A/N: Oh, wow. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, recc'ed favourited and put this story on alert following chapter two. Your opinions really mean a lot to me, and I'm so grateful you took the time to comment back to me!
A big thanks goes to JMCullen, my gorgeous wifey and beta, for all her help with this story. I don't know what I'd do without you, bb. Que quowle xx
Another thank you goes to sscana and nanallac5 for pre-reading this chapter for me – I was a bit worried about it, but they managed to calm me down a bit, so hugs go to you two for being so fabulous.
In case you missed my last A/N – I'll be posting teasers over on the thread as well as on the PicTease and Fictionators websites for you all at some point in the near future.
Enjoy! xx
"Isabella…"
Go away. I'm trying to sleep.
"Come on, sweetheart. Wake up."
I groaned softly, shaking my head, then tried to bury myself deeper into the comforting duvet surrounding me. My body was aching already, and I'd only been awake about a minute. This was not good.
"Bella…" Soft lips pressed against my shoulder, then my neck, and I grimaced when they brushed across where the two met.
"Sorry," a voice murmured, and I felt a hand start gently rubbing my back. I swallowed back a groan when the hand reached the center of my lower back, curling into a ball to try and make it go away.
"Bella," the voice whispered again, and I groaned when I realized it belonged to Edward.
"Go away," I pleaded, then whimpered as he shifted closer, pressing his chest against my back and curving his legs behind mine. Damn, this was really hurting.
"Sweetheart, wake up," he breathed softly against my ear, gently sliding his arm round my waist and taking my hand. "I know you're sore, and I'm sorry, but I need you to try and stay awake for me, okay?"
I nodded weakly, knowing he was right, then weakly reached behind me with my free hand, threading my fingers through his hair. He kissed my neck again, then carefully started to roll me onto my back, taking care not to put too much pressure anywhere as he did so. My shoulder seemed to crunch in protest the moment too much weight was put on it, and I let out a soft whine of pain. I'd survived being grazed by a bullet, years of hardcore training exercises, a broken leg and dislocated shoulder… but none of that could even compare to this. This was full on aching, bruising, stinging, throbbing, constant pain that not even the disassociation techniques I'd been taught would work on.
"Bella," Edward sighed, sounding pained as I slowly let my eyes flutter open and squinted against the light shining down from above me. I tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace thanks to the sudden shooting pain in my back, and I saw Edward look me over worriedly. The expression on his face said it all.
"Edward?" I murmured sleepily, then lifted my hand to cup his face, trying to ignore the dull burn in my wrists from yesterday's bindings. "What time is it?"
"About 4am," he replied, sounding apologetic. "You were getting restless, so…"
"Sorry," I muttered, then slowly tried to roll my shoulders back to work the kinks out of them, only to stop just moments later due to the loud grinding noise they made. Oh, shit.
"Don't apologize," Edward chided, leaning in to kiss me. I whimpered against his mouth; even moving my neck caused me pain now. "Fuck, they really did a number on you, didn't they?"
"It was worth it," I mumbled. "You're worth it."
He gazed at me for a moment, then gently kissed my cheek before asking me to roll over onto my stomach. I groaned in protest at the prospect of having to move again, but with his help, somehow managed to do it without making things too much worse.
"Try to relax," he breathed as he moved to straddle my hips, careful not to put any weight on me.
"What are you…" I began, then groaned as his hands ran up my back, pressing down hard enough for me to feel it without being in too much pain.
"This should stop your muscles locking up too much," he murmured, though we both knew I was already aware of that. "It won't heal any of these bruises or make the pain completely go, but it should soothe you a little bit."
"Mm'kay," I mumbled, then let my eyes fall shut as he slowly began to massage my back, working out all the knots and kinks in it. I tried my best not to fall asleep, I really did, but my body was so exhausted, I couldn't help but doze off for a while as he worked my back over, leaving my shoulders and neck until last.
"Bella, this might hurt a bit," he warned, then waited for my accepting mumble before placing his hands between my shoulder blades. I tensed up on reflex, knowing what he was going to do, and he sighed before leaning down and kissing my shoulder.
"Relax," he urged, nuzzling my neck. I let out a small moan when his lips brushed against a particularly sensitive spot, tilting my head slightly to give him better access to it. He laughed softly, kissed the spot twice more, then straightened up and rested his hands between my shoulder blades again.
"Inhale," he instructed, then waited until I had taken a deep breath before telling me to exhale and pressing down hard enough on my back to cause it to crack.
