Authors Note: Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to post! I'm so busy this semester! But here you go, chapter 10!
"So, Mark and David huh?"
"Who's that?" Bella replied nonchalantly, feigning confusion. I could tell she was trying to retreat back under the covers.
"Bella," I warned, knowing full and well she knew who I meant.
"Oh fine," she sat back up promptly, the quick motion causing a jolt in her stomach. She grabbed it queasily and met my gaze. "They were the two boys I picked, although I'm telling the truth when I say I don't know who is who."
"Oh," I said quietly, avoiding the question I really wanted to ask. She recognized my uncertainty and I felt her heartbeat increase.
"Oh Edward I'm so very sorry, I had no idea they were strippers. Before I knew it, they were surrounding me, and I was very uncomfortable and the only thing I felt I could do was laugh about it. I knew Alice and Rosalie wouldn't allow me to move, I'm sorry Edward, do you forgive me?"
Her big eyes bore through mine questioningly. I knew she was telling the truth, I was pretty sure I walked in on the worst part.
"I know you didn't do anything Bella, but I am curious…" I wasn't exactly sure how to ask the question, but since I couldn't read her mind and it was something I desperately wanted to know, I knew I had to get it out.
"Whydidyoupickthetwoyoupicked?" By the look on her face, I could tell that I had said it entirely too fast. I had to remember to keep my vampire speed under control when I was nervous.
"What? Too fast Edward." Right as the words passed her lips I took a giant breath and readied myself.
"What made you pick the two you picked?" I was worried to know the answer to this question. To learn that perhaps those human boys had something that I didn't; something she felt she was missing. I already felt that as a vampire, there was a lot I couldn't give her that a normal human could, but I quickly pushed that thought from my mind as I gauged her reaction.
"Um," she began looking as if she was trying to remember.
"No editing your answers." I said curtly.
"I won't." But she remained silent for another moment, brow furrowed together.
"Oh!" She suddenly said, and burst into a fit of giggles reminiscent of last night. "I wasn't really choosing any of them at first; it was just funny watching them all trying to impress us. But when this one guy came out, he tripped. And I felt so bad you know, I'm always tripping I know how he felt. So I just, I don't know, chose him."
"I see," I replied slightly mollified. But I had a feeling that the boy I walked in on with Bella was not the one who tripped on his way out. "And the other?"
She scrunched her eyebrows together, thinking clearly about something I couldn't see.
"Actually, and I'm being honest, Alice kind of nudged me before he came out and told me this is the guy I was going pick."
"I see." I replied again. Her reasons had lifted my spirits a bit, but I was going to have to fight to get that image out of my head. "So…there was nothing, special about them?"
"If you call tight red underwear 'special', then YES, they were all very 'special," she said in a sarcastic tone, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Floods of images suddenly came into my mind from the night before, and they definitely weren't about the strippers.
"Bella?"
"Hm?" She said, nuzzling into my neck.
"Do you remember everything about last night?"
I think it would really bother me if she didn't remember what happened between me and her. It was a first for us, and I was already a little upset that it happened when she was drunk, but nothing got too far.
"Last night? After the strippers left?" I pushed gently, hoping my words would trigger something in her mind.
I felt her blood suddenly go hot against my shoulder. I knew that wonderful blush was creeping up her cheeks, bingo.
"Yes." She answered nervously. "Are you mad at me?"
Mad? Mad? Why would I ever be mad?
"Mad? Bella why would I be mad?"
"Well, I kind of…I don't know…chased you around. I didn't mean to force you into anything you didn't want to do." I felt her heartbeat increasing under my hands and I began to slowly rub her back. She never failed to surprise me with her words.
"Bella, last night was wonderful for me," I replied earnestly. "I wanted to thank you, for allowing me, and you are truly so beautiful Bella." I buried my face in the crook between her shoulder and head, breathing in her scent.
"It was incredible, you are incredible, you body is unbelievably incredible" I said again. A wave of possession suddenly rushed through me and I pulled her tighter against my chest. "And I'm yours Bella, always and forever."
Emotions were rushing through me, causing my thoughts to go on overload. Possession, love, passion, need, want, joy, it was all too much. We sat there and just held each other for a while, she was placing feather light kisses on my neck, making my nerves jerk slightly every time I felt her lips against my skin.
"You know what else I remember about last night," she asked.
I looked at her and cocked my head to the side, letting her know I was intently listening for her answer.
A mischievous smile crossed her face and I quickly felt the feather light torture of her tickles.
"Bella!" I cried, quickly pinning her hands to her side while she laughed and tried to struggle free. We both knew she couldn't escape, but sometimes I let her just for the fun of the game.
I let her go and flew to the other side of the bed. She got into the same stance as usual, hands in a claw like motion, wiggling her little fingers. She pounced on me and started laughing uncontrollably as I decided to tickle her back.
"Stop!! Edward Stop!!" she cried in between gusts of air. "I can't breathe!"
I swiftly let go, she said this all the time, I knew she knew it would make me stop. She smiled as she sat up and straightened her shirt.
"Works every time." She said grinning widely. She pulled herself on top of me and lay flat, her cheek nestled right under my chin. She lifted her head and looked me right in the eyes.
"I love you Edward." She lay back down and my hands reached up to the small of her back.
"I love you Bella." I answered her, starting to make small circles with my hands.
We lay in companionable silence for a moment. I knew Bella still must have a slight headache, and I wanted to let her sleep it off if she still could.
Suddenly a loud knock echoed across my room and before I could answer the door flung open and Alice came in, looking extremely anxious.
"Edward, Bella." She called, walking quickly over to the bed.
"Hi Alice," said Bella. "I'd be willing to bet vampires don't get hangovers," she added in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Nope, we don't," she said while looking at me. I didn't like how scared her face looked, something was wrong. I couldn't read her thoughts; she was reciting every outfit she had in her closet over and over, to block me from her mind.
"Edward," she began. "Can you stay up here for the next ten minutes? We're doing something downstairs."
"What are you doing?" I asked, intrigued because I didn't normally see Alice so nervous.
"Oh nothing, I'll tell you later. But can you promise to stay up here?"
"Okay," I agreed, skepticism evident in my tone. "But whatever you're hiding, I'll find out sooner or later, you know that."
"Sure, sure," with that she flew from the room.
I pondered what it could have been that she trying so hard to hide from me. I looked down at Bella who had closed her eyes, and was very close to falling back asleep. I smiled and all thoughts of Alice quickly disappeared from my mind.
Until, I heard the doorbell ring.
I tensed up, who could be at the door? I knew instantly it was what Alice was trying to hide from me. I heard someone's light footsteps go to the door, and when I heard the voice, my muscles contracted instantly.
It was Mark, the boy from last night.