Song: Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard.

Chapter 3: Falling Slowly:

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back

Bella was brought back to life with a constant shake of one set of strong arms; she opened her eyes groggily and looked up to the impatient green eyes.

"What, Edward?" she yawned not making a move from her spot.

"You're mom is crazy" he groaned.

That's when it dawned on her; she looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand and widened her eyes, 9:14 am, Edward was up?

Ouch! He will make you pay for this for sure, Bella thought biting her lip.

"Move" he demanded lifting the sheets and making room beside her, cuddling close. Bella obliged making room for him and pulling the sheet above them.

He snuggled closer to her body wrapping an arm around her waist, like he did most of the afternoons when they would just watch a movie and fall into slumber together.

Damn it to hell with her mother! She always had to be so housewife-like and start the day singing awfully early in the morning while banging every casserole she could get her hands on; and Edward, well, he was not a morning person.

After a while she regained sleep once again beside him.

She woke up 3 hours later and found the strength to slip out of his strong grasp to get dressed and go down stairs.

"Morning" she mumbled entering the kitchen to see Renee, Phil and Sam all having lunch.

"Missy, you've taken on bad habits" her mom scolded her in a joking manner.

She let out a laugh. She hadn't had lunch at noon since she was 13 and still living with her mother.

"You got that from your father" she pointed out.

That's her mother; always pointing out his father's bad habits.

"So what are the plans for today?" Renee asked, Bella sat down beside her brother and gave her a shrug.

"What do you want to do?" Bella asked, the look on her mother let her know all she needed to know, so she decided to play her tricky-card, "After all, I did come to spend time with you…"

"Oh, Bella, you're killing me here!"

"Oh, c'mon mom!!" Bella whined in frustration.

"It's just I promised to go to Elen's Baby Shower, I can't miss it, honey!" her mother whined, Bella did the same, acting like the stubborn child she ever was.

"You're not doing this to me again!"

"C'mon, it's not that bad, you're still gonna have me till six, I promise! I'm not backing down!"

"I thought we were going to the beach"

"Well, if you still want to go at this time…" she gave her a disapproving smile, "…we'll go, but you'll have to wake up that butthead on your own!"

"I can handle it" Bella pointed out giving her mother a glare.

****************

"Edward?" Bella shook him while slowly caressing his lean back with her hand. He stirred but it wasn't enough to get him up.

"Mmmhh…" he mumbled reluctant to move from this bed.

"Baby, you gotta get up" she whispered softly.

Edward was pretty much a handful when it came to sleeping too. Med-school had his schedule full pretty much the whole time. It's a heavy career; it takes much of your time. So, whenever he got the chance he would just crash down on a bed, sofa or hell even a kitchen counter would do sometimes. He took Bella with him for their naps, not caring if she had things to do, Bella always saw it like a way to 'keep her under control', when he was not sleeping or sleeping around, he was controlling her.

"No…" he mumbled turning his head to the other side.

"C'mon, it's getting late we want to go to the beach before the sun goes down" she laughed.

No answer. She sighed.

"You don't want to go? You can always stay here, babe…" she offered, he sighed but didn't open his eyes, "We'll be back before 6…" she was not able to finish her sentence.

"Like you'd dare" he mumbled through the pillow, voice calm, body resting, not even an inch moving; simply calm and steady, like he knew he had the control and the final word.

As if he ever would let her go in a bikini anywhere without him.

It should have tired her and upset her. This whole new change in their relationship that had lasted quite for long now. But she couldn't bring herself to make a change. She wouldn't be able to handle it. It was not just her time to break out of her shell. Was she a total fool to believe there was actually some hope in their relationship?

Maybe she was… but leaving Edward was not an option.

She could not lose him, he was everything she had.

"Are you coming then?" she asked a little exasperated with him.

He didn't answer, she sighed and got up to get ready. She had a shower, wrapped a towel around her body, dried her hair and put her bikini on; dropping the towel along the way. She was pulling a jeans skirt out of the closet when she heard him.

"Bella..."

She didn't answer.

"Bella…" he sing sang in a tone of voice it should have been a warning.

She looked at him through her mirror without turning around; and she was surprised to see that her own reflection looked confident and adamant. Hey! Maybe she could do this more often.

Edward for once didn't look happy. Of course, he was out of his element; out of his territory. He could do nothing! Just wait till we get back… he thought bitterly.

