Before I begin, I just wanted to say that I know I'm kind of jumping all over the place here, but this story won't be very long hence the big time gap. Anyway, thank you so much for reading!
ALSO this chapter is a little more... mature. Just a heads up!
CHAPTER FOUR
DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE
-BELLA-
Edward was amazing. Over two and a half months had passed since our confessions on his sofa. The next day he had taken me out on our first official date and I had seen first hand how absolutely romantic he could be. It was a simple dinner in one of the nicest restaurants I'd ever been to with soft candle lit tables and a live string quartet playing in the background. After that we'd gone to the top of Queen Ann Hill and star gazed. It had been perfect and the thing I liked most about it, was that I was getting to know Edward. He was like an addiction. I couldn't get enough.
It scared and thrilled me all at once.
That next Monday, we played our first gig at the Pink Door.
To say we got a positive response would be an understatement. After we came off stage people ambushed us, all asking about CDs they could purchase. Since then Edward and I had been working on a demo. It wasn't anything big, but something to sell after our gigs.
Edward had admitted that he was horrible at naming bands, and if it were up to him he'd panic and name us something horrible like the fuzzy bananas. I had laughed and admitted I was horrible at band names also, so after some deliberation, we decided on sticking to just Edward & Bella. Edward had insisted I should have top billing, but I had convinced him that it sounded smoother when he did. It had been our first semi fight, and we'd settled it with a long make out session that had nearly escalated to more.
I wanted more. Oh boy did I want more.
I think Edward did too, but he was taking it slow. He wanted me to know that it wasn't just a physical relationship he was after.
I appreciated it, but the sexual tension between us was getting unbearable. I'd started having incredibly vivid fantasies about him, while I was sleeping and awake, and while I certainly enjoyed them, they were incredibly distracting.
"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked me softly. I looked up at him from the sofa where I was curled around my guitar. He was sitting at his piano, smirking at me.
"What?" I asked shaking my head to clear a particularly delicious fantasy that was centered around the piano.
"You didn't play a single note that entire song and you're blushing." Edward observed. I just blushed harder. "What are you thinking?" He asked again with a small smile. I bit my lip and looked down at my guitar. He knew. He knew what I was thinking about and he was going to make me say it out loud. I glanced at him and he gave me a smile that took my breath away.
Damn Cullen Charm.
I sighed. "Oh you know." I said quietly, trying to gather my confidence. "You. Me. The piano and some especially vigorous sex." I said looking at him from under my lashes.
I was rewarded with a gasp and his eyes darkening with want. I shivered happily. I loved that look.
"Why what are you thinking about?" I asked softly. He ran a hand through his hair aggressively and let out a shaking breath.
"I'm thinking that you're making it impossible to stay a gentleman." He said gazing at me over the piano. I grinned.
"I don't know why you're treating me like glass." I said quietly. "I'm not a virgin. You're not either. We're both adults and we both want each other." I said strumming my guitar quietly. He stared at me and sighed.
"Jesus when you say it like that," He said quietly, shaking his head. My body perked up. Was he finally giving in?
Edward stood from the piano and walked around it, not taking his eyes off me. I set my guitar down on the floor and he came down to the sofa, pushing my body down against it. I moaned as his mouth found mine. I could feel every delicious inch of him and I wanted it all.
"What are you doing to me Bella?" He whispered, planting hot kisses on my burning flesh between every word. I gasped.
"Edward." I moaned. "Please."
I felt him shiver on top of me and I moved so that my legs wrapped around his hips. We both groaned.
"Bella." His voice was trying to be a warning, trying to slow us down, but neither of us listened to it. I pulled his mouth back to mine, kissing him hard.
I wanted him. More than I had ever wanted anything.
Sliding my hands down his back, I pulled at his shirt. It was gone in a flash and I giggled. I loved his chest and his back. I loved running my hands along the planes and feeling the muscles under my fingertips. Edward shivered under my touch.
I felt his own hands move to my waist, pushing my shirt off and I struggled to rip it off me.
