Really? Still no review? *pouts* Doesn't anyone like this story? I like it...
As always, I don't own any of these characters because they belong to Stephenie Meyer and her publishers.
More Than Words - Chapter Three - Ain't That Sweet
If it's love
Then I feel like I'm floating
Through my world without knowing who's there
If it's love someone slap me
Is this me that's so happy
If it's love then I'm laughing like I don't care
If it's love then that's why I am feeling so strange
If it's love
Then I need it forever
"Hi sweety! How was your date?" she asked excitedly.
I took a deep breath and exhaled deeply into the phone.
"Was that a good huff or a bad huff?"
"Mom? I think I'm in love."
EPOV
I couldn't believe how intense this feeling was so quickly. It was like as soon as I'd say I loved her out loud, everything had changed. As much as I didn't want to be away from her before, now I felt physically sick when I didn't see her. I just kept finding excuses to call her, practically pleading to hang out. It probably didn't sound desperate to her because she didn't know the intensity behind the need that had formed into these requests.
"Oh, hey! I just saw the funniest thing and I wanted to tell you about it, but I forgot what it was while the phone was ringing," I'd say, sounding like a teenage girl calling her crush.
"Okay?" she'd say accusingly.
"Do you want to go get coffee or have lunch or something?" I'd ask, thinking I'd been clever.
"Uh, ya. I think I can get away between classes. Can we meet up in like an hour?" she'd sort of whisper into the receiver.
"I'll be outside when you're done!" I'd reply, ecstatic she hadn't called me out on my fishy behavior.
I was doomed. Every day I'd been calling her with some ridiculous reason that never made sense and I'd just ask her out, no segway needed. She'd said yes every time which was great because I wasn't sure what I'd do if she said no. I'd probably stalk her apartment or something until she heard strange noises outside, noticed it was me and called the police. Or maybe she'd see it was me and invite me in for a movie or something? What was I saying?
I'd already spoken with my mother at great length about these new feelings. She'd given me the impression that my feelings were unimportant unless I spoke to Bella about how she felt about me. That was much to embarrassing a conversation in my head that I couldn't even bring myself to speak the words. If I told Bella I loved her and she said she loved me back, then we'd have to go farther into this unknown territory that was terrifying me so much. If I told Bella I loved her and she didn't love me back then I'd never see her again and that thought always left me gasping for air.
My last class for the day had just been let out and it was officially the beginning of spring break. I hoped like hell that I could spend most of it with Bella. Without even thinking of the time and where she might be, I called her right away.
"Hey, this is Bella. I'm either in class or my battery died so leave me a message and I'll talk to you later!"
Fuck.
"Hey, Bella. Its Edward. I just got done with my classes for the day so I thought I'd call. Do you want to hang out tonight? Or tomorrow? Or this week or something? I'd really like to hang out if that's what you want. So I, uh, um, I'll wait for you to call me? Bye."
What? I sounded like a clingy virgin or something. She was going to flee and there wasn't anything I could do to stop her. I was in too deep and still falling fast.
BPOV
I just had one class to go and then it was time for spring break. Leah, Jake, Seth and I were planning on driving down to Florida for spring break but Sue had said Seth and Jake were too young to go and Leah and I could not afford the trip on our own. Since our group plan was ruined, Leah was going out to some club with some of her friends and had invited me to go as well.
"I don't know if that's a great idea, Leah. Don't you remember last time?" I said. My thoughts wandering to a long night not too long ago.
"Bella! If you're going to keep bringing it up than we can't pretend it never happened! We're going to go to that new club- Hell Raisers or something like that. We'll probably get there around ten or so if you want to meet up."
"We'll see. Leah, I've got to get into class. I'll talk to you later. Love you!"
"Alright. Love you too!" she said.
As I hung up and was getting ready to shut off my phone, I saw that Edward was calling me, again. It was already too late for me to answer I realized as my phone shut off. I'd just call him after class. It was a little strange that he was calling me a few times a day, but I loved hearing his voice and hanging out with him so I didn't think much of it.
