The Right Path to Love
Chapter 2 – Edward Masen
BPOV
The next week is Hell. Mom barely talks to me. She's still angry that I went to go see Charlie without her knowing. Hell, I think she would still be mad even if she did know. She literally hates the man, but I can't understand why.
Charlie called and offered for me to come live with him until I go to college. After thinking it over for a few days and discussing it with Mom, I told him I would. Mom, of course, was not happen in the slightest. She doesn't want me to move in with him. She wants me to stay here and go to college here.
I don't see why she thinks I would want to stay here when I don't know whether anything she tells me is the truth or a lie. Then again, I don't know if Charlie has told me the truth, but why would he lie? He has no reason to lie to me and he seems like an honest man.
I walk through the door and am immediately bombarded by Mom's questions.
"Were you trying to give me a heart attack? What did I do to deserve you treating me like this?" she cries.
"What did I do to deserve you lying to me about my father?" I yell. "You had no right to lie to me!"
"Phil is more of a father than Charlie Swan ever will be!" she yells back.
"But he's not my father just like you're not Lillie's mother!" Mom shakes her head and walks away looking hurt.
I'm on my way back from shipping out my boxes to Washington. Mom won't let me take the car. I bought it so why should I let you take it if you're moving out? Is her reasoning. She's giving the car to Lillie instead. Lillie and Phil haven't talked to me either. Phil got offended because I said he wasn't my father and Lillie is naturally taking his side.
I pull into the driveway and walk out into the warm sun. I walk up to the porch and into our large house.
"Mom, are you taking me to the airport?" I call. She comes out of the kitchen with her care keys. I pick up my final bag and my carryon and we walk out to her Jeep.
When we pull into the airport I turn to her.
"I love you," I say.
"Love you too," she says without looking at me.
I get out of the car and walk into the airport. Soon enough I'm boarding my plane.
EPOV
Riley holds the blunt out to me making my mouth water. I want so badly to bring it to my lips and take a pull of the sweet smoke. To feel the familiar numbness I get from the high.
"You know I can't do that shit, and you shouldn't be doing it either," I smack his hand away.
"Hey, just 'cause you're goin' straight don't mean I have to," he says as he takes another pull.
"Your probation probably disagrees with you," I remind.
"Bro, it's not like they'll come patrollin' my back yard," Riley rolls his eyes. Alice's words come back to me. He's only holding you back.
"Whatever, I'm out," I say as I stand up from the picnic table.
"Fuckin' pussy," he chortles. I shove his shoulder and tell him to fuck off before lighting up a cigarette and leaving. I get into the Volvo and drive to the high school where Alice is waiting with the brunette I saw last week. She's even more gorgeous up close. Her eyes are huge, eyelashes long, lips full and pouty.
"Edward," Alice grins as they walk towards the car. "This is Bella; she's new here. She's Chief Swan's daughter." Ah, Chief Swan. The man hates my guts. He's the one that arrested me for the stolen car.
I smile slightly at her and she blushes and looks away.
"Alice, I'll see you later," Bella says before walking away.
"Bye Bella," she waves before getting into the car.
"When did she move here?" I ask as I watch her walk away in my side-view mirror. Her jeans hug her mouthwatering hips and I can't seem to remove my eyes from her ass.
"This weekend. She's from Phoenix."
"Imagine what the Chief will say when she tells him about you. The first thing he'll think of is me," I say sourly.
"You're not a bad person, Edward."
"My criminal records will tell you otherwise," I grumble.
BPOV
Charlie picks me up from the airport and we drive to his house.
"I don't have many rules," he says and looks and me briefly. "Just be home at a decent time and if you're not coming home for the night just let me know." As an afterthought he adds, "And I don't want you hanging around Edward Masen. He's nothing but trouble."
"I don't know who that is," I shake my head. "But I'll do my best," I add with a small smile. He smiles in approval.
