Chapter 21

A/N: Hello Everyone…

I have to say first and foremost that the response to this story has surpassed my expectations. When I started writing this, I thought how can I make Twilight more beautiful than it already was, and this was my ambition for The Mask. I just couldn't envision writing some meaningless storyline just to write.

Anyway, I would like to thank SunFlowerFran for being my sounding board for a lot of this story, and for her encouragement to just write it as I see it. I would like to dedicate this particular chapter to her… Thanks for all of you help and advice…

Second, I guess this story has been voted in the top ten for A Different Forest Fic poll for April, May, and June. Now it is up for the Fic of the Year.

All of you have contributed to my inspiration for this story. I never dreamed myself capable of writing something that has become beautiful to me. Thanks for being a part of this.

*** This chapter took 10 hours or so to write. Honestly, I couldn't have written it better, so I hope you all enjoy it.

To enhance the quality of your read: Listen to Blinding Lights by The Weeknd before reading.

**Blinding Lights by The Weeknd**

Bella held onto Edward tight as they sped down the highway. Thick foamy waves crashed the sandy shores to her left, while the forest zipped by to her right, blurring into a sea of green. She'd never felt freer. The speed and vibration from the motorbike was exhilarating, and as they raced down a steep hill, the tickle in her belly left her laughing. "Oh my God… this is amazing. I never understood the rush of being on the back of a bike until now."

Edward couldn't really understand a word she said. Her helmet coupled with his own, along with the rush of road, muffled her words. Her squeal as they descended on a second hill spoke volumes, and he increased his speed as his own enthusiasm climbed. Going eighty they flew around a bend, passing a semi and several passenger cars, wiping around the road. Feeling her chest bounce against his back as she laughed, he too felt his pleasure increase.

He was feeling things he'd long since buried. Things he hadn't even believed possible after everything he'd been through. Twisting the handle to his bike, he propelled them faster as he felt his heart squeezed in his chest. He could see himself falling for this girl. Falling for Bella… loving her… spending…

Jesus. The thought of spending his life with another person…

He hadn't considered the possibility in so long. Back when he was younger, he'd always thought he'd date and someday get married. His life had been changed forever years ago, spending days and weeks locked in his house, with no chance of meeting another soul. Then out of the fucking blue, Bella Swan showed up on his doorstep, and dug her way beneath his skin.

His hand fell away from the handlebar, his gloved fingers finding Bella's leg straddling his, he squeezed her thigh. Edward let his fingers trail down over her knee as the need to touch her became overwhelming. As the desire to hold her increased, he held out his arm to indicate he was about to turnoff, slowing the bike as he took the corner.

Following the long winding road, they climbed higher and higher, circling the mountain. Soon he found the hidden trail, easing the Kawasaki off the main drag, he drove further into the forest, the woods seclusion just what he'd been looking for. As they rolled out into the clearing, Edward cut the engine, tapping Bella's leg for her to dismount.

Bella's legs were wobbly as she climbed from the bike, her knees still shaking with the vibrations of the bike, her fingers tightening on Edward's shoulder to maintain her balance. Slowly, she removed her helmet and sat it on the back of the bike. As the jelly left her muscles, she turned her attention to the view, gasping as her gaze danced along jagged mountaintops. Taking a few steps away from Edward, she studied the cliff they sat on, wincing as loose rocks rolled off the edge.

"It's breathtaking," she whispered, wandering closer. Her roaming eyes skipped over a lake down below. She was standing at the top of the world, and when Edward stepped up behind her, his arms sneaking around her waist, perfection came to mind. Instantly, she settled her weight against his chest, suddenly feeling as if she were in heaven.

"Mesmerizing." Bella shivered as he spoke against her ear. Tipping her head in his direction, another quiver rippled through her, knowing he wasn't reflecting on the scenic view. That was precisely the moment when she was forever changed, for better or worse, right over the edge she tumbled. Staring into his amazing eyes, the same magnetic pull urged her forward, his mouth mere millimeters from hers.

