Disclaimer: I am NOT Stephenie Meyer and I don't own any of the Twilight series' characters or stories. I borrowed the dialogue and storyline from Eclipse, but the rest is my own take on the story, as seen through Edward's eyes.
Chapter 2
Portent
"Edward," Bella murmured while she slept. "Please…don't go."
I cringed. I had spent every night with Bella since my return and, even though she slept each night curled in my arms, her dreams were still haunted by the memories of my absence. She did not speak of them to me, but her unconscious mind gave me a glimpse into her hidden fears. Each word was filled with sorrow, only deepening the regret I felt for what I had done to her.
"I will do whatever it takes, Bella," I whispered. "I promise. I will prove my love to you."
She murmured something I couldn't decipher and shifted to her side, facing away from me. The absence of her warm skin against mine sent a chill through me. Would she ever truly forgive me? I would make sure of it. I would fight for her with every ounce of strength in my body.
"Jacob…I'm sorry," she muttered, her brow creasing with worry in her fitful slumber. I traced a cool finger along her forehead, smoothing out the lines. Jacob Black. It was easy to see that Bella cared deeply for him. And that mongrel, no matter how immature, truly believed in his love for her. He would fight for her, of that I was certain. If Bella was given a choice, I could not predict with any level of confidence which one of us she would choose. If she found that she could not trust me, would she go back to the familiar safety she felt in Jacob's arms?
The jealously that burned slowly in the pit of my stomach gave way to curiosity. I thought of the note Jacob had written to Bella. I looked over at the rocking chair where Bella had haphazardly tossed her jeans. I could still see the impression of the folded paper in the back pocket. Would it be wrong of me to read it? I decided if I had any hope of winning the battle for Bella's heart, I would need to know my enemy thoroughly.
I gently eased myself off the bed, careful not to wake Bella. She would be sore with me if she knew that I was prying. I silently crept over to the chair and pulled the note out of her pocket. I unfolded the paper and stared at the words. So many times, he had started to write and crossed it out. Why not start over? Why leave the words so they could still be read? My eyes scanned the page and focused on the final words in the message.
Yeah, I miss you. A lot.
Doesn't change anything. Sorry.
Jacob
I refolded the note and placed it back, turning to face Bella once again. Her hair was splayed across her pillow, tangled up in her fingers as she tossed fretfully. I strode over to the bed and caressed her cheek with the back of my hand. Her movement instantly stilled and a slight smile crept across her lips. She opened her eyes dreamily and looked up at me.
"Edward?"
"Yes, love?"
She smiled a little wider and stretched her arms above her head. First light was just beginning to peek through the window. I leaned over, kissing her forehead lightly, and dashed out the window to prepare for the day.
"Hey there, lover boy," Emmett called as I ran through the door. "You get any?"
"Emmett!" Esme scolded, a loud crack echoing through the house as she smacked his arm.
Emmett smirked and shrugged his shoulders. When Esme returned to her task, he looked over to me again, grinning widely and waggling his eyebrow suggestively. It was Rosalie who smacked him then.
I shook my head and ran up the stairs to change my clothing. As I was buttoning my shirt, Alice danced through the door. She planted herself on my couch, allowing her legs to swing playfully off the side.
"So…how was your night?" she asked.
"Do you need to ask, Alice?" I glanced at her, arching an eyebrow.
She giggled in response. "No, I don't. Just making conversation," she smiled. "I could have told you, but that would have ruined the surprise." She picked up one of my books from the side table and began absently flipping through the pages.
"Go ahead and ask, Alice."
"Can I borrow Bella? We have so much shopping to catch up on! Have you seen her wardrobe?" Alice made a face, thinking about Bella's complete lack of interest in fashion.
"It's not up to me," I reminded her. "If you want to take Bella shopping, then just ask her."
She closed her eyes briefly and opened them a moment later with a huge grin on her face. "Excellent!"
I chuckled as she skipped from the room.
