Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended
~0~
~~Edward~~
"Ben, it's me."
"Edward? You're up early. What's going on?" he asked.
I knew he would be awake; he knows I usually sleep in if I can.
"Hey, I've got to go to fight training in an hour, but I wanted to let you know that I've finished the song. Well I mean, I had help and I want to use your home studio to record a demo so I can play it to the director and the producers. I've emailed you the sheet music with lyrics."
"You've finished it? Last time we talked about it you were going to practically start over."
"Yeah, well, like I said, I had help."
"I can't wait to hear it! Come over this afternoon, we'll lay it down. Angela can make us dinner before we go to my gig. You're still coming right?"
Even though I could no longer play gigs myself, mainly because of the bedlam that ensues, I could see Ben play; normally from the safety of side stage. Occasionally when I ventured into the audience, I'd get the barrage of autograph and picture hounds that invaded my personal space and made me feel more than uncomfortable.
"Yes, of course I'm coming, I wouldn't miss it. I'll be bringing a girl with me. She helped me complete the song."
"A girl helped you? I thought you were talking about Jasper! Is there something you want to tell me?"
Ben knew me well, and bringing a girl to his house or to one of his gigs was not something I'd ever done before.
"Her name is Bella Swan. She's a writer, and she basically wrote the lyrics. I told her she could come and see the process of recording. The music thing is all a mystery to her; it would be great for her to see what goes on behind the scenes so to speak. She's still not really convinced that the lyrics she wrote are fucking perfect!"
"A writer? Come on Edward, you're sounding a bit evasive? Where did you meet her? Why do you sound like there is something more to this story?'
"Fuck Ben, I just met her. She's staying in my hotel because she won a writing prize and I met her in the hotel bar. I'm working with her okay? Don't go reading anything into it, but she's visiting from Australia. And if you make one snide comment about her being Australian, I'll have to mess you up."
"She's Australian? Fuck Edward, I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you break that news to Alice."
"Ben, please, can we drop it. You haven't told Angela about that have you?"
"Of course I haven't, but just because I haven't told her doesn't mean that she doesn't already know. Alice could have told her, they are friends remember."
God, why in the hell had Alice told everyone about her fucking dream, and why does everyone still remember it after six years!
"Ange wouldn't say anything, would she? To Bella I mean?"
"Of course she wouldn't, but you know what she'll think."
"Yeah, I do. Okay, well I'll see you a little after three then. It's probably best if Bella gets there first, you know." I couldn't risk the paps sneaking a photo of Bella with me it would complicate things.
"Sure, no problem. Don't worry man. It'll be fine. We can talk more about it tonight okay?"
I wish I could be as confident as Ben.
"Okay, thanks Ben." I ended the call.
I sat on the unmade hotel bed and thought about Bella. Ever since she handed me those lyrics I couldn't get her out of my mind. I had her cell number. I wanted to call her; I wanted to hear her sexy Australian accent.
I didn't think I would survive not seeing her until the afternoon. I looked down at the phone in my hand.
I have to call Bella Swan.
~0~
~~Bella~~
I dreamt of Edward Cullen again that night. Not a sex dream this time. We were sitting side-by-side on First Beach in La Push, the Indian reservation a short drive from my dad's house in Fork's. I had visited the beach often when I was little.
In my dream Edward and I were huddled together sitting on a rug. Our sides were pressed together, my legs were over his lap, and his arms and hands surrounded me under a big warm blanket. My hands were caressing the warm wool of his jumper over his chest.
Edward was whispering in my ear, his warm breath sent shivers over me. He clutched me tighter, telling me that I was the one he'd been waiting for, that we were meant to be together and that he would never let me go.
Edward slowly leaned down and kissed me, his lips barely leaving mine as he told me he loved me and then continued the kiss, long, slow, intense. I reveled in the sensation of his lips on mine. I could taste the salt from the sea on his mouth, and then I reached to wrap my hands around his back and pull him closer. Small droplets of rain started to fall, but neither of us moved to leave.
The kiss was magical as the cool damp air swished around us; the earthy smell of the damp foliage from the nearby woods filled my nostrils. His warmth encompassed me, making me feel safe and loved. Then in my dream I opened my eyes and Edward was gone, replaced by Riley, his dark eyes boring into mine, his face pale, his lips cold and wet.
I woke up in shock.
God, it's been three years since Riley. Why does he keep invading my thoughts? Oh, that's right, he was my whole life for seven years; seven long years of wanting him, of needing him.