A few hours later we arrive at Charlie's house. We walk inside and I go up to the guest room, which has taken a total transformation. The once gray walls are now a deep purple with one wall being light purple. The bedspread was changed from a white fluffy one to a purple floral one. There's a desk in the corner by the window and a dresser against the far wall.
"I hope this is okay," Charlie says from the doorway. "I didn't know how to decorate and the lady at the store told me to get this," he shrugs.
"It's fine," I assure him with a smile. He leaves me to unpack the few belongings I have.
XOXO
It's my first day at school and it's already starting off horribly. I'm waiting in the office for my schedule as I have been for the last ten minutes. She's on the phone with what seems to be an angry parent while I sit in one of the burnt orange plastic chairs. Damn they're uncomfortable.
Once she's finally off the phone I become a priority.
"May I help you?" she asks. I walk up to the front desk to the short plump woman. She kind of reminds me of the secretary from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Except for the fact she's wearing pink framed glasses.
"Yeah," I say. "Today's my first day. I need my schedule."
"Oh, you must be Miss Swan," she says in a soft voice. I smile slightly and nod. She types away on her computer and then clicks the mouse a little, types some more, and then more clicks. Finally the printer starts spitting out my schedule. She hands the paper to me, I say thanks and then walk out of the office.
"Okay, Swan," I sigh to myself. "First class: British Literature, room two thirty-four." I walk through the hall, hoisting my bag farther onto my shoulder. Students walk past me, sneaking glances, gossiping to their friends. I hear the words chief and Isabella over and over. I walk up a stairwell and down a few more halls until I get to the classroom.
By lunch I'm starting to question why I decided to move. I walk into the cafeteria and every eye is on me. I walk into the line and it becomes quiet as everyone looks at me. I pretend not to notice as I pick up a can of Coca Cola and a side salad. I pay for my lunch and make my way out of the cafeteria as quick as I can. I find an empty hallway and sit down before tackling my lunch.
My cell phone vibrates in my pocket and I take it out. Jess is calling me.
"Hey," I answer before shoving some lettuce into my mouth.
"Hey, how's your first day?"
"Honestly?" I mumble around the food.
"Duh," she says and I can almost see her eyes rolling.
"It sucks," I say and shovel more lettuce into my mouth.
"Why?"
"This town is so small I've obviously been the gossip the past week. No one even knows me but they know about me. All I hear is Isabella and all I see is everyone staring at me. It sucks. Can I come back there and be invisible again?"
"Please," she scoffs. "You've never been invisible and you know it."
"Well at least no one stares back in Phoenix," I mumble. I chug half the can of pop.
"Excuse me," a girl says as she walks up.
"Hey, Jess, I'll call you later," I say before hanging up.
"Yeah?" I ask. The girl standing in front of me is surprisingly one I haven't seen yet. She looks like she isn't even five foot. Her long black hair is pulled into a ponytail with a few strands framing her face. Her eyes are blue and pop out in contrast to her light skin.
She comes to sit next to me.
"I'm Alice," she holds her hand out to me. I stare at it blankly before shaking it.
"Bella," I reply.
"I know," she quips lightly. "Then again, everyone knows that," she adds.
"You're the first one to actually introduce yourself though," I say.
"Not everyone here is as rude as they seem," she notes. "Some are actually tolerable."
"I'm just not used to all the stares," I shrug.
"They'll stop staring," she assures me. I shove another forkful of salad into my mouth. "Where'd you move here from?"
"Phoenix."
"What made you move out here?" she asks, shocked.
"My dad lives out here," I say around a mouthful of lettuce.
"Wait, Bella Swan. You're Chief Swan's daughter?" she asks with realization in her voice.
"Yeah," I nod.
"The whole town has heard about you!"
"Great," I groan.
"Listen, there's this party Friday," she says, changing subjects. "Want to go?"
"Sure?"
"Great," she grins. "You can come over to my house before the party and then you can crash at mine after too."
"Okay," I nod.
