o
"You have to let me go," she giggles. "I'll be late, and they will send me back all the way from Brighton, and there'll be no exhibition whatsoever. And then you're going to cry again!"
"Psht," he laughs, kissing the side of her neck. "I'm a man. I don't cry."
"Aww," she teases, turning around in his arms and kissing his nose. "Please do, so I can kiss it away."
Their eyes meet. Hers are the clearest of blues. She's all sunshine and mirth today. Edward pulls her close and buries his face in her blonde curls. She smells like grapefruit and sugar.
"I love you," he murmurs. "Hurry back, okay? I want to celebrate with you."
o
Edward sat up in his bed. He was bathed in sweat. The room was dark.
Yeah, it had been a good idea on paper.
After his outing with Bella, he had practically flown home. And he had decided to become a better man. For her.
If he ever wanted to have the slightest chance with her – whatever that meant – he needed to be a better man.
So he had not had one drop of alcohol all night. And now he was sitting in the dark, having a panic attack at one-thirty.
If only Milo was there. He'd always been a source of comfort to Edward.
He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, splashing his face with cold water.
Maybe he should read a book to go back to sleep. A really boring book.
Edward walked back to his bedroom. He switched on the lights, blinked, and switched them back off.
He stood in the dark.
He thought of Bella.
Of her light. Her lightness.
Some part of his old self reappeared when he was with her. He smiled, and laughed. He'd even teased her at the museum!
She was sweet and intelligent, and incredibly beautiful.
He wanted to hold her, so badly.
She was much too thin. She had been shivering in the cold when they were outside, and his first instinct had been to get her warm.
Irina had sometimes called him a mother hen. He couldn't help it. He blamed his mum for it. He had that protective instinct.
In earlier years, he used to wonder if he'd been planned to be a girl. Not in the way that he was into guys. Just the fact that he sometimes seemed to be too sensitive.
Irina had never allowed him to fuss about her too much, and Bella seemed to be the same in that respect. But maybe, she'd allow him to take care of her? A little bit?
Edward let out a deep sigh. He considered getting up again and having a drink or four.
No, he wouldn't. He thought of Bella again.
He wanted to know everything about her.
Her dreams, her fears, her pleasures.
Edward returned to his too large bed and wrapped the cold sheets around his cold body.
He fell asleep immediately.
oOo