A/N: So switching gears here...this chapter is a bit of a departure. But hopefully in a good way. Just to clear up the timing, this is six years since Edward and Bella first came to the island, and five since they graduated from high school (so this is their seventh year here...does that make sense? Sorry for the confusion).
This whole thing is meant to be mysterious/ambiguous, but it will make more sense as a completed story (not sure about the timeline for it...probably soon).
Also, next chapter will pick up the next morning, not next year.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
***
AUGUST 13, 2015
EPOV
This year wasn't going to be like the others, I knew, as I handed the attendant my credit card in exchange for a silver rental car. I much preferred my own Volvo, but I didn't have time to stop in Forks this year. I barely had time to make this trip at all, and I cringed when I saw what time it was. Already the sun had begun to set, and I was a solid two hours from my destination. Unlike past years, though, Bella could check the list to see if I was coming. I groaned. This was going to be interesting, and not in a good way.
I climbed into the immaculate vehicle and turned up the volume on the radio, almost as high as it would go. It wouldn't do any good to think about this now. It probably wouldn't do any good to think about it at all. So I leaned back in my seat, floored the gas, and zoned out completely.
***
Two hours later, I made it to the island on the last ferry of the night, and I had cut it far too close. I probably would have swum over here if I had missed the damn boat, which would have been interesting—probably fatal, but romantic as hell. Then again, Bella might not see it that way.
I stepped off the ferry cautiously, surveying the well-lit dock and the crowds of people in the distance. The lateness of the evening didn't seem to bother anyone, and their voices carried over the trees and toward the water, where I stood, unmoving. I felt suddenly felt uneasy, nervous even, because I hadn't seen these people in a very long time. In spite of that, I didn't really care too much about the people socializing on the lawn, drinking beer and having a decent time. I cared about the fact that I would be losing precious time with Bella this weekend, and I couldn't do a fucking thing about it.
I rolled my black suitcase along the dock, thankful for a dry, clear night. As I reached the end, I searched for Bella in the crowd, hoping and praying she would find me and whisk me away from these people. But I heard a different voice, instead—a voice I recognized instantly, even after years of silence.
"Edward!" she exclaimed. Alice's face beamed in the faint light of the moon, and she threw herself into my arms in a warm, frenzied hug. "I haven't seen you in so long! And you got even handsomer, if that's possible."
She smiled brightly as my mind registered this kind, lovely face from so many years ago. Alice had hardly changed at all in the last five years, and her hair was still its short, striking black, and her eyes danced with the genuine happiness she exuded. I realized in an instant how much I had missed her, and wondered why the hell it had taken me five whole years to see her again.
"You look fantastic, too, Alice," I said, smiling widely. "Remind me again why we don't see each other more often."
"I think that is your fault, Edward. You're the one who never came back to Forks during the summer," she said, and my face fell a little bit at her words. It was true that I hardly ever returned to Forks, but I couldn't explain my reasons now.
"True," I sighed. "I will definitely try and visit more often."
"You better," she chided, eyeing me seriously. Alice was definitely going to hold me to the promise I had just made.
"Did you see everyone?" she asked. "Jasper is here, and Emmett and Rosalie. But I know you guys saw one another a fair amount in college."
"Yeah, we hung out from time to time. How are they?"
"Actually," she said, and her voice dropped a bit. "I didn't know that Emmett and Rosalie had broken up after college. It's a bit touchy."
"Yeah, I heard about that," I said. I had moved to Northern California after graduation, but I kept in touch with Emmett and Rosalie, albeit separately. They often mentioned each other, but I never asked about the circumstances of their breakup. Given the secrecy surrounding my own relationships, and the fact that I never really discussed that aspect of my life with them, I didn't feel the need to ask questions.
"Well, you know me…I'm working on it," she added with a sigh.
"You aren't using your matchmaking skills on me, I hope," I said, eyeing her suspiciously.
"No," she replied. "Although I saw Bella here earlier."
