A/N: sooo this chapter is my longest one in the entire story! I still have about 5 more chapters to write, but this one still takes the cake. Hope you enjoy ;) review pls!
EPOV:
Bella has been living with us for almost 3 weeks now. They have been amazing, yet difficult.
She remains to be very cautious and stubborn. I can sense that she is trying to trust us, but she is scared. Sometimes, I can tell that some of her smiles are forced. Sometimes, a cloud of sadness emerges in her eyes. Sometimes, she has nightmares and wakes up screaming. Sometimes, she spends hours on end writing at her desk in the infamous black notebook, completely forgetting everything and everyone.
But, I can see that she is TRYING, and slowly improving. Previously, all of her smiles were forced. Her eyes used to always hold sadness. She used to do nothing but write in that notebook during her free time.
I've stayed by her side through every emotional breadown, every nightmare that had her screaming at 2:30 in the morning, every day that she felt worthless. Because, that's all I can do. I refuse to do anything but be there for her. She means way too much to me, and her recovery is the most important thing to me at the moment. It's all I think about. Ways to make Bella happy. Ways to make her smile. Ways to allow her to let me tear that wall down that surrounds her heart so protectively.
I haven't pushed her, relationship-wise. I figure the best thing for her to focus on right now is resting and moving on from Phil. But, she knows how I feel. I told her the night I brought her to the hospital and I've made sure to show her with careful actions and words that nothing has changed. I will wait as long as I have to. Always.
She has healed extaordinarily well, and is now free of injury. Her bruises are very faint, and her face is as perfect as always. Her scars remain, but I've done everything I could to accept that. I'm working on it, but seeing them causes anger to course through my veins.
There has been no leads in Phil's case. His story ended up on the local news, and spread all the way to some major news stations in Seattle. Bella absolutely hated that her past was on TV, but it was a good thing. The moral of the news cast was to keep an eye out for Phil and to call the authorities if he is spotted. He hasn't returned, and he hasn't been found. Not a single trace of him. I silently hoped he committed suicide, not knowing where else to turn. But, I knew that Bella would sleep better at night with the capability of knowing his whereabouts.
Today was Friday, and I was excited to spend the entire weekend with Bella. Once we returned home from school, Alice congratulated her on surviving her first school week since she's lived with us.
"What do you want to do tonight?" She asked as we headed into the basement to lounge on the couch for a little.
"Well, I don't know if you're up for it, but Alice invited Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie to spend the night, since our parents are going to be gone all weekend at that car show in Oregon."
"Sounds like fun. What are we gonna do?"
I shrugged. "'Dunno. One of them will most likely bring alcohol, and we'll probably end up smoking some weed. I know you've never done any of that, so we don't have to join. I completely understand."
She giggled, shaking her head. "No, I'm fine with it. I must admit, I'm a little scared, though."
"You really don't have to, Bella. I don't want to push you to do something you're not comfortable with, or ready for."
"I want to, Edward. We all know I'm gonna try weed and alcohol at some point. It might as well be here, at home, where I'm with people I know." My heart thrilled at her calling my home her own as well.
"I'll look after you. We all will. We all tend to get wild and all of us had ended up as the babysitter here and there," I chuckled, thinking about all the times of acting stupid with the gang. Nostalgia sucks. But, it's better that Bella is here, now.
Bella gulped, but nodded while giggling. "I probably don't need much of either."
I laughed, because now I was thinking of my first times trying the both. "Yeah, you're right."
She echoed my thoughts. "How was your first time, with both of them?"
"Well, I was 15 when I got drunk for the first time. It was with Emmett and Jasper, in Emmett's house. His Dad went out of town one night so we drank some of his vodka and filled water in its place. We ended up swimming in Emmett's pool, and Jasper threw up on the diving board. Emmett's dog came over and ate it right off, which was so gross that Emmett and I threw up in the bushes. We had to hose them down to clean it off." Bella was cracking up at the story, her laugh so melodic, the joy in her smile making my heart twitch. I would never get used to her radient beauty. She was my own personal sun.
"What about weed?"
"I was 16, also with Emmett and Jasper. Emmett tried it before with his cousin and convinced Jasper and I to do it with him. We smoked a blunt in Emmett's car while he drove around. It was in the middle of the night, in the summer. We got so high and went back to Emmett's and baked old biscuits in the oven. I passed out while I was waiting for mine to cool down."
"Wow, I'm excited to try them, to be honest. I always hear funny stories and it kind of pissed me off that I've never even gotten the chance to try."
I was glad she felt that way. I was scared she would grow wary and disclude herself. Seeing her excitement made me happy.