My class was boring and seemed to drag out, but when it was over I turned on my phone and saw I had two voicemails.
"Hey, Bella. Its Edward. I just got done with my classes for the day so I thought I'd call. Do you want to hang out tonight? Or tomorrow? Or this week or something? I'd really like to hang out if that's what you want. So I, uh, um, I'll wait for you to call me? Bye."
He sounded so desperate to see me. Like he didn't care when, where or for how long we saw each other as long as it happened. I deleted the message and went on to listen to the next.
"Bella!" Leah's voice whined into my ear. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please come out with me tonight, please? We never get to hang out just us girls and you know I'll get into trouble without you and my mom will be so sad that you weren't there to keep me from doing something stupid! Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, ple-"
The voicemail cut her pleading off. I couldn't believe her playing the Sue card like that, knowing it was my only weakness, but I really did want to hang out with Edward. I could call and invite him out too. Maybe he would help us from a repeat of the last time when Leah and I went out.
I dialed his number. I swear the phone didn't even ring before he answered.
"Hey! I was just thinking about you!" he said sounding a little guilty.
"Oh?" I said. "Sorry I didn't answer your call before. I was just shutting my phone off and heading into my last class. What's up?"
"So you're done for the week?" I thought I heard him mumble something about 'finally' and 'luck' but I didn't press it any further.
"Yep. Free from school for seven days!"
"Me too!"
"I know. You told me already that you guys had spring break next week too. Anyway, my sister, Leah, and I were heading out to this new club tonight with some of her friends and I thought, since you wanted to hang out, that maybe you'd like to come too?"
"Defini- I mean, ya, sure, I could probably make it there," he said.
I'm sure at that point he was trying to hide how excited he was so I tried to give him back a little dignity. "That's fantastic! I'm so glad!"
We planned on him meeting us there and I thought I should probably give Leah a head's up.
"Bella? Please, please, please, ple-"
"Shut up, Leah! I'm coming! And I invited Edward to join us there."
"Edward? You're boyfriend?"
"Not technically," I said sheepishly. "We've been talking and hanging out for a little over a month, but we haven't had a talk about exclusivity or anything."
"Uh huh?"
"And don't you think that's strange? I mean, if you're hanging out with someone that long and kissed them a few times, wouldn't you have tried to have that talk with them? Especially before you agree to go out to a night club with them? What was I thinking?" I admitted out loud.
"Bella?" Leah said.
"Yes, Leah?" I exhaled.
"You're babbling about your not-relationship with your not-boyfriend. Why don't you just talk to him? Maybe he's embarrassed about his feelings and afraid to talk to you? You can be kind of intimidating sometimes, you know?"
"Relationship advice from you, Leah? Even if it it's a not-relationship, you have to admit that it's a little funny."
Leah had had a lot of one-night stands and a couple of boyfriends for a week at a time, but she kept it loose and fun and didn't worry about forming an emotional connection with someone.
"Well, you know? Why look for Mr. Right when you can be with Mr. Right Now?"
"Riiiight... Or not. It isn't even that I really mind that we haven't had any talk about it, but give me something to work with, you know? If he doesn't like me like that, than why can't he just say 'let's be friends, okay?' and that would be the end of it. Instead I'm getting strung along with no signs of what's coming. Seriously, what the fuck?"
"Men are stupid," Leah offered.
"Men ARE stupid! I should just forget I even asked him there and just have fun!"
"That's the spirit!"
EPOV
My heart was racing when Bella had returned my call. She asked me out and we were meeting up that night. Now I just had to find something to take my mind off of her and waiting to see her for five more hours.
I decided on calling my brother-in-law because they were still an hour behind me and he worked at home so he could watch the kids after school.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Jasper. It's Edward. How have you been?"
"Hey, man! Good. Good. I'm keeping busy. Kids are playing outside and I'm waiting for Alice to get home so we can eat. How are you?"
