Chapter Ten

I jumped off the swing and turned around. There, Edward stood like the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. His hair was a delicious disarray of bronze, and his gold eyes beamed.

I wanted to reach out, just to touch him for one moment. But like in my dream, I couldn't move my arms.

I wasn't sure what to say, so I waited for him to speak. He didn't. I swallowed hard and opened my mouth, but a new wave of hysteria washed over me and I dropped to my knees.

"Oh Edward!" I cried, covering my face with my hands.

He extended his long arm towards me, urging me to take it. I touched his icy fingers, and in one fluid motion I was cradled in his arms. I laid my head on his chest as grotesque cries wracked my body.

"Shhh, Isabella," he murmured into my ear, smoothing my hair with his palm.

"But, but…" I stuttered, "Aren't you mad at me? I did such an awful thing."

"I could never be mad at you," he paused and put his fingers under my chin, making me look at him.

"I love you, Bella."

He wiped away my tears with the back of his hand.

I loved him so much too, but something inside of me was not satisfied with his answer.

"You're not…mad?"

He shook his head and kissed my forehead.

"Of course not, I'm just happy you're here…in my arms."

I shook my head incredulously. I couldn't believe it but, I wanted him to be angry. I wiggled out of his hold and he placed me on the ground.

"Bella, what's wrong?!"

"Edward," I groaned. "Can't you see? I want you to yell at me, and tell me I did a rotten, terrible thing."

He cocked his head to one side and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I don't understand. You…want me to make you beg?"

"Yes,"

He didn't say anything back; he just stood there looking beautiful and confused.

I got down on my knees once more, letting myself sink into the damp earth.

"Bella, don't,"

I didn't listen to him.

"Edward, I feel so disgusted with myself for all of this. The guilt is too much to take, and I was counting on your reaction to give me some gratification. But what do you give me? 'Oh Bella it's okay. Oh no, I'm not mad and I understand,'"

He looked down at me with bereaved eyes.

"I don't want you to understand. Make me beg."

He was quiet for a really long time but finally, he nodded.

I placed my hands together like I was praying and looked up into his deep, unfathomable gold eyes.

"Edward Cullen, I am atrocious. I've hurt you so much. I do not deserve your love, I am simply unworthy; but Edward, I am selfish. I need you, forever, always. I thought I realized that long ago, but I was stupid and ignorant of what I had. Please Edward, take me back. Accept my apology, and if I ever am commendable enough again to be with you, love me."

Before I could take another breath Edward was on the ground, his lips fervently on mine.

"I accept."

He breathed the sweet words into my mouth, and every muscle in my stomach clenched and I felt a feeling I hadn't felt since I left Edward- desire.

I never wanted the kiss to end. I intertwined my fingers in his hair, pressing him closer to me. He picked me up so that my legs were wrapped around his waist and my arms locked around his neck.

"Oh, Edward," I wailed.

He held me even tighter, crushing me into him. My body heat against his gelid chest was just too much to take. The kiss wasn't enough; I wanted more, so much more. But I wasn't exactly sure if he would give me that.

I traced his lip with my tongue, and I let his cool breath fill my mouth. The only thing I felt was longing. I moaned.

"I know," he sighed as he trailed kisses down the length of my jaw. "I want you too, but the risks still are the same."

I knew he would say that, and I wasn't even mad; it made me smile.

He reached my neck and I could feel his sharp, perfect teeth caress my bare skin.

Dear God I wanted him to bite me.

But he didn't. He pulled away with a chuckle.

"Ah Bella, what you do to me."

"I love you Edward Anthony Cullen. I love you more than I could ever love anyone else."

His responding crooked smiled nearly stopped my heart.

"You have no idea what those words mean to me."

I started to speak, aiming to say something like 'yes, I do.' But my damn cell phone rang.

"Charlie's calling- answer it." Alice yelled out the front door.

I pouted. Great, well the moment was ruined.

I flipped open my phone and before I could even put my ear on the receiver I heard Charlie yelling.

"No, STOP. No no no! DO NOT TOUCH THAT. What the hell!?"

"Hello! Dad?"

"JACOB GET OUT NOW."

"DAD." I yelled into the phone.

"Bella! Thank God you answered!"

"Dad! What's wrong?"

Charlie let out a long sigh.

"I think Jacob's gone crazy."

