Author's Note: Only three letters can describe my gratitude for the numerous (and supporting) reviews I received on the last chapter: WOW. Thank you so much. I've never received that many reviews on a chapter in my entire life, and I couldn't be happier. You have no idea how much they keep me motivated me to continue (even though I don't think I could stop if I tried.) Anyway, I really hope you're not disappointed with this next one. A lot of work was put into it, and I would just like to warn you, it will probably be one of the most awkward chapters you will ever read…
Enjoy, and I love you all. Please review :)
Love,
Mel
22. Better
We stared at the clear blue sky as we laid next to each other, wrapped in the blanket, breathing in silence. I never wanted to leave this spot, nor do I think I could if I tried. It was amazing. Beautiful, even. His lips were so soft, molding around mine like the perfect puzzle piece. His gentle touch was searing, making electricity jolt through my veins each time his cold fingers happened to graze my body. I closed my eyes, sighing happily. I smiled waiting for a response, but I only heard his heavy breathing. This made me nervous. Was I that bad?
Even with my non-existent experience, I thought it went exceptionally well. Except for the destruction of Alice's precious couture. That was a bit awkward, and caused me to pull away from his sweet lips for a few seconds when I heard the ripping, which was almost unbearable, and we caught each other's embarrassed eye. And not to mention my most likely bruised thigh from Ronan's black leather belt that whipped me when he ripped it off at vampire speed, which only caused another unnecessary distraction when I yelped in surprised pain, and another awkward sorry was muttered through our kisses. But what could he possibly expect? It was his first time as well; I wasn't the only amateur here…
"Wow." He breathed finally, interrupting my paranoid thoughts.
Now I was even more confused. Was that a disgusted 'wow'? Excited 'wow'? Surprised 'wow'… and if so, in what way? Satisfaction or regret?
I didn't want to know the answer. "Yeah." I managed to croak.
He chuckled, rolling over to look at me, propping himself up with his elbow. "Man, was it that bad?"
I turned to face him then. "No… just a bit…" I stuttered.
He flashed me his beautiful, glistening smile again. "Awkward?"
I nodded. "Pretty much… I would've liked it better darker… and warmer." I smiled cunningly, and he chuckled, pulling me closer to his cold body, and breathing my name before kissing my forehead. He flinched away immediately, groaning in pain.
His eyes were closed tightly. "Okay… not there yet, but at least we have step one cleared."
I shook my head. "You call that step one?"
"For us misfits? Yes. Remember we're different than any regular teenage couple on the planet… "
I nodded. "Yeah. I don't know many girls with gorgeous, supernatural boyfriends." I rubbed my nose on his cheek, and he flinched away again. I groaned.
"Avs, I'm so sorry it has to be like thi…" He started.
"I shouldn't be complaining." I cut him off. "I'm lying in a warm… well… warm for Forks at least… fairytale-like meadow next to my favorite person in the world. And I couldn't be happier."
He began stroking my hair again, sighing. "Neither could I, Ava. Let's just hope Edward isn't anywhere near here. He might think we disgraced his precious meadow with our reckless behavior this afternoon."
I chuckled, remembering what Ronan told me about Edward's constant refusal to Bella's playful persuading and constant attempt at unbuttoning her shirt in front of him. Finally her wishes were made reality on their tropical honey moon, but it all turned to hell when…
I took in a breath sharply as my eyes became wide with horror. "Renesmee." I choked, my hand finding my bare stomach instinctively.
Ronan laughed then, a loud, booming laugh that caused a few sparrows to flee from their perch in the near by trees. Meanwhile, I was trying to fight back tears. "Ronan! This is no laughing matter!" I was hyperventilating by then. "What if… what if I'm…"
"Avs, chill," He ordered as he regained his breath, "Did you hear your mother's request as we were walking out? 'Be safe'?"
He was laughing again at his own immature joke, but I was just confused. "But wait, you couldn't have possibly known …"
He shook his head. "Well, I obviously didn't expect the need for them, but they were just conveniently in my back pocket…" He was laughing again. I began to smile again at his immaturity, and the fact that I didn't even notice him put them on. But then I was suspicious again.
"Did you pick out those clothes yourself, Ronan?" I asked.
"Ha, that's a negative. Alice obviously had to make sure I looked perfect, so she had my clothes waiting for me on Nessie and Jacob's bed when I got home. She always does this to me. I would've worn one of my usual surf t-shirts on this nice day but she strictly prohibits it. She's been driving me insane lately. Ever since the Seattle trip, Bella has been at her side constantly shielding her. I didn't really pay much attention to it because I was too preoccupied with you…" He looked into my eyes as if he hypnotized, and grazed my arm. I shivered.
Once I got my mind back from his disorienting touch, I realized what Alice had done. "Ronan?"
"Yeah?" He asked absently as he carefully stroked my arm, making goose bumps rise on my skin.
