Hey guys, it's been a while. I just don't have enough time in the day though, my life is hectic and I can't write as much as I would like to. I won't give you an update schedule, because I'll likely just fail at it. Edward's story is done though, if you haven't checked it out and are looking for more!
SM owns the Twiverse. This plot is mine.
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Fuck.
I hated being distracted. It made me nervous. Uneasy.
But just the thought of Edward was distracting, and I could never seem to get him out of my mind. No matter how busy I was.
And I was always busy, from the moment I woke up to the moment I passed out in my bed at night. I'd go for a run with Zeus as soon as I woke up, shower, go to work, lunches with Jasper. Edward came over Monday night, I went shopping and out to dinner with Rose Tuesday, Wednesday it was dinner with Alice, and Thursday mornings I had my classes.
And Alec sent me a link for some online computer programming courses that he thought I might like.
He was right, they were fun as hell. I'd work on them in every spare minute I had, and I didn't have many of those.
And then there was something I hadn't been expecting to take up my schedule. Ever. Which was sleeping. Like, normal sleeping. More than two hours. Without nightmares.
It was weird, and amazing. Not every night, but these days I was having more good days than bad.
Going to work Friday night was a little weird. Being so close to Edward, and not being able to even talk to him. I couldn't, because it felt like half of the VIP room had come to catch a glimpse of him. He was always being watched, so I couldn't just hang around and talk to them.
It was distracting. I could always feel him watching me.
When I texted him to tell him to stop, he just laughed and winked at me. I rolled my eyes, trying to reign in my irritation because I just couldn't afford to be distracted at this job.
"Hey Boss?"
"What's up Seth?" I asked through my wrist gear.
"There's a guy down here and… this might sound weird, he hasn't done anything, yet, but he's giving me some bad vibes."
"How so?"
"He just has this look on his face that screams he's looking for trouble. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah Seth, and don't be embarrassed, you should always trust your instincts. Point him out to Felix and keep an eye on him. Let me know if anything progresses."
"Okay, thanks Boss."
I wanted to go down and switch off with him, because even though Seth was young and a little inexperienced, he had a good eye. He was very perceptive, which was one of the big reasons I'd taken him on. I didn't feel right leaving though, because aside from two different groups of men that each looked a little worked up, there were a lot of people looking at my boyfriend like they wanted to pounce on him.
Which is why I should never have mixed my personal life with my business one. I should have gone down when Seth had told me he felt uneasy.
"We need a hand on the second floor," Felix said urgently.
"Jake," I said.
"On it Boss. Embry, grab the front."
"Sure thing."
"Do I need to come down?"
There was no answer.
"Seth? Felix? Give me an update," I hissed.
"Boss, Seth took a hard hit to the head, we got the guy under control though."
"I want you, Seth, and the guy in my office. Felix, come see me. Embry, hold the front. Quil, hold the floor, Kachiri take the second, and Demetri you come cover for me."
"Yes Boss," they all called at the same time. Felix came up just before Demetri, who waited a few feet away while I talked to Felix. I didn't want to do this in front of a customer in my office, and I wanted Demetri to hear it so he'd tell the others.
"What the hell happened?"
"I'm not sure, I just looked over and he was on the ground with the guy."
"The same guy he'd called me about?" He nodded. "I told you to fucking watch him! Why weren't you?"
"Seth's just a kid, I figured he was being dramatic so-"
"I told you to watch him Felix, not Seth. What were you doing before you noticed?" He didn't answer, so I knew the answer. Because I knew Felix. "I'm tired of your shit. You're fired. Come in tomorrow to collect your severance, and get the fuck out of my club."
"But Boss-"
"NOW Felix."
He dropped his head, and left.
"You got this Demetri?"
"Sure Boss," he said, giving me an approving smile.
"Feel free to tell the others about this. I won't accept anything less than perfect from my employees." He nodded. "And keep an eye on those two groups of guys." I pointed them out and then went over to Rose.
I was pissed, and couldn't even bring myself to look at Edward when I pulled Rose away to tell her. She walked across the room with me.
"There was an incident downstairs, one of my guys got hurt, I'll see how he is but I might have to take him down to the hospital."
"I can call for someone to bring him-"
"No, I have to make sure he's okay. He got hurt on my watch. I'll call in some people to cover."
She gave me a sad look that just fucking confused me, but nodded.
