15
"Is this better than the guest room?", he smiled, laying beside her on the floor in front of the fire later on.
"Much.", she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, "Thanks for bringing the mattress in here for me."
"No problem.", he said in a low voice, wanting to lull her to sleep.
She yawned again, really big. He chuckled, watching her.
"Did you say your prayers ?", he asked gently, reminding her of her father again.
"Oh, I almost forgot.", she gasped.
"Almost, you DID forget.", Edward smirked, "After one night with a vampire, everything goes right down the drain."
"Shut up you.", she tapped his leg and shushed him again, ready to pray right there next to Edward. He felt weird about her conversing with God right next to him, but he didn't stop her.
She did the sign of the cross and said, in the darkness, "Thank you God for seeing me through last night. I felt so alone until you sent me Edward, here. Thank you for sending me an angel to watch over me, and such a beautiful one, too. It's way too nice of you. And I was right, I knew you were a female."
Edward tried not to laugh, she was so unique and funny.
"Please help me show Edward a way to be happy. He really needs you now and I know you'll take care of him. Thanks for letting me have a real friend before I come to crash with you upstairs. Bless my family and Edward's family, too. Goodnite. Amen. Oh and please teach Edward a Michael Jackson song."
Edward felt so touched by this he couldn't speak. She laid her face on his chest and he bent down, placing a long soft kiss on her head, smoothing the water-like curls there.
"Goodnite Sammi.", he purred, staring at the crackling fire as he listened to her breathing.
She soon fell asleep but he didn't move to leave her. He whispered, hoping she wouldn't wake up.
"Thank you, God, for sending your sweetest angel to me.", he prayed, still staring at the fire, as if it were his hell in the distance.
"Help me not to cause her any pain.", he touched her little hand upon his chest, "And please…don't let me become a monster."
It was about 2 am when he opened his journal, going to a new page and writing:
Things to do before I die
Love someone.
Stop feeding off the living
Be a better man
He couldn't think of anything else. And he actually gave it some time to come up with more things to put on the list. After all his years, three things were all he wanted? It seemed like too little. All three of these seemed like such an impossibility. He wondered what else Sammi had on her list. Maybe he'd ask her tomorrow.
At least he'd made one of her things come true. He'd given her her first kiss, and she gave that to him as well. He kept tasting her lips on his, everytime she kissed him now. She had heard his song earlier and avoided it. He was asking her to stay and she dodged that quite nicely. Tomorrow, he decided, when the time was right, he'd ask her properly. What was this thing she wanted to do with him tomorrow?
He kept writing in his journal, all about the time he'd spent with Sammi today and how amazing it all was, everything he felt, and she felt. Before he knew it, the sun was up and she rolled over, getting up.
"It's still early yet.", he softly whispered.
"I know, I've gotta use the little girl's room.", she giggled, running to the bathroom.
"Oh.", he chuckled too. She hurried back, wanting to be close to the warm fire and cold arms of her angel in waiting. He put the blanket back over her, watching her fall asleep again.
Without deciding to do it, his hand started sketching her sleeping face into a page of his journal, not doing her real face justice but drawing it as well as paper would allow him to.
I wish I could love her as she deserves, he wrote underneath her picture.
See next chapter
15
Later, after learning how to make eggs and toast for breakfast, Edward filled Sammi in on what his plan was with the kidnappers and what her part would be. She was flawless in her acting ability, it sounded so real Edward almost got goose bumps.
"Are you ready for this?", he asked one last time, about to pick up the phone.
"Yes.", she sounded so excited, "Let's do this!"
"Okay, wait for me.", he put up a finger, then dialed the phone.
The one in the suit answered the phone, as usual.
"Number please.", was all he said.
Edward knew it by heart, "9863451200943." He recited.
"Mr. Cullen.", the man greeted him, "I didn't think we'd hear from you so soon. How are you enjoying your purchase?"
"Uh, I'm not." He sneered, and turned, slapping a leather belt hard against the empty marble table. It made a horrid sounding whip sound and at the same time Sammi let out a blood curdling scream, then crying afterwards. Flawless, Edward gave her the thumbs up sign, totally believing it.
"What's the problem, ?", the man sounded concerned.
Sammi kept doing her whimpering sounds in the background as Edward spoke, sounding positively evil.
"The problem is, this girl is sick!", he shouted, "She's been throwing up since I brought her home and after much interrogation I finally find out that she has cancer!"
