It feels good to be back in Holland! I had an amazing time in Ethiopia, but longed to feel the rain on my skin and the soft fur of my dairy cattle. I'm the luckiest girl alive if it takes no more than water drops and cow hair to make me happy right? :P
On a different note, I've decided to end the story with some plot & tragedy. Kidding! Of course there will be a lemon. A big thank you goes to 'Random Nonsense Unlimited'. Your review made me laugh and almost reconsider Tanya's fate ;)
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight
Enjoy!
EPOV
For the third time on this early Friday morning I woke up to the sound of the phone screeching downstairs, begging to be picked up. I wondered why no one answered, surely I wasn't the only one at home and it was still relatively early. I glanced at my alarm clock and read it was only after 7 am. I groaned and put my arm over my face. When the ringing stopped I tried to listen for any movement or voices, some sort of proof that the damn thing was finally picked up, but to no prevail. I decided to make the most of today since I was fully awake now anyway; so I took a quick shower and got dressed.
When I walked past Alice's room I heard soft music coming from the other side of the door. I thought that maybe she forgot to turn off her radio or something before she left for school, so I turned around and reached for the knob when her voice halted me to a stop.
"Don't even think about it Edward."
I stood frozen with my hand barely touching the brass handle when Alice started snickering. 'Weird little fairy and her disturbing intuition' I thought to myself when I pushed the door open and leaned against the frame. Alice was sitting pretzel style on her bed, surrounded by those shiny girl magazines and hundreds of colored markers. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat but didn't acknowledge me at all; instead she kept her gaze fixed on what I could only assume was some random fashion related article.
"Why aren't you in school?" I scolded, knowing that Alice had already missed school yesterday. The thought made me smile reluctantly; if Bella hadn't decided to hold my dear sister hostage in her own house and torture her for information on me, I wouldn't have had one of the most amazing afternoons with her. The evening was a completely different story, and thinking back to the conversation we shared my scowl fell perfectly back into place.
Alice sighed and rolled her eyes at me; she was clearly annoyed by the somewhat authoritative question. "Teacher's Day, smartass. Didn't Bella tell you? Anyway, I was just thinking of inviting her to a girl's day, Alice Style! She did promise to go shopping with me tomorrow, but now's a good day as any right? So what are you doing today?" I had trouble with following the rambling stream of words when the phone rang again. I swiftly pivoted on my heels and was determined to pick up that damn phone already when two tiny hands encircled my wrists and pulled me back. "Edward no! You can't pick up!" With as much force she could gather, Alice all but threw me back into her room.
"I have a feeling about who it is," I heard Alice sigh dramatically.
I pulled at my hair and groaned out loud as I sat cross-legged on the floor. "Please don't give me this supernatural omen crap again Alice." She smacked the back of my head and walked to the door and closed it, as if the blaring phone couldn't penetrate through her purple poster plastered walls. I grinned at the clever alliteration. She turned and went to sit across from me with her face turned to the floor, twirling a string of carpet in between two small white fingers. I narrowed my eyes at the movement; had Alice always be this skinny and pale? It was a stupid thought I´ll admit, but as far as I knew Alice never fidgeted in front of me and wouldn´t skip a meal or a sunny day outside to save her life. "Al, are you okay?" I put my hand on hers to stop her woolgathering, and was surprised to find her looking up at me, wide-eyed.
"I'm okay… I just… I know who's been calling all morning." Her voice cracked, but I stayed quiet and motioned for her to continue. "It's Jasper. He already left a message saying he wants to know how you're doing now that you're back, and he wants to visit us. He also said he wants to see m-me... and I don't know. I was afraid to keep listening so I ran. I should've thrown the damn receiver off the hook."
I smiled sadly at my little sister. Jasper Whitlock had been my psychiatrist when I was admitted, even though he was only a couple of years older than me. We had become fairly good friends, and sometimes hung out together outside our weekly 'sessions'. It wasn't until the first time Alice came to visit me that Jasper proposed to schedule one every day. And from that day on, our sessions changed drastically. Instead of the 'How are you feeling Edward,' I got more questions about Alice opposed to my mental frame of mind.
My psychiatrist fell in love with my baby sister. I just had to be a conceited prick and convince them both I was fine and ready to get the hell out of there.
"Stay here. I'm going to tell Jazz he can come over any time he wants, and then I'm heading over to Bella's, alright?" Alice nodded.
I rose from the floor and made my way downstairs. The phone didn't ring again. I called Jasper's cell and left a quick message, telling him to stop harassing my home and just haul his ass over here pronto.
