CHAPTER SIX

"Just look at your face!"

I burped. "What?"

Grin mischievous, Emmett pinched my cheeks and slapped them.

"Hey, that hurts!"

"Damn, you're so red!" he continued to laugh.

At some point, I joined in laughing. "I am not!"

"Aw, what a cutie," he cooed. "Ain't she, Edward?"

Edward stared at me, with that scrutinizing eye, as if he was taking Emmett seriously.

My laugh subsided into an awkward giggle. I fanned myself, suddenly feeling warm; it must be the alcohol. "Something on my face?"

"Nah. You're flushed though."

"Yeah, I heard."

He shook his head to himself, smiling.

He'd been doing that a lot all night, and every time it seemed as though he was looking at me beforehand.

He popped open yet another beer.

I wondered if he was just really good at holding his liquor or if I were just too drunk to properly gauge his sobriety.

I watched as he threw his head back and inhaled the ocean air. He seemed oddly content yet maudlin. My eyes hurt from staring at him without blinking.

He looked like someone from a different world.

My mom once told me that guys who looked good drinking or smoking most likely looked good doing pretty much everything else too. For the first time in my life, I felt like she could be right. I hoped not though; I would be screwed if Edward Cullen got any more perfect than this.

"Something on my face?" Edward asked, eyes closed.

I blinked. "Are you talking to me?"

His eyes opened and they gave me all their attention. "Yes," those eyes told me.

"Oh." I felt stupid. "No… Why?"

"I don't know. You were staring." He laughed out his nose, noticing something. "Nah, just kidding. You're kind of zoning out. I should have known you wouldn't be able to hold much liquor. You're so tiny and all."

"Are you implying that I'm drunk?"

He laughed louder. "Yeah."

"I'm not drunk." I was.

Emmett and Edward shared a look and snickered.

I narrowed my eyes. "By the way, do you guys realize how dangerous it is to drink near a body of water? We could drown."

Emmett smirked. "Not 'we,' babe. Just you."

The breeze felt amazing, though. Below me was the sand and above me was a canopy of a skinny, leafy tree. And the beach was beautiful.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"A bit over ten."

I fell on my back, my sight blurring as I let myself gape at the branches above. Maybe I really was zoning out.

"Someone go get me more beer," I mumbled.

I was opening a third can when a hand stopped me.

Edward looked at me sternly in the eye as he fought to keep the beer away from my mouth.

"Take it easy. You've had enough," he said.

I frowned. "What? Come on. You guys are the ones who brought me out here."

Both of us lost our grip, then, and spilled the contents all over my jeans.

"Thanks, Edward," I sighed tiredly.

Standing up, I felt dizzy and even a little nauseated. But I didn't want to look drunk; I tried to focus on each step I took as I headed toward the restroom behind Seven Eleven.

Emmett, who was just returning from the store with bags of chips in his arms, stared curiously at my wet pants and asked something. I ignored him, mostly because I couldn't understand what he was saying.

Through the bathroom mirror, my cheeks were buoyantly pink.

"I look like a strawberry," I groaned.

I splashed some water on my face before attempting to wash off the beer stain on my pants; I gave up when the denim ended up soaking up more water, getting colder for my skin.

I shivered; it was getting chilly and late, I realized.

On my way back, I bumped into Edward and Emmett.

I sighed. "I'm okay, guys. But I think I should go home now – oh."

They weren't Edward and Emmett.

"I thought…" I sounded dumb. "I'm sorry."

I wasn't too tipsy but I didn't feel as powerful as I was during the last hour either. A sudden surge of fear settled in me as I backtracked into a brick wall.

"I'm so sorry," I said again, confused. "If you'll excuse me…"

They wouldn't. They were cornering me and I was beginning to have tough time breathing. My head hurt. I sounded like a broken record coaxing, "Please leave. My friends will come over any second," over and over.

It was suffocating, and with each second, I was growing more and more terrified.

They were going to touch me when I was pulled free by a pair of arms.

I'd never been so relieved to see Edward.

"Edward, thank God –"

Before I could properly feel the sense of security, he pulled me away from the strangers, the beach, and the tree.

My hand in his, I had trouble keeping up with his long strides. I didn't understand. I had no idea what was happening.

Blood roared in my ears, and I didn't even realize we were heading toward the parking lot until I saw it in the distance.

"Slow down," I said over and over, getting more and more confused.

Instead of trying to calm me down or comfort me – not that I needed it – he was just pulling, pulling, pulling.

I distantly caught a sight of Emmett, and I was sure he saw us too. For some reason, he didn't follow.