-x-
There was a perceptible bounce in Bella's step as we walked from class to class. Her dreams may have been fraught with worry, but she seemed to be bubbling with excitement at the prospect of her newfound freedom. For that matter, the mood of the entire student body seemed to improve as the number of days in the school year dwindled. The senior class was exceptionally energized about the impending graduation. I wished I could share in that sentiment.
The hallway was littered with bright signs touting all the festivities planned before the year's end. A large poster announcing this year's prom caught my attention. I wished I could dance with Bella under the stars once again, but she had already made it perfectly clear that I was under no circumstances to drag her to the prom again. As long as Bella was mine, I would find other occasions to dance with her. I didn't need the excuse of a formal dance to twirl Bella in my arms. My mind began to drift as I plotted the perfect scenario where we could do just that.
I saw Alice scan Bella's appearance, grimacing slightly, when we walked into the cafeteria. That girl is in desperate need of a new wardrobe. Where should we go, Edward? New York? Paris? Milan? I rolled my eyes at Alice, shaking my head. Leave it to Alice to take the concept of Bella's new freedom to the extreme.
"Have you sent your announcements, yet?" Angela asked as Bella set down her tray. She's probably already finished. Why, oh why, do I have to have so many relatives and why does my mother insist I send an announcement to each and every one of them?
"No," she answered. "There's no point, really. Renée knows when I'm graduating. Who else is there?" Bella shrugged her shoulders and eased into her seat. As sad as it was that Bella had no extended family, I had to admit that it was the ideal situation for her. If, or I should say when, she is turned, she would have far less to leave behind than most.
"How about you, Alice?" Angela asked, turning to face my sister.
"All done," she smiled. Tell me, Edward, how many times have we graduated now? I think I've lost count. I stifled a chuckle.
"Lucky you," Angela sighed. "My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it."
Bella looked up from her lunch. "I'll help you," she volunteered. "If you don't mind my awful handwriting." Was I hearing her right? I couldn't hide my approving smile, not only because of Bella's generosity in volunteering her time, but more so the fact that she was making an effort to spend time with her friends – her human friends. That would certainly make her father happy.
I felt a small glimmer of hope. The more time she spent with her friends, participating in human activities, perhaps the more she would wish to remain human. Granted, this was an unlikely scenario, but I could hope.
Really? Angela eyes grew wide as she breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's so nice of you. I'll come over any time you want."
"Actually, I'd rather go to your house if that's okay – I'm sick of mine. Charlie un-grounded me last night."
"Really?" Angela asked with surprise. "I thought you said you were in for life."
The rest of her human life, anyway.
"I'm more surprised than you are," Bella smiled. "I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free."
"Well, this is great, Bella!" Angela gushed. "We'll have to go out to celebrate."
"You have no idea how good that sounds."
"What should we do?" Alice chimed in. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement and anticipation and I could see the answering uncertainty on Bella's face. Oh, we have so much time to make up for! It's been ages! I shot Alice a warning glare. Oh, Edward, be reasonable. You know very well that I haven't spent any quality time with Bella since her birthday.
"Whatever you're thinking, Alice, I doubt I'm that free."
"Free is free, right?" she replied, winking.
"I'm sure I still have boundaries – like the continental U.S., for example," Bella teased.
But how did she…? Alice cut her eyes in my direction. Edward, did you say something? Angela and Ben began laughing at what they assumed was a joke. If only they knew…
"So what are we doing tonight?" Alice asked, persisting in her efforts to get Bella out of the house.
Bella frowned slightly. "Nothing. Look, let's give it a couple of days to make sure he wasn't joking. It's a school night, anyway."
"We'll celebrate this weekend, then," Alice insisted.
"Sure," Bella replied half-heartedly.
Alice turned to Angela. "What do you think we should do? Should we have a party? Or have a girl's night out in Portland?"
"Girl's night sounds fun. I'm going to need a break from all the tedium surrounding graduation," Angela replied.
"Hey, what about the guys?" Ben chimed in. "Why can't it be a girls' and guys' night out?"