The sound of fabric tearing filled my ears and I honestly couldn't care. I didn't love that shirt anyway.
Edward's hands were cupping my breasts, driving me crazy and I was just about to beg for more when a throat cleared. I froze under Edward and he looked at me with wide eyes before we looked up.
Standing there was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was tall and slender with long blond hair and cold blue eyes. She had one hand on her perfect hip, the other clutching a big designer purse. I had no idea who she was, but jealousy and insecurity flooded me. Did Edward have a girlfriend I didn't know about?
I looked up at him and he grinned at her, further confusing me.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." The beautiful woman said eyeing me coolly. I blushed and tried to hide under Edward, but he was standing and crossing the room, wrapping the blond in a bone-crushing hug. She melted a little against him and hugged him back. I started scrambling around the room for my shirt. I picked it up and realized it was completely ripped down the middle. I sighed. That's what I got for getting caught up in the moment.
Grabbing Edward's shirt and slipping it on, I stood slowly, watching them interact.
"What are you doing here?" Edward asked pulling away from her. Even at her impressive height, Edward was still taller than her.
"In town for a photo shoot." She said eyeing me again. Edward turned to me and grinned.
"Baby come here." He said winding his arm around me. I shrank into his side. "Bella, this is my sister, Rosalie. Rose, this is my Bella."
Relief flooded me and I felt guilty for ever thinking he could be cheating on me.
Rose eyed me over once before giving me a small smile.
"So this is her?" She asked Edward. He nodded kissing the side of my head. "It's nice to meet you Bella. Edward never stops talking about you." She said softening a little. I smiled and shook her hand.
"It's nice to meet you too Rosalie. Edward talks about you and his brother all the time." I said trying to bring myself to be more at ease. She looked at Edward and he smiled at her.
"Jeez Rose, it's so good to see you." He said pulling her into a hug again. She smiled.
"You too little brother." She said squeezing him. "Well mom told me I could come by and crash here, but obviously you're a bit preoccupied." She said eyeing me again. I blushed.
"No Rose, of course you can stay here. As long as you want." He insisted. "We were actually going to go meet up with some friends for dinner. You want to come?" He asked. She smirked.
"It didn't look like you guys were getting ready to leave to me." She said giving me a knowing smile. I blushed harder and Edward smiled sheepishly.
"Uh yeah," He said chuckling.
"Dinner sounds great." Rose said smiling. I turned to Edward.
"I'm going to need to run home and change." I said picking at his shirt. He grinned.
"Don't bother Bella, I'm sure I have a top that you could borrow." Rosalie offered. I stared at her surprised.
"Oh, are you sure?" I asked. She had seemed so cold to me, I honestly was worried she didn't like me. Her offer surprised me. Glancing at Edward, it seemed to surprise him too.
"Yeah of course. Come on, we'll go look through my suit case." She said motioning to the large designer bag by the door. Edward took it for her and led her down to the guest room. She looked around it and smiled. "Who decorated the room?" Rose asked looking at Edward. He smiled at me and Rose turned to study me. Finally she nodded. "You've got great taste." She decided. Edward was beaming.
"I'll let you two get changed. I'm going to go find a shirt of my own." He said winking at me and leaving the room. Rosalie unzipped her suitcase and started pawing through it.
"My brother is head over heels for you." She said casually. I shuffled nervously.
"I'm the same way about him." I said quietly. She looked up at me and smiled.
"I have to admit Bella. The way Edward goes on and on about you, I didn't expect you to be so shy." She said looking up at me. I frowned.
"Well usually when I meet my boyfriend's family, they don't walk in on us in a compromising position and I'm not half naked." I snapped. She looked at me in surprise then grinned.
"There it is." She said with a twinkle in her eye. "He said you're a spit fire when you don't over think yourself." She said happily. "I'm glad he was right." I couldn't even bring myself to be embarrassed. "Well, I'm sorry for interrupting you guys." She said turning back to her clothes. "But I'm sure he'll just pick up right where you left off later." She said simply. I sighed.
