Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, Stephenie Meyer does.
A/N: Here it is! Chapter 12! I wrote it all today since I promised an update this weekend. I hope you enjoy!
My Dark Angel
Chapter 12
Bella's Lullaby
"Edward," I said softly as he pulled me into the living room. He looked at me with assurance and smiled. We were heading towards the piano on the end of the luminous open room. It was a grand piano, beautiful and exquisite. It seemed to have been possibly a hundred years old, like a piano from the early 1900's. It was wonderfully hand crafted and detailed, every inch of it specifically designed and flawlessly created. It sprawled across the room like a beautiful swan, claiming attention without even demanding it.
"It's so beautiful," I commented on the gloriously built and well-kept piano.
"Thank you." Edward said, still dazzling me every second. He gestured me towards the piano bench for me to sit then sat there as well.
"This song has been playing in my head for a while and I want you to hear it."
"What is it called?" I asked, then Edward gave me a cheeky grin while opened his mouth.
"Bella's Lullaby," he said softly and deeply, and then he turned to the piano and began to play.
I couldn't comprehend what was happening. All of a sudden a soothing melody escaped the piano where his fingers traveled so effortlessly. They flowed like the wind across the keys, never hesitating, never making any mistakes. It was perfect, he was perfect. I didn't know it was possible to play so well, so beautifully.
The song in itself was amazing, brilliant, and breathtaking. I fell in love with it, it was perfect for me. The soft sounds, easily flowing into the next melody, all with some kind of resemblance or pattern from the rhythm before it surrounded the room with beauty. There were so many different sounds, but they all correlated to one another in a wonderfully constructed main theme. I was awestruck, staring at Edward and staring at the piano, listening to the harmonious sounds that came from both.
Edward could do anything, he could do everything. He was everything, and now I was surely falling completely in love with him. He wrote me the most beautiful composition I had ever heard in my entire life. Nothing could ever compare to the melodic sounds he was creating. It was nearly impossible how well he could play.
His fingers were slowing down and it sounded like he was coming to an end. The last few chords played, and then he finished it with a beautiful finale. When his fingers came to a stop and the music faded from the room, I woke up from my trance and looked at him. He was staring at me, waiting for a response. I tried to say something, but I couldn't speak, words would not form in my mouth. He smiled then, presumably at my loss in train of thought. I blushed, and then somehow forced myself to speak.
"I can't believe that." I said, disbelief filled my body and I was staring at the piano and Edward simultaneously, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. "How can you play like that? It was amazing, incredible-," I kept going on and Edward just sat there smiling and letting out quiet chuckles.
"I can't believe you wrote me that, how? Why?" I asked, wondering to myself, why DID he write me that?
"I've had a lot of inspiration lately." He simply said and my cheeks became more flushed. Was I his inspiration? I wasn't necessarily satisfied with the answer, but I didn't budge for more. I inspired him, and he wrote a song for me. The thought of it was absolutely romantic.
"Did it take you a while to create that?"
"Not really, I had most of it in my head; I just kept playing around with it until it was finished."
"I could never play like that. That was better than anything I had ever heard before."
"It's taken me a while to get to where I am; lots of practice helps."
"I can only imagine how much." I said and Edward chuckled again.
"I see you've played the song for Bella." A voice chimed in. It was Esme and she was walking towards us from the kitchen. She knew about the song?
"He's been playing it for weeks now, he won't stop. Not that he needs to; it is beautiful. My second favorite, though the first is a song he wrote me a few years back. Oh, how I love it." She said as if she were listening to it now. A smile grew on her face at the thought of it.
"He is an amazing pianist." I commented, she looked at me and nodded in agreement.
"Brilliant." She said, characterizing Edward's astounding musical abilities.
"The only thing I can play on the piano is a poor rendition of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.'"
"We all have our talents; though anyone would look incapable compared to Edward on the piano." Esme said with a giggle.
"Mom," Edward said, as if he was embarrassed, but Edward could never get embarrassed or self-conscious for that matter, he is too perfect.
Right as Esme was about to respond, another voice entered the room.
"Ah, we have a guest." A beautiful deep voice rang through the room. I turned to see who it was. It was a tall young looking man with pale blond hair and striking golden eyes. He had a finely detailed body with a gorgeous face to go along with it. He looked just like the rest of the family, perfect. He could only be one person, Carlisle Cullen, the father of Edward Cullen.
