Alcohol, Strawberries and Aftershave
By Cacheli.
Chapter Two -Strawberries.
Almost a month has passed since that day she came home with her new book. The morning after that day, she was gone, and took the book with her. I sighed. I remember her saying something about running some errands, but I was too asleep to notice.
As usual, I made my way to work. The things at the firm where as hectic as usual. By the time I was able to come back home, it was around 1 a.m.
Tiredly I made my way upstairs. I froze on the door of our bedroom.
There she was –Bella. Sleeping with a frown on her face, hugging my pillow. I dropped my suitcase, tie, jacket and shoes and ran to her. I crouched on bed and caressed her cheek. She shifted a little. Her eyes opened and narrowed.
"Ed…?" she mumbled.
"Yes, it's me."
She smiled and opened her arms. I took the pillow from her embrace and replaced it with myself. She hugged my waist and I held her back. She buried her face in my chest while I caressed her long mahogany hair. Before I noticed, she was asleep. This time, smiling.
All through the month, everytime I came home, she was there, waiting for me. Sometimes she was awake, and then we would have dinner, talk about our respective days and head to bed.
Most of the times, she was sleeping. My job was almost my second home; my boss kept saying that if I worked hard enough, I would get promoted to partnership –I'm still waiting for that promotion.
Life was well. We were together, though we didn't have any kind of intimacy. We were both so engrossed by our jobs, it was maddening. Everytime we were in bed, I would hold her and hum her to sleep; both being tired as hell. But every single time, she had that intoxicating strawberries scent from when I first knew her. No more alcohol, no more aftershave –just strawberries.
One day, she called me at work, around lunch time. She said she had an event to attend at night, that it was a gala, and that she must bring a date. Apparently, an old theatre was redesigned to be turned into a bookstore. Many well known writers whose books were obviously going to be sold there were going to be there for the opening, and she was one of those authors –she was very proud of herself, and I congratulated her.
The owner of the bookstore would cut the ribbon at nine and I had to be home early to get ready. I told her I'd talk to my boss and make my best to be there. She sounded a little disappointed and hopeless about this, but finally agreed. As I hung up, I went to my boss's office and after three firm knocks on the door, he told me to come in.
He was talking on the phone and made me a sign to hold on. I nodded and sat on the couch. After a few minutes, he hung up.
"Ah! Edward, my prodigy child!" He joked, smiling. "What brings you up here?"
"Well, sir–"
"Edward, please call me James. You know you'll soon be a partner, so there's no need for the formality." He smiled.
"Uh, err, well yes, James… you see, my wife…"
"Ah! The lovely Isabella!" He nodded, smiling. "Tell you what Edward, you are one lucky bastard. I've read her book. I'm not the one for romantic novels, but she made it so real… she's brilliant!"
I grimaced. I've been getting this kind of comments ever since Bella's book came out. It was selling like hot bread, everyone I knew either read it, re-read it, or was going to. Everyone except for me.
"Yes, well it's about that actually. She has an event today and she asked me to come." I said looking directly at him. "I would have to leave early for that."
He thought about it for a minute. I was already tasting the 'no' when suddenly, he smiled again.
"Well, we can't make you miss that, now can we?" He nodded, and signalled me for the door. "Please, be free to leave whenever you have to. You've been working like crazy lately."
Just lately? "Thank you, James." I nodded, smiling, and left the room.
The hours flew by, and before I knew it, I was telling my boss –I mean James, my goodbyes.
"Enjoy yourself, Edward, and your wife too." He laughed at his own joke.
I smirked and nodded, flying out of the building. I was home at 8 o' clock sharp. As soon as I set foot on the apartment, Bella came flying right into my arms.
"You're here!" She squealed. I smiled and kissed her damp hair.
"Yes, thankfully my boss let me go this time. I think he's loosing up." I said, hugging her, feeling the fluffy texture of her bathroom rope.
"Took him long enough… I mean, after two years of hard working…" a high soprano voice came from the foot of the steps.
Bella shifted and moved to hide behind my back, hugging my waist. I looked straight at a smiling Alice.
"Help me Edward, she has some weird, curvy scissors and wants to use them in my eyelashes!" she screeched, looking at her friend from below one of my arms.
Alice rolled her eyes. "They're not scissors, Bella. And they won't hurt." She looked at me then and nodded. "Edward."