"Just missing you guys and checking in. I've been talking to Mom quite a bit lately and it made me miss my family."
"Ain't that sweet and shit? Seriously, dude, are you drunk?"
"Fuck you. I can miss my family if I want. It gets lonely out here by myself."
"Edward, you know I love you, man. I'm just giving you shit. Relax. Seriously, what's got you so wound up?" Jasper asked.
"Bella."
"Who? Alright. Out with it. Who is Bella?"
We spoke on the phone for over an hour about this crazy intense feeling and the way I felt like I wasn't getting enough air if I wasn't with her. Jasper was supportive, like he knew what I needed to hear and genuinely cared about my brewing relationship.
"It sounds like love, man. I remember when I first saw Alice. Knew she was the one for me from the beginning, but it took awhile for me to convince her."
"But Alice was gushing over you from day one?" I said, a little confused.
"Ya! We all know that now!" he laughed. "But we didn't get each other on the same page for months! It was agonizing! I used to send her flowers, buy her presents all the time, take her out to movies and anything else I could think of to make sure she was thinking of me. The whole time she was just trying to get me to talk to her, but we were both too chicken shit to just say what we were feeling. Have you talked to her about what you're feeling?"
"No," I mumbled. "Fuck. No... I should! I should just spit it out of my stupid mouth but I don't think I can handle her not reciprocating those feelings so instead I just stalker call her everyday."
"Stalker call her? Dude, you've got to lay off and grow some balls!"
"Baby, who are you talking to?" I heard Alice say in the background.
"Edward. He's having girl troubles," Jasper snorted.
I heard them whispering and what sounded like kissing when he came back on the line. "Your sister wants to talk to you."
"Okay?"
"Edward?"
"Hey, Alice."
"Oh my gosh, Edward! My little baby brother is in love! This is so great! What's her name? How long have you guys been together? When do I get to meet her? Are you going to get married? What does she look like?" Alice gushed.
"Um. Bella. We aren't really, but that's my fault. I'm not sure. Unknown again. And like a perfect angel."
More whispering. I hate it when they do the all-knowing married couple thing on me.
"Edward. You've got to tell her you like her at the very least or you'll find her moving on and you'll be stuck in the friend zone. And you'd better do it quick because we have a surprise!"
"Surprise?"
"We're moving! And we're only going to be about an hour away from you! Isn't that exciting?"
"That's great! I was just telling Jazz that I was really missing you guys. I haven't seen my niece and nephew in months! When are you moving?"
"Not for a few months yet. Mom and Dad don't even know yet so don't tell them. I've got it all planned out how I'm going to tell them so I'll know if you told because it'll be ruined. Promise me you won't tell?"
"Ya, I promise."
"That's a good brother. Now go get ready for your date and love talk. Love you!"
"I love you, too."
Three more hours to go...
I didn't want to get to the club right at ten so I waited in my car about a block away and searched for signs of Bella's arrival like a real stalker...
Around ten-thirty, I got a text from Bella.
From Bella Swan:
Are you coming?
From Me:
Almost there.
From Bella Swan:
Good. Hurry up! ;)
I started my car and drove to the club's very crowded parking lot. Luckily, when I was pulling up, there was someone leaving that had a parking spot pretty close to the door which I promptly pulled into.
I paid the cover charge and walked into the club, searching, almost frantically, for Bella. The club was pretty dark save for some laser lights of different colors around the dance floor and some neon lights surrounding the bar. The back wall of the dance floor was covered in mirrors which made the room look massive. There were four raised boxes spread out on the dance floor for the bolder of people to dance on.
I walked over to the bar, still scanning the dance floor for any signs of Bella.
"What can I get you?" a cute bartender asked.
"Beer. Any kind."
"Tap or bottle?"
"Bottle, please."
"Three dollars."
