xx Yay! Here's the next chapter... and day one of the longest week in Edward & Bella's life! LOL. This chapter is a bit longer than usual. I usually shoot for like... 3,000 words an update. This one exceeds 5,000.
Enjoy.
. : I'll Eat You Alive : .
.: I'm sorry... so sorry... Your beauty is so vain... It drives me... Yes, it drives me... absolutely insane. :.
Until the day I die...
I'll spill my heart for you. For you...
Until the day I die...
I'll spill my heart for you...
As years go by..
I race the clock with you...
But if you'd die right now...
You know that I'd die too.
I'd die too.
The clock on the nightstand told Bella and Edward that it was six o'clock in the morning. Bella had rested in Edward's arms all night, moving against his waist (on purpose...). He would growl and shift positions, and she would shift positions with him.
Which made things worse.
"This is day one..." Bella whispered, holding Edward's hands that were around her waist.
"Bella..." he growled.
"Are you mad at me?" Bella asked suddenly, her grip on his hands loosening.
"No, no!" he said, louder than he had intended. He picked up Bella's hands and held them in his this time. "I would never be mad at you, love..."
Bella sighed, turning around to face him. He held one of her hands with his, and the other caressed the soft skin of her face. His eyes radiated love, unyielding, undeniable love. Bella nearly melted at the near sight of it.
"Bella, love..." he whispered suddenly.
"Hm?" she asked, closing her eyes and leaning into his hand that was caressing her face.
"You're thirsty..." he whispered. "Your eyes- why haven't you said you were thirsty?"
"I..." she opened her eyes.
"Ah, I know why..." he chuckled, his hand traveling from the side of her face down to her neck.
"Why?" Bella asked, biting her lip.
Can he really see through me so easily?
Edward chuckled again, and he pulled her body against his. His arms wrapped around her lower waist and his lips met her neck.
"You're scared of the hunt, aren't you?" he whispered.
Are we absolutely positive he can't read my mind?
"Um... no..." she replied.
"You're a horrible liar..." he said, kissing her skin harder.
How many times have I heard that before?
"Fine..." Bella murmured. "I am... kind of... afraid... you know, of hunting... I never..."
"We'll go tonight," he said suddenly.
"Are... you sure?"
"Positive, love..." he replied, pulling away from her neck. "I can't wait to watch you..."
"What? Does the thought of me hunting excite you?" Bella giggled.
"Most definetly..." Edward purred. "Hunting brings out the animal inside. I know you will be fine. I only... I don't know... When you..."
"Edward Cullen," Bella said, incredulous. "Are you at a loss for words?"
"Yes..." Edward whispered.
There was a far off look in Edward's eyes. Bella couldn't quite place it.
"Whats behind those eyes of yours?" Bella questioned, this time bringing her hand up to his face to caress.
His eyes closed and he licked his bottom lip quickly, his breathing was labored, "Tell me... tell me why..." he whimpered. "Why you accepted the bet..."
"Because..."
"Because, Bella, remember when I told you... awhile back... that raw instinct takes over when we hunt?... I... my instincts..."
"Edward?" she questioned, his eyes still closed.
"My instincts..." he kept repeating. "If you're around me... when I'm hunting..."
Edward's eyes finally opened, and Bella retracted her hand from his face. He sat up, and Bella followed up with the same by his side. She tilted her head to the side, not quite understanding what he was trying to tell her.
"What's wrong? You won't attack me or anything, I'm not human anymore. Is that what you were worried about?" Bella questioned, her hand rubbing up and down the tenseness of his back.
"No," he said simply, looking at her softly. His eyes pleaded... forgiveness. Bella was confused. She wasn't sure why Edward was so worried.
"Well, whatever. I'll find out whatever you can't say tonight, then."
Bella could swear she heard him mumble, "I hope not..."
"Well!" Bella said, sitting up and digging through her clothes. "Let's go do something exciting..."
Edward had Bella pinned to a wall in a matter of seconds, "I have some ideas that might excite you..."
Alice's words rang loudly in Bella's head. Don't give in. Don't give in. Tease him. Test him.
