Disclaimer: Not mine…just playing with SM's characters. The plot is all mine though so no stealing. Stealing is bad.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading & reviewing! Not going to say much, other than I'm glad that most of you realized what a big deal it was for Bella to be jumping in to the pool to save Edward.
Anyway, "Breaking Dawn Part 2"…I have no words other than I EFFING LOVE Lee Pace as Garrett, and I most definitely shouted, "What the fuck?!" at one point LOL. Watching the Hawaii premiere on Wednesday made it so hard to wait for Thursday to have other people to talk to about that certain part LOL. Hope you all had a good time watching it too. :-D
And as always, thank you to my dear friend and beta eternally_addicted. She didn't even have to bust out her whip this time to get me to finish this chapter. :-D
Picture you're the queen of everything
As far as the eye can see
Under your command
I will be your guardian
When all is crumbling
Steady your hands
You can never say never
Why we don't know when
Time and time again
Younger now then we were before
Don't let me go
Don't let me go
Don't let me go
The Script, "Never Say Never"
Chapter 20 – Never Say Never
Age 25
The way time worked always seemed crazy to Bella. It always seemed that when you wanted to enjoy something and you were truly happy, it is over in an instant, and nothing but a distant memory. However when something horrific or terrifying happens, a second of time seems like an eternity, and the moment lingers, staying with you in your nightmares. Unfortunately, Bella knew she was experiencing one of those moments that she wouldn't soon forget. She struggled to get to the surface, knowing that she would need to take another breath, bigger than the one she took when she jumped into the water in order to swim down to grab Edward.
Bella yelled out when she broke the water's surface, gasping and struggling to stay in motion and not let her panic get the better of her. The chlorine burned her eyes and she swiped away at the drops that slid down her face. Bella spluttered and spit water out of her mouth as she struggled to look around.
"Seth!" she screamed, when she saw Jacob push him up against a wall.
"Edward!" Seth yelled back. "Get Edward!"
Bella nodded, and took a deep breath before she began to swim to where Edward was. Her body was shaky as was her breathing, and Bella was gulping deep breaths as she tread water. The sight of Edward's dark form under the water kicked her into action. Bella took a huge breath and dove under the water.
Chlorine burned at Bella's eyes, but she kept them open, focusing on the blurry mass that she knew was Edward. Every second that passed felt like an eternity and Bella felt like she was dragging her arms through mud as she pulled her body closer and closer to Edward. The moment her fingers brushed against the fabric of Edward's shirt was the moment that everything seemed to snap back into real time. Bella shouted Edward's name and quickly snapped her lips back shut. The chlorinated water that had leaked in tasted horrible on her tongue. Bella's fingers clenched onto Edward's shirt and she pulled herself to him.
Bella's lungs were burning as she struggled to wrap her arms around Edward. She was somewhat strong due to the nature of her job as a physical therapist, but Edward was dead weight in her arms. Her legs kicked frantically, careful not to hit Edward's body, but Bella panicked when she realized she couldn't touch the bottom and had nothing to push off of. Bella let out another scream of frustration into the water as she began to kick and struggle her way to the surface.
You have to save Edward. You have to save Edward…
As Bella looked up, the light of the surface seemed so far away. She reached and stroked, trying harder and harder to close the gap between where she was under water and the surface where sweet oxygen awaited. Bella tried not to think about how long Edward had been under, but she knew how long she had been under was beginning to be a problem. Her lungs burned and she felt like they were going to burst. Seeing the white lights of the ceiling become brighter, Bella kicked harder, tugging Edward up with all her might.
Spluttering gasps for air left Bella's lips as she broke the surface and she tried to inhale as much air as she could, which really only resulted in filling her mouth with pool water. She spit and struggled as she tried to push Edward's body up higher, making sure his head was above water. She screamed for help when she felt her body slipping under the surface again, unable to tread water holding the weight of herself and Edward. Bella took a deep breath before she was submerged again, but used all her strength to keep Edward above water.
After a few seconds, that felt more like minutes, Bella could make out the sound of faint splashes, like someone diving into the pool. Suddenly, Edward's body weight was gone from her arms and a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. Bella screamed as she was pulled to the surface.
"EDWARD!" Bella screamed before coughing and spluttering up chlorine water. Her eyes and throat burned and she thrashed her body, panicking at the loss of Edward's body.
