A/N: Okay, sorry for the lateness of this chapter, nobody's really to blame. Co-ordinating with my beta takes a little while – We are both really busy.
Thanks to Cullen 1994, who is an amazing and overworked beta.
This chapter is longer, so I hope it was worth the wait. Reviews are appreciated.
My Love to you all, especially to those of you who review.
Crestfallen
Bella's P.O.V
I woke up in the morning to the sound of Edward singing and realised I was gripping his arm with all my strength... So why was he singing? I tried to think of a reason behind his odd behaviour, the other day it had taken nearly an hour to bribe him into singing. I opened my eyes and he smiled,
"Good morning Bella!" He said cheerfully.
"Why are you singing?" I warily countered.
"Don't you like my singing?"
"I do. Let me rephrase, why are you so happy?"
He smiled, understanding flickering in his eyes – or was it something else? "It's just so nice, carefree knowing that we are going to take it slow..."
I nodded and looked down feeling guilty for planning to destroy his happiness, even if I didn't realise it was his happiness I was destroying.
He continued in an uplifting voice, "I didn't realise how much pressure I was putting myself under until you said yesterday. I can't believe how happy it makes me... Thank you for understanding, Bella. I love you."
I must be on a full blown guilt trip, maybe he knows? How could he? Maybe I was talking in my sleep again....? No! I'm being paranoid. He can't know. He doesn't. "Yeah, I love you."
He leaned down and kissed me but I pulled away before him – a rare event. He looked confused then amused. I didn't know what was funny but I wasn't sticking around to find out.
"Edward.... I've got to have a shower. See you soon." That should have made it clear enough that I didn't want him to come. I stood up and walked towards the bathroom then doubled back to get my toiletries and some clothes. Edward was standing beside the bed holding my toiletries bag with a smirk on his face.
"In a rush?" He said smirking. I grabbed the bag and walked towards my luggage to get some clothes but he caught my wrist and spun me around to face him,
"Bella, Are you okay? Because you can tell me if something's wrong."
Was it just me or did that have a double meaning of 'do you want to take back what you said about going slow?' Obviously it couldn't... Edward doesn't know. "No- I mean yes, I'm okay." Now I was answering imaginary questions he didn't even ask.
"I hope so. Now go have a shower." Wow, if you just changed that one sentence from, are you okay? To do you take back what you said yesterday? Everything he says sounds exactly like he knows, like he's telling me he knows. But he doesn't, it's just me going crazy. Before I could ponder this any longer he had pulled me against him and was kissing me then I couldn't think, or breathe, or move.
After a minute he pulled back and gently pushed me towards the bathroom door, I walked in and turned on the water, only after I'd finished I realised that I hadn't gotten clothes. Ah. Now I was going to have to walk out there and get my clothes. Sighing, I pulled the towel around me and slowly opened the door. Suddenly Edward was standing there, in the bathroom, leaning casually against the wall. He flashed my favourite crooked grin and held something out to me; I was too dazzled by his smile to care and took it numbly. Then I blinked and he was gone. I looked over at the bed and he was lying with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head.
"Edward..." I wasn't sure what I was going to say but I felt like I should say something.
"Clothes. Now go get dressed." He gestured to my hand and I looked down to see the fabric he'd pushed into it. I couldn't make out what it was but I didn't really care.
"Okay, thanks." I stumbled back into the bathroom and shook my head, he moved so quickly it was disorienting.
I pulled on what he had handed me which turned out to be a full length dress with ¾ length sleeves in a deep purple and a high neckline. Well this certainly crushed my hopes of tormenting him even more than I had. He must have gone to the mainland or had this sent in... Ah. Maybe he had known.... But there's no way he could have.
I walked back out and he still had his eyes closed. "Edward. What's going on?"
He sighed but didn't move. "I just wanted to help you slow things down; Alice didn't really pack anything that would be effective in that way. You still want to slow down, right?"
I nodded but he didn't seem to accept that as an answer.
After a long pause he finally asked again. "Bella?"
I sighed, "Yes. Yes, I do." I don't know if I was lying to him or not but I definitely saw doubt flash through his eyes before he collected himself and his face went blank.
He'd been weird all day, I hated to describe Edward as weird but it was the only word for it. His eyes were distant and he chatted nearly non-stop about silly things – like how his mother liked to go to this dinner in Chicago and he had to escort her but he would spend the whole time reading the posters on the wall and dreaming about being in the army.
He told me that he had nearly joined one group that was departing and if he had he might have crossed paths with younger Jasper, musing over how strange it would have been just walking straight past human Jasper, being a mortal in the war.
After the day walking slowly around the island and listening to him, I was exhausted. His constant babble was still going but I had to stop him.
"Edward! Can you just stop?"
He looked baffled and stopped walking, breathing and talking. "Stop What, Love?"
"I'm sorry, but please stop talking. You've been talking non-stop all day. I love to hear you talk but I need a little silence. Okay?"
He looked crestfallen. "Okay."
We continue on in silence and when we arrived back at the house he started making dinner. I had nothing to do so I sat on the couch with the television on but not watching it.
I was taking my frustration out on him, because yet again he'd smashed any thoughts of getting him to understand. He said he did but I was beginning to challenge whether that was true. How could he understand and not even try again?
I ate dinner and had a shower, and then I got into bed and turned off the light, all the while Edward followed me around silently with his head down.
I couldn't handle going to sleep without saying a word to him, so I gave in first.
"Good night Edward."
He looked up with a slight smile, "Sleep well Bella."
And then I was asleep and Edward was sitting there looking sad. Crest fallen.
A/N: I know how annoying authors notes are, so I'm sorry to be giving you a double dose.
The next chapter should be long as well. I wanted to let you all know that this story isn't going to have any dramatic plot twists that differ from the book. I don't do anything above T rating so please don't expect the details of the scene from the book, or any other scenes to that effect. Sorry about that.
Well I hope you enjoyed it! Please review? Please, Please, Please. (You know you want to!)
