AN: I soooohope you guys love me for this chapter! I laughed and cried my whole way through writing it. And for once I didn't leave you with an annoying cliffie! I pushed the whole thing through making this chapter just short of 12,000 words. I hope you all enjoy it while I work diligently on the chapters for tomorrow's update. I hope you all get as big a kick out of the result of Alice's locker room adventure as I did while I wrote it. ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight...
The Fire Down Under and Sleeping Beauty
EPOV
This week so far has been nothing short of amazing. On Monday, Bella and I declared ourselves "school friends", which for me was a drastic improvement over our previous "might some day be friends" title. We were also graced with yet another prank masterminded by our very own dear little Alice. Although it was hilarious, I think everyone else enjoyed it more than I did, but then again they didn't actually have to witness the event first hand.
Jasper and Emmett came with me to my house after school on Monday, and after a quick snack, we headed outside with my dad to play some football. When we paired off, it ended up being my father and me vs Em and Jazz. Emmett whined incessantly about having to play such a pansy version of football, and that he wanted to "get into the game" and be able to tackle us with his brute force. We all just laughed at him every time he started up again.
I was kind of taken by surprise about an hour later when my father finally gave in to Emmett's pleas. He warned Emmett to go easy on everyone, and especially himself, claiming he was an "old man with rickety old bones". Jasper and I found their banter highly amusing. The game continued in normal male bonding form, each of us taunting each other, and shooting each other derogatory remarks left and right.
I never would have thought that Emmett would actually have tackled my father to the ground, but unfortunately I was wrong. In typical Emmett style, as my dad positioned himself to throw me a pass, Emmett in all of his mack truck glory, blitzed the hell out of him, tossing both of them clear through the air until they both crashed down to the ground. I was horrified that he had done that.
Jasper and I ran over to my dad, making sure that he was alright. He surprised me by laughing and telling Emmett that he packs one hell of a hit, as he lay on the ground in front of me. I asked him repeatedly if he was alright, but he just waved me off telling me he was fine, and whispering that paybacks were a bitch.
I didn't understand what he meant by that until about a half hour later. This time, Emmett was positioning himself to pass the ball to Jasper, and out of nowhere, my father blitzed him. Hard. My father hit him with so much force, that it was only Emmett that went flying backwards. Jasper and I were laughing hysterically as my father walked up and stood over him, asking him how it felt to be outdone by an old man. Emmett looked shocked for a minute, but then recovered and his laughter boomed across the opening in the trees that we were playing in. When he finally stood up he held his hand out to my dad to shake it, and in an awed tone he boomed," Man, Mr. Masen...if they call me the "Mack Truck", I swear they'd have to call you the "Freight Train"! I've never been hit that hard in my life!"
We all had a good laugh at that, and afterwards decided it was time to head inside to get some dinner. The rest of the night went by quickly as we all bantered back and forth playfully. My parents asked both of them what their plans were for after high school, since both of them would be graduating this year, Jasper told them he was planning on enlisting in the Army, and Emmett said he was unsure what he wanted to go to school for, but that he planned on attending Seattle University so he could be with Rosie.
It was approaching 9pm when I finally left to bring the guys home. I still had homework left to do, and I knew that if I was lucky, I'd be able to make it to bed by midnight.
Tuesday was a great day. The hyena pack still hadn't returned, and Newton was suspended the day before for two whole weeks. I felt like I was in some strange paradise. I sat with Bella and Alice at lunch, while Jazz and Em shot me pitiful looks. I just shrugged at them, hoping they'd get the message that if they wanted to join, they had to get off their asses and approach Bella. It took them a while, but they finally did, and in a very cowardly manner as well. Instead of saying something to her, those two idiots just waltzed up and gave her puppy dog faces, complete with sad, begging eyes.
Wussies!
Alice started teaching us sign language almost immediately during lunch. I found it hilarious, and I laughed the whole time. Emmett's damn bear paws kept getting in the way of each other as he attempted to sign, thoroughly pissing him off as he had to try repeatedly just to get out what he was trying to say. Alice forbid us from talking at the table, which in turn, only got Emmett more frustrated. Jasper just seemed to roll with the flow of the whole thing. He seemed to be more interested in watching Alice, than in actually learning how to sign, however. I understood why though, he likes her, and it's probably driving him mad to force himself to wait to actually ask her out. I wished I could just tell him to go for it, but I was afraid that it would make Bella take two steps back.
Througout the lunch period, she would occasionally get these hints of panic that would flash in her eyes. I did my best to avert her attention away from the table in an effort to calm her nerves. I knew how sudden everything was for her, and I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible as she eased herself into our new social circle.
Bella and I seemed to fall into a routine when it came to Biology class. We passed each other notes, back and forth, describing things that had happened in our earlier classes, or things that were happening at home. She told me that she was dreading her birthday coming up, and I already knew why. She hated the attention, and also hated when people bought her things. I decided right there and then that I wouldn't buy her anything, but rather instead just make her a card. I even had some lines thought out for her own little birthday ode.
Wednesday passed in much the same fashion. We passed notes back and forth to each other, occasionally dropping some off in the eachothers locker, or handing them off to each other in the hallways. She cracked me up with her response to my whining about the love letter situation I have to deal with in English. It actually made me look down to check and see if my fly was indeed actually open, but it wasn't.
Lunch was again another amusing event. It thrilled me to see Bella laughing and enjoying herself so freely. She still got those brief signs of panic, and I continued to avert her attention away from the table. It seemed as if there was something about Emmett and Jasper that was making her wary. I knew that they had both been acting strange over the last week, but I didn't know how that would pertain to her, or how she would have even seen it, as their oddity was usually only around me. They actually seemed quite normal as they sat at the table and interacted with her.
Ever since Monday, I've been making copies of the notes I take in Biology, and leaving them under Alice's windshield wiper for Bella. She's been so distracted with our note passing that I don't think she's caught a single minute of the class since the day school started. I only hoped that my notes would stop her from falling behind. I didn't want her grades to suffer just because of our friendship.
It's now Thursday, Bella's birthday. I woke up early this morning, hoping to get to spend some time with Bella before class started. I wanted to make sure that she wasn't stressing too much about it being her birthday. I showered and dressed quickly, and called both Emmett and Jasper, telling them to be ready early because I wanted to be there before she got there, Jasper said that was fine, and Emmett said he was running late, so he'd just drive himself to school. There was something off about his tone, but I couldn't place it, so I just shrugged it off and told him I'd see him later at school.
