Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Still catching up on everything. Hope you enjoy! :)
Bella
Carlisle was silent for most of the ride home, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was comfortable, and he drove a lot more slowly than Edward or Rosalie. As we approached the border, he glanced over at me, his gaze quiet and thoughtful. "You are always welcome to stay with us, Bella." He reminded me quietly, his smile gentle. "I understand that you enjoy spending time with Jacob and Seth and Leah, and that you appreciate Billy's offer to let you live with him, but you should never be afraid to come to our house and stay for as long as you want. We want you t see it as your home." I nodded, smiling a little. "I'll speak to Jasper tonight, and we'll have everything wrapped up by tomorrow afternoon. If you'd like to come over, we can talk about everything." I nodded.
"Thank you. That sounds great." Carlisle smiled, reaching out and touching my hand lightly.
"It's no problem." He hesitated, parking the Mercedes by the border. "And Bella…Alice is scheming to get you to ask Edward to that dance, and he'd love to go with you." I looked down at the ground, feeling guilty. "But Bella, he'd also love to just spend the evening alone with you. Don't let Alice guilt you into going if you don't want to, okay? No one will be upset if you don't want to go."
"It's…it's not that…I can't dance." I admitted. "I'll look like an idiot." He chuckled softly, his hand moving to my shoulder.
"I seriously doubt that. Charlotte was right. It's all about the leading." He assured me. "Still, it's up to you. Alice will never stop trying to force you to go to parties and dances….the rest of us just go with it. But she honestly thinks you'll have a good time." As Jacob's truck appeared around the corner, Carlisle put an arm around me, kissing my hair before unlocking the doors. To my surprise, he stepped out of the car as well, and Jacob jumped out of his truck. Carlisle put an arm around me, leading me over to Jacob's truck, and held out a hand that Jacob took with a grin. "Hello, Jacob. It's nice to finally met you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Cullen."
"Please, call me Carlisle." My father invited with a soft smile. "Thank you for driving her home."
"No problem. Ready Bella?' I nodded, hugging Carlisle goodbye quickly, then climbed into his truck. Glancing out the window, I saw Jacob and Carlisle speaking quietly about something I couldn't hear, and then Carlisle put a hand on Jacob's shoulder, nodding at something. He drove away as Jacob climbed into the truck. "You okay?" He asked seriously, his voice losing some of its chipper edge.
"Yeah. Fine."
"You told the Cullens about the lawyer?"
"Sort of, yeah. They're going to take care of it." He nodded seriously, his gaze thoughtful.
"Does this mean you're leaving us?" He asked quietly, and I heard the sadness in his voice. I worked to make my own bright and happy, reaching over and touching his arm.
"Of course not. Probably not until I'm out of high school."
"But then you'll go live with them." It wasn't even a question, and I wondered at the insight he seemed to have. Still he didn't wait for me to reply. "I'm sorry about Billy."
"Don't worry about it, Jake." I told him quietly, my hand still on his arm. "It's not your fault. Don't fight with Billy because of me."
"It's not just that." He mumbled irritably. "It's…he's just so…ridiculous about the Cullens!" I flinched a little, hoping he didn't notice. It was actually good of Billy to be a little wary…there were two red-eyed houseguests staying with the Cullens at the moment, and I could just imagine how much he'd love to know that.
"It's okay…I don't think they mind."
"That's the worst part!" Jacob cried, obviously more irritated than I was. "Dr. Cullen has been taking care of you, and they let you stay at their house and Edward obviously loves you! They all do!" I felt my face darken. "So what's his problem?"
"I guess superstition is just too powerful here." I tried to wave it off.
"For god's sake, Bella! It's more than that! Mrs. Cullen made us food! And Edward about had a panic attack when you got sick! How could Billy think they were bad people?" We were parked in front of the house now, and I smiled slightly, squeezing his arm.
"I don't know, Jake." I climbed out of the car, pulling my backpack over my shoulder as we started to head into the house.
Billy glanced up at us as we entered the house, for some reason, eyeing Jacob warily for a moment. "Everything okay?" He asked softly, placing the paper on the table and watching us.
"Fine. The Cullens took care of her. Don't worry about it." Jacob told him shortly, and a second later, I heard his door slam. I stood awkwardly in the kitchen, my arms crossed as I stared at the floor.
"Bella…"
"Please…don't worry about that, Billy." He started to speak, but I shook my head. "Do you want something to eat?"