Alice's tinkling laugh filled the cafeteria. "Well…I guess we could make an exception. I think Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie may be coming home this weekend on break. Maybe we could all go out." Wouldn't that be fun, Edward?
I rolled my eyes and tuned out my sister, instead focusing on Bella. She was oddly silent, seemingly paying no attention to the plans that were being made. She chewed her bottom lip nervously and there was sadness in her eyes. She was thinking about Jacob, I was almost certain. She was unhappy with the edict I had created forbidding her interaction with the werewolves. She just didn't understand the danger – she never did. Whether it was my family or the wolves, Bella naively surrounded herself with the most dangerous of creatures.
My attention was sharply wrenched from Bella as I saw a flash of red hair. I shot a panicked look at Alice and her eyes were staring blankly with the vision she was seeing. I saw Victoria, her red hair whipping wildly around her face. She was preparing to come back to Forks. She was preparing to resume her hunt for Bella. The vision continued and I saw Bella strolling with her friends in Portland. The next moment, Bella turned a corner and there was Victoria.
NO! That will not happen.
"Alice? Alice!" Angela called to her, waving her hand back and forth in front of her face. Angela had been making suggestions for the weekend this entire time and Alice had not heard a single word. I began to panic, wondering what conclusions Bella would jump to when she realized Alice was having a vision. No, I could not allow her to worry about this. It would only add fuel to her argument or perhaps cause her to move the date of her change up even closer.
Angela and Ben exchanged a worried glance as Alice continued to stare vacantly ahead. I decided it was time to intercede – we couldn't allow the humans to become suspicious. I began laughing, pretending to be privy to some sort of inside joke. Bella and the others looked at me, confused. I kicked Alice's shin under the table and she jumped up, instantly breaking her concentration.
"Is it naptime already, Alice?" I teased.
"Sorry, I was daydreaming, I guess," she replied. Thank you, Edward. You saw it, right? What should we do?
"Daydreaming's better than facing two more hours of school," Ben said.
"Oh, I know!" Alice exclaimed, obviously trying to cover her tracks. "I'm so excited about graduation, I can't seem to concentrate in class anymore." There were murmurs of agreement around the table.
Angela and Ben continued to discuss the plans for the upcoming weekend, asking Bella what she would like. Alice took a moment while they were seemingly distracted to look keenly into my eyes. What should we do, Edward? Do you think Charlie would allow Bella to stay at our house this weekend, or would that be pushing it? I silently answered her questions, keeping my eyes on Bella, wary of how much she would infer from our unspoken conversation. I twirled a strand of her hair in my fingers and she gave me a weak smile. The struggle to remain composed while every cell in my body screamed at me to take her away from Forks was immeasurably difficult.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. As we rose, Bella gave me a worried glance and I could almost see the questions beginning to form in her mind. I needed to stall for more time until I could think of a solution to this problem – of how I could protect Bella and eliminate the threat Victoria posed at the same time. If I allowed her to be alone with me, she would indeed hammer me with questions and I was unsure if I would be able to conceal the truth.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Angela kiss Ben goodbye before heading to her next class. Bella's eyes widened slightly as I walked up to Ben, deciding that striking up a conversation would be the best way to thwart her impending interrogation.
"So, Ben," I began. "If they want to have a girls' night out, maybe we should get a bunch of the guys together and have a guys' night."
Is he talking to me? Ben paused, unsure of how to respond to my sudden interest. Alice was charming and easily conversed with the humans, but for some reason, there was something about me that unnerved them and caused them to maintain a safe distance. Of course, that was the way it should be. Bella was a rare exception to this rule.
"Um…" Ben stammered, "sure, that would be cool."
"I was thinking we could all go to a baseball game in Seattle or something like that."
He nodded. "That could be fun. I'll ask some of the guys and see what they think."
Bella sighed as the bell rang indicating the start of class. I hid my smug grin, secretly proud that I had been able to put her off for even a short time. I spent the class time formulating a plan to protect Bella. The problem was protecting Bella without her necessarily realizing what I was up to. What could I do or where could I take her that would not raise suspicion? Then it dawned on me. Florida.
