Bella's POV
"Bella, don't look so scared." Edward says in a gentle tone. "It's only a golf ball, it won't hurt you."
As sweet as his voice is, I can't help but roll my eyes.
He chuckles. My eyes quickly dart from the orange ball on the Astro turf, to his face.
He stands less than a foot away from me. Golf club by his side, a smug expression on his handsome face, with his gorgeously tousled hair flowing ever so slightly under the AC vents. He's the picture of perfection and makes golfing look effortless.
I, on the other hand, am the total opposite.
In the thirty minutes we've been here, I have proven that holding a golf club and not falling over, is a lot more complicated than it looks. Mini golf is a very awkward sport, at least it is for me.
Also, attempting to hit the golf ball with the club isn't an easy task. Which is why we lost five balls on the first hole. I managed to finally hit them, but they didn't go into the hole like they were supposed to. Where they went, I do not know.
At least I hit them. Even if it did take a while and they went in the wrong direction. Edward thought it was funny, but I didn't. It made him laugh, though he tried to disguise his laughter as a cough. His fake cough wasn't fooling me.
One of those colorful balls even broke a tooth on a dinosaur statue, which I didn't think would happen. But of course, it did because I have a horrible aim.
Horrible aim and a knack for disaster and attempted murder. That's me in a nutshell. Just like an older lady with short gray hair yelled at me, after my ball landed like six feet away from her, and inside the pond, making a big splash as it sank to the bottom. She claimed she almost died from the ball landing in the water, that the splash could have drowned her. But the water didn't even touch her, neither did the ball.
It was a WAY over exaggeration from what happened. She attempted to give me an earful about my recklessness while Edward fished my ball out of the pond.
She seemed to have a lot to say, though Edward put a stop to that, calmly telling her it was an accident. His voice and his dazzling trick seemed to hypnotize her. Though it didn't seem like attraction that dazzled her, the way it does to me. Maybe it was fear since she was sweating and shaking after he smiled a wide toothy grin at her. Well, whatever it was, it effectively shut her up, ending the unpleasant conversation. With that angry woman all discombobulated, someone from her group went over to her, walking her back to where the rest of their group was.
The whole incident was embarrassing and left me feeling ashamed. Edward noticed that and comforted me.
I was actually surprised the security guard didn't come over to us. We never even saw him, not even once while the lady was making such a loud fuss and yelled for management. When I mentioned that to Edward, he told me the security guard and the manager were outside the building, making sure a very odd peeping Tom that was thrown out, wouldn't come back.
The way Edward said that and suppressed a laugh at the end. Made it seem he knew something I didn't.
I never asked about it though. I wanted to but didn't have a chance. Because I dropped my ball, tripped over it, tumbled backwards into hole number eight. I'm not even sure how, but I lost my phone in the golf return. Edward had to retrieve it and accidentally broke the little door on the return thingy.
To say I haven't had good luck with balls tonight, is a complete understatement.
But even so, I'm not scared of a golf ball. Or even a golf club, which I may have not had a good grip on at one point. Since it flew out of my hands and landed far away from me on the third hole when we were on the First hole. It actually landed in a golf hole, to be exact. Right where a pink pterodactyl statue sits on a bridge. I'll skip the details of how that happened.
It was not a great moment. Neither was when I accidentally hit Edward on the shoulder with my golf club. It was badly bent, and he had to straighten it out before anyone saw. But at least I didn't hurt him like when I accidentally hit him between the legs with my club. Not once, but twice. He was down for about three minutes each time. I feel so bad about that.
At first, when he screamed like a girl, I thought he might have been pretending, faking that getting hit in that delicate area hurt him. Just like it would if he were human. But that wasn't the case. After he recovered from the second blow and carefully straightened out the bent club that hit his thigh in the process, I worked up the courage to ask him about it. He answered me with complete honesty and a little embarrassment. Saying that certain parts of a vampire's body are still sensitive and hurt like hell when injured.
So, I have learned the hard way. That I, a clumsy human girl, can accidentally hurt my vampire boyfriend with a golf club.
I still feel really bad about that. Even though he accepted my apology with a kiss that made my lips a bit puffy when we got carried away, hiding behind a volcano to make out for a while. That was fun and I wish we could have stayed there for the rest of the night. But we eventually left our make out spot to get back to the game we're playing.
I cringe at the thought that I actually hurt Edward. But at least he knows I would never want to intentionally hit him in that spot. It just happened… Unfortunately.
