Sorry it took so long, life got in the way. Again. I'm at school doing this so I have to be fast. Hope you like it.
Disclaimer = I don't own anything. Unfortunately.
"I'm sorry Bella, so very sorry." He sounded really upset.
I reached up one finger and slowly traced a pattern along his face and over his mouth, whilst taking care not to check what had happened to the policeman. He probably ran, I tried to reassure myself. Edward was very protective over me.
"It's okay, it was necessary, and you were here, so I was fine." I crooned. "I swear, I'm fine" I said with more force than necessary and when he opened his lips to talk, I stopped him with my own. We sat like that for five minutes and then Edward shifted into squirrel-form underneath me and jumped into the front seat, shifting back to human in mid air. To my dismay I squealed.
"Show off" I muttered and clambered into the front passenger seat. He just smiled. We didn't get home for another half an hour. We talked aimlessly about our English essay for a while and then lapsed into companionable silence. I never had to even think when I was with him, the words flowed easily. He dropped me at home and said
"See you in an hour." I looked at the clock utterly bewildered it was only 7pm. We had an arrangement. Edward officially 'left' at nine o'clock, but by ten, I would find him curled up on my bed in whatever form he fancied and then he would stay the night.
"Family night" he reminded me. He gently squeezed my hand and then he was gone. I stood staring after him for a few minutes then I went inside.
"Hiya mum" I sang.
"You seem happy" She remarked from her position behind the ironing board.
"I am" I replied cheerily and took a careful seat on the settee. Everyday was amazing. Everyday I encountered something new. It was like that party Edward took me to. It was his old friend John's 18th birthday and we all congregated at John's house.
There were 5 boys and their 5 girlfriends. Then there was Edward and I, we made up the 6th couple. Only three of us, including me, knew that the boys were all ShapeShifters. Within a few hours there was only Megan, Lorie and I left. We were sat in the lounge on our own A low bellow shook the room.
"What was that?" Lorie asked in a worried voice. We all walked cautiously to the window and with one glance our vague suspicions were confirmed. For in the garden two fully-grown rhinoceroses fought. I could see Edward on the sidelines, as always the peacemaker. He was trying to separate the two before they did any serious damage. He approached the nearest rhino slowly, and placed his hand on its shoulder. Time didn't slow down. It just seemed to me that the adrenaline made my brain work faster. The rhino whirled and lunged at him. Edward shifted into a tiger, and sprung out of the way. However, the rhino turned too, he glanced Edward on the right haunch and I watched him fall. The blood seemed to bring the two rhino's to their senses. They shook and very slowly changed back. I was amazed to see that it took minutes for them to shift as it only took Edward a millisecond. I had never considered that Edward was different from the rest of his kind. It took a second for me to remember that Edward was hurt, I launched myself out of the back door and I was on my knees by the tigers' side in seconds, he shifted moments later and I was sat stroking Edwards's gorgeous face instead of an animals'. He struggled to sit upright and then shakily stood. He tested his weight on his injured leg, and when he realized it was steady, he put his full weight on it.
"Right" he said with vigor, "Lets go inside!" He threw one arm around my waist and whispered in my ear, "I'm fine, I heal fast." and then added "ShapeShifter thing" at my unconvinced glance. "Will you be satisfied if I let you look?" he queried. I didn't bother to answer; he already knew my answer was yes.
I giggled as I remembered my surprise when I looked through the jagged rip of his trousers and found just a tiny pink scar that faded as I watched. My mum looked up from the ironing in surprise.
"If I didn't know you better I would say you were on drugs. You're positively euphoric!" she exclaimed. I just smiled and ran up the stairs. I quickly changed into a black pair of jeans and my only coloured top, pink, before spending ten minutes doing my hair and make up. My parents and Edward's were taking both of our families to the local pub for dinner, it was a monthly thing. My dad begrudged losing his little girl, so he forced us to dinner the first of every month so that he could check that Edward was still sane. The same went for Edward's parents except they are more laid back. I didn't actually mind spending the night with the families, Edward's younger sister is really good company. She is half ShapeShifter, half human and called Emily. She's a year younger than me, 15, and can only shift into wolf form, and quite slowly at that. She is only Edward's half sister, both of Edward's parents were Shifters, but when his Mum died, his Dad married a human and their first and last child was Emily. She loves that she can shift, it doesn't bother her that she is different from her Shifter friends.
