Welcome to another installment of A Second Chance at Love. My apologies if I have made you wait, but I promise, it will be worth it.
Special dedication and thanks go out to 3c Cullen and meadowgirl552, whose kinds words have made me feel 10 feet tall. fvprosey, thanks for your kind words and reviews – keep 'em coming LOL and Sammy73 – don't worry about it, I make amends with this one
Thanks also go out to guccisassy (thanks for all those wonderful reviews), ao88 (welcome) Lureetwilitejunki, Melee03, starlight90, Shellyb09 (hope you enjoy this one, girlie), magan bagan (I know I can always count on you. Thanks), Sebe nefer (bonjour et bienvenue), O.N. Labbit (welcome to the story, and last but no means least, dreampills (you have been with me from the beginning. THANK YOU!!)
To all others who I have not mentioned by name, thank you.
Now comes the fun part, the WARNING. This chapter contains sexual content which might be deemed inappropriate for children under the age of 16. DO NOT read if you are under-aged. Now that I've done my part, let's continue.
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Just an FYI, SCAL has been nominated for "Best Villain" in the 2009 Twilight Awards. Please go over and lend your support by nominating the story. The link for this is also on my profile. Thanks a million.
Now, on with the story…..
Chapter 25 - Return To Me
Edward raised his hand to knock on the door to Bella's darkroom, then dropped it to his side for the fourth time in the past ten minutes. When he first arrived, the glaring red light warned him against entry, but it had since gone off, and he was still standing outside. A part of him wanted to turn around and leave, while the other part desperately wanted to talk to her.
Over the past two days, Bella avoided him as if he had the plague. The morning after the incident, he had gone to her room to apologise, but she wasn't having it. She refused to open the door after he knocked, and yelled at him to go away. He retreated with his tail between legs and decided to give her more time.
In truth, he was afraid to see the anger and fear in her eyes. He behaved horribly and compounded the situation by hurting her. He still remembered the bruises he inflicted upon her in his rather amorous display of affection. When she left with Alice for Seattle last night, he caught a glimpse of her wearing a scarf around her neck. He knew it was to hide the bruise from Alice's quick eyes. Since Alice hadn't come after him with any sharp objects, he knew that Bella had not told her what had occurred. His important body parts would remain intact - for now.
Edward placed his palm against the smooth wood of the door and inhaled deeply. He could do this. The odds were in his favor. He would knock on the door, say his piece and then leave. There was only one exit out of the room and he was pretty sure that she did not want to have to squeeze past him. That would involve touching; he was sure that was the last thing she wanted to do where he was concerned. She would have no choice but to hear what he had to say.
Feeling better about his decision and odds of success, he curled his hand into a fist and rapped on the door. He heard a crash, a muted curse and then silence. The silence stretched on, and Edward imagined Bella standing on the opposite side of the door, hoping that he would go away if she ignored him long enough. Well, she could hope all she wanted, because he was not budging until he spoke with her. He knocked again, this time with a little more force. There was rustling of papers, silence and then her voice bid him to enter.
Edward turned the knob, and to his surprise it opened, unhindered. If he had known that it was unlocked, he would have saved himself some grief and gone in much earlier.
Bella was sitting on a stool, her back to the door with her laptop opened on one of the counters she used as a work desk. He looked around the room and saw that she had changed things around since he was last there. She had rearranged various pieces of equipment, and the chemicals she used were shelved and labeled according to process. A stack of sepia toned photos sat on the desk beside her on the left, while another set of colour prints were strewn across her keyboard.
She glanced at him over her shoulder, but then quickly directed her attention back to the screen. Edward knew she was feigning nonchalance because as relaxed as she appeared to be, the stiff line of her back screamed tension.
"How can I help you?" she asked, her voice cold and impersonal.
Edward closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He felt disappointed by her cool greeting, but what did he really expect? Did he really think she would welcome him with open arms? He deserved it. Actually, he deserved a lot more for his behaviour that night.
"There's a storm coming," he began, continuing to stare at her back. "According to the Weather Channel, it should hit us sometime early tomorrow morning. I'm going to go over to my parents and help them sort themselves out. I'm also taking mom to the supermarket to stock up on some items. Do you want to come along?"
Bella went stock-still at his invitation. It was the last thing she expected him to say to her. After his visit to her room two days ago, she expected him to be filled with apologies and explanations about his behaviour. A supermarket run was on the bottom of her list of "things to talk about."
"No, thank you," she said quietly. "I'm busy right now." It was a not so subtle hint to let him know he was bothering her.
"Okay, do you need anything?" Edward asked, trying once more to break the ice which flowed between them like a glacier.
"Condoms," she muttered, chewing the inside of her cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that he had not heard her. She had given a knee-jerk response to his question, and it was not her intention to say the word out loud.
Edward drew in a deep breath. "E-excuse me?" he choked, confirming that he had heard her.
"Nothing, I'm fine," she said quickly, hoping that he would leave. She was still mad at him, but while her brain was aware of that fact, her body was staging a first class mutiny. It wanted Edward badly.
Bella unwillingly went over the events of that night over and over again. In the end, she came to two possible conclusions. One, Liam's theory was correct, and Edward had stronger feelings for her than he admitted. Or two, he was a complete jerk who liked to molest women. Every instinct inside told her that her first theory was the right one, but she was still hesitant to believe it. They had been together for months, and not once did he say that he saw her as anything other than a friend. Actually, he tried to drill that fact into her brain time and time again. He would have to forgive her for being slow to jump on the "Edward wants Bella," bandwagon.
Unconsciously, she raised her hand to her throat and touched the area where he left his mark on her skin. A shiver went through her at the thought of him placing his personal brand on her. It would be the type of mark which proclaimed loudly that she belonged to him; she was his property and thus off limits to anyone.