"I wish." I muttered. She looked up at me quizzically. "He's got this no sex rule going right now. I think I was just about to get him to cave when you interrupted." I said blushing. I couldn't believe I was talking to Edward's sister about this!
She just rolled her eyes and smiled at me.
"Of course he does." She said sarcastically. "Edward is such an enigma. He's the only person I know who would fall in love with a girl and refuse to have sex with her." She said shaking her blond locks. I didn't say anything to her assumption that Edward was in love with me because I was trying desperately not to think about it. If he did love me, I couldn't hide my emotions either and then we'd be taking what I considered a rather large step rather quickly.
"Why would he do that?" I asked instead. Rosalie shrugged.
"Edward is, complicated." She said finally. "Our parents are old fashioned, and while they didn't really expect us to wait until marriage to have sex, they did always teach us to treat someone we love with respect, to take it slow with them. I think Edward was the only one to take the advice to heart." She said laughing. I smiled, glad for the insight. "Anyway, he must really love you, because I don't think I've ever seen him in a relationship for this long without sex. None of my siblings have. We're all very physical." She said giving me a small smile. It made me uncomfortable, her talking about Edward's past relationships, and fortunately she let the subject drop as she smiled triumphantly. "Why don't we make my brother reconsider his no sex rule?" She asked holding out a top to me. I stared at the shiny fabric in shock.
It was so something I'd never in a million years wear.
I had to admit, it was really enticing.
"Come on Bella, it's not often anyone can make Edward change his mind. He's so damn stubborn. I think you might have a really good chance at it tonight." She said holding out the dark silver top. I sighed.
"I don't even know how to wear something like this." I whispered. She grinned.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you how it's done.
I felt self-conscious. Self conscious and sexy, if such a mix were possible. The silver top slunk against my skin softly and had a low scooped neck. The back didn't exist except from the small straps of the halter-top and a small band at the bottom of the shirt to keep it shut. I was going without a bra, which made me nervous, but after a promise from Rosalie that I looked amazing, I gave in.
"You look amazing." She insisted, finishing up my make up. I hadn't wanted to wear any, but Rose was just as insistent as Alice, and in the end I had caved. She hadn't done much, which I was grateful for, and had even curled my hair lightly. I rubbed my dark jeans nervously and she gave me a small smile.
"I won't be surprised if you don't even make it to the front door before he jumps you." She said grinning. I smiled at her. Despite her initial cool meeting, Rose, as she insisted I call her, was actually a genuinely nice person. She was stubborn, just like her brother, and opinionated, but I could see how well she meant to be and that over ruled everything else.
"Come on Bella, let's get going." She smiling. I nodded and slid on my leather jacket. We both agreed it would be better for me to wear it until we got to Carmen's that way we at least made it out of the apartment.
Rose strutted out of the room looking to die for in dark jeans and a strapless red top that accentuated her perfect curves. Effortless. Everything she did just looked effortless.
Edward was sitting at his piano when we immerged and he rolled his eyes at Rose.
"You're bringing a jacket right?" He asked eyeing her. She sighed.
"Jeez Edward, not even an hour and already you're back to overprotective." She said smirking at him. "Need I remind you I'm older than you?" She asked eyeing him. He smiled.
"Rosie, need I remind you you're still my sister?"
She melted a little and relented by grabbing a coat. Edward's eyes slid to me and he let out a shaky breath.
"Wow." He said quietly. Rose gave me a triumphant smile.
"Come on baby, let's get going." I said needing him to get out of the apartment before we jumped each other. He was dressed simply in a dark grey button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans. He looked delicious.
We left the apartment and Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"I know what you're doing." He whispered into my hair. I shivered.
"And what is that?" I asked coyly, turning to look at him. He grinned.
"You're seducing me." He said leaning down to kiss me. I smiled against his lips. "And dammit, it's working." He whispered. I giggled.
"Come on baby, the nights still young and this shirt has all sorts of secrets still to share." I said tugging him in the direction of the elevator where Rose was waiting for us. He groaned but followed behind me and I sent Rose a smile.
