All characters belong to SMeyer. This book contains heavy lemons.
Wicked Ways
Bella
Fire. Green fire, swarming around me in a tornado and I was at its center. The heat burned me, sizzling my skin like cooked meat. I couldn't get out, couldn't get away. I felt the heat rise, burning my feet. My arms were locked behind me, I couldn't move. Couldn't breath. A tendril of fire broke away from the twisting flames, snaking its way up my body and forcing its way down my throat.
The fire was gone, I was sprawled on the alter again. My arms were still bound. Helpless, I was helpless. Gran was there, circling the alter, her dark eyes scrutinizing me. She looked so regal, so queenly. She commanded respect and power. A standard I couldn't live up to. I'd have a better time with the fire--
"Come home, Bella." She brandished a knife. No. The knife. The very knife Victoria used to stab me. She ran the tip from my knee to my hip, ripping the gown I wore. "Come home."
"No. Don't do this to me." I choked.
"You're alone. All alone."
"No."
"You're weak."
"No!" I sobbed.
She gave me a disappointed look and lifted her arm, gripping the hilt of knife and brought it down to bury it in my throat. Vampires appeared, digging into me, biting me, flames licking my veins--!!!!!
I bolted upward in bed, panting. My shoulder ached, the puckered pink scar throbbing. I blinked a few times, slowly regaining my breath as I saw that I was safe in my own bedroom. My books, my tool shelf full of crystals and candles and dried or pressed flowers. My lamp had been left on. My laptop sat at the end of my bed, the essay I was writing still unfinished. I looked at the clock.
Five in the morning.
I shoved the thick, plum velvet comforter off and got up on shaky legs. A fine coat of sweat covered my body in annoying places, my shoulder length curls matted and stuck to spots on my face. I crossed the room and threw my window open, sucking in the icy air that hit me in the face.
Mr. Gallagher from next door was walking his pug by our house when he spotted me, pausing to stare up at me. I looked down and snorted, hanging my head out the window. "Take a picture! It'll last longer!" I barked at him and he threw me a rude gesture before him and his pug power walked off.
"Dick." I turned away from my window and unhooked the bra I had been wearing. Lingerie was more like it. Edward had promised he'd come by. I fell asleep while waiting for him, working on my essay for my humanities course.
I stripped off the now sweat smeared lace and matching thong, tossing it in my hamper before I searched for my phone.
No missed calls. No text messages. Nothing.
I sighed, sitting down on the end of the bed and dropping my head into my hands.
Edward has been distant with me. He always seemed so...rigid now. Uncomfortable. What was worse was I had no idea why and he let my imagination run hog shit wild. It started a month ago, he seemed to be less interested in sex, sometimes he only gave me one worded answers and he would stare at the wall rather than look at me.
We should break up. He had told me this in May and immediately backpeddled. Right after...the lumber yard. Battle of the Lumber Yard, Emmett had boasted about it. Edward had promised, sworn to never leave me after but...well, was he scared of me? Of the wrath he thinks he would face? If he didn't want me, why give me a vial of his venom as I had given him a vial of my blood?
Mates. That was a big word to vampires and he used it on me. A bond no one just got over. He saw me as his one and only so why did it feel like...maybe he didn't want me to be his one and only anymore? I swallowed the lump in my throat, daring myself to consider a future without Edward if he broke up with me.
It didn't look great. It felt hollow. Even now, as I sat alone in my room, I craved his very presence like an addict craved their favorite drug. He was a reassurance, a comfort, my security blanket. I wanted nothing more than for him to pull me against him and hold me to make the nightmares go away.
I decided I needed to have a sit down talk with him. We've been seeing each other for nearly nine months. Of course it was sexually at first but eventually it was a relationship...
I slipped into the bathroom to shower, still shaky and tired. I ended up sitting at the bottom of the tub, letting the hot water rush over my head while I buried my face in my knees. The nightmare was a little different this time. Marie didn't usually make an appearance and if she did, she didn't take the place of the other star of the horror show. Victoria. Because of the dreams and with time, I was able to remember most of the fight. I remembered how I had dragged Victoria into the Void and released her, letting the dark take her. I never knew what the outcome would be and I didn't seek out other Shadow Walkers to ask. I'd rather avoid others like me all together, actually. My first meeting with one didn't go too great.