That was the moment she knew. She was a hundred percent… a thousand percent in love with this incredible man. Mask be damned… Scars be double damned…

Edward took her lips, his kiss aggressive as need for Bella flooded his senses and he surrendered his grip on sanity. Hungrily, his tongue dove deeply, his fingers bruising as he held her back against him. Her arm curled around his neck, her fingernails scraping his scalp, biting into his skin encouraging this desperation swallowing him whole. Nipping at her lips, he kissed his way down her jaw, letting his fingers slide beneath the hem of her t-shirt.

Bella moaned when rough fingers cupped her breasts, he pinched at her rosy tips, his hips grinding against her ass. Helpless to deny the desire she felt in his touch, her eyes rolled, sensation upon sensation overtaking her. She would have turned to face him, yet his steely hold, held her in place, his sharp teeth biting into her tender neck. Tingles claimed her, leaving her gasping in his arms, her nails clawing anywhere they touched. "Holy shit, Edward."

"Mm-hmm." Licking his way back up her jaw, his mouth settled over hers, one hand coming up to tangle in her hair. Kissing her long and hard, he reluctantly slowed his lips and pulled away. Resting his forehead against hers, he said, "Let's sit down here for a while."

Bella liked the way he offered her his hand as he untangled himself from her. Taking the backpack from her shoulders, he unzipped the bag and dug inside, retrieving the sheet Rose had packed. With Bella's help, they spread the sheet out, using the bag to weigh down the thin material as a breeze blew.

Her head was turned away from him, and he stood there spellbound. Her hair lifted on a breeze, framing her heart-shaped face, highlighting her beauty. Tangling his fingers with hers, his heart skipped a beat when she turned to face him, his golden gaze tracing over the slope of her nose to the pouty fullness of her lips. With a tug, he drew her to him, his lips caressing the tip of her nose before leading her to the center of the sheet.

Easing down, he created a space between his knees, his heart warming as she sat nestled into him. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, his arms went around her, and they silently observed their surroundings. Kissing her cheek, he nuzzled into her, his eyes drifting closed as her fingers feathered down his arms. "Tell me about you."

"What do you want to know, Mr. Cullen?" Chuckling, she absorbed his closeness, his support for her obvious.

"Everything, Bella. I want to know everything about you. Do you have brothers or sisters? Where are your parents? What's your favorite color? You know, everything."

"Hmm," she started, she tangled her fingers with his. "I was an only child… probably a good thing too, after my parents divorce…"

"What?" He heard the break in her voice.

"It was just sad… I came up here once a year and saw my dad for two whole weeks… I'd go back to Arizona and leave him all alone." Just the thought of her father being alone for the better part of his life was devastating. "He never remarried… I wish… wish he'd met someone and had more kids… just so, so…"

"So, he wouldn't be alone," Edward finished for her. "Did your mother remarry?"

"Yeah." Bella's gaze swept toward the cliff, squinting as the sunlight glinted, the brightness stinging momentarily. "She met a neurologist two years after moving to Phoenix. They've been happily married ever since. Where did you grow up?"

"Canada. I spent most of my life near Vancouver." He shifted as he spoke, yet surprisingly the notable tension he felt whenever he thought of Canada never came. "And as you see, I have plenty of family… more than my fair share."

"They're an amazing family. Having so many people to lean on, and support would be a welcome diversion from spending every single day on your own."

"Honestly," he started as he considered her words. "I wasn't always so lucky. My parents were in a car accident when I was six. My mother was killed instantly, and my father died in ICU. I'd been in the backseat at the time. I met Carlisle and he sort of just took me home."

"Is that how?" Bella didn't finish her question because Edward was already shaking his head. "Oh."

"No, that's not… Bella." Edward's voice trailed off as he contemplated how to answer her. Finally, he said, "The scars are an exceptionally long, gruesome tale, Bella. Things… awful things… happened. When the time is right…"

"It's okay, Edward. Tell me when you are ready." Hoping to ease the tension she felt, Bella nuzzled into him, pressing a kiss to his jaw, noticing he'd shaved. "Awe… no more stubble."

