No, this story isn't dead guys. I usually update ao3 faster than on this site since I'm new to posting stories here and college has been rough, but here's the new chapter y'all were waiting for. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, enjoy!
CHAPTER FIVE:
OLD RUST
Bell walked into English and muttered a small apology to Mr. Mason, eyes on the floor and lips pursed to fend off a smile. He shook his head at her with a frown on his lips, but turned to keep writing on the board. She hurried to get seated, taking out her notebook and pencil to begin scribbling down her notes. A glance to the side revealed that Mike had refused to sit next to her, instead occupying one further back and away from her. A pang of hurt stung her heart, but Bell brushed it off quickly and turned to her notes. Mike would get over it soon. Life was too short for petty resentments.
She was right, of course, seeing as Mike and Eric waited for her at the door while chatting animatedly with one another. The golden haired boy seemed more and more like himself again as they spoke on their way to their next class. Enthusiasm was clear in his voice when speaking about the weather report for the weekend— the rain was supposed to take a minor break, increasing the possibility of their little get-together at the beach. Despite the lack of rain, the temperatures would still be very low, probably forty degrees or perhaps less. Bell still spoke with an eagerness similar to his, simply glad to see him back in high spirits.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur, her mind whisked away to relive her previous conversation with Edward Cullen. The way he had spoken, the way he had looked at her, it was all so exciting. It made her heart flutter like a hummingbird's wings and subtle heat to warm the apples of her cheeks, an incredibly rare occurrence. She hadn't felt this way in lifetimes. And Bell decided that she would embrace these beautiful feelings in whatever time she had left, whether they were reciprocated or not, because they made her happy.
That same happiness thrummed in her veins as she made her way to the cafeteria with Jessica. The shorter girl was babbling about her dance plans, how Angela and Lauren had asked other boys and they were all going together. Bell hummed softly and nodded along, her eyes straying to the Cullen's table. Alice was sitting in Edward's usual spot, golden eyes twinkling as they locked gazes, and wiggled her fingers at Bell with a secretive smile. Emmett leaned over with a similar grin and even Jasper had the ghost of a smirk lifting the corners of his lips. Bell blinked her eyes at them and lifted her free hand in a slow wave, confused.
Jessica's chattering halted suddenly and she tugged at the long sleeve of Bell's sweater. "Edward Cullen is staring at you again." She whispered, nearly skipping as she guided them to their usual table. "I wonder why he's sitting alone today…"
Alone?
Bell quickly looked up to follow her gaze. Edward smiled at her crookedly from his spot at an empty table across the cafeteria. Her lips spread into a smile by their own volition at the sight of him. Without breaking eye contact, he rose a hand and curled his index finger in a come hither gesture. Her smile became a grin and a small, breathless laugh left her lips when he winked playfully. Jessica gasped loudly.
"He means you!" She yelped as if Bell hadn't noticed, astonishment in her voice.
"I better go see what he wants." Bell murmured, nearly breathless with excitement, and only gave Jessica's shocked face a brief glance of acknowledgement. "Excuse me." She could feel the burning stares on her back as she walked away from their usual table to join Edward. By the look on his face, he was immensely pleased.
"Why don't you sit with me today?" Edward suggested when she arrived, that crooked smile still playing on his pink lips.
Bell didn't hesitate, setting her tray down and taking a seat across from him. They didn't say anything at first, just smiling and looking at each other with the same amount of fascination. After all this time, Bell was still astounded that someone had been blessed with such implausibly gorgeous looks.
"This is different." Bell noted in a soft voice, similar to a sigh.
Edward blinked at her slowly, as if coming back from a pleasant dream. "Well," He began, tapping his fingers along to an unheard melody, and the words came to him in a rush. "I decided that as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly and enjoy myself." Edward looked at her through his lashes, smiling to a joke she didn't quite understand.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she smiled nonetheless. "That's one way to put it, I suppose." Bell chuckled, taking the plastic lid off her salad bowl.
