Keep an eye on the breadcrumbs I left throughout the chapter. =)
Bella's hands shook, as she drove away from Edward Cullen. The effect he had over her body and mind was unbelievable. No one had ever had that kind of power over her. He hadn't even touched her, not like her body yearned for, yet she was a quivering mess.
A squeal escaped her lips when she hit the Highway 101. She'd been on a bike again, and nothing terrible had happened, except for her embarrassing herself by vomiting then fainting.
"Ugh," she groaned, glaring at the road ahead. Edward's house was on the edge of town, surrounded by luxurious vegetation. The house itself was state of the art, made of glass and steel, so modern and sleek. She had spied some stone steps, most likely leading to the beach below.
What she had seen of the inside of the house had proved what great taste Edward had. Everything was modern, from the automatic porch light, which had sprung to life when it sensed movement, to the white marble covering the entire ground floor. The large gray couch occupied not even a third of the spacious living room, but being placed in the center of the room, it gave an even larger impression of the room's size. A glass coffee table was in front of the couch, sitting on a soft black rug. The fireplace was more for show, because Bella was sure no wood went into the sleek, glass fixture. Maybe it was electrical, probably like everything else in the house.
On the way out, she had noticed the huge kitchen made of black onyx, equipped with modern devices. She had also seen a blonde woman staring at her in shock.
Bella had no idea who she was to Edward, but it was clear that he was interested in getting to know Bella, so there shouldn't have been anyone else in his life. Maybe that woman was part of his staff. Bella couldn't imagine him cooking for himself or cleaning that house.
She didn't know a thing about relationships.
Her best friends were all boys. She didn't have any girlfriends, unless she counted Garrett's girl. Kate was as much of a tomboy as Bella was, but she lived in Camarillo.
Bella had only had one good female friend in high school, but then she'd dropped out and had lost all contact with Angela Weber.
She needed girl talk more than ever, and her only friend willing to listen to her whine was currently not speaking to her. She still couldn't believe what an ass Jake had been, making too much of a big deal out of her riding with Edward. It scared her how much she trusted Edward, but it didn't give Jake the right to act all possessive of her. She had seen how it upset Edward the way Jake treated her, but he was more mature than to pick a fight with a stranger.
Edward would probably never go to Jake's again if he needed help with his bike, and she didn't blame him.
At home, Harley greeted her enthusiastically.
"Sit." She pointed to the floor, and surprisingly, he listened. She leaned against the door, sliding down to the floor. "What am I doing, Harley?"
Like always, he was her shoulder to cry on. If the poor dog were human, he'd need therapy with all the shit she'd told him over the years. Thankfully, he was always eager to lift her mood.
At the moment, he shuffled closer, placing his big head on her lap, looking at her curiously. He'd seen her falling apart many times, but every time, he was just as curious, nosing at her wet face.
Bella usually tried not to think about what ifs, but in that very moment, she needed her brother more than ever.
James's girlfriend had always wanted to become an actress, and not three days after losing their parents, James had brought her to this very studio. He'd placed three sets of keys in her hand: for the studio, for the bar, and for his car. Then, he was gone with that vile woman Bella had come to hate with all her being. Victoria had taken her only ray of hope in the darkness. James was gone, too, and she was left all alone at seventeen.
Bella sobbed into Harley's fur, hugging him tightly. For once, he didn't squirm away from the affection.
"Did you like Edward?" she asked softly. "You did. You were such a good boy for him."
It took longer than usual for Bella to compose herself. She brushed her tears away on the way to the small bathroom.
As she stared at her blotchy reflection, she had no idea what that gorgeous man could see in her. It was clear he wanted her, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't want him, too. Even if it would be a fling until he got her out of his system, as it had happened with all the bad boys she'd met before, she'd take whatever time he would decide to spend with her.
Bella undressed slowly, a shiver running through her, as she accidentally brushed her fingers against the scar on her side. It could not be hidden by her hair, not like the one on her temple, and no tattoo artist would agree to go anywhere near it. Only Leah had agreed to add something above the ugly scar to make it look like the scar was the flat line on a heart monitor, and then it continued in curves, as if the person's heart had restarted.
Leah had also done the dandelion and birds on her right shoulder, and even though Bella wasn't her greatest fan, the woman knew her way with the needle gun.
The rose on her left foot, winding up around her ankle and set in a vine of thorns, had been her first tattoo, done a few towns over during her time with Harold. He'd always told her that she was a delicate rose, yet it was difficult to get past the thorns to see the beauty. She'd liked the comparison so much that he came up with that idea of a tattoo when he'd decided to get another one.
She rarely allowed people to see her tats because they were personal, and she hated answering stupid questions about their meaning.
She had to think about Edward's words regarding giving up control and feeling free, but she'd never been more confused in her life. If he hadn't suggested to her to off herself, then what the hell had he meant?
After a hot shower, Bella fell on the bed, still wrapped in her towel. Harley curled up at her feet as she fell asleep, dreaming of a pair of intense green eyes.