"Ow," I groaned, grimacing briefly before smiling as some of the tension in my back seemed to release.
"Okay, arch your back for me," he asked softly as he carefully moved off of me and laid down on his side next to me. I did as he said, then rolled my shoulders and head, which loosened those joints up a little more too.
"Good," he praised, running his hand up my back soothingly before sighing sadly. "You're still so tense."
"I'm okay," I mumbled, rolling back onto my side so I could look at him over my shoulder. "I feel better now."
He shook his head disbelievingly, then shifted closer to me, pressing against my back once more. I moaned softly, grateful for the warmth that was radiating off his body, then pulled his arm round my waist before reaching up and cupping the back of his head.
"Thank you," I murmured, then smiled at him before pressing my lips against his, kissing him gently. He smiled sadly back as he ran his hand across my stomach, but then his expression morphed into one of anger and concern as I hissed in pain. Apparently, I had a bruise near my ribcage too.
"Bella, I…" He trailed off, then gazed into my eyes for a moment, looking deep in thought. I frowned, wondering what the matter was, then gasped when he slowly leaned in to kiss me at the same time his hand slipped down my stomach and to the inside of my thigh, which he gently lifted and pulled back to rest on top of his.
"Wh-what are…" I cut myself off with a shocked moan, feeling my eyes widen as his hand slowly slid up my thigh before gently cupping my sex.
"Edward?" I whispered, confused, then inhaled sharply as he slipped a finger between my folds and began to rub small, light circles over my clit. I let out a shaky breath, completely stunned, then felt my eyes roll upwards as a second finger joined the first, his movements becoming slightly faster.
"Just relax," he breathed as he leaned in for another kiss, and I found myself doing just that, practically melting into him as his fingers pressed against me just a little bit harder, moving in tighter circles now.
"Oh, God…" My voice was less than a whisper now, not to mention embarrassingly breathy, so I tugged on Edward's hair, pulling his lips down to mine again in an attempt to silence myself.
"Is this okay?" he murmured against my lips, his fingers slowing slightly. I nodded frantically, pushing my hips forwards, urging him to keep going.
"Please," I whispered, then moaned as his fingers sped up again, sending pleasure rushing through me. He smiled against my lips, then kissed me softly before nuzzling my neck again, finding the spot he'd discovered earlier and blowing on it. I sucked in a breath, completely overwhelmed with sensation, then squeezed my eyes shut tighter and tried to just focus on the physical overload instead of the mental one that threatened to take over.
It's just like a one night stand, I tried to reason as Edward started kissing my neck, no strings, just pleasure outweighing the pain.
"Bella…" His fingers were moving faster now, making it hard to think, hard to do anything but lay there and struggle to stifle the embarrassingly loud moans his touch elicited from me. It was never like this with Mike, never like this with any of the one night stands I'd had. Then again, none of those situations had even been anything like the one I was currently in; they were all about pleasure and drunken desires that held no real meaning, not life or death.
But was that really what this was about? We were both covered by sheets – nobody would be able to see us, no matter what angle they were looking from, and the microphones… We could fool them easily.
"Edward…" His name escaped my lips before I could stop it, and I felt his rhythm falter briefly before quickly picking up again, becoming more urgent now.
"Bella, just relax," he whispered against my ear. "Stop thinking and let me do this for you."
I shuddered, then arched back against him, letting my head rest on his shoulder as I slipped my leg just a little further back in silent encouragement. Stop thinking. Just relax.
"That's it," he murmured, and I could feel him smile against my neck before starting to kiss his way up to my cheek. I sighed softly, turning my head in his direction, then moaned when my leg shook slightly; my body's silent signal that I was getting close.
"Don't stop," I breathed, opening my eyes to gaze into his. "Please. I-"
Without warning, he pressed his lips hard onto mine, making me cut myself off with a groan as I felt him, all of him, against me. Edward muttered something under his breath, then groaned into my mouth when he felt my legs start to tense up and my breathing hitched.
"E-Edward," I managed to get out, pushing my hips back into his. "I'm…"
"I know," he panted, rocking against me. I let out a small whine when I felt the tip of him slide against me, then groaned when he pulled back again.
"Please," I whimpered, though what I was begging for, I was no longer sure. I was so close now; I just needed a little more…
Edward's free hand grabbed mine, our fingers entwining automatically as he thrust against me, and I felt my eyes go wide as the entire length of him slipped through my folds. Oh, fuck.