XOXO
After school I walk out to the parking lot with Alice. She's actually really cool if you can look past her insane hyperactive personality. Lucky for her, I like that kind of personality. She and Jess would get along great.
"This is my ride," Alice points to an older model of a Volvo. "Edward," she calls when we get close to the car. "This is Bella; she's new here. She's Chief Swan's daughter," she explains. I can tell he's looking me over through his sunglasses, judging me. One side of his mouth turns up and I smile before looking away and biting my lip. His stare feels harsh and unwelcoming but I find myself wanting to actually look into his eyes and not into his sunglasses.
"Alice, I'll see you later," I say, wanting to get away from his stare, before walking towards home.
"Bye Bella," she waves before getting into the car. Edward speeds off away from the school.
When I'm about halfway to Charlie's, Edward's Volvo pulls up next to me.
"Hey," he calls out through his window. I look at him and he still has those damn sunglasses on. I stop walking.
"Yeah?" I call back.
"Get in," he demands. I arch an eyebrow at him and he sighs irritably. "Please?" he adds impatiently.
"Why?" I question.
"I just want to talk. Come on, I'll drive you home. It looks like it's about to rain anyway." I stand there for a moment debating whether or not it would be smart to get into the car. There's the obvious stranger danger, but he's Alice's brother. I mean, if she trusts him, I can too, right? I decide to get in the car so I walk around and slide in.
He puts the car in drive and starts down the road. He's silent for the first moment and I decide to break the silence.
"Can you take your sunglasses off?" I say at the same time as he says, "You can't tell your father about me."
"What?" we both say in unison. He pulls over in front of my house, which lacks a cruiser because Charlie is still at the station. He takes the glasses off and throws them on top of the dashboard. I finally get a look into his eyes and instantly wish I hadn't opened my mouth. I'm mesmerized by the deep green orbs that are staring back at me.
"You can't tell your father about me," he repeats.
"And why the hell would I tell him about you? You didn't even say a word to me back at the school."
"Alright, then stick to not telling him about me and leave Alice out of your conversations too."
"Whoa, hold up," I scoff. "Why?"
"Because," he says vaguely.
"All right, because that clears things up," I grumble and roll my eyes.
"Did you seriously just fucking roll your eyes?" he asks in disbelief. I just stare out the window towards my house.
"Can I leave?" I ask.
"Only if you tell me you won't tell your dad about Alice and me."
"You haven't given me any reason as to why I shouldn't," I say stubbornly.
"It's complicated, okay?"
"Okay…," I drag out. "Well, I'm going to go." I grab the door handle but Edward locks the door again. "What the hell is your problem?" I yell angrily.
"Tell me you won't tell him," he says with just as much anger.
"Give me a good reason. And none of that because shit!"
"Why do you need a reason?" he groans and runs his hand through his hair. "Can't you just listen to me?"
"I don't even know you!" I say exasperated. "Why the hell should I listen to you when you're giving me bullshit answers?"
"I'm only saying this nice once," he says with an eerily calm voice. "Don't tell your father about Alice or me." With that he unlocks the door again. I open it and get out.
"Asshole," I say before I slam it shut. He barks out a laugh and I turn to glare at him. He makes a show of putting his sunglasses on before pulling away from my house.
I stomp into the house, fuming. I keep mutter under my breath about Edward being an asshole. Who does he think he is coming up to me with those goddamn sunglasses of his and telling me not to tell Charlie about the only friend I made today? What am I supposed to tell him this weekend when I go stay at their house? Shit, I have to stay at Edward Cullen's house. Fuck. My. Life.
EPOV
That girl is driving me insane. She's hot as hell, but just as stubborn. I was planning on playing it cool and being the nice guy that I supposedly am but she made me bring out the asshole attitude.
She's so fucking cute when she's angry though. Once I got her mad I couldn't stop. I wanted to see that pout of hers, or, hell, that goddamn eye roll.
I pull into the driveway at home and walk inside.