Everyone showed up around 7 PM. We ordered a few pizzas for delivery upon their arrival and the girls decided to bake chocolate chip cookies for dessert. The three of them laughed the entire time, giggling to each other in the kitchen and talking quietly. I knew they were up to no good, but I dropped it, happy that Bella was able to experience "girl time."
We filed into the basement when our stomachs were filled with nothing but junk, Rosalie pulling two big bottles of vodka out of a pink overnight bag. Moments later, Emmett revealed 2 12 packs of beer in his backpack. Jasper reached into his pocket, grabbing at a big bag of weed. I watched as Bella glanced at it all, wide-eyed.
"Don't worry, Bella, you'll be fine," Rosalie giggled beside her as she mixed cranberry juice and vodka in a plastic, red cup. She didn't put a lot of alcohol in it, so I knew it was for Bella.
"Here, this isn't nearly as strong as I would drink. You might even need more, but I decided to play it safe," Rosalie handed Bella the cup, and she gulped before sniffing it.
"Bella! You broke a rule!" Emmett bellowed as he cracked open a beer, setting up our ping-pong table for beer pong.
"What?"
"You can't ever smell the drink! It will mess with you... you just have to chug it like a man!" He teased, wagging a finger at her for dramatic emphasis. She blushed, sipping the drink. All 5 of us glanced at her in anticipation.
"Not bad," she giggled, her face so adorably red. Everyone clapped and began making their drinks.
"Bella, would you like to be my pong partner?" I bowed in front of her playfully. She grinned, nodding eagerly.
"Okay, it's self explanatory. You just have to shoot your ball into the other team's cups. If the opponent makes a ball into one of your cups, you have to take the ball out and drink what's in it. For your benefit, some are just a splash of juice, and some have a little bit of alcohol in them mixed in with the juice. Rosalie made it random for a surprise factor," I laughed.
Bella nodded, and I could see that she was getting excited. She was already about halfway done with her first drink, but she didn't seem very drunk. I was glad Rosalie was taking it easy on her. We've declared her to be group bartender when we all first began venturing into the world of alcohol. Rosalie seemed to figure out how to make drinks taste so good, but effect you so much at the same time.
Bella and I were playing against Alice and Jasper first. Honestly, Bella was pretty bad. I scored two cups before anyone else playing. Alice ended up getting a cup with alcohol in it, but Jasper did not. Then, Alice sunk a ball into a cup. It was always ladies first, so Bella was declared ownership of the first cup. She sipped it cautiously at first, and we all laughed at the concentrated look on her face. After puckering her lips and squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she muttered that there was definitely alcohol in it.
I scored another cup that, yet again, had alcohol in it, waiting for Alice. She flipped me off and drank the small amount of liquid, squeezing her eyes shut.
Jasper scored one next, and the rest of the game was a toss up. At the end, We only had one cup on their side - Bella actually scored one, and I hugged her in appreciation. Jasper has had 2 cups with alcohol and 2 without, while Alice had 3 with alcohol and only one without. On our end, Bella had 1 with alcohol and 1 without. I had 2 with alcohol, none without.
I shot the ball into the cup and watched as it sunk right in, Alice and Jasper both groaning in unison as I wrapped Bella into my arms and spun her around in victory, watching her hair fan out in all directions around her face, her skin seeming to glow with her smile and her eyes. I was hopelessly falling for her with every breath that I took. It got deeper and deeper every time I saw that smile pulling at her pouty lips. She was simply so gorgeous, so pure.
After I set her down, I saw all my friends look at us with knowing smiles. Bella blushed and sipped at her drink, but she was smiling a goofy smile. She looked a bit drunk, but she seemed happy.
After a few more rounds of pong, we were all pretty drunk, especially Bella. I had to remind her to drink water so she wouldn't get sick or hungover in the morning.
"You're soooooo good at making these taste sooooooo good, Rosalie," she slurred from her spot on the couch, rubbing the blanket beside her against her cheek and sighing in contentment. Everyone was laughing at her, she was just too cute when she was drunk.
"Bella, how do you feel about taking a bong hit?" Emmett inquired, pulling his blue bong from behind his chair. Jasper began packing weed into it, and Alice and Rosalie got up to open all the windows in the basement and light numerous candles, preparing to get the smell out before Mom and Dad came home in a few days.
"Hmmm..." she tapped her chin. "Sounds like something I could enjoy. What's it like?"
"It's not as intense as alcohol. You have much more control over yourself. You just feel mellow, calmer, but everything is insanely funny, and food is fucking awesome. So is music, sex, anything really..." I glared at Jasper, not enjoying the sex reference. I know he was just drunk and blabbering, but I did not appreciate hearing him talk about sex with my sister. He looked up at me and muttered, "sorry, dude, I spaced out for a second."
