A/N: Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight and all I wrote was a bunch of smutty stuff about her characters.
Adrena is my awesome beta and I thank her for cleaning up my messes:) Unfortunately, she's a busy, busy girl, so I'm editing this chapter myself. Hopefully there aren't any mistakes!:)
Brace yourselves...
BPOV
I silenced my phone as Esme's name flashed across the screen once more. This was the second time she'd called me in the past twenty-four hours, but I was reluctant to talk to her when I hadn't even really sorted out how I wanted to tell her the news.
Namely, that I was now a Mrs. instead of a Miss, and that my Mr. would be living with us. In the house that used to belong to my parents.
My parents who would likely shit a brick if they knew what I was doing right now.
Edward glanced at me from the driver's seat and smiled with concern. "Everything okay?" he asked calmly.
I nodded and turned a bit to stare at him from where I sat. He was wearing a light bluish gray v-neck sweater and some charcoal gray slacks. He looked comfortable, classy, and way too good to be married to me.
I sighed and shoved my phone into my purse. "I just don't know how to tell Esme about us," I said nervously. "She keeps calling, and I know she's supposed to be home soon, but I just don't know what to say."
Edward hummed quietly. "I think you should just be honest. Tell her we're in love and we wanted to be together."
"What about the college thing, though?"
"What about it?" he asked, looking surprised.
I shifted around. "Well, the whole let's-get-married-for-tuition thing, I mean."
The sparkle left his eyes and he started to look disappointed. "I guess that's one way to look at it," he said.
I lapsed into silence, unsure of what had prompted the change in him. Hadn't he been the one to suggest this marriage for practical purposes in the first place?
I mean, sure, I was in love with him, and he said he loved me back, but we'd moved way too fast for our motivation to come entirely from our feelings for one another.
Still, he looked upset and I felt responsible for some inexplicable reason.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled.
He glanced at me before turning his eyes back to the road. "For what?" he asked.
"For...I dunno, upsetting you. You look like I just said I only married you because I want your money or something," I replied.
Edward chuckled quietly and I stared at my hands folded in my lap. "I didn't take it that way," he said as he reached a hand out to rest on my thigh.
The sight of his large hand on my thigh reminded me of the past two blissful days spent at the bed and breakfast we were currently driving home from right now.
Two days of orgasmic bliss in the fresh mountain air. I sighed longingly. "Are you sure we can't just turn around?" I asked hopefully, turning my wide eyes on him.
Edward laughed again. "We'll have to face the music sometime, babe. We can't avoid the outside world forever."
His words sent a feeling of panic down my spine. I ignored it and reached my hand over to rest on his lap, directly over his crotch. "But what if I'm not ready for the honeymoon to be over?" I asked.
His hand clenched on my thigh as the other hand tightened on the wheel until it creaked. "Bella..." he warned.
I smirked. If he wanted me to talk to him, then I would. I leaned over until my lips were right on his ear. "C'mon, husband. Don't you want to make your wife happy?" I purred. Well, I tried to purr. To me, it sounded more like I had something caught in my throat and I needed to clear it.
Edward didn't seem to mind, though. "Of course I would, but we're out in the middle of nowhere and I'm not going to turn around, no matter how big your eyes get."
His voice sounded strangled, even to me. I hoped that was a good sign.
"But...I want you, Edward. I need you."
Now I just felt like a phone sex operator. I blushed fuchsia but tried to hold my ground.
His eyes closed for a moment. "This is ridiculous," he murmured.
I felt a hot pain burst open in my chest. I sat back and withdrew my hands, folding them tightly in my lap. "I'm, I'm sorry," I mumbled, completely and utterly ashamed. So much for seducing my husband, I thought bitterly
Edward's eyes shot open. "Fuck! Bella, that's not what I meant!" Both of his hands gripped the steering wheel now, and I could see his knuckles turning white.
"Just forget it. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. It was silly of me. I...I..." I stuttered, feeling like an imbecile. An idiot. A fool. How could I even begin to seduce a man like Edward?
His eyes went dark as his mouth settled into a grim line. Without saying a word, he pulled his car over to the side of the road. I refused to look at him because my face was still red with shame.
