A/N: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Drama belongs to me.
I want to thank auroraboralis and edward'sbella17 for the awesome reviews! You guys are the first ones to officially review and I loved reading them! Also, thanks to all of you who are reading and putting this story on alert!
BTW – This is where the M rating comes in to play…just a little bit.
[Chapter 11: I Want to Breathe in a New Beginning]
The setting was perfect. Beautiful blood red roses adorned the altar and aisle. The bouquet had thirteen perfectly bloomed roses that were snugly tied together by heavy black velvet fabric. The strapless white wedding gown was covered in intricate lace and fit the bride flawlessly. A matching band of black velvet wrapped around the waist right under the bust line and tied into a complicated bow in the back. The black tails flowed towards the train. He was standing at the altar by the priest in a traditional black tuxedo. The vest matched the color of the roses. His once long hair was cut short and styled. He smiled wide at his waiting bride. As she made her way down the long, flower-laden aisle, violins played the romantic melody of Lifehouse's 'You and Me'.
"Dearly Beloved…" the priest with kind eyes began. The church was quiet and sniffles could be heard from those crying. Tears of happiness, no doubt.
"I, Jacob Thomas, take thee Isa-" he paused. My heart was light and ready as I stared into those sparkling deep brown eyes full of love and hope.
"Bella!" A different voice infiltrated my subconscious. I suddenly sat up and looked around confusedly. There was no one in my room. I rubbed my hands over my face and instantly remembered my dream. I wanted to scream. It felt so real. Then I remembered today was THE day – their wedding. A knock stilled my jumbled thoughts. "Bella?"
It was Alice. "Yeah?" I called out, my voice raspy from sleep. "Come in."
"Good morning, sweets," she greeted me. Her pajamas had cupcakes printed all over her legs and her hair was a complete mess.
"Morning," I replied. "What's up?"
"How was last night?" I groaned at her inquiry. "Let's make some breakfast and you can tell me all about it."
"Oh, God. Alright. Give me fifteen minutes and I'll meet you in the kitchen." Alice nodded as I got up and made my way to the bathroom to shower.
When I walked into the kitchen, Alice had the pancake batter ready to go and I could smell the bacon frying. I sighed happily. I pulled a pan out of the cabinet and set it on the stove.
"It's all yours, chick."
"Thanks, Al." I took the bowl of batter and tested the temperature of the pan. The water I sprinkled in the pan sizzled and I poured the first ladleful. Besides the soft sounds of the batter cooking, the kitchen was silent. As the pancake set, I plucked the crispy bacon out of the other pan, plated them and put it in the oven to stay warm.
"Well?"
"It was so stupid. I don't know what I was thinking."
"It couldn't have been that terrible," Alice said reassuringly. "I'm proud off you. I know it took a lot for you to even consider another guy."
"I'm not there yet," I stated. "My gut instinct told me that I was nowhere ready to be even thinking about dating someone else but I feel so alone." With that I relayed the entire night to her – the car ride, Disneyland, the awkward conversation and all around unnerving feeling I got from Stefan.
"Oh, Bel," she said sympathetically. "He seemed so put together on the outside. Seriously, though, who takes a girl out on a first date to Disneyland and just for dinner? Hmmm. Besides his terrible taste in music, where do you think it all went wrong?"
"That's easy," I took a deep breath. "Jake's getting married today and I had found out minutes before Stefan picked me up. It just hit me and I didn't have –"
"What?" Alice screeched. "What do you mean he's getting married today? Did he talk to you? Oh my God, Bella. What a fucking asshole! To have the nerve to call and tell you. What, like he needs to clear his conscience before marrying that woman?"
"Al." I tried to calm her down as she sat down on one of the bar stools by the counter. "Ali, Alice! Listen to me. He didn't call me. I logged on to the wedding site and all the details were posted for the world to see. Everyone in his family will be there and all his friends are part of the wedding party. It's no surprise that Quil's his best man." My heart started pounding as I said the words out loud and it didn't feel real until this moment. In a soft, shaky voice I continued. "He's going to marry her."
Alice didn't say anything as I turned back to stove and concentrated on flipping the pancake. There were no tears which confused me. I wasn't upset in the normal, Bella's upset and will sob, but rather, I felt removed. Jake's wedding, as ridiculous as it sounded in my head, had absolutely nothing to do with me.
"We need to get out of the house today," Alice suddenly said. I just looked at her. "We have plenty of time before we have to head over to Edward's shindig. We can't sit back and stare at the clock or wonder what those people are doing. Especially Crazy."
"Okay." I slid a plate over to her with a small stack of pancakes and some slices of bacon. Alice hopped off the stool and poured herself a cup of coffee that had been brewing thanks to the auto-start setting. "Can we hit Bed, Bath and Beyond?"
"Sure, what for?"
"I want new bedding and sheets." I finished up the rest of the pancakes and made myself a plate. I plopped next to Alice on the other bar stool after I poured a glass of milk. "I want new things and a new bedroom. Today is a new day. It has to be."
"That sounds like a plan," Alice responded as she took a bite of gooey, syrup covered pancake. I silently prayed a Hail Mary for the strength to get through today.