"Hey, Alice." I greeted back.
She took a few steps forward and grabbed Bella from the arm, taking her away from me. She squirmed and whined.
"I'll see you later Edward, your suit is in the bathroom, so you can proceed to shower and change when ever you want to. I'll be with you wife in your room. Don't you dare come in."
"Alice, please don't!" she said horror-struck, as the little pixie took her up the stairs.
I chuckled and waved Bella off. 'Good luck' I mouthed, and she grimaced exaggeratedly, making me laugh again.
I left the suitcase next to the door and stripped while making my way to the bathroom.
Once there, I took a long, relaxing shower. I was out by 8.30. I threw the pair of fitted light-grey boxers that were left there, my mind wondering if Alice or Bella had picked out my clothes. Hope to God it was Bella, it would be awkward if Alice had picked out a pair of boxers for me.
I changed into the black suit pants and black leather belt and the silvery white shirt, tucking it in inside of the pants and leaving the first buttons open. I put on the jacket and left it open, looking at my reflection on the mirror. My hair was, as usual, a complete and helpless mess. I tossed it around a little, but to no affect. I sighed, giving up. I didn't look half bad. I put on the black socks and black simple shoes and head out of the bathroom.
I reached the foot of the stairs and looked up. I could hear Bella's whining voice, muffled by the closed door of our bedroom.
"Everything good up there?" I asked, an amused tone in my voice.
I heard the whines stop, and Alice's whisper-yelled scolding at her. I chuckled.
"Yes, your wife's being a cry-baby, but nothing weird in that." Alice called back after a while.
"I'm not a cry-baby!" Bella screeched at Alice. I chuckled again.
"She'll be down in a minute Edward, wait there." Alice said, ignoring Bella's remark. I could almost see her role her eyes.
"Gotcha." I said as I made my way to couch and plopped down on it.
I fidgeted around nervous in the couch. No matter how much Bella would complain about Alice's 'torture games', I loved them. Every second of the waiting was worth it. If Bella was breathtaking everyday, Bella after enduring the 'Alice treatment' left me absolutely out of words.
It was the third time my eyes glanced the clock when I heard footfalls coming down the stairs. I stood up immediately and head to the steps. Alice came down, smiling widely.
"As always, I'm a complete genius." She said, flashing me her teeth.
I was about to respond when I heard a different, more cautious set of stiletto high heeled footfalls approach the stairs. Alice looked up, still smiling, and stepped aside. My heart started racing as I followed her gaze slowly, my body not reacting to what my brain ordered –I was dying to see her.
Finally, my eyes stood in the beautiful form of my gorgeous Bella, looking as breathtaking as ever, blushing and smiling lightly. She gazed at my gawking face and her shy smile widened. She took a few steps, one by one. I couldn't wait.
"Did I just die and go to heaven?" I asked as I climbed up the stairs three steps at the time, reaching her in two long strides.
I stood in the same step she was in, holding her hand. The heels she was wearing made her almost reach my height. I was looking directly at her brown, warm eyes.
I made a goofy grin. "Because I'm surely standing right in front of an angel." I breathed, and Bella's blush deepened, while she smiled widely.
I heard Alice giggle downstairs. "You need a glass for your saliva, Edward?"
I closed my mouth, my jaw had been hanging again. Bella blushed furiously now.
"Alice!" she hissed, embarrassed.
I chuckled, "Better bring me a bucket, Alice. I think I may need it this evening." I responded as my voice turned more and more into a whisper, my eyes never leaving the blushing Bella in front of me.
"Ha!" she beamed "I'm a genius, admit it."
"You certainly are." I said as I smiled at my beautiful wife, and she smiled back.
She was wearing a black strapless dress which hugged her figure in a shiny fabric until below her chest, and then falling freely until just above her knee, with blue stiletto shoes that made her legs look like they could go on forever.
Her silky mahogany hair was loose and curled up beautifully, making my hands ache to tangle my fingers in it. Her make up was light, just a little transparent lipstick, her eyes looking more profound with a bit of black eyeliner and her eyelashes curled up nicely, framing her brown orbs and making them look as beautiful as ever.
A set of thin silver bangles adorned her right wrist, and, what delighted me the most, was that she was wearing the white gold and blue sapphire set of earrings and necklace I gave her as a wedding gift –it matched her engagement ring.
