A/N: Okay. Plot thickens. I tried to make this chapter longer, so… yeah. Nothing more to say at the moment, though I do have something to say at the end!
3.
As I watched Edward drive away, I knew it would be a long night. I was bound to sleep restlessly, or have dreams riddled with nightmares. That usually happened when Edward wasn't around at night to hold me tight and help me sleep peacefully. But I had worse matters to attend to first; matters that were much, much worse than nightmares.
Charlie was, as I had predicted, sitting in the living room, some game or other illuminating the TV screen. His head snapped up as I entered the small house, and a dish clattered as he stood. He must have already eaten dinner.
"Hey, Bella!" Charlie called from the kitchen as I trudged in. "You look exhausted," He frowned momentarily and stopped the scrubbing of his plate.
"I am tired," I admitted sheepishly as I dropped down into Edward's chair. How was I going to tell Charlie about the wedding? He didn't even like Edward as much as he used to; not since Edward had left me, then returned after a wild goose chase through Europe. The motorcycles Jacob had left on the porch later that day hadn't helped the grounding predicament either. In truth, I had just finished my groundings for everything, and now I had to tell Charlie that I was getting married.
"Did you have fun in Jacksonville?" It didn't really sound like Charlie cared much, seeing as I had chosen gloomy Forks over sunny Florida, and was now safely home.
I just nodded in reply. Fun wasn't the best word to describe the trip, but why lie to Charlie?
"One of my step cousins and some of her friends are staying in Port Angeles for a while," I told Charlie reluctantly; I hoped it sounded more like an off hand tone, rather than a hate-filled tone.
"Really?" Charlie sounded delighted. "Maybe you can drive up to visit them, or they could come here!"
I, once again, only nodded. Now… how to bring up the topic of the wedding. But I didn't have to, for at that moment, the phone rang. I stood to answer immediately, but Charlie was there first.
"Hello?" Charlie was using his gruff, police chief voice. "Oh. Hi, Renee," His face was full of surprise, as was mine at hearing mom's name. "She just got home," Charlie looked uncomfortable, but why shouldn't he be? "Sure," He replied quickly. With the push of a button, Renee's anxious voice filled the room.
"Bella, Honey? Did you make it home safe?" Renee's voice was still nervous, though not as bad as before.
"Yeah. I slept the whole plane ride home," I told her quickly, my own voice still echoing how tired I felt.
"Good," Renee's voice was now brisk, business like. "Because we three have something we need to discuss," Renee's clipped tone slit through the air, and it was obvious what this would be about.
"Mom!" I nearly wailed, my tone heavy and distressed.
"Charlie, has Bella told you of her plans yet?" Renee asked quickly, her voice almost sounding gleeful at being the one to tell my over protective father about my wedding plans.
"What plans?" Charlie asked quickly. It was his turn to sound anxious now. I moaned quietly, anticipating my mom's words.
"Bella's getting married!" Renee cried through the phone, her voice calm. I could see the small smirk on her face as she spoke.
At first, Charlie looked confused. I could tell he was debating whether he should be happy or horrified, and soon, one emotion won. "Well, that's great, Bells," He said shortly, his brow furrowed. "I'm guessing Edward's the lucky man?" He asked with one eyebrow raised, his eyes crinkling up like they always did when he smiled.
I was shocked. I was also positive my jaw dropped, and my chin was touching the table. Charlie, my over protective, grounding, curfew-setting, police chief father had no problem with my marriage arrangements.
"What?" That was Renee. Her voice was small. I could envision her with her eyebrows up in surprise, her eyes wide. "Charlie, are you psychotic? Bella, is, getting, married!" She said hysterically again.
Charlie shrugged. "Well, we were married early too," he told Renee quietly. I could tell that Charlie hated speaking of the marriage, seeing as he was still in love with my mom. It must have been horrid for him to have to watch her leave, to live every day of his lonely life knowing that my mom lived under the protection of some other man…
"Exactly!" Renee cried, her voice almost horrified.
"Well, I'm not going to be the one to stop her. Do you remember what happened when you told your parents?" Charlie asked Renee quietly, his voice hollow.
Renee snorted. "Yeah, how could I forget? They were horrified…" Renee trailed off, now thinking about her words. "They weren't very nice about it, and threatened to kick me out. Not like I wasn't going to move out anyways…" Renee spoke quietly now, realization dawning on her.