I went into my office, and clenched my fists tightly when I saw Seth sitting down on my couch. His eyebrow and nose were bleeding.
"Look, you guys can't keep me in here-" The giant douche bag that I didn't know started, but he shut up as soon as I turned to look at him.
"You keep your fucking mouth shut. I can detain you here, under civilian arrest, and I will hold you here until an officer comes to collect you and charges you for assault."
He didn't open his mouth again, and I knelt down in front of Seth with my kit as I dialed Paul.
"Hey B, what's up?"
"I've got a guy at the club that assaulted one of my bouncers. Can you come take him in?"
"Sure thing, I'll be there in ten."
"Thanks. I got a different guy at the door, just flash him your badge."
"Okay, I'll see you soon."
I hung up and turned to Jake. "Can you call in Zafrina and Elijah?"
"Sure thing."
I turned back to Seth, and he sat still while I cleaned his face, and used some temporary stiches to keep the small cuts closed. Then I took out my pen light, and shone it into his eyes. He followed the light with his eyes without being told.
"You have a concussion," I told him, just as Paul walked in. "Come on, I'm taking you to the Hospital."
Paul cuffed and took away the asshole, and I walked out to my truck with Seth after Jake assured me that he had things under control. Seth was silent as I pulled out into traffic.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, looking over at him. He looked over at me, and gave me a sad smile.
"I'm fine, just sort of… embarrassed."
"If I know you, the only reason he was able to get a hit in is because you were trying to prevent someone else from getting hit." I looked over at him, and his eyes were wide. "I know I'm right. I hired you for a reason, and it's because you're good at what you do. A bloody nose doesn't lower my opinion of you. You're only human, but you're a good one. This is my own fault, for not leaving you with proper support. Felix is a shit pump, and is now an unemployed one."
"Shit, you're serious."
"I'm always serious. I tried to give him a second chance, and don't think I didn't know you were covering for him," I warned with a pointed look. He looked rightfully chastised, so I didn't push it. "And he didn't impress me."
"Who will you be putting up with me?"
"Do you have any preferences?"
"Er… Kachiri is really good," he said, and I think he may have blushed. He may be huge, but he's just a big kid.
"I'll ask her how she feels about it. Zafrina was looking for more hours, and she likes the first floor."
We parked in temporary parking and I waited with Seth until he was seen. He was a little cheerier, and ended up taking a nap while we waited. I was jealous of his ability to just sleep on command like that.
I felt guilty now for giving Edward the cold shoulder and not saying anything to him before I left. He really hadn't done anything wrong, I had just made a bad call and then acted like an immature child. Not even a week into this thing and I already suck at being a girlfriend. I texted him quickly.
Sorry for taking off without saying goodbye, I had to see to one of my guys. Are we still on for tomorrow?
I stared at my phone, willing it to vibrate, and was rewarded a few minutes later.
Of course, and don't worry about it. I don't want you to worry about me while you're working, I know it's not fair for me to try and distract you from your job, but I just can't stay away.
I was typing as soon as I read the last letter, but paused. I wasn't sure what to say. He was so good with words, they seemed to come so easily to him. I could never find the right ones, most of my words were either carefully constructed lies or half truths, or blunt honesty. With Edward now, most oftenly, it was the latter. I just wish I could find better words to do it with, mine never felt like enough.
I don't mind. It's nice having you around. Goodnight Hollywood.
Then I remembered that I wasn't completely honest with him.
I still haven't told him about Tyler. Oh, god, I completely forgot about that. He replied quickly.
Goodnight beautiful.
I smiled sadly at my screen. I really didn't deserve him. I was grateful for him though.
As I'd guessed Seth did have a concussion, but no fractures or other reasons for concern. I gave him a lift home after that.
"I want you to take the next week and a half off," I told him as I pulled up outside his apartment complex.
"No, please Boss, I swear I'll be fine to work, and I have my rent and this course I'm saving-"
"Seth, calm down. Your job will still be waiting for you when you come back, I just want you to take the rest of this weekend and next weekend off. I'll still pay your full salary while you're off. Consider it paid sick leave."
"Really?"
"What did I say about seriousness? Come on kid. Go to bed. I'll see you in a couple weeks."
"Thanks Boss. You're pretty awesome, you know?"
I laughed. "Thanks. Now get out, I'm tired."
