Chapter Twenty-Five: Confessions

Charlie, Axel, and Dex start with Africa, which totally and completely brings down the house full of teenagers. They start Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and Renee and I take the stage. I get behind my mic for my cue to begin.

"Ooh wah, ooh wah," I begin, and then their attention is mine. Everyone is dancing and having a grand old time, and suddenly I don't feel so alone in the world of cheering fans around me, although there is one man I'd love more than anything to be by my side again. "Why do birds sing so gay?" I say, acting as if they may have the answer to the question.

I keep going, constantly asking the question. When the song ends, I give them the cue that I'm ready for Dancing Queen. Dex moves the keyboard so as his access will be easier. He plays the opening chord, and I check to see that Renee is just as prepared as I am.

"Ooh, you can dance; you can jive, having the time of your life. Ooh, see that girl; watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen," I begin, with Renee perfectly harmonizing with me, as if we have one voice and two throats. "Friday night and the lights are low, lookin' out for a place to go…"

We finish Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, and One of Us before Charlie tells the students that we will be taking a break. They applaud us and then Charlie presses a button to a massive radio, and Africa plays for the umpteenth time in my life, and I use all my strength not to ruin my mascara in front of everyone. We all of us go backstage and Axel and Dex excuse themselves to go to the bathroom, and Charlie asks to talk to Renee. I give her the thumbs up and go out to one of the many courtyards to be alone.

I sit down on a bench and sigh to myself.

"Feeling all right?"

I turn around then and see Mr. Black standing there. I quickly nod, hoping that that will make him leave. "Yeah," I reply, hoping against hope that my delivery was not shaky or uncomfortable in any way.

"Well, we're lucky to have you here," he tells me then. "It's too bad Edward has been absent these past few days."

"Yeah," I say in a clipped tone, wanting very much to pull down my skirt and pull up the top of my dress.

"He's a wonderful player, and the band is certainly lacking without them, but, of course, you knew that."

I shrug. "I guess."

He comes to sit beside me. "Do you miss him?"

"Yeah, of course I do…"

"Do you love him?"

Color manages to intrude upon my cheeks and suddenly I feel as if I am at my maximum of uncomfortability. "Um, I really don't think that's any of your business, Mr. Black," I say, still attempting to remain polite.

"Call me 'Jacob'."

I shake my head at him. "I don't think that that's very appropriate…"

"So?" he asks.

"Wow," I say, shaking my head and sighing. "What does it matter to you? I'm the cousin of one of your students, you know. Whether or not I love someone is none of your concern."

He smiles, putting an arm around my bare shoulders, which sends chills—and not the good kind—up and down my spine. "And what if I told you that you really had something—the raw talent that you and I were just talking about the other day? That three little words could get you a job in Hollywood or on Broadway? I have connections, you know."

I feel incredibly uncomfortable. "Are you implying, sir, that, after nearly two weeks after meeting you, that I simply drop everything and proclaim my love for you?"

He shrugs. "Maybe."

"I'm sixteen, Mr. Black."

"I'm only thirty-one. What does age matter?"

"Everything!" I cry, managing to get to my feet. I feel immense relief when his hand falls off of me. "I don't even know you."

His hand follows my body. "I could change that, my dear," he says, getting to his feet and advancing towards me.

"Just what do you think you're you doing?" I demand.

And then he is kissing me and I am trying and failing to get him off of me. I am pushing on him, but that only seems to make him want me more. He has me up against a wall of the courtyard, and opens the door behind it, all the while kissing me so as I cannot even remotely scream for help. He reaches underneath my skirt and proceeds to attempt to feel beneath it, and I instantly take my heel of my shoe and shove it up in between his legs.

Mr. Black doesn't take too kindly to that. He shoves me and holds me against the building's wall while he fiddles with a set of keys, while all the while I'm pinned against the hard surface of the wall, unable to get away from him. He is finally able to wretch the door open and throw me inside. He slams it shut behind him and locks it, so that I am alone in blackness.

