Hey guys! :D
Thanks for reviewing; Blah, Lizzy, MareenCullen', Rosaa, Feelslikeinsomnia, Avery Shane, Marijne, SuperSayjinPanny, Lolly, Porcelain-Shadow, Lizardastra, Dhampirbina, J5girl31012, Lauren, Miss Stacy Sea Cullen, Thari, Edward and Bella forever, Sprinter1, Jm1708, HealThisHeartbreak, Gnomegirl13, Wcsppmh-me, Witchykitty1313, AutumnOtts, Lisa,She Isn't Here and Sarah226! :D You people make me smile! :D Thanks to Porcelain-Shadow who requested this, a free, digital JealousWard for all of you! :p
And also, thanks for JealousWard/HornyWard and the chocolate, SuperSayjinPanny (I'm a true chocoholic, so any kind will do. :p), thanks for the crisps/Skittles, Lizardastra, thanks for another JealousWard, Lauren, thanks for yet another JealousWard who can be jealous of my TypingWard (xD), Thari, thanks for the red hots, AutumnOtts, and Lizzy, I think I want that island! ;)
Seems I have a lot of Edwards now… *All her jealous Edwards are starting to beat each other up* *The house is reduced to a pile of rubble* *Picks up her laptop and the cat, and moves to a new house* Sigh, boys will be boys.
Alright, questions/etc:
To Rosaa: What is the title referring to? Basically it's referring to the impossible situation that Bella and Edward are stuck in. Bella's life finally gets a bit more exciting and she finds the man of her dreams, but she isn't allowed to want him. The same goes for Edward. It's sort of that 'be careful what you wish for' thing.
To Feelslikeinsomnia: Yes, there will definitely be a happy ending. :p I'm all for happy endings, just like you, so don't worry about that.
To SuperSayjinPanny: Oh my god… You're right, it's a conspiracy! :O You people are trying to get me fat so that I'll get stuck behind my computer. :p
To Dhampirbina: Oops, sorry for the heart attack. :p
To J5girl31012: Nope sorry, no previews. I simply don't have the time, and it would only take me longer to write new chapters. xD
To Lauren: You lucky girl! :O
To Jm1708: Welcome back! :p When Edward says that everyone is bad, he means society in general, all the people around him and Bella who are the reason they can't be together. ;)
To Lisa: Lol, you won't have to beg. :p I agree with you, I think these two deserve a break after all this drama, so a few fluffy chapters are coming up. And I have a nice trip planned for them, so stay tuned.
Pff, huge author's note. Yeah whatever, if anyone is annoyed by the long author's notes, just skip them. :p Chapter thirteen, have fun!
Present
When I entered the apartment, Rose started to scream excitedly as soon as she spotted me.
"Are you feeling alright?" I asked dryly when she was done screaming, wondering what her problem was.
"You and Edward totally are a couple." She squealed.
"You spied on us?!" I accused, pointing my finger at her.
"Ehm no…" She said seriously, before letting out a small giggle.
"What's so funny?" I demanded.
She made an innocent face, and pointed at her neck. After a small moment of confusion it occurred to me what she was referring to, and I blushed furiously as I rubbed my hand against a rather sore spot on my throat.
"He marked me." I grumbled.
"Yep… it seems someone was desperate to stake his claim." Rose teased me. "I told you that he wanted you! Do you still need more proof?"
I snorted. "No, I think he has made his intentions clear…"
"So you guys are a happy couple now?" Rose verified.
"More like a sneaky couple, but yes." I said, grinning at her.
She grinned back enthusiastically. "Great, it's good to hear that you guys are finally past all the running and chasing."
"Yes… but I am going to grill him about one thing the next time I get the chance… He lied to me, Rose! He didn't forget about what happened that night when he was drunk! He remembered something important that I told him that night."
Rose shrugged. "I suppose he didn't want to make the situation more difficult."
"I suppose… But still, I am sort of mad at him… but he's pretty damn good at distracting me." I huffed.
"Obviously." Rose muttered, glancing at my neck.
"Stop staring at it!" I groaned, covering my neck with my hands.