"One week, Edward," Bella reminded, turning to leave.
Edward's arm wrapped around her waist suddenly, pulling it against his waist. Her hips subconsciencly bucked against his and he dropped his head down, his jaw clenched tightly.
"You're truly serious about this?" Edward said, finally able to look her in the eyes.
Bella nodded and gulped. Edward smiled crookedly and released her, "Fine then."
Edward headed towards the bathroom, "I'll be in the shower..." he said.
A cold, cold shower.
Bella stood motionless for a few seconds. Had Edward just agreed to let her go? Had he just walked into the bathroom to take a shower and not ask for her to come with him?
Something was wrong. Bella could almost taste it in the air. Why was he acting this way?
Did... he not want her anymore? Was it that easy to walk away?
Bella frowned and went back to her dresser for clothes. She pulled out a short pair (thanks, Alice) of denim shorts and a white tank-top. Bella looked at herself in the full-length mirror near her dresser and sighed, brushing her dark hair back. She pulled it up in a ponytail and several shorter strands fell around her face. Bella tilted her head to the side curiously, her hand coming up to the mark that was still on her neck. The "territorial" mark. She gently ran her fingers over it and moaned. Electricity shot through her body and she tore her hand away from her neck. Talk about sensitive.
A gentle chuckle came to Bella's attention and she turned towards the bathroom. Edward was leaning against a wall, his hair still dripping wet, and a towel hanging dangerously low around his waist.
Hot damn.
"Wh-what?" Bella questioned.
"Nothing," he mused, getting off the wall and going towards his dresser. "Just forgot my clothes."
"Ah," Bella replied, distracting herself by looking at her reflection. She was trying to find the flaw that Edward could see. The flaw that made her so easily denied.
Bella heard Edward take some clothes and walk away from his dresser. As he passed her, she heard him say in a low whisper: "Stop looking for a flaw you won't find..."
Bella's eyes widened and she turned around to look at him. But, just as quickly as he had come, he was back in the bathroom again, the click of the door closing as proof of his passage. Had he really said something? Was she just hearing things?
Vampires don't hear things, do they?
No.
No they don't.
They either hear something or they don't. There are no in-betweens.
She sighed and went to door to slip on her shoes. She stepped out of the cabin, and then down the steps that led up to the door. It was beautiful in the morning. The trees were glowing as the sun rose, and the sun felt great on her sparkling skin. Bella stretched and smiled, taking in a deep breath of the forest smells. She could smell fresh blood of nearby animals. Bella sighed, wondering where Edward would take her to hunt.
Or how she would act during the hunt.
Or what he was trying to say to her before.
She mostly wondered about what he had tried to tell her before.
Bella looked at one particular tree at the left of the cabin. It was large, and she got an idea. Bella grabbed some rope and a plank of wood that she found left by the workers who had built the cabin. Ripping the rope into two pieces, she jumped up the tree to tie the two strands of rope around one of the branches. After Bella made two knots, she jumped down from the tree, impressed with the idea she had not fallen yet, and tied the two hanging pieces of rope around the plank of wood.
Her makeshift swing.
She laughed as she looked at it and then decided to try it. She sat down on it warily, for it made creaking noises. The rope pulled taut and her feet dangled off the ground. Eureka! It worked!
She swung gently back and forth, hanging onto the rope with her hands. She smiled and closed her eyes, the gentle breeze blowing the stray hairs that were in her face, out of the way.
"Haha, you made this, Bella?" Edward's velvet voice asked.
Bella opened her eyes, "I'm enjoying it before it breaks."
"It breaks?" Edward questioned, his hands in his pockets as he came closer to her.
"It's a makeshift swing. I always liked going on swings when I was a little kid... so I found some rope and wood and-"
Edward's eyes softened.
And then, Bella heard a snap... and the swing gave out. She landed on her butt, cursing under her breath.
"Bella!" Edward said, helping her up. "Are you alright?!"
Bella laughed, embarrassed. "It's okay, really. I'm fine."
Edward laughed, wiping the dirt off of her shorts. The back of her shorts. He looked like he was fairly enjoying this, too.