"What? You want me to... just not go? Bail on Renee? Is that it?" she asked.

"And here I thought that you didn't have it in ya…" he smirked playfully.

She sighed in irritation casting her eyes down, putting the skirt on.

"Bella, I'm serious, I don't want to go…"

"Edward, I can't just not go!" she turned around with pleading eyes, "Just come with me? Please?" she gave him her best puppy eyes.

He sighed and pulled the sheet off of him and walked into the bathroom saying nothing else.

It was a start.

Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black

*******************

Edward laughed when he saw that kid's face hit flat down the sand. He was so little that his armbands looked huge on him. He couldn't handle his weight properly and they made him fall flat on his face. He shook his head when he saw Bella handing him a beer, he took it gratefully and smiled one more time before casting his eyes away from the scene.

Bella sat down beside him with a small smile on her face; she had just witnessed Edward having a moment.

After the thought of what was happening proceeded into her brain, she cringed.

She linked her hand with his and bit him softly to get his attention; he looked down on her and rested his forehead against hers.

"Wanna go for a swim?" she asked in a small voice.

"You want to?" he asked. She shrugged her shoulders; totally Bella like. She would always put herself behind her true emotions, giving them away, so selfless and unlike him.

He got up and pulled her up by her hand.

"Let's go then"

They dove in the water, letting wave after wave wash over them. When they went deeper into the water, he pulled her to him, she wrapped her legs around him while circling her arms around his neck.

He pulled her into a kiss, both of his hands resting on her bottom sustaining her weight. When the make out session started to turn heavy and a little aggressive, she pulled away with a smile on her face.

"Bella" he whined. She smiled and pecked him on the lips.

"Edward we can't…" she laughed.

"When are we leaving?" he asked annoyed.

"Monday, so two more days" she said a little sad her boyfriend couldn't do much of an effort for her.

She tried to pull away from his grasp but he didn't let her.

He saw her expression and laughed.

"Oh, c'mon don't be like that" he tried to reach her lips but she pulled away not looking straight to him.

"I never ask for much" she said, he pulled her closer to his flesh sensing a fight coming.

"But when you do, you make sure to annoy the hell out of me" now all sign of smiles and laughs were gone from his face. His lips tightened in a line, eyes blazing down at her avoiding ones.

She sighed unwrapping her legs from his waist, but her weight didn't fall down as his arms grasped her tightly to his unyielding chest.

"Edward" she complained trying to break free, her free hands on his chest trying to get him to back away.

"You see? Kinda like now!" he snapped a little too harshly, "You're not doing much and you're already pissing me off" he looked frustrated and looked as if he wanted her to do something.

She looked up to his eyes finally, she will not react to him and she didn't want to give him any reason to be mad. But she didn't know, it frustrated the hell out of him that she didn't do anything. Instead… it was like if she were mocking him.

The anger he was showing right now got to her hard, how could they've been together for so long and never realize that they were doing everything wrong? How did they get here in the first place?

She loved him more than anything in the world, but how much more she could take before she crumbled?

Was this just habit or love? She didn't want to find out.

So they didn't voice out the words for now.

But someday… it will catch up to them. She knew this for sure.

You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

"Edward, let me go, you're hurting me" she whispered staring at his chest.

He sighed and let her go, her body relaxing a little.

How can they be in each other's hearts one minute and the next have a harsh encounter?

"It was fun, Bella..." she froze, looking up at him with furrowed eyebrows, "I'm ready to go home now" he gave her a look she knew all too well.

She simply nodded.

"First thing tomorrow"

******************

"Well, have fun" Bella said goodbye to her mother in the doorway, "Say 'hi' to Elen for me" Bella yelled so she would hear her.

Edward was packing his stuff upstairs while she played with her brother.

"Do you like to draw?" he asked in that tiny voice of his that would make Bella light up the whole way.

"Well, actually I suck at drawing" she gave him a pout, "But I like painting" she gave him an idea.

"Then I'll draw and you paint" he said bending over the coffee table to start drawing. In that moment, Edward came down the stairs plopping down the couch beside her, pulling her into his lap.

She was being awfully quiet and he hated every second of it, he watched how she looked at her brother and something hit him.

Resentment… but also guilt.

But in a whole different kind of way, you're not really prepared to understand yet.

"I'm selfish" he whispered taking her hand.

She looked up at him, expressionless.