My fingers traced the scar left behind when Edward's teeth as ripped into me, leaving the perfect impression of his teeth. The slight bumps were cool to the touch which fascinated me because when his venom coursed through my veins, it was like someone had used a needle to shoot lava up. It was easy enough to hide with make up or a glamor charm. Edward hated looking at it. A reminder...
I made myself consider my Grandmother's presence in my dreams and wondered if it was either an omen or she's trying to do some weird brainwashing spell to get me to come home. I've already had to change my number twice to keep her from harassing me via cell phone. She wasn't a Matriarch anymore. I could file an official complaint with the Council of Covens but it could take months for them to do anything about it.
The water eventually ran cold and I very reluctantly climbed out of the shower. I used magic to dry my hair and body, staring into the mirror. I've lost weight. I had already been scrawny before but...well, now I just didn't look healthy at all. I ran my fingers over my collarbone, too visible beneath my skin. There were dark circles beneath my eyes. I looked defeated. Exhausted. Hell, I was.
The nightmares were getting to me. They have been for awhile now. I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting to find Victoria waiting there with a knife in her fucking hand or Marie with a human sized knap sack prepared to cartoonishly kidnap me.
I smoothed a hand through my hair, pulling at the curls. They weren't as tight as they were a few months ago, falling loosely to frame my face and just barley tickle the tops of my shoulders. Atleast my hair was still shiny. Back in my room, it was ice cold. I shivered, waving a hand. The window shut.. Fuck, it was September.
Forks never let me down with cold or wet weather.
I dressed in the warm, soft pale cream sweater Alice had gifted me through the mail. She's been attempting to get me to wear lighter colors as she considered my wardrobe "depressing." I considered it "classy" but Edward seemed to like the sweater on me as it clung to me like a second skin and the low cut V flaunted my cleavage and the cropped bottom showed my belly piercing. I stepped into a pair of high waisted Levi jeans and sat down to roll the hems into cuffs.
Even as I dressed and the sun rose, I kept my eyes on the window, hoping Edward would come through. Once my Doc Martens were laced up, I scooped my phone back up and sent him a text.
Missed you last night. Love you. I stared at the text after I sent it, waiting impatiently for the text back.
It was marked as read.
Dick.
Despite this, I still put on the gold necklace he had gifted me for graduation. I made sure to tuck the vial into my sweater, though anyone with eyes could see the chain that disappeared beneath the collar. I was up before Charlie was, already sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee and Wuthering Heights in my lap.
"Well, shit." He stood on the bottom step in his ugly blue robe, his hair a mess from sleep. "I was gonna make you breakfast and bring it to you."
I shrugged. "I'd rather a fuss not be made today. I'm not vibing."
"This is the first birthday I actually get to spend with my kid." Charlie shuffled into the kitchen. He paused to touch a hand to the framed photo of his beloved dead pet, Abe. Assumed dead. The cat hasn't been seen in months and Charlie was still grieving. "Its gonna be epic. Better than your last birthday. What did you do for your eighteenth?"
I didn't answer and he only looked at me once before realizing he shouldn't push. For my eighteenth, I was mourning the death of Victoria and picking up random strangers at a concert for a band I didn't even like. I had gone on a six day bender, strung out on some girls couch while she went down on me. When I finally shambled my hungover ass home, Marie hadn't even acknowledged my birthday had happened. She just looked at me in disgust and told me to go jump in the pool to "get the smell of vagrant off me."
My seventeenth was spent babysitting Victoria and studying Necromancy under Colette.
My sixteenth...happened before Victoria died the first time. It was supposed to be a sweet sixteen party but Marie grounded me for something so stupid I couldn't even remember what it was. Victoria and I snuck out to a night club and we ended up sharing a pretty faced boy with a guitar.
"I don't like my birthdays." I said quietly. Charlie returned with his own cup of coffee, and unlit cigarette between his fingers. "I think I want to skip this year if thats okay."
"Sure, kid." He said softly. "How about a pizza and we pretend that you weren't conceived during Yule."
I choked on my coffee while he laughed loudly. "Why would you tell me that?" I gagged.
"Cause it's funny." He ruffled my hair. "No plans with Dipshit?"
