Ch. 11: Out of My League
Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight or Royal Caribbean but we do own autographed pictures of Rob!!
A/N: Cześć moi znajomi! (Polish!) Thanks for reading and reviewing for last chapter. Also thanks for story alerts, author alerts, favorite stories, favorite author, and reviews. We didn't have a quote for last chapter so there are 2 in this one. Thanks to lauren loves spunky for her speedy review! What happened to canibeyourmemory??? Where is our lovely review? Just kidding!! PLEASE READ BOTTOM AUTHOR'S NOTE FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!
EPOV
The alarm I had set on my phone went off and I quickly shut it off before it could wake Bella. 7:00 is too god damn early to be up when you're on vacation but, our tour started at 8:30. I looked down and I couldn't be happier at the sight before me. Bella's head was on my chest, one arm draped lazily across my stomach. I had my arm under her neck, wrapping around her shoulders. There was a small smile playing on her lips. "Bella," I called, my lips ghosting across her forehead. She stirred and I placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. That seemed to do the trick.
"Good morning," I said as her eyes opened.
"Hi," she responded, her voice thick with sleep.
"How did you sleep?" I absentmindedly started rubbing my hand up and down her arm. She snuggled even closer, if that was possible, into my embrace.
"Very well, thank you. I have never slept more soundly. I can't even remember what I dreamed about." Little did she know that I had an idea of what, or rather who, her dreams were about. I had woken up in the middle of the night to hear Bella mumbling. Her words became more distinct as the minutes passed. She had mumbled my name a couple of times before I lulled her back to sleep by humming the piece I had written for her.
"I'm glad. As much as I hate to admit it, we need to get up. Your parents have decided to follow us on the same excursion again. We're going kayaking and snorkeling."
Her face lit up at the mention of this, "Really? I've always wanted to snorkel, but it's not really ideal in Washington."
I chuckled, "No, it definitely is not."
She pulled away from me and grabbed her clothes for today before heading into the bathroom. I immediately felt empty and wanted to pull her back into my arms but was knocked out of my reverie by a knock on the door.
"Edward! It's Alice, open up!" She sounded hysterical, so I ran to the door and yanked it open.
"What's wrong?" I already feared the worst before she spoke.
"Charlie's coming to check on Bella and let her know what we're doing today. I told him I would make sure she was decent before he came in here. You have to hide!"
Fuck! I started hiding all my belongings before Alice roughly pushed me into the closet and slammed the door. I'm dead. I didn't care if Charlie found out that my relationship with Bella was developing into something more than friendship, but I didn't want him to find out about our sleeping arrangements, especially last night's. Ever.
I heard her knock on the bathroom door before it opened. Bella sounded confused, "Alice? What are you doing here?"
Alice quickly filled Bella in on what she had told me.
"Where's Edward? If Charlie finds out about Edward, he's going to kill him and send me to a convent!"
"Don't worry; he's hiding in the closet. Just pretend like nothing's wrong."
Just then, another knock sounded on the door. "Bells?"
Someone opened the door. Bella. "Hi, Dad."
"Hey. Can I come in?"
No! I wanted to shout but, I bit my tongue.
"Um, sure."
"Hi, Charlie! Long time, no see." Alice greeted.
"Hi, Alice."
I heard feet shuffling past the closet door and I held my breath for fear of being discovered.
"This is a nice room for you. How do you like it so far?"
"It's great, Dad. Thanks again."
"Anything for my little girl."
More movement resounded throughout the room. I'm guessing Charlie was taking a closer look at everything.
"We're going kayaking and snorkeling with the Cullens today."
"Yeah, Ed- I mean Alice told me. Sounds like fun!"
Footsteps were coming closer to my hiding place again. "It sure does. How big is this closet? Is it as big as ours?" The door handle jiggled slightly. Oh shit! I started sweating and my heart was pounding a mile a minute in my chest as light slowly filtered into the dark closet.
"NO!!!" Alice and Bella shouted. The door quickly slammed shut with the force of a body.
"What? It's just a closet. It's not like you're hiding a boy in there. You aren't, are you?" Charlie asked sternly.
"No, of course not. Why would I have someone hiding in there? You know I never dated much and after the whole Jake thing…" She trailed off. Who's this Jake character? I guess we both had a few secrets that needed to be spilled. "It's just really messy in there. Alice bought me some things and I just threw everything in there. And I saw what your closet looks like and I can assure you it's exactly the same."
"It's true, Charlie. You know me, can't resist a good sale." Alice added in. God, how I loved my sister. She already had Charlie wrapped around her finger.