"Bella, you don't have to…"
"I can make dinner. I'm kind of hungry and..."
"Bella!" I paused in the kitchen, turning to look at him hesitantly. "Why don't you sit down, Bella?" He asked, dropping his voice as he glanced back at the hallway.
"Are you sure? I can make dinner." I offered, but he only stared at me until I dropped into the chair opposite of him. "So, Dr. Cullen went with you to the lawyer?"
"No. He stopped by to make sure I was okay, then took me back to his house.'
"That's all? He just took you back to the house?"
I stiffened, crossing my arms. "What, exactly, are you implying, Billy?"
"Bella, I know you can't possibly understand…"
"Understand what?"
"That the Cullens are dangerous!" He hissed at me. "More dangerous than you can possibly know."
"They're not dangerous to me." My voice was nearly a whisper. "They would never hurt me." His eyes widened, then his teeth came together with a clack.
"Assuming you're not terribly mistaken, maybe they wouldn't hurt you purposefully, but accidents happen."
"I've been fine so far." I reminded him simply, and he shook his head.
"Okay, so what? You're just going to stay with them? What happens when they leave?" I couldn't answer that…I certainly couldn't tell him that I planned to join their family as soon as possible…there was no reason to tell him. I looked down, staring at the table before he caught the look on my face, and he sighed. "I know you think you love this guy, Bella…"
"Do not." I snapped, standing, my hands in fists at my side. "You're not my father, Billy. You don't get to have this discussion with me. If you think I shouldn't date Edward…then that's your right. And you can kick me out if you want. But…I'm not having this talk with you." I finished in a whisper, striding past him and into my bedroom, ignoring the growling of my stomach as I dropped onto my bed.
It wasn't a minute later that there was a soft knock on the door, and Jacob's quiet voice asking to be let in. I invited him in, not glancing up when he came in, shutting the door quietly behind him, and dropped onto the bed beside me. "Are you okay?" There was obviously something wrong with him, he looked both furious and frightened, his expression strange.
"I really am sorry about him."
"You don't have to be. He's just trying to look out for me…in his own way. Either way, it's not your fault."
"He's being ridiculous…he actually believes the Cullens are the 'cold ones' from those stories."
"What did Carlisle say to you?" I wondered, turning to him, my leg folding in front of me on the bed. Jacob looked at the ground for a moment, then glanced up.
"Just asked how I was doing…if Billy was okay. He told me…that if I ever needed anything, to call." Jacob shook his head. "Billy won't even give him a chance. I mean, even if they were 'cold ones…' he caught my startled look and grinned. "I know it sounds stupid, but just pretend with me, okay?" I forced a grin. "So, even if they were vampires…" He snorted at the word while I was frozen in place beside him. "They obviously aren't hurting anyone! Not letting them onto our land was a precaution…in the myth. Like, we made a treaty with them and everything, and they're supposed to be safe to be around…they don't hurt humans…in the myth." I nodded, playing along.
"Yeah…if you made a treaty with them, they must be friendly…in the story." He nodded.
"Exactly. In the myth, the head vampire was the one that suggested the treaty. They could have just killed whoever they wanted and then run away or slaughtered the whole town, but they wanted to coexist with us. In the story." He finished, crossing his arms and sighing. "You going over there after school again tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Carlisle and Esme are going to talk to the lawyer and explain everything tomorrow."
"What about that school dance? You asking anybody?" I was startled at the laugh that escaped as I placed a hand over my mouth.
"You've got to be kidding me! How do you know about my school dance!?"
"Oh come on. Even I know that Mike Newton is waiting to ask you to the dance." I snorted, shaking my head.
"Why? Why do people in this city care so much about that dance!?"
"Not much happens around here, Bella." He told me wryly. "So are you going to ask Edward?"
"I don't know." I admitted, dropping back on the bed, and he grinned, dropping down beside me, his head resting on his bent arm. "Alice wants me to."
"Why?" He asked with a chuckle, and I had to smile at the ridiculousness of this situation.
"She wants to dress me up in something pretty." I told him, rolling my eyes.
"Does he want to go?"
"I…have no idea. Alice says he does, but that's probably just her trying to convince me."
"If he wants to go…do you want to go?" I smirked, rolling over on my back, staring at the ceiling and wondering why it was so easy to talk to him and so hard to talk to Alice or Edward…or the others. But with Jacob, it was like I'd really known him my whole life…like he really could be my brother, while the others…they were so much different from me, so much older and wiser, but Jacob was like me.