"Emily? Are you still a single pringle?" I queried.
"No" she replied and I was surprised by the glumness in her tone.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. She paused and looked uncomfortable. "Oh come on, I won't tell anyone" I added soothingly. She just glared at Edward who was getting drinks at the bar.
"I always tell him to steer clear of anything to do with you." I told her.
"Well," she paused again as if to decide whether I could be trusted. "Joe is perfect" Apparently I was trustworthy. I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a finger and I closed it again. "That's the problem, he is too perfect. Perfect grades, perfect hair, perfect everything. He is the most popular, won the best smile award. Everyone loves him." She sighed.
"Everyone but you?" I asked.
"You got it in one." she replied.
"Well," I paused wondering if she could take the barefaced truth. I decided she could. "Get rid of him then." I pronounced. Her mouth fell open in shock." Not like that" I protested disapprovingly. " If you aren't happy then what's the point? Do you think you will ever like him?" I took her silence as a yes. "Do it face to face, no witnesses, and tell him how you feel. You can always run if it gets too much." I advised.
"Yes, you're right. Like always. God, sometimes I really hate how smug you are. You and Edward are so perfect together I can't wait for when I have someone who I can..." she trailed of sounding sad.
I gave her a quick hug and then said "Oh. Do you want to know the one thing I really hate about ShapeShifter boys? Or just boys in general? The mud. I'm forever finding it in bed." I froze as I realized what my comment implied. "Oops. I didn't mean that how it came out" Emily just laughed.
"Oh I won't tell anyone your little secret." Emily said with a giggle concealed in her words. "Don't worry" Then Edward returned from the bar and gave her a murderous glare. She backed away and sat back with her parents. I could see her shoulders shaking with laughter. I turned to Edward with a slight smile lifting the corners of my mouth. I was shocked to find his face inches from mine. I gasped in surprise and saw Edward flick a glance towards my parted lips and back again. He slowly lowered his mouth to my ear and whispered "Shall we go outside." anticipation underlying his words. We crept out of the back door and he picked me up bridal style and stood me in front of him round the side of the building. Once again he slowly bent his head. He planted a kiss on my collarbone. He moved gently upward and then across my cheek brushing my skin with his lips. He paused at the corner of my mouth and I could feel my breath coming faster. Then he kissed me full on the lips. I sighed happily and leaned further towards him. I felt his hands settle familiarly on my waist, and I let him slowly walk me towards the wall. With my back pressed firmly against it, I allowed my hands to drift into the back pockets of his jeans. Our lips melted together and I let the wonderful sensation flood through my body. We were molded together for nearly ten minutes when Edward pulled away and wrapped an arm around my waist. He knew that I only snatched the minimum amount of oxygen when he kissed me and that I was unable to support my own weight occasionally.
"We better go inside" he murmured and then sighed.
"Let me have a minute to catch my breath" I was panting. Edward gave a slight laugh and I joined in with a breathy giggle.
"Come on" I said and I was unable to muster any enthusiasm. I snorted at my dreary tone but stopped when Edward kissed hungrily along my jaw.
"Don't say it like that," he mumbled against my neck. "We don't have to be here, you know that. We could go anywhere!" he said emphatically. I placed my hands on either side of his lovely face and pulled it gently from my neck.
"You know I don't mind that much, I just wish we had more of this" I gestured to me backed up against a wall, Edward's hands on my hips, my hands on either side of his face and smiled sadly.
"Your wish is my command" he pronounced and then whispered tantalizingly, "Later." we walked back to our table. I caught Emily's sad look and realized the extent of her despair. We all parted company at the door and Edward gave me a sly wink. He could tell I was still getting over his kisses and suggestions. He followed my parents and I home as a wolf with Emily by his side, it was comforting to feel their presence by the road side and I knew that Edward would be asking Emily about our earlier conversation about mud. I closed my eyes, worried about whether she thought I actually meant....
Sorry to leave it like this but, busy, busy, busy. If anything doesn't make sense then PM me. I'm English and I have a weird sense of humour. What did you think of the kissing bit? Should I turn up the heat? Hope I didn't disappoint.
XX
April