As soon as we got to Carmen's we headed over to our usual table where Emmett and Alice were sitting, arguing about who knows what. They stopped when they saw us coming over and Alice gaped at me while Emmett couldn't tear his eyes away from Rose.
"Bella, you look so hot!" Alice exclaimed, causing people to look our direction. I blushed.
"Jesus Alice, a little louder why don't you?" I asked sitting next to her. She squeezed in until she was closer to Emmett.
Edward sat next to me and Rose slid in next to Emmett.
"Alice, Em, this is Rosalie Cullen. Edward's sister." I said introducing them. Emmett and Rose still hadn't taken their eyes off each other. Alice looked back at me.
"Seriously Bella, what's with the get up?" Alice asked. Rosalie finally dragged her eyes from Emmett.
"I dressed her up." Rose said giving me a grin. I blushed and Alice stared at her in shock.
"And she let you?" Alice asked surprised. Rose laughed.
"Well, I had the right incentive." She said glancing at her brother. He moved closer to me. His hands were everywhere and it was making it hard for me to think. Alice giggled.
"Well I gotta hear this story. Come on girls, we're going to order drinks." Alice said kicking us all out of the booth. Edward stood and slid me out with him, pulling me to him. Alice and Rose stood and both grabbed my hands, dragging me away from him. Edward sighed in defeat and slid into the booth so he and Emmett were in the middle together.
"Bella who is that guy?" Rose asked as we reached the bar.
"Em? He's one of my best friends." I said looking back at him. His eyes were locked on Rosalie. She turned to me and eyed Alice.
"Are you guys dating?" She asked. Alice giggled.
"Oh god no. He's one of my best friends also. He's not dating anyone." Alice said smiling. Rosalie grinned.
"Good, because I want him." She decided. I smiled at her brazenness.
"By the drool on his face I'd say he wants you too." Alice giggled. We all laughed and I turned to the bar tender, ordering beers for us while Alice and Rose talked about my outfit.
"Seriously Bella, he still hasn't caved?" Alice asked looking at me. I shrugged.
"It makes more sense now." I said looking at Rose. She nodded and explained to Alice what she had told me earlier. Alice still looked skeptical.
"If I had an Edward, there would be no waiting." Alice said sternly. Rose and I both laughed and Rose looked back at the table.
"Yeah I don't think I'll be following my parents advice either." She said turning back to us. We all smirked. The drinks came around and we carried them back to the table along with some menus. I crawled into the booth next to Edward who pulled me as close to him as possible. I giggled and snuggled into his side. I still hadn't taken the jacket off, but I could feel Edward fingering it curiously.
"I love the end of the month at Carmen's!" Alice squealed happily. Edward frowned.
"Why?" He asked. I sighed.
"Because they set up a dance floor and hire a dj and there is crazy dancing all night long. Also half off drinks." I said holding up my beer.
"Here here!" Emmett cheered. We clinked bottles across Edward and smiled at each other.
"Well I'm starving so let's order food so we can dance!" Alice insisted. We all decided on food and this time Rose and Emmett went up to place the orders. Edward smiled as he watched them go.
"She likes him." I whispered. He nodded.
"Yeah I think he likes her too." He said smiling. I grinned at him.
"Will you dance with me later?" I asked looking up at him. He grinned.
"If you promise that I'm the only one you dance with." He said softly. I giggled.
"I think I may want to dance with Ali and Rose." I said softly. He sighed.
"If you must." He teased. I grinned and reached up to kiss him.
Our kiss got heated much too quickly and Alice cleared her throat.
"Not that it should be an issue, but we are in public guys." Alice said chuckling. I blushed and pulled away from Edward who sighed. Was he rethinking his no sex rule? Because I sure was.
As soon as we finished eating, Alice and Rose were dragging me out to the dance floor. I laughed and pulled off my jacket, tossing it next to Edward.
"Jesus Bella!" Emmett said jumping up. I jumped startled and he was out of the booth, throwing his oversized jacket around me. "What the hell are you wearing?" He asked with wide eyes. Edward was standing now, his eyes wide and dark. I shivered. I really loved that look.