My crooked smile widened as I kissed her engagement ring and then her wedding band, looking directly into her eyes.
"Ready to go?" I asked lovingly.
"Yes." She answered, smiling.
I held her hand in mine, and wrapped my free arm round her waist firmly to prevent her from falling down the stairs –she wasn't that much graceful in high heels. We got to the foot of the stairs without major problems.
Standing by the door was Alice, holding a blue mid-length coat and a blue purse, both matching Bella's shoes. She was smiling as she helped Bella put on the coat, which she left open and hanging above her dress. Then, Alice handed Bella the purse and she took it in her right hand –since I was still holding her left one. Bella huffed.
"God, Alice, did it had to be a clutch?" Bella whined. "I'll have to carry it in my hand all night!"
Alice chuckled and rolled her eyes. "It has a chain strap inside so you can hang it on your shoulder, you big cry-baby."
She smiled and nodded, content with Alice's response.
"We good to go?" I asked, smiling at both women.
Alice nodded, Bella smiled back at me and nodded too.
I grabbed my stuff from the counter next to us and opened the door. Alice grabbed her own coat and handbag and the three of us head out of the apartment. Bella tripped over her feet a few times in the way to the parking lot, sending death glares at Alice everytime. After the fourth time, I chuckled and leaned in to speak for only her to hear.
"You can take those off when we're in the car, Bells."
She looked up at me, her face showing her gratefulness, and nodded cheerily. When we reached the Volvo, we said our goodbyes.
"Have a good time kiddos." Alice said, walking away onto her yellow Porsche. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
Bella blushed again as she climbed in the passenger seat and I just chuckled while starting the car.
Bella kicked off her shoes before we were even out of the parking lot. She sighed contently and shuffled her toes. I grinned and shook my head. We were just leaving the parking lot when Alice's yellow Porsche parked in our way. She put her window down as me and Bella gawked at her.
She was frowning as she looked directly at Bella's surprised form. "Put those shoes back on, Isabella!" She scolded loudly. Bella frowned and started whining.
"Don't you argue with me, young lady. If you don't get accustomed to those shoes now, you won't be able to stand them the rest of the evening."
Bella kept on whining but put the shoes back on. Alice smiled at us cheerily and waved off as she left in her Porsche. Bella stuck out her tongue to the yellow car as it let us go freely. I just laughed at the whole situation.
The ride was short and comfortably silent. No more awkward, tension filled silences for us, thankfully.
We still had five minutes to nine when we reached the old remodelled theatre, and we saw almost immediately the big crowd that surrounded the place. It was hard to find a place to park, but we found it a few blocks away. I parked the car and got off, running to Bella's side to open the door for her. She smiled up at me as I helped her climb out.
We reached the doors of the old theatre just as the owner was giving the opening speech. When he was done with it, he called the names of the invited writers to join him in the opening of the gates. As he called Bella's name I squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss in the cheek as a sign of how proud I was of her before she made her way to the front of the crowd –thankfully without tripping a single time.
The owner gave each novelist a one year duration gift-card for the bookstore and then proceed to cut the red ribbon tied firmly in front of the antique doors. Cameras flashed, capturing the moment and a few photos of the owner next to the authors.
The crowd started moving inside the building, and I walked to Bella and locked my arm in hers. She smiled at me and we made our way inside. There was a large room which used to serve as the theatre hall. This room was filled with books from wall to wall and had coffee tables and comfortable armchairs all around the edges. The light was a little dim, but certainly that was just for today –this was supposed to be the reading area of the bookstore.
Other things that were obviously temporary were the large tables full of little appetizers and the little bar set in one of the corners. The music playing was light and relaxing. The centre of the room was cleared for those who wished to dance. We made our way to the cloakroom and Bella left her coat and took out the chain strap of the purse to be able to hang it over her shoulder. As we walked back into the room, a few couples were dancing. I smiled at Bella.
"Care to dance?" I asked.
She shook her head, horror-struck. "What if I fall?"
I chuckled "I won't let you fall, I promise."
She narrowed her eyes at me but finally sighed and nodded. I took her left hand and kissed it, before leading her to the improvised dance-floor.
