Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Congrats to I'myoursweetestgoodbye, musiclikelove and IanO'.luver who all correctly guessed the song last chapter! And you sent me a guess, and it was wrong, but you don't have PM on your account so I couldn't tell you in a message. And also, I'm updating while I'm sick right now so you're all welcome. I've got a fever, headache, sore throat, basically the works, and every time I even look at the computer my head like throbs but I wanted to give y'all an update. So remember to review!
BPOV
"I love you Bella," Edward whispered, his voice soft and gentle. We were out on the balcony at the ballroom, just the two of us. People were moving around inside, dancing, laughing, talking, but it seemed like it was only us, in our own little world. No Charlie, no Renee, no rivalry. Just us.
"I love you too," I breathed, and truer words had never been spoken. I loved him with all of my heart. It was impossible not to love him.
Edward opened his mouth to speak and I listened intently to hear his next words. But as he moved to speak there was a sudden rap! Edward's eyes widened and he moved a hand to his throat. He tried to speak again, but another rap! interrupted him. It seemed to be coming from his own mouth.
"Edward?" I said in confusion and panic and moved my hand to his cheek. He clutched my hand in his and stared up at me and tried to speak but all that came out were three more rap!'s.
I shot up, my eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness of my room. The balcony of my dream faded away and I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my pounding heart. It had all seemed so real…
Rap!
Well, apparently part of it was real. Where was that odd noise coming from?
I stood up and wandered around my room as another loud rap! sounded. I followed the sound until I came to my window, just as a tiny stone pebble bounced off of it and clattered to the grass. Someone was throwing pebbles at my window. How romantic.
I shoved my white-framed window open and was instantly pegged on the forehead with another pebble. It bounced off of my forehead and landed on the carpet with a light thud.
"Ow!" I squealed, rubbing the spot. Only me.
"Bella? Did I hit you? I'm sorry!" It couldn't be, I thought, the tiny pain in my forehead already forgotten. Could it?
"Edward? Is that you?" I whisper-shouted, leaning halfway out of the window, trying to spot him in the darkness.
"Yes! Now be careful, don't fall out!" he said, panic obvious in his voice, even from so far away. I leaned back, following his instructions, surprised at how well he knew me.
"How'd you find out where I live?" I asked curiously, a little giddy. I mean, he had thrown pebbles at my window in the dead of night. It was like something out of a cheesy romantic comedy.
"I asked around. Can you come down?" His voice was slightly urgent and pleading. I glanced over my shoulder, biting my lip. My parents would never notice I was gone. And if I snuck out of the back staircase, I wouldn't have to go by my parent's room. It all worked out. I turned back to the window and leaned halfway out again.
"Yeah. Meet me in the garden in five minutes. Okay?"
"Okay. See you then."
"Bye." He tip-toed away, holding a flashlight and I pulled out of my window, sliding it shut. I grabbed a house key off of my dresser and slid it in my bra for safekeeping. Then I slid out of my room, down the back staircase and out the back door.
It was deathly silent outside, but I knew Edward was waiting for me close by. A warm breeze blew by me in the cold night and I shivered. I had forgotten in my haste that I was only in boxers and a cami.
I had picked the garden to meet Edward for a few reasons. First off, it was a good distance away from the house, and I knew it would be too dark to see it clearly from the house. Second off, none of my parents windows faced the garden, so even if they did decide to look out of their window at this hour, they wouldn't be able to see us. And lastly, there was a small, brown rocking bench that I loved to sit in and gaze up at the stars. I knew Edward would like it too.
I tip-toed across the yard, unable to keep the tingles of fear from creeping up my body. I knew Edward was close by, but I couldn't see him and I was alone in the dark. It was pretty freaky.
"Edward?" I whispered as I reached the garden. I didn't have a light with me, and I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. "Edward?"
"Bella?" A wave of relief rushed through me as I heard his voice. There was some fumbling, and then his flashlight came on, the sudden light blinding in the darkness. I blinked, but was able to make him out in the darkness, sitting on my favorite bench. I smiled and sank down next to him. His fingers instantly reached for mine, intertwining them.
"Sorry I didn't have the light on. I was looking up at the stars," he whispered, glancing upwards. I followed suit, noticing the way the starts shined like at no other time. There was no light or clouds polluting the sky, just a smattering of stars. I kept my head tilted upwards, as did Edward.
"That's what I love to do when I come out here," I told him, rubbing my thumb along the back of his hand. "It's so beautiful when you can actually see it."
