thought about jumping up from the wheelchair and just hopping to my truck; I could even see the top of the cab from here. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, which startled the fuck out of me and almost gave me a heart attack.
"Oh, I'm sorry to have snuck up on you, Bella," Dr. Cullen said. He'd mysteriously arrived behind me with a pair of crutches. Walking a few feet behind him was, to my complete and utter instant arousal, Edward. He wasn't looking in our direction yet but was fiddling with a bag across his shoulders, and I had to take a breath to keep myself from drooling at the sight of his arm muscles flexing. Didn't the man have any idea what he did to the female population? It wasn't fair.
I pointed out the top of my truck to him and said, "My car's right over there. Do you see the old Chevy truck? That's it."
Dr. Cullen nodded and turned to Edward, who had just reached us. He handed Edward the crutches and took my parking brake off the wheelchair. "Why don't you follow us, son, then I'll take your bag and you can help Bella into her vehicle. I'll follow you to her apartment."
We traveled the short distance in silence. Once we reached my truck, Dr. Cullen put on the brakes for the wheelchair and turned to his son. Edward handed his bag to his father and finally looked down at me.
Oh my good Lord, baby Jebus.
He was more astonishing up close. His green eyes were the purest color I'd ever seen, dark emerald with a mix of steel grey running around the rim. I was thankful that I had parked my truck in front of a lamp post; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see Edward's face up close at all.
And that would be very, very bad.
His eyes widened as he caught my blatant staring and I felt the blush in my cheeks instantly. I cast my eyes downward and willed my blush away.
Dr. Cullen held out his hand for me to take as I wiggled my way out of the wheelchair. I stood shakily on one leg and held my hands out in front of me to catch myself on the truck fishing my keys out of my pocket to open the passenger side so I could slide myself in.
Oh God, oh God, oh God! Please don't let there be a wet spot, please don't let there be a wet spot, please don't let there be a wet spot!
I collapsed onto the seat and heard Edward place the crutches in the bed of my truck. I leaned over, unlocked the other door, and placed the keys in the ignition. Dr. Cullen came over and closed my door, Edward's bag in his hands.
"Now Bella, I want you to keep that bandage on until tomorrow morning. Keep icing it for fifteen minutes on, fifteen minutes off until you go to sleep. Then I want to see you again in about two weeks, okay? That way we can make sure that your ankle's healing the correct way." I nodded at his words and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"We'll wait a minute for you to get into your car, Dad," Edward's velvet voice said. He wasn't even in the car yet and he had me squirming in the seat; my private parts had clenched just at the sound of him.
I closed my eyes briefly and took another deep breath in as he climbed into the driver's seat and Dr. Cullen walked towards his car.
"I'm Edward, by the way. It's nice to meet you." His voice was a chorus of that damn "Hallelujah" song, and I felt as if I was floating on air. I wrenched open my eyes and turned towards him. He was holding out his hand for me to shake and I took it slowly.
I didn't expect the electric shock that hit me when I touched his hand. I pulled away quickly in reaction and felt the blush in my cheeks. I looked down as I answered him, afraid of the expression I'd see on his face from my sudden movement.
"I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you, too, and thank you for doing this. I don't live very far away so it shouldn't take too much of your time," I mumbled. I felt very proud of myself in that one moment; I hadn't stuttered anything at all.
"It's not a problem." Is his voice a drug? I feel as though I don't have a care in the world as long as I'm listening to it.
I stared out the window of the truck, thinking about my body's reaction to him. This couldn't be natural, no way in hell.
He reversed out of the parking space and pulled forward towards the covered parking area, where I assumed all of the doctors parked.
"So, how long have you lived here?" he asked while flashing a small smile in my direction.
"That's a loaded question."
He looked at me oddly, and I realized that really it was a simple question. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
I hurried to continue, "Well, I was born in Forks, but when my parents divorced, I moved down to Arizona with my mom. Then she remarried, and I moved back up to Forks to live with my dad. Actually, I've only lived in Seattle for the past two and a half years."
Verbal diarrhea, much?
We pulled to a stop in front of the parking garage, and I saw what I assumed was Dr. Cullen's car coming towards us. We pulled in front and he followed.
"Er, how long have you lived here?" I asked to break the small silence that had crept over the cab.
"We moved here about ten years ago, from Chicago."
"Oh, that's nice, trading wind for torrential rain, huh?" It was the only thing I knew about Chicago - everyone called it "The Windy City".
He chuckled. "Kind of. At least it's better in the crime rates. The schools in Chicago had metal detectors and the ones here didn't. That was kind of freeing."
He pulled to a stop at the intersection and gestured towards the windshield. "Which way do I go?"
I pointed out the next direction. "Pretty much you just keep going straight from here for a couple of miles."
I gazed across the seat to look at him. The lights from the dash were reflecting off of his face, making him glow. He wore a sexy grin on his lips. God, how I want to kiss those lips. Hell, I'd give anything to just run my nose along them and inhale. I bet he smells as good as he looks.