She placed her hand on her lower stomach and massaged the area to ease the deep, throbbing ache centered in her womb. It usually happened whenever she thought of Edward, but after that kiss, it became a permanent condition. It was almost as if her body was preparing itself for him. She frowned, and realising he was still standing there, turned and fixed him with a hard look.
"Is there something else you wanted?" she asked, her voice meant to be impatient. However, to her ears, the bite had gone out of her tone. Frigging, stupid hormones, she ranted silently.
Edward cleared his throat, and she knew what was coming next. "Uh, yeah. About the other night," he paused, expecting her to cut him off. She didn't. "I want to apologise for the way I behaved. I had no right to hurt you like that. I was a bit drunk and angry, but still, that doesn't excuse my behaviour."
"No, it doesn't," Bella retorted, the hand against her stomach curled into a fist. "Civilised conversation is usually the way to go."
Edward looked embarrassed, but then a resolved look came over his face. "You're right, but I'm just apologising for the bruises, not anything else."
Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "What sort of apology is that? You're sorry for some of it, but not all of it?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "I'm not sorry for kissing you or touching you. I'm just sorry I didn't do it earlier."
Just as Bella's mouth fell open, Edward turned, opened the door and disappeared through it. How long she stood that way was anyone's guess, but the sound of Edward's vehicle reversing out of the garage galvanised her into action. By the time she got out into the garage, the automatic door was closing and she heard the screech of tires as Edward drove off.
"That's not fair," she yelled after him. Her voice echoed off the walls and shelves of the empty room. "You can't just say something like that and leave. Damn it!"
She stared at the door, and sighed in defeat. She returned to the darkroom and tried to decide what to do next, as her mind was no longer on her project. Her full focus was now on Edward and his parting words. What did he mean? Was that his convoluted way of admitting his feelings for her? If so, it was a really poor attempt.
Bella wished Alice was there to bounce her theory off of, but she was working at the café until she could hire a supervisor and a few other staff members. Now with this storm coming, who knew when Alice would be home? It might be safer for her to remain in the city—maybe stay with Jasper.
Bella rubbed the heel of her hand across her eyes. She was exhausted and her leg ached. She hadn't been sleeping well recently. She was barely functioning under the strain of the pain of her leg, brooding over Edward, and the anxiety over not accepting Liam's invitation. Jasper had increased the intensity of their sessions, and she was plagued by more painful cramps. The pain was no longer restricted to mornings and came whenever it felt like. It became so unbearable that Carlisle decided to give her a painkiller that had to be injected into her hip. Bella hated needles and tried to forget them by hiding them away in the medicine cabinet in her bathroom. She tried to suffer through her pain to avoid the injection, took the oral medication and hoped for the best. So far it had been enough.
She yawned as she gathered the colour prints into a stack, shoved them into a drawer and turned off her laptop. She glanced at her watch and saw it was just after noon. Bella figured she would take a nap and gets some rest while Edward was gone. They would definitely talk when he got back. She needed to get things out into the open. She had a promise to keep, after all.
When she and Alice went to the airport to see Liam off, he reminded her of her promise. He also told her that he secretly hoped he was wrong about Edward because then it would make things easier for him. He then kissed her, hugged Alice and went through the departure gate.
By the time she made it upstairs, the ache in her calf had increased and a headache followed closely behind. She filled a glass with water from the bathroom and quickly swallowed the tablet. She then stripped down to her panties and matching camisole top. A quick glance out the window as she slipped between the cool, cotton sheets confirmed Edward's earlier prediction. The sky was now a steel gray colour and the tops of the trees were barely moving. It seemed like the earth was waiting with bated breath for Mother Nature to unleash her wrath.
The last conscious thoughts she had before sleep pulled her under were Edward's safe return and how much she would miss Liam now that he was gone.
*~*~*
Edward dashed up the stairs and headed for his bedroom. As he passed Bella's door, he wondered if she was still asleep. He arrived home about an hour earlier, and after checking on Bella's location, he made preparations for the coming storm. It was still early evening, but it looked closer to twilight. As he placed the last shutter on the window, the heavens split open and the rain began to fall. He had been soaked, his T-shirt sticking uncomfortably to his body, his jeans weighing an extra pound or two from all the water they now contained. He quickly shed his wet clothes and headed for the shower.
Feeling more like a human instead of a drowned rat, he slipped on a pair of black track pants and began to dry his hair. Outside was eerily quiet with the exception of the rain, which was now decreasing to a slight drizzle. He knew that this was to be a brief reprieve. The weather would grow in intensity and once more unleash another attack. He was accustomed to these storms, having lived in Washington for all his life. With the exception of his brief stay in Virginia training with the Agency, he had always lived here. He didn't want to be anywhere else.
Edward had just hung the towel on the rack in the bathroom when he heard a muffled thump, and what he thought was a scream. Knowing it was Bella gave him purpose, as he shot out of the room and down the hallway. He threw open the door and found the rumpled bed empty.
"Bella," he yelled. "Where are you?"
A whimper came from the other side of the bed, and when he got there, the sight made his blood run cold. Bella was lying on the floor, in a fetal position. She gripped her leg as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her face was chalk-white, and she bit down on her lip to keep the sound in. He quickly scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the bed.
"Bella, can you talk?" he demanded, rubbing his hand over her calf. The spot was rock hard and warm to the touch. Her body was taut as she gripped the sheets in her fists. Whimpers of pain issued past her lips. "Is it a cramp?"
Bella gave a slight nod, but seemed unable to force the words past her lips. Beads of sweat popped out on her brow as she tried to contain the pain. Suddenly, her body spasmed and she screamed in agony. The sound sent fear racing up Edward's spine and he stood up. He needed to do something, but what? Jasper.