"See?" Charlie asked quietly. He had been okay with it because he didn't want to scare me. He understood how hard this would be on me, what ever I chose, and he was letting it go. Wow.
"I guess you're right," Renee said stupidly, her voice filled with what I took as awe. Charlie smiled triumphantly.
"No more lectures?" I asked quickly. The only noise on Renee's end was her steady breathing, and then she spoke again.
"Yeah, I promise Bella," She said slowly, her voice full of hesitation. "But, Bells, is this what you really, really want? With your whole heart?"
I wanted to scream out no! What I really wanted was to be like Edward: a vampire. But that was nothing my mom needed to know; she'd probably have a coronary if I told her that. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Yes, mom. That's all I've ever wanted," I told her sincerely, Charlie beaming down at me. I was making choices on my own now, which must have been what inspired the smile.
This seemed to trouble Renee. "Okay, Bella. But do be careful," She warned quietly.
"I will mom," I promised her through the phone.
"Love you, and talk to you later," She said tonelessly, her voice echoing her depression at being defeated.
"Love you too, mom," I sighed. With that, I hung up the phone and glanced up at Charlie. "Thanks, Dad," I murmured quickly. With out thinking, I wrapped my arms around Charlie's middle, like any daughter would.
Charlie blushed sheepishly. "Your welcome, Bells," He quickly placed a small peck on the crown of my head. "Now, if I may suggest it, off to bed with you."
I nodded and slowly wound my way up the stairs.
--------------------------------
The next morning, I woke to the usual annoying beeping of my alarm clock. With tired hands, I shut the stupid mechanism off, and sat up. I felt dazed and discombobulated. Damn sleep deprivation. With one hand, I grabbed my bag of toiletries, while I attempted to open a drawer and grab out some decent clothing. In doing this, I managed to drop the bag on my toe, and open the drawer. Grumbling, I swiftly gathered the bag and clothes in my arms, not caring if it would make my jeans all wrinkled, or make the shampoo empty out of its bottle.
With that, I rushed out of my messy room and headed into the bathroom. The shower was already hot, seeing as Charlie had left only minutes ago, and I was able to jump in immediately. After letting the hot water relax my muscles, I jumped back out and towel dried my hair. The process left the dripping auburn curls in a tangle of slight curls, and caused a frown to come to my lips as I attempted to pull out the knots.
15 minutes later, I appeared in the hallway, clothed in jeans and a t-shirt. As usual, I had swept my hair up into a ponytail, and no make up adorned my face (Renee had attempted to get me into this girly craze a while ago, but I had quickly pushed it aside. I was destined to jab myself with the mascara wand sooner or later).
Still scowling, I headed down into the kitchen, where I absently poured some semi-stale cheerios into a bowl, and doused the bland Os in milk. It took me no longer than five minutes to realize that the cereal was hard as rocks, thanks to the fact that they had sat at the back of the cupboard for over a month. I quickly emptied the bowl, and looked at the clock.
"I guess I should leave…" I told the clock in a bored tone, my eyes dull as I grabbed the keys of my Chevy and quickly headed out the door. Edward had promised to meet me at school, and it was cloudy, so I looked forward to seeing the Greek god I called my boyfriend waiting for me in the parking lot. I swiftly backed out of the drive, nearly running into the mail box in my rush, and turned my truck towards the school.
The drive took me ten minutes tops, and I was one of the first people at school. Even Edward's shiny silver Volvo was missing in action at the moment. Sighing, I sluggishly hopped from the warm, dry cab of my truck and headed over to a wet bench. My rain coat served as a nice cushion as I sat, waiting for some one to show up other than the occasional student council member or teacher. They were the only sane ones who showed up to school a half hour early, I now realized.
Shaking off the lonely feeling, I returned to my calculus book open on my lap. Ever since Edward and I had started dating, we were inseparable, until Charlie banned him from the house. That was another reason I was surprised my dad hadn't totally flipped out when Renee told him of the wedding. Maybe, deep down inside, he had really loathed the idea, but he was putting up with it for me…
"Good Morning." I was surprised when Edward's familiar voice greeted my ears.
"Edward!" I quickly stood and threw my arms around his torso. Maybe I was a little too enthusiastic. Edward wasn't surprised- for once- by my reaction. He just wrapped his own cold, strong arms around me, nearly crushing me, though in a delicate way, unlike Jacob had done.
