Disclaimer- I don't own twilight
Chapter 14
EPOV
"I really like her, Edward" my mother told me smiling as she rearranged the flowers on the table at my bedside.
"Well that's good because I like her too" I told her.
"Where is she?" she asked me "I was hoping to see her again before I have to leave and get things set up for tonight."
"She's gone to my place to pick up some more of my things, my laptop, a few books and something to wear for tonight. I can hardly show up to your party in my hospital gown" I told her. "But you'll see her tonight anyway." I tried to appease her.
"I suppose." She conceded sighing heavily before picking up her purse and coming over to kiss me on the forehead. "I'll see you and your beautiful girl later" she said making her way to the door. "I have to go and wrestle your father away from Dr Shepherd, they're trading med school stories and laughing about the good old days when they we're lowly undergrads together." Then she was gone. And I was alone in the depressing hospital room.
What would I do until Bella got back?
BPOV
I had been to Edward's house before, a few times actually. But it was different this time, being here without him felt weird, like it was wrong somehow.
I was glad it wasn't a typical bachelor's place. There were no posters of naked women adorning the walls, no empty beer bottles and pot- noodle pots left lying haphazardly on the coffee table, no collection of porn amongst the other DVD's on the shelf. It was clean, and simple and comfortable. Like my house, just bigger.
I grabbed a suitcase from the hall closet, where he said it would be and wondered into his bedroom. I hadn't been in here before. I looked over at his large bed with its navy coverings and allowed myself to get lost in a daydream where, when Edward was better, he would bring me here and lay me down on that bed and make me moan his name over and over.
I shook my head- ha- as if that would get rid of the fantasies. I could no easier forget them than I could my own name.
The first thing I packed and put in my car was Edward's guitar. Playing had always seemed to make him happy. I gathered a few books from the shelves in his bedroom, his walkman and a few of his favourite CD's. Then I threw a bunch of his casual clothes in the suitcase and grabbed his suit bag from his closet that contained his outfit for tonight. I also grabbed shoes and sneakers. Finally I walked over to his sock drawer and pulled out a few pairs and some boxers. Then a piece of paper at the back of the drawer distracted me.
I reached my hand in and drew the piece of paper out, turning it over and then gasped.
I didn't know whether to be touched or disgusted or horrified. One thing was certain. Mr Cullen had some answers to give.
APOV
I was at a loss for what to do. I had tried almost everything I could think of to cheer up Jazz. I got it. I did. I would be miserable too if our roles were reversed.
It had taken so long for his family to overcome the shame of what his father had done. His mother was only just beginning to regain her social standing and things had been going so well for Jazz. Then that reporter goes and brings all that shit back up. I was so angry with her.
Jazz was totally planning on boycotting his own exhibition. Not that I would actually let him do that. If I had to physically dress him and drag him to the gallery then that's what I would do. He deserved to have his moment in the spotlight. To realise he was talented and I wasn't the only one that thought so.
EPOV
(THAT EVENING)
"That's great aunt May but I really have something I need to go do." I said trying to get out of another agonizing conversation with another relative I hadn't seen since puberty. Being confined to a wheelchair really made escape a difficult option to pursue.
"OK dear. We'll catch up properly later." She smiled and I thought 'not if I can help it' as I scanned the crowed party hall for Bella. Yet another disadvantage to being in a wheelchair you couldn't see above people's waists. The minute I was up and running again I was going to donate a chunk of my money to a charity for handicapped people.
Finally I managed to spot Bella, thanks in large part to the birth mark on her ankle and the white shoes I had seen her slip on earlier. I wheeled myself over to where she was, trapped in conversation with my Uncle Tom.
"Bella, we need to talk" I said sternly and she turned to look at me.
"Edward I'm talking to your Uncle, don't be rude." And then she turned away from me again.
I took her hand in mine. "Tom could you give us a minute please?" I asked in a tone that clearly showed I wasn't really asking so much as telling him what was going to happen. He nodded and walked away.
"Real grown up, Edward!" Bella huffed and turned to face me snatching her hand back from mine and folding her arms across her chest.
"We need to talk, Bella. I hate having you mad at me like this" I pleaded.
"You really should have considered that before, shouldn't you?" she asked me. She was right, as always.
"Look, I've said I'm sorry. What else do I need to do?" I asked.
"First you need to not have this conversation now, in front of your whole family. And then you need to say something a hell of a lot more substantial than sorry!" she fumed.