I ran down the stairs and headed into the kitchen to get some breakfast. My mother was still in her pajamas, sitting at the counter drinking a cup of coffee. She was positively glowing with happiness.
"Morning, Mom. Did you enjoy your "anniversary"?" I asked politely.
"Good morning, honey. And yes I did, very much so! I'm glad you had the boys come over yesterday afternoon. Your father gave me quite an amusing summary of your game last night after you went to bed," she replied warmly as she chuckled. I laughed. It was an amusing game all around.
"What are you doing up so early, Mom?" I asked curiously. Normally she would just be coming down the stairs at this time, and I would be about twenty minutes behind her.
"I'm waiting for Esme to call, dear. She and Carlisle are celebrating Bella's birthday this morning, and she said that hopefully she would have some exciting news, but as always she wouldn't tell me what before hand. She almost sounded wary about it, as if she thought mentioning it would jinx whatever it was," she said, her voice growing softer as she drifted off into thought about her conversation with Esme.
"Hm. I wonder what it could possibly be... I hope it was nothing too expensive, you know how much she hates receiving gifts," I replied sincerely.
"Oh don't I know it! I remember the fit she had on her 8th birthday when we baked her a cake and tried to give her that new bike that she had wanted! She wouldn't touch the blasted thing for weeks!," she cried out through her laughter.
"I almost forgot about that!," I sputtered through my own laughter.
"She always was a precious shy little girl...until you tried to do something for her. I swear just the attempt brought out the ferocious beast within her," she said fondly. I nodded as I ate my cereal.
"So how are things going with you and Bella these days? Any new changes?" she asked curiously. I smiled and finished chewing my spoonful of cereal before speaking.
"Things are going great. We pass notes constantly throughout the day, we sit together at lunch with Alice, Emmett, and Jasper. Alice is teaching us all to use sign language correctly. She laughed when we told her how hard we tried to learn from that stupid computer program. Bella and I are taking it slow though. I want to make sure that she's not forcing herself into situations too quickly, and that she's comfortable as she eases herself back into not only our friendship, but her friendships with Jasper and Emmett as well," I replied sincerely.
"That's wonderful, honey. I'm sure things will come together beautifully soon enough," she said warmly. I, however, didn't miss the almost expectant tone that was just barely audible as she spoke her last statement. I tried to analyze it for a minute, but ended up shrugging it off and finishing my cereal.
"Alright, Mom. I'm going to hit the road," I said as I closed the door to the dishwasher.
"Okay, dear. Have a good day, and wish Bella a happy birthday for me, will you?" she requested with a loving tone.
"Will do, Mom. Love you," I called to her as I walked down the hallway towards the front door.
"Love you too, honey!" she called back.
I made it to Jasper's quickly, and moments after I had pulled up to the curb he came out of the front door, a pastry hanging from his mouth as he held onto his bag with one hand, and attempted to shimmy his jacket onto his other arm. After a few steps, he rolled his eyes and finally stopped to drop the bag. He pulled his jacket on, picked the bag back up and started walking again as he pulled the pastry out of his mouth and took a bite of it. Moments later he slid into the front seat.
"Sup, bro?" he asked with a mouthful of his breakfast to-go.
"Not much, man," I chuckled.
"Hey, is after-school practice today or tomorrow? I can't remember," he asked curiously.
"Today. Why?" I asked curiously. There was something suspicious and misleading about his tone.
"No reason really," he replied vaguely. I stopped the car. Something had been off about him and Emmett these last few days, and I wasn't going any further until I figured it out.
"What's with the cryptic answers, bro? And why have you and Emmett been acting so odd these last few days?" I asked with a severe tone as my eyes narrowed in his direction. His calm facade immediately cracked and he looked as if he were about to panic.
"Dude, it's nothing. Em and Rose are having some issues, and he's thinking about going back up to Seattle this weekend. I only asked about practice because I figured if he didn't go up there, we could all catch a movie Friday night. That's all," he replied, his voice nervous as he stumbled his way through his speech. I narrowed my eyes even further at him. Something was still up. Either he was leaving something out of his explanation, or he was flat out lying to me, and I couldn't tell which just by looking at him.
Jasper composed himself quickly, and shot me an exasperated glance.
"Fine, asshole. Rose might be pregnant, and Emmett didn't want anyone to know until they found out for sure, which won't be for a few more weeks. If you fuckin' tell him that I told you, we're going to have some serious shit between us," he seethed. I looked at him for another few seconds, and then faced forward and continued our drive to school.
He's fuckin' lying about something. He gave it away when he panicked...he never stumbles when he speaks. He made it even worse with his threat...there's never been secrets between any of us, and if Rosalie was really possibly pregnant..Emmett would have slipped by now...
I composed myself as we got closer to the school. Whatever my douchebag friends were up to, I didn't want Bella to have to worry about how it was affecting me. Jasper remained quiet the rest of the way to the school, but every so often a flash of guilt would cross his features, and I would catch it before he could quickly recompose himself.
Good fucker...let that guilt of lying to me eat your sorry ass alive...
I pulled into the school parking lot, and quickly maneuvered into my spot. I didn't even wait for Jasper to say or do anything as I got out of the car and made my way to the front of it. Jasper followed shortly after, dragging with him his cloud of distress. I moved over slightly away from him, trying to avoid feeling the remorse that was just radiating from him in waves. He looked at me with a repentant expression and I rolled my eyes at him.
Seriously...looking like you're sorry isn't going to fix this shit bro...
It was silent for a few minutes as we watched the cars pull into the lot with greater frequency as time moved on. I had to keep shifting further away from him as it felt like the longer we stood here, the more distress he was under, and the further out those damn radiating waves of remorse reached.
I was starting to get nervous as it approached the time when the first bell would ring, and I still hadn't seen any sign of Bella or Alice. I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Carlisle and Esme had planned for this morning, had gone drastically wrong. Between Jasper's damn radiating cloud of distress, and my beginning stages of panic, I was about ready to rip my hair out.
"Edward... Look, I'm sorry, man. It's not Emmett that's having issues...it's me," Jasper muttered at a barely audible level. Had it not been so quiet in the lot today, I never would have heard it. I turned toward him, my face clearly reading the incredulous thought "So now you want to tell me the truth?". He sighed loudly and turned towards me.
"I'm having a hard time dealing with this whole stay away from Alice thing. I know I promised you time, and I'm going to give it to you, but it's just hard for me. Emmett's been acting strange because I told him about it, and I asked him not to say anything to you about it. I didn't want you to get pissed at me for not being able to handle a little bit of time when you've managed to handle years of it. Please don't be angry with Em, he was only trying to do what I asked of him," his voice was steady, and he didn't stumble at all. There was still a slight oddity about his tone, but the only thing I could attribute it to was his remorse for lying to me.
