A/N: Hello all my lovelies! So glad you're all joining me again! I love you all for staying tuned and feeding my inflated ego with subscribing and reviewing! Thanks for all the rec'ing, too!
I have to give a big shout out to my RAoR Angelz. Hey girlies! You make me smile bigger than hearing RPattz say he has a new Stoli! ::thud::
If you aren't a RAoR hoor, please go visit the site: http(:/)robert(-)pattinson(.)ca(/) We laugh all the time and get to swoon on a daily basis at the schmexy.
Big boobie grabs to my betas twifan82 and Jen's WordSong and my pre-reader eviekinz for pulling out all the stops to make this story pretty.
Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I own a newly potty-trained three year old! ::happy dance::
*~*BPOV*~*
That sneaky, little shit!
I couldn't believe Edward just barged through the bathroom door without knocking. Why would he assume that no one would be in there if the door was closed? I even had Alice's iPod blaring on the counter. How did he not hear that?
Well, if I was really being honest with myself, I was flattered that he stared at me for so long. I mean, I looked up at the mirror before I even turned to face him and by then, he'd gotten one hell of a peep show, not to mention he was sporting a pretty good sized tent in his pants. I only yelled at him for Alice's benefit, but I knew she was on to me already. As she pulled Edward out of our room, she rolled her eyes at me and I tried to give her my best I-really-have-no-idea-what-you-mean face. She wasn't fooled, though, and I giggled as I heard her walk across the hall and deposit Edward back in his suite.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like he'd done that on purpose. He had this smug expression on his face right before he covered his eyes and turned around. It was like catching a kid who'd just stolen three candy bars from grandma's purse and shoved them all in his mouth before she found out. Well, two could play at that game and I had the perfect plan for revenge.
I couldn't help but think this had undoubtedly been the best afternoon of my entire existence. Edward saw my boobs, and my sexy panties, too! I was happier than I'd been in a long time, and I finished my hair in the bathroom as I heard Alice return to our room.
"Bella!" She yelled down the hall. "You'd better have a good explanation for why you left the door unlocked and let him ogle you for that long." She rounded the corner and huffed as she leaned against the open bathroom door.
"Alice, I had no idea he was going to come over here, let alone barge into the bathroom unannounced." I smirked as I stared at her, then finished pulling half my hair into a ponytail. "Besides, I left it open because I thought you were gonna help me with my clothes."
"Alright, well, just be careful next time, and don't let Emmett find out. I kinda like my brother… most of the time."
Alice pushed off the door and motioned for me to follow her into the bedroom. My clothes were laid out on the bed and I was a little nervous with the way it looked all sprawled out.
"You have got to be kidding me!" I suddenly regretted agreeing to let her dress me for this evening.
Lying on the bed was a navy blue sundress. I eyed it speculatively and Alice tried to reassure me that all would be fine; I just had to give it a chance. She picked the dress up off the bed and helped me get it over my head without messing up my hair. After she made sure it was sitting correctly on my frame, she pulled me over to the mirror and made me take a look.
I grudgingly opened my eyes and peered at my reflection. I was a little taken aback at how fuckhot I looked and complimented Alice on her clothing expertise. The top of the dress was a simple, navy blue, racer-back tank that was fitted to my hips, and it had white trim around the neck and arm lines. The tank was attached to a crotched skirt overlaying a soft, white lining and it ended just above my knees. The blue made my skin glow and the low cut of the top made my boobs look absolutely amazing.
"Wow, Alice. This really looks great," I admitted. "And it's so comfortable. Now, the shoes on the other hand… those look like death traps. Are you sure I can't just wear my sandals?" I pleaded with everything I had. There was no way I would make it out of the room, let alone navigate through an entire hotel with the heels she had set out for me.
"Well, you may have a good point there, Bella." She stared at my reflection in the mirror and tapped her finger on her lips while she thought about more suitable footwear for my clumsy ass. Then, her eyebrows popped up and she exclaimed, "Of course!" She turned to the closet, rummaged around in a bag and came out holding up a very sensible pair of white ballet flats.
"Ah, much better, Alice. Thank you for saving me the embarrassment of falling over my own feet tonight."
Alice smiled and winked as she said, "Great… okay, now for make-up!"