Hopefully I'll manage to hit the ball this time without any unfortunate incidents.
"Edward, I know it's a golf ball." I try very hard to keep the annoyance out of my voice. "And I'm not scared of it. Don't be ridiculous."
"Okay. Well, you look a bit nervous." He points out. "But at least you're no longer holding your golf club like a baseball bat."
I glare at him. He snickers.
Technically, I didn't hold it like a baseball bat. Well, not exactly. Though I may have gripped the metal stick like a bat without realizing it. In my defense, I wasn't aware there was a difference in the way I was supposed to hold it.
Just like I wasn't aware there was a proper way to stand while playing golf. Until I heard a little boy from the group of people behind us, loudly pointing out that I was doing it wrong. The little redhead girl who was by his side, agreed with him. Though neither of the little kids meant to be mean, I felt stupid and blushed in embarrassment. Their parents hushed them and quickly apologized while they waited their turn.
After that, Edward politely demonstrated with his own golf club how to hold it. That was helpful. But still, I'm not great at it.
Why would I be? Mini golf falls under the category of sports. Which I'm horrible at and if it weren't for my dazzling vampire boyfriend, who I love spending time with. I would have definitely faked being sick to get out of this.
Might seem odd. But I can't even walk and chew gum without spraining an ankle. That's not an over exaggeration, it literally happened when I was in 4th grade. It was not pretty.
"Bella," Edward puts his hand on my arm.
His cool touch and velvet voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I'm snapped back to reality.
"Uh, what?" I mumble, looking at him.
"I was asking you if you're going to take your turn." He points to the ball on the floor in front of me.
"Why wouldn't I?" I say with a bit of attitude.
I'm not trying to be sassy, and I hope I'm not coming off as rude. My only intention is to not be shy when I'm around him.
"I don't know," He shrugs his shoulders. "You just seem scared."
His words are taunting and so is the smirk on his face.
I roll my eyes and get in position to hit the gosh darn ball. Before I have a chance to swing, Edward moves out of my way, scrambling over to a nearby wooden bench and sitting down. From the corner of my eye, I see him sitting with his hands in his lap, protectively cupping his jeans where his zipper is.
To any person passing by he looks like a kid who wants to rest for a bit. Only I know differently. He's trying to protect his manhood from me and the dangerous weapon I hold in my hands.
With the realization of that, I gulp. He's probably afraid of what I'm capable of doing with a golf club.
'Please don't screw up this time. Don't hurt Edward.' I think to myself.
Taking one long look at the tiny ball, I shut my eyes. Opening my eyes, I swing the metal golf stick, wishing I'll hit the ball on my first try. But I don't.
Of course not. I'm not an athlete after all. I've never been good at sports in my whole life. Unless you can count that one time in preschool when we played hot potato and I won. I made it through the whole game without dropping the plastic potato. Which was a personal record for me.
If only mini golf was as easy as hot potato.
I sigh.
From the sidelines, Edward encourages me to try again. I do. Once again, I get the same result and hit the air.
Nothing but air.
I groan.
"You got this, Bella." Edward says, trying to cheer me on. Though his tone sounds very nervous.
Determined to do this – to hit the ball in the hole – I take a deep breath. Letting the air escape my lips I try to convince myself that mini golf is easy. After all, it's not that hard, everyone else can do it, even little kids. I should be able to do it too. So, why haven't I? I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking this and if I convince myself, it's easy, it will be. Or maybe…the ball is evil and I'm never going to hit it.
Glaring at the ball, I swing the golfing stick in the air. It comes back down but once again; my ball is sitting in place. I hit nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Frustrated, I groan. This game isn't fun.
"Bella, I'm getting up. Please don't swing." Edward begs.
Holding my golf stick firmly by my side, I look over at him. He's slowly walking over to me with an apprehensive expression upon his face.
"I won't swing." I promise. "I can't do it anyway so why try?"
My tone is irritated, and I wonder if my face shows it too. But there's no point in keeping the annoyance out of my voice now. I'm not good at lying or hiding my feelings.
"Love," He says, standing close to me now. "I see your becoming discourage –"
"No, I'm not." I interrupt him
That's a lie of course. However, I don't see why I should admit it.
"Don't be stubborn." He reaches out and touches my right cheek. Running his fingers over my face he looks at me intently.
My heart drums against my chest. It's beating fast and I can't remember how to form words anymore.