"I'll be right back," he promised, and quickly left the room.
He returned a few seconds later, his fingers furiously searching through the address book of his cell phone. Bella was now lying on her side, her back to him, clutching her leg. He found the number and dialed it. As it rang, he prayed Jasper would answer. If he did not, he had no other recourse. His father was in surgery and would have his phone turned off or in his office on silent. And Bella was in no condition to tell him what to do.
As the phone rang, Edward paced back and forth, his fingers running furiously through his still damp hair. On the fifth ring, Jasper finally answered. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Edward," Jasper's drawl came over the line. "What's up?"
Edward could hear the sound of an espresso machine in the background. He was sure Jasper was with Alice at the café. The couple had become almost inseparable.
"Jasper, there's something wrong with Bella," he said urgently. "I think she's having a cramp, but I've never seen one this bad." As he stared at Bella's back, a lump rose in his throat. She was in so much pain that he doubted she knew he was in the room.
There was a bit of rustling and then the background noise faded away. There was the sound of a door closing.
"Tell me," Jasper demanded. "When did it begin?"
Edward groaned. "I'm not sure. I got here about five minutes ago. I think she fell off the bed."
"Shit! Is she hurt?"
"Other than the cramp, I-I don't think so," Edward said, sitting beside Bella on the bed. She was still clutching her leg, but the sounds coming from her increased in pitch and intensity. It was getting worse.
"Okay, Edward listen to me," Jasper instructed, his voice all firm and business-like. "Carlisle gave Bella a prescription for some medication. I need you to get that. When you have it, I'll tell you how to administer it."
Edward went around to the opposite side of the bed. Bella's eyes were closed, but they flew open when he touched her damp cheek. Her eyes were glassy and her body was drenched in sweat.
"Baby," he called to her. "Where's the medication Dad gave to you?" Bella stared at him as if barely comprehending his meaning. "Baby, please, where's the medicine Carlisle gave you?"
At the sound of Carlisle's name, Bella's eyes went towards the bathroom. Edward sprinted into the bathroom, wrenched open the door of the wall unit and began to rummage through the items he found there. A box of tampons, a tube of lipstick and a bottle of face moisturiser fell into the sink, but he barely noticed.
"Got it," Edward said triumphantly, grabbing the bottle and one of the syringes from the shelf. He wondered what his father was thinking, prescribing an injection type pain killer for Bella. She was terrified of needles. There was about as much chance of her taking it as him winning a million dollars. Only God knew how many times she had been in pain but refused to use it.
"Okay, now I need to know something," Jasper's voice held a note of relief.
"What?" Edward asked, sitting beside Bella once again.
"What is she wearing?"
Edward glanced at Bella's curled body. "She's wearing a pair of black and red panties, you know the type that look like little shorts, and a matching top. It has lace on the bottom and on the legs,"
There was silence on the other end of the line and Edward swore he heard Jasper snicker. It was immediately covered by a cough.
"Um, great visual, Edward, but the basics are just fine," Jasper said, laughter in his voice. He was suddenly serious again. "Now listen to me, you have to do this just right, and quickly. Every second you delay that muscle is dying from lack of oxygen."
"Okay, okay," Edward said, tearing open the package containing the needle with his teeth. He discarded the needle's protective cap and stuck its end into the top of the bottle. He measured the amount Jasper instructed and placed the bottle on the ground. "Done. Now what?"
"Now, you have to stick the needle into the fleshiest part of her hip, between the hip bone and her buttock," Jasper said. There was noise again in the background on Jasper's end and he seemed to be whispering something to someone. "Pinch the skin before you do it though, I don't want you hitting any bones with that thing."
Bella's eyes were once again open, but this time she was staring at the needle, fear mirrored in her eyes. She gave a quick shake of her head and stared at him, silently begging him to put it away.
"I'm sorry, baby, but I have to," he pleaded, pulling the side of her panty down below her hip. He pinched the skin where Jasper told him to, "I'm sorry." Then, he jabbed the needle into her flesh. Bella cried out, but stayed relatively still as he pushed the plunger down and the medication flowed into her body. A small bead of blood appeared at the injection site, and he brushed it away with his thumb.
"Are you finished?" Jasper asked, impatiently. Edward heard Alice's voice in the background demanding to speak with him. "Yeesh! In a minute, Al."
Edward capped the needle and smoothed Bella's hair away from her forehead. She was crying silently now. The fact that he had caused her more pain made him feel like a monster.
"Yes," he whispered. "How long will it take to work?"
"About five minutes. If she goes to sleep try not to worry about it. The drug is a mild sedative as well," Jasper explained. "But I would still keep an eye on her for the next couple of hours."
"Okay,"
Bella's hand slackened from around her leg and her breathing eased. The medication had begun to take effect. Edward placed his hand on her leg and was relieved that it felt softer than before.
"Alice wants to talk to you. When the storm is over I'll come over to see how she's doing." Jasper promised.
"Thanks, Jazz." Edward whispered, his eyes on Bella.
By the time Edward finished speaking with Alice, Bella was no longer curled up, but had settled into a more comfortable position. She was now lying on her right side, watching him. He smiled at her.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better," Bella's voice sounded hoarse, but sleepy. "Thank you." She yawned, and her eyes fluttered close.
"I'll go, and let you get some rest," he offered, sliding off the bed, but a hand on his arm halted his departure. Bella's eyes were barely open, but she was staring directly at him.
"Don't go," she pleaded, tightening her hold on his arm. "Please."
Edward nodded and slid into the bed beside her. Bella immediately curled up against him and rested her cheek on his chest. She sighed contentedly when his arm went around her and drew her closer to him.
"This is nice," she murmured, her voice slurred. "Real nice."