I saw Edward's amused smile. I really didn't want to discuss the inner workings of a bratty teenage werewolf right now.

"Okay, what would you like me to do about that, Charlie?" I said sarcastically.

"Can you talk to him? I think you are the only person who can calm him down."

There was no way I wanted to talk to him.

"What is he doing, dad?"

"Well, Bella," Charlie said seeming annoyed. "He burst into the house about five minutes ago and just ran up to your room. When I went upstairs to see what was going on, he was running around your room like a mad man muttering something about 'those filthy bloodsucking leeches.'"

Edwards smile got even wider.

"Dammit,"

"NO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS BUT I WOULDN'T TOUCH IT!" My dad bellowed.

God, what was he touching?

"Bella….is there any specific reason you have a card that says 'New Hampshire' in your bedside table?"

"AH HA!" I heard Jacob exclaim in the background. "IT SMELLS JUST LIKE THE LEECH!"

"Dad…" I said warily. "You didn't tell Jacob where I am…right?"

"No, but he's been trying to get it out of me since I told him you were gone."

"NICE TRY CHARLIE BUT I FIGURED IT OUT!" I heard Jacob scream.

"JEEZE JACOB! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GET OUT. I'M GOING TO CALL THE COPS!"

"DAD! YOU ARE THE COPS," I shouted into the phone.

I could barely hear Charlie over Jacob in the background, but whatever Jacob had figured out, I'm sure it had something to do with my location.

"SO THE BLOOD SUCKERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HMM? WELL THEN."

"NO." I shouted into the phone.

"Bella, uhm, I think I should go. Jacob may possibly be foaming at the mouth…"

The line disconnected and I stood frozen.

"EDWARD, HE'S COMING HERE!"

Edward laughed.

"Calm down Bella. New Hampshire is a fairly large state. The chances of him actually finding us are slim."

He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Come, let's go inside. It's going to get dark soon."

Edward took my hand and led me inside.

***

"Bella, hunny, you must be starving."

Almost as if on cue, my stomach growled.

"What would you like to eat, dear?"

She got off the love seat and made for the kitchen.

"Esme, really, you don't have to make me anything. I'll do it."

I knew how slightly repulsive human food was to vampires.

I went to the fridge and picked out what looked good. For people that didn't eat, they sure did have a lot of food.

I settled on a turkey sandwich and went to sit at the wrought iron kitchen table; Edward sat with me.

"Long day?" He said as I yawned.

With a mouth full of turkey, I nodded.

"I've got to go back to Forks," I said peeking up at him. Hoping he didn't take my words the wrong way.

"Charlie is going to start to get worried," I added.

He was thoughtful for a moment, running his fingers through his hair.

"I suppose you are right. I wouldn't want Charlie to dislike me anymore than he already does."

I rolled my eyes and Edward smiled.

"He doesn't hate you, Edward. Actually, I think he likes you a lot better right now than he likes a certain teenage werewolf."

Edward raised an eyebrow, trying to be nonchalant- but I saw his fists clench together tightly.

"I wanted you to kill him,"

Edward looked at me quizzically and laughed a bit.

"When it first happened, all I could think about was 'wait until Edward hears about this.'"

"Why didn't you say something earlier? We would have been on the first flight back to Washington," he said playfully.

"That's exactly why. Because I knew you would do it."

He took my hands and placed one on his cheek.

"I would do anything for you, Bella."

I immediately forget what I was about to say, or where I was. My cheeks blushed a deep red and my breathing quickened.

Edward knew the effect he had on me and he dropped my hands from his face, urging me to finish my food. Suddenly, I wasn't so hungry.

"Eh hem," he cleared his throat, bringing me out of my reverie.

"I'll go make the preparations for a flight back to Forks. How would tomorrow morning be?"

"Anything you want is fine with me."

He didn't know how true those words were.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me. Feel free to come up and join me whenever,"

Me in his room, all alone? YES.

"Okay," I said, batting my eyelashes at him.

I watched as he walked to the bottom of the staircase. I watched how his pants clung to his hips in the most delicious way…

Eat Bella, eat. I had to remind myself to stay focused.

After my dinner, I decided to take Edward up on his offer and go upstairs.

I walked up the huge marble staircase and was presented with two huge hallways, all lined with white wooden doors.