Bella giggled, slurring her words while pointing to the bong that Emmett held against his chest, almost protectively. He was a bit of a stoner. "That thing looks kinda scary. How do you smoke weed out of that? It looks like a hamster house."
We were clutching our sides in laughter. We were all drunk, but not as much as Bella. I kept glancing at her throughout the night. I haven't seen her look this happy since I've met her. It was almost like she needed this. She was finally able to do stupid, teenage things with people who cared about her. I was more than thrilled with the fact that I've helped her get this far.
"You put your mouth at the top of it, where the big opening is," Alice pointed to the pieces of the bong as she gave instructions. "Then, you put the weed into the smaller hole down here. As you suck in through the top, light the weed at the same time. You'll see smoke forming, then pull the weed bowl out and inhale it all up."
Bella stared at her with narrowed eyes. "Why do you have to confuse me? I'm already confused as it is. Shame on you, Alice. Shame."
I threw my arm around her shoulder, rubbing it affectionately. "You can hit it last, so you can watch us all first."
We began passing it around the circle, coughing like chainsmokers. I took a big hit, excited to hit a bong. I haven't in a long time. I was starting to feel the effects of the weed mixing with the alcohol, and I was getting relatively messed up.
"I'll light the weed and lift the bowl for you, Bella. All you have to do is inhale as soon as I light it. Keep inhaling until the smoke is gone. Okay?" I offered.
She nodded, and glanced at me with a worried expression. I winked quickly, reassuring her. She placed her plump lips against the mouthpiece and began inhaling as I lit the bowl of weed, watching the green turn to orange, and then to black. A bit of smoke pulled into the piece, but I didn't want her taking too much, so I pulled the bowl out right away. She inhaled all the smoke into her system, making sort of a disgusted face. It was honestly hot to see her exhale it. It gave her an edgy look that contrasted with her usual innocence. She closed her eyes and coughed a bit, not as badly as I did when I first got high. We all leaned forward in our seats, waiting for her reaction, just like with the alcohol.
"That felt... weird. I tasted... something."
"Weed," Rosalie giggled, taking a huge rip from the bong.
"How do you feel, Bella?" I asked gently.
"Well, I'll tell ya. It's really hot in here, even though the windows are open. Umm... sometimes there's 2 Edwards, sometimes there's not. But it feels cool, like I'm floating in space or somewhere else that I could float. Maybe the ocean? Or a pool? But not Emmett's pool, because Jasper threw up on the diving board." We howled with laughter again.
"What is this? The roast of Jasper Hale?" Jasper chuckled, shaking his head and packing the bong with more weed, sprinkling the green flakes into the bowl like a chef sprinkling cheese on a pizza.
We passed it around one more time, and I was surprised that Bella wanted to hit it again. She was officially fucked up after her second hit, and we all came to an agreement that this would be the perfect time to cut her off. She was still able to talk and move, but another shot of alcohol or another hit of weed may very well send her to the toilet. I think she was perfect the way she was.
"What are we gonna do now, guys?" Alice inquired.
"Twister!" Emmett declared, running to the closet and pulling the old game from the top shelf.
"I haven't played twister in FOREVER! I used to play with my Mom all the time. I doubt I'm as good as I used to be! But I will win, I can feel it in my soul," Bella chattered with drunken excitement.
We allowed the 3 girls to play first, and they gave me the job of being "the spinner." It was absolutely hilarious to watch, and all 6 of us cracked up the whole time. The fact that they were drunk and high made it so much worse for them. They were one giant knot throughout the entire game, bumping heads or kicking each other's limbs. Their faces were bright red with laughter, the happiness so intense I could feel it lingering in the air.
I was trying so hard to be a gentlemen, but I couldn't stop myself from checking Bella out. She kept bending over, and her ass looked phenomenal in those leggings. Her cleavage was exposed when she would throw her body into certain positions, and I could feel the drunk, teenage boy in me attempt to rise to the surface. I shooed him away, never intending to disrespect her. I knew very well she was no where near ready for anything sexual, and I would accept that. I would accept anything I could get from her.
After Rosalie fell, it was Bella vs. Alice. Bella bent into the most awkward position when I called "right foot green," and her legs completely gave out, causing her to drop to the ground with a loud thud. She immediately began giggling, and I rushed over to help her up.
"Are you alright?" I knew I was overprotective, but she was insanely injured not even 3 weeks ago and I didn't want her to push herself.
"Yeah, that was so fun! Now, you guys have to play!" She howled, and the girls clapped their approval.