"This whole thing is crazy," Edward whispered. It sounded like he was talking to himself more than me. "I feel like I've know you my whole life. And of all of the horrible things that could happen, our parents despise each other. How can this ever work?" I tore my gaze away from the sky and met his intense eyes.
"I don't know," I replied, a little nervous. What if he ended us, when we had only just begun? I don't know if I could take it. "But I don't care. I…care about you so much already. I don't care if our parents hate each other and I don't care if our friends hate each other. I care about you. Only you."
He was silent for so long, I was sure I had scared him off. His face remained carefully blank, unreadable. And then he tossed his arms around me and pulled me onto his lap, kissing me fiercely. I groaned at the sudden contact and placed my hands on either side of his face, pulling him in closer. I let my tongue glide along his lower lip and his mouth opened, our tongues molding together. His hands were on my face as well, memorizing every inch of my face.
When I pulled away, I was gasping for air, my face flushed, my heart pounding. I had goose bumps all over my skin, but not from the cold. In fact, I had all but forgotten the chilly night air while kissing Edward. He chuckled slightly at my expression before wrapping his arms around my waist, still holding me on his lap.
"Sorry about that," he murmured. "But hearing you say that was…such a relief! I've never felt so strongly about anyone, let alone in such a short time. I was worried you didn't feel the same way." I could've laughed with relief—he had thought I didn't care about him? A ludicrous thought.
"Of course I do. How could I not? You're so wonderful—everything I could've dreamed of, all wrapped up in one gorgeous package," I said, louder then I meant to.
"There's only one problem," Edward sighed. I pressed my fingers to his lips.
"Don't think about that. Don't talk about it. It doesn't matter to me. Sure, we'll have to keep things sort of secret, but I don't care. I want to be with you and I'll do whatever it takes," I vowed, knowing it was the truth. I couldn't leave him, even if I wanted to. Edward pressed a small kiss to my fingers before answering.
"You're willing? You're willing to sneak around and lie to your family and friends, just for us? Just so we can be together?" he asked, his voice low and worrying.
"I am if you are." My voice was fierce and passionate. I was serious and I wanted him to know that.
"I am. I'm willing to fight for us. For us to be together. I know that what we have is special…it's not just lust or a crush. It's more. It's…right. And I'm not going to let that go without a fight," Edward promised, his arms tightening around my waist. I placed one hand on his cheek, one finger rubbing along his cheekbone lightly.
"So what does this make us?" I mused gently.
"Well, I'm hoping this makes you my girlfriend," he answered, a crooked grin spreading along his face. I grinned easily in response.
"Is that your way of asking me out?"
"Is that your way of saying yes?"
"Yes," I mumbled, embarrassed even though I had said so much earlier.
"Then yes," he replied, chuckling lightly. He reached up and took my hand from his face, wrapping my arms around his neck before leaning to kiss me again. I instantly melted into his arms, forming my body around his, leaving no space in between us. I sighed contently into the kiss.
We kissed blissfully for a few minutes before I heard a light flick on and a door open.
"Shit!" I squeaked almost silently. I grabbed Edward and yanked him off of the bench, both of us ducking under it, lying flat on our stomachs, hiding in the grass.
"Damn dog," I could hear Charlie muttering. The back door was the open door and my Parson Russell Terrier (like a Jack Russell Terrier, only cuter) Gracie came running out. Gracie was only three years old and was such a spaz. She was only about twelve pounds and tiny, all white with tan ears and a tan spot over her right eye. She was extremely feisty and must have had to go out, which Charlie didn't seem to be pleased about.
I held my breath as I saw Gracie prance into the yard, sniffing around. I let out a loud breath when Charlie stepped outside, gazing around to try and spot Gracie in the darkness. I prayed he didn't turn the light on and spot us. Suddenly, I saw Gracie stop, her ears pricking up. She let out one, high-pitched bark.
"Shush!" Charlie whispered from the door, rubbing his eyes. Gracie let out a little whimper, but obeyed, letting her nose trail to the ground. She sniffed around uninterestedly until she reached a spot just under my window. She froze. After a moment of quiet sniffing, she let out another bark.
"Gracie! Shut up!" Charlie grumbled sleepily. Gracie whimpered again, letting out a tiny growl. She kept her nose pressed to the ground and started following whatever scent she smelled. Right towards us.