I lay in bed and recalled the moment Riley Biers changed my life.
~0~
Riley and I had attended the same school since we were eleven. He was always the popular boy. He always had girls chasing him and he seemed to always like to be caught. I never really thought of Riley; he was just a boy like any other, and we had never spoken a word to each other.
That all dramatically changed when I was fourteen. The finer details are hazy now, blocked from my memories, or suppressed. It was a party, one of those spur-of-the-moment get-togethers because someone's parents would be interstate. They weren't all night rages; rather everyone in the school year would come along, to sneakily drink alcohol and pash or dance.
I can't even remember whose party it was; Jessica made me go with her. She had the hots for a guy called Peter. She knew he would be there and so she dragged me along. I had no interest in boys, or so I thought.
We had been drinking wine cooler and Passion Pop. The sickly sweet alcohol had made us giggle and lose or inhibitions somewhat. I remember dancing to some tragic hard rock song and closing my eyes because the buzz in my head was unlike anything I'd ever felt before.
Intoxication.
I was by no means drunk, just pleasantly tipsy and had no desire to drink any more. After dancing for what seemed like hours, I went to the Esky and grabbed a can of Diet Coke.
That's when I saw him. He was sitting alone, which was weird for Riley, he was always with someone, either his mates or a girl–the latest being Victoria. They seemed to fight more often than not, but would always kiss and hold hands at school.
He was staring at me and I felt suddenly extremely self-conscious. I automatically looked down to see that I was not covered in food, or worse. No, I look fine. He was probably just drunk, so I turned my back to him and walked away.
After speaking to some other girls from my class and ensuring Jessica was in sight and not too wasted, I found the bathroom inside the house. My thoughts were not of anything in particular. I just knew I needed to get Jessica back to my house safely at the curfew Renee had enforced. We had to be home by 11pm.
Jessica had told her parents she was sleeping at my house. I had filled Renee in on the details. She was cool with it, as long as I was home at the time she specified and not rolling drunk. I was pretty lucky that Renee was a laid-back type of parent. She trusted me to adhere to her rules. Considering the leeway she gave me constantly, I was grateful and respectful. I think she secretly relished the fact that she let me do pretty much what I wanted. I always sensed it was her desire to give me the freedom she never had growing up in Forks and she knew my dad Charlie would be livid if he knew how lax her parenting actually was.
It was summer and it was hot and humid. I stood in that bathroom and I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail. I splashed water on my cheeks and blotted them with the hand towel, making sure I didn't smudge my eye make-up.
I hadn't seen Jessica go anywhere near Peter, although I knew she would be out there now just following him with her eyes.
I wonder if she'll get up enough courage to talk to him, or dance with him.
I looked at my watch. It was 10:18pm. We'd have to leave here by 10:45 to get home right on 11pm.
I left the bathroom and turned the corner in the hall to go back to the garage when I crashed into someone and the drink they were holding splashed down onto my leather sandals.
"Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cover you in Coke!"
I looked down at the sticky mess on my feet and sandals and looked up to Riley's face. He was flushed and looked embarrassed. I hesitated before speaking to him, and when I did my voice sounded weird as the words tumbled out.
"Don't worry about it, Riley. I'll just wash them off."
I felt my face flame in a heated blush. We knew each other's names, but actually saying his name out loud seemed very surreal. I had no idea why speaking to him caused me to react that way. I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious again, and my heart rate increased.
I turned quickly and walked back to the bathroom, pulling off my sandals and running them under the tap. I grabbed a facecloth that was hanging over the faucet in the bathtub, sat on the lip of the bath and wiped the sticky liquid from my ankles and from between my toes. I hadn't realized he had followed me until I looked up at him and he was staring at me again.
I couldn't tell if he was drunk or not. He didn't seem to be, but it's not like I knew him at all, so maybe he was just good at pretending?
"If they're ruined, I can buy you a new pair." He breathed out heavily and leaned into the doorway.
"That's okay, I'm sure they'll be fine."
The way he was looking at me made my stomach flip-flop, and I grabbed my dripping sandals and stood up. His body was blocking the door. He still held his can of Coke.
"Forgive me?" and he offered me the can.
"Sure." I took the can and he turned and I followed him back through the house to the backyard. The music had been turned down and changed to soppy ballads and I placed my sandals on the grass as I followed Riley into the garage.
I was a little confused, as a cluster of people, including Jessica and Peter were sitting in a circle on the ground. In the middle of the circle was an empty VB longneck bottle.
