DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM TWILIGHT. THEY ALL BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER. I'M JUST MANIPULATING THEM TO DO MY BIDDING!
I want to dedicate this chapter to one of my dedicated readers and reviewers Morbidmuch as she's turning 18 today!!!! :D This is my little birthday prezzie to ya!! Have a good one girl!! :D HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!
BPOV
I wasn't sure what to make of Edward's freak-out. If he would just let us, or at least me, in then we would be able to deal with it together. But he won't.
He's adamant that this secret that he's got affects too many people for him to tell us. I think that in some way he's trying to tell us that it would put us all in some sort of danger if we knew what it was. But somehow I didn't think that was true. There was some part of my mind that was niggling at me, telling me to push him, to get him to tell me what it is that he's hiding. But I won't. I just have to trust that he'll tell us when he's ready.
To be honest, it was starting to aggravate me. I wanted to know. I mean, I'm his girlfriend. If he can't tell me something as important as this, and I knew it was extremely important, who could he tell.
I couldn't help but think that he was in some sort of trouble. Maybe Emmett's guesses had been closer than Edward had let on. But then again, I thought of the promise that he had made us. We were allowed to tell him our theories without asking him directly and he wasn't allowed to lie to us if we got it wrong. I knew that Edward would uphold his end of the deal. So all we had to do was figure it out.
Something that was proving very hard to do.
He was so elusive and yet so enthralling. Normally, people like him wouldn't interest me. It was true that I took a while to warm up to people, but even then, I told them some semblence of my past. With Edward, it was like everything he told us was guarded, carefully worded. The others had noticed it too, not to the extent that I had, but the confusion and curiosity was still there. They wanted to find out what was up with Edward as much as I did. The only problem was we didn't have a clue how to do it.
He always seemed as though he was waiting for someone to pounce on him, which granted, most of the girls at school were itching to do, but there were other times when he was fun and carefree. I noticed that it was only when it was the six of us that the walls came down, even a little. That thought reassured me to an extent.
When he had pulled the stunt that got me out of gym for the day, he had seemed positively carefree. It was as though he was a completely different person. His armour disappeared and he was someone else. He was a normal teenager, not plagued by whatever problems he had in his past. He was just Edward.
Edward Masen.
There was something not entirely right about Edward Masen. I couldn't put my finger on it, but the feeling was there. If only I could find a way into his mind, some way to learn his secrets then everything would be alright. I hoped.
And then I found it.
In his bedroom, there was a bookcase. And on that bookcase was not a collection of literature like one would expec to find. Instead, it was full of journals. Some of them looked years old and I reasoned that to have a collection that size, he must have been keeping them since he had learned to write. There were too many to count.
It made me dizzy thinking that within those pages was the Edward behind the mask. The real Edward. The one we all wanted to know. The one that we probably never would.
I wanted so desperately to reach out, take the first one off the shelf and read it. I wanted to really know Edward. I wanted to know him like no one else did. I wanted to know every single thought that ran through his head. I knew that wouldn't be possible though. He would never let me read his journals. His secret would most definitely be out then. And I wouldn't read them behind his back. Journals were private and personal things. Things that contained the inner most thoughts of the person and they were things that had to be respected. I wouldn't read them. Not without his permission.
And even if I thought that I would get it, I wouldn't ask.
There were some lines you didn't cross.
After his freak-out, I wanted more and more to run upstairs and read those journals. To immerse myself in the world of Edward Masen. If this was how he reacted to a letter there must be something in his past that had caused him to act this way. Something pretty terrible and traumatic.
But I didn't.
I wouldn't.
I was up in Edward's room after having used the bathroom and I couldn't help but stare longingly at them, forcing myself not to grab one and start reading it. It was all I could do not to. And that was saying something, as I've been known to have extreme willpower.
I'd noticed that the window was open when it hadn't been before. I'd brushed it off, thinking that Edward had probably opened it before walking downstairs. Wouldn't surprise me. It is his bedroom after all.
That was when Charlie had called. I'd completely forgotten that Charlie and I had the Blacks' coming around for dinner that night. With everything that was going on with Edward, it had completely slipped my mind. I'd apologised to Charlie and rushed down the stairs, saying to the others that I had to go.