"I don't do school dances. I don't do dances period. I'm a terrible dancer, and do not tell me it's all in the leading."
He chuckled. "I wasn't going to. Hey, if you don't want to go, don't go. I'll bet Edward won't care either way…as long as he get's to see you." I smiled over at him, reaching out and touching his arm.
"Thank you." I told him seriously. He shrugged. "Hey, if I go to that stupid dance, you should go too."
"Yeah right. With who?" He asked with a laugh. "Think you can lend me a Cullen? Or are they all taken?" I laughed as I tried to imagine the expression of Jasper or Emmett's face if Jacob were to try and steal Alice or Rosalie.
"All taken." I told him with a grin. "But come on, isn't there anyone you can ask?" He shrugged.
"I don't know. Leah's cousin is coming up sometime to visit, but I don't think it'll be before the dance."
"Really? What's her name?"
"Um…Emily. Clearwater. Seth says she's pretty cool."
"That's nice. Maybe we can all hang out." There was a short pause, and then I remembered our original conversation. "Well, what about at school? Any nice girls there?"
"None that aren't taken. Sorry Bella. Think Edward would be willing to share?" He nudged my elbow, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, and I threw my head back, laughing aloud right as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the name, and held it up with a smile.
"I'll ask."
Alice
'Fine. I'll ask Edward to the stupid dance.' I paused at the entrance to my closet, able to feel the huge smile that spread over my face at the vision, now wonderfully solid. 'But if he doesn't…' I ignored the rest of the vision, squealing in excitement and jumping up on my toes, ignoring Jasper's quiet snort of amusement as I raced for the door, only to be caught in his arms before I could throw it open.
"Clothes, Alice." He whispered, his lips touching my neck as he spoke, and I shivered automatically, remembering suddenly why I'd been at the closet…I was sure the rest of the family, plus Peter and Charlotte, would be a trifle shocked if I raced into the living room wearing only pink underwear. "Or not…" His thumb hooked under the side of my bra and I grinned, turning to him. "Whatever it is, it can wait." I couldn't argue with that, not when my underwear was suddenly on the floor, and we were back in the bed.
Edward
'Fine. I'll ask Edward to the stupid dance.' I couldn't help being a bit excited about Alice's sudden vision….right after jumping out of her head. I'd arrived home to find her scent, strong enough that she'd been there recently, and had called her immediately. She'd assured me that she was fine, that she was just hanging out with Jacob, and that Carlisle and Esme had helped her out with the lawyer. I had a feeling she wasn't quite telling the whole truth, but she sounded happy enough, so I didn't push. I just hoped that, now that this seemed to be over, she would go back to normal…back to being happy.
But I got the full story from Carlisle's head, and found myself back in my bedroom, my head in my hands. It wasn't that she'd been afraid to talk to the lawyer, or afraid to ask anyone else for help. It wasn't even that she'd gone without me. It was the fact that…she refused to speak to me, to ask me for help. Me, the guy that was supposed to be her….boyfriend, for lack of a better word. Maybe soul mate would be closer. She was my mate, something that, I understood, meant something different to her than it did to me. But I loved her, and I did the best I could to show her that…but she still refused to open up to me. Even now, after it was over, she'd glossed over everything, insisting that everything was okay and that I had no need to worry. It felt like she was pushing me away again and again, no matter how I tried to get close to her.
Bella loved me. I was sure of that. But she didn't seem to trust me. What other explanation was there? Before I could go any further with that line of thought, there was a soft knock on my door, and I sighed. "Go away, Alice." I mumbled, but she opened my door anyway.
"Don't be angry with her Edward." She told me softly, her arms crossed as she leaned in the doorway.
"I said, go away Alice." I snapped, letting a little more venom leak into my voice, but she only glared.
"You're usually in a better mood after hunting."
"You're usually more helpful, but all you care about is the stupid dance…"
"Don't you dare imply that I don't care about Bella!" She snarled, and I could tell from the thoughts in the house that we suddenly had everyone's full attention. Esme stood downstairs, looking up at the ceiling, and Carlisle stood at her side, taking her hand.
"Then why haven't you done anything?" I exploded, jumping to my feet. "You must have known that she was hurting…why she was hurting, which was more than anyone else knew! Why didn't you talk to her? Or me!? Why didn't you do anything to help instead of trying to manipulate her into going to that stupid dance!?"