"Jazz, if that's all it was, you didn't have to lie to me. I wouldn't have been angry about that. We all have our weaknesses, and the fact that you're even trying to distance yourself instead of telling me to fuck off, leaves me no room to be angry with you for finding it difficult. I know it's difficult, no one has to tell me that much. Out of everything, I'm only angry that you actually fuckin' lied to me, man. We're supposed to be thicker than blood. There's never been any bullshit like that between us," I said with a disheartened tone.
"I know, and I'm sorry. I got defensive when you saw right through me and said the first probable thing that came to mind, and I know you saw right through that bullshit as well...regardless of how conceivable that situation could really be," he said sincerely. That damn undercurrent of a tone still lingering almost inaudibly in his voice.
"If that's all it was...then we're good, bro," I replied sternly.
"It is," he replied quickly. I eyed him for a moment, and then decided to just drop it. Whatever issues he was having he could either come clean with them or deal with them himself. I wasn't going to push him.
The first bell rang just after our exchange, and I walked to my first class, constantly glancing around the lot just waiting to see even just a sign of the Alice's Porsche, but it never showed. I walked into my class and slumped into my seat with a wary sigh. I spent the entire morning praying that everything was alright with Bella. She didn't normally miss school unless she was either sick or under extreme distress, and I know there hadn't even been a single sign the day before that she was getting sick, not that that observation meant anything.
I finally caught a glimpse of her as she strolled through the door into gym. She looked happy and it relieved me greatly. I was finally able to put the worry aside and smile for the first time since I had left my house.
Practice went by quickly and I practically raced through my shower at lightning speed just so I could get to lunch quicker and be with Bella. This morning had taken a toll on me, and I needed to be near her and assure myself that she was happy and alright before I could finally relax completely.
I grabbed some random items for lunch as I made my way through the food line, and paid quickly. By the time I made it to the table, Bella was already half way through eating her lunch. She smiled at me as I sat down next to her, and I smiled back. Jasper and Emmett came in a few minutes later and sat down across from us after getting their lunch.
I waited until she was done eating to give her the card I made for her. I know it looked cheesy as hell, but I knew better than almost anyone how much she hated getting gifts, and I hoped that she wouldn't have a fit over it.
She smiled happily as she took the card from me, and it caused me to grin widely. So far, I was in the clear. She read through the inside and laughed silently, but heartily, causing tears to form in her eyes. When she was done, she turned toward me and hugged me with such strength that I almost found it hard to breath. It delighted me that I was able to make her so happy with such a small gesture.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. It's become more apparent recently that no matter how much time I get to spend with Bella, it's never enough. I'm always left feeling empty as we part ways after Biology. As I've done since Monday, I quickly copied Mr. Banner's notes and asked my history teacher if I could be excused to go to the bathroom. I swear he probably thinks I have an incontinence issue by now since I've asked this every day since Monday during his class.
I quickly made my way to Alice's Porsche and deposited the notes under the windshield wiper. I realized that I needed to come up with a better plan to do this soon. I had lucked out so far that it hadn't been rainy the past few days, but inevitably it would be at some point.
I walked back into class, and noticed that Emmett had a pained expression on his face. I quirked an eyebrow at him as I took my seat and he leaned towards me.
"Dude, I think I ate something rancid at lunch... there's a storm-a-brewin' in my gut," he said quietly. A moment later he raised his hand and asked the teacher for permission to go use the restroom. He flew out of the room quickly, slamming the door behind him on his way out. I chuckled.
Poor bastard..that's gonna make this afternoon's practice unbearable for him...
Emmett didn't return to the classroom until after the class had ended. I was just picking up his bag and jacket, preparing to bring it with me to the gym when he strolled into the room with a smile on his face.
"Ahhh...much better. Storm passed," he said as he chuckled. I laughed loudly.
"Glad to see you're feeling better," I said through my laughter. He grabbed his bag and we rushed off toward the gym. We were already five minutes late, and I figured the girls were already gone, so I didn't even bother to look for Bella on my way.
We changed quickly and made it out to the field just as the guys were starting our warm-up exercises. Coach Jackson made us do 30 push-ups, 3 for each minute that we were late. We ran some plays during practice, in preparation for Monday's game against La Push High, and Coach Jackson switched a few of the player's positions to where they would be more effective with their abilities. Practice ended shortly after 5 and we headed off to the locker rooms to shower and head home.
I took my time in the shower, letting the heat of the water relax my muscles. Emmett was already dressed as I approached my locker. He was sitting on the bench, shifting uncomfortably as he put his sneakers on. I looked at him curiously for a moment, then shrugged and started pulling my clothes out of my locker. Jasper was just putting his shirt on when he looked over at Emmett and a curious expression crossed his face as well.
I turned back toward Emmett, and he was furiously rubbing his jeans against his crotch, his face pained and starting to turn red with his apparent discomfort.
"Em, dude, you got jock itch or some shit?" Jasper asked, his tone clearly amused.
"No, Fucker! My crotch is on fuckin' fire! What the fuck!" he cried out as he looked down towards his groin.
"Emmett, what did you do differently in your shower?" I asked seriously. He hadn't been like this during practice, or at any other point during the day.
"Nothing, bro. Fuck! It feels like my junk is melting off!" he boomed. Guys passing by just gave him odd looks.
"Emmett, really. Didn't you ever hear of using a condom?" Jazz chided.
"Shut the fuck up asshole! I don't have a goddamn STD or some shit!" Emmett angrily shot back as he looked torn between tackling Jasper and stripping his clothes clear off of himself.
"Jazz, really. If it was an STD there would have been signs of it before this...quit fuckin' around...it's not helping," I said severely. Jasper held up his hands in surrender and backed off to finish getting dressed.
I looked into Emmett's locker and noticed that he had a new body wash in his locker.
"Em, when was the first time you used that body wash?" I asked him concernedly. He could be having an allergic reaction to the soap.
"Today," he whined as he bent over and cupped himself.
"Emmett, strip down and go take another shower with cool water. I think you're allergic to the soap and the cool water will help with the irritation," I had barely finished saying it when Emmett took off towards the showers, stripping as he ran. Jasper and I chuckled at the sight.
We sat patiently and waited for him to return, all the while listening to his groans and curses emanating from the shower stalls. The rest of the guys, and even the coaches had left by the time Emmett re-emerged from the shower area.