My breath caught in my throat at the sound of her name, and I wondered if Alice noticed. Alice knew everything, but she hadn't seen me in a long time. Maybe she had lost the ability to read me as well as she once had.
"Hmm, maybe I should work my magic on you," she said, a sly grin on her face. Well damn, apparently she hadn't lost her touch.
"I'm all set, Alice," I said, enjoying the amusement she derived from this.
"Well," she said, mercifully changing the subject—for now, at least. "Which cabin are you staying in?"
I cleared my throat. Did Alice know everything? No, of course not. Bella wouldn't have said anything, unless she had taken an impromptu nap on the front lawn and talked in her sleep as much as she usually does.
"Uh, the honeymoon suite, I think." Shit. It sounded so embarrassing when I said it out loud.
"Really? They told me that room was booked. It's booked every year."
"Oh," I said, an edge of panic rising in my voice. Of course it was booked every year—by me. "Maybe I should check with the front desk, just to be sure."
"Well, if it is, you can stay with Emmett. He has a spare bed in his room."
"Somehow I don't think Emmett is going to be spending his high school reunion alone," I said. "He has a reputation to uphold."
"Yes, well, he needs to work out his issues with Rosalie first. Maybe over cards later?" she caught my gaze, her face cheerful and radiant.
"You know I can't deny you anything, Alice."
She paused, and cocked her head slightly to look at me. "I missed you, Edward. We all missed you."
I sighed. "I'm sorry, Alice. I'll make an effort…somehow."
"Okay," she said, turning toward the crowd. "I'll let you mingle a bit." And then she smiled sweetly and headed off into the woods, leaving me alone, wondering where the hell the last five years went.
***
I decided I needed to work out this rooming business, immediately. This could get hairy as fuck. And where was Bella staying, now that Alice knew the room was booked? Not only that, but neither of us was ready for everyone to see us strolling into the honeymoon suite together. Neither of us was ready for a lot of things.
Denali smiled warmly as I entered, but thankfully, he said only a few generic words of welcome. This guy had a sixth sense of some sort, and while it was a little fucking weird, I silently thanked him for it.
As he handed me my key, he gestured toward the dining room.
"It's late," he said. "Please, help yourself to whatever you like." He smiled and walked out, putting his sign up as he went. He had clearly waited for me, which I realized as the grandfather clock chimed loudly, signaling a very late hour.
I walked over to the closed doors, and opened them slowly. I looked around the dark, deserted room, my eyes resting on a particular table in the corner. But Bella wasn't there, as I had expected. I thought Denali was giving me some kind of secret signal about where to find her, but I had clearly overestimated him.
"Boo!" came a high-pitched, giggly squeal behind me. I jumped like a fucking baby and whirled around to see Bella standing there, her face illuminated by the gentle light of room. I smiled crookedly, mock anger on my face.
"I'm going to get you for that," I growled, as I picked her up and kissed her deeply, inhaling her luscious, intoxicating scent.
"You were scared," she teased, smiling impishly as I very slowly, very unwillingly, broke the kiss. Taking my lips off her never came easily to me.
"I was pretending," I said.
"Oh, Edward," she chided. "You're a dreadful liar."
She was getting a little sassy with me, and that shit was turning me on. I had no problem with re-christening the dining room; hell, it could use a little spicing up. But I could hear the voices outside—some of them fairly drunken—and I knew that if someone walked in on us, I wouldn't even notice. Once Bella had me in her clutches, she had me completely.
A low groan escaped my throat as I pulled her to me, feeling the bulge in my pants harden as her hips met mine. It really wasn't healthy for us to be apart like this; time and distance made us too insatiable for our own good.
So I forced myself to pull away, holding her warm little hand in mine as I gazed into her deep, intelligent eyes. This weekend was going to be a challenge for the both of us, and it had hardly even started.
"So…"I began. "Apparently the honeymoon suite is booked," I said.
"Yes, it is."