"Shhhh!" Jasper hissed in her ear. "I've got you. Stop struggling!"
"Edward!" Bella cried out again, trying to rub the water out of her blurry eyes.
"Emmett has him," Jasper said as he continued to pull Bella to safety. "He's on the deck now. Emmett's got him, Esme is there helping him too."
When Bella's eyes cleared, and she realized Jasper had dragged her to the shallow end of the pool, Bella immediately put down her feet, finding she could stand. She fought her way out of Jasper's arms and he let her go, though followed right behind her as she ran through the water to the side of the pool where Emmett had laid Edward and Esme was performing CPR.
"Edward!" Bella shouted when she got to the edge of the pool. Jasper wrapped his arms around her again to keep her from interfering with Esme and Emmett.
Thankfully, Bella didn't have to wait in agony. Only seconds after she arrived at the edge where Edward lay, he began to cough up the water from his lungs and breathe again. Tears immediately sprung to Bella's eyes, both in relief and from being completely overwhelmed.
Carmen Brandon came racing into the pool area.
"Ambulance is on its way, Esme!" she called before she rushed back out, presumably to wait for the EMTs to arrive.
The mention of the word "ambulance" made Bella realize that Edward was probably not the only one who was injured.
"Seth!" Bella cried, looking frantically around the pool area.
"Over here!" Seth called.
Bella was again overcome with relief when she saw Seth leaning against the wall with Eli, and between them an unconscious and restrained Jacob Black.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Seth shrugged and smiled a small smile. "A little bruised, but nothing I couldn't handle."
The group was soon interrupted by the rush of EMTs and Carmen reentering the area. Emmett moved out of the way so that they could work on Edward, and immediately went to the side of the pool, helping Jasper lift Bella out of the water. Emmett quickly wrapped Bella up in a hug and that was when she realized he was soaking wet too. He was the one who had jumped in with Jasper and had pulled Edward out.
"Oh, Bells…" Emmett whispered. "I was so scared for you."
That was when Bella finally let the tears go, and they fell freely down her face as she sobbed into Emmett's already drenched shirt.
"Shhhh…" Emmett cooed. "You were so brave, Bella. So, so brave."
Bella couldn't say a word. Her throat was sore from screaming and too consumed with sobs. She could barely think straight and knew the adrenaline that had been coursing through her body was now wearing off. When Bella saw the EMTs loading up Edward's body on a gurney, her legs gave out. Emmett caught her easily.
"Let's get you checked out too, Bells."
"Edward…" was all Bella could whimper even though she wanted to protest about herself getting checked out. Her eyes were trained on the gurney as Edward was wheeled out.
Bella could barely make out anything going on around her. An EMT had come up to talk to Emmett, but Bella had no clue what they had said. All she knew was that she was still in Emmett's arms and that they were following Edward out, presumably to the ambulance. When they loaded Edward into the back of the ambulance, Bella whimpered his name again and she felt Emmett hold on to her tighter.
"She needs to get checked out also," Bella heard the EMT say.
"I'm going with her. She's family," Emmett nearly growled.
"Sir…"
"I'm going!"
"Emmett?" Bella cried, finally tearing her eyes away to look up at her cousin.
"Shhhh…" Emmett murmured, looking down at his cousin. "We'll stay with Edward and we'll get you checked out too."
Emmett shot the EMT a glare and the next thing Bella knew, she and Emmett were climbing up into the ambulance next to Edward. The sirens and lights were loud and bright, but Bella felt completely overwhelmed and numb. She leaned her head against Emmett's chest, tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks as she watched the EMT work on Edward. When the EMT saw Bella staring, he gave her a small smile.
"He's unconscious, but he's breathing and he's stable," the EMT said quietly.
"Thank you," Bella whispered.
The EMT nodded and went back to work. Bella snuggled herself a little further into her cousin's strong embrace, and Emmett held on to her a little tighter. The EMT's words made Bella feel a little better, but until Edward's eyes were open again, she wouldn't feel like she could really breathe. She closed her eyes, praying to whoever was up there listening that Edward would be okay.
Edward felt like his head was made out of lead. His throat felt like it was made out of sand and dirt, completely raw and dry. He tried to open his eyes, but the pain in his head just felt worse, and moving his head was out of the question. He could hear faint beeps and Edward grimaced, his last memories being of fighting to keep Bella safe from Jacob Black. He knew what the beeps meant…he was in the hospital.