"Bella," he groaned, and that was enough for the tension that had been building within me to release, sending me spiraling into the first non-self created orgasm I'd had in over a year.
I may have dug my nails into his hand too tight.
I may have pushed my hips back against his.
I may have cried out his name.
All I knew for sure was that this was one of, if not the most powerful climax I'd ever experienced, and it was at the hands of a man I'd met less than 24 hours ago.
"God, Isabella…" I heard Edward groan against my neck, but was too overwhelmed to reply. Edward had done this. Edward had made me feel this. Jesus Christ, what was I doing?
The Agency had one rule – don't get involved with a target or colleague. If that happened, if you fell for someone like that, then your employment was terminated. Everyone knew that and everyone stuck to it, either by turning over their badges and guns or by simply not comprising themselves like that in the first place. But with this mission? With this cover? How the hell was I supposed to not get involved? The cover required it.
But this… would this count as involvement? It was all part of the ruse, right?
"Bella?"
I shuddered at the sound of my name, then slowly rolled over to face him, determined not to let my over-active mind ruin this. Carlisle would never know.
"Edward," I whispered, meeting his gaze. His jaw was tense, his hair stuck up from my constant tugging, and there was something in his eyes that I'd only caught a glimpse of once before, when we were up against that wall earlier and he'd truly felt me for the first time, that I couldn't quite identify.
Not letting myself over-think things again, I pressed my lips to his and slowly reached down to wrap my hand around him, only to have him stop me before I had the chance to touch him. I groaned in protest, twisting my wrist to try and escape his grip, but all that did was send pain shooting through my hand, so I tried distracting him with more kisses instead.
"Not tonight," he whispered against my lips. I groaned in protest again, shaking my head.
"Edward, please," I breathed. Let me touch you. Let me soothe you.
"I'm not saying never," he murmured, "just… not tonight."
"But-"
"You're not up to it," he reasoned, kissing me softly.
"You are," I pointed out, barely managing to graze the tips of my fingers over the head of his cock. Fucking hell, he was hard. He sucked in a breath, squeezing my wrist a little tighter, then glared at me, though I could tell he wasn't being completely serious.
"Please," I pleaded. "Let me do this for you."
"I don't need you to," he replied with a shake of his head. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off with his lips, carefully shifting on top of me before rolling onto my other side and pulling me round to face him. I took the opportunity to reach down for him again, but he simply pulled his hips back from me and moved off the bed. I gaped at him, stunned, then groaned when he leaned down to kiss me again.
"That's what I have these for," he murmured as he pulled away, waving his hands before winking and walking towards the bathroom.
"Edward?" I called, pushing myself upright.
"Go back to sleep, Bella," he replied, then pushed the bathroom door open before stepping in and shutting it behind him.
The click of the lock turning seemed obnoxiously loud in the otherwise silent room, and I blinked a few times in shock before groaning with frustration and flopping back onto the bed. What the fuck just happened?
"Bella!"
I startled awake, then groaned as blinding light overwhelmed me and I was forced to clamp my eyes shut again. Edward chuckled from behind me, then slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me back against him.
"Good morning, Isabella," he murmured softly, kissing the back of my neck.
"Mornin'," I mumbled, then grimaced as I rolled over to face him. My entire body was aching, and the bruise Edward had discovered on my ribs earlier this morning was incredibly tender, though the pain wasn't as bad as it had been, thanks to his 'relaxation' techniques.
"You know, there are nicer ways of waking someone up," I grumbled, bringing my hands up to shield my eyes from the glaring light shining into them. Edward grinned, his bright green eyes practically sparkling with amusement, then leaned in to kiss me before sitting up and stretching, letting me see his body properly for the first time. Very nice.
"See something you like?" he teased. I shook myself, then glanced up at his eyes, blushing sheepishly.
"I was just admiring the view," I replied nonchalantly, trying my best not to ogle him as he laughed and got off the bed, shaking his head as he walked over to the walk-in wardrobe I'd seen earlier, wearing only his boxers.
"Edward?" I called, awkwardly glancing around for something to cover myself with. Damn it all to hell. Cursing under my breath, I pushed the sheets back from myself and climbed out of the bed, then hurriedly made my way over to the wardrobe, trying to expose myself as little as possible to the hidden cameras dotted about the room.