"Em calm down." I hissed pulling off his jacket. He threw it back on me and I glared at him. "Seriously it's just a shirt" I hissed.
"It's just a piece of fabric that's barely covering any of you." He objected. I glared at him.
"Emmett, now is so not the time to get all big brother on me." I hissed throwing his jacket back in the booth. "Baby what do you think of my top?" I asked looking at Edward and turning so he could see the back. The sides of the shirt kept moving, and if I twisted too fast, I was certain a boob would make an appearance, but that was sort of thrilling.
Edward struggled for words and Emmett groaned.
"Ugh, no. You're supposed to back me up man." Emmett whined. I smiled triumphantly and Edward stepped forward, brining me to his chest. His hands wandered my open back and I shivered against him.
My nipples, which had been being worked over by the silk of the shirt all night, were at attention immediately and Edward grinned when he felt them against his chest.
"Let's get out of here." He whispered against my neck. I almost caved.
"No you promised me a dance." I said shaking my head. Edward sighed and the feeling shot straight through me to my core.
Yum.
"You're really going to make me regret my rule aren't you?" He asked ghosting his hands up my arms. I smiled at him.
"So much that you'll never reinstate it." I promised. He grinned and pulled me closer.
"Let's dance." He murmured against my lips.
It was a good thing he was holding me up, because I was certain I wouldn't have been able to stand on my own.
He led me out to the makeshift dance floor just as the song changed. I looked over to see Alice grinning from the DJ's booth as she sent me a wink. I laughed. I loved this song.
"Once upon a dream, I was dying for you
Tasting only sweet, drinking memories of you
Your hand touches my cheek as you whisper softly
Don't forget to breathe
Our love will be redeemed
And when you take my hand
You'll know exactly where I am
A toast to starry nights, seeking comfort divine
Celebrating life, swimming circles in light
And I look to the sea and hear you calling softly
Don't forget to breathe
Our love will be redeemed
And when you take my hand
You'll know exactly where I am
I hear you calling to me
See you but you can't see me
We never said our goodbyes
So dark and lonely your eyes
You'll always be in my heart
There is no death to us part
Don't forget to breathe
Our love will be redeemed
And when you take my hand
You'll know exactly where I am
You'll know exactly where I am."
By the time the song had ended, I was bursting with need. The silk of the shirt had backfired on me, and as my body had rubbed against his with the silk between us, I had gotten impossibly turned on. His hands that had free range on my open back were manipulating me, making my pant and moan.
"Let's get out of here." Edward whispered by my ear as the song changed. I nodded, unable to speak. He led us back to the table grabbing my coat and giving Rose directions back to the apartment. It seemed though, from the way she was wrapped around Emmett, she wouldn't need them tonight. Both Alice and Rose gave me knowing smiles as Edward rushed me out of the bar.
We couldn't get back fast enough, and when we finally stumbled into his apartment, our hands were all over each other, desperate.
"Bella." Edward groaned. "I'm sorry but I can't wait any longer." He said softly. Ha! As if it was my idea to wait in the first place!
"Thank God." I moaned. He smiled against my mouth as he carried me into his bedroom.
"Bella." He whispered placing me on the bed. I whimpered at the momentary loss of contact as he sat back and looked down at me. "Bella." He said gently, leaning down to kiss me sweetly. My body responded, trying to press myself as close to him as possible.
"Edward please." I groaned. He smiled.
"I know baby, I just need to tell you something first." He said softly. I took a deep breath and looked up at him. His dark green eyes were watching me tenderly.
"What?" I asked softly, bringing my fingers up to trace his features. He smiled as my fingers found his lips and kissed them softly.
"Bella, I love you." He whispered. My breath caught in my throat and I looked up at him with wide eyes. He kissed me gently and I felt my hands shaking as I held his beautiful face in my hands.
"I love you too." I whispered, tears in my eyes. He groaned and leaned down to kiss me, and just like that, the mood had changed. It was still hot and electric and we were still both craving each other, but now. Now, it meant so much more.
Song is Don't Forget To Breathe - Bitter:Sweet. Link on profile.