IMPORTANT A/N
I am a 21-year-old Pre-Nursing student, going to school full-time, and working full-time. I'm sorry that I suck at updating, but my education must come first. As much as I love writing, more important things hold my attention at the moment. I appreciate the constructive criticism, the positive and negative feedback, ALL reviews, ALL favorites, and ALL follows. Stick with me, please. I have much planned for this story.
Love you all!
Izobella
CHAPTER 8
EPOV
The continental divide. I chuckle quietly, glancing over to find Bella still asleep beside me, her head tilting toward me. Her ivory skin is paler than it used to be – nearly translucent – and her brow is pulled together, almost as if she is in pain. I resist the urge to reach over and sooth the wrinkle on her forehead, instead lifting up on my seat and placing my hands under my legs. I glance out the window toward the passing greenery and take a deep breath before looking back at her.
Her right brow, once solid and sculpted, is now cut in half, a pale pink scar marring her once flawless forehead. My own brow furrows in frustration, curiosity burning in my stomach as I continue to inspect her face for changes. No other flaw is present, just what seems to be an overall roughness that was not there before. I grunt, finally turning away from her before I drive myself mad.
It's not until we arrive in Forks that Bella finally wakes with a gasp. Her wide eyes scan her surroundings as she braces herself against the seats.
"I apologize, Isabella. The road to our home is quite bumpy; plenty of potholes." Carlisle speaks from the front seat, his eyes inspecting Bella's frantic movements through the rearview mirror. I watch her as well, my stomach dropping when I recognize genuine signs of fear and anxiety rolling through her. Her fingers press against her brow forcefully, turning the skin white from the pressure. Her other hand reaches down, reverently stroking her stomach.
I can hear it. The thing.
I can hear its heart, it's movements, its thoughts… or rather, it's feelings.
I could hear it the moment she came into that room.
I could barely stomach to be in the same room as it.
I look up from Bella's stomach when the smell of the air changes; she's crying. I watch enraptured as she sneers at the small spots her tears have made, wishing for the millionth time that I could read her mind.
"The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief." She jumps nearly a foot in the air when I speak, I regret my words as soon as she looks over at me, staring blankly.
"William Shakespeare," I mumble after a moment of silence, turning to watch her in the reflection of the car window.
They're just words now, I think bitterly. They don't mean anything to her anymore, dumbass.
She stares at me for a moment, blinking quickly as she processes my words. Her mouth opens before closing again, and then she finally speaks.
"Othello," she murmurs quietly, glancing down at her hands before looking back up at me. I continue to watch her reflection, smiling when I realize she's waiting for me to respond.
"I'm surprised," I say – in what I hope is a nonchalant tone – turning to face her again. "Not many people know that one. It's usually Romeo and Juliet that people appreciate." I smile wider, waiting for her to blush and admit her love for the classic.
"I hate Romeo and Juliet," She spits out. My stare at her, shocked. "It just seems so… Pointless. I mean, why kill yourself over someone you just met?" She rambles, and I nod, unsure of how to react. Her eyes lock with my own as she continues. "I suppose if she had known him for the entirety of her life, and vice versa, it might have made some sense. But it just… Doesn't." She stops, looking down before looking at me again. "There's only one thing I can truly understand from the entire tragedy."
"And what's that?" I ask. She tears her eyes from my own once more, prodding the top of her protruding stomach with her fingertips.
"My only love," she pauses, glancing toward my hands, which were still safely tucked under my legs. "Sprung from my only hate." This time, she nearly chokes, struggling to speak the last word. I stare for a moment, temporarily stunned to hear her speak so fondly of the monster in her stomach.
My legs can't hold me this time as I reach toward my girl, bringing her gaze to mine. I desperately need to see the love she once showed me, but when I see the unfamiliarity staring back at me, my heart nearly gives out.
I sigh exasperatedly, angry at myself, at her, at the thing, at the universe.
She closes her eyes, her head tilting toward mine as she inhales slowly.
I smile then, recognizing this as a momentary win and leaning my forehead against hers.
She may not recognize me, but her body does.
Edward! I freeze when Carlisle chastises me, watching Bella and I through the rearview mirror. Stop. He commands. I hadn't realized until then that I was leaning even further, my lips not even an inch away from Bella's.
I pull back, relieved when Carlisle places the car in park. I jump out quickly, meeting Esme's gaze as she leaves the Mercedes, her hand finding my shoulder.
It's okay, she thinks kindly. Deep breaths. I nod, placing my hand over hers before walking as quickly as humanly possible toward the front door. I'm nearly at the top of the steps when I hear Bella cry quietly, surprise clear in her voice. I turn and watch over the top of the car as Alice apologizes for her suddenness. I shake my head, turning back to the door.