"Any better?" I asked sincerely. He nodded and started to get dressed once again. He seemed perfectly fine now so we all just chucked it up to him having an allergic reaction to the soap. With a disgruntled face on our way out of the locker room, Emmett chucked the full bottle of soap into the trash can.
We had just made it to the edge of the parking lot when Emmett stopped dead in his tracks. I spun to look at him, only to find that pained expression back on his face.
"Em?" I said curiously. He just looked at me, pure horror dominating his features.
"It's not the fuckin' soap," he muttered quietly.
"What? Of course it was...the shower wouldn't have helped if it wasn't," I replied incredulously.
"Bro, it ain't the fuckin' soap! There's no goddamn soap in my damn shorts!" he boomed as he spun and ran his way back into the gym. Jasper and I looked at each other curiously, both of us lost as to what the hell he was talking about. We took off after him and once again waited on our bench for him to emerge yet again from the shower stalls.
Jasper decided to take it upon himself to inspect Emmett's clothing. He didn't find anything abnormal about them, so he chucked them aside and focused on his locker. A few minutes later he turned to me with a confused expression.
"What?" I asked.
"What the hell is this shit?" he asked as he held up a plastic white jar.
"What's what?" Emmett asked distractedly as he approached us yet again, sheathed in only a towel.
"This," Jasper said as he looked at the unmarked container curiously and waved it in front of Emmett.
"How the fuck would I know?" Emmett responded with exasperation.
"Well it was in your locker, I could only assume that you of all people would know," Jasper said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
"What?" Emmett asked as he eyed the container suspiciously.
"Jazz found it in your locker, he was looking for whatever could have gotten on your clothes," I replied as I watched him take the container from Jasper.
Emmett looked at the container in his hand suspiciously for a minute, then unscrewed the cap. He smelled it quickly, and eyed it with confusion for a second.
"I don't know what it is...I've never seen it before in my locker, and it doesn't really smell like anything familiar. It just smells slightly sweet and minty," his voice distant with his apparent befuddled state, as he passed me the container.
I took the container from him, and took a quick whiff of its contents. I instantly recognized the smell, as my mother had applied the ointment to my shoulder on numerous occasions after games over the past few years. She always told me that my father used it when he was in college, and that it worked better than the other creams that you could buy in most stores, and that it didn't smell as bad either.
"Emmett, it's sports cream...kind of like Icy-Hot only it doesn't smell as harsh, and it works a lot better. It's not a common ointment to find in stores...how'd it get in your locker?" I asked curiously.
He stood there, unmoving for a period of time as he tried to piece everything together. Jasper and I just looked at each other with bewildered expressions and shrugged at each other. Emmett quickly strode over to his pile of clothes with an expression that was slightly amused as it appeared that he had pieced everything together.
He pulled his boxer briefs out of the pile and eyed them suspiciously for a second. He took the container back from me and held it in his other hand, his eyes darting between his shorts and the container before comprehension flashed across his eyes.
He let out a booming laugh that echoed throughout the locker room before looking back at us, his face alight with amusement.
"That dauntless little pixie is a goddamn genius mastermind!" he bellowed.
Jasper and I looked at each other stupefied, and then looked back at Emmett.
"What does Alice have anything to do with anything, Em?" Jasper asked defensively. I quirked an eyebrow at him, and he just rolled his eyes at me.
"She put this cream shit in my soap... but she did one even fuckin' better! She doused my damn shorts in the shit!" Emmett cried out with an awed expression.
"No way. How in the hell would she get in your locker?" I asked incredulously.
"How did she get into the lockers of Lauren and her cronies to pull off the hair dye stunt?" Em retorted. He was right. If she was able to get into their lockers, than she would surely be able to get into his...especially when no one was around.
"Holy shit! I can't believe she had the balls to even attempt it!" I choked out through my laughter.
"I can," Jasper said smugly.
"Man...I gotta get her on my side, just think of all the damage we could do together!" Emmett boomed.
Jasper and I immediately sobered up, shot a quick horrified glance at each other.
"NO!" we both shouted at the same time. Emmett just looked at us with a smug expression.
"It'll happen, bros. It'll happen... us pranksters flock together..it's inevitable at some point," he said with confidence as he got dressed once again, now knowing not to put the shorts back on. Jasper and I hung our heads as we realized that at some point it probably was inevitable.
We finally made it out to the parking lot, thankfully with a fireless crotched Emmett, and parted ways as he climbed into his massive Jeep. Jasper and I laughed the whole way to his house. We both agreed that neither of us ever wanted to be on Alice's bad side. I could only imagine how badly that cream would burn in those sensitive areas, as there were times I could barely take the heat on my shoulder depending on how much of it my mother applied.
I headed home quickly after dropping Jasper off. I was exhausted and starving as I walked in through the door. I dropped my bag by the stairs, and hung my jacket on the banister before making my way into the kitchen. It was shortly after 6 by the time I had made it home, and from the smells wafting from the kitchen, dinner was almost ready.
"Hi, sweetie. How was your day?" my mom asked as I wandered into the kitchen.
"Interesting to say the least," I replied as I sat down at the island counter.
"Oh? What happened?" she asked curiously.
"Emmett was actually on the receiving end of a prank today...a damn good one too!" I answered through my chuckles.
"Edward, sweetheart, watch your language please. What happened to him?" she asked after she mildly scolded me.
"Sorry, Mom. Someone put that sports cream that you use on my shoulder in his body wash, and also doused his boxers in it. He had to take three showers after practice before he finally pieced it together," I replied with amusement.
"Oh that poor boy. That must have burned horribly. You aren't supposed to apply that to sensitive skin," she replied with a horrified tone.
"He's alright, Mom. He actually found it highly amusing when he figured it out," I said seriously.
"He's always been a good sport being on the receiving end of a prank...and he should with as many pranks as he pulls!" she exclaimed. I laughed and nodded.
My mother and I ate dinner at the counter since my father was working late at the office. I quickly ate, and excused myself to head upstairs and do my homework before heading off to bed. I had been in my room for almost an hour when I thought I heard something outside of my door. I listened intently for a minute, and realized that it sounded like someone was standing outside of my door, shifting their footing back and forth as if unsure of whether or not they should knock. I couldn't imagine who would be outside my door, so I got up and swung the door open, slightly aggravated.