We played as best as we could, but Emmett was fucking huge and we all ended up in... awkward positions. But, we laughed it off, because we were secretly having too much fun. I ended up winning, and Bella mumbled something like "of course both Cullen's win. You guys have super powers or something!"
It was a little after midnight, but we were all too hyped up to be tired. We decided to play "Cards Against Humanity." I was worried that it would be too... much for Bella. I allowed her to read some of the cards - which were so offensive, but so funny - and she cracked up at them all.
We played until about 3 in the morning, when we began to come down from the highs of the alcohol and weed.
"You guys are sleeping down here, right?" I called to Emmett and Rosalie, pointing to the spare bedroom we had in the basement. That's where they always slept when the gang spent the night. Emmett nodded, wiggling his brows. I told him he was responsible for washing the sheets in the morning. And, I told them to keep it quiet. I've heard Rosalie and Emmett have sex before... it was not fun to listen to.
Jasper followed Alice up to her room, and I didn't even allow myself to think about what would go on in there.
I found Bella in the kitchen, munching on some chocolate chip cookies and raiding the fridge.
"What are you looking for?" I chuckled, walking up behind her. She twirled around to face me, and her eyes brightened at the sight of me. My heart leapt in my chest.
"Milk for my beautiful cookie."
I pointed directly in front of her. "It's right there," I laughed.
She successfully poured the milk in a cup and dipped a few cookies into it, dancing in her spot because of the great taste.
"Is it bedtime?" She slirred as she cleaned out her cup.
"Are you tired? It's 3:15 AM," I chuckled.
"Tired... yes. Bedtime." She shuffled her little feet up the stairs, and I followed behind her, ready to catch her incase she fell.
She turned around to look at me, and she bit her lip, casting her eyes downward.
"What is it, Bella?"
She looked up at me through her thick lashes, and her beauty instantly captivated me. She smiled shyly. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
My stomach flopped, my heart about to burst into flames. I've went into Bella's room in the middle of the night whenever I heard her having a nightmare, but I only stayed until she fell back asleep. We have never... gone to bed together. I felt my palms growing sweaty, but I nodded eagerly. She smiled and went into her room to grab a change of clothes before following me to mine.
She changed in my bathroom and waltzed out in shorts and a t-shirt. Her legs looked so perfect, so creamy. I gulped as she gingerly laid in my bed, her hair fanned out against MY pillow. What did I do to get so lucky?
I joined her in bed, and she immediately snuggled into me, resting her head against my chest and wrapping an arm tightly around my waist. She fit so perfectly, and she kept me so warm. I gathered her in my arms, relishing in her sweet, strawberry scent against my nose.
"Thank you for such a fun night, Edward. I like the weed and the liquor," she giggled, looking up at me. I smiled her favorite smile and stroked her hair, kissing her forehead.
I pulled away, and she was gazing at my lips in wonder. She leaned forward, and I could feel my senses burning with desire as she pressed her lips against mine, kissing me with so much passion that the sensation brought me to life. I couldn't believe how good she tasted, how perfectly her lips moved with mine. I cupped my hands against her cheeks, willing her to come closer in any way, shape or form.
But, she was drunk, and I knew that. I couldn't take advantage of her or push her.
I gently pulled away, but kept my hands against her cheeks, looking into her eyes. Hers were blazing with passion, lust written in the features. I rubbed my thumbs across her cheeks, smiling. "We're drunk, Bella. I don't want you to regret anything," I explained.
"I don't regret it."
I nodded. "I know, but I don't want to take advantage of you in any way."
She jutted her bottom lip out, the moon shining directly on her face through the blinds. "You don't want me?"
I rolled my eyes, pulling her against me. She snuggled back into my chest. Oh, how wrong she was. "Silly Bella. Of course I want you, and I always will. It's just not the best time at this moment, okay, love?"
She nodded and placed a tiny kiss against my bare chest. I kissed the top of her head and felt her snuggle deeper into the crook of my neck. I fell asleep with the greatest smile on my fucking face.
I woke up the next morning, feeling happier than I have in years. Bella was still asleep in my arms. From the positions we were in when I opened my eyes, it seems that we hadn't moved at all throughout the night.
I reached for my phone beside me to check the time. 11:42 AM. Wow, I hadn't slept in this late in a while.
Bella began to stir in my arms, and she looked up at me before smiling shyly. I grinned and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.
"Good morning."
"Morning," she mumbled tiredly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What time is it?"
"11:45 AM. We really slept in," I laughed, looking at her hair, which was a mess around her face. Not in a bad way, at all, it was just humorous.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Your hair kinda looks like a haystack... but, I like it."