"I'll fix it for you later..." he said, motioning to the swing.
"You don't have to..." Bella murmured.
"Don't speak such nonsense, love. If it makes you happy, if it's able to illict a smile from you, then it makes it all the more worth fixing."
Bella stood on her toes and kissed his lips. He was smiling as he kissed back. He pulled away before she did, which was strange for Bella. Usually she pulled away from him. Her plan this week was to tease him not for him to pull away so easily.
Was there something wrong with her? Was he angry... because she had... accepted the week of celibacy?
"Is something wrong, love?" Edward's voice cut into her thoughts.
Bella looked up at him and put on her best fake smile, "No, no. Just daydreaming."
You're a horrible liar.
"Oh, alright. Come with me... I have something to show you."
"Oh?" she replied.
He took her hand and his walking got faster. And faster. And faster. Soon they were running through the trees, dodging branches and logs along the way. After about 10 minutes, Edward stopped with Bella behind him.
"We're here," he said.
Bella's mouth hung open as she looked at the sight before her. It was a beautiful, small, but still beautiful, lake. The water was sparkling with a radiance, cool and clear. It looked very inviting.
"This... this is beautiful."
"Yes, you are," Edward replied.
Bella squeezed his hand and he laughed gently.
"Too bad I forgot my bathing suit though..." Bella murmured.
Bella found herself suddenly swept up in Edward's arms. He was walking towards the water.
"He-Hey put me down, Edward!" she cried.
Edward entered the water up to his knees and smirked down at her.
"You wouldn't..." she hissed.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Cuz... cuz you love me!" Bella pleaded, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "And you would never make me go into the water with my clothes on, right?"
The water came fast.
Bella was beneath the surface. She felt the band that held her hair up snap out of her hair, and her clothes weigh her down. Realizing the water was not too deep, her feet touch the bottom and she stood up. She broke the surface of the water and moved her wet hair back.
"Edward..." she hissed, looking around.
He was standing in the exact same place, he was trying not to laugh, but his eyes were alive and dancing.
"I'm going to get you..." Bella said, pouncing at him.
His eyes widened, apparently not expecting her movement. She brought him down into the water and then stood up crossing her arms. It only took him a couple of seconds for him to resurface. Bella would've been blushing if she could, for the sight of him soaking wet was...
... quite simply, a sight to behold.
He ran a hand through his hair and smirked at her mischievously. His golden eyes were shining... and they fixed on her chest.
"H-hey what are you looking at?!"
"Remind me to thank Alice for the lingerie she got you," he said, before laughing and swimming off into deeper water.
Bella looked down.
Damnit!
She had worn a white shirt over a black bra.
Real smart, Bella...
She followed him into deeper water. Bella got to where he was, and he pulled her close to him. Their lips met and she kissed him with desire. Edward could feel this, and a gnawing need filled the pit of his stomach. He wanted to fufill his needs as well as hers. He needed to. It was...
... instinct.
It was somthing that could not be controlled or harbored. It is something that exists between vampires and their mates. He would do anything to make her happy. Anything. He did not want to tell her what his instincts screamed at him to do to her when they would hunt together... tonight.
Edward kissed her back even harder, and pulled her underneath the water. Bella was shocked at first, but then realized she didn't have to breathe. She kept her mouth closed, and realized her lungs weren't burning like they would if she was human.
She opened her eyes to look at Edward but he was no longer there. Suddenly, there was a tugging feeling at her feet. She looked down and Edward had taken off her shoes and socks. It made it easier for her to swim but...
... hey! Those were my favorite shoes!
Edward swam back up to Bella, and she realized his shirt and his shoes were off. He was in the water with just his pants. When did he undress?! Well, he was always faster at things.
Perfect at things.
His body was suddenly pressed against hers again, and his lips found hers once more, his tongue forcing it's way into her mouth. He sucked greedily on her tongue, taking in her own venom that flowed in her mouth. Bella took in his venom... that tasted remarkably sweet.
All part of the lure.