"Edward, where did you go?" Alice asks as she comes down the stairs.
"I just had to run the store to pick up a pack," I say, which isn't a lie. Well, not a full lie. I did buy cigs today, but it wasn't when I went out last time. I bought them earlier today. She accepts my answer but I can tell she knows I'm most likely bullshitting her.
I grab a cigarette out of my new pack and walk out to the front porch. I sit in one of the chairs and light the cig before taking a slow pull from it. I hold in the smoke for a moment before blowing it out.
"So what do you think of Bella?" Alice asks as she comes outside.
"I didn't really talk to her, Al," I say before drawing another pull.
"Well she's staying the night Friday. You can get to know her then."
"Why?" I ask. She probably isn't going to want to stay with me around.
"Because she's really cool and nice and I think you'd like her," she says.
"No, not that," I shake my head. "Why is she staying the night?"
"We're going to Newton's party and I figure we'll just crash here."
"Al, do you really think Charlie is going to let her stay here knowing I live here?" I frown. "I hate to tell you this but the guy hates me and probably doesn't want his daughter anywhere near me."
"Just because he hates you doesn't mean he hates me, Edward," she argues. I sigh before pulling from the cig. "Can you put that out? You're going to kill yourself with these," she lectures before pulling the cigarette from between my lips, throwing it on the ground and stepping on it.
"Jesus, Alice, since when do you care that I smoke?"
"I always care, Edward," she says with her hands on her hips. She resembles Esme a lot when she does that.
"That was my first one today," I grumble. She walks inside after that. I grumble under my breath before walking in after her.
BPOV
Friday comes quickly. Alice was right; most people have stopped staring. Some have even come up and talked to me. Alice introduced me to her friends, Rose, Emmett and Jasper. They're all pretty cool. Jasper and Alice are in that awkward stage where they're not technically dating but they're totally sleeping together. Rose and Emmett have apparently been a thing for two years. I have some serious respect for Rose for putting up with Emmett these past two years. It's hasn't even been a week and my head is already spinning at all the shit he pulls.
I joined the theatre program here. I was in the one at my school in Phoenix so I may as well join here, too.
"What do I wear to this party, Al?" I ask as we search through my tiny closet. My closet back home is a walk in so I'm not used to the regular closet here. My clothes are in drawers, hung up, and in boxes.
"Something hot, but not slutty. You don't want to be one of those girls," she mutters as she searches through my clothes. "These jeans," she says as she tosses a pair of skinny jeans onto my bed. "And this shirt," she pulls out a loose fitting blue leopard print tank.
I change into the outfit and pack an overnight back before walking down to Alice's Volkswagen Beetle. We drive to her house so she can change before heading over to the party. It's at Mike Newton's house. He's a creep, but I told Alice I would go. He's asked me at least three times this week if I wanted to sneak under the bleachers with him.
When we get to his huge house the place is literally shaking from music. It's like a college party from the movies, sans guys in togas. There's a huge keg inside, beer bottles and cans, any type of booze you could imagine, and the worst house music ever. I'm not one for house music but I can at least tolerate some of it. This stuff sucks.
We grab a bottle of beer each and find our way to our friends. I internally groan when I see them because there aren't only three people there, but four. And who is that extra you may ask? Well it's the one and only Edward Cullen.
"Arizona!" Emmett calls when he sees me. I don't think he has used my real name more than twice since I've met him. Edward looks over my way before looking back at Jasper, only to look back at me again. Alice and I walk closer to the group where we're greeted.
"Bella, you remember Edward, right?" Alice grins.
"Yeah, he picked you up on Monday," I nod.
"It's nice to see you again," Edward says, the side of his lip turning up slightly. I raise my eyebrows before turning to my friends.
Emmett and Rose are all over each other and Jasper and Alice are flirting.
"Let's go get a drink," Edward says, leaning into my ear so I can hear him over the music. He doesn't give me a chance to decline before pulling me by the arm away from the group.
