AN~ thanks to everyone who reviewed my story…due to recent technology problems, I can't really tell you who those people are. That also goes to whoever added the story as a fave or alerted it. Regardless you people rock! Keep them coming!
Clary Shadows~you gave me the idea for the 'Sam and Dean' part.
Declaimer: I don't own Twilight...regardless if I pretend I do in my dreamland.
Chapter 9
Bella
Edward was ready to go by 8:25.
He said that we would probably need those extra five minutes just to get me in the truck.
He wasn't kiddin'.
My body ached so bad that it took everything in me not to cry out loud while I was trying to get into the passenger side. I really wanted to slip into a hot bath, but couldn't for the life of me think how I was going to be able to do. Thank God Alice said she would come by later and help. I think Edward realize what I was doing, by keeping my emotion in, because he stated cussing more. That and at times he had to turn around away from me and take deep breaths.
I was mainly wondering when he was going to start screaming at me, like I found out he had done to the rest of the family...including Alice.
I also heard that she kicked him in, what she referred to as 'the baby maker'. So I doubt he will be doing anything that makes her angry anytime soon.
Also in that same breath Alice said about 'the baby maker', she also told me not to worry, that our future kids would be okay...as long as we were willing to wait a few years to have them.
I just looked at her wide eyed, thankful that Jasper left the bathroom, since I took my shirt off, thankful it was a button up, and Rosalie hadn't made it back with the towel yet.
Edward didn't talk to me on the way to Charlie's house, other than to ask me 'was I comfortable' and 'was I warm enough'.
Although, I don't think he really listened to any of my answers.
Edward was in his own little world of angry town. A place he never leaves.
He pulled up outside Charlie's house at 8:45. He pushed my truck a little harder than I ever did. I don't think he likes to be in close quarters with me. I don't blame him. Sometimes I don't like to be in close quarters with him either. But that's mainly because I can't do what I would like to do to him. And since we're in the truck it's somewhere between pushing him out the door then high tailing' it out of here, or straddle his lap and take his luscious lips between mine until neither one of us can breathe.
Calm down Bella.
I turned to look at him, his hand s gripping the steering wheel tightly, making his knuckles turn white. I wouldn't be surprised if my steering wheel didn't have his hand prints embedded into it with the way he was gripping it. Past his sulking figure, I saw the curtains on the door move.
Charlie was watching us.
"Um...Charlie's waiting for us to go in."
"Yeah, I saw him."
"So what are we waiting for?"
"I have to calm down before I go into your house. I don't need to snap at your dad and cause him to shoot me right now."
"Yeah, I don't think that would be so good. Besides I can't help him bury the body, and blood is a bitch to get out of carpets."
He slightly smiled then said "okay." He opened his door, causing the arctic air to rush in, causing me to gasp. Which I soon regretted. The pain in my chest reminded me why I shouldn't do that.
I tried to get my hands working so I could open my door by the time he came around, but it caused my back to ache. Once he came around and opened my door, he started trying to help me out gently.
"How about we do this fast? Like ripping off a band-aid?" I suggested.
He shook his head. "I can't do that Bella."
"Why not?" It seemed like a good idea to me. It's gonna hurt regardless.
"I can't see you in pain, much less cause you pain."
I took a sharp breath as I moved both of my legs around in one motion. "It's...not so bad."
Edward closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Come on, Bella."
I got that it was a double meaning. He wanted me to come on, but he also wanted me to get real.
Once we made it out of the truck, down the drive way, and Edward carrying me up the stairs, by putting his arm around my waist and lifting, we were on the porch, opening up the front door and waling in.
I just hope Edward didn't hear that noise I made signally I was in pain. Regardless of that, it was nice being in his arms.
I knew that Charlie had been watching form one of the windows because I heard his hurried footsteps going away as we had approached the door. I just hope Charlie didn't notice that the help Edward gave me with walking. I would like to keep it from his as long as possible. I still haven't come up with an excuse yet.
"Bella?" Charlie question. "Is that you?" He sounded like he was in the kitchen.
"Yeah." I called back. "Not like you didn't know." I mumbled. Edward chuckled, helping me out of the coat Rosalie let me barrow, considering mine is nothing by rags and feathers now.