"I didn't bring any other clothes, so…" I trailed off, unsure of how to open the wardrobe door. I heard Edward let out a soft laugh, obviously enjoying my predicament, so I rolled my eyes and walked over to the bathroom instead.
"Fine! I'm totally using your toothbrush," I shouted, poking my tongue out him, though I knew he couldn't see me. I heard Edward cry out in protest, so I rushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind me, letting out a quiet giggle as I did so. This would be fun.
I scanned the room for Edward's shirt, knowing that's what I'd be expected to wear, then groaned when I saw it was in a crumpled heap on the other side of the room, partially hidden by a pair of his boxers and my bra. How the hell did that get over there?
Shivering from the sudden chill of the room, I hurried over to the shirt and picked it up with the tips of my fingers, not wanting to touch his boxers, then pulled it on and buttoned it up. The sleeves fell past my wrists, so I had to roll them up before I could do anything, but the bottom of the shirt touched my thighs, providing me with the cover I desperately craved, so I couldn't really complain about it too much – cover was cover, right?
"Bella, open up." I heard Edward bang on the door, but chose to ignore him – he'd done the same to me, after all. I wasn't usually one to hold a grudge or take revenge – I normally took the moral high ground when it came to this sort of thing – but Edward got me worked up to the point where I couldn't help myself. It was ridiculous, that he could have this effect on me in such a short length of time, but there was just something about him that got to me. Isn't that what happens in real relationships too, though? Maybe it's just him getting into character.
I scoffed at my own reasoning, then rummaged around in the cabinet he'd found the gauze in the night before, searching for a spare toothbrush. I eventually found one tucked away at the back along with some dental floss and condoms, then quickly unwrapped it before squeezing some toothpaste onto it and brushing my teeth. I hated not being able to keep up my regular personal hygiene routines, but it was part of the job now, and I was used to making the most of what I had. In all honesty, I was lucky he had a spare toothbrush in the first place – most people didn't.
But then again, Edward wasn't exactly most people, was he?
"Bella, are you alright in there?"
I rolled my eyes. His timing was uncanny.
"Yeah, I'm good," I called back, quickly splashing my face with some water before dabbing it dry with a towel and walking over to unlock the door.
"Bella, I asked someone to-"
"FUCK!" I screeched, feeling my eyes well up with tears of pain as I hopped back from the door, clutching my foot.
"Jesus Christ, Bella, why the fuck did you stand so close to the door?" Edward shook his head as he walked towards me, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that he was the one who'd pushed it open ridiculously hard in the first place.
"You're seriously blaming me for that?" I choked out, feeling tears run down my cheeks as I sat down on the lid of the toilet seat, still holding my throbbing toes.
"How was I meant to know you'd be standing there, sweetheart?" he replied, his tone patronizing.
"If you'd given me time to move out the fucking way, maybe you wouldn't have had to know where I was standing before barging in like a caveman!" I snapped, gritting my teeth against the pain. Edward shook his head, glaring at me, then knelt in front of me and gently pried my fingers away from my toes.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, his eyes widening slightly.
"What is it?" I asked, then made the mistake of looking down at my feet. The cuts from the night before were now bleeding, and a huge bruise had already started to form across my toes, making my foot look absolutely hideous.
"Bella, breathe," Edward soothed, bringing his hand up to cup my cheek. I glared at him through watery eyes, though I knew it wasn't entirely his fault things were this bad.
"Let me go get some gauze again," he murmured, smiling apologetically before rushing off to the cabinet. I leaned down and put my head between my knees, trying to calm myself enough to dull the pain, but it was like Pandora's box had opened – once the pain started in one place, I became hyperaware of it everywhere else.
"Please hurry up," I croaked, feeling the all too familiar nausea start to build.
"Bella, what…" I felt him kneel down beside me again, his hand coming up to rub my back.
"I feel sick," I mumbled. How the hell was I going to do this? What if we got made within the next few days? I wouldn't be able to run, not like this. My entire body was aching and throbbing, and I could feel everything suddenly start to overwhelm me, making my stomach start to turn.
"Bella…"
Fuck off, Edward.
"I need you to look at me, okay?" he urged, and I reluctantly did as he asked. "Try and relax for me, sweetheart. I know you're probably going through a bit of shock right now, and I'm so fucking sorry they treated you so roughly – I should have warned you of what to expect when I sent for you. Your body won't be used to it, so it's normal for you to feel this way."