"He hasn't mentioned any." I looked at my phone again. Nothing. I had a hard time believing that vampires just forgot things considering the oh so perfect memory they boasted about.
Charlie hmphed. I checked the clock and got up, going to put my mug in the sink. "I gotta get to work." I picked up the dark green vest and my leather tassel purse. Charlie raised his mug at me as I shadow walked from my house to work.
After graduation, I had gotten a job at a bookstore in Port Angeles. Because of my ability to shadow walk, the commute wasn't an issue. I arrived one minute early before every shift. The bookstore was called Rick's Books Emporium. It was a large store, packed to the brim with floor to ceiling book cases that were overcrowded with second hand novels and series. There was an entire room just dedicated to comic books and the front of the store sold the newer released copies. On the outside it had big windows looking in and the cement building had been painted an ugly orange color.
I leaned leaned the door, checking my black matte nails as Rick himself rounded the corner.
Rick was a cool dude. He was Charlie's age with shoulder length graying brown hair that he wore half up and half down. His usual wardrobe was loose T shirts and denim vests with patches of punk bands and overused cowboy boots.
He stopped when he saw me, catching his keys from where he had been swinging them around his finger. "Good morning, Bella. Early again, I see." He looked at the parking lot where only his car sat. "How exactly do you get here?"
"Magic." I shrugged.
He bit his cheek. "Mmmhmm..."
"Is one of those coffee for me, boss?" I asked innocently. He indeed held a coffee carrier with four Starbucks cups in it.
"Indeed it is. Happy birthday." He handed one to me.
I drank it greedily, scalding my mouth as he unlocked the doors. "Thanks."
"Dont expect me to let you out of work today. I need you to stock the shelves with the new shipment of Dusk books." He told me as he opened the door. "I'd ask Jessica, but..."
Ah, yes. Jessica.
I had met her when I first moved to Forks and only spent a minimal amount of time with her. After Lauren had a freak out after a confrontation with me, her and her friends kept her distance. I really only spoke to Angela Webber and Mike Newton--before he tried to kill me, of course. I didn't blame him. It was the still missing voodoo dolls that made him do it. Well, the warlock Laurent controlling the voodoo doll...
Red flashed in my vision and I saw Laurent gurgling on his own blood as I stood and watched vampires rip him open.
I shook my head, back to the present and went to go clock in behind the counter. Rick kept a foot locker under the counter for the girl employees to store their purses in. I looked at my phone one last time, disappointed before stuffing in my purse and putting if in.
The POS system was old and out of date, but Rick wouldn't splurge on a new one. He put the open sign on just as Jessica ran in from the rain, wobbling in her rain boots. She huffed, struggling with her umbrella and shook herself off. "I am so over this weather! I'm moving to California!" She declared for the third time this week.
I ignored her at first as she aggressively wiped her feet on the rug at the doors, still booting up the system. She gave me an annoyed look and stomped behind the counter to clock in. "You're in a mood today." I scowled.
She flipped me off and shucked out of her shapeless jacket, cramming it into the foot locker along with her small wicker purse.
"Is this gonna be a problem today, ladies?" Rick demanded as he brought a big box up from the back. He's had to break up multiple arguments between us before and I'm surprised one of us didn't get fired yet with all the squabbling.
"No." Jessica mumbled and shoved back her dark hair into a tight knot on her head, securing it with a scrunchie. I tried to ignore the roundness of her belly, a sudden epiphany of why Rick probably let her keep her job.
Rick shoved the box at me over the counter. "Go stock these."
I opened the box with a box cutter and picked up the latest novel I have been dying to read. "Ugh! I hate these books." I shook the twilight-blue paper backs at my boss. "Their depictions of vampires are overly sexualized."
"Uh huh, sure. Like your name isn't on the waiting list." Rick snorted a laugh and picked up a clip board.
"Add it to my tab, please." I set the copy I picked up on the counter and carried the heavy box to the front of the store where I began to unload them on the display shelf.
The double doors opened again and this time someone I actually liked stepped through.
Riley Biers.
He was older, twenty three I think. He's the assistant manager and has worked here since high school. He was attractive, with a dimpled chin and dark blond hair. He was much nicer to work with, exuding a laid back college boy vibe and we developed a friendship since I've started working here.
It drove Jessica nuts.