Edward closed his eyes and swallowed. "Yes, it is."
*~*~*
A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder pulled Bella from the depths of her slumber. For a brief moment she had no idea where she was. Then everything came flooding back to her. She was in Washington, in Edward's house, with him in her bed. What? She shifted her head to ensure her theory was sound. The dim light from the bedside lamp illuminated the handsome planes of her bedmate's face. Edward lay beside her, his left arm wrapped securely around her body, asleep. His mouth was slightly agape as he breathed in and out, and he looked absolutely divine in his slumber. Before she could stop herself, she reached up and followed the curve of his left eyebrow with the tip of her finger. When he remained still, her curious finger traced the contour of his nose and then his lips. He sighed and pulled her closer to him.
She stood still, not wanting to give up the chance to study him without his knowledge. After a few seconds, she raised herself slowly up on her elbow and took in the wondrous sight before her. The view was even better close up.
Her greedy gaze took in the smooth, contours of his bare chest, then moved to his flat, well-defined stomach. A line of copper-coloured hair began at his navel and travelled a downward trail, disappearing into the waistband of his pants. Her fingers itched to follow the trail to its end. Bella gently traced his collar bone, and moved her finger down until she came to a scar just above his heart. It was the only imperfection that marred his otherwise perfect chest. Her hand froze when she realised what it was. This was the evidence that Edward had almost died; this was where the cold metal of a bullet had pierced his body, almost taking him away from her. Without thinking, she leaned down and brushed her lips across the scar. His skin was soft and warm beneath her lips, and for some reason, emotion came rushing to the surface and the dam of tears burst and overflowed.
As her body shook from the force of her emotions, she continued to kiss the scar and the surrounding skin. Her lips then moved upwards, and brushed against his collar bone and then his jaw. Edward moaned, and tightened his hold on her waist. Bella froze, her lips a hair's breath away from his. She was torn. She wanted to kiss him, but if she did and he awoke? How would she explain seducing him in his sleep?
Her eyes again went to the scar and a small sob escaped her lips. She covered her mouth to contain the sound. The thought of not having him or being with him was too much for her to comprehend. She tried to imagine her life without him in it, the absence of her Earth. She couldn't. It was impossible. Liam was right; Edward was the reason for her existence. They were a singularity, part of the whole. Nothing made sense without him. Their brief period of separation proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Bella inhaled, trying to keep her emotions in check until she could put some distance between them. The last thing she wanted was for him to wake up and find her blubbering like some teenager with a severe case of PMS. She gently moved Edward's hand from her waist and slid off the bed. He sighed and muttered her name.
She placed her leg down, and as she limped towards the bathroom, she stripped her clothing away from her body, piece by piece. She needed peace, she needed solitude, she needed a place where she could cry and accept the idea that their lives were hopelessly entwined.
*~*~*
Edward was dreaming. There was no other explanation. What was happening was the stuff fantasies were made of. He was lying in bed with Bella. She was kissing him with an urgency that set off a few alarm bells in the back of his head, but this being a dream, he paid little attention. He just wanted to continue to feel her lips on his skin. He groaned as she kissed his jaw and drew closer to his lips. This is heaven, he thought.
Suddenly, the scene changed and a dark, angry thundercloud appeared over the bed. There was a rumble of thunder, the cloud split open and a torrent of warm, salty rain fell on them. Salty?
Edward's eyes flew open. Movement on the left side of the bed caught his attention - Bella. She was trying to get off the bed as quietly as possible, but there was something off about her. Something warned him against alerting her to the fact that he was awake, and he closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He watched her from under his lashes, and almost had a stroke when she drew the top over her head and dropped it on the floor. Her panties followed and by the time she made it to the bathroom, she was completely naked. She entered the room and closed the door quietly behind her.
He laid there, his mind replaying the event over and over again, like a scene on the loop cycle. He was on his tenth revolution when he heard a strangled sob coming from the bathroom. Fearing that Bella was again in pain, he shot off the bed and made his way towards the bathroom. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and stepped inside.
"Bella..." The words caught in his throat at the sight which greeted him.
Bella was standing in the shower, her naked body visible through the glass. She was leaning against the glass-tiled wall with her head down. Water streamed from her hair and down her body in tiny rivulets. Her shoulders shook from the force of her tears. The opening of the door made her raise her head, and her eyes collided with his. For a moment, time stood still and the universe held its breath as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Then it happened. He was there, inside the shower with her. He couldn't even remember walking the short distance from the door to the shower, he just remembered opening the door and stepping inside.
Bella stared at him, her eyes huge, her hands folded into fists. She was unnaturally still, but then something flashed in her eyes and she flew at him. Her arms went around his neck, and before he knew it, her lips were on his, and she was kissing him as if her life depended on it.
He stumbled backwards under the onslaught, but managed to shift position at the last moment so that his back hit the wall instead of the glass. His arms went around Bella's wet body, keeping her against him. The hardened peaks of her nipples rubbed against his chest and all reason fled from his brain. Awareness bombarded every cell of his body as her tongue lay claim to his mouth. He groaned.
Just when he thought his chest would explode, she broke the contact. However, his relief was short-lived. Bella drew her lips across his chest and flicked one of his nipples with the tip of her tongue. The newly captured breath whooshed out of his lungs in a hiss. Bella's tongue drew a heated trail up to his collar bone, and as she claimed his lips once more, her hand made its way down to the waistband of his pants.
Barely finding the strength to think straight, Edward grabbed her shoulders and tried to put some distance between them. She gave a small, frustrated mew of displeasure.
"Bella," he said breathlessly. "Slow down." She fought him with a strength that surprised him. "Wait a minute."