"Alright, alright." She defensively held up her hands. "You know what, I'll leave you alone and start dinner, you deserve a break from all the cooking."
"No that's fine, Rose, why don't we order a pizza tonight." I suggested subtly.
She stuck out her tongue at me. "Mark my words, Bella Swan! Someday, I will learn to cook, and you will be begging me to prepare dinner for you."
I let out a short laugh. "I believe you… But until that happens, let's just order pizza..."
xxx
The evening was quiet and relaxed, and I was feeling extremely happy. We had just enjoyed our pizza, and Rose and I were now watching some soap on TV. Actually I was only partly watching, seeing as I was already thinking about tomorrow, when I would see my boyfriend again. Boyfriend… The word alone was enough to make my heart accelerate again.
I was just replaying our first kiss in my head, when the doorbell rang and made me jump. Rose growled, her eyes still fixated on her favorite soap.
"Let's ignore it." I mumbled lazily, not in the mood to get rid of Jacob.
Rose mumbled a short 'uhu' in response and kept watching the screen, at least until the bell rang for the second time.
"Aargh!" She exclaimed in frustration as she got up from the couch. "Somebody better be dying!"
"Who is it?" Rose snapped at the speaker.
"Urgent delivery for Miss Isabella Swan." A firm, professional voice replied.
Rose frowned at me. "Did you order something?" She hissed.
"No, not that I remember… Maybe Jacob is trying to send me a dead animal or some faded flowers… Isn't that what stalkers do?" I joked.
Rose rolled her eyes but pressed the green button. "Come up."
I curiously made my way to the door, and when I opened it a guy in a blue uniform was standing in front of it. He handed me a small, flat, rectangular box, adding a polite smile.
"If you could sign here, please, Miss Swan." He said, holding up a form in front of my face.
I quickly wrote down my name and he nodded in approval. "Thank you, have a nice evening."
Rose shut the door and raised her eyebrows at me. "What is this all about?"
"We'll find out soon enough."
I removed the plain, brown paper with my name and address on it, and found out that the package contained a white envelope and a CD in a blank CD case. My name was written on the envelope in a neat, elegant script.
Rose grinned. "I think it's from your Mr. Cullen, I'll give you some privacy."
She returned to the couch to be reunited with her beloved soap, and I slowly sat down at the dining table. My heart was nervously doing some flips as I ripped open the envelope, and I smiled like an idiot as I pulled out a letter in the same elegant script. My hands were shaking a bit with excitement, and so I placed the letter on the table before I started reading.
My beautiful Bella,
Here's a small present, because I feel like I owe you an apology for everything that happened after that night when I was drunk. A lot of things about that night are still blurry to me, but for some reason I do remember you telling me how you felt about me. I'm sorry for lying to you, but I thought it would only make things more awkward between the two of us if you knew that I remembered your confession to me. I thought it was for the best, but it turns out I was wrong.
I think you'll recognize this song, seeing as you seemed to like it very much. I told you that I had a sudden rush of inspiration, but what I didn't tell you was that you were my inspiration. This melody came to me while I watched you sleep, so I guess that means that it belongs to you.
Sweet dreams, my love.
Forever yours,
Edward
My heart was thundering in my chest. I couldn't believe this guy… Could he be any more adorable? I got up and snatched the CD from the table, hurrying into my room, turning on my old CD player. I placed the CD in it, and pressed the 'play' button.
After a few seconds, a soft, beautiful melody filled the room, the same melody that he had played for me the night I'd stayed at his apartment. I sat down on my bed, listening in awe. It was amazing, it was perfect, it was breathtaking… this man was very talented… And the best part was, that according to him I had inspired this beautiful song… Before I could stop myself the tears spilled out again, but this time it were tears of pure, unadulterated bliss.
The song ended and the room was very quiet, all of the sudden. I wanted to see him… I wanted to thank him, kiss him, be in his arms… I made a rash decision, and I jumped up from the bed and sprinted into the living room, collecting my coat and my car keys.
"Are you leaving?" Rose asked, looking up from the TV.
I grinned like a lunatic. "I have to see Edward."
She let out a surprised laugh. "At this hour?"
"Who cares." I said dismissively, heading for the door.