Where is Bella though? Is she safe? What happened?
"Bella…" Edward rasped, hoping someone would hear him.
"Edward?"
"Eric," Edward coughed out, recognizing the voice of his best friend.
"Let me get you some water, man. Hang on."
Edward soon felt a straw against his lips and Edward sucked greedily. The water soothed his burning and parched throat, but Eric pulled it away much too quickly for his liking. Eric saw the frown on Edward's face and he chuckled.
"Sorry, man. You gotta take it slow. I just buzzed the nurses and let them know you were awake."
Eric shook his head when he saw the frown still present on Edward's face.
"Were you aware that I am your emergency contact?" Eric asked.
Edward sort of just shrugged, opening his eyes slightly.
"I figured," he rasped. Eric handed him the cup and Edward took a slow sip from his straw. His throat immediately felt better.
"Scared the shit out of me when I got the phone call," Eric said with a sigh. "Even more scared when I got the phone call from Emmett."
When Edward sighed and closed his eyes, he winced slightly, his face still tender.
"You do remember what happened right, brah?"
That question made Edward's eyes pop back open.
"Where's Bella? What happened? Where's that bastard Jacob?"
"Shhhh! Slow down, buddy," Eric replied, jerking his head to Edward's right and the window of his room. "She really needs the rest."
Edward groaned, his sudden shouting of questions and opening his eyes quickly made his head feel like it was going to split wide open from one ear to the other. He gritted his teeth and breathed hard, willing the pain to go away. Edward peeked his eyes open a crack and looked towards his right, in the direction Eric had jerked his head earlier. There, curled up in a tiny uncomfortable looking ball on the chair was Bella.
"Is she okay?" Edward asked quietly.
"A little shaken up, but she'll be okay."
The pain in Edward's head grew as he shook his head in disappointment with himself. He prayed that nothing bad had happened to Bella. From the way she slept in the chair though, she looked absolutely exhausted. Edward clenched his eyes shut, both from the physical and emotional pain.
"You okay, brah? You want me to go get the nurse?" Eric asked, worried.
Edward shook his head. "Tell me what happened."
"Well…" Eric drew out as Edward slowly opened his eyes. "Ah…there's those minty green eyes I know and love."
"Fuck, man…can you just tell me what happened?" Edward nearly growled.
"Okay, okay…chill out, brah."
Eric went to sit in the chair nearest to Edward's bed.
"I haven't heard the whole story yet. Bella had to recount it quite a few times for police officers and also the doctors, since she was the only one who really saw what happened to you. I didn't want to make her retell it."
Edward sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn't even imagine how shaken up Bella must have been.
"Anyway, what I learned was that Jacob attacked you first. You two got into a real slug fest, Jacob landed a good one across your left temple, then you fell and hit your head on your right side, right near your other temple. The hit knocked you out and Jacob threw you in the pool before going after Bella."
Edward's eyes popped open in shock again and he grimaced, but asked his question.
"I ended up in the pool? How the fuck did I get out? What happened to Jacob?"
"You ended up in the deep end of the pool, brah."
"Finish the story please," Edward huffed, irritated at not knowing what happened and his growing headache. "Who pulled me out of the pool and stopped Jacob? Bella wasn't hurt right? You said she was fine?"
"Bella wasn't hurt. I promise," Eric said quietly. "Seth was able to hold Jacob off until Eli, Emmett, and Jasper got down there. Uh…Bella is the one who saved you from drowning in the pool."
"What?" Edward nearly shouted. His head was throbbing, but he needed to know that what Eric had just said was the truth.
"Bella. She jumped in and saved you, man."
Edward's head was pounding as he tried to wrap it around the fact that Bella had jumped into the deep end of a pool to save him. The deep end was at least ten feet deep. Bella hadn't swum in any water where she couldn't touch the bottom. She had risked her life to jump in there and save him? Edward shook his head. He couldn't believe it.
Before Edward could ask anything else of Eric, the nurses and doctors arrived to check on Edward. The pain in his head was beginning to overwhelm him, as was the number of people in the room, and it wasn't long before Edward felt the calming effects of the medicine he was given take effect. His eyes slid closed and the last thing he heard was someone asking whether or not Bella had gone home yet. It made Edward briefly wonder how long she had been there, before he succumbed to the darkness of sleep.