"Don't act like you didn't want to go!" She cried.
"Of course I did! But not at the expense of her happiness! But all you care about is dressing her up like a dam*ed Barbie doll!" Alice's head was hanging loosely on her shoulders, her fists clenched as her shoulders shook, but I didn't stop. "You knew everything that was going on, and you just let her suffer! What kind of crap sister are you anyway!?" My words broke off when it was suddenly Jasper, and not Alice I was staring at, his teeth bared as he stood in front of his mate, and I rolled my eyes, turning and throwing the window, leaping down and running for the woods. It was time I had a talk with Bella.
The further away I got from the house, the worse I felt until, when I'd finally reached the line I was not allowed to cross, I was about to turn around and head back to the house. I knew it wasn't Alice's fault…she usually made her choices for good reasons. But I didn't understand why she hadn't intervened…was it really better that Bella suffer alone? Still, I was already at the border, and I really did need to talk to Bella…as soon as possible. I glanced around, not sure exactly what I was looking for, and then stepped over the line, pausing, and then breaking into a run.
It was easy to find Billy's house…there weren't that many homes on the reservation. As I approached the house, I could hear Bella's quiet laughter, and a peek into her window informed me she was, indeed, talking to Jacob, both stretched out on her bed and laughing. Glancing around once more, I brought a hand up to the window, tapping quietly, and they both sat up, stiffening in surprise before catching sight of me. Bella looked incredibly confused and a bit worried, while Jacob stood, coming over to the window and pulling it open. "Hey…we have a door, you know." He reminded me with a half grin, and I had to smile.
"I need to borrow Bella…if that's alright." He shrugged, turning back to Bella.
"I'll tell Billy you're asleep if he asks." He told her simply, heading out the door and turning off the light. Bella made her way over to the window, leaning out into the chilly air.
"Grab a jacket." I suggested, waiting for her to do so, surprisingly without question, and then moved over to the window, letting me help her climb out. Pulling her into my arms once her feet were on the ground, I pressed my lips against hers in greeting, and she laughed quietly.
"Did you break the treaty just to kiss me?"
"If I had, it would have been worth it." I said with a shrug, kissing her once more, and then sobering as I remembered why I was here. "But no. I need to speak with you." I glanced around once more, feeling edgy as I stood in 'enemy territory' as though a wolf was going to attack at any moment. "Would you mind coming with me…we can go to the meadow." She nodded hesitantly, and I started to lift her into my arms, then paused, climbing through her window and grabbing a blanket instead, then, after climbing back out and shutting her window quietly behind me, pulled her onto my back.
Bella
I certainly hadn't been expecting him, but I was happy to see him. He'd called me after the hunting trip, and I'd planned to see him, as always, in the morning, but I didn't think he could come to Billy's…so why had he? Suddenly I was worried. Was there something wrong? Was someone hurt? Did they have to leave? Was he finally tired of being with me? I felt my heart stutter from the pain of that thought, and Edward slowed, his hands on mine.
"What?" He asked quietly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I mumbled, resting my head against his shoulder, and I could feel his long, tired sigh, the reaction making my eyes sting. He didn't respond to that if he could tell, and before long we were in the middle of the meadow, standing in the faint moonlight that, unlike the sun, made his skin look nearly normal, but still too bright.
He took my hand, leading me over to what I guessed was a dryer piece of grass, and sat, spreading out the blanket and gesturing for me to sit beside him, then wrapped the rest around my shoulders. "Are you warm enough?" I nodded, still not looking at him. "Bella, we have got to talk. Because what we're doing…it's not working, for either of us." Those words seemed to open a hold in my chest, and I felt surprisingly blinding pain rip through me. His tone turned from serious to startled and he gripped my shoulders. "Bella? Bella, are you okay?" I couldn't stop the sob that tore from my throat, and his arms were immediate around me. "What? What's wrong?" There was a long pause, broken only by my soft cries, and when he spoke again, he was appalled. "Bella, you don't think…Bella, I love you!" He cried, pulling away to look into my eyes. "I wouldn't leave you. I'm not ending anything with you." He must have read the truth in my eyes, that those had been my fears, and he shook his head, pulling me close again. "You silly girl. As if I could ever leave you."
