Chapter 2 - Stitches Part 4
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Previous Chapter: I kept silent, glowering at the empty road that stretched past the black glass of the windshield. I racked my brain for some retort that might put an end to her preposterous belief that she was the one to blame. I pulled the ancient Chevy up to the curb, more recklessly than was necessary. So much for a happy birthday.
Mechanically, I shut off the engine, and the sudden silence exacerbated the tension between us. My hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel, leaving ten barely discernible indentations where I had gripped the worn leather just a little too hard. Damn. I would have to get Alice to replace that tonight. She was good with fabrics. Bella appeared to be on the brink of saying something, but hesitation passed like a shadow across her creamy complexion. "Will you stay tonight?" she asked finally, her voice losing its previous frustration.
"I should go home." I wouldn't lead her on anymore. The thought of spending one more night together - and knowing it would be my final true goodbye - was mind-numbingly heartbreaking…and yet exceptionally alluring.
"For my birthday," she urged. She was going to twist this excuse to her satisfaction for as long as possible. Had the impending situation not been quite as grim, I might have laughed. Could I spend one last nighttime visit with my precious Bella? If I said my goodbyes now - without her comprehending, of course - surely I would be sufficiently numb by that night?
"You can't have it both ways - either you want people to ignore your birthday or you don't." I had to decide. Pain now or later? "One or the other," I said, not entirely sure if I was talking to Bella or myself. I smiled weakly at her, and various shades of relief crossed her face. Had she thought I was angry with her?
"Okay, I've decided that I don't want you to ignore my birthday," she smiled, an enchanting flash of teeth behind ruby lips. "I'll see you upstairs." She jumped out of the cab, and reached back in for the unopened packages that lay where she had left them on the dashboard.
I frowned. She was going to hurt her arm again. Common sense was apparently not one of her defining attributes. But I never minded being her hero when clear logic seemed to elude her. I hoped that Alice would keep a watchful mind on her. Even with vampires eliminated from her life, Bella would most likely still find a way to injure herself. It was quite her style.
"You don't have to take those."
"I want them," she answered automatically. Her words from a few hours ago drifted through my brain. I distinctly remembered her calling them 'expensive nonessentials'. Hypocrite…beautiful, charming hypocrite. Sometimes I wished I could just shut my brain off.
"No, you don't," I warned her. "Carlisle and Esme spent money on you."
"I'll live." She positioned the presents uncomfortably under her non-bandaged arm and slammed the truck door, dislodging a few crumbling flakes of rusty paint. I was out of the cab and beside her before the flakes had even settled to the street.
"Let me carry them, at least. I'll be in your room."
She smiled her exquisite smile. "Thanks."
"Happy birthday," I breathed, leaning down towards her face, which glowed in the reflected light that streamed through the front window. My lips brushed lightly against hers, silencing her automatic reaction to the mention of her birthday. I straightened upright again, pulling away gently. Bella reached up on her toes, trying to lengthen her slender frame so she wouldn't have to pull away. I was suddenly thankful for Charlie's happy preoccupation with the evening's baseball game. I smiled adoringly at her dark eyes and then reacquainted myself with the murky shadows.
I sprinted to the back of the house, not bothering to pretend that I did not possess unnatural speed. I sprang from the ground noiselessly, and alighted softly on Bella's weathered windowsill. The moon came into view from my precarious perch and I wondered if maybe I should just leave a note on her bed and fabricate an excuse tomorrow for why I had suddenly left her house. But I'd come this far already - I may as well finish what I had begun.
I stepped into Bella's room, taking in the shabby furniture and various articles of clothing scattered haphazardly over the back of the chair that stood beside her desk. I placed the unopened presents on the bed, and sat down next to them, crossing my legs and settling back against the wall. Absently, I picked up one of the silver packages - my present - and toyed idly with it in my hands. I smiled, anticipating her response to my gift.
"What did they get you?" I heard Charlie ask from downstairs.
"A stereo for my truck," Bella replied, her voice a beautiful melody that rang in my head.
"Wow."
"Yeah. Well, I'm calling it a night." Finally. But of course, she didn't know how precious this last night was - and how little time was left.
"I'll see you in the morning." Is that a bandage? What did she do this time?