"Which means…"
"Which means I'm technically sharing a room with Rosalie this weekend."
"Technically?" I arched an eyebrow.
"It's my cover."
"Ah," I mused, grasping where this was going. "So, technically, I am probably sharing a room with Emmett."
"Yes, technically," she said, "that is true."
"Somehow I have a feeling we're both going to be exiled from our respective rooms," I hinted, a little smirk appearing on my face.
"That was my prediction, also." The teasing lilt in her voice was becoming a huge turn on.
"So then," I said, and Bella blushed at the huskiness in my voice. "I think we should keep our honeymoon suite, just in case."
"I think so," she said coyly. "See you there in an hour?"
Before I could speak, she stood up on her toes and kissed me softly on the lips, and then turned to walk out. Her slender, perfect hips swayed teasingly as she walked, and she looked back once to give me a knowing, taunting smile. She left me standing there, my heart pounding, my breath ragged. What a tease, I thought. What a hot, sassy, irresistible tease. I sat down to catch my breath, the faint ticking of the clock thundering in my head.
***
Once the thick fog of lust cleared from my senses, I headed out into the trees, following the sounds of voices in the distance. I somehow ended up at the sauna, and memories of that night six years ago flooded my memory. Jasper emerged from the little wooden hut, drenched in sweat, his eyes hooded as he stumbled toward the dock. He threw himself in with a loud splash and scrambled out almost immediately.
"Whoa, dude!" he said, when I appeared with a grin at the end of the dock. "You scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry, Jazz," I joked, and he stomped toward me, taking me in a very manly hug—at least, that's what both of us would tell ourselves later.
"How long's it been, man?" he said, shaking the water from his wet blonde hair.
"Too long," I said.
"Fuck yeah, it's been too long. Can you believe we're at our fifth-year reunion? I feel like a geezer at twenty-three."
"You look like one, too," I said, assessing his pale chest. I chuckled.
"Shut up, Edward. We can't all look like Rambo," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Uh, Rambo?"
"Look, I can't think straight after sitting in that thing. Even Emmett beat me," he groaned, as Alice and Emmett stumbled out of the hut, breathing heavily.
"Look what I dug up, guys," Jasper said, gesturing towards me. He grinned.
"Edward! You found us!" Alice squealed.
"Wasn't too hard," I said, smiling warmly at her. "I know how Emmett seeks out anything involving water."
"Dude. Low blow," Emmett grumbled, but Jasper was stifling a laugh. Suddenly we were all laughing, remembering Emmett's girly fears, sharing stories about life jackets and cruises and a thousand other things. It was so fucking good to see them again, I realized. All of them. I silently thanked Bella for urging me to come, for making this work somehow, no matter the complications.
We alternated between hanging out in the sauna and screwing around in the bay, while Emmett passed around as many beers as he chugged. Jasper and Alice seemed so completely at ease, completely happy. I was so happy for her, and for him, too. I envied the simplicity of it, though. My life was so far from simple.
"So, Emmett," Jasper started, a sly look on his face. "What is the story with you and Rosalie?"
"There is no story," he said, trying to sound casual. But his eyes darkened with hurt, and I knew immediately that there was. There definitely was.
"Don't you think you should at least talk to her?" Alice asked.
"Nah," he said. "It's complicated."
Complicated? I had a feeling Emmett didn't know the first fucking thing about complicated. Groaning audibly, I realized I needed to do a better job of containing my frustration.
"It's just a weekend, Emmett. I think you can manage a conversation with her," Alice pressed, very gently.
"I don't know…" he said, avoiding Alice's gaze. How could anyone say no to Alice? It was impossible—I knew this first-hand.
"Please, Emmett? I would love it if we could all hang out together this weekend," she pleaded.
"Well…maybe," he grumbled.
"Yay!" she exclaimed, bringing him into her pale, tiny arms. "I'm very relieved because she'll be here in ten minutes."
"What?!" he grumbled. "Alice, fuck, I need some time to prepare!"