Edward stood from the piano bench as he spoke, and I did the same.
"Dad, I'd like you to meet Bella Swan." Edward said in a soothing voice. Carlisle gazed at Edward then back at me with a warm welcoming smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Bella. Welcome to our home." He said humbly.
"Thank you, it is nice to meet you as well." I said, trying to match the politeness that Edward's entire family seemed to behold. They were perfect in every single way, and it was getting almost unbelievable at how perfect they actually were.
For one, they were indescribably gorgeous. I've never seen a family more beautiful in my life. Two, they were all brilliant, all having some sort of accomplishment in their lives. And three, they were all unbelievably nice, welcoming, and humble. How? I did not know. Was it good that they were this perfect? Yes and no. They were everything I could possibly have imagined or dreamt of. But on the bad side, I felt inferior to them. I was not perfect, not even the slightest bit, and by being with them made me feel even worse about my imperfections.
Although, being in their presence left me little time to think about my insecurities. When I was near Edward, all I could think about was his beauty and how happy I was to be near him. He filled me up with so much joy; I couldn't help but not be sad or insecure. I didn't care; I basked in the enjoyment and satisfaction that he brought to me.
Carlisle walked out of the room and Esme followed suit. It was just me and Edward now, alone together by the beautiful grand piano.
Edward sat back down at the piano, gesturing for me to sit as well.
It was silent for a minute, Edward was facing the piano keys and I was watching him. He looked incredibly handsome in the light of the house. I wished for anything that time could stand still and that I could stay here in this moment forever.
Just then Edward turned to look at me.
"What are you thinking?" He asked me, staring at me with deep concentration.
"I'm thinking about how incredible all of this is, your family, your music, everything." Edward smiled, but stared even more intently at me.
It was getting late, the sun was almost set, and I had to get home soon. I was going to make pork chops for Charlie and Renee. It was one of their favorites, and fairly simple to make, but I needed a while for it to cook.
Without even noticing it, I realized that Edward and I were really close to each other. Our lips were only a few inches from each other, somehow slowly closing in without even knowing it. I was unconsciously leaning to him, and he was doing the same, though I wasn't sure if his part was unconsciously doing it as well. Either way, I enjoyed the closeness and proximity between us. It felt amazing, and the current of that electricity was racing through us too. I somehow awoke from my reverie and realized how late is was getting.
"I have to go." I said to Edward, though it was the last thing I wanted. My tone couldn't have proved it any truer. Edward's face fell a little, but quickly composed its expression and gave me a slight smile. We went to grab my things and pack up from where we had worked on the project. I said goodbye to Edward's family and thanked them for their hospitality.
"I'll see you at school." Edward said comfortingly and I nodded as we both began to walk out of his house. He walked me to my truck and opened my door for me. I jumped inside and he closed the door behind me without saying a word. He waved a sweet goodbye and I answered with my own, as I pulled away I could see at the corner of my eye his face creating the crooked smile I know him to do. It was hard leaving him, but I knew I had to do it. I would see him again tomorrow, it wasn't too long away, and the thought of it made me happy.
I drove out of his driveway and headed home where Charlie and Renee would be waiting. I was sure they were hungry; hopefully they waited and didn't call for a pizza or something. That was usually what they did when I didn't cook, pizza or an easy sandwich that they could effortlessly scratch up. It was pretty pathetic their lack of cooking skills, quite sad actually. Someone would have thought they had been taught a few things from their parents, but I guess not.
Gran was a great cook, my mother's mom. She made delicious meals all the time whenever we'd visit her. How those genes or skills didn't pass on to Renee was beyond me, but either way at least I didn't get the short end of the stick. I once read somewhere that certain genes skip a generation. Maybe that happened in this case, it was certainly a plausible explanation for the mishap. Blame it on the genes.
I reached my house not too much later after leaving Edward's. I parked the old truck and walked inside.
"There you are Bells! I'm starving!" Charlie beamed at me as I stepped into the front door. He stood up from his chair and came rushing towards me.
"What are you making for dinner?" He asked excitedly.
"Pork chops." As I said that, Charlie's face turned from an ordinary smile to a smile out of this world.
"Mhmmm, man am I hungry for pork chops." He stated, rubbing his belly.