My aggravation immediately disappeared when I realized that it was Bella. One look at her face and I was overcome with worry and panic. She looked horrific. Her face was red and swollen from crying, and her hair was a wreck. She looked positively haggard. I cried out to her as I pulled her into my arms, but she didn't answer, she just started silently bawling.
I swooped her up into my arms, and walked us over to my bed and sat down. I rocked her gently in my arms, reminding myself over and over not to ask her questions, just to comfort her, as I hummed her melody quietly. I continued this for over two hours until she had grown silent for a period of time. I thought she may have fallen asleep, but when I lifted her chin, her eyes were open. I asked her quietly if she was alright now, she nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around my torso. She was sitting at such an awkward angle, I knew it couldn't have been comfortable for her.
I adjusted myself and rested back against the pillows on my bed. She looked at me hesitantly as I opened my arms for her, so to ease her discomfort, I made a quick joke that was related to my first attempt at signing to her. She forced a smile and curled up on top of me. I felt unbelievably whole as I held her this close to me, but I tried to push the feeling away. It wasn't right of me to feel that way when she was so distressed.
We stayed that way quietly until just after 10pm. Her poor face looked so raw and tender from her tears, and I knew she had to be dehydrated after that emotional torrent, so I called my own house from my cell phone to ask my mother to bring me a cool wet cloth and a glass of water.
She came up just a few short minutes later and kissed Bella's temple and walked back out of my room, her expression filled with worry. I pressed the cloth to Bella's face gently, and she placed her hand upon mine. It trembled as if she was unsure of her next move. I tried to calm her by explaining what it was for, and she relaxed immediately. I let it soothe her skin for a while before asking her if she wanted to talk about what had made her so distraught. She nodded that she wanted to, and I made to get off the bed and get something for us to write notes with. She clamped herself down on me, and I had to chuckle. She looked terrified that I wouldn't return.
I gently told her that I'd be gone no longer than 30 seconds, and she finally released me. I got the notebook and pen and slid back in beside her. She started writing immediately. I was shocked to find out that her father's best friend had given her his truck, and that his son had restored it for her. I was distressed over her conversation with this Billy person though. He seemed to know things about what happened to her, that even she didn't know about. It made me worry that she believes something about what happened that isn't true, and it made me wonder just how much about it that she didn't know about it.
She was so young when it happened. There's no way she could have understood what was going on. We all knew something was happening, but none of us knew what it was. Her parents had been fighting what seemed like non-stop for over a year before they left. She had come to me quite often when they would fight, just to find comfort and refuge away from it. It was strange, cause whenever we would see them together, they looked perfectly happy with each other. Even Bella said that they acted normally in front of her, and she didn't think that they knew she could hear them when they fought. She would always say that it seemed like they were trying to keep their fighting a secret.
I had asked her once if she ever heard what they fought about, but she told me she didn't. She only heard the muffled shouts, and that quite frequently she would cover her ears to drown out anything she could overhear. Even back then, I could understand why she did that. Bella hated violence, she hated when people fought or argued. She even hated when people would just be mad at each other. Regardless of what the problem was, she always fought to push people back together and reconcile their differences. It wasn't until now that I realized it was probably a side-effect of not being able to stop her parents from arguing with each other.
The more I thought about everything from so many years ago, the more it became apparent that they probably weren't arguing about their marriage. They were arguing about something else. Something that led up to what happened in Phoenix. There was something going on outside of Bella's young world back then that she had no clue about, and it appeared she still didn't have a clue about it.
The fact that Billy was injured in the line of duty, and that he was an undercover cop, only solidified this theory in my head. Whatever happened in Phoenix, Charlie knew it was a possibility, and he purposely moved them there to avoid it, but it happened just the same anyway. If I could only figure out what the hell it was that had happened that caused such a disastrous chain of events in her life.
We finished writing to each other shortly after 11, and she seemed exhausted, but finally peaceful. I really didn't want to disturb her, so I wished her sweet dreams as she appeared to be falling asleep.
I lay in bed, humming her melody continuously as I stroked her hair, and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. The thoughts in my head were moving so fast that it was almost making me dizzy. I wanted to be able to help her, but I didn't know how. She came to me, me of all the people in her life right now, for comfort. I did my best, but as I lay here staring at the ceiling, I have to wonder if it's enough. If there isn't something more that I can be doing for her.
I looked at the clock and realized it was now just a few minutes past midnight. Carlisle and Esme must be panicked beyond belief by now, and I hadn't even thought to call them until now. I grabbed my cell phone off of the nightstand and called my house once more. I felt horrible for waking my parents, but I didn't want to move and disturb her until I absolutely had to.
My mother answered the phone, but she didn't sound like she had been sleeping, and I thought I heard someone else in the background.
"Edward?" she asked with a worried tone.
"Hey, Mom. Could you call Esme or Carlisle for me? I'm sure they're frantic by now," I spoke quietly, watching Bella's face for any sign that I was disturbing her.
"Esme's here, honey. She's been here the whole time since she brought Bella here," she said softly.
"Mom, could you send her up here please? Bella fell asleep, and I don't want to disturb her just yet," I said quietly.
"Sure, sweetheart. She's on her way up. Do you need anything?" she asked with concern.
"No, Mom. I'm fine, thank you," I replied before I shut the phone.
Esme quietly opened my door a few moments later, and hesitantly crossed the room.
"Is she alright, Edward?" she whispered.
"Yes. She cried for a long time, and then wrote to me about what happened today," I whispered back.
"She looks so peaceful, I don't want to disturb her. She never looks like that when she sleeps. Her face always has signs of distress on it. I've watched her many of nights over the years," she whispered as she sat on the edge of the bed next to me.
"I don't want to either, but I'm afraid of how uncomfortable she would be waking up in my bed alone, and I don't want her to panic," I whispered as I moved a stray lock of her hair away from the side of her face.
"I have an idea. Carlisle, Alice, and I have living room camp-outs with her when she has panic attacks. We do it so she doesn't wake up alone. I highly doubt either of you will be in any condition to attend school tomorrow, so what do you say to joining the camp-out?" she whispered with a smile as she gazed at me.
"I'm not sure my parents would be comfortable with that, Esme. It sounds great, and it would ease my worries to be able to watch over her tonight, but I'm not sure they will allow it," I whispered regretfully.
"Don't you worry about that. I'm positive they will allow it," she whispered comfortingly.
"Sure, Esme. That would be great, thank you," I replied.
"It's my pleasure, Edward. I appreciate your efforts tonight in comforting her. You did amazingly," she whispered with an awed and grateful expression.