He leaned on his arms, ducking his head slightly to watch her face. "I think your friends are angry at me for stealing you." Edward pointed out, his crooked grin anything but concerned.
Bell shrugged a shoulder, pushing her long brown hair out of the way so she could dig into her Greek salad, "They'll survive, I'm sure." She said dismissively, ignoring the eyes piercing her back.
"I may not give you back, though," Edward stated suddenly, a wicked gleam in his golden gaze. Bell looked down at her meal, biting back a smile. "You don't look too worried." He noted, sounding both pleased and surprised by that fact.
"Mm, not really." Bell hummed coyly and looked up to catch his reaction. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth, his pupils expanding so that the color of his irises was nothing more than a golden ring around the black. "Also, what brought on this new seating arrangement?" She queried, raising an eyebrow with a sly grin.
"I told you, I'm tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up." Edward smiled despite the alarming amount of seriousness in his voice. "I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may." His eyes looked down at the table as he spoke, far away.
"Mysterious, yet intriguing." Bell murmured, watching him attentively. "Two of my favorite things." She added teasingly, and that breathtaking crooked smile reappeared.
Edward chuckled gently, "I'm glad." He confessed, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Everyone usually keeps away from mysterious people. For safety." He added pointedly, like a quiet yet reluctant warning.
"Boring, normal people with boring, uneventful lives devoid of any sense of adventure." Bell noted, taking a sip from her water bottle. "Life is too short for overthinking and avoidance. Trust me." She chuckled, morbidly amused.
"You're so strange." Edward breathed, sounding both frustrated and so helplessly enamored.
Bell smiled, the wild flutters of her heart guiding warmth to her cheeks, "Thank you."
Edward tilted his head slightly, never moving his eyes away from her face, "What are you thinking of?" He queried softly.
She took in his striking eyes, his messy bronze hair, his pale cheeks and his pink lips, and answered honestly, "I'm wondering what kind of creature the breathtaking man sitting in front of me is."
He let out a short, surprised laugh and looked down at the table. "Any theories?" Edward asked.
"Some."
He looked up at her through his lashes, his lips curling into a terribly tempting smile, "Won't you tell me?"
Bell pursed her lips, seemingly thoughtful. "No, I don't think I will." She said after a brief moment of feigned pondering.
Edward grinned, "How cruel." He shook his head. His eyes landed on something over her shoulder and he snickered, that mischievous gleam back in his eyes. "Your boyfriend is getting jealous. He's working up the courage to come over." He pointed out, highly amused.
She knew exactly who he was talking about, but she wasn't about to take the bait. "I wasn't aware I was in a relationship." Bell stated.
"He seems to think so." No, she wasn't going to humor him and follow his gaze.
Bell raised an eyebrow, "And how would you know that?" She enquired.
"Most people are easy to read." Edward replied, almost smugly, before his smile faltered as he stared at her, "Except for you. I wonder why…"
"Maybe I'm just one of those people." Bell mused with the shrug of her shoulders and flashed him a smile before taking a sip of her water. "Can you do me a small favor?" She asked after a brief moment of silence.
"It depends…" Edward trailed off with a suspicious tone in his voice, but the playful gleam in his eyes told her to continue.
She toyed with her ring and bit at the inside of her cheek for a second. "Don't do something you don't want to." Bell's words were short and blunt, visibly catching him off guard. She looked up at him again, "Don't avoid me if it's the last thing you want to do. It makes both of us miserable and I honestly think it's very unfair." She continued, watching him stare back at her in surprise with parted lips and wide golden eyes.
Slowly, a smile spread appeared on his face. "Alright. I promise." Edward said softly and Bell nodded her head once, pleased. "Can I have one answer in return?" He queried.
Why not? "Sounds fair."
He held up a slender finger, and grinned boyishly, "Tell me one theory."
"Anything except that."
"You didn't specify, so you have to answer it." Edward pointed out arguably and Bell pursed her lips, giving a defeated sigh that had him smirking. "Just one— I promise I won't laugh." He added.
