Chapter 19: The Fourth Thing
It would figure that my last class of the day would be with Edward. Of course, it would, why wouldn't it. I sneered to myself.
Alice had been right during the last class, I hadn't had any intention of calling the Volturi, but now I was seriously considering it.
I hoped I was giving her a headache.
I originally wanted to take this opportunity to find out what they wanted, but having to spend this much time with the both of them was making me second guess myself. Having them intruding on my class time, Alice's incessant chattering and Edwards unrelenting stares – I don't know if it's worth it, and it's kind of creepy.
He had already been seated when I walked in so I took the seat that was furthest away from him and hopefully out of staring sight, but as it would figure we were only two of five people currently in the room, so he moved.
He pulled his chair back with unnecessary roughness and sat down nosily. "Hello." He said in a quiet voice.
"Hi." I replied just as evenly.
He had a polite smile on his lips. After that, he turned to face the front of the class and said nothing to me the rest of the evening. When class was let out, I gathered my things and walked out the door expecting him or Alice to follow or bombard me, but neither of them did, Edward stayed behind and starting talking to the Professor and Alice was nowhere to be seen.
I went home a little confused by the sudden change, I'm embarrassed to admit that it even bothered me a little, but I didn't spend too much time dwelling on it.
The rest of the week carried on much the same but they were not nearly as aggressive as they had been on the first day.
Alice continued to chatter my ear off every chance she could, the conversation was always different so I never knew what to expect from her from day to day. Many times, she would sneak a question into her ramblings that I would answer without thinking about it, either so absorbed with what she was saying or to distracted to really be paying much attention. Each time I would chastise her, but I was beginning to figure out that with Alice it was always her way and nothing was by accident; more importantly though, she knew that and didn't care.
Edward on the other hand would vary in his moods, I've yet to figure out what the difference in a day or hour makes for his attitude to so drastically change. Sometimes he is quiet and contemplative, but other times he is obnoxious and cocky, and then there are times I will catch him looking at me with such depth and passion in his expression that I have to look away.
He is casual in his 'hello's' and relentless with his teasing, but the conviction in his words when he is deeply serious makes me turn a walk away; so unsure of what to say to him or how to take it.
I can honestly say the I have never been more flustered or confused by any single person in all the time I can remember.
By the middle of the second week I was used to the two of them and their presence and getting quite accustomed to their behaviors. I was still guarded and not overtly friendly or engaging to either of them, so I was surprised at myself when my curiosity finally bubbled over and I asked Alice why she was acting so strangely.
"You're awfully jumping today Alice, what's up?" I really did want to know, but I also felt like I should ask or be alert of her changing demeanor, I still wasn't sure of their end game when it came to me.
She looked at me with the same amount of surprise I held for myself and then quickly looked pleased before answering me. "Jasper's coming today." she said in a satisfied tone.
"That's your mate?" I questioned her, I had met a Jasper during the meeting and she's talked about him a lot over the last week, but I wanted to be sure.
"Yes. Jasper is my husband." She told me proudly.
"I see." I smiled back at her. She was giddy with anticipation, you could see it on her face and feel it in the air around her, it was hard not to be excited for her.
"Would you like to meet him? "She asked me hopefully.
"I already have I think." I told her, "In the field. Remember?"
"Yes, but officially I mean." She said playfully with an eye roll.
"Um..." I looked at her quizzically for a moment. "I, don't know Alice."
"Oh, come on Bella, he won't bite!" She said jokingly and then immediately looked ashamed before quickly adding, "I mean, he won't, he won't hurt you Bella. Jasper would have never hurt you." She finished in a rush.
"I'm not worried about him hurting me Alice, I just don't know if getting more acquainted with your family is in my best interest. Neither you or Edward have said what you're really doing here or what you want, I don't know how getting to know more of you will change anything." I told her simply.
"Well, if you'd like too, he'd like to see you again." She told me with a polite smile.
Later, when I was leaving class, I heard Edward speaking angrily to Alice in the hall before I walked out the door.
"What were you thinking?!" He said to her just as I came around the corner.
I squinted my eyes at him in a disapproving glare but didn't say anything. He straightened up and then looked back and forth between us apologetically before telling her in a kind tone "We'll discuss this later." Then without a second glance he turned on his heel and walked away.