He laughed, and then hopped out of my truck before walking inside. I drove across town, and at least at five on a Saturday morning the traffic wasn't too bad. I was dead on my feet when I got home, but still managed to make it up the stairs with Zeus to let him out. I didn't get to crawl into my bed until six in the morning, but when I did I was out in seconds.
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I didn't know what to wear. This shouldn't have been such a big deal, we were just having dinner and hanging out with our family and friends. I didn't want to show up at my boyfriend's house in just jeans and a t-shirt though. It felt boring.
It was too cold to just go out in a skirt, very impractical, but I had a nice pair of black tights. So I wore that with a light denim skirt, and this incredibly comfy white cotton shirt that had baggy sleeves. I think I looked cute. Alice had said this skirt was cute last time she saw it, and she knew her fashion. It felt a lot less slutty with the tights too. I decided to just braid my hair to keep it out of my way for cooking later.
It was only noon, but after taking Zeus out to the roof he crashed, and I decided to go get groceries for dinner to pass the time. I was going crazy waiting. Unfortunately it didn't take very long, and after packing up everything that I needed, I decided I'd just go surprise him early. I called Collin for a lift since Emmett had already volunteered to drive me home, and met him at my usual pick-up spot.
I was getting pretty nervous, thinking it might have been terribly rude not to call first, and then wondering if Alice would be upset that I started dating her brother. Was that weird? I don't know. She did sort of push me at him though.
His doorman let me through and I took the elevator up to his apartment. I could hear his piano, and the door was unlocked, so I slipped inside. It was a beautiful piece, I could feel the excitement in it, but it was tinged with a sort of nervous energy and hints of something that felt almost fearful.
God, he looked sinful sitting in front of that piano, dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. It was hard to believe this man was my boyfriend. I wanted to run my hands over his shoulders.
I should probably stop being creepy and say something.
"That was beautiful," I whispered , and he jumped in surprise and clutched at his chest. I smiled guiltily. "Sorry, your door was open, and I couldn't bring myself to interrupt."
He blinked a few times, not saying anything, but I also saw him give me a good once over that made me grin. Feeling brave, I sat right next to him on his wooden bench. I still had that intense urge to touch him, but that made me nervous and I settled for this proximity.
"Can you play something else?" I asked hopefully. He was really good. He just smiled at me, and turned back to the keys. And he started playing fucking Metallica. Nothing Else Matters. I couldn't hide my smile as I watched his fingers dance over the keys. He played so smoothly, with such ease, it was an engrossing thing to watch.
"How was your day off?" He asked quietly, not breaking his rhythm in the slightest.
"It was good. I didn't get home until six this morning, and ended up sleeping most of the day," I admitted sheepishly. It was nice not having to lie about that today. My sleep had been so much more peaceful since I started spending more time with him.
"You look stunning," he whispered in a deep voice. I grinned, and felt my face heat up at his compliment as I continued to watch him play. "You're early."
He sounded pleased when he said that, and I relaxed a little more. "I missed you," I told him honestly, watching his eyes to see if he found that too clingy or something. His grin split his face though.
"I'm glad. I was going crazy waiting for you. I even washed my toilet."
I laughed, and bumped his shoulder playfully as an excuse just to touch him before I got up. Edward had said something about loving fajitas the other day, so that's what I was making. It was an easy meal, it just required a lot of prep. Edward got up and came over with me, and helped me start emptying out the bags I had brought. I started rinsing off some vegetables, and gasped when Edward handed me a pepper.
"Edward! Why haven't you changed the bandage on your hand? It's filthy, you're going to get an infection!"
"Oh, uhm… it feels fine, I guess I didn't even think about it," he said with a shrug. How could the son of a fucking doctor be so lax about something like that? I shook my head in exasperation, and made him sit down at his kitchen table before I grabbed my purse and pulled out my trusty first-aid kit. I took out some fresh gauze, disinfectant wipes and antibacterial ointment before I put on some gloves and started taking off his bandages.
"Why do you keep a first aid kit in your purse?" He asked curiously, sitting there obediently and letting me work.
"Just in case," I told him. I was a precautious person; you never knew when you'd need a first aid kit in New York. Someone nearby could be shot, stabbed, hit by a car, or your boyfriend could just be very inattentive of his own health. "They're not infected, you're lucky. You should change this twice a day though," I informed him before cleaning his cut and wrapping his hand back up. "There, good as new."
"Thanks," he said, inspecting his bandages. "I'll pick up some stuff for it tomorrow."