"I can't believe he woke up and I missed it," Bella whispered, tears gathered in her eyes. She was currently perched on the side of Edward's bed. Bella hadn't moved since Eric told her Edward had woken up earlier. She ran a hand through Edward's hair and let her fingertips trace the soft skin of his face.
"You had a rough day too, Bella. You needed to rest," Eric said gently.
Bella shook her head. "I know you said he woke up and you guys talked, but I feel like I can't breath until I see him open his eyes again and know that he's okay."
Eric sighed and stood up. "Okay…since I am assuming you are going to stay the night, can I get you some coffee or something? I'm gonna head down and get myself one."
Bella nodded. She didn't want to fall asleep again in case Edward woke up. Eric gave Bella a small smile before he turned and left the room. It was quiet in the room now that Eric had gone. Far too quiet for Bella's taste. All she could hear was the sound of Edward faintly breathing and the beep of the monitor hooked up to his chest. Obviously, due to the sound of his beating heart and breaths, Bella knew that he was alive…but until his eyes were open and she heard his voice again, Bella would never be able to relax.
"I need you to come back to me," Bella whispered, her eyes beginning to prickle with the tears she hadn't shed since they'd been brought in. "I need you to come back to me."
Careful to not disrupt any of the wires that were monitoring Edward's breathing and his heartbeat, Bella lay down on the side of the bed, curling herself into Edward's side. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sound of his heartbeat, trying to let that comfort her and remind her that he was alive. The day had been long and traumatic, and there was too much going on in Bella's head. The tears started to fall harder and she turned her face to press it against Edward's warm chest.
"Please, Edward…I can't lose you again," Bella whispered between sobs. "I…I won't make it this time if I lose you again."
Bella cried as quietly as she could into Edward's chest. Her hand gripped the hospital issued gown he was wearing and she clenched her eyes shut, wishing that all of this was just a dream, a nightmare, and that she would wake up any minute now. She and Edward were supposed to be enjoying a weekend alone at the Ihilani Resort. She wanted to feel his arms wrapped around her, instead of warm and laying at his sides. She wanted to feel his lips pressing against her forehead and she wanted—
"I love you, Bella. I love you so much."
The sound of Edward's gravely and rough voice almost made Bella tumble out of the bed, but she held on. She blinked her eyes a few times to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. However, a warm hand settled on top of the one that had been lying on Edward's chest, and Bella felt her eyes well up all over again. She sat up slowly, hoping now that she wasn't dreaming and that all she was feeling was real. Her body trembled slightly as she raised her head to look up. When she did, she gasped loudly.
"Edward!"
His eyes were barely open, but they were enough to let Bella see the green that she loved so much, and he had a lazy smile on his face, one she had seen many times when waking up in his arms. The tears rolled down Bella's cheeks.
"Say it again," she sobbed quietly.
Edward's hand that rested on top of hers squeezed gently.
"I love you, Bella."
"Oh, Edward!" Bella cried, leaning down and pressing her lips to his softly.
Seeing him awake and hearing him say that he loved her broke the dam that had been holding Bella together. She pulled away and kissed his cheek before lying down and snuggling into his side, once again sobbing on his chest. Though Edward's chest was bruised slightly, Bella didn't weigh much, and he maneuvered her easily so that she was pressed against him and he was able to wrap his arms around her shaking body.
"Hey…hey, it's okay, Bella. I'm right here," Edward murmured, stroking his fingers slowly up and down her back.
Bella could do nothing but shake her head back and forth and cry. That day had been pretty much the most terrifying day of her life. Even that horrible day when they were teenagers didn't compare to the feeling she felt in her heart when she thought Edward might be drowning, or how terrified she had felt before she jumped into the pool.
"Shhhh…just breathe, baby. I'm right here."
It took some time before Bella's sobs quieted to sniffles and occasional whimpers. Eric had walked in when Bella was still sobbing, and was waved away by Edward. Ever the best friend, Eric simply smiled and nodded his head before retreating to the waiting area to give Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Nessie an update. The five friends had waited all night to hear any news about both Edward and Bella. Esme, Eli, Carmen, and Seth eventually had to go home, but had been texting for updates ever since they had left.
