A/N:
A big kick ass thank you goes out to my beta, lexiecullen17..she just
started a new story that you should def check out. It's called The
Longest Summer(it's on my fav story list) :) Here go the shout
outs...y'all make me smile with every review I get and I enjoy the
chance to chat and get to know y'all better. And to everyone who
rec's & fav'd and alerted this story MWAH! whtchwmn75 was my
150th review and I sent her this chapter early! aimee &
paco1230 are awesome reviewers who always leave me some love and they
rock my world. I love y'all!!! SM owns it all (except for the
poetry, that's all mine) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ BPOV "I
left you my number on the table. And, Bella, I'll make you trust me.
Please remember that I'm not him." I tried not to gasp at his
voice's silent plea. But before I could respond, he was out the door,
waving goodbye to Charlotte. As the door closed, Charlotte
erupted into a joyous bought of chuckles. I was positive that he
could hear them from the hallway. The door was not that thick. And
the 'sex god' would have to be deaf not to. "Sssh, he'll
hear you," I groaned, and she toned it down luckily. "I
need a drink. And you..." I said, pointing adamantly at her,
"You will tell me what's in that bag." Charlotte
grinned evilly at me. "Puh-lease, sugar. You will do this my
way. That way you won't freak out and ruin this all." She placed
her hand on her hip as she slung the bag over her shoulder, blocking
me from getting to it. "Give me five minutes, and we'll grab a
drink. Where do you want to go?" Without thinking, the
words left my mouth. Jesus, my filter must be on the fritz tonight.
"Alice told me that Jasper runs that bar we were at the other
night. They'd like me to come back." I laughed, embarrassed by
my admission. "Since, I need to get over being in front of
people, I might as well do it there...and drunk." "Alright
then, darlin'." She sauntered back towards the closet to choose
this evenings wardrobe choices. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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Charlotte
and I stood at the bar awaiting our drinks when a familiar, tiny
freight train ran into me. All at once the air in my lungs left and
was replaced with huffed giggles.
"Well, hello to you too, Alice." I turned my upper body and glanced over my shoulder at the little sprite with black spiky hair. She leaned into me as if she hadn't seen me in years and squeezed tightly.
"Bella, oh, I'm so happy you decided to come." She was, per usual, a ball of jittery happiness. "Wait til Jas sees that you're here," she spoke, her eyes searching through the bar for him. I knew instantly when she had him in her sights. Her whole face lit up, like a light bulb had been turned on behind her eyes.
"Hey, Alice," Charlotte spoke calmly. I was ready to jump between the swipes of their claws, but color me floored when Alice released me and enveloped Charlotte into an equally enthusiastic embrace.
"Char, what are we drinking tonight?" Alice asked cheerfully as she waved the bartender over to where we were standing.
They both turned to me, Charlotte bursting into giggles as she took in my awed expression. "How? I mean...when? No...what the hell, you two?" I sputtered, each question fueling my curiosity and irritation at being excluded from their evident make up session.
"We ran into each other the day," Charlotte started to explain.
"And she told me all about her Peter," Alice finished her sentence happily. "I know she was just teasing me at the diner." She shot Charlotte a playful glare.
"Who, by the way, will be here this weekend." Charlotte explained to Alice. And once again, I was left out while they talked excitedly about plans for the weekend before gaining back my full attention with a rather regrettable sentence. Seriously, Char?
"Bella's 'Sex God' asked her to an Invite on Saturday," Charlotte smirked, putting appropriate air quotes around the words. I was not amused. I glared, while Alice responded with the appropriate 'oohs' and 'aahs.' "We're all going together! It's going to be so much fun."
"Do you need help picking out something to wear?" Alice asked excitedly, starting to bounce a bit.
"I actually already have an outfit all picked out for her," Charlotte smiled while staring at me evilly. I was none too excited to find out what lay beneath the opaque plastic of that garment bag. In fact, I was frightened.
"Which she won't let me see!" I whined, stomping my foot stubbornly like I was a five year old, telling on my sister for stealing my doll.