"Go back and sit down so I can begin cooking." I said while laughing. Renee was sitting on the couch the entire time, laughing at Charlie as well.
"How was school today Bella?" She yelled from the living room.
"Good, same as every day." I yelled back.
"That's good dear." She said, focusing more on the T.V. now and Charlie walking back to his chair.
I still hadn't told either of them about Edward. It felt wrong to tell them and too personal. I couldn't have them knowing if I wanted to keep Edward a secret, if I still wanted to hang out with him. If I did tell, surely the news would somehow reach Jacob, and then my little escapades with Edward would be over. It was something I would not risk. Of course, I couldn't keep it a secret forever though, but as long as it was, I was going to keep it that way.
I prepared the pork chops, and while it was cooking I finished up the rest of the homework I had from other classes in the kitchen.
"Is it almost ready Bells?" I heard Charlie ask from the living room.
"Yeah, about ten minutes." I replied then went back to my work.
I was on the last math problem when I looked and saw the pork chops were almost done cooking. I finished cooking them on the stove top and then I let them cool down a little. I had also made some mashed potatoes and green beans to go along with the chops.
"Five minutes and I'll call you two in here."
"Alrighty!" Charlie said.
I finished my homework and packed it all away into my backpack. I grabbed three plates from the cupboard and placed them on the table with forks and napkins.
"Alright come and eat!" I called to Charlie and Renee. Charlie was, of course, the first one to enter the room. He practically ran, with Renee following shortly after.
"Smells real good Bells." He said, grabbing his plate and dishing the biggest chop onto his plate.
"Thank you Bella, it looks delicious." Renee said as she dished herself up a serving.
"You're welcome." I quickly grabbed my own plate, and we began to eat.
After dinner, I watched T.V. for a little bit with Charlie and Renee. Renee ended up falling asleep and Charlie had to nudge her to wake her up so she could go to bed in their room instead of on the couch. I went upstairs before they did.
"Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight sweetie," Renee said.
"Goodnight Bells," Charlie said as he let out a big yawn. "Come on honey, let's go to bed." He said to Renee as I was walking upstairs.
Before I went to sleep, I jumped into the shower and brushed my teeth. When I finished getting ready, I walked to my bed and lied down.
I closed my eyes and entered the dream world. I walked into the dark cold meadow to my same little patch of light, lying down in the frigid air, crying like every night.
"Bella wake up!" Charlie yelled from downstairs. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at my alarm clock. 7:45….Crap!
I shot up from my bed and rushed to get ready for school. I had 15 minutes or else I was going to be late. Fuck!
Why did I sleep in? Why did I want to sleep in? My dreams were horrible, why would I want to stay in the depressing meadow any longer than I had to? It was crazy! And now I was running late for school. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, I kept saying in my head repeatedly.
I raced to put clothes on and to fix myself. My hair needed serious brushing and my breath was terrible. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, I kept thinking over and over again while I scrambled in the bathroom to finish up. I settled on whatever I was doing and jolted down the stairs. Grabbing my stuff and skipping breakfast.
"Bye mom, bye dad!" I yelled as I ran out of the house and into my truck.
What a great way to begin the day, in a hurry. I zoomed to the school in what seemed like record time, fastest I had ever gotten there. Thank god Charlie was a cop, or else I would have been in serious trouble from how much I was speeding.
I parked into my normal spot at school and ran out of my car. I saw a few people still strolling to class; power walking was more like it. I entered first period right as the bell rang and plopped into my seat. Thank God. I made it.
"Where the hell were you?" Jacob whispered into my ear as I was trying to catch my breath and even out my breathing.
"I woke up late." I simply stated, and Jacob scoffed.
"Good job." He said mockingly. I rolled my eyes at him and kept focusing on my breaths.
Today in first period felt pretty normal, almost like old times actually. I was in a good mood and so was Jacob. We acted like our usual selves for once, making jokes, laughing, talking. It felt good, and it made me really happy. I was glad to see the happy Jake again and I'm sure he was glad to see the happy me as well.
I didn't know what was getting into me, why I was so happy and joyful lately. I did have a hunch however, and that hunch was pointing towards Edward.
Class ended and Jacob walked me to math, holding my hand and smiling.
"Bye Bells, I love you." He said, pulling me in for a giant bear hug. I hadn't felt his arms and his body like this in such a long time. It was making me remember how much and why I did love him.