"No, you don't. You're perfectly charming the way you are," she said, smiling sweetly. Jasper rolled his eyes, and I stifled a laugh.
"Yeah," he said. "That's true."
"Hell, Emmett, I wanted to date you in high school," Jasper joked.
"Get in line," he said, and we were all laughing again. Just like old times.
***
"Hey, guys," came a very feminine, very recognizable voice behind us. "Am I interrupting something?"
It was Rosalie, but I barely noticed her standing there, twirling her long blond fingers in her hair. I barely noticed because Bella was standing beside her, her eyes on mine, her face utterly luminescent in the flickering light of the fire. She smiled so infinitesimally that only I could see it, just as she had intended.
"No, Rosalie, not at all!" Alice said, smiling brightly. "We were just talking about you."
"You were?" she asked, glancing at Emmett.
"Just about some of the crazy shit you guys did in high school," Jasper interjected, eliciting a deep sigh of relief from Emmett.
"Oh," she said. "Yeah, well, it doesn't come close to the crazy shit we did in college," she smirked. Emmett's eyebrows rose, a small smile forming on his lips.
"Like what?" Jasper asked.
"I don't kiss and tell," Rosalie said coyly.
"We could always….force you," Jasper smirked.
"Oh?" she said.
"I think a drinking game is in order," he snickered.
"Never Have I Ever?" Alice suggested.
"Nah," Jasper said with a dismissive wave. "This is a high school reunion, not college."
"Then what's on your mind, Jazz?" I asked, stealing a glance at Bella as she absorbed the exchange. She looked tense; I couldn't blame her.
"Truth or Dare."
"Dude, what is this, sixth grade?" Emmett huffed.
"No, more like…tenth grade. Come on guys, it'll be fun. Just go with it."
Everyone rolled their eyes in unison except for me and Bella, who stood in rigid silence. She looked at me warily, her eyes a mask of uncertainty and panic. I wasn't sure I could handle the truth about the last five years of Bella's life, including all the time I had missed; by the look on her face, I could sense she felt the same.
"I'll play," she said, and I nearly choked on my own saliva. Shit, I hadn't expected that. I didn't want to look like the pussy of the group.
"Me too," I said, forcing a casual tone. Without looking in my direction, Bella sat next to me with a blank, unreadable expression on her face, and smiled placidly at Jasper. Well, then. Two could play this game.
"Excellent," he said, grinning smugly. "Then I'll start. So, Emmett."
Emmett's back went rigid, his eyes narrowing as Jasper stared him down. Alice looked down at her hands, but I could see the hint of a smile on her face. I wondered how much planning had gone into this; something told me she was on a matchmaking mission of some sort, and Jasper was her accomplice.
"What?" Emmett grumbled.
"Truth or dare?"
"Uh…truth. No, dare," he stammered, growing flustered. "Look, whatever you want, Jasper. I don't give a shit."
"Okay, good. Let's start with truth. So…give me an example of this crazy college shit you were talking about."
Emmett was still scowling at Jasper, but I could see his face brighten a bit. He glanced over at Rosalie, her serious facade disintegrating fast.
"Well, Rosalie and I entered a couples stripping contest once," he said. Alice cleared her throat and Jasper suppressed a laugh. Bella was staring at the table, but I could see the amused smile on her face.
"And we won," he said devilishly.
"Wow," Jasper said, clearly entertained. "Well done, man."
"It was all Rose, really. I can personally vouch for her stripping skills," he said, brightening at the sight of Rose's satisfied smile. Alice's plan was already working beautifully.
"Aw, thanks," Rosalie mumbled, toying with her hair, gazing longingly into his blue eyes. This game wouldn't last long.
"Okay, your turn, Emmett. Pick your victim," Jasper said.
"Hmm," he said, clearly enjoying himself now. "Edward, truth or dare? By the way, Jasper, I feel like a four-year-old every time I say those words."
