Chapter 38, in which OK we are back to the shit hitting the fan
The third weekend of January and Carlisle's meeting with the Quileute tribe were fast approaching, but for this last little stretch of time he had seemed in fine spirits and hadn't said anything further about it, plus it had begun to seem far-fetched that Jacob Black could really scuttle the dig based on his friends seeing me and Bella walking around the site, so I made like an ostrich and said nothing.
The Friday night before the Saturday meeting, Alice and Bella came into the living room where I was sitting with Esmé, me fooling around on my guitar and Esmé crocheting a sweater, and draped themselves over the couch. "Is it OK if Bella sleeps over?" Alice asked, and Esmé said of course. I began playing "Please Please Me." Bella blushed and bit her lip to keep from laughing. I looked at her levelly and mouthed, "What?" Out of the corner of my eye I saw Esmé looking at me, and I dropped my eyes down.
"OK," said Alice, standing up. "We're going to the movies in Port Angeles."
I glanced at Esmé, who was studying her handiwork, glared at Alice, and mouthed, "What the fuck?"
Alice looked at me coolly and said loudly, "So, Edward, no date on a Friday night? A handsome boy like you? You're welcome to come with us if you don't mind watching a chick flick with your big sister and boring old Bella."
I snorted. "Nothing big about you 'cept your mouth."
I pursed my lips and added, "No, Alice, thanks for asking but I think I'll just stay here and play Ping-Pong with Jasper tonight."
"You guys have a Ping-Pong table?" Bella asked.
"Yes, in the garage. Would you like to see it?"
"We're late," said Alice, grabbing Bella's jacket and dragging her out of the room. I glanced at Esmé, who was looking at me again, then put my guitar down and went looking for Jasper.
# # #
The next day, Carlisle came home from his meeting and went straight up to his study, shutting himself in with Esmé for a half-hour before calling downstairs, where I was lying on the couch reading, or trying to:
"Edward, come up here please."
This was bad. I slowly walked upstairs and into his study, shutting the door on his request and coming to stand in front of his desk.
"Edward, I hardly know what to say."
He shook his head as if he couldn't believe it.
"I think you are fully aware what a sensitive issue this dig is for the Quileute tribe. They are extremely disappointed, and rightfully so, that a member of my own family would behave in a disrespectful way, entering this restricted area, which they consider sacred, as some kind of...teenage lark."
I remained silent. He continued.
"You showed poor judgment going down there alone, without me. And bringing Bella. I don't understand what you were doing down there. If you were curious about anything why not ask me. You know I'd be happy to show you anytime."
I wasn't sure what to say. "Well, I wanted to show Bella," I said, lamely.
"I'd be happy to show Bella. She's like one of the family. I don't understand…"
"Carlisle," Esmé said, giving him a look. "Edward, are you sweet on Bella?" she asked softly.
I couldn't help but smile at her old-fashionedness. Carlisle looked at me sharply.
"I don't know about this, Edward. I'm not sure what the exact situation is, but Mr. Black did seem particularly concerned about the fact that you were taking Bella down there. She's a close friend of their family, of the tribe. And a close friend of our family as well. I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be…seeing her. It muddies the waters."
"I can't stop seeing her. I'm in love with her." This sort of tumbled out of my mouth of its own accord.
He stared at me, obviously flabbergasted. "How long has this been going on?" he demanded.
I paused. "A while."
He ran his hands through his hair. "Are you intimate with this girl?"
I didn't answer.
"Edward, I asked you a question. Are you sleeping with this girl?"
Some smart-alecky response about how we were doing a lot of things together, but not much sleeping, flashed through my head. Finally I simply nodded.
"Oh god," he moaned, rubbing his eyes with his palms. Esmé put one finger over her lips, as if she were shushing herself. She looked at him.
"Edward, this puts us in a very awkward position. Think about it. Her father is a small-town policeman. She's been sleeping at our house, coming on trips...as Alice's friend…and all the while our son is schtupping her?" He was starting to raise his voice. I thought about explaining that I hadn't been actually schtupping her the whole while, only recently, but decided it was best to remain silent. He continued. "It's a breach of trust. What would her father think about this? Is he aware of your relationship?"
I shook my head.
"This is a small town, people are old-fashioned, and he's the police chief. He could probably figure out some way to have you hauled up on statutory rape charges." Carlisle stood up. "I'm sorely disappointed in the lack of judgment you have been showing in this entire matter. I need to decide what to do about this."
Esmé interrupted. "Carlisle, you can't keep them apart."
He waved her off. "No more sleepovers. No more trips. I have enough to worry about with this re-negotiation with the Quileute elders without having to worry about what illicit affairs are going on under this roof."
Really? Was he blind? I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
As if to underscore his point, Bella had come into my room the night before. After her especially authentic-looking show of innocent friendship, hanging out with Alice all evening, she had ostensibly gone to bed in Alice's room. When everyone was asleep, including me, she snuck down the hall and stripped naked before sliding into my bed. I woke up, instantly aroused, and quickly found myself in a game of Cad Seducing Innocent, which was one of our favorite games and went something like this:
"What is that?"
(That was my cock against her thigh.)
"This? This belongs to you."
(Moving myself up higher to brush her sex with it.)
"To me?"
"Yes, doesn't that feel nice? Should I put it where it belongs?"
"Mm, where does it belong?"
(Putting the tip at her entrance.)
"Right here."
"Oh no, I shouldn't. I'm a virgin."
(She liked to play reluctant.)
"Oh that's all right. I'll just put it in a little bit."
"I'm not sure."
"Let me show you."
(Putting in the tip.)
"Oh that does feel nice."
"Do you like it? Let me put it in more."
"Just a little."
"How do you like this?"
"That feels good."
(Deeper.)
"Mm."
"Yes, that feels very good. Let me come in a little more."
"Oh, I shouldn't."
"Oh, but it feels so nice, I don't think I can stop."
"Mm, but, oh, I thought you said just the tip."
"Did I?"
"Yes, remember, I'm a virgin."
"Not any more."
(Thrusting in all the way, which made Bella groan.)
"Oh, you are so big, you are filling me up."
"There's another way I can fill you up, would you like to find out?"
"Oh, what do you mean?"
(I slipped my hand down to touch her there with my thumb and thrusted hard until I came, pouring myself into her, and she came as soon as she felt me throbbing.)
She hadn't stayed long afterward. When she went to get up I asked her where she was going and she said back to Alice's room, she was feeling a little skittish.
"By the way, you need to rein it in, Cullen. You're getting obvious."
"OK. Thanks for the booty call."
"Shut up," she had said, waggling her bottom at me before slipping back into her nightclothes.
Focus, Edward. Carlisle was saying, "And, not to mention, you could have told me about it before the meeting. Or before this blow-up. I only hear about it because these Quileute boys stumble across you two…"
"They didn't stumble across us, " I said. "They were patrolling."
"Patrolling?" he asked, sharply. "That wasn't the way it was presented in the meeting. This would have been good information to have had," he said, more to Esmé than to me.
Esmé cut in. "Edward, why don't you leave us now and we'll talk things over." She squeezed my hand and gave me a little encouraging smile. I kissed her on the cheek and left the room.
After I closed the door, I heard Carlisle ranting to Esmé about the "underdeveloped frontal lobe in the adolescent human."