"Bye Jake, I love you too." He gave me a quick soft peck on the lips then ran off to his next class.
I walked into the door and sat next to Jessica like I did every day.
"Hey Bella, did you talk to Angela about details for tomorrow?" She asked right away.
"Oh, no not yet, I'll talk to her at lunch about it." I answered truthfully.
"Well I had the brilliant idea of us three going to the movies to see that new romantic flick 'Two Is A Party, Three Is A Crowd,'" I wasn't sure what that movie was about, but I knew I probably wasn't going to mind it. I didn't know if I was in the mood for a romantic though, and I hoped it wasn't something that I was going to dread.
"Yeah, that sounds cool."
"Great! I can't wait! It has gotten so many wonderful reviews; I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about it. Even the guys like it!"
"I bet, sounds awesome Jess." I tried to sound excited, but honestly I wasn't.
Our teacher called out to us and assigned us work so Jessica and I couldn't talk any longer, not that I minded.
The class almost lasted forever, math problem after math problem and the time went as slowly as it could go. I was dreading every minute of it, hoping that the bell would ring soon enough. Finally, it did.
"See you tomorrow." I called to Jessica as I packed my things and headed for the door.
"Bye Bella, I can't wait!" She exclaimed, packing up her things with great excitement.
I smiled at her then left the room. Friday was going to be agonizing, but again it was going to be a breath of fresh air as well, I hoped.
I walked into the cafeteria where I met Angela, Ben, Renesmee, and Edward.
"Hey," I said as I sat down. Angela, Ben, and Renesmee looked up at me and smiled. Edward looked up and opened his mouth.
"Hey," he replied, grinning like he always did.
I pulled out my lunch and began to eat.
"So Bella, Jessica wants to go see that new movie, 'Two Is A Party, Three Is A Crowd,'" Angela said.
"Yeah, she told me last period. She said it's supposed to be really good."
"Yeah, that's what I heard. I'm not really into all those chick flicks though; they are usually too emotional for my liking."
"Very true," I said in agreement.
"You probably shouldn't see that movie." Edward added to the conversation.
"And why is that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's just; I don't think you'll like it." He said, though it sounded like there was more to his reasoning.
"And why wouldn't I like it?" I asked puzzled.
"I don't know, I just have a feeling you wouldn't." he said, his face looked a little distraught though for some odd reason.
"Well, if we didn't have to go then we wouldn't, but Jessica Stanley can be pretty difficult at times when it comes to not getting what she wants." Angela chimed in, "I wouldn't want to try and argue with her."
Ben nodded his head and so did Renesmee. Then they went off on their own little side conversation during the rest of lunch. I looked at Edward; he still looked sort of agonized, and contemplative, as though he was thinking really hard about something.
"Are you okay?" I asked quietly so only he would have heard. He looked at me and then quickly covered all emotion in his expression.
"Yeah I'm fine, why would you ask?" He wondered, as if my question was completely random and absurd.
"I don't know, you just-"
"I just what?" He asked smirking.
"Never mind." I said, giving up.
He smiled at me and we joined in on the rest of the table's conversation before lunch ended. When the bell rang, Edward and I walked to class together like we did every day. We reached Mr. Banner's class and sat down in our normal seats.
Today, we worked on our science project some more. Edward and I worked most of the class period, adding a few conversations here and there, but we were so close to finishing that we tried to focus on the project more.
Most of the class period had ended and we decided that we had done enough for the time being, and stopped working. We talked about random things and enjoyed each other's company, Edward making me laugh, and me telling him things about myself.
"Are you coming over today?" I asked him. We'd had been working together every day after school for a while now and it was only routine to ask him.
"Actually, I can't." Edward said, looking down at his feet. My heart skipped a beat and my head fell too.
"Oh okay…that's alright. I have a lot of homework to do anyway." I said quietly. Edward looked up and smiled at me.
"I really want to, but I can't. My family and I are going out today." He said warmly.
"That sounds fun. I can't remember the last time I went somewhere with my family." I said jokingly, he chuckled.
"Can we get together Saturday? I know we can't tomorrow since you have a date with the girls," he said sarcastically.
"Ha, I can't wait for that one, and yeah Saturday sounds good."
"Good and it will be fun, don't worry." He said.