"It hurts," I groaned, playing along with what he'd told me. It was times like this that I was grateful for the mandatory physical training The Agency put us all through – pain management was something they had focused on a lot, and the more advanced levels had involved being put through mild torture in order to put the skills into practice, which meant I was somewhat used to pain. It was just a shame I hadn't experienced it in this quantity for a while.
"Bella, I know it hurts, baby, but I need you to keep your eyes on me while I do this, okay? Looking at your feet will only make it hurt more."
I nodded, trying to take deeper breaths in an attempt to calm myself, but the moment Edward's fingers brushed against my toes, I cried out in pain, feeling the nausea reach new heights.
"No, don't," I pleaded, though I nodded my reluctant consent at the same time, silently urging him to continue. The sooner this was over with, the better.
"Bella, I have to," he murmured softly, then leaned up to kiss me before turning his attention to my feet.
"Please," I begged, then whimpered as he poured some liquid out of a bottle I'd seen in the cabinet earlier onto some gauze padding.
"It's just some hydrogen peroxide," he explained, "to help clean the cuts."
"I-is that really necessary?" I asked, trying to sound afraid. "Can't you just use something else? I mean, that stuff's gonna sting, right?"
"It's the quickest way to get rid of any dirt or bacteria," he replied. I nodded, knowing he was right. "It might sting a bit, but it's not particularly concentrated or anything – it won't hurt you."
"But, Edward, I…" I trailed off, as if out of excuses. "Can I at least hold your hand? I know I sound like a baby, but…"
"You don't sound like a baby," he assured me, then turned his attention back to my feet, wincing as he took in the cuts and bruises on them. "On three, okay?"
"O-okay," I stammered, then started taking deep breaths again.
"One…" He glanced up into my eyes and smiled. "Two…" He braced my heel on his leg, readying the gauze padding in his other hand. "Three."
I cried out in mock agony, then sucked in a sharp breath, relishing the sting of the peroxide against my toes. This, I could handle.
"Sorry, sweetheart," Edward murmured as he continued to gently cleanse the cuts.
"I-it's ok-kay," I whimpered, smiling at him. He smirked, shook his head, then carefully poured some more of the peroxide on a new pad before giving my toes another once over for safety.
"You must think I'm such an idiot," I sighed, embarrassed.
"No," Edward replied, smiling. "I think you're very brave."
"Edward, that's something you say to 5 year olds who don't cry when they get a plaster, not your lover," I chided. "That's such a patronizing thing to say."
"Is it now?" he teased as he started to bandage my toes with the gauze. "How about this then; I think you're incredibly beautiful, very courageous for coming here to see me, ever so sexy, and ever so talented too."
I blushed, despite knowing what he'd said was just for the microphones.
"Better?"
"Yeah," I mumbled, staring fixedly at the floor. Edward laughed, then secured the gauze with some medical tape before gently setting my foot on the floor.
"Do you want me to bandage up the other foot too?" he asked. "Just in case something else happens? Why you wore heels when you knew you'd have to walk, I have no idea."
"I didn't know it'd be that far," I lied. "I just wanted you to want me."
"Bella," he sighed, looking up into my eyes. "I don't need lingerie or ridiculous heels to turn me on. Just you being you is enough."
I blushed again, hating the reactions he elicited from me, then pushed myself up onto my feet, trying not to grimace as I put some weight on my bad foot. The distraction of the peroxide had made the aches in my body dull a little, and when I managed to take a few steps towards the door without doubling over, I couldn't help but smile.
"Bella," Edward said softly, though I knew he meant it as a warning. "Let me help you into the bedroom, okay? I'll carry you."
"But-"
He shot me a sharp glare. "You won't be able to walk on that yet, and don't even start with the whole 'I'm too heavy' thing because we both know that's complete bullshit."
"Fine," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.
"Stay here a sec – I'm going to go put these away."
I nodded, holding my hands up in surrender, then waited impatiently for him to come back over. This would be so much easier if you just let me walk out by myself.
"Okay, you ready?" he asked, still glaring at me. I glared straight back at him, not sure what he was so mad about, then wrapped my arms around his neck in preparation for him to lift me.
"I'm ready," I mumbled, the reluctance in my voice real for once. Edward shook his head, then roughly picked me up and wrapped my legs around him, making me groan in pain as he accidentally squeezed my ribs too hard.
"Sorry," he muttered, but didn't give me a chance to respond before walking out into the bedroom, his hands moving to cup my ass again. I rolled my eyes, sure he was enjoying that more than he was supposed to, then laid my head on his shoulder, acting like the weak and injured girlfriend I was meant to be.