We sat like that for a long time as I berated myself, demanding that I calm down, but it took a while for it to actually happen. Once my tears were dry and I was no longer clinging to him, he pulled away a little, kissing my forehead. "I can't even explain how much I love you." He whispered. "I don't understand it completely myself…but when we fall in love, Bella, that's it for us. I already told you that. We can never move on. We can never love someone else in the same way. You are the only person for me. Our minds and personalities are permanently changed…there is never any danger of me leaving you, Bella." I continued to stare at the blanket, embarrassed at my overreaction, but then remembered his words.
"I don't understand…what's not working?" I asked, finally looking up at him. He seemed to hesitated for a moment, then took my hand.
"I've told you again and again how much I love you. I do everything I can to show you…"
"And I love you too." I told him, surprised, but he just shook his head a little.
His answering smile was sad. "Then why do you always shut me out, Bella?" I felt myself stiffen, my hand going a little limp in his. "I know that I don't always tell you everything…and maybe I should. I try…I really do, even if I'm worried it will hurt you. It's how my family works. We don't keep secrets…not unless we feel we need to, and…Bella I know it's hard for you." He dropped his voice to a murmur, lifting a hand to my face, running a thumb under my eye. "I know that you…aren't used to having someone that you can talk to."
He wasn't mad. I could see it in the small, sad smile, and the way he cupped my cheek in his palm. He was hurt. I'd hurt him. He sighed softly, bringing his other hand up to touch my face. "No, please don't cry Bella." He pleaded, resting his forehead against mine.
"I'm sorry."
"Bella…I'm just asking you to try. When something's bothering you, I can tell. And…I know I can't always help, but you can talk to me about anything. I promise, you never have to be afraid to talk to me." I didn't speak…only stared at the ground. "What are you afraid of?" He wondered suddenly, putting an arm around me. "What is so terrible and frightening about talking to me when something's wrong?" He sighed when I didn't answer, and he pulled me closer, tucking my head under his chin. "Do I react badly to things? Do you think I could ever leave you? Do you think I, of all people in this world, have the right do judge you? Because I have done some terrible things, Bella. Terrible, horrible things that you don't know about."
"I don't care." I whispered, and he chuckled without mirth.
"I've killed people, Bella. Many, many people."
"Still don't care." He laughed quietly, rubbing his hand against my arm.
"You are incredible." He whispered, kissing my temple once more. "The most bizarre human I've ever met." I smiled faintly, resting my head against his shoulder.
"I didn't want to bother you…any of you. I thought I could deal with it myself."
"But you don't have to. None of us would mind helping you." He reminded me softly. "Carlisle and Esme…they were hanging around in case you needed them. Rosalie watched you all day at school. They're worried, Bella. We all are."
"I'm not used to it." I admitted, picking at a thread on the blanket until his hand captured mine. "I did everything for my mom…I took care of the money and the groceries and the cooking…when Phil came, he took over, but…I didn't live with them for very long. I still did everything on my own."
"You shouldn't have had to. You were a child, Bella. It was her responsibility to take care of you."
"She couldn't!" I tried to explain. "She didn't know how! She couldn't cook or balance a checkbook or grocery shop…she didn't know how to do laundry or…"
"What did she do?" He wondered, his voice tight. "While you did all the chores, what did she do?" I bristled a little at his tone.
"She went to work. She helped around the house too…she wasn't stupid… she just…" He sighed, cutting me off.
"I wasn't implying that she was. I'm just saying, you shouldn't have been the one taking care of everything. It was wrong of her to expect that from you, especially when you were so young."
"She loved me."
He softened, pulling me closer. "I'm sure she does. You're her daughter. But she's thoughtless, and you had to deal with that. But not anymore. You're not alone, here, Bella. My family loves you almost as much as I do." He was holding me in his lap now, the entire blanket wrapped around me. "They'd do anything for you."
"I know." And I did. I understood. I could tell by the way they treated me…they did love me.
"I know it's hard." He told me again, kissing my forehead. "I'm just asking you to try. Please. I can't tell you how hard it is, knowing that something's wrong…and you won't talk to me…you keep pretending to be 'fine' and that everything's okay, but Bella, your father just died less than a month ago, and you're living with two people you barely know, and things have changed so much…I know you're not fine." I swallowed hard, staring down at the blanket, but his fingers grasped my chin, pulling my face up to look at him. "It's okay…that you're not fine. I wouldn't expect you to be. But even if you won't let me help, even if there's nothing I can do to help…I wish you would just talk to me."
"I'm sorry." I whispered again, but he shook his head.