Jacob. Right as I had begun to forget my days with out the love of my life, my candle light in the dark, I was reminded. I let out a small groan, and Edward immediately stiffened.
"What?" Edward asked quickly as he placed his hands on my shoulders and thrust me away from him, so he could look in my eyes. Even then, he had to duck his head. My own eyes looked any where but his smoldering topaz eyes; but it was too much. I immediately collapsed, and found myself peering into two pools of liquid gold.
"I was just remembering something," I told him flatly. I knew Edward hated talking of Jacob, so I wasn't about to mention him.
"And what would you be remembering?" He asked, still peering deeply into my eyes, dazzling me. Just the passion pooling in his eyes made my heart speed, my pulse to rush in my ears, and my cheeks to flush a deep crimson.
"Jacob," I quickly blurted out the name, and my cheeks flushed even deeper. The smallest trace of a growl lurked in Edward's chest, the sound hardly echoing from his lips, which were now forming a wordless snarl. In one second, Edward had swiftly turned and rushed to the front door of building three. This conversation was over.
All day, Edward was over protective, bearing down on me like a cloud (as if there weren't enough in my life). I attempted to ask him what was up during calc, physics, and honors lit, but he just shook his head and continued listening to the teacher. Finally, at the end of the day, he answered.
"Some thing isn't right." Those were his only words, and they were heavy, and full of purpose.
"What is it?" I quickly demanded, my eyes troubled as I looked over at his stiff form. In response, he shook his head. "I'll meet you at Charlie's?" I asked quickly, my eyes pleading as he smiled down on me for the first time today.
"As always," Edward chuckled as he left me in the cab of my truck, a small smile spread across my lips.
I zoomed home, exceeding the speed limit as best I could with out making the truck's engine burst into flames. It was a game: see if the mortal can beat the vampire. I always lost, as I did today. A small scoff masked my usually sunny features as I stepped from the cab of the truck and headed inside. Edward was lounging on the couch, lighting up the living room with his immaculate rays of radiance.
"Took you long enough," He teased as I seated myself in front of him, my arms crossed over my chest.
"Well, when you're truck barely exceeds 50…" I trailed off, still scoffing.
"Well, when your boyfriend offers you a jaguar-" I quickly interrupted.
"The truck gets me around, and I have become very attached to it. Besides, with out me, the poor thing'll be shipped off to a junk yard!" I threw my hands in the air, as if I really cared that much. Edward took this as an invitation to wrap his stone hard arms around my torso, and to pull my down beside him. But suddenly, Edward tensed up, and quickly stood. As he did this, the doorbell echoed through the house.
"Edward," I warned quickly. I immediately stood and headed to the front door. What I saw shocked me, and wasn't what I was expecting.
"Hey, Bella!" It was Jacob Black, and he looked rather cheerful. Hadn't he seen Edward's car?
"Hey Jake," I said gingerly, not inviting him in for fear of a fight.
"Can I come in?" The now larger, muscular teen asked in his deep, husky voice.
"I'd rather you not," I immediately responded in saddened tones. He just looked at me as if I were joking, and gently pulled me aside, allowing his large hulking self to pass through. I immediately cringed, and he stopped dead.
"I should have known," Jacob growled through clenched teeth.
"Yes, you should have," Edward's voice was a light drawl, full of merry amusement.
"I came to tell you something, but now isn't the best time, I see," Jacob snarled, his lips pulled away from his teeth in a harsh sneer.
"Jake, maybe you'd better-"
"Yeah, Jakey. Why don't you run back home to your little wolfy pals?" I had never heard Edward mimic anyone like that, and I really didn't like it.
"Edward, please-" Once again, I was interrupted.
"Leave it Bella. His actions are as cold as his heart is." Jacob spat, his voice carrying more venom than I thought was possible. Jacob had been my number one confident while Edward was gone, as well as my best friend. I hated to see him like this: angry and upset. There also seemed to be a bit of disappointment lurking in the depths of his coal black eyes. But that was all he had ever been, a friend and confident.
Edward, on the other hand, was enraged. "You don't know half of what you think you do," Edward spat, his topaz eyes blazing with fury, his fists clenched, his lips quivering between a snarl and a scowl.
"Edward, please!" I put my hands on his chest and gazed up into his eyes in attempt to distract him.