"Haha, of course not, honey," Charlotte cooed. "But Alice, would you want to help me find the other things I'll need to compliment it? It still needs shoes and jewelry." Alice nodded and clapped loudly. I was flabbergasted by Charlotte's invitation. How could she tell Alice about the dress but not me? Hell, they had hated each other just a few short days ago, hadn't they? Now they were conspiring against me in some sort of fashion takeover.
The bartender and Jasper arrived to our little group at the same instant. Charlotte ordered everyone a round of Shiner Bock (a Texas beer) and followed it up with shots of Cuervo...aka my liquid courage. As I took my first sip, Alice snuck in a question. "So, Bella, tell me about your Sex God?" she purred out the words like they were something dirty you'd say in the bedroom.
"Ummm," I started, trying to think of what to say. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Charlotte's mouth open to pipe in. In an effort to cut her off, I blurted out the first things on my mind. "He's amazing, beautiful, and smart." Alice's eyes went wide as she leaned closer, as if I were telling her the secret of life.
"He has the best sex hair I have ever seen...and these pouty lips that are just begging to be kissed...and he doesn't back away from an argument, which might be my favorite thing. I hate it when people just give into each other. If you have something to say, then you should," I ended adamently.
"Kind of like...how you've said how much you like him--to him?" I turned ten shades of red at Charlotte's two cents, knowing that they were completely true. She laughed and reached over to hug me as she tried to let me know that she was just joking. Alice just sat there with this happy look--kind of like she was high and craving cookies. Mmm...double stuffed oreos. They were Char's fav and I knew for a fact that she had some hidden in the cabinet behind the stupid bran flakes. I was totally getting into her stash later.
"Hello, ladies. How are y'all doin' tonight?" Jasper drawled out as he closed the distance between he and Alice and wrapped himself around her tiny frame. Her eyes were aglow once again as she stared adoringly at him. They were sickeningly adorable. I didn't think I'd ever get used to it.
A round of 'fines' and 'thank yous' were given before Jasper's eyes settled on me. Uh oh! We are so not drunk enough for this. I knew exactly what was coming. Alice had filled me in earlier this week when we had our 'fashion talk'.
"So, Bella...the unnamed poet was a big hit last week. We'd like to extend an offer for her to return," he grinned slyly at me. I could only guess as to what he had been filled in on. "You know, since I heard you wanted some practice in oral presentation," he added with a wink before he nuzzled his face into Alice's neck, causing her to flush and let out a tiny laugh.
"Hmm, I wonder who could have told you that?" I asked as I sternly looked between Alice and Charlotte, both of whom looked smug and not the least bit guilty or remorseful. I sighed in acceptance. "No, it's fine. They're right...I do need some help getting my feet wet."
His smiled widened. "Great! We are doing a theme night tonight. I think you'll enjoy it. And the theme kind of lends itself as a way to break out of being shy, I think you'll find." My stomach tightened, feeling sick. I was terrified to hear what he had thought up. "Erotica. Groovy, huh?"
The flash of heat that traveled up my core and spread across my neck and face, causing me to flush red. "Erotica?" I breathed. "You want me to recite a sex poem? Um, I'm not sure I have one of those in my repertoire," I tried to joke, even though my breath was short, and I was sure that I felt an anxiety attack coming on.
"Oh no, I don't expect you to recite one...I want it free verse. Just go with how you feel once we start the music. Each poet will get a song to help guide them. This will help the nuance poets who are trying to feel it out and those who are a bit shyer." Jasper said the last part as his hand fell on my shoulder. "Any particular song you'd like?"
As if on cue, my ever-so-helpful roomie answered up for me. "Oh, I know just the perfect song." And also true to herself, she added, "It's better if you don't know what the song is, Bella." Great, this is becoming a pattern--keep Bella in the dark!
I downed the last of my beer, quickly following it with a tequila chaser. I needed a tad more alcohol in my system before I'd be able to go on stage and pull together a poem about something I hadn't experienced in awhile...a really long while.