Bell stared at him, "Yes, you will."
What happened next confirmed that Edward Cullen was going to be the inevitable cause of her death.
He looked down at the table for a moment before looking up at her through his long, dark lashes, his ochre eyes scorching. "Please, Bell," Edward breathed and slowly leaned closer. Her mind automatically went to places it shouldn't have and her mouth went awfully dry. "Please, just one little theory…" His eyes glanced down at her mouth before returning to her own brown irises.
Bell let out a small laugh that was more forced than anything else, tearing her gaze away to lean back in her seat and away from the person causing her heart palpitations. "An incubus maybe," She said, only half joking.
He blinked at her, tilting his head, "An incubus?" Edward repeated.
She raised an eyebrow at him and gestured at his whole self with the wave of her hand, "With that little stunt that you pulled just now? More probable than the other ones." Bell pointed out, feeling her heart finally start to slow down to a normal pace.
Edward chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement, "Anything else?" He asked.
"You laughed." Bell pointed at his still smiling face, "And you said one theory. That was it." She reminded him and quickly glanced away when he started making that strangely arousing expression from before, with those enchanting eyes of molten gold and pouting lips of begonias. "Was I close though?" She asked, genuinely curious.
He pursed his lips, appearing thoughtful, "Somewhat." Edward mused. "We're both very dangerous creatures," He continued, avoiding her eyes with an expression that told her he was clearly afraid he'd said too much.
"You are dangerous." Bell nodded her head in agreement, "I fear for my fragile little heart every time I get near you." She confessed, giving him a small grin. He looked down, his fingers loosely curling into his palms as he failed to bite back a bashful grin.
It was then that she noticed the growing silence of their surroundings. The cafeteria was almost empty and the remaining students were already getting up to throw away their leftovers. Bell let out a small sigh, mildly disappointed that time had gone by so quickly.
"We're going to be late." She noted, rising from her chair.
"I'm not going to class today." Edward said in reply, silently drumming his fingers on the table.
Bell was immediately struck with concern and her brow furrowed. "Why not?"
"It's healthy to ditch class now and then." He replied, smiling up at her. "You can join me, if you want." He continued, a hopeful lilt to his voice.
"Tempting…" It actually really, really was. "But I'll have to pass. This town likes gossip and my dad's the chief, not a good combination." She said, shaking her head. Charlie would hear about it even before she got home. He'd grow worried and blame himself— that good, humble man. Bless him.
Disappointment dimmed his eyes and his smile thinned. "I'll see you later, then." Edward said in a softer voice.
She smiled at him, "Of course."
Luckily, Mr. Banner wasn't in the room yet when she arrived, which gave her a bit of time to rearrange her thoughts. Not an incubus, but something alike, huh? Bell settled into her seat next to the window, keenly aware of Mike and Angela's stares burning into the side of her head. Whereas Mike's was resentful, Angela's was filled with awe and surprise. The teacher came into the classroom just then, juggling a few small cardboards in his arms and calling the class to order. He put them down on Mike's table and told him to pass them around.
"Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box," Mr. Banner began as he produced a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his lab coat and pulled them on with a snap. The sharp sound cut through the air ominously. "The first should be an indicator card." He said, grabbing a white card marked with four squares and displaying it. "The second is a four-pronged applicator," He held it up for them to see, "and the third is a sterile micro-lancet." Mr. Banner continued, splitting open the small piece of blue plastic.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
"I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you." He said, standing next to Mike's table again while carefully putting a single drop of water on each of the squares. "Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet…" Mr. Banner grabbed Mike's hand and embedded the sharp tip into the tip of his middle finger. "Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs," He squeezed Mike's finger until the blood flowed. The hair on the back of Bell's neck stood on end at the sight. "And then apply it to the card." He held up the card for the class to see, but Bell had closed her eyes.
It was everywhere. Dripping down her face and soaking through her blouse. Her jaw ached and the taste of pennies flooded her mouth, coating her tongue in something thick. There was something stuck in her side, buried inside her flesh—
"Are you alright, Bell?" Mr. Banner's voice came from her right, heavy with alarmed concern.