"I guess I should've known you'd take his side Bella. You always do, even if it isn't the smart move." Jacob was just being foolish now, pushing all the right buttons of both Edward and me. But then, Edward did something totally irrational, which was odd for him. He took up the possessive crouch I had seen him hunched into only twice. Damn. Why was it always over me?
"Aw, how sweet: attempting to protect her. You remember the contract, don't you?" Jacob clucked, a horrid smirk that wasn't his at all etched into every wrinkle and line on his hard face.
"I'd break the pact a thousand times before letting Bella go with you," Edward hissed under his breath, his eyes intent on Jacob, who was standing only five feet away.
Jacob became enraged at this, which I knew was nothing good. A ripple spread through his body. I knew what that meant.
"Go, Jacob," I commanded, my voice shaking with both rage and fear. I was trapped between two of the most fearful creatures on the face of the earth, both mad.
Jacob let out a low growl, which echoed in a nasal tone. Edward let out his own low growl, which was more guttural.
"Damn it, Jake! Just go!" I cried, finally leaving Edward to push Jacob towards the door.
Jacob left willingly, his eyes hard as he turned and headed towards the trees. Edward watched beside me, still sputtering about the fight. As Jake walked away, he held his hand up in a rather rude gesture, which sent Edward tearing through the house, so fast, he was a blur.
"Edward?" I asked quietly, my eyes wide as I glanced around the room.
"Over here," he murmured quietly from the living room.
"You okay?" It was my turn to comfort him.
Taking a deep breath, Edward nodded. "Yes, Bella, I'm okay. You're just lucky I didn't tear him to shreds back there." Edward's eyes were burning a hole through me, seeing as they were still blazing.
"He was horrid to you," I informed Edward quietly, my eyes filling with tears of anger. It was ghastly, but it was something that always happened when I was feeling a very strong emotion, which, at the time being, was rage.
Edward glanced over at me, his eyes full of worry. "I'm so… afraid, Bella. Afraid for you. With the wrong move, either of us could kill you. Do you realize that?" Edward's voice was thick and full of meaning. I knew he worried about the lack of fear in my emotional self, but fear wasn't something I felt usually, unless there was blood or spiders involved.
"You're life is so fragile, your body so delicate. With the push of a finger, I could kill you, Bella! Kill you! With the swipe of his claws, the wolf could slice you into little bits. And you're afraid of none of this," Edward sighed as if in defeat, but I knew better.
"Change me," I commanded, my eyes finding his. "C'mon, Edward! I won't run away screaming like you hope! You know it. I'm not like that," I meant what I said, and he knew it. fury reflected in his face.
"No, Bella. Case closed." He stated flatly.
"Aw, c'mon, Edward! Bite me!" I provoked, as I laid my head in his lap and stared straight up at him. This seemed to cheer him slightly, though that wasn't what I had been aiming for.
"Please, Bella. Stop acting ridiculous!" He laughed gently, his voice tinkling like a music box. I scoffed.
"I wasn't joking," I said pointedly, my eyebrows raised.
"I know," Edward smiled lightly, though his eyes were still hard. Why had I thought that would make him change me?
"Fine, then. I'll just wait until after the wedding. You do remember our deal, don't you?" I asked him happily, my eyes dancing as I watched him intently.
"Of course I do. How could I forget?" He told me quickly, his voice smooth and relaxing. He made me forget everything, including the fact that my stomach was now grumbling. Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I quickly jumped up and headed for the kitchen. Edward was there in a flash, standing in front of the open refrigerator.
"So, what's for dinner, chef?" I asked him in a taunting voice, a small smirk on my lips as I watched him pull packages out of the fridge. Edward smirked as he began adding this and that into a mixing bowl. First flour, yeast, then eggs.
"I was thinking pizza?" he told me casually as he proceeded in making a gooey white mixture. I grimaced as he smudged some flour across my already pale cheeks. In return, I did the same, though the powder was hardly noticeable on his pure milky white cheeks. He chuckled in reply, and I immediately got to work dicing tomatoes and crushing garlic.
An hour later, we had the pizza in the oven, and were once again sitting together on the couch. I was nearly asleep as Edward gently held me in his arms, like he always did: carefully. But despite the hesitation in his embrace, I was comfortable, and wasn't troubled by worries of nightmares, werewolves, or mad vampires. I inhaled deeply, Edward's heady scent filling my nostrils.
In a flash, Edward had stood, and I was falling over on the couch. "What?" I asked quickly, perplexed by his sudden movement.