Jasper rolled his eyes, and I froze. What was the safest approach? Would I even tell the truth? What if I said something that hurt Bella in some way, even without realizing it? A dare didn't sound too appealing either, given Emmett's particularly dirty mind. Both options were fucking horrible.
"Truth," I said, before my brain had time to stop me.
"I knew you were going to say that, you pussy," Emmett said, glowering at me. He always thought in terms of actions instead of words. Well, hopefully he would come up with a woefully inane question.
"Best sex you ever had—time, place, girl."
Even in the dark of night, I noticed Bella's face flush a delicate pink as she returned her gaze to the table. I shifted in my seat, searching for the right words. I had a thousand answers to that question, and they all involved a common theme. But I couldn't possibly give all that away.
"That's a lot of info, Em," I said, challenging him.
"Okay, fine. Give a general description, then." What a softie. Jasper never would have backed down. He knew it, too, which I could tell by the smirk on his face.
"Best sex I ever had was…in a bed," I said. "With a girl I was hopelessly in love with."
"Man, that's cheesy, lame, and boring as fuck," Emmett grumbled.
"Well, I don't give a shit. It's true." I stole a glance at Bella, but her face was turned slightly away from mine, and I couldn't see her expression. I felt my throat tighten. Was it wrong that I said that? Was she hurt? Angry? Fuck. This game was going to destroy me.
"Anyway, my turn's over," I groaned. "Alice, choose."
"Um…" she mused. "I'll stick with the theme of truth."
"Okay, good." I wanted to take some of the heat off me.
"What's the nicest thing Jasper has ever said to you?" I didn't know where the hell that came from, but I realized I wanted to know. Alice was a wealth of compliments, praise, and genuine kindness; I had to know if someone in her life was reciprocating.
She turned toward Jasper, her eyes ablaze with warmth and devotion. She smiled a soft, radiant smile that lit up her face.
"The nicest thing Jasper has ever said to me is, 'I love you.' I can't imagine any more beautiful words than that," she said softly.
Everyone was silent for a second as Alice's words settled in the air. If anyone else had said that, we might have chuckled at the cheesiness. But coming from Alice, her answer sounded so fucking…heartfelt. I envied Jasper in that instant; I envied him and admired him and respected him, more than I ever had.
"I do love you, Alice. I probably don't tell you enough," he said.
"You do," she murmured. "You don't have to say it for me to know."
I felt my stomach clench at her words, because all this time I had seen love as an impossibly complicated thing, but I realized at that moment how utterly wrong I was. Love was simple. It was so simple, that you could see it in someone's face. Hadn't I, at some point in my life, come to that same realization?
I fought the war of emotions rising in my chest as I tried to focus on Alice, who was staring directly at Bella. Her soft, pixie-like voice broke the silence, and Bella looked up slowly at the sound of her name.
"Truth or dare, Bella," she said.
She hesitated, clearing her throat. "Truth is fine."
"Okay," she said. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."
Bella managed a weak smile, but I could tell she was fighting to keep her composure. I had heard the shakiness in her voice, and I wanted to reach out and touch her, to tell her that I could explain it all, and I would, someday.
"What's your favorite place to go on this island?" she asked. I sighed—too loudly—with relief. This seemed like an odd, boring question.
"Oh, that's easy," she said. "The dining room." My stomach dropped a mile at her words, and her face flushed a bright pink an instant later.
"The dining room?" Alice asked. "I've never even been in there."
"Um, " Bella stammered. "I…ate there the last time, I mean, the first time we were here…it's nice," she mumbled.
"Oh," Alice said, glancing at Jasper. He had a bored look on his face, like he had expected much more from his clever girlfriend. I was thinking something entirely different, though. And I felt the little seed of worry growing in my gut, rising in my throat as I met Alice's eyes in a deep, questioning stare. She knew.
"I guess it's my turn," Bella mumbled. "Truth or dare, Jasper?"
"I'm seeing a trend here, so…truth."
