Chapter 4

Previously…;My eyes involuntarily trailed down and my eyes became fixed on something very interesting…

Edward POV

Her feet were encased in pale pink fluffy slippers, with bunnies on them. (haha! Whoever thought it was going to be something sick…) Her sky-blue duvet cover was all but thrown off the bed. I pulled the duvet back onto the bed and gently tucked her back in. She gave a little sigh of contentment as she wriggled deeper into the blankets. She looked so peaceful! Suddenly, another moan escaped her mouth. She clutched the blanket in her hands. Suddenly, she sat up and grabbed my collar in her little fist.
She started mumbling, the crease in her brow more prominent than ever.
I felt really uncomfortable as she continued mumbling. Suddenly, her face turned thunderous. Her cheeks became flushed.
"NO! DON'T LEAVE ME! EMMETT IS GONNA SQUISH ME!!"
Her grip on my collar relaxed as she mumbled
"Thank you Edward…." She signed
Her fingers slipped of my collar and she slipped back into a deep sleep. I stared at her for a moment, shook my head wonderingly and crept back to my room.
"AAAAchOOO!"

I dived out of my bed as I looked around for the source of the sound.
"Bella?" I called out quietly.
For the second time that night, I crept back into her room.
I shouldn't have. She was awake.
Bits of tissue were thrown all over the bedroom floor. Bella was nestled in the middle of her bed, looking forlorn with a little red nose and haystack hair. She grabbed another tissue from the almost empty tissue box, and blew into it. I was creeping carefully out when I tripped over something and fell flat on my face. I groaned.
I looked up to see Bella's red-rimmed, but amazingly deep chocolate eyes staring curiously into mine.
"Hello!" she said, it as if it was normal for someone to be creeping into her room at two in the morning. She climbed out of bed to help me up.
"Why are you in my room? Oh dear, I didn't wake you up with my sneezes, did I? I'm so sorry, I must have caught a terrible cold when I sat in the-" She froze, then sneezed again.
"Yeah, I saw you."
I tugged my hand through my hair, uncomfortable with being caught sneaking into a girls bedroom.
"Um… why don't you go back to sleep? I'll… go back to my own room."
I stared at the ground. Then I turned round and was walking to the door when I felt a small tug on my sleeve.
"Can you sleep with me? It's so dark, and I don't think I can sleep alone…"
My eyes widened as she sat back down on her bed and patted it gently.
"I'm sorry… I don't think that…I mean…" I stuttered uselessly, bewildered and shocked at her question.
I hurried out of the room, then slipped into bed, quickly falling asleep.
My mother advanced towards me… knife in hand…
I shot up in bed. Screams were echoing around my room. It took me a moment to figure out that they were mine. I snapped my mouth shut, relaxing now that the terrible, blood-curdling screams cut off. I jumped violently as my bedroom door creaked open slowing, and I was both surprised and relieved to see Bella creeping in. She padded over to me cautiously, unsure, then she pounced on me, hugging me tightly, whispering comforting words in my ear as my heart slowed down. I slumped, exhausted into my bed, and Bella lay down by my side, her arms still wrapped around me, for which I was grateful. I tightened my arms, pulling her closer into my chest whilst I cried myself to sleep.
That was the best sleep I had had in years.

It seemed like only seconds later when sunlight came pouring through the crack in the curtains, bathing my face in the morning sunlight. My eyes fluttered open. I looked down to see Bella's beetroot face still crushed to my chest. Did I hug her too tightly? I loosened my grip on her, but she did not loosen hers, if anything, hers got tighter. She moved slightly, so her face was hit by the sunlight. Her face was covered in a slight sheen of sweat.
Was she sick? I placed my hand on her forehead. It was burning hot. She must have got a fever from sitting in the rain last night. Suddenly, she scrunched up her nose and let out a little sneeze.
"No… NO!"
Suddenly she grabbed me by the shirt. Again. It looks like I am not the only one who has nightmares.
"DON'T LEAVE ME!" She whispered forcefully.
"Please….Edward….don't leave….Emmett….squished me…"
Her outburst slowly became muttering and her hands slipped from my shirt. I stared at her as her breathing slowed. I laughed quietly. Huh. I have been laughing a lot of the late.
My heartbeat slowed into a less frantic pace and I closed my eyes tiredly.
I pulled her into my chest firmly whilst wiping her face gently with the bed sheets.
"NO!" she yelled suddenly, startling me.
Her voice rose and fell in sound as she battled with her invisible Edward. Her hands shot out and grabed my by my collar…again.I tried to slip from her grasp but she clung on to me with a determined grip. I was stuck, not that I was complaining… what? Goodness, what is wrong with me? I lay with her for what seemed like only hours when her eyes fluttered open and her beautiful face scrunched up in a yawn.
Her brown eyes stared at me in confusion then it dawned upon her.
"Oh!"
She sat up suddenly, making me feel sad at the loss of her warmth and her wonderfully comforting hold.
"I'm so-"
Sneeze.
"Sorry!"
Sneeze.
"Do you-are you…"
She struggled to talk.
"Are you alright?" She finished lamely after a while. I nodded. She sneezed again.
"But is seems that you aren't. Wait here." I told her.
She looked at me curiously and nodded. I gave her a small smile and went to get Esme. I knocked on her door quietly.
"Esme?" I peeked round the corner of the open door.
I looked cautiously into the room. Esme was sat up in bed reading a book. I glanced at the cover, wondering if it was interesting. Twilight it read. Hmm, I haven't read that one yet…. She looked up in surprise, bringing me out of my reverie, before she answered.
"Yes honey?'
"Bella's sick."
Worry clouded her face.
"Oh dear. How so?"
"She was dancing in the rain. She has a fever"
My face filled with an expression that never crossed it before. Tenderness? Esme's face was filled with shock as I smiled gently at remembering her escapade in the rain. Esme's face seemed flustered as she grabbed medicine from the cabinet beside her bed.
"Hmmm, panadol? Maybe… should I…?"
I waited patiently for her to gather her things and we walked up to the rooms in an awkward (as usual) silence. She was about to turn into Bella's room, when I tapped her shoulder and gently steered her towards my door.

She opened the door, and Bella's was sitting forlornly on my bed, her nose red and the little ribbon she put in her hair flopping dejectedly to the left.

"Oh sweetie! Are you ok?"

Bella nodded, giving Esme a small, embarrassed smile. I slipped out of the room and bumped into my little sister, Alice, looking at me mischievously.
"Starting to like my best friend, eh?"
She stood on her tip-toes and ruffled my hair. I glared at her back as she skipped lithely into my room.
I grabbed a book and a cup of coffee and headed back into my room, and nearly choked upon the sight…