"I'm just glad that she trusted me enough to come to me. I told her I'd always be here when and if she needed me, and I meant it," I whispered back as I gazed upon her beautiful peaceful face.
"Alright, honey. Just tell me what you need and where to get it, and I'll pack a bag for you. Do you think you can manage carrying her or should I call Carlisle?" she whispered as she slid off the side of my bed.
"I'm sure I can manage, Esme. She's even lighter than she appears," I chuckled quietly as I whispered. She smiled at me and then looked around curiously.
I spent a few minutes laying with Bella, as Esme packed a bag for me. I whispered and pointed to where everything was that I would need. I didn't pack much, just some clean clothes, pajamas, a toothbrush, deodorant, and my cell phone charger. It wasn't like I was traveling out into the wilderness or anything.
Esme excused herself from my room after telling me that she was going to go talk to my parents about me spending the night at their house. I was still wary of their opinions on the matter, as this wasn't the most prudent of situations, but I hoped that they would allow it being that both Carlisle and Esme would be there with us.
I gently moved Bella so that she was cradled against my chest before I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. She was light as a feather, and it didn't take much effort for me to hold her with one arm as I perched on the side of my bed to grab my cell phone and shut the lamp off before standing. I held her tightly to me as I left my room and descended the staircase.
When I got to the bottom, Esme was waiting with my bag slung across one of her shoulders, and both of our jackets in her hands. My mother and father smiled fondly at the sight of me holding Bella, and I smiled gratefully at them, now realizing that they were allowing me to go.
Esme looked hesitant as to how she should get both of our jackets on us, and I chuckled quietly.
"Esme, just cover her with my jacket, it's bigger. I'll be fine without it," I whispered. She smiled and draped my jacket around Bella, and I shifted so that I could hold it in place against her so she wouldn't get cold.
My mother kissed my cheek and whispered to me to call her in the morning, and that she'd call the school and alert them to my absence. My father patted my shoulder gently before bidding Esme goodnight and heading up the staircase. I whispered my thanks and love to my mother before Esme and I headed out the front door towards her car. She already had it started and warmed up for us.
Esme opened the passenger door, and lowered the seat back so I could place Bella into it. I carefully went to place her in the seat, but as her body lowered onto it, she gripped my shirt tightly and her face contorted into a displeased grimace. Esme giggled from the driver's seat and I looked at her in confusion. I had no idea what to do now.
"I think you might have to sit with her in the back seat, Edward. She doesn't seem to be inclined to let you go," she whispered through her giggles.
Esme climbed back out of the SUV and opened the back passenger door on her side. I closed the front passenger door with my hip and walked around to the other side of the car. I slid in gently, with Bella on my lap. I looked down to her face once more, and the grimace was gone, her face only peacefully serene now. I smiled at the sight as Esme shut the door behind us.
The ride to their home didn't take long at all, and Bella never seemed to be disturbed throughout any part of the ride, not even when we crossed the railroad tracks in the middle of town. The ride made me think back to when we were kids. When it was so easy to just ride my bike over to her house that was just a few blocks away. The hardest part of the trip was going back home and making it up that damn hill we call a driveway. It was also the best part though, being able to speed down it and feel like you were flying. If only it could have felt that way in both directions.
We pulled into their driveway, and I caught a glimpse of the shiny red classic truck that used to belong to Charlie. It sent a pang through my heart to see it, and it made me extremely aware of how it must have affected Bella seeing it for the first time.
Even though it was dark out, it looked like that kid Jake did an amazing job in restoring it. It made me wonder how old he is, and how well he knew Bella when they were kids for him to want to do that for her. Maybe one day I'd find out, but for tonight, it was the last thing I needed to concentrate on.
Carlisle met us in the driveway as Esme shut the ignition off. He opened both mine and Esme's doors for us.
"Hello, Edward. Thank you for all you've done tonight. Are you sure you can manage her?" he asked quietly and with concern.
"I'm sure, Carlisle. And it was no problem at all. I'm grateful that she allowed me to help her," I replied quietly and sincerely. He nodded and led the way into the house for all of us after taking my bag and Bella's jacket from Esme.
I was stunned when I caught sight of the living room. Esme wasn't kidding when she called it a living-room camp-out. The floor was covered with air mattresses, blankets and pillows. Carlisle set my bag down on the couch after he put Bella's jacket in the entry hall closet. Esme ushered me towards the air mattresses to place Bella down on them.
"Edward, go ahead and put her down on one of the mattresses, I'm going to head up and get her something more comfortable to sleep in. I'll be right back," She said quietly. I nodded and watched her retreat.
"Make yourself comforable, son. I'm going to go get changed. When Esme gets back go ahead and get changed, alright?" Carlisle's voice was soft and compassionate as he spoke. I nodded and he turned towards the staircase.
I was unsure of what to do next. I felt stupid just standing there holding her. I lowered myself carefully down onto my knees and made to place Bella on one of the mattresses, but once again she clutched my shirt and that displeased grimace appeared. I chuckled softly, and moved my arms so that I could gently pry her hands off my shirt. When my hands wrapped around hers on my shirt, she whimpered. Whimpered.
I was so stunned that I immediately removed my hands and watched her face carefully. She didn't make another sound, and I was starting to think that I had been hearing things. As far as I knew, Bella couldn't use her voice. At all.
Esme came back down moments later, and approached me quickly with a panicked expression as she took in my stunned form.
"Edward, what is it?" she asked quickly and quietly.
"Esme...does Bella just not use her voice, or does she not have one at all?" I asked in hushed confusion, still stunned.
"Oh, Edward, dear. She has a voice, but when she tries to use it she has a severe panic attack that puts her in a catatonic state for several hours. We've tried numerous things to ease the attacks, but they don't seem to ever get any better when she tries to use her voice, honey," she spoke quietly and sadly.
"Esme...she whimpered," I said quietly as I looked back down at her fingers clutching my shirt and her displeased grimace.
"What?" she asked with a disbelieving expression.
"She whimpered when I tried to pry her fingers from my shirt," I said quietly.
"Edward, are you sure? Did anything about her change after it happened?" she asked quickly as her expression became more worried by the second.
"Yes, I'm sure. And no, nothing changed about her afterwards," I replied, confused as to why she would ask that.
"Can you try to gently pull her hands away again? If you feel anything change in her, please stop immediately," she spoke the end urgently, and I understood the warning. She didn't want Bella to have a panic attack. I nodded, and placed my hands over Bella's again. I didn't tighten my grip at all on her hands, and unfortunately nothing happened. I turned to look at Esme, and she appeared utterly dejected.