The others were getting ready to leave as well. It seemed like they had had some sort of confrontation with Edward. Rosalie had a glare in her eyes that meant one thing: you're dead. Thankfully, I had never been on the receiving end of that glare, and it wasn't something I wanted to experience. I kind of felt sorry for Edward at that moment in time.
On the ride to my house, I'd asked them what that was about, but all I had gotten in response was a bunch of grunts and mumbles. Even Alice was avoiding the question. Something that was usually impossible for her. She obviously didn't want to get in the middle of what was happening. Even though she may be a little stickler for some good gossip, that never went any further mind you, she was never one to put herself in the situation that would end in a confrontation. She may be hyperactive, but she knew when to stay out of something.
So here I was, walking through my front door, still thinking about Edward. The Blacks' were already here, their car in the driveway.
Walking through the door I was greeted by the sounds of some game playing on the flatscreen and three male voices groaning at something that was going on. I didn't know, and I really didn't give much thought to sports, seeing as how sucky I am at it. Hell, I can hardly walk across a flat surface without tripping meaning that gym was an absolute disaster for me.
"Hey, Bella." I heard a husky voice say behind me. I turned around to see Jacob Black standing there smiling at me.
He was a good foot taller than me and he was almost as wide as Emmett. Almost. He had dark tan skin and his hair was almost black. Clear signs that he originated from the Indian Reservation in La Push, situated about a fifteen minute drive from Forks.
He was one of my oldest and best friends. I had known him from when I'd first lived in Forks, before my mother left for Phoenix, taking me with her. He was also one of the first people I'd met up with when I came back here, years later. He had always been there for me, no matter what.
The only problem was, I knew that he had feelings for me. Feelings that I didn't reciprocate. I thought of him as a brother, when it was obvious that he wanted more. I knew that it had hurt him when I had told him that I didn't like him like that. That he would always be my friend. Only my friend.
"Hey, Jake." I replied, smiling as I took off my jacket and hung it up. I greeted my father and Billy, being met with the usual "hey" from Billy and grunt from my father as they watched the game. This was usual behaviour for them so I didn't think anything of it as I slung my bag over another hook and turned to go into the kitchen, hearing another set of moans coming from the living room, where Charlie and Billy Black, Jacob's father were sitting.
"How've you been?" He asked, following me into the kitchen. It was behaviour like this that told me that he liked me as more than a friend. If he didn't he would still be in the living room with our fathers.
"I've been good." I started my search for something to make for dinner. Of all three males in the house, none of them could cook. I would really have to give Jake some culinary lessons. I often wondered how Charlie had survived before I came back to live with him. He couldn't handle cooking anything that branched out of bacon and eggs, and even then that was a hazard. "You?"
"Yeah, I've been alright." He sounded like there was something that was bothering him. I know that it may sound cruel to my best friend, but I had so much going on in my mind dealing with Edward at the moment, that I didn't have the time, or the space in my head to deal with Jake's problems as well. "What you been up to? Charlie said that you forgot that we were coming round tonight."
"Yeah," I shot him an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. I was round at a friends and I completely spaced." I wasn't going to tell him the reason I had forgotten.
"Alice?" He guessed. I shook my head and he gave me a confused look. He knew that when I said I was going round to a friends, most of the time it was Alice's I was going to. I hadn't mentioned that we had spent more time at Edward's house than Alice's recently. At the request of the boys' I might add. They had fallen in love with his entertainment centre. I knew that wasn't the only reason they liked him. They thought that, even with his guardedness and secrets, he was cool and worth knowing. The entertainment centre only sweetened the deal. "Who's then?"
"A new friend." I told him, not meaning to be short. "He just moved here a couple of weeks ago."
"He?" Great, I though sarcastically. Now he's going to get all possessive. I would have to tell him that Edward was in fact my boyfriend. I smiled at the word. Even though it had only been what, a day, I couldn't help but feel comforted by that title. Something about Edward made me feel safe. "Who?"
"His name's Edward." I told him. "He moved to town a couple of weeks ago."
"How come you didn't tell me about him before?" Here we go. It's starting.