Edward continued to lazily drag his fingers up and down Bella's back to calm her down. He thought about the fact that he had told Bella he loved her, and the fact that it didn't scare him one bit. He loved her, he had always loved his beautiful Bella, and this time around he would tell her every day, every hour, if she wanted him to. She was everything to him, and the fact that she had risked everything she had to save him…well, it simply blew him away in awe and love. She didn't say it back, but she didn't have to. He knew Bella Swan loved him. She had quieted down and all he could hear now was her breathing softly.
"Did you fall asleep on me, Bella?"
Bella shook her head against his chest. From the angle they were at, Edward couldn't see her face and he didn't like that one bit.
"Can you please sit up for me, baby? I want to see your beautiful face."
Bella sat up slowly, almost reluctantly, before she started to swipe at her face and cheeks.
"I must look awful," she muttered.
Edward kept his hand on the small of her back to keep her from falling off of his measly hospital bed, but with his other hand he reached up and grabbed one of her wrists, stilling her hand. Not only would she always be the most beautiful thing he would ever see, but her hands swiping at her face were blocking his view of it, and he felt like he had been without her brown eyes and gorgeous smile in too long. Bella froze feeling Edward's hand around her wrist, and slowly dropped her hands to her lap. Edward released her wrist and threaded his fingers with hers.
"Can you look up at me, Bella, baby?"
Bella lifted her head slowly. She felt emotionally drained and was positive her eyes were puffy and red and that she didn't look the least bit attractive, but as it always was with Edward, his words made her believe him. When her eyes finally met his, she saw that they were open wider now, and he looked much more awake.
"There's my Bella," Edward said with a smile. His head was still sore, but he definitely felt better than he had the last time he was awake. The medicine they had given him helped, as did his nap, but having Bella awake and safe by his side made all the pain worth it. He reached up and cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her cheekbone gently.
"I love you, my brave, brave girl. I love you so much. I know I didn't say it a lot when we were younger, but I meant it every single day."
Bella's eyes began to prickle again and she was amazed that she had any tears left.
"Shhhh…no more tears, Bella. I'm not going anywhere," Edward promised.
"You can't," Bella said, closing her eyes and covering his hand on her cheek with hers. "You can't leave me like that again."
Edward tugged her down slowly and wrapped his arms around her, careful of his own bruises on his side.
"I love you, baby. I promise…I'm not going anywhere," Edward whispered. "Especially when I have you to save me and protect me."
Bella couldn't help but giggle and smile at Edward's joking tone.
"I'm hardly a superhero," Bella whispered. "If it weren't for Jasper and—"
"Don't say that, Bella. Eric told me what happened. That you were the one who…who jumped in the pool to grab me."
Edward sighed heavily. "Baby, I…I can't believe you did that."
Bella sat up quickly. Was he mad at her for saving him?
"Wait, wait! Let me explain before you jump to any conclusions!" Edward cried.
Bella stared at him expectantly. She was pretty positive he wasn't mad at her, but if he was, she was going to let him have it. There was no way he could tell her that he loved her and then be mad at her because she risked her life to save his. She would not accept that at all. Edward tugged Bella back in to his side.
"Bella, you jumped in the pool! In the deep end! I'm just…Bella, I'm just…floored, shocked…amazed. Baby…"
Edward nudged Bella and pushed her gently to sit up again so that he could see her face and her eyes. He reached up with both hands and cupped her cheeks.
"My beautiful girl, do you realize just how…how big that is? You jumped in and swam in deep water where you couldn't touch the ground. You risked your life to save mine. It…it overwhelms me, Bella. That you would do that. That you faced something so…terrifying and you could have died and I…Bella, I can barely wrap my head around it all."
Bella reached up and placed her hands on top of his. She turned her head and placed a kiss in his left palm.
"I would do anything for you," Bella whispered against his skin. "It's as simple as that."
"But you risked—"
"Edward, I love you!" Bella cried, interrupting him. "I have always loved you."
Bella squeezed her eyes shut. That wasn't quite how she wanted to tell him. Granted, he had already professed his love, but Bella…well, she only hoped now that Edward didn't think she was saying it just because she had.
"Baby, I'm so tired of looking at you with your eyes closed."
