Disclaimer: WE don't own Twilight, but WE, JustForkIt and Little Miss Whitlock, co-author this story.
[Edward]
"Passes."
I timidly held up the backstage pass that Alice had given us and skirted past the security guard. Jasper, obviously used to this, simply held it up and walked through. I must have looked as nervous as I felt because once my best friend sidled up to me his hand gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and guided me in the right direction.
"Don't be nervous, Edward," Jasper said quietly. "Bella is a normal person. You don't have to act differently just because she's a celebrity."
I nodded even though I didn't agree with him. There were a million different words I could've used to describe Bella Swan, but 'normal' wasn't one of them. She was amazing, talented, extraordinary, stunning, quirky…I could keep going but none of them would ever do her justice. Jasper's hand tightened on my shoulder, forcing me to look at him.
"I know that she isn't normal, like that, to you," he smiled. "I meant that I've gotten to know Bella and she is a lot like Alice. They just want to be treated like themselves and don't want special recognition from people around them. They don't want to be treated like celebrities."
"Wasn't it ever weird with Alice?" I asked him. "I mean, in the beginning, didn't you worry about what to say or how to act around her?"
Jasper shrugged his shoulders and slid his hand into the pockets of his jeans. "It was different with Alice. It felt more right with her than with anyone else I've ever dated. You know?"
I wanted to roll my eyes at his answer but stopped myself. I am sure that if I had asked him about all of this right after our trip to Vancouver his answers would be different. Besides, how was there any way that I would have known what he was talking about. Other than Jenn, there hadn't ever been anyone else. Then Bella came along and every other girl in the world didn't interest me. I was saved from having to mention that out loud by a very bouncy Alice Brandon.
"You're here!" she said excitedly.
She gave me a quick hug before turning to Jasper. I moved aside, giving them room for their PDA, but was surprised when they just smiled stupidly at each other before continuing down the hallway. I followed behind them, watching as Alice's small hand brushed against Jasper's arm. His fingers tangled with hers for a split second before the two of them moved apart.
I frowned, wondering if something had happened, until I realized that people were looking at us. More specifically, they were looking at Alice. Club employees, stage hands, and other miscellaneous people were walking around backstage and every single one of them stopped when they noticed her. That explained why Jasper was acting more like an acquaintance than her boyfriend. Their relationship was still a secret to anyone outside of friends and family…and Emmett. It was not going to be pretty when my brother found out about this, and it was definitely something I was staying out of.
"Edward," Alice said calmly. I looked up to see the two of us standing beside a doorway that Jasper had just walked through. The tiny woman in front of me smiled before reaching out to hold on to my hand. "Just be you. Don't pretend to be someone you aren't because Bella will see right through it and there is nothing wrong with being Edward Cullen. Got it?"
I swallowed thickly before nodding. Alice squeezed my hand before pushing the door open and walking forward. I took a deep breath and followed behind her.
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't this. There really weren't that many people in Erik's dressing room and it seemed more like hanging out at someone's apartment than being backstage at a concert. Alice slid onto Jasper's lap before joining in the conversation between Jessica and Erik. Bella was sitting on a couch laughing with two of their friends that I recognized as Vicki Tartan and Marcus Tiller. Along with Jessica and Erik, the five of them made up the "Brit Pack," or at least that's what some of the fans had started calling them anyway.
I stood near the doorway with my hands shoved in my pockets until Jasper nodded for me to sit in the only empty seat in the room, next to Bella. I started to shake my head but stopped when a pair of wide brown eyes caught my gaze.
She smiled, small at first then getting wider, before patting the couch cushion beside her. My feet felt like lead but I forced myself to move towards her. Bella watched me as I walked closer to her and then shifted once I'd lowered myself next to her.
"Hi," we both said at the same time.
I laughed, motioning for her to continue.
Bella's shoulders lifted as she leaned forward, sliding her hands between her knees and looking over her shoulder at me. "I'm glad you came." Her voice was shy but her smile seemed genuine, and that made my heart race from fear and excitement.
"Thank you for inviting me," I said quietly.
She lowered her eyes to the space between us as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. My fingers twitched to reach out and touch her cheek, to feel the smooth skin under my fingertips and turn her face so that she was looking at me. I wanted to pull her towards me and whisper promises of such love and devotion that it would put all other historic loves to shame. I settled for leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees, making the two of us even. Her eyes looked at me and I smiled, hoping she wouldn't consider this an invasion of personal space.
Bella stared at me for a few seconds before whispering, "What's your favorite color?"
"Brown," I answered without thinking. Her blush got brighter but she didn't look away. "Yours?"
I already knew the answer was blue because she had answered it in several interviews. But I played dumb and smiled as Bella's eyes bore into mine.
"Green," she answered softly.
I felt my mouth fall open from surprise and heard the strange nervous gurgling sound that came from the back of my throat; but I couldn't stop staring at the woman next to me. Bella's smiled widened and she shrugged when I started sputtering something that was supposed to sound something like "blue." Before I could try to make sense of what had just happened, Erik's voice interrupted the little bubble I'd been in since sitting down.
"So you're the famous Edward Cullen?" he asked.
I blinked before looking over Bella's shoulder at her friend. I swallowed thickly before answering. "I don't know about famous, but I'm Edward."
Erik nodded. "Bella and Alice haven't stopped talking about you since your website went on the politically active side."
Bella's head snapped in his direction and even though I couldn't see her face, I could see the blush traveling over her neck. Alice giggled from her seat on Jasper's lap and Jessica rolled her eyes at her best friend's stuttering explanation.
"It's an important issue for a-a-any celebrity."
"Edward's actually been asked to help petition on Capitol Hill," Alice said proudly.
"It isn't like that," I muttered, "I just got asked to build a website for a group that is going."
"You shouldn't be so modest," Jessica reached across from her chair and playfully punched my arm. "If it is important enough to keep these two talking then…well…"
Her voice trailed off as she gave me a knowing look while motioning to Alice and Bella. I smiled even though I didn't know what it was supposed to mean.
"I'm Jessica by the way. And the man with the guitar is Erik. The blonde is Vicky; she tends to cuss a lot when she gets rat-assed, so watch out. And Marcus is sitting next to her."
I had no idea what rat-assed meant but Vicky smiled and lifted her glass in recognition, so I nodded.
Bella giggled, which made my heart swell and my stomach tingle. She leaned into me and whispered, "It means getting drunk, like…really drunk."
"Oh," I said quietly. She smiled and sat back up, taking another drink from the bottle that had been sitting between her feet.
I looked at Jasper, who was lost in a staring contest with Alice, and nudged his foot with mine. When they both looked at me I slightly nodded my head towards Bella and mouthed, "She's drunk!"
Alice giggled and hid her face in Jasper's shoulder while he just smiled. I rolled my eyes when he told me that it would be okay and focused my attention back on the girl sitting next to me. I should have noticed it when I first sat down, especially when she was openly saying what she had said, but it wasn't until I smelled her breath that I realized it.
I watched her talking with her friends for a few minutes and started picking up on the fact that Bella was seriously uninhibited while drinking. Her laughter was loud and giggly. She tended to move closer to people, touching them instead of keeping to herself. It was bizarre but comforting at the same time, because even though she never acted like this around fans, it was good to know that when Bella was surrounded by people she trusted she could be herself. It also made me a little hopeful that she would consider me one of those people.
We sat backstage through the first two acts and then followed Erik to the stage area. There was a doorway that lead to the stage and opened up to face the crowd. I nervously watched Bella as people started screaming, hoping that she wouldn't have a panic attack, but she just stayed behind Marcus's shoulders and watched as Erik climbed the steps to the stage.
Flashes were going off, people were screaming, and then music started flowing through the speakers. It was sensory overload. I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets while my eyes darted around the room. I had no idea what a crazy fan on the verge of attacking a celebrity might look like, but I was keeping my eyes peeled just in case. I suddenly wished that Emmett had been able to come--he would have intimidated the hell out of anyone even thinking about touching Bella, much less someone who actually did.
"Looking for someone?" Vicky asked, nudging my back.
"Jasper and Alice were right behind me…"
"Oh," she laughed, "They're probably in the back snogging, which will then lead to fuc-"
"Have you ever seen him live before?" Bella asked loudly, interrupting her friend.
I shook my head and leaned down so that she would be able to hear me. "We were going to see him in Vancouver, but didn't make it to the show."
She nodded and leaned back against the brick wall behind us which moved her slightly closer to me. Marcus looked over his shoulder at Bella and then at me. His eyes narrowed for a second before smoothing out. I nodded, hoping it would be a silent way of telling him that I had no intentions of touching Bella unless she asked me to. He gave me a quick nod in return before facing back to the stage.
"Do you want to go get a drink?" Bella yelled a few songs later.
"I can go get you something if you don't want to leave," I replied, leaning down again so she could hear me.
She shook her head and walked around me, grabbing the bottom of my jacket and pulling me behind her. I nearly tripped as I spun around but caught myself. It was much quieter in the hallway. The cement walls buffered the noise but left you feeling like your head was in a bubble.
Bella kept walking in front of me, keeping a grip on my jacket and pulling me after her. I smiled and bit my tongue to keep myself from telling her that she didn't need to pull me--I would gladly follow her anywhere she wanted to go. But I didn't want to sound like a creeper and I definitely didn't want her to let go of me. We walked to a small room a few doors down that had a couple of chairs and a small bar and refrigerator up against the wall.
"Do you mind?" Bella asked. She turned around to look at me before heading to the fridge. "I didn't even ask if you minded leaving the show."
A quiet chuckle escaped my mouth. Did she really think that I came here to see Erik? Her eyebrows rose at my laughter and I shook my head.
"No, I don't mind. I um…" I shrugged and looked around the empty room. "This is nice… you know? Quiet?"
Bella handed me a bottle and I took it, twisted the top off, and handed it back to her. She looked down at it and smiled.
"The bottle caps always hurt my hands when I try to open them," Bella said shyly.
I nodded and took the sealed bottle from her. I twisted its cap off and stuck both of the beer caps in my pocket.
"Do you...I mean…we could talk," Bella mumbled, looking at the floor. "If you want."
"Sure." I smiled and followed her to the two chairs that sat across from each other. She sat down and I did the same. It didn't escape my attention that her face was covered in a brilliant red blush or that her leg was bouncing up and down. She was nervous and trying very hard not to show it.
It made my heart physically hurt to see her like this. I didn't want to make her nervous or uncomfortable; I just wanted her to be herself…always. I didn't expect anything from her and was honestly more than ecstatic as to what she had given me regarding the interview and tonight. I wondered, how many people had taken advantage of her, how many people had pretended to be her friend just to get something out of the deal? It made my stomach churn to even consider that someone would treat her that way.
"When I was like six," I started. Bella's leg stopped bouncing and she looked up at me. "Emmett would make me watch Mary Poppins with him, and then we would act out the chimney sweep song."
A small smile graced Bella's face so I felt like my randomness was justified. That was something Emmett had taught me; if the situation ever got too awkward, tell someone something funny about you to make them feel better.
"My brothers used to dress me up as a boy and tell people my name was Bobby," Bella said. "To this day I think I have a complex because of it."
And just like that the awkwardness vanished. I spent the next two hours in that little room talking to Bella. We took turns asking each other questions that normally lead to both of us laughing and her snorting a couple of times.
I watched the girl in front of me as she explained something about her career choices and couldn't help but admire her. I knew Bella was beautiful and I knew she was smart, but she really was a driven individual.
"I think that after Henry Painter and the Chalice of Water came out, I just took so much for granted. I thought that I'd made it big and really turned into a bit of a tosser. Now, after Carlisle's Angels, I just want to make sure that I make the right choices. I don't want to take just any role, I want it to mean something and represent who I am as an artist."
I nodded in understanding. Bella shrugged and started playing with the sleeve of her hoodie and both of us jumped when my phone started vibrating in my pocket.
"I'm sorry," I muttered. She shook her head, telling me it was fine, while I checked my phone. I quickly opened the text message from Emmett and nearly dropped it as I read it.
"Are you alright?" Bella asked me.
I nodded and typed out a quick response to my brother. If he was going to get arrested that could totally ruin any and all chances that I had with Bella. My mind started coming up with solutions and I sent a message to Jasper, asking where the fuck he was.
"I'm really sorry," I apologized again.
"Edward, its fine."
The way my name sounded coming from her mouth left me feeling euphoric and smiling like a dumbass. My phone vibrated again and I saw it was a response from Jasper.
Sorry, I was with Alice. I'll deal with Emmett.
I found it both hilarious and a little sad that my best friend, who was a grown man, had to sneak backstage at a concert to be with his girlfriend while my big brother was sending me text messages about getting arrested to defend a movie star's honor. And here I was, sitting back stage and talking to one of the biggest celebrities of my generation about Jell-o flavors. I shook my head trying not to laugh because none of this was really funny.
"What?" Bella asked, humor lacing her voice.
"It's just…surreal," I answered.
She picked at a hole in her jeans and smiled. "I think that about my life a lot."
I watched as Bella shifted in her seat, moving towards the edge. Her face was once again covered in a blush that made her more beautiful.
"Alice said that I could trust you," she said after a second.
My heart thudded against my ribcage and I nodded, wishing that I could verbally confirm what she was saying, but knowing I couldn't get the words out. I took a deep breath to try and make my mouth work, but stopped when Bella leaned towards me.
Her lips gently kissed the side of my face as her hand rested against my knee. Bella sat back up and smiled, looking directly into my eyes.
"I trust you, Edward."
[ Jasper ]
I woke up the morning after the concert and groaned at the light coming in.
"Hurry up, I'm hungry!" Emmett yelled as he shoved some of his stuff in his suitcase.
"Five more minutes," Edward groaned across the room as Emmett picked up a pillow and slammed him over the head.
"No way, up now!"
We got up and took turns showering and getting ready before heading down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Edward and I ordered eggs and toast, but Emmett seemed to have ordered the entire restaurant.
"What happened to your diet?" I asked cautiously.
"Don't wanna talk about it," he mumbled with his mouth full of pancakes and hash browns. He continued shoveling without even looking up or taking a drink until the plate was almost empty.
"So, do I want to know how last night went?" I questioned.
He shook his head. "Nope."
Edward was pushing his food around his plate with a small, contented smile on his face. I was glad things had gone so well for him at the concert. I know he was dying to tell Emmett all the details but he was concerned for his brother and looked over at me with questioning eyes. I just shrugged. I wasn't going to push him—I know when he kept pushing me before it only pissed me off.
We finished quickly after that and headed over to the convention center. A girl I'd never seen before started waving frantically at us and rushed over, almost knocking Edward down in the process.
"You're Edward Cullen, owner of Fallen Angels!" she squealed.
He nodded and smiled. "Hi."
She shook herself out of her frenzy and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Charlotte! I'm an active member in the FA Forums,and we've chatted a few times in the chat box," she added with a blush.
I wiggled my eyebrows while Edward shook her hand.
"Well, it's really nice to meet you," he said awkwardly.
"Yeah! So how did the interview go? I saw you blogging about it before you left."
"Oh, it was awesome! I got to pick some questions from the forum and Twitter, and they are just really nice girls," he swooned.
She nodded excitedly. "Yea! I saw them walking around in the hallway and I got my picture with Rosalie! She's really awesome!"
I thought I saw Emmett flinch but I couldn't be sure. Something was up with him for sure, and I hoped he got out of this funk soon. There was no way I could tell him about Alice and me when he looked like he was ready to deck the next person to look at him sideways.
"And didn't I see you hanging out with Bella at the Erik Yorkie show last night?"
His face turned red and he nodded slightly. "Yes. She's really nice."
She squealed and hugged him tight, his eyes bugging out and I laughed. "This is great!"
He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck and he looked down at his feet and nodded.
"Charlotte, let's go! We gotta get in line for the Twinkle signing!" one of her friends called.
"Well, it was nice to meet you and I hope we run into each other again soon," she said as she blushed and walked away.
"Damn, Edward, you are a pimp at this place," I teased as he scowled. I nudged him on the shoulder and rolled my eyes, letting him know I was kidding.
"Yea, yeah," he mumbled as he fiddled with his video camera.
We walked into the overly packed auditorium and somehow managed to score some decent seats in the near front, standing off towards one of the sides. Having media passes definitely came in handy. Everyone was chatting around us about last night's concert and the cocktail party. I strained to hear what they were saying.
"Edward, I swear to all that is Holy, if you don't turn that thing off and away from me right now…" Emmett growled.
I turned to look at him. Was he kidding? This was Edward's dream weekend. "Let it go, Emmett."
He narrowed his eyes at me and I swear I saw his nostrils flare before he turned away from us, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Hey, you're Little Debbie, right?" a girl asked him.
He nodded. "Yep."
"I was at the panel yesterday and I wanted to tell you that I'm so glad you were on it—what you said was real and true, and everyone could benefit from it."
Emmett gave her a small smile. "Thank you; I just said what everyone else was afraid to."
I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone—Emmett was being calm and…collected. I looked at my watch and verified the date. Something weird happened last night. And damn straight I was going to figure it out.
The lights dimmed and the crowd started screaming and howling. Edward stood up and began filming the entire scene. As soon as the announcer brought the girls out, the crowd went bonkers. Edward was grinning behind his camera and Emmett was just sat there.
I locked eyes with Alice and couldn't help but smile. She was wearing my plaid shirt that I'd mailed to her so long ago, only it fit her like a dress and she had a belt around it. She looked adorable and so sexy at the same time.
As each girl introduced themselves, the crowd would erupt in applause and shouts, and Rosalie would often egg them on by standing up and clapping along with them or hollering into the microphone.
They began asking questions that were previously submitted and then showed a clip from their upcoming film, Shadows, the third in the saga. As the lights went out, I heard a man near us start commenting about each of the girls.
"And that Alice Brandon, man what I wouldn't give to have her hot little body pressed against me. I'd show her how a real man treats a girl like her."
I wanted to punch him in the face and twist his nuts off. My blood started boiling and my vision turned red. This asshole…
"Hey, cut that shit out, man. It's not cool, there are kids around here," Emmett warned him.
When the guy turned around and saw the size of Emmett, his head ducked and he started whispering with his friend. I turned to Emmett and he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Dickwad," Emmett muttered.
I looked back up at the stage and my eyes caught with Alice's and I gave her a wink. She looked down at the table and smiled, her fingers running across the top. My hand drifted towards my pocket and a feeling of possession came over me that I hadn't ever felt before. I tried to beat back the beast inside me when Edward nudged me. I turned to look at him and he mouthed 'not worth it' to me and I nodded, relaxing some.
My eyes went back up to the stage where Alice was fiddling with one of the snaps on my shirt. I think it was in that exact moment that I knew I needed her forever. Knowing that ring was in my pocket was causing my anxiety to flare up. I wanted this to be a perfect memory for her, but I just kept getting worked up at the thought of what I would say, what I would do. My heart started racing fast and I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I knew what was coming next—it wasn't like this was the first time something like this had happened.
I remembered being in high school; I'd stayed up all night, rehearsing over and over so I wouldn't sound like a blubbering fool. But some part of me inside knew that tomorrow, none of this would make a difference. I'd stand up and look out and…
My hands were clammy and I felt my breath quickening. I stared down intently at the wood grain in front of me, my fingers digging into the soft indentations that had been made over the years. I closed my eyes and my lips began forming the outlines of all the words I'd said to myself in the mirror the night before. I was brilliant then, charming at most. And now? I was the mumbling fool.
A clearing of the throat caused my neck to snap over and stare. My teacher looked at me expectantly and some sort of gurgling noise came up from the back of my throat, making the other students in the class laugh. I stared down at my notes, which were more like Egyptian hieroglyphics to me right now. All the letters were blurring and twisting and I felt my knees start to quake.
"In the late…the late…the late..." I tried again, clearing my throat. "In the late 1900s, when the internet became…became…um, when the internet became less of a novelty and more of a—"
I could feel their eyes on me, watching and waiting for me to fail. Snickers and whispers started after that and I tried again, butchering my way through the first paragraph of my speech, the only one I had memorized. My palms started to sweat and my tongue kept running over my lower lip, which felt amazingly dry. I was going to pass out any second now.
"Mr. Whitlock, do you need a moment?" the teacher, Mr. Simmons, asked.
I nodded but knew full well that I was going to need more than a minute to re-group myself.
"Alright, while Mr. Whitlock gathers himself, who'd like to go next?"
Another student volunteered and I slunk back to my seat. My hands crumpled the papers that I'd brought with me and I felt my body swaying. I was going to be sick.
Of course, about half way through the other student's speech, I mustered up my courage and blurted out "In the late 1900s, when the internet became less of a novelty and more of a necessity, people began branching out in ways of connecting with other people!"
Everyone turned to look at me. My teacher raised an eyebrow.
"Well, that's great, Mr. Whitlock, but Ms. Samuels was giving her speech. How about we let her finish and then you can regale us with your speech then?"
I nodded and slipped down into my chair. Sometimes my anxiety seemed to get the best of me. It always caused me to make rash decisions and act on impulse.
And here I was again, my fingers twitching, palms sweating, knees shaking, and my tongue running over my lower lip. The room felt like it was getting hotter and hotter, and Edward was looking at me like I had three heads.
I started shaking my head minutely from left to right, trying to will myself out of this situation. This couldn't be happening. Not here. Not now.
"And another question from our audience: Rosalie, you're very connected with the Special Olympics Foundation. How did you become inspired to work with them?"
"That's a great question. Actually, when I was in High School, I used to volunteer to help out with the Special Education program and—"
Alice was sitting alongside her, staring at her with a look of wonder. She was playing idly with the straw in her drink and her eyes sparkled. I couldn't help but adore her, as I'm sure every other man was in this room. In fact, the thought caused a growl to rumble in my chest.
Suddenly I was swallowing thickly to keep the bile from coming up out of my throat. Somewhere in the middle of Rosalie talking about a subject that was very near and dear to her heart, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.
"Alice!" I shouted, instantly regretting it. Everyone in the room turned to me, and it was déjà vu from my public speaking class all over again.
Emmett was staring at me with a calculating look on his face, but I didn't have time for that. I jumped up out of my seat and began crawling over people and stepping on chairs to get to the front. I don't exactly remember how many people I probably injured, but my body was working on auto-pilot and I just had to get to her.
"Alice!" I shouted again, feeling like I was making no progress. People were grabbing onto my shirt and yelling at me but I tuned them out. I tried to focus on her.
"Security!" someone shouted and I knew if I didn't get there soon I was going to be a goner.
"Alice Brandon, will you marry me?!" I yelled out.
People started laughing, probably thinking I was a crazed fan. I heard Emmett's gruff voice behind me telling people to "get the hell out of the way."
I almost made it to the stage when a strong arm grabbed me and pulled me backwards. My feet gave out and I just about fell to the floor.
"No, don't hurt him!" Alice shouted and I felt some relief in my chest.
The person holding me let me go and I hit the ground hard. I jumped up and my eyes desperately searched for her. And there she was, standing like a real angel, looking down at me, kneeling at the end of the stage.
"Alice," I whispered, feeling the prissy boy inside me take over.
"Jasper, what are you doing? Are you alright?" she asked, grabbing my wrist and helping to pull me up on the stage.
I nodded furiously, my hands twitching and sweating. I looked down at her sweet face and smiled. "Will you marry me?" I asked quietly.
"What?! What's he saying?" someone in the crowd yelled.
"I believe he's asking her to marry him," Rosalie said into the microphone, "so can everyone just calm down for a hot second?"
Alice's jaw was dropped and I felt my heart start beating frantically. I was almost as nervous as the time I showed up at her hotel room in Greenland.
"Alice Brandon, you have shaken up my world and somehow turned me into a better man. I live and breathe for you. Please don't make me beg, darlin'—will you marry me?"
Her loud squeal and grin made me feel ecstatic. "Oh, Jasper, of course!" She jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly. I tucked my nose into her hair and my chest relaxed as I realized here in her arms, I was home.
Of course, that relaxation didn't last for long when I heard Emmett near the bottom of the stage. "WHAT?!"
LMW: DUN DUN DUNNNN!!! Hey readers, whatcha think Emmett's gonna do? *evil laugh* I love connecting with you and making new friends! Hit me up on Twitter Melsvfp
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