22

"Is it too hot?", Edward asked later, back at his house, watching her sink into the hot tub in his bathroom. She wore a little t-shirt tied up into a halter style and a pair of shorts, since there was no bathing suit here for her.

"Ohhhh noooo.", she smiled big as the hot soapy bubbles surrounded her, "It's soooo perfect. This is just what my poor butt and back needed."

Leaning on the edge, on the outside of the hot tub, Edward smiled in a little relief, swallowing, looking down into the water. He had no shirt on, only a pair of black shorts; his arms hypnotized Sammi's eyes against her will. He rested his chin on his arms, inhaling the steamy scent of her in the water.

"Sammi.", he was about to begin his speech again but she stopped him.

"Edward.", Sammi frowned, "I know I taught you how to apologize, but if you apologize one more time, I'm going to drown you right here in this hot tub. You have mastered the apology thing. I hereby graduate you from Apologies 101, with an A+."

"But it's all my fault.", he looked up, ashamed to meet her eyes, "I almost got you raped…and killed."

"Old news.", she splashed him playfully, "Come in here with me, you said you would."

He looked so confused. She almost laughed. Then he silently climbed in next to her, feeling the vibrations of the hot water and he felt a little more at ease.

"I saw you were liking the bubble baths when you were…experiencing me.", Sammi smiled.

"Yes.", Edward smiled, and picked up a clean washcloth, dipping it into the water, getting some good soap on it, "I had a wonderful time in there. Your life is anything but boring, Sammi. You have done so much good for other people, why didn't you tell me about it?"

He carefully lifted her chin up, gently washing the shit off her face those men had colored on. He was still pissed off at them, wishing they were dead now, instead of in the hospital, handcuffed to their beds awaiting trial.

"I hate talking about me.", she blushed a little, closing her eyes and letting him clean her up, "I have no time to toot my own horn."

"I can't believe you think you still need to make some mark in the world.", he kept soaping her face, staring at one spot in determination, "You've already done that, so many times."

Smiling, she winced a little. Edward stopped, looking at her.

"Something hurts, what?", he looked so concerned again.

She laughed a little, "You've already examined me five times, Dr. Cullen. No broken bones, no fractures…just a few bruises and bumps. They'll heal. Actually, I like the marks. It shows me how tough I really am after all. I took their beatings and I'm still here. Thanks to you."

Edward looked a little strange now.

"What?" she asked.

"The bruises and bumps will be gone in a couple hours.", he looked apologetic again, "I hope you didn't want them for a long time."

"You found a way to erase my bruises in a couple hours?" she raised a brow, suspicious.

His crooked smile looked nervous. "Yes."

"How?"

"This tub has two drops of my blood in it.", Edward hoped she wouldn't get mad, "That will heal all your pain and your marks. It won't hurt you in any way. I'm sorry."

Giggling, she was amazed. "You're sorry that you're healing all my pain? You bastard, how dare you!" she teased, in sarcasm.

"You're not mad?", he squinted, afraid.

"I'm not mad.", she grinned, "Silly Edward."

A vampire bath, Sammi grinned, if her father only knew what she'd been up to these last couple of days…she decided not to tell him…anything.

"Owww.", Edward wiped makeup off her cheek and saw a big welt there, holding the wet soapy cloth over it for a moment, letting the water soak into it. Those god damned bastards, Edward growled in his head, maybe there was still time to kill them now after all. They were sitting ducks in the hospital.

"That looks like it hurts.",Edward's eyes were filled with sorrow again.

Before deciding to do it, he felt his lips close over the wet bump, resting there for a full second or two.

"Not anymore.", she trembled a little, daring to look right into his dark red eyes. That one she'd gotten by telling those men to leave Edward alone as he laid still on the floor. She was proud of that bump.

"Let me clean you up.", Edward tried to get back to business, soaping up his hand towel again, smiling, "You know I love everything nice and clean."

"I know." She smiled, "Neat freak Cullen."

Closing her eyes, she felt him move her head back a bit, his fingers ran through her curled, glittered hair, wetting it into the hot water. He couldn't wait to shampoo her in a few minutes.

