This one's also shorter than the first two, but I wanted to give you guys something while I worked on the rest.
CHAPTER FOUR:
CONFLICT
Bell dreamt of petal like lips pressing featherlight kisses over the surface of her skin. They brushed over her cheekbones with the tenderness of a long time lover and pressed against the corner of her lips, long lashes ghosting over her cheek. When she opened her eyes and turned her face, the curtains were fluttering back into place. She wasn't all sure they were dreams, but she had no way to prove it.
The month following the accident was disappointingly uneventful, the snow washed away for good. She'd been the center of attention during the first week. Tyler Crowley was persistent despite her protests, following her around and eagerly helping her with anything he could. He joined her growing group of friends and started sitting at their table during lunch. Bell gave up on trying to push him away after seeing the happy expression on his face as he chattered easily with Mike and Eric.
She kept her promise to Edward, repeating their lie over and over again. Everyone denied having seen him next to her until the very moment the van pulled away, but she persisted. Eventually, they stopped asking. Edward started avoiding her, never speaking when it wasn't an obligation, but she never stopped greeting him. He would avoid her eyes during Biology, his hands trembling incessantly and curling into tight fists on his lap. He sat with his siblings in silence, looking miserable as he poked at his lunch.
Bell wondered why he didn't give up and speak to her.
Just once at least.
She watched him constantly, sadness and longing weighing down her heart. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, like he'd tugged and pulled at it, and the shadows under his eyes grew with each day. Mike was visibly pleased by their little conflict, taking it upon himself to try and console her. He followed her like a dog who hadn't seen their owner in a long time, talking about everything and nothing at all. Bell knew he didn't mean any wrong by it, he was just a kid, but she was still annoyed.
The trip to the beach was still pending, which Mike reminded them of incessantly. The rain continued heavily as the days turned into weeks. Bell was made aware of another event that was looming over the horizon, the girl's choice spring dance was in two weeks and Jessica had pulled her aside to ask for permission to invite Mike.
"Are you sure you don't mind? You weren't going to ask him?" Jessica persisted, looking up at her nervously.
"Jessica," Bell began with a small smile, "It's alright. I'm not going to the dance anyways." She added. It was the truth, school dances stopped being fun after the fifties.
"Why not? It'll be fun." It was a half hearted attempt, but she appreciated it all the same.
Bell patted her arm gently, "You go have fun with Mike."
The next day, she was surprised to find that Jessica wasn't her usual self. She was uncharacteristically silent as she walked by Bell's side between classes and Bell suspected Mike's answer hadn't been a yes. Jessica sat as far as she could from Mike at their lunch table to chat with Eric. The blond was quiet.
He finally spoke up when they got to Biology, perched on her desk and ignoring Edward's silent presence. "So," Mike began in a casual tone as he looked away, "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."
Bell gave him a smile, "That's great." She told him with quiet enthusiasm. "You'll have lots of fun together, I'm sure." She added, reaching out to pat his arm like she'd done with Jessica.
Mike's expression faltered, obviously expecting her to be jealous or ask him herself. "I told her I would think about it." He continued, and Bell paused.
Her brow furrowed and she bit at the inside of her cheek, staring at him. "Why would you do that?" Bell asked, genuinely curious. Jessica was much more approachable than she was, she was talkative and enjoyed the same things as he did. Why was he rejecting Jessica?
His cheeks grew flushed, a dark pink blooming over his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, and he looked down at his lap. "I was hoping you would ask me…" Mike trailed off softly.
"Oh, Mike…" Bell started, sighing tiredly and pushing her hair away from her face. She saw Edward pause from the corner of her eye, his head turning slightly to peek them as his jaw clenched and his hands curled into tight fists. "Mike, you should tell her yes." She advised, toying with her ring.
"Did you already ask someone?" The blond asked, his hurt eyes flickering over to Edward for a brief second.
Bell shook her head, "No. I won't be going to the dance." She replied.
Mike stared at her in confusion, "Why not?"
"I'll be out of town that Saturday." She explained vaguely. "But you shouldn't keep Jessica waiting much longer, it's rude. Give her an answer." Bell pressed, a chastising tone to her voice.
"You're right," He mumbled and promptly turned, heading back to his seat without another word. Bell watched him go, sympathetic, before facing the one and only Edward Cullen. His jaw was no longer clenched, his brow smoothed out as he stared at her with curious onyx eyes. Bell stared back at him, her heart heavy as she took in the dark shadows under his eyes and the extra paleness of his skin. For a moment, Edward looked like he was going to say something, but the teacher interrupted him with the call of his name.
"The Krebs Cycle," Edward answered swiftly, reluctantly turning to look at Mr. Banner. Bell swallowed and looked down at the small drawings on the corners of her papers. She couldn't concentrate on the lesson during the rest of the hour, sparing brief glances at Edward and jotting down absentminded notes. Finally, when the bell rang and she was picking up her things, he spoke. "Hello."
