A/N: *AcrossTheSkyInStars walks in, head hanging down in shame*
I am so, SO, terrible. I really, really wanted this up yesterday, but it just wasn't working out for me. I had so much RL shit in the way, plus a raging headache on top of it. I feel horrid for making you all wait.
I do adore you all though, for being so patient. Either nobody cares that it's late, or nobody has noticed, because I didn't get any PM's.
Anyway, this is a bit of a longer chapter. I wanted to get into the party, but some stuff happened before it that needs a bit of attention.
Much love to my ever patient and understanding beta's Claire Bloom and dolphin62598. You ladies help me out so much it's absolutely insane! Love you both xo. This is the Claire Bloom and dolphin62598 approved version of the chapter! Thank God, haha.
Enjoy!
"And you never would have thought in the end
How amazing it feels just to live again
It's a feeling that you cannot miss
It burns a hole through everyone that feels it"
e.p.o.v
As Alice planned, Tuesday we all went to Port Angeles to get costumes for their Halloween party. When Jasper returned from co-op, we ate dinner and convened at our house, where Alice dragged Bella and Rosalie to her Porsche.
God forbid I could ever actually drive anywhere with Bella because the damn pixie always got in the fucking way. Something about 'girl time being very important' or whatever the hell excuse she was spewing while I wasn't really listening. I just shook my head and proceeded with Emmett and Jazz to my car, where we followed the girls on the highway.
Jasper sat in the back and Em was riding shotgun, being unusually quiet for him, but grinning permanently, like an absolute moron. He hadn't yet said anything about what Bella and I walked in on yesterday, but then again, I hadn't mentioned it either. I was waiting to see if he was about to brag about finally doing something with Rose. To my surprise, Emmett's lips were sealed, and in all honesty, it shocked me. I would have pegged him for confessing to it the second we were alone.
I decided to have a little fun with it.
"Hey, Em, how come you're so quiet?" I asked, glancing quickly to him before focusing my eyes on the road ahead and Alice's Porsche.
"No reason," he said hastily with a shrug, shaking his head, as if to suggest nothing was up with him. "Just thinking about what I want to be for the party," he lied. I tried to hold back the smirk at how badly he was trying to cover this up because he was failing horribly.
"Oh," I said, not believing him for a second, "sure. Have you thought of anything?"
"Eh, not really," he said, bouncing his leg anxiously and tapping his hand on his thigh. "I might just see what they have when we get there." I glanced over again and he blew out a long breath and bit his lip forcefully, like he was trying to keep himself from telling us what I know he wanted to.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, and the tapping stopped.
"No, why?"
"You're just really quiet and are about as anxious as I've ever fucking seen you," I replied calmly.
"Yeah man, you're being weird," Jasper chimed in from the back seat.
"I'm good," Emmett said, waving his hands as if to dismiss the conversation.
"Really?" I asked, shooting him a quick look before turning down the radio. "I bet you are, you know, after what happened yesterday."
"What?" Emmett said, at the same time Jasper said, "What happened yesterday?"
"Why don't you ask Emmett?" I said to Jasper, like a complete jackass as I could feel Emmett's gaze resting on me.
"Dude?" Jasper said, nudging Emmett on the shoulder.
"I...fuck – how in the hell do you know what happened yesterday?" Emmett asked me, somewhat angered. Fuck. I didn't want him to get pissed at me, I was just joking around.
"Calm down, Em. I was just joking around with you. Please don't get pissed, but...Bella and I kind of came home and...heard."
"Heard what?" Jasper interrupted.
"Shit," Em grumbled, smacking his head back against the seat. "Don't ever tell Rose you heard her, she'll be so embarrassed."
"Cross my heart," I said honestly, putting my right hand up in surrender. "I doubt Bella would tell her because she knows how Rose can get."
"Good," he said, pulling out his phone and clicking away on it. "I'm going to text Coop just in case."
"Dude, seriously, what the fuck happened?!" Jasper asked from the back seat in exasperation.
"Emmett?" I said, glancing over as he put his phone away.
"I...Rose – wesortofhadsex," he mumbled, almost inaudibly.
"What?" Jasper asked, leaning in between the two front seats.
"Rose and I had sex!" He yelled, huffing loudly afterwards.
"Why aren't you shouting it from the rooftops?" Jasper asked, furrowing his brows and sinking back in his seat once more. "You've been waiting for this forever. Why were you trying to hide it?"
"Yeah," I added, frowning, "I've been waiting all fucking day for you to say something about it, but you've been like a mute since this morning."
"I don't know," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Rose wanted to just keep it between us for a while and wanted to talk to the girls first before I went blabbering about it. I mean, if it makes her more comfortable, then I'm not going to go bragging to you guys about it."
Jasper chuckled from the back seat and leaned forward again. "Who are you, and what have you done with Emmett Cullen?" Jasper asked, laughing.
Emmett and I laughed as well, knowing full well that if any other chick had asked that of Emmett he would have turned around and told us anyway.
"I swear she's got me brainwashed," Emmett replied with a shake of his head, smiling as he probably thought of her. "I told her I loved her."
"You did?" I asked in astonishment, thankful he'd listened to my goddamn advice.