"I'll just leave this one here for you." I threw out the old bandages and garbage before cleaning my hands and the table.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I buy in bulk, and am not lacking in medical supplies at home." I still had three unopened identical kits in my storage closet. I went to grab a cutting board, then remembered that I wasn't in my apartment.
Hmm. Maybe I should have asked him what he had in his kitchen before I came over. From the way he inhaled anything that I made him, I got the feeling that he didn't cook often.
"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing my pause. I grinned.
"I don't know where anything is, I've never used your kitchen before." He hopped to his feet with a smile and joined me.
"What do you need?"
His kitchen turned out to be well stocked, though I could tell most of his things had never been used. There wasn't a single scratch on any of his cutting boards. He had everything that I needed though, and it made me wonder if some sort of company assembled his kitchen for him.
Edward was a gentleman, and of course offered his assistance. The last thing I wanted was for him to mess up his new bandages and get an infection, or contaminate the food.
That, and I knew that I had a habit of getting easily irritated if people got in my way when I was on a roll in the kitchen, and I tried to avoid things that made me irritable around Edward. I'd taken out enough misplaced anger on him already to last a life time.
I'm not a team player, sue me.
So he put on some music and just kept me company while I cut up all sorts of vegetables, beef and chicken. I don't know how he wasn't bored, but he seemed thoroughly entertained watching me work.
I just enjoyed being close to him.
I could have bought tortilla bread, but it was just so easy to make and tasted a hundred times better fresh, and after rolling all my dough into little balls I started rolling them out. I went to grab one of his bigger plates I had seen to lay them out flat on, but I misjudged the length of my arm.
Fuck. I bet he didn't need a stepping stool in his kitchen, stupid tall people have it so easy…
The tall person in question surprised me, making me jump when he came up behind me, resting a hand on my hip and reaching over me much too easily to retrieve said plate.
"T-thanks," I practically stammered. He kept his hand on my hip as I turned to look up at him, and I was filled with a sudden surge of nervousness.
No one had made me feel so vulnerable before, not even Victor. At least with him, I knew exactly where I stood, what my strengths and assets were concerning him, what the options were and exactly what I would do if I ever saw him. Not Edward, I was flying in the dark with him, and it was nerve-wracking.
I'd also never once enjoyed feeling vulnerable, but the way this man made me feel nervous was fucking adrenaline-inducing, and I was quickly becoming addicted to it.
He just smiled at me, and his hand came up to my face. It got easier every time not to worry about him grabbing my neck. He didn't look away from my eyes as he smoothed a thumb over my cheek, and I got lost in his eyes. That deep, deadly green.
I realized what he was going to do only a second before he leaned forward. I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing, and my heart was beating so fast that I thought it might rip out of my chest, but I didn't pull away, and I didn't panic. Much. Okay, I was panicking. But I didn't run.
And when his lips met mine the panic dissolved away, but my heart didn't slow down. His lips were gentle, just brushing against mine softly. It wasn't scary, there was none of the confusion, fear, or worry that had scrambled my mind that last time he had kissed me. I tentatively tried to copy the subtle movements of his lips, and it was just easy. Natural.
It felt really fucking good.
And he didn't pull away. His arms wrapped around my waist, and it was like he was trying to pull me closer to him at the same time he was pinning me against the counter. My hands sought out more contact, just wanting more of him, and I loved the feeling of his strong chest under my hands as they moved up his stomach. My hands made their way into his hair, gripping onto it, just wanting him closer. Even feeling all of him against me, it wasn't close enough.
His hands moved from my waist up my ribs, and the next thing I knew he was lifting me up like a fucking doll and set me down on the counter before stepping in between my legs. It was much easier to reach him higher up like this, and my arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer. I felt like my entire body was on fire and I couldn't fucking think. All there was, was Edward, his soft yet commanding lips, his tall, strong body, his intoxicating cologne.
And then the tip of his tongue went over my bottom lip, and I fucking shivered, having never felt a desire so intense before.
And the sluttiest sound I've ever made escaped my mouth, surprising and embarrassing the shit out of me. I jerked away from him as my hands clapped over my mouth instinctually.
He just fucking grinned at me, and his large hands wrapped around my wrists before pulling them away from my face, and he pinned them behind me against the cupboard before attacking me with a heated kiss. My embarrassment melted away under that heat, and my breath escaped me in a bit of a sigh as his lips left mine, moving along my jaw to just below my ear.
