Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers.
A/N: Now it's time to see what Edward's been up to this summer. I promise I'll get back to Bella next, so hang in there! R&R plz :)
Chapter 6
EPOV
My jaw was aching as I sat on the plane, taxiing down the runway. I had practically ground my teeth down to their roots in my effort not to cry. Seeing Bella like that, face tear-streaked and crumpled in pain, almost killed me. She clung to me like I was her life raft, and she couldn't live without me. A part of me was overjoyed to know that she cared for me that deeply, but a larger part was dying to comfort her.
I couldn't truly appreciate the beauty of my grandparents' lake house when I first arrived. I glanced at my phone every few seconds, not wanting to miss a single call or message from Bella. But shortly after I arrived, my grandfather put me to work. It was tourist season, and their lake touring schedule was completely booked. I would be helping my grandfather give the tours during the day, and scrubbing down the boats at night with the other workers. They had six boats in all, so I had my work cut out for me.
I went into town one morning and got a part-time job in the fish market in the mornings, helping to clean and package the previous day's catch. It was a lot to take on, but I needed to keep my mind busy if I was going to make it through the summer.
By the end of my first week, I was ready to die. I was beginning to regret all of those hours spent in front of my computer screen instead of playing sports like most guys my age. The work was definitely tiring, but for me it was nearly impossible. Quitting wasn't an option though, not unless I wanted to sulk for the next two and a half months, so I soldiered through it. It didn't take long before the work started getting easier. Or maybe, the work was the same, but I was getting stronger. This belief was quickly proven true, as I noticed my clothes no longer fitting me. Apparently this was my summer of growth, since my pants were only reaching the tops of my ankles and my t-shirts seemed to become more child-sized every week. My grandmother jumped at the opportunity to go shopping, bringing me back an entirely new wardrobe.
As I got better at my jobs, they ended much faster, and I had a lot more free time. I followed my grandfather around like a lapdog, eager for anything to keep me busy. I spent hours rebuilding piers and decks, scrubbing barnacles off the bottom of boats, learning how to sail, and doing anything else he was willing to teach me.
My previous hatred for the sun and anything outdoors began to melt away, and I actually began to enjoy the fresh air. At the end of my first month there, my grandmother put together a barbecue for me and all of their staff. After we had eaten some of the guys my age started kicking a soccer ball around the yard, and I asked them to teach me. I had always thought I was too uncoordinated to play sports, but maybe that's because I never really tried. The sport seemed to come naturally to me, and I played with the guys well into the night.
Despite my busy schedule, I still longed for any contact with Bella. I laughed quietly in my bed at night as I read texts about their grueling workouts and camp stories, and the many embarrassing pictures of Alice she had managed to capture. I nearly fell off the boat one afternoon when Alice commandeered her phone and sent me a shot of Bella climbing out of the pool in her bikini, drops of water clinging to her smooth, porcelain skin. Let's just say that picture lasted me well into my next month.
I sighed heavily after reading Bella's most recent text. For the last week or so, her texts had been pretty basic: "I'm doing fine", "we miss you", "hurry home", etc...They lacked any of the detail and humor that her previous messages had held. I continued to tell her about my days, snapping pictures of anything I thought she would like to see, or things that I wish she could be here to see with me.
I had only spoken with her over the phone once this past week, and she hadn't sounded like herself. Of course, she insisted that everything was fine, and that she just missed me. My parents weren't much help, insisting that if she said she was fine then I shouldn't keep bothering her about it; if something was wrong, she would tell me herself.
I rolled out of my bed and ran my hand through my hair in frustration as I stumbled down the steps, my nose and empty stomach leading me straight to the kitchen. I entered the large room to find my grandmother pulling dinner out of the oven, humming quietly to herself. It was remarkable how much she and my mother had in common. They had the same soft features, and loving eyes; my grandmother's previously caramel-colored hair had long since turned gray, but I could still see the young beauty she was when she and my grandfather met.
"Well, are you just going to stand there and watch me, or are you going to help?" she asked without turning around. I chuckled and walked over to her, taking out plates and silverware to set the little table that was nestled in front of the bay window off to the side of the room.
"Who is she?" she asked. I stopped what I was doing, and turned to look at her, my eyebrows scrunched in confusion. She swiveled her head around to look at me expectantly, rolling her eyes when she saw my expression.
"Don't play dumb, Edward," she chastised. "I want to know who this girl is that you've been hung up on all summer," she insisted. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, looking a lot like the fish I helped package every morning.
"How'd you know?" I asked incredulously. She chuckled softly, the sound like music, and shook her head at me.
"I may be old, but I'm not blind," she clicked her tongue. "You wouldn't even talk to us your first week here, you were in such a bad mood. Then you carried that darn phone with you everywhere, checking it constantly like it's going to provide you with all of the secrets to life. And the closer we get to the end of your stay, the more your mood improves," she looked at me disapprovingly.