"Easy, baby," Edward murmured as we approached the bed, then carefully turned and sat on the edge of the mattress with me still on his lap. I winced as my feet brushed against the sheets, then sighed before sitting up straighter and smiling weakly at him. He gave me a tense smile back, then leaned in to kiss me, his lips soft and gentle against mine.
"Mmm," I moaned into his mouth, sliding my hands up into his hair. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist in response, then tugged me closer, bringing our hips together again as he parted my lips with his own.
"I missed this," he mumbled against my lips, splaying his hands against my back. I smiled into our next kiss, trying to resist the temptation to tease him since I'd already managed to piss him off enough for one day, then jerked back from him in shock when I heard someone knock on the door.
Edward shot me a quick glare, pressing down hard enough on my bruised rib to make me groan, then carefully shifted me off him and onto the bed, kissing me once more before walking over to the door and unlocking it. I rubbed my ribs, confused as to why he'd purposefully cause me pain, then blushed profusely as a young brunette walked into the room with a tray.
"I hope you're hungry," she told me, smiling as she placed the tray down on the bedside table. I glanced down at the tray, and felt my eyes widen as I took in the two plates of bacon, hash browns, toast, beans and tomato she'd brought in with us along with two mugs of what appeared to be coffee.
"This is…" I began, looking up at her in shock.
"It's perfect, Gianna, thank you," Edward cut across, beaming at her. Gianna blushed, smiling coyly, then turned back to face me as she pulled a Blackberry out of her pocket. I frowned at her in confusion, wondering what the hell was going on, then shot a quick glance at Edward, who smiled reassuringly.
"Edward paged to say you didn't have any clothes," Gianna explained, "so if you give me your sizes, I'll send them down to Vicky and she'll bring them up for you when you've finished eating."
"Oh, um…" I tucked my hair behind my ears nervously. "Do you want bra sizes too? I mean-"
"Unless you plan on sticking with one bra the entire time you're here, yes," she replied, smiling.
"Of course, right," I muttered, blushing. "Um, size 5 all around and, uh, 34C?"
"Okay, got it." Gianna shoved her Blackberry back in her pocket, then turned to Edward. "Do you need anything?"
"No, thank you," he replied, smiling politely. Gianna blushed profusely, then ducked her head and hurried towards the door. "Enjoy your breakfast."
"Thank you!" I called out, but she was gone before I could even finish my sentence. Edward chuckled, shaking his head, then moved to sit beside me on the bed, bringing the tray with all our food on it with him.
"She seems… nice," I mumbled, smiling gratefully as Edward took his plate off the tray before handing me it.
"She is," he agreed. "She's also very efficient."
"Yeah, I noticed," I replied. "She's pretty, too."
"Mmm," Edward hummed noncommittally. "I never really noticed."
"Sure you didn't," I muttered, busying myself with my breakfast.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," I sighed.
"No, tell me." He shifted closer to me on the bed, looking confused. I shook my head, keeping my gaze fixed on my plate. "Oh, I get it. You're suddenly playing the jealous girlfriend card now? Seriously?"
"I'm not," I mumbled, suddenly no longer hungry.
"Bella, I've been in this compound for four years. I-"
"That's my point!" I groaned, pushing my tray away from me and climbing off the bed, trying to make this as realistic as possible. "You've been here surrounded by beautiful women like her the entire time! What am I meant to think? That you suddenly became celibate and switched off the male part of your brain?"
"No! I mean, yes! But-" Edward stammered, shaking his head angrily. "Bella, they're not… I want you, not them."
"Right," I mumbled sarcastically, rolling my eyes as I hobbled away from the bed.
"Don't be like that. You know I would have sent for you sooner if I could have."
"Really?" I glared at him, trying to vent my frustration from this morning. "Then why the fuck didn't you, huh? I waited for you, Edward. I waited and waited for you to call or email or something! I put everything on hold for you, hoping that one day this-" I unbuttoned his shirt with shaking fingers and gestured towards my exposed body, "- would be enough for you, enough to make you want me like you used to."
"Bella, I-" He got up off the bed, and I cut him off before he could say anymore, turning my back on him.
"Don't, Edward," I muttered. "Just don't."
"Bella, please just lis-"
"Coming here was a mistake," I told him softly, making my eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry, I should have just stayed a-"
"Don't you dare say that," he growled angrily, grabbing my arm and turning me around to face him.
