Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight, no copyright infringement intended.
Apologies for the wait – illness meant that the chapter took a little longer than usual to write and then Kat had a crazy-ass week, poor love. It's that highly irritating 'RL gets in the way' scenario, and sadly sometimes it's unavoidable. Don't we all hate it?
Massive thanks to everybody for everything - you're all ruddy fabulous. The feedback was just lovely and I can't thank those of you who have rec'd this enough. Cake all round!
Huge squashy squishes to pixiekat7 for the proof-reading! I'm ignoring certain parts of your email lady because I happen to think that you're wonderful, so there! *sticks out tongue*
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This one isn't plot development centred at all; it's merely the second half of the 'Bella moves to New York' day, so it's a descriptive introduction to her new surroundings more than anything. I'll really start speeding things along next chapter.
Right, anyone for a side of thighs? NOM NOM NOM!
"Making the beginning is one third of the work."
Irish Proverb
Chapter Ten
The flowers were indeed intended for me. My heart gave a small, strange sort of flutter when Edward handed them over to me with a wink. I blushed scarlet, naturally.
They were beautiful. I wasn't exactly what you would call flower savvy, so except for the easily identifiable cream and light orange coloured roses, I was at a complete loss. Edward explained to me that the burnt orange coloured flowers were calla lilies and he could rattle off each individually named green leaf within the bouquet. There were also bursts of red berries amongst the bunch. I loved them. They were stunning and feminine without being bubblegum pink. Somehow, he'd even managed to get the flowers right. And as first bunches go, I thought they were pretty damn perfect.
Edward had insisted on taking my suitcases from me to carry after I had – finally – let him go. He hadn't once tried to push me away or break our contact; instead he'd seemed quite content to just let me run the show. If I was being honest, I think he'd enjoyed it. Actually, I think I heard him purr at one point…
I was a little embarrassed about my behaviour, but after seeing the look on Edward's face, I couldn't bring myself to regret nearly squeezing the life out of the poor man. He looked so happy, carefree even. I had no idea why, but far be it for me to squash it whatever the cause had been.
It was well past six o'clock by the time we emerged from the airport, but the early evening light was still bright and the lingering warmth of the day was most welcome. It had clearly been a lovely sunny day in New York, or should I say New Jersey. I could certainly get used to the weather here. New York would have seasons, not just rain. I smiled goofily at that thought.
The walk towards the short term parking garage directly in front of the terminal building was quick; Edward seemed to know exactly where he was going. I followed without question, feeling a little lost puppy-like in this large, unknown place. It was a feeling I would have to get used to; I certainly wasn't in Kansas anymore. I had a rather large pond to explore and familiarise myself with. I felt like doing a little dance of excitement. There was so much to see!
I paid close attention to Edward, the way he moved fascinated me. He was so… so… certain of himself. He held himself tall and perfectly straight, though there was a definite relaxed confidence to him. He moved like a person who was very comfortable within their own skin. I wished I could be like that. I'm sure my walk could rival that of an escapee mental patient whose drugs had finally fled their system. I was always a little jittery in my movements, likely due to face planting the ground a few too many times. I mean, you just never know when the ground might decide to spring right up on you – you have to be vigilant! The nervous twitch-walk was an unfortunate side effect.
We came up behind a long line of cars and turned left; I could see Edward glancing at me frequently from the corner of my eye. I remained quiet though and focussed on my steps. Tripping in a parking lot would probably result in getting run over by a monster truck or something – not very appealing.
Edward eventually slowed his pace as we approached a fantastically sporty little number that had no cars parked on either side of it. There was a man standing right next to the vehicle wearing a fluorescent yellow vest.
"Just as you left her, Mr. Cullen!" He announced proudly, a silly grin plastered across his face.
I frowned, not understanding.
Edward nodded in response and set my bags down at the rear of the car, before delving a hand into his pants pocket and handing the man something. Closer inspection revealed a $50.00 bill had been passed between them. I think my jaw hit the concrete floor.
"Thank you Tim. I was a little longer than I expected, I only paid up to an hour."