"C'mon Riley, we've been waiting ages."
The circle shuffled outwards and Riley pulled me down to the ground to sit next to him. They were about to play spin the bottle.
I looked at Jessica and she was literally bouncing on her knees. She was sitting adjacent to Peter and I could just tell she wanted desperately for the bottle to point to her. Her smile made her face light up and her eyes were now pretty much ogling Peter.
There were only about twelve of us in the circle, evenly matched ratio of girls to boys and the guy that had complained to Riley for keeping him waiting (I can't remember his name) grinned before spinning the bottle.
I sat in anticipation as the bottle spun and stopped, pointing at a cute blonde girl. She blushed and he instantly hopped up to kneel before her, planting a long but chaste kiss on her lips.
Then the blonde took her turn. The bottle stopped, pointing to Jessica. "Should I re-spin?" the blonde asked.
"No, if the bottle lands on a girl, girls get to choose what boy they want to kiss, and if a boy spins the bottle and it lands on a boy, that boy gets to pick the girl he kisses," stated Riley, as if he'd played this game a hundred times.
"If a girl and boy have already kissed and they spin each other or choose each other again, they get to go outside for three minutes," he continued.
The blonde girl was smiling from ear-to-ear and she pointed at a boy sitting opposite her and he grinned as he got up and kissed her. I saw a flash of tongue and I instantly felt dizzy.
"It's your turn now Jessica, because the bottle landed on you." Riley smiled at Jessica as she eagerly reached over to the bottle. I knew that she was desperate for it to land on Peter. As it went twirling around and around, I felt Riley's hand brush mine (the one that was still holding his Coke) so I took a small sip and gave it back to him.
His eyes were a deep brown, almost black, and his breathing was irregular. His eyes held mine as he took a sip. I was mesmerized by the way his lips curled over the edge of the can. My eyes then moved down to see his Adam's apple as he swallowed.
When I looked back to the floor, the bottle slowed to a stop, pointing directly at me.
Jessica's eyes sparkled, as she looked up through her lashes directly at Peter.
"Peter," she sighed as if all her dreams had come true.
Peter slowly stood and walked three steps to lower himself in front of her. His back was to me, I couldn't see the kiss, but it lasted a while and I was elated for Jessica. I knew that we wouldn't be sleeping much tonight, as she would describe every detail of that kiss to me, over and over again.
Riley interrupted their kiss to let them know it was my turn. Peter broke away from Jessica her hands had surrounded his neck and as he pulled away I could see her desperately trying to secure him there. When he got up and walked back to his previous seat in the circle she actually pouted. Peter looked over to Jessica. His grin lit up her face.
I felt suddenly hot and nervous and I pushed myself up on my knees as I leaned forward, balancing my body weight on my left hand I reached out and spun the bottle. All eyes were on the bottle, but I could sense in my peripheral vision that Riley's eyes were looking at me. It seemed like forever, but the bottle finally slowed and the neck pointed right between Riley and me as it came to a complete stop.
"It landed on me," Riley gushed and before I could comprehend what was happening, Riley's hand snaked around my waist turning my body to his, and lifted me forward to a kneeling position. His other hand cradled my bare neck as he held me. Then I closed my eyes as his face descended towards mine.
His kiss was soft and sweet, and then ever so slowly, he slid his tongue into my mouth and as I tasted him my knees buckled. His hand pulled me tight up against his chest. My arms that were hanging by my sides reached up. One hand wrapped around his waist the other flew up and grabbed his shirt below his collar.
He tilted my head as his rhythm picked up and the kiss deepened. My mouth fully opened to his and he grunted and he pulled me closer, tighter against him. Tasting him was surreal; it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I was gasping for breath and then, as if a switch flicked, he broke away quickly.
I sat back down, my bum on my heels, breathless and in shock. His eyes blazed. He leaned forward and spun the bottle. In those precious seconds the bottle was spinning, I tried to clear my thoughts. My pulse was racing and I was confused.
It was my first kiss.
My first kiss was with Riley Biers. I had only spoken to him for the first time less than five minutes ago.
Did this mean anything to him, or was it just a game to play, something to pass the time?
The bottle slowed and pointed to Peter. Riley stood up and staring down at me he breathed. "I choose Bella," and he pulled me dazed and confused out of the garage and into the backyard. I still hadn't recovered from the kiss and my heart was pounding.
He strode forward, his hand gripping mine tightly. The grass felt cool and spiky under my bare feet. And then I realized that Riley was going to kiss me again and my whole body tingled in anticipation.