"I'll be right back," I said hazily. I felt the liquor warming my blood as it pulsed through my veins with my quickened heart rate. "I'm gonna head to the bathroom first. Have two more shots waiting for me when I get back." I suspiciously eyed Charlotte and her new accomplices.
~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~
ChPOV
"Okay, real quick before she gets back..." Alice's happy face dropped in two seconds flat to a very serious one. "Do you know who sent the flowers to Bella?" I was confused momentarily before the brief conversation I had with Edward popped into my head. He had asked me the same thing.
"I'm not sure. I just assumed that it was from some other guy interested in her." That had to be it right? I mean what other possibilities would there be? "Wait, you really don't know who sent them?" I asked. If there was one thing I had learned about Alice since meeting her, it was that she pretty much knew all of the goings on.
"No,
and that's not the only problem." Her somber voice garnered all
of my attention. My subconscious knew that this was something I
needed to hear. "I called the florist, and he told me what the
flowers mean. Charlotte, it's not good. I think you need to convince
her to tell Edward about Mike." Wait,
how in the hell had she known about Mike?
Her voice was filled with raw emotion and guilt at having looked Bella's past up. Why hadn't I done that? Because I'm her roommate, and I want her to trust me enough to tell me. Of course. Then, I focused and replayed what Alice had just said again in my head. She had said something about the florist and bad news. I prepared myself before refocusing the conversation quickly.
"What did he say they meant?" The fact that individual flowers had meanings was not lost on me. I just didn't know anyone that would go through all the trouble to center a bouquet around those meanings, especially if the flowers held negative symbolism.
"Beware, distrust, and secret admirer. I have a bad feeling about this, Charlotte. My bad feelings have never been wrong." Alice's eyes brimmed with tears, causing Jasper to tighten his grasp around her. Instinctively, I looked around to see if the threat had manifested behind me. "She needs to talk to Edward...if not because she wants him to know, but so that he can be aware of things surrounding the two of them...especially if they're going to be alone and off campus together."
In my head, I had already decided to push the issue with Bella later. I found myself standing there with my mouth hanging open--at a complete loss for words. That feat had yet to be accomplished, and I was hoping for it to be brought upon by a happier circumstance. Before I could gather myself and find an intelligent reply, though, I saw Bella out of the corner of my eye.
"She's on her way back. Jasper do you know who Floetry is?" My quick change in subject did not go unnoticed, so I gave a head nod to the two of them to let them know I would try and convince her later. Now was definitely not the place to get into with Bella...especially with Cuervo in her system. I tried to hold in the laughter that threatened to escape as thoughts of drunk, mean, Bitchy Bella floated around.
"What's so funny, Char? Oh my god, please tell me you didn't pick some retarded song to play behind me?" Bella sounded breathless as she approached and had evidently been watching me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
?POV
I snuck into the bar after I followed her there. I snaked my way through the tightly grouped crowd and found a seat in a darkened corner. But from where I sat, I had a great vantage point of her group of friends.
As I took in the people that were surrounding Bella, I noticed that he wasn't with her. Good...maybe my flowers did their job. I sent them, trying hard to reinstill the dormant fear that was inside of her. What I hadn't expected was for Edward to be there around the time the flowers were delivered. That was just my luck.
I had hoped she would look at the card and realize the deeper meaning and shut herself off from him--and everyone else. Watching her, I had taken notice of how hard he seemed to be working at pursuing her. That, and how he transformed in a blink from charming and endearing to arguing and heated. He was so obviously passionate about everything. I didn't know how Bella couldn't see it.
I even took the time to forward a picture--from the nice album I was collecting--to let him know that I had seen him carrying her to her room and how he had been leering at her. His endearing side was becoming more and more prominent. From having breakfast delivered to her and the other small things he had been doing to gain her favor...I was only becoming more intruiged.
The plan that I had been trying hard to put into effect was in need a bit of a face lift. I needed a few new tactics to make sure that she wasn't going to let him get close to her. I wouldn't allow Edward to be with Bella. Not when I was so close to staking a claim on what was meant to be mine.