'Tim' held his hands up in an 'I've got it covered' sort of manner as he smirked cockily at Edward. "Leave it to me Mr. C."
Edward manually unlocked the trunk of the car and began stowing my two suitcases inside. I was somewhat shocked by what had just transpired, my gaze falling from Tim's retreating form to Edward's hunched over back.
$50.00 – just like that. It took me the best part of a day to earn that kind of money at Newton's.
When Edward closed the trunk, I was still gaping.
"Bella?"
The noise I made couldn't be described as a word; I don't even think there were any proper syllables present. It sounded more like I was being choked.
Edward rushed to me.
"Bella? Are you alright?"
I made another noise. This one was more half-hum half-laugh. I was all about the alternative noises today, quite clearly.
Edward steered me towards the side of his car so that I was leaning lightly against it and took my face in his hands. "Bella, what's wrong sweetheart?"
I took a deep breath.
"You… just gave… him…" I waved my arm outwards, flitting my fingers in Tim's general direction.
Edward's eyebrows mashed together. "Who… Tim?"
I blinked at him, nodding slowly.
"What about him?" Edward asked, his tone balancing precariously between worry for my sudden step onto the crazy train and genuine confusion.
And then his eyes widened and he smiled with relief. "Oh, the money?"
Again, cue slow head nod from Swan.
Oh the money? Yes the money! The $50.00 you just casually threw away…
Edward grinned sheepishly. "I'm very protective of my car. It's a bit of a magnet for trouble, every time I leave it in a lot like this somebody crashes into it leaving me with the rather expensive repair bills. It's cheaper in the long run to just pay one of the attendants to watch it."
"But…but…"
Speech is really coming on there, hey Swan?
"But what, Bella? Are you alright?" Edward began stroking my cheek with one hand whilst simultaneously brushing his fingers through my hair with the other.
"But $50.00?" I eventually managed, the shock evidently lacing my tone.
"Now, yes. I gave him half before and the other half now."
$100.00! My mind screamed.
It would have taken me at least two days to earn that kind of money! This was madness!
"A hundred dollars?" I choked out. "For watching your car?"
Edward smiled at me. "Bella, this is a 1956 Jaguar Roadster. I completely restored it myself. It's also my third one, the last two were stolen. I've lost count of the number of times I had repair work done to them because of other people's carelessness. I know it must seem like I'm throwing away money, but the reality is it's much less hassle to just pay somebody to keep an eye out."
Alright, when put that way, I guess I could understand. But it just seemed like so much money! I knew how hard I had to work in the past to earn that kind of cash, and Tim in his crappy yellow vest just waltzes on in and scoops up the prize for an hour of sitting on his ass watching some rich guy's car? So unfair!
I shook my head, bewildered.
"It bothers you?" Edward murmured, his eyes less sparkly than they had been not a moment before.
And now I felt bad.
"No… yes…" Ugh! I avoided his eyes and began chewing on my lip. I had no right to judge Edward for this. Christ, I had no right to judge anybody for anything.
"Hey, hey, hey." His cool fingers gripped my chin lightly and brought my face up to meet his understanding eyes. "Bella, don't ever be afraid to be honest - to be yourself sweetheart. I'm really not some rich dick flashing his cash, I know it might seem that way, but I promise you I'm not. It just took me so long to restore each car. I don't have much free time and to have some ass in a Range Rover ruin something that's taken me so long to get right, well…"
"No, I get it. It's just… so much money."
He gave me a sad, tight lipped smile that positively screamed 'not in my world it isn't!' but he didn't comment any further. Instead, Edward bent down towards me, still cupping my cheeks, and placed a soft, tender kiss to my lips. It made me feel all tingly inside and my flesh thrummed anew when the sound of our lightly smacking lips reverberated in my ears. I think I had managed pretty well so far with the physical nearness of Edward, it was almost as if my body, the traitor, was saying, 'oh well… alright then. A hug won't kill you and the kissing actually feels pretty damn good.'
"How about I take you home?" Edward whispered against my lips.
Home. That sounded nice. I wondered if I would ever see Edward's home as my home. Would it be a place of security or merely a place where I would reside contractually for four years?