It was so soft that she thought she had imagined it, but when she turned to look at him, he was staring back almost timidly. "You're talking to me again, huh?" Bell asked teasingly, a relieved smile plastered on her lips as she sat back down.
Edward caught his bottom lip between his pearly white teeth and looked down at his fingers. "I'm sorry." He murmured, sounding both pained and sincere, "That was very rude of me. I thought it would be better this way…"
Bell moved closer, tilting her head to look at him better, "What do you mean, Edward?" She asked softly.
"It would be better if we weren't friends."
"Maybe." He looked at her, hurt clear in his dark gaze, but she continued, "But I don't really care about that. I'd love to be your friend, Edward." Bell picked up her things, slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder and standing up to head to her next class. He looked astonished, his pink lips parted as he watched her.
"Bell…" She stopped, turning slightly at the call of her name. Edward swallowed harshly, his long lashes fluttering over his cheekbones, "I'd love that, too."
Needless to say, a smile stayed plastered on her lips during the rest of her Gym class. They'd moved on to basketball and Coach Clapp allowed her to play. Her team was constantly passing her the ball, which was alright even if she did end up getting elbowed harshly on the ribs. Not even the ugly purple bruises forming on her side could wipe away the happy look on her face as she walked into the parking lot.
Her truck had suffered minimal damage from the accident, she'd only needed to replace the front lights and there was nothing wrong with the washed out red paint. Tyler's parents, however, had to sell their van for parts. Walking over to Ol' Red, she was disappointed to find that the figure leaning against it was not Edward. Eric turned to face her with a grin.
"Hi, Bell." Eric greeted her happily, a subtle nervousness underlying his words.
"Hey, Eric," Bell said back as she unlocked her door and put her bag inside. "What's up?"
"I was just wondering…" His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his eyes darting around to avoid hers, "Would you go to the spring dance with me?" Eric asked, his words coming out in one rush of air.
Bell blinked at him in surprise before raising an eyebrow, "I thought it was girl's choice." She commented lightly.
"Well, yeah," Eric said awkwardly, shuffling his feet.
She smiled at his antics, "Thank you for asking me, but I'll be in Seattle that day." Bell said apologetically.
"Oh." He let out after a moment, looking dejected. "Maybe next time, then…?" Eric trailed off hopefully.
"Maybe." Bell echoed in a murmur. Eric looked like he was going to say something else until he caught sight of something, his face growing pale before he speedily walked off. "Bye, I guess…" Bell muttered, confused, and turned to see what had scared him off. Edward was staring after Eric with hard charcoal eyes, his brow furrowed and jaw clenched. His expression softened considerably when they locked eyes and he gave her a nod before getting inside his car.
Bell pulled up behind his shiny Volvo, but he'd stopped to wait for his adoptive siblings. Not in a rush, Bell fiddled with the radio until she found her favorite station. A short knock on her window cut through the smooth melody and Bell rolled it down as far as the old window could go to address Tyler Crowley.
"Sorry, Tyler, we're stuck behind Cullen." Bell apologized quickly with a small smile.
"Oh, yeah, I know. I just wanted to ask you something." Tyler said with a grin, his eyes bright. Bell motioned him to go on as she lowered the volume of the radio. "Will you ask me to the spring dance?" He questioned casually.
"Um," Bell let out a short, surprised laugh. "Sorry, Ty, I'm not gonna be in town that day." She said gently with an apologetic grin.
Tyler ran his fingers through his hair, "Yeah, Mike said that." He admitted before smiling brightly, "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy." He shrugged. "But it's cool, we still have prom." Tyler winked before running off to his car with a laugh at her astonished expression.
Bell let out a laugh of her own, rolling up the window and shaking her head at her new friend. She looked up in time to see Alice wave at her as she and the rest of her siblings slid into the Volvo. Edward's dark eyes were watching her through his rearview mirror, crinkled at the corners as he shook with laughter. Bell scoffed lightly and honked twice at him, snapping her fingers rapidly. She grinned when Edward looked away, shaking even harder as he sped away.
When she got home and took a shower, Bell started making chicken enchiladas. It was a long process that would entertain her as her mind wandered helplessly to Edward Cullen. While the onions and chilies simmered, she got a call from a jubilant Jessica. She was excitedly rambling about how Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation. Bell congratulated her happily, smiling down at the pot as she stirred the ingredients with a spoon, before Jessica said her goodbyes to call her other friends to tell them the good news.
After Bell hung up and started slicing the chicken, she started wondering why Edward would think that staying away from her would be better. He'd seemed absolutely miserable in the long, agonizing month that he refused to speak with her. Did his siblings say something? Did they think she would tell everyone what she'd seen? It wasn't her secret to tell, she would never do that to him. Edward's expression had lit up with happiness when they spoke, relief and a quiet affection in his eyes after he admitted he'd love to be her friend as well. He looked even more beautiful then, and the thought made her heart beat just a little faster.
Charlie arrived just as she started serving their plates, and eyed the enchiladas with a weary look. Not that Bell could blame him, the closest edible Mexican food was all the way down in southern California, but he was brave enough to take the first bite. The awed look on his face made her laugh.