Charlie walked to where we were coffee thermos in hand. He says he doesn't like the coffee at the station, but I know he still drinks it every chance he gets, because I know it's the same brand he buys for the house. "Hell Edward." Charlie said, uninterested.
"Hey Chief." Edward spoke as he took his own coat off, placing it on the coat rack with mine.
"So you're going to work dad?" I was trying to use a tactic to get him to leave faster.
No such luck.
He proceeded to tell me what Alice told me earlier. He was working the night shift. I was hoping the conversation would soon end. I didn't want to stand there in the door all night, but I also couldn't move because if I did, I may just start randomly crying.
And that wouldn't be good for Charlie or Edward.
"Well, I'm off to work."
Thank God!
"I'll let you guys get ready for bed. But Edward," Charlie turned to him. "I'll be checking up on you two. Randomly." then he smile like he gave Edward a big hint. "Just though I'd let you know.
Charlie turned and opened the door after he put on his Forks police coat on over his uniform. I let out a heavy sigh, taking a step away since his back was to me, and then had to bite my lip so I wouldn't cry out. I tensed.
Woo, safe. Thank God Charlie never saw-
"Bella?"
I turned my head to see Charlie looking at me in question. "Yeah dad?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful/ It came out a little high pitched.
Charlie closed the door. "What happened?"
"Um...I fell?"
"How did you fall?"
Why can't he just stop after the first question?
"I was walking."
He raised an eyebrow, waiting for more.
I started to panic. "I was walking. I ...tripped into a tree." His hands went onto his hips "I got turned around in the woods and-"
"You should never be out in the woods. It's not safe!"
That stopped me. Since when was the woods not safe?
Besides today?
"What do you mean, not safe?"
He didn't answer; he just turned to Edward, who was looking at Charlie like he was a rubrics cube of how I would be looking at an algebra equation.
"Where were you at during this time? You weren't there when she got hurt?"
"No sir, but I didn't have a choice."
I could tell Edward was getting angry. But the boy is always angry so that's nothing new. But I knew Charlie was going to say something that would probably piss Edward off more.
"Dad" I interrupted his next remark to Edward. "You know I fall a lot. Gravity is my arch nemesis after all. Even if Edward was there, I probably would have still tripped."
Edward was shaking his head. I know he thought it would have all ended differently if he had been there, but I know it would still be pretty close.
"It would have still happened." I tried to reassure him. It didn't seem to be working.
"No" His voice was full of emotion. "If I had been there I could have stopped-"
"Edward! Stop blaming yourself." Then I said for Charlie's sake, so he wouldn't think we were talking about something else. "Besides, it was bound to happen. I can only go so long without hurting myself."
Charlie looked at me, a concerned look. "Do you need to go to the ER?"
"No" Thank God. "Dr. Cullen checked me out. He said I was fine. That I just need to try to take it easy."
"Okay." Charlie nodded, in thinking mode. "Do you need me to do anything?"
"No, Alice is coming over to help me with the bath, and Edward will be here to wait on me hand and foot." I looked over at Edward. "Won't you babe?"
Edward looked at me from Charlie. "Yep."
Charlie looked in between me and Edward; mainly I think it was that his eye brows went way up to his hair line when I said Alice was going to help me with a bath. Maybe he thinks Edward would be the one to do that. But my policy is no guy gets to see my body until I approve of him. And even though I approve of Edward, I was in way to much pain to act out on my policy.
"Well, okay, you two." Charlie gave us one last look before settling on me. "I'm going to work, call me if you need anything. And Edward." Charlie turned his way "Take care of my baby."
Edward and I watched Charlie leave the house and hurry to his cruiser. When he pulled out of the driveway, Edward turned to me with a crooked grin. "By the way...never take up acting. It's not your thing."
I wanted to hit him, but I knew I couldn't.
"Shut up!"
He laughed.
It was a little while later, after Edward finally got me up the stairs without too much crying on my part, that Alice came in with Jasper.
While Alice set me up a bubble bath, with vanilla scented candles (the good kind) Edward helped me take my shoes and socks off.