I felt horrible, and once again that feeling that maybe I had heard things that weren't really there returned. I let out a sigh, and tightened my grip on Bella's hands to remove them, so that Esme could help her change, and I could change myself.
It was faint, and barely audible, but it was there. As soon as my hands tightened their grasp she whimpered once more. Esme gasped from beside me and my gaze shot in her direction. Her eyes were already filled with tears that were ready to spill over. I released my grasp on her once again, but left my hands over hers, as I watched Esme.
"Did you feel anything different?" she muttered, her soft voice breaking at various points as she spoke. I shook my head. Nothing about her changed.
"Edward, that's only the second time I've ever heard the briefest of noises from her, and the first time it happened it was an accidental slip as she was laughing, and it froze her solid for an entire night," Esme sputtered as she started crying in earnest.
Carlisle came down the stairs then, and took in the scene in front of him. His eyes flashed between confusion and panic repeatedly as he quickly made his way over to us.
"Esme, dear. What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked worriedly as he gently cupped her face while kneeling in front of her.
"Bella whimpered, Carlisle. She whimpered and she isn't seized up," she sputtered through her tears. Carlisle's gaze darted to Bella, and then to me. The question of whether or not it was true was clear as day in his eyes. I nodded at him in silent confirmation.
"How?" he asked me with an awed tone.
"It happens when I try to pull her hands off my shirt," I responded, my expression growing more worried as it dawns on me that I can't sit like this all night, and at some point I'm going to have to pry her hands away.
"Carlisle, I need to pull her hands away. I can't sit like this all night, but I'm terrified of what will happen when I do it," I said to him, panic evident in my tone and clearly visible in my expression.
"Edward, just do it as gently as you can, and we'll cross the next bridge when we come to it, okay? Esme and I have been through the attacks many times before, it will be alright. I'm not even sure that she'll have one," he replied calmly and sympathetically as he gazed between both Bella and I.
I nodded and braced myself for what could possibly happen once I actually managed to release her grasp. I took in a deep breath and watched her face closely as I gently slid my thumbs into her fists and eased her fingers apart. She whimpered once more as the fabric of my shirt tumbled from her grasp and her displeased expression deepened. Nothing else happened though, she seemed to be alright at the moment.
"That's amazing, Edward," Carlisle said, his astonishment clear in his tone. I smiled at Bella and started working my thumbs out of her fists.
"Come on, Edward. I'll show you to the restroom so you can get cleaned up and changed while Esme tends to Bella," Carlisle said quietly as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I nodded at him and lifted myself off the floor. I grabbed my bag from the couch, and followed behind Carlisle.
I quickly undressed and used a washcloth that Carlisle had set out for me to clean up. My chest had been covered with the sticky residue from Bella's tears earlier in the evening. I changed into my pajama pants and a fresh t-shirt before exiting the bathroom.
Carlisle was waiting for me in the hallway, and he ushered me around the back side of the house away from the living room, and led us into the rear entrance to the kitchen.
"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" he asked graciously.
"A glass of water would be great, thank you," I replied politely.
Carlisle grabbed two glasses of water and led me over to the kitchen island counter. We both took a seat on the stools in front of the counter. It amazed me how closely their kitchen resembled our own. The only difference being the color scheme. Esme seemed to be extremely fond of neutral and earthy tones, unlike my mother.
"Edward, I'm not sure if you realize how incredible what just happened really is," Carlisle started as he gazed off into the distance, not really appearing to see anything.
"She's been with us for five years, and we've only heard her voice once before. It was the day that she met Alice. Alice was teaching us sign language over dinner, and we were all laughing at our fumbled attempts to copy what she was doing. At some point over dinner, it dawned on me that we were all sitting around, eating Italian food, and talking with our hands. I made a joke about us looking like an Italian mob family, and Bella laughed so hysterically that the smallest of squeaks escaped her and she seized up instantly. It's not a gradual event when it happens. She was laughing one second, and then her body jerked as it ceased all movement, and she was gone...just like that. It's how it happens every time. She's fluid and moving one second, and frozen the next. That's why what you just witnessed is so incredible. The fact that her voice escaped her and she isn't frozen, is nothing short of a miracle," he spoke distantly at first as he recalled the events of the first night he ever heard her voice, but his tone changed to amazement when he turned to look at me as he spoke of the events of tonight.
"So what do we do now? How do we help her use her voice?" I asked eagerly. If anyone knew how I could help her, Carlisle would.
"I don't know, son. We've tried everything we can think of. I'm beginning to believe that it's just going to take time and repeated attempts from her until she can control the panic that rises in her. Do you mind if I ask you something?" he spoke with despair, but curiosity was the dominant tone as he sought out my approval.
"Sure, you can ask me anything," I replied encouragingly.
"Esme's told me many times how close you and Bella were as children. She's heard many fond memories of your mother's, and she's shared them with me. What caused you two to grow apart? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. I'm just curious as to how two young people with such a strong bond with each other, can drift apart so quickly. I've tried to logically rationalize it time and time again, but have never been able to," his voice was soft and comforting, nowhere near demanding, and I found myself unable to even think of denying him an answer that I had searched for myself for so long.
"It's hard to explain, but I will try," I started, and he nodded. "When Bella and her parents moved so suddenly, I was heartbroken. It took me weeks just to be able to force myself to get up and join the living world outside of my pain again. When she came back, I was overcome with joy, thinking that everything would go back to the way it used to be. The only problem was that Bella was different. I didn't realize back then how much pain she was in, and how traumatized she was over what happened to her. I only knew that her parents had passed on. I knew nothing of how or why, as I still don't. I thought her distance was because she no longer wanted to be my friend any more. It took a while for me to back away, but I realize now that she never even noticed my attempts because she was so overcome with her emotions. She didn't see anything that went on around her, and I never saw it that way until recently. When I backed off, I thought I was doing what she wanted me to. I never realized that I was making the biggest mistake of my life. And now I'm trying to do everything in my power to rectify that mistake," I spoke honestly, trying to relay to him just how much I regretted the mistake I had made.
"Son, we all make mistakes. No one could expect you to understand something like that at such a young age. It's amazing that you understand it now. I'm glad I can finally understand it now, thank you. I'm sorry that both of you had to go through so much pain to get to where you are now," he said comfortingly.
"Me too, Carlisle. I only wish I had realized it sooner rather than later," I said remorsefully.
"We all feel that way when things become clear, Edward. Even as adults we focus on how long we spent trying to find the answers and not on the fact that we eventually found the answer," he said with a warm and comforting tone.