And then I realized that she must have caught Edward's scent. And she was trying to let Charlie know someone strange had been in our yard, someone she didn't recognize. What a smart dog! But I couldn't feel too much pride right now, because I was sure if she found Edward, she'd start going nuts, barking and running and jumping. Charlie would be sure to come out.
I waited with wide eyes as Gracie continued following his scent into the garden. She trotted all the way into the garden, where she usually knew not to go. She sniffed her way right into Edward's face. I saw her open her mouth to let out a bark, Edward whispering no gently at her. I had to do something.
"Gracie," I whispered gently, in a cooing voice. Her ears perked up and she bolted over to me, her tail wagging quickly as she tried to lick my face. I exhaled in relief. ""Hey baby. How's my little princess?" I continued cooing. I held my fingers out and she hovered over me, letting my scratch her belly.
"Any day Bella," Edward whispered.
"Oh right. Go back inside Gracie-poo. Go see Grandpa. Go on baby." Gracie tilted her head and gave me a lick on the nose and I giggled.
"Come on Gracie!" Charlie half shouted from the door. Gracie half turned towards him before letting out a slight whimper and turning back to me.
"Go on baby girl. Go on!" I encouraged. Gracie's head turned to Charlie, then back to me, then to Charlie. "Go ahead." She wagged her tail once before turning and sprinting over to the open door.
"Finally," Charlie muttered, closing the door behind her and turning off the lights.
"Holy tits," I whispered in relief, knowing how close we had just come to being caught.
"Tits?" Edward turned to me questioningly.
"It's like shit, but not a swear," I responded in a breathless whisper. Edward just shook his head, but didn't question further.
"I should probably go. That was way too close," Edward said, glancing up at the door again.
"I don't want you to leave," I mumbled pathetically.
"I don't want to leave you," he confessed. He wrapped one arm around me, pulling me closer to him. He pressed his lips to mine and somehow I ended up on top of him, his back on the ground. After a minute, he pulled away, trying to catch his breath.
"When can I see you again?" he asked breathlessly.
"My friend Alice Brandon is having a party tomorrow. It's around seven. Come at like nine and we can go somewhere to be alone. I'm sure she wouldn't even notice if I left." I gave him Alice's address.
"I'll be there," he promised. "And Alice…short black hair? White and black dress?" he asked curiously.
"Yeah," I answered, surprise coloring my tone. "Why?"
"She came up to me and my friends Jasper and Emmett. Jasper was ogling her and apparently she didn't mind. They were together all night," Edward answered. "Small world." I nodded in agreement.
"So that blond guy was your friend huh? Well that sucks for Alice; she's going to have to go through everything we do."
"I doubt it," Edward disagreed lightly. "Jasper's parents aren't really involved in this rivalry. They always felt guilty about throwing a party on the same night as the Hale's—they're only in this 'feud' because they don't get invited to any of your parties. But they don't hate any of you."
"Well that's good for her then," I said, feeling jealous. Of course Alice ends up with the one guy she'll actually be allowed to see. Edward chuckled.
"I'm jealous too, don't feel bad," he teased, pressing another gentle kiss to my lips. "But I really have to go. I have to drive home and I don't want to fall asleep behind the wheel."
"If you have to," I pouted. He chuckled again and kissed me, gently biting on my puffed out bottom lip. I sighed at the sensation.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I promise." He pressed one last kiss to my forehead before standing up, staying crouched low, just in case. He helped me to my feet and the two of us crept to the side of my house so I could go back on the back staircase and sneak back upstairs. My eyelids began to droop as I realized how tired I was.
"Goodbye," I whispered, standing one step up so I was level with his face.
"Goodbye," he answered, kissing me, his arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer. "See you tomorrow," he murmured, before dashing out into the pitch darkness. I kept my eyes on the spot he left until I heard a car engine rev from what seemed like a few houses down. Headlights swung by our house and I knew he was gone.
I yawned, going back upstairs, wishing I had thought to ask for his number. Both of my parents were sleeping soundly in their room, and Gracie was asleep near the back door, probably waiting for me. Smart dog. I leaned down and picked her up, cradling her in my arms.
"I love you," I whispered to her, wishing I had been brave enough to say the words to Edward. "I love you, I love you, I love you." I pressed a kiss to her furry head, smiling and giggling, before taking her upstairs to sleep in my bed for the night.
A/N: About the oh tits thing—well it's something I say constantly, and I knew I'd slip it in eventually, by accident or on purpose, so I thought to add an explanation so you guys wouldn't think I was too weird haha. REVIEW!!
