Chapter 24: Stay

Alice's POV

After Jasper and I spent several hours training with Edward and Leah, and then we all headed back to the house to hang out. I was glad that Leah and Edward had made up. I was more than curious as to what that meant. Edward's future had begun to blur again which meant something major had happened. One of them was beginning to bend and I just had to know what was going on. Those two sat at the piano, while Jasper and I occupied the couch. Edward was trying to decide what to play and Leah was watching his fingers as they strolled the keyboard.

"Tell me what to play," he whispered to her. She shrugged and nudged him. They smiled at each other, and I highly suspected they had forgotten about us. It was good to see to see my brother smile; it was even better to see Leah and him together. He smirked as he began to play a more current song. I couldn't place the artist but I knew I'd heard the song a couple of times on the radio. Leah closed her eyes and seemed to relax and enjoy his playing. After a few moments I heard the most surprising thing, Leah's voice.

All along it was a fever
a cold sweat hot-headed believer
I threw my hands in the air and said, "Show me something,"
He said, "If you dare come a little closer."

Leah sang softly along to Edward's playing; to me it was just another thing that proved that Edward and Leah worked well together. Edward seemed surprised that Leah was singing. He gazed at her and then focused his fingers along the black and white keys.

Round and around and around and around we go
Oh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know

Not really sure how to feel about it.
Something in the way you move
makes me feel like I can't live without you.
It takes me all the way.
I want you to stay

There was a need in her voice. It was raspy yet light, it was beautiful. I was about to clap when something else surprising happened. My brother sang the next part of the song. I had almost forgotten that he could sing; it had been so long that he'd done so. Leah was shocked. She had started singing the chorus initially, but stopped once she realized he was singing, too. She scooted closer to him. It was clear they were sending each other messages; confessions, as it were I just hoped that this would last this time, I didn't know any two people that deserved to be happy more that Leah and my brother.

Jasper stood and offered me his hand. "Dance with me?" he asked. I graciously took his hands and was quickly enveloped by his arms. He rocked me slowly in rhythm to the music that surrounded us.

It's not much of a life you're living
It's not just something you take – it's given

Round and around and around and around we go
Oh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know

The rest of the song they sang in unison. Jasper spun me in circles around the room. On one of our revolutions, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Esme and Carlisle were standing by the doorframe. Carlisle was rocking Esme to and fro.

Not really sure how to feel about it.
Something in the way you move
makes me feel like I can't live without you.
It takes me all the way.
I want you to stay.

Leah and Edward were causing a crowd. Emmett and Rosalie joined us, too, and listened as they finished the song. Then an unexpected flash went through my mind. I could see her! I could see Leah. I saw her future! I wasn't sure how far into the future I was witnessing, but I saw Edward dressed in a suit, and Leah all in white. I saw Leah with a white flower in her hair as she sang with Edward while he played in front a group of our family and friends.

Ooh the reason I hold on
Ooh cause I need this hole gone
Funny you're the broken one but I'm the only one who needed saving
Cause when you never see the light it's hard to know which one of us is caving

Leah showed her range as she sang the next part. I seriously believed she had forgotten that we were in the room. She might not have realized that there were so many of us in the room, since she had sang the majority of the song with her eyes closed.

Not really sure how to feel about it.
Something in the way you move
makes me feel like I can't live without you.
It takes me all the way.
I want you to stay, stay.
I want you to stay, oh.

There was a silence in the room as Edward and Leah seemed lost in each other's eyes. "You sang for me," he whispered as he leaned towards her.

"Yeah, now you can't say I never did anything for you, Edo," she uttered softly. Their foreheads were not connected as if they were conspiring or about to kiss, they were connected and I imagined that all of us had disappeared in the fog. I was holding my breath waiting to see what was going to happen next.

"That was beautiful!" Esme clapped and completely broke them out from whatever spell they were under.

"It was intense, that's for sure," Jasper amended.

"I think it was perfect, fitting even." Rosalie smiled at the two of them.

Leah blinked, shocked by all of the new people in the music room. "Thanks." She looked at Edward and then down at the keys. "I didn't think I was going to be putting on a concert," she grumbled.

