Chapter Twelve
Edward ended up carrying me on his back almost the full journey back to his apartment.
I wasn't quite sure how he had all the energy, especially after what had just happened in the water, but I admired him for it.
When we were only one block away from his apartment, we passed a small supermarket shop, and Edward's feet halted almost instantly as he glanced at the alleyway next to it.
I froze in shock, wondering what he was doing or who he was seeing in the darkness.
And then suddenly, as if in a trance, he asked quietly, "Bella, can you jump down for a second?"
I was afraid.
What if I let go of him, and that was it?
What if I never got to hold him or touch him, ever again?
My legs were like jelly as I jumped down from his back, and suddenly he made a move for the alleyway.
I reached out to grab his hand, and he glanced back at me quickly, staring at the fear in my eyes.
"It's okay." He whispered.
He held on tightly to my hand, and I moved my eyes to the alleyway.
They soon adjusted to the darkness, and that's when I saw what Edward was moving towards…
A little boy.
"Hey." He whispered, "Are you ok?"
He must have been no older than five, and he was twisting his fingers together and chewing on his lip as tears fell down his cheeks.
"Mommy." He choked, "Can't find her."
"Okay." Edward let go of my hand and knelt down, "Where was the last place you saw her?"
"The supermarket." The little boy answered, "With the milk."
"Right, well let's take you back there." Edward smiled, "What's your name?"
"Dylan." He answered, taking Edward's hand within a second of him offering it.
Edward introduced himself with a smile and the little boy looked up at him as he wiped a few tears away with his free hand.
"My mommy always told me not to talk to strangers." He nodded his head as we made our way into the supermarket.
"Well, don't worry, we're not going to hurt you."
"I know." Dylan nodded.
"How did you know that?" I asked quietly.
"Because you're an angel!" He grinned, showing us a bright smile with a front tooth missing.
Edward and I glanced at each other, and he chuckled softly, "True."
We made our way back into the supermarket, and Edward moved straight to the security man, "We found this little boy outside. He said he was in here with his mom."
The man glanced down at the little boy, before smiling widely, "And you must be Dylan."
"Who are you?" Dylan asked in return, and he frowned, hiding himself behind Edward.
It was so cute I nearly cried on the spot.
I wasn't seeing Edward and a lost child. I was seeing Edward and his child.
He'd make a great father.
"Dylan?" Another voice came sounding out from the security area, and suddenly a middle aged woman appeared, reaching for the boy and gathering him into her arms.
They hugged for a long moment, before the woman turned to Edward and I, thanking us over and over.
Edward smiled, wrapping his arm around me as he spoke, "We'd like to think someone would have done the same for our child." He nodded, "So you're welcome."
I heard his words, not only in my head, but in my heart too.
And I wasn't sure which feeling would kill me first; my love for him, my happiness at his words, or my pain at knowing they could never come true.
We turned around and walked out of the supermarket, and the entire walk home was so quiet…
I knew exactly what we were both thinking about.
Once we got inside his apartment, the first thing he did was turn around and look at me, fire burning deep within his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" I shook my head, "What for?"
"For what I said… About our child… I know we've never talked about anything like that… I know it's all too soon… It just came out… I'm sorry."
The pain and torture in his eyes made my heart bleed, and so I shook my head and reached up to touch his cheek, "Don't be sorry."
He stared for a long moment, seeming to process my words and their meaning, before he gently bent his head and kissed me.
I smiled on his lips, shivering slightly as the feel of him ran through my bones.
He pulled back suddenly, "Come on, come get changed."
I followed him into his bedroom, and I watched as he moved towards his wardrobe instead of my overnight bag.
I watched him curiously as he turned around with two pairs of pyjama trousers and two oversized t shirts.
He handed me one pair, before he began to remove his clothes and get changed into his own. I watched him carefully, smiling wistfully before I began to get changed too. I pulled on his t shirt, laughing quietly as it reached halfway down my thighs. I pulled off my jeans, before glancing at the pyjama bottoms on the bed.
I stared at them for a short second, before I looked back at Edward, "I can do without those."
He swallowed visibly, and I would have laughed if the heat between us hadn't stopped all form of noise.
He motioned to me suddenly, heading out of his bedroom, "Come. I want to show you something."
I followed him slowly, out of his room and towards another door. He pushed it open slowly, and I continued to follow him as he moved inside.
I glanced around, noticing the piano, smaller than the one in his shop, but still beautiful. There was a tiny sofa too, and a guitar resting against it.
I looked up at him, a smile playing on my lips, "A music room?"
He nodded, "Ever since you came into my life… I've found a lot more inspiration…"
"Have you written loads?"
"A few songs… A few compositions…"
"Play me them." I almost begged, my voice giving away just how desperate I was.
"How about I play you one of each? A song and a composition… I'll save my favourite for a more special time."
My heart squeezed automatically…
He thought it was going to get more special than this…
"Okay." I agreed, walking to the piano and sitting down beside him on the seat.
He smiled, "The composition first." His fingers began to dance across the keys, his head lowered slightly and his eyes hooded as he played the sweetest song I'd ever heard.
It was sad at the start, almost lonely.
And then, like a flower, it opened up.
The melody shifted, it changed.
It was like a lullaby.
It got lighter.
Happier.
By the end of it, I was in tears.
His smile dropped as he glanced at my face, "Why are you crying?" He asked quickly, reaching to wipe the tears away.
"Because it's beautiful." I smiled, letting him hug me tightly before he asked if I'd like to hear the song next.
He smiled shyly, "I hope you like it."
"What's it called?"
"Wake Me Up." He held my eyes for a long moment, "I wrote it after… You remember when we both fell asleep and then you woke me up the next morning?"
"I remember." I whispered softly with a smile.
"Yeah… I wrote it after that." He chuckled softly, before moving to place his fingers over the piano keys.
"I should ink my skin with your name…
And take my passport out again,
And just replace it.
See I could do without a tan,
On my left hand,
Where my fourth finger meets my knuckle…
And I should run you a hot bath,
And fill it up with bubbles…
'Cause maybe you're loveable,
And maybe you're my snowflake…
When your eyes turn from brown to grey in the winter I'll hold you in a cold place…
And you should never cut your hair,
'Cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder…
And you will never know,
Just how beautiful you are to me…
But maybe I'm just in love,
When you wake me up…"
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, smiling crookedly.
"So I'll take you to the beach,
And walk along the sand…
And I'll make you a heart pendant,
With a pebble held in my hand.
And I'll carve it like a necklace,
So the heart falls where your chest is…
And now a piece of me is a piece of the beach,
And it falls just where it needs to be and rests peacefully,
So you just need to breathe to feel my heart against yours now, against yours now…
'Cause maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up…
Oh, maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up…"
He turned his head to glance at me, gazing into my eyes as I stared back at him in awe;
"Maybe I fell in love when you woke me up…"
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