"What was that?" I walked up to her once he was gone.
"It's nothing." She smiled brightly. "Edward is just a little prone to over reaction, that's all." She shrugged it off and waved to me as she walked away. "I'll see you later Bella!"
"Bye." I responded quietly confused and with a little wave.
Edward wasn't in our Language and Literature class that night, and I was worried about it. Whatever conversation I had interrupted put him ill enough at ease that he found it necessary to miss our last class together.
I couldn't grab onto a single thing thought that would make sense for my alarm, and if I was being honest, I wasn't really concerned so much as I was extremely curious. I didn't feel threatened by either Edward or Alice and I don't know why but I was positive that they meant me no harm. I just didn't know what that meant.
I was so lost in thought with gathering my things and walking out the door that I was startled by Edward. "Bella?" He said.
"Oh." I turned around to where he was standing.
"Did I scare you?" He questioned with a chuckle. "I've never done that before, not to our kind anyway."
"No, yes… I'm mean, no, I was just surprised." I mumbled. "Um, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you." He said, the beginnings of that overwhelmingly serious face making itself known.
"O.K..."
"I wanted to apologize" He said looking heavily into my eyes, "for earlier with Alice."
"Don't you think you should be apologizing to her for that?" I said to him after forcing myself to remember how to breath.
"I have." He told me, now standing directly in front of me looking down at me with rapt eyes. "But I needed to apologize to you too."
"Why?" I murmured, unable to look away.
"I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me, I was concerned about something she had done, and Alice is right, I do have a tendency to overreact."
"OK." I replied to him again quietly.
"OK." He said to me intently, then slowly – as if waiting to gauge my response; he reached up and gently brushed a wayward strand of hair from my face, tenderly letting his fingers caress my skin before reluctantly moving his hand away and back down to his side.
Three things happened in that moment that I would spend the next several days going over again and again in my head, and a fourth thing that I couldn't explain.
The first was my anticipation for his touch, the yearning I felt deep within as he slowly reached for me, causing my breath to hitch on an intake before all together stopping.
Second, the wild igniting of electricity that jolted through my entire body as our flesh meet for the first time.
Third; and most importantly, why I couldn't stop thinking about it – Why I couldn't stop remembering the feel of his skin against mine or the look in his eyes as he reached for me with his touch. Why, no matter how many times I went over it, I still felt a rush of excitement flow through me every time I thought about it. And why, for the life of me, I couldn't get Edward Cullen out of my head.
In that moment, I felt familiar in his presence, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. As we looked into each other's eyes, I tried to find something that would answer all my questions but before I was able to come to any conclusions Alice called to me "Bella! There you are." She said waving frantically at me.
I took an awkward step back from Edward before turning to look at Alice and in her direction. "Hi Alice." I said smiling back to her as I began to walk toward the exit door and in her direction.
Once I was next to her she and I finished walking out the doors together with Edward closely following behind. There was a group of people just out the door, and by the time I realized who they were it was too late for me to turn around and walk away.
"Bella, this is Jasper." She said to me indicating the tall blonde I remembered as the Jasper from the field.
"Hello Jasper, it's nice to see you again." I said politely to him.
"Hi Bella, it's a pleasure to see you as well."
I looked past him and noticed that Carlisle and the women Esme were here also. I gave them a polite smile while Alice continued "Bella, this is Rosalie." She said and I turned to look at who she was speaking of.
The stunning blonde stepped closer to me with curious eyes and a timid smile "Hi Bella."
"Hello, it's nice to meet you." I said to her while holding out my hand.
Her smile faltered a little as she nodded and held out her hand to me. "It's nice to meet you too." She said sadly.
I couldn't be sure, but by guessing at her reaction, I assumed she was someone I was supposed to have known from my past, like Edward and Alice.
Rosalie looked at Edward, who was standing beside me, and gave him a little smile before turning to stand beside Esme.
I was shifting my bag around getting ready to run and tell them all goodnight when heavy footfalls came from around the corner. I turned to the sound just as a big guy came around the corner with a huge grin plastered on his face.
"There she is!" He boomed as he walked up to me.
"Hi Emmett." I chuckled beaming back at him.
Silence filled the courtyard as seven shocked pairs of eyes landed on me; my smile fell from my face as I reached my hand up to cover the gasp coming from my mouth.
(4/18/11)