"Charlie's home." Edward flashed me a small grin before heading towards the front door.
"Wait! You're not leaving, are you?" my voice was panicked, and my eyes were wide. All of this made Edward chuckle his musical laugh.
"Of course not! I am just going home, and I'll be right back. Besides, you two still have to eat dinner," Edward smiled as the timer buzzed, announcing that the pizza was done. I stared after him as he quickly strode out into the rain, and then jogged to the Volvo, like any real human male would do. But, unfortunately, Edward was stopped by Charlie. The two quickly exchanged words that I couldn't here, but both were smiling by the end of the conversation.
"So, what's for dinner, Bells?" Charlie asked as he stepped over the threshold and into the hall, where he stripped off his rain jacket, belt and boots.
"Pizza," I told him quickly, my face guarded as he entered the kitchen, where I had set out two plates and two glasses. "It's home-made," I told him quickly as I laid a slice of the steaming pizza onto Charlie's plate, then a slice onto mine. I immediately began eating, wanting to finish quickly, so I could get up to my room and relax with Edward. But Charlie was feeling sociable tonight.
"How was your day, Bella?" Charlie asked happily, his eyes crinkling as he bit into the steaming pizza.
"Err, it was good," I told him truthfully. "Jacob Black stopped by," I told him quietly, my eyes focused on my plate. Charlie nodded in approval.
"What did you two do?" He asked casually as he took another slice of pizza.
"We just...talked," I told him quietly as I nibbled at the pizza, not hungry any more. We sure did talk, alright. At least, Edward and Jacob talked. I shifted uneasily in my chair, wanting dinner to finish quickly.
"That's good," Charlie said absently, his mind obviously else where. "I talked to Edward," Charlie told me in the same vacant voice.
"Really?" I asked, feigning my interest.
"Yup. He said that he was real nervous about the wedding," Charlie seemed almost proud about this, for reasons I wasn't sure of.
"Oh." It was all I could think to say. What did you say to your father when he was talking about your fiancé?
"Edward's a nice boy," Charlie remarked fondly as he shoved the rest of his seconds slice into his mouth, and then took a third.
"I thought you didn't like him, after… you know," I said absently as I finished off another slice of the pizza. Despite the lacking hunger, the food was pretty good. I should have known, seeing as Edward had cooked it.
Charlie looked puzzled, and shook his head. "Of course not. I was just mad at him," Charlie told me shortly.
Rolling my eyes, I stood. "I have some homework to finish up. See you later?" I told Charlie, who nodded. With that, I dumped my dish into the sink, and slowly wound my way upstairs. With hurried steps, I entered my yellow bedroom, where I found Edward lying across the bed, as usual.
"How was the pizza?" Edward asked casually, his eyes lighting as I sat beside him.
"It was good," I told him casually, my eyes searching his immaculate face. How could this creature of perfection be in love with me? The question kept circling around my head as I laid my head on Edward's shoulder.
"Just good?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
"Okay, it was wonderful," I told him, smiling slightly. My eyes were drooping, and a wave of exhaustion was washing over me.
"You should go to sleep," Edward told me quietly. I just nodded, and kicked off my shoes. Edward was on top of his game, and quickly slid me under the covers. I could still feel his cold body lying firmly beside me, and his familiar, stone hard arms wrapped around me. Then, at once, the slow, melodic song filled my ears. As usual, he was humming my lullaby. It was so lovely, it provoked good dreams. In seconds, I had slipped beneath the surface of consciousness, and was sleeping peacefully.
Morning couldn't have come sooner. I awoke to Edward's cool hand on my shoulder, shaking me awake.
"We'll be late if you don't get up now," Edward told me, a small smirk on his lips as I sat up, cringing at the memory of school.
"We don't have to go, do we?" I asked him quietly as I grabbed my bag and slumped off to the bathroom.
In fifteen minutes, I was downstairs and chomping hastily on a bagel. Edward was seated across from me, his face light and amused, his eyes dancing.
"You're in a good mood today," I informed him grumpily. He only smiled in return. I quickly finished off the bagel, then gulped down a glass of orange juice.
"Ready," I informed him quickly, my eyes meeting his momentarily, then skittering away to glance down at my hands. Edward nodded as I stood, and followed me to the door, where I stopped. "Where's your car?" I asked lamely, my eyes appraising his god-like appearance.