As my mind filled with thoughts of what else I had planned, I heard a familiar, low, smooth voice. It was one of her friends...he had been on the stage last week and had been the one to introduce her to the crowd.
My heartbeat picked up at thought of hearing her again. I looked around, wondering if anyone had seen my sudden jump. When I noticed that no one had been paying attention to me, I settled back in my chair as the man named Jasper talked.
His southern drawl reminded me of Bella's friend, Charlotte, and it drew my gaze back to their table. Bella was not sitting there with the other two girls. Jasper's words made my ears perk up, announcing that tonight's theme would be erotic poetry. Wonder if another 'Sex God' poem will be preformed.
Thinking about the last one that, which I now knew was obviously about Edward, made my flesh heat and shiver at the same time. Whatever my intentions, Bella had a way with words. Even slurred and drunken words.
"Welcome back to The Cold One's...The Unnamed Poet." A roar ran through the crowd at Jasper's introduction. Apparently I wasn't the only one enamored by her last performance and its subject matter.
Bella's smokey voice faltered as she introduced herself but fell into a poet's flow easily. I gripped tightly onto my drink and the edge of the table...it was all I could do to stop myself from standing up.
"Hi, I'm The Unnamed Poet, and I'm going to let the music start in before I take over" she spoke, her eyes cast down before looking over to the DJ with her directions. A slow, rhythmic beat came over the speakers causing Bella to absentmindedly sway her hips along with the music. A few guys yelled out cat calls and whistles at her seductive movement. The song started it's lyrics, and everyone was captivated.
There
is only one for me
You have
made that a possibility.
Bella's eyes fluttered open and she glanced a gave a wicked smile over to the table where her friends were seated. The next part of the song came on before Bella spoke. The songstress sang the smoothly all filled with sex.
All you gotta do is
say yes
Don't deny what you feel let me undress you baby
Open
up your mind and just rest
I'm about to let you know you make me
so
All you gotta do is say yes
Don't deny what you feel let me
undress you baby
Open up your mind and just rest
I'm about to
let you know you make me so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so,The
music's volume lowered and became part of the background noise as
Bella's voice took on the same sultry sex filled intonation.
"Hug and kiss and shit...I can't have that romance and shit....My body wanna get in the trench." Bella paused momentarily before regaining a touch of confidence. She closed her eyes and swallowed before breathing out the next lines.
"Fuck me, stick me, flip me and lick me...flex me, test me....try to get next to me....Cuz I just wanna know who's to blame for all the games, we play with one another...trying to get down with each other. Gettin up under the covers...between the sheets, like the Isley Brothers...now were standing face to face, and I'm writhing in your embrace, breathe warm upon my face...considering letting you get a taste...Why?"
A group of guys towards the front audibly groaned as they crept closer to the stage and Bella. Their eyes wide with a hunger that had shit to do with food. I heard an 'oh shit' and some Hell yeahs ring out amongst them.
"I wanna lay you in the bed and cover you with kisses, letting my hands find what my mouth misses...going slow on my insistence's...soft words drop in your ears. Pressure building and my body sears, heating with the passion of what my mind fears yet to come...pants undone...heads spun...Shit! Shirt drops...can't stop...heart pounding like hip hop. Grinding...bodies intertwining...great timing...in and out its sublime."
That same grouping was now mixed in with other people that had left the bar area and coverged in front of the stage. Bella's commanding presence gave them little choice but to be wrapped up in her words. Both men and women looking at her with lust filled eyes, then turning to seek out someone close to them to push their lust onto.
"And...ooooh shit...here we go...fuck that going slow...break my back out...screams just let out...baby get that wet out. I moan, and my name you call out...fall out...Shit, my body just sprawled out!"
Bella's eyes stayed closed and her breath, now erratic, carried through the awed crowd over the microphone. Everyone was entranced by her, under some spell. Suddenly her face changed and she became aware of the hushed crowd. Her face showed her surprise as she pried open her eyes. It was almost as if she didn't expect anyone to still be there.