"It's was beautiful, Leah, and everybody truly thought it was." Edward offered and she nodded in response.

"It's getting really late. I should go." She stood from the piano bench. "Goodnight everyone, and thanks Jasper for the lesson." She headed out of the room with Edward quick on her heels.

Edward's POV

Leah had gotten lost in the moment, and for the span of those few minutes that we sang together I'd become lost in her. I heard and felt nothing but her, no other voices or thoughts invading my mind. Once we finished singing and came down from our momentary high, Leah was alarmed by her own actions and by everyone who had witnessed her being so vulnerable. She wanted to run out of the room, but showed great self-control to walk away as calmly as she did. It also made it easier for me to catch up to her before she left.

Just before she hit the stairs I reached out and grabbed her hand. "Hey."

"I didn't mean for them all to hear me." She muttered.

"You sounded like an angel." Leah rolled her eyes at me and then looked down at her shoes.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Cullen," she chuckled. "I really should go." She begrudgingly turned towards the steps again and began down them. I kept my hands in my pockets to stop myself from pulling her towards me and keeping her with me.

"But you don't want to. You should stay. You could sleep in my room, my bed." I smiled at her knowing that it would put naughty little thoughts in Leah's head. She took a deep breath and thought about what I was asking of her. I was surprised by the nervousness, it's not like we haven't spent the night together before.

"So my little stalker can watch me sleep? I don't think so, Edo." She giggled and then closed her eyes and shook her head. She was trying to convince herself not to stay however she hadn't continued her journey down the stairs. She toyed with her fingers as she mulled the idea over in her head once more.

"Leah, just stay. You're tired and want to sleep. Sleep here. I want you with me, in my space." I offered her my hand and she took it as she acquiesced.

I could count on one hand the number of times Leah had been in my room. This would be the first time she actually sat on my bed. The sight of her in the middle of my territory did something to me as a man. I stood in front of her studying the odd expression on her face. She was carefully examining her fingernails and chewing on her bottom lip.

"What's wrong, Clearwater?" I was confused by her nervousness. We'd spent plenty nights alone together and she had never seemed fazed, but tonight her anxiety was almost palpable.

"Nothing." She glanced up at me and back down. She corrected herself. "That's a lie, I'm happy to be around you, but after everything that we've been through, I'm confused as to how to act."

"Just be yourself, because all I want is you." I shrugged. "I'm not expecting you to act a specific way. I just want you in my space."

"In all the time that we've been friends, even when you were stalking me, I never felt as uneasy as I do right now. I can't figure out why I feel this way," she confessed. I nodded and then sat down beside her.

"Leah, I could tap into the inner working of you mind and figure out why… if you want me to." She thought about it for a minute and then shrugged letting me know she didn't care.

This is stupid, Edward, was the loudest thought she was having, but as I focused harder I realized what was bothering her. She saw as our bodies mingled in the coat closet. I searched further and she envisioned us here alone in the room tonight. She saw us together in the most intimate way possible; naked under covers indulging in the slowest, passionate, love making I'd ever seen through anyone's mind's eye. It was so raw and vivid. I desperately want to engage in it.

Then I heard something so faint and tiny in her mind … her insecurities revealed themselves to me.

What does he like about me? Doesn't he know how damaged and messed up I am? He's so beautiful; I wonder how long it's going to take him to realize that he picked the wrong girl. I'm sure Bella will take him back regardless.

What do you want from me, Edward Cullen?

Please don't hurt me.

"Leah," I tucked a strain of her hair behind her ear so that I could fully take in character in her face. I pressed my lips to her cheek and she gasped and leaned into the tingling sensation. I smoothed my pointer finger under her chin and directed her luscious lips towards me. She was breathing excitedly before I even kissed her. She wanted this, she wanted me and everything in her mind expressed this to me. I had no plans on denying her; I cupped her beautiful face in my hands and kiss her gently as if she were fragile and precious. She lifted her hands and allowed them to get lost in my hair as our kiss grew passionate. I couldn't put into words what I felt, for me saying 'I love you' wouldn't be close to describing it. I finally broke the kiss and pulled my face away from Leah's. "Stay with me forever?"

Her answer was breathless and eager.

"Yes!"