"We're taking the truck," he told me happily, a smile on his perfect lips. With that, he plucked my car keys from the pocket of my jeans, and grabbed my hand. Once he had done that, we both headed out to the truck, where he opened my door, then ran around to get in on the driver's side. I trusted Edward, but sometimes I worried about the speeds he demanded driving at. Sadly, my truck could hardly push 60.
With in minutes, we were at school. The lot was already crowded, and I could easily pick out familiar cars. Edward gracefully slid into a spot between Mike's hulking suburban, and Rosalie's ostentatious cherry red BMW.
And so, the rest of the week passed with out incident. Finally, it was Friday, and we were free to do what ever we pleased. At least, that was what I had hoped.
"It's Friday," I told Edward quickly, my eyes lifting only to look at him. We were walking up to Charlie's house, our hands laced together. Everything was quiet, for the rain had stopped, though large, puffy clouds were still fogging up the sky and blocking out the sun. "We're free!" I told Edward happily, my eyes dancing as we entered the house.
Edward only smiled. "Yes, free. But remember, we do have graduation Sunday," Edward told me happily, his eyes dancing as well, which was rather unusual for my vampire sweetheart.
I opened my mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the loud ringing of the phone. Rolling my eyes, I picked up the receiver. "Hello?" I asked, expecting to hear Charlie telling me he'd be home late again. Instead, I nearly gasped as a high-pitched voice filled my ears.
"Hey Bella! What's happenin'?" It was Shelly, and I was horrified.
"N-n-nothing," I quickly stuttered, too enraged to say anything else.
"So, you, like, graduate Sunday, right?" She asked in a falsetto voice. In the background, I could here Fergie's latest hit, "London Bridge," blaring through the hotel room the girls had reserved.
"Yeah," I told her quietly, my eyes narrowed in annoyance as Edward watched from a seat at the kitchen table.
"Well, a few of us were planning on going out to see a movie tonight, and were wondering if you and Edward would, like, want to join us?" She asked me in a sweet voice.
With that, Edward snatched the receiver from my hands. "We'd love to join you, Shelly," Edward told my cousin, his voice suave and refined as he spoke. "So, meet you at La Poca Italia at 7.00?" Edward asked as he glanced up at the kitchen clock, which read 3.30 p.m. "See you then," Edward sighed into the receiver, and then hung the phone up.
"Why do you like her so much?" I asked sullenly, my arms folded across my chest, my eyes fixed on the floor. I hardly heard a noise as Edward swept me up into a hug.
"You really think I like her?" He asked me, his eyes sparkling in pleasure of watching me struggle to grasp this. I nodded quickly. "Well, you are wrong. There are other matters I need to attend to in Port Angeles," He told me all of this truthfully, his voice sincere. "Now, you might want to go change. I don't think Shelly would approve of this outfit…" He laughed after that comment, then pushed me towards the stairs.
I quickly turned around to stick my tongue out at him, which caught Edward off guard. With a quick smile, I dashed (or attempted to) up to my room, and quickly shut the door behind me.
"You really should think about starting to run faster," Edward teased from the bed, where he was now sprawled. I rolled my eyes and dug through my nearly empty drawers in a vain attempt to find something decent to wear.
"What do you think about this?" I asked Edward as I held up a pair of jeans, an orange t-shirt, and a blue sweater-jacket striped with green and red. Edward shrugged.
"What ever you feel comfortable in," he told me with a small smile.
"Well then, out, so I can change," I told him quickly, my arms folded over my chest and my foot tapping as he slowly exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him, a small smirk on his face.
Rolling my eyes, I quickly changed out of the worn jeans and t-shirt from school, and threw on the newer pair of jeans, the sweater and the nicer t-shirt. Frowning momentarily, I shuffled over to my closet, and glanced through the assortment of… three pairs of shoes. One was a strappy stiletto, the same pair I had worn to prom, and my usual pair of worn tennis shoes. The last pair was a pair of black clogs, purchased so graciously by Alice. Seeing as they were the only shoes that matched my attire, I quickly slipped my feet into the supple leather, then trudged out into the hall.
"All ready," I told Edward as I fastened my hair back into a low ponytail at the base of my neck.
"Took you long enough!" Edward teased, grabbing my hand and staring down the steps, towards the front door.
"So, do I ever get to know why you are so fascinated by Shelly?" I asked him lightly, hoping my voice sounded more like I was teasing than worried.