After we finished breakfast, Alice and I both headed to our rooms to get dressed. We hopped in my car, and headed over to neighboring city of Burbank to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I didn't exactly know what I was looking for in terms of color or design, just that I needed everything different. I kept my phone close to me in my pocket – in hopes of something, a sign, or maybe the off chance that Jake would call me. For what? Right now, I would take anything. As many times as I ran it through my head, I still couldn't wrap around the 'why' of his actions.
Alice flitted around the store oohing and aahing at all the new kitchen gadgets. I kept seeing this blur of dark hair run past me up and down the closely placed aisles. I waited in anticipation for the sound of merchandise crashing to the ground and the guilty look on my friend's face next to a mess.
"Hey!" I called out to her. "Look at this one." I found a duvet cover in solid, warm, wine colors of deep purples and maroons.
"That's really pretty," Alice commented. She walked over to me carrying something. I just shook my head.
"What the hell did you find?" I laughed at her.
"This," she held out her hand, "is a showerhead that lights up the water as you shower. It changes from red to green to blue. It's kind of like having the Bellagio fountain show in your bathroom."
"What?" I was hysterical at this point. "Where do you even find something like that?"
"Well, I saw it in those airline magazines that you can read on the plane. You know that catalog with all the weird gadgets."
I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard. Only Alice could fall in love with weird As Seen on TV products. "And the other thing?" I gasped out.
"Oh! A Snuggie," she replied matter of factly.
"Alice! You are killing me!" I cried out. I was clutching a decorative pillow to my chest.
"It's just so soft." She placed her items in the little cart that was quickly filling up with my new bed set.
"That's what he said," I quipped and rolled my eyes at her. "Help me get some pillows."
"Yes, ma'am," she saluted me.
We gathered up the matching shams, bed skirt, and duvet. We headed over to where the bed pillows were and Alice and I tested out the many different types that were on display.
"I have never seen so many pillows before," I said as I fluffed a pillow that was specifically labeled for a side sleeper.
"I know, right?" Alice said as she fluffed her own pillow. "Look at this one – the memory foam creates a feeling of sleeping on a cloud, made with the rarest materials only found at the farthest corners of the earth."
"Al, how much is that pillow in your hand?" I laughed as I felt how soft and perfect it was.
Alice burst into giggles and her gray-blue eyes widened. "A hundred and sixty bucks!"
"No freakin' way," I giggled. She just nodded her head. "Here, we'll just take these." I handed her two uncomplicated, simple, fluffy pillows.
We wandered around the store a little bit longer and looked at some of the other departments. When we finally reached the cashier I noticed the time. "Hey, Al, what time do we have to be over on the west side?"
"Uh, not til after eight," she replied and gathered her pile of merchandise to place on the counter. "Jas thought we could grab dinner and meet Em and Rose there, since they're coming from the opposite direction."
"That sounds like a plan," I replied and brushed a stray hair off my forehead.
"Your total comes to four hundred and twenty-five dollars," the clerk interrupted. I handed him my card, signed the sales receipt and placed the bags back in the shopping cart. I cringed at the total, but quickly reasoned this was a good thing. New beginnings, my rational head screamed at me. As I waited for Alice to finish up, I checked my phone for the umpteenth time. It was getting close to two o'clock and no calls.
Before my head could start rambling with what-if scenarios, I was saved by Alice, once again. "Let us be off!"
Thanks to the light traffic on a Saturday afternoon, we made it home in no time.
"Jas'll be here around six-ish and we'll head over," Alice told me when we walked into the apartment.
"Okay, I'm going to put the new bedding on," I replied. "I'll bug you later about what you are wearing."
Alice headed towards her bathroom to try and see if she could install her new showerhead. I pulled out the new sheets and threw them in the washing machine. While the sheets were in the wash, I decided to start styling my hair and avoid being rushed. I turned the curling iron on and clipped pieces of hair into sections.
I brought out the rest of my purchases and stripped my bed. I removed the old duvet cover from the down comforter and put the new one over it. I cut the tags off of the new pillows and set them on the empty mattress. I sat down and thought about tonight. A surprising smile made its way to my face the thought of seeing Edward again. Almost instantly, my mind wandered back to my dream from this morning. There was a constant conflict between the love I used to know and reality co-existing in my head.
Everything seemed so simple before. I felt lucky in love and thankful that I didn't have to date. Though my closest friends were coupled up, I had friends at work and school who struggled with finding their other half. I was never jealous of that. I never felt I missed out of dating in high school or college. I had someone. Had, being the operative word, I internally rolled my eyes. I wasn't one of those girls who needed a man to function; it was just nice having that built-in best friend and affection. I was just confused, but I knew myself well enough to know that last night shouldn't have happened. Or ever, now that I thought about it.
I gathered my old pillows and duvet and placed them in a bag. The washing machine timer went off and I put the sheets in the dryer.
"Al, what are you wearing tonight?" I called down the hallway. I could hear the pulsing bass of an epic concert happening in her room. As I inched closer, the chaotic melody of 'Hysteria' was playing. I giggled and knocked on her door loudly.
"Hey," she greeted me and lowered the volume.
"Oh, hello," I answered.
"What would you do if Matt, Chris and Dom were all in here?" She asked me as she looked up from her laptop. Alice was lounging comfortably on her elegant black and white patterned comforter. I guess she gave up on the showerhead.