"I don't want you to be sorry, love. I want you to…to talk to me." He kissed my forehead. "Please, Bella. I just want you to trust me enough to confide in me when something is wrong." Moving back, he balanced me against his shoulder, finding my lips and kissing me in the dim light, his eyes bright in the dark. "Please." He whispered against my lips, his sweet breath brushing against my face, and I blinked, losing my train of thought for a moment. He grinned a little, pulling away and brushing my hair back. "Bella?"
"Huh? Yeah…"
"Yeah?" He asked, his voice a little smug, and I rolled my eyes, resting against his shoulder. I felt him chuckle, his hand rubbing circles on my back.
"I really am sorry." I finally managed. "I didn't…I didn't meant to…to hurt you. I never…"
"I know." He pressed his nose against my hair. "It's okay Bella. I just…I'm as new to this as you. It'll be okay."
We sat like that for a while, the blanket wrapped firmly around me as I sat on his lap. After a few minutes, he lay back, still holding me on top of him so I wouldn't touch the damp grass. I thought about my next words for a while, staring at his face in silence. He stared up at the sky, glancing down at me occasionally. "Billy's worried about me…I like living with Jacob, and being able to see Leah and Seth…" He waited for a question, staring at me in calm silence, his hand still moving up and down my back. "Can I still visit them? If I live with you?"
"Of course. You can do whatever you want…" He kissed me again, cupping the back of my head. "Until there's a reason that you can't cross that border, you can still see your friends."
"I don't want to worry Billy."
"I don't think there's any getting around that." He told me gently.
"He knows…" He nodded.
"Most of the elders probably know."
"I don't know what to do." He squeezed me gently, sighing softly.
"If you want to move in with us, you're very welcome to. I would love for you to live with us. If you want to stay with Billy for a little while longer, we can take it slow…slowly move you in." I could hear the slight smile in his voice. "We're already sort of doing that…you spend nights with us sometimes…you visit. Why don't we try for this summer? After this semester is over, you can talk to Billy…let him get used to the idea."
"Of me moving in with vampires?"
"Yeah…" His voice sounded a bit doubtful and I laughed aloud, nuzzling closer to him. "We'll work on it." He promised, starting to sit up, but I just closed my eyes, happy to stay there all night if he wanted. "I should get you home."
"Billy won't notice till morning." He chuckled.
"Maybe not, but I'm sure you'll sleep better in a bed."
"I'll sleep better with you." He kissed me once more, his hands framing my face. "Think you could get away with it?"
"Maybe not…I need to talk to Alice anyway…" He looked a bit sheepish, and I frowned.
"Is everything okay?"
"I snapped at her earlier…I need to apologize." He sighed. "Probably to Jasper as well." Edward stood, his arm going around me as he helped me to my feet. "Ready to go back?" I nodded a bit reluctantly, and he smiled, his face moving closer until he was kissing me again, his lips moving against mine and making me forget everything else until he pulled away, gently disentangling my fingers from his shirt and pulling the blanket more firmly around me. "Come on. You're going to get cold out here." Instead of pulling me onto his back, he began to walk, taking my hand in his.
Eventually he did pull me into his arms, running slowly for him, stopping to kiss me every once in a while, until we were at Billy's once more. He leapt through my window, opening it easily and landing in the middle of the room without a sound, then placed me onto my bed, kneeling in front of me, and then hovering over me as his lips met mine. We were quiet…well, I tried, not wanting to alert Billy to my guest, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, not wanting him to leave…I wished I could keep him there all night. But when the numbers on the clock told us it was nearly 1 am, he pulled away with a smile. "I need to let you sleep. You'll be tired in the morning."
"I don't care."
"You will in a few hours." He kissed me one more time, brushing some of my hair back. "You still have the phone if you need me. I'd better get home…hopefully Alice won't tell anyone that I crossed the border…twice."
"I love you." He smiled, sitting up at my side, and stroking my face as he pulled the blankets over me.
"I love you too. More than anything in the world." And then he was humming, making my eyes droop, even though I was still in my jeans and a t-shirt. As he hummed, I felt him remove my sneakers, then tucked the blanket around me once more.
"Hey Edward…" I mumbled, already drifting to sleep, but I could hear his humming fading away, and I knew he was by the window, about to leave.
"Yeah?"
"Wanna go to the dance?" I could barely hear his soft chuckle as I rolled over, curling up under the blankets, and the heater kicked on right before the window was pushed open.
"With you? I would love to."
Thank you for reading!