Riley turned abruptly and gently guided me back up against a gum tree, the fallen leaves crunching under our feet. I could still hear the music coming from the garage. I could hear the shrill call of cicadas in the distance. Riley placed his hands on my hips and I reached up to curl both my arms around his neck.
I closed my eyes again and Riley pushed his firm body against mine and started kissing me passionately his tongue probing my mouth. This time I wanted to participate in the kiss, so I began slowly extending my tongue out to meet his. He was making a quiet moaning sound that sent shivers up my spine.
I felt giddy. I was aware of how hard his body felt against my stomach and chest. His hands on my hips were the only things restraining me as I tried to push my whole body forward to connect with his. I wanted to melt into him; the most wonderful sensations were overtaking me. After a minute, I opened my eyes and was shocked to see he had his eyes open too.
We watched each other as we kissed. And then I saw his eyes roll back in his head and he broke away from me. We stood panting, trying to recover.
My eyes looked down at my bare feet; my heart pounding. I felt his fingers lift my chin and felt his body heat as he stood close to me. He looked into my eyes, defiant and smoldering.
"Bella. I will kiss you again one day." He was out of breath and before I could think of anything to say his lips touched the tip of my nose. Then he was gone.
I stood against the tree, trying to process what had happened. I was confused. I had these intense feelings and my body was on fire.
Then Jessica came barreling out of the garage. She looked really pissed-off.
"Let's go!" she demanded. And I raced to grab my sopping-wet sandals and chased after her as she left the backyard and started walking towards my house.
"What happened?" I yelled after her.
"Peter chose Charlotte!" She spat, and I knew now that we wouldn't be losing sleep listening to her talk about the kiss, rather we'd lose sleep while she raved on and on about how she was better than Charlotte and Peter should have chosen her.
Things went back to normal at school after the kiss with Riley. He was still with Victoria. I found out later that she hadn't been at the party because she had to go interstate for her Grandmother's funeral.
No one in that garage ever revealed that Riley and I kissed, not even Jessica, and for that I was grateful. Victoria was scary and jealous. I could just imagine how terrible my school life would have been if she had found out about the kiss.
Occasionally, I would catch Riley looking at me. And my stomach would do that flip-flop thing. I pined for him. I spent my entire school life daydreaming about what it would be like to be his girlfriend. As I got older, my fantasies were more sexual, and no matter how many boys showed interest in me, I compared them all to Riley. They didn't have a chance. Riley's words used to ring in my ears every damn night.
I will kiss you again one day.
Needless to say when Renee thought my little crush on Riley Biers was becoming more than obsessive, she arranged for me to go and spend a year living in Forks with my dad. The thought of not seeing Riley everyday at school made me freak out and throw a massive tantrum. I flatly refused, and argued my case daily for not going. I wore Renee down; she eventually relented, as long as I would snap out of my unhealthy obsession with a boy that didn't want me.
I tried really hard to block Riley from my consciousness. It didn't work. Instead, I just pretended that I was over him, whilst secretly wishing that he would suddenly come to the realization that we were meant to be together and to see Victoria for the absolute bitch that she was. He never did, and it wasn't until many years later that Riley's statement came true.
I will kiss you again one day.
I snapped out of my recollections with a gasp as I heard my phone ringing. I lunged at the bedside table to grab it, seeing Edward's name made my heart race.
"Hello?"
"Hey Bella, it's Edward."
"Hi." I said softly. God his voice is like melted chocolate.
"I've spoken to Ben. We've been invited to go over to his house at three. We can record the song and you can meet Ben and his girlfriend, Angela. I've known them both since school. We'll have dinner with them and then go across to the club for Ben's gig."
"Okay, so what time should we leave here?" I asked. I still didn't have any bearings in Vancouver.
"It's probably best if you take a cab. If you come with me, well, um, the paparazzi would photograph you," he sounded resigned. "I'll get there not long after you if the hotel books you a cab to leave at 2:45pm. Do you have a pen?"
I wrote down the address as he read it to me.
"Don't worry, Ben and Angela are fantastic. They have to be to put up with me," he laughed, then added, "and Angela is a fantastic cook."
"Sounds great, so umm, I'll see you there then?"
"See you there, Bella."
"Bye," I sighed as I placed the phone on the bed.
Just speaking to him made my stomach tighten.
I'm doing the same thing. I'm falling for Edward, just like I did with Riley.