"What are you going to tell her?" Alice whispered as she came down the stairs.
I smiled ruefully as I put on my coat.
"The truth."
I didn't know how long I was standing here. I didn't care. I ran my hand through my hopeless hair and decided to put myself out of my misery and ring the dreaded doorbell. 'Bella's doorbell'. The thought made me smile and gave me all the courage I needed.
Within seconds I could hear heavy footsteps coming from the other side of the door. I cringed. That didn't sound like Bella. My thoughts were confirmed when my eager eyes met the face of a very stern, very pissed off Charlie Swan.
"What do you want?" He spat.
"Good afternoon Chief Swan. I came to see if Bella was home?" I kept my tone light.
"How do you know she isn't at school?"
"Well sir, my sister Alice told me they had a teacher's day, and wanted to know if Bella wants to spend the day with her. I believe the words 'shopping' and 'mall' were conveyed in her message."
"Well, why can't Alice ask Bella herself? Or did you come here to corrupt my only daughter into breaking and entering school property again hm?"
"No not at all sir. I just offered to go ask Bella in person so I could escape. It's getting awfully unsafe for me to be in my house when my sister is planning a girl's day." I chuckled. It seemed to relieve Charlie's tension for a bit when he took a step back and waved me inside.
"She's upstairs. Keep it short. I keep my eye on you Cullen." Charlie growled as he disappeared into the tiny family room.
"Yes sir, thank you."
I sprinted up the stairs and wondered which room was actually Bella's seeing as I'd never been here before. There were four rooms upstairs. Two doors were already halfway open and revealed a snug bathroom on the left and a sterile looking bedroom on the right. A loud snore came from behind the third door.
If I could pop out little devil's horns at will, I would.
In three quick strides I now stood in front of what I could only assume and secretly hope for was Bella's bedroom. Now to decide how to approach her. Should I just barge in there and tell her about my dark depressing issues? Or should I knock, let her be all 'cute and Hi Edward!' and make me forget why I was standing here like a complete idiot altogether?
I preferred option two.
Tucking the most rational of thoughts in the darkest corner of my already blackened mind I threw the door open with a loud bang and almost lost my footing at the blood-curling scream that followed.
"Dammit Edward! Are you trying to give me a heart attack on purpose?! "
There, in the middle of the tiniest bedroom I had ever seen, sat Bella cross-legged on the floor surrounded by books and pens. A deep scarlet blush stained her smooth cheeks when she looked up at me. Her face showed no sign of anger, just the typical embarrassment. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, obviously, but couldn't you have knocked first and-"
I closed the distance between us and silenced her lips with my finger. My breath caught again at the close proximity of our bodies, but I managed to push those particular thoughts into the popular corner of darkness.
"Shh. I talk." I wanted to tell her to relax and stop worrying, but that would be unfair of me. She should worry. I led her over to her bed where we both sat on the edge, our knees brushing against one another. I brought my hands to her face and rubbed small circles on her cheeks with my thumbs.
"Bella, do you remember what I said to you yesterday?" Her face instantly lit up.
"You said you were falling for me."
"Yes beautiful girl, I did say that. I also said there were things about my past that needed to be said before you and I could ever discuss that particular subject further." I mentally kicked myself when her stunning smile dropped.
"I will always be here for you Edward." Bella whispered when she plucked my hands off her face and held them in her lap.
It was all the encouragement I was hoping for.
I began telling her about my high school graduation in a strong voice; how Emmett and I were actually pretty good friends that I was at the top of my class and even became valedictorian. I loved playing the piano, and eventually broke the news about my career wishes to my parents when the words that would change my life forever were spoken.
-
"Mom! Dad! Check it out! I got accepted into the music program of UW! Aren't you proud!?" I screamed when I ran into the kitchen holding the big white envelope. My parents were both enjoying a cup of soup when my voice startled them.
"Edward, we've been over this. You will not become a piano player for a living, and that's final." Carlisle had said. Esme mutely nodded in agreement and I got so incredibly angry that I threw the acceptance letter to the floor and stormed out. -
"What did you do? " Her voice was barely a whisper, and I sensed she didn't ask directly for my reaction to Carlisle back then. I told her how I ran from home and ended up at a grimy youth centre with other 'troubled' teens.
"That's where I met Tanya."
Bella bit her lip in a way that wasn't intended to be cute; I figured she was afraid of the significance of that particular name. I explained how Tanya became my first friend, and how she could really relate to my unintelligent parents who never took the time to 'understand' me.