I smiled and nodded as Edward gave me one final peck before releasing me. He unlocked the passenger side door and like an absolute gentleman, opened it for me to climb in.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I'd never seen a car like this one before, certainly not back in Forks. It was classically elegant yet sportily cool. Black in colour and highly polished, the wheels were that old fashioned style of black with cream rings around the outside of them and every silver accent was glinting like a Christmas bauble. The seats were a caramel brown shade and all leather and I was rather amused to find that the side view mirrors were not in their usual place next to the windows, but far off down near the front of the car.
Edward gently closed my door behind me and I bounced up and down like a child, noting how close to the ground I felt. There was no roof and I immediately dismissed the idea of tying my hair up. I wanted to feel the wind coursing through it. Oh yes I did! I'd never been in a convertible before.
Edward slid into his seat with ease, I was impressed. He was relatively tall and yet he made getting into such a tiny, low riding sports car look effortless. I envied him his grace.
Of course, through my excitement I'd forgotten one very important thing about Mr. Cullen.
Said important thing decided to showcase as he turned on the ignition, pushed the clutch and shifted into reverse. His thighs flexed in a way that made my heart falter and I watched as the material binding them tightened.
I gulped.
Shame Bella, shame on you!
To hell with the shame! Hussy screamed. Thigh jackpot! Cha-Ching!
I inadvertently licked my lips as Edward shifted into first, I felt as though I was in a trance. They looked so powerful, so strong and masculine. Some dark, deprived recess of my mind conjured up a very naughty thought – what would they feel like bare and flexing beneath my fingertips?
I tried to shove the thought away, shocked by the wickedness of it.
Where was all of this suddenly coming from? This wasn't me! Back to rational if you please – and be quick about it!
When we came to the exit, the torture worsened. Edward teased the clutch and gas pedals repeatedly as he stopped to wait for the gate to rise. There was much tensing and relaxing.
Thigh Alert had officially been dropkicked into hotter than the sun level. I might have been gaping, perhaps a little drool escaped, I couldn't find it within myself to care very much. The only thing my mind could do was chant 'thighs!' over and over again, much like a zombie who was calling out for its dinner of mutilated limbs.
What was wrong with me? I needed to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I had a hormone imbalance or something. Maybe this was my body's way of telling me that it was having to play catch-up, maybe I was being punished for being too good as a teenager and abstaining from, well… everything.
The hot flush that had swept through my insides began to cool as Edward made a complicated set of turns out of the airport. My attention was drawn away from the heavens; I mean thighs, as he began to fiddle with the car's stereo.
He pulled his fingers back to place them onto the steering wheel and threw me a cheeky grin. I wanted to question it, but before I had even opened my mouth to ask, a familiar deep sounding guitar began to pluck away within the confines of the car. Vague hints of another guitar teased its way into the first set of chords and before I could throw myself from the moving vehicle out of complete embarrassment…
I'm driving in my car
I turn on the radio
I'm pulling you close
You just say no
You say you don't like it
But girl I know you're a liar
'Cause when we kiss
Ooohhh
Fire!
Oh… God…
I think my face had flushed and paled all at the same time.
Why this song? Why not any other, why did it have to be this song? It was the one song that I could admit was circumstantially fitting for right now.
Late at night
I'm taking you home
I say I wanna stay
You say you wanna be alone
You say you don't love me
Girl you can't hide your desire
'Cause when we kiss
Ooohhh
Fire!
I wanted my seat to swallow me up whole. I was certainly doing my damndest to try and crawl inside of the biscuit coloured leather and hide. I think I'd sunken down three feet, quite an impressive feat given how small the car was.
I glanced out of the corner of my eye. Edward was smirking whilst putting on his sunglasses, there was a definite gaiety to his movements.
I narrowed my eyes. Had he put this on, on purpose?
You had a hold on me right from the start
A grip so tight I couldn't tear it apart
My nerves all jumping, acting like a fool
Well your kisses they burn
But your heart stays cool
Inner, take a memo!
Dear Bruce… I used to like you.