"Your parents are coming tomorrow morning.", Edward finally made himself tell her the sad news, "Detective Langston called them earlier."

"Oh.", she clenched her eyes tighter as he rubbed a little harder around her raccoon eyes, trying to get it all off.

She could tell he hated seeing the dotted lines and heavy makeup all over her, it reminded him of how long they'd had their hands on her and she thought he was hiding his rage very well indeed. She knew he wanted to kill those guys, but instead he was here, taking care of her.

He would be alright, she knew then, he would get over this addiction, in time. She knew, though, that he would need help doing it. Nobody can make it all alone. She prayed for him to call his father and go home. If she wasn't about to get sick again, for the last time, she would have stayed with him to help him get through it all, every step of the way.

But, sadly, her time was almost up. She would have her own pain and struggling to go through soon, he could never get clean while watching her go under. It would be like two drowning people beside each other in the ocean. She couldn't hold him up above water, and he couldn't save her, either. They'd both drown. He didn't deserve that. He deserves to be happy and be a teenager, for once in his life. He deserves to be happy and light, like she usually was. She wished she could be there to see that.

There was a lot he wanted to say and ask her, but he decided she'd been through enough hell for one night. He would have some time in the morning before her parents arrived. He promised himself not to yell and get upset, no matter what the outcome.

His fingers turned her back towards him, massaging the bruised muscles there. She didn't stop him, either, when he kissed every bruise, every little scratch and welt. He felt her heart flutter as he worked the skin with his hands, and watched the bruises fade away slowly.

He had full control of himself now, every time he felt he wanted to taste her blood, he heard her screams in his head, and saw her eyes when that chain whip struck her spine. He was done drinking human blood and he knew it. Later tonight, he would go into the woods and get a deer, he decided.

Once she was all cleaned up and stepped out of the tub, free of all marks and bruises, she put a new t-shirt and sweatpants on and came to the living room. The fire blazed away in the darkness and the mattress was still there, waiting, with her best friend sitting there waiting for her.

"How will I ever be able to sleep alone in my bed at home now?", she asked softly, getting under the covers; his hands helping tuck her in.

Edward didn't answer that. He was writing in his journal again, looking sad.

"What are you writing?", Sammi asked, "Is it okay if I ask?"

"Yes.", he grinned, looking at her, "I was just crossing something off my list."

"You made a list?", she sat up, smiling more.

"Yea.", he admitted, "A short one."

She didn't want to pry about what was on the list, although she was dieing to know.

"What one did you cross off?", she asked, she had to know at least that one.

"To love someone.", he said simply, not looking at her.

She felt her stomach sink, tears came to her eyes. Without a word, she reached up, pulling his face down to her lips and kissed his cheek, touching his face, and laying her head on his chest.

"Will you tell me one of your poems now?", she asked, loving it when he recited them.

"One of MY poems?", Edward asked with a chuckle, "I've never written a poem in my life…or afterlife."

"You know what I mean.", she rubbed her eyes, tired, "Just tell me a nice one to fall asleep to. I love your voice. It relaxes me."

"Okay.", he kissed her head, stroking her clean hair, "Lay your little head down."

She beamed and laid her head on her pillow on his lap.

Clearing his throat, he chose one.

"How shall I hold my soul?

That it may not be touching yours?" he began with a soft sad voice, stroking her hair.

"How shall I lift it, then

Above you to where other things are waiting?
Gladly, for you, would I lodge it, all forgot,
With some lost thing the dark is isolating
On some remote and silent spot that, when
Your depths vibrate, is not itself vibrating.

You and me - all that lights upon us, though,
Brings us together like a fiddle-bow
Drawing one voice from two strings it glides along.
Across what instrument have we been spanned?
And what violinist holds us in his hand?
O sweetest song."

He finished and Sammi pretended to be asleep. But they both knew she was awake. A silent tear escaped her eye, running down her nose and soaking into her pillow as she closed her eyes.

See next chapter

Love WinndSinger

Thanks you guys for the great reviews! I hope you like the end, very sad stuff coming up. Sorry!!