"I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well, Mr. Banner." Bell breathed, wiping away the sweat collecting on her forehead with the back of her hand and finally opening her eyes to look up at him. "May I be excused?"
Mr. Banner nodded his head quickly. "Of course. Can someone take Bell to the nurse, please?" He called out and she vaguely heard Mike offer to help. Mr. Banner placed his hand between her shoulders, "Do you think you can walk?"
Not trusting her voice, Bell nodded her head. Mike seemed almost eager as he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her arm over his shoulders. She leaned against him heavily on the way out of the classroom, muttering an apology that he brushed off with a smile. He was gentle, towing her slowly across campus until she stopped him around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of building four just in case Mr. Banner had been watching.
"I need to sit for a minute." Bell nearly begged and Mike was quick to help her sit on the edge of the sidewalk. It was a bit damp and it would undoubtedly leave embarrassing wet spots on her jeans, but Bell couldn't find it in herself to care as she brought her knees closer to her chest and buried her hands in her hair, tilting her head up to the sky while letting her eyes fall closed. She took deep, slow breaths to ward off the threat of a panic attack.
She heard Mike shuffle nervously. "You've gone really pale, Bell." He commented, concerned.
"Bell?" A different voice called from the distance.
It was him. Edward.
"What's wrong? Is she hurt?" He asked, upset, as the sound of his light footsteps came to a stop in front of her.
Mike sounded stressed as he replied, "I don't know what happened. We were pricking our fingers before she got like this. She hadn't even done hers yet."
"Bell." Edward's voice was closer now, less upset than before but still concerned. His hand touched her knee, the coldness seeping through her clothes. "Can you hear me?"
"I'm fine." Bell mumbled, still not opening her eyes. "Just need a minute…" She trailed off in a poor attempt to reassure him. His thumb rubbed comforting circles on her knee.
"I was taking her to the nurse," Mike blurted suddenly in a defensive tone, "but she had to sit down."
"I'll take her." Edward stated rather than offered and Mike stammered for a second before being cut off. "You can go back to class."
"No!" Mike finally said in protest. "I'm supposed to do it." He pointed out with the stubbornness of a toddler. Or an unhappy puppy.
The sidewalk disappeared from beneath her and the world spun. Bell gasped sharply and opened her eyes, her arms shooting out to wrap around Edward's neck as he scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. He had a smug smile on his face, seemingly very pleased with himself. Miked called out in protest, already ten paces behind them.
Bell patted Edward's chest gently, letting her head rest on the juncture where his neck met his shoulder, "Careful." She said softly and he slowed the pace a little, lessening the constant rocking.
"So," Edward began casually, "you faint at the sight of blood?" He meant it as a joke, to lighten up the mood, but her mind still went back to that day.
"Don't— don't look down, Bellamy! Keep your eyes on me, okay, honey?! Don't fall asleep!"
"Help me put pressure on this—"
"Don't close your eyes, Bellamy—"
His eyes darkened suddenly, his smile faltering as his brow furrowed. There was the lightest head tilt, as if he'd heard something. She didn't give it too much thought and supposed something must have shown on her face. Bell forced the corner of her mouth to lift in a small smile, "Just this time around."
He didn't get the joke.
The air inside the office was warm and smelled like a strange combination of rubbing alcohol and coffee. Edward was striding in like he owned the place, the door being held open by the front office receptionist, Ms. Cope. The nurse looked up from her book, an astonished expression on her elderly face when Edward walked in and set Bell down gently on one of the cots. He hovered by much like how he had back at the hospital, his bright eyes looking her over.
"She's a little faint." Edward reassured the nurse before she could take out her stethoscope, "They're blood typing in Biology." He elaborated.
An understanding look came across her face and she nodded. "There's always one." She chuckled and turned to Bell, brushing her hair away from her forehead in a motherly manner. "Just lie down for a minute, honey. It'll pass soon."