Stop staring Bella! He's going to catch you and then what? You'll look down at your lap and look completely stupid!
I snatched my eyes away from his profile and settled them on the blackness passing my window instead.
I heard him clear his throat, "So… how did you hurt your ankle?"
I tensed. Oh no, not this! Anything but this! How could he know to ask the one question that I absolutely did not want to tell him the answer to?!
I forgot momentarily that he was waiting for an answer, and when I turned to look at him, he was gazing at me. I wished I could tell him a funny story, but I knew my brain wouldn't come up with anything good on such short notice.
I decided that I'd have to go with the truth. "I tripped and landed inside my closet."
"How in the world did you manage that?" he scoffed his reply.
I sighed. If I was already crashing, I might as well get it all out there. "Well, I had this really long day at work, and when I got home, things just weren't working out for me there, either. So when I finally got the chance to unwind and take a shower, it was getting dark. I live alone, and of course, I'd forgotten to turn on any lights. The next thing I knew, I tripped over a shoe and landed inside my closet. The wooden rod that held all of my clothes fell on top of my head." Cue the laughter…
He did laugh, and I felt my entire face burn. At one point in his hysterical laughter, he actually hit the steering wheel with his palm. I hung my head in defeat. After a few moments of his laughter, he quieted down.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said.
I looked at him questioningly, my brows furrowing together. He saw me looking at him and cocked a beautiful half-smile. It was crooked and I was breathless.
"What?" Did he really just say that he was sorry?
He chuckled, low and deep, turning his head back towards the road and said lightly, "I laughed and it was wrong of me. Laughing at someone else's expense isn't the best thing to do; it's unkind. I am sorry but it's just so hard not to laugh when you hear something so completely…" He trailed off, unable to think of the right word.
"Ludicrous?" I finished for him.
"Exactly!" He faced me, finger pointed in the air and eyes shining.
I let out a sound that was between a laugh and a sigh. "Ludicrous things happen to me all the time."
"I don't believe that."
"You've never seen me move."
"You can't always be getting yourself into unfavorable situations. It'd be impossible. The odds alone would be staggering."
I glared. "When I was three, my parents were visiting ones of their friends who lived on the second floor of an apartment complex. I'd somehow wandered out onto the balcony and fell down two flights of concrete stairs.
"When I was in first grade, we were doing relay races in P.E. and I was doing the crabwalk backwards and sprained my wrist.
"In the fourth grade I got a really rare rash that no one could name. I had it most of the school year and everyone teased me mercilessly.
"I had to get my tonsils taken out when I was fifteen because I kept getting really bad strep throat every flu season. I had spent that summer inside the house and had gone back to school looking like an albino.
"And what happened in between all that time? I fell and got scrapes. I broke bones and got bruises. I can hardly walk safely across a flat surface most of the time."
My rant broke off and I found myself panting from exertion and humiliation. I'd just spilled my whole life's horror stories with the most beautiful man in existence, and I'd only just met him ten minutes ago. Oh God, was this self-destruction of Bella day?
I mentally face-palmed and shook my head in woe. Thank goodness we'd just gotten to my apartment complex.
We pulled into the driveway and I told him the code to unlock the gate. He followed my directions perfectly - honestly, it was straight until you got to the end of the road, not much to get lost with - and pulled into my parking spot.
He turned off the engine and got out of the truck as I leaned my head against the back of the seat and let out a breath.
Great, I'd just scared off the man of my dreams, and all I got was this lousy bum foot.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
Before I knew it, he was opening the door for me and handing me the crutches so that I could get out and steady myself. I saw the lights of Dr. Cullen's car as he pulled in next to my truck.
"Help her get up the stairs, Edward. I'll wait for you here. It was nice meeting you, Bella; don't forget to come back in two weeks for me to check out your ankle again, okay?" I nodded at Dr. Cullen, not trusting myself to say anything else that could be potentially harmful to my emotional health.
I locked the door and slammed it shut. Edward was standing besides me, waiting to head towards the stairs.
We hadn't said anything to each other since my verbal overload, and it seemed like we wouldn't be talking at all for the rest of our lives.
I moved forward until I was at the foot of the stairs, contemplating my next move. Should I try to use each crutch to waddle up the stairs? Perhaps I should put both of them up on the next step and just hop up?
My choices were cut short when I was suddenly airborne and the crutches dangled lamely from my hands. An embarrassing yelp escaped me as my mind processed what had happened.
My body was swept up into his arms and he was holding me bridal style. It was an intimate act and all my girlie parts fluttered. My skin burned in the places where we were touching, and I immediately tried to wrap my arms around his neck to steady myself.
"Ack! Edward! Wha- what are you do-doing?! Put me do-down!" I practically screamed.
