Chapter 16
Chapter 16
That night, after our huge Sunday shopping trip, we all decided to hang out at Tristan's for the next day, we were exhausted. When I woke up, Tristan was still sleeping; that made me feel good. I really didn't like being the last one to wake up. I tangled myself up in his arms, snuggling into his chest. He yawned, waking up.
"Sorry," I mumbled my voice hoarse from sleep. I wasn't at all sorry.
"Morning sunshine," Tristan's voice was just as groggy… but his was much more attractive than mine.
"Beach day," I reminded him smiling. He pulled me closer, giving me a gentle squeeze.
"I know, I'm excited; you're going to surf," he chuckled a deep, throaty laugh. My smile dropped.
"Huh?" He looked down at me as if this was obvious,
"Don't you remember?" I shook my head no, he continued, "On our first date I told you how I lived in California and how I loved the beach and then told you that I was going to teach you how to surf one day."
I scrunched up my face, I remembered.
"Don't you want to learn?" he smiled down at me. I was now burying my face in my tee shirt.
"If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly coordinated," I laughed.
"Oh believe me, I've noticed." My eyes shot up at him in a fierce glare. His face was amused, his lips trying not to pull up into a smile.
"I hate you." I tried to state it as mean as I could.
"I know, Bella." Tristan sighed dreamily like I had just said the reverse. I rolled my eyes at his silliness.
"We should get up, everybody is going to be wondering where we are," Tristan said reluctantly.
"They know where to find us," I retorted, arguing.
"You're right," he admitted, "I'm just excited to teach you how to surf." A huge smile broke out onto his face and I growled at him.
We reluctantly left the warmth of the bed and got changed into our swim suits, knowing that that is what we'd be wearing the entire day. I threw a shirt and shorts over the bikini Alice and Rosalie bought for me the previous day.
I actually kind of liked this one. It was a all different bright colors with little dots in the shape of suns. Not too shabby. When I came out of the bathroom, Tristan was nowhere to be found so I went downstairs without him.
I found a couple pieces of toast waiting for me when I got to the kitchen… courtesy of Alice naturally. I buttered one piece and poured myself a glass of orange juice from the fridge.
"Bella?" Tristan called to me, I didn't know where he was.
"Yeah?" I answered, nibbling on a piece of toast.
"Come here for a sec…"
"Where are you?" I shouted with a confused look on my face.
"In the garage." I quickly jumped out of the seat I was sitting in and went down stairs to find him. The garage door was open. He was standing in the far corner next to a bunch of surf boards and other unidentifiable equipment.
"What's up?" I asked cheerily, wiping some crumbs off of my face.
"Come stand over here, please." He waved a hand, motioning me to go to him. I obliged, completely in the dark about what was going on. I stood there in front of him for a moment, looking like a complete idiot.
"Okay, thanks," he said, taking a step and grabbing two surf boards and a couple short boards… I think they were skim boards but I wasn't sure.
"What just happened?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. Tristan headed out another door, arms full. I trailed behind him.
"Just seeing which board fits you," he answered nonchalantly.
Greeeaaat.
We walked up a couple of stairs to the backyard and I could see the rest everybody else laid out on the beach already; so much for not being last. When Emmet saw Tristan with the surfboards he ran over, beaming.
"Are we going to surf?!" I internally cringed while Emmet was literally bouncing up and down on his toes.
"Well these waves aren't ideal, but we're going to try," Tristan answered with a timid smile.
"Yes!" Emmet drew the word out, he sounded like a snake.
"Let's start now!" Emmet suggested and Tristan reluctantly nodded; Emmet snatched a board from his hands and ran off to the water. Tristan turned towards me with an apologetic look on his face.
"Don't worry about it… we still have a whole two weeks," I reminded him with a smile. The emotion on his face changed,
"Oh, I'm not worried about that," he chuckled, "Actually, when you go over by the Alice and Rosalie could you put this over there?" he asked sheepishly, holding up the surfboard in his hands a little higher. This was all that he was asking? I huffed and rolled my eyes,
"Of course dork." Tristan gave me a relieved smile and carefully handed me the board, once I had it firmly in my grasp he gave me a small peck on the lips and jogged off to Emmet.
I have to admit… I looked at his butt while he ran.