"Do I know they're here or do I come home to find them locked in your room?"
"They've been locked in my room and when you come home, you find them pleading to be let out."
"I'd probably look at them, back up quietly and shut the door," Alice and I continued to laugh at our ridiculous imagination that only the two of us would ever understand. "By the way, how would you have acquired this trio?"
"That's easy, a tranq gun," she dead panned. I also got the slightest feeling that she'd actually thought about that at some point.
"Of course, my mistake," I stated and sat on the edge of the bed. "So what are you wearing tonight?"
"I'm going to go a little casual. Probably a dress and leggings, not sure yet."
"Okay," I replied and mentally scanned through my closet for an outfit. "Is Edward ready for tonight?"
"Oh my God, yes!" Alice squealed happily. "It's going to be so much fun! He invited friends, colleagues and even tweeted out some VIP tickets so a select few could get a preview. He's been advertising like crazy around L.A. at coffees shops and local businesses around the store. Emmett said the place looks great and is ready to go. Oh! Edward has a band playing tonight too! I heard they're really good. They're local and have been together since high school and Edward met them in college. It's a tribute band to rock n' roll with four members. Apparently, no song is safe. Jas and Em have seen them perform before. I guess they were an opening band at some festival they attended years ago."
"That's awesome!" I said enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of him. I mean, to take on starting your own business and then invest your entire being in it is amazing. Your family seems to have a knack for business, eh Al?"
"I think there's something in the water back home," Alice laughed.
"Well, kid, I better go and get ready! Got to look my best now that I'm a single lady!" I stated sarcastically.
"Hey, Bel?" Alice asked in serious voice. I nodded at her. "Tanya will be there tonight."
"Yeah, and?" I responded, not sure where she was going with her point. I haven't thought of her since the night of our Christmas party.
"Um, Edward and she have sort of been dating for the last six months or so," she calmly said in a very un-Alice like voice.
"Excuse me?" I was surprised and a little disappointed. "What do you mean they've been dating?"
"I don't think it's serious, but I just wanted to let you know," Alice stated. "My mom told me."
"Good for him," I clipped. Jeez, Bella, what do you care? "I'm glad he found someone. He deserves to be happy. Look at everything he has going for him. "
"Bella," Alice started.
"It's okay, really," I interrupted. "Anyway, I'm just going to have a good time tonight. Listen to some good music, drink a little, and congratulate the new business owner."
"Okay," she dropped whatever it looked like she was going to say. "Let me know if you need help with your hair."
"Alright. See ya in a bit." I answered her.
My head wouldn't shut up after I left Alice to get ready. The news of Tanya and Edward rubbed me the wrong way and I still couldn't narrow down the emotion I felt. He never once mentioned anything about his relationship with her except how it related to the business. I looked at the time, as I curled my hair in to waves, and the cable box read a little after five.
"Oh shit," I gasped out in realization and dropped the skinny curling iron in the sink. Jake was officially married. Leah was now Leah Black. I took a deep breath, walked out of the bathroom and put on a loud, angry mix of music that included some punk, some rock and lots of expletives.
"That's enough," I told myself. I channeled strength and wrapped myself up in the satisfaction I felt when I punched that asshole in the face. I finished up my hair and finger combed out the curls. I sprayed it with some hair spray and it hung in ribbon curls, dark and shiny past my shoulders. I decided to vamp up my makeup with dramatic, shimmery eye shadow, dark eyeliner and very sparkly lip gloss.
I pulled out one of my sexier pair of panties and bra sets from my dresser. It was a deep green Demi Cup bra that was covered in black lace. The lace trim bikini brief matched and even had a little dark green bow at the center. After covering myself in lotion, I sprayed on one of my favorite scents.
I walked over to the closet and grabbed black skinny jeans and an emerald silk oversized cowlneck top with sleeves that ended at my elbows. It draped passed my hips a little. The top was tight enough to show off my shape, but loose enough to move around in. The fabric overlapped and draped along my torso. I placed an onyx cuff on my wrist and decided to forgo earrings or a necklace. The last accessory to my outfit was my shoes – flats, heels or boots? I decided on some black leather, stiletto boots. These boots had buckles from ankle to knee. It was all very rock star.
I checked out my reflection in the mirror and was satisfied that no one would ever guess that my insides were twisted with anxiety.
"Hey, Al?" I called down to her room. Her private concert seemed to have quieted down at this point. The door opened and she poked her head out.
"Ooh, I like it!" She gushed. "You look beautiful. I should be done in five."
"Fuck me!" I suddenly yelled out. Alice's face became concerned.
"What's wrong?"
"I forgot about my sheets!" I laughed.
"Finish that later," she laughed. "Seriously, I'll be done in five."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I answered. She shut the door and I walked over to the dryer to check my sheets. They were done, so I gathered them and dumped them on the bed. I went back to the mirror and finished applying some lip gloss. I heard the buzzer for the gate and headed to the living room.
"Hello?" I called out after I pushed the talk button.
"Hey, Bel. Your ride is here madam," Jasper's drawl filtered through. I laughed.