Another slam of the belt to the table and Sammi shrieked out loud again, adding, "PLEASE no more, please !!!"
"SHUT UP", Edward motioned for her to come closer and as rehearsed, placed a small towel over her mouth, muffling her screams in the background as she leaned against the wall in front of him.
"I didn't pay seven thousand dollars for a girl who's not going to able to keep up with the games I wish to play. I want immediate action."
"Anything.", the man was eager to make it right, "I'll come collect the girl and reimburse you right away."
"No.", Edward sneered darkly, "I've been very inconvenienced here and I want more than just my money back."
"What do you want Mr. Cullen?
"I will take those other girls you mentioned, you said you have only two right now?", he checked again.
"Yes, I have two.", the man informed, "A blonde, 26 years old, very nice, and a Japanese girl, 33 years old, very pretty. Like I said, they're not young, like you usually ask for."
"Are they healthy?", Edward yelled, making the whipping sound again, Sammi screaming again into the towel over her mouth.
"Yes, I guarantee you, I will double check today.", he promised, "And I can call you tomorrow so we can make the exchange. I will take Samantha off your hands. Unless you want me to send someone to collect her now?"
"No, tomorrow is fine.", he frowned, "I'd like one more day to teach this little bitch a lesson."
She started to protest through the towel, begging for mercy, words could not be made out, but the sounds were so real. She was a natural.
"SHUT UP you whore.", he smiled and winked at her as he played his part.
"Again, I will handle this myself, Mr. Cullen.", the man tried to soothe him, "I truly apologize."
"Call me tomorrow.", he said, hanging up angrily.
She laughed as he took the towel off her mouth, wiping her lips a little.
"Wow, that sounded so real.", Edward was impressed, "Those screams, how do you know how to do that, just out of nowhere?"
"It's not out of nowhere.", she looked a little sad suddenly, "I've had lots of experience screaming and crying."
"Oh God I'm sorry.", his eyes filled with sorrow for her, realizing what she meant. All the pain she'd gone through in those hospitals over the years.
"That's one of the reasons you're my best friend.", she smiled back at him, "You forget sometimes that I'm sick. You don't treat me like a dying person. I love that."
"You're not a dying person.", he stated firmly, then looked away, taking a breath. She was the most alive creature he'd ever come across.
"Well, at least the girls will be taken care of and not sold to anyone else until he brings them right to me tomorrow.", Edward sighed, "And when they come here, you're going to be far away."
"Where?", she looked as if about to argue.
"Detective Langston's place.", he decided, "It's not real far away, but enough so you'll be safe."
"Then what?" she asked.
"Then," Edward was thinking before he spoke, "You'll be free to do what you want to do. You'll be safe."
"Okay.", she felt strange now. There were things he wasn't saying. He didn't mention her going home anymore.
"Are you still sure about this?", he motioned to the kitchen counter, the needle in its wrapper sitting there.
"Yes.", she sat on a bar stool near the counter, pulling her sweater sleeve up, waiting.
Trying to lighten the mood, he unwrapped the needle and said, "If you're real good and don't cry, I'll give you a nice lollipop afterwards."
"Ooh goody!", she did a little girl voice, laughing with him as he swabbed her vein with an alcohol wipe.
"Don't worry, I'm so used to needles.", she said seriously, showing no fear at all.
"I want to thank you so much, again.", he swallowed, daring to look into her green crystal eyes, "This means so much to me, you don't know."
"I'm just afraid you'll be so bored when you drink it.", she admitted what was bothering her now, "My life is so dull and –"
"Sammi.", he stopped her, touching her lips with his finger, "Your life is the only one I give a damn about right now. I can't wait to see it and feel it. So stop that. Alright?"
Smiling back at him, she felt her eyes misting up. What is he doing to me? She asked herself, he was everything she ever dreamt of in a man. Angel, prince, doctor, fighter, dark figure. She snapped out of it as he but the handle end of the needle in his teeth, slapping her veins to awaken them a bit.
"Little veins.", he smiled at her, taking the needle out of his teeth, about to insert it.
"Trust me?", he asked, ready to do this.
"Yes, absolutely.", she grinned back, hypnotized by his every move, every blink, every breath.
"Here we go.", he said softly, inserting the needle into her fair white skin, insantly penetrating the little blue vein within.. Slowly, he withdrew the blood into the needle vial; a dark crimson liquid rose up inside it. Finally it was filled to the top.