"Yeah, I didn't expect to get anything from it, and I told her so. But...one thing sort of led to another, you know how it goes," he said, and by the way he talked of it, I gathered even he didn't want to say more. I certainly wouldn't want to go talking to either him or Jazz about mine and Bella's sex life, so I could sympathize. If he wanted to keep it between him and Rose, I wasn't going to be a dick about it.
"Yeah, I know," I replied, nodding.
After that, we were pretty much quiet. Jasper leaned forward and played with the radio a bit until he found a station that suited us all, and we just listened. I was somewhat uncomfortable, mainly because I knew that both Jasper and Emmett knew I'd finally confessed everything to Bella this weekend, yet didn't say a word of it to them. I wanted them to know that I just needed some time to cope with everything, but felt awkward and strange about actually telling them that.
I rolled my eyes at how fucked up I still was. Would I ever have normal issues?
"Hey, what do you think the girls are going to be?" Jasper mused, his voice sounding almost distant as he pictured the endless skanky outfits that were likely going to be at this place.
"Ooh, I hope they wear something that's short and...tight," Emmett replied, his voice drifting as well.
"Yeah, so the entire school can eye-fuck Rose, Em, good call," I said sarcastically.
"Fuck that!" He said angrily. "She can go as a...I don't know – a nun."
I laughed and shook my head. "I seriously doubt she's going as a nun, but good try."
I pulled into the parking lot of Spirit right behind Alice, and parked in the space next to her as Emmett grumbled angered incoherencies from the passenger seat. I shut off the car and got out, waiting as the rest of the group followed me. When Bella finally climbed out of the Porsche I offered her my hand and she smiled at me, mouthing the words 'thank you' and twining her fingers with mine.
"How was the drive?" She asked, grinning unusually large at something.
"Good," I replied, questioning her slightly odd behaviour. "Yours?"
"It was...fun," she said, choosing her final word carefully. "I'll tell you about it later," she then whispered. I nodded at her and we joined the other four as they made their way into the store.
The place was packed with giggling teenagers – mostly chicks – running back and forth through the rows upon rows of costumes like they had hit the jackpot. I was overwhelmed by the chaos that consumed the store and stood gripping onto Bella's hand for a second before she pulled me in further.
I bent down so my mouth was close to her ear and whispered, "Should I be scared?"
Her shoulders shook with laughter and she turned so she was facing me, her brown eyes reflecting her amusement.
"I think you should be very afraid," she said, leaning up and closing the gap between us, pressing her soft lips against mine. "And you won't have me to protect you."
"Huh?" I asked furrowing my brows as Bella was tugged away from my side, with the little pixie fiend on the other side of her.
"Our costumes are a surprise apparently," Bella said, rolling her eyes towards Alice and shrugging. "You can't see until Saturday."
"Seriously?" I asked, standing next to Emmett and Jasper as the girls began walking away, leaving us to fend for ourselves in this gigantic mess of a store. "What the hell? I don't even know where to start?" I said, honestly fearful that I'd be attacked by someone for picking up the last costume.
"This is anarchy," Jasper said, his eyes wide as he took in the scene before us. "Oh well, let's get to it. Just...let's start over there." He pointed to the wall of Old Western costumes and we started on that side.
We walked down that aisle, followed by the slutty nurse and doctor aisle, then the police officer and convict section. If Bella picked out one of those slutty nurse outfits, I would surely have a heart attack at how little she'd be wearing. I just...I don't think I'd let her go to the party even.
"Ooh, look at this one!" Emmett said, calling us over as he stood in the next row. He was where some of the gag costumes were and he was holding what was possibly the most ridiculous costume I'd ever seen.
"A Hot Dog Vendor, Em! Really?" I said looking at him questioningly. The guy on the front of the bag had a striped white and red shirt, and a box of hot dogs hanging down right in front, covering his junk. The hot dog box conveniently said 'Foot Long' on the face of it, which made me roll my eyes.
"This is sick," he said, tightly gripping the bag. "It's hilarious."
"Dude, please get it," Jasper said, laughing and shaking his head. "That's classic."
"Sold," Emmett said, grinning and nodding his head. "Alright, you guys see anything you like?"
Jasper and I both shrugged and we all kept looking. We passed a section of nun and priest costumes, and Emmett laughed at the picture on the cover.
"Rose would never go for something like that," he said, now frowning at the bag. "You think she would if I asked her?" Emmett was completely serious in his question, staring me straight in the face. I couldn't help but laugh; he was grasping for straws.
"Fuck no she wouldn't wear it," I said, shaking my head. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Maybe a little," he grumbled. "Whatever, let's keep looking."
I rolled my eyes and kept walking through the aisles, following Jasper as he stopped every few costumes to check out a few that caught his eye. When we got to the vampires and devil section, I slowed, contemplating the repercussions of dressing up as one of Bella's favourite mythical characters. I figured it would work in my favour, to get decked out in a vampire costume, because she would eat that shit right up.
I grinned widely and pulled the perfect costume off the shelf, examining the contents and noticing that I still needed to get the fangs for it separately.
"Find one?" Jasper called from the aisle ahead of me.
"Yeah," I said, walking over and showing him the costume. "Vampire."
"That's a good one," he said, pointing to bag, "Bella will love that."
"I know," I said with a smirk, tucking it under my arm and helping Jasper to find the costume he wanted. We looked for another few minutes as Emmett browsed some costumes in a different section, likely trying to spy on the girls to see what they were getting. Jasper finally settled on being a Gangster, because he wanted to be the complete opposite of what he was.
"Come on," Jasper said, waving the package in front of my face. "What day of the year would I ever be able to get away with saying words like 'fo shizzle' and 'homeboy'?"
I laughed uncontrollably as Jasper made ridiculous hand gestures, spewing a bunch of gangster terms and pretending he was from 'the hood,' as he liked to say. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed until I cried, but Jasper was the one to break that dry spell. By the time he was finished his gangster rant I had tears rolling down my face and my stomach hurt from contracting so much from my laughter.
"Okay," I said, nearly out of breath as my vision was somewhat blurred. "Get the fucking costume before you kill me."
"See, I make a good gangster, yo," he replied, nudging my shoulder as he used his 'gangster accent.'
"Sure, Jasper," I said with a nod of my head as Emmett came back over to us.
"Gangster?" Emmett said to Jasper, chuckling when he saw the picture on the front of the bag. The costume came with a black and white pinstriped suit, a black shirt, and a white tie. All he needed to buy was a fedora and a fake gun, and he was all set.
"Hell yeah," Jasper replied as we made our way through the sea of people to the cash register. On the way there, Jasper found his ridiculous hat that actually suited him perfectly. Despite it being for the costume, it fit his personality well.
"Wait, I need fangs, or something," I said, taking in the gigantic assortment of make-up and other small accessories that adorned the wall next to the register. I found a set that were almost like veneers. They capped on to your incisors and made them just a little bit longer; giving you the real vampire look, rather than making you look like a phony with plastic, white teeth. I grabbed a pair of fangs and a small bottle of white face paint and stood in line behind Jasper with the stupid hat still sat on his head.
I scanned the store for Bella as I waited to pay for my costume, trying to get a peek at what she was going to be before Saturday came. I wanted to know what I was in for, because I knew that if I saw her in some outfit that made her all sexy and shit, I would turn into one ravenous vampire. But something told me Alice wouldn't let me find out until Saturday came, and on some level, that kind of scared me.
Alice could be sneaky.
My eyes darted across the store until they fell on the figure of Bella, her head turned down and her face wearing a look of contemplation as she examined the two costume bags in each hand. After a few seconds she looked up, her gaze thoughtful as she stared at the ceiling and took her bottom lip between her teeth; a habit she seemed to be taking up a lot lately. Her eyes eventually found mine and I grinned when she narrowed them at me, hastily sticking her hands behind her back to shield her choice of costume from sight.
Alice's tiny frame replaced Bella's and she shot me a challenging stare, a small smirk playing on the corners of her mouth. Her reproachful look made me roll my eyes and I looked away, to find that I was holding up the line while I was caught up in my own little world. I mumbled an apology to the chick behind me and paid for my costume, following Jasper out the doors and into the crisp, chilled night.
"Get lost?" Jasper asked with a quirked brow.
"I was trying to sneak a peek at what the girls were getting, but Alice killed that attempt," I replied with a chuckle.
"Yeah, she really gets into all this Halloween stuff," Jasper said with a shrug, leaning up against the Volvo. "Wait until she gets into decorating the house. She turns into a completely different person." He laughed and shook his head, thinking about Alice and her psychotic and exuberant love for the holidays.
I never really paid that much attention before now, but when I thought about it, I realized that Alice always got a little bit more...Alice during the holidays. Today she'd been a big, smiling, bundle of energy as she talked with Rose and Bella about them helping her to decorate on Friday night. I'd come to the conclusion that it would look like a Halloween outlet store threw up in her house, and from Alice, I'd expect nothing less.
"I know what you mean," I said to him, only just noticing that Em wasn't here. "Hey, where's Emmett?"
"Street meat," Jasper told me, pointing behind us to the hot dog vendor that was set up just outside one of the other stores on this strip.
"Seriously?" I said, shaking my head. "He ate before we left. I guess he did buy the perfect costume though."
Jasper nodded in agreement and we stood quietly against the car, waiting for either Emmett to get back, or for the girls to be finished. The cold air was biting at my nose and cheeks, and I drew the zipper of my jacket up further, crossing my arms over my chest as the plastic bag hit the side of my leg.
Emmett came back before the girls were finished, with a hot dog in one hand, and a Coke in the other. He finished the entire thing in about three bites, but not without spilling a gigantic glob of mustard on his jacket sleeve like a complete slob.
"Fuck," he muttered, sucking on the sleeve as I scrunched my nose. He was such a moron.
"What are you doing?" Rose's voice suddenly asked and Emmett's head snapped up, locking eyes with hers. She was smiling at Emmett but her brows were turned in at how retarded he looked.
"I...might have spilled mustard on my coat," he admitted with a grin.
Rose sighed, and simply said, "I love you," while shaking her head at him. The lock clicked open on Alice's Porsche and Rose opened the car, stuffing her bag in the back seat and allowing Alice to do the same. Bella stepped around them and put her bag in as well, but not before I desperately tried to use x-ray vision or some shit to see what was in the bloody thing.
I guess Clark Kent had something on me, because I couldn't see through the white plastic. Fuck, what I wouldn't give to just peek into that stupid bag and find out what the hell she was going to be. It would really make my life so much easier.
"So, what'd you get?" Bella asked nonchalantly when she pulled herself from the Porsche. She stood in front of me and rocked back on her heels, trying to play it innocent.
"Ah, nuh-uh," I said, waving my forefinger at her disapprovingly. "If you're not telling me what you are, I'm not telling you what I am. Doesn't work like that." I leaned down and dragged two of my fingers across the marks I'd left on her neck. "Good try though," I whispered, my mouth hovering over her ear.
She sighed quietly and her lips pressed gently against the side of my jaw.
"Can't blame me for trying," she said, giggling a little bit.
I pulled away from her and she smiled at me, arching her brow, as if to say 'come on, you know you want to tell me.' I smiled too and shook my head, hiding the bag behind my back.
"I can tell you one thing though," I whispered, leaning into her just a little bit more, ghosting my lips across hers. "You'll definitely like it."
The breath left her lungs in a ragged exhale and her lips curved up into a subtle grin as she wove her hands through my arms and flattened them against my back, closing the gap between us until our lips connected again. It only lasted for a few seconds, because reality came back to me, and I knew we needed to be heading home, not making out in the middle of the Spirit parking lot.
The warmth and familiarity of her scent was enticing, but I pulled away nonetheless, kissing the bridge of her nose as her lashes fluttered. I just stared at her for a moment before Alice, who was already in the driver's seat with the car started, was calling Bella to join them. Bella rolled her eyes at me and slipped into the front seat, waving as I climbed into the Volvo.
The drive home was loud. We were trying to figure out the girls' costumes, with absolutely no success. We gave up in the end and conceded to waiting until Saturday to find out what they were going to be. I mean, I was going to try to coax it out of Bella, but I knew she wouldn't budge.
When we got to our house, Alice, Jasper, and Rose came inside with us. Esme and Carlisle were in the hot tub, relaxing and talking quietly as I padded over to them from the back door.
"Hey," I said, leaning with my palms on the rim of the tub as the colour morphed from blue to green.
"Hi," Esme replied her smile wide and her tone airy. "You find a costume you like?"
I glanced behind me to make sure Bella hadn't followed me and turned back to Esme, nodding.
"Vampire," I told her. She and Carlisle grinned and the lights changed from green to yellow.
"I'm sure you'll look fabulous, sweetheart. Make sure you take pictures though," she said seriously, pointing her finger at me.
"I will," I promised, smiling and nodding my head once. "I'm going to go in," I told her, motioning back to the house. They both waved me off and I went in through the glass door, shutting it quietly and finding Bella standing in the kitchen, her back turned to me as she stood in front of the open cupboards. Her stance was languid and her head was tilted to the side as her hands gripped the top of the cupboard doors. A small sliver of her soft, pale skin was visible because her shirt had lifted ever so slightly, giving me a lovely view of the flesh just above the swell of her ass.
I crossed the kitchen in a few strides and wrapped my arms around her tiny waist, dipping my fingers inside the top of her jeans and feeling the hem of her panties. I rested my chin on her shoulder and she sighed, settling with her back against my chest as she continued her perusal of the cupboard.
"Hungry?" I asked as her left hand dropped to cover mine, making my position on her shoulder more comfortable.
"Kind of," she said cutely, reaching out to grab a box of popcorn. "Emmett will inhale it if I make some." She set it back down and pouted out her bottom lip sighing.
"Check the fridge," I told her, massaging my thumbs over the smooth skin of her abdomen. She hummed sweetly and closed the doors of the cupboard, linking her fingers with mine and pulling me to where the large, stainless steel fridge was. She swung open the door and moved some containers around, searching thoughtfully before taking out a container of yogurt.
"Mmm, strawberry," she said, closing the fridge door and walking over to the drawer that held the silverware. "Do you think Esme will mind if I finish it? There's not much left."
"Go ahead," I replied, simply watching her as she manoeuvred her way around the kitchen as if it were her own. She pulled a spoon from the drawer and leant up against the counter opposite me, taking a large scoop of yogurt and sliding it in her mouth. I followed the motions stupidly, licking my lips when she turned the spoon between her lips and slid it out slowly, purposefully slowly.
My mouth hung open slightly in my arousal, but I quickly snapped it shut, grinding my teeth together and stuffing my hands in my pockets to subtly rearrange the hard-on Bella had caused. She was smirking as she took another spoonful, clearly aware of the effect her innocent actions had on my cock. I'll admit, it was fucking ridiculous how easily she turned me on, but I couldn't help it.
I was jealous of the spoon.
"How's it going over there?" She asked with amusement, sliding the metal between her lips and pulling it out slowly again. I choked back a growl and stalked over to her, resting my hands on the counter on either side of her body, trapping her.
"Not so good," I admitted with a small grin. "How fucked up it is that I'm jealous of that spoon?" She laughed the sound quiet and breathy as she raised one of her eyebrows at me.
"Well, maybe if you behave yourself, you'll be in the spoon's position later," she said, dragging the cool metal across her bottom lip. I tightened my jaw and my eyes grew heavy as I imagined later playing out in my mind.
"I can behave," I whispered, stroking the small patch of exposed skin at her hip with my thumb. The strawberry yogurt and the heavenly scent of her shampoo mixed to create something so pleasurable I inhaled greedily, pressing my hips against hers and dipping my head to kiss the apple of her cheek.
"Mmm, I don't think this is very commendable behaviour Edward," Bella chastised, her voice throaty and sexy, making it hard for me to pull away from her. "I thought I told you to behave."
I growled in her ear and stepped back, blatantly rearranging myself this time because she knew what she had done to me. She had such an amused smile on her face and I glared playfully at her, sighing and hoping that I could wish the erection away. She finished the yogurt in a few more spoonfuls and rinsed out the container, tossing it into the blue bin next to the back door.
"Where's everyone else?" I asked her as she came over to stand in front of me.
"Living room," she replied. "I think they're watching a movie. Want to go?"
"Sure," I said, taking her hand in mine and leading her down the hall to where the others were.
Rose and Emmett were on the couch when we walked in, leaning against each other and watching the screen intently. Alice and Jasper had occupied the love seat, so that left Bella and me on the floor. I went over to the large chest on the other side of the room and grabbed a few blankets and pillows, setting them up on the ground so it wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
Bella sat down and I joined her, curling the blanket around us and wrapping my arms around her waist. Only then did I take note of the movie we were watching; it was The Ring. I suppose scary was our theme lately, because that's all we ever seemed to watch...well with the exception of The Hangover. I didn't mind though. It was my favourite genre and Bella's favourite as well.
Although in this movie, she hated the little girl because Bella said she was 'creepy as shit'. The whole 'seven days' bit made her shiver and I smiled into her hair, shaking my head as she looked up to me.
"So creepy," she said, mouthing the words more than saying them, leaning up to capture my lips with hers. She kissed me deeply, surprising me and opening her mouth, sliding her tongue against mine like it was somehow urgent. I assumed it was to distract her from the creepy chick on the screen, so I happily kept her occupied as she tried to drown out the movie.
Several minutes and a hard-on later, Bella's hand was halfway down my pants and the fingers of her other hand were curled tightly around locks of my hair as I tried to keep my hands a safe distance from any sexual part of her body. I was fucking thankful for the blanket, or this would have turned into one awkward situation with the other four in here with us. However, even with cover, I was still slightly on edge about the hand-in-the-pants thing, and I pulled out of the kiss, breathing heavily against Bella's face.
"I thought this wasn't commendable behaviour?" I asked, whispering the words in her ear. She giggled quietly and fuck me, her hand sunk further, skimming the base of the shaft through my boxers.
"I said you had to behave," she replied, her nose brushing the side of my face. "I never said anything about me."
I stifled the groan and reluctantly pulled her hand from my jeans.
"If you keep doing that, I won't be able to keep my promise of behaving myself, and believe me that's a promise I want to keep."
She smirked at me and kissed the edge of my jaw before returning to the movie once more. We watched it without any more interruptions, and when it was finished, I could hear Emmett snoring from the couch. I laughed as I sat up, glancing behind me to find Rose shaking her head at Emmett's slumbering from as he was slumped against the arm of the couch, his head lolled back on the cushions and his mouth opened in the shape of an 'o.'
Rosalie sat up and got on her knees, hovering above Em. She leant close to his ear and screamed his name, shaking his shoulders as he hastily sprung up from the couch, his eyes frantic as he fell to the floor.
"Fuck!" He yelled clutching his hand to his chest as the rest of us burst out laughing at him. He turned back to Rose and glared at her, smiling despite pretending to be angry. "You think you're funny, don't you?" He asked her.
She stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know I'm funny. And besides, you fell asleep and made me watch it alone, you big goon!"
Bella laughed from beside me and stood up, stretching her arms and legs, arching her back and puffing out her chest. Rose and Emmett argued playfully for a few minutes as I put away the blankets and pillows, before Rose conceded and forgave him with a kiss.
Alice and Jasper left after the movie, and Rose and Emmett retreated back to the living room as I practically dragged Bella upstairs to our room. I closed the door and turned around, crushing her to me and stumbling as we kissed.
"I've...been on my – best behaviour," I mumbled between kisses, guiding her towards the bed.
"Is – that, so?" She asked. I nodded my head and turned so my knees hit the edge of the mattress. I sat down on the bed and Bella stood between my legs, her hands toying with the hem of my shirt before she tugged it up and tossed it to the floor.
"You want to be where the spoon was?" She asked quietly, her fingers passing over my abdomen with feather-light touches before she began working on my jeans.
"Please," I replied, gripping her waist tightly and itching for release because I had been teased the entire night. She licked her lips and sank to her knees, tugging the material of my jeans down my legs.
"Well...you did keep your promise," she said, her eyes roaming over me before she took me in her hand. "I think you deserve it."
---
Wednesday morning I woke up feeling gloriously weak from the night before. I shut off the alarm and we both got up, this time taking turns in the shower so we didn't make ourselves late. School was rather uneventful, and to my dismay, Bella had to work at four. I wasn't exactly happy about that, but I couldn't do anything about it. She wanted the money and it was an easy job.
I dropped her off at ten to four and told her I'd be back later to get her. I saw Mike entering the store just as Bella got out of the car and I tightened my hands on the steering wheel, forcing myself to drive away. I was on edge the entire way home, needing to relax before I went back there and abducted her or something.
When I got home Rose and Emmett were there, and I tried to ignore the panting coming from down the hall as I took the stairs two at a time to get to my room. I busied myself with homework most of the night, trying to catch up on what I'd missed as I'd been so preoccupied with Bella and my feelings lately. I hadn't been able to concentrate on making much progress, and I was afraid that my grades would slip. If I wanted to actually go to college next year, I would need to stop fucking slacking.
By the end of the night I had gotten a lot done, but I had also taken many breaks, just lying on my bed, thinking about everything that had happened lately. I found that when my mind wandered too much I got into a mood, a funk, if you will. I always shook myself out of it and continued with my homework until I was so bored I was almost in tears.
At quarter after nine, Bella called me, and I frowned at the phone before answering it.
"Hello?"
"Edward, come pick me up, please," she said hurriedly, her voice wavering.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concern washing over me and my face paling at the upset tone of her voice.
"I'll...explain when you get here. Just – please," she sputtered.
"I'll be there in five," I said, trying to sound calm although I was nothing but. "I love you."
"Love you too," she whispered.
I sped the entire way to the store, getting there in a record time of three minutes and pulling into the parking lot, to find Bella standing against the brick wall, her hood up and her face buried in her hands. I let the car idle in front of the store and got out, running over to her and wrapping my arms around her shoulders, pulling her against me. I could hear the sobs coming from her, the vibrations rumbling through her chest as she pressed her face into my jacket.
"Bella? Hey, what happened?" I asked as I lifted her face, hooking my finger under her chin so she would look at me. She sniffled and wiped her sleeve beneath her nose, the tears staining the material as her watery eyes found mine.
"I got fired," she said quietly, licking her dry lips and swallowing thickly. "I guess Mrs. Newton found out about my mom and her husband. She came in...and she said – ugh, she said awful things about my mom and fired me."
"What?" I said angrily, looking back into the store as Mike stood at the counter with a dejected facial expression. "She can't do that. She has no reason to fire you."
"Edward, please leave it alone. I don't care. I just want to go home. I talked to my mom too, on my break. The divorce..." She trailed off and shook her head, nearly falling apart in my arms.
"Okay, let's go," I said, kissing her forehead and taking her to the passenger seat. When we got home, Esme was coming down the stairs and saw Bella, frantically asking what was wrong. That night we talked to Esme a lot, about everything. Bella told her all about the affair, the divorce, Mrs. Newton, her being fired. Esme was understanding about the entire situation, comforting Bella and telling her about the time her parents got divorced.
I was glad we had seen her on our way in, because Esme's reassurance helped Bella calm down a little bit. She was still upset and wallowing, but that was to be expected.
She cried herself to sleep that night and I held her as she drifted, her quiet sobs finally breaking off and leaving her in a hopefully peaceful slumber. I didn't fall asleep for some time after, but when I did, it was somewhat restless as Bella was sleep talking intensely, mumbling things about her mom and the divorce.
We were both groggy when we woke up, and Bella's voice was thick with sleep and tears as she quietly said, "Good morning."
"Hey," I replied, rubbing my thumb along her cheekbone and giving her a small smile. The smile she returned was so painfully incomplete that it looked more like a grimace than anything. "How are you?" I knew it was a stupid question to ask, as she clearly wasn't alright, but I wanted her to know that she could talk to me.
"I feel like shit," she admitted honestly. "I kind of don't want to go to school."
"Then don't," I told her, continuing my back and forth motion with my thumb. "Just stay here all day and sleep."
"You won't stay, will you?" She asked quietly.
"I probably shouldn't," I said, dragging my fingers into her hair and sliding my thumb up her temple. "If I want to go to college next year, I need to get my grades up."
Bella's smile when I said that was so massive that I smiled too.
"You really want to go?"
"Bella, I'll go wherever you go. Besides, the idea's kind of growing on me," I told her with a shy grin.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me," she said, closing her eyes. "Thank you."
I kissed her softly on the lips before getting up and going through my morning routine without her. I sat with her until I had to leave for school and she was practically asleep by the time I left, so I kissed her cheek and went downstairs. Emmett was waiting by the front door when I got there and he was frowning, wondering where Bella was.
"She doesn't feel like going to school," I explained when we were in the car. "She got fired last night from Newton's because Mike's mom found out about the affair."
"What? That's wrongful termination; she can't get fired for personal reasons man."
"I know," I replied, shrugging because I had been thinking the exact same thing last night. "Bella just doesn't care though. She's having a hard enough time as it is."
Emmett nodded solemnly and the rest of the day played out the same way. At lunch, Alice and Rose asked about Bella and I reluctantly told them about it, because all they knew so far was that Bella's parents were getting divorced. They were so concerned about Bella that they left in the middle of lunch to go to my house to see her. I let them go because I figured she could use her girl's right about now.
I'd been texting her frequently, telling her I hoped she felt better and to just relax. She'd been texting back with small messages, a few words at most, telling me she wished I was there and that she was trying to think of anything but last night.
I got a text message just before lunch ended that said: Alice and Rose are here.
I smiled and typed back: I know they are. They were worried.
She sent back a small, smiley emoticon and I closed my phone, heading to calc and trying to focus on the lesson. When I got home, Alice and Rose were still at our house, having been there since lunch. The girls were all in the living room, sitting on the couch and surrounded by candy, chocolate, soda, and other snacks. They were watching re-runs of The O.C, and I had to shake my head at the scene before me. It made me smile that they could cheer her up with such things.
"Hey," I said from the doorway, grinning when Bella gave me a coy smile, chewing on a stick of liquorice.
"Hi," she replied in a strained voice, likely because she had been crying again. She untangled herself from the blankets on the couch and came over to me, slinking her arms around my waist and hugging me with little force. I returned it and kissed the top of her head, smiling at Alice and Rose as they glanced over to us. Emmett and Jasper came into the room as well and we all hung out for the night – again – trying to cheer Bella up, and being more than successful.
I was so happy we had such good friends, because she would need them now more than ever. Every time she laughed, I was grateful for Emmett's loud mouth, or Rose's habit of smacking him on the back of head, because it made Bella smile.
After a while, we watched a movie, and this time we picked a comedy, settling on an older movie: Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It was hilarious and a classic Sean Penn movie, from the times before he got into really serious acting. It made Bella laugh, so I was content with watching it. By the end, she had fallen asleep instead of Emmett, snoring quietly. I smirked because she only truly snored when was either exhausted or drunk. I slowly lifted myself off the couch, careful not to wake her, and walked Jasper and Alice to the front door as Emmett and Rose planned to go in the hot tub.
"Hey, uh, thanks you guys," I said, nodding towards both of them. "I appreciate you being here for her. It's...been hard on her."
"I know," Alice replied, biting down on her lower lip. "I hope she's okay."
"I think she will be," I told her, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "It'll just take time."
Alice and Jasper both gave me small smiles, putting on their coats and shoes as I stood in the hall with them.
"I think...tomorrow I want her to have fun," Alice said to me, zipping up her jacket and fluffing her hair out so it rested around her shoulders. "Maybe we can do something to cheer her up. We're decorating, but maybe we can carve pumpkins or something?"
"Yeah," I said with a grin. "Sure, that would be cool. Uh, want to me to help with anything?"
"Can you get the pumpkins?"
"From where?" I asked, furrowing my brows because I was completely clueless.
"The grocery store, Edward," Alice said with a chuckle. "They should be there in a big bin that says 'pumpkins' on the outside. It's a little hard to miss."
"Okay, Alice, shut it," I said sarcastically. "I'll get the damn pumpkins. Anything else?"
She looked thoughtful for a second before Jasper piped up and said, "How about some patterns and shit. I don't think we have anything to actually carve onto the pumpkin. Just...I think you can get them from Mr. Nelson's craft store."
"Alright," I told him with a nod. "I think I can manage that."
"Thanks," Alice said with a tight smile, reaching over and squeezing her hand against mine. I gathered she was thanking me for more than agreeing for stuff on tomorrow and I mouthed her the words 'you're welcome' before they left.
I went back to the living room and cradled Bella in my arms, being careful as I took her up the stairs and set her down on the bed. I brushed my teeth and changed my clothes, not bothering with Bella's because she was still in her pyjamas; she had been all day.
Sleep came easier that night, and the next morning, Bella woke up in a significantly better mood than the previous day. She was still forcing smiles and being a bit more reserved than usual, but I knew she just needed time to adapt to everything that was happening. When school was finished she walked outside with me, but we waited against the Volvo for Alice to come because she was going home with her since I had to get the pumpkins and the other shit.
"Where are you going?" Bella asked, furrowing her brows.
"It's a surprise," I said with a grin, leaning down to kiss her. "Just go with Alice and I'll be there soon." She gave me another small peck and nodded before following Alice to the Porsche, while I got into the Volvo and headed to the grocery store.
Finding the pumpkins wasn't difficult, just like Alice said. I bought three, one for each couple, and pushed them in a cart to my car, feeling like a forty year-old housewife shopping for the weekly groceries. After that, I went to the craft store, and the old man behind the counter, who everyone knew as Mr. Nelson, helped me pick out patterns and tools for carving the pumpkins. I thanked him on my way out and headed to Alice's house, parking in the driveway and calling Jasper from my cell so he could help me get them inside without dropping them.
"How is she?" I asked him, nodding to the house as we lugged the heavy ass pumpkins up the stairs. I was stuck carrying two while he had one and the bag with the craft stuff in it.
"She's been good," he said with a smile. "They're all decorating and talking about tomorrow. She seems a lot better than yesterday."
"Good," I said, trying to smile but feeling too overwhelmed with the weight of the pumpkins for it to come off properly. Jasper turned the knob on the door and kicked it open, wincing when it smacked back against the hall closet.
"Oops," he said quietly, stepping inside and allowing me to do the same. I hastily set the pumpkins on the ground because I could feel them slipping, and when I stood again, Bella was there, with a handful of fake cobwebs, smiling brightly.
"You got pumpkins?" She asked. I wiped my hands off on my jacket and ran them through my hair, nodding.
"Yep, we're going to carve them. I bought designs too."
She agreed excitedly, and went back into the foyer and party area, where she, Alice, Rose, and Emmett were currently decking it out in Halloween paraphernalia. So far, it looked pretty good. Fake cobwebs were strewn all over the bar along the wall, the couches, the tables, and the banister. Big fake spiders were stuck in the cobwebs, along with other small, fake bugs. A large skeleton was near the entryway, and for some reason, he had a top hat on his skull.
"What's with the skeleton's hat?" I asked, flicking the tip of it as I passed him.
"Well we have to make him look fancy too!" Alice said, putting her hands on her hips. "He's not invited to the party if he doesn't dress up."
I laughed and shook my head, taking in the rest of the room and helping Bella with the fake cobwebs.
After we were done, we decided to carve the pumpkins. We thought the best place to do this was in the kitchen, because we could spread newspaper over the table and carve them there. It took us forever to get it right.
First, we picked a design. Bella and I chose to do an easier one, a design that had two ghosts on it. Rose and Emmett picked a harder one, the head of Frankenstein, and Alice and Jasper did some bats. It took almost a half an hour to poke little holes into the fucking piece of paper so it transferred onto the pumpkin, and I may have sworn under my breath the entire time because it was nearly impossible to get the paper to lie flat.
After that, we hollowed out the pumpkin, and Bella dug in, sticking her hand in and pulling out the guts.
"Ew, it's all squishy," she said, squeezing her hands together and watching as the pumpkin guts spilled all over the newspaper covered table. "Try it."
"Fuck no," I said, shaking my head. "That's all you."
"Come on, it feels cool," she told me, pulling more guts out and smiling as she squished them in her hands again. "Look, even Rose is doing it."
I glanced over and Rosalie had her hands buried in the pumpkin, her nose scrunched up as she pulled stringy, orange shit from inside it. I huffed and began rolling up my sleeves, hooking them over my elbows so they wouldn't fall down and get covered in nasty pumpkin. Bella winked at me and I stuck my hand inside, getting antsy when my fingers curled around slimy, wet, stringy pieces of pumpkin guts.
"Gross," I said, pulling out a handful and tossing it down on the table.
"It feels weird, huh?" She asked me, grinning and reaching in to get more out as well. I had to admit, hollowing out the pumpkin was kind of fun. It felt weird and strange, but it was fun with Bella. She kept squishing them between her hands and letting them fall to table as she laughed with Alice about the texture.
By the time they were hollowed out, there wasn't a single string left inside, I made sure of it. We then proceeded to carve the pumpkins, which was also a task. Bella and I took turns, and this was about the time we started getting frustrated. Emmett was having a hard time cutting out the tiny pieces of Frankenstein's neck, and I was having a hard time cutting out the stupid eye hole for the ghosts. Alice and Jasper picked the easiest design, so they were done first, and it looked really good.
I gave up trying to cut the eyes out and Bella took over, carving the rest of the design and turning it to me when it was done.
"There," she said, "all done."
"It looks good," I said, reaching out and running my finger over it. "I think you're more cut out for this than I am."
She shrugged her shoulders, turning it back to her and tilting her head as she examined it. "I'm just more patient than you are," she told me with a smirk. "Hey Ali, do you have candles?"
"Yep," Alice said, hopping off her chair and going to the drawer on the other side of the kitchen. She came back with three tea light candles and a barbecue lighter, setting them down so we could put the candles in the pumpkins.
Bella lit all three and passed one to Rose and Alice before dropping one inside our pumpkin and putting on the lid. I went over to the switch and flicked it off, looking back over to the table and watching as all three jack-o-lanterns glowed in the darkness.
"They look so good!" Alice said excitedly, bouncing next to Bella as everyone stood around the table. "Awesome job." She gave Bella a high-five and hugged Jasper, being giddy and just...Alice.
I stood behind Bella and leant down, running my hands up and down her arms while my mouth hovered near her ear.
"Did you have fun?" I asked, gently massaging her upper arm with my thumbs.
"I did," she replied, nodding enthusiastically. "Thank you, for doing this. I know I've been a bit of a downer lately... I –"
"You have every right to be upset," I said to her, cutting her off before she apologized for being upset over something she should be upset about. "I just wanted to cheer you up."
She turned in my arms and smiled up at me, running her fingers over my unshaven jaw.
"Well thank you," she replied quietly. "It worked."
A/N: You know I love to hear what you all think! And I'll make you a deal: if you review, I'll give you a small teaser for next week's chapter AND promise that it will be up on Saturday like I planned : ) If you review anonymously, and would like to get a teaser, you can contact me by email if you would like. It's xo_tann_xo(at)hotmail(dot)com. Or you could always come over and join us on the FanFicAholics Anon group on FB and talk to me on there. My name is Tanya and I'm an admin!
The song quoted at the beginning of the chapter is called Blue and Yellow, by The Used. Awesome song, and an older one. I'm totally in love with their new CD.
Drop by and leave me some love : )
P.S: costumes will be up on my profile next chapter, for both the guys and the girls, and some others too that I'm adding into the chapter ; )