And then all hell breaks loose.
The abrupt bang of a car backfiring makes me jump as I reach for the front door. I stiffen when Alice gasps, losing her grip on Bella's arm as she falls, cradling her protruding stomach.
One moment she is perfectly fine, highly alert and aware. The next, she has her hands over her ears as she screams in fear.
My eyes widen in shock and I run at full speed to get to my love, gripping her forearms as she falls to her knees. Her eyes are glazed over as she stares right into mine, not seeming to recognize my presence in front of her. Carlisle kneels behind Bella, eyes flickering worriedly between us as I begin to cry, venom leaking from my eyes.
"Momma!" Bella hollers, eyes squeezing shut and she begins to thrash against me. I grip her forearms tighter, trying to keep her movements small.
Behind me, I hear Jasper gasping in pain, Alice begging him to calm down.
"Edward, stop. You'll hurt her." Carlisle snaps, imagining my solid hands snapping her ulnas right in half. His focus then shifts, an image of me wrapping my arms gently around her body taking over instead. I nod, trying to fight my revulsion as I wrap my arms around her bulging stomach. I can feel it move through her muscles and swallow thickly, linking my fingers together behind her back.
"Momma!" she screams this time, her voice high-pitched and rough.
"Jasper!" Carlisle yells, desperation coloring his tone as he runs for his medical bag in the trunk of the Mercedes.
"I can't!" He cries. "It's too much! I'm not strong enough." He sounds shocked, kneeling on the gravel driveway with Alice hugging his head to her chest. "I can't get a hold of her!"
I notice Bella is still tugging her hair and leg go over her waist, instead twining my fingers through hers and wrapping my arms around her shoulders. I open my mind to her, willing to try anything to calm her down.
Even if it meant exposing us.
Please, my love. Look at me. Bella. I try, a new wave of venom stinging my eyes when she howls again.
Look at me. I command this time. Open your eyes and look at me, love.
And she does. I sigh in relief when her eyes meet mine, trying to put on a calm mask to keep her panic from escalating anymore.
You're here with me. You're safe. I assure her, gently stroking her hair as Carlisle rushes back toward us with a syringe in-hand. I stiffen but continue to comfort Bella. Breathe, my love. I'm here.
He pauses for a moment, staring at Bella's stomach as she wiggles in my arms. My brow furrows in confusion and I focus on his thoughts. I growl when I realize he is worried about the negative side effects the Midazolam he holds in his hand can have on a fetus. I growl, bringing his attention to me.
"Do it," I snarl, not caring about that thing. Just my Bella. Carlisle blinks and takes a deep, unnecessary breath before nodding, moving toward us quickly.
I look away when Carlisle inserts the needle of the syringe into Bella's shoulder, pressing her head into my chest as I rock her gently. Her body immediately reacts to the sedative, her fearful wailing turning into soft whimpers. I lean back, bringing her with me as her tense muscles begin to loosen.
Sleep, baby. I'll be here when you wake. I reassure her, leaning back to watch her fall unconscious. She grunts suddenly, stiffening once more before falling lax in my arms.
I continue to rock her, even once she is asleep, and suddenly begin sobbing. I grip her tighter as venom falls freely from my eyes, stinging my skin before it evaporates into the air.
"Edward," Carlisle murmurs gently, hesitantly tapping on my shoulder. "You need to let her go, son." I shake my head, growling low in my chest. "Let Esme take her upstairs. She'll be safe with Esme, you know that." I keep rocking, ignoring him.
That is, until Jasper sends a wave of persuasion my way.
After a moment, I concede, loosening my grip on her. Esme immediately swoops in, picking Bella up bridal-style and running into the house with her. Alice follows closely behind.
I watch, feeling almost helpless as they take my love away.
"What did I do?" My voice breaks as I tug at my hair, curling into myself. Carlisle sits next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders hesitantly. I turn my face into his shoulder immediately, taking comfort in the only father figure I have ever known. He sighs, rubbing his hand over my back in soothing circles.
"You didn't know, son. There's no way you could have known." He continues to murmur comforting words toward me, eventually standing to lift me up in his arms when my eyes droop, exhaustion hitting me suddenly.
"I can walk." I mumble tiredly, feeling almost ridiculous to be carried like a baby.
Carlisle ignores me, running up the stairs and taking me to my bedroom silently.
I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow.
Her long, damp locks chased after her petite body, jumping along with her steps. I stared at the faint pink developing on her pale shoulders and shuffled restlessly where I stood in the brush. Her giggle reached me, and I relaxed slightly, my bones tingling from her bell-like laughter.