"Okay. When are you going to suck it up and ask Alice to marry you?" she asked, her eyes burning, a little smile on her lips.
My breath caught in my throat at such a bold question, but Jasper just laughed. "I already did, of course. I'm glad you reminded me. Guys, Alice and I are making it official."
"Really?" Emmett asked. It took me a minute to find some words.
"Alice, that's…that's great," I managed. I was thrilled for them, but distinctly disappointed that Alice hadn't told me herself. I wished, for the thousandth time that night, that I had been a better friend to her.
"I know," she said, beaming. "Don't worry, you're all invited to the wedding."
Bella and Rosalie hugged her like old friends, and I had a feeling they already knew. Maybe everyone already knew, except me. I forced a smile and shook Jasper's hand, offering the sincerest congratulations I could offer. A thousand different emotions swirled in my head, clouded by the scent of Bella next to me, complicated by the happiness on Alice and Jasper's faces. Could I have it, all of it, if I had the fucking balls to reach out and take it?
"Okay, okay, enough about that," Jasper said. "We have sixty years to talk about married life. It's my turn, and I'm picking on Rosalie."
"Great," she moaned.
"So, Rose, who partied harder in college? Edward or Emmett?"
"Emmett," she said. "Emmett partied harder because Edward was only happy two weeks out of the year. The rest of the time, he was kind of moody."
"I was not moody, Rosalie," but I felt that familiar unease return.
"Yes you were, except for those two weeks."
"Which two weeks?" Jasper asked. Naturally. I couldn't catch a break with this crowd.
"Right before school started—like, the middle of August."
"Maybe he just loves school," Emmett offered. Thank god for his consistently off-the-mark analysis.
"He's right, Rosalie. I just love school."
"Uh huh," she said, rolling her eyes. "Well, that's my answer, and I'm changing it up. I'm enforcing a dare on Alice."
"Is that allowed?" Emmett asked.
"Well, according to the handbook—" Jasper explained, his words punctuated by his riotous laughter.
"Shut up, asshole," Emmett said, but he failed to suppress a grin.
"Anyway," she began, "I dare Alice to kiss Jasper…on his bare ass."
"Ew," Jasper said, and we all gave him an odd look.
"That's pretty bad if you think your own ass is nasty," Emmett commented.
"I have a very nice, smooth, tight ass, okay?" he said, attempting to recover. "I just don't want to get cold."
"It's okay, Jasper. I'll do it," Alice said. Again, I could see her furious brain ticking. This girl was always up to something. And, just as she said she would, she exposed Jasper's pasty ass to the world and placed a delicate kiss on his left cheek.
"I kinda liked that," he said, smirking at her. She giggled.
"My turn again?" Alice asked sweetly. "Hmm, okay." She paused to think, but I knew that Alice had a whole slew of questions lined up in her mind.
"Bella, I have another one for you." This was too much. I needed to put an end to this somehow.
"Is it okay if I stick with the kissing theme? It reminds me of high school," she explained. Bullshit, Alice. Bullshit!
"I dare you to kiss….Edward, for at least two minutes, and if it's any less than an R-rating, it doesn't count."
"R-rating?" I interrupted. "We aren't having sex on this table, Alice."
Bella blushed a hot, sizzling red, and I felt my nerves prickle. Did she want to have sex on this table? That could be arranged later on…
"Okay, PG-13, then," she said.
"Alice," Bella began, her voice quivering slightly. "I don't—"
"It's okay if you don't want to do it, Bella," Alice said, giving her an out if she wanted one. My heart sank a little bit; I was actually disappointed.
"I was going to say I don't want to force Edward to do anything he's uncomfortable with," she said softly, turning towards me with that impudent little gleam in her eyes. Visions of her and those sex eyes, and the events that always ensued, danced in my head.
"I'm fine with it," I managed, but my voice was hoarse and I prayed that no one picked up on that.
"Good," Bella said, a smirk forming on her lips. "Let's get it on, then."