At the sound of Edward's voice, Bella popped her eyes open. Keeping her brown eyes trained on his green, Bella let Edward pull her down so that she could kiss him softly. The feel of his lips against hers, a little dry and cracked, but warm and alive, were like heaven as far as was concerned. Edward pulled back slightly, though his lips were only centimeters away from Bella's.
"I love you so much my brave, brave girl. So much," Edward murmured before placing another soft kiss on Bella's lips.
Bella sighed before backing up and scooting back down to lie with Edward. Edward smiled and made room as Bella cuddled up to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
"Get some rest now, beautiful. Everything is okay," Edward said quietly, stroking her hair.
A content sigh left Bella's lips and soon Edward heard her breaths even out. Bella seemed so small in his arms, but Edward knew that she was one of the strongest girls—no women—that he had ever known. No one else could have survived what she had been through in her life and still come out so loving and so kind. She had faced her fears so many times in the time that she and Edward had known each other, and she had done it all because she loved him. Edward was determined to show Bella for the rest of his life, for the rest of their lives, how much he loved her. He wouldn't just say the words he knew he had seldom said as a teenager, but he would show her too. He loved Isabella Swan, and my some miracle, she still loved him too.
Age 15
The summer was coming to an end and there weren't many warm days left. Well, as warm as it could be considered down at First Beach in La Push anyway. There were still a couple of weeks left before school started again for the fall, and Bella Swan intended to enjoy every single bit of summer she had left. Especially if it meant spending it with Edward Masen, her boyfriend, and her friends Angela and Ben.
The surf wasn't supposed to be good that day, but the sun was out, and Edward suggested they get out of Forks and head down to the beach. Angela and Ben were having their own date day, so Bella was looking forward to having her own with Edward. She wasn't quite sure what they would do at the beach that day, especially since the surf was poor. Bella still didn't know how to swim, but she was hoping that maybe Edward would help to teach her. She just didn't know if today was going to be that day.
Edward had picked her up in his silver truck, the bed empty without his surfboard. Bella took her time to look at him as he drove them. He was talking about a book that he had just read, and Bella was a little ashamed to admit that she wasn't paying attention to him at all. She was too busy looking at him. He was wearing a black hoodie over a white t-shirt, and he had on his pair of grey and black board shorts. His black sunglasses hid his green eyes from her, and his hood of his jacket was up, taming his usually chaotic hair. Bella smiled to herself, thinking Edward almost looked like he was some sort of kidnapper or something, but he would definitely be the best looking kidnapper ever, and she would go with Edward anywhere.
"What are you smiling at, baby?"
Bella's heart fluttered when he called her baby. She always gushed on the phone with Angela how cute it was and how much she loved it.
"Nothing," Bella replied, her smile growing a little wider. "Just looking at you."
"Why? Do I have something on my face?"
Bella giggled. "No. Just thinking about how…uh, good you look."
Her cheeks were on fire and her gaze went to her lap, but that had been the truth. Edward was incredibly good looking, but he was so much more than that. He had a rough life, but he was still so loving and a good boy. He might not have thought so, but Bella knew she was right. Her smile returned to her face when Edward's had entered her vision and plucked her left hand off of her lap and entwined her fingers with his. She loved holding hands with Edward almost as much as she liked kissing Edward. There was nothing better in the world than kissing Edward Masen. She gave his hand a little squeeze before asking him to tell her about the book he had read again.
The beach was surprisingly not as crowded as Bella thought it was going to be. Maybe it was the fact that the surf wasn't that great or that some big summer blockbuster movie had finally come to the cinema in Port Angeles. Either way, Bella didn't mind the lack of people. There would be less people to stare at them. After setting their towels and stuff down, Bella had a seat while Edward stood up, taking his hoodie and shirt off. Bella tried to keep her drool in her mouth.
"What did you want to do? You wanna just lie in the sun and tan?" Edward asked as he started to rub sunscreen on his body.
Bella almost felt like she was a dog drooling over a steak. Edward's body was toned and ripped in all the right places, he was tan from the summer spent surfing, and he had those muscles on his hips that made that V shape that led to…well, Bella didn't quite want to think that far down the road yet. It made her cheeks flush.
"Bella? What's going on in your head there? Are you blushing or do you really need the sunscreen?"
Bella squinted up at Edward, who was smirking down at her playfully.
"Don't make fun of me," Bella pouted grabbing the sunscreen from his hand.