"I know." Bell sighed with a smile.
"Does this happen frequently?"
"Only sometimes." She replied, avoiding Edward's concerned look.
The nurse looked at Edward, "You can go back to class now." She told him.
"I'm supposed to stay with her." He replied with such authority in his voice that — even as she pursed her lips — the nurse didn't argue with.
"I'll go get you some ice for your head, dearie." The nurse told Bell, who mumbled her thanks, before leaving the room.
Bell sighed, rubbing between her brows in hopes of alleviating her headache, "You were right."
Edward raised his eyebrows, "I usually am, but what in particular this time?" He teased quietly.
"Ditching is healthy." She shot him a contagious grin that had him smiling back at her.
There was a pause, a minute with the sound of buzzing coming from the lights being the only noise in the room. "You scared me back there, partner." Edward admitted, making his confession with a lighthearted tone. "I thought Newton was on his way to drag your dead body into the woods."
"Hilarious." Bell said sarcastically, but smiled nonetheless.
He grinned crookedly, "Honestly, I've seen corpses with better color. I was concerned I might have to avenge your muder." Edward continued, making her chuckle.
"Oh, poor Mike," She murmured, failing to bite back a grin, "He must be seething."
"He absolutely loathes me." Edward said cheerfully, nodding his head.
Bell pretended to be shocked, going as far as placing her hand on her chest, "What? No!" She gasped theatrically. "However could you tell?"
"It was written all over his face." Edward pointed out, looking highly amused. "He doesn't even bother to hide it."
He didn't. Mike was one of those expressive guys that wore their heart on their sleeve. There aren't many people he dislikes, but Edward is definitely at the top of that short list. "How did you see us, anyways?" Bell asked curiously. "I thought you were supposed to be ditching."
Edward shrugged his shoulders, "I was in my car, listening to a CD." He answered.
The door opened and the nurse came back inside with a cold compress in her hand. "Here you go, dear." She smiled, laying it across Bell's forehead. "You're looking better." She observed.
"Yeah, I'm alright now." Bell assured her, holding the compress to her head as she sat up on the cot. The headache was almost completely gone and the room was no longer spinning, the mint green walls staying where they should.
Before the nurse could protest, Ms. Cope opened the door and stuck her head in. "We've got another one." She warned.
Bell quickly got off the cot for a sallow looking Lee Stephens, one of the students in their Biology class, who was leaning heavily against Mike. She passed the compress to the nurse and drew back against the wall with Edward to give them more space.
"Oh no." Edward muttered under his breath, quickly grabbing her shoulder. "Let's go out to the office, Bell." He said in an urgent tone. Confused and startled, she turned to look at him and met his eyes. The color had darkened considerably, and his gaze was stern yet worried. "Trust me."
It hit her.
Bell quickly spun on her heels and caught the door before it shut, darting through with Edward right behind her. Her hand was pressed against her nose until they made it out, and even then she waited a few seconds before lowering it to breathe properly.
"I smelt it." Bell explained in response to Edward's questioning look. Lee hadn't gotten sick from staring at other people, he'd cut himself too deeply with the lancet.
Edward's brow furrowed and he shook his head slowly. "People can't smell blood," He contradicted.
She let out a small huff, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a smile that was more of a grimace. "I can," Bell admitted. "It smells like rust and salt." She elaborated, knowing the dreadful scent by heart. An unreadable expression flitted across his face and Bell frowned. "What?"
He pursed his pink lips, "It's nothing."
Mike nearly burst through the door then, his blue eyes darting between her and Edward. He gave the taller male a look that confirmed everything they discussed about loathing. He looked back at Bell with a glum look on his expressive face. "You look better." Mike observed in an accusing tone, and Bell pursed her lips in a vain attempt to smother her amusement.
"Yeah," Bell nodded her head once. "I feel much better now. Thank you." She was sincerely grateful, he'd helped her out of the classroom after all.
He shuffled his feet, "Are you going back to class?"