Humph!
(*)
I was already in love with the city. Like a panting dog leaning out of a car window on a hot summer's day, I could not contain my elation. The scenery surrounding us was so very vast and muddled. The occasional townhouse would line a sidewalk right next to an old fashioned grocery store and next to that a huge, towering apartment complex. New York was a bit of a frenzied mishmash, I thought it was all weirdly wonderful.
Edward had informed me that we were on West Street and very close to 'home'. I vaguely registered his words, too caught up gazing passed him at the Hudson River off to our left. Whilst all along our right side was a sprawling concrete jungle, the left side was a long carpet of green grass, leafy trees and blue water. Edward had mentioned he was close to the river at some point, but I hadn't thought much on it at the time. Now… now I could certainly appreciate the little specs of colour on a canvas of metal, glass and grey concrete. It was a definite jewel.
As we approached a tall, newly built building that directly overlooked the river, Edward pointed up at the street that ran along just before it.
"That's Bethune Street, do you see the townhouses? That's where we are." There was a distinct twinkle in his eyes when he said the 'we' part. I took that as an indication of Edward's eagerness to show off his home.
I caught a brief glimpse of the houses in question and my eyes bugged. I hadn't imagined Edward in a big townhouse; I had pictured him in some swanky city loft surrounded by clinical white and sparse furniture. Apparently I couldn't have been more wrong about the property. I had to wonder then about the inside. Would my preconceptions be wrong again or had I at least correctly guessed at the interior?
We turned right at the next corner where Edward slowed down to make a sharp right turn and I looked up to find us on West 12th Street.
"If you continue up and turn right onto Washington Street, you can loop back round onto Bethune. It's like a grid - a bit big and scary initially but easy once it's become familiar. Most of the city's like that. If you ever get lost, try walking as if you're in a square and you should be able to right yourself." Edward pulled off his sunglasses, looped them over his collar again and came to a complete stop. We seemed to be on the opposite side of that tall newly built building.
There was an entrance and an exit carved into the side of the building for vehicle access, both of which had gates in front of them, much like what you would find at a parking lot. Edward leaned out of the car and punched a set of buttons into a waiting security panel and I watched as one of the gates slowly began to rise.
"This building and the townhouses were designed and built as a new unit together by the same architect. Thankfully, because of that, we all get to use the amenities." Edward explained as he drove us through into what appeared to be an underground parking garage, directly beneath the new building.
A slight man wearing a charcoal coloured suit jacket quickly appeared from a small building inside and signalled to Edward.
"Mr. Cullen," he nodded politely.
"I'll park her myself Rod, show Bella the bays and where to go."
The man smiled at me kindly. "Of course sir. Miss Swan, delighted to meet you."
"Oh," I said intelligently, caught off guard. "Um… you too."
Who was he and how did he know my name?
"Bella this is Rod, he's the daytime valet and security guard down here. Patrick works the nightshift, I suspect you'll meet him another day. Everyone who uses this facility is given their own individual code to get in and out. I believe we should have yours cleared within the next day or two, is that right, Rod?" Edward queried conversationally. He seemed to be on good terms with the man.
Valet?
Individual security codes?
I get one?
Lord, would I ever get used to this? It was overwhelming. Lifestyles of the rich and the famous-in his-own-world, huh?
"It takes a little while to get the clearance pushed through, Miss Swan. There are a lot of expensive cars down here and we need to monitor exactly who is coming and going." He threw a grin Edward's way. "Pat and I will have it over to you as soon as we can."
Oh, what a pleasant man he sounded, but I didn't want him going to any extra lengths on my behalf. It's not like I needed the pass to get in and out of here.
"Please don't go to any trouble, Rod." I smiled at him. "It was lovely to meet you."
He inclined his head again and stepped back from the car as Edward began moving us further down into the garage. Rod had been right; there was money in here – a lot of it. It was a carjacker's dreams come true.
Edward eventually pulled into a free space and switched off the ignition. There were no cars in either of the spaces next to us.
"This is your spot?"