"Because you never asked about him." I replied. I decided to make lasanga. Something I knew that all three of them liked. I was skilled at making it, so it didn't take all of my concentration to do.
"Still." He walked over and leaned on the counter next to where I was standing. "So?"
"So, what?" I pretended to be obvlivious to his leading question.
"What's he like?" I could hear the tense edge in his tone. Jake didn't like it when other guys were around me. He was irrationally obssessive about me. It came in handy when warning off guys I didn't want around but a lot of the time it could be annoying.
"Well," I shrugged. "You know."
"Obviously I don't." His tone was getting harsher. I rolled my eyes, knowing that he couldn't see me from the angle I was standing at. "Tell me about him."
"Well, his name's Edward Masen. He's seventeen. He lives in a big house just outside Forks." I explained looking around for more ingredients.
"What that huge house in the woods?" Jake asked, a slight sound of awe in his voice.
"The very same."
He let out a whistle. "His parents must be loaded."
"Yeah they are." I caught Jake's eye as I said that and I saw that his eyes were cold. He probably thought that Edward thought that he could charm the girls around him with expensive gifts to get them to like him, when in actual fact, Edward didn't really like to show off that he had money. Even though his house and car pretty much did that for him. "He doesn't flaunt it though. I think it kind of embarrasses him actually." I smiled at Edward modesty when it came to his parents wealth.
"What do you mean?" Jake's tone was harsh again.
"Well, he doesn't like to show off that he comes from a wealthy family." I smiled again. I heard Jake snort from where he was stood next to me. I turned to face him. "What?"
"Bells, you know I'm only looking out for you when I say this right?" He looked deadly serious as he said this.
"Say what?" I leaned on the side, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Guys with money, they ……… they think that they can get everybody." He ran a hand through his long black hair. "They think that money can buy them everything. They think that because they have money, they have no problems. Like, with girls, the think that buying them gifts and everything will make them like them. Generally, it works. Girls tend to fall for that, thinking that it's because the guy really likes them, when all they want is ……… something else." He looked at me, his eyes longing. "I just don't want you to get caught in that trap."
"Well, I'll have you know that Edward isn't like that." I told him matter-of-factly. "He's not your "average rich kid" as they put it. He's kind and sweet, he doesn't like to show off that he has money. You say that guys with money use it to their advantage, right?" He nodded, seeming convinced, in his conviction. "Then, maybe it would surprise you to know that Edward hasn't tried anything like that. He hasn't bought me any little gifts at all." That was true. He had wanted to once when we had been out with the gang in Port Angeles and I had seen a book that I wanted, but not been able to afford, but I had told him I didn't like people buying me things and he had respected that. The only thing that he had insisted on was paying for my meal at the resturant that night. He hadn't left me any room to pay for it on that one, insisting that it was the man's job to pay. I hadn't had time to argue before they took the bills that he and the other guys had placed into the little booklet and it had been taken away. "He's not like that. He's incredibly caring and kind, and he's ………" I hesitated. It's now or never, I thought nervously. "He's my boyfriend."
"What?" Jake's eyes shot up at this news. "Bella, what are you thinking?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped at him, turning back to the food that I was cooking.
"You hardly know him." He didn't know how true that statement was when he said that, but I wasn't giving in to him and his jealousy.
"I know him well enough, and it's not your decision to decide who I do and don't go out with Jake." I told him strongly. I busied myself with the lasanga as he huffed next to me.
Jake didn't say another word while I worked, knowing that I didn't want to talk about this anymore with him. I think he realised that he'd crossed a line, even though he wasn't happy about it. Honestly, I didn't really care for Jake's petty jealousy at the moment. I wanted to focus on Edward. I wanted to know what secret lay behind those eyes. What made him so nervous about telling us about his past. I wanted to know it all. But I knew I couldn't push him.
As I was putting the lasanga in the oven to cook, I heard Jake's chair scrape across the floor as he stood up.
"Bells, please. Listen to me." I turned to look at him and his eyes were pleading with me to stay. I figured I would stay and hear him out, but if he didn't have a good enough reason then, well, I wouldn't listen to him.
"Well," I stodd there and stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "What is it, Jake?"