Bella shook her head, grabbed his hand and placed it squarely over her right breast. "No! I won't slow down, and I won't wait. There's been too much waiting, too much everything. It ends now."
Bella's next act sealed his fate. She slid her hand past the barrier of his pants, and wrapped her fingers around the hard length of him. His legs almost gave out from under him as she ran her hand from the base to the tip in one, slow agonizing stroke. The mere touch of her hand made him feel as if he was ready to explode.
A low growl ripped from his throat as he took possession of her lips and control of the kiss. All reason fled from his mind as his higher brain functions were replaced by the burning passion he felt for the woman in his arms.
Bella whimpered as Edward took one hardened nipple between his fingers and tugged. The sensation sent a flash of sweet, burning fire down her stomach and into her core. Edward shifted positions and the fingers on her nipple were replaced by his mouth. She arched her back as his tongue swirled around the sensitive nub.
She was on fire. There wasn't an inch of her body that remained unscathed by the inferno. As Edward's torture extended to her other breast, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer. His teeth latched on to her nipple and tugged in a not so gentle rhythm. Bella's legs suddenly became weak, and had Edward not been holding her up, she would have fallen.
Bella felt Edward's hands slide down her slick back and settle on the twin hemispheres of her ass. Before she knew it, he had hooked her right knee into the crook of his arm and lifted her. Her arms went around his neck as he settled her over his hips. She anchored her legs around his buttocks and this brought the junction of her thighs flush against the hardness in his pants.
Edward's lips trailed across her shoulder, up her neck and stopped right before he met her lips. His breathing was ragged as he stared directly into her eyes. The usual emerald of his had deepened to an incredible shade of jade, and in them she saw the last vestiges of his self-control wither and die.
"Tell me," he said gruffly. "Tell me what you want."
But he never gave her the opportunity to answer. He turned her around so that now she was the prisoner, her back against the wall. His hand slid under her ass and she felt his fingers gently probe the delicate folds between her legs. She cried out when he found her hot, wet entrance and slipped his finger inside. He slid his finger out slowly and then quickly back inside the warm, liquid depths of her body. His lips fastened onto her neck and he ran his tongue over the mark he left there days before. She shivered and moaned when she felt his teeth on her overly sensitive skin. Her entire body became one raw nerve, with each touch magnified a thousand times.
"Tell me what you want," he demanded, slipping another finger inside her body and increasing the tempo of his thrusts.
Bella sobbed as she tried to get the words out, but the sensations being caused by his fingers were wreaking havoc with her ability to think and communicate. She bit her lip as she felt the first spirals of her mounting desire snap.
Edward brought his lips against her ear, and touched the delicate shell with the tip of his tongue. Bella whimpered. "Tell me or I'll stop," he threatened, slowing the rhythm of his fingers.
He knew he was bluffing. There was absolutely no way he could stop now. His self-control had evaporated like a snow-cone in the height of summer from the moment her fingers had wrapped around him. If this act was going to send him to Hell, then his bags were packed and he was ready to go.
Bella, thinking Edward was about to stop his sweet torture, forced her tongue to form the words she repeated as a silent chant inside her head. She was shaking so hard that she thought she would come apart.
"You," she moaned, shaking her head from side to side. "I want you. Please, Edward!"
Edward withdrew his fingers from the cocoon of Bella's body and she cried out in disappointment. He used his free hand to tug his pants down his hips and kicked them to a side. His lips came crashing down on Bella's as he slid his fingers home again. Her body gave a little jerk at the sudden intrusion. A few more strokes and Bella was once again sobbing in his arms. He felt her body begin to tighten around his fingers and knew she was approaching the peak of her desire. He smiled. It was time. He flicked the tiny nub of her clit with the pad of his thumb and Bella came apart in his arms.
Bella's world exploded around her in one violent rush of sensation. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as she felt her body being battered relentlessly by the waves of her orgasm, and her head fell back against the tiles. The feeling seemed never-ending as Edward continued to stroke his fingers in and out of her body, relentless in his quest to give her pleasure.
Bella was still in the throes of her orgasm when Edward raised her body into the air once more and sank himself home, between her quivering walls. He groaned when her hot, tight passage enveloped him and held him its willing prisoner.
The sudden, unexpected intrusion of Edward entering her body brought about another explosive climax, and Bella screamed his name as her body tightened and shattered around him. Bella reached out blindly, needing something other than Edward to support her as her back slammed into the wall under the onslaught of his attack. Her hand came in contact with one of the metal handrails and she held on with what little strength she had.
Then it began; the rhythm as old as time. Bella moaned as Edward's thrusts propelled her back against the cool tiles, time and time again. She cried out as the intense sensations emanating from their joined bodies sent her nervous system into a tailspin.
Edward felt as if he was dying, but it was a sweet, victorious death. It was the death you welcomed after fighting and winning that one battle you, as a warrior, had been bred for. It was your purpose; your reason for being. Bella was that purpose. She was his reason for being.
The joining of their bodies clicked something into place. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Neither could exist alone if the picture was to be complete. He wondered how he had survived this long, being only half alive? Edward shoved his face into Bella's neck so that she would not see his tears. He was home.
For the first time in four years, he felt truly complete, content. His union with Bella repaired the damage to the tattered, broken thing that had been his soul.
He looked at Bella and saw her with new eyes. All the emotions he had been holding inside for the past four years came to the surface in one, uncontrollable rush. He captured her lips and kissed her with all the love he had in him. Bella responded to his desperate kiss with one of her own.
Each of Edward's smooth, even strokes brought Bella closer to her peak. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on before she fell off the edge and went hurdling into the abyss. She felt her body tighten in anticipation, but she fought it. She did not want this to end. She didn't want to be separated from Edward. She clenched her legs and drew him even closer into her core.