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time

"Talk, Bella" he grew exasperated. She sighed and shook her head looking away.

"For God's sakes, Bella!" he raised his voice, she flinched and stood up away from him.

But he was a very stubborn guy. He followed her to the kitchen and turned her around harshly. He used to remember how she was tiny and fragile, but this time he didn't. He turned her around with such a force in him it frightened her.

"You have something to say to me, say it!" he snapped inching his way closer and making her back away.

"Edward!" she tried to even her voice with his.

"This whole act of playing the martyr is getting boring, Bella, just stop doing that and tell me what's wrong!"

"What do you mean..." she cried out.

"Fuck, Bella, you're making me lose it!" he snapped his eyes closed while slamming his hand on the kitchen counter.

"You're the one that's going crazy on me!" she snapped finally with a small voice.

"I'm growing sick and tired of this, Bella"

"What do you want from me?" she asked trembling her eyes watering, he was slipping away from her and there was nothing she could do about it.

He didn't answer. He backed away from her and leaned over the other kitchen counter across from her. He looked down not able to look at her. She stuttered a little and tried to steady herself, but it was useless she didn't do a good job when she said,

"Do… you want... to take… a… break? ... Is that it?" she asked a little afraid of the answer, he silently and slowly looked up at her deep brown eyes and looked at her like he was disgusted with the idea, he looked up at her with nothing but... resentment.

For along time they stared down at each others eyes; trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do with all this mess.

Then he laughed, she stood back frightened, it was like a bitter laugh. She furrowed her eyebrows confused when he advanced on her taking her face up with his own hands.

"That's one thing you would like to see happening, uh?" he snapped coldly. She shook her head immediately.

"Edward… NO… I-!"

"Well, THAT'S not going to happen!" he said emphasizing on each word and making sure she was looking at him.

"That's not what I meant..." she tried, her voice breaking.

"You're mine" he pushed his body against hers hard; keeping hold on her face, making sure she was understanding his words.

"Always" she decided. She didn't like the possessive look in his eyes. Not at this moment, not like this.

When she didn't say anything he grew frustrated.

She nodded immediately hoping not to get him crazier than what he was already acting.

"Say it!"

"I'm yours, alright…" she said slowly, "I'm yours…"

Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now

Apparently, it was not enough.

"I'll show you, Bella, just how much" he said firmly like nothing was going to back him out of his word, "Right now!"

He pushed his body against hers and smothered her in a deep rough kiss. She parted her lips and gave in to his way, pulling her hands up to his forearms to lessen the hold he had on her face. Trying, maybe, to get him to back off, but he was being very stubborn tonight.

He took his hands off her face to take her small frame by her bottom; pulling her off her feet and sitting her on the counter, hands parting her knees harshly and pulling himself between her legs.

She got scared a little. She was used to have rough/angry sex with Edward, but this time something felt awfully wrong. Other times they would just have a stupid fight about anything, like when they would fight about his jealousy, or her manic ways to be organized, while he wasn't; that lead to either angst-y/angry sex or make-up sex, which was always great, but this time there was something far greater behind.

"No, Edward, not here" she gasped when his mouth ambushed her neck, his hands groping everywhere on her.

"Yes, right here" he whispered hotly lifting her sleeping gown.

"Edward!" she gasped hard, pulling her hands up to push him back but he caught her hands in his and pushed them to her side hard; putting all the pressure of his body on her while nibbling her neck desperately.

She let out a loud gasp when she felt the hardness of his member pressed against her.

"Not like this" she said in between kisses, but he pushed his mouth on hers to shut her up.

"Edward!" she cried out harshly thrashing beneath him. She finally succeeded in pushing him back harshly and got down from the counter immediately crying out.

"What is going on with you?" she whimpered looking at him, she was completely afraid of him now.

He sighed and stood there to calm himself down while she took her brother to sleep.

"Why are you sad?" Sam asked her.

She took him in her arms and walked up the stairs leaving Edward behind.

When she put Sam on his bed and tucked him in she turned to the door to see Edward waiting there, lacking an expression on his face, he was just looking at her blankly. She walked to the door.

"Bella…" he began to say, his voice sounded broken, but she closed the door in his face. With tears in her eyes, she laid down to sleep next to her baby brother.

She didn't know Edward Cullen anymore. She didn't know if she wanted to be with him anymore. But he made it pretty clear out there, that she was not going anywhere.

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back