"I think I'll wait for the next one, there's not much time left for Biology to end." She pointed out, aware of Edward's attention being on them even as he pretended to look at something across the room.
Mike bobbed his head, "Yeah." He wet his lips with the nervous swipe of his tongue. "So, um, are you going this weekend? To the beach?" The blond asked hopefully, shooting Edward a brief glare.
Oh, that. She forced a smile, "That's the plan so far."
He didn't catch on to the hidden meaning in her words. "We're meeting at my dad's store, ten o'clock." Mike's blue eyes darted to Edward again, as if he was concerned that he was revealing too much information.
Bell wiped her hands down the front of her jeans to get rid of the moisture still clinging to her palms from the compress. "Yeah." She uttered.
"I'll see you at Gym, then." With that, Mike was gone. He looked back for a moment, a slight pout on his round face as his shoulders slumped, before walking out of sight. Poor puppy.
"Are you really feeling well enough to go to Gym?" Came Edward's enquiry.
Bell closed her eyes and failed to bite back a grin. She couldn't lie to him. "In all honesty? I want to lay down. I'm exhausted." She confessed.
"I can take care of that." He reassured, his voice suddenly much closer. She opened her eyes to look up at him, his ochre eyes staring back at her tenderly. "Go sit down, you're still pale." Edward said softly.
"I'm always pale." Bell snorted, but complied. Edward was quick to intercept Ms. Cope the second she entered the office. Bell leaned back on the creaky folding chair, resting her head against the wall and watching through heavy lidded eyes.
"Ms. Cope, Bell has Gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough." Edward started, his voice soft and nearly hypnotising. She could only compare it to melting honey. Too bad she could only see the back of his head, his eyes must have been breathtaking. "I was thinking I could take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?"
Ms. Cope blinked her eyes multiple times in a row, her cheeks gaining a touch of pink, "Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?" She asked quickly. He got her where he wanted her. Bell bit back a laugh.
Edward shook his head. "No, I have Ms. Goff, she won't mind."
"Okay, it's all taken care of." Ms. Cope nodded and looked over at Bell with a small smile, "Hope you feel better, Bell." She called and Bell gave her a weak nod.
"Can you walk?" Edward asked, genuine concern in his eyes. "Do you need me to carry you again?" He added and his arms were already moving, just short of scooping her up again.
Bell shook her head and told him she could walk. He still held the door open for her, though, hovering like a fretting mother. A cold, fine mist had begun to drizzle down from the ever present clouds. She tilted her head up and let the water wash away the light sweat that had gathered on her face.
"Thank you." She said softly to Edward after a moment of silence, turning to see him already watching her.
"Anytime."
"Will you be going this Saturday?" Bell questioned. She was hoping he would, even when it seemed highly unlikely. It just didn't seem like a place he would be comfortable with, surrounded by rowdy teenagers on a cold beach.
"And where are you all going, exactly?" Edward asked casually and Bell had the sudden feeling that he knew exactly where they were going, but she answered anyway.
"Down to La Push, to First Beach."
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and his pink lips stretched into a wry smile. "I really don't think I was invited." Edward commented.
Bell looked up at him, tucking a damp lock of her long hair behind her ear, "I'm inviting you now, though."
Edward hummed, something pleased in his eyes, but he shook his head. "Let's not push poor Mike any further this week. He might just snap." He grinned crookedly, the golden color of his eyes bright.
There were little drops of rainwater clinging to his long lashes and weighing down his bronze hair, dripping to slide down his marble skin. Disappointment struck her suddenly, a heavy weight in her chest, and Bell cleared her throat. She contemplated inviting him to go birdwatching with her sometime, but decided against it and started walking towards her truck. Something caught the back of her jacket just as she was fishing for her keys, pulling her back.
It was Edward. "Where are you going?"
She blinked, "Home…?"
His brow furrowed, "Didn't you hear me promise to take you home safely? I'm not letting you drive in your condition." Edward seemed alarmed that she would even think of driving home by herself.