"I heard." Riley leaned on the display and shook a Daylight Donuts bag at me. "It was someone's birthday today."
I shot a menacing look at Rick and stood up, two copies of the book clutched in one hand. "You didn't have to do that, Riley." I smiled. "Really.'
"What and let the ladies of this store go hungry? Absolutely not." He scoffed. "Its not just for you, its also for my baby mama over there. Hey, boo." He nodded his chin at a blushing Jessica who knocked over our novelty book mark display.
I laughed and accepted the glazed donut he handed me.
"So, you and the Ward got anything planned tonight?" He asked, talking louder as he went to go clock in. The Ward. Edward hated that nick name from Riley and he hated Riley even more.
Has he text back yet?
"So far, no." I scarfed down the donut and went to finish the display.
"Wanna come to poetry night ? It's going to be awful." Riley helped Jessica fix the display. "You can bring The Ward."
"Maybe. What time?"
He told me the details and I perked up a little bit. I could shade home, change, grab Edward and shade back. It would be over by the time dinner with Charlie rolled around. I've never been to a poetry night before and it's been my latest book obsession.
"Jess, you want to come?" Riley asked her.
She gave him a deer in the headlights look and stammered a bit. "Uh...uh...sure. Totally." Her face was red.
I hid my smirk behind the books I held.
When I was nearing my break later on, I was tasked with wrapping newer, still popular books in a thin cellupha wrap to protect it from the price stickers. Rick hated stickers on bare book covers. He was the only dude I knew who had a huge problem with it and as far as I knew, this wasn't a job at other book stores. Riley was checking out a mother and her young daughter and a stack of kids books.
The doors jingles as they opened and out of pure habit at this point, I sang, "Welcome to Rick's Book Emporium, the porn is in the back."
The mother shot me a deathly glare as Riley choked on a laugh. I looked up and squealed, immediately bouncing up and down.
"Bestie!" Alice sang as she strutted in to the store like a professional model.
I hopped over the counter, throwing my arms out as Alice jumped and wrapped her legs around me. "When did you get back?' I was so excited I didn't even pay attention when Rick cleared his throat loudly. I continued to hold Alice like a child.
"An hour ago! I had to drop Jazz off at home." Alice looked fantastic. When didn't she? Her inky pixie cut framed her beautiful cheekbones and she wore an expensive, designer top with lots of frills and lace.
I swung Alice around on my hip. "Riley!" I called, pointing to Alice who giggled. "This is my wife."
Riley shot me an amused grin. "Wife? What's The Ward gonna say about that?"
"The Ward?" Alice laughed as I set her down. For a vampire she was very light weight.
Alice and Jasper have been traveling. She had called and admitted to me she found Harper to try and help her remember her mysterious past, but she was unable to help for some reason. I wasn't sure what she's learned since. I also wasn't sure how to feel to learn that Harper was living by herself sans Abby.
"Edward." I explained.
"Oh! You're the Riley my brother complains about!" Alice gasped.
I elbowed her, wincing when it hurt.
Riley wasn't even bothered by that. "Thats me."
"Bella. Take your break if you're gonna socialize." Rick was annoyed.
I saluted him and went to clock out. We each got twenty minutes breaks to eat and smoke if we'd like. I grabbed my purse and linked an arm through Alice's and dragged her across the street to a Cafe I frequented during my breaks.
"Does Jessica know she's having a boy? Should I tell her?" Alice asked seriously.
I scoffed. "Do you care?"
"Well, sort of." Alice shrugged. "It is Mike Newton's and we sort of owe him some help."
I gasped loudly. "Oh, my Goddess that's craaazzy." I picked up my scone. "Haven't you guys helped him with his lawyer cost? Why do you even feel bad? It wasn't your fault Laurent came to Forks." It was mine. Alot of things were my fault. Fuck. Great. Now Mike had a kid out there he probably wouldn't get to see.
Do not pity Jessica.
Too late.
"We have the means to so why not?" Alice and I took a window seat near the door. "All anonymous of course."
I propped my chin in my hand. "I missed you, Ali."
She softened. "I missed you, too. Edward is going to pick you up from work, by the way."
"Oh? This a vision?" I asked, sipping my tea.
"Yes."
"Can you tell me if he agrees to come with me to a poetry reading?"
