Seriously, you guys are awesome. I'm spoiling you all by posting another chapter so soon, but I can't control myself!
Stephenie Meyer owns everything, including my heart on ice in a cooler.
EPOV
It was five in the morning and I was awake. Pretty unusual for me, but there was something on my mind. Correction: there was someone on my mind. The woman lying right next to me, her breathing soft, even, steady, as she slept. A marvelous, incredible, intelligent, witty, beautiful, sexy, woman.
Bella.
Her name radiated beauty, and every time I thought it, it brought a swell to my throat.
I looked over and watched her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. I could watch her for hours. It was an incredibly soothing sight, until my eyes lingered over her breasts for too long, and it brought flashbacks from last night, seeing her bounce up and down, slamming herself onto me, the mind-blowing sounds she made when she came…
Before I knew it I was rock hard again. Damnit. I really wasn't trying to be a total creep, honest. There was just this undeniable connection that I felt towards Bella, even though I hardly knew her. In fact, I never even caught her last name. But none of that mattered to me. I was going to stay here and wait for her to wake up, and we could talk and laugh and make love and eat and sing and dance and fuck and hug and, you know, whatever. We could do whatever we wanted.
I was getting way ahead of myself. She probably thought of this as just a one night stand, and wanted me gone before the sun came up. I should just spare her the awkwardness of the morning and take my walk of shame now. But the other side of my brain, the one I liked more, was telling me to stay and get to know her. Backwards logic, perhaps, but it was something that I craved.
I heard the buzzing sound of my phone from the floor, which was in my pants pocket. I grabbed it quickly so it wouldn't wake her up, and ran into the bathroom as I answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Edward. Hey, it's Tyler."
Tyler Crowley and I had been best friends since before I could even remember. We grew up in Chicago together and went to the same college: The University of Illinois. 22 years we spent being inseparable. But I wanted to do something in advertising in Seattle, a place that I used to love visiting, and he wanted to stay in Chicago to become a cop, and, ultimately, move up the ranks to homicide detective. We were both 26 now, and living our own separate lives. We kept in touch from time to time, whenever we weren't too busy. I was surprised to hear from him so out of the blue, especially since it was so early in the morning.
"Hey, man. It's really early…is everything alright?"
"That's why I called. Um…you remember my Aunt Leah?"
"Yeah! She was my favorite."
"She passed away last night."
"Tyler. Shit, man. I'm so sorry."
"I normally wouldn't ask, but I don't really have anyone anymore and, well…do you think you could come over here? To Chicago? Mom and Dad are a mess, and I could really use a friend right now. I know it's short notice, and all."
"No, dude. I'll get the next flight out," I promised. Tyler was my best friend, no matter how many miles apart we were. I would do almost anything for the guy.
"Thank you so much, Edward. It means a lot," he choked.
"I know. I'll call you." I hung up the phone.
I looked through the crack of the bathroom door into the bedroom. Bella was still sound asleep, looking as beautiful as ever. I hated to leave her, but Tyler was basically family and he really needed me. I could tell. I contemplated waking her up, and explaining the situation, but realized that once she rose, I might not be able to control myself and just stay in bed with her all day, neglecting Tyler. I also didn't want to disturb her from what looked to be a deep, deep, sleep.
I found a scrap of paper and a pen in her kitchen and wrote out a note.
Bella,
Family emergency, gone to Chicago.
Hopefully be back soon.
Edward
I placed the note on the pillow next to her head and looked at her. I didn't put my number down because I assumed I would be too busy with Tyler to answer. Besides, I didn't want to seem too forward, and get my hopes up for her to call. I chuckled to myself at the thought of a number being too forward, when we had just slept together last night.
I scrambled to find my clothes in the dark. When I did, I dressed quickly and quietly, attempting to not disturb Bella. Whatever she was dreaming about, it was definitely keeping her occupied. It was time to leave; I had to get a ticket on the next flight to Chicago and pack my things as soon as possible. I hated leaving this goddess without any sort of goodbye, but I had to. I risked a gentle kiss on her forehead, then tiptoed my way out of her apartment.
As soon as I was back at my place across the hall, I sat at my laptop and searched for the cheapest plane ticket I could find. There was a flight leaving at 10, which was perfect. It gave me enough time to shower, pack, and get to the airport in time.
I called Tyler, but there was no answer, so I left a message.
"Hey, it's Edward. I'm taking the 10:00 flight out of Sea-Tac so I should get into O'Hare at about 2:30."
I left him my flight information and hung up the phone. I stripped off my clothes and jumped in the shower. I tried to be quick about it, but visions of the previous night came to the front of my brain again. The way Bella's warmth wrapped perfectly and tightly against my cock, the slick feel of her juices against me, was quite possibly the most incredible feeling. So was the way her rosy lips fit around my length, taking me all the way in her mouth, moving back and forth. Shit. I was painfully erect, and nothing was going to make Little Eddie at ease. So I brought my hand to my hard cock and started pumping, slowly at first. I imagined that everything I was doing to myself, she was doing to me.