She stood up and took off her shirt and shorts before starting to put on her own sunscreen. She chose a modest floral print bikini that Angela had persuaded her to buy, and hoped she wouldn't get any weird tan lines. She was pretty sure she heard Edward groan as she was rubbing lotion on her legs and he turned away from her, looking out at the ocean instead. Bella smiled to herself. She knew why Edward was groaning. Bella wasn't so naïve that she didn't know about sex or the fact that boys got boners from sometimes the simplest of things. It pleased her greatly that she was able to do that to Edward though. When she was all finished with all of the areas she could reach on her own body, she took a deep breath and started to rub lotion on Edward's back. His head fell back and he let out another groan.
"I don't want you to get burned," Bella said quietly. Again, she was pretty sure Edward's groan wasn't a bad thing, and Bella was enjoying having an excuse to run her hands all over Edward's hard and muscular back.
When she was finished, Edward turned around and took the bottle of lotion from her hand. Her eyes met Edward's and despite the sun, she swore they looked darker.
"Let me return the favor," Edward ordered, his voice low and rough. Bella immediately turned without a word, moving her hair to one side.
Her eyes fluttered closed the moment she felt Edward's large and calloused hands on her shoulders. The feeling of his skin caressing hers almost overwhelmed her. Edward moved slowly, almost as if he was making sure he didn't miss a centimeter of skin anywhere on her back. He finished with a soft kiss on her shoulder blade, but didn't move to stand in front of her. Instead, he tossed the tube of sunscreen down on their towels and placed his hands on his hips.
"You didn't answer my question earlier," Edward whispered in her ear. "What did you want to do today? Tan in the sun? Explore the tide pools?"
Bella turned around slowly and took a deep breath before looking up at Edward.
"Will you…will you start to teach me how to swim?" she asked quietly.
Edward's eyes widened slightly, but soon a small smile spread across his lips.
"I'd be honored, baby."
Edward took Bella's hand in his and slowly led her towards the water. Bella was nervous, but she knew Edward would never make her do anything she didn't want to. Edward was also incredibly nervous. After the incident at the lake where she nearly drowned, Edward was surprised Bella was asking this of him. He knew she was a strong little thing, maybe not physically, but definitely mentally. She wasn't going to let her fear of drowning beat her. The water lapped at Bella's toes and she inhaled sharply.
"Are you okay?" Edward asked quickly. "We don't have to if you don't want to."
"It's okay," Bella said with a smile. "It's just colder than I thought it would be."
"Oh…um…okay."
When Edward felt like his feet had adjusted to the temperature of the water, he started to take a couple of steps forward, leading Bella. She followed him willingly, knowing she couldn't possibly drown in water that came up to her ankles.
"I was thinking we'd walk out a bit, and then try to learn how to float?" Edward asked, a little unsure. He couldn't really remember how he himself learned how to swim, but he figured that floating was a good start.
"Okay," Bella answered with a nod.
The two walked out until the water was waist height for Edward, and about mid-stomach for Bella. She wasn't panicking since her feet were still firmly planted on the ground and the waves weren't bad. Plus, Edward still had a grip on her hand, which was really what was holding Bella together.
"All right…so…floating…" Edward trailed off. "Um…you're going to have to get in the water a little more and then lie back. I'll be right there to support your body, but remember to try and let the water support you too. You should feel weightless in the water. After you lie back, push your chest and your hips up and out. That will help keep your body afloat."
Bella nodded, mentally going over everything Edward was telling her. She could do this. Her feet could still touch the sand on the bottom and Edward was right there with her.
"Okay, so let's try this," Edward encouraged. "Lie back, and remember what I said about your chest and your hips. Don't worry, Bella. I'm right here."
The nerves Bella was feeling earlier were back in full force as she slowly lowered herself back. Edward wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was helping guide her down. She couldn't help it as her breathing picked up, both from nerves and her proximity to Edward. Bella closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face as her ears went under water. She remembered what Edward had said about pushing her chest and hips up and out and she tried her best to do so.