I exchanged my money for the drink and turned to continue looking through the many, many faces when I spotted her. She was up on one of the raised boxes and looked beyond magnificent. She was wearing some tight black leather pants and a low-cut black shimmering top that was tied behind her neck and twice behind her back leaving her back exposed. Her hair was loose and wild while her skin was flushed from the crowded room and dancing. I uncomfortably adjusted my jeans and pushed my way through to her.
"Bella! Bella" I yelled, finally getting her attention.
She hopped down from the box and leaped up to hug me.
"Edward! This is Leah, my sister," she said, pointing to another young woman on the box. "And... I have no idea who that guy that she's making out with is!" she laughed.
I could tell she'd already been drinking so her inhibitions were down. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. I wanted to talk to her when she could comprehend what I was trying to say.
"Well, I guess I'll introduce her to you later seeing as she's busy." Noticing my beer, she said, "can I have a drink of that? I'm crazy thirsty!"
I handed her my beer and watched her perfect, full lips wrap around the lip of my beer bottle and take a sip. She was so damn beautiful.
"You look beautiful!" I yelled at her above the thumping music.
"Thanks," she said cautiously. "Do you want to dance?"
"Kay."
Just as we started to move, the music got slower. She swayed sexily in front of me, giggling and turning around so her back was facing me. Reaching back for my hand, she pulled me closer to her. She moved her body against mine and reached up to put her hands in my hair to pull my face near her neck. Leaving one hand around my neck, she moved her other hand down and moved it all over her body while rubbing against me.
When did we get to this point? I wanted nothing more than to kiss her neck and let my hand follow hers over her breasts, down her side to her thigh and back, but I didn't know if we were at that 'kissing-all-over-is-good' stage yet. I didn't want to overstep my bounds in any way and make her uncomfortable. Her lips let a moan escape that I couldn't hear so much as felt through her body. I swayed a little, letting her do her thing without just standing there like an idiot. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her flushed skin. There was so much showing for everyone to see.
When the music's tempo picked up again a few songs later, she turned and looked at me with cloudy eyes.
"Can you get me a drink, Edward? Tequila sunrise? Please?"
"Sure. Are you sure you'll be okay here alone?" I asked, totally forgetting her sister was standing right there.
She tipped her head slightly and gave me a look that I couldn't place before she smiled and pointed at her sister and the now two guys she was dancing with.
"I'll be right back," I said.
While I was waiting for her drink, I turned to watch Bella. She was grinding with her sister up on the box again with a guy on either side of them. I couldn't help but feel my hands and jaw clench when the guy behind Bella started to grab her hips while they were dancing. That was my Bella and he was touching her. I stood there, waiting for her to push him off of her, but she didn't. She just kept on dancing, totally oblivious to this guy practically fucking her on the dance floor.
I paid for her drink and practically ran back out to her.
She saw me and reached down for her drink and took an adorable sip through the straw before reaching down for my hand to pull me up on the box. Luckily, there was only really room for four people at best up there so the guy that had been all over her had to get down and I felt my protective instinct relax just a little bit.
Bella turned around so she was facing me and pulled me closer to her so she could grind on me instead and her sister got right up behind her and the other guy got right up behind her sister so I had no choice but to push and grind back or be pushed off of the box. She smiled seductively and got into her dancing more. If she'd been any closer to my crotch, she would've felt that I had half a hardon already. How did she have that effect on me? I haven't started to get hard in public in years!
Luckily, I was already flushed from the heat of the crowd and dancing that no one could notice that I was blushing from embarrassment as well.
While I limited myself to three beers all night because I was driving home, Bella and her sister didn't seem to know a limit. Guys, and even some girls, were buying them shots all night. She never got belligerent or started taking her clothes off on the floor, but she was getting pretty grabby with everyone around her, myself included.
Around one-thirty, when the bar staff started calling out last call, Bella looked at me with her dark brown eyes.
"Will you drive me home? I don't want to take a cab with Leah and that guy," she said, looking at yet another guy that her sister was making out with.