"I let her get to me Bella. I let her make me believe that my parents and Alice never actually cared about me, because they weren't even looking for me. Because they couldn't find it in themselves to support my dreams. It was stupid and pubertal, I know. But I was young, rebellious and in lo-"I stiffened. I tried to swallow the words, but Bella had already seemed to put two and two together. Her hands fisted themselves in my shirt as she looked up.
"You loved her?"
I could merely nod.
"At least, I thought I did. I didn't know the difference back then. But, Tanya thought she loved me, and she made her intentions very clear. I refused to act on it, and she took it the most terrible way imaginable. She began to behave strange and distant towards me, and I didn't understand any of it.
"A week later, I got tired of dancing around and decided to confront her. She started screaming about how I used her and that she held me responsible for messing up what little life she had left. The next morning, she was gone.
"I thought I was losing my mind. Because of me, my parents lost their son. My sister lost her brother. My friend… lost her life. I deserved a fate worse than the losses they endured.
"I won't make you listen to the rest. You know what I had decided to do before Carlisle dragged me back to Washington."
The tension between us wasn't that of dread or despair; Bella merely seemed anticipated to clear more things up between us. It confused me how she could be taking this so lightly.
"Did Tanya... kill herself because you rejected her?"
"I believe she did."
"So you were sent to the hospital because of your... guilt? Not because of the, um, voices?"
"My suicidal motive had been nothing more than a guilt trip and would've never been enough to get me into the best medical help. If hearing voices was all that it took, so be it. Carlisle did what he thought was right to save me from a life behind glass. After all that I've done and caused, it would have been more than right to let me rot away in quarantine."
"Please don't say that." Bella sobbed into my shoulder," I don't like it when you talk bad of yourself."
"I know, I'm sorry."
I don't know how long we just sat there holding each other and crying together, but when the old staircase cracked under the weight of heavy footsteps I knew my time with Bella today was up.
"Bells?" Came the unsure call from Charlie.
"Give me a minute, Dad."
"Oh, sure, I just wanted to know if you were still going over to Alice today. There's a big game this afternoon, and, well, I don't want you to feel obligated to cook, so yeah."
"Go to Harry's, Dad. I'm sure Alice and I can survive on our own for today."
"Is he still here?" I cringed at the sadistic undertone.
"Yes, Dad. Edward is still here. He's giving me a ride to his house."
"Fine. Have fun." Charlie grumbled as he disappeared. We waited for the cruiser to pull out before we made our way downstairs as well.
We were both quiet on our way to the car. Bella was probably deep in thought, processing the bomb of information I just dropped on her while I was trying to figure what the hell she was making of it all.
Dazed, I reached out to open the passenger door when her small hands stopped me.
"Edward?" Her tone of hesitance brought me back to reality.
"Relax. I just," she took a deep breath and took my face in her soft hands, forcing me to look deep into her tearstained eyes. "Just never leave me, Edward."
I kissed her then, long and hard. I had no intention of ever leaving this wonderful girl, ever.
"Never," I murmured against her lips when I closed the distance between us again. By the time my chest began burning for breath and my body threatened to push a Bella-shaped dent in my car I forced myself to pull away.
We we're both still flushed with heavy breathing by the time we arrived at the house. Instead of throwing the door open and make the quickest escape ever, Bella surprised me by turning to face me and plant a big kiss on my surprised lips. Alice was already installed on the front porch, waiting to unleash her pixie powers on my unsuspecting Bella.
The girls had retreated into Alice's room for a while when a series of squeals, profanities and cries announced it was time for their trip to the mall. I took the opportunity of their absence for a very long nap. I made my way to my room when the doorbell rang. I groaned and jogged back downstairs. I flung the door open without a second thought. The girls probably forgot something.
"I see the fresh Forks air is doing wonders to your health, my friend."
I didn't even bother coming up with a remark. Jasper looked bewildered at my silence. I just patted his shoulder and pulled him inside. I grabbed us two beers and let the conversation flow freely. We talked about numerous things; how I was coping with being back home, how Carlisle and Esme were handling my return and if I felt any depressing 'urges' lately.
"Not really, I'm actually pretty happy right now."
"No shit Edward, you look like you've slept with a coat hanger in your mouth." If possible, my grin grew even wider at his statement.
"Her name's Bella."
"That about sums it up." Jasper laughed.
Jasper mentioned it was strange, not having me around at Harborview anymore, and he encountered quite a few eccentric patients over the past couple of days. I wasn't surprised when he said he's been trying to get into contact with me for two days straight. We both sighed when our gaze simultaneously travelled to the staircase.