Ugh. He's doing that dazzling trick.
"This is supposed to be fun." He speaks softly, caressing my other cheek before dropping his hand to my shoulder. "There's no need to become discouraged. Rome wasn't built in a day."
"Uh? What are you talking about?" I can't figure out what golf and Rome have in common.
He smiles his crooked smile. "I mean, no one is expected to be great when they play something for the first time."
"You are." I grumble. "You play mini golf like a professional and you have never played before."
"It's not my first time."
"But you said you have never been to a mini golf course before tonight." I feel bemused as my words blur together. They are so fast, though I'm sure he can hear me.
"And I haven't."
I blink my eyes. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."
"I told you I haven't played miniature golf. Or even been on a real golf course." He begins to explain. "Which was true. But I've played a type of golf. Not the traditional sport, it's one that my mother came up with for an agility course she created for my brothers and me. To keep us busy, which she tends to do quite often."
"Oh." Is all I say.
"So, you see, I'm not instantly good at golf. I've had practice over the years, thanks to my mom."
My eyes stay glued to his angelic face as he smiles at me. I now understand why he's so good at mini golf. He's had practice with this crazy sport. But I still wish I was good at it.
Part of me kind of wants to leave, to give up and go do something else. Though I'm too shy to say that to him.
"Would you like to try again?" He asks in a smooth tone.
His voice is so compelling and despite thinking it's best to give up, I find myself wanting to please him.
"Um…. Yeah. I guess so." I nod my head and look down at the ball. "Hopefully I can hit it quickly."
"Hmmm. I wonder…" Edward's voice trails off and I look at him. His golden eyes light up as he gazes at me.
I can tell he's thinking about something. But I have no idea what's on his mind.
"You wonder what?" I want to know.
"If you might have better luck if I help you." Edward says, brushing his fingers against my collarbone again.
His voice, his eyes, his touch. All of it gives me butterflies and I blush.
He gently places his hand under my chin, lifting my face up. My eyes meet his and he's doing that dazzling thing again. Darn. Right away my brain goes numb.
I look from his eyes to his lips. My heart beats wildly at the thought of his lips on mine.
"Kiss me?" I urge in a whisper.
He chuckles. "Sure, I'll give you a good luck kiss."
Without another thought in my mind, my eyes close and his lips brush mine. His scent covers me in a heavy mist. It's the best smell in the world. I want to stay like this forever.
But it's just a quick kiss and all too soon our lip's part. The separation leaves me wanting more. I whimper as I open my eyes and see a cocky expression on his face.
Kissing is a lot more fun than trying to hit a small ball with a stick. Why can't we just forget this dumb game and make out?
"Kissing is fun," He says as if he can read my mind. "There's plenty of time for more, I promise. But for now, let's play."
He points to the golf ball. I nod.
All I am capable of doing is nodding. My mind is still numb and forming words seems impossible. The only thing I can really think of is kissing Edward.
Is it any surprise that I much rather kiss him than play golf? But he seems very invested in this game. I don't want to disappoint him and tell him I want to quit playing. So, I comply.
Without another word he places his club on the floor and stands behind me. In that classic way guys do to hold a girl. But trying to cover it up that he's "helping me play the game." Though I don't mind.
His arms wrap around me as his hands rest on mine. Wanting to stay like this forever, I melt into his embrace.
Cold.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Loved.
That's how being wrapped up in his strong arms makes me feel. There's no place else I'd rather be.
"Now remember, mini golf is easy," Edward's smooth voice breaks me out if my musings.
"Everything is easy for you." I mumble, pressing my back to his chest. "You're a bit of a showoff. You know that, right?"
"Can I help it if I'm a better golfer than you?" He says jokingly.
"Show off." I grumble, pretending to be mad.
He chuckles. I scoff.
"Quit laughing and just show me how to play." I say forcefully.
As cute as he is, I don't plan on putting up with his taunting. He may be better at this crazy sport we are playing than I am. But that doesn't give him a reason to make fun of me.
"Keep your eye on the ball," He instructs in a husky tone. "Try hitting it firmly."
"I have." I complain.
"Umm… Without swinging the putter too high. Remember, you're not trying to hit the sky." His breathing is heavy and his voice very low.
I don't respond as his hands guide mine. He gives instructions on the best way to hit the ball and together we swing the putter, with the correct amount of force, though we purposely miss the ball. I listen while he explains why we didn't hit the ball on the first try. That's because he wants me to have an idea of how to hit the ball on my own.