I held her with both arms from her waist and she locked her arms around my shoulders. Our bodies moulded together and our foreheads were brushing in a slender manner. I grinned at her and she smiled back.
We danced a couple of slow songs, and then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to found a tall yet young man with dark skin and hair. He had a big innocent smile and cheery eyes.
"You mind if I steal her from you?" He asked, grinning.
"Seth!" Bella beamed, breaking our embrace and hugging the man. He chuckled and hugged her back. My heart cringed.
He whispered something in her ear and she broke the hug to slap his shoulder playfully, frowning and smiling at the same time. He just responded with a carefree chuckle. I felt a growl form in the pitch of my throat. Bella turned to look at me then.
She smiled warmly. "Edward! I would like you to meet Seth. Seth, this is Edward, Edward, Seth." She introduced, signalling us both.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, man. I've heard so much about you." He said as the arm he kept around Bella sneak out from around her waist and stood in front of him, holding out his hand for me to shake.
I looked at his hand grimly and then at him. I was practically throwing daggers at him with my eyes. He turned serious and put his hand down. I growled lightly as a shiver rocked my body almost imperceptibly. Bella looked confused at both of us. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off.
"Feel free to dance how many songs you want." I said, answering Seth's first question, and then at Bella, "I'll go get us drinks." And without another word, I spun on my heels and stomped over to the bar.
As I got closer to the bar, I recognized the figure of one of my favourite writers: The journalist and novelist John Katzenbach. I sighed as I sat down next to him. I asked the bartender to give me a glass of Johnny Walker Red Label. The novelist next to me looked up at me and smiled, leaving his drink on the counter after taking a last sip.
"Hey," he said, sticking out his hand. "I'm John. And you must be Edward, right? Isabella's husband?"
I nodded and shook his hand. I was too into myself to even realize that he was the one talking to me and knowing who I was. Crazy the turns life makes. The bartender came in then with my drink. I finished it up and asked for a refill.
John twirled his glass around a little, snickering.
"You know, this may sound stupid, but I actually read your wife's book." He said, shaking his head. "She's a nice writer, you know." He added then. "She has talent."
I took a sip of my glass and set it down on the counter. "Yeah, she is."
He noticed I wasn't going to give him conversation, and just stayed silent, sipping his drink by my side on the bar.
After a few more drinks, I realized I was being completely rude, and probably wouldn't be able to ever see the guy again.
"I'm sorry," I said, making him look up at me. "I'm not really entertaining, right?" I shook my head, chuckling lightly, and then grimaced. "I'm going through a harsh time right now." I commented.
He nodded. "It's okay. I figured," he smiled. "Just remember to always take your time to think before doing anything rush." He got up then, leaving a few bills over the counter for the bartender to grab. He patted my shoulder, smiling warmly. "I really hope you can figure it out, Edward. And remember, stay calm."
I nodded, though I didn't knew exactly what he meant. His hand dropped from my shoulder and he started to walk away. I called for him as I remembered something.
"Sorry," I said, slightly embarrassed. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but your work is within my favourite reading collection… And I was wondering if you would give me an autograph, maybe?"
He laughed a relaxed laugh. "Of course."
I handed him a napkin and he signed it with a little dedication. He smiled up at me again then and nodded.
"Good luck." He said, handing me the paper napkin back.
"Thank you," I answered. "For everything."
He nodded and took off.
I stayed in the bar, engulfing myself in the alcohol. My mind kept on running over and over again the same image for me: Bella hugging Seth, Seth whispering something in her ear, Bella hitting him playfully, Seth smiling and holding her by the waist. I shuddered. I asked the bartender the time. He said it was almost midnight, so that meant the gala was coming to an end. From my position, I was giving the back the rest of the room, so I spun around in my chair to search for Bella. I was feeling a little light-headed but the pain and anger were almost completely drowned in alcohol.
As my eyes skimmed the dim light room, I found her. She was still talking to Seth, this time, John was with them. John waved off then and exited the building. People were starting to leave. Seth and Bella kept on talking. She hung her head down, her mahogany hair covering her expression from me like a dark curtain. Seth then reached with one of his hands and pulled Bella's chin up. He said something to her, and she nodded. Then, he hugged her tightly.
I felt the anger, the pain, the jealousy and the possessiveness come back full force.