Edward seemed to ponder this question as he pulled up the passenger door of the Volvo for me, then rushed around to his side. Once we were both in, and I was secured by a seat belt, Edward shook his head. "No. You'll know sooner or later," he told me, a small frown tugging on his lips as he backed out of Charlie's drive, his eyes focused on the road.
For once, Edward actually drove slowly. He didn't let the speedometer's needle go over 85, and I was quite confused why.
"You were taking your time?" I asked with raised eyebrows as I stepped out onto the crowded streets of Port Angeles. Edward smiled down at me.
"Why are you always so nervous? I won't hit anything," he told me calmly as he engulfed one of my small hands in his own large, cold hand. The contact was comforting, and I was sure I wouldn't loose him on the crowded streets.
"Because anything can happen, driving at one hundred miles an hour," I grumbled as he pulled me along the boardwalk, his eyes shimmering with entertainment. A few chuckles left his lips as he shook his head. "And, where are we going?" I demanded, suddenly realizing that we had an hour to waist, and I wasn't sure what his plans were.
But as I spoke, Edward stopped in front of a rather urbane store. It was all glass facing the streets, so on-lookers could peek in at what was for sale. Inside were rows and rows of glass-topped counters, and glittering pieces of jewelry were displayed all throughout the display boxes. The windows shimmered with gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, and all other kinds of lovely ornaments.
"Why would you want jewelry?" I asked Edward, a small grin on my lips at the thought of Edward wearing jewelry.
Edward let out an exasperated sigh. "I wanted to get myself a lovely earring," he informed me with a roll of his eyes. With that, he pulled me into the shop. A small tinkle echoed through the store, causing the few people wandering around to glance up at us. There were two couples, one looking to be about 80 years old, the other a couple not much older than Edward and I: early twenties.
"Wait…" Realization dawned on me. "Wait! Are we getting…?"
"A ring, yes," Edward finished for me. He was standing by one of the many counters, his eyes reflecting the shimmering gold.
"Oh…" I mumbled as a man, who was dressed in a black suit and a pink tie came over to smile happily at Edward and me.
"Welcome to City Styles Jewelry! I'm Chet. Can I be of any assistance?" the man asked in a falsely cheerful voice. Edward nodded.
"Yes, my fiancé and me are looking for a ring, for her, of course," Edward told Chet. Edward momentarily glanced over at me. I was still a bit dazed and confused. I didn't need a ring… I was content saying Edward was my fiancé.
"Of course!" Chet said, his eyes flashing from Edward to me. I knew what he was thinking: they're too young to be getting married! But how wrong he was! "So, what's the price range?" Chet asked in the same falsely happy voice. He was probably expecting it to be on the lower end, seeing as we were young. So naturally, Edward's answer shocked him.
"There is none," Edward said bluntly, his eyes now scanning the racks of jewelry. "Bella, do you have any preference?" Edward asked me in an offhand tone. I went to stand beside him.
"Something cheap," I hissed in his ear. He knew that I hated him spending money on me.
"Please, Bella. It's an engagement ring, something you'll always have, and something you'll show to your grandchildren," there was a twist of sarcasm in his words, and a quirky smile rested on his lips. I eagerly laced my fingers through his.
"What grandchildren?" I whispered back, only in a joking manner. This made Edward frown.
"Would you prefer silver, or gold?" Edward asked, the frown still in place as he continued looking over the rings.
"What about white gold?" I asked him. He nodded, and pulled me over to another cabinet. We were followed closely by Chet.
The rings in this cabinet sparkled smartly in the false light. Diamonds and emeralds seemed to be the big thing this season, so every one of the white gold bands were studded with at least five small diamonds. I frowned down at these. I wasn't one to wear big blingish jewelry.
"Do you have anything… simpler?" I asked Chet, my eyes still scanning the racks. Chet nodded, and pulled out a few plain bands, then a few with smaller stones encrusted deep into the metal. I just stared at them, and finally, decided that the one on the end was perfect.
"I like this one," I told Chet. Edward gently plucked the ring from the box, and, smiling, slipped it only my ring finger. A few tears sprung in my eyes, blurring my vision as Edward pulled me into a tight embrace. Chet watched from behind the counter, and it was obvious he got this reaction quite often.
Edward lightly kissed the crown of my head, his eyes staring straight into mine. "You sure?" he asked as he pulled a wallet from his back pocket.