"I don't want you to go out with him?" He said, in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
"Why not, Jake?" I asked him, shaking my head slightly. "You don't even know him. If I hadn't told you that he was my boyfriend and you'd met him, you might actually get on with him. You probably would actually."
He snorted. "I doubt that."
"Why not?" I asked again. "You've never met him. How can you make judgements about someone you've never met?"
"Because I know what guys want from you." He didn't look at me when he said that. He knew that I had a couple of guys at school who liked me. He also knew that nothing would come of those. Maybe he had thought that I would come running to him if he scared off every guy that liked me. Sorry Jake, not happening.
"And what would that be?" I challenged. I knew what he was getting at, but I wanted to hear it come from him. Call me cruel, nasty, manipulative, whatever you want, but I didn't care. Edward had enough going on, I knew that even though I didn't know much about it, and I didn't want Jake to be another problem added to his list of worries.
"Oh, come on, Bells, don't make me say it." He looked at me, pleading with me not to make him.
"Well, maybe it would please you to know that Edward hasn't tried anything like that." I stared at him, knowing that he wouldn't believe me if I looked away. Hell, he probably wouldn't believe me anyway. "He's a perfect gentleman."
"For now." Jacob whispered.
"Whatever, Jake, I don't want to have this conversation with you." I turned around and picked up my bag. "I have homework, so I'll be down in about half an hour to check on dinner."
With that I walked up the stairs, knowing that Jake was standing there at the bottom, watching me go. Closing the door to my bedroom I dropped my bag on the floor. I wasn't going to be able to concentrate on homework. Not after that conversation. I had hoped that Jacob would be supportive with my decision to be with Edward, but I should have also known that he wouldn't be.
I flopped down on my bed, my head spinning. I looked at the clock. 5:39PM. I would go back downstairs in about half an hour to make sure that the lasanga was okay. Other than that I wanted to stay in my room. I wanted to be alone.
I lay there on my bed, thinking about what had happened at Edward's house earlier. No matter what else I had running through my mind at the moment was lost. All my energy went on trying to figure out his behaviour.
He had been fine one moment, but that had changed when he had opened the package from his parents.
We knew that Edward's parents were travelling around the country at the moment. His father Edward Sr. was a surgeon that was travelling around the country attending medical conferences. When I asked Edward what they were about he would shrug and say he didn't know. On that I didn't doubt him. He probably didn't know. I knew that his mother had stayed with Edward, but she had missed her husband so much that Edward had felt guilty. Edward had told me they felt guilty about leaving their only son to fend for himself, but he had also said that it was his decision to let them go. I felt drawn to him in that sense. His reason for being in Forks was almost the same as mine.
Everything about him had changed when he had opened that letter. It was as if he had contained news that he was dying or something.
He had gone completely rigid, and had begun hyperventilating. The way he was holding himself up using the table made it look as though he was about to pass out. I tried to see what was written on the paper, but he snatched it away before I could see what was written there. I could see that there were only a few words on the paper, but they must have held some deep meaning for Edward. Only something serious must be happening for him to act that way.
I looked at the clock and saw that it was 6:24PM. Had it really been that long? I climbed off of the bed and made my way downstairs. I checked on the lasanga and saw that the cheese on top was bubbling, the sign that it was ready.
I pulled it out of the oven and called the three of them into the kitchen. They all came quickly, Charlie and Billy grinning from ear to ear, but Jake was still scowling. I gave him a look that pleaded with him to drop it but I knew that he wouldn't. He was as stubborn as I was. What I didn't like was the fact that he had judged Edward without even meeting him. I wanted to be able to introduce the two of them and not have any animosity. I knew that Edward would be gracious and friendly towards Jake, he always was with anyone that he met, but I wasn't so sure that I could expect the same from Jake.
Charlie sat down, and I noticed that he had the evening edition of the paper in his hand. He looked at the front page and scoffed, reading what was written there. I caught something written in bold, but couldn't make it out. All I saw was a blurred photograph. I assumed that it was supposed to be like that as the rest of the paper was fine.
"See, that's what's wrong with rich families today." Charlie scoffed. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Can't control their kids."