Edward finally stopped when we reached his car.

"What are you –" I stopped cold.

His eyes. Not angry. Panicked. Really panicked.

I suddenly lost all words.

"What were you thinking?" he said.

His voice was a dead cold whisper. My head was pounding again, as though someone turned on loud music inside me. Edward's face was sheer wooden and white, and my heart was beating so fast that it banged against my rib cage.

"I honestly don't remember." I whispered because I couldn't find my voice.

"Did you consider screaming for help?"

"I… I think I was getting there…"

The cold way he was staring me down made me tremble in near fear.

Quietly and slowly, he pulled my bra strap back on my shoulder where it belonged, and buttoned up the top of my shirt. I didn't even realize I'd gotten that disheveled.

And his hand – his fingers – they were shaking.

"You're a girl, Bella. You're a girl."

"I – I know that."

I was wishing he'd yell instead when he began doing exactly that.

"Oh, yeah?" Something in his eyes came alive. "So what were you doing back there all alone? Were you looking for trouble? Were you trying to pick a fight with those people? You think you're some big jock like Emmett or what?"

And it was the first time he was yelling at me, and I was petrified.

"I couldn't think straight, okay?" My voice shook. "I'm drunk. You're drunk. Calm down!"

His anger sank as quickly as it rose, and he slammed a fist on the car window. "Get in the car. I'm taking you home."

The sky was pitch dark, and as silent and bleak as the mood in the car. Even the sounds of our breathing seemed too loud.

I was drained and sobering up. I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep.

"I'm sorry," I said finally.

He didn't even flinch.

I sighed, tiredly rubbing my sleepy eyes. "I blanked. It was so random and unexpected. Of course I would have yelled for help if things got worse. It just felt so unreal."

He wouldn't answer.

"Edward."

He kept his eyes on the road.

"I said I'm sorry," I said, slower and louder, watching his reaction.

He was ignoring me.

"Will you please look at me?" I reached out for his arm. "I didn't know I would worry you that much, and I'm sorry. I really am."

"I wasn't worried at all, actually."

He roughly pulled over to the side of the road near the woods. My eyes had to adjust to the new shade of darkness.

"Oh. Well." I faltered. I did not expect that answer. "I'm still sorry."

"I did save you."

"You did." I bowed my head, ashamed. "Thank you. I really do owe you for that."

"Yeah? What are you going to do for me?"

My head snapped up.

"What are you going to do for me?" he insisted quietly.

I hesitated. "Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"I… guess so."

I froze, waiting. Something was… off.

"I know how you can pay me back," he said. "You can pay me back right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? Between you and me."

He turned off the engine and headlights, letting the darkness take over.

I heard the driver's seat squeak and its seatbelt get undone. His hand found the latch beside my seat and let the back collapse flat.

All I could do was watch, eyes wide, as he loomed closer and climbed on top of me.

"Edward – …"

"What?"

I had no words.

He pressed forward, pushing the air out of my lungs, and I lay frozen, powerless. Our legs were tangled. Our stomachs touched, our chests following. His knees trapped my hips and it was impossible to move.

A car passed by, and for a second I saw him and his blank eyes.

I knew – he saw the fear growing inside me.

He unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Give me this," he said quietly.

His fingers skimmed down my face, neck, collarbone, shoulder. Even lower. He popped open the top button of my shirt and slid a hand down my bare skin to –

"Stop," I whispered.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

"Don't – don't do this."

He cast his eyes down, his breaths, unlike mine, very even and controlled.

And his face came closer and closer. Even closer.

I could feel his hair tickle my forehead.

"Edward, stop," I pleaded, my fear unhidden. I struggled, fists on his chest and squirming frantically. Futile – he simply pressed down my arms. "Please, stop!"

And he did.

He now watched from above me – apathetically, even mercilessly.

"See, Bella? I can have my way with you right here, right now, and force myself on you in whatever way I want. But you're just a little girl, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me."

I breathed heavily, in short, panicked spurts.

Calm, he buttoned me up again. His eyes could pierce through mine. "You can be as naïve as you want to be, but in the end it's your fault you're completely defenseless."

He climbed back over to the driver's seat and turned the engine back on.

He didn't start driving right away.

I couldn't make myself to sit up just yet.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, brokenly. This time I meant it.

He didn't respond. He simply helped me up and buckled me in again before swerving back onto the road.

"And thank you," I mumbled, touching the dip of my breasts and remembering how close he had been. My heart was beating so, so fast.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you liked it :) Please review; reviews mean a lot to me.