FOUR
Saturday afternoon
Bella is unsure how she made it back home after her and Edward's run-in at the library. She feels giddy, weightless. She has never been drunk before, but if she had, she imagines that it would feel like this. She doesn't even notice if her mum and Phil are arguing in the living room, or if they are even in the house at all.
She falls asleep that night dreaming of Edward's copper-coloured hair and wonders what it would feel like between the delicate skin of her thighs.
The next morning, she sits in front of her dressing table and stares at her distorted face. It is still cracked from a fight with Phil where he threw a mug of hot tea at her, and she has forgotten to ask her mum to replace it. Renee would do anything to keep Bella happy, except leave Phil.
Despite the fracture, she can make out the way her cheeks shine with a rosy hue, and she considers putting on some concealer to dull them down. She shakes her head. It is silly to think that Edward will pay her any more attention. He was probably only talking to her for a dare anyway.
She wasn't sure what she had ever done to turn everyone against her at school. She tells herself that she doesn't mind, that she enjoys weeks without talking, and the overwhelming feeling of loneliness. It's easy to fake that you are okay when no one sees you cry yourself to sleep at night.
The bus ride to Beverly Field is long and Bella uses it to read more of Wuthering Heights. She was so excited when it was finally returned to the library and walked through a heavy rainfall to pick it up. It is not the first time she has read it, and she is sure that it won't be her last. She revels in the escape it brings her.
Reading is harmless, freeing. Isabella Swan is not used to that feeling.
When she arrives at the football pitch, she can see Emmett McCarthy and Jasper Whitlock kicking a ball around playfully. She is glad that she wore a large winter coat and her mum's old winter hat – from afar, you would not be able to notice it was her. Luckily, the bus stop is towards the back of the fields and a short walk from the bushes that Edward had told her about. She pulls a black bin bag from her pocket and places it on the muddy ground, sitting down.
He was right. Nestled into the evergreen, Bella is practically invisible from the crowds that begin to gather below.
The match does not start for a while still and Bella sees it as an opportunity to do some more reading. Time runs away from her and a roar from the pitch pulls her from the pages. The players are walking out onto the field, and the breath hitches in her throat when she sees him.
Edward wears a navy football kit, with white shiny shorts and bright yellow boots. He is graceful on the pitch and hungry for the ball. It never appears anywhere on the pitch without him running behind it.
She feels a small pang in her chest at the support between Edward and his teammates. Whenever one of them gets a goal, they all crowd around the scorer, yelling and clapping each other on the back. Even their coach gets involved sometimes. They look content, happy in one another's company. She wonders how that must feel. To be liked. To have friends.
Her eyes do not leave Edward for the entire game. She watches as the muscles ebb and flow in his thighs as he runs, his forearms tensing during penalties, his hair blowing in the wind. She wonders what he smells like and whether his skin would be soft to touch. From the way that Jessica Stanley is staring at him, she thinks that she can answer her own question.
Edward's team wins, 2-nil. Even though she has only spoken to him once, her heart swells with pride, and she is grateful that he invited her to watch. She allows herself a few extra moments to stare at him as he supports Jasper on his shoulders, the rest of the team spraying water bottles at them. She smiles at his happiness.
She does not wait around as she does not want to possibly embarrass him. She knows the kind of stick he would get if he was caught talking to her. Standing, she packs the plastic bag back into her pocket and walks back towards the bus stop.
It is twenty minutes until the next one and, as she waits, her phone vibrates in her pocket.
It is him.
i saw u in the trees. did u enjoy the game?
yes. you played really well
thanks. im glad u came. im going to the lib again on monday, if u want to join me? x
sure, that sounds really nice
Makes me so happy to see all your lovely names reviewing/favouriting/following this little story we have going on! Thank you so much!
My heart definitely breaks for Bella but hopefully Edward will be able to show her the support she needs!
Let me know what you think :)