Artemis
Disclaimer: And again, S. Meyer is the magician behind the act.
Chapter Seven
Bella
Much to my chagrin, Edward's bed was delightfully warm and cozy. I could have gotten a great night's sleep had I not been so consumed by the heat his gaze was bearing on me. Across the room, seated in a wooden chair, Edward was staring. Not a vaguely interested stare, but the kind that sent warm shivers up my spine. He'd left earlier, allowing me a moment to collect myself, I suppose, and then returned, a scowl on his angelic features. He hadn't spoken a word to me since I'd told him not to touch me. I sighed into the pillow, turning over in the bed. What exactly did he expect? He'd tried to kill me. I believed I'd acted as any rational human being would – frightfully. I sighed again, heavily, shutting my eyes. How was I supposed to sleep? How was I supposed to even relax while he was staring at me? Finally, when I could take it no longer, I sat up.
"Don't you have a ship to commandeer?" I asked rudely. Surprised at my voice, Edward actually laughed. A pleasant enough laugh that confused me.
"No, Bella. I am going to be here, with you, all night." Eyebrow raised he monitored my reaction. I groaned.
"You're a sick monster," I muttered, flopping back down onto the soft quilt. I heard a gentle chuckle and then Edward spoke.
"You have no idea how right you are," he replied.
"Yes, I do," I retorted, staring up at the ceiling. "You tried to kill me, and then you were nice to me. Now… now you're looking at me as if I'm your next meal."
"You just might be, Isabella," Edward taunted, and I seethed at the mention of my full name.
"Bella," I said through clenched teeth. Another laugh. God, he was infuriating!
"Do you know what's funny?" Edward asked quietly. I didn't respond, but he answered anyway. "The fact that you are more angered about my calling you Isabella than about being my next meal." I frowned. He was right, of course. How silly of me not to realize he was threatening me. Now annoyed at my own ignorance I turned my back to him and clutched the covers to my neck. Edward was silent then, but I could still feel his eyes boring into my back. Slowly, I counted to ten. And then to twenty. And then to thirty. After number 54 I felt myself beginning to relax. Until he spoke again, his voice grating my nerves. "Bella." I literally growled at him as I turned over to meet his gaze.
"What?" I snapped. He grinned, a crooked, charming grin that made my heart skip a beat. I hated him.
"Just seeing if you were asleep."
"You- I- Ugh!" I placed a pillow over my head to shut him out.
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Edward
I'd stalked off to avoid killing her. Or whatever. I did not want to succumb to my anger. That's what I always did and it never turned out good. Instead I set out to find Alice. I wanted to let her know that her plan was failing fast. I found her on deck with Jasper. The sight of him made my blood boil. I approached them slowly, willing my anger to subside at least until I'd spoken with Alice. Jasper would get what was coming to him soon enough.
"Al?" Alice turned to me, a smile gracing her lips.
"Yeah? Wait, shouldn't you be with-"
"Shut up. Can I talk to you alone?" Alice placed her hands on her hips cockily.
"Not if you can't talk to me respectfully," she chided. I sighed.
"I'm sorry. Please, can I speak with you?" I gave Jasper a hard look and his eyes narrowed.
"I think you can say whatever you need to in front of me," Jasper hissed. I knew he could sense my hostility, and in return the feeling was rolling off of him in waves. Alice slapped Jasper's chest.
"Stop it. I'll be right back." She gestured for me to follow her to the left where we walked down the length of the ship.
"Alice, she hates me," I confessed suddenly, and she laughed. "It's not funny," I complained. Alice looked at me throw her lashes, her eyes full of mirth.
"Well, Edward, you tried to eat her. I don't know, but I think that may put a damper on a relationship," she said. I clenched my fists.
"I tried being nice and she told me not to touch her," I said distastefully, willing Alice to understand my frustrations. Alice laughed.
"Yes, Edward, but you also choked her, threatened to kill her… Hmm. What else do I need to add to the list before you understand that she hates you for good reason?" I scowled, turning to walk in the opposite direction. Alice knew I was going to do it, of course, and was walking beside me in a flash. "Don't come to me if you only want me to say what you want to hear. I won't do that and you know it." I stopped, running a hand through my disheveled hair.
"I know, I know. What do I do? I'm completely lost. This girl… she's…" I couldn't finish my sentence. I had no idea what I was going to say because I could hardly even decipher my feelings. Alice nodded, her hand finding mine.
"Why don't you try being nice? Just nice. Not creepy. Maybe make her laugh?" I nodded, taking it all in, prepared to do anything Alice said because she knew best when it came to these things. And that's what I did. I was as nice as I could be – I joked and teased, and all Bella did was get angry. Honestly, it was quite amusing to watch. Her cheeks would go pink, her mouth would form a tight line and she would make frustrated noises at me. Now, as she lay with a pillow over her head, I realized I'd gotten to her. She was no longer afraid of me – she just hated me. I smiled to myself. Well, I could deal with that.
"Hey, Bella? If you're going to commit suicide I think jumping off the ship would be more effective and less time consuming," I said lightly. Bella shot up, the pillow falling into her lap.
"I'm not trying to kill myself, Edward. I am trying to shut out your voice," she said evenly. I rose a brow.
"Really? Most women would say I have a lovely voice." Bella rolled her eyes.
"You are so arrogant. Most women would say anything to you if they thought you were going to suck them dry!" With that, she fell back against the bed again. I pressed my finger to my chin. I suppose she had a point.
"Well then you should probably try to get on my good side," I baited. I wanted to keep her talking. I liked the sound of her voice, I realized. It had a lilt to it that made me want to listen. Even if she was yelling at me. Bella scoffed and rolled over, her caramel eyes burning into mine.
"Not a chance," she said. "Can you just leave me alone so I can get some rest?" It was a reasonable request.
"I'll be quiet," I promised, watching her eyes narrow skeptically. When I didn't say anything she lay down, curling onto her side. Within an hour she was sleeping soundly, and I was starting to realize that this girl was more than a meal – she was a feast for a lifetime.
Working, guys, but I need some help with this. Send me some inspiration! As always, constructive criticism welcome!