His hand lifted and his fingers drifted over his smooth chin. "I figured you would appreciate not being rubbed raw. The hairs always coarse."

"Just so you know, I really, really like that hair. It's very sexy." She turned in his arms, her lips running the length of his jaw, nudging his cheek with the tip of her nose, she urged his head back until she had access to his neck. Licking his pulse, she felt the tempo increase in his throat, she savored the salt from his skin, kissing down over his Adam's apple. Feeling a growl bubble up from his throat, she whispered, "You are so sexy… everything about you… just… turns me on."

His pulse staggered in response to her statement. "Everything?"

She pulled back an inch, her gaze darting to the mask covering the right side of his face, her finger lifting as she traced the outline. His eyelids fluttered, his lips drawing tight, and she could tell it took great control for him to remain within reach. "I'm not going anywhere… everything about you is beautiful. This…"

Edward watched her intently as she spoke, his pupils dilated as he studied her, and his fingers tightened into her t-shirt, nearly bruising in their force. Feeling on display, he released the breath he'd been holding, his attention shifting to a spot over her shoulder as he waited for her to finish speaking.

"This," she whispered, tilting her chin, she brushed her lips over the smooth surface. "It is what made you who you are. I don't know the story behind this mask, but I know the man… and he's fucking amazing."

Tears pricked his eyes as her words chipped away at the wall erected around his soul. His nostrils flared as a wealth of emotion choked him, making breathing a difficult task, swallowing tightly, he forced himself to meet her gaze. "Bella… it's… I'm…"

"He's the man who came to my rescue twice. He made me food when I missed supper. He played Jerry Lee freaking Lewis on the piano." Bella chuckled as she remembered him rocking out on the piano. "Who the hell else could, or would do that?"

Edward's head dropped down until his forehead rested against hers. "Where the hell have you been all my life?"

"Mostly Phoenix, Arizona." His laughter was a welcome sound considering the weight of their current topic. Her hand came up and she cupped his cheek, her brow lifting as she willed him to believe her. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

Bella was taken by surprise when Edward gently pulled away and climbed to his feet. Maybe she'd said too much too soon because she never expected him to retreat. Feeling his loss in the depths of her being, she too started to climb to her feet intent on going after him. When he held his hand out for her to stay, she hesitated, falling down on her knees before him. Her lips parted on a gasp as his fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt.

Edward's courage faltered. He wanted to show her everything. He wanted to hear her promise to be there when she saw his imperfections. With this thought in mind, his teeth clenched and the muscles in his abdomen tightened as the shirt slowly rose. As he was pulling the t-shirt over his head, he heard her sharp intake of breath, and vomit climbed into his throat. Tossing the garment aside, he found meeting her gaze an impossibility, anxiety claiming his willpower.

He knew she examined his torso, his skin crawling under her scrutiny, every inch on fire as her gaze slid over his peck and abdomen. When she remained quiet, he chewed the inside of his cheek until he tasted the coppery essence of his own blood, his nerves popping viciously. Finally, he chanced a look at her, his features twisting in agony when he spotted a tear slipping down her cheek. "Bella?"

Bella could barely breath. Strong fingers of terror clamped around her throat, and as she studied each scar, and their grip intensified. Jagged lines marred his abdomen, and she couldn't decide whether they were from a knife or… or maybe a whip. His body hair obstructed some of the marks, yet the rigid, discolored strips differed in length and width. Unable to imagine the pain he'd endured due to their infliction, sorrow welled in her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Shit, Edward."

There were random perfect burn scars dotting his pecks and along his ribcage. Sporadic bite wounds overlapped other scars suggesting they'd taken place at different times. Around the upper skin of his biceps was slightly darker and she wondered if he'd been tied down at some point.