The realization hit me hard.
I recognized that my crush on Riley had been stupid and detrimental to my life. I couldn't do the same with Edward Cullen. I couldn't let myself have unrealistic fantasies that invaded every thought and every decision I made.
That's what it was; I had a crush on Edward Cullen, the Edward Cullen, Hollywood actor and global sex symbol. It was childish and ridiculous.
I can't be that girl again.
~0~
~~Edward~~
After speaking to Bella, I felt like a child on Christmas morning.
I'll see her again in a few hours!
I thought about all the things we had talked about last night and I tried not to think about the way her hand felt when she had touched me. It wasn't working.
Then I looked at my half-empty pack of cigarettes on the dining table. She was anti-smoking. I had never had a valid excuse to drop that habit, but Bella changed that last night. I was going cold turkey. I picked up the pack and threw it into the wastepaper basket by the desk. I just needed to find something else to do with my hands, something to expel my nervous energy. I walked into the bedroom and pulled my guitar out. I would use all the emotions that I had been feeling since meeting Bella to work on the song that wasn't quite right.
I hadn't realized how long I'd been playing and writing until my phone rang. I picked it up to look at the display. It was Jasper.
Should I take the risk that it was Alice using Jasper's phone because I wasn't answering her calls?
There's only one way to find out.
"Hey Jasper, what's up?"
"Edward, do you have any idea how manic Alice is? It's driving me crazy! Can't you just return her call? She's a basket case! You won't believe the scenario's she's concocting about what's going on with you right now, and they change every couple of hours!"
"Sorry, I will call her, but there isn't anything to say right now, she'll just get even more worked up." I stated.
Jasper was very supportive of Alice, so she really must be losing it for him to sneak a call to me.
"Please, just call your sister, I can't take it for much longer," he sounded stressed.
"Okay, okay. What's going on with you guys anyway? How's the family, what's news?"
I desperately wanted to tell Jasper about Bella.
Actually, I wanted to talk about Bella to someone that didn't know Alice.
"Everyone's good. We had dinner with your mom and dad last night. What about you? Anything you want to tell me, about the filming that is?" His tone was sarcastic, and I knew he was fishing for something. I can only imagine what Alice would be putting him through.
"Nope, sorry. I promise I'll call Alice, as soon as I have something to tell her."
"I'm holding you to that. I'll speak to you soon."
"Bye Jasper."
The longest I had been able to get away with not speaking to my annoyingly insistent twin sister was five days. It had been hell. If didn't answer my cell, she would call the hotel at all hours. I purposefully always checked-in under an alias, but she knew me so well, she would normally be able to fucking guess every damn one!
Alice and I were very close, understandably because we were twins. I was two minutes and 39 seconds older. We were connected emotionally in a way that only other twins could comprehend. Alice was more connected to me than anyone in my family, and whilst our parents and close friends were aware of it, no one else knew that Alice had premonitions.
Sometimes they came to her as dreams; other times she would just feel an overwhelming emotion that just popped into her consciousness. Like the time Tyler Crowley skidded his van out in the parking lot at school one day. I had been terrified the instant the van started skidding towards me. No one was hurt, but my emotions switched from terror to anger when his damn van wiped out the back of my parked Volvo. I was livid that he had been so reckless. I seethed when I saw the damage to my previously pristine car.
Alice was in the gym, and 'sensed' my distress. Everyone knew from the look on her face there was something extremely wrong and as she bolted to find me, they had all followed, her crazed demeanor frightening the hell out of all of them.
All she did when she finally found Tyler and I in a heated discussion was jump into my arms and sob. She knew I was okay, but when we talked about it later, she described all the feelings and emotions she had gone through in those three minutes. Those emotions that she explained to me in detail mirrored my own exactly. I had always accepted that our emotional connection would be something neither of us would ever deny again, and the bond that we formed in that instant was permanent and unwavering.
I could only guess what emotions Alice could sense from me at the moment: confusion, attraction, desire. The fact that I wasn't calling her back was probably making it worse.
Maybe I should just tell her it's about the film. No, she would see straight through that lie. I'll just have to put her off a little longer.
I placed my guitar back in its case and thought about seeing Bella. I needed to shave, before fight training. I needed to sort through my dirty clothes and send them to housekeeping. I was usually fully competent. It felt like I'd been living in hotels for years, but I'd only been here three nights, and I was an absolute mess.
I was a mess since meeting Bella Swan.
~0~
A/N: Do you remember your first kiss? Please review!