And let me tell you one thing, there's something extremely sexy about a guy who is willing take off your shoes and socks...without being asked. He even started rubbing my feet. I had to stop myself from moaning with pleasure as he worked. I was pretty sure that Edward had magical fingers, and I hoped that he would keep up with this all night long.
Of course it didn't last long, because Alice flittered through the room finding me something to wear that wouldn't be too hard to put on or take off.
Finally Edward helped me to the bathroom where Alice took over. I guess it should feel weird, when Alice helped me take off y clothes, but it really didn't. I guess in some ways I was used to it. Mainly because in high school I fell down a flight of stairs and broke my leg, causing me to stay in a cast for two months. Alice had to help me then.
But there were still times I felt a little award, like when she had to take my bra off, which I would have rather just cut off. But it wasn't really from her taking it off me. It had more to do with all the bruises I had covering me.
"Oh my God, Bella!" Alice sobbed as I eased into the bathtub. "If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done. You can't leave me." she said seriously, and then she laughed. "Even if the guy you do like is a grade A jerk."
I chuckled, thanking the hot water for helping to smooth out the kinks in my body. "I don't know what it is Alice, there's just something about him."
"Yeah, there's something alright." She mumbled, and then smiled. "Rosalie and Jasper both said that he acts differently with you. So maybe he's not really an asshole all the time. Rosalie did say that that personality was somewhat new. It seems to me that he uses it to cover up something else."
"Maybe." I didn't want to look too much into it if we were wrong.
Alice keeps going back and forth from me in the bathroom, to the living room where Edward and Jasper sat.
Not talking to each other, not even looking at each other, Alice said.
The first time she told me it was too quiet, and that she wanted to make sure they were both still alive.
"I'm pretty sure we would have heard them kill each other." I told her.
She agreed with a laugh, but just wanted to double check.
Once the water ran cold, and all my fingers and toes were wrinkled beyond recognition, Alice helped me out of the tub. After she helped me dress in the loosest fitting stuff she could find, she slipped a shirt over my head that I've never seen before.
"It's Edwards." She said when I held the shirt out in front to me, looking at the graphic. ""He said that it would probably be more comfortable than anything else I could find you."
Well, he was right. The soft cotton t-shirt was way too big and too long (giving me reason to forego the shorts). But it smelled just like hem, all woodsy and fresh.
I pulled the front out again, smiling down at the Northwestern University logo on the front.
"Oh no!" Alice joked. "She's go that love sick grin on her face because of a shirt! There's no hope for her, she's a goner!"
Once we were done in the bathroom, she told me she was going down stairs to get Edward to help me because she and Jasper had to leave to head back to her parents before it got any later.
Something about making her parents think she grew up a little while she's been in college.
She's suck a kidder!
"Call me if you need anything." I nodded, she continued. "I'll be here faster than you can say 'oh no, maybe I shouldn't have called Alice!'" I smiled. I don't think I would do that. "Now remember what the doc said, take two pain meds before bed, and anymore when needed."
I rolled my eyes. When have I not heard that from a doctor? "Yes Dr. Alice."
"Ooh, Dr. Alice. I like that!" She said in thought. "Know what, I'll go ahead and show Edward where the bottle is and he can bring it to you."
"Okay." Wasn't like I was going to argue with her on that.
Or had the choice.
"Bye hun, I'll come see you tomorrow."
"Bye Alice." I made my way into my room. I worked on trying to get into bed in a comfortable position when I heard the front door open and close.
I was still trying to find that position when someone cleared their throat in my doorway.
I looked up to see Edward there, holding a glass of water in one hand, the other holding a pill bottle.
"So...the shirt. It's okay?" He said after a while. His eyes trailed from my bare legs to mine. I blush realizing that he could probably see my underwear. My blue lace boy shorts that Alice insisted I wear after getting a funny look on her face once I told her I wouldn't wear the shorts she brought me to put on under the shirt. Maybe she had the right idea.
"Ye-yeah, thanks" I stuttered. I tried to play it off by looking down at the shirt "Did you go to Northwestern?"
"Yeah." He walked closer to me, holding out the pills to me. I didn't take them.
"What did you major in?"
He smiled slightly. "Music education."
