A/N: SM owns all things Twilight. I'm just playing with her characters.
Massive thanks goes to NewTwilightFan for the amazing beta skills. She is truly amazing. Give her loads of love, cuz without her, this chapter would be a hot mess. She makes everything better.
To my pre-readers: Twimom1960, NKubie, foreverrobsessed, and IpsitaC77. You are the best around. You brainstorm with me and make sure I don't go crazy. Thank you.
On we go...
Chapter 7
Edward's mind whirled, different scenarios running through it.
Would she respond?
What would she say?
"She could just tell you to go fuck yourself!"
And now he was talking to himself. A part of him wanted her to reject him, like she'd done in the hotel room, just to know for sure that she had forgotten about him. And another part, the heart part, wanted her to accept him for who he was - fucked up faults and all.
The socket wrench creak, creak, creaked with the flick of his wrist, tightening the bolt on the transmission. He took a drag from his cigarette and flicked the rest to the floor, exhaling the smoke into the air. The bass from the music playing at the house vibrated through the garage, and the faint sounds of laughter from the party reached his ears.
But none of that mattered now. His attention kept returning to his phone which lay a few feet away on the counter top. His pulse thundered in his ear in anticipation of her response.
Chime.
His eyes snapped up from the engine, and his hand stilled, silencing the creaks of the wrench. Breath left his lungs in a whoosh.
Slowly, Edward turned his head towards his phone, listening, waiting.
When it chimed again, Edward placed the socket wrench on the transmission and turned toward the sound, unconsciously moving closer. He heard the wrench clatter to the floor behind him, but his focus was solely on his phone.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply, cursing the fucked up fluttering in his stomach. It could be somebody else.
Edward looked to his phone and saw her name. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Opening the text, he braced his hands on the counter and stared at the scuff marks on his shoes, mentally preparing himself for her rejection.
"Fuck it!" He cursed and lifted his eyes to the screen.
BELLA: Being with you that night was like being in the eye of a hurricane, a moment of peace between the storms. I could never forget you.
Edward read the text over and over, her words spinning through his mind, hope mixed with confusion. What kind of peace? Was it the same kind he'd felt being with her? Stillness from his mind, a temporary reprieve from the demons and monsters swimming in his conscience?
Edward gripped his hair and cursed. "Fuck!"
There was this unfamiliar emotion rising within him that he couldn't place, and that scared the fuck out of him. What was she doing to him?
Shaking his head, he stared at the empty reply box, the cursor blinking back at him. One thing was for sure, he wanted her. He wanted to possess her body and reclaim that peace he had found when he was with her.
The consequences, Edward didn't dare to think about.
EDWARD: I didn't forget you either.
It sounded fucking pathetic, but it was the truth.
BELLA: I'm sorry I walked away.
The pain of her confession punched him in the gut, and he groaned, watching her walk away all over again in his mind's eye. His heart beat in his throat, and his nerves sparked with hope. A small sliver of peace settled deep within his chest by connecting with her, even if it was simply through some words on a screen.
EDWARD: Twice.
BELLA: I know.
EDWARD: We could have created more memories the morning after.
BELLA: It was very tempting. With the sheet only covering your lower body and the peaceful look on your face as you slept, it was like walking past an ice cream shop and resisting the urge to buy every flavor.
He chuckled at her analogy. He was anything but ice cream and definitely not sweet.
EDWARD: Honey, no way am I ice cream!
BELLA: I say you are.
He was intrigued. A smirk played across his lips as he replied.
EDWARD: Alright. I'll bite. What flavor would I be?
BELLA: Coffee.
His brows furrowed, and he hurriedly replied.
EDWARD: How do you figure?
BELLA: You're strong, dark and irresistible. You can be sweet and also bitter, depending on the mood.
Her assessment of his character startled him. In the short time they'd spent texting, she learned more about him than he'd ever let anyone else discover. He was dark, not letting anyone closer than necessary, but Edward could be sweet if he needed something; especially when it came to women.