I snapped out of it after a second, rapidly shaking my head side to side to bring me back to reality. I carried the board through the sand to Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Edward. After softly placing it in the cushy sand I plopped myself down on an empty towel near Rosalie.
"Morning Bella, did you get the toast?" Alice asked me brightly.
"Yup, just finished it."
Rosalie was intently watching Emmet and Tristan out in the water, smirking every second or so from amusement. Emmet was not exactly catching on quickly, once on the surfboard he fell right on top of Tristan.
"What a dufus," she breathed under her breath just loud enough for us to hear. I snorted and laughed out loud with the rest of the gang. It was quiet for a moment, we were all trying to catch our breaths but Alice broke up in laughter and it was contagious.
"There are some pretty good waves out there, I think I'm going to go give them a try," Edward announced, getting up off of his towel and grabbing the surfboard, analyzing it.
"You surf?" I questioned him, taken aback. He had never told me this. He was so concentrated on evaluating the surfboard it took him a second to reply.
"Hmm," he looked up at me, seeming a little dazed. But he quickly regained composure, "Oh yeah, I surf a little." Even though I had my answer I kept my gaze fixed on him, there seemed like there was a lot I didn't know about Edward. Also, the faint purple bruise on his jaw was fading a little but.
"What?" he asked after a moment of awkwardness for him. I blinked.
"Just noticing that your bruise is going away," I answered quickly, stumbling over my words.
Edward a noise with his lips and then pursed them together, nodding his head slowly. I mentally hit myself slapped myself; of course the bruise was healing… what was it supposed to do?
"Well this board is somewhat short for me, but I'm going to go give it a shot," and with that, Edward stalked off to the water. My eyes followed him, when he was about waist deep in the water he got on top of the board and started paddling over the small waves to the deeper water.
Once he got a good way out in the water he sat up on the board and waited for a good wave. After a minute, he turned the board and, looking over his shoulder. The swelling wave was creeping up on him and he paddled with his arms quickly, he caught it. He immediately sprang up on the board, and began directing the board up and down the height of the wall of water.
Edward was good.
As the wave got closer to the sand, it was dying out and Edward jumped off the board and stood up in the water, which was now about mid chest deep.
"Wow, he's really good," I mumbled almost incoherently. Alice and Rosalie silently agreed with me by a nod from their heads. Jasper laughed lightly.
"Edward, the show off as always," he had a big smile on his face.
"Really?" Alice asked him, cocking her head to the side. I waited to hear Jasper's reply, Edward never showed off before… at least it didn't seem like it. He was always modest. Jasper shrugged,
"Sometimes, it's just he is really athletic and can play nearly every sport well. And you know how girls can't resist a team captain." Jasper sent a wink my way, making my face flush pink.
"Do you play any sports, Jasper?" I asked him, curious. If Emmet and Edward excelled in athletics I was sure that Jasper would too.
"Soccer," he answered confidently, his eyes bright. Alice beamed.
"Ooh, when does that start so I get to see you play?" Alice asked excitedly.
"Spring, so after Edward's basketball season," Jasper answered, looking at Alice with a glint in his eye… I couldn't classify the emotion in them.
"We'll be sure to be out there to cheer you on," Rosalie smiled his way.
"What position do you play?" I asked, I used to play soccer in my early high school days.
"Center forward." I nodded slowly, smiling mischievously.
"So you're the goal scorer… team star," I commented teasingly. Jasper chuckled and shook his head.
"Not really." Somehow I doubted that statement as did Rosalie and Alice by their facial expressions; Jasper seemed very athletic even though he didn't flaunt it.
"I think I'm going to go down and take a swim," I publicized and got up, taking off my shirt and shorts, revealing my new bikini that Alice and Rosalie bought.
"I told you it would be a perfect fit," Alice snickered to Rosalie. Rose rolled her eyes,
"Yeah, but the bottoms would have been better in the string bikini style," Rosalie shot back. Alice gave her a disbelieving look.
"You're on crack, since when do you think Bella will actually wear something that 'revealing'?" Alice faked horror, mocking me. Rosalie laughed,
"You are right about that," she agreed, shaking out her long blonde hair from its pony tail.