"Come on in, Jas. I'll leave the front door open," I replied. I buzzed open the gate, unlocked the front door and went back to my room to finish up. "Alice! Jasper's here!" Minutes later, I heard the front door open and Jasper's footsteps walking on the hardwood floor.
As I gathered up the little cigarette case that held my I.D. and credit cards, I heard Alice's signature squeal.
"Jas!" I walked to the living room just in time to see Alice launch herself into Jasper's arms. He caught her easily and they kissed passionately. It looked like a choreographed movie moment. My entire body ached with want while I watched their exchange. I missed that terribly.
"Alright, alright, break it up!" I joked and sounded like a parent who caught her kid making out.
"Bella, you look nice," Jasper stated.
"Thanks," I simply stated. "You're not so bad yourself, Jas." He looked great in his olive green military style button down and light washed jeans that were ripped in the right places. His shirt even had epaulet straps on the shoulders. On his feet were black steel toed Docs. He had styled his blonde hair off of his face.
"Ahem," Alice cleared her throat. We both turned to her. "What about me?" She even put her finger on her head and twirled.
"My apologies, Al," I said and laughed. Jasper just applauded. "You look positively stunning!"
"Oh shove it," she playfully glared at us. "You too, bub." Jasper just shook his head and smiled.
"Darlin', you always look beautiful." He walked up and hugged her from behind. He lowered his head to her shoulder and kissed her neck. She giggled and sighed. The strings of my heart were pulled once again.
Alice really did look amazing and casual – well, casual for her. She was in simple black, ankle length leggings with matching ballet flats. She wore a simple black tee with a long sleeved, open cut gray cardigan that hung at asymmetrical angles past her hips. To me, it looked like a sophisticated poncho. She had straightened her dark hair, flipped out the ends and pinned up one side with a little black bow. With her flats her height difference to Jasper was very apparent.
"Are we ready to go?" She asked.
"Yup," I answered. "I am, if you are."
We piled in Jasper's Bronco and head towards the freeway. "Where are we going? I totally forgot to ask earlier."
Alice turned around from the front seat. The radio hummed in the background. "Edward's store is on the boulevard by the university and there's a bunch of retail stores, restaurants and coffee shops. It's like a larger version of that street by our place."
When we reached West Los Angeles, Jasper parked down the block from the restaurant and we walked to the little Mexican café. Dinner, a couple of pitchers of margaritas, and many laughs later, Alice, Jasper and I finally made our way to Edward's opening. We drove a short ways and Jasper dropped Alice and I off at the front while he found a parking spot. I was not prepared for the sight I was met with.
The two story brick building housed three shops and Shoebox Records was nestled between a coffee shop and a small book store. A wooden sign hung over the double doors welcoming customers. The rectangular wood was painted a teal color with Shoebox written in red 1950s retro print font that was outlined in gold and the Records placed underneath in a similar retro style in cursive. That lettering was gold with red outlining it. The sign popped and grabbed attention.
Even with the tinted doors at the entrance, I could feel the pulse of music coming from the store. While Jasper jogged towards us, security was letting people in. When the door opened, dueling fiddles could be heard battling against each other. I was intrigued and wanted to see what was going on. We walked over to the short line and waited our turn.
"Hi!" Alice greeted the massively muscled bouncer. "We're on the list – me - Alice Brandon, him – Jasper Whitlock and her – Bella Swan."
"I.D.s." He gruffly demanded. His unfriendly dark eyes showed how serious this jean glad, black t-shirt wearing man took his job. We handed over our ideas and he opened the door letting us in.
"Fire on the mountain, run boys, run. The devil's in the house of the risin' sun…" a man's deep scratchy voice sang out. With my mouth wide open in shock, I looked at the far end of the store to see a band on a balcony performing. Two girls, one with long striking blue hair in pigtails and her bangs white as snow, the other one was shorter with a bright angular red bob, were responsible for the heated battle of fiddles. The only feature I could make out from the drummer was his neon green liberty spikes.
"Oh my God," I exclaimed. I looked at Alice and Jasper. They were both grinning ear to ear. "This is amazing!" The sheer size of the store was misleading from the street. Since the second floor was gutted, it doubled the size of the space. True to Edward's description, the ceiling featured a night sky coated in bright colors and it seemed like millions of stars twinkled. It was very similar to a Vegas casino. Purples, blues and black faded into each other and the fiber optic light show danced across like the Milky Way Galaxy.
People were milling about, but the majority stood adjacent to the balcony clapping and singing in time with the band above. The cash wrap was located to the right and was one long black counter with memorabilia glass cases between each cash register. The rectangular shaped store featured rows of CDs, vinyl, and a book section with short stacks to the left with chairs. By the stacks were a couple of computers for public use, I guessed. Under the balcony, various musical instruments hung from the walls, with a couple of pianos and drum kits showcased on the floor.
At the end of the cash wrap, a bar was set up featuring appetizers and liquor. We made a beeline towards it first. I didn't even notice Edward until I felt a hand palm my mouth shut. I looked in disbelief to see the owner of the hand smiling and laughing at me. His bright green eyes shone with excitement and his energy was contagious.
"Edward!" I exclaimed. I stepped forward and gave him a fierce hug. "I'm impressed. You did a fantastic job!" I waved my hand out. By this time, the band moved on to another loud, crowd pleasing job.
