HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday spending it with family and friends.
Thank you and a big hug to my beta, Berlywood, for once again helping me edit this chapter.
I want to send out a huge shout out to misticbutterfly for her extra lemony touches & to mrstwister712 for pre-reading and giving me pointers.
I do not own Twilight or any of the Characters created by Stephenie Meyer.
Chapter 7 – Everything Happened So Fast
EPOV
My only mission was to shadow Bella and make sure she was protected until the danger Alice's vision revealed that might befall Bella had passed. I had already been watching her over 44 hours and the past several days had been uneventful except for the conversation Bella had with Black yesterday in her backyard. I took great pleasure in hearing Bella tell Jacob that she didn't love him in the way she felt he needed, and after leaving him alone she spent the remainder of the evening working on her computer. I was able to watch over Bella from the tree outside her window while she slept peacefully.
Today was a typical gloomy grey day and it was also Bella's day off from work. She woke up early and drove her truck into town to take the morning bus to Port Angeles. I followed behind her bus closely in my car, and tuned in on the thoughts of the other passengers to keep tabs on her safety. Once we arrived in Port Angeles, Bella spent the first several hours inside a bookstore, and then she strolled over to a clothing store. I parked my car up the block and decided to stretch my legs and sit on the bench at the bus stop across the street and listened to the shop clerks' minds while Bella shopped.
I was starting to get bored listening to the empty thoughts about blouses being cute and how fat a customer thought she looked while she was trying on clothes. What possible harm could come to Bella in a clothing boutique? I started to zone out when I picked up on a shop clerk's apprehension. "Miss is everything all right in there?" She sounded concerned then Bella's voice replied. "Yes. I will be right out." Bella didn't sound like herself and it gave me the impression that she was in trouble. I stood up and looked towards the front of the store and in a few quick moments I saw Bella running out of the door and into the oncoming traffic.
I was able to launch myself in time to lift Bella safely out of the way before the screeching tires of the moving car and driver knew what happened. The frightened teenaged girl behind the wheel of the Honda immediately pulled over to see if Bella was all right while I held her tightly in my arms sitting on the curb.
"Oh my God. Is she okay?" The young girl was shaken up and scared. I could hear the girl's thoughts racing thinking she hit Bella and that her parents were going to kill her when she got home. "I didn't even see you."
"It was all our fault, we weren't looking where we were walking. Everything's fine." Bella was in shock and remained silent trembling in my arms.
"Let me give you my insurance information," the girl reached for her wallet. "Do you think we should call the police?"
"No police. Thanks for stopping but we're fine." I took the tiny scrap of paper of information she offered to help her think she did the right thing handling the situation. The teen accepted my comments and after seeing I had control of the situation she reluctantly returned to her car and drove away. Everything happened so fast that there weren't any witnesses to my intervention. I helped Bella to her feet and helped walk her towards my car.
I wasn't parked too far away, and I managed to get Bella to my car and opened the passenger door for her to sit. Instead of sitting, Bella turned grabbed me and held on tightly as she began to cry." I wrapped my arms around her and stood with her. It pained me to be holding Bella while she cried into my chest. I could feel the fire of her tears burning my skin, and I didn't know how to comfort her and make her happy again. "Bella love, do you want to get in the car?" I knew Bella wouldn't want to be seen crying on the street, and I could take her away from all of this.
Bella weakly shook her head yes, and I helped her into the seat and quickly got behind the wheel. Her scent engulfed me, Bella still hadn't spoken a word and just stared out the windshield as tears continued to spill down her cheeks.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Bella was in shock from the close call of almost being hit by that car. She was in no shape to take a bus ride alone back to Forks.
Bella shook her head no. Her crying seemed to have calm down a little and I wished I could hear her thoughts so that I knew what was upsetting her so badly, because it started before Bella left the store. "Where would you like me to take you?"
Bella looked up at me with her tear stained face. "Your house."