"Get off me!" I grumble as I struggle against his grip. He finally lets me go before grabbing a Solo cup with piss warm keg beer in it. He offers the cup to me but I hold my bottle up with a sarcastic smirk.
"Tell me, Arizona," he smirks, his tone borderline demeaning. "Where does Daddy think you are right now?"
"Why are you so concerned about what he knows?" I counter.
"Does he know you're with Alice?" he pushes.
"No, he doesn't," I say exasperated. "Why the hell does it matter?"
"Good," he says, ignoring my question. He starts walking away but I grab his arm.
"Answer my question!" I demand. "I answered yours now you have to answer mine."
"I don't have to do anything," he says as he shakes his arm free from my grip. "This party sucks, I'm out." With that he walks away. Asshole. I walk around trying to find somewhere quiet to hang out. I'm not much of a partier. I don't really like being in crowds of drunken high schoolers. Not my scene.
I walk outside to the backyard and sit on an empty picnic bench. There are empty bottles scattered on it that I push aside. I set my feet on the bench party while I sit on the table and take a swig from the beer. I scrunch my nose in distaste but tip the bottle back and chug the rest.
"Whoa there, keep drinking them like that and you won't last long," Mike Newton says as he comes outside.
"This is my only one," I say. I set the bottle on the table and look away from him. He's nice enough, but he just doesn't know when to give up. He hops up onto the table, sitting a little too close, and the smell of his breath gives no subtle hint that he's pretty far gone.
"How about you and me take this party somewhere a little comfier?" he asks.
"I'm perfectly comfy here," I say as I try to discreetly move away from him.
"Wouldn't you be comfier in a bed?" he asks, moving closer.
"Not here I won't," I say.
"I could make it worth your while," he says, trying to sound seductive, as he trails a hand up my leg.
"Stop," I say firmly. "I'm not interested." I push his hand off my leg but it snakes around my waist, pulling me to him.
"Come on, Baby," he says as he juts his bottom lip out. "Just a little ride won't hurt anyone."
"She said she's not interested Newton," Edward's voice calls from the back door.
"What are you doing here, Masen?" Mike groans as he drops his arm. "Bella and I were having a moment." Masen? His name's…wait. Masen. Edward Masen. How could I have not known? Everything he has said to me starts to make sense. Why he wouldn't want Charlie to know about him. But what does that have to do with Alice? Because they're friends? I don't think Charlie would tell me I couldn't hang out with Alice because Edward's her friend.
"She said she's not interested. Now leave her alone before your nose gets broken." Mike gets up and staggers over to Edward. He clumsily pushes Edward's chest but it doesn't budge him. Mike's five-foot-ten-ish body looks pathetic compared to Edward's six-foot plus body.
"You should leave, Masen," Mike says before staggering inside.
"You're Edward Masen," I say dumbly.
"You've heard about me, have you?" he smiles humorlessly.
"What does," I start but can't seem to finish. "Why…" I groan and lay my back on the table. I can't even form a question because I have too many to ask. "Fuck," I grumble.
"Down that beer too fast?" he chuckles as he comes to stand by my feet. So he was watching me. Which means he saw the whole Mike thing. Anger courses through my body as I sit up.
"You were watching me," I state, not even trying to mask my anger.
"Why would I be watching you?" he scoffs.
"I could have handled Mike," I say as I stand up, our bodies merely an inch from each other. He smells like tobacco and spearmint.
"If I thought that I wouldn't have butt in. It was actually very entertaining to watch," he smirks.
"You're such an asshole," I yell as I shove him. He barely budges so I just keep shoving him and yelling at him. "I didn't need your help! I don't need you to tell me what to do or what to say! Stay out of my business!" After the fourth shove, Edward grabs my hands to stop me. "Let go of me!" I fight against him.
"Calm down," he says in a somewhat calm voice but it's easy to tell he's using a lot of effort to hold back his anger. "You're going to draw attention."