Shaking his head, he hit reply.
EDWARD: Just the right poison you need to wake up.
Just as he hit send, his phone started to ring.
Tanya calling...
Edward sneered at his phone, silently cursing her for destroying his good mood and connection with Bella.
Ignore.
His phone chimed, and he breathed deeply, pushing thoughts about Tanya and the Calvin Klein contract out of his mind. He'd cross that bridge once he got there.
BELLA: Coffee or you?
Laughing out loud, Edward shoved his phone in his jeans pocket, grabbed the keys and locked the door behind him. Pushing through the throngs of people still dancing and gyrating on the make-shift dance floor, he headed inside.
Emmett stood at the kitchen island, bouncing on his heels as James dished out money into Em's waiting hand. The TV was now playing music videos, and couples sat scattered through the darkened room either kissing or dry humping.
"Ed. My man," Emmett hollered through the house, getting the attention of a lot of people. A few ladies smiled at Edward as he brushed by, but luckily, none attempted to gain his attention.
"I see you lost," Edward commented, looking at James.
James looked heart-broken as he continued to put bills into Emmett's beefy hand. "This time. But next game, he's going down."
Emmett laughed and stuffed the money into his pocket. "Aw, you just don't learn, J. I know hockey," he said with a serious look on his face. "I can teach you a lot, grasshopper."
Edward laughed at the two and started to head up the stairs.
"Hey, where are you going?" Emmett asked, his brows furrowed. Since when did Edward go to bed early? The fucker usually stayed up late, flirting with different chicks.
"I'm heading to bed." Edward continued up the stairs. "Gotta be at the tracks early."
He disappeared from view before Emmett could ask more. He turned to James; they were both confused with Edward's behavior. "What the fuck is up with him?" James asked, pointing a finger towards the stairs.
"Beats me," Emmett shrugged, his lips pressed into a hard line.
Upstairs, Edward brushed through the people lingering in the hallway. Emmett had questions, he knew that. Only three months after they moved in together, Emmett had overheard one of his nightmares. At the time, Edward thought that living in a new space would keep the monsters at bay, but he'd been so wrong.
Emmett had woken him that night, worry and fear on his face. After screaming at him to get the fuck out, Edward sound proofed his room the very next day. There was not a chance in hell that he'd tell Emmett about his fucked up past; the demons still plaguing his mind after all these years.
He was just about to open his bedroom door when a girl called his name. Turning, he came face to face with the girl from earlier. His nostrils flared, taking in the familiar scent and desperately wanting her to be Bella.
But this girl was blonde.
"Where did you go earlier?" She sidled up close to him, running a long fingernail down his arm.
"Out." It escaped through gritted teeth.
She nodded, oblivious to his agitation. "Is this your room?" Her eyes roamed up his body, indicating what she had in mind, and for once, Edward had no intention of fucking some stranger just to forget.
"It is."
"Can I see it?" She reached for the door handle, but Edward quickly caught her wrist.
Smirking, he shook his head slowly. "Not tonight, babe."
She pursed her lips in obvious disappointment, but nodded anyway. "Is there a way to change your mind?" Her hand slid down his torso towards his belt buckle.
Again, he caught her hand. "No." Edward pushed her away gently. "Have a good time." With that, he turned and pushed through his door, locking it behind him.
His smile returned when he opened Bella's text again and hit reply.
What the fuck was she doing to his sanity?
-MTSD-
Bella stared at her phone, holding it in both hands like a precious jewel as she waited for his response.
When it came, she startled and nearly dropped the damn thing.
Laughing at herself, she picked it up and read.
EDWARD: Well, first you'd have me and then coffee. You would need it by the time I was done with you.
"Oh God," she groaned. Desire burned through her, memories of his skin against hers, his warm breath against her neck as he kissed her heated skin flickered through her mind. Her thighs clenched shut.
She put a hand to her chest, hoping to calm her erratic heartbeat before pressing reply.