I groaned as I followed her into the bathroom again. She promised she wouldn't over do it, and I trusted her… to a point. When she started getting out the eyelash curler and other tools of pain, I stopped her and begged for mercy. She gave up after some heavy persuading on my part, and I was very happy with the result. Not so much make-up that I didn't look like me, but just enough that my eyes glittered and my cheeks were slightly rosy. Oh, and my lips looked extra kissable.
Edward Cullen… here I come!
By then, Esme returned and started getting ready in the bathroom while Alice finished up in the bedroom. After about twenty minutes, we were ready to meet the boys for dinner. Alice wore a short-sleeve, khaki shirt-dress with a matching tie-belt cinched around her waist and open-toed, sling-back kitten heels. Esme was beautiful in a dark green, sleeveless, square-neck jersey dress that ended just above the knees, that she wore with black high heels.
We walked across the hall and met up with the boys before heading down to ART. The elevator ride was interesting to say the least. Edward stood behind me and Alice, and every time I glanced at his reflection in the glass, I caught him staring at my ass and adjusting the bulge in his pants. I was in full blush mode from the heated stares Edward was producing by the time we exited the elevator. I had to thank Alice later for her great taste in clothes.
Of course, the restaurant was nothing short of spectacular with an inviting, open atmosphere and beautiful views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. Simply breathtaking. We checked-in with the hostess and were quickly escorted to our table. When we received our menus, I noticed no prices were labeled next to the items. Must be pricey. This was definitely nicer than any place I had ever eaten before, and I glanced over at Emmett with a smile. He just shrugged like it was no big deal.
The table we sat at was round and oversized, yet still cozy enough where you didn't feel like you needed to yell. I was sitting with Alice on my right and Emmett on my left with Edward next to him, then Esme. I kept peeking at Edward in hopes that I would catch him staring, but he just had his eyes trained on his menu. He looked gorgeous in his vertical striped, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up just above his elbows and the top few buttons undone. I could see the top of his white undershirt past the open buttons and it looked like his neck was a little flushed right at the collar. Hmmm… I wonder what he's thinking.
Then, Edward looked over at me out of the corner of his eye. I blushed as I realized he was staring at my chest and the amazing cleavage Alice had created for me with a simple push-up bra. He swallowed thickly and straightened out in his chair when he noticed I was watching him blatantly gawk at me from across the table. He quickly turned back to his menu and grabbed his glass of water to take a long drink while we both blushed. I chuckled quietly to myself as I looked back at my menu, and I saw Alice slightly shake her head in disapproval.
I certainly didn't mind the extra attention, and I think Alice was really just wishing we would get over the awkward "love you from afar" stage and move right to the good parts. Yes, the good parts… I bet Edward's parts are very good. But I knew she wouldn't push us, especially Edward. He was so distant, so much of a mystery that I wanted to break into his inner conscious and steal all his secrets. I wanted to know everything about him and, even though it scared me shitless, I wanted him to know my secrets, too. I also knew I was definitely not ready for that yet. I needed some serious therapeutic intervention, and I had yet to meet a shrink that made me feel comfortable enough to share my real feelings.
After dinner, we all went back up to our rooms and Alice decided it would be fun to rent an overpriced movie on the TV and goof off all night. Edward and Emmett went to their room to change into their pajamas while Alice and I did the same in our suite. While we waited for the boys, I called room service and ordered some ice cream, movie candy and sodas so we would have some snacks during the flick. It all arrived right as the boys were walking across the hall to our room.
"Awesome!" Emmett yelled when he walked in the sitting area. "Rocky Road ice cream and gummy worms! You're the best, Bells."
He smiled and walked around the pulled-out couch to the side I was lounging on and reached out a big hand to ruffle my hair. I dodged him not so gracefully and wound up sprawled out, very unlady-like across the span of the bed, with my face shoved in the pillows, my hands over my head, and my ass sticking up in the air. When I resurfaced from the sea of pillows, Alice, Edward and Emmett were all laughing hysterically at my expense. I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest as I repositioned myself to sit indian-style with my back pressed against a pillow sitting up on the back of the sofa-bed.
Alice grabbed my bowl of ice cream and passed it over to me as she climbed in the bed and sat to my right. She positioned herself the same as me and Edward sat to her right, with Emmett sitting on my left, both with their legs straight out, crossed at the ankles and their backs against pillows propped up behind them. The boys both had their bowls of ice cream and they also each carried over three boxes of their favorite candies. Seriously, how do they not gain eighty pounds eating like that?
