Title: The Harsh Light of Day

Author: Michelle Kay

Disclaimer: I respect the work of Stephenie Meyer and no copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: M

Summary: The gentle swell of the ocean brought our bodies closer. His lips were only centimeters away from my own; the feeling was intoxicating. Our lips met… Our bodies met. His cold skin brushed against mine in the midst of the warm Atlantic waters…

***

PREVIOUSLY:

"I nestled myself against him, and quickly found myself falling asleep as we spooned together. The beautiful night slipped into the darkness as my eyes fluttered shut."

***

The sun beams shone through the open French doors and into the bedroom where Edward and I lay. It was a beautiful morning, and the white sandy beach sparkled in the sun as gloriously as the man resting beside me. I had awoken to find myself facing him, and the memories from the night before flooded my mind. I could feel my heart start to flutter at the thoughts.

"Good morning, my Bella." Edward's voice sung to my ears. His arms wrapped around me, sending a chill though my body. It was a nice contrast to the heat of the sun bearing down on us.

"Morning…" I mumbled. I couldn't tell what time it was, but it had to be early. More memories of the night before found their way into my thoughts.

He kissed the warm skin of my chest, leaving a trail of kisses across my bust. I captured his lips with mine, urging him to move forward. He slid back up, letting a little more of his weight rest on me. His body settled between my legs. This was it. I closed my eyes, and heard him take a deep, unnecessary, breath before slipping inside of me.

Lost in my thoughts, I had not noticed the concerned expression that was etched across Edward's features. I propped myself up on my elbow to get a better look at his face. He did not seem to notice my incessant stare as I studied him.

"Edward…" I whispered, wondering what he was thinking. Had I done something wrong? He didn't speak. Instead, his fingers traced a light trail from my cheek and down to the nape of my neck. He paused for a moment, before proceeding to stroke a tender spot just above my shoulder. I flinched back, grimacing. His eyes looked away, and his hands were no longer touching me. He slid off of the bed, and disappeared into the white kitchen. I stood to follow, and suddenly realized an urgency to take a detour to the bathroom. I walked lightly across the plush white carpet, a sense of confusion encompassing me. A large whirlpool bathtub was the centerpiece of the spectacular room. I turned to face the full-length mirror on the back of the door, and gasped at my own reflection. A large, red scratch stood out on the base of my neck. My hand reached up to touch it, examine it. It had a slight sparkle to it, like the crescent shaped scar on my hand. My mind focused on the moments of the previous evening.

His lips rested there, at my neck, for a moment; I could feel his cool breath and he knew that I trusted him completely. His lips opened slightly and his teeth grazed across my delicate skin. So sharp, so deadly. He grabbed my arms, pinning them at my sides.

I examined the rest of my body, finding a fair few bruises. I would have been happy, even if there had been more damage. I just had the most amazing night, and I would not ruin it by dwelling on a couple of bruises and a little scratch.

"Edward!" I called out, frantically. I suddenly forgot why I had been standing in the bathroom in the first place. I rushed to the kitchen to find him sitting on the counter, his head in his hands. I paused before making my way over to his gravely still form. I reached out to touch his arm, indicating that I wanted to see his face. He obeyed, and let his hands fall to his lap.

"Look at me." I pleaded. He did, but his eyes focused on the small cut that had seemed to ruin my perfect morning. "Edward, it's nothing… I don't blame you! Come back to bed…" My voice was shaky and trailed off.

"I should have never agreed to this, Bella. Look at yourself! It was selfish of me to let this happen." His teeth barely parted as he spoke. He was angry with himself, but I was fine!

"Okay, Bella. I'll let this go for now. For you." Edward sighed deeply, and slid down off of the counter top. I smiled and embraced him in a forceful hug. His arms hugged back, timidly, but it was enough. I laughed.

"What's funny?" He asked quietly. I just grinned, and pulled him back into the bedroom. Of course, he wanted to be pulled, otherwise we wouldn't be moving. I was impressed with myself, anyhow, and continued to urge him to sit down on the fluffy white bed that had witnessed so much the previous evening.

"Bella," He pleaded. "We can't…" I ignored his words and escaped to the bathroom to attend to my throbbing bladder. Oh, how ladylike. When I returned, I found him lying completely flat, staring into the netting hung above the bed. I took this opportunity to slip on the t-shirt laying near the door.

He walked past me to the French door that opened right onto the beach sand. On the way, he shrugged out of his shirt, dropping it on the floor, and then slipped through the door into the moonlit night. (Breaking Dawn, p. 81)

I grinned and tried my best to gracefully make my way back to the bed. He must have gotten dressed while I was in the bathroom, because he was wearing a pair of long khaki shorts and a plain white tee. It was adorable. He must have noticed my smirk, because he responding my mouthing 'Alice.' in a very annoyed sort of way.

***

The rest of the morning and afternoon passed without incident. I had eaten breakfast, and Edward seemed to, momentarily, forgiven himself for whatever crime he thought he had committed the night before.

"So, you…" I trailed off. We were walking to the beach, the sun high above our heads and glittering dazzlingly off of Edward's skin.

"What?" He asked casually. I wasn't sure how to ask him if he had enjoyed himself. Just come out and say it?

"You… enjoyed yourself, right? I mean, it's not like I knew what I was doing…" I trailed off, embarrassed. He snorted. "Are you laughing at me?" I asked, suddenly sparked.

"No… It's just… It was my first time, too, Bella. I wouldn't know if you had done something wrong, anyway. Though I'm sure you didn't. It was… amazing. I assure you." He giggled to himself. It was an interesting sound – Edward… giggling.

"Oh, right." I smiled. Edward grabbed my hand, intertwining his long fingers with mine.

"I love you, Bella." He said, almost as if it was a passing thought, spoken aloud for no apparent reason.

"I love you." I said, squeezing his hand lightly as we stepped into the warm water. I couldn't believe what was happening. This moment, this day was so perfect. Nothing could ruin it. Or so I thought.

A/N: Okay, so I've decided to continue this story. I know it's not clear exactly what path it's taking at this point, but the next chapter should lay it out for you. I needed to get the off of the island – they're going home soon! Thanks for the reviews. (Oh, and longer chapters in the future!) – Michelle Kay