Title: Seven Minutes in Heaven
Author: Readingmama/Vampiremama
Beta: AcrossTheSkyInStars
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.
Continuity: AH/AU
Rating: M
Thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and lurking. I appreciate you all. Huge hugs to my beta Acrosstheskyinstars and to Chartwilightmom for prereading.
Chapter 3
3 months later
Bella and Edward had been on seventeen dates and they had still yet to tell anyone they were together. Alice knew, but that was about it. Neither of them said anything at school, barely acknowledging each other in the hall. It was driving Edward crazy.
"Why can't we eat lunch together?" Edward asked one day, unable to hide the hurt in his voice.
"It's just with all the rumors about us; I don't want to start any more."
Edward had understood, but his understanding was wearing thin. It had been three months and she hadn't wanted to be seen in public with him. Their dates consisted of hanging out together at one of their houses, watching movies or chatting on the couch. There had been kissing, but Edward usually stopped that before it went too far. His control with her was much less than she seemed to realize and so he put the brakes on quickly before he found himself spiraling out of control.
Edward, while respectful of Bella's request, was upset at being shunned by the girl he had fallen for so quickly, but it wasn't until he attempted to say hi to her in the hall and was greeted with a horrified expression that he thought enough was enough.
He grabbed Bella's arm and bent down to whisper in her ear, "We need to talk."
"Later," she hissed, glancing around to see who was looking.
"No. Now."
Bella looked up at Edward, and his expression was enough for her to nod and follow him. They found themselves in a quiet corridor, both feeling awkward at the sudden change in their day.
"What is it?" Bella asked. Her voice was not without concern but Edward was not sure if it was for him or in case someone saw them.
"This is ridiculous, Bella," Edward started. "We've been going out three months and you're scared to say hi to me."
"We've talked about this. The rumors have finally died down."
While the talking might have gotten less frequent, Edward was still being high-fived in the hallway. Well they were still trying, even though he'd never met their raised hands. He was sick of it, and if they came out with their relationship, he thought that might stop.
"It's been three months, Bella." Edward felt a pit in his stomach. "Unless you just don't want to be seen with me?"
"That's not it," Bella reassured.
"Then prove it."
"What?"
"Be my girlfriend. Not just at our houses, but everywhere."
Bella seemed unsure; she rocked back and forth on her feet before looking up and nodding. "Okay," she said softly.
"Okay?"
"Yeah," she replied, taking his hand and walking back through the school.
Bella still seemed a bit nervous as they rounded the corner back to where students were milling. Edward gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she looked up at him and smiled. The first person to spot them was a redheaded girl who turned and whispered something to her friend, causing them both to look back and gawk at the new couple.
Whispers and stares aside, Edward felt this was the best day of his life. He hated having to hide his feelings for Bella in public. It's not as if he were the type to make out against the lockers at school but he wanted to be able to hold her hand, eat lunch with her, and even just say hi in the hallway.
Edward believed that with them out in public, what was left of the whispers and jeers would quickly disappear. In fact, he felt invincible as he walked into his next class. Bella, however, was feeling like she had a huge target on her back as she walked into the next one.
"Going back for more, Bella?" a mousy brunette behind her said. Bella could never remember her name, not that she really made an effort.
Bella didn't turn back, so the girl kept talking, "Leah said she saw you guys sneaking out of the west hallway. Turn around, let me see your face, I'll let you know if you got all the jizz off."
Bella let out a sigh and lifted her hand, extending her middle finger to the girl behind her, who just laughed at the slight.
She always knew she had a reputation, it had never bothered her. Any attention was good attention, she thought. She hadn't known how good it would feel to be treated right, and now her old reputation felt like a burn, ugly and disfigured and something she would never get rid of.
By lunchtime, Bella felt frazzled. She had been called a slut in fourteen different ways and there was nothing she wanted to do more than go home and crawl into her bed and never come out.
"Bella," Edward called out as she entered the cafeteria. He waved, and she tried her best to give him a smile. She took her bagged lunch and sat down next to him.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hi," he replied with a giant grin on his face. It was clear that he had been getting much different treatment than she had after they had parted ways.
It was hard for her to look at Edward; she was sure he would see what she wanted to keep from him. That all those comments that had been hurled at her were true, she was a slut. The difference now was she didn't want to be one. When she met his eyes, there was no judgment in them, just a boy happy that she was his girlfriend.
"Fuck them," she said under her breath.
"What?" Edward said, unable to hear her over the hum of the other students in the cafeteria.
"I like you," she said, this time louder so he could hear her.
Edward's answering smile was blinding. "I like you, too."
"Can I eat with you guys?" Alice's voice cut through as she stood awkwardly with her tray.
"Sure," Edward said, nodding for her to sit.