I turned to look up to my right and had a better look at this band. They looked the part of a rock band. The guy standing near the railing with his guitar was as big and tall like Emmett, his arms completely inked and a brown messy faux hawk. He was dressed in jeans and black t-shirt. The blue haired girl now donned a ruby red guitar and was now singing. Her vocals were amazing and her voice had a slight rasp, similar to a mix between Pink and Ann Wilson from Heart. Her right arm was tattooed in bright colors of reds, yellows, and purples. She wore a black pleated skirt with black tulle underneath and a black button down that tied under her bust line. Her blue hair was pulled into high pigtails that flowed a little past her shoulders. The bass player, the red head, looked like she had piercings strategically placed around her face. She wore a purple long sleeved button down blouse with a striking green tie. Her pants were a purple and green sort of plaid combination. The drummer was still too far away for me to get a really good look.
"Thanks, Bella," he said. "Aren't they great?" He caught me glancing back to them. I nodded. He was about to continue when a blur of gray jumped at him.
"Eddie!" Alice hugged her cousin. After letting her go, he shook Jasper's hand. "Congratulations! This is exciting! Is Em here yet? Who's this band? I love them! Oh! Jas look!"
We all laughed at Alice's babbling. I glanced around the store and everyone was singing along or talking. There was even a guy attempting to crowd surf, but there weren't enough people to hold him up. When he fell and landed with a thud, everyone groaned in sympathy pain. Even the band stopped mid song to look. I saw Rosalie walking towards us shaking her head.
"I told him not to do this," she said. We all looked at her with questions. Suddenly the crowd cheered and the guy who fell jumped up with his hands in the air, high fiving people. It was Emmett grinning like a fool. The five of us broke out into laughter and after a pause, the band picked up where they left off. Emmett made his way over to the bar, waving, and came back to properly greet us.
"That was awesome!" Emmett exclaimed as he put his arm around Rosalie. She was trying hard not to laugh, but her face kept trying to smile.
"Emmett, what possessed you to crowd surf, or at least attempt to, over twenty people?" I asked. He shrugged like the answer was so obvious.
"Come on, Bel," he turned to me. "A loud, pissed off song just begs for some crowd surfing and some shoving."
"Oh, of course," I sarcastically replied. "My apologies."
"Well, now that Emmett's done destroying my floor, I just want to say I'm so glad you guys are here," Edward spoke up.
"Wait!" Alice interrupted. "We need to do a toast." Alice ran back to the bar and came back with a tray of shots in varying shades.
"Okay, now that we are properly liquored," she continued. We all raised our hands with our glasses. "Edward –"
"Wait!" A new voice rang out to us. I turned and saw Tanya walking towards us. I immediately remembered Alice's words from earlier. "I don't want to miss your toast!"
Tanya greeted everyone and walked up to Edward last. He hugged her and when she leaned in, he turned his head slightly and she gave his cheek a peck. He quickly excused himself to get her shot from the bar. The exchange was so subtle, that I think I only caught it because I was blatantly staring in their interaction. She exuded confidence and beauty. Tanya had tied her strawberry blonde hair into a low side ponytail that hung in beautiful waves. Her hair was pinned off her face in a pin up style. Her lips shone bright with glossy red lipstick and her blue eyes were dramatically lined with a slight wing on the ends with lashes for days. Her figure was accentuated by a close fitting black dress which had buttons from the hem to her collar and stopped right above her knees. Her waist was cinched by a thin red belt. The sleeves were half capped and she wore high chunky closed toed heels in bright red.
When Edward returned, Alice impatiently was bouncing her foot. Edward took his place next to Tanya once more without touching and met my eyes. I gave him a slight smile. They matched each other perfectly. With his black thin pin striped slacks, a simple white button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and black suspenders, Edward looked amazing. The top couple of buttons were left open and instead of a bare chest, he had a white t-shirt on underneath. I blinked away my sudden gawking and looked above and past his messy sex hair. Oh my God, I just thought Edward Cullen had sex hair. Stop it! Listen to Alice! She's speaking. I turned my attention to my best friend.
"We're all situated, yes?" Alice said looking around at the six of us. We all nodded smiling at each other. "Eddie, as your little cousin, I feel it's my duty to bestow congratulations from the family –"
"Hey!" Emmett interrupted. "I'm first born, how come I don't get the honor of congratulating him?"
"Emmett!" Alice replied impatiently. "Hush. Mom asked me. Besides you would probably say something embarrassing. Like that time you locked him outside the house in nothing but a bath towel. Then when he tried to get in by climbing the trellis in the back, the towel snagged and fell to the ground."
"Alice!" Edward suddenly interrupted. His green eyes were wide with embarrassment. Emmett guffawed at the memory. Jasper, Rosalie and I had to cover our mouths from not laughing out loud. "How did you even know about that? And you. You said you'd never tell anyone about that, especially since I took the blame when you got caught in the girls' bathroom at school."
"I filmed it of course," Alice said quickly. "Oops."
"There's video?" Edward exclaimed. The rest of us couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Alice!" Emmett yelled over Edward. Rosalie palmed her face and shook her head.
"Hey, don't blame me," Alice said quickly. "Em gave me and Jas ten bucks each. Besides Jasper had to hold me up so I could see over the fence. Shit. I mean nothing. I know nothing. Congratulations, Edward! Opa!"