The cinematic masterpiece of Alice's choosing was none other than Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Why she picked this movie for this particular evening was beyond me, but I was going to enjoy the moment and not let anything bother me.
We all laughed and Alice and Edward recited lines before the characters said them. I managed to pry some of the candy out of Emmett's death grip before he ate it all, but I never had the intention of actually eating it myself. I decided tearing off small pieces of gummy worms and using them as ammo was a far better use. I pegged Alice once, but when she gave me the glare of death, I quickly backed down from my assault. Edward, on the other hand, had about seven pieces in his ice cream bowl before the first fifteen minutes of the movie and he didn't seem fazed at all. I just kept throwing pieces at him, even going as far as to sit up on my knees, stare straight into his eyes and pelt him in the forehead. He just smiled, took a big bite of his ice cream and turned back to the movie. I was kind of getting a little frustrated that I couldn't make him react.
What was with him tonight?
He barely said two words to me at dinner and during the movie he only smiled and let me attack him with gummy worms. I was going to break him down… I had a plan, dammit!
After getting no response out of Edward, I just sat and watched the movie like a normal person. Emmett finished his ice cream and all three boxes of candy before the movie was half over and then he asked if he could have the rest of my ice cream. I reluctantly handed it over, and the goob actually licked out the bowl when he was finished. Gross!
When the credits started rolling, Alice came up with the brilliant idea to play truth or dare. Emmett was all for it, but Edward and I both looked like we might be physically sick just from the mere mention of the game. I pulled Alice into the bathroom and made her swear to me that she wouldn't ask any questions about feelings for other people and absolutely under no circumstances, could she ask about my past. She agreed, stating that this would be fun and I shouldn't be worried. Then, why did I feel like my stomach was in my throat?
We cleaned up our bowls and candy boxes and each grabbed a soda. Alice turned off the lights and crawled up into the pulled-out couch and I quickly followed. We both got under the sheet and sat with our backs against the pillows again, and the boys sat on the floor near the foot of the bed with their backs facing us. They started snickering back and forth like third graders and Alice cleared her throat to get their attention.
"Okay, who wants to go first?" She waited, but no one answered. "Alright, I guess I'll go then… Edward, truth or dare?"
"Easy… dare." Edward sounded pretty confident, but I was still really apprehensive about having the little pixie at the helm of this crazy ship.
"Great… dare. Okay then. Edward, I dare you to take off your shirt."
"Um, okay… but that's not much of a dare, Alice." Edward pulled his shirt off over his head and threw it at Alice with a huge smirk on his face. She caught it easily with one hand and laid it down on the bed between us.
I couldn't help but stare as I watched his muscles ripple while he tossed the shirt, and that smirk made me want to kiss it right off his face. I felt my jaw slack open as he peeked over at me then slumped back to the floor next to Emmett.
Edward spoke from the floor. "Alice… truth or dare?"
"Truth, please," Alice chirped innocently from the bed.
"Hmm, truth… Who do you like at school… I mean, guys you like?"
"Edward, you know I don't like anyone. Any guys, anyway. He hasn't shown up yet." Alice looked contemplative like she knew who she was talking about would show up out of thin air.
"Okay. Whatever, Alice," Edward chided. "Your turn to ask again."
"Emmett… truth or dare." Alice's face lit up like she was ready for a challenge.
"Dare, baby! And make it a good one." Jeez Emmett, could you be any cockier.
"All right… You have to strip and stand on the balcony while singing a show-tune of your choice… but make it a good one, because if I don't approve, you'll be doing it again with a song I choose."
Emmett's laughter boomed through the room. "Okay, you're on, Alice. Get ready for the performance of a lifetime."
One thing about my brother was he definitely wasn't shy. Apparently, when we were in the womb, I got all the lucky "shy genes" and Emmett got all the "confidence genes"… or maybe they were "cocky genes." Either way, Emmett specialized in dares and was up for any challenge anyone threw at him, even when that dickweed, Mike, made him drink from the toilet like a dog in that disgusting hell-hole we left in Colorado. Sure he was puking for a week, but he had pride. I yelled at him all week while I took care of him and cleaned him up after he blew chunks all over his bed and floor. I warned him I would never do that again.
Pride, my ass! That was just gross!
