"This is so strange!" He voiced again as we raced toward Port Angeles "I'm human but I'm not."
"I know, it's hard to get used to" I tell him "it has something to do with the venom. I've tried to study it but the most I've come up with are just theories."
"Care to share a few?"
"Well, I figure that there's so much venom in our bodies that even for the brief time that we are human it continues to heal us…if that makes sense? That's why I end up turning back even if I don't turn it off."
Edward nodded "interesting."
"It's all a bit vague" I sigh "but it's only like you and being able to read minds."
He was silent for a moment before grinning "sorry, I am listening, it's just I'm so damn hungry."
Edward, it seemed, lost his old fashioned manners when it came to eating. He ate enough for at least four people and was still ploughing through dessert. "I was going to take you to a bar" I told him as I sipped my banana milkshake "but I'm scared you're going to throw all this food back up again."
"A bar?" He asked through a mouthful of cheesecake "I've never drank alcohol before."
"Really?" I frowned, remembering that I spent half my time drunk when I'd first discovered that I could become mortal again. It was a coping mechanism.
Edward nodded "I'm forever stuck at seventeen, remember?"
"Fine" I sighed "we'll go to a bar if you hurry up and finish eating."
Edward, again, forgot his manners at the bar and was already drunk before I'd become a little bit tipsy. My past alcohol abuse probably helped me become less affected by the effects of alcohol. At least I was sound enough to get us both back to Forks in one piece.
"Let's go to your place" he slurred as we slowed to a walk "I've never been there before."
"You've known me for less than two weeks" I rolled my eyes. I doubt he knew we were just a few mere seconds from his home. "My house is boring and, besides, we're already back at yours."
"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked, standing beside me in less than a second, as I all but dragged Edward into the Cullen house.
"Over indulged" I rolled my eyes "he's piss drunk, nothing to worry about."
I could see that Carlisle was trying to hide a smile under his concerned father façade as he said "there's a spare bedroom just through the kitchen. Put him in there."
Esme joined us "you're welcome to stay too, Penny." She offered.
"Thanks" I nodded "I'm so tired I don't think I can even make it home."
Edward sobered up a little when I dumped him on the bed in the spare bedroom and just stared at me. "You are beautiful, you know" he told me sluggishly "very attractive, even for a vampire."
"Funny" I sighed, settling down beside him "I was a very ugly human so I figured I'd be an ugly immortal too."
"You must have been very beautiful" he replied "else you wouldn't be this beautiful now."
"Thanks?" I figured that was supposed to be a compliment.
He smiled at me before his head flopped down on my shoulder "I should be excited to sleep for the first time in almost a decade" he sighed "but I don't want to waste a minute sleeping when you're here with me. You know, a vampire knows who he wants as his mate within just minutes of meeting them; I knew within seconds. I knew the minute I saw you, walking across the parking lot with your headphones on."
"You're drunk, Edward" I sigh "just go to sleep; we can talk about this in the morning when you're sober."
"I am drunk" he confirmed "but I know what I'm saying and I know how I feel."
"Then you'll feel the same tomorrow, won't you? Come on" I get up, pulling him with me "bedtime. We're not married but I'm willing to let you share the bed with me tonight." Edward was out like a light the moment his head hit the pillow. I followed shortly after.
It was early morning when I woke and it seemed that sometime during the night both Edward and I had positioned ourselves so that we were curled around each other, his arm slung over me, resting on my inner thigh and something else of his pressing against my lower back. I sighed and thought that I'd better wake him.
"Hey" I rolled over, nudging him "Edward, wake up."
"More sleep please" he mumbled into the pillow.
"You need to sort yourself out" I nudge him again "your situation is currently rubbing against me."
His eyes opened and he groaned loudly. "God, I'd forgotten about that" he mumbled, his voice hoarse "didn't miss waking up to that" he chuckled to himself before he wrapped his arms tighter around me "I remember everything and what I said still stands." His lips were at my neck now, pressing against the skin there.
I didn't want to push him away; in fact, I'd been wanting to mount him since we left Forks yesterday but I'm not the kind of person to take advantage nor to go against someone else's morals.
"I told you I was willing to negotiate" he muttered, obviously listening to my thoughts "and right now" he bucked his hips against me "I'd like to alleviate a need the human way."
"By rubbing one out in the shower?" I ask, my self-control slowly waning as his hands began to explore my body.
"No" he shook his head, his lips now trailing down my neck. "I've decided to join the twenty first century." And, with that, all of Edward's chivalry all but went out the window.
Of course, he remained a gentleman; seeing to my needs before seeing to his own and, when we were done, he lay there quietly, revelling in his afterglow. It had been the best for me so far, that fact was undeniable, but I began to worry that Edward would regret doing this before marriage.
"I'm going to marry you" he stated, making me jump a little "so I decided to fast forward things a bit."
"I'm going to find food" I told him, trying not to freak out at his marriage comment.
"Esme's made pancakes." He replied.
"Ok" I stop just before reaching the door "then I'm going to get some fresh air."
I fly out of the back door before I could bump into anyone and run into the forest. I ran until I couldn't see the house before climbing a tree and sitting myself on a branch so high up that the Cullen house was back in view.
'A guy I've literally just met announced that he wants to marry me.' I thought as I dug a packet of cigarettes out of my pocket 'that's not weird at all! Of course I'm not allowed to freak out or anything…' I found my Zippo and sparked up. The feelings that I have for Edward worry me; I've never felt so strongly toward a single person before, especially not after only two weeks of knowing them. Maybe he was right, maybe beings like us just know who their mate is going to be.