He jumped out and quickly walked around to my side, opening my door and offering me a hand out. "One of them. I have four. The Mercedes is mine as well." Edward indicated to the sleek, black, panther-like car parked to the left of the Jaguar, a space between them.
I raised my eyebrows. "Four? For two cars?
He shrugged, looking a might bashful. "Handy for guests."
Uh huh… and money talks.
"I see," I murmured. "And look at that, no opportunity for an ass in a Range Rover to introduce itself. Crafty…" I smirked.
His lips twitched. "Miss Swan I can assure you, I have not the faintest idea what you are talking about."
"Naturally," I giggled, stepping away from the car and allowing Edward to close the door.
He made quick work of collecting my suitcases and locking up his pride and joy, and refused to allow me to carry anything except for my flowers. We walked to a nearby elevator and stepped inside, Edward pressing the button marked 'L'.
The ride up was swift and the doors opened to reveal a very chic looking lobby. It was all pale wood panelled walls, grey marble flooring, spatters of green and red colouring and uncomfortable looking furniture that you only ever see in magazines. There was stylish, black granite built-in reception area at the far end and just beyond that, large double glass doors that led out onto the street. The man behind the desk was in the same charcoal coloured blazer as Rod had been, obviously a uniform of some sort. He seemed to be having a minor disagreement with a leggy blonde who was, in my opinion, very rudely tapping her long nails impatiently on top of the desk. I hated when people did that, some of the customers back at Newton's used to do that whilst I was ringing up their purchases. Little did they know how I used to envision slamming a stapler down onto their fidgeting digits to still the annoyance.
"The front doors," Edward raised a graffiti bag clad hand and pointed to the glassed exit. "Will take you out onto West Street. There are also side doors that open onto West 12th, and…" he began walking towards a single door and opened it. "Bethune Street. You will need your security code to get in through the side doors, they're considered to be more 'personal'." He rolled his eyes.
Tentatively, I began walking towards the street I was to spend the next four years of my life occupying. I couldn't sort through my emotions; there was this great big blend of uncertainty, fear, excitement and child-like curiosity that swarmed within me, no one emotion taking the more dominant presence.
I stepped through the door, out onto the sidewalk and felt a sudden sadness for what could have been, so rarely felt, well up within me. I may have been in New York, the buildings opposite and all around were a testament to that, but on this side of the street… this side was simply lovely.
The clean paved sidewalk made way for blossoming trees, old fashioned style lampposts and there was a distinct homely feel in the air. The red bricks and black iron railings all offered a sense of open welcome, and I found myself thinking of how nice it would've been to grow up on such a picturesque street as a child. It felt old-worldly. I could only imagine what it would be like to stare at the outside all covered in snow, the Narnia styled lampposts giving off a warm, yellow glow.
I heard Edward close the door and walk up behind me.
"Any first thoughts?"
Oh Mr. Cullen, where to begin?
"It's wonderful," I whispered. And it was.
Edward bent to kiss the top of my head, snapping me from musings. "Let's get you in and unpacked. I don't know about you, but I'm famished!"
As if on cue, my stomach growled.
Oh now that's attractive.
I followed after Edward, noting how each and every townhouse we passed was a little different. Some had big bay windows, some had balcony style railings covering the glass panes, some had grand, curving steps leading up to the front doors and a couple of the doorways had an impressive archway over them. Every house had some neatly kept shrubbery in front of it and when we finally reached the sixth house, Edward began to slow his pace.
Oh my, this was it.
Peering upwards, my eyes widened. I was going to live here. Every one of the houses were magnificent in my eyes, but this house, this house blew me away, because this was now my home. I had come from a run down, standard two bedroom family house to this palatial brick palace.
Talk about stepping up in the world.
It was four stories tall just as all of the others were, the very bottom floor laying a level beneath ground. There was a short flight of steps leading down to it. The ground floor before us had a large, creamy lemon coloured door that was framed by two floor to ceiling windows. Above, the two upper floors each had three large windows spanning the house's width. Edward's home had one of the spiral stone stairways leading up to the entrance which he'd began to climb, allowing me a private moment to take everything in.