I stand, my ankle nearly buckling under me from the impact, and run in what I believe is the direction of the door. "Let me out, you low-life creep!" I scream, pounding on the door. "You jerk! This is kidnapping and false imprisonment you know it!"

"Bella?"

I turn at the sound in the dark. I could know that voice anywhere—just as anyone in my own situation could've done. "Edward?" I whisper, stretching out my hands and forcing myself not to fall over or even to stumble. "Where are you?"

"Where are you?" he asks.

I walk towards the voice and keep my hands stretched out so as I can better get a sense of the room. "Listen, I'm walking," I whisper, tears pricking at my eyes and making it even more difficult to see. "I'm trying to find you…" Finally, against all odds I am touching skin, and his arms are immediately around me as mine are around him. "Edward, Edward, Edward," I whisper, feeling warm tears running down my face.

"Bella," he whispers.

My lips meet his then, but only for a fraction of a moment before...

I pull back. "What happened?"

"Well," he says, pulling a chord so that a bare light bulb gives us some light, "I was in the hospital, and Mr. Black came in, claiming to be my father. I don't know what made the hospital staff believe him or anything like that, because he doesn't look a thing like me, or have my last name. No matter what I said or did, they made me leave with him… You look so beautiful, by the way," he says with a smile.

"Forget my appearance," I say, shaking my head at him. "But thank you. So, are you telling me that he kidnapped you?"

Edward nods. "Yes. He didn't say why, though."

"He told me in not so many words just now," I say in a grumble. "He started to the other day, but I got away. Needless to say, he felt the need to continue to hint at just how much he wanted from me tonight…"

"What do you mean?" he says, his eyes angry.

"The other day, he showed me a newspaper article with Marie, who sat on a teacher's lap and claimed that it was innocent." I lower my eyes in shame. "I think he wanted me to sit on his lap so he could do god knows what to me…"

Edward pushes my chin up. "You didn't…"

"No…I managed to get away…" I sigh. "He pretty much assaulted me out there and practically begged me to proclaim my love for him, then he'd get me a job in L.A. or New York or something of that nature."

"Did he kiss you?"

I nod. "Yeah..."

He sighs. "Wow."

"I would have thought you'd have been angry."

"Why?"

I blink, confused. "What's the last thing that you remember before the hospital?" I ask him. "I mean, do you even remember why we were there?"

"Wait, you were in the hospital, too?"

I nod at him. "Yes, I was."

He shakes his head. "The last thing that I remember is that you and I were going to look for Bella and you had said that based on something I said that I had to come up with a better reason for asking how you felt about me or something like that."

"Oh," I say. "That."

"Do you remember what it was?"

I sigh. "Yeah."

"Could you tell me, Bella? Please."

"You really don't remember?"

He shakes his head. "No. but I'd give anything to know. I mean, come on, Bella, you probably know already."

"What do I know?" I ask.

"That I've been in love with you ever since you and Alice were in preschool together," he replies, and I cock an eyebrow at that thought. "Okay, that sounded weird, but you know what I meant… Okay, this'll sound better… When you were thirteen and I was almost fifteen at the end-of-the-year party and we were in the closet and we kissed. And then all those times we kissed here, and when we…"

I lean in and kiss him. "Does that answer your question?"

He smiles. "Is that a yes?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah. I love you."

"You love me?"

I nod, no longer caring about my mascara. Tears fall from my eyes and I bit my lip, more than likely destroying my lipstick. "I love you, Edward Cullen. I really love you, and I never told you because I thought that you and Tanya might be a thing, and about how there's no way in hell that someone like you could ever be into someone like me, and…"

Edward smiles at me. "I love you, too, Bella Swan."

"You love me?" I whisper. It was always a mind-bending moment whenever he uttered those words.

He nods. "Read my lips," he says softly, bending his head and pressing his mouth to mine.