"Edward, you're hurting me!" I cried, letting the tears in my eyes roll down my cheeks.
"Bella, what will it take for you to believe me?" he murmured, loosening his hold on my arm and pressing his forehead against mine. I clamped my eyes shut, forcing more tears to fall, then groaned softly as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him.
"Bella, you're everything to me," he breathed, brushing his lips across mine. "You're everything."
I slowly opened my eyes and gazed up at him, shocked at how intense his expression had become. "Edward, I-"
"Please, Bella," he pleaded. "Don't just give up on us, not now. Stay here with me. Give me a chance to show you you're the only one."
I exhaled a shaky breath, then hesitated a moment before nodding reluctantly and leaning in to his touch. He let out sigh of relief, smiling weakly, then slowly leaned in to kiss me, as if giving me time to back out and reject him if I wanted to. I whimpered softly, then threw my arms around him and pressed myself hard against him, kissing him urgently.
He jerked back in shock, obviously not expecting me to 'forgive' him so easily, but quickly recovered, pulling me up against his body and lifting me off the ground, careful not to hurt my ribs again for once. I slowly wrapped my legs around his waist, grimacing slightly when my feet brushed against each other, then hissed in a breath when Edward dug his nails into my back, hard enough to cause pain.
"Bella, are you okay?" he asked breathlessly, looking at me worriedly. I frowned, completely confused, then grimaced again when he bounced me higher up him, understanding what he'd meant.
"I'm ok-kay," I ground out, smiling weakly at him. "I'm just starting to hurt a bit is all."
Edward sighed heavily, shaking his head, then slowly walked over to the bed and carefully put me down onto it. "Stay here a sec, alright? I'm going to go get someone to take a look at you."
"Edward, I-"
"Let me take care of you," he said softly, though his eyes reflected his inner anger. What the fuck was wrong with him today?
"I'll be okay," I assured him, frowning. "I just need some Tylenol or something – I really don't think I need a doctor or anyth-"
"Bella, trust me on this okay?" he snapped, then shook his head and softened his tone. "Baby, you're hurting. They treated you so roughly yesterday when they brought you here, and me pushing you against that wall… you're in pain, and I'm worried about you. So, unless you somehow managed to get into medical school while I was here…"
I rolled my eyes, sighed, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine."
Edward smiled sadly, then knelt down in front of me and took my face between his hands, gazing at me for a moment before murmuring, "You're so stubborn."
"So are you," I breathed, then moaned softly as he gently pressed his lips to mine in a chaste kiss which quickly became deeper, his tongue tracing over my bottom lip to tease me.
"I'll be back in a sec," he promised as he pulled back from me, his gaze intense. "Don't go anywhere without me, okay?"
I nodded in understanding, then leaned forwards to kiss him once more in a silent thank you.
"Don't be long," I murmured, then smiled as he stood up straight, kissed my forehead, then quickly walked across the room, heading for the door.
The moment he disappeared from view, I let out a heavy breath, then grimaced as I tried to push myself up the bed and into a more comfortable position. With a soft groan of 'pain', I curled up in a ball and wrapped my arm around my stomach, wincing as I pretended to press down too hard on my ribcage. I'd been playing the part of the girlfriend who tried to pretend everything was fine even though it wasn't so far, and now Edward was gone, I'd have to really play up the pain incase I was being watched, so I carefully pushed Edward's shirt away from my body, then let out a small sob as I took in the large purple bruise that had spread across my abdomen. Holy shit, that was huge.
I closed my eyes, squeezing a few tears out, then curled up into an even tighter ball and clamped my hand over my mouth as if trying to silence myself as I started to cry. Instead of simply faking the tears as I was used to doing, I poured all my worries, fears and regrets into it, using the moment as a way to vent everything before it could build up and compromise my position. Emotions were often people's downfall in this kind of situation – you simply had to try and turn them off or channel them into the role you had taken up.
I wasn't entirely sure how long I laid there crying, but eventually there was a loud knock at the door, and I quickly wiped the tears from my face before groaning as I pushed myself into a sitting position.
"O-one second!" I called as I slowly tried to stand up, careful not to put any weight on my foot. I took my time making my way over to the door, taking care to grimace every two steps and not stand completely upright, then quickly fumbled to do up the buttons on Edward's shirt before opening the door.