"I'm leaving now," I stated angrily and stomped off towards the water. I tested the water by standing in ankle deep water… it was as warm as the pool. I walked in deeper and dove in; the cool water was refreshing against my sun-warmed skin.
I floated on my back, letting the small waves lift me up and down.
"What're doing, Bella?" I opened my eyes and saw Edward's green eyes staring down at me. He was sitting on the surfboard.
"Uh… waiting for Tristan to teach me how to surf," I answered, lying.
"All the way out here?" Edward asked, smirking. I shifted up right expecting the sandy ground to meet my feet so I was surprised when it didn't. I looked up to the beach… I was pretty far out… really far out.
"You floated out here," Tristan answered, noticing my panicked face.
"Oh," I replied stupidly. I was still just kind of floating out here, not needing to tread water.
"I could teach you to surf, if you want," Edward suggested. I looked back at Tristan and shook my head.
"I think Tristan wanted to…" I answered watching Tristan help Emmet, who was getting a little better I observed.
"He's not going to be done with Emmet for a while because if I know Emmet, he will not give up," Edward chuckled under his breath, studying Emmet and Tristan like I was.
"Yeah," I agreed a little sadly. I didn't want to surf, but I did want to spend time with Tristan.
"But if you don't want me to teach you, that's fine. But could you go back into the shallower water… you're making me worried," Edward recommended, a little tense.
"No, I want to learn. Will you still teach me?" I asked. A smile lit up on Edward's god like face and he nodded.
"Sure, let's go a little farther in, though. These waves a little too rough for beginners," he stated and scooted a little to the side on the surfboard. He patted the spot next to him. I paused for a second and then pulled myself on it, next to him.
"Okay I just want you to sit here and keep your balance while I paddle us in, sound good?" Edward instructed. I nodded. I had no idea what I was doing so I was going to do what ever he told me to.
Edward lowered himself on the boar and began paddling us closer to shore, the waves that were coming in behind were a big help, they pushed us along so it only took a minute until Edward was satisfied with were we were. Edward hopped off the board and stood in the chest deep water.
"Okay to start off, when the next waves comes I want you to try and catch it." Edward began… I had no idea how to do that. I mean I have seen people 'catch' waves but I didn't physically know how to! Edward caught my unsure expression and immediately reassured me,
"Don't worry I'll help you. All you have to do is paddle beside the wave and if you catch it, the wave will somewhat just pull you along with it." I nodded and turned around to see if any wave were coming in our direction. There was a few.
"Okay I want you to skip this first one and try to catch the second one…" Edward was focusing on the water behind me. I looked behind me and saw that the first one was coming. I stayed still and it moved from under me, lifting me higher from the bottom and then back down.
"This one…" Edward mumbled quietly. I nodded and got ready to paddle. Looking behind me, I realized that I had no idea when to start paddling, I looked frantically at Edward. His eyes didn't meet mine for a second and then he turned back towards me,
"Paddle, go!" he yelled, enthusiastically. I started moving my arms as fast as I possibly could and then I didn't need to any more, the wave carried the board and I with it.
"Stand up, Bella! Stand up!" Edward shouted from behind me. I followed his direction and pushed up from my arms and jumped to my feet… and I was surfing.
"Woooo, Bella!" I heard Rose scream from the beach, I wanted to look up at her and wave but I was afraid that if I moved an inch I would loose my balance. The wave was gradually getting smaller and weaker as we approached the shore.
"Jump off, Bella!" Edward instructed from a distance and I jumped feet first back into the water. The board pulled behind me, I was connected to it with a strap on my ankle. When did that get there? Oh well. I stood up in the cool water, it only came to my knees.
"You did great!" Edward cheered, giving me a giant hug.
"Thanks," I smiled widely back; I honestly thought that I was never going to be able to do something like that.
"By the end of today, you're going to be a pro," Edward laughed while I shook my drenched, flat hair out.
"Maybe I found my sport," I teased. Edward took it seriously and shrugged his shoulders once.
"Maybe…" My jaw dropped open and my eye brows rose.
"Kidding, Edward," I informed him and rolled my eyes. Edward just shrugged again,
"Bella you have talent, if you really love it, surfing could be your thing. You never know." I laughed gravelly. And Edward rolled his green eyes back at me, muttering something incomprehensible under his breath.