"Really?" I don't know what I was more shocked about. Edward going to college or him going for music. The part that I knew most about Edward didn't have the patience to be a teacher. "Do you play an instrument? Why did you choose it?"
"Bella" He chuckled. "You should get some sleep."
"Oh, yeah, I guess." I mumbled.
"We'll talk later." He promised as he held out two pills he shook out of the bottle, since I didn't take the bottle from him, then the glass of water.
"Thanks." I said after taking them, and handing back the glass of water.
He put the bottle and the rest of the water on the night stand. "In case you need it later."
"Thanks" I said again. Because I didn't have anything better to say.
He nodded his head, looking at me once more; a long steady gaze. "Goodnight." He finally said then hesitated. It could have been because I was still sitting up in bed. But then he turned toward the door, stopping to turn the light off as he started to leave the room.
With the room in darkness, my mind started playing tricks on me with the shadows. It mainly had to do with something I hadn't told anyone today.
That every time I close my eyes, even for a second, I see that blond vampire stalking closer and closer to me.
The darkness wasn't helping my fear. Which was crazy, because Edward was still technically in the room with me. And I knew that he wouldn't let anything get to me, not if he could help it.
The door started closing; Edward was actually leaving, and panic was evading my body.
"Edward...wait." I called out in a small voice, before the door shut all the way.
At first he just widened the crack in the door; I guess then maybe he thought better of it from the sound of my voice because he came into the room, knelling down beside the bed next to me.
"What is it?" He asked softly. It was the gentlest I've ever heard his voice being.
"I don't think..." I took a shaky breath, and then said something I never thought I'd have the nerve to say to Edward. "I'm scared."
He reached up and touched my cheek briefly. "There's no reason for you to be scared."
"But...He-"
"He can't hurt you anymore."
"You can't be sure of that."
"Yes I can."
"How?"
"Because I killed him."
"Edward, he was technically already dead."
"Yes, but I made sure he's never coming back."
"How?" I wanted to know how he did it, because I don't think I can relax until I do.
"You don't need to worry about the how. All you need to know is he's one and he's never coming back to hurt you." His voice lowered "Nothing will ever hurt you again as long as I have anything to do with it." There was so much emotion in his voice, that I couldn't tell if he was pissed or on the verge of crying. He cleared his throat. "Unless you hurt yourself, then you're on your own." He finished trying to lighten the mood.
In the moon light I could see him change his stony face into smile. He was hiding something, and he didn't want me to figure it out.
I laughed slightly at his joke, though all I really wanted to do was cry. "Yeah." I looked down at the bedspread. He had placed his hand close to mine, as if he wanted to hold mine, but couldn't bring himself to do so. "Edward" I asked several moments later "do you think you might can stay in here? Just until I fall asleep?"
"Sure." He stood up and made his way to the rocking chair in the corner of my room that had been in there forever. I was finally able to lie down without hurting too much. From the angle I laid, I could Edward sitting in the chair, which helped calm my frantic nerves (some, but not much), and the clock. For the longest time, my gaze went from Edward sitting in the chair, to the green numbers illuminating the room, as I watched the time pass.
Slowly.
Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. Forty five. Finally I gave up.
"Edward?" I called softly, just in case he was asleep. Even though if he was asleep, I was pretty sure he was doing it with his eyes open. But Edward seems like the type of person that could sleep with their eyes open.
"Hmm?"
"Are you awake?"
I heard him laugh quietly. "Yes." He laughed again "Besides I don't think anyone could sleep through all that sighing you been doing."
He's right, I was. Every time the clock changed a minute. "I'm sorry" sighing again, not being able to catch it in time. "Sorry." I said again. "Could you...I don't know, maybe, talk to me?"
He leaned forward in the chair. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Well...you did tell me you were going to tell me why you treat Jasper the way you do."
It was Edward's turn to sigh.
I started trying to back track when he didn't say anything. "I'm sorry...you don't really have to. I was just curious."
"No." He got up from the chair, coming to knell by my side again. "I told you I was going to tell you so I will." He stayed there, knelling beside the bed, I guess trying to get his bearings straight.
To me it just looked uncomfortable.
"Edward, you can lay down on the bed if you like. It has to be more comfortable than the floor."