"Oh, well why didn't you just say so? Anyway, we'll be meeting at the Schooner Bar on Deck 4 at 8. Don't be late."
"We won't, Dad. We'll see you down there. I love you."
"Love you, too, Bells."
The door shut and three audible sighs were released.
"You owe me big time." Alice announced after she opened the closet door.
"Tell me about it. Thank you so much." My heart had finally calmed down and was back to a normal pace. I saw Bella behind Alice and pulled her into a hug. "How are you feeling, Love?"
She wrapped her arms around my torso and laid her head on my chest. "I'm fine now. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when Charlie went to the closet."
"You and me both. Let's hope that was the last time your dad decides to check on you. I don't know if I could handle a second time."
Alice cleared her throat, "Now that you two lovebirds are safe from the wrath of Charlie, finish getting ready and meet at the Schooner Bar." With that, she gracefully skipped out the door.
After Alice left, I pulled away from Bella and grabbed my swimming trunks and a t-shirt before heading into the bathroom to get ready.
Once we both deemed ourselves presentable, we left the room, once again, checking down the hallways for any signs of our families.
We went down to the Concierge Lounge on Deck 9 to grab something quick to eat before meeting everyone else down on Deck 4. We heard music drifting out of the bar as we were walking by.
It's her hair and her eyes today
that just simply take me away
and the feeling that I'm
falling further in love
makes me shiver but in a good way
all
the times I have sat and stared
as she thoughtfully thumbs
through her hair
and she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she
plays,
with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say
cuz
I love her with all that I am
and my voice shakes along with my
hands
cuz she's all that I see and she's all that I need
and
I'm out of my league once again
"Hey, Bro!" Emmett boomed as Bella and I came into sight. Alice and Rose stole Bella, no doubt to give details on our little escapade this morning.
I sauntered over to Emmett and Jasper. "Hey, guys."
It's a masterful melody when she
calls out my name to me
as the world spins around her she laughs,
rolls her eyes
and I feel like I'm falling but it's no surprise
cuz I love her with all that I am
and my voice shakes along
with my hands
cause it's frightening to be swimming in this
strange sea
but I'd rather be here than on land
yes she's
all that I see and she's all that I need
and I'm out of my
league once again
"How are things between you and your lady friend?" Jasper asked.
"My 'lady friend' has a name."
"Oh, sorry. Bella."
"Thank you I've never been better."
"Did Alice go talk to you this morning? She said something about going to Bella's room before Charlie went in there, but I saw her go to your room."
Oh shit. I was debating whether or not to just tell them about Bella and me staying in the same room. I pulled them farther away from the group. "If I tell you something, you have to swear on your life not to tell a soul."
"Alright! Eddie-boy finally did the hanky panky!" People who were walking past us looked over as Emmett yelled that.
"Emmett, shut the fuck up. And I told you not to call me that."
"Sorry, but I was beginning to think you were gay."
Of course he would think that. "I am most definitely not gay and I haven't done the 'hanky panky' as you so kindly put it."
It's her hair and her eyes today
that just simply take me away
and the feeling that I'm
falling further in love
makes me shiver but in a good way
all
the times I have sat and stared
as she thoughtfully thumbs
through her hair
and she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she
plays,
with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say
cuz
I love her with all that I am
and my voice shakes along with my
hands
cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
but I'd rather be here than on land
yes she's all that I
see and she's all that I need
and I'm out of my league once
again
"So, if you haven't done the dirty deed yet, what do you need to tell us?" Jasper put a stop to our bickering.
"First, do you swear not to tell anybody?"
"Nobody?" I'm sure Emmett would tell Rose in a heartbeat.
"Nobody," I clarified.
"Fine," they both agreed.
I told them how Bella and I were accidentally booked in the same cabin. Now that I have gotten to know and love Bella, I realized it was the best mistake that has ever happened to me.
"Well Phuket, Thailand." Emmett said as I finally finished my explanation.
"Do you sleep in the same bed?" Jasper asked, curiosity in his voice.
Why does everybody think that? Although, now it's true. "We only slept in the same bed last night. The previous nights I was on the couch and Bella was on the bed." They seemed to understand and I trusted that they wouldn't tell anybody.
"Let's move out!" Carlisle called out to our group. The three of us rejoined everybody else and we took the stairs down to Deck 1.
BPOV
After Edward and I met up with our group, Alice and Rose immediately kidnapped me.
"I want details." Alice demanded once we were out of earshot of everybody else.
"What details? You know that Edward and I are in the same room and there's nothing else to tell."