"Sure."
She went over to tell her sister she was leaving and came back over.
Grabbing my ass, she said, "alright! Let's get my drunk ass home!"
I wasn't surprised at her touch this time because she'd been doing that kind of stuff for the last part of the evening, but that didn't make it excite me any less.
Our drive was quiet, probably because she was starting to pass out, and we arrived at her apartment without incident. I turned off my car and got out to help her up to the door of her apartment, stumbling a bit. She started to lean against the wall and frowned.
"Are you okay?"
"Yep!" she said. "But... My key is under this plant thingy over here and I think if I bend over to get it that I'm going to puke."
"Let me get it for you," I said as I moved around her and lifted the pot to reveal a key.
I put the key in the lock and turned the handle to let her into her apartment.
"Will you help me, Edward? I don't think I can get into bed by myself. Pleeease?" she whined in the sexiest tone ever.
"I'll help you to bed and then I'm leaving, okay?"
She pouted at my response but nodded in agreement.
I swore I wouldn't put her into an uncomfortable position, and while she currently seemed more upset and me not staying with her, I knew she'd regret the drunken encounter in the morning as much as the blood flow below my waist wanted to convince me otherwise.
She leaned against me and I helped her take her heels off. We stumbled up the stairs and into her bedroom. I couldn't help but take in the surroundings. She had one brilliantly red wall in an otherwise white room. There were pictures of sultry, red-stained lips on one of the white walls and all types of couples kissing on the one directly across from it. Her bed was centered on the red wall and her closet was opposite that. Covering her king size, four poster bed were a matched red and gray comforter set. There were clothes littering her bed and floor that had obviously been tossed aside while getting ready to go out. I was a little excited to see that she'd gone through so many outfits before meeting me.
"This needs to come off," she said, directing my gaze to her clothing. "Come here and help me, Edward. You'll help me get out of these pesky clothes, won't you?"
I groaned inwardly. It wasn't that I didn't want to eventually get her naked, but this sexy creature in front of me was the one woman I'd ever wanted forever with. Any other drunk woman and I would've had her clothes off in the car.
"Bella, I don't think that's the greatest idea. You've been drinking and-"
She reached up and pulled me down to her, connecting her hungry lips with mine. I darted my tongue out and ran it across her lips as she opened them. Massaging her tongue with mine, I could taste the alcohol in her mouth. She explored my mouth with her tongue and layed us down on her bed. I held myself up on one arm and moved the other one up her side and around her back, feeling her bare skin there. She was the softest thing I'd ever touched. What was I doing?
Suddenly she broke our kiss and pushed me aside to run into the bathroom where I heard her emptying her stomach contents into the toilet. Taking in a deep breath to calm myself, I went in after her and held her hair back, noticing that the ties to her shirt had started to come loose and I could see the side of her breast.
"Hair tie in the cabinet," she said into the toilet.
I reached over her and retrieved the hair tie from the cabinet and pulled her hair up in it.
When it seemed she was done throwing up, I helped her back into her bed, tucking her under her covers right away to avoid a second go at our kissing. She fell asleep almost immediately, so I kissed her forehead and went home for an extremely cold shower.
The next morning around eleven, I returned with coffee and Ibuprofen. She answered the door in an extremely small camisole and very short hot pants. Seeing it was me, she let me in and found a hoodie to cover her exposed torso.
"I brought the perfect hangover remedy- coffee and asprin. Thought you might need it," I grinned as I handed it to her.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
We sat there in silence for a while as the tension rose, unbeknownst to me. I wasn't expecting a talk now after the night we'd had, but she apparently had other ideas.
"What the fuck are we doing?" she asked incredulously.
"I'm sorry?"
"You. Me. Is this a thing? What the fuck are we doing?"
Well? What say you, readers? This was a long chapter for me! I just couldn't find a good stopping point... And I already started writing chapter four... so if you leave me some nice reviews, I may post it early... Just saying... 3