Before my brain could react, my body was moving forward. I kept a steady pace as I stomped towards them, standing right beside them. I cleared my throat. Bella buried her face in his shoulder for a second and then they broke their embrace. Bella looked up at me, grimacing just as Seth was.
I tried to make my tone light. "Ready to go, Bella?" I asked her.
Seth threw a questioning look at her as she nodded to me. Then she turned to him.
"I'll see you later, Seth." she said as she hugged him again.
As they broke apart, I locked my arm with hers and practically dragged her to the cloakroom. She took her coat and I helped her put it on. Next thing I knew, we were in front of the car. I wondered if my reflexes were good enough to drive. I decided they where –my emotional state was helping me keep my mind in track. I unlocked the doors and we both climbed in. Thankfully, the ride back home was quick and eventless.
In the parking lot, I dragged her again, this time to the apartment, ignoring the elevator and going directly to the stairs –three floors weren't much and I was dying to kill off the adrenaline. I only stopped when I had to reach for my key. I opened the door and let her go, signalling her inside.
Once we were inside, I closed the door. She was standing in the middle of the living-room, all her clothes still on but her shoes–which were kicked aside–, looking warily at me. I took long strides to where she was standing and stopped right in front of her. I took her face in my hands and my eyes smouldered with hers.
The images of her and the guy Seth danced in front of my eyes. I almost growled.
I was meaning to tell her how seeing her today with that guy had drove me nearly crazy, how I was incredibly jealous of any other man who dared to touch her soft skin, how I was almost shivering in delight by the contact of it myself. But I could only say one thing. One thing that marked my necessity and my possessiveness completely.
"Bella." I made her name sound like a statement, one that stated everything I meant to say.
She shivered as my cold, heavy breath collapsed with her cheeks. My heart raced and my whole body ached to be closer after so much time apart, so I obliged.
Without a second thought, I crashed my lips to hers in a rough, demanding kiss. My whole body reacted to the sudden intimacy. One of my hands moved to the back of her head to cradle her neck, while the other ran across her body and under her coat to her waist, pulling her closer to me.
She shivered lightly as her tiny arms wrapped around my waist, caressing my back with her fingertips.
I deepened the kiss immediately, sliding my tongue inside her warm mouth, the sweet sensation rocking my whole body. My God, I wouldn't believe I missed it so much until I was reminded of what I was really missing. This was the most exhilarating sensation I ever felt in two years.
I broke the kiss, panting. My eyes opened in a flash to look at her closed ones. She was panting too. Her hands ran under my jacket and took handfuls of my shirt, as her breathing regulated. As she opened her eyes, the images of this evening flashed across my eyes again. I huffed and leaned down, my lips colliding to hers once again –I was much better than that stupid mutt, and I would show her.
The hand that was cradling her neck skimmed down her body, grazing lightly her breasts from above the fabric of the dress. She moaned into the kiss and I growled back. The hand I kept on her waist reached to the zipper of the dress, unzipping it slowly and carefully as I pushed her backwards to make her lean on the wall next to the step of the stairs.
Then the palm of my hand held her dress in place, pressing it to her body, my fingertips skimming inside the zipper and grazing over the newly exposed skin of her back. She moaned loudly and broke off the kiss. My mouth never left her skin as I started a trail of kisses on her neck, tasting and leaving marks on the skin there.
My other hand pushed the coat of off her shoulders. She unwrapped her arms from my waist and pulled her back off of the wall to let the coat fall to the floor. When her arms came back to my body, she was pushing the jacket off of my shoulders. I complied and shrugged it off, being careful not to let her dress fall off yet. I bent down slightly for one of my arms to reach her legs, so I could wrap them around me. She followed my lead and soon enough her long legs were both wrapped around my hips.
I heard her pant heavily as I bit down her neck smoothly, my fingertips still tracing patterns on the skin of her back. She spoke then.
"Edward…" She panted. "Upstairs."
I nodded to her neck and held her tightly against me as I rushed up the stairs. As we entered the room, I let her down and kept kissing her. Her hands ran to my shirt, pulling it out of my pants and undoing the buttons. I felt it hang open from my shoulders and I shrugged it off. Her hands caressed my bare arms and back and made me shiver and moan into the kiss.