She rolled her eyes and slapped my chest playfully, which resulted in me tickling her. She squealed in my grasp, laughing loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls and surrounding me.
I let her go, and she snuggled into my side again. I kissed the top of her head, loving the way she felt against me.
"Thanks for letting me sleep with you."
"Bella, you're always welcome to sleep here, I hope you know that," I pressed, gazing into her eyes. She nodded and hopped off the bed, saying she needed a shower. Her and I were going to have to talk about what is going on between us. The thought made me nervous, yet excited.
I took a shower, shaving my face as well. I headed downstairs to find everyone in the kitchen, cooking a huge breakfast. I joined in the process, and soon the 6 of us were sitting to a feast of coffee, pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, and breakfast potatoes. We spent the entire time talking about the previous night, laughing at each other. After we cleaned up, Rosalie and Emmett left, having other plans for the day. Alice and Jasper went up to Alice's room to play video games, so that left me alone with Bella. Not that I minded, at all.
"What would you like to do today?" I asked her as we plopped lazily onto the living room couch. I turned on the TV, flipping through the channels in boredom.
I looked over at her and she looked as though she was debating something. She opened her mouth to talk, but closed it again. Curiosity burned in her eyes.
"Tell me, dummy," I teased, tickling her side. She squirmed and giggled.
"I just don't want you to be... disappointed in me."
I furrowed my brows. "What is it?"
"Well, I've heard that weed calms you down... and I was wondering if I could try it, without alcohol, to see if it... helps me. Kind of like an experiment..." she trailed off, looking up at me with a scared expression on her face. I wished she understood that she never had to be scared around me.
"Sure, we can do that." I was excited that Bella was so willing to try weed again. It's helped me with some of my emotional issues in the past and I really believed it could help her, too.
"Do you have any?"
"No, but Jasper does. I'll go upstairs and buy some off him." I began to get up, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me back onto the couch, shaking her head.
"No, it's okay, not if you have to pay-"
I scoffed. "Bella, don't worry about that. He gives it to me for a really cheap price and I was probably going to buy more sometime soon anyway."
"Okay," she sighed, defeated.
I ruffled her hair playfully before heading upstairs to Alice's room. I knocked on the door and they yelled for me to come in.
"What's up?" Jasper asked as him and Alice were shooting at enemies on "Halo."
"Can I buy some weed off you?"
He paused the game and turned in his chair to face me. "How much?"
"Is this for Bella, too?" Alice cocked an eyebrow, looking at me with a sour expression.
"I'm not corrupting her, Al. She wants to see if it will calm her down like everyone says. I think it will help her."
Alice shrugged and turned her attention back to the video game. "Just keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get paranoid or anything."
I rolled my eyes at the thought of Alice knowing how to protect Bella better than I do.
I bought 2 grams off Jasper and called Bella upstairs and into my room.
I rolled a blunt with a litle bit of the weed, and Bella looked at me with a confused expression on her face the entire time.
"How are these, compared to the bong thing from last night?"
I shrugged. "Not much different. You don't need as many hits from a bong as you do from a blunt to get high. In my opinion, smoke from a blunt is harsher. I've met people that think otherwise, though. It's all about preference."
"Where do you want to smoke it?"
"How about the meadow?" I suggested, and she immediately smiled from ear-to-ear and hugged me. I haven't taken her since that first time, since she was healing for so long. Now, she was perfectly capable to walk there.
We dressed in warm clothes, and I grabbed a lighter and a water bottle before we made our trek into the woods, holding hands as we walked. Bella almost fell a few times, but I was always there to catch her.
It was overcast today, but it was the type that's cozy and makes you want to snuggle deeper into a blanket with a book. Fall was beautiful, especially here in Washington. All of the trees were various shades of warm tones, and the air smelled of crisp leaves. I was excited to get to the meadow, my first time smoking with Bella alone the only thing on my mind.
We finally made it, and Bella sprawled the blanket out that she had hanging over her arm. We sat on it, snuggling close to one another before I lit the blunt and inhaled it hungrily. I unlocked my phone and played some soft acoustic music in the backgroud, fitting the atmosphere perfectly.
I passed it to Bella and watched as she inhaled it, taking a tiny hit. She coughed a lot, but laughed when she was done coughing. She took a small sip of water to clear her throat, beaming at me.
We only smoked about half the blunt before Bella was insanely high and claimed she didn't need anymore. I watched her as I took a few more hits. She laid down on the blanket, looking up at the sky. Her eyes were red and low, a lazy smile toying at her lips. She snuggled herself deeper into her oversized sweater, the sleeves extending way past her little arms.