"Hi, Bella," a tall brunette greeted, smiling sadly. "I'm Didyme, but you can call me Di for short. Edward asked if I'd give you a once over to check everything's okay?"
"Oh, yeah, hi," I muttered, then pulled the door open a little wider to let her in. "Where's Edward?"
"Aro called him away for an emergency meeting," Didyme explained as she strode across the room and placed a large black bag on the floor before beginning to clear mine and Edward's unfinished breakfasts away. "He should be back soon, though."
"Oh, okay," I replied, frowning. Careful, Bella, it could be a trap.
"If you could just pop up on the bed for me, sweetie, we'll get started," Didyme instructed, smiling brightly. I slowly started to hobble towards the bed, eying the bag she'd brought with her warily as I moved. I had no idea what was inside that thing, but I knew from experience that women belonging to this sort of organization were never to be trusted, no matter who or what they claimed to be, so had to act with extreme caution.
"Would you like some help?" Didyme asked, frowning as she took in the gauze wrapped around my foot.
"No, uh… I can do it," I assured her, giving her a pained smile as I took another step forwards and sat down on the edge of the bed that was furthest from her.
"All this must be pretty daunting for you, huh?" she said softly, her eyes turning sad as she looked me over. "I mean, this place isn't the most welcoming at the best of times, and for them to be so rough with you… I wouldn't be surprised if you regretted ever coming here."
"Edward's worth it," I argued, slowly shifting further up the bed. Didyme smiled, then reached down for her bag and put it down on the bed beside me before opening it up and allowing me a brief glimpse inside.
Gauze, syringes, tape, bottles, Band-Aids, latex gloves… Medical supplies, I realized. Don't trust it, Bella. Be careful.
"Edward said you're pretty banged up all over, and since I know you're probably uncomfortable with somebody like me looking you over, how about you tell me where to start and we'll work from there, okay?" Didyme asked softly, smiling sympathetically. I nodded reluctantly, knowing I had no way out of this, then grimaced as I settled further up the bed and extended my feet towards her.
"Earlier, um… I was in the bathroom and, uh, Edward accidentally opened the door on my foot?" The words came out like a question, and I bit down on my bottom lip, acting unsure of myself. "I mean, it's probably nothing, but they were bleeding a bit and they're really hurting so…"
"Did Edward bandage these?" she asked as she crouched down and looked over my injured foot, frowning.
"Yeah," I replied. "He put some of that peroxide stuff on it too to clean it."
Didyme nodded her understanding, then gently pressed down on the base of my toes, and I couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. That hurt.
"Would you mind if I took a look at them?" She glanced up at me for approval and, once I'd nodded, slowly started to unravel the bandages. I watched as she worked, checking for any sign that she hadn't had medical training, then gasped when the final layer of gauze was unwrapped and my foot was exposed.
"Oh, my God," I whimpered, feeling my eyes fill up with tears as I took in the mangled bloody mess that was my toes. Two of them were swollen beyond belief and purple from all the bruising, one was most definitely broken, and the other two were bloodstained and cut up. This was not good.
"Bella, breathe through it," Didyme soothed, and I clamped my eyes shut tightly, trying to block the images from my mind so I didn't freak out. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "Do you want to know what I think has happened or would you rather I just treated you quickly and not explain anything?"
"No, um, c-can you explain it?" I asked, wincing as she touched one of my toes. This would give me a chance to assess if she was genuine or not. "So I can tell Edward when he gets back? You don't have to tell me the proper technical terms – I wouldn't understand if you did – but can you dumb it down to give me the gist of things?"
"Of course," she replied, carefully pressing on the area beneath my toes. I groaned in pain, clenching my hands into fists. Yep, definitely broken something. "Okay, Bella, from what I can tell, you've definitely broken these two toes here-" she lightly touched the end of them, which made me grimace again "- and the others are severely bruised, so I'm going to strap these three toes to each other while they heal, and will be bandaging up the rest of your foot to pad it out a little and ease the pressure on it. Obviously, we'll be needing to ice those pretty soon to make some of the swelling go down, but since I didn't bring an ice pack with me, we'll have to settle for ibuprofen for now."
"Umm…" I began as she rummaged around in her bag for some gauze. She definitely seems to know what she's talking about. "Can we do that last?" She looked up at me in shock. "I mean, it's really painful and I just-"
"Sure," Didyme replied softly, smiling. "Where else do you want me to check out in the mean time then?"
Oh, boy. Where to start?