Her brunette hair soared high above her when she jumped off the edge of the cliff, and I stiffened until her head breached the surface of the water again.
"Mike," Isabella gasped. "Michael, come here!" She giggled, and I smiled softly at her, my head swirling with adoration. Her dark eyes flickered over the deep blue water, and she turned slowly in the water, searching for her... boyfriend.
I growled.
I watched his bulky form gliding through the water toward her. She squealed excitedly when his fingers curled around her hips, yanking her down under the dark liquid. I flinched when I heard her scream turn into a garbled noise and waited impatiently for them to resurface.
After a moment of silence, I searched Michael's mind, only to wince in disgust. His crude imagination over-exaggerated Isabella's beautiful, subtle body, and I growled when he licked up her stomach, between her breasts, stopping at her neck.
She made a strained noise of protest, kicking her feet frantically underneath her. His large hands wrapped around her waist once more and pushed her toward the surface of the water.
My breath returned to me with hers, and I watched in silent disgust as his hands came to rest on her behind, squeezing slightly. Her breath left her lungs slowly, mixed with a quiet moan.
Michael pushed her away from him, laying her down in the shallow water. The sand shifted where her body lay, fogging the surrounding water. I watched her chest heave in anticipation, ashamed at the tightening in my pants.
But my arousal was soon shifted to the back of my mind when I saw his hands grope her breasts tightly, roughly. The rumble in my chest seemed to be a permanence now as I watched her eyebrows crunch.
He popped up out of the water, crawling over her body, leaning forward to brush his lips lightly over hers. She sighed again, but I stiffened when his large, tan hands yanked down the small triangles covering her modestly. My eyes averted, and I tried to push the sight of her small, pink rosebuds out of my mind. But her beauty lingered behind my eyelids and I had to shift myself in my pants. I shook my head in disgust.
She's just a child, I chastised myself.
A young woman you mean, the other half of me declared, flashing me an image of her obvious breasts.
I groaned.
I opened my eyes when I heard her gasp, only to cringe as Michael's lips closed around her stiffened peak, his left hand pinching her other nipple harshly. She tossed her head back and forth – stirring up more dust underwater – and started to pant.
I couldn't help but stare as she lost herself in his touch, her exquisite body reacting so intensely to him. My mind started to wander, imagining his tanned hands being replaced by my pale fingers. My pants tightened further, and I groaned in annoyance.
She grunted in protest then, leaning up on her elbows to stare at Michael. His lips slowly trailed down her stomach, stopping just above the top of her swimsuit bottoms.
"Mike," she panted. "Mike, stop." He shook his head quickly, his tongue darting out under the fabric on her hips. "Michael, I told you I wasn't ready to have sex. I told you I want to wait. You promised not to pushed me." She pouted and pushed on his shoulders, but he shook his head again. My lips curled over my teeth angrily, and I stepped toward the edge of my shadowed hide away.
"Baby, you said no sex." Michael murmured against her creamy skin. "You didn't say I couldn't make you feel good." His eyes darted up to hers, dark and lusty. Her breath shook as it left her.
"Michael, not here." She mumbled, pushing harder against his shoulders and looking around the empty beach. He grunted, pulling away from her in frustration.
"Come on, Bella! We've been together for almost a year, and I still haven't gotten further than second base!" He threw his hands up before standing quickly. She flinched as he towered over her, wrapping her arms around her torso to cover her breasts.
"If you wanted a fuck buddy, you should have just asked Lauren, or Jessica. Hell, even Katie wants you, Mike. Why couldn't you just take one of them?" She snapped, rising first to her knees, then stumbling up to her feet. She adjusted her top while she stood, covering her chest once again.
"I already fucking have, Bells! I've fucked every single one of them - more than once actually - and I still haven't gotten shit from you!" He yelled, inches from her face. Her breath caught, and her eyes widened.
I stood behind him now, growling quietly. I reached forward and grabbed his shoulder tightly. His head snapped to the side, glaring at me from over his shoulder.
"You should probably leave her alone." I barked, squeezing his shoulder.
"And you should probably leave this alone, asshole. Not your fight." He snapped back, shrugging off my hand and turning back to Bella. She stared at me around Michael's body, a small smile on her lips. Her eyes widened when they met mine, and I smiled softly. They hardened though when Michael's hand pinched her chin, yanking her face back to look at him. "Why can't you just let me have this one thing, Bella? I've given you fucking everything."
I chuckled without humor. "Yes, of course. How could she be so silly? Cheating on her is obviously all she ever wanted." Michael whirled to face me, his jaw tight.