Jasper and I clinked our glasses and everyone followed suit. By this time were in hysterics over Emmett's antics.
"Don't even," Edward turned to me. I almost choked on my shot from laughing. I just looked at him in mock surprise.
"What?" I said sweetly and shrugged my shoulders innocently. "I wasn't going to say anything."
"Uh-huh, sure," he grinned knowingly. "You guys, I'll be back. I need to do the whole 'welcome to my store' rounds."
As Edward walked away, I called out to him. "Hey, Edward!" He looked at me with a questioning expression. "Congrats, sweet cheeks!" He ran his hand through his hair and just shook his head grinning. We continued our laughing fit, except for Tanya who just politely tittered at my lame joke.
"Hi everyone," the male guitar player from the band spoke out. "We just wanted to introduce ourselves real quick and congratulate Eddie here! Charlotte, Liam, Maggie and I wish nothing but the best for this guy. We met Edward back in college when we were just a struggling band right out of high school. We consider him the fifth member. It's sort of like the fifth Beatle – you're not really sure if he exists or not! Anyways, dude, we love ya! Thanks for letting us be a part of this adventure! I hope you all are enjoying the music. We're going to slow it down a bit with a couple of acoustic songs. Charlotte's going to take the lead on the next one. Sing it if you know it. Once again, I'm Felix and we're Disrupt the Sky."
The crowd, which had grown in the last hour or so, erupted with applauses, cheers and whistles. Our group cheered the loudest and Rosalie let out a two fingered whistle that echoed over the noise. Edward waved and mouthed thank you to everyone. Each member of the band all brought stools out and lined up near the state railing. Felix held an acoustic guitar, and Liam had a drum with a drumstick with a brush attachment. Maggie brought out her violin again and took her place next to Charlotte. The boys sandwiched the girls.
"Hi everyone," the blue haired Charlotte greeted us. "I'm going to take a quote from Stevie Nicks - this one's for you Eddie." She blew a kiss to Edward and the opening chords of 'Landslide' began. "I took my love and I took it down…"
"So, Bella." Tanya had made her way closer to me after Edward left. Rosalie and Emmett escaped to the bar, while Jasper and Alice were swaying to the velvety vocals of Disrupt the Sky. "What do you think?"
I almost panicked. What did I think? What did I think about her and Edward? Get a grip, Bella! "Oh! The store!" I exclaimed. Tanya quirked her eyebrow, but thankfully didn't say anything. "You both did an exceptional job."
"Thanks," she commented. "It really only came together in the last couple of months or so. Edward has a good eye for detail and knows what he wants." She wrapped a piece of hair around her finger. I looked around and saw Edward talking to a group near the book section.
"I bet," I stated under my breath. Why was it so difficult to have a conversation with her? Something wasn't sitting right. "Are you staying in town long, now that the store is done?"
"I don't know yet. I'm thinking about setting up some accounts that are based out here, so I travel less," she stated. The moment she said this, my brain made the connection – jealousy. That's exactly what I had been feeling since Tanya entered the picture. I was jealous – not of her, but the thought of her and Edward together. At least I had dressed appropriately to be green with envy, I laughed to myself.
"Oh that's nice," I commented casually.
"I think so," she replied just as coolly. "I think there are changes coming in the future and I want to be ready for them." I nodded and she continued. "Edward mentioned that you've been out of sorts lately due to a break up? I'm sorry about that. Puppy love is such a silly thing."
I stared at her, aghast. My temper almost got the best of me except Alice suddenly interrupted. "Bella! Come with me to the ladies room!"
Alice quickly excused us and I followed her towards the back. "What the hell was that?"
"I don't know," Alice replied. "I've never seen her act like that before. She's always been nice and even funny. She sort of has Rosalie's bravado."
"I don't know if I should take offense to that," a voice echoed from the behind the stall door. The toilet flushed, the stall door opened and Rosalie walked over to the sink to wash her hands. "Are you talking about that interior designer that thinks it's her night?" We both nodded at her.
"I wouldn't worry about her. She's harmless," Rosalie continued.
"Alice said they were dating," I blurted out. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.
"Alice!" Rosalie exclaimed. Her blue eyes wide with disbelief. "Edward's not with her."
"What?" Alice replied. "That's what my mom told me. What do you mean it's not true?"
"Listen," Rosalie continued. "Emmett talked to Edward not too long about that actually. I guess they went out a couple of times when he first met her but the chemistry was off or something. After that, Tanya's been throwing herself at him so he's taken to meeting in her very public places. They're not together, though she desperately wishes it so."
"Wow," I said. I was speechless. "We would make one fantastic person, eh? Rose's all knowingness, Al's energy and my hair."
"Bella, there's more to you than your hair," Alice said as she stroked my hair. Rosalie just rolled her eyes. "You have an excellent shoe collection."
The weird tension in the air dissipated immediately. "Come on, don't let her get to you." When walked out of the restroom, Alice led me over to the bar.
Charlotte was now whistling into the microphone with a simple melody along with the guitar. My eyes swept the store and I saw Edward and Tanya with a different set of people near the entrance. The longing in my heart for the ability to stand next to someone like that tugged at me. Alice handed me a rum and coke. As I drank it, I could feel the effects of the alcohol loosening the tight hold I had on my emotions.