Until lunch, Edward helped me surf, I eventually got brave enough to go out into stronger, bigger waves. Edward got another surfboard from the garage that fit him better so he could float along with me, giving me directions.
"Edward!" I heard a voice boom from the beach, I looked to the beach and saw Emmet motioning for us to come back in. Everybody else was already sitting down on the many towels laid out on the sand.
"Let's surf it back in. It looks like lunch is here," Edward advised.
"Finally! I'm starved," I groaned. Edward laughed at me,
"If you were hungry we could have gone in at anytime." I snorted,
"I'm having too much fun!" I argued back. Edward just laughed.
"Let's catch this one and try to ride it as far as you can back in…" Edward fixed his green eyed gaze on me, waiting for a confirmation from me.
"Okay," I nodded and positioned my board so I was ready to catch the wave. Edward was about five feet from me, looking over his shoulder.
"Paddle," he said softly, just loud enough for me to hear. We both started moving forward, letting the wave catch us. This was the strongest wave I've ridden yet.
"Just stay balanced!" Edward cautioned giving me a panicked look. I knew that he was realizing the same thing I was. I nodded, though I didn't think that he caught it. I kept going, knowing that the wave would get smaller in a little bit. I stayed calm.
It felt like days, hours, but the wave grew 'safe'. I smiled to smile and released the large breath and I wasn't aware that I was holding. The rest of the ride was easy; Edward and I were in waist deep water in a short few seconds.
"Jump!" I heard him instruct from my left side, I jumped off of my board and felt my feet hit the mushy sand. I smiled widely, realizing that that was the most excitement and thrill I had my entire trip here. Acting upon instinct, I screamed and threw my hands up in the air.
"That was awesome!" I saw Tristan running towards me, at first I thought that he was excited for me also, but a flash of anger in his blue eyes proved otherwise.
"What was that?!" he bellowed at Edward who was walking up, carrying his surfboard to my side.
"What are you talking about?" Edward asked calmly, obviously not going to get riled up Tristan's increasingly red face.
"That! That wave that she wasn't ready for, she could have gotten hurt!" Tristan accused, now completely going ballistic in Edward's face.
"Tristan, I'm fine," I tried to reassure him and I placed my hand on his shoulder, attempting to get him to back off of Edward; it wasn't his fault. He didn't know, I didn't know that it was that big.
"Bella is perfectly fine… and I think that she had a good time," Edward gave me a small, short-lived smile. I smiled back. Tristan backed off but was still steaming,
"You better be more careful next time," he warned and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me through the shallow waters and onto the shore. I shot Edward a sympathetic look over my shoulder. He smiled back at me, his green eyes subtly aflame.
"Rose and I went and got Togos!" Alice tried to brighten the mood, obvious feeling the tension. I played along, practically begin the atmosphere to relax.
"Did you get me turkey?" I asked with a fake smile plastered on my dripping wet face.
"No Bella, of course we didn't get you the sandwich you've always ordered for the past ten years," Rosalie mumbled sarcastically, I smiled. She always knew when to crack the jokes.
"I'm so hungry," I groaned and took a seat on the ground on my warm towel 'criss cross apple sauce style'. Rose lightly threw me the sandwich, expecting me to catch it… and of course I didn't and it slipped through my fingers. Tristan snatched it before it could touch the sand.
"Thanks," I took my paper covered sandwich from his out stretched hand. Tristan just gave me a grim smile and took his seat next to me. I immediately ripped off the wrapping, grabbed a half and dug in.
"This tastes so good," I told Alice after taking a sip of my Coke that she brought out, I think San Diego has a way better Togos than any other place I've been, these sandwiches were amazing.
"They're just sandwiches, Bella," Alice answered with a skeptical worried look on her face.
"Well these are especially good," I raved. Alice rolled her eyes from her spot next to Jasper.
"You're just hungry from all the surfing you've been doing," Tristan stated, I didn't not notice the quick glance he shot at Edward, who took his seat a couple towels down from us in between Emmet and Jasper.
"Maybe," I agreed, shrugging.
After lunch, Edward, Emmet and Tristan hit the water again, surfing. Alice and Jasper went off somewhere down the beach… 'collecting shells'. Rosalie and I snorted loudly after that one.
So it was just Rose and I tanning on the beach for a while. We lay back on our towels, face up with sunglasses on.