His voice was quiet and serious when he spoke. "When are you going to realize that I mean what I say, Bella? What can I do to make you believe that I need you, that I desire you, that I love you more than anything? Why do you insist on hurting yourself, and me, with your continued belief that I don't truly care for you?"
Tears burned my eyes. "I...don't know," I mumbled.
He sighed, heavy and long. "I've been completely honest with you from the very beginning. Have I ever given you a reason to doubt my true feelings for you? Have I?"
I shook my head as fat teardrops began to fall. I sniffled against my runny nose.
He pulled my chin up with his fingertips and I saw his golden eyes staring directly at me. "I didn't ask you to marry me so you could afford tuition. I married you because I wanted to wake up with you every morning and fall asleep with you every night. I want to see you smile, hear you laugh, and make you happy...but I must have done something wrong, because it seems that nothing I do can make you happy. And believe me, I've been trying. So what can I do? Tell me, what can I do?"
His eyes were sad, so sad that more tears came gushing out. "I don't know," I replied in a shaky, pitiful voice.
He sighed again and pushed the armrests up between our seats. I tried to hide my surprise when he reached over and pulled me into his lap. I straddled his hips and he hugged me close, kissing my head in the process. "I know it won't make sense to other people, Bella, but this is how I feel. I don't even care what other people think anymore; I only care what you think."
I buried my wet face in his neck and breathed in his warm, comforting scent. When he held me like this, it kept all my fears at bay.
Fears of him realizing he'd made a mistake in marrying me. Fears of him leaving me, taking all his comfort and security with him.
Fears of being alone again, with nobody to love.
"Tell me what you're thinking," he requested softly.
I released my pent-up breath against his neck and felt the moisture bead on his skin. He shivered beneath me and I felt something stirring between his legs. I shifted against him and kissed his neck. He groaned and gripped my hips. "Bella-" he warned.
I brought my hand up and buried it in his hair, angling his head so I could kiss his neck some more. His skin was so yummy here, with his sweet and salty taste. I licked below his ear and kept rocking my hips against his rapidly stiffening erection.
"I'd rather show you what I'm thinking," I whispered. Edward moaned and I heard a thump as his head dropped back against the headrest.
My tongue swirled around his earlobe before I sucked it into my mouth and nibbled on the sensitive flesh. His fingers bit into my hipbones, bringing a hot rush of moisture between my legs. "You want to do this here?" he asked.
I pulled his mouth to mine. "I do," I said, and it was as if those words were a reminder of everything we'd gone through up to this point: my promise to him, and his to me. We were in this together.
His muscles tensed beneath me for a moment before he suddenly sprung into action. With one hand, he pushed the seat back as far as it would go and reclined it so that my back wasn't pressed against the steering wheel. His hand then came up and gripped my hair roughly, bringing my head to the side so he could devour my mouth with his.
His other hand pushed up my knee-length skirt and I felt his fingertips run along the edge of my lacy boy shorts. I moaned into his mouth as they pulled the drenched fabric aside and pushed into me roughly.
"You'd better be ready, because this won't take long," he growled.
I shivered against him and he pulled his fingers from me before diving beneath my shirt to push my bra up. My shirt and bra bunched up beneath my chin as his hands gripped my ribcage and brought me up until his mouth sealed around one of my breasts. I cried out as his hot, wet tongue swirled around my puckered nipple.
He reached around to knead my breasts, plumping them up for his mouth and rubbing them with firm strokes. I'd never felt as wanton in my life as I did right now, rocking on his lap and wishing he was already inside of me.
I felt one hand working between my legs and I whimpered as his knuckles rubbed against me. I was distantly aware that he was unzipping his pants and freeing his hard flesh. I was so close to coming that it wouldn't have taken much if he'd just kept going.
I pulled him to me again and kissed him deeply, and his tongue pushed against mine with fierce urgency. I shuddered and moaned, writhing around as his hands delved into my panties. He cursed and I realized that he was trying to figure out how to get them off me in the position we were in.
For a moment I thought he was going to tear them, but at the last second, he pushed the fabric aside and positioned himself at my wet entrance. His eyes met mine as he gave a solid thrust upward, and I felt his entire length enter me in one smooth stroke.