"Silly Bella, you've got it bad… Have fun." I heard her call after me before I skipped out of the front door.
My breathing was uneven as I hastily got into my truck and started the engine. He only lived a five minute drive away from me, and I was thankful for that. During the short drive I was nagged by some second thoughts… What if he didn't want me to visit him? What if he was already asleep? I considered turning around for a split second, but quickly dismissed the idea. I just had to see him, and if he didn't feel like having me around at the moment, he could simply ask me to leave.
His building came into sight after a few minutes, and I found an empty spot to park my truck. I turned off the engine and took a deep breath before getting out of the car. I was only minutes away from seeing him, and my heart made some more wild moves at that thought.
I half-ran up the stairs, miraculously without falling down, and when I reached his door I took another deep breath before ringing his bell. It didn't take him long to answer the door, which made me think that at least he hadn't been asleep. His face was clearly surprised when he saw me, but the surprise quickly turned into enthusiasm.
"Bella!" He exclaimed, a brilliant smile on his face. "Do you want to come in?"
"Yes, if that's alright." I replied.
He let me in, closing the door behind us, and he gave me another wide grin, his eyes shining. That was the only sign I needed, and I threw myself into his arms. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms tightly around me, and I buried my face in his chest.
He chuckled. "I take it you liked my present, then?"
"I loved it, Edward." I mumbled into his shirt. "I love you."
He froze in my arms, and I realized what I'd just said and wanted to slap myself for once again blurting out the uncensored truth. 'I love you' was way too serious, I was going to scare him off if I kept this up. I was close to becoming a stalker, no better than Jacob Black...
"I'm sorry." I stuttered, releasing him from my grasp. "It sort of… slipped out."
I carefully glanced up to gauge his reaction, but he seemed relaxed again, smiling even, happy… His eyes were that liquid emerald again.
"Please don't apologize, love, you just took me by surprise, that's all. You can't imagine how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I love you, too, sweetheart, more than anything in the world." He said softly, pulling me into his arms again.
My heart did a few frantic flips… He had said the magic words. 'I love you'.
"It feels good to say it." I whispered.
Edward laughed lightly, and he gently kissed the top of my head. "Actually… that wasn't the first time you said it." He informed me in a casual tone.
Uh oh… did that mean that he did hear me when I had told him that I loved him, the night that he was drunk? But he had seemed so fast asleep, he couldn't possibly have heard me…
"I did? When?" I asked, unable to suppress my curiosity, looking up at him again to see his reaction.
He smiled apologetically. "Well… I told you that you talked in your sleep, right?" He trailed off suggestively.
I groaned in frustration. "God no! I told you I loved you in my sleep!? In that case 'embarrassing' was a huge understatement… 'Embarrassing' is not a big enough word to describe a situation like that!" I ranted.
He merely laughed, though. "Don't worry about it, really… Come on, why don't we sit down?" He proposed, gesturing to the couch.
I nodded and we both took a seat on his couch. I snuggled into his side, resting my head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around me. He tenderly pressed a kiss against my forehead, and I sighed in contentment.
"When was it? When did I tell you?" I asked, curious again.
He seemed in thought for a second, and then he smiled at the memory. "It was that night you fell asleep on the couch when I came to your place to apologize about the thing with Lauren. At first you started to babble about all kinds of stuff, and I thought it was very amusing. But then suddenly… you said that you loved me..."
I rolled my eyes and let out a short laugh at my own expense. "Yeah, count on me to do something humiliating, even while I'm asleep."
"To be honest, I didn't mind in the slightest, love…" Edward said, smirking at me. "But I have to admit that it was the main reason I had second thoughts about us being friends… When you said those words… I knew we were already in too deep, both of us, seeing as I also had some very strong feelings for you myself, at that point." He added more seriously.
"So that was why you changed your mind, the next day?"
"Yes, I knew it was wrong, and I tried to fight it, but it's pointless, Bella. Trying to fight something this strong isn't realistic…" He murmured, lightly stroking his hand through my hair.
"You did a pretty good job fighting it, at first." I reminded him, remembering the days when he had avoided me as much as possible.