I nodded earnestly. "Definitely sure," I told him with a slight smile, my eyes meeting his gaze and nearly melting my heart.
"That'll be-" Chet began to read the price aloud, but Edward immediately handed him a credit card.
"Just charge it," Edward told Chet, a half smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He knew how much I hated him spending money on me. After running the card through the machine, Chet handed Edward the credit card.
"Have a wonderful day," Chet said in the same falsely happy voice.
Edward nodded and started to the door. I watched in awe as the light from the light fixtures shown down on him. The other woman, one of the other couples, was staring at Edward as well, to her fiancé's dismay. I only smirked and pranced to catch up. In doing this, I managed to trip on the carpet, and land in Edward's arms. He had been prepared, as usual. "Thanks," I mumbled sincerely as we exited the shop. "Now where to?" I asked, my voice sunny, despite the cloudy weather.
"La Poca Italia," Edward told me in a slightly off-hand voice. "We're meeting Shelly, Vince, Seth and Kelly will be there," he told me quietly, his eyes meeting mine. "Do you still have a problem with it?" he asked me, one eyebrow raised. He looked wonderful when he was curious. I couldn't help but smile.
"I guess not, since you'll be there," I told him with a small sigh. "I love you," I added quickly.
Edward rolled his eyes in sarcasm. "I know you do," He told me with a slight grin. With that, he pulled me up against his cold body, and laced his arm around my waist. It was comforting, really, walking down the streets, protected by Edward. Especially since, the last two times I had visited this place, something bad had happened.
In minutes, we were in front of a small restaurant. The sign was a large Italian flag, with the name stitched in black letters. There weren't many tables, but, through one of the big glass windows, I spotted Shelly and Vince. There was also a red head, who I assumed to be Kelly, sitting a seat down from Kelly, and a young man with spiky brown hair one seat down from Vince. I inhaled sharply as Edward pulled open the door for me. The sweet aroma of garlic immediately hit my nose as we entered the small bistro. It was nicely decorated, and, as usual, I felt underdressed.
"Over here!" Shelly called from their table. Edward put on a small grin, and I didn't even attempt to look cheerful. "We saved you two seats," Shelly said with a coy smile. She patted the cushioned seat next to her, and I quickly slid into the seat. Vince quickly switched to the seat across from me, putting Edward on the end and across from Shelly.
"Thanks," Edward said to Vince as he slid into the seat, his eyes locked on mine.
"So, what's good here?" I asked no one in particular, since none of them had been here, and neither had I.
"How should we know? We are the new ones, after all," Shelly said as she batted her eyelashes at Edward. I rolled my eyes as the waitress came over, and, like always, fixing her eyes on Edward.
"Welcome to La Poca Italia," the waitress started, a large smile on her thin lips. She was facing Edward. "I'm Callie, and I'll be your server for tonight. Can I get you started with something to drink?" Callie asked us, her eyes focused on Edward.
Shelly quickly cleared her throat. "I'll take an iced tea," She told Callie, her voice commanding.
I idly glanced down and noticed that they served coke products. "I'll take a coke," I told Callie coldly, my hand resting on the table, the ring shining in the light. I couldn't help flaunt it, despite the fact that the waitress would probably think I was engaged to Vince. Kelly quickly ordered a diet, and Vince ordered a Shirley Temple. Seth was boring, and got lemon water.
Letting out a small sigh, I glanced down at the white gold ring, with the small, heart-shaped ruby encrusted in the silvery folds. It was simple, yet lovely. I was startled as a small hand grabbed my finger.
"Wow, Bella! I didn't know you had a taste in jewelry!" Shelly squealed as she inspected the ring. It was small, but, I had to admit, it was lovely.
"Err, thanks…" I mumbled, a small blush appearing on my cheeks. Quickly, I glared over at Edward, as though for help.
"You really like it, Shelly?" Edward asked, as though he was pleased with that. Shelly nodded smugly. Obviously, she was happy to have Edward's attention. "Good," Edward chuckled. "Because Bella's going to have to wear it for the rest of her life!" Edward informed Shelly happily.
A/N: Yeah, a longer chapter! Yay me! So, I hope you liked it! The whole Edward and Jacob thing… I had a wonderful time writing. You see, I loathe Jacob Black. I know, Edward sounded a bit out of character there, but I couldn't help it! So, yeah, more coming soon! Ooh, and the ring is important! You'll find that out in a few chapters!