We all watched in amusement as Emmett did exactly what he was dared. After readily taking off his clothes and cupping his goods before standing on the balcony, he began singing the worst rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I was laughing so hard my stomach was starting to hurt, and thankfully Alice was pleased with the entertainment because I could barely catch my breath in between fits of laughter. She let him come back inside and return to the land of the clothed and civilized while we all calmed down and caught our breaths.
The rest of the night went smoothly… well, sort of. By the end of our game, Emmett had sung the entire soundtracks of The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music, sans clothes of course, I was wearing Edward's tee shirt and boxers, and Edward was sporting my tank top and boy-shorts. Alice, however, was relatively unscathed, all except for the gummy worm pieces we made her shove in her nose. That was the first and only dare she took all night, mind you. But, shit! We had fun! The most fun I'd ever had with a family, and I never wanted it to stop.
It was nearing midnight and Alice suggested we all hit the sack so we could get up bright and early for her day of torture… uh, I mean shopping. Edward and Emmett said their good nights and went off to their room across the hall. And holy mother of all that's good, Edward's ass looked fucking hot in my boy-shorts. As he walked out the room, I intently watched his movements. The shorts were just short enough that the bottom curve of his cheeks stuck out. He had the most luscious, rock hard ass and I had to keep reminding myself that Alice and Emmett were there otherwise I would have run after him and smacked it… you know… just to check the firmness.
I bet that would be the best sound in the history of the universe!
The front view wasn't half bad either. His pecs were pushing against the tank top and it was entirely too short to cover his whole torso, so it left a good two inch strip of muscled abdomen showing. Damn, this boy was ripped! Unfortunately, Edward was in a hurry to get back to his room, so I didn't get the best view of his front, but when I let my gaze travel in the southerly direction, I noticed he was packing some serious heat. His package was straining against the shorts, but he wasn't even hard. I was actually starting to sweat thinking about having Edward's junk in my shorts. It was making me think all kinds of inappropriate things and I shook my head to clear my runaway thoughts.
Right before he shut the door on his way out, I looked at his face and he blushed the deepest shade of red I'd ever seen. He'd caught me staring at him and I blushed in response. I smiled shyly and he half smirked as he turned to leave.
Edward Cullen will be the death of me.
Alice and I talked for another half hour before finally saying good night. I had a difficult time falling asleep because I kept thinking about why Edward was being so distant. He was such a mystery to me, so closed off. I silently vowed to myself that I would get up early and talk to him tomorrow before we left to shop.
As I laid there and thought of how to start that conversation, I remembered I was still wearing his shirt and boxers. I lifted the top of the shirt up to my face and took in all that was Edward. It was magnificent… intoxicating… perfect, like spicy cinnamon, warm chocolate, and just a hint of soothing vanilla. I nestled my face in his shirt and fell quickly asleep to wonderful dreams of being surrounded by Edward.
/~/+/~/
The next morning, I was awake by six o'clock and decided to put my master plan of getting Edward to spill into effect. I quickly showered and changed into the usual jeans and fitted shirt and sauntered over to the boy's room. I heard the shower running and someone was rustling around in the bedroom, so I decided to take my chances and see if I could get a glimpse of Edward's goods. Tip-toeing down the hallway to the bathroom, I reached for the handle and slowly turned it so I wouldn't make any noise. I sneaked a quick glance past the door and saw the mirror was completely steamed up, ruining my chance of seeing into the shower in the corner. Not that it really would have mattered anyway, because the shower doors were just as steamed up. Undeterred, I stepped completely into the bathroom and shut the door. I was on a mission and no one was going to stop me. Walking slowly to the shower, I grabbed the handle and yanked open the door.
"What the fuck!" Emmett screamed.
"My eyes!" I cursed and shielded my face from the nakedness that was my brother.
"You weren't supposed to be in here, Emmett!" I really didn't know why I was yelling at him, but I was so pissed that it wasn't Edward that I was ready to brutally rip Emmett a new one.
"Who the hell did you think… Oh, crap! Bella, seriously?" Emmett turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist.
"Sorry, Emmett. I'll just be going."
I turned to the door to leave just as Edward came down the hall.
"Hey, man. Why were you yel-" Edward stopped directly in the bathroom door, mid-step and stared at me. He was wearing nothing but his pajama pants and they were resting dangerously low on his hips. I was getting lost in his "V" when he spoke.