Meanwhile, Edward was doing his best to try and remain somewhat of a gentleman and keep his hands in appropriate places. Thankfully it was cold in the water so he was sporting nothing more than a semi in his shorts. Bella had no idea how beautiful she was. Edward swore he nearly came in his shorts when Bella bent over at the waist earlier and started rubbing sunscreen all over her legs. It was a modest bikini that she was wearing, but a bikini is a bikini, and it still hugged every single one of Bella's curves. When he looked down to see how Bella was doing, he had to stifle a groan. Even through the floral pattern of her bikini top, he could make out her hardened nipples. Edward titled his head up towards the sun and closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying not to imagine was Bella's breasts would look like naked as they skinny dipped. Obviously skinny dipping was out of the question here, but Edward liked to think that maybe someday he and Bella would get the chance.
What Edward hadn't counted on was just how fickle the ocean can be. An unexpected wave rolled in. It wasn't big, maybe four feet at the tallest, but it was high enough that it completely crashed right over Bella. Bella immediately panicked, sucking in a mouthful of sea water as she tried to scream, and her limbs flailed about trying to find Edward. Strong arms quickly grabbed her and Bella pulled herself towards those arms, crashing into Edward's body and wrapping herself around him like an octopus.
"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry," Edward whispered, his arms wrapped tightly around Bella's body. Her panic had nearly sent him into a panic, but he was able to grab her and hold her tight.
Bella coughed and calmed down as she felt Edward's hands running up and down her back. It was then that she realized exactly how she had wrapped herself around Edward. Her face was pressed against his neck with her arms around his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his waist. She made to move, but Edward held on to her tightly.
"Maybe we should just swim like this? I'll hold on to you and just walk through the water. Let you get used to being in the water this deep and all."
Bella pulled back to look at Edward and she smiled. He knew how to calm her down and she felt so much better there in his arms. She felt safe, and knew that he wouldn't let another wave get her. Plus, she couldn't lie and say that she didn't like where she currently was situated. It didn't appear that Edward minded either.
"Okay," Bella whispered.
Edward started to walk slowly, never loosening his grip on Bella, and also never turning his back to the ocean to make sure he could watch for any other rogue waves. Bella played with the hairs at the nape of his neck, letting her fingers curl around them and scratch his skin lightly. Edward shivered but never said anything about it. When Bella looked at his face, it looked like he was debating something with himself. Before Bella had a chance to ask him what exactly had him thinking so hard, Edward spoke, and took Bella's breath away.
"I love you, Bella Swan," Edward said quietly as he looked down, his eyes locking with hers.
Bella let out a small gasp, not knowing what else to say. Edward loved her? Edward Masen was in love with her? One of his hands let go of her back and came up to trail his fingertips down her cheek.
"You don't have to say anything back," Edward whispered. "But I wanted you to know, beautiful girl."
Bella swallowed heavily before she spoke.
"Say it again?" she begged softly.
Edward didn't hesitate. "I love you, Bella Swan."
It wasn't even a full second after Edward spoke before Bella's lips crashed against his. His arm wrapped around her body once again and he squeezed her to him tightly. Bella's arms and legs tightened as well and she poured all that she was feeling into that kiss. Their lips moved together and when Edward's tongue begged for entrance, Bella gladly gave it to him, swirling her tongue with his. She wasn't even sure how long they were kissing out there in the middle of the ocean, but Bella definitely knew that Edward pulled back too soon for her liking. Both of them were breathing hard, but it didn't stop Bella from speaking from her heart either.
"I love you too, Edward Masen. I think I fell in love with you the night we met on Ben's patio."
Edward smiled and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on Bella's lips.
"I'm pretty sure it was the same for me as well," he murmured.
Their lips met again, and this time they made out in the water until they were both shivering and wrinkled from too much time in the ocean. As Edward wrapped Bella up in her towel and rubbed her shoulders, it was there on First Beach that Bella decided that there was at least one thing better than kissing Edward Masen. And it wasn't the fact that she loved him and now he knew it. It was hearing that Edward Masen was in love with her too.
Well? Yes? No? Pretty fluffy at the end there right? Well…I was thinking about it recently, and I would say that there are maybe twelve chapters left in the story? Maybe a few more than that, possibly fourteen. I haven't exactly planned it out yet…but I DO have the next chapter half way done, so it won't take as long to get you an update. :-D
Let me know what you thought, good or bad, pretty please. You can find me on Twitter (NoelleSeven) or Facebook (Noelle Seven) if you want. I ramble about a lot of different things LOL. Anyway, hope to update soon! :-D