"Were you fucking tortured?" Bella's words were hardly audible because they were now mixed with sobs.

When he would've shifted away from her, his foot taking a step back, she caught his hand. Edward made no further attempt to withdraw, his hand fisting, his knuckles going white. Pulling her tear ridden eyes from the scars, she met his gaze, her head shaking with denial. Considering he had not disagreed with her about the origin of these awful blotches of sunken and bubbled flesh, she presumed to be correct about her original suspicions. "Jesus, Edward."

Bella heard a sniffle. Realizing she wasn't the one who'd made the sound, she watched Edward's tears glisten off his cheeks as he fought to maintain eye contact. A jaunt of his chin indicated she'd guessed right, and another wave of emotion gripped her. With a forceful tug, she implored him to come back to the sheet, and so when he dropped to his knees before her, her arms instantly wound around his neck. A rush of tears coursed down her cheeks and a fresh cry erupted from her lungs as she pulled him into her, her lips pressing against the warm skin of his neck.

Edward's whole body shook. A mixture of emotion and anxiety zipped through his nerves. His muscles were tight with stress, yet when Bella's arms slipped around him, he melted in her embrace. Burying his nose in her dark tresses, he took comfort in her smell, his arms winding tightly around her.

He wasn't sure how he'd expected her to react to the scars, but she'd surprised him. Instead of a thousand questions, she just held him. Absorbing her strength, he pressed a kiss to her temple, sniffling, he whispered next to her ear, "You are so fucking beautiful."

Needing to touch him more than her next breath, Bella shifted until a few inches separated them, her hands sliding down his neck, over his shoulders, down the expanse of his pecks. Combing her fingers through the hair covering his chest, she leaned forward, kissing the perfect round burn marks that were size of quarters. A shiver consumed her as his hands glided down her back, finding the hem of her t-shirt, his fingers burrowed inside, his knuckles feathering down her spine.

Tears still streamed down her cheeks when she lifted her mouth to his. Noticing his own tsunami of emotion, she reached for him, her lips moving under his, groaning when he immediately kissed her back. Relishing the hunger she tasted on his lips, she let her tongue slide around his, her lips moving with his. Gulping a breath, she broke away from his seeking mouth, letting her tongue slide down his chin, nipping his skin as she continued down his neck.

One by one, she kissed over his scars until her tongue licked over the last. Sniffing back a fresh wave of tears, she tipped her head back to look up at him. Unblinking, she said, "I'm falling in love with you."

He bit his lip as a smile spread across his face, his nose dropping within inches of hers, he said, "I just flew right over the edge, Bella."

As his meaning became clear, Bella's chest burned with an intensity she could never begin to explain. Nestling her forehead into the warmth of his neck, her lashes fell to her cheeks as she felt the patter of his pulse against her skin. "I could stay just like this forever."

"No one is asking you to move, baby."

They simply stood there on their knees before one another. Edward's eyes closed as her fingers ran over his chest, climbing up his neck, sifting through his hair. When she backed away a few inches and laid on her side, she tugged at his arm, drawing him down beside her. Soon they lie side by side staring into one another's eyes. Her hands still splayed against his chest as if she were afraid to stop touching him.

Perhaps a part of her was. Maybe if she withdrew her fingers, if she stopped petting his abdomen, if she didn't lean over and brush her mouth against his, he'd disappear. She'd wake up in her bed in Phoenix and realize he'd been nothing more than an amazing dream. Her thumb feathered over his jaw, scrapping her nail along his bottom lip, and slowly she bent forward kissing him softly.

Edward's heart squeezed in his chest so consumed with this woman. Staring into her eyes, he returned her kiss, breaking away, he nuzzled her nose with the tip of his. "The freak fell in love with a swan."

"What a perfect freak he turned out to be." Bella hummed with pleasure, kissing him again. "'I've seen the ugly parts of you and I'm still staying'."

There will be a sequel to this story. I hope you all join me on that ride... I have 9 more chapters for The Mask

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