BPOV
I can't believe that I was almost killed AGAIN. Was the universe trying to tell me something? I had gotten so upset about seeing my life so raw while I stood in front of the mirrors in the dressing room, that I rushed out into the street without looking and almost got hit by a car. I had no idea why Edward was there, but I am grateful he saved my life.
Edward asked me where I wanted to go, and I told him to take me to his house because I couldn't go home alone, and I wasn't in any shape to go anywhere right now. I was so upset that it didn't even bother me how fast Edward was driving, and I was grateful that we got to his home quickly. Edward swiftly pulled his Volvo directly into the garage and lifted me out of the car into his arms.
Alice was standing in the doorway waiting for us when we arrived. She had to have had a vision about me for her to know what had happened, and it would also explain why Edward was in Port Angeles.
"How is she?" Alice looked worried about me and she was holding a box of tissue in her hands.
"I think she's still a little stunned but she should be fine soon." Edward answered her while he carried me through the doorway. He took the box tissues from Alice's hands and carried me upstairs into a room I had never been in before. There was a king size bed in the middle of the room. I thought it strange, after all the times I had spent over here with Edward so long ago; I had never seen a bed in any of the rooms before. Edward gently placed me in the middle of a soft comforter on an oversized mattress and propped me up with pillows. "Maybe you should get some rest?" Edward pulled a chair up alongside the bed to sit and watch over me.
I couldn't take it any longer. I'd been alone for four years without him in my life, and now he was choosing to sit in a chair away from me. "No, come and be next to me," I pleaded with an outstretched arm. The room was darkened by the heavy drapes and I needed Edward closer to comfort me. He seemed reluctant at first, but slowly slipped next to me and brushed the hair away from my face.
Alice softly knocked on the door and came in with a glass of water for me. I smiled and drank it slowly and the cold liquid felt good going down my dry throat. "Thank you Alice." Alice took the glass from me when I was finished, and left Edward and I alone.
"Are you feeling any better?" Edward was so concerned about me and his golden eyes were searching for an answer in my face.
"Yes, everything happened so fast." I think I was in shock. I saw the flash of the car and how close I had come to losing my life. How many more chances would I get to cheat death?
"What happened to you in that store? I could hear what the clerk was saying to you before you ran out. What upset you so much that it caused you to blindly run out into the street?" I had almost forgotten how Edward's hearing was extremely heightened and that he could read people's thoughts, except for mine.
I didn't know how to explain the shock I felt when I saw the image of my body in the mirrors, and how I felt completely destroyed by all my circumstances but I had to give Edward some sort of explanation. "It was the first time I saw myself."
Edward looked at me confused. "I don't understand."
I swallowed and took a deep breath. "I have lived so long feeling empty and in pain after you left me, and then I saw my body in the full length mirrors, beaten and damaged I was devastated. It was if I was turned inside out and I could see myself clearly." I sat staring into Edwards face looking for any indication that he understood what I was trying to tell him.
Edward's face tightened and became distressed. "You told me the other night that I destroyed you," he shifted his body so that his legs dropped over the side of the bed, and he sat on the edge with his back to me. "I thought when I left, you would flourish and instead you shut yourself down. I never knew that I hurt you so deeply. That wasn't my intention." Edward looked down to the floor, and wouldn't look into my face anymore.
"For years I have tried to block out the heartache and protect myself from being hurt again, but I realize now that life is always going to be dangerous and there is no guarantee for any of us." There is nothing you can do to avoid destiny and the pains in life, and I finally believed it.
"I thought I was protecting you when I should have been cherishing you. If I had a chance to make one wish, I would start all over with you." Edward's head was in his hands and he was talking to his feet. "Can you ever forgive me?"
I crawled over to him and knelt by his side, turning his face up so that he would look at me again. "I have to."
Relief washed over Edwards face and he smiled slightly. "You will?"
I placed my hand long side of his jaw and I pulled my face closer to his so that I could kiss him. "I love you Edward Anthony Cullen." I wasn't afraid anymore to speak my true feelings to him. I gently pulled him back onto the bed, and brushed my lips against his frozen lips until he opened his mouth and pulled me into a deep kiss. I got lost in the feeling of his sweet tongue caressing mine. Edward didn't hesitate a moment while we were touching and kissing each other. We needed this time to get close to each other again, and Edward was as lost in the moment as me.