He looked at me for several moments with an expression I didn't understand. Finally, he got up, pulling back the blankets, settling in beside me. He was warm, and it helped calm my beating heart...
Until the other part of my brain caught up and squealed like a fan girl because he was lying in bed with me.
Too bad this wasn't a whole other situation, because I could be having so much fun right no. Just look at those lips...oh wait, he's talking!
"When you said I was jealous of Jasper, you weren't too far off. In our family, I'm the one that gets used most in missions. So I've always stayed close to home, except for the time in the marines. Though everyone in our family has done some branch of the military. With me having to do what I do for the family, I don't really have the time to be normal. I can't hang out with friends, I can't get an actual job, I can't go to med school," the he mumbled "I can't have a girlfriend." he cleared his throat, talking a little louder. "Not all of those are because of the whole vampire hunter thing. Like I could have friends I guess, but it's not like they could ever know the real me."
"And the girlfriend part? Is that because she'd never know the real you?"
He sighed, taking a minute to answer. "No, it's because I wouldn't want to put her in any danger. Just by being with me could cause her to be in danger." He sighed again.
I wanted to ask if the girlfriend would be in danger because of him, because Rosalie and Jasper seemed to have found someone...but he started talking again.
"I look at Jasper and I see thing I can never have. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for him. And I've told him that, but I can't help but feel a little resentful sometimes. He got to go to college four states away. I couldn't even go to Harvard when I had the option." He paused. "He gets to live out a normal life, with friends and parties on weekends. Basketball games, going to movies. A girlfriend that he loves dearly. Granted, she's not the type I would have chosen, but he seems to like her." He smile thoughtfully at that, then continued. "He gets to have the normal life I'll never be able to have. Even Rosalie and Emmett have a more normal life than me. I don't feel as resentful to Rosalie because she's the only girl, and she should be able to live a more normal life than us, but still. She brought Emmett into the business a few years ago.
"I thought at first he wouldn't stay, even though he claimed to love her, but I was wrong. Hell, even Alice doesn't seem to mind."
"What makes you think that you wouldn't find a girl who'd be okay with your family hunting vampires?" More than anything, Edward seemed lonely.
Because let me tell you...I'm okay with the family business!
"It's not that." He shook his head. "I can't put a girl in that situation. I'm not normal."
"Edward, your whole families not normal, but I'm sure that they would want you to find happiness. Anyway, you and Jasper remind me of Sam and Dean." always had a thing for Dean...guess that explains why I have a thing for Edward too.
"Who?"
"Sam and Dean Winchester? Supernatural? No?" He's expression told me he didn't. I huffed. "It's a TV show."
"Bella, I fight the supernatural every day, why would you think I'd watch a show about it."
"Good point." I mumbled. Didn't think of it that way.
"Um...there's something else I want to tell you." He sounded worried.
"What? Is there another reason to be jealous of Jasper?"
He blinked a few times, and then sighed. "Kind of."
"Kind of?" I asked, when he didn't say anything.
"Bella, when I said I'm not normal, I didn't mean my 'family' normal. I meant I wasn't normal."
"Okay?"
He took a deep breath. "There's a reason why my family uses me so much more than everyone else."
He paused for what seemed like an hour. I knew it wasn't, because I was still watching the clock change every minute.
"Yes?"
He shut his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath through his nose. The words all came out in a rush. "Icanreadminds."
"What?" I tried to space the words apart in my mind. "You. Can. Read. Minds." I paused, yep that what the words formed. Then I realized what I just said. "Wait! What?"
What? Really?
Oh God! Really?
"Suuuurrrrreeee." I drawled out the word. "So I'm thinking of a number between one and one hundred-"
"Bella, I can't read your mind."
Damn...that's convenient.
Or inconvenient...whichever way you look at it.
"So, how do you expect me to believe you?"
"Alice knows." He said simply.
"Why does Alice know?" Better yet...why does she know before me?
"Jasper told her. He told her everything."
"So when did Alice find out?"
"Jasper told her the night she was attacked. She tested it out the next morning."
I remembered that next morning. Alice walking into the kitchen despite objections from Jasper, about her need to stay in bed. She picked up a piece of bacon then proceeded to stare at Edward as she chewed. For the next five minutes, Edward did random things, most were making faces. I thought he was trying to get her to stop starting at him. But then he started making faces at me. That I really didn't understand.