"Shed a tear 'cause I'm missing you," Felix's rough, throaty voice began. Charlotte played her guitar in time with Felix's.
Alice and Rosalie tried to keep my attention by talking about some action movie they wanted to see. I barely heard them and focused more on the lyrics to the covered version of the Guns N' Roses song.
I chanced a glance back at Edward and this time our eyes locked. The drone of store buzzed at a low volume with Felix's voice resonating through the speakers. "Said woman take it slow. It'll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience."
I nervously bit at my thumb nail as I felt chill run up my spine. Edward's gazed seemed to pierce right through me and I couldn't break the contact. In my inebriated state, it seemed like he was trying to convey something to me in that moment. "If I can't have you right now, I'll wait dear."
I blinked and took a huge gulp of my drink. What just happened? My mind could not rationalize what had just occurred.
"I think I've had enough to drink," I stated out loud to no one in particular.
"Bel?" Rosalie asked with concern.
"Hmm? What?" I turned to the girls and met their worried expressions. "Oh, nothing. I've had enough to drink for tonight."
"If you say so," Alice replied. She seemed to let it go for now.
"I think I'm going to wander around for a bit. I haven't seen everything yet." I told the girls that I would meet up with them in a bit and they nodded in agreement.
I wandered through the crowd who was now swaying along with the break in the song. I ended up by the books and wandered down the short aisle, pretending they were most fascinating items I had ever seen. The crowd's applause broke me out of my thoughts.
"Thanks!" The red headed Maggie exclaimed with her British accent. "We're going to set up for the next song and turn it up a bit!" The cat calls and whistles continued. I smiled in awe of Disrupt the Sky's captivating performance. They were really good, even if all they did was cover songs. They made them sound like their own without ruining the integrity of music.
"Hey you," Edward's deep tone greeted me. He grinned at me. "Are you having a good time?"
"Hi," I replied. "Yes. Seriously, I'm completely impressed with what you did here. I love it. I think the stage and the ceiling's the best part. And you're alright too."
"Gee, thanks," he laughed.
"So you met the band in college?" I asked genuinely curious. He nodded.
"Yeah, I ran into Felix the first day of school. Literally," he smiled at the memory. "I was late for work and was running to my car. When I turned the corner, Felix and I collided. He was headed to the Music Building for band practice. I ended up calling in sick and spent the afternoon with them while they practiced."
"That is too funny," I laughed. "That totally reminds me how I met Emmett when I first moved to Forks."
"He told me about that. He said the green mask was very charming," Edward laughed at my shocked expression. My mouth dropped in shock.
"I swore them both to secrecy." I was speechless and shook my head. "A lot good that did me."
"Well, all of our secrets seem to be tumbling out tonight. Remember me? Naked guy on the side of the house," he pointed to his chest. I laughed lightly.
"That is true. I can't compete with that." I gestured to Edward and my mind immediately pictured what I thought he looked like naked – his chest, arms, legs and other important parts of his anatomy. I felt crazy and instantly blamed the margaritas. "Where's Tanya?"
Edward's face changed subtly and the playfulness banished. "She went to get a drink."
"Things seem to be going well," I tiptoed around what I really wanted to ask. "With her, I mean?"
"Yeah, we work fine together, that's about it," he formally replied. "She has great contacts that were able to get the jobs I needed done." I was dying to ask about their relationship. Whoever said alcohol made you brave was abso-fuckin-lutely right.
"Is she going to be around now that the store's done?" I couldn't stop the word vomit. Edward gave me a pointed look.
"Bella, spit it out," he finally said.
"Dammit." I sighed and closed my eyes. "Areyoureallydatingher?" I blurted out in one breath. I vaguely paid attention to the sound of guitars tuning up. Suddenly music exploded which cut off anything Edward was going to say. I walked out to see the little redhead whaling on the bass along with Felix. Charlotte was off to the side with her red guitar playing back up. I finally noticed that the drummer, Liam, kept in time with both leads. My jaw dropped in astonishment as Maggie took the lead vocals this time.
"I won't stand in your way! Let your hatred grow and she'll scream and she'll shout and she'll pray and she had a name. Yeah, she had a name!" Her voice was smooth and commanded attention. I'd never seen a live band cover 'Stockholm Syndrome' or a Muse song for that matter. They owned it.
"Bel?" I completely forgot Edward was next to me and even though I had just asked him about Tanya. I peered to my right and Edward smiled knowingly – like he had a secret he was dying to share. "No," he whispered in my ear. Edward squeezed my arm and walked away. I watched his back as Maggie and Liam's vocals surrounded me.
In a trance, I continued my tour of the store alone and confused. I looked for Alice and spotted her in the corner making out with Jasper. Rosalie and Emmett were nowhere to be found. Tanya was by the registers watching me. I just looked at her with a straight, emotionless face and quirked an eyebrow. She just rolled her eyes and glanced down at her phone. Edward had wandered to what looked like friends of his. He glanced in my direction and winked at me.