I took to the steps slowly, one at a time, absorbing my surroundings in a disbelieving stupor. Edward was busy unlocking the door when I reached him. Opening it, he pushed the chunky wood asides and stood back, silently giving me permission to go on in.
The minute I was over the threshold, the scent hit me. Edward. This was most definitely, Edward Cullen's home. Have you ever noticed how every individual has their own 'home' smell? I always noticed it with Angela and Edward was seemingly no different. I couldn't really describe it; it was just unique to him. I did suppress my smile when I detected the faint trace of butter mints hanging in the air though. That aroma was easily identifiable and I was beginning to relate it solely to Edward.
I found myself standing in a wide hallway – no clinical white in sight. Instead, the flooring was a rich, dark wood and the walls a light, stone shade of cream. There were two staircases, one leading up and one leading down. The furnishings were minimal yet perfectly placed, all of them made from rough, naturally carved wood and stained dark to match the flooring. The most striking feature was the funny shaped piece of wood attached to the wall on my left. It looked like an extremely thin… tree trunk? There had been several pegs hammered into it where an array of coats and jackets were currently hung, and somebody had expertly carved something into it.
I walked closer and read out loud, "Life's a voyage that's homeward bound." I turned to grin at Edward. "Herman Melville?"
He rolled his eyes playfully. "We need to find you something more challenging."
Setting my bags down, Edward walked through an imposing double archway to the right. There were three of these in the hallway, one situated opposite on the left, and the other at the far end of the hall.
Upon entering this new room, I could instantly recognise it for what it was - Edward's workroom. The dark wooden floor flowed in, only the walls in here were painted in an off-grey. My eyes were instantly drawn to the flowing scripture painted in black on the facing wall.
"There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see." I racked my brain, but could not place the words.
Casting a look about the room, I searched for a clue.
There was something very industrially arty about it with its tones of black, grey and white. The window was framed with thick black drapes and the longest desk I had ever seen before in my life sat in front of it. One half of its top was plain whitewashed wood, but the other half had one of those lighting contraptions built into it, the sort that shone light upwards through the top. There were plans and sketches scattered once again in that same messily organised way I had seen back at the Edgewater Hotel, along with pens, pencils and various tools that I couldn't have named.
The opposite wall was completely lined with built in shelves, most housed books but the one in the middle was full to the brim with awards.
Holy crow!
Directly beneath the black quotation was another long desk, this time accommodating two very high-tech looking computers. On each side of the quotation was black picture frame after picture frame, every one of them hosting an image of a different building. I walked towards them for closer inspection.
There were so many! And they were all so very varied. Some of the structures were super modern, some looked as though they were defying gravity and some were just plain old but historically beautiful.
And then I remembered the Wiki page, and I gasped.
"You built all of these?" I pointed at a random section of the wall before jostling my finger backwards and forwards.
Edward shook his head before coming to stand behind me. "Not all of them, no. The much older ones," he pointed to a picture of a stunning cathedral. "Were merely renovated."
Merely renovated?
Well blow me to Bermuda! I hated to think of what an Edward Cullen cathedral would look like, were he ever to design one. Jeez… Modest too?
"Edward…" I said, utterly floored by what I was seeing. "These are… amazing." I couldn't take my eyes from them – any of them.
"Miss Swan, you flatter." He tickled my sides briefly. "Would you like to reconsider my offer to build you a place in Seattle? I'm sure I could work in a discount for you."
Oh, back to playful.
Smiling stupidly, I turned to him and raised my eyebrows. "Sure thing. I like that cathedral."
Edward barked out a laugh. "Alright, so we're looking at a rather large discount then."
Giggling, I glanced back at the quote. "I don't know where it's from. I give up."
"Hmm," he nuzzled into my hair. "Da Vinci. And your hair doesn't smell right."
My hair? What was wrong with my hair?
Grabbing a fistful, I inhaled in a most unladylike fashion.
Really boosting up those attractive qualities there, eh Swan?
It smelled just as it always did – of cheap strawberry shampoo. The same shampoo I had used to wash my hair the morning that I went to first meet him. The same shampoo I used whilst I was…
Ah…
"You mean it doesn't smell like yours?" I clarified, somewhat teasingly.