"So, you want me to hit the ball forcefully but not with too much power?" I ask, trying to make sure I'm understanding right. It's difficult to think clearly being wrapped up in his strong arms.
"Yes," He nuzzles his head against mine, breathing in deeply. "You want the putter to impact the ball and… and umm… umm…"
"And what?" I ask when he doesn't continue.
"You smell really, really good. Your flavor is divine." He inhales.
"Thank you?"
My words weren't supposed to be a question but came out that way.
"I mean it. Your aroma is very floral, not edible, and I can't get enough." He buries his nose in my hair and inhales. "You smell like a field of wildflowers mixed with strawberries. I don't know how that's possible but it's amazing."
He buries his nose deeper in my hair, sniffing me as someone might do to a scented candle they really like. This is different. A bit weird, I have to say. I've never had someone really love the way I smell. Then again, this is my first date with a vampire, maybe they go crazy over different fragrances. I don't know. Though I'm definitely glad I showered when I got home from school today. Otherwise, I would be a sweaty mess. I don't think he'd like that.
"I hate to break it to you," I say jokingly. "But I don't naturally smell this good. I rolled in a field of strawberries and sat in a flower bed to get this scent to stick on me."
He chuckles. I feel the vibrations against my back as he stops excessively sniffing me.
"My silly Bella." He coos, pressing his body closer to mine.
Melting into him, I smile. I absolutely love being held by him.
Suddenly his face is next to my neck, and I freeze. My heart pounds in my chest as his lips place a kiss below my ear. I shudder with pleasure as his nose skims my neck. I like what he's doing, how close he's standing, and I can't explain why, but I want more.
He mumbles something that's too quiet for me to hear. It doesn't matter though, his voice is lower than usual, very sexy, and giving me butterflies. I feel wetness between my thighs, and everything feels perfect. But there's something bothering me and I'm not sure what it is.
There's something poking the small of my back. It's hard, firm, and very bothersome.
I shift a little, rubbing my back on the unidentified object. Whatever it is, it doesn't go away. It stays there jabbing me. Shifting again I notice Edward's body stiffens up against me, his breath comes out in a weird jagged, wave, and suddenly he makes a noise that sounds like a purr.
"Please. Stop. Moving." He says every word slowly.
"But something is poking me. What is it?" I wonder, trying to figure out what could be sticking out of his pocket, jabbing into my back, and bothering me.
"Oh… Umm… Er… Nothing." He stammers, still holding me tight.
"Okay…" I let my words trail off.
Edward lets out a deep sigh. It's a troubled sound. He's clearly rattled by my question, and I feel shy. Though I'm not sure why.
Birds chip and dinosaurs screech on the loudspeaker as his stuttering sentence echoes in my brain. Instantly, everything clicks in my mind, I think I now know what's poking my back. Him. It's his hard-on!
I'm mentally face palming myself. Why didn't I guess that sooner?
Not wanting to make things awkward I don't say anything more, nor do I move. I'm now standing still with all of him pressing against me. This is strange and I can't do anything other than nervously giggling.
Feeling nervous about what his body is doing but liking it. I hold on to the golf club with his hands resting on mine. I really don't know what to do. Nothing I've ever read in books prepared me for the situation.
"Umm." He clears his throat. "I need to go sit down. Just do your best to hit the ball. Okay?"
"All right." I nervously say as I uncomfortably giggle.
Edward slowly separates from me. Now it's just me, the butterflies in my stomach, and the golf club. He gives me a kiss on the cheek before he goes and sits on the bench.
I watch him walk away. But I try not to notice as he adjusts the bulge in his jeans. He's trying to make it less noticeable, I guess. Though that doesn't work, I still see it.
I look away and do my best to focus on mini golf.
On my own, I swing the golfing stick with all my might. Before I can bring the mental stick back down, I feel it slip out of my grip.
I watch in horror as the metal stick soars through the air. Someone screams as it heads right for a colorful windmill, hits one of the colorful blades with a loud clatter, breaking it right off.
The unstoppable golf stick doesn't stop there. It hits the next blade and the next, going round and round like a kid on a merry-go-round. I blink as it's once again back in the air. This time it's going right to a Triceratops statue, on the other side of the golf course. It hits the dinosaur, ricochets off its fathead, flies into a plastic palm tree, bounces off the leaves, and flies back into the air.