"In here," I heard Edward call from down the hall, and then saw him pop his glorious head out from around the door frame.

As I approached his room my stomach suddenly was filled with butterflies.

"I just bought the tickets," he said leaning down to kiss me as I stepped through the door.

His room was a light gold color, not far off from the color of his eyes. The floor was a dark wood and he had a large collection of books against one of the walls. A large, black leather sofa was pushed up against one of the window walls just like in Forks.

I brought myself back into reality.

"Thanks, I'd better call Charlie and let him know," I said getting out my phone.

Edward took the phone right out of my hands and placed it on his desk.

"I have a better idea," he said in the most appealing voice anyone had ever spoken in.

He bent down so that he was his face was level with mine and he let out a long, drawn out sigh. My head swam as I inhaled his appetizing scent.

"I missed you so much Bella," he laced his fingers in my hair. "I thought I had lost you forever. The thought was wretched."

He pressed his cool lips to mine and I wrapped one arm around his neck, letting the other one trail along his perfect chest. I wanted every inch of him.

I wanted to grab the hem of his shirt and pull it off, but I knew what he would say: 'Oh Bella, always so eager for me to kill you.' Then he would laugh and end the kiss, and we wouldn't want that would we?

"Knock knock!" Alice was at the door.

Edward ignored her and just kept kissing me. It made us both laugh; I could feel his chuckle of amusement vibrate inside my mouth.

Alice still hadn't left.

"Go away," he murmured as I gasped for air.

"Alice, I can read your mind, remember? It's not that important. Now go away."

"But Bella needs to know too."

He kissed the tip of my nose and then looked at Alice.

"Do you want me to tell her, Edward?"

"Dammit, what is it? We were a little busy Alice!"

"Oh, Bella," she said a bit exasperated.

"Alice would like me to tell you that your future just disappeared."

Was he kidding?

"But I've already decided! I never want to see Jacob again, and I hadn't made any plans to."

My phone rang and I looked up at Edward. He got it off his desk and handed it to me.

"Hello?"

I knew who it was going to be.

"Bella! Thank God you answered! I wasn't sure if you would. How are you?"

He was acting like nothing ever happened and it made me ridiculously mad.

Two could play at this game.

"Oh nothing, just standing here kissing Edward. You?"

Alice shook her head and Edward tried to not look amused.

I heard a string of profanities on the other line.

"Why did you just tell me that, Isabella?"

He used my full name, he was chiding me. I wasn't a little kid, and he had no right to treat me like one. It only made me angry.

"Well, why did you rape me?"

I turned my back to Edward's horrified but divert face. I went to sit down on the leather sofa.

"I did not rape you."

"UHMMMMMMMMMMMMM, really? So you getting on top of me and trying to take my clothes off without my permission was what exactly?"

I felt a twinge of sadness in the pit of my stomach for what I was saying to him, but I ignored it. He needed to hear what it.

"You know I didn't mean for it to be like that, Bells."

"You no longer have permission to call me that, dog." I growled.

"When will you come home?" his voice sounded weak and far away.

"I'm not sure," I fumed.

"Time's up!" A voice shouted in the background.

"Listen Bella, I've got to go. I'm really really sorry. I won't bother you again. Bye."

The line went dead. I wondered where he was.

"Rosalie respects you a little bit more now," Edward said when I turned to face him.

"Why?"

I never thought the words Rosalie and respect could be in the same sentence.

"She never realized how harsh you could be. You actually made her laugh a bit."

"Hmm, well I'm glad my anger could be a source of joy for her."

Edward touched my pouted lips with one of his fingers.

"Please smile," he said.

I tried to form the best one I could, but Edward laughed when it was only a wry grimace.

"Don't fret about Jacob, love. He will be okay."

"To tell you the truth Edward, I don't really care if he is okay or not."

Edward draped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me tight.

"Yes you do."

Okay, yes I did.

"I understand why you chose him Bella," he whispered into my ear. "But what you do not understand is how happy I am that you are here right now."

"I'm not going anywhere ever again." I promised.

And that was the truth. No more games, no more figuring things out. I was Edward's for eternity and nobody could ever change that.

Yay! Finally Edward. Told you so.

An eternity worth of thanks for your reviews! I love them.

Next update will be sometime over the weekend. I need to get inspired.

Review please my darlings.

Xx Lea