"Edward, dear. Are you ready for bed?" Esme asked with a soft voice as she entered the kitchen behind us. I nodded and slid off the stool I was sitting on.
"We'll join you in a few minutes, Edward," Carlisle said as he too got off of his stool. I nodded at him as I stood up straight and stretched the muscles in my back.
"Goodnight Esme, Carlisle. And thank you for allowing me to stay the night," I said politely.
"Sweet dreams, sweetheart," Esme said as she kissed my cheek.
"Goodnight, Edward," Carlisle said as he wrapped an arm around Esme. I nodded at them both and ventured my way back out toward the living room.
I looked around at the mattress covered floor, wondering where I was supposed to sleep for the night. I didn't want to upset either Carlisle or Esme by sleeping too close to Bella, but I didn't want to be too far from her either. I looked down at her still sleeping form, and noticed that her expression still hadn't changed. It was still marked by displeasure.
I carefully maneuvered my way around her, trying not to jostle her awake, and took a spot just within arm's reach of her. I pulled a pillow under my head and shifted myself to get comfortable. It bothered me that there hadn't been enough room on her other side for me to lay down, and now I couldn't see her face. Instead, I could only see the sea of mahogany hair that flowed out from under the blanket she was covered in. I shifted once more to lay on my back and gaze at the ceiling.
I listened carefully to the steady rhythm of Bella's breathing, and hoped that it would lull me to sleep, but it wasn't. As the minutes passed on, her breathing started to increase, and at times stop completely. It started to worry me greatly. I began to shift closer to her as her breathing started up once again and began to increase in frequency. I was almost next to her when Esme turned the corner and looked at Bella, her face instantly becoming filled with panic.
"Esme, what's wrong with Bella?" I asked worriedly.
"She's having a nightmare, dear. They wake her up frequently during the night," she said as she lowered herself to the floor in front of Bella. She began running her fingers through Bella's hair gently, attempting to soothe her, but it wasn't working. Her breaths were coming in short quick pants, and she began to start thrashing about on the mattress. It broke my heart to see her this way, and without thinking, I pulled her to my chest and started humming her melody next to her ear. She almost instantly relaxed. Her thrashing stopped immediately, and her breathing slowly evened out.
"Edward, how did you do that?" Esme asked. I looked up at her, and her face was lit up with pure astonishment.
"I don't know, I just reacted. I couldn't stand the thought of her having such a vivid nightmare," I replied worried that Esme would be upset with my gesture.
"What were you humming to her?" she asked quietly as she gazed lovingly at Bella.
"Her melody," I answered simply.
"Hers?" she asked curiously as she looked back up at me.
"Yeah, five years ago I started composing this song that just seemed to flow from me whenever I thought of her, so in almost all respects it's hers," I replied thoughtfully.
"She looks so serene right now. I wish she could always sleep so peacefully," she said with despair.
I made to pull myself back from Bella, now that she was sleeping soundly once again. I scooted over just a bit, hoping that Esme would allow the small distance between us without thinking me to be taking advantage of the situation, and rolled onto my back once more. Bella shifted backwards slightly and then rolled over. Her arm came out of the blanket and slowly traced the mattress beneath her as if she were looking for something. Her expression once again showing her displeasure.
I watched her carefully, as did Esme who was now positioned on a mattress behind me. Her hand finally came close enough to feel the fabric of my shirt and her brow furrowed as she fiddled with it in her fingers. Her eyes flitted behind their lids, and I couldn't tell whether or not she was still sleeping. I reached my hand down and gently grasped her hand in my own. Her brow smoothed out, and all traces of discomfort left her face immediately.
I continued to watch her carefully as her eyes still flitted behind their lids. Slowly, her eyes began to open. She blinked a few times before her gaze met mine, and recognition immediately flashed in her eyes. She closed her eyes once more and she scooted herself into my side. She rested her head on my chest, just over my heart and let out a deep breath as her arm came across my torso, once again clinging to me for dear life. Her expression remained peaceful, and her breathing instantly evened out.
I looked quickly to Esme, worried that she would be upset. I was surprised to see the exact opposite. Her gaze held nothing but love, astonishment, and understanding.
"It's okay, Edward. I'm not upset, and Carlisle will not be either. We know you wouldn't take advantage of her. I can see it in your eyes when you look at her, honey. And I saw it in her's as well just moments ago when she looked at you. I see it in her eyes every time she thinks of you," she said warmly as she lay down on the mattress next to the one Bella and I were now on.
"See what, Esme?" I asked her in confusion.
"Love, dear. It shines from the two of you like the brightest of stars ever born," she said with a smile.
"Love? You can see that when I look at her?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes, sweetheart. Love. I've seen it in both of your eyes in pictures from when you were children, and it's just as recognizable now when I see it in your eyes when you look at her. She gets that same brilliance in her eyes when she thinks of you. I was only able to connect the two once I saw pictures of you together as children," she said sincerely.
"Esme, even though I can admit that I love her, I love her with all my heart, but there's no way she can love me after all the pain I caused her. Not after I foolishly walked away from her," I said regretfully.
"She may not realize it yet, but she will. Just give her time, Edward. She was too young to know what it was when you were children, but she'll recognize it soon enough," she replied kindly.
I turned my head to gaze at the ceiling as I contemplated her words. Love. Was it really possible that Bella loved me? I didn't understand how it could be, but Esme's words filled me with hope that it could be true. That one day Bella could love me as I love her. I've known for quite some time that I love her, and somewhere along the line realized that I always have. Maybe it would be the same for her. I could only hope that it could be true, and that it could happen.
"Edward, dear. You look exhausted. Do try to get some sleep. Goodnight, honey," Esme said softly as she rolled over and got comfortable.
"Goodnight, Esme. I'll try," I replied quietly, my mind still miles away shuffling through my thoughts.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on Bella's breathing, trying to force myself to sleep, but it wouldn't come. I kept pulling myself back from the brink of sleep every time a big dumb grin spread across my face as I thought of the possibility that one day she could love me. It was maddening.
I ran my fingers gently through Bella's hair, relishing in it's softness, as I watched memories of us as children play against the back of my eyelids. Some time later, I felt the pull of sleep finally wanting to claim me. I lifted my head and kissed the top of Bella's head lightly, and whispered one last thing to her before I finally succumbed to my exhaustion.
"Sleep well, my love."
AN: So? Come on... I'm bouncin' like Alice on No-Doze! Gimme Gimme Feedback ^_^ R&R PLS & TY!!