Then I moved away the hand that was holding the dress in place. It fell and pooled around her feet. I broke the kiss to look at her. I almost felt my eyes pop out of their eye-sockets. Lace. Royal blue lace. I growled lightly as my eyes roamed through the beautiful body in my arms, stopping in her flushed face. One of my hands held her face in place as I kissed her cheek over and over again showing her my affection.
"You're so beautiful." I whispered in her ear, nibbling on her earlobe. "I love that colour on you."
She moaned as her nails dug into my back in a painless pleasure. I skimmed along the skin of her neck and pushed her backwards until the back of her knees touched the bed. I looked up at her as I held her tight so she wouldn't fall, and leaned her on the bed slowly, my eyes never leaving hers.
I kicked off my shoes and socks and hovered over her body as her hands flew to my pants, undoing my belt and throwing it aside. I pushed my body on top of hers then, pushing my hips onto hers, both moaning at the friction.
"Do you feel that?" I hissed through my teeth, "Do you feel what you do to me, Bella?" I asked, my eyes smouldering into hers.
She nodded, her brown eyes burning in an amberish tone now. I pulled her arms onto my neck and kissed her again. My hands roamed through her body, running the same path my eyes had before.
She broke the kiss and started nibbling at the sensitive skin on my shoulder and neck, making me moan.
My fingertips ran senseless patterns on her flat stomach and climbed up to her strapless blue lace bra covered breasts. I grazed her breasts above the underwear, feeling her nipples grow harder at the contact. She moaned and arched her back. I took advantage of that moment to reach her back and unclasp the piece of clothing, throwing it aside. My mouth left open mouthed kisses from her jaw to her breasts. There, I took first one nipple and then the other in my mouth, hearing her squirm in pleasure.
My hands caressed her sides thoroughly, reaching down until they found the edge of her lacy blue boyshorts, and tugged on it lightly. Still hovering above her, I looked at her, and she looked back at me with desire filling her eyes. She smiled up at me and caressed my hair in an encouraging gesture.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled the underwear off and threw it aside. She tugged on the hem of my black pants.
"Too much clothes on." she whispered as she undid the button and pushed the pants off of me.
I pushed my body on top of her once more, kissing her roughly. One of my hands ran between our bodies until it found her core. My fingertips rubbed the sensitive skin of her wet folds, making her gasp and broke the kiss apart to let out a loud, guttural moan.
I would've kept on teasing her, but I couldn't take it anymore. Not after that.
I took the tight boxers off, sighing contently as I found myself free from the prison the fabric had over me. I hovered over her once more, my arms wrapping around her waist. One of her hands flew to my hair, her fingers tangling in the bronze mess, the other held me firmly by the shoulders, her nails digging lightly into my skin.
I positioned myself on her entrance, moving my hips in a circular motion, our sexes rubbing together and increasing the pleasure incredibly.
"Shit, Edward, Please…" She squirmed as her nails dug in deeply into my shoulder.
I complied and entered her slowly, burying my face in her shoulder, a purr-like sound forming in my throat.
I stood still for a while, my body getting accustomed to her after all this while. Then, her hips started moving against mine. I hissed against her shoulder, and she was the one who purred this time.
I started pushing in and out, slowly at first, then picking up pace and rhythm. Our hips would meet in each thrust, driving us both closer and closer to the edge. I felt my release coming, and growled hardly onto her hair.
"Fuck, I'm, Ugh…" I couldn't even form coherent sentences.
She understood either way "I'm so close too, Edward," she whispered-moaned into my ear, nibbling my earlobe a little and then pulling back.
I lift my head up as my thrusts came more and more powerful. My eyes took in the pleasured face of my wife, her head falling back as she whispered my name with each thrust. I groaned at the sight and attacked her lips. As I kissed her senseless, my fingertips brushed her skin lightly.
She wrapped her legs around my hips and swallowed my moan as my hands ran through her outsider tights and took place in her hips, pushing her up at me with each thrust. She broke the kiss and held me tighter, her lips right beside my ear as screamed my name out loud when she reached her orgasm.
"God! Edward!" She yelled, arching her back sharply.
"That's right." I purred in her ear "Say my name." I added in an almost too harsh tone.
"Edward, Edward, Edward…" She whispered again and again as I kept thrusting into her, trying to make her climax last longer and trying to reach my own.