We will, I thought. Oh, we definitely will. Before that could happen in a more appropriate setting, though, this would have to do.
I leaned in slowly, feeling their watchful eyes on our faces, as Bella's lips met mine in a soft, tremulous kiss. But as soon as she touched me, the outside world disappeared completely, as it always did, and every fiber of my being responded to her soft, full lips. I begged for access to her mouth with my tongue, and she parted her lips slowly, teasingly. A low groan escaped my throat, and if we didn't stop this soon, our carefully constructed lie might finally crumble completely, exposing us for what we were. Lovers who escaped to this place year after year, searching for something we couldn't articulate, leaving the rest of the world behind. I knew no one would understand. I couldn't let that happen, not now. Not ever.
So I pulled back slowly, savoring the taste of her as our lips parted. She smiled contentedly, and I grinned. That was a good fucking kiss, audience or not.
"Wow," Jasper said. "Honestly, I'm kind of turned on right now."
"Yeah, man. Can we make out later?" Emmett joked.
He stole a glance at Rosalie, who was actually licking her lips. A sly smile creased her face, and Emmett shifted a bit in his seat. I had a feeling that Couples Truth or Dare usually ended like this.
Alice said nothing, but her face was happy, serene. I wanted to say something else right then, but it would have to wait.
"All right," Bella said, her cheeks red from embarrassment, or maybe the kissing. I couldn't be sure. "Thank you for the kind reviews. In the final question of the night, I dare Rosalie and Emmett to find the dining room, to prove to you all that it exists."
"Now?" Rosalie asked, but she didn't seem at all opposed to the idea.
Bella nodded, and Emmett shrugged. "Works for me," he said, glancing at Rosalie, who was waiting expectantly for Emmett to follow. "Uh, just a second, Rose," he said, turning his gaze on me.
"Can I, uh, have a word with you, Edward?"
I rolled my eyes, anticipating the conversation. "Sure."
He pulled me aside as Alice and Jasper rose from their chairs, and he draped his arm around her slight, delicate frame.
"We're going to bed, guys. See ya," Jasper announced. I caught Alice's smile as they headed off into the woods, the sound of the bay against the shore quickly drowning the sound of their footsteps. I knew Alice would come for me tomorrow, demanding an explanation, but at least I had tonight.
"So, uh…" Emmett began. "I know we're sharing a room, but you know…if Rosalie is receptive to certain things—"
"I got it, Emmett. I won't wait up for you."
"And Rose said that Bella took a spare room that opened up, so she won't be sexiled or anything."
"Sexiled? I haven't heard that word since high school," I said.
"Whatever. It still applies. I just didn't want to put you two in an awkward position…or whatever," he added in a hushed tone.
"I appreciate that, Em. Have a good night," I smirked.
Bella was standing there in the cold, eyeing me as I negotiated with Emmett.
"Yeah, okay, I'll catch you tomorrow," he said, feeling Bella's eyes on him.
"Yup," I said, watching as Edward and Rosalie disappeared down the path. Only Bella remained, and my breathing picked up unconsciously as I admired the gentle curve of her hips and the teasing in her eyes.
"Come here," she whispered.
"Finally," I said, pulling her to me. The sea breeze whipped through her hair, and I rubbed her back to warm her, feeling her heart race in response.
"I want to commend you on that dare," I said.
"The one that made everyone disappear? Or the one that gave you a massive hard-on in front of your friends?" she asked, her voice a delicious mix of sass and seduction.
"Both," I said hoarsely.
"Well," she murmured. "No one ever said the game was over."
"Are you going to dare me to do something?" I asked, grazing her jaw line with my lips, feeling her breath catch.
"Yes," she gasped.
"And what is that?" I teased, tasting her skin with my tongue, eliciting a low moan from her throat as I slid my hand under her shirt.
"You'll see," she said breathlessly, her soft moans saturating the cool air. "The dares I intended for you will take all night."
***
Saturday is next...