"I hope so." I replied. The bell rang and we stayed in our seats. Edward put his hand on mine and stared at me.
"It will be okay Bella. Trust me." He said soothingly, but it felt like he wasn't talking just about tomorrow night, but my wellbeing in general, how I had been these past few weeks. I always felt like Edward knew me so well, even better then I knew myself. It was a comforting feeling, like he was always there to protect me and take care of me. I loved him for that.
"I just have a bad feeling about that movie though," he added.
"Well, maybe I can talk Jess into not going."
Edward nodded and we finally stood up and packed our things quickly so that we wouldn't be late to class. He walked me to gym and then said a brief goodbye so he wouldn't be late to his own class.
Before I turned to class, I heard my name being called.
"Wait Bella!" Edward said, he was running back to me with something in his hand.
"Yes?" I asked, happy that he came back to me.
"I have something for you," he handed me a CD titled 'Bella's Lullaby,' then added, "It has your song and others of my favorite compositions. Maybe it can help you sleep at night, fight away the nightmares." He said smiling.
"This is perfect." I said looking brightly at him, "Thank you so much."
I gave him a hug without even thinking about it. It was the first time we had ever really hugged, and the electricity was astounding. I had never felt anything so strong and powerful. His arms felt strong against my body, perfectly molding around my shape as if he was meant to be there. I didn't want to let go, but I knew I had to.
I pulled away and looked at Edward's face. He was coyly smiling.
"Maybe I should get you gifts more often." He said teasingly, I blushed and he gently touched my cheek like he did last time. It was so perfect.
"Goodbye Bella," he said softly, the bell was about to ring any second and we were very close to being late for fourth period.
"Bye Edward, and thanks again." I said, he smiled, turned around, and walked off to his last class of the day.
It felt like knives in my heart knowing that I wouldn't see him after school today. It was my favorite part of the day, and now it wasn't going to happen.
I entered gym sadly, then I left it even worse. Sadness plus being uncoordinated does not work out too well. Half the time in gym class, I stumbled gloomily to the ground, or tripped over my own two feet. It was a terrible day in gym, especially for me.
I was glad to get home and leave that horrid place. Why did I have to end school with gym? It was hell on Earth, torture specifically designed for me.
I walked to my truck to quickly leave. Jacob's Rabbit was already gone. I pulled myself inside the truck and quickly drove home, though nothing compared to the morning's racing speed.
I reached my driveway and parked the car. Charlie was still at work, but Renee was unexpectedly home.
"Hey mom," I said as I walked inside and saw Renee in the kitchen, dressed in her odd 80's looking Yoga outfit.
"Hey honey, I'm about to go to Yoga. You want to come?" she said while stretching.
"Uh…. no thanks mom, I think I'll pass." I said jokingly.
"You're missing out Bella." She said, grabbing her keys, kissing my forehead, then walking towards the door. "Bye honey, see you later."
"Bye mom," I said while she marched out.
I was really sad that I wasn't going to spend any time with Edward today. My heart began to ache again, his presence always helped me, he was always there to help me, but I was alone now. I had nothing to do today but think about my dark angel and the pain that coursed through my body in his memory. I was desperate for relief and anything would do.
I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a coke. Before I closed the fridge, the phone rang.
"Hello?" I asked as I grabbed the receiver.
"Hey Bells, it's me. It's that call." His husky voice said, I smiled at the unexpected call and the answer to my plea for relief, then warmly replied.
"Hey Jake. I'm glad you called."
A/N: Uh oh! Slight cliffhanger? Oh la la, what's going to happen? Haha, well lucky for everyone, I have a very good idea and outline for the next 2 chapters, which means I will write more and faster since I really know what to write about.
I hope you liked this chapter, it gave some insight on Edward and his life, his piano skills, Carlisle, etc...
So did you love it? Hate it? Have a favorite line? Favorite part? Tell me, I would LOVE to know!
So this past week was busy like I said in the last update. I didn't have access to a computer for a couple days, I wasn't able to write anything, and I was nervous over the state competition I had to do for my school.
The trip was amazingly fun though and I had a great time. Unfortunately I didn't place, but hey, I'm still number one in regions!
But anyways, back to the story...
Please tell me what you thought of this chapter/this story, I can't wait to finish it, though it will be a while.
PLEASE REVIEW!
Thank you :)