And then, Bella felt Edward snake his hands under her shirt and over her skin. Feeling the need to break the surface, even though she didn't need to, she broke away from Edward's grasp and swam up. She gulped in the air when she reached the top. Not breathing was easy but uncomfortable, Edward had been right about that. She looked around for Edward and realized he had not come up. Something brushed against her foot and she jumped.
He was the shark and she was his prey.
"Edward, this isn't funny!" she said into the air.
And he heard her.
But he didn't care if she found this humorous or not.
Her eyes widened as she felt her pants slip off. Alice's words once again repeated in her head...
"Tempt the hell out of him, Bella..."
"It's to help his recovery..."
"Relax! I'm going to do the same with Jasper. And it's the same with Rosalie and Emmett. Don't deny how fun this is going to be."
"Admit it. The sex after the week of celibacy will be great."
What about her plan to tease him? It was only going to hell right now. She had to stop this. She had to.
Quickly now, Bella.
Think.
Think..
Think...
"E-Edward, the b-bet..." she murmured.
Great job, Bella... she cursed at herself. That'll stop him...
Bella gasped when she felt him lift the material of her shirt up off of her stomach. His lips touched her stomach, and she was struggling to stay afloat. And his lips traveled lower.
... lower.
Lower.
His lips met the outside of her underwear and she trembled, falling under the surface of the water. As soon as she was under, Edward came up to look at her in the eyes. He smiled innocently, but Bella knew better.
Oh, she knew much better.
She smirked and turned to swim towards the shore. She did not feel anyone stop her. She swam quickly, and she enjoyed the speed. When she stumbled onto shore, she realized she went in with all her clothes and came out with her underwear and her shirt.
Just another swim with Edward Anthony Cullen.
She finally wobbled out of the water and fell onto the shore- wobbly because of Edward's little games... Her hair was soaking wet along with the rest of her body, and she fell onto the ground. Her chest heaved up and down, and she could feel the places Edward had kissed tingle for his touch. Bella pulled her wet shirt down that Edward had previously pulled up before and sighed, closing her eyes.
"Do I tire you out?" a velvet caress asked at her ear.
Bella smiled but she remained still- her eyes still closed. Edward's lips were at her ear, and his breath fanned her wet skin.
"Hmmm... love?" he asked again, using his fingers to glide across her skin. He found the buttons that went down the front of her white shirt and he began to unbutton... ever so slowly...
"No... Edward... one week... remember?" Bella murmured.
Edward did not comply, and another button on her shirt popped open.
"Edward..." Bella said.
"I need..." he murmured huskily, popping the last button of her shirt off. "I need..."
You.
Now.
Can't... stop.
Edward separated the two sides of Bella's shirt and was on top of her in an instant, covering her skin with kisses. Bellla was trembling gently, her body needing, wanting, craving Edward so badly. But then her mind yelled at her. Her mind told her that she should not give him what he wants so readily.
Even if she wanted it too.
... but what about his recovery?
"I need... I need..." he had murmured.
He needs this.
He needs this now.
He wants to know I'm here with him.
He wants to know that I'll never leave him.
He wants to forget the past that brought him so much pain.
"Edward..." Bella finally spoke up, her chest heaving.
Edward looked up at her from kissing her stomach, through half-lidden eyes.
"We shouldn't... do this..." she whimpered.
Edward let out a sigh and then growled in frustration, "The bet?"
"We should try doing the one week thing..." Bella finally got her breathing back to normal, and continued. "It might help you in the long run."
His eyes closed and he rolled off of Bella. He linked her hand in his and after realizing he needed more of her than just her hand, he pulled her into his arms. He nuzzled her neck gently, nipping at the tender area that he had marked. This was way harder than he thought. Saying he was going to resist her and then trying to were two completely different things.
"Should we head back, then?" he questioned.
They had spent so much time playing in the water that it was around 4:00 P.M. now.
"But my clothes-" Bella murmured.
"... are at the bottom of the lake," he finished.
"Edward!"
He chuckled and stood up, holding his hand out to help her. She took it and stood up next to him.
He did not let go of her hand.
"It's alright. Since you don't have your shoes, I'll carry you."
Edward suddenly swept her into his arms, and she nuzzled against his chest. He smiled down at her and he had a feeling that he was enjoying this more than he should.
"But what about you? Your shoes are gone too!" Bella said suddenly.
Edward shot off into the trees, "It's only a ten minute run. Besides, made of granite, remember?"
"I'm a vampire too..." Bella mumbled.
"That you are," Edward replied. "But I still would never let you have any discomfort when it can be avoided."
Gentleman.
They arrived back at the cabin in ten minutes as Edward predicted, and since they were doing their best to resisit each other, Edward said that she could have the shower first. Setting her down outside the bathroom, she brought her lips up to kiss his.
"Thank you..." she whispered, before their lips touched.
The kiss was innocent; an innocent "thank you" for carrying her back and letting her shower first. It took only a split second for Edward's control to slip, and he shoved her against the door of the bathroom. He lifted Bella up off the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
She wanted this as bad as he did.
"Edward..." she said, out of breath, between kisses.
Her lips were parted and he found this the perfect opportunity. His tongue entered her mouth and tasted every area it could reach. He greedily lapped at the venom that was around her tongue as they fought a heated battle in their mouths.
"Bella..." he said back, his hips grinding against hers.
Bella let out a moan and Edward grunted. Every time he touched her it was getting harder and harder to pull away. She finally managed to pull her lips from his but he only went down towards her neck. Her arms hands tangled his hair as she threw her head back.
"Edward... bet... cameras..." she whimpered.
Edward slowly... carefully... moved away from her. His eyes locked with hers. They were no longer the honey golden they were this morning.
They were black.
And he looked famished.
... but it wasn't blood he was after.
"You're right..." he said, slowly and regrettingly letting her go.
She smiled, "See? You have more self-control than you give yourself credit for."
He chuckled, running a hand through his hair.
How wrong she was.
Edward leaned in again, pressing her against the door. This time her feet remained on the ground, however. Bella's eyes widened, but then she heard the gentle click of a doorknob turning. Edward held her against his body as the bathroom door opened slowly behind her.
"Get in that shower and lock this door..." he warned.
Bella laughed as he let her go. She stepped inside the bathroom and turned to look at him, "As if a lock is going to stop you."
He nodded and smirked, "As if a lock is going to stop me..." he repeated slowly, then turned and walked away.
Get away as quick as possible... he scolded himself.
Bella laughed gently, closing and locking the bathroom door. She turned on the hot water, stripped herself of any remaining clothes, and then welcomed the hot water against her cold skin.
When she was done, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped outside the bathroom for her clothes. She realized Edward was not in the cabin, and she quickly went to find some clothes...
... that she would never wear again on the trip.
She was going hunting in a little while, after all.
Alice had packed her some black clothes, purely used for hunting reasons only. Bella only knew this because Alice had been kind enough to leave her notes... sticky notes... on random pieces of clothing- what they could go with and what to wear on different days.
Bella pulled on a pair of black shorts and a black t-shirt. Bella dried her hair quickly, and it formed gentle waves in her usually straight hair. Satisfied with her appearance, she skipped to the door to find Edward. Upon stepping outside, she heard a hammer being used.
And then she found the source of the noise.
Edward can-fix-it Cullen.
"Edward?" she questioned.
He had fixed her swing. The ropes were perfectly balanced and taut, and the rope balancing the swing was tied tightly around the branch of the tall tree. She gasped and brought her hands up over her mouth.
"Edward..." she murmured, her eyes stinging without tears.
He looked to her in alarm, "Is it bad? Is something wrong? Bella!"
He was in front of her in an instant, framing her face in his hands, "What's wrong? You don't like it?"
Bella laughed gently, "I love it."
He smiled warmly, "Well, I figured you can relax here for a little while I'm in the shower."
He slowly released her face and smiled. She wrapped her arms around him, taking him by surprise.
"I will..." she said softly. "Thank you so much..."
She pulled away only to be greeted by his smile, "Such simple things make you happy, Bella..."
She smiled back at him, "Get in the shower and lock the door..." she teased.
He smirked wickedly, the thought of her coming into the shower with him caused a fire to spark in his eyes.
"As if a lock could stop you..." he said, smirking.
And like that, he disappeared into the cabin.
Bella wandered over to the swing, gently running her hand over the rope that was hanging down on both sides of it. She smiled, and a breeze rushed through the trees, making leaves fall and her hair blow back gently. She sat down on the swing and slowly rocked back and forth. Her mind wandered in peace as she closed her eyes and allowed the setting sun to bask her pale skin.
Bella looked over to the cabin and saw Edward coming down the steps. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt, she like she was. He smiled at her, realizing she was looking straight at him. She quickly looked away, great, Bella... he caught you staring... she scolded herself.
"Are you ready?" his voice was closer now, his hands stuffed in his pockets. There was worry behind Edward's voice that she couldn't quite place. Everytime the topic of hunting with her came up, he became frozen.
As if the thought repulsed him or somthing.
"Are you worried?" Bella asked suddenly, opening her eyes and realizing he was standing just to her left.
"Worried?" he questioned.
"Everytime you mention hunting with me, you... stiffen, in a way. You get up-tight and worried... and what you were trying to tell me this morning-"
"You always were remarkably percepitive..." he chuckled. "Yes, what I was telling you this morning... I will do my best to avoid it tonight."
"Avoid what?" she couldn't help but question him.
"Nothing," he said, turning to her and smiling.
She stared at him, at his smile, at his eyes... and forgot what she was going to say in response.
He held his hand out for her and she jumped off the swing and took it. They began to walk towards a thick area of the trees.
"Where are we going to hunt?" Bella questioned.
"A very nice area with a high wildlife population... about a half hour from here."
"Oh."
"I wonder what kind blood will be most appealing to you..." he murmured.
"I wonder what you've been so worried about since this morning..." she countered.
"Don't think about that, Bella..." Edward quite nearly scolded.
"Why not?"
"You might regret it."
"I wont," she teased. "Just tell me..."
"Definitely not," Edward replied quickly. "I'm not going to tell you something I'm going to try to avoid."
"What are you trying to avoid?" she pressed.
Their walking became faster.
"My instincts."
"Why would you want to avoid your-"
-
-
-
"Don't ask anymore questions. Let's start running..."
Edward started to run ahead of her, and she quickly ran to catch up.
-
-
-
Why was he trying to avoid his instincts?
And, more importantly... what were they telling him to do...
... to me?
-
-
-
To Be Continued...
xx Author's Note: So much to talk about and so little time! Um... first off, I advise all of you (who haven't already done this) to check out the Penelope DVD extras... ah yes, Twilight scenes! I'll leave a link in my profile under "Eat You Alive" (extras).
xx In the extras, when Edward said... "Private joke... we matriculate a lot." I broke out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. For the the reasons that I had no idea what the hell that word meant, the fact that I couldn't really hear what Bella said, and how Rob said it like a dirty word. Don't deny it, his voice was all husky. LOL!!... Found out later on that Bella mentioned something about the graduation caps on the wall, and he said that they graduate a lot.
Go figure.
xx ANYWAY- Did any of you see the cover to Entertainment Weekly? -choke-gag-throws up- I hate the cover picture so much. So, so much. LOL. A copy of EW came in the mail yesterday, and I had to hide it before anyone would see the horrible front cover LOLZ!
I understand that it is a loose... loose representation of Bella and Edward... So I'm okay with it now. I wish I had filmed my first reaction to the cover. I would put it on YouTube in a second and show all you guys hehe.
xx I want to thank everyone for their reviews (some good, some bad).
1. Thanks to... Stephanie Chiuhuahua Caramel for the chocolate. (the oreos, the chocolate chip cookies...)
2. Thanks to... Eddielover101 for the... pickles? LOL.
3. Thanks to... Incandescent Adolescent for the Edward flavored popsicles. I wonder what Edward flavored popsicles would taste like... xD
xx The song I used at the top of this part is called Until The Day I Die by Story of the Year.
xx You pplz have to stop ripping on RPattz. Am I the only defender of that guy? XP
Much Love,
Mezzanottex3