"Maybe that's what I want!" I seethe but then realize that's exactly what I've been trying to avoid this past week. I take a deep breath to try to calm myself.
"Are you tame now?" I don't answer. I just look down at the empty beer bottles. Edward drops my hand and I lean back against the edge of the table.
"You can leave now," I grumble and cross my arms over my chest.
"Thanks for the permission," he sneers. "Bitch," he mutters under his breath before walking away.
"Yeah well, you're not very pleasant yourself," I spit at his retreating body. He doesn't stop walking. I shake my head before walking back into the party.
I meet back up with the gang, who are still caught up in each other. I stand there probably looking like a loner. I sigh before making my way to the kitchen, grab another beer, and go back out to my picnic table. I take a swig of the beer before lying back on the table.
Forks nights are so different from Phoenix nights. In Phoenix I could drive to the outskirts of town and park on the side of a road and lay on the hood of my car, staring up at the stars. In Forks there's a semi-permanent overcast that blocks the view of the stars. I have to admit, I miss them.
"What are you doing out here?" Alice asks as she comes out.
"Enjoying the cloudy sky," I mutter sarcastically.
"Do you want to leave?"
"Sure," I say and sit up. I take another huge gulp of the beer before leaving it. We walk out to her Beetle and drive to her house.
"My bed's not big enough for the both of us so I'll show you where you can sleep," she whispers as we walk into the dark house. She walks into a room and flicks the light on. There's a double sized bed, a worn leather loveseat with a TV in front of it, a desk, and a dresser all crammed into the tiny room. The walls are a deep gray with nothing on them.
"This room's not being used, so you can sleep here. I'll just be down the hall. Last door on the right."
"Thanks," I smile.
"See you in the morning," she smiles before walking out, shutting the door behind her. I strip down to my panties before slipping on an oversized t-shirt. I crawl into bed and am welcomed by the scent of Axe body spray mixed with a hint of spearmint. I cuddle further under the covers, hugging the pillow closer to my body. It doesn't take long before I'm asleep.
EPOV
She's so infuriating, bitchy, stubborn, sexy, adorable, smart. Gah! I can't even think about her flaws without thinking about the good qualities. I barely even know her! And the only times we've talked ended with both of us angry.
I fucking saved her from enduring Newton's drunken lips and she has the nerve to shove me repeatedly? Granted, she's super fucking weak, but still. There was no thank you anywhere in that conversation. I'll admit, though, I liked being that close to her. She smells fantastic; like strawberries and flowers and girly shit.
I ride my bike over to Riley's house and park in front of the house before walking inside. I go into his room where he's watching some shit about the Kardashian's.
"The fuck you watching?"
"I dunno man, but damn, Kim has a fine ass." I scoff at him but silently agree. "What are you doing here? I thought you had some party or shit to go to."
"I went and it sucked so I left. That new girl, Bella, was there."
"Awh man, Chief's most wanted with Chief's most protected. How did that pan out?"
"What makes you think I talked to her?"
"Masen, it's you. If it's got a pussy and breaths, you work your magic and make their panties drop."
"Fuck you," I laugh, but don't deny it.
"It's true man, if I laid half the girls you have, I'd be lucky." I scoff.
"Well, I'm going to head home," I say and stand up.
"The fuck? You just got here," he says.
"It's three in the fucking morning and we have community service at eleven. I'm going to go get some sleep." I walk back out to my bike and head home.
When I get home I head up to my room and flick the light on. a groan in protest coming from my bed startles me. I freeze when the groan turns into a girl's voice.
"Alice, turn off the lights," the voice mumbles. I look at my bed and see a head full of brown hair coming from my pillow. "Lights, Alice," she groans again. I'm too caught up in staring at her tan, bare legs coming out from under the blankets—my blankets—to turn the lights off. "Alice," she says irritably before pushing up onto her forearms. She glares in my direction before her eyes widen in shock. She turns to sit up and pulls the blanket up, clutching it to her body.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she gasps. I raise an eyebrow in disbelief.