Bella's unused ticket vouchers, a birthday gift from Carlisle and Esme, sat on the corner of the desk in her room. I had looked at them every night, wondering when or if Bella would ever have the opportunity to redeem them. This was perfect! I could take Bella to Florida under the guise of visiting her mother and the rest of the family would be in Forks, prepared to fight – and hopefully destroy – Victoria. It was a brilliant plan. The only problem – convincing Bella.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of another class, I still had not decided on a plan to convince Bella to visit her mother. I looked around me, searching for someone I could talk to, once again avoiding Bella's questions.
"Mike," I called. Mike Newton spun around with an almost terrified look on his face. I smiled as warmly as I could and he responded by looking utterly confused. Mike was probably the last person I would want to strike up a conversation with, but my options were limited as the students dashed out the door to head home.
"Um….yeah?" he stammered.
"How have you been?" I asked. "We haven't really had a chance to talk before."
Yeah, probably because every time I so much as look at Bella, you look at me like you're gonna rip my head off! "Um…no, we haven't. What's up?"
"What are your plans for the weekend?"
Is he serious? "Well," he thought for a moment. "I'll probably spend the weekend in the garage. I've been having some trouble with my car, but I can't figure out what it is. I went to start it the other morning and it wouldn't even turn over."
"Is it the battery?" I asked, tying to seem interested.
"It could be…but I just replaced the battery." He looked behind me, stealing a quick glance at Bella. Bella, who is this guy and where is Edward?
"Perhaps it's the cables?" I offered.
"Maybe. I really don't know anything about cars," he admitted. "I need to have someone look at it, but I can't afford to take it to Dowling's." Doesn't Bella's friend from the reservation fix cars? Maybe I should ask her for his number.
I stifled a growl that began to build at the mention of Jacob Black. As much as I disliked Mike, it wasn't safe for him to converse with werewolves either. "I know a few things – I could take a look, if you like," I offered. "Just let me drop Alice and Bella at home."
Mike's jaw dropped and I was pretty sure I could see Bella's do the same out of the corner of my eye. "Er…thanks," he mumbled. "But I have to get to work. Maybe some other time."
"Absolutely."
"See ya," Mike called over his shoulder as he climbed into his car, one I assumed he borrowed. He sat for a moment, shaking his head, before starting the ignition and driving out of the lot.
We strode in silence and Bella paused as I opened the passenger door for her. "What was that about?" she asked.
"Just being helpful," I smiled as I shut the door and walked around the car.
As soon as the key was in the ignition, Alice began prattling about my conversation with Mike. She had seen what I was trying to do and what I was planning, and jumped to my aide immediately, filling the silence so Bella couldn't ask her questions.
"You're really not that good a mechanic, Edward. Maybe you should have Rosalie take a look at it tonight, just so you look good if Mike decides to let you help, you know. Not that it wouldn't be fun to watch his face is Rosalie showed up to help. But since Rosalie is supposed to be across the country attending college, I guess that's not the best idea. Too bad. Though I suppose, for Mike's car, you'll do. It's only within the finer tunings of a good Italian sports car that you're out of your depth. And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche. I don't know that I want to wait for Christmas."
Bella huffed and shifted in her seat, turning to gaze out the window. She was clearly irritated with me, but this was for her own protection. She would forgive me. I locked eyes with Alice in the mirror, encouraging her to maintain the conversation.
"A promise is a promise, Alice. I'll get it for you for Christmas," I said.
"But…Edward," she pouted. "I want one now. You have no idea how exhilarating that piece of machinery was. It drove like a dream, like a bumblebee blurring through the Italian countryside. You know I have a hard time being patient."
"What would you have me do, Alice? Buy it for you now and then not give you anything for Christmas?"
She smirked, "I could work with that. I just don't think I can wait any longer. It's been six weeks and I miss it so much! And that feeling would be so much better knowing that it's mine and I get to keep it."