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Look at this." He gestured to the paper. "That Cullen kid. You know how he's disappeared recently. No whisper or anything of where he is." The three of us nodded and he continued, skimming down. "You want to hear some of the possible reasons for that?" I didn't, but I knew that Charlie was going to tell us anyway. "Possible child. Criminal record. Rehab. Those are just a couple of things that are being said."
I rolled my eyes. "Dad, you knew better than to listen to rumours."
He snorted and took a bite of his dinner. "Yeah, well I've heard he's bit of a player. Bad news if you ask me. I'm just glad that he's not anywhere near here."
"But that kind of goes for all rich kids though doesn't it?" Jacob asked, trying to act nonchalant, but the venom in his voice gave him away. To me at least. "They think that money can get them what they want all the time." He gave me a pointed look and I glared back. Why was he making jibes at my Edward, when making it sound as though he was agreeing with Charlie about Edward Cullen. It wasn't fair. That guy might be a player. He might have disappeared for any or even none of those reasons, but that didn't mean that all rich kids were the same.
Edward was definitely not a player. If he had been then he would have jumped at the chance of being with Lauren or Jessica. All the guys in the school did. It only served to reinforce my ideals about Edward. He was what Jacob thought he was.
"Oh well." Billy said, taking a gulp of his beer. "Not like the kids anywhere near here is it? I mean, there's nothing we can do about it."
After that dinner was awkward to say the least.
Charlie and Billy tried to start conversations going that included the four of us but they only lasted a couple of sentences before falling back into an awkward silence.
"So, Bella," Jake finally spoke up. "When are you next seeing Edward." He sneered his name and my head shot up. He was not doing this, not now.
Charlie's head snapped up as well. "Who's Edward?"
I looked at Charlie. It wasn't that I had intentionally kept Edward a secret from him, but I just hadn't found the time to tell him about him. Every time I saw Charlie it was in fleeting meetings in the kitchen or hallway. Charlie had been working extra shifts recently. Apparently there had been someone stalking the woods late at night. Several families claimed to have seen him walking across their backyards in the middle of the night. They had no leads at this point in time. It worried me, because the houses that this guy had been seen near were getting closer and closer to Edward's house. I did't want to think about what could happen to Edward if that guy knew he was alone. That was one place I didn't let my mind wander.
"How come you haven't told your Dad about your boyfriend, Bells?" Jake asked, putting on a casual voice and spearing another mouthful of his dinner. I glared at him. He knew exactly what he was doing, and there was no way in hell that I was going to let him get away with it.
"Boyfriend?" Charlie's tone was clipped. Not a good sign. "You have a boyfriend, Bells?"
I looked at him and smiled. "Yeah Dad. I do."
"How come you never mentioned him before?" His eyes narrowed at me and I saw the conviction there.
"Because there was never an opportunity." I smiled at him again. "I mean, what with me being at school, and you having to take extra shifts because of this creepy guy hanging around, there was just never an opportunity to talk to you about it."
"Well, what's he like?" Charlie asked and Jacob snorted, earning himself a glare from me. I would have to sort him out soon.
"Dad, are we going to do this here?" I looked between Jacob and Billy. They didn't seem to be paying attention but I knew they were. Jacob probably wanted me to talk about Edward then and there so he could make his point to Charlie, and I knew that Billy was only listening so that he could look after me. He was like my second father, so I had nothing against Billy. I just wasn't too impressed with his son at the moment.
"No, I guess you're right." Charlie said, defeated.
I managed to avoid Charlie after Billy and Jacob left, saying that I was really tired and had homework to do. I ran up the stairs before he could say anything and was relieved when he didn't even make to follow me.
I got changed and flopped down on my bed, not even bothering to attempt my homework. I knew that I wouldn't be able to concentrate on it. I had so much going through my head tonight. Why did Jake hate Edward when he hadn't even met him before? Why did he feel it was necessary to bring it up in front of Charlie? What was his problem?
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I woke up the next morning to a thundering storm.
Great I thought. I wasn't relishing driving to school in that. I looked at the alarm on my bedside table. 7:24AM. I had woken up before my alarm for once. I smiled to myself knowing that that would never happen again.