Alice got a look on her face. "You don't need to go."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "You're planning a surprise party for me, aren't you?"
She forced a laugh. "What? No!"
"How is an apex predator like yourself such a shit liar?" I asked seriously. "Alice, I didn't want a party. "
"I know, I know but you'll really like this one." She insisted.
"I'm not going." I crossed my arms.
"Please?" She pleaded. "We worked so hard on it. So hard. No one in our family has celebrated their birthday in years and it'll be like a family reunion. Rose and Emmett came from France, Carlisle and Esme are coming back from Vancouver..."
I groaned loudly, hanging my head back. "Fine! But I'm gonna complain the whole time!"
"No, you won't!" She grinned, revealing her ultra white and ultra sharp teeth. The smile was so disturbing that my mind blanked and I remembered that she really was an apex predator.
/
Edward was late.
I had gotten off my shift at four. It was five. I sat on a bench beneath the porch awning of the store, cross legged with my purse in my lap and struggling not to light a cigarette. I had quit months ago but I kept a secret pack in a zipper in my bag to hide from Edward. If I lit up now, it would be a lecture once he smelled it on me.
If he smelled it on me. I checked my watch, annoyed as hell because I could have been home by now. Alice admitted he was picking me up to save them time to finish decorating and setting up. Maybe he was doing this on purpose?
"Bella?" Riley startled me. He had been in the process of leaving. "You okay?"
"Hm? Yeah. Yup. Waiting on Ward." I let go of the thumb I had been biting at.
Riley studied my face and looked from me to his car. Then he shrugged and sat down beside me.. "Mind if I wait with you?"
"Why?"
"I have two roommates and my grandma for a landlord, I really have no rush to get home." He threw an arm over the back of the bench. "Need to talk?"
I hesitated, chewing on my lip. "Its nothing. Just pissy is all. Edward was supposed to be here at four."
"I can give you a ride if that's an issue." Riley offered.
"No, it's fine. Just...I dont like my birthdays." I blurted out. "And now I have to go to a surprise party I didn't really want. That sounds ungrateful but I just...I hate my birthdays."
Riley rubbed his chin absently. "Any reason why?"
"I...lost my sister. Well, we were like sisters. Um...the last couple of birthdays sucked real hard and I just wanted a break this year." I ran a hand through my hair, shaking it out. "Maybe next time."
Riley's brown eyes softened and he put a comforting hand on my knee. "I'm sorry about your sister."
Of course this is the time Edward chooses to arrive.
His silver Volvo pulled into the small parking lot and pulled up to the very front. I bid Riley goodbye and stood up, aware that he was watching me as I walked down the slick pathway to the parking lot.
Edward got out of the car and I paused to appreciate the sight of him.
His bronze hair was windblown back, revealing the slight widows peak he had. His thick eyebrows perfectly accented the symmetrically of his face. A strong jaw, great cheekbones and a perfectly straight nose. What caught my attention was his beautiful eyes...were no longer green, but gold. Like before.
"Bella." He smiled at me like I was the best thing in the world and I beamed back, forgetting I was supposed to be upset with him. He swiftly walked around the front of his car and gripped my hips, pressing me against the side door as he ducked his head to kiss me.
Oooh, it was a great fucking kiss. It was full of longing and passion and pure need. My tongue traced over his bottom lip, his fingers sliding into my hair. When he pulled away, I was frazzled and panting and found I had wound my arms around his neck and he had lifted me a foot off the ground.
"Happy birthday." He purred and kissed me again.
I melted.
He set me down and nodded to Riley, who had a sour look on his face. I waved at my friend and got in the car, Edward closing the door behind me.
"I know about the party." I told him as he got in and started the car.
He shrugged. "I know. Can you pretend for Esme's sake?"
"Obviously." I would rather chew off my foot than disapoint Edward's angelic foster vampire mom. "Can we discuss your new look?" I gestured to his eyes.
His smile fell. "Carlisle and I have a theory that...your blood has worn off."
"Are Carlisle and Emmett's eyes back to normal, too?" I asked him, curious.
"Yes. They both shrugged it off and didn't bother to tell me anything." He shrugged and fiddled with the radio. "They didn't think it was a big deal, apparently."