"How are you feeling?" I asked as I put the blunt out when it was almost gone, nearly burning my fingertips.
"Edward, I feel so calm... tranquil, even. This is great," she talked slowly, her voice as soft as her other features. I laid down next to her and held her hand, gazing up at the sky, as well.
She giggled at the birds that flew around above us, joking that "they were high just like we were." And then, she said "get it? Cause they're high up in the air?"
I laughed loudly, the sound echoing into the forest. "Yeah, Bella, I got it."
She continued to giggle at everything, and it was very obvious to see how stoned she was. It was evident in all aspects. But, she seemed to be really enjoying it.
It felt great to share moments like this with Bella. Just wandering around and getting lost in each other. Adventuring and breaking the law. There was an electricty in the air when we were together, humming in our ears. I sighed in sheer contentment, breathing it all in.
"Edward?" I suddenly heard her call into the autumn air.
"Hmmm?" I mumbled in a hazy bliss.
"Can I, well, ask you some personal questions?"
I sat up on my elbows, looking at her. "Yeah, of course. What do you wanna know?"
She bit her lip and her cheeks blushed that familiar shade of scarlet. "Well, when I was in the hospital, your Mom and Alice said something about, uh, you being kind of... down the past couple years. So, I was, well, um, just wondering if it's because you miss your ex-girlfriend?"
I sighed, wondering if I've been failing at showing Bella my feelings for her. How could she believe that I would ever think of Jane when I'm in her presence? How could she believe that Jane even crosses my mind? My mind never conists of anything but Bella anymore. My shy, clumsy, beautiful, warm, strong Bella.
"No, I don't. Not until I met you, at the very least. I guess I was just brooding because she did break my heart. It wasn't because I missed her, it was just because I was pissed off at the fact that I invested so much time and effort into somebody and they fucked me over in the long run."
Bella nodded her understanding, holding my hand. "She didn't deserve you."
I laughed out loud. "Oh, I know. It just really hurt, ya know? I kept it bottled inside and didn't really talk about it to anyone. She just made me feel... worthless. I tried so hard and she was still obviously unhappy."
"Edward, you are worth everything to me. She was just immature and stupid. I find it unbelievable that a girl would be lucky enough to receive your affection, but hurt you anyway." Bella actually seemed mad, her jaw was tight and her lips pursed in an angry line. It was kind of menacing, but mostly adorable.
I shrugged. "Like I said, I'm over it. I haven't thought about her since you came into the picture," I breathed into her ear, kissing the spot just below it lightly. She shivered in my arms, but I don't think it had anything to do with the weather.
"Your family said you're happier now," she whispered, looking into my eyes. I nodded and pressed my forehead against hers, feeling her hot breath tickle my skin. She pecked me lightly on the lips before ducking her head against my chest, snuggling as deeply as she could into my frame. I chuckled and tickled her sides a bit, listening to her laugh vibrate off the trees.
It felt really nice to talk about some of my old hardships. I was grateful that I had Bella to turn to. I need her just as much as she needs me.
Bella and I began stumbling back to the house around dinner time. Alice and Jasper were lying on the couch in the basement, smoking out of Jasper's bowl piece.
"Guys!" I groaned. "Mom and Dad will be home tomorrow night, you should have gone outside."
"Relax, pissy," Alice battled, flipping me off. "I have all these candles lit, and all the windows are open, and I'll spray the whole basement down. I'll even leave the windows open all day tomorrow. It'll be fine, it's not like they're ever down here anyway." For dramatic emphasis, she lit the bowl and blew the smoke in my face.
"What's for dinner?" Jasper asked, his eyes filled with hunger. He was definitely stoned. "I don't know. Should we make something? Or order out?" I asked.
"Delivery again, it's the easiest. Chinese food?" Alice suggested, and my stomach rumbled in agreement.
"I've never had that," Bella added.
All 3 of us looked at her as if she had 3 heads. "What?!" We yelled in unison.
She shrugged, looking guilty. She was still drowning in her big sweater and sweatpants, and there was a twig in her hair. I tried not to laugh. "Is it good?"
"AMAZING!" Alice gushed. "You have to get general tsao's chicken. Chicken lo mein is good, too! Wait, Bella, come here, you have a twig in your hair!"
I called in and had a huge feast of things sent to the house, thankful Mom and Dad left us more than enough money for food while they were gone.
Once the food arrived, we made our plates of random foods, giving everything a taste. I was surprised to see Bella's plate nearly toppling out of her little hands.
"How is it, Bella?!" Alice chirped as Bella took her first bite, which was lo mein. Bella moaned at the taste and kept eating, giving a thumbs up.