"Did I fucking ask your opinion, buddy? Why don't you just back the fuck off?" He yelled exasperatedly, advancing toward me quickly. I stood quietly, appraising his tense stature with arms crossed. He stood almost two inches shorter than me, but he seemed to think he had the upper-hand with his thick arms. I just smirked at him condescendingly. His eyes flashed with anger and he raised his fist, cocking his elbow back.
"You should do well to remember that my father is Police Chief, Michael Newton. Just fucking walk away from this one." Bella snarled, storming around Michael and grasping my arm between her hands. I shivered at her touch, but kept firm, glaring into his eyes.
Michael huffed in disbelief, his eyes darting back and forth between us. He finally grunted in annoyance and turned.
"Fuck this," he grumbled, mumbling profanities under his breath as he reached down for his discarded t-shirt in the sand. My glare never left his back as he climbed into his beat-up convertible and revved the engine obnoxiously.
Bella squealed excitedly once the old, rusty car was out of sight, turning and jumping into my arms.
"Oh, Edward, I haven't seen you in so long! Where have you been? Why haven't you come to see me?" Her voice shook with her excitement as her legs wrapped around my hips.
I chortled happily, wrapping my arms around her waist, squeezing lightly. I shifted her further up my chest, hoping that she wouldn't notice the stiffness that she caused below her.
"You know that I can't be hanging around you all the time, baby girl. People would think of me as some weird pedophile." She scoffed at me, pulling her head out from the nook between my neck and shoulder.
"I'll be 16 in two months Edward. There's barely a four-year age difference between us now… Unless you count the hundred years before now, which I don't." She giggled, tugging on my unruly hair. I smiled.
"Yes, well, even without the 100-year difference, it's still frowned upon for me to be hanging out with a prepubescent girl." Her legs suddenly unwound from my waist, and I had to try hard to hide my disappointment.
"I'm not a little girl anymore, Edward." She sighed, pulling her hands from my hair. "I'm a young woman now!" She declared, suddenly grasping her breasts in her hands. "Look!"
Oh, I was looking alright.
Shit, shit, shit…
"Bella," I strained to keep my eyes away from her chest. "I understand that you're… growing. But it still wouldn't be very appropriate for people to see a 19-year-old male hanging out with a young girl all the time. They would get the wrong idea." My eyes stared into hers as I reached for her wrists, pulling her hands away from her chest.
Her eyes narrowed at me, her lips set in a firm line.
"So basically, you avoid me because you want to keep your image?" She asked between clinched teeth. Her voice was hard, but I could see the moisture collecting in her eyes at her hurt. "Or maybe you do it because you can't stand the thought of anyone knowing that you are friends with little baby Bella, last in her class to grow boobs. They're not even that big, either!" She shouted, her face red. I stared at her, baffled by her sudden mood swing. "I mean, I thought Mike liked them, but apparently Mike was just holding out until I put out. Maybe I should put out. Maybe if I started having sex you would see me as something other than a little girl!" She ranted, panting loudly trying to catch her breath.
My jaw hung open for a moment as a shook my head vehemently.
"No, no, baby gir –" she kept speaking though.
"You know, you didn't have to lie to me all these years. You didn't have to stay my friend if you weren't interested. I get it; all of the guys at school are the same way. It's not like it's something new. I just wish you hadn't kept around if you didn't actually want - "
I growled, frustrated, and suddenly my lips were on hers.
She stumbled back in shock, but I wrapped my arms around her waist, keeping her to me. Her feet sunk into the sand, causing her to fall farther away from her, but I pulled her against me, arching her back as I continued to kiss her.
Her stiff shoulders slowly softened, falling backwards. Her hands came up to grasp at my hair the way that they had before, and I shivered, pulling away from her.
Our eyes locked as she fought for breath, her lips curling up at the corners.
"Finally." She murmured, grasping my hair harder, pulling me back to her. I groaned appreciatively, rubbing my thumbs back and forth along the seam of her suit bottoms. Without my consent, my tongue snuck out of my mouth, caressing the soft rim of her lower lip carefully, and when she opened her mouth, it tangled with hers deliciously.
She eventually pulled away, breathing hard against my lips, but I couldn't stop. My lips touched the corner of her mouth, then dragged over toward her ear where my teeth nipped at her skin. When she shivered, groaning loudly, I snarled.
Suddenly, we were against the rocks that she had just flung herself from. My lips kept gracing her neck as she whimpered and moaned, and when her legs came to wrap themselves around my waist, I grabbed her hips, pulling her toward me, holding her against the stone wall. While one hand held her steady against me, my other deemed it necessary to wander the expanse of her chest, tugging and tearing her suit top away from her body. And when it was gone, my tongue took its place, stroking over the pale skin of her breasts languidly.