"Did you ever consider why she would do something like that?"
He seemed to think this over for a moment while he began caressing my up my shoulder and neck, until I saw the revelation finally widen his eyes and stop his arm.
He shook his head. "She saw us."
I nodded. "Of course she did, Ronan."
His eyes were angry then. "No wonder she hasn't been able to speak to me with a straight face all day!" He gasped then, put his head in his hand. "And you know why? She probably saw me ripping all that frill off of you!"
I laughed. "She did make sure it was your favorite color."
"Ugh!" He snarled, sitting up. His white chest was gleaming in the sun that was being threatened by the dark incoming clouds. "That means Edward saw this, and he probably told Bella, so Emmett probably overheard…"
"Emmett?" I squeaked in horror.
The anger was suddenly gone from Ronan's face and replaced with amusement as he tried to stifle a chuckle. "We'll get it good from him. The jokes have been on Bella and Edward for a hundred years… we'll be the victims of his latest material."
I put the oversized blanket over my face. "Oh, no." I could only imagine what Emmett would torture us with.
He lay back on the ground in hysterics, and his contagious laugh caused me to laugh just as hard. I leaned into his shoulder, laughing more carelessly than I had in ages.
When we finally calmed down, I found myself cuddled in his chest, my legs intertwined with his, my breathing the same rhythm as his, and all I could do was smile. Not even heaven could compare to this quantity of perfection. Wrapped tightly under the plush blanket that should be used on beds of royalty instead of as a picnic blanket, meshed into Ronan's rock-like body, smelling the warm, summer-like breeze wafting around us, and feeling him breath heavily in my ear was enough for a lifetime. I could stay in this exact spot for all eternity. I closed my eyes, smiling blissfully.
We suddenly heard a crack of thunder in the distance. I didn't realize how fast the clouds were coming in. "Figures." I muttered as I began to fidget unwillingly out of his arms.
"No." He commanded, pulling me back into his concrete-like body. "Alice said the storm isn't coming in until later."
Another crack of thunder sounded as he turned me over swiftly to face his smiling god-like face. My breathing stuttered when his sweet breath was in my face.
I shook my head, smiling as well. "It sounds like it's getting close…"
"You'll never catch me betting against Alice." He replied, smiling his sultry smile that never failed to melt me as he pulled me into an even hotter kiss, inevitably beginning the whole beautiful process all over again.
***
The car came to a slow stop at the top of my driveway, and Ronan turned the nostalgic music of the twenty-teens down; the music he'd been belting perfectly on pitch the entire way home, causing me to laugh carelessly. He could be a professional. I wondered how we'd sound harmonizing together…
I was still smiling as the he parked the car, and I sighed. I never wanted this to end. Ronan was my life now. It didn't matter what happened now. I wasn't afraid anymore, of my family's well being or of the Volturi Alice saw pursuing us in her visions. As long as was there Ronan, I could get through. Even if we went down together, it couldn't stifle the happiness I was feeling now at this exact moment.
He noticed my hesitation, and as if he read my mind, he told me, "I'll be over as soon as your mother's asleep."
He squeezed my hand he's been holding the entire way home. "I love you, Ava."
I nodded. "I love you, too."
He opened my door for me by pressing the button to my door on his side. He locked eyes with me for a few more seconds before releasing my hand slowly, and I slid out of the seat, never letting my eyes leave his.
I pranced up the driveway through the mist that began descending from the dark clouds-of course Alice was right about the weather- and my mother opened the door for me eagerly as I approached the front door. She smiled at me and looked past me to wave at Ronan as he pulled down the long winding driveway.
"Come on in." She gestured, still smiling. But I could tell the smile was false. It just didn't touch her eyes in the right way.
I looked at her skeptically. "Mom, what's wrong?"
Her smile faded and she looked passed me for a moment, as if her big, brown eyes were searching for an answer somewhere in the dark night. "You know, I wanted to hear every detail about your date tonight, but then I realized I had to call Todd and tell him he had to help me with all the divorce arrangements. I'm so sorry Ava, I feel like we haven't talked in ages…"
I shook my head. "Mom, it's completely fine. I get you have a lot on your plate these days. And tell Uncle Todd I said 'hi', okay?" I breathed a sigh of relief remembering my mother's partying bachelor brother was also a hard-core lawyer in Chicago, and my mother had him to lean on through her hard time.
She suddenly looked at me again. "But I was thinking, tomorrow night, after you go out partying with your friends as I'm sure you've already planned, we could go to the diner in town for some late night ice cream for your birthday."
My birthday was tomorrow? Already? I realized I hadn't even been paying attention to the date anymore when I smiled. This would be the first birthday in years my mother wouldn't be touring the Caribbean with my father on a private shuttle, or eating caviar with their dear friends on the roof of their pent house suite in Miami.