"But," Bell was painfully aware of the way her heart was racing in her chest, "what about my things and my truck—"
"I'll have Alice drop them off at your house after school." Edward said in reply before grabbing her arm and guiding her towards his Volvo. He opened the passenger door and Bell hesitated. Her hair was wet from the rain, as were the rest of her clothes, and she was sure there was mud on the soles of her boots.
She pushed away the wet locks clinging to her face and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm going to get everything dirty." Bell told him, ready to head back to her truck.
He gave her a look and opened the door wider. "It's fine, Bell. Get in." Edward used that little voice from lunchtime, the one that made her mouth go dry and her mind go to places it definitely should not.
Bell looked away quickly and got inside the car. Edward was sliding in right after, the shiny Volvo purring to life as he turned on the heater and lowered the volume of the radio. They were pulling out of the parking lot when she recognized the music playing. Her lips curled into a nostalgic smile.
"Is that Clair de Lune?"
Edward glanced at her in surprise, "You know Debussy?"
She nodded her head, fiddling with the damp sleeves of her jacket. "Clair de Lune is one of my favorites." Bell admitted before adding, "My mom loves playing classical music in the house."
"It's one of my favorites, too," Edward said, suddenly lost in thought as he looked out through the rain.
The music coming from the radio and the constant tapping of the fat raindrops falling from the sky were the only sounds in the car. They were going fast, she realized, but the Volvo was driving so smoothly that you didn't really notice unless you saw the blurred colors of the town flashing by.
"What's your mother like?" He asked suddenly, curious.
Bell couldn't help but smile at the thought of Renee. "I look a lot like her, but I think she's prettier. She's outgoing and brave and irresponsible— don't get me started on her cooking." She chuckled, grinning, "You can't tell if she'll give you something edible or not. She's eccentric and I love her just the way she is."
"...How old are you, Bell?" Edward questioned, something like frustration in his voice as the Volvo slowed down to a stop in front of the Swan residence.
She looked down at her hands and suddenly felt so, so tired. As if the last centuries were suddenly weighing her down. "Seventeen." Bell replied after a moment.
"You don't seem seventeen."
His observation made a laugh spill from between her lips, unbidden. It was mildly bitter, nearly watery. "Yeah, that's..." She chuckled again and finally looked at him, "People tell me I have a really old soul. Always do." Bell said, shrugging her shoulders before giving him a look, "You have one, too, I think."
She saw his Adam's apple bob with a harsh swallow and something flitted through his gaze. "Why did your mother marry Phil?" Edward asked instead of replying.
Even when Bell had only mentioned his name once, nearly two months ago, he still remembered it.
"Renee is very," She pressed her tongue against her cheek for a moment as she mulled over her next words, "young in spirit. I think Phil makes her feel even younger. She's smitten."
He tilted his head, "Do you approve?"
"He makes her happy, that's what really matters." Bell replied easily.
"That's very generous… Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?" Edward continued, his eyes suddenly staring at her intently.
"I'd hope so." Bell grinned.
He grinned back, "No one too scary then."
She tilted her head at him. "What do you mean by that? A gothic person?" Bell asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's one definition, I suppose."
"And what's your definition?"
Edward dodged her question, asking one of his own, "Do you think I could be scary?"
Oh? What was this about? Her eyes darted over his face, taking in the teasing smile playing on his lips. It seemed a bit forced. "If you really wanted to." Bell said truthfully. He wasn't human, she knew that much.
"Are you scared of me right now?" That smile of his faltered, the corners of his lips tugging down into the beginnings of a frown. Edward's mesmerizing eyes were begging her to say no.
Bell wasn't scared of him.
She was scared for him.
She was already so attached, holding him close to her heart despite their interactions having begun only two months ago. He possibly felt the same — she had no way to know, never really did — but if this… curse of hers suddenly decided it was time to go then… What would become of the sad, lonesome Edward Cullen?