This whole evening and weekend had been very confusing to me. How could it have gone so wrong and so right at the same time? My whole being seemed to want to say Jake who. My thoughts tried to drift there but I pushed them back. I didn't want to think about Jake anymore. I wanted to revel in this euphoric mood I'd somehow recovered despite the weird Tanya fiasco.
I stopped towards the front of the store and just soaked in how different and cutting edge Shoebox Records was. I made a mental note to ask Edward why he chose that name. I had an inkling of what it could mean, but I wanted to hear it from him. Hell, I could listen to him talk all day.
"Why are you smiling?" My friend found me. I turned to Alice and in a low voice relayed Edwards's and my exchange. "Shut up. Oh my God! That is so cute!"
"Shhh!" I tried to quiet her down.
"No one can hear me," she replied confidently. "Well, except those people and maybe them too. And that guy. Oh shit, sorry."
"Oh, Al," I laughed. "I was just thinking what a weird ass weekend this has turned out to be."
"I'll say," she giggled.
The rest of night went on with Disrupt the Sky playing a couple of more songs. My friends and I stayed away from Tanya and kept to our circle drinking and laughing. Jasper and Emmett joked and teased Edward when he made his way back to us. The mood remained fun and lighthearted. I desperately tried to not stare at Edward. In my drunken state, I probably failed. That old familiar ache of longing seeped into my bones. As Rosalie and Alice hung on their significant others, I desperately wanted the same release.
When the band finished playing and were packing up their instruments, Alice indicated it was time to head out. The crowd had thinned out a bit and Edward was bidding his friends goodbye. Emmett and Rosalie left before Jasper, Alice and I.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" Edward asked Jasper.
"Yeah, man. This was great. Good luck with everything," he answered. They shook hands and Alice hugged Edward.
"I'm so proud of you, Eddie. Love you," she told him.
"Thanks, Cuz," he replied. "Love you back."
Edward turned to me as I awkwardly watched their exchanges. I didn't know what to say. His emerald green eyes crinkled when he smiled at me.
"Impressed, Swan?" He continued to smile. I just shook my head.
"Don't be so sure, Cullen," I playfully rolled my eyes and just hugged him. "For real, though, you did a wonderful job."
"Thanks for coming, Bella," he seriously said looking down at me. "It really means a lot to me."
I nodded and gave him another quick hug. Edward still had friends and potential customers to tend to. We left Shoebox Records and Jasper had us wait for him as he ran to get the car. Alice and I stood on the sidewalk.
"I'm so tired," I told her and swayed just a bit. She nodded.
"Yeah, me too," she replied. "Did you have fun, despite Tanya?"
"You know, I really did?" I answered honestly, omitting the memory of Edward whispering in my ear. It still sent a shiver down my spine.
"I'm going to stay at Jas' tonight," Alice said. I nodded in agreement.
The minute I sat in the back seat, I fell asleep. The next thing I knew, Alice was waking me up. I bade them good night. When I got in the apartment, I stripped down and put my pajamas on. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and washed my makeup off. As I sat on my bed, I realized, I still had to put my new sheets on it.
"Dammit," I muttered to myself. I pulled the blankets off the bed and attempted to put the fitted sheet on the mattress. By the time I got one corner on, the other flipped off. After a struggling for a few moments, all four corners were in place. I collapsed on my stomach and reach the down to the floor to grab a blanket.
"Ugh, the light's still one." I cursed not owning a Clapper. I got up and switched the light off. The room plunged into darkness. I resumed my former position on my stomach and my face in the smushed up pillow. Sleep came to me easily tonight.
I woke to kisses being placed up and down my bare back. My face was angled away from him. His hands lightly followed his mouth and I quietly moaned. I could feel the familiarity of the body next time and sighed in contentment.
"Bella, baby?" He asked. "Turn around."
I obliged and my eyes met the eager green ones. Edward smiled crookedly and pulled me to his bare chest. I could feel his erection pressing in the right places. His mouth met mine and we passionately kissed. He ran his fingers through my hair, down my back, sending chills down to my toes.
My fingernails scratched his back and Edward groaned. I moved my hand and traced his jaw and he closed his eyes. I smiled as this handsome man was touching and kissing me. He moved his hand over one of my breasts and massaged with the right amount of pressure. Instinctively, I arched my back into him and he hissed at the contact.
"Please, Edward," I moaned into his mouth.
"Please, what, baby?" he rasped.
"Touch me," I gasped out when his fingers touched me. I could feel the slickness on his fingers as he slid his fingers up and down.
"God, Bella," he moaned into my neck. My hand traced the muscles of his torso and wrapped it around his erection. He stilled for a second until I began to slowly move my hand from base to tip.
Edward shifted so he was on top and I waited in anticipation of him entering me. I held him close as he kissed up my chest to my throat, and finally reaching my mouth. Our eyes met and with one thrust, our bodies joined.
"Oh my God," I breathed.
"Oh my God," I jerked awake. It was dark. I was alone. I dreamt I had sex with Edward Cullen.
Disrupt the Sky's set list – if you're curious – just a sample:
Devil Goes Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band
U + UR Hand by Pink
Hooray for Me by Bad Religion
Patience by Guns N' Roses
Stockholm Syndrome by Muse
Girls just Wanna Have fun by Cyndi Lauper
Give it up by Pepper
Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leopard
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac