~ Washington - August 20, 2004 ~
After our impromptu dance and kiss, Bella and I just sat and listened to a couple of more songs. Each of us lost in our own worlds. As the music changed from Van Morrison to Sting's version of Little Wing, Bella got up to look at we were listening to. I inwardly cringed at what she was about to find.
Bella picked up the CD case and covered her mouth when she read the insert. She turned to me with a strange expression. The previous day I had made a mix CD with songs that reminded me of Bella, or more specifically, reminded me of what I felt when I was with her. She held out the case to show it to me. In my handwritten script was "Bella, il mio cuore"…"Bella, my heart".
"You made this?" She asked in a soft voice. I nodded in response. "These are songs you picked for me?"
"Yes," I replied. "They all made me think of you." I hoped Bella wouldn't think it was too much. I understood my feelings. Mating was absolute. However Bella was human and I could not bring myself to hope that she felt remotely like I did. I was prepared to woo her slowly.
Bella looked at the writing again and traced her fingers over it. "May I have this?" She asked, looking at me expectantly.
I got up and walked over to where she was standing. "Of course. It does have your name on it." I replied. I took the case from her and opened it. After I ejected the disc and placed it back in its home. I pulled out the insert and changed the inscription to read "Di Bella, il mio cuore"…"For Bella, my heart".
"Di Bella." I said before handing it back to her.
"il mio cuore? I took Italian last year at school. Doesn't that mean 'my heart'?" Bella asked quietly as she looked down at the case, retracing the new writing. I couldn't help but think how perfect it was that my lovely Bella knew Italian.
I lifted her chin so our eyes met. "It does." I replied. "I know it might seem strange given that we've only spent a few hours together, but I cannot deny the truth of those words." Bella did not respond. She just looked at me searching for something in my face. "Does that frighten you?" I waited motionless for Bella to respond.
"It does a bit," Bella replied. I couldn't help the sad smile that came over my face. Bella looked at me and saw my expression, which caused her to shake her head. "It only frightens me because I'm feeling something too." Bella let out a long breath out as she blushed. "I've never been this kind of girl. I'm not the one to fall fast. I…" Bella just let her words die off while she closed her eyes and turned away from me.
I closed the small distance between us placed my hands on her shoulders, before I placed the lightest of kisses on the back of her head. "Hey, I've been told that falling is this best part." I said to her. "And now I can honest say that I agree." I paused when Bella leaned back into me so that her back was flush with my chest. The heat and connection was wonderful. "I don't know if I can classify this as fast or slow. I don't want to push, but I don't want to pull back either. For me everything has just seemed right and natural."
"It has for me as well." Bella replied. "But I can't just ignore the hurdles we face either. I can't expect you to wait."
"You mean about the distance between here and Phoenix?" I asked.
Bella nodded.
"That is just an inconvenience," I stated simply.
Bella turned around with an incredulous look. "An inconvenience? It's a bit more than that. Fifteen hundred miles is not insignificant. Especially when I'm leaving next week. Plus, we are only teenagers. What you want now may not be what you want next week or next month."
"Or, what you want may change." I continued with her thought process. My resolve would never change. The realities of vampire mating did not make that possible.
"Perhaps, but I'm pretty stubborn, like my Dad. Once I get my mind set on something, it's not easily changed" Bella answered.
I could not believe that what she doubted was my constancy over hers. "How do you know I'm not stubborn as well?" I asked with smirk. "You seem to think I will change my mind about you rather quickly."
"I've just seen it before." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Out of sight often means out of mind for most people. I hate to admit it, but my Mom is such a person. Most of the men she has dated, at least until Phil, have been that way. Even my limited experience with guys, has shown me how easily diverted people can become. Maybe I've read too many classics, and it's not like I'm looking for forever..."
"But, you want to believe that forever can exist." I answered for her. "You hope to find something timeless and enduring. You hope to find true love."
"Exactly. That may make me sound like the quintessential girl, but that about sums it up. My Mom always said that I have an old soul. Growing up I used to think that it was an insult, but after seeing some of the mistakes my friends, and even my Mom, have made, I don't feel that way. But that is why meeting you and feeling things like I do is so dangerous. You aren't a normal guy. That's not a bad thing, but something about you tells me it will be devastating when you finally realize I'm not what you want."
I knew there wasn't a way to explain the flaw in her logic concerning my feelings for her. She wasn't ready for the truth, just as much as I wasn't ready to tell her, although I wanted to.
"You are correct that I'm not a normal guy. My book collection alone should tell you that I am partial to the classics as well. I think once you get to know me more you will find out that my views on finding true love are pretty similar to yours."
I wanted to lighten the mood, so I paused before changing my voice to sound like a Shakespearean actor, complete with accented voice and enunciation. "In some ways it feels like I've been searching for my forever for a century or more. That is why I see distance and time as inconveniences, because when you are talking about forever, anything is possible."
Bella shook her head at me and laughed under her breath. I started to laugh too, even though I meant every word.
"Okay, maybe that was a bit over the top," I respond to our laughing. "My point is we don't have to define or figure out what we are at this time. All I ask is that you don't limit what we can become because of perceived hurdles. I have faith that things will work out as they ought to. Okay?"
"Okay." Bella answered with a smile. I was glad that things seemed to have lightened up a bit between us. She was correct that her time in Forks was short, and I wanted to spend it without worrying too much about the future. As I told her, I had faith that we would work out.
"Good. Now how about I show you the rest of the property, and then we can head out on that picnic."
"So what beach are you taking me to? I hope it's not La Push." Bella asked as we loaded the now fully stocked picnic basket into my SUV.
"La Push? Lord, no!" I exclaimed. Even If the treaty didn't forbid it, I wasn't taking Bella anywhere near Jacob Black. "We are going to head down towards Jefferson Cove. There is a little spot around there I like. It's quiet, private, and completely free of Jacob Blacks."
"I like the way you think!" Bella giggled as she buckled herself in.
Thirty minutes later I parked the SUV off the side of the road near the trailhead that would lead us to the beach.
"It's not far," I said as I grabbed our supplies. "It's only about a twenty minute hike, if that's okay". Of course I could get us there in under a minute, but sadly Bella's lack of knowledge about me would forbid that.
"Twenty minutes?" Bella whined in mock annoyance. She then stamped her foot. "There is no way I'm walking through those woods for twenty minutes. You'll just have to carry me." Bella stood rock still with her arms folded. If it wasn't for the slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, I might have been tempted to believe she had been serious. However, she did not know that I could easily carry her, our supplies, and the SUV we arrived in, down the beach.
"As you wish," I replied, before I darted over to Bella and scooped her up bridal style. I entered the trail with a smug smile on my face.
"Oh my god! I wasn't serious!" Bella giggled as she tried to squirm out of my arms. "Put me down!"
"Bella, I will not put you down. I am rather enjoying myself, so relax and delight in your taxi ride down to the beach."
Bella looked at me and then glanced to the basket and blankets I carried under her. "Okay, mister tough guy. We'll see if you're still so smug in another five or ten minutes."
I was tempted to hold her up over my head with one hand while I juggled the basket and blankets in the other, but Esme wouldn't like me showing off like that.
"Bella, Bella, Bella. Shall we make a little bet?" I asked teasingly.
"What kind of bet?" She asked warily.
"How about if I make it to the beach without dropping you, you have grant me one wish." I answered as a skipped over a fallen tree.
"I don't know. That sounds a bit too all encompassing." Bella hedged.
"I promise it wouldn't be anything that would irrevocably compromise you or place you in danger."
"Oh, I see. So compromising me would be okay as long as I'm not 'irrevocably' compromised?" Bell countered.
"Essentially. After all you are the one doubting my manliness here. I should be able to benefit appropriately once I prove otherwise." I added smugly.
"I see. And, would I get the same compensation should you drop my ass to the forest floor?" Bella sassed back.
"Absolutely, what is fair is fair. So do we have a wager Miss Swan?"
Bella thought over the terms before answering. "We do. Normally I would demand that we shake hands with so much at stake, but yours are currently occupied, and I don't want to be accused of cheating. So I guess a kiss will have to do." Bella quipped before leaning in and kissing me chastely on the lips. "There, the deal is now binding."
"So it is," I replied with a wink.
Over the remainder of our journey I decided to have a bit of fun with Bella. Instead of following the regular path, I deliberately sought out an alternate route that was more rugged and would require me to jump over several natural obstacles. Every log I jumped over made Bella squeal with delight. For me, I loved how Bella's tiny body rubbed and pressed into mine as we maneuvered through the dense trees and brush. I soon could predict every time her heart would race or her breathing would falter. However, mostly I just really enjoyed holding her in my arms. It wasn't until I came to a stream that Bella's joyful attitude came to a halt.
"You are not going to jump that, Edward!" Bella cried as she looked at the flowing water in front of us. By my estimate it was about eleven feet, three inches to the other side. A fast human, that was not carrying someone, might make it with a running jump. I fully intended to jump over it standing from the edge. This was to be another oddity I would allow Bella to catalog away about me.
"Sure I am. Are you ready?" I teased.
"No! You'll never make it!" Bella squealed.
"Oh ye of little faith," I replied before hopping the stream with ease. Bella screamed the entire time we were in the air and she didn't stop until we were firmly on the ground a good five feet further that we needed to clear the hazard. For me it was really just a small little hop.
"Holy shit!" Bella gasped as she looked back to where we just were. "Just how strong are you?" She asked, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Strong enough clear the stream and to win our little bet. Now let's get going." I replied.
I covered the remaining distance to the shore quicker than I had previously walked with Bella. She clutched at me and gasped every time she thought I would allow us to be hit by a tree or branch. I wasn't going anywhere near my vampire speed, but for Bella it must have seemed like I was running with her though the dense forest.
As we approached the last hundred yards, Bella could finally hear the ocean waves crashing into the shore. As we broke the tree line, we were presented with a deserted section of beach. I specifically picked this location because natural rock obstructions on either side would keep tourists and locals alike from wondering into this little sandy nook.
Once we reached the sand, I slowly lowered Bella down until she stood solidly on her own. I couldn't help my cocky grin and smug attitude. Granted it was never in doubt that we would make it unscathed, but Bella didn't know that.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You win." Bella sighed. "So what's your wish going to be?" She asked dejectedly.
"I never said I was going to make my wish now. Just that you owe me one. Who knows when I will choose to collect, but when I do, you are duty bound to grant it, no questions asked."
"Fine!" Bella grumbled, but she wasn't really angry. Her smile when she looked up to the water told me she was just having some fun, although if she expected me to forget my prize she would be sorely mistaken.