"No." Bell answered softly, truthfully, with a sad smile curling at her lips. Something flickered in his eyes and his brow furrowed, his pink lips parting ever so slightly. "But enough talk about me. Why don't you tell me about your family? I'm sure it's way more interesting than my stories." She teased lightly to distract him from the previous subject. Edward instantly gave her a cautious look and Bell found herself grinning. "I won't ask about your supernatural status, I still have to figure it out by myself."
Edward chuckled quietly, relaxing. "What would you like to know?"
Bell hummed thoughtfully. "You were adopted by the Cullens," She paused for a moment, hesitating, but the comforting look in his eyes made her continue, "Can I ask what happened to your parents? Did you know them?"
He nodded once, his slender fingers tracing absentminded patterns on the steering wheel. "I don't remember them clearly," Edward murmured over the pitter patter of the rain, "They died many years ago."
Her expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now." Edward continued, the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips as his golden eyes lit up at the thought of them.
"You love them." Bell stated with a smile of her own, fiddling with her fingers as her heart skipped at the tender expression on his beautiful face.
"I do." Edward said, the corners of his eyes crinkling happily, "I couldn't imagine two better people."
"You're very lucky." Bell said softly before recalling the other members of the Cullen family, "What about your siblings?"
Edward went to say something, but a glance at the digital clock on the dashboard had his expression falling in disappointment. "My siblings," He began with a sigh, "are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me…"
"I'm so sorry for keeping you." Bell grimaced after looking at the clock. "Please send them my apologies."
"It's fine." Edward said, nearly pouting, "And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don't have to tell him about the Biology incident." He added as a crooked grin took over his face, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Bell snorted, "Oh, he definitely knows by now. There's almost no secrets in small towns." She said, disgruntled.
Edward laughed at her predicament. "Have fun at the beach," He said before glancing out the window, rain still falling down from the sky, "Great weather for sunbathing."
Ha ha. Hilarious.
Something about his words struck her though. Her brow furrowed, and she found herself frowning. "Won't I see you tomorrow?" Bell enquired.
He took notice of her disappointment and pursed his lips, his expression softening. "Emmett and I are starting the weekend early. We're going hiking in the Great Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier." Edward explained.
She briefly recalled Charlie mentioning that the Cullens went camping frequently. Bell mustered up a smile, telling herself not to be greedy, "Hope you have fun, take pictures for me, will you?"
He smiled back at her, "Of course." Edward replied. She had started opening the door when his arm shot out to stop her, his cold fingers delicately curling around her wrist. Bell turned to look at him in surprise and found him closer than she'd expected. "Can you promise me something?" He asked almost breathlessly, ochre eyes searching hers.
Bell could only nod, entranced.
"Please be careful. I—" Edward swallowed thickly and let out a shaky breath, "I don't know what I'd do… if you got hurt." He confessed, sounding torn as his beautiful eyes gained a glossy sheen.
God, she wanted to kiss him so badly.
As if hearing her thoughts, he glanced down at her lips with an almost longing expression, his thumb rubbing slow circles on her inner wrist. Bell noticed she'd been leaning closer and stopped herself. "I promise." She whispered instead.
Edward looked up at her through his lashes for a moment before giving in and pressing his soft lips against the corner of her mouth in a soft peck. Bell held her breath and her heart stuttered in her chest, her mouth going dry at his actions. He drew back and placed his hands on the steering wheel, his bottom lip caught between his teeth in a bashful gesture.
"I'll see you next week." He murmured, not looking at her directly. Bell couldn't help but grin and said her goodbyes before getting out of the car, afraid she'd swoop back in and caught those pink lips with hers.
She wasn't so sure she would be able to hold back next time.
There's so much emotional and sexual tension between them that I genuinely struggled not to let them make out in Edward's Volvo.
They're not getting together just yet, this is a... medium-burn? Slowburn but not quite?
Reminder: Bell is not Bella, which means her interactions with other characters will not be the same as the original— which also means that at some point we're gonna say bye bye to canon and hello to a healthier, much more tolerable timeline.
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