We both moaned and I knew this was our favorite part; penetration always felt like pure heaven.
He began to move and I gripped his shoulders, trying to hold myself steady.
"Talk to me baby, tell me how this is making you feel," he moaned.
I sucked in a breath as I felt him pushing in and out of me. "I feel...like...like...god, you feel so good!"
His smile was fiercely sexual as his hands reached down to grip my ass. His fingers probed between my legs until I felt the tip of his thumb brushing my other entrance. "You know, someday you're going to beg me to fuck your ass," he whispered huskily.
My eyes widened. "I don't...think..."
He chuckled sensually. "You'll like it, trust me. I know you will. You already like it when I touch you there."
As if to illustrate his point, he pushed a slick finger into me and sped up his thrusts. The sensation of fullness was enough to make my head spin and I felt my walls clamp down hard around him as I came.
"Fuck! Oh my god! Edward!" I screamed a high-pitched wail that echoed in the car and deafened me as it bounced back to my buzzing ears.
I milked him, and the sensation must have been enough to drive him over the edge, because he shouted my name and held me still as he thrust a couple more times before holding me down on him. I felt his hot seed filling me up, bringing me a sense of completion that I only ever felt after he came, too.
He dropped back on the seat and I realized he was sweating because he was still fully clothed. I winced from the cool mountain air as I climbed off his lap and reached for the glove box for some napkins. The car was filled with our heavy breathing and the windows were fogged up.
I chanced a glance at him as I handed him a napkin. Once we were put back together, he fixed his seat and pulled the car back onto the road.
After a few minutes of deafening silence, he reached out to take my hand. "Someday you're going to have to talk to me about things, you know."
We pulled up in front of the house that evening and I the first thing I noticed were the lights burning in the windows.
A sense of foreboding dread filled me and I grasped for my cell phone. I had two more missed calls from Esme and a couple new voicemails as well:
"Hey, Bella, just calling to let you know I came in early. I wanted to get some time with you before you went off to college. How excited you must be! You must be with Rose and Alice, so I'll just see you whenever you get home. Love you!"
"Hey...it's me again, wondering where you are. I haven't heard from you, and I tried to get a hold of Alice and Rose, but neither of them picked up their phones. It's been a couple days and I'm starting to worry about you..."
I felt like a horrible person for not talking to her sooner. I clicked my phone off and turned to look at Edward. "My aunt's home. What are we gonna tell her?"
His face was a mix of gravity and nerves. "Just the truth. There's no reason to lie." He reached over and squeezed my hand and I felt my galloping heart slow a bit.
"Okay," I replied meekly.
He got out of the car and walked around to open my door. As I stood up in front of him, he laid a quick kiss on my lips. "I know you're scared, but I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you."
His words told me everything I needed to hear, and I was so grateful that my breath escaped in a rush. Still, I faced the front door with trepidation as we walked towards it. There could only be one outcome to this situation, and I knew it wouldn't be good.
As we reached the porch, the door flew open and Esme stood there looking worried and confused. "Oh my god, Bella, where have you been?"
I bit my lip and Edward squeezed my hand before I tugged it away and stuck it in my pocket. "Why don't we go inside and talk?" I suggested nervously.
When we got inside, Esme turned to Edward. "And you are?"
Edward reached out to shake her hand. "I'm Edward Cullen. I'm...a friend of Bella's."
She shook his hand but I could see the wheels turning in her head as she gave him the once-over. Her mouth thinned and she looked back at me. "Care to tell me where the hell you've been for the past three days?" she asked angrily.
I sighed and sank down on the couch. Edward sat on the couch too, but on the other end to give me some space. Esme begrudgingly perched on the edge of my father's recliner and looked me straight in the eyes, willing me to speak and explain myself.
I peeked over at Edward, and I saw how uncomfortable he was. I turned back to Esme. "Um, so, here's the deal," I began, and reached up to brush a piece of hair out of my face. When I did, my ring caught the light and her eyes were instantly drawn to it. I saw her eyes widen as she looked over at Edward's hand and saw his ring as well.
"Oh my fucking god, Bella, you'd better not be about to tell me what I think you're about to tell me," she warned in a strangled voice.
Both Edward and I froze.