BELLA: Are you saying you wouldn't let me get any sleep?
She crawled underneath her blankets and turned off the light, reading the time on her alarm clock.
1:15 a.m
Why was he texting her so late? Didn't he have to be at the tracks early? Guilt started to gnaw at her, and she bit her lip. Lifting her phone, she contemplated saying goodnight and giving him the rest he needed, but also wanting to keep the connection with him.
Her phone vibrated and all thoughts left her.
Edward calling…
Her eyes widened. She sucked in air and froze. The phone fell from her hands onto the blankets, continuing to vibrate. Her stomach somersaulted, and she put a hand to it as if it would stop the nerves.
Bella blinked.
It vibrated for the third time, and she scrambled to pick it up.
"Hello." Her voice was small and tinged with fear.
"Bella?" Edward's voice took her by surprise. "It's Edward. I, um… hope it's okay to call." Suddenly, his voice sounded guilty. "I…" Bella heard him exhale sharply on the other end, followed by: "Fuck! I hope I'm not intruding…"
"I…" she started, swallowing past the dryness in her throat, wanting to put him at ease. How, she had no idea. She was as nervous as he sounded. "Of course it's okay. You just caught me by surprise."
Edward laughed, the sound deep and smooth. Bella's mind flashed with memories of his lips whispering over her skin, hot promises of the pleasure he would give her.
She breathed out shakily.
"You sound like I feel," Edward said quietly. "I just needed to hear your voice."
Bella's eyes closed at his confession, and she dropped her head in her hands. "I've missed you."
"You just made my week, sweetheart." His voice purred in her ear.
Bella bit her lip as silence stretched between them. Why did he call?
"I'm sorry…"
"Sorry for what?" Edward asked softly.
"I'm sorry for creating this situation between us. For how we met," she confessed, the guilt of it weighing her down.
When he didn't speak, she grew tense.
"Edward…"
"You sound nervous." His voice was a quiet, smoky whisper.
But that voice, oh God. He could be caressing her through the phone. Bella replayed the sexy words he'd whispered to her that night.
"So fucking beautiful."
"Hard and fast, baby?"
"You feel so fucking good."
"I am nervous."
"Do you regret it?" He asked suddenly. "Do you regret being with me?"
The hurt she heard in his voice crippled her. "Oh God, no. It was…" Bella was at a loss for words.
"Like being in the eye of a hurricane," he finished for her, quoting her text. "A moment of peace."
Bella closed her eyes again, smiling. He understood. "Exactly. I felt drawn to you the first moment I laid eyes on you."
Edward exhaled into the phone. "I wish I could see you."
His statement hung in the air. Bella's body and mind warred - her brain telling her to say goodbye, but her body craving the connection with him.
Thoughts of her previous relationship caused her heart to still. What if she gave in to desire and still ended up alone? Could her heart handle such devastation again?
Rose's words from earlier paused the derailing train of thought. "You'll never know unless you find out."
But was it worth the risk?
"Let me see you," Edward pleaded quietly. "Let me see your face to go along with my fantasies." The underlying vulnerability in his voice broke her.
"I can't stop thinking about you," she breathed. "Seeing you would be…"
"Sweetheart…" His groan rippled over the connection, and Bella's skin heated.
"Do you know where the bar Proof is?"
"I'm sorry, I don't."
Bella gave him the address. "I'll see you there."
She heard his sharp exhale. "When?"
"Tomorrow around midnight?"
"The perfect time of night. I will be there," Edward promised, his voice lighter.
"Oo - okay." Anxiety was starting to gather in Bella's stomach. What if her appearance didn't match the way he imagined her? What would he think of her?
"Wait! How will I find you?" Edward asked.
"I'll find you," she said and disconnected.
A/N: You didn't have to wait that long for them to reconnect again. And they have planned to meet again. That'll be next chapter.
Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter. As you all know, I suck at review replies, but I read and cherish everyone of your thoughts. Thank you for going on this journey with me. :) :)
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