"I wouldn't need to have this conversation with you now. If you had talked to me before we left the hospital." I reasoned.
"I was too mad at you then. If we had spoken a few hours ago I may not have even come tonight." She bit back.
"Well I'm sorry but we need to talk it out NOW then." I insisted.
"Fine." She grumbled and walked behind me to grab the handles of my wheelchair and push me out of the room and into the chilly February air.
"Come on then let's hear it. Your fabulous explanation!"
"You don't understand I've had that for a while, since before we got involved." I told her. Her eyes widened a bit before her eyes narrowed and her jaw visibly clenched.
"That makes it even worse. You're telling me you've had a picture of me tucked away in your underwear drawer for months. And not even a photograph but a drawing. And not even just a drawing but one of Alice's drawings! Where on earth did you even get that from? Did she give it to you?" she ranted. This was good, she needed to get it all out. Now for the embarrassing bit- the truth.
"No, she didn't give it to me." I reassured her. "I stole it." I waited for her response.
She just stared at me. She opened her moth a few times, as if to say something but then closed it again as if she had forgotten how to speak.
She remembered quickly "You stole it? You stole it! Do you realise how creepy that is. How stalkerish and weird this is?" she asked. She paused for a few seconds. Then looked at me quizzically. "I'm waiting" she said harshly.
Oops. I had thought that she was just asking rhetorically. "Look I took that picture from Alice's folder in the art room when I was trying to figure out if what I thought I was seeing was true." I explained slowly. "I just thought it was a good picture of you. And I wanted to keep it" I continued. "To be honest I forgot I even had it."
"Why was it in your underwear drawer?" she asked hesitantly, like she was afraid of the answer.
"I had put it in my jacket pocket and when I got undressed at the end of the day I took it out and put it in the first place I could reach." I told her. "I promise it wasn't there for any... unsavoury reasons" I tried to reassure her.
"Really?" she asked like she wanted to believe me.
"Really, I promise." I told her sincerely, looking her dead in the eyes trying to convey what I felt in a look.
Her face finally softened. Thank god.
"But you're not totally of the hook. I still think it's really weird! I mean- stealing artwork- from a high school student- your student. It's just...." she trailed off; apparently she couldn't find a suitable word to finish the thought off.
"I know. But I plan to spend a vey long time showing you I'm not some creepy pervert." I said softly.
"Good, because I really hate being mad at you." She leaned down and blessed me with a sweet, soft kiss before putting her arms around my neck. I quickly responded, snaking my arms around her waist.
"I'm glad for that." I told her.
"I suppose we had better go back inside huh?" she asked as she pulled away.
"Not if you don't want to..." I said. "We can always make a break for it." I was only half-joking.
"Because that would go over soooo well." Bella said sarcastically. She got back behind the wheelchair and, to my dismay, took us back to the party.
BPOV
Okay maybe I had over-reacted; a bit- okay a lot. But I had every right too. I mean, I found a drawing of myself that was drawn by my daughter in his underwear drawer for crying out loud. It was creepy.
I probably shouldn't have been so quick to draw the conclusions that I did though. It was Edward after all and I trusted him. He was a good guy. I think I knew really that there would've been a simple explanation, but I just couldn't see it and get past what it looked like on the surface.
I couldn't bear to confront him in the hospital. What if it was what it looked like? What if Edward was some weird, freaky stalker type person and I ended up alone again? I don't think I could've coped with that. But then he tried to talk it out with me at the party and I decided that worse than being humiliated and left alone was being humiliated in front of a room full of people and left alone. So I wheeled him outside for his explanation.
Once he had explained it seemed to make sense and I could see his point of view. I probably would've wanted to confirm my suspicions about Alice too if I had been in his shoes. And if I'm honest had I come across a picture of him that I thought Alice wouldn't miss I would've probably kept that too.
I decided that ultimately it would be too hard to stay mad at this wonderful man and that I should probably forgive him. It was in my best interests after all. I would never find out what he was like in bed if I stayed angry at him.
After a quick kiss and a cuddle we headed back inside. I was tempted by his offer to leave early but I was enjoying hearing stories about Edward from his relatives too much to go, plus Alice and Jasper planned to come here after the exhibition was over.
However at around nine thirty I was very glad we had stayed. Edward had disappeared not long before and I was shocked when I turned to see him standing on the stage in front of the microphone tapping his glass gently with a spoon to get everyone's attention. It didn't take long for the noise in the room to die down and everyone's eyes were on Edward- mine included.