"Let me take care of that for you," she whispered seductively. She dropped to her knees and stroked the underside of my cock with one finger, eliciting a low moan from me. She was going to tease me, and I loved it.
She brushed the tip with her thumb and spread the pre-cum that had collected there down my entire length. Her hand fisted around me perfectly, and she began stroking me, slow at first, but then faster and faster.
I looked down and saw the concentration in her eyes, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. She bit her lip, then used her tongue to lick her lips, and bent down and started sucking and licking her way down my member. It was one of the sexiest things I had ever seen.
"Shit, Bella," I growled, as she chuckled at the effect she was having on me. The vibrations from her laugh sent waves of pleasure through me and I threw my head back. I was so god damn close to my release, and she knew it.
Her teeth dragged over my cock, and that did it for me. My eyes flew open and I screamed her name at the top of my lungs.
"Fuck, Bella!"
"Fuuuucckkk!" I screamed at my release, my one hand against the shower wall, the other roughly pumping myself as I rode out my orgasm.
I finished the rest of my shower in an orgasmic haze. This Bella had too much of an effect on me. I wanted to get to know her better, to know that she wasn't just a stupid slut, like every other girl I had slept with. Except that one girl…Regardless, I got the vibe that she wasn't like that, but I had to know for sure. I'd only been awake two hours and Bella was on my mind the entire time. What was I supposed to do?
I'm going to get dressed, and leave for Chicago. Helping Tyler with his dead aunt issues should help. Right?
Getting out of the shower, I grabbed a black shirt and threw it over my head, and stepped into a pair of jeans and shoes. I ran my hands through my hair and gathered together a few things; I wasn't sure how long I was going to be away. It was a good thing I had a week off from work, or else I wouldn't be able to go. Maybe it would have been a good thing. I could be lying in bed with Bella, maybe enjoying a little morning fun…
Stop!
I shook the beautifully dirty thoughts out of my head and zipped up my bag, confirmed my tickets, and headed out the door.
I hailed a taxi and directed him to the airport, all the while still thinking about Bella, and only Bella.
The cab pulled up to the airport, I paid the man and walked inside. I went through a million security screenings, had my bag weighed and sent through the conveyer belt, and checked in at the desk. Everything was right on time, and all I had to do was wait another hour until it was time to board the plane.
I spent the time reading a book I had recently bought, getting really involved in the plot and the characters. It must have been great, because before I knew it, it was time to board, and I hadn't thought of Bella once in that entire hour. Shit…jinxed myself.
Once on the plane I put my headphones in and read my book the entire way. Of course I couldn't pay attention to the music or the story; Bella was on my mind the whole time. I vowed right then and there to see her as soon as I got back from Chicago, and I hoped that it would be soon.
I bolted right for baggage claim as soon as we landed, found my luggage relatively quickly, and made my way to find Tyler.
He was waiting for me, amongst all the happy family members greeting their sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, etc. Tyler was the only one without a smile on his face.
"Hey, man," I said.
"Thanks for coming," he responded.
"No problem."
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah, sure."
We weaved our way through the sea of people and finally arrived at his car. We got in and got on the highway towards the old neighborhood. Tyler still lived on the same street we grew up on.
There was silence all the way. I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I wasn't sure if I should comfort him about Aunt Leah, or ask about it, or just make small talk. I wasn't very good in these kinds of situations. However, I was curious as to the sudden passing, so I grit my teeth and went for it.
"So, how did she…I mean, were you guys prepared?"
He shook his head sadly. "She had a stroke. We never saw it coming," he whispered, and kept his eyes firmly on the road.
"Again, I'm really sorry. I liked her a lot."
"Me too…me too."
It took us a half hour to get to his apartment. We took the stairs up to the second floor and stepped into his place, the door labeled 2C.
I set my bag near the couch where I would be sleeping and sat down. He sat next to me and stared at the wall across from us.
"I just need someone around so I don't go crazy. My parents are taking this really hard and I can't rely on them for anything right now. Once I get over the initial shock, I'll be alright."
"I'm off from work all week, so take your time."
"No, I can't take you away for that long, man. Just a day is fine. All I want is to hang out, have a couple of beers with my old buddy, and catch up. Keep my mind off things; allow me to settle," Tyler said.
"You got it," was my reply.
He went to the fridge and brought out a box of leftover pizza and a six pack of beer. We ate the pizza cold, a tradition of ours, with three beers each. It felt like old times again. We talked about what we had been doing since we last spoke six months ago. He was working nights as a police officer, training and working hard so he could rise to the top fast. I told him about the new ad campaign the team I was a part of was working on. He seemed genuinely interested, and our topic started to sway towards our love lives.