"Is that why you were doing all those weird facial expressions for so long?" I was still having trouble believing him, but maybe I would give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Yeah, Alice said that she believed it right off, because Jasper told her, but she wanted to test it. And then she said it was just too funny to stop once she started."
"Yeah, that sounds like-wait! So you can read Alice's mind?"
Great, so here he's known all along that I want to ravish his body, and he was letting me know with that long speech that he didn't want me as a girlfriend. Which wasn't hard to guess, why would he want me? I'm one.
"I could at first. But now she blocks her thought. And she's very good at it. She uses designers' names, and puts them alphabetically order. So I haven't even tried lately."
"Is it normal for people to block their thoughts?"
"Well" He looked like he was trying to decide how much to tell me. "Emmett hasn't even learned, and I've been around him for two years. So I get kind of grossed out when he and Rose are in the same room for long periods of time. She's my sister; I don't want to know everything about her."
"Gross" I could only imagine what he was going through.
"Mom and dad filter their thoughts, as do Rose and Jasper. As much as they can anyway." He paused. "And um..."
"What is it?"
"Well...it's Charlie."
"What about Charlie?"
"I don't know how to tell you this."
"What?"
"He's hiding something."
"What? What is he hiding?"
"I'm not sure what."
"The thing he said about the woods?" I asked remembering how Edward was looking at Charlie when he said that they weren't safe.
"Yeah, it was weird." He sighed. "In his mind, he wasn't thinking about normal animals that you should be afraid of in the woods, like bears. But it wasn't clear. Also...Jacob hiding something to."
I groaned. I really didn't want to hear anything about him.
"Like with Charlie, I don't know what. His thoughts aren't clear."
"Do you think that they could know about you?"
Edward shook his head. "The only ones, besides you and Alice, are my family. And that's not information that we would just give out freely."
"True." I started biting my lip.
"Hey." He pulled my lip out from in-between my teeth. "Don't worry, I'll find out what it is."
"It's not that, it's..."
"What?" He questioned.
"What's wrong with me?"
"What?"
"You can't read my mind...why is that?"
"Bella, you should be thankful that I can't read your mind."
Oh I am...trust me!
"I am...it just doesn't make any sense."
He laughed. "Actually, when I first figured out that I couldn't hear your thoughts, I thought you didn't have any."
"Gee, thanks Edward." I taped him on the arm.
"But I found out quickly that I was wrong."
"Yeah, yeah." I yawned.
"So...you're okay that I can read minds?" He asked, surprise coloring his voice.
"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like you can read mine. I'll admit its a little weird, and don't think I'm not going to test you though."
"That's fine. Test me all you want." I heard amusement in his voice. "Why don't you try to go to sleep now?"
I yawned again. "You're probably right." I snuggled into my pillow. "Good night."
"Good night, Bella."
After several minutes, I snuggled in closer to him, because he makes me feel safe and he smells good. He started lightly humming a tune I didn't know. But whatever it was, it was beautiful. Just before I drifted off to sleep, I felt him move my hair away from my face that fell out of the pony tail Alice put it in on top of my head. The feeling from his fingers went all the way down to my toes.
And all my mind could come up with was bastard.
Why couldn't he do something like that when I was a little more awake, and a whole lot more flexible? But no, he has to do this when I'm on the verge of sleep, and don't have the energy to wake myself up.
The hand went from running fingers through my hair to running finger down my face.
Bastard.
Fingers down my throat.
Bastard.
Trailing down my arm.
Bastard
Over my side.
Bastard.
To across my back, then finally settling on my hip. Then I felt his warm soft lips gaze my forehead.
"Sweet dreams, Bella."
I would have sweet dreams tonight, as long as I stayed in the arms of this man. I just hoped vampires don't make an appearance. Actually I hope I didn't have to worry about anymore vampires at all.
But what I didn't know what that vampires weren't the least of my problems.
An~ any ideas anyone wants to give...I'm up for anything. Now if you haven't gone and read Edwards pov yet, just go to my page and click on The game...Edward's style.
Read and review. Love ya!
~Sky.