I haven't seen most of the Cullens since they left in June. They kept the house, which is where Edward and his ghostly mom resided in. I'd spend the night more but with Edward being the only family member she sees, Elizabeth was hard to shake. It started to feel like I was third wheeling. I'm glad Edward was able to spend so much time with his mom, but I haven't been properly fucked in weeks, just hand stuff and heavy petting.
My eyes raked over Edward's tall, lean and muscular form. He didn't usually wear darker clothes, the exception being our prom. He wore dark wash jeans and a thick, black cardigan over a black button up shirt. The sleeves were pulled up to his elbow, revealing the muscles in his forearms and dusting of dark hairs.
I laughed.
"What?" He glanced at me.
"Look, we traded styles." I gestured to the cream colored top and blue jeans I wore.
Edward raked his eyes over me as I had done him, golden eyes lingering on my exposed cleavage. I raised a brow at him and playfully pulled my shirt down, exposing more of the swelled skin. His eyes darkened visibly and seeing that always made me wet. It was some weird vampire thing, their emotions manipulating their eyes. He flicked his tongue out to wet his bottom lip.
"We can pull over." I suggested, raking a hand through my hair to move it off my neck.
The movement drew his attention and the lusty look vanished, replaced by something else. He glowered at the road. "So...Riley got comfortable today."
I gaped at him, confused by the whiplash of emotions from him. "What?"
"Riley likes you a little too much."
"No, no, no. We were getting flirty and sexy and we were going to pull over and have hot car sex without being interrupted." I whined. "Why does Riley matter? I am asking you to fuck me, Ward."
"Later." He grumbled and fuck, that hurt my feelings.
I sank back against my seat, feeling my anger boil under the surface. "Riley is a friend. He invited both of us to a poetry reading tonight."
"Poetry?" He murmured, distant.
"Yes, poetry." I frowned at him. His gaze was weirdly vacant.. "I like poetry so he invited me. Us. He invited us."
"I would much rather avoid him and his thoughts, thank you." He replied icily. "Out of any of the other boys who have pictured you naked, his is the closest."
My nose wrinkled. "Ew."
He hummed his agreement and we didn't speak for the rest of the car ride.
/
I made Edward take me to my house so I could change outfits.
He lay across my bed, hands tucked behind his head while he watched me rifle through my closet. His golden eyes flicked back and forth, following me as I went from my closet to my mirror and back again. "What am I supposed to wear?" I demanded, irked by my lack of options.
"You didn't even want this party. Why does it matter?" Edward asked, his eyes drifting to the ceiling.
I gave him a shocked look. "It always matters." I returned to the closet and pulled out a dress I haven't worn since I impulse bought it. Pleased with it, I stripped down to my underwear and slid into it.
It was a short, bell sleeved velvet dress of a deep, cobalt blue. The skirt was flared and the neckline was plunging. I put on my thigh high black suede boots and did a twirl in the mirror.
"Is this good?" I asked Edward.
He didn't even look at me. "Of course it is."
Okay, something was up. I climbed on the bed, crawling over him and straddled his stomach. He finally looked at me, a bored look on his face. "Something is wrong with you." I said quietly. "Is it me?"
"No." He answered too quickly. My stomach churned. "I...haven't felt myself lately is all. I'm sorry." He sat up, pushing me into his lap and wrapped an arm around my hips. His eyes finally took in my outfit and a sultry smirk crossed his lips. "Oh, okay, I love this." His fingertips traced down between my breasts, pushing aside the crystal vial of his venom. "You look delicious." He growled and planted an icy kiss to my throat. I shivered, my fingers tangling in his hair as he kissed over my skin hungrily.
"Ward." I exhaled loudly and ground against the rising bulge in his lap. "Can we please..."
"No." He ripped himself away from me so fast, leaving me to fall face first on the bed. I pushed myself up, stunned.
Edward stood by the window, a hand over his mouth as he stared out into the dark.
"What the hell is going on with you?" I was angry.
"Nothing!" His voice was sharp. "Come on, we wasted enough time."
My lip quivered as he stomped out of my bedroom, leaving me feeling even more empty and alone than I was when I woke up.
Some trouble in paradise, it seems. Don't give up on Edward just yet, babe. Read the next chapter to find out why Edward's being a turd.
Bella is going through alot, dealing with the trauma of the last book and might have to face the repercussions