"Edward, please don't leave me alone again." I looked desperately into Edward's eyes because I knew I wouldn't be able to survive without him anymore.
"I will never leave you, I promise. I love you too much." Edward pulled my hair back off my neck and traced the marks with his finger. "No one will ever hurt you again." He lifted himself up and began to lightly kiss all the scars and marks remaining on my body. He lifted my shirt and kissed my stomach and rested his head on my chest to listen to my heartbeat. "You are so beautiful."
I ran my fingers through Edward's hair as he rested against me and I felt my entire body relax. I was happy to be together with him again. "Thank you for saving me." I whispered, and within moments I fell asleep from exhaustion, as Edward watched over me.
I woke up slightly alarmed because it was already getting dark outside. Edward was still calmly laying next to me on the bed, watching me intently. "Charlie will be expecting me home." I hated that I felt like a schoolgirl as if I needed to get home before curfew, but I needed to be there for Charlie, after all he has been through a lot.
"I'll come stay with you there."
EPOV
I drove Bella to pick up her truck at the bus station and made sure she got home safely before I returned home, and parked my Volvo in the garage and ran back to the Swan home. Bella had her bedroom window open, welcoming me back into her bedroom and I waited in the tree outside her window on my usual branch until she had her dinner with Charlie and he had settled in for the night in front of the TV. Bella said her good night to him and I slipped quietly into the room and waited while she took a shower and got ready for bed. Bella stepped into her room dressed only in a thin nightgown that outlined her body, and I found it difficult to control my desire for her.
The room glowed from a small light hanging over her bed. Bella pulled the covers down and reached for my hands to pull me into the bed with her. Bella was impossible to resist and I didn't as she pulled me down alongside of her and she began kissing me and pulling on my shirt trying to remove it.
"Bella, I don't think that's a good idea." I knew that I had a better understanding of my limitations around Bella and her blood no longer called to me but I still didn't know if I could have sex with her safely.
Bella was gasping for air. "Edward, things have to be different between us because I'm different, I'm not a teenager anymore." Bella pulled on the bottom of my lip with her teeth and she stuck her tongue deep inside my mouth. I got lost in her hot touch and I tangled my fingers into her hair as I began to feel my cock react uncontrollably.
Bella wrapped her leg over my thigh and again pulled on my shirt, successfully getting it over my head, leaving my chest exposed to her. She began to kiss my neck and shoulder while my hand glided along her arm and back. I had to stop before this went too far.
I put my hand on Bella's shoulder and tried to gently push her away from me. "Bella."
"Don't stop Edward. Don't make me beg." Bella reached for me and instead I sat up to get away from her.
"Bella, I can't do this." I don't know how I had the strength to step away from what I clearly didn't want to end.
"You can't or is it you won't?" Bella sat up beside me and I could see her nipples poking through her nightgown begging to be touched. "Is it because we don't have any condoms?"
"Condoms are the last thing on my mind right now. Besides we don't need any protection because I can't get you pregnant. My concern is I don't know if I will lose control and hurt you. I couldn't bear it if you were hurt anymore than you already have been." I had never had sex with a human, and I didn't know if I would lose control of my strength if I attempted to." I wanted to make love to her, right then and there, but I was determined to call Carlisle first and discuss my options regarding Bella, sex, and her safety above all else.
"I have waited years to be with you again, and I refuse to allow you to deny me any longer." Bella had every right to make demands on me, but she didn't understand what my loss of control in the heat of passion might result.
"What if we could wait until we got married? That would be the proper thing to do, don't you think?" This wasn't the way I wanted to propose. I wanted Bella desperately to be my wife, and maybe by the time we got married I would have figured out, with Carlisle's help, if I could safely be with her.
"Married?" Bella shook her head and smirked. "I can't commit to you until you commit to me by making love to me." Bella had a point, I had disappointed her enough and I owed it to her to at least try.