"And then you can tell me everything that happened tonight." She continued. "I am dying to know the details. Ronan seems like such a nice boy." She smiled at me again.
I was beaming now. "Sounds great, mom. I can't wait." Not that I'd be telling her everything…
"Neither can I, sweetie." She said, taking me into a hug. "I love you."
I felt the happy tears threatening to roll down my cheeks; I was so overwhelmed with joy. She was really a great mom. I guess they aren't kidding when they say everything happens for a reason because as we pulled away, I looked into her eyes and realized that she seemed stronger now, as if she were ready for change. Ready for anything that life threw at her for the matter. And the most importantly, I knew she was being honest. I couldn't detect any sense of mockery in her voice usually trilling, overly cordial voice. She was sincere.
"I love you too, Mom." I replied triumphantly.
She took a deep breath. "Well, I'll let you get to bed. You look beat."
I nodded. "Yeah, I am. I'll see you in the morning." She reached for the piano she had set the phone on. "Don't be up too late, okay?" I cautioned her, not only because Ronan promised to be over when she was asleep, but because I was worried about her mental state with all these late nights.
She looked at me with tired eyes. "I'll do my best, Ava. Goodnight."
"'Night." I replied over my shoulder as I began ascending the stairs.
When I reached my door, I heard the faint sound of the band Ronan had been playing on the car ride home. I smiled exuberantly as I opened the door slowly.
I found him waiting for me on my bed, and after marveling at his smiling face, I noticed he was wearing a slightly damp orange t-shirt with some surfing company's logo printed largely on the front, along with the kakis Alice forbade.
"So, I take it you yelled at Alice for hiding her memories from you all week, got made fun of by Emmett after he over heard, and defied your dress code all in a matter of five minutes?" I guessed, stalking toward the bed.
He rolled his eyes. "I think I broke some kind of record."
I smiled and began bounding toward his perfectly sculpted body, only thinking about snuggling into it. But when I got too close, however, his expression became anguished as he gently put his hands out to stop me, and I looked down at them sadly. He took my hands in his.
He shook his head vehemently. "This is sick and twisted among so many levels, isn't it?"
I shook my head. "Remember we're much different than any average couple in the world, Ronan. For all we know, this could be completely natural for a couple on another planet."
"Yeah, I'm sure…" He shook his head at the sky as if he were angry at the world.
I tried to change the subject. "Is this that band we were listening to in the car? What are they called? Death car for, like, sweetie or something?"
He laughed and shook his head. "Yeah… something like that little Avs…"
I smiled, and then his eyes got brighter. "Don't make any plans for tomorrow night, okay?"
I sucked in a large breath through my teeth. "Ooo… I'll have to check my schedule but I think I have other plans…" I shrugged my shoulders.
He crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow. "And who could you possibly be going out with tomorrow, Avs?"
I glowered at him. "For your information, I do have other friends besides you…" His knowing expression was set. I sighed. "Okay, fine, I have a date with a vampire." I confessed.
"I think you forgot to mention about how good looking this vampire is." He flashed me his scorching white-toothed smile at me.
"Well, I think I forgot to add how incredibly conceded this vampire is." I smirked at him playfully.
He raised his eyebrows, feigning hurt, and sighed. "Well, I guess you'll never get to find out what I got you for your birthday."
I gasped. "You got me a present?"
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't get you a birthday present?" He smiled again, making my heart falter yet again.
"Ronan Cullen." I replied. I looked down at our hands and held his tighter. "I already feel like I've gotten my birthday present." I looked up and smiled at him.
He shook his head, smiling. "I feel like I've already reached heaven."
I lay down, at a good distance, next to him on the bed. "You're so corny, you know that?"
He gave me an embarrassed smile and looked me up and down. "It's funny how you think I'm just using cheesy catch phrases I found online, when I'm being completely serious, little Avs."
I smiled and looked down, realizing I was still wearing my now wrinkled and rustled up dress. "Let me go get changed." I held up my index finger for him to wait then happily pranced to my bathroom.
A pang of fear made me stop short when I eagerly looked at the counter, and found that Alice hadn't left me the perfect outfit to wear to bed as I had imagined she would. I backed up against the closed door of the bathroom, trying to keep my breathing steady as I began to panic.
I didn't want to keep him waiting too long. Hell, I didn't think I could take making him wait too long. I scanned the bathroom frantically, knowing my closet wouldn't be much of a help to our unique situation, when my eyes caught the pink fleece bathrobe I owned hanging on a hook off the linen closet. I smiled evilly and got off the ground to take it off the hook and slung it over my bare shoulders perfectly and tied it to show my curves.
Once I brushed out my hair, making the waves fall over my shoulders at just the right length, I snuck back to my room excitedly to Ronan.
Life can't get much better than this, I realized as I entered the room with a smoldering smile on my face, and Ronan reached his arms out for me.