"What?!" Rose yelled. I forgot that she didn't know the situation Edward and I were in. "What do you mean 'in the same room'?"
I figured it was best to just tell her and get it off my chest. "Edward and I were mistakenly put in the same room. We tried getting separate rooms, but the lady at the customer service desk said that there were no available rooms, so we had deal with being in the same room.
"At the airport in Seattle, I accidentally ran into Edward and he snapped at me. When I first found out that we were put in the same room, I was pissed as hell but now that I've had the chance to get to know him, I couldn't be happier."
Rose looked at me in disbelief, while Alice had her all-knowing smirk gracing her face. "You love him." She accused.
I looked over at Edward standing with Jasper and Emmett and my feelings were confirmed. "Yeah, I do."
I was bombarded by their hugs and squealing. "Have you told him?" Rosalie inquired.
"No. I don't think he feels the same way."
Alice knocked me upside the head, "How can you say that?! I've seen the way he looks at you and there's no denying that he returns those feelings. He went out with Tanya for over a year and he never looked at her or acted the same way around her as he does you."
"You need to tell him. You'll regret it if you don't and you let him slip away."
I didn't want to think about leaving him. It felt so right to wake up in his arms this morning and I can't believe it took me this long to admit my feelings about Edward. "I think it's too soon but, I will tell him eventually. I just want to enjoy the time we have together and not think about going our separate ways."
"If you don't tell him, so help me, I will make it happen." For being so tiny, Alice could definitely be intimidating when she wanted to be.
"You can be scarier than Charlie. I can't even imagine what he would've done to Edward this morning if he had found him."
"What happened this morning?" Rose asked.
"Nothing much. Charlie decided to check on Bella this morning, so I said I would make sure she was decent. I really went over there to make sure Edward was hidden. I pushed him into the closet before Charlie got there. He decided to have a look around the room and almost opened the closet, but we were able to stop him before he discovered Edward." Alice replied nonchalantly.
"Edward would've been killed, or worse; castrated."
"You're telling me. I thought he was going to find him and he would've sent me to a convent."
Rosalie was laughing hard at that one.
Carlisle chose that moment to call our group to order, "Let's move out!"
Alice, Rosalie, and I walked back over to our parents. I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist. "I missed you," he whispered into my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder.
I leaned back onto his chest. "We were separated for ten minutes and were never out of sight."
"I know, but I can't help it if I'd rather have you right here." He squeezed me for emphasis. He let go of my waist and took my hand as we started walking down to the gangway. We found the tour guide holding up the sign for Kayak and Snorkel Adventure.
"Hi, everybody. My name is Jim and I will be taking you to your destination. Who's excited to do some kayaking and snorkeling?"
All of a sudden, I see a flash of black streak across my vision and jump. Alice had jumped on Emmett's back as he caught her and they both shouted, "WE ARE!!!"
Our group, as well as several other passengers, couldn't help but laugh at them. "Do they do this a lot?" I asked Edward between hysterics.
"Only every vacation, it's a little tradition they made up a few years ago."
"Alright! I'm glad two people are here to have a good time." Jim said.
After a few more people joined the tour, we began walking towards the kayak rental place. Once again, we were paired off and Edward and I were partners.
"Do you want to be in the front or back of the kayak?" Edward asked as we were getting ready to depart on our excursion.
"I'll take the front."
"Fair enough."
Everyone was given a few rules and regulations to follow before we were allowed out into the water. Edward dragged the kayak out into the water and hopped in. He held his hands out to me as he helped me jump in as well. Everyone was in their kayaks soon enough and we were off.
The water was crystal clear and extremely blue. There were many schools of fish of different colors and coral below the surface. It was definitely a sight to behold. "It's so pretty," I marveled. I was so caught up in the sights that were around me that I stopped paddling. Luckily, Edward picked up my slack.
"This is already my favorite kayaking trip."
"You've done this before?"
"Only a couple of times. My previous favorite was Catalina Island in California."
"I've never been there. I've only been to Phoenix to visit family. Other than that, I haven't left Washington."
"I'll have to change that." He said with confidence.
We continued kayaking for about an hour longer. Eventually, we reached a rocky shoreline. Everyone hopped out of the kayaks and pulled them up onto the beach. Everyone stripped down to their bathing suits and got their snorkeling gear and headed back out into the ocean. I looked over at Edward who was waist deep in the water adjusting his mask. I was awestruck as I witnessed his lean muscles contracting with his movements. He was definitely a sight to behold. He turned around and my breath caught in my throat. "Are you coming?" I couldn't answer at first; I was distracted by his defined abs and his swimming trunks sitting low on his hips exposing his "V".