I got out of bed and grabbed a towel so that I could get in the shower quickly. I peered out the window to see that the cruiser wasn't in the driveway. Charlie had gone to work. In some way I was happy about that because it meant that I didn't have to talk to him about the whole Edward thing, but I also worried because I knew that driving in this weather was dangerous.
Suddenly "Decode" by Paramore started playing behind me. I knew it was Alice because that was her designated ringtone.
"Hello?" I greeted her and in turn I was greeted with her usual perkiness. How someone was this happy this early in the morning I didn't know.
"Hey."
"What can I do for you Alice?" I asked, trying to sort through the clothes that I was going to wear today.
"I was just calling to tell you that school's closed. Something about the storm knocking out the power."
I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. The weather meaning that I would have to spend the day at home on my own bummed me out a little, but other than that it was great news. Another downside was that I wasn't going to be able to see Edward. Strangely, my heart began to ache at that thought. "That's such good news." I said grinning from ear to ear.
"What are you going to do today then?" My brain started working now. What was I going to do?
"I have no idea. Probably catch up on the homework that I didn't do last night." I figured I might as well.
"Okay, you want some company?" And have her drive in this? Not a chance!
"No, Alice." I told her sternly. "I don't want you driving in this. It's too dangerous."
"Oh," I could practically hear her pouting on the other end of the line. "But I wanna see you Bells."
"Alright." I gave in, not being able to withstand her when she called me Bells. "You can come see me if and when the rain lets up. Alright?"
Again I could practically hear the pout that she must be making on the other end of the phone. "Alright." She agreed reluctantly. "But I'm phoning the guys as soon as it does."
"Alright." I laughed into the phone. "I'll possibly see you later Al."
"Byee." She hung up, sounding as chipper as she had when she called.
I hung up, shaking my head at the phone, chuckling softly. I grabbed the towel that I had dropped on the floor while looking for some clothes and headed into the shower.
I climbed in and let the hot water wash over me in the same way that I did every morning. It always felt so good to just stand there and imagine the water washing away all my worries. I washed my hair with my favourite strawberry shampoo and cleaned myself with my favourite strawberry body wash before climbing out. I towelled myself dry and got dressed in the bathroom before dumping my towell into the hamper that was just inside the bathroom door.
As I padded back into my bedroom, my cell started ringing again. Ooh, I'm popular this morning. I walked over to it, figuring that it was Alice calling to try to convince me that the rain had let up, which it hadn't. My heart skipped a beat when I looked at the caller ID and saw who it actually was.
Edward.
"Hello?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too eager.
"Bella?" I could hear him smiling and I felt a grin spread across my face.
"Hey, you." It might have been a cliché greeting, but I couldn't help it.
"What are your plans for today?" My heart jumped again. Okay, yeah, I know he's my boyfriend and would - hopefully - want to spend time with me, but still, it made my heart soar realising that. I don't think I fully did yet.
"Well, seeing as there's no school today, I was probably going to sit around and not do much." I told him truthfully. "You?"
"I was actually wondering if I could come over and see you." OMG! Did he just ask to come around to my house? Here? Alone? Just me and him? In my head I sounded like a giddy schoolgirl, but I really didn't care.
Wait!
How would he get here? "And you're going to get here how? I don't think the Volvo could handle the weather, love." Love? Did I just say that out loud?! I kind of liked the way it sounded though. It came naturally.
"Don't worry, I've got it covered." He told me, his confidence oozing through the phone. I decided to against my better judgement and trust him on that one. He wouldn't be reckless with his life would he? No, I didn't think he would.
"Alright," I said cautiously. "But as long as you're sure you'll be okay. I don't want you getting hurt." I knew I sounded worried, and I hoped that he would be able to hear it in my voice.
"Don't worry." He sounded pretty confident. "It's all under control." I wasn't sure that I believed him on that one.
"Okay." I murmured slowly. "See you in a few."
I hung up and stood there for a second not really comprehending what had just happened.
Edward was coming to my house.
It was just going to be me and him.
I felt a grin come across my face and I almost did a happy dance. I walked downstairs and sat down turning on the TV. I didn't pay attention to what was on the screen as I waited for Edward to appear. I was sad I know, but I couldn't help it. It seemed I had an involuntary pull towards Edward. I felt a physical need to see him.