I could feel his smile as his lips pressed against my ear and whispered, "Bingo!" He pulled away from me quickly and walked from the room. "How about we get you unpacked, order in some food and then I can give you a proper tour?"
"Alright then," I cast one final awed look at the pictures before following Edward out.
He picked up my suitcases once again and began walking towards the stairs leading up.
"Brief rundown, in there," he pointed to the archway on the left. "Is… well, I'm not entirely sure what you would call it. Friends have labelled it the music room, but it's more of a sitting room. It just happens to have the piano and a lot of my music in there. At the end," he directed my gaze towards the end of the hallway. "Is another sitting room, complete with a disgustingly large, ego boosting flat screen and more movies than you could ever possibly hope to watch in one lifetime. Downstairs is the kitchen and dining room. The second floor houses my study, the library, the guest bedroom and the main bathroom. The top floor is our rooms only. There is only one bathroom up there and it's connected to both rooms, though it's monstrously large and has his and her sides."
We were on the second floor and about to begin climbing the stairs to the third. The décor was much the same as the entrance hallway; only beneath my feet was a plush, thick cream carpet instead of the dark wood flooring. And instead of a long hall table, there was an old, rich brown worn leather chaise lounge.
"There are absolutely no restrictions being placed on you Bella, I want you to feel very much at home here. The only thing I would ask of you is that you don't tamper with any of my computers. They're incredibly important to me work-wise and there are year's worth of plans and data backed up onto them."
"Oh, I… I wouldn't." I stuttered.
He threw me a wink. "I know. I just thought it best to say it anyway."
We reached the top landing.
It was much smaller than the two hallways below. In fact, up here was more of a cubby. There were the two bedroom doors and a large skylight in the ceiling, but in each corner was a high wing backed chair and in-between them stood two large bookcases. I got the distinct impression that I would never be short on reading material here.
The most prominent aspect of the area however was the dark wooden spiral staircase leading upwards. Lord, how many stairs does one house need? I'd need to count them all.
Edward had paused directly outside of the second bedroom door and seemed to be waiting for me, though truthfully, I was more intrigued by the fourth set of stairs in this house.
"Rooftop terrace." He elucidated.
Had I said jeez already?
He must feel like Alice down the rabbit hold when in the kitchen…
Shaking my head in wonder, I approached Edward and the second door, but he didn't move. In fact, he looked nervous all of a sudden.
"Edward?"
He took a deep breath.
"If there's anything you don't like, I can have it changed easily. So please don't feel as though you have to like it, alright?"
Eh?
Frowning, I looked to where his hand was now clasped around the door handle and back to his still anxious face.
"You've lost me." He really had.
He smiled tightly, pushed the handle down and gently swung the door inward.
I was instantly met by the faint scent of fresh paint… and new carpet. I snapped my head to the side to peer in.
"Holy shit!"
The foreign words slipped from my mouth automatically in a breathless whisper. I was left staring bug eyed, blinking rapidly.
Surely he hadn't?
I'd only left him on Tuesday.
How?
The cream walls were almost as rich in colour as the thick looking carpet. Directly in front of me in the far corner sat another wing backed chair, only this one was covered in varying shades of striped green material. There was a cream blanket thrown over the back of it and a single throw pillow facing me, one simply stitched word embroidered onto it – Home.
Besides the chair on the facing wall, I could just about make out three floor to ceiling white wooden bookshelves, all empty and ready for their fill. There was even an attached ladder to the middle one. I could see no further beyond them, for the room must have been L shaped.
I tore my gaze back to the chair and ran my vision along the wall directly to my right. There were two doors, the one closest to me was a single, but the one nearer the chair was an imposing double.
I looked up at Edward, my mouth likely lolling open all over his nice, new carpet. He merely gave me an encouraging nod, as if to say, 'on you go in'.