"I could ask you the same thing, Doll Face," I retort and cross my arms. She glares at me, expecting an answer. "You're in my bed."
"W-what?" she sputters.
"I thought I was pretty clear," I shrug casually, jutting my bottom lip out.
"Okay, well," she says as she grabs a pair of shorts and starts to get up. Dear God, this woman is not wearing pants. And did I mention she's in my bed?
"Whoa there, Tiger," I say to stop her. No need to see her in her panties if I want to keep my cool. "Sleep there, I don't care."
"Where are you going to sleep?"
"I do have a couch," I say sarcastically and motion to the couch dramatically.
"There's no way in hell you're sleeping on the couch while I'm in your bed," she protests. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes on hers and listening to her when her legs are still exposed.
"Then where do you suggest I sleep?"
"The bed. I'll take the couch." I snort at her response. I may be an asshole but I'm still a gentleman. Well, somewhat. Okay, it's debatable, but in this case I'm going to play the gentleman card.
"Like hell you are," I scoff. Okay, not very gentlemanlike words but hey, at least I tried. "I guess we'll both have to sleep in the bed," I bluff. She stares at me, calculating whether I will actually get in the bed with her or not. Oh Honey, I've done more than just sleep next to a girl in that bed.
"Fine," she says. Fine? She's really calling out my bluff? Damn. I shrug and take off my shirt. I throw it in the corner with the rest of my dirty laundry before unbuttoning my jeans.
"W-what are you doing?" she asks, blatantly staring at my hands, which are at my crotch.
"I sleep in my boxers, Mother Teresa," I say as if it were obvious. Damn, I'm turning into Emmett with all the nicknames.
"Oh," she whispers.
"And don't pretend you're decent under those covers. I know you're not wearing pants." Blush covers her cheeks and she averts her eyes from my crotch. I shut my door before kicking my pants aside to the corner. I turn out the light and walk blindly to my bed, crawling in and feeling the warmth from where Bella was.
I can feel her lying beside me, our backs facing each other.
"Goodnight," I mumble.
"Night," she says quietly. She shifts and her leg touches mine before she moves farther away from me.
"If you move any farther you're going to fall off my bed," I grumble. She doesn't respond but she shifts back to where she was before. I turn so I'm facing her back and am welcomed with the fruity, flowery scent; along with her hair tickling my nose. I move it out of my way and she groans before lifting her head.
"What are you doing?" she asks.
"Your hair was in my face," I answer without opening my eyes. She sighs before lying on her stomach, her head facing me. I open my eyes and am met by hers. "Staring?" I question.
"I don't understand you," she says bluntly.
"Get used to it, Doll." She's quiet for a while.
"Why do you live here?" she asks. I swallow thickly, not sure if I want to answer her. She's still staring into my eyes and it's making it hard to resist. I avert my eyes from her gaze.
"Esme and Carlisle are my foster parents," I say before I can catch myself.
"What happened to your real parents?" she asks, sounding genuinely concerned.
"That, Doll Face, is a story for a different day." With that I rest my forehead against the crook of my arm in hopes she'll get the hint that it's three fucking thirty in the morning and I need to sleep. She sighs but cuddles further into the blankets without saying a word.
BPOV
I wake up to my pillow moving under me. I groan and hold onto it tighter. That's when I realize it doesn't feel like a pillow and I can hear a heartbeat. I open my eyes and see a bare chest. I let go of it and sit up quickly.
"Jesus, are you always this active in the morning?" Edward groans. Oh my god. I slept in Edward Masen's bed last night. Charlie will kill me if he finds out.
"What time is it?" I squeak.
"Ten," he yawns and stretches, his muscles flexing. I look away so I don't get the temptation to stare. Edward throws the covers off, exposing my bare legs in the process.
"Hey!" I complain as I scramble to grab my shorts from the floor and pull them on.