After what seemed like an eternity, when in reality it was only about ten to fifteen minutes I saw a car pull up in the reflection on the flatscreen. I turned it off and looked out the window. That was not Edward's car. That was flashier than Edward's car. Larger. And definitely more expensive. Even through the rain I knew that.
I saw someone get out and run to the house, before locking the car. I almost ran to the door, tripping on the way there. I managed to steady myself before I did a faceplant on the floor. That would not have been good.
Opening the door I was met by a very wet, very sexy looking Edward Masen. He had a little smile on his lips as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a sweet lingering kiss. What's brought on this behaviour then? I wondered moaning in my throat at the tenderness of the kiss. He was getting me wet, but I didn't care.
"What was that for?" I asked, pulling away.
"Have you forgotten our little agreement yesterday at lunch?" He asked me, his eyes glittering. I wondered what he was talking about and then I remembered what had happened and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at the thought of him remembering something that small.
I stood aside and let him into the house, even though he was dripping anywhere. "I'll get you some dry clothes to change into."
I quickly ran up the stairs and into my room, running over to my drawers. I knew that I had a spare set of sweats and a large t-shirt that Jazz had left here after the last time the gang slept over. We hadn't slept here since then, seeing as Edward had arrived just afterwards and people preferred his house to anyone else's. Which was fine by me. I grabbed the t-shirt and sweats and stood back up.
I stood there and took a deep breath, trying to get used to the fact that the perfect Edward Masen was standing downstairs, dripping wet, and we were alone. Stop it, Bella! I scolded myself. You've only been his girlfriend for a day! You can't think things like that! Suddenly it was very stuffy in this room. Do I open the window? And leave him down there a second longer? I don't think so! With that parting thought I left the bedroom.
I carefully walked down the stairs, being careful not to trip. I managed to get down the stairs in one piece and handed them to him. He raised his eyebrows, probably wondering why I had a guy t-shirt and sweats in my room. I shrugged. "They're Jazz's. He left them here after a sleepover before you got here and I just haven't given them back to him yet." I smiled at him and he nodded. I pointed up the stairs, showing him where he could change. "Bathrooms first door on the right. There are towels in there and if you gimme your clothes I can toss them in the dryer." I could see that he was going to protest to that statement so I made sure I got their first, realising my mistake. "They're dryclean only aren't they?" He nodded. Of course they are. I thought. Why would anyone with money like Edward have anything that wasn't dryclean. "Is it okay if they're put over the radiator?" I asked, unsure.
I could see him wondering the same thing. "I think so. I'm not really sure." At least I wasn't the only one who didn't know.
"Well, they'd better be." I smiled, showing him that I was messing around with him. "If not then I'm sorry." He smiled his crooked smile at me and leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips before he made his way up the stairs to change.
I tried not to think of Edward with no clothes on as I waited for him to change. It was harder that I thought it would be. No amount of distractions was working.
Thankfully, he didn't take that long getting changed and I could hear him padding down the stairs softly. I turned around and held out my hands for the clothes. "Gimme." His brow furrowed in confusion and I had to laugh again. "I'm not going to steal them, silly. Yes, your clothes may be expensive but I don't wear men's clothes." I wouldn't mind trying yours though, I added in my mind. I had to bite my tongue, making sure I didn't say that out loud.
I went around the house, hanging his clothes over various radiators, placing his shoes underneath one of the cooler ones. His shoes probably cost more than my truck so I wanted to be careful with them. I took hold of his leather jacket, which was absolultey gorgeous, I might add, and hung it over the backs of one of the chairs in the kitchen.
I walked back into the living room and smiled at him. "What do you want to do?" I sat down on the sofa, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to sit next to me. Something, I was glad to see, he didn't fight. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. All I knew was I had to stop thinking the thoughts that I was at the moment, because none of them are at all appropriate. Thank god he can't read minds, I thought, relieved.
"We could just watch a movie." He said softly. I nodded, totally agreeing with that. "What do you want to watch?"
I felt my eyes narrowing at him. Neither Emmett or Jasper let any of us girls choose without a fight before. What was he playing at. "You're letting me choose?"