"So, Bella, how did you like the first weed and alcohol experience?" Jasper asked, biting into an egg roll.
"I liked them both, it was actually a lot of fun. I didn't even get hungover, can you believe that?"
"It's cause you drank a bunch of water, that's the key," Alice wagged her finger.
After dinner, Bella and I were coming down hard from the weed and decided to take a nap. I anxiously invited her to come sleep in my bed with me, and she didn't refuse. She nodded while biting her lip, making my cock twitch a tiny bit.
She cuddled into my side again, and I placed tiny kisses all over her cheek, listening to her squeal in delight. I shut off the lamp and watched the sunset until we drifted off to sleep.
"Edward," I heard Bella's soft voice, pulling me out of my sleep. I opened my eyes to find the room dark, and I wondered what time it was. I turned on the lamp and found my phone. 10:30 PM. Wow, Bella and I napped for about 3 hours.
I looked over at her, but she was still asleep, her lips parted slightly, some hair resting against her face. I tucked it behind her ear as she said my name again.
She was sleep-talking. And she was saying my name. I loved the idea of her thinking of me in her sleep. My face in her dreams.
Since I turned the light on, she began to wake up, as well. She opened and closed her eyes a few times before glancing up at me, smiling.
"Hi, Edward. What time is it?"
"10:30 PM. We were asleep for quite some time," I chuckled.
She laughed, the melody so beautiful in my ears. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, now we're not gonna be able to sleep tonight."
I ran my hands through my hair. "Yeah, I'm not tired at all."
We padded downstairs to find a note from Alice on the kitchen table, stating her and Jasper were at the movies and the diner and wouldn't be home until late.
"House to oursevles," I wagged my brows teasingly, causing Bella to punch my arm.
"What shall we do?" I tapped my chin in wonder.
"I know we've been eating terribly all weekend, but we might as well continue. Remember when your Mom bought all those ingredients for ice cream sundaes?"
Bella was a god-sent. Ice cream sundaes sounded amazing at the moment. We raided the cabinets like madmen, blasting music through my phone in the process.
Finally, we had oreo crumbs, chocolate chip cookies (from last night), sprinkles, brownie crumbs, caramel fudge, hot fudge, whipped cream, cherries, and many different flavors of ice cream on the counter. We made a huge mess, making the most delicious sundaes ever. Bella accidentally spilled hot fudge on my hand when it came pouring out of the bottle before she was prepared. I retaliated by dipping my finger in the ice cream and rubbing it on her nose. She gasped and poured whipped cream on my hair.
"Isabella Marie Swan. Are you insinuating a food fight?" I smirked, inching close to her with the caramel syrup. She backed away slowly, but was met with the wall. Her eyes grew fearful when she reazlied she had no where else to run. I watched her face flush crimson.
"Edward... don't do it," she warned, a small smile itching at her lips.
I grinned before dumping the caramel syrup onto her face. She screeched and threw cherries at me, and soon, we were the ice cream sundaes.
We laughed so hard, having the time of our lives together. Bella's eyes were wide with excitement, her cheeks red. Her laugh was so natural, so perfect. I loved seeing her so happy, so free. Everything about her was breathtaking.
We cleaned up and took showers before heading back downstairs. By now, it was almost 1 AM. Alice and Jasper were still out, and we weren't tired yet.
"We've had lots of fun today... I kind of don't want it to stop," Bella sighed as we lounged on the living room couch.
"What kind of misbehavior could we partake in now?" I inquired, causing a small laugh from Bella.
She absentmindedly stroked her fingers up and down my forearm, looking at the skin she left trails of fire on. "You've been showing me what it's like to be a real teenager. You're making me feel so... alive."
In that moment, I knew what I wanted to do the rest of the night. Bella wanted to keep having fun, and I wanted to do everything in my power to give that to her. I thought of the one time in my life where I felt the most alive.
"Bella, have you ever been to Star-lit Mountain?"
"No, what's that?"
"It's a mountain, about 30 minutes from here. Endless hiking trails, and it's gorgeous. I've gone up many times with the the gang, at numerous times of day. You would love it."
"Are you insinuating that we hike, in the middle of the night, on a mountain?" She laughed. "Aren't I a little too accident-prone?"
"I know the one trail inside-out. You drive up most of the mountain, the real hike is a mere 10 or 15 minutes to the top. Once you're there, you can see everything. It's really amazing, Bella. You would love it. We can go now, it's really easy to see shooting stars since you're so high up. You can see the whole galaxy up there, I swear." I was practically begging Bella to go, but I knew it was something that she would be thrilled about. It's always so peaceful and breathtaking up there, all your problems seem to disppear and float down the mountain.