"Oh, Edward!" She gasps when my mouth finally took in her nipple, sucking and tugging without mercy. Her hands suddenly grasped my hair, pulling hard enough to hurt any human boy, and my eyes snapped open. I looked up to see her head thrown back, her mouth hanging open, her breathing hard...
And her jugular vein pumping viciously.
I was across the beach from her, pacing back and forth, before she even opened her eyes.
"Dammit," I whispered, gripping my hair, but dropping my hands quickly when I remembered her hands doing the same just moments ago. I continued to pace, only looking up when I heard Bella grunt. She dusted off her suit bottoms as she stood, crossing her arms to cover her modesty. "Dammit!" I groaned out loud this time, chastising myself as I tugged my shirt above my head. I walked slowly back to my girl, breathing deeply when I came within a yard of her, and gently worked the t-shirt over her tangled brown locks.
I had yet to look at her face, and when I did, I immediately regretted it. Her cheeks were pink with arousal and her forehead was damp with sweat, but her eyes... they were wet with shame. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it quickly when her hands came up to swipe at her tears. We stood in silence for a moment, the sun setting across the water.
"Bella... I'm so sorry, baby girl." I whispered, reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear. She scoffed, shivering as she glared at me. "I shouldn't have let myself get so caught up. I... I'm so sorry."
"Of course, you are." She narrowed her watery eyes at me. "Of course, you're sorry you did it. Goddammit, Edward! Stop leading me on!" She yelled at me, turning and stomping away in the sand. I grunted in frustration and run to stop her. She flinched when I was suddenly in front of her, mumbling about how unfair my speed was.
"Bella, please. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." I begged, grabbing the sides of her face with my cold hands. She shivered at the contact, reaching up to grab my index fingers.
"Stop asking me to forgive you, Edward. I don't want to forgive you. Just... From now on, don't lead me on. I'm not some little girl who wants a pity kiss." My brows furrowed.
"Oh, my girl." I chuckled. "It definitely wasn't a pity kiss." I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her forehead. This time, her brows creased, her confusion evident.
"So... You don't regret kissing me?" I laughed again, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.
"No, baby girl. Never. I loved it. It was the most amazing moment of my life." I smiled at her, watching as her glossy eyes dried and her lips curled up at the corners.
"Yeah?" She asked, biting her lip, her cheeks blushing rose. My thumb tugged on her bottom lip, pulling it from her teeth, before pressing my mouth to it softly. She sighed, gripping my forefingers harder.
"Of course, little one." I smiled when I pulled away, but then my lips turned down. "I only regret how far I went. I almost lost control... I... I almost bit you." My forehead wrinkled with my confession, shame and anger coursing through my veins. I couldn't stand to look at her when I said it, so I looked down at her sparkly blue toe nail varnish. I heard Bella huff and looked up to see her smiling.
"The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief." My lips lifted as I chuckled, shaking my head at her. She smiled wider, grabbing at the sides of my head, matching my posture, and pulling me down to her lips.
It's difficult to kiss when you can't stop smiling.
I startle awake, venom leaking from the corner of my eyes. I growl, sitting up in frustration as I wipe my eyes
I'm so tired of crying.
For a moment, I sit in silence, listening to the silence of the house. I can sense my family below me, but no one speaks, no one moves. I hiss in annoyance at their silence, focusing in on their thoughts. They are all thinking about tonight's events, melancholy and worried. I stiffen when I remember Bella's screams, squeezing my eyes shut as they morph into those of my mother's. I rub my eyelids roughly, shaking my head to clear it. Focusing my attention once again, I listen for Bella's heartbeat.
I find it quickly, beating steadily – along with the beeping of a heart monitor – in the room above me.
I'm there in less than a second, standing at her bedside as she sleeps. I can smell her sweat and grimace, contemplating removing the heavy blankets covering her. But as my hand nears her, the thing moves, fluttering around in Bella's stomach. I flinch back from the sound, growling low in my chest.
I stand for a moment, staring at Bella's furrowed brow and sigh, walking across the room to turn on the small fan on her dresser. It will have to do for now.
Walking back, I marvel at my love's tense posture, even in the depth of sleep. I sigh, sitting in the seat next to her bedside. I hesitate for a moment, listening for the… thing's movement before reaching out, brushing my fingers over Bella's forearm.
"I love you," I whisper, humming as my fingers trail over her skin from freckle to freckle.
Then, I wait impatiently for her to wake up.