"You're not pregnant are you?" She looked like she was going to be sick.
I shook my head. "No! No, I'm not pregnant. I'm not pregnant, Esme. Look at me!" She was glaring at Edward now, who was trying to inch closer to me on the couch. I didn't blame him. When she reluctantly looked back at me, I took a deep breath and dove in. "Edward and I are married. We got married a few days ago, and we've been on our honeymoon."
There, it was on the table. Esme's hand flew to her throat and she choked out a cry. "No! Bella! Why?"
Edward cleared his throat and spoke, sparing a glance at me first. "We're in love," he said.
She snorted at him. "I see you, Cullen. Don't think I believe for one second that you're one of Bella's classmates. You look old enough to be her teacher!"
We both shifted guiltily and Esme openly shrieked this time. "OH MY GOD! YOU MARRIED YOUR TEACHER!" she shouted as she shot up and started shaking.
I stood up also and reached out to steady her, because she looked like she was about to topple. "It's not what you think," I began.
She jerked away from me and pointed an accusing finger at Edward. "You seduced my niece into marrying you! She's only eighteen! You took advantage of a poor, lonely girl and she let you because she's...You're a vile, horrible, disgusting PERVERT!"
Edward's face settled into grim lines and I felt my entire body shudder with anger at my aunt's words. "You know what? You're my aunt, not my mother! You have no power over me! I am eighteen, which means I can make my own decisions and Edward is not my teacher! He never was! I love him. I love him."
I love him.
Of course I did, but saying it to Esme made it more of a defense than a sentiment. An expression of feels became an expression of righteous anger.
Esme went pale at my words and collapsed back into my father's old chair. She buried her head in her hands and I watched helplessly as she wept. "I was supposed to take care of you, Bella. I was supposed to fill in for my sister, and look how I've failed. Look at you now, married at eighteen to a man too old for you. My sister is probably rolling in her grave!"
I flinched at her words and felt them opening a large wound in my heart. "That's not fair. I need you to support me. You're my only family left, Aunt Esme. I need you to be happy for me."
My plea prompted Edward to cup my shoulders in support as I bent over Esme's shaking frame. "I don't think I can do that. You're going to ruin your life, getting married so young."
Grimly, I straightened up and sighed. "I really wanted you to get to know Edward. I wanted you to see why I love him so much. He's going to be staying here until we move to Brown in a couple weeks."
Esme's head snapped up and she looked like she was going to be sick. "You're kidding."
I shook my head.
Edward gently pulled me away when she shot up again. "He can't stay here! I won't allow it!"
I braced myself for her ire and stood firm. "This is my house, Aunt Esme. I became the legal owner on my eighteenth birthday. As my husband, it's his house, too."
She paused as my words sunk in. I watched her stare over my head at Edward before she seemed to deflate in a defeated way. "I see," she said quietly.
We watched in silence as she walked around us and stepped into her shoes, grabbed her purse, and turned toward the front door. Edward gripped my shoulders as I went to go after her. "Just let her have some time to herself. This is a big shock," he murmured quietly so she couldn't hear.
I nodded helplessly as I watched her open the door and turn to look at me. "I'm going to go calm down for a little while, and when I come back, we'll talk about this some more." With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her quietly.
Edward turned me around and held me tightly. "It'll be okay. When she comes back, we'll all sit down and talk this out."
I gripped his strong shoulders and squeezed him tightly as I cried. "This went horribly. She's never going to forgive me."
He held me for a while, just trying to calm me down. Eventually, we got hungry so I made some dinner out of noodles and a jar of spaghetti sauce from the pantry.
As we sat down to eat, the house phone rang. Edward picked it up for me and as I watched his face, I had a strong sense of foreboding wash over me.
He turned to me with the phone and held out the receiver. "It's for you," he said.
I took the phone. "This is Bella."
"Ms. Swan, this is Nurse Raymond at Forks General Hospital. I'm calling because your aunt has been in an accident..."
I dropped the phone and collapsed on the floor. I could hear Nurse Raymond's voice coming through the receiver, but I couldn't hear the words.
All I could hear was "accident."
A/N: Don't hate me! This is necessary! I promise you, it's all for a reason. Just chill. You MUST chill:)