"Shopping, I assume?" Jazz laughed again. He really knew my sister well.
"Don't expect them back anytime soon!" I yelled from the kitchen as I took two more beers out of the fridge. We talked some more about how pointless our little sessions had been. After all, we'd only been discussing how Jasper should plan his first real date with Alice. And a second date. Then a third followed. We didn't mention Tanya or Carlisle, and I for one was glad.
Unfortunately, Jasper had this weird thing called obligation and was forced to cut our reminiscing short and head back to patient no. 19.
"Hey, you know how bad I am with names! It was either numbers or current issue," he mockingly added.
"They're so lucky to have you, Jazz." I replied in the same tone. We'd arrived at the door when Jasper put his hand on my shoulder and looked me square in the eye.
"Edward, I'm in love with your sister. Are you ok with that?"
If he was serious I would be tempted to kick his scrawny behind, but the glowering psych-look gave him away. We laughed all the way to his car.
"Just so you know," Jasper yelled through the driver's window, "I meant what I said!"
He skidded off so fast the rock I threw missed his bumper by 2 inches.
In the weeks that followed, Bella and I were attached to the hip. With the school's and Charlie's permission she was even allowed to use the school's track and practice her sprinting dexterity after hours. Our time together proved we'd been taking our relationship a bit backwardly than how normal couples approached things. We had talked from random events that happened to us during childhood to things that led to heated moments of passion, like our first meeting.
"You! You came on to me!" Bella accused as I pulled her tank top off.
"I disdainfully disagree! I merely invited you to sit with me when you felt the need to have your bendy ways with me!" I laughed when Bella swatted my arm. I used her moment of distraction to pull her shorts down.
"Do you realize you are the only person I have ever felt this comfortable with? I mean both intimately and in general. But it's not… enough." I smiled at her confession and reached behind her back.
"Quit trying to unhook my bra, I'm serious!"
"Fine. What are your demands, Miss Swan?" I leaned back against the arm of my leather sofa.
"One: Make nice with Emmett." I cringed. A few days ago, Bella forced me to sit around the table with her caveman brother and police chief father to announce the significance of our relationship. It was safe to say Emmett did not react in the best case scenario.
"Depends on what level you'd want me to take it," I said as I pulled her to me and licked her collarbone.
"You're walking a fine line Cullen," Bella rasped. Her hands fisted themselves in my hair when she forced me to look into her eyes. "Two: Leave Jasper and Alice alone."
I groaned.
"Three: You-"
"Do we have to have this conversation right now? I'm kind of busy with trying to take your clothes off so I can finally make the sweetest of love to you, and you are using those luscious lips of yours in all the wrong ways preventing me to progress any further."
"There," Bella mocked when her hands deftly removed my jeans along with my boxers in one swift movement.
"It's so hard to care when you're being sexy as hell," I grinned.
"I'm flattered," came the dry response. With a huff I leaned back again and linked my fingers with hers.
"Fine," I breathed as Bella crawled on top of me, almost making me forget what I was about to say. "I promise to 'make nice' with your brother as you so blatantly put it, I shall 'butt out' of my little sister's business, unless she's thinking of marrying Jazz cause then I'd be forced to-
"-Edward."
"Alright, alright. Point... three, was it? I lost count... Relax! I'm joking!" I yelped when Bella pinched my sides, though it was causing the opposite effect when she too started squirming on top of me.
I scooted back to sit upright and put my hands on either side of her face as I spoke.
"I vow to you that I will pick up piano playing again. I swear to you that I will never let things of my past create any kind of a barrier between us. I will forever be honest with you, celebrate every minute I spend with you and I will never stop loving you." I kissed her sweet lips with every promise I made.
"Show me. Everything you just said, I want you to show me."
"With pleasure," I pledged when the bra finally came undone. The yellow lace panties followed shortly thereafter.
"Arms around the neck, but not too sturdy," I joked while I hovered above her. She slowly wrapped her arms around my neck when I felt her cheek against mine. I placed my arms underneath her and lifted her effortlessly. Her legs dangled for a moment before they clamped tightly around my waist.
"You're almost strangling me!" I laughed when I walked to my bed with Bella in my arms when she tried to clasp me even more forcefully.
"I just want to make sure this is real." Bella said softly while she loosened her hold on me.
I looked at her cheerful, serene face and let her dropped her on the bed with a thud. Bella shrieked playfully, her laughter coming in short gasps.