"Now, I know that's not because you're ready to be away from us," she smirked, "but I'm equally sure it's because you've got some luck girl waiting back home for you. I've given you all summer to bring her up, but since you don't seem inclined to, I'll start the conversation for you. Now, who is she?" she demanded. I sighed heavily and plopped down onto the bench seat.
"Her name's Bella," I said wistfully. My grandmother stopped stirring whatever she had on the stove, and turned to face me with wide eyes.
"You mean Isabella Swan? Charlie Swan's girl?" she pressed. I tilted my head to the side but nodded slowly in confirmation.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked. She stayed quiet for a moment, a small smile appearing on her lips before she shook her head and started stirring her pot again.
"Well, I'll be..." she trailed off. "That mother of yours was right," she laughed.
"Um...excuse me?" I asked, completely lost. She turned off the burner and brought the pan over to the table, ladling potato and bacon soup into the three bowls I had set out.
"The day little Bella Swan was born, your mother called me and told me that the two of you were going to get married some day. She was absolutely positive," she chuckled. "She said the two of you would scream to high heaven if they tried to separate you, even as newborns, and that it was a sign for your futures. I told her she was crazy, and that she needed to worry about getting through your teen years before she started planning a wedding." I stared at her in disbelief, not sure how to respond to that.
"So, tell me about Bella," she prompted. "What's she like?" A slow smile crept onto my face, and I settled into my seat.
"She's brilliant, and funny...the nicest person I've ever met, and absolutely breathtaking. She's the girl every other girl wants to be, and every guy wants, but she doesn't even realize it. She loves to cook and read, and she's an amazing dancer. And her voice," I sighed, "Grandma, her voice could make angel's cry. She's my best friend, and she's perfect," I finished. When I pulled myself out of my reverie and looked up, my grandma had tears and her eyes, and my grandfather was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a smirk on his face.
"Oh, Edward, that was so sweet," my grandma cried, wiping at her cheeks. My grandfather walked over to the table and took the seat across from me while my grandma grabbed her homemade dinner rolls and brought them over to the table.
"So, Edward," my grandfather started, "how long have the two of you been dating?" I cleared my throat, suddenly uncomfortable, and looked down at the table.
"Um, we're not," I said. "Dating, I mean." The room was silent for a few seconds, before my grandma spoke up.
"And why the hell not?" My eyes snapped up to meet hers, and she was furious.
"Well, for all of the reasons I just told you. She's perfect grandma, and I'm just...well...me. We're friends, that's all," I shrugged, overcome by sadness.
"Bullshit." My eyes widened as I turned to my grandfather, his face completely at ease.
"What?" I asked, sure I had misheard him.
"I said 'bullshit'." I looked to my grandmother, who was wearing an angry expression which was pointed directly at me, then back to my grandfather.
"Why the hell shouldn't she like you?" he demanded. "I don't deny that she's all those things you said. If she's Charlie Swan's daughter, than I'm sure it's all true. But I don't buy for a minute that she's any better than you. You're a good man, Edward. You're smart, musically gifted, funny, mature, motivated, a technological genius, and pretty damn good-looking to boot," he insisted. I snorted at the last part, and he frowned down at me, daring me to contradict him.
"Edward, if you love this girl half as much as I think you do, then you owe it to her to tell her how you feel. Don't you think a girl that perfect deserves someone that will love her with every ounce of their being? And who else can love her as much as you do?" he asked. I stared at him, wide-eyed, not sure what to say.
"I-I guess I never really thought about it that way," I stuttered. He nodded his head once, signaling the end of his part in the conversation, and my grandmother smirked at me over her soup.
Two weeks later, I was on-board another airplane, on my way home. I couldn't stop the butterflies that had settled in my stomach at the thought of seeing Bella again, and being back in her arms. Leaving Massachusetts had been bittersweet. I had grown much closer to my grandparents over the summer, and I was going to miss spending all of my time on the lake. I was definitely going to miss my grandmother, especially. After our 'talk' at the dinner table, she had insisted on seeing a picture of Bella, "just to see how much she's grown". I pulled one of my favorites up on my laptop, and her hand instantly connected with the back of my head.
"What was that for?" I cried, rubbing my already throbbing skull.
"A girl that pretty isn't going to wait around forever. Someday, someone else is going to see what a catch she is and snatch her up, and you're going to be kicking yourself for letting her slip through your fingers," she scolded. "Besides," she said with a smile, "the two of you will make beautiful children," she giggled. I rolled my eyes as a blush filled my cheeks, quickly closing out of the picture.
I smiled to myself as the Seattle skyline came into view outside my window. Bella was down there, in that very city, waiting to welcome me home. My grin widened as the plane's wheels touched the tarmac. I'm finally home.
A/N: Yay!!! Okay, don't get your hopes up just yet. The next chapter is about the end of Bella's summer, and how things are going with her family. THEN I'll cover the two love birds' reunion. Don't hate me! I'll post it soon, I promise!