I silently watch as my rogue golf stick hits the ceiling. Colliding with a sprinkler and turning it on.
Water falls from the ceiling like rain as people run away screaming. They run for cover as my golf club's journey comes to an end, tumbling down from the ceiling. More people scream, and someone yells out, 'hide your kids, the sky is falling.' There's lots of shouting as people run away, panicking that it will hit them.
I hold my breath, hoping no one will get hurt. Finally, the golf club lands in a dinosaur nest at hole number sixteen, without anyone getting injured. Thankfully.
"Well, that was interesting." Edward says in an amazed tone.
I turn to my right to see Edward standing next to me. His golden eyes are huge as he looks at the aftermath of what I have done.
"Interesting?" I question his word choice.
"Yeah," He snorts.
"Are you sure you were looking at the same scene as I was?" I ask as I silently wonder if he needs glasses. "That was crazy. Not at all interesting."
He shrugs his shoulders. "I had no idea a putter could get that much air."
"Of course, you liked that." I roll my eyes.
"You are very entertaining." He grins.
"With the mayhem I caused, I don't see how you can say that." I mumble.
He laughs his musical laugh. His eyes twinkle and shine as he stands in front of me and grabs my hand. His lips brush the back of my hand, just once before his eyes meet mine. The sensation of his cold lips on my warm skin makes my heartbeat speed up.
Just as quick as everything happened, all the chaos, the mayhem, and the mini golf course drifts away. There's only him and I wrapped up in our own little world.
No more reality. Just a fantasy of true love.
Electricity pluses between us. My legs feel like Jell-O, a million butterflies flutter in my stomach, and my mind is as mushy as oatmeal.
He's doing that dazzling thing again and I wish he'd stop. This is too much. Yet, it's not enough. I want more. So much more.
By the look in his eyes, I can tell he feels the same way. He wants more too, I think.
Seconds pass and we remain locked in our wonderful little moment. But something is wrong. A worried look crosses Edward's angelic face.
"Are you okay?" I ask, my voice sounding hoarse for some reason.
"I hope you're not counting on playing the rest of the game." He almost whispers.
"No. Why?" I wonder.
He opens his mouth to say something but closes it as his eyes look behind me. Curious, I turn around looking to see what has his attention. My face heats up as I see a nervous employee approaching us.
"Um, I'm so sorry," The employee who appears to be in his early 20's says to us. "I have never had to do this before."
"What's that, sir?" Edward wonders innocently.
A little too innocently. I look up at him as he changes positions and stands beside me instead of in front of me. He smiles at me and gives my hand a gentle squeeze.
Of course, he can hear the man's thoughts. Unlike me, he knows what will happen next. Though he's playing coy and I'm not sure why, I find myself wanting to elbow him to stop. But doing so would probably break my elbow. So, I just stand still waiting to see what happens next.
"I must ask both of you to leave." The employee speaks to Edward, instead of me. "We would refund your game, but you have already cost us much more in damages." He gives me a pointed look.
"I'm sorry." My voice is small, and my face feels hot.
I look away, over to the wet floor where the sprinklers soaked it. They are off now but there's still a lot of water left behind.
"It's our first time playing mini golf," Edward says with a hint of a smirk. "Maybe we got a little too competitive."
"Competitive?" The employee asks in disbelief.
Edward nods his head and talks some more. His voice is so smooth, and his words are very convincing. If I didn't know all the damage was from me being a klutz, I might believe what he's saying.
"Well, anyway," The employee says, sounding more sure of himself. "I'm going to need your club back." He looks at Edward, then at me. "We will be fishing yours, Miss, out of the dinosaur's nest."
"Sorry." I mumble looking down at my shoes.
Edward lets go of my hand and goes over the bench. He retrieves his golf club and comes back, standing by my side once again.
"Here you go." Edward speaks politely as he hands over his golf club.
"And your ball." The employee holds out his hand.
"Of course." Edward drops the ball in the guy's hand.
"And we'll have to dislodge one of the many balls you used," – he looks at me – "from the Pteranodon's eye socket." He shakes his head in disbelief. "That is, when we are able to reach it…"
I want to cover my face and hide. This is so embarrassing.
With the golf stick and ball no longer in Edward's possession, no more words are exchanged. It's time for us to leave. And so, we do just that.
I slip my hand in Edward's and he laces my fingers with mine. He leads me away from where it all began.