"Don't be scared, and definitely not embarrassed, because that was sexy as hell," he practically growled, and I shivered as I felt his teeth lightly grazed my earlobe. I almost moaned again from the sensation. Holy hell, what was he doing to me? My mind was spinning.
Then he sort of nuzzled his face into my neck as he wrapped his arms around me, the slight stubble on his face tickling me and making me giggle. And he just held me like that for a little while.
I was very content to let him do so. Besides, I was still waiting for my heart to stop threatening to burst out of my chest.
When he did step back and look at me, picking me up again and setting me on my feet again, he looked almost… relieved?
My mind immediately started racing with possibilities, but I forced myself to just stop, before I drove myself mad. It would be all too easy.
And then he kissed me again, just a quick, gentle brush of his lips against mine, and it was so sweet. I'm pretty sure I was grinning like an idiot when he pulled away.
"Would you like a drink?" He asked, but looked worried. I quickly solved that look though, because I knew he was aware that I didn't enjoy being driven around. I didn't mention my usual driver, because I wasn't sure if that would classify as interesting conversation material, and I needed to compartmentalize things, keep shit separate. I proved that last night at the club.
It was sweet that he seemed concerned about me driving, and I smiled before reassuring him. "I took a cab over, and I'm getting a drive home with Em later."
He sighed in obvious relief, though it was subtle, before grinning. That smile was so damn distracting, I tried not to stare at his mouth too much. He was my boyfriend though, didn't that make it acceptable to ogle him a little bit?
"What would you like? I make a pretty mean martini."
"Sounds good 007." Damn, he would make a good James Bond. I started rolling out more balls of dough, because really, Emmett would be here, so our six might as well have been a dozen.
He came back a couple minutes later, walking up behind me and setting my drink on the counter next to my working space. Instead of walking away though, he wrapped his arms around me, rested his chin on my shoulder, and then just watched me work.
My face hurt from smiling so much, but I couldn't help it. I was high off of all this physical contact. Just touching someone because you wanted to, and for as long as you wanted to. It was amazing. He was amazing. I leaned back against him, revelling in it.
Then Alice blew into his apartment. "Edward, I'm-" She gasped, taking in the scene in front of her, me standing as the counter grinning like an idiot with an Edward wrapped around me.
Then she screamed.
"Oh my god! I knew it! I knew it! Didn't I tell you Jazz?"
"I'm pretty sure I told you first," he teased, wrapping his arms around her and grinning at us. Alice was beaming, not looking mad at me in the slightest. Though when Edward stepped away from me, taking a moment to sort of rub my back, like he just knew I was uneasy for a moment and needed the reassurance, he went to make them drinks and Alice gave me a very clear and pointed look. I knew we'd have a talk, but knowing she wasn't pissed kind of erased my nervousness. I could deal with anything else. I wrapped up the raw tortillas and cleaned up my mess, Edward always floating close by but never actually getting in my way. It was awesome and impressive, really.
"So how long has this been going on for?" Alice asked excitedly. So much for waiting to talk later.
"Just a couple days," Edward answered easily. He was right of course, but it was weird, it felt like so much longer. We'd just been friends first, did all the getting to know you stuff without that couple title. Fuck, words made relationships complicated. I just liked being close to him.
I had been a little worried about how I was going to cook so much meat, but Edward's kitchen was a dream. He had a double oven, and two huge, cast-iron skillets that I was able to set up the meats, peppers, and onions in. They were just waiting to be turned on. The four of us hung out in the kitchen having drinks, and I started grilling the tortilla breads while we chatted.
"That looks easy," Jasper said, watching in fascination. Jasper loved to cook, he was just nervous about trying new things.
"It is, want to take over?" I offered, because if he was willing, I was more than happy to give up the repetitive task. He jumped to his feet with an excited grin, and Alice was watching him with an adoring smile. I shot her a wink. She was just about as bad in the kitchen as her brother was, I knew, and I also knew that she loved the fact that Jasper could cook. I didn't need to tell him what to do, since he'd already watched me do the first few, so I just took a seat on one of the stools at Edward's island. Alice walked away with Edward when he went to make us more drinks.
"I need a favour," Jasper whispered, not looking up from the skillet.
"Shoot," I said easily, watching the corner because I knew he was asking me alone for a reason.
