Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
This story has been adopted. The original was written and discontinued by Amiiix3. I was graciously given permission to continue the story as I saw fit. Thank you Amiiix3 for your trust.
After Edward and I had our uplifting conversation, I found a new packet of energy inside myself. After drinking three deer in a row, I was absolutely satiated.
"Brilliant, Bella." Carlisle squeezed my shoulder in such a fatherly gesture it momentarily threw me off; I had not exactly placed him as the touchy-feely type.
I smiled up at him gratefully. "Thanks to Edward of course." I gave him a dazzling grin too. The bronze-haired Adonis sent me a secret smile, shy but always alluring. The next thing I knew we were back at home, which looked more beautiful than it ever had. Once Carlisle relayed the news of my successful second hunt I was immediately wrapped in a tight embrace, Kate's sweet scent following behind her. Irina's fiery hair brushed my cheek as she enveloped my other side.
When the enthusiastic she-vampires were finished with their lung-crushing hugs and their squeals of joy, they stepped back and allowed the others to join in. Despite the love I felt when Esme's arms encircled me proudly, and when I smelled the powdery sweet scent of pancakes left around Carmen, I felt I did not deserve this much attention. They had been successful in restraining themselves for so long, drinking only animals, and I had just had my second hunt, still afraid to draw near humans for fear of sucking them dry.
I pushed the dreadful image from my mind with a shudder and gave Eleazar the warmest smile I could muster as his deep voice recited words of congratulations.
"Thank you, thank you everyone." I hoped I was being modest enough. "Perhaps I should go change now…" My shirt was damp with blood. I had managed to hunt and drink from animals, but my manners were absolutely dreadful.
The others stayed downstairs to talk amongst themselves. They seemed to talk so much– one would think that after so many years of talking, the subjects would run dry. I felt a presence behind me. I turned so quickly I frightened Edward, as well as myself.
He placed a hand over the left side of his chest, where his cold heart might have once pulsed rapidly. "Goodness gracious, Bella. You gave me a scare."
My name on his lips sent a delicious trill through my body. I smirked at him. "Says the scary vampire stalking me in the dark of the night."
"I wasn't stalking," I heard Edward mutter as we continued up the stairs. I stopped again at the top of the steps and Edward bumped in to me. He did not move though, but remained standing closely behind me; his knee touching the back of my leg; his fingers just barely brushing my own on the handrail; his cool breath creating goosebumps on the back of my neck.
"Why did you stop?" he asked after a moment of silence- one that felt as though it lasted forever.
"Um… I'm not sure…" I moved again; into the hallway and across the wood floor, past door after door until I stopped at my own. Edward was still there.
"Planning on joining me tonight?" Edward raised an eyebrow, and I suddenly felt the shaming heat of embarrassment rush through my mind; how perverted of him to twist the meaning of my words. I told him so.
He exhaled a laugh. "Hah. Do you know what they say about people who assume?"
Assume makes an ASS out of U and ME. I rolled my eyes. "Why yes I do, and I don't care to say it out loud- it's not ladylike."
"Since when have you been a acting like a lady?" he retorted teasingly. I pouted, acting as though it was a joke, but feeling hurt at his words. I would not be taken for a messy girl who acted as a boy. "What do you mean, I'm not ladylike?"
His gaze dropped to the floor and then ran from my toes, up my body, and back to my eyes; I felt thoroughly naked. If I were human, my face would be completely red. I crossed my arms over my chest, gritting my teeth unconsciously. I had just made amends with him less than an hour before, and he was already treating me in a disgusting manner.
"What are you doing, Mr. Cullen?"
He looked surprised at the tone of my voice, then sheepish. "I apologize, Bella. That was rude of me."
"You seem to be rude often. Perhaps you're the ungentlemanly one."
"Certainly not!" he slapped his hand over his heart in an exaggerated sort of way. "I was merely viewing your choice of clothing- completely unladylike clothing, might I add."
I glanced down. All I could see was a bloodstained white shirt and long, bare legs. I huffed, shaking my head. "There are easier ways to tell me so than eying me like a dirty, dirty man."
A laugh suddenly burst out of Edward's mouth, a loud har-har-har. He slapped a hand over his ruby lips, muffling the sound of his musical laughter. I blinked at him, enchanted by his laugh, and yet amazed at the strangeness of the timing. He recovered after a moment or two, I having stood there all the while and watching him shake with his badly suppressed chuckles.
"Care to explain what that was, Mr. Cullen?"
"Edward," he corrected.
"My name is Bella, not Edward," I managed the joke with a completely straight face.
"Well, my name must be Edward then."
I held out my hand. "A pleasure meeting you, Edward."
"Au contraire, the pleasure is all mine, Lady Isabella." He took my hand and, in a surprising move, pressed his lips to my knuckles. They were soft and warm with blood. I hid my shiver of pleasure.
When he pulled away, I sucked in a quick breath of air and acted as though he had not just thrown me off with his alluring antics. "And I'll have you know, Edward: I'm a vampire, not a lady."
"And I'll have you know"—Edward's angel lips curved up— "My room is right behind you."
I glanced at the door across the hall from mine. "Oh." This time, my joy could not be contained. A smile stretched across my lips and, after a fruitless attempt at hiding it, I allowed it to show; dazzling white teeth outlined by full cherry lips, warm with blood. Edward's now-topaz eyes gazed deeply into mine, and in the molten gold I could see my own hypnotized self watching him.
I felt myself drawn to him. His hands were nearly at my waist when I realized we had moved forward. Remember Bella… your promise, I warned myself, all the while imagining the feel of those soft, florid lips against my own. His fingers had only just brushed the exposed sliver of skin on my stomach, and the tingle of pleasure had nearly begun, when my mind came out of its haze.
I gasped, unintentionally inhaling his scent; its sweetness made me lightheaded. I stumbled back a few steps, breaking the thin strand of physical contact, and fully snapping the mental connection.
"I'm sorry…" I mumbled, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. Edward's eyes remained on the ground for a long moment, his head down. I feared I had truly hurt him and that he would never give me another chance.
His gaze flicked back up to me, his eyes soft and vulnerable. "I'm sorry…you obviously aren't ready for"—he waved his hands in the air between us— "this…So I won't push you." He turned to leave.
I lifted my hand before he had taken a single step. "Wait– don't…don't go." He raised an eyebrow, all his cockiness preparing to come back. "And don't act like that," I warned.
His expression became inquiring. "May we speak somewhere?"
"Right here is fine…" I was uncertain. If we were to go to a room and sit down together, would I be able to control myself? I doubted it. Edward and I had only just made up today and I was not going to risk that by losing my head to my silly teenage hormones (though technically I was well over 40).
He cocked his head and moved back a few steps, pushing his bedroom door open with his back. He flicked a light switch, even though we could both see perfectly well without it.
"Or in here…" He raised an eyebrow.
I could see the edge of a large, white bed over his shoulder. It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "Mr. Cullen," I gasped, placing my hands on my heart, "are you trying to seduce me!"
He looked momentarily shocked, but blinked it away and a coy smirk settled on his lips, his topaz eyes smoldering at me. "Why yes, yes I am."
Perhaps I should have refused his offer, as joking as the exchange had been. But I moved towards him, pushing my hips from side to side for the full effect. I made sure to let just the side of my leg graze him before stepping inside the room.