"Are you still dating Kate?" I asked him. Tyler met her when he pulled her over for a busted taillight, and the last time we had spoken, things were getting pretty serious.
"No," he shook his head, "she turned out to be a total loon. Sniffing my underwear and shit, talking about weddings…she was creepy as hell."
I laughed, almost spitting the beer out of my mouth.
"It's not funny!" he yelled.
"It is to me," I said, still chuckling.
"What about you? You getting any?" he asked.
"Um, I slept with someone last night."
"Like a one night stand?"
"I don't know. This girl, her name's Bella, moved in across from me yesterday. I helped her with her things, and we had coffee, and then…I don't know what came over me. But it was fucking amazing. She was amazing."
"Wow, man. What does she think about this?"
"That's the thing - I have no idea! You called me this morning and I left. I put a note on her pillow and left."
"You…you what? Shit, I totally cockblocked you!"
"Technically, no, because shit already happened."
"Yeah, but I prevented some more major hot sex with this chick! You're going home tomorrow morning. You need to see if this goes anywhere. You haven't had a steady relationship since Jessica in high school. Since then, it's been a few dates or one night stands with some easy slut. Go book a ticket for the earliest flight out of here."
"Tyler, I can't do that to you. I -"
"I'll be fine. You're helping me already, just sitting and talking about normal things with me," he said, cutting me off.
"Are you sure?" I was still unsure.
"Completely."
"Alright, man," I said, and I went over to his computer and searched flights out of O'Hare to Sea-Tac. There was one at five in the morning, but it didn't matter to me. Something in my gut told me to get there as soon as possible, so I made the transaction and was all set to fly back tomorrow.
We spent the rest of the night talking about our past, how we missed things, and how we didn't miss other things. It was good to talk, and I mean really talk, to Tyler. It was a much needed break from everything.
Tyler was to drive me to the airport in the morning, despite my pleas for him to stay. He felt responsible for my taking what he called an unnecessary trip out here, and wanted to pay me back for it by doing me a favor. I gave up fighting him, and he set his alarm for 2 AM. We went to bed at about 11, and before I knew it, it was time to leave again.
I was tired and sluggish and still jet lagged from yesterday's flight, and I was going to get on an airplane again.
The drive over to the airport was short due to the lack of people on the road; normal people weren't even dreaming about getting up at this time.
Pulling into the drop-off area, I bid Tyler farewell, and we promised to stay in touch more. I hoped we would.
I went through the irritating procedures that I had just endured less than 24 hours ago, and boarded the plane at around 4:30. I slept like a baby the entire way. Which was a little unnerving when we landed, since I still had no idea what I was going to say to Bella when I got back to our complex. What time was appropriate? Would she be at work? What the hell day was it, even? A quick glance at my ticket told me it was Sunday. Maybe she doesn't have to work Sundays. Maybe she'll be home.
I hoped with all my might she would be there. I hailed a taxi and thought about everything I could say. I could tell her that I wanted to get to know her, maybe take her out to dinner one night. Or I could chicken out and not even talk to her. No, I couldn't do that. She'd think I was an asshole, and even though that was true, that's not the impression I wanted to give her. I could confess my feelings that there was a strong connection between us, and ask if she felt it. No, that would be too weird and potentially creepy. I finally settled on knocking on her door and talking over coffee. Maybe I would bring up a possible date later on, but I had to lead into. Slow and steady.
The cab pulled in front of my building and paid the man. I took a deep breath and walked in. The clock above the front desk said it was 11:08 AM, and I figured it wasn't too early to speak with Bella. Maybe she was at church, though…was she religious? Or perhaps she had gone grocery shopping. Didn't people do that on Sunday mornings and afternoons? I cursed the airport as I stepped in the elevator and pushed the '11' button, wishing it hadn't taken forever to get off the damn plane and get my luggage. I could have gotten here earlier.
The elevator doors opened and I was on our floor. I ducked in my room and threw my bag on the floor. Pacing back and forth I ran my fingers through my hair, panicking slightly at what I was about to do. What was so difficult, though? I slept with the woman, surely I could talk to her like a civilized human being? Apparently not, because my throat got all dry at the thought of discussing this with her. I found a bottle of water in my fridge, gulped half of it down, and took another deep breath. I could do this.
I walked out of my apartment, and was met with her door. I rubbed my hands together and breathed deeply. I knocked three times on her door with my knuckles, and waited.
I can do this.
Will Bella be home? Will she be angry? What will she think when she sees her Adonis in the doorway? Will sweet, sweet, love be made? Tune in next time to find out!
Tell me your favorite part, what you want to see next chapter, and your own theories as to what will happen. I love all the support I've been getting, and I thank each and every one of you that reviews.