"Bella?"
"I, uh, well…" Why can't I speak? Oh yeah… must be the power of the "V."
"I have to go." I pushed past Edward and started running for the door when I tripped turning the corner and braced myself for impact.
It never happened. Instead, strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me up right before my face met the floor. Edward spun me around and held me to his chest. Facing him, I looked into his eyes and saw… confusion… anger… protectiveness? Emotions flashed across his face so quickly I wasn't entirely sure what I'd seen. He stared into my eyes for what seemed like hours, but were mere seconds. It felt like my mind would explode from the force of his gaze, and I had to look away before I melted in his arms.
I felt the blush creep into my cheeks as he released his grip around my waist and set me back on my feet. As I steadied myself, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. What was it I was doing here? Ah yes, getting Edward to talk. Bella recon mission is a go. Walking over to the couch, I peeked up at Edward from under my eyelashes. He followed me and we sat on either end of the couch with our backs against the armrests. I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and Edward curled one leg under himself and the other was hanging off the side of the couch.
"Uh, thanks for that… I mean, thanks for saving my face from third degree rug burn." I rolled my eyes. Yes, Bella. Humor cures all… idiot!
Edward chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair, making it even more disheveled than before. "What are you doing here, Bella?"
"I was bringing back your clothes from truth or dare… and I… I needed to talk to you."
"And you thought that would be best accomplished by finding me in the shower?" He smirked and stared straight into my eyes.
"Um… well, the shower was me trying to get back at you for seeing me yesterday." Edward noticeably straightened at the thought and I buried my face in my legs.
"Bella, I'm sorry for that. I really had no idea you were in there."
He sounded genuinely sorry, so I let it slide. I really wasn't that upset he'd seen me. I just wanted to see him, too. All's fair in love and war, baby.
Lifting my head, I continued. "That's fine. I'm just confused why you barely talked to me last night. You seemed really distracted and I was just trying to understand why."
Edward sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He whispered something under his breath, then said, "Don't think I'm crazy, okay… but I keep getting this feeling like someone is watching us. I've got all these thoughts bouncing around in my head and I can't seem to make them to go away. They just keep getting louder, and when we were at dinner, my head was practically gonna explode with how loud they were."
He stopped and took a deep breath. I'd never seen him so worried. It was really scaring me.
"Bella… I just keep thinking something is gonna happen… and… I just… man, you're really gonna think I've lost my mind." Edward huffed and turned his body so both feet were planted on the floor and he hid his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees.
"Edward, why would I think you're crazy? I'm the one that went off the handle the other night and screamed at you for something that saved me." I paused and looked away from him, glancing at the floor. "You should think I'm crazy."
Edward shook his head and turned so he was facing me again. "You're definitely not crazy. You had every right to be mad at me. It's not my place to look into your personal life. But, I'm starting to wonder if I really am losing my mind."
"Will you tell me why you feel that way?" I questioned him as I scooted closer to him on the couch. We were so close. I felt that same electric current running off his body and shooting straight through mine.
We both shivered at the new proximity and he stared at me with such intensity that I almost fell off the couch. He took in a deep breath and ran his right hand over the back of his neck as he spoke.
"Bella, with all these thoughts and sensing someone watching us, I can't help but feel very protective of you." He winced as the words left his mouth, but continued. "I was so quiet and stand-offish because I was watching everyone around us, trying to get a better read on who might be staring. When we got back to the room after dinner, I was feeling slightly more relaxed, but I'm not sure how today is gonna go with you away from me."
I was dumbfounded. Edward was sensing the same things I was and he was feeling protective… of me. Why would he be feeling like he had to protect me? What was I to him? I was just some helpless, insignificant foster kid he was stuck with until high school graduation, then he could forget all about me and never have to deal with me again. But why would he have said those things? He must have meant it, otherwise he would have blown me off already.
My head was starting to reel from the revelation. I felt my cheeks blush as I looked down at my hands and played with the hem of my shirt. Edward reached toward me and grabbed my hands, stilling them in my lap and sending a shock through my whole body.
"Please, say something. I have to know what you're thinking," Edward pleaded.
"I… I'm not sure what to say. But, thank you… for feeling like you need to protect me. I've never had anyone other than Emmett give two shits about me before. It's a nice change." I looked up at his face and willed myself not to cry. Tears were welling up in my eyes and I really didn't want to cry. No wonder boys think I'm so crazy… I turn into a blubbering idiot at the drop of a hat.