"When I was younger I would always make a speech on my parent's anniversary. I was always so touched by the way their love only seemed to grow as time passed and I hoped that I would find something similar for myself one day. But as you all know for the past few years I have made no such speech. For the past few years, even my parent's obvious and undying love for one another was unable to convince me that the same would exist for me someday." He paused at this point and looked at me and smiled my favourite smile. The he continued. "As some of you know, recently I have met someone who has changed my opinion on the matter. Once again I'm filled with the hope I had when I was younger. Hope that in many years time I will be just as happy as my mother and father are. So this year I want to give my toast again and as an additional bonus, because I know my mother loves it when I play, I want to play a song for you. I dedicate it not only to my parents but also to my Bella."
I felt my eyes well up. I've always been too emotional. But I just couldn't help myself when this man got up on stage and told everyone that I inspired him to believe in love. I watched as he picked up his guitar- I didn't even know he'd brought it- and began playing.
"I can feel the magic floating in the air
Being with you gets me that way
I watch the sunlight dance across your face
And I've never been this swept away.
All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms
The whole world just fades away
The only thing I hear
Is the beating of your heart
Cause I can feel you breathe
It's washing over me
And suddenly I'm melting into you
There's nothing left to prove
Baby, all we need is just to be
Caught up in the touch
Slow and steady rush
Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be
I can feel you breathe"
He was looking straight at me now. Like there was no one else in the room. He stepped down from the stage and began walking towards me but he never stopped playing.
"In a way I know my heart is waking up
As all the walls come tumbling down
Closer than i've ever felt before
And I know, and you know
There's no need for words right now
Cause I can feel you breathe
It's washing over me
And suddenly I'm melting into you
There's nothing left to prove
Baby, all we need is just to be
Caught up in the touch
Slow and steady rush
Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be
I can feel you breathe
I can feel the magic floating in the air
Being with you gets me that way..."
As he sang the last few words and the notes from the guitar faded away I was only vaguely aware that everyone in the room had their eyes trained on us. Most of my attention was stolen by his eyes. I don't think I'd ever seen them as intense. His arm moved to his left as he passed the guitar to someone- I had no idea who and I was too lost in Edward to care.
He took me in his arms and kissed me so passionately that if his arms hadn't been holding me up I'd be a puddle on the floor right now. I could feel the kiss in every cell of my body and I didn't ever want it to stop.
It must have gone on for a bit too long to be publicly decent. As he pulled back from my lips and the rest of the world came back into existence I could hear the catcalls and wolf whistles from everyone watching. Edward leaned into my ear and so no one could hear him whispered "I love you" before sweeping me up in a hug.
"I love you too." I mumbled in his ear trying desperately not to let the joyful tears in my eyes escape.
Part of me really wanted to lay into him for the PDA. He knew I hated people staring at me. But the larger part of me was just too happy that he loved me back to care. I was also incredibly turned on by this point. There was a reason that serenades worked. And Edward singing a love song to me was a perfect example.
If it weren't for the fact that he was still too weak from his accident I would be dragging his ass off to book a room upstairs right now. As it was I would have to settle for a few knee buckling kisses and tender hugs until he got better. But the minute his doctor's note expires it is so on.
JPOV
We walked into the suite where the party was being held just as Mr Cullen was finishing his song to Bella.
I heard Alice say "Awwww." Beside me as she leaned into me.
I smiled and put my arm around her, kissing the side of her head.
The evening had been a surprising success. I had let Alice convince me to go to the exhibition against my better judgment and it hadn't been half as bad as I feared it would be. People had come up to us all night congratulating me on winning the prize and telling Alice she was just as pretty in person. I totally agreed with them and smiled as she blushed.
The high point had been when Alice spotted the reporter and really laid into her in front of everyone. I know I shouldn't have let her fight my battles for me but it was so sexy watching her come to my defence like that.
After that we split and came to the hotel. I knew it made Alice happy to see Bella so happy so I was pleased too.
As soon as the music started up again I took Alice's hand and led her onto the dance floor. I was so happy we got to spend a night like this. All too soon we'd be hearing from colleges and planning for next year and neither of us knew if we'd be within a hundred miles of each other next year. But for tonight, and as many nights before our acceptances came back, we could just enjoy being us and being together and hopefully replay the previous days activities (before reading the article) many, many times.
Okay- I hope this was worth the wait- let me know what you think.
Song in this chapter was Faith Hills 'breathe'