"So how was 'surfing'?" she giggled.
"What'd mean?" I asked skeptically.
"I mean the serious eye candy!" she squealed. I laughed and rolled my eyes.
"I have a boyfriend," I reminded her, shaking my head disapprovingly.
"Oh, I know that… but that doesn't mean that you can't check out those abs!"
"Rosalie, you have a problem," I stated seriously. She shrugged, accepting it and turned on her side to face me.
"Tristan was so jealous, you should have seen his face." Rosalie had a big smile on her face, and mine fell off my face immediately.
"What do you mean…'jealous'?" I questioned.
"You're not telling me that you don't know, right?" Rosalie teased, though I was completely serious. She took in my expression and hers' altered so it looked more like mine.
"Bella, don't you notice?" she asked again. I shook my head.
"There are two guys in this house that want you," She took off her sunglasses to look me straight in the eyes and I took off mine in return, "And those two are fighting… hard."
"Oh my god…" I breathed. Rosalie nodded and I panicked.
"No, no, no this is not supposed to happen. This is a vacation where everybody gets along, no fighting… especially about me!" My words were rushed, coming out in an avalanche, bumping into each other so I was barely intelligible.
"It's happening and I really doubt that you can do anything about it, sorry," Rosalie didn't sound very sorry and I knew that there had to be something that I could do. I needed to do something, this was not happening?!
And something in my mind clicked… the laser tag game. Holy shit.
They kept this from me, they were physically fighting. And that is where Tristan's black eyes and Edward's bruised jaw came from… I couldn't believe that this was actually taking place. They couldn't fight over me, I wasn't even worth it. Absurd.
"You have to help me fix this, Rose. Please," I begged. She sent me a compassionate look and was thoughtful for a moment.
"I don't know how to help, Bells. They need to sort it out themselves." I threw myself back against the sand and covered my face with my hands.
"There has to be something that I can do; anything." I was mostly talking to myself, forcing my brain into over drive to form a solution. But nothing was working, it was like I was running on one of those hamster wheels; working my ass off but going nowhere.
"You don't like Edward, right?" Rosalie asked me, breaking through my chaotic thoughts.
"No," I answered automatically, as if on autopilot, "Edward is just a friend." I answered with confidence.
"Okay." Rosalie's reply was simple, and like reverse psychology, her accepting it so easily made myself wonder if I did have feelings for Edward.
No, I didn't.
"Bella, I'm going to go cool off in the water for a bit. Coming?" Rosalie asked me as she got up and pulled her hair up into a pony tail.
"Eh, no thanks," I replied and watched her as she nodded and put her black designer sunglasses on, walking off to the water.
I turned my head back around, so focused in on my thoughts. I brushed my hair out so it was flat out on the towel, surrounding me. I hoped that it would help it dry faster.
Jasper's POV
As soon as Alice and I were alone, walking along the beach I grabbed her small, fragile hand within mine. She looked up at me and smiled.
"I like your new sunglasses, Alice," I complimented, noticing that she had bought new ones on her shopping trip yesterday.
"Aww, thanks Jasper. I bought you some too, we can match!" she squealed and gave my hand a squeeze. A lot of guys wouldn't like this about their girlfriends, but this was the part about Alice and I couldn't get enough of. She was so thoughtful, always thinking about other people.
"Thanks," I breathed down at her. Her hand left mine as he bent down to pick up something in the sand. She held up a small white shell to my face.
"Look at how the colors gleam off of it in the light. It's a little on the small side, but I think it's charming," she speculated it.
"I think it's beautiful," I added looking down at her, straight into her dark blue eyes.
"I know, the shell is unique," she agreed and twisted the shell in her hand. I clutched her hand and held it still with a knowing smile placed on my face.
"Alice, I'm not talking about the shell." Her eyes went wide for a second and then she blushed red, though not as red as Bella.
"Oh." She said softly. I got a hold of her other hand and looked even deeper into her eyes and said with confidence,
"Alice, I'm in love with you."
I know that it has been literally forever since my last chapter post.
But I have a new poll up, go vote- may change the outcome of the story!
As always, Edward vs. Tristan pro/con review are more than welcome!
And pictures up on my profile with their sunglasses my fav accessory, sorry!
-Cullen-style