As soon as her focus was on them the entirety of club burst into a raucous of applause. The stained red cheeks were back on Bella as she gave a gracious bow and rushed towards her table.
Silently, I thanked Edward for not being here to witness that performance. I exited past Bella's table quietly and brushed my fingers along her back as I passed her. Attributing my touch to the masses, she didn't even turn. I rushed into the night air and gulped it into my lungs.
I needed to change up my plan and quick.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
EmPOV
"Come on, Rose, we're already late!" I hissed at her as she sauntered towards the bar entrance. Why that woman wore heels so high she couldn't properly walk was completely beyond me. But, the fact that she looked so damn fuckable in them made the urge to complain lessen significantly.
"I'm coming, Emmett, geesh. It's not like the liquor is going to run out," she sneered, getting close enough to loop her arm through mine. Alice had invited us out tonight to hang out with Jasper and a few of her new friends that she promised I would find interesting...whatever that meant.
With Alice, I could never tell if interesting was a good or bad thing, so I asked Rose if she wanted to come with. After the last week I had, Rose vowed not to let me get into anymore trouble. And in order to keep an eye on me, she told me I was moving in with her after the invite this weekend. Any other girl would have been dubbed a bitch for being so damned demanding, but Rose was so astoundingly beautiful that anyone who didn't bend to her will was just blind.
We were just a few feet away when someone rushed out of the club. They knocked into me and essentially tossed Rose and her five inch stilletos onto the grass. I hurriedly tried to help her to her feet. As soon as she was righted I glanced around but didn't see anyone next to us.
"They probably ran away when they saw how pissed you looked, Rose," I tried to joke with her as I brushed imaginary dirt from her clothes. Her stern gaze told me that it hadn't worked.
"Let's go inside, and I'll get you a drink, babe."
"Fine, but I want a top shelf martini," Rose pouted, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder. I grinned at her as she once again latched on to my arm for support. As I turned us to make our way into the club, I knew this night was not going to go well.
Standing with their backs to the entrance of the bar were James and his busted lip twin, Tyler. They both had the same stupid look pasted on their face, trying to look rough and mean but coming off more like two scowling toddlers.
"You boys are on restriction and should be back at the house," I said calmly to the two children in my best reprimanding voice.
Tyler's sneer changed as soon as I mentioned the IFC's imposed restriction. He may have liked acting like a bad ass, but I doubted that he was willing to accept the consequences of being one. James on the other hand just didn't give a shit. His parents had money and they had always been able to buy his way out of trouble in the past.
Their bad parenting created the spiteful, stupid monster in front of me. "What, Emmett, are you going to report us? I still haven't figured out who wrote that anonymous letter, but I will...and when I do..." James' ugly face twisted with an evil smile as he trailed off on his threat.
"You will not do anything. And if you continue to disobey the council's punishment, I'll have no choice but to report you." And I really didn't. I was the frat's president, and if two of my brothers were out recklessly disobeying a restriction, I had to report it. Tyler's expression told me he knew it, too.
"We were just leaving," Tyler spoke up, trying to fill his words with disrespect as he yanked on James's arm to pull him away from the bar.
"Em, honey, why don't we just go back to the house? I can help you pack up your room, and you can head by the frat to check on things there," Rose cooed out at me. For as mean as she could appear, her understanding side was just one of the many things I loved about her. I couldn't wait to move in with her and start the next stage of our relationship.
I just had to tell Alice and Edward now. Hopefully, they'd be just as enthused about it as I was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
APOV
Oh. My. God. I couldn't believe that was shy, sweet Bella up there saying those things. It was amazing. Now if we could just get her up there sans the booze...it'd be great. Charlotte's words echoed my thoughts, and I again thought that eventually we could be great friends.
"Maybe next time without the Cuervo?" she asked as Bella drew up a chair at the table. Bella's face was three shades of embarrassment, and I didn't think that she believed that she had just gotten up there and said those things. Those provacative and sexual things. Damn.