Bella and Alice had always been friends, she thought, but over the past few months, they had become real friends. Alice had dropped her attitude, and with that, most of their other friends. Bella spent most her time with either Alice or Edward, and even though she had prided herself before about being popular, she couldn't help but feel she was much richer now than she had been. They had been eating lunch together while Bella pretended not to date Edward, but that left Alice alone now, and Bella felt like a heel not thinking of it before.
"You're always welcome at our table," Bella said with a smile.
Alice sat down easily. With her uncertainty gone, she broke into stories of her day and the plans the three of them should have later.
~~7MiH~~
Bella and Edward built a cocoon around themselves and they refused to let anyone else in. They spent nearly all their time together, occasionally adding Alice in as well. Their kissing led to touching but it was still mostly innocent. Bella no longer felt rejected when Edward stopped, but instead she felt respected and cherished. She still made him do all the stopping, but she didn't push for more the way she used to either.
There were so many interesting things to learn about Edward, Bella felt absolutely plain in comparison to him, although he kept telling her different. Even though she didn't play any instruments and her reading list consisted of what they had to read for school, Edward still seemed intrigued by everything she told him. Sometimes at night she would lay and remember the look on his face as they talked. He leaned in and kept his eyes on hers, reacting to each story as if he were there, trying to live it with her. The scar on her knee from when she fell out of a tree at age six was her favorite story to relive while she waited for sleep. She had pulled up her pants, to show him the scar that wrapped around her kneecap in the shape of a heart. She'd fallen out of the tree on a rock and sliced it badly. Edward had taken his finger and traced the line as she told the story. When she told him it took twelve stitches, he leaned and placed twelve small kisses on her knee. Her heart fluttered and her body warmed every time she thought of it.
Bella knew there was no way she was ever going to be without Edward. He made her a better person. He made her smarter, just by talking to him, although he did help her with her homework as well. Together they tried new things, Edward learning he didn't mind a little karaoke every once in a while and Bella that she could appreciate the beauty of nature with a long hike.
She was seventeen, and it was ridiculous, but Bella had every intention of marrying Edward one day. When the thought crossed her mind, she worried she would push Edward, knowing that if they were forever, it wouldn't be wrong to be more intimate, but she found knowing they had forever, she could be patient.
~~7MiH~~
Edward railed, tossing things in his room. A lamp smashed as it hit the wall and several CD cases exploded as they were hurled about.
"This isn't fair," he yelled, angry at his parents even though he knew their decision wasn't made to hurt him. He was even angrier that he knew he wasn't justified in his anger.
"Shit," he cussed, not as loudly this time as he kicked his bed. The pain shot up his foot immediately and he pulled it back, hopping as the pain and anger coursed through him. As quickly as the anger came upon him, it dissipated, and he slumped down on his bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and he dropped his head to his hands.
If only he wasn't sixteen with raging hormones, he might be able to come up with a solution. Of course if he were dumber he'd just believe everything would work out. Unfortunately, his hormones made him inconsolable and his brains told him his hormones were right. Things were screwed and there was no getting better.
And now he had to tell Bella.
~~7MiH~~
Bella sat on her couch, her mouth agape as Edward told her his news. She was numb, totally completely numb.
"You're moving?" Her voice didn't sound right to her, it was like she was underwater.
"I don't want to," Edward replied desperately.
"But you are."
"Yes."
Bella looked down at her hands; she wondered when the tears would start. They would come, she was sure of that.
"And you leave in two weeks?"
"Yeah. Dad's new job starts right away. Can we stay in touch?"
"Yeah," Bella replied, although they both knew the odds of two teenagers and a long distance relationship. "We can't stay together."
"I know," Edward replied.
"It wouldn't work, I'm seventeen, and you're just sixteen."
"I know," he said again.
"But we can be friends."
The words cut Edward like a knife but he pushed his feelings down. "I have to get home. Mom told me I had to come right back, there is a lot of packing to do. And I'm kind of grounded."
"Grounded?" Bella looked up, shocked. "How did you get grounded?"
"I broke some stuff." He shrugged.
Bella smiled. She hadn't realized how many of her insecurities had popped up until that moment. He was just as upset as she was. "Thank you."
"What for?" he asked, confused.
"For getting grounded for me. It's the sweetest thing you've done." Bella stood up and walked over to him. Cupping his cheeks gently, she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him.
"Really? Sweeter than turning down a blowjob?" he teased.
"Okay, second sweetest. I love you, Edward Cullen," she stated simply.
"I love you, too, Bella Swan."
The moment after Edward left, Bella's legs gave out and the tears began. She shook until her muscles were sore and her eyes nearly swollen shut.
Two hours later, her father found her asleep on the floor and he picked her up and carried her to bed.