"Okay." He said quietly, placing a cotton ball against the needle, withdrawing it with precision, letting her turn her arm upwards, to slow the bleeding.
"You're a very good patient.", he grinned back as he disposed of the needle part, keeping the little glass vial in a holder on the counter.
"Thank you Dr. Cullen.", she beamed back at his smile. "What color lollipop do I get?"
"MMMM.", he thought, wanting to joke and answer, how about a vampire flavored one? Or how about an Edward ? But he repressed the little devil inside him, going into a cabinet and coming back with, "How about pink lemonade?"
She gasped out loud, seeing a pink lollipop in his hand. "No you didn't!", she laughed, surprised, "You went out and got me pink lemonade lollipops?! You are a GOD!"
"God? It's no big deal.", he giggled, taking the wrapper off and almost bringing it to her lips. She opened them, trying to take it, but he pulled it away at the last second, dong it again, and then, upon hearing her whine, he let he have it.
She gives me her blood and then is so grateful that in return, I get her pink lemonade lollipops, he thought, still confused by her.
"Suck on that quietly.", he teased, staring into her eyes again, tilting his head and breathing, "You are so easy to please."
Grinning back, she didn't try to speak with the candy in her mouth. Edward decided to use this quiet time to ask about her plans for the night.
"So," he began, "Where are you taking me tonight?"
She smiled, shaking her head no. She was not going to tell him.
"Should I dress up?", he asked yes or no questions, enjoying this.
She shook her head no.
"Is this, like, a date?", he raised a brow, hoping she'd say yes.
With a wicked smile and a giggle, she shrugged, then nodded yes.
"Hmmm.", he thought this over for a long time and then gave her that crooked boyish smile.
"Should I bring my stopwatch or my ruler?", he asked deeply as she leapt off her chair, slapping his head as he ran away, laughing.
"OW, ow", Edward pretended she was hurting him as she tackled him on the floor of the living room. He let himself fall down on his back and she straddled his chest, giving him little baby taps on his chest.
"You're so violent!", he giggled, his arms half up in fake self defense. He didn't want her to hurt her hands by slapping him, "I think I'm rubbing off on you too much."
She sucked her lips in and removed the lollipop from her mouth, wanting to win the battle. Putting it to his laughing lips, she demanded, "Open."
"Open what?", he looked in amusement as she tried to hold his hands down with her one free arm.
"That big mouth of yours.", she laughed, "I want you to taste lemonade."
"I won't taste lemonade, I'll be tasting you.", he widened his eyes, pretending to resist her efforts.
"Even better.", she grinned like an evil fairy, putting the lollipop on his bottom lip, gently, watching him.
"You realize this is not a punishment for me, don't you?", he smiled up at her face.
"Use that mouth for something else besides yapping.", she ordered like a drill sergeant, inserting the pop into Edward's willing mouth.
"Mmmmm.", his eyes sparkled, widening like a little devil's as he smiled, tasting her right away.
"Suck that quietly.", she used his words on him, her eyes heavy and glassy as she watched his mouth curl around the stick, sucking the juices of it. His eyes closed as if he were sleeping, truly enjoying it.
After a few moments, Edward opened his eyes, a dark red circle within his pupils as he gently removed the lollipop from his mouth, taking one last suck from it as he held it up to her mouth, offering it to her now, his eyes closely watched for her reaction. He expected disgust but she looked pleased by this and licked a tiny lick up the pink circle, never taking her eyes off his.
Her mouth opened and accepted the lollipop inside it completely, letting him hold the stick as she hungrily lapped every inch of it with her eager tongue. It tasted better than any candy she'd ever tasted before. She never wanted to stop tasting it.
She heard his breath come out in a large gust but she kept her eyes closed, he made no move to do anything until at last she sucked the whole pop down, only the stick remained.
Jesus, Edward shivered a bit, controlling his inner demon, he understood her longing, she was such a young girl, about to blossom into a woman, and these were her first experiences with sex; her urges were all perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of. The shame was his, because he was almost 100 years old and he wanted her so badly, knowing he shouldn't. Even giving her a lollipop was making him red hot for her.
"I have to take a shower.", Edward said suddenly, an ice COLD shower, he added in thought, carefully rollng her off, and sprinting to his bathroom.
See next chapter
Love
WinndSinger