"You're right. You deserve to have me prove to you that I'm here for you and that I love you. But not tonight." I didn't want our first time to be on Bella's childhood bed in a room next to her sleeping father. "Can you wait until tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow?" Bella gazed into my eyes looking for more information.
"I want it to be somewhere special where we can be alone. I'm not comfortable having Charlie on the other side of the wall. Are you?" I would plan something wonderful, and have time to speak to Carlisle to get his advice on how to proceed.
"Yeah, it's weird having my dad so close." Bella bit her lip and thought a moment. "I can wait until tomorrow, however, I still want to make out with you tonight." Bella grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled herself closer to me into another passionate kiss.
I reached up and turned off the light and rolled back towards her. Bella had to be able to count on me and it was up to me to make sure she could. I lay beside her on the bed so that I wouldn't crush her as I continued to kiss her and our hands traveled over each other's bodies.
As I explored her body, my hands began to pull up her nightgown exposing her long lean legs, and I could smell her arousal. Bella was completely open to me as I nervously grazed my fingers up her thighs and closer to her wetness.
"Please Edward," she whimpered, raising her hips up to my hand.
Oh God, it was something I had been imagining doing for her, but somehow always resisted. I wanted to hear her to tell me what she needed, and after denying her sex, I would give her this, if she wanted me too. "What do you want, Bella?"
"Please touch me." Her hips rose again from the bed, telling me exactly what she wanted.
"I've wanted to touch you here for so long," I said, gently kissing her lips as I moved my hand up the inside of her thighs.
I pulled her flimsy nightgown off over her head, and finally got to see my love in all her naked beauty in the glow of the moonlight. Her beauty was more than I ever imagined. The vague picture I had kept in my mind was nothing compared to the reality of her naked body next to me. To see my Bella naked in front of me was pushing me over the edge, and it was complete torture that I couldn't take her in my arms and make love to her. Thankfully, my jeans restrained my hungry cock from ravishing her. My fingers nervously found their way to her wet hot entrance and, cautiously, I slipped one finger inside of her. She felt so hot and soft, and gasped at the coolness of my touch. When I felt her relax I slipped a second finger in her tight space as I bent down and pressed my teeth against her neck's sweet smelling vein. I darted my tongue against it to taste Bella's sweet salty skin, and her hips lifted to force my fingers deeper.
My hand was burning from the heat of her body and my skin was getting warmer from her touch. I licked down her collarbone to her breast where I circled her nipples and sucked them lightly into my mouth. Everything felt so good, and I knew I could continue to pleasure her this way without hurting her.
I could hear the blood racing through Bella's veins and the changes in her breathing patterns as I continued to touch her. I could smell the floral of her hair, and the musk of her skin as I explored her body. I longed to be able to hear her thoughts, and instead I had to rely on her body responding to my touch as I blindly tried to interpret her responses.
"Bella are you okay?" I whispered into her stomach while my hand thrust back and forth.
"Yes." She hissed. "I love you. It feels so good." Bella wiggled her hips more into my hand. I placed my thumb on her clit and rubbed circles until I felt her body shudder into her first orgasm with me. I pulled my hand away and licked my fingers so that I could taste more of her. Bella tasted so delicious, even better than she smelled. I suddenly needed more of her, so I lowered my head between her parted legs and licked her clean, savoring her taste for as long as I could. Her soft moans and gentle caresses in my hair told me that this felt good to her. I would have to do it again, soon.
I crawled up to her side and held her into to my chest in my arms. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, that was incredible, thank you." Bella kissed my face tenderly with her soft lips.
When the dark room grew quiet we thought we heard a wolf howling in the distance at the shimmering moon.
"Get some sleep now and I'll stay with you." She wrapped her arm across my stomach and fell asleep on top of me, as I remained awake watching over her.
BPOV
The sunlight poured into my room and it woke me up. I expected to find myself alone, but I was surprised to find Edward still shirtless sitting in the chair watching me sleep. "You're still here." I reached out for him to come back to bed with me. I was still naked from last night and I liked it.