"See ya," Bella said, sounding anxious to get away. Probably trying to hide her injury. Unfortunately, large bandages are quite conspicuous.
"What happened to your arm?" Charlie queried, not really surprised by the fact that Bella appeared to have injured herself once again.
I pictured Bella's face - it would be beet red by now. "I tripped. It's nothing." She was probably one of the only people on the planet who could pass off such a large bandage in such a casual way. And get away with it.
"Bella," Charlie sighed. I could hear the worry that layered his gruff voice. For Charlie's sake - that was just another reason I had to leave. How many people had I hurt through my egotism?
"Goodnight, Dad," Bella said, cutting off Charlie mid-sigh. She dashed upstairs to the bathroom, and I prayed she would have enough luck not to trip and fall. One set of stitches was quite enough for one night. I listened impatiently to the sound of Bella running through her nightly routine. Damn these human moments. Only so much time left - it was the anthem that pounded steadily in my head.
Bella appeared in the doorway, a subdued smile upon her freshly-washed face. She was wearing matching powder blue pajamas that she had bought to replace the shabby sweat pants that had previously been her clothing of choice. Blue was my favorite color on her - it made her pallid skin glow with a radiance that dazzled me every time.
"Hi," I greeted her, my voice heavy with undisguised sadness at the thought of leaving this resplendent seraph. Her smile dimmed slightly - she could read the melancholy that resided in my golden eyes. Bella moved to the bed and sat in my lap, removing the presents from my hands with her slender fingers. Her warm touch reminded me of the black future that awaited. I would refrain from wallowing when in Bella's presence - if only for the sake of the few short hours left to us. Then - then I would let the numbness take hold - let it ice my freezing body on the inside to match my wintry exterior.
"Hi," Bella said, nestling closer to my frigid body. "Can I open my presents now?"
"Where did the enthusiasm come from?" Was she using reverse psychology on me? Since when did she readily accept gifts?
"You made me curious." She reached over and plucked the rectangular package that was from Carlisle and Esme from it's place on her bed. I wasn't able to cope with blood tonight.
"Allow me," I advised, taking the present from her delicate fingers. I ripped the shiny paper off and returned the simple, white box to her hands.
"Are you sure I can handle lifting the lid?" she grumbled under her breath. I rolled my eyes and ignored her.
Bella lifted the lid and peered inside the box. She squinted at the box, confused for a moment, and then her face lit up as she realized what the contents were.
"We're going to Jacksonville?" she cried, incredulous.
"That's the idea," I replied carefully. Or at least, it had been the idea. Now, my plans were to tear the tickets to shreds and incinerate them. I had promised myself that no trace of my existence would be left behind to haunt her. For now, though, I had to continue the charade.
"I can't believe it. Renee is going to flip! You don't mind, though, do you? It's sunny, you'll have to stay inside all day." Of course I didn't mind - I didn't plan on going.
"I think I can handle it," I said, bringing the topic swiftly to a close. I frowned, sad that she would only have my present to enjoy for a few days. "If I'd had any idea that you could respond to a gift this appropriately, I would have made you open it in front of Carlisle and Esme. I thought you'd complain."
"Well, of course it's too much. But I get to take you with me!" she exclaimed.
I chuckled at the miserable irony of her words. "Now I wish I'd spent money on your present. I didn't realize that you were capable of being reasonable."
Bella set the tickets on the bed and reached for the last gift. Mine.
Finally finished! In other news - I got tickets for the LA Breaking Dawn Concert Tour!! YAY!! Anybody else going? I'm SUPER excited (if you couldn't tell). And I'm in row FF which is the 6th row! Yay! Ok back to writing (and getting heat stroke). Love you all! Oh I almost forgot. For the next chapter, buy the song Make This Go On Forever by Snow Patrol off itunes. Or find it on youtube or whatever. Then, when I write the next chapter, put it on repeat as you read. It exemplifies what Edward is feeling and it's what I'm listening to as I write.
And read my Rosalie two-shot. You'll like it. Ok I'm finally done now.
Yay! 1000 hits! Thank you everybody! :)
I'm sorry this is unfinished...I fell asleep writing cus I've been up till 2am writing for the last 3 days in a row. I will finish tomorow (cus summer school's only monday - thursday) Review review review review! And many thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter.
love,
mveritym