I blinked and felt a single tear creep down my face. Edward released my hands and ran his thumb over my cheek to sweep away the traitorous tear.
"Don't cry, Bella. Please. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."
"No, Edward. I'm okay. I'm thankful for you and your family. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me and Emmett. We couldn't have picked a better family. I'm still trying to get used to people being so caring. It's not in my nature to trust anyone so implicitly, and it's got me all bipolar."
He chuckled at that and took my left hand in his right, his thumb tracing lazy circles on the back. Our heads were so close I could feel his breath on my lips. I hadn't realized we had shifted within centimeters of each other and were on the brink of kissing. I held my breath and got lost in the sensation of everything Edward. I didn't even hear Emmett walk into the room.
"Hey, you two. What's goin' on?" Emmett stood at the edge of the room glaring at Edward, and we both straightened up and I pulled my hand from his. Emmett was in "macho brother" mode and I knew I'd have to intervene before he sent Edward running for the hills.
"Nothing's goin' on, Emmett." I frowned at him, gaining his attention when I spoke. "Edward was just comforting me. I'm gonna go see if Alice needs help getting stuff ready to go. I'll let you two finish getting ready."
I peeked over at Edward and saw a faint smile on his lips as I got up to leave. I couldn't help but smile back and walked out the door and across the hall. As soon as I stepped back into my room, Alice was yelling orders at me of things that needed to be completed before we left.
After getting all the necessary supplies in order, Esme, Alice, and I met the boys in the lobby and waited for the valet to bring around the SUV. Alice had everything planned out down to the minute of where we would shop, how long we would have at each store, how much we could spend, and when we would eat. The itinerary was enough to make your head spin, and with Alice in charge, I felt like I might hurl before the ride was over.
We really had an awesome day, even though Alice wouldn't let the boys leave us to go off alone. Edward seemed relieved by that, and I certainly was, too, but Alice seemed to have ulterior motives. She was really tense all day and was actually getting flustered, which didn't seem like Alice at all. Esme kept asking her if something was bothering her, but Alice kept down playing it like she was just lost in thought. It really started to creep me out, especially when she stared into space for a good thirty seconds while she held up a pair of shoes in mid air. It took Edward three tries to get her attention, and by then she couldn't even remember picking up the shoes in the first place.
Must be all the caffeine… it can't be good for such a tiny body.
We ate lunch and dinner on the go and stopped to see a movie before heading back to the hotel. The boys decided they were still hungry, surprise, surprise, so they ordered up room service to our suite and rented a PS3 to battle it out while we chowed. Esme retired to her room to read while we busied ourselves in the sitting area, debating which games to play.
"I vote for Grand Theft Auto IV," said Alice plopping her tiny butt on the couch to my left.
"No way," interrupted Emmett as he nudged her shoulder and sat on the floor in front of the couch. "We have to play Halo 3."
Edward laughed and shook his head, taking up residence next to Emmett on the floor and next to my legs hanging off the couch. "We need to play a game that at least two people can play at a time. How about DiRT2? It's racing, so Alice you'll like it, and it's competitive, so Emmett you should be good with that too."
Emmett and Alice both agreed that would be a good choice. I didn't care what we played, as long as Edward stayed leaning against my legs. As long as I was touching some part of him, I was calm.
Just then, there was a knock at the door and I jumped up to get our room service. I peeked through the peep hole and couldn't see the server's face because he was fiddling with the food on the trays. I released the dead bolt and opened the door.
"Good evening," said the server as he lifted his face. "I believe you ordered room service this evening."
My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't even scream. It felt like all the blood rushed out of my head and went straight to my feet, rooting me to the spot. The last thing I remembered was Edward asking what was wrong as he walked up behind me.
Then darkness consumed me once more.
A/N: So... please don't all hate on me at once. This effing cliffie was a necessary evil. Just so you all know, chapter 8 is complete and waiting for the beta-ships to sail. I will post as fast as humanly possible... but if you review... I will give you a tease! ;)
Rec time: A fellow RAoR Angel has an excellent, SMOKIN' HOT story that you all have to read! rpgirl27 is writing Enchante. This is a period piece that swept me off my feet. Beautifully written and sexy! Tell her I sent you when you give her love and review!