"I couldn't leave you." Edward crawled toward my open arms and let me wrap them around his neck into a kiss.
"I'm happy you didn't." I didn't smell any coffee so that meant Charlie hadn't gotten up yet. "Charlie must still be home. Let me go make his breakfast and I will come right back." I got out of bed and walked across the room to find my nightgown and robe. I didn't even think about Edward seeing the slashes on my back and all my scars that I had been hiding.
"Yes, he's still sleeping. He has 3 minutes until his alarm goes off." I knew Edward would know exactly what was going on.
I kissed Edward one more time before I went downstairs to take care of Charlie before he had to go to work.
While I was cooking breakfast, Charlie came downstairs in his uniform, ready to go to work. I placed the plate of food in front of him and anxiously prepared myself to tell him about Edward being back in my life. "Dad? Do you have a minute?"
"Always for you princess." He placed the sports section down on the table and gave me his attention.
"I wanted you to know that I bumped into Edward Cullen yesterday when I was in Port Angeles," It was easier to start off slowly and not tell Charlie too much. "We spent most of the day hanging out together, and I'd like to see him again."
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Charlie hadn't completely forgotten about the break up, because he had a constant reminder of it sitting in front of him.
"For now I feel it is. We've all had time to grown up and change. Alice and I got to see each again, and now Edward and I had a chance to catch up."
"Aren't you going to be seeing Jacob Black anymore? I thought you two were friends."
"That's just it, Jake and I are friends, really, really good friends nothing more." I loved Jake like a brother and I always would, but there would never be anything more than that especially now that Edward and I were back together again.
"I trust your decisions and you know I'm always here for you." Charlie pulled the paper up to his face. Charlie had been through a lot with me over the years and I promised myself that I would never put him through anything like my break up with Edward ever again.
"Edward's coming to pick me up tonight. We're going out to dinner and drinks with Alice. It might turn into an overnighter if we drink too much." Charlie always liked Alice and I hoped she wouldn't mind me using her as an excuse to be out all night with Edward.
Charlie grumbled there wasn't much he could say to a 21-year-old woman, but I respected him completely and had to consider his feelings. He finished up his breakfast and placed his plate in the sink. "Okay princess, it's time for me to get to work. Have a good day."
"I'll see you when you get home." I would make sure I would have his dinner ready before I left for the evening.
"Sounds good." Charlie was out the door and off to work.
As soon as I heard the police cruiser drive away, I raced upstairs back to Edward who was quietly talking on his phone. He was speaking quickly and I couldn't make out anything he was saying, so he had to have been speaking to someone in his family. "Thanks Dad." Edward closed his phone and stepped towards me smiling.
"Everything okay?" I hadn't heard him talk about his parents since his return.
"All is good." Edward kissed me on my forehead. I always find that endearing when he did that.
"It is sunny today so does that mean we're staying in?" I was hoping to get back into bed with him and kiss him some more.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to spend the day planning for tonight. Alice said she'd like to hang out with you today."
This was going to be just like prom night with Alice coming over to give me a makeover. "That would be nice. Is she coming now?" I was still hoping to have time alone a little more.
"She'll be here in a couple of hours. I told her to bring you some lunch." Edward was so thoughtful and this gave me the opportunity to be with him a little while longer alone.
"Lunch? That's thoughtful, this sounds like this is going to be a production." I knew if Alice was going to be involved, that this was going to be over the top production.
"I listened when you were talking to Charlie, and he isn't exactly happy about you seeing me again." I'm sure Edward heard more than, what was said since he could pick up on Charlie's thoughts.
"There's nothing to worry about. He'll get over it. He's happy, when I'm happy." I know Charlie is just being my dad, and he will come around once he can see this is what I need.
"Are you happy?" Edward stepped closer to me and wrapped his arm over my shoulder.
"Very much so." I gazed up into Edward's eyes and for the first time in a very long time I was being truthful about my feelings.
Edwards face grew into a huge smile almost laughing. "Whew…then I'm safe."
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