"Seriously, Princess, I think it's a little late to try and be decent. Your legs were all over mine last night."
"More like yours were all over mine."
"Hey, I wasn't the one that was clinging onto you for dear life." I roll my eyes at him. "Will you quit rolling your eyes?" he scoffs.
"Do you have a problem with me rolling my eyes?" I ask sarcastically.
"It's annoying," he says as he stretches. My eyes trail up and down his body against my will. "Now I have to go shower. Care to join?" he winks. I snort.
"In your dreams," I sneer.
"Trust me, Sweetheart," he says as he comes over to me. He leans into my ear and whispers, "In my dreams we would be doing more than just showering." He pulls back and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.
"You're a pervert," I scrunch my nose in disgust. He chuckles before walking out of the room. I wait until I hear the bathroom door shut before walking to Alice's room.
"I am literally going to kill you," I say when I walk in, closing the door behind me.
"Good morning to you, too," she smiles. "Why are you going to kill me exactly?"
"The room I slept in. It was Edward's."
"So?"
"You could have given me a heads up, or at least, you know, told me he lives here! He came in at three in the morning!"
"Oh…I didn't think he was coming home last night," she mutters sheepishly. "Where did he sleep?" I feel the blush rise on my cheeks.
"Did you two…?" she asks, astonished.
"No! No, god no!" I rush out. "We both slept in the same bed though because I wouldn't let him sleep on the couch and he wouldn't let me sleep on the couch. Then he said we both could sleep in the bed so I called his bluff and it turns out he wasn't bluffing," I ramble out quickly.
"He's not going to let you see he's bluffing," she shrugs. "Just don't tell Charlie, okay? I really want him to let you hang out with me but if you tell him about Edward he won't."
"What is with you two and Charlie?" I ask.
"He's told you about Charlie?"
"Told me what? What is there to tell?"
"Edward has to tell you."
"Like that'll happen," I say. I stop myself from rolling my eyes. Alice is looking at me with puppy eyes and I sigh, giving in. "Fine! I won't tell Charlie."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she grins and hugs me.
"But I have to get home so I can go grocery shopping," I say. She hugs me goodbye before I go grab my bag. I walk down the stairs, say bye to Esme, and begin walking home.
I don't know how Charlie survived before I came into his life. The man pretty much has no food in the house ever. He probably ate out most of the time at the diner he's taken me to at least three times since I've gotten here. The food's good there but it's a little greasy to make a living off of.
I have taken it upon myself to make Charlie dinner at night. It's the least I can do in return for taking me in.
Tonight, Charlie and I are eating a simple meal of barbeque chicken and fries.
"So what's the deal with Edward Masen guy?" I ask casually. Charlie stops chewing and looks up at me. "I mean, I still have no clue who he is or why you want me to stay away from him."
"He's trouble. Been arrested and went to juvie for eight months. Gets mixed up in drugs. He's not someone I want you hanging around. He's going no where in life."
"Why did he get arrested?" I push. Charlie sighs and rubs his stubbly chin.
"This isn't something we're going to discuss, Bells. Just stay away from him. He's bad news."
"Okay," I say simply. I chew another bite of chicken before throwing out my next question. "What do you think of Alice Cullen?"
"She's nice enough. Never been in trouble in her life. She lives with Masen though. Well, he lives with her. I'm fine if you hang out with her, just not at her house."
"Charlie, I'm smart enough to not get mixed up with the wrong crowd. Just because I hang out at Alice's house doesn't mean I'll get caught up with Edward. Trust me," I say somewhat pleadingly.
"I do, Bella. It's him I don't trust. He's manipulative and cocky and just plain old trouble."
"Good thing I don't like trouble," I smirk. He laughs slightly.
The rest of our dinner is spent in silence.
Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been sooo busy! I hope you liked this chapter, and this story so far for that matter! Your feedback really helps me when I'm writing!
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Lots of love,
Nikki