He chuckled then. Such a beautiful sounds. "Yes, Bella. I'm letting you choose." I couldn't help but smile along with him. "What do you want to watch?"
"Um, " I thought for a moment, wondering what would be suitable. "Oooh, I know. I've got it, but it's in my room. I'll be right back." I jumped up and made to go up to my room.
"Bella?"
I stopped in the doorway and turned around to look at him. "Yes, love?" Seriously, where does that keep coming from?
"Did you move my journal last night, after I went downstairs?" What journal? There was the bookcase of journals that I saw, but I didn't remember seeing a loose one anywhere in the room.
"What journal?" I asked, the confusion evident in my voice.
"Never mind." He said softly. He gave me a small smile that didn't have me convinced. I didn't want him to think that I was dwelling on it so I gave him a grin and ran, well, tripped up the stairs.
I walked into my bedroom to find the DVD. I walked over to the cabinet where I kept them and was searching through them, getting frustrated when I couldn't find the film I wanted when something else caught my eye. I turned around to see something that I didn't recognise.
It was a book.
But it wasn't one of mine. I slowly walked over to it, wondering where it had come from and picked it up. I turned it over in my hand, looking at it. It was heavy, bound in thick leather, obviously expensive. This was something that I definitely did not own.
But I needed to find out where it came from, so I let it fall open at a random page.
I was met with elegant handwriting that looked as though it belonged in the Elizabethan times. The handwriting looked familiar somehow, but I couldn't place where from. I had seen it recently. That's all I knew.
13th November 2008 It was a journal. What was someone else journal doing in my room? I decided to read on, to see if I could work out who's it was.
Everyone's been on alert for the last week or so. It's really been getting me down. I have no time or space to myself. No one lets me out of my sight. For my safety they say. I'm wondering whether or not I believe them anymore.
Alright, there is a good reason for them keeping me locked in the mansion, but I don't feel the need to be mollycoddled. It's not as if I'm a baby. I can do things by myself.
Since this all started, it feels like my parents have been more distant with me. Not wanting to be close to me. It seemed as though they felt that if they got too close I would explode – well probably not that exact analogy, but that's how it feels – or if they held me too tight, I would break like glass or one of my mother's fragile ornaments. I know they care but all I want sometimes is a hug from my mother. That's not really much to ask is it?
With all this going on around me, I'm starting to feel insignificant. It's as though my opinion on the matter doesn't really count. Everyone has been talking about what they should do. Some wanted me to stay in the mansion at all costs – something that had been put in place since the first threat. Others wanted there to be a full investigation, police, FBI, any organisation that they could get their hands on, something I was sure my father would do anyway. I don't think he needed any persuasion to do that.
Others want to send me away. To somewhere secluded and small. As if I didn't feel isolated enough. Now they're talking about sending me somewhere small, where I had no one and truly would be alone. It hurts to think about not having my parents there with me. I hope that they don't go along with that particular plan. They were the only thing I needed to get through this. I needed my home, my parents. I've already had my freedom taken from me. Isn't that enough? It seems not. I don't know what I'll do if I have my parents taken away from me.
"Bella?" I heard Edward call. Something registered in my mind, that I had Edward waiting downstairs. It didn't seem like enough to tear me away from the journal though. I resolved to read this entry and then check in the front of the journal to see if I could see who it belonged to.
"Up here." I called, turning my attention back to the journal. This person sounded so lost, I couldn't help but feel for them.
I was aware of Edward entering the room. He didn't make any move to approach me, probably seeing that I was engrossed in something. I would have to read this and find out who it belongs to later.
I heard a sharp intake of breath and I turned around to look at Edward, wondering what it was that had made him start. What was there in here that could cause that kind of reaction. Unless he had never been in a girls' bedroom before, something I didn't think was right. How could someone as gorgeous as him not have been in a girl's bedroom before? It didn't sit right.
That was when I noticed the look of horror on his face as he stared down at my hands. He was looking at the journal. Why would he have that look on his face? I looked between him and the journal, putting two and two together and hoping I was getting five.
It couldn't be.
It was his journal.
Now you know Bella's side of the story. Shame on you, those of you who were so quick to condemn her! *shakes head in disappointment* You should give Bells more credit than that.
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xx