My shocked and addled mind managed to break through a little common sense, reminding me that the carpet did indeed, look brand new. So I slowly slipped my feet from my flats and hesitantly placed them onto the plushest, thickest carpet I had ever felt. Oh it was heavenly. My feet themselves may have decided to slaughter a goat and place it down next to my cow offering by way of showing their gratitude to the God, Edward Cullen.
My movements were akin to those of a frightened deer as I moved further into the room, though I felt no fear. I was just… mystified.
And there were my boxes.
All the way from Forks.
My things.
Mine.
In this house. His house.
Lying in neat stacks of three in the middle of the room, were my twelve boxes.
Oh my…
I walked up to them and placed my hands against them. Call me a child, but it felt so darn good to see them, to touch them. I wanted to hug them to me and never let them go. Mine.
Beyond the mounds of cardboard and sitting directly next to the shelves was a long corner desk made of the same whitened wood. On it, a computer, a printer, a home phone handset and what I thought looked like an iPod docking station with speakers. They all looked new. There was also a cream office chair tucked into the corner unit.
The wall that ran the longest and to the left of the shelved wall had three wide windows punctured into it. Every single one was dressed with white roman blinds and pale green curtains that fell to the floor. The view was to the back of the house where New York's West Village glimmered in the fading evening light.
The next wall I faced housed the bed. It was large with a green and white fabric headboard. The bedding was simple white but I wasn't fooled, I would bet good money on it being just as luxurious feeling as the carpet. There were bedside tables on each ends of the fluffed up pillows, and a deep, old looking trunk seated at the bed's end. Again, all white wood.
I was speechless.
I mean, what could I say?
'Yeah, this is amazing. But I can't pay you back. I'm really not worth all of the effort and you will find me seriously lacking… Can I make you a lasagna?'
Jesus.
I couldn't accept all of this. Not when the return Edward would be getting was… me. What the hell kind of bargain was that? Poor man.
With my teeth about to penetrate my bottom lip, I turned back to Edward and shook my head.
"Don't," he said, his eyebrows raised challengingly, a warning to his tone. "Even think about saying it."
I ignored him.
"I can't."
"I said don't."
"I'm not worth it," I continued shaking my head.
"I disagree."
"Edward, I don't equal all of," I waved my hand about. "… this."
He shrugged. "It's just stuff, Bella. And I still disagree."
Deep breaths Bella! Deep breaths!
"It is not just stuff! This must have cost you a fortune. I can't accept all of this."
"It is just stuff, I have plenty of money and you will accept it because you signed a contract to say that you would." He countered.
It was almost as if he had expected this… Had that fuelled his anxious look earlier perhaps?
"Edward," I tired calmly. "What I can give you in return, it doesn't…"
He cut me off.
"You are giving me you, Isabella. You are giving yourself to me, for four years. Exactly how do you measure the worth of a person? Certainly not by," he flapped his fingers about the room. "Trinkets. This, all of this, is immaterial compared to what you have given up. How can you not see that?"
"You're already paying my tuition, Edward. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tuition! Lord only knows what I can do to return that particular favour. How am I ever supposed to make up for all of this as well?"
"I would say that the value of your life for the next four years far outweighs any financial outlay on my part, Bella. It doesn't even come close to comparing. You," he began walking towards me. "Don't see yourself clearly, at all."
"And you're just not seeing. You will only end up disappointed and out of pocket."
He bent down towards me, staring me straight in the eye.
"I disagree." He leaned in and kissed the end of my nose. "Now let's get you unpacked. I've got all of New York to show you tomorrow."
In case anybody missed the annoying A/N, I have signed up to do the Fandom Fights the Tsunami fundraiser. I'll be writing up an EPOV chapter to help raise money for the Red Cross. The links to the blog page and the author sign up list are both on my profile. The compilation will be forwarded to those who have donated at some point in May… I think.
Story recs:
BilliCullen's 'A Shock to the System' and 'Clean Up on Isle 5'.
Touchstone67's 'If on a Winter's Night' for any Jasper/Edward fans.
Rosybud's 'Ladder to the Sun'.
Lyrics used were Bruce Springsteen's 'Fire'. Go check it out, it's fabulous.
Next update – I'm working on it! New York's a big-ass place to describe *sobbing*