His mouth was right next to my ear and I heard his low voice clear as day. "If you want to get upstairs anytime tonight, this would be your best option. Now, just stop talking and let someone help you for a change. Take both of the crutches in your left hand and wrap your other arm around my neck. That'll make this easier."
Ooh, Dominant Edward, me likey…
I did as he said and turned my head towards his, which was a big mistake. I'm talking humongous, world-annihilating mistake. Our lips were mere inches apart and I didn't know if I had the willpower to not kiss him. I looked into his emerald orbs and thought that the world was ending. I saw fire, green flames licking at me from the inside, setting my soul aflame. My breathing had turned shallow, and I was panting onto his cheek.
I had to look away; otherwise, my panties would combust. That would be a feat in itself seeing as they were already soaked beyond belief.
I dropped my head and told him quietly that my apartment was at the top. I felt him nod as he started our journey.
I was cradled into his chest and for the first time in - the first time ever really - I felt truly safe. There was nothing in the world to worry about and nothing in the world could hurt me in this divine moment.
I couldn't tell what he smelled like in my truck because we hadn't been close enough, but being this near to him now, I could. I was right. He was a mixture of Heaven and Hell. He smelled of sandalwood and sugar, almost like cotton candy and something else. Saliva pooled inside my mouth. God, he was mouthwatering.
All too soon, it was over. We'd reached the top of the staircase and were in front of the door to my apartment. He set me down gently and pulled my keys out of his pocket. I took them from him carefully to avoid touching him again. My skin felt alive and I'm pretty sure I was vibrating with some kind of untapped excitement.
"Thank you again for helping me, Edward." I said breathlessly as I looked up at him from under my lashes. I sounded as though I'd just run a fifteen mile relay.
His green eyes looked almost black and I realized that he too was breathing heavily.
I didn't realize that I weighed so damn much. Why isn't he saying anything back? Does my breath stink?
I continued saying good-bye, unable to think of anything else to say. "Well, I'd better let you get going."
He seemed to snap out of whatever funk he was in and blinked twice, shaking his head a little.
"You're welcome, Bella. Good night." A shiver ran down my spine as he said my name, and I couldn't help but blush at my painfully obvious reaction to him.
Deciding that I couldn't risk attacking his luscious body, I smiled gently and turned from him, saying good night. I unlocked my door and limped inside, closing it lightly behind me and leaning against it.
The alarm buzzed in my ear and I pivoted to enter in the code to turn it off. My skin still felt alive and I was positively energetic as I flicked on the closest light switch. I used the crutches to hobble over to the kitchen counter and sat down.
I didn't know what to do with myself. His touch electrified me, warming me all throughout. His voice made my head swim and my heart race. His smell drove me into overload, and it took all that I had not to jump his bones. I had to calm down, take a few deep breaths and just relax.
Those pills that Jessica had given me were working; I didn't feel any pain. At least, I thought it was the pills. At this point, I wasn't sure if it was from them or Edward; he had me so confused about my body's reactions.
I figured that I should try to get to bed. The sooner I went to sleep, the sooner I could get this wretched day behind me. I slowly got out of the chair and grabbed the crutches to head back to my room.
I knew I'd have one heck of a cleanup in front of me and wanted to get that out of the way as soon as possible. As soon as I walked into my room and turned on the light, sure as shit, I saw the rod that I'd have to repair and the massive pile of clothes that I'd have to re-hang. My head hung in defeat and I made my way over to the closet and picked up the piece of wood. It was intact, which I was thankful for. I didn't feel like having to make a trip to Home Depot at this time of night.
I fixed it as best I could in that moment and shoved the pile of clothes into the space beneath the rod. I turned towards the bathroom and picked up the traitorous shoes throwing them across the room and onto the piles of clothes that I still had to pick up. At least they couldn't finish the job and murder me tonight. The closet was on the farther side of my room and I would have to purposefully go over there for the shoes to do any further harm to me.
I turned around and went back into the kitchen to put some ice in a plastic bag for my ankle. Double checking that the front door was locked, I turned the light off and made my way back into the bedroom. Slipping off my flip-flops near the pile of clothes in the closet, I turned on my nightstand lamp and switched off the overhead light for the room.
Settling into bed, I pulled the covers around the right side of my body and put the ice pack on my ankle. I hissed as the cold hit my body and then sighed as it started to help me feel better. I pulled "Pride and Prejudice" out of the drawer and found my place, starting to read about Mr. Darcy and how much of a douche-bag he was to Elizabeth.
I couldn't seem to focus though; all I could see were green eyes and all I could smell was cotton candy. I tried in vain for twenty minutes before I finally gave up and just resigned myself to bed, leaving the ice pack on my ankle. Sometime during the night, it would roll off and I'd just deal with it in the morning.
I put the book back in my drawer, shut off the light, and closed my eyes.
XOXOXOXO
A/N: Thanks to Ellie and Amelia for being fantastic betas. Also, thanks to my mom for all of her support.
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