All around people stare at us, well mainly at me. Some make it obvious, and others don't. But everyone seems to be aware that I was the cause of this, that the wild, flying golf stick belonged to me.
No one is very happy with me.
How embarrassing.
Knowing I'm the main attraction on the mini golf course, but not wanting to be. I look down at my shoes as we keep walking.
Going to our destination, which seems to take years, Edward tries to tease me out of my gloomy mood. He makes jokes about the flying golf club. With his light and cheery words, I begin to laugh and feel better about my mistakes.
Though my good mood is short lived. The manager is there at the exit, with a very firm voice he rattles off a list of items that I have destroyed.
Immediately my face becomes very hot, and I know I'm blushing. This is bad. I just broke three dinosaurs among other things. The poor innocent dinosaur statues never hurt anyone. I feel so bad about damaging them.
Before we can leave the security guard comes over to us. He and the manager explain what will happen next. We will be taken back to the manager's office to have our pictures taken and put on the wall of shame. We are told we aren't welcome back here. Ever.
It all happens quickly. Our pictures are taken with an old Polaroid camera and tacked up on a bulletin board. Quickly we leave and are outside under the parking lot lights.
"Edward, I'm so sorry about everything." I apologize as we walk.
"Apologies are not necessary, love." He says holding my hand and pulling me closer to him. "I had fun."
I sigh but don't say anything else.
He claims he had fun, but I doubt it. This by far has to be the worst date ever. A poised vampire on a date with a clumsy human girl that single handedly ruined a mini golf course. Who ever heard of such a thing? Not me.
But of course, I was the one that destroyed the dinosaurs. All it took was me, a golf ball, and a flying putter. Not an asteroid like in the history books.
I'm truly a walking disaster just waiting to happen. Oh, I wonder what else could go wrong tonight?
Then I think of the worst possible thing that can happen. Edward probably wants to go home. What if he never wants to see me again?
Instantly, tears welled up in my eyes. How can I say goodbye to him for good? To say I regret my choice of agreeing to play mini golf, is a giant understatement.
A tear slips down my cheek, then another. Not wanting him to know I'm crying as we walk down the street, I bring my free hand up to my face. I turn away from him, wiping at my pesky tears.
"You're crying? What's wrong?" He asks, letting go of my hand and putting his arm around me.
"I ruined our date." I sniffle. "We were kicked out of there." I point a thumb in the direction of the building we can't go back to.
"It's not the first place I've been kicked out of."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He says honestly. "And you didn't ruin our date. We can still do something else."
"Do something else?"
I stop walking and stare at him. He stops walking too.
He nods his head. "Yeah. We could go out to dinner or have a nighttime picnic in the park." He suggests with a smile. "It's not time for your dad to pick you up and I still want to spend time with you."
"You mean you don't want to go home and never speak to me again?" My voice is small, and my words are fast.
A look of shock mixed with sadness crosses his face. He guides me under a nearby tree and pulls me close to him.
"No, Bella, I don't." His words have a painful edge to them. "Apparently I haven't made my feelings clear if you think that."
I open my mouth to say something but stop short. Shutting my mouth, I look at him.
"Isabella," His cold, sweet breath hits my face like a burst from an air conditioner.
"Mm?" I breathe in his sweet scent.
He kisses my forehead.
The only thing I can do is let out a content sigh.
"When I say you're fascinating," He brushes his fingers across my collarbone. "I mean it. And when I say I love you and don't want to go home early. Because I enjoy spending time with you, no matter what we do." He puts his hands on either side of my face, leans in, and places a kiss on my nose. "I mean that too."
"That's good to know." I smile, never looking away from him.
"You are my life now. Forever and for always. I promise you that you can't get rid of me, no matter what."
"Never?" I ask.
"Never." He promises.
"Even when I accidentally hit you in a very delicate area with a metal stick?" I ask, then immediately cringe. I have no idea why I even said that.
Though I didn't think Edward could be any paler than he already is. His face turns three shades lighter than it normally is. In a way he looks sick. Or maybe scared.
"Yeah. But let's not talk about that." His voice cracks in the middle of his sentence.
"I'm so, so sorry about everything that happened tonight." I cannot hide my remorse.
"Please stop apologizing." His face is inches from mine. His hands are on my shoulders now.
I want to say that I can't help apologizing, it's something I learned to do during my childhood with my mother. So, she wouldn't be mad at how clumsy I was.