.
.
.
Edward regretted giving Felix the night off and taking his bike to his parents' house. It disabled him from doing what he wanted the most: to empty the bottle of whiskey sitting to his left on the table.
At least Emmett had been a good sport and hadn't told Rosalie anything about Bella.
Currently, his mother and sister had retreated somewhere private to talk more about Rose's upcoming wedding. Emmett and his father were discussing sports, while Edward glared into his empty plate.
He'd had to endure his mother's eternal hug when he'd arrived earlier in the evening, then his father had clapped his back, looking startled by his presence. He'd even joked that the mountain man style didn't suit him.
They had all worried about his hand wrapped in a bandage, and Edward had had to endure his father checking on the wound. It turned out Tanya could have been a nurse easily, since she'd done a superb job at cleaning the cut and applying the correct treatment. Edward had had to listen to a discourse about having needed stitches with a glare at his father.
"Edward?"
He lifted his head to look at his dad, noticing the concern in his clear blue eyes. The age lines surrounding them were new, or Edward had never stared at his dad so closely before.
"I hear you'll be present at the auction for the hospital."
"I told mom that, yes, I'd be there." Edward refrained from raising his voice.
"It will be held at Ritz-Carlton next Saturday."
"Okay. Email me the info. Is the auction for a specific wing or the whole hospital?" Edward grabbed his water glass, knowing that if he touched alcohol, he would have to sleep over. That was the last thing he wanted to do.
"We'd like to renovate the hospital."
Edward nodded. He knew that, since his dad had taken over as the chief of staff, he ran the place the way he wanted. Edward had part of his action on the hospital, too, making him his father's boss to some extent.
"I'll be there." He stood up abruptly. "I have somewhere to be in the morning. Let mom know I'll call next week."
"You're leaving without telling them goodbye?" he gasped, trying not to laugh.
"It was worth a try," Edward mumbled, heading to the stairs.
It had been too long since he'd been home. He walked slowly, following the excited voices. They were looking over a catalogue in Rose's lap.
Edward knocked on the ajar door of his mother's home office. They looked up, startled.
"Just letting you know I'm leaving."
"So soon?" His mom came to his side, touching his forearm. "It was so good to see you, honey."
He sketched a smile, and she probably saw through it when her eyes saddened. "I'll see you next week at the auction."
"Edward!" Rose rushed to him, as he took a step back in the hallway. "I'll be right back, Mom," she said over her shoulder, closing the door tightly.
It left them in the dim light of the upstairs hallway.
She took his hands, tears brimming in her large eyes. "I'm so happy to see you, Edward. You have no idea how worried I've been."
He knew exactly what she meant. She'd been the one to put him back together after his disastrous first year of college. "Don't worry. I'm better than I expected."
"That's good to hear. No more bars, though?" Her eyes held his in a deep stare.
"I can't promise that," he grinned. "No drinking, I promise."
"Edward!" she gasped. "No way. You…found someone?"
"Trust you to be perceptive. Though, keep it to yourself. It's all new. I just met her the other day."
"Well…I'm here if you need anything." She squeezed his hands. "I'm going to hug you."
She was the only one to understand him on such a deep level. He accepted the hug.
"Oh, and baby bro?" she said after pulling away. "If you plan on taking Emmett to a bachelor party, do it several days before the wedding. I'd rather not taste vomit in his mouth when I kiss my new husband."
Edward laughed loudly, possibly his first real laugh after losing Angela.
"It's not funny."
"I wasn't planning anything like that, but now that you mentioned it…"
"You're the worst!" She opened the door of their mother's home office.
"Trying to live up to my reputation," he called after her, heading downstairs.
After saying goodnight to his dad and Emmett, he went to his bike.
Instead of taking the route home, he went to Eclipse. He was surprised to find a man he could vaguely recall from his first visit to the bar behind the counter. Maybe Bella was on a break. Edward looked around, not spotting her.
A tall man with dark blond hair approached him with a friendly look. "Good evening! Can I help you?"
The man probably recognized him, but Edward had never cared what others thought of his status when he was in places people never expected to see him.
"Actually, I'm looking for Bella," he explained in a casual voice.
"Oh, I'm afraid she called in sick tonight." He shook his head sadly. "I know she's the best at entertaining patrons, but I'm sure Paul can help with anything you need," he added, waving toward the bar.
"Some other time." Edward left without a second look at the man's shocked face.
He'd been an idiot not to get Bella's number. What if she wasn't well because of riding the bike? What if riding the bike had brought back bad memories?
What if she had figured out what he wanted from her and she was avoiding him?
Edward gunned it down the highway, keeping an ear and an eye for the cops, but he had to let his sudden anger at himself out somehow.
At home, he was relieved to see all the lights out. Tanya hadn't said anything about Bella, but she'd watched him with the most peculiar look in her eyes. Maybe she thought he'd lost his mind.
So, Edward survived dinner at his parents' house. Next chapter we meet Jasper and Alice.