"I want to ask her, soon."
"I thought you were going to wait until Christmas?" He had this whole dramatic box inside of a box inside of a… well, there were a lot of boxes, and he had some mushy romantic line written on each one about every reason he loved her. It was a little too sweet for my tastes, but that was Jasper, and Alice loved Jasper, so I knew she would love it.
"I was, but… I just don't think I can wait that much longer."
"So what can I do to help?"
"You don't think I'm rushing?"
I shrugged. "You know you and Alice better than anyone else. If it feels right then go for it, I say."
He sighed in relief, and then grinned. "I still want to ask her father's permission first. I've only met him twice, but I think he likes me. But the big thing is… I want everyone to be there, when I ask? It just feels like the right thing, you know? And you're like… good at organizing things."
I gave him a gentle smile. He looked all nervous, frazzled, and guilty, but I'd do just about anything for him and Alice.
"Let me think it over, I'll get back to you with something."
"Thanks Bella," he said with a relieved smile.
"You're burning, Jasper."
"Shit."
Alice and Edward came back, and I smiled as he sat in the stool next to me, his arm automatically wrapping around me. It bothered me a little that this just seemed so damn easy to him, initiating contact, when I still felt like I wasted an hour-long internal debate just trying to convince myself that it was okay to sit down next to him.
Reminding myself that he just had more experience did nothing to settle me.
"Do you remember two Christmases ago?" Jasper asked, pulling me out of my dark thoughts as he transferred another perfectly browned tortilla. I laughed, because the level of his progress was pretty drastic, and that had been a fun day. I love using fire extinguishers.
"You've come a long way, grasshopper."
"What happened two Christmases ago?" Alice asked curiously.
"The four of us were having dinner at Emmett's, and when Zeus stole the pie, Bella ran out to get another one at the store. She called and asked me to turn on the pot of water on the stove for her."
"He turned on the wrong pot though, one that had oil in it for the stuffing. They didn't even notice the two-foot flames that were coming out of the pot when I came back in. They almost burned down the damn building."
"Bella taught me how to use a fire extinguisher for the first time that day," Jasper said with a laugh. Alice and Edward laughed too, but there was something a little strained in Edward's voice. He looked a little uneasy, irritated almost, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what had upset him.
"Did mom and dad tell you that they're going to Connecticut for Thanksgiving?" Alice asked her brother, and he shook his head. The thought of him going so far was depressing, but I'd never try to steal him away from his family. Jasper and I usually got together for the day at Emmett and Rose's place, but without the two Cullen siblings, I had a feeling the table would feel empty this year. Even though it was a small table.
The table I had in my closet was much bigger, but I'd never used it before. Because we always got together at Emmett's.
Because I had issues. Issues that just seemed ridiculous to me now and filled me with guilt.
The idea of breaking them was kind of terrifying though.
"No, they never mentioned it," Edward said.
"Oh, well they just decided yesterday. Grandpa's having one of his big shin-digs again."
"Are you going?"
"No, they're going for the week, and I can't take that much time off of work. It's too close to the release of my winter line."
Alice didn't ask him if he was going, and by the vibe they were giving off, I was guessing that there was some story there. Was he not going?
A giant opportunity to try to make up for one of my many flaws presented itself to me. One that could possibly help Jasper as well.
I could barely breathe, but I forced out the words before I could think too much about it and chicken out.
"You guys are more than welcome to come over to my place for Thanksgiving if you want. I always cook enough to feed an army."
"Your place, as in your apartment?" Alice asked excitedly, and the disbelief in her voice just made me feel worse. I'd lost my voice, and all I could manage was a nod, trying to fight of the tendrils of the panic attack I could feel tightening in my chest.
But then Edward's strong arm wrapped around my waist as he shifted closer to me. I drew strength from the contact and his silent reassurance, and felt myself relax against him.
I didn't know what I'd do without him any more. He just made everything… better. I cared about this man more than I could describe, just thinking of not being with him put a lump in my throat and made it hard to breathe.
Because I wasn't stupid. Well, actually, I guess I was.
I had too much to lose now, I was being spread too thin, which meant my cover was too.
He'd find me, and the decision I knew I'd have to make eventually weighed heavily in my mind.
And when Alice and Jasper had excitedly agreed, I knew even more that running wouldn't be an option anymore, and that had really been the only option I had ever had. What did that leave me with now?
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