Edward groaned when he felt Bella's body clench around him. He knew she was close, so close, but he was closer. He could see that Bella was fighting her final release and he wasn't going to let her. They would do it together. There would be no more doing things as separate entities; they were a part of each other, never to be separated again.
"Together," he whispered. "Come on, baby. Let it go. Come with me."
Edward's words were like a trigger in Bella's brain. She let go - mentally and physically, and came explosively. Her screams reverberated off the walls of the bathroom as her brain was flooded with new images that consumed her.
She caught a glimpse of her and Edward holding hands walking down a hallway, surrounded by other people and them snuggling next to each other on the swing on the back porch. But the most important memory that flashed through her brain, just before it became overloaded and threw her back into the fog, was of Edward dressed in a tuxedo, standing at the end of an aisle with Emmett beside him. Before the curtain came down and once again shut her past away from her, she saw him smile at the person coming towards him and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was her.
Bella's scream was all it took to push Edward to the edge and hurl him into sweet oblivion. The ferocity of his release took him by surprise. Bella's chest heaved against his as she tried to catch her breath, and he could feel the rhythms of their quickly beating hearts become one.
Bella felt Edward stiffen, cry out her name and bury his face into her neck. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed against Edward's chest and began to sob as if her heart would break. It had taken the act of them making love to finally bring a crucial piece of information to the surface. At one point in time, she had been married...to Edward.
*~*~*
Edward lay beside Bella and stared up at the ceiling. The room was pitch black, the power having gone out a couple of hours before. A flash of lightning cut through the inky darkness and illuminated the features of the woman beside him. She let out a gentle snore, and Edward grinned.
He remembered telling Bella once that she snored like a freight train. She denied it vehemently and challenged him to prove her wrong. The very next night, he had his proof. While she slept, he hit the record button on his cell phone. The following morning, he hooked it up to the sound system and blasted it throughout the house. Needless to say, she had not been amused, but at least he won the bet. The down side to his victory, however, was no sex for a week. Thinking back, the need to prove himself right was not worth that sort of punishment.
Edward kissed the top of Bella's head and drew her closer to him. With her bare leg wrapped around his lower body and her breast resting against his chest, he felt himself grow hard again. Wondering if everything that happened in the past few hours was a dream, he closed his eyes and held his breath. He opened one eye and squinted down at the top of Bella's head. She was still there; it was real.
He sighed. As the euphoria had worn off earlier, he began to wonder what this would mean for them? Were they a couple once again or would they continue to lead separate lives joined by location only? Would Bella wake up and regret what had happened? Would the guilt now eating away at him ever go away?
Guilt. A small word with a big meaning and even bigger emotions tied to it. Guilt would not be the feeling that most people in his position would be experiencing right about now. Elation, satisfaction and contentment, maybe, but not guilt. His guilt stemmed from the fact that he had made love to Bella without being completely honest with her. While he hadn't lied – a cop out on his part – he hadn't told her everything either. Emmett's warning from the day after they arrived in Washington came back to him. This is going to end badly Edward, tell her the truth and get it over with, Emmett told him as he ate breakfast.
It was his intention to tell her the truth before taking the relationship to another level. He was going to that night after the family dinner, but then Jordan came along. Shortly after that Bella left for Forks, and just when he thought he would get the chance when she came back, Jacob Black reared his ugly head. After that, the relationship between them went downhill, and it never seemed the right time to have that particular conversation.
But now that things had changed between them, he had no choice but to tell her truth, or as much of the truth as he dared. While he decided not to let Black influence any decisions he made in his life, he still had to keep in mind that the man was a sadistic, psychotic bastard with a grudge to bear. He was sure that there would be repercussions from the beating he had given him. But now, it made more sense to keep Bella where he could see her.
To be honest, Liam was really the person who assisted in his decision. It had been way too easy for him to get close to Bella, and it all happened right under his nose. So, if it proved that easy for Liam, what would happen if Black sent someone after Bella? She would be the perfect target, unprotected and unaware she was in danger.
Edward thought of Liam and wondered what the relationship was between him and Bella. The last time she mentioned him was the night he brought her home. The same night he had fucked-up and gone caveman. Since then, nothing. They barely spoke over the past two days, so it was hard to tell what was going on. But based on the type of person he knew Bella to be, she would not have slept with him if she was involved with Liam.
A flash of lightning arced across the sky, quickly followed by an ear-shattering rumble of thunder. He felt Bella stiffen beside him and raise her head quickly. Her head caught him on the chin and knocked his teeth together.
"Sorry," she mumbled, shoving her face into his armpit. He smiled. Bella hated storms, especially ones of this magnitude. "What time is it?"
He pressed one of the knobs on his watch. Its face was illuminated by an eerie green glow, made more ominous by the weather.
"Just after three a.m," he answered, rubbing his hand down Bella's side. His fingers grazed her breast and she shivered. "Are you hungry? The power went off just after midnight, but I think I can still manage my way downstairs without killing myself in the process."
Bella was so silent that he thought she had gone back to sleep. When she finally spoke, her voice was preoccupied, cagey.
"No, I'm okay," she whispered. But there was something about the way she said it that put him on high alert. "I'll just get a glass of water."
Edward felt Bella move off the bed, dragging the sheet with her, and feel her way towards the bathroom. He heard the splash of water in the sink, a thump, a muted curse and then the door closed. He expected Bella to return to the bed, but instead, she went over to the window and stared out across the lake through one of the smaller windows he ran out of time to cover. He could barely make out her shape in the dark, but when the lightning flashed again, the tension in her body confirmed his suspicions. Something was wrong.
He scooted off the bed and came to stand behind her. She jumped when he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage her tense muscles.
"Baby," he said, his voice low. "Is there something wrong?"