"I'm all for it, then," she giggled. "Are you sure I have... nothing to be afraid of, though? Do you think, ya know, he would be around there? I know it's silly."
"No," I interrupted her, rubbing her shoulder gently. "Not as many people know about it as you would think. I rarely run into anyone, especially the middle of the night."
Since we would be on top of the mountain, in the autumn weather, in the middle of the night, we dressed very warm, throwing many layers of clothing onto our bodies. I packed a backpack of snacks, 2 flashlights and an electric lantern. Bella packed her own big bag with 3 blankets and water bottles. She insisted I carry a baseball bat, as well, for protection purposes. Just incase. She also prepared a large mug of coffee.
"If you want to make it more interesting, we can bring the weed, and smoke some more."
She giggled and nodded. I snatched it from my room and shoved everything we'd need into my pocket.
We sang songs that were popular during our childhood the entire way, loudly, at the top of our lungs. We laughed between songs, and Bella constantly praised my next song choice.
As we offically began driving up the mountain, I could tell Bella was growing a tad nervous. She looked out the window in wonder, trying to find anything in the pitch black.
"It's really dark, Edward," she breathed, her voice flowing with fear.
"I promise, love, there's nothing to be afraid of. I've been here so many times, and have never come in contact with any animal or anyone violent. Mostly just hippies trying to find somewhere cool to smoke pot," I laughed, attempting to lighten the mood.
Once we found the parking lot, I reached into my backpack and gave Bella one of the flashlights. It was extremely bright, and she smiled at the amount of light it cast onto the trail ahead. I turned mine on, too, and used the other hand to hold the baseball bat. She used her other free hand to hold onto the electric lantern. We walked side-by-side, listening to the bugs whistle lowly in the night.
Bella looked around frantically for a while at first, and I was starting to think that bringing here was a horrible idea. But, she slowly began to relax when the clouds disappeared and the moon shined down on us with intensity, illuminating the forestry surrounding us.
"Wow, it is beautiful," she murmured.
We finally reached the top, where the trees disappeared and it was nothing but huge, giant boulders to sit on on the edge of the mountain. We chose one not too close to the edge, large enough to fit the both of us.
Bella looked out at the view around us, and gasped in delight. Even in the darkness, her eyes were as bright as ever, her smile brighter than the sun.
"Edward, this is... amazing." I followed her gaze out into the distance, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to me. You could see everything from up here. Lights from different cities twinkled far out in the distance. It was magical.
I began setting up the rock with the blankets and snacks, packing a bowl of weed once we were comfortable. Bella was insanely confused about using it, so I assisted her. We both began feeling insanely high, and I knew enough was enough for now. I put it all away and layed down, thankful the rock was completely flat. Our many layers of clothes combined with the blankets made it comfortable enough. I told her to look at the sky, pointing upward.
I was glad the clouds were gone right now. The stars looked amazing. Endless. There was no where besides a mountain where so many were visible.
"It's... I've never seen so many..." she trailed off, her breath visible in the cold mountain air. I wrapped the big blanket tighter around us, holding her close to me. "Edward! A shooting star! Look, it's huge!" She pointed, and I caught a mere glimpse of it. She laughed loudly, vibrating our bodies. I chuckled with her.
"I've never seen one," she whispered.
"Really?"
"No."
"Well, now you can scratch that off your bucket list."
She nodded against my chest, her hair tickling my chin.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she slightly gasped.
"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at her worriedly.
She shook her head, smiling, but tears were streaming from her eyes.
I cupped her cheek into my hand, searching her eyes for answers.
"What is it?"
"I just realized something, and I... I can't believe it's taken me this long. While I was still living with Phil, I prayed to my Mom one night. I asked her to send me a sign... anything to help me or get me out of Phil's life. You started trying to figure me out within the next few days. You're my gift from her."
Tears were flowing harder from her eyes, landing on my hand heavily. I felt my own welling into my eyes, because this moment was everything I've ever hoped for. I was elated at her words, thanking God that I saved her. The amount of happiness, bliss, and love this woman makes me feel.
Love.
I love Bella. I'm in love with Bella. Unconditionally and irrevocably in love with her.
There was no better time to tell her than now.
"I'm... I know that it's because of fate. We were destined to find each other. I needed you just as much as you needed me. I love you, Bella, I love you so much," I was crying a bit, too, the emotions soaring out of me like an eagle.
Bella threw her arms around my neck in the most intimate, intense hug we've ever shared. She kissed my neck numerous times, then pulled away, looking up at me from under her lashes.
"I love you too, Edward," she breathed, and kissed me with as much passion as she ever has.