"Maybe...but still with the beers," Bella laughed and threw back the shot we had ordered her at her request. Bella was beautiful, smart, and wickedly talented. Those traits only cemented the need to get her and Edward closer. But the fact that Jasper was the only one here that knew Edward was my brother wasn't helping the situation much.
Charlotte knew that I knew him, but she didn't know in what capacity and Bella had no clue at all. Jasper had warned me earlier tonight saying...'Oh the tangled webs we weave'. I hated being dishonest, but I wanted to have Bella as a friend. I was terrified that she wouldn't let me get to know her if she knew that my brother was the frat guy she was crushing on--even if she at the same time butted heads with him.
And Edward...oh, man. He had no idea that I knew Charlotte or Bella. Great. I needed to get home and talk to him, and I really needed Charlotte to talk to Bella.
"Wow, Jasper, I'm kinda tired. I think I may head back to the apartment." I faked a yawn and caught a sideways glance from both him and Charlotte. The only one that didn't catch it was Bella; she was still looking into the bottom of her now empty shot glass.
"Darlin, I'll be over as soon as I close the bar up." Jasper leaned into me and lightly kissed my lips, whispering about tangled webs again. "Ladies," he nodded to Charlotte and Bella. "I have to get back to work. Bella, again next week?" he asked of her, getting a nod for an answer.
Bella's eyes drooped from the alcohol running through her system and her nod was slow and measured. "On that note, I think I'm going to take Bella back to our room," Charlotte drawled out and gave me a quick wink. I noticed Jasper shake his head as he walked off...back to work (as he had said).
"Why are we leaving so soon?" Bella's slurred words dropped from her mouth. Charlotte grabbed just below Bella's elbow and helped her stand up.
"Beacuse, darlin', your fans are closing in on us...unless you want to sit and sign some autographs..."
"No!" Bella's frantic voice yelled as she snapped up and took in her surroundings. Unintentionally, so did I...and Charlotte was right. Several of the tables around us had filled up, and they seemed to be inching closer to Bella.
Ninety-five percent of them were men--wound up on Bella's poetry, I was sure--the other five were a mix of the hippie poets that were regulars and a few butch girls hanging on to the hope of the lesbian rumor being true.
I took in the diverse crowd as Bella lunged forward at me. She wrapped me up in a tight, sloppy hug and bid me a goodnight. Charlotte lowered her voice and promised again that she'd talk to her in the morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
EPOV
I could kill Alice right now. Literally wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze. Who are you kidding? You know you wouldn't. I know that! But how could she tell me all about the flowers and then tell me she had to leave? She had a date with Jasper and some friends. Didn't she know that this was more important? Jasper and drinks could wait.
But since she was gone, it gave me more time to think of how much I wanted to ask her. I knew that I wanted all the details to come from Bella. It was her story to tell, yes, but the fact that some creepy shit was happening changed some things.
Also, there were some things that Alice didn't know about that I wanted some info on. The night I had carried Bella home, she had murmered about a 'Sex God', Sappho, and Japanese Honeysuckles. None of those things pertained to her past. So...I figured I could busy myself with those things alone.
I started off googling sex god and noticed the massive amount of porn that popped up. Haha, I doubt Bella's a porn freak. Okay, so I let that one go for a moment. Next, I typed in Sappho's name and came up with most the same information that Charlotte had complied into the neat little packets. That only left me with one other option.
Japanese honeysuckles. I started by clicking on the image results that had been found. They were vines that had bright green leaves and stark white flowers. The petals of the flower looked almost bent backwards; they looked awkwardly pretty. Switching back to the information found, I scanned through it and learned some interesting stuff. Although, it only piqued my curiosity as to why Bella would mention it. According to my google search, the vines crawl out and cover any surrounding vegetation, blocking the sun. Eventually, any competing vegetation dies from the lack of sunshine and the honeysuckle overgrowth. Basically, it has no natural enemy and takes over anything that gets in its way.