"Hey, Dad?" Bell began when he was reaching for seconds.
"Yeah, Bells?"
"I was planning on heading over to Seattle for a day, a week after Saturday." She said, taking a sip of her water before looking at her father again, "If that's alright?"
"Oh, what for?" Charlie seemed both curious and surprised, like he couldn't believe Bell wanted something outside of Forks.
"I wanted to take some pictures, buy some books and maybe some clothes." Bell replied with a small shrug. She had a lot of money saved up and she could use more clothes, plus the breathtaking sight of Mt. Rainer over the skyscrapers was worthy of immortalization.
"The truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage," Charlie said, sounding unsure.
"It's fine, I'll stop wherever I have to."
A suspicious gleam shone in his eyes as he squinted at her, pointing his fork almost accusingly, "Are you going all by yourself?" Charlie asked, probably wondering if she had a secret boyfriend or something like that.
"Mhm."
"Seattle is a big city— you could get lost…" He fretted and Bell chuckled, smiling.
"Phoenix is five times bigger than Seattle." She reminded him, "And if I get lost I can just use Google Maps or something," Bell continued, gesturing to her phone.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?"
Bell bobbed her head in a nod, "I could use some me time."
"Okay." Charlie said, quietly chewing a piece of chicken before he spoke up again. "Will you be back in time for the dance?"
She was a tad surprised he knew when the dance was, but then she remembered he was a cop. School dances tend to get wild. "Ah, no. School dances aren't really my thing." Bell explained, shrugging a shoulder, "Too many people crammed together. It tends to get hot and sweaty, gross." She grimaced.
He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement, "Okay, Bells."
There was a thick curtain of grey clouds covering the sky the next morning as Bell parked her truck in front of the school, but it wasn't raining yet. She got out of the cab with her things and she fumbled with her keys when she went to lock the door. They fell from her hand and into a small puddle. Bell let out a small huff, but before she could bend down to pick them up, a pale hand was already offering them to her. She blinked in surprise and looked up to find Edward Cullen leaning against her truck, a crooked grin on his face.
"Good morning." He greeted casually, dropping the keys into her hand.
Bell smiled back at him, "Good morning, Barry Allen." She teased as she locked the truck and pocketed her damp keys.
His eyes twinkled with amusement. They were bright again, a deep, golden color that chased away the shadows that had grown under his eyes for the past month. "Is that one of your guesses?" Edward asked.
She nodded her head, walking alongside him towards the main building, "Yup. It's right under alien and demigod." Bell said in a serious voice.
Edward threw his head back and laughed.
It was easily one of the most breathtakingly beautiful things she had ever seen and heard.
"What was with the traffic jam yesterday, by the way?" Bell queried, ignoring the enamored flutters of her heart.
A smirk curled at his pink lips, "I wanted to give Tyler a chance to ask you to the dance." Edward replied, mischief in his voice.
Bell shook her head in mock disappointment, "Evil." She murmured while looking away, "Perhaps a son of Loki?"
Edward chuckled, "Perhaps not." He shot her down. "I want to ask you something, but you keep sidetracking me."
She looked up at him through her lashes, "Am I distracting you?" Bell murmured and grinned when he looked away, swallowing thickly. "I'm kidding, ask away." She laughed.
"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday— you know, the day of the spring dance," Edward started, giving her a pointed look, "You wanted a ride to Seattle?"
"Okay, firstly— how did you know I was going to Seattle?" Bell asked in mild confusion and surprise. Edward shrugged with a secretive smile. "That's disturbing. Secondly, and not to be rude, but why would you go all the way to Seattle?"
"Well, I was going to Seattle in the next few weeks and, to be honest, I don't think your truck can make it." Edward admitted, looking back at the faded red truck in the parking lot with a small grimace.
Bell narrowed her eyes at him, "Hey, Ol' Red works fine, thank you very much." She said, walking a bit faster just to tease him. His footsteps quickened.
"I meant no offense." Edward was quick to say, "But your truck won't make it there on one tank of gas. You'd be saving money and avoiding wasting finite resources." He pointed out and Bell chuckled.
"Tempting."
"I'm tired of trying to stay away from you." He confessed after a moment, his golden eyes never leaving her face. Bell found herself holding her breath at the intensity of his gaze. "Will you go with me to Seattle?" Edward asked in a softer voice, almost pleading.
Bell swallowed thickly, trying to calm her racing heart, and nodded her head. He smiled brightly and she watched all the tension melt from his shoulders. She couldn't help the slow smile that spread over her lips before she tilted her head up to press her lips against his cold cheek. Edward froze, lips parted and eyes comically wide.
"I'll see you in class." Bell grinned cheekily, turning on her heels to walk into English. She glanced over her shoulder to see what he was doing and held back a laugh. He was still standing in the middle of the hall, staring at nothing with a dazed expression on his beautiful face.
She broke him.
Edward.exe has stopped working