"I might've done well on the outside… On the inside, not so much. I felt miserable for days… that was the darkest week of my life… And then I saw you dancing at Emmett's party… I wanted you to be mine so badly, and I just lost it." He confessed.
"Drinking doesn't solve your problems, Mr. Cullen." I repeated his sister's words from that evening.
"I'm not sure about that… I got to take you home with me." He said, grinning wickedly.
"And I enjoyed every minute of it." I assured him. "Well, except maybe the part where I had to drag you up the stairs."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." He laughed a soft, beautiful laugh, but was soon back to serious again. "I wish things weren't so complicated… If only it weren't for my stupid, underpaid job." He groaned, irritated.
I arched my eyebrows in confusion. "Underpaid? From the looks of it I'd say that's a lie." I said dryly, glancing around his luxurious apartment. "Not to mention the car."
He sighed. "I have my parents to thank for all this, Bella. Carlisle and Esme are very wealthy, and they helped me out. And even though they don't want me to, I want to pay them back, but I can't do that if I get fired."
"Oh… I see." I mumbled in understanding.
"But on the bright side, only a few more months left…" He said in a more optimistic tone.
"Hmm, yeah. We'll make it, I'm sure." I whispered.
I glanced up at him and smiled again when I realized that this perfect creature was all mine. I still had some trouble wrapping my head around it, but it was starting to get easier, especially on moments like this one, when I was safe in his arms.
I sat a little straighter so I had less trouble reaching him, and I placed a small kiss against the smooth skin of his neck where I could reach it. He sighed in pleasure and I took it as a sign to continue, placing more kisses against his skin, working my way up to his mouth.
He smiled crookedly and turned his head to help me out. I brushed my lips against his, and he started to move his lips with mine in a heartbeat. The sweet taste of Edward was something I would never get enough of, and I used both my hands to secure his face to mine. We kissed until I had no choice but to break free for some much needed oxygen.
We were both breathing raggedly, and I was wondering if his heart was beating as fast as mine was right now.
"You should know that I'll probably die at an early age from a heart attack if you keep this up." I told him when I was breathing normally again.
He grinned and lightly kissed the tip of my nose. "You're not the only one, you should hear my heart." He replied, answering my unspoken question.
I did just that, snuggling against his chest, resting my ear over the place where his heart was. I smiled widely when I observed that it was beating frantically.
"Proud of your victory, are you?" He teased when he saw my smile, ruffling my hair.
"You do the same to me, so it's an even score."
"Yes… I suppose it is." He murmured.
We sat like that for quite some time, and I kept listening to his heartbeat as it gradually calmed down. After a while I recalled the fact that there was also a world outside of Edward's apartment, and when I checked my watch I saw that it was almost midnight.
"I should go, or I won't be able to stay awake during class tomorrow." I said, reluctantly getting up.
"Fall asleep during my class for all I care, I'll make sure that you get detention." He said with a smirk, also getting up from the couch and wrapping his strong arms around me.
"You're a bad example, Mr. Cullen." I teased him back.
He grinned and released me, but kept holding on to my hand as he led me to the door.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, sleep well, Edward."
He pouted at me. "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"
I didn't have to think about that, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"Sleep well, my Bella." He hummed against my lips.
I pulled back, smiling shyly at him, and made my way out of the door, but he stopped me by gently grabbing my wrist.
"Wait… maybe we should exchange phone numbers… Since we can't be seen together… That way I can text you or call you when I miss you." He said, winking at me.
I grinned like a maniac. "Good idea… Be prepared to be stalked, Mr. Cullen."
He smiled devilishly. "Be prepared to be stalked, yourself."
We quickly exchanged phone numbers and said our goodbyes, both of us already looking forward to seeing each other again. I felt like flying on the way back home, and just as I parked my car next to Rosalie's BMW, my cell phone beeped, announcing that I had a new text message.
I frowned, pulling the phone out of my purse, and saw that it was from Edward. He was unbelievable, I was with him five minutes ago!
Not that I minded, and neither did my heart, for it sighed happily as I read his message.
'I miss you already, my Bella. You'll star in all my dreams tonight. Edward.'
That's it for today, thanks for reading. :D New update tomorrow.