Either way, it was freaking me out.
"I wasn't trying to force you into anything, you know" His voice told me. I look down to see him standing at the bottom of the tree "if you're not there yet, it's fine."
"I came out here to think." I tell him in irritation as he joined me on my branch. I then sighed "the feelings I have for you are so strong that they scare me" I admit, flicking ash from the end of my cigarette. "Can we just slow down and just do things the normal way before we start talking marriage?" I asked.
"The normal way?" He frowned
I nod "like dinner dates, watching films, Netflix and chill…"
"Netflix and chill? I don't think I know what that is." He sighs
"It's where you have Netflix on but don't watch it because you're making out or…other stuff." I shrug.
He smirks a little as he asks "other stuff?"
I glare at him, blushing "you know exactly what I mean without me needing to voice it."
Edward chuckles before watching me for a moment. "Sterling?"
"Sure" I nod "my ex got me onto them."
"I've never smoked before" he informed me
"Well, I don't do it often; only when I'm human and stressed. Anyways, when do you want me to turn you back?"
"Not yet, I'm enjoying being human again for a while. I'd forgotten how much I liked to sleep and how it feels to wake up after a great night's sleep." He paused for a moment "I had a few dreams as well."
"About what?"
"My old life, you, my family and my future."
I looked up at him as I flick my spent cigarette into the trees "your future?"
"Mm" he nods "Alice has visions of the future; they're not set in stone, only subjective, but she saw the two of us together before you even set foot in Forks."
"Ok, together as in…?"
"A couple" he shrugs "together, happy and in love…that kind of couple."
"Love" I mutter, almost as though it was a curse word.
"I've seen inside your head, Penny; I know that you've shut yourself off, that you've built up a barrier to protect yourself and others but I've also see how you see me, how you feel about me, and I don't think that you should be afraid to open yourself up. I think that you should let yourself be happy and I know that I will make you happy because I won't ever stop trying to make you laugh, I will always be trying to see a smile on your face. I don't care how long it takes because I will never stop trying." He stares at me for a moment, his look was intense and so intimate that I had to make myself believe that it was for me, that he was staring at me.
"But we barely know each other" I whisper "loving someone takes time, falling in love takes time, Edward, it doesn't just happen."
"But it does" he countered "I was sceptical about 'love at first sight' and whatever but then I saw you, in Alice's vision, I saw us together; we were so in love, so happy and content. Even then, I didn't particularly believe it until met you and I knew that I was so far gone that it would take something drastic to pull me back. I wasn't drowning for the first time in years, I was flying." He paused, still smiling at me; his eyes shining, full of emotion I wasn't used to seeing. "But, as I said before, I won't force you into anything. It has to be your choice but I'll be here, waiting for your approval."
"It's not my approval" I shook my head "I'm already there, Edward, it's just…my head isn't accepting it because of how fast it's all happening. I need to slow down, I need to make sense of all of this, we need-" I look down at my phone and jump "we need to get to get back!"
It's not like a vampire to be late and I've never been late yet but I was pushing it a bit today.
We returned to the house to find Esme in the kitchen. "I heard you coming" she told us "I warmed your pancakes through for you."
"Thanks" I said gratefully, accepting the food.
"Thanks, mom" Edward smiled, giving her a one armed hug and a kiss on the forehead before accepting his.
"Congratulations on the happy couple!" Alice chirped happily as she walked into the kitchen. "Though I probably shouldn't approve of your pre-marital coitus but I don't care, Esme is thrilled!"
"Alice!" Esme scolded but smiled all the same.
Edward huffed, rolling his eyes, before ploughing into his breakfast whereas I blushed furiously as I realised that every single person in the house must have heard us. 'Great' I thought as I scowled at my pancakes 'they barely know me but they already know what sex noises I make.' Edward snorted into his maple syrup causing Alice and Esme to look at him as though he'd just grown an extra arm.
"How is that?" Alice asked curiously "it smells ghastly."
"Delicious" he nodded, shoving the rest of his food in his mouth before announcing, only just coherent, that he was going to brush his teeth.
"Carlisle has so many questions for you" Alice told me, taking Edward's vacated seat "Esme's trying to hold him off but even her influence doesn't last long. Be prepared for an assault later."
"Questions about what?" I asked.
"Your ability. We were keeping tabs on the both of you, just making sure that Edward was ok, you know? He is amazed, wants to know what else you can do. Saying that" she frowned, looking to her brother who'd just returned "you'd both better change back before we go to school, they may be human but they do notice the small things especially when it comes to us."
"Good point" Edward nodded before turning to me. He looked a little disappointed.
"I'll change you back later" I suggest "that way you have to whole weekend to over indulge."
I took Edward's hands in mine and concentrated, as I had done in his bedroom yesterday, and didn't open my eyes until I heard him gasp as his heart faltered before falling silent. "And you" Alice nodded.
"I'm good for now, besides, they've known you guys longer."
She stared at me before shrugging and saying "it's your funeral" before disappearing.
"What's going on?" Edward asked.
Knowing that he could pick through my head, I didn't bother lying. "I should have changed back when you did but I can't. It's not working for me."
Edward was quiet for a moment, thinking, until he said "maybe we should skip school today."
"Why?" I ask
"I know that Carlisle is dying to ask you some questions, run some tests on you-" he paused before nodding to himself "I'll let the others know to go on without us."