I chuckled. "Okay, Alice. I'll see what I can do."
She giggled and clapped her hands. She continued to gush over the finer aspects of Porsche ownership and Bella would let out an exasperated sigh every few moments.
Edward, I can see what you're planning. I think it's a good idea, but I don't think Bella will agree to it. Are you sure you don't want to just tell her the truth? She will be sorer with you later when she finds out you lied to her.
I narrowed my eyes at Alice, undeterred in my planned course of action.
Okay, I guess all I can say is good luck. Alice shifted out of the car as I stopped at the mouth of our driveway. She glanced at me one more time before exiting. I'll tell everyone what I've seen and what you're planning. Don't worry, Edward, we'll get her this time. Victoria won't get anywhere near Bella.
"See you later," I said and nodded, confirming all she had said.
We rode in silence. Bella would vacillate between staring at her hands and glancing at me. I could see on her face that the questions were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't ask. When we pulled up to her house, I chose to break the silence.
"Light homework load tonight," I commented, keeping my tone nonchalant.
"Mmm."
"Do you suppose I'm allowed inside again?"
She shrugged. "Charlie didn't throw a fit when you picked me up for school." I opened the door for her, following her into the house and up the stairs to her room. She flitted nervously around the room as I lounged on her bed, watching her every movement. She shifted her weight in her creaky desk chair and waited impatiently for her ancient computer to turn on. Papers and pens were shuffled from one side of the desk to the other. I took note of the location of the tickets. She blew out a puff of air and began loudly drumming her fingers on the desktop.
She was far too anxious about this. I can take care of that. I stood and placed my hand over hers, silencing her nervous fingers. I leaned in closely, whispering into her ear. "Are we a little impatient today?" I asked with a smirk.
Her head turned toward the sound of my voice and she startled at my sudden proximity. She didn't respond, seemingly dazed by the unexpected closeness. I took the opportunity to distract her properly. I leaned in, pressing my cool lips against hers. The slow smoldering in the skin that met hers began to spread throughout my body. The slow burn in my throat was barely noticeable.
Her lips were hesitant on mine, as though she were unsure of something. Perhaps she realized I was trying to distract her. Then, I'll have to try harder. I knotted my fingers in her hair and pressed her face to mine. She reacted by wrapping her arms around my neck and I smiled in triumph. Our lips moved together in perfect sync and her body heat blazed its way straight to my heart. I slowly slid my free arm down her back and pulled her toward me, her back arched and she molded herself to my chest. I felt her shiver and slowly released her. She responded by tightening her grip on my neck and pressing herself even closer.
A low groan rumbled in my chest. She had no idea what she did to me. Then I felt it. The unanticipated sensation was completely unnerving. Bella had opened her mouth and I could feel her tongue tracing my lower lip, like a smoldering flame licking at fresh tinder. I could feel myself beginning to lose my carefully guarded control and reluctantly pushed her away.
I chuckled as I saw the flush in her cheeks. "Ah, Bella."
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not," she smiled, arching an eyebrow.
"And I should feel sorry that you're not sorry, but I don't." Her eyes widened at my confession. "Maybe I should go sit on the bed."
"If you think that's necessary…" she breathed.
I smiled and let her go, returning to her bed once again. She shook her head and returned her focus to the glowing computer screen. I closed my eyes briefly and breathed deep, willing myself to calm down. I was finding it increasingly difficult to control myself around her. The more time I spent with Bella, the more I wanted her. I may be a century-old vampire, but for all intents and purposes, I am still a seventeen-year-old boy with the raging hormones to prove it. I wanted her, but I knew I could never have her. Not like that.
A/N: I just have to say…thank you! I am completely overwhelmed with the response to the first chapter. It is your reviews and encouragement that keep me going. I love hearing from you all and have enjoyed conversing with several of you.
I respond to all signed entries, so take that extra step and sign in before leaving a review. I'd love to thank you all personally and answer any questions you may have. I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2!
