Oi, I've been so busy lately, I'm sorry. My internet went down, I've been trying to update for days!
By the way, I have no idea when this takes place, really. Some of you, mostly me, have been wondering about the timeplace of this story. I don't understand it either. It's before the wedding, but after Eclipse because Edward is the one who wants to have sex now, but that makes very little sense, so…anyway, whatever. I don't know.
Enjoy! Happy Christmas!
-Forbala-
CHAPTER EIGHT: HALO & PIANOS
The rest of the party passed mostly without incident. Mike made another pass at me, I tripped and Edward caught me, Edward was trying not to kill Emmett for several reasons (the piano, walking in on us, teasing us about sex, teasing Edward about being the 100-year-old virgin, etc.), Jasper joined in with Emmett's teasing, yadda yadda.
Once everyone was gone, the guys were in jeans in half a second. I looked around and saw them on the couch, Emmett challenging Jasper and Edward to a game of Halo. I quickly changed into my pajamas and sat on the back of the couch, my legs behind Edward's back. I was watching the game, trying to understand it.
I was unsuccessful.
"I don't get it," I said in Edward's ear.
Still playing intensely, he explained, "Basically, you just shoot the heads off the aliens."
"Oh. Is it any fun?"
Emmett gasped in horror at my ignorance. He tossed me an extra control and reset the game. "We're gonna teach you the sacredness of Halo, Bella."
Edward showed me the buttons and what they did, and we were ready.
Emmett had, probably trying to make up for the piano and walking in incidents, set it on easy, making me suck only slightly less.
Needless to say, I died several times before I actually began to understand the controls. Once I was able to comprehend, though, it was actually not that hard and really fun.
I was slamming the buttons, going after Emmett. Suddenly, he died and I heard him mutter a string of profanities, part of which included, "Bella—banned—Halo".
"Did I…just kill Emmett?" I asked, amazed I had that much skill—which wasn't much.
"I think you did, love," Edward said, kissing me. I lost my breath and my head began to spin, but his lips were still on mine.
Then I heard a blast and snapped my head over to see that Edward had killed me. "Hey! Not fair!"
"I'm sorry, love, but 'all's fair in love and war'," he apologized, grinning and looking altogether completely unapologetic. I harrumphed and reset the game, making Edward lose his hard-earned points.
"Hey, that was not nice," he complained, capturing and kissing me along my throat, jaw line and ear.
"Hey…dazzling…stop…air…" I mumbled incoherently. He released me and we began the level again.
I was getting much better at this game. In fact, if they didn't have the vampire advantage, I could be matching them right now.
But, alas, I didn't have their speed and coordination, thus making me a pitiful opponent.
Around midnight, I finally gave up and went to bed, Edward by my side. He hummed my lullaby and I was sleeping in an instant.
xXx
I awoke to a shaking bed next morning. I opened my eyes to see Alice bouncing on Edward's bed excitedly.
"What the hell are you doing, Alice?" I asked, annoyed at her.
"The new piano's here! Let's go check it out!" She was grinning like a little child on Christmas morning—which, I realized, would be here in a matter of days.
She stole my wrist and half-dragged me down the stairs.
I was shocked. There, in the exact same spot was the exact—exact to the very last scratch, exact—piano that Emmett had destroyed only hours before. On the identical bench sat Edward in the kind of tuxedo you see Bugs Bunny wearing in music-related episodes—long tails and all. Edward had probably had it for years, I realized.
I went and sat beside him on the sleek bench. "Wow," I said, stunned. "Alice is good. How long did it take to find this, Alice?"
"Oh, only an hour or so. It's really easy, if you know what you're doing," she giggled. I shook my head, ever amazed by her shopping abilities.
"What are you going to play as your first song on your new piano?" I asked, looking back to Edward.
"What else?" he grinned, and my lullaby sounded out. I felt my eyes get droopy and my eyes well with tears. I laid my head on Edward's shoulder and listened until it was through.
"That was beautiful," I whispered.
"And it's perfect, of course—no tuning needed. Thank you, Alice," he said in a soft voice that wasn't quite a whisper.
"Am I going to need to be jealous of this piano, too?" I joked. The musical laughter of my vampire family rang out, and I heard Emmett's voice say:
"No doubt about it, Bella!"