Soon enough, I reached my release. "Fuck, Bella, Fuck!" I hissed, clenching my teeth and shivering as the deeply missed electric current ran through my whole body, and let myself fall on top of her.
Neither of us moved as our breathing regulated. Her hands still clutched into my hair and shoulders and my own fingers still dug in her hips.
I buried my face in the sea of mahogany hair, the soft scent of strawberries mixing up with my alcoholised breath.
Just then, images started running through my head. Her coming back at three in the morning, smelling like alcohol, strawberries and aftershave, the way I would hold her while she slept, getting accustomed to her new scent, and finally, the images of today, the images of her and her lover together.
I groaned as I pulled out of her and out of the bed. I threw on the black pants and the shirt over my shoulders.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm leaving." I said bluntly, turning my back on her. I heard shifting on the bed as I moved to the door. She was in my way in less than a second, dressed in her fluffy bathroom rope, blocking my way, a worried expression plastered on her face.
Her eyes were teary. "Why?" she whispered.
I sighed and grabbed her by the waist, moving her away form the door. She yelped as she felt her feet leaving the ground, but wasn't able to stop me again as I climbed down the stairs.
"Edward, wait!" she called behind me.
Then I felt a set of delicate fingers pull me around forcefully. She was looking up at me, the same question she asked before now a silent plead in her eyes. I sighed.
"I can't do this, Bella. I'm tired of the fear of loosing you and I am surely not selfless enough to share you with anyone." my green, dim eyes smouldered into hers.
Tears whelm up her eyes as she looked directly into mine.
"What are you talking about…?" She asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I say I can't live like this Isabella, I'm sorry." I said as I held her close to me.
Her tears fell and ran freely down my bare chest. After a while, I pulled back and kissed her forehead.
"But Edward, you said it was okay…" She whispered "What… Why…"
Then, some kind of comprehension dawned on her. "You didn't… You didn't read..." She trailed off, her face twisting in pain before she looked down.
"What…?" I asked.
Before I could react, a big, stinging slap ran across my face. I cupped my cheek, surprised, gawking at Bella.
Her face was contorted, her fists clenching. I couldn't pick up what emotion showed the most, the anger or the pain. She was panting, clenching and unclenching her fists, her jaw tight. "Get, the fuck, out of here." She whispered as tears streamed down her face.
Next thing I knew, Bella practically ran to the door, and opened it widely for me.
"OUT, NOW!" She screeched, pointing at the exit.
I walked to her and kissed her forehead. She slapped me again and pulled away, pushing me to the exit. As I stood in the threshold, I took in the last image I would have of her, the one that would hunt me forever:
She, so beautiful and yet so broken; the marks in her skin from when we just made love, her lips still slightly swallowed and her curled up hair a mess, all that contrasting to the dark streaks of tears that rolled down her face and her clenched teeth and fists in anger. As I took her in, she threw the door closed in my face.
I heard a low thud against the door, and then a softer one that send vibrations in the floor. The next thing I heard broke my heart –her desperate, tearful cries as she whispered my name, her voice filled with heartbreaking pain. Soon enough, I followed her lead as my eyes started watering and my throat started aching while I ran away from the only place I could ever call home; my wife, my Bella.
IMPORTANT NOTICE 1ª: I'm thinking about posting a Bella's side of the story. What do you think? I posted a poll on my profile for you to decide, so go check it. You'd probably want to wait for ASA's last chapter to come out though, but as you wish.
IMPORTANT NOTICE 2ª: We all know how most men know nothing about clothes, so I couldn't actually describe very well Bella's outfit for the sake of Edward's manhood to stay put. But, worry not, since I have posted the links to Bella's dress and such on my profile as well! So, go check on that also. (:
AN: Oh well, that's just about it for Strawberries. Next and final chapter is Aftershave. Yes everybody, ASA is almost over.
For those who resent the lemon, I'm sorry. But there was a warning, and the story just went that way really. It just felt right.
For those who don't resent it, tell me, how was it? This was my first lemon in English.
Anywho. How 'bout you reviewing this chapter? How wonderful would that be?
You know you'll get a special treat for every review and reviewer you bring here, right? Just a reminder, I'm not pressuring anyone... (gives a sheepish grin)
Out of the sweetness of thy heart, review please, my lovelies!
Cheers!
Cacheli.