Again more silence, but this time, fear as to its meaning crept up his spine. Bella continued to stare out across the lake, watching as Mother Nature set off her version of fireworks throughout the heavy, rain laden clouds. The rain fell from the sky in sheets obscuring her view, and the wind howled as if complaining to anyone who would listen.
"I need to ask you something," she said, her voice hesitant. She turned to him. "And I need you to be honest with me."
Edward frowned. Bella's request for honesty signified that she suspected him of being otherwise. His first instinct was to defend himself. He had the feeling that whatever she had in mind would be something that would affect them significantly.
Edward gulped. "O-okay, what is it?"
Bella stared into his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Were we married?"
Edward felt the bottom drop from his stomach and a feeling of nausea tied his stomach into knots. He staggered backwards until the backs of his legs hit the bed. He sat down heavily, and rubbed his hands across his face. He wished she had asked him anything but this, because he had no choice but to tell her the truth. What was he saying about the truth a few minutes ago? He could just imagine the devil in Hell laughing his ass off at the irony of the situation. He wanted to tell her the truth, well, now was his chance.
"Edward, were we married?" Bella persisted, her voice growing impatient.
Edward hung his head in shame. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes, we were married."
A sob escaped Bella's throat as Edward confirmed what she had seen in her mind. So, it was true. She and Edward were husband and wife, a fact that he, Alice and the rest of the Cullens neglected to tell her. They had hidden the truth from her. Anger descended in her chest, heavy and noxious. It made her feel like she was choking. She felt tears of betrayal sting her eyes, but she furiously brushed them away.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" she demanded. "Don't you think I had the right to know?"
Edward's shoulders slumped. The sting of her anger hit him hard. "Yes, I should have told you, but it's complicated."
"I'm sure I can keep up," Bella retorted, crossing her arms angrily beneath her breasts.
Edward wrapped the comforter around his waist. He felt ridiculously exposed - both mentally and physically - under Bella's angry stare.
"I did it to protect you," he explained, cringing when she gave a mocking laugh. "That's the truth."
Bella snorted. "Oh, now you want to talk truth?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? It's like closing the gate after the horse has escaped."
Bella turned her back on him. She was angry, but mostly, she felt betrayed. She trusted Edward, the Cullens and Alice, but they let her go on all this time stumbling around in the dark. It had taken the act of making love to Edward to trigger a part of her life that she should have known from the very beginning.
"Look, let me explain," Edward pleaded, his voice sounding closer now. She turned to find him standing a few feet away from her clutching the comforter around his waist. He was so close that if she stretched her arm out, her palm would be flush against his chest. "When I'm finished, if you're still angry, I'll leave you alone, okay?" Bella nodded. "I didn't tell you because it would have made things harder for you.
"When you woke up and had no idea who you were, or who I was, I was devastated," he explained. "But I realised you needed a friend. Not an ex-boyfriend, and definitely not an ex-husband; a friend. If I told you that we were married, you would have felt pressured, and I didn't want that. I wanted to be there for you, so I left that part out."
Bella felt her anger cool a few degrees. "And, Alice? Your family? What were their reasons?"
"They did it because I asked them to," he sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "However, they never agreed with my decision to hide it from you, so please...don't blame them."
Bella felt the fight leave her body and fatigue take its place. She was exhausted. All she wanted to do was climb into bed with Edward and have him wrap his arms around her. After the wonderful experience they shared, the last thing she wanted to do was fight with him. But as much as she wanted that, she also could not deny that he had been less than honest with her. The realisation was something that put a crack in the foundation of her trust. She had to make a decision whether she was going to forgive him, or continue to carry the anger around inside. She figured she had so much baggage dragging behind her, that it would be better to let this go...for now.
"Okay, I understand, but you can't do that to me. You can't not tell me things because you think you're protecting me," Bella said, firmly. "I have a right to know about my life, my past. You don't have the right to take that decision away from me, okay?"
Edward nodded. "Agreed."
"Good, now that that's covered, I'm going back to bed. This blasted storm is freaking me out," she complained, dropping the sheet from her body and moving past him. "But don't think for a minute that this topic is closed. I still have questions, and I want answers."
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted, as she went by.
"Smart ass," she grumbled, yanking the make-shift cover from his waist.
"Hmm, you never complained about my ass before," he said, grabbing her around the waist and bringing her against his body. "Why start now?"
*~*~*
"So, how long were we married?" Bella asked, idly tracing a non-existent pattern on the rim of the bathtub with her fingers.
"Three years, give or take a few days." Edward answered, rubbing his hands across Bella's wet shoulders.
The storm finally died down sometime before noon, but outside remained still and overcast. Bella and Edward had had a late breakfast, and then decided to make use of the bathtub inside his bathroom. The candles Bella set out earlier had burned to halfway and were casting long, flickering shadows on the walls around them.
"Were we happy?" she asked, a catch in her voice.
Bella dreaded hearing Edward's answer. Since they had divorced, it was obvious that whatever happiness they had together had come to an abrupt end.
Edward sighed. "I know what you're thinking. It wasn't your fault. It was mine," He felt a pain in his chest as he said the words he thought over and over for all those years. Words he never had the guts to utter before. "I allowed things to get in the way."
"What things?"
Edward closed his eyes and threaded his fingers through the wet hair at the nape of Bella's neck. He was conflicted about how much he should tell her. While he wanted to be completely honest, there were some things he wasn't prepared to talk about just yet. If Bella thought finding out they were married was a big deal, then she was definitely in for a shock. The other things made that pale in comparison. His solution - tell her as much as he could, but skirt around the overly sensitive issues.
"My job for one," he began. "We were going through a rough time, but instead of dealing with the issues, I put my job ahead of you. By the time I decided to take my head out of my ass, you were gone."