Beautiful, strong, and doesn't take crap from anyone...Sound like someone we know? Yeah but it's also a predator that consumes everything around it until its the only thing left. In other words, it pushes everything around it away and then its left all by itself. Ding--still sounding like someone we know? Well, minus the predatory part...hopefully.
Images of Bella arguing with me during that first study session, her kissing Charlotte (which I heard was HOT), and Bella curled into me as I carried her home and breathed her in took over my mind. I closed my laptop and crossed to my bedroom door, closed it, and made sure the lock was turned--just in case. I went back to my bed and began another evening with Handgelina Jolie and Palmela Handerson. Seriously? Another night of self love? I was frustrated. After hours of Bella on the brain, I was crazy with need and ready to explode.
I was just getting started on round two when I heard a loud knock at my door.
"Edward Anthony Cullen, every time you jerk off...God kills a kitten!" Alice screamed at me through the door. The fact that she knew exactly what I was doing made my dick go instantly limp. Perfect, thoughts of dead kittens and Alice on the other side of my door...I'm going to need some serious therapy to get over this. "Put on some pants and get out here if you want to talk about Bella." I scrambled out of bed and huffed out an annoyed 'okay' as I searched for my discarded sweat pants. "Ewww. And. Wash. Your. Hands...both of them!" she continued to reprimand me, reminding me of how I'd never have an erection again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Seven minutes later, I was fully clothed with sanitized hands and sitting in the living room. Ali was pacing in front of me and recognized that she was still stressed about the whole thing.
"Ali," I spoke to her quietly trying to gain her attention. "Alice, its okay." I tried reassuring her, yet she still paced. Sitting back, I resolved to wait for her to come around on her own.
Without speaking a word, she came and took her usual position next to me. "Edward, tell me what you want to know." She still hadn't looked at me and that worried me the most. It seemed as if she was hiding her eyes from me so that I couldn't see what lay behind them.
I reached for her hand and begun rubbing soothing circles (usually what she did for me). "Ali, I still want to hear about Bella's past from Bella. But you need to tell me if there's something I need to know now." Alice's shoulders relaxed visibly at my request. I didn't want her to tell me all the rumor mill gossip about the girl...just if I should be worried. And if Alice's behavior was any indication, I obviously should be.
"Bella's bothersome ex-boyfriend I mentioned before..." she spoke softly, her eyes finally reaching up to mine. "By bothersome...I really meant stalker." Alice rushed the words out as only Alice could. As one long word.
"Stalker." I heard myself say the word, but I couldn't actually remember saying it. "Stalker, Alice?"
"Yes, I told you he was probably part of the reason she left. You said she explained him as an ex that didn't take the break up well?" I ran through the short, uninformative conversation Bella and I had about Mike. When she had said that he didn't take the break up well, I thought she meant he cried or acted out by yelling or begging...definitely not stalking.
"The flowers?" The words choked in my throat, and everything hit me all at once. I tried being Bella's secret admirer, but so had someone else...with very different intentions than me. I didn't want to risk scaring her. Oh God, and you wondered why she freaked out at all of the unprovoked gifts. She was most likely having a panic attack.
"Edward, if you want the details..."Alice started, but I cut her off.
"I still want to hear those from Bella," I said a little too sharply. The look of shock on my twin's face brought me back. "Sorry, Ali. It's a lot to take in, even with as little as I know. But I do still want to hear about it from her. Thanks for the warning, though."
Alice's hand gripped mine and stilled the circles I was still rubbing. "Edward, brother dear. I can keep an eye on her on campus and Ang has her at the tavern, but if you go anywhere off campus with her...you need to be aware of what's around you."
"We have the invite this weekend and Charlotte's going too. So we'll have it handled there," I reassured my sister before looking for reassurance of my own. "Do you think it could be Mike?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Leave
me some love and I'll send you some hugs in return. Review #250 gets
the next full chapter before I post!!! The kitten/masturbation
comment is from a review I got on twi from sagewoman....thanks
hun. Ever written/received a naughty note??