Even though he's not upset about anything I did tonight, I still feel bad. I still feel a need to apologize. I don't like being the cause of chaos, mayhem, and destruction.
But before I'm able to say anything, his lips are on mine. Firm yet soft. He kisses me, effectively ending our conversation. What a way to say shut up and kiss me like the title of that old Country song. But I'm too busy to think about those lyrics. There are more important things to concern myself with.
My mouth moves with his. My eyes close as butterflies flutter in my stomach.
Slow and steady. That's how his lips move against mine. Like we have all the time in the world, well he does, I realize, but I don't. My curfew is at nine, but I wish I really did have all the time in the world to kiss Edward.
To kiss him and never stop would be very nice.
Our kiss moves along with my tongue and his winding together. With each passing second our kiss becomes more passionate.
This kiss isn't careful as both of us can't get enough of each other. I want more of our kiss as well as him. His thoughts seem to be on the same page as mine, as he mumbles august my lips that we should go somewhere a little more private. I agree and we quickly walk away from the tree, over to a couple of nearby buildings. We walk in between them, going in the back of the alley where it's more secluded. We waste no time continuing where we left off.
Once again, his lips are on mine while he walks me backwards into a wall. The wall does wonders to support me since my legs feel wobbly like Jell-o. But I'm not complaining about that, I kind of like that feeling. I'm in perfect bliss as my hands trail up from his arms, finding their way to his hair. One of his hands lingers on the small of my back, pressing my body closer to him. While the other grabs my waist.
Heat, prickly and hot runs all over my body. Making me feel too hot to handle and I probably would be if it wasn't for Edward's cool temperature. I lean forward, pressing my chest to his and immediately a growl, soft and low ripples from his chest. I catch it in my mouth and moan.
The vibrations from his growl catch me off guard. I pull my lips from his. He opens his dark eyes in surprise. No doubt wondering why I stopped our kiss.
"Um, did you just growl?" I ask him, feeling stunned.
"Yes. I wasn't expecting that." He admits sounding rather shy. "You pressed your chest to mine. I liked it and I growled without meaning to."
"You growl when you like things?" I wonder in amazement.
"It's a pleasure growl. It happens in moments like these, where my hormones get the best of me." He explains in a husky voice.
"Oh." I smile.
"I'm not used to all these new functions and responses my body has, when I feel this way." He says a bit bashfully. "Did I scare you?"
"No. I liked it."
A devilish half smile lights up his face. Along with his dark eyes and messy hair, he looks so darn sexy.
Feeling a strong urge to have his lips back on mine, I stand on tiptoes and kiss him.
He moans at the contact of our mouths, and I cling to him like Velcro. I never want to part from him. I doubt he does too as he closes the small space between us, moving me backwards with no room to spare. I'm now sandwiched between him and the wall. And I feel all of him. Even the bulge that's in his pants that's poking against my stomach. I really like feeling what I do to him.
Under the cloudy night sky and the dim glow of the streetlights, I can barely see from here. We continue to make out in the dark alley. Pouring all of our love for each other into our kiss. Neither of us are able to get enough of each other, that's for sure.
Butterflies dance in my stomach and wetness pools between my legs as Edward pulls back from our kiss a little. My breath is heavy and so is his. But I want more. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him back to me.
He quickly regards me, making sure I'm okay before his lips are back on mine. Only this time it's different. He teases me, gently nipping my bottom lip while his hand slips in between me and the wall, right to my ass. He gently grabs it, touching me underneath my skirt and shorts.
My heart threatens to jump out of my chest and without warning, I jerk forward. Still locked in our kiss, I hit my forehead hard on his face.
Drunk on our love and dizzy from our kiss, I feel an excruciating pain on my bottom lip. First, it's sharp, then it throbs, and I want to scream. But all I can do is whimper.
Edward separates himself from me. He flings himself backward, hitting the other wall, and knocking down a stack of empty boxes.
I smell rust and salt, blood.
Feeling extremely lightheaded, my right-hand shoots straight up to my throbbing lip, rubbing it. It's warm and wet. I remove my hand from my mouth and look at it.
My fingertips are red, and my stomach turns at the sight.
My mouth is bleeding and it's also on fire. Plus, there's an unknown taste on the tip of my tongue. It's very bitter and unpleasant.
The fire grows in my lip and my eyes are very heavy, I fight to keep them open. I look at Edward standing there, an uneven line of red liquid runny down the front of his mouth. My vision is blurry, I'm seeing two of him. He stares at me with a wild expression on his face, a mixture of panic and desire.