"Bella?"
"Huh, oh yeah, I'm coming." Needless to say, I had some not so pure thoughts racing through my mind.
The marine life was even more unbelievable when you're in the water with it. There were many types of coral as well as fish. The diversity between the different species was astounding. Edward stayed close by my side the entire time we were snorkeling.
After about half an hour, Edward pulled up out of the water, dragging me with him. "Take a walk with me?"
I was confused, but complied anyway, "Sure."
We returned the snorkeling gear and Edward took my hand, leading me along the rocky shore.
He seemed distracted, "What's on your mind?"
He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair, messing his bronze locks up even more. "I'm ready to tell you about Tanya."
"Oh."
"It's not that bad, I just don't like talking about it. Tanya and I started going out towards the end of junior year. I thought I loved her and I thought she loved me back. On more than one occasion, I caught her kissing other guys but she insisted each time that it was nothing and to forget about it. I trusted her, so I did. After graduation, Alice and I went to a party for one of our classmates. Tanya said she was going to meet me there, but I didn't see her. I went upstairs to try and escape the loud music. I opened a door and found Tanya, half naked, straddling Mike, who I loathe. That was the last straw; I broke up with her that night and haven't talked to her since. She's tried calling and texting me, but I keep ignoring her. That day in the airport, when you ran into me," he grimaced at the memory, "was the day after I found her with Mike. I was having a really bad week and took my anger out on you and that wasn't right. I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to hurt you."
We had stopped walking and sat down on a large boulder by this point. Edward was staring out into the ocean watching the others have a good time. I couldn't believe someone could do this to him. Sure, he was rude towards me in the beginning, but it all makes sense now. "Edward," he looked at me and my heart broke to see how much that bitch hurt him, "I told you I forgive you. Tanya had no right to hurt you. You are one of the sweetest, most caring people I have ever met. You don't deserve to be treated like shit and walked all over." I pulled him into a hug, running my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.
Realizing that he was being completely honest with me, I decided to tell him about Jake. I released him from my embrace and began, "I know how you feel. About a week before this vacation, I broke up with my boyfriend, Jake. He and I had been friends since we were in diapers because our dads were friends. We had just started going out about a year ago even though we were good friends. One night, we were at my house and he told me he wanted to progress in our relationship. I asked him what he meant and he said he wanted to have sex with me." Edward's normally calm, loving gaze turned murderous. I squeezed his hand in reassurance. "I told him I wasn't ready and he said he would wait until I was and that he was sorry he brought it up. Things were good for a few weeks, but about two weeks ago, he told me that if I wouldn't have sex with him, he would dump me. I still wasn't ready and broke up with him then and there. He was shocked, to say the least, but I left his house that day and never looked back."
"He doesn't deserve you, Bella. I can't believe he was willing to give you up for a lame ass reason as sex."
"Yeah well, it doesn't really surprise me. I realize now that he never really loved me for me. He was just hoping to get into my pants."
"Thank you for telling me, Bella" Edward pulled me into another hug and pressed his lips to my forehead. I drowned in the feeling of euphoria and lightness of now having these issues out in the open.
"Enough lovey dovey, you two. It's time to head back." Alice just had to ruin our moment.
"You have the worst timing, you know." Edward said, annoyed.
"I know, but you still love me."
"Yes I do, Ali." He kissed her cheek as he snaked his arm around my waist.
Edward, Alice, and I walked along the beach towards our group. We hopped back in the kayaks and paddled our way back towards the ship.
Once the kayaks were returned, we still had a few hours before we had to be back on the ship, so Alice decided that we would do some shopping. She had found out where the best deals were and what you could buy at what store, so we were "on a mission from God" as she had put it.
We went to Diamonds International to get a charm for the bracelet that she had got in San Juan. At each port, a charm was given to remember the trip by. At Ammolite By The Sea, we found some jewelry that was made with the rare stone. Esme went Omni Linens and she, as well as Renée, got a 72"x90" hand-embroidered table cloth with eight matching napkins for $35. Finally, at Del Sol, we all got some souvenirs that go from black and white to vibrant colors in the sun. We agreed that we would stop by each Del Sol and get at least one thing.
We were all shopped out, except for Alice of course, and lazily walked back to the ship.
A/N: Thanks for reading! The song in this chapter was "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks. Abso-frickin-lutely love that song! Ok, Bella and Edward will be telling each other that they love each other in the near future and we want your ideas on how that should happen. You can review or PM or whatever, we do read and respond to each one. Thanks for your input and loyalty for sticking with us! Do widzenia!!