"And you didn't come after me?" Bella asked, slowly. While it came out as a question, to Edward's ears, it sounded more like she was passing judgment.
"It wasn't that simple. It got...complicated." he finished lamely.
Bella huffed. "There's that word again,"
"I'm sorry, but it's true," he said, wiggling his fingers through the bubbles heaped on the surface of the water. They burst as his fingers came in contact with them. "By the time I stopped being angry with you for leaving, Renee died, and you wouldn't talk to me. You don't remember this, but I tried to talk to you at the funeral and then again when I came to see you in Vancouver, but you told me to go away. Actually, you slammed the door in my face that last time and threatened to call the police if I didn't leave."
"Boy, you must really have pissed me off," Bella said, a smile in her voice. He splashed a bit of the water into her face as punishment for laughing at him. She squealed and grabbed his hand to halt the assault.
"Pretty much. It was the perfect scenario of a little bit too late. A few months after that you filed for divorce," Edward's voice was solemn. "I signed the papers and put an end to our marriage."
Bella leaned back to stare him in the eyes. "Just like that, you signed them?"
Edward shrugged. "What else was I supposed to do?" he whispered. "You told me you wanted to move on with your life. After all the hurt I caused you, it was the only way I could make amends...make you happy."
"And what about you?" Bella asked, taking his hand in hers and brushing her lips over his knuckles. "Were you happy? Did you move on?"
Edward snorted. "Not even close. I was miserable, but I had to accept the consequences of my actions. When I had the chance to save our marriage, I didn't; there was no one to blame but myself."
"And now? How do you feel?"
Edward grinned lecherously at her. "Horny. What about you?"
Bella rolled her eyes. "You have a one-track mind. I can't believe I didn't see it before."
Edward laughed, feeling relieved that Bella was taking everything in stride. He wasn't sure how she would have reacted at the news of how their marriage ended. He wrapped his arms around her, and they sat in silence, each deep in thought. It was Bella who finally broke the silence.
"I guess that explains it," she muttered, sticking out her foot and catching a droplet of water from the faucet with her toe.
Edward buried his face into her neck and kissed the spot just behind her right ear. She shivered. "Explains what?"
"I was wondering why the hospital called you, instead of Alice,"
"You still had me down as your next of kin," he said, drawing the lobe of her ear between his lips. He moved his hands a fraction northwards and cupped her breasts. His fingers caressed the hardened tips, and he knew he had less than ten minutes before the talking progressed to something else. He couldn't seem to get enough of her; neither could he seem to stop touching her.
Bella moaned when Edward's hands travelled across the planes of her stomach towards the place she knew would be ready and waiting for him. They had made love three times so far, the last time during breakfast in the middle of the kitchen floor, but that did not lessen the desire she felt for him. She knew she would always feel this way about him, even if they lived to be a hundred years old.
"I guess that means I didn't move on either," she whispered, her breath coming in little spurts.
Her breath caught in her throat when she felt his fingers on her. His index finger slowly massaged her clit and desire unleashed itself, swiftly and forcefully. She felt him grow harder against her back and as payback, she shifted position so that the cleft of her ass would come in direct contact with him. He inhaled sharply, and slid his finger between the tight, moist walls of her body. Bella's body stiffened at the sensation, and some of the water in the tub splashed over the rim and onto the floor.
"I'm not cleaning that up," he growled, shoving his tongue in her ear.
Bella was lost in a sea of sensation as Edward alternated the thrusts of his finger into the depths of her body, massaged her nipple and nibbled on her ear. She was completely gone. Elvis had left the building and would not be returning anytime soon.
They were so caught up in each other that they never heard the footsteps on the stairs or Alice's voice calling out to them. It was only when the voices came into the room and stopped outside the bathroom door did they realise that they were no longer alone in the house.
"Oh, shit!" Edward said, panicking. He looked around for something to cover their bodies, but the towels lay just out of reach across the room on the countertop. Bella sank further down into the water just as the door flew open and Alice and Jasper stepped into the doorway.
It was almost comical how their mouths fell open at the sight of the two people in the bathtub—the two people who despite the redness flooding their faces, were trying to look as if this was an everyday occurrence. Jasper snorted, coughed and then began to laugh. Edward threw a withering look his way, but it only made him laugh harder.
Then it got worse. If Edward thought Alice and Jasper seeing them in their current plight was bad enough, another set of voices drifted towards them through the open door. Bella gasped.
"Alice, you didn't," she cried, horrified. Knowing there was no escape now from total humiliation, Bella drew in a deep breath and disappeared below the water just as Carlisle, Esme and Emmett appeared behind Alice and Jasper.
If Edward wasn't so embarrassed and horrified at his predicament, he would have found Bella's attempt to conceal herself, amusing. However, it was obvious that she was in the tub as her knees showed above the water. He coughed when the back of her head bumped against his groin, and reaching down into the depths of the water, he pulled her upwards. She spluttered as water and bubbles streamed down her face.
"Drowning will not save you," he muttered, out of the side of his mouth. "If I go down, I take you with me."
Edward turned his attention to the five people in the doorway. This was not the way he imagined his family and friends finding out about him and Bella. Something of a less graphic nature, perhaps, involving more clothing and definitely a different location. He sighed. It seemed that recently, whenever something embarrassing happened, it centered on him. Maybe this was payback for something he had done wrong in a former life.
His parents watched the entire scene with blank expressions. Emmett grinned widely and gave him the thumbs-up. Jasper was trying to control the snorts of laughter coming from his mouth and Alice...well Alice was still standing there, her mouth ajar. Suddenly she jumped forward, and Edward knew that it was because Emmett poked her in the back. She narrowed her eyes at them and placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, somebody's been busy."