"You. Bit. Me." I don't feel well and struggle to talk. My words are low, but I know he can hear me.
"I…I… I didn't mean to." He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "It was an accident. I'm so sorry, Bella."
His words are full of remorse and so is the look on his face.
My stomach flips and flops. The smell of my blood is too much for me. The taste of it in my mouth makes me want to throw up. But I'm determined not to. I feel off-balance, sick to my stomach, and I can't get the memory of seeing my blood out of my mind.
"Fuck." He spats out, running his hands through his hair. "What did I do?"
I feel very dizzy and don't respond.
My stomach turns and the world spins. I think I might throw up. Or faint. Worst of all, I'm worried about how Edward is feeling. He's told me he's never tasted human blood before. Well, now he can't say that anymore.
I glance at him. He now appears to not be breathing or moving in any way.
"Edward, are you okay?" I ask, my words blurring together.
Edward's eyes grow wide with surprise. He nods his head yes but doesn't speak.
Everything spins like a whirlwind, nothing is still. I look down to see the ground moving in waves. My head feels woozy, my lip hurts bad, and I don't feel well at all.
My eyes shut, my face feels extremely hot, like a pot of steamed vegetables. My legs go limp, and I feel the ground give away underneath me. A swishing sound echoes in my ears while coldness wraps around me.
Fire creeps down my neck and tears run down my face. I want to sleep and scream at the same time. But my head hurts and my heart drums super-fast. I don't speak or shout as my entire body jerks without me thinking of the action.
"Bella, I got you." Edward says in a shaky voice. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'll make it better. Somehow… " His voice trails off.
Cold wind hits my face, though it does nothing to stop the fire. The sensation of flying overtakes me as everything swirls in my head.
The invisible flames become more intense. I let out a loud scream. Immediately, I feel something cold cover my mouth.
I don't know what's happening. What's on my mouth that's muffling my cries?
"I know it hurts," Edward's voice cracks. "You must stay quiet right now. Just until we go to the forest."
I can't speak, only whimper.
Leaves on trees rustle in the wind. A dog barks in the distance, but the only thing I hear up close is Edwards comforting words. He is with me and that makes everything right.
Through the fire and the pain and the fear of puking. I know he is here, holding me.
That's very comforting to me. Though I wish I could see his face.
I try to open my eyes, but they want to stay close as the dizzy feeling gets worse. I begin to feel like I'm in a dream-like state, only it's not a good dream. Because there's invisible flames all around me.
No. It's not around me, I begin to realize through the dizzy haze. The flames are inside of my skin making me feel like a hardboiled egg, cooking from the inside out, and I want the fire to go away. But the fire from within does the opposite of what I want.
The fire spreads down my body as memories collide with my current reality. I remember hiking in the Mojave Desert when I was a kid. It was the time I got the worst sunburn of my life since my mom forgot to pack sunscreen. Even my lips were badly burnt and hurt to touch. My skin and lips hurt then, the worst pain I felt. But that wasn't as bad as this.
There are no words that come to my mind to describe this level of agony.
I whimper and groan.
"I know. I know it hurts." Edward says his voice is close to a sob.
Wind stops hitting my face and I no longer feel the sensation of flying. The cold thing that was on my mouth has disappeared, it's on my neck now. What is going on? I don't know.
"I love you, Bella." Edward speaks with so much emotion. "This will hurt worse, but I must do this. Please forgive me."
His lips press against my neck. I want to tell him that a kiss won't take the pain away, it won't make me feel better. I'm not a toddler whose boo-boobs go away with the power of a kiss. But my mouth won't form the words. All I can do is scream.
His breath is on my neck now. His teeth sink in, and I scream.
It's a blood curdling scream.
The pain is very intense. Worse than when I fell into an oddly shaped cactus, when I was little. From head to toe I was covered in prickles from the cactus. I remember it hurts so bad and I ended up in the hospital. But this pain has nothing on that.
Edward licks my neck. I let out another scream while he holds me and speaks words of remorse and comfort. But I can't concentrate on what he says. I scream, louder this time.
The fire creeps down my neck and chest, and just won't stop. It hurts like hell. All I can do is yell.
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Wow. What a memorable first date these two are having, right? This is nothing like the night Edward had planned when he asked Bella out.
Thanks for reading.
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