"You're already out of breath, and I haven't even begun yet," I said with wicked pleasure.
Her cheeks blushed a vivid cherry red when I smoothed my fingers over her lips, parting under my touch. Soft, so soft. The pulse of the vein low in her neck became intensely evident when I found the spot with my lips, and I noted with pleasure that her breathing accelerated when I placed a lingering kiss on the sweet skin there.
I laid my hand on her neck and close the distance between our lips. Bella did not inch a centimeter towards me, but shivered when my lips touched hers. I smiled against her mouth; when the source of her brazenness became occupied her timidity took its place again. I thought I was going to lose control; I was on the edge of letting go and ravage the girl senseless.
But I wanted to be slow and thorough; I needed to show her she was the only girl whose body I would ever want to wreak havoc on.
I needed to prove to myself she wasn't an illusion.
My thoughts were disconnected from my head when I felt her hands slide over my shoulders and pulled me closer to her.
It was then that our naked bodies touched each other when I lost my head altogether.
I danced my hands up her calves to the insides of her thighs. Startled, Bella jumped and parted her lips in a gasp, her tongue probed between them. My own darted out to meet hers. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her breasts against my chest. I groaned. I explored her luscious mouth with slow strokes when her taut nipples grazed my chest and she let out a soft mewl.
It felt like something snapped inside of me, like I was being freed. Only with Bella did my body respond in the ways I was practicing now. My arms went around her waist and wandered down to stroke her bottom. In response, Bella weaved one hand in my hair as the other danced along my spine. I broke off the kiss and rolled on my back, forcing Bella to straddle my waist as we were both fighting for breath.
The way her breasts moved with every gasp did torturous things to my groin.
I raised my arms to stroke her lower back and let my fingers travel up her spine when Bella grabbed my hands and guided them to rest on her supple mounds.
"Touch me here, Edward."
I eagerly complied. But with every squeeze of my hands and nip of my teeth Bella would press her body harder against mine. Every inch of my skin longed for more.
"Bella, I need, I need..." My head pounded with pressure when Bella leaned forward and captured my lips with her own. I explored the moist heat of her mouth when her tongue teased mine, darting in between our attached lips. The fire exploded when I felt her ease her hand behind her and felt nimble fingers encircle my length.
I shuddered and nuzzled my head in the crook of her neck.
"I need this too," she murmured.
I reached over to my nightstand and retrieved the small box we had bought together last night. "Let me," Bella whispered as she took the foil wrapper from me . She continued her teasing caress and traced my length with trembling fingers. With a small sigh she floated up, and lowered herself onto me.
"Ah, fuck Bella!" I groaned when her heat enveloped me in one quick movement. How could she not cry out in pain? I gripped the sheets in pure elation as Bella rested her full weight on top of me.
"I'm okay, really. It's... not bad, actually." She stretched out a hand to brush the clammy hair out of my face. I rested my hands on her hips as I drew her closer to capture her lips once again. My hips arched as I tasted the salty heat surging from her mouth in every cell of my body. She pressed her fingers into my hands as I guided her along my shaft. I scattered feathery kisses along her jaw and over the smooth curve of her collarbone while our bodies moved as one.
Bella closed her eyes and groaned out loud when I dropped one hand to where our bodies were joined and started stroking her. With my other hand I massaged her back as I continued to thrust into her.
"Yesss," she hissed. Her heartbeat thundered in my ears and our heat filled the room like a cloud of incense. Bella fervently met every thrust by lifting her hips when my eyes rolled into the back of my head.
"Fuckk Bella you feel so good," I murmured against her flushed skin. My hips pumped with frantic acceleration and I knew my release was coming close. Determined to bring Bella down first I stroked her one final time when she arched her back and a loud scream erupted from her throat. My body echoed her climax as I fell over the edge with her. I waited a few minutes for Bella catch her breath and willed my body to stop shaking.
I rolled us over and carefully rested my weight on her. I drowned in the feeling of still being connected in the most intimate of ways. With a loving smile she smoothed my hair from my forehead again.
"I love you, Edward."
My chest tightened with excitement. Already I could feel my body responding to her words so I gently pulled out and rolled onto my side, pulling her body flush against mine.
"I love you too, Bella." I breathed against her lips as we both drifted off into the first night of our forever after.
Dumdaduum! I'm so happy to have finally finished my first multi-chaptered story! I hope it wasn't too dramatic and fluff-less, but I'm glad with the way it turned out.
Thanks to all who have reviewed and alerted this story. I write for you guys :)
Reviews are better received than Emmett's club.
