Thank you to the wonderful SunflowerFran for beta'ing another chappie.
I do not own Twilight.
oOo
Edward seemed okay when they returned to London. He'd kept his promise and had only those two glasses of champagne on the night prior to his birthday, and that made Bella feel much better about his problem, assuring her that he had it under control, as he'd said.
Now that her semester was over, she had agreed on a number of shifts for Jasper and Alice, working at a summer wedding, and several other outdoor parties.
She did a substantial amount of reading and writing as well, mostly when Edward was in his studio. He had finally agreed to show her some of his new paintings, and she'd had tears in her eyes when they'd stood, side by side, in his atelier one night.
After his block earlier in the year, he seemed to have found his old form – only now, his works were even more mesmerizing than before, as if he'd undergone a growth spurt.
There was a painting of a young woman in a backyard. The environment was grey and drab, but the girl… The woman; she was stunning. Smoking a cigarette, she looked at her cell phone, an expression so tender and happy on her face.
Another showed a dog frolicking in a park, happy people in the background. The sunset behind the scene was dominating the picture.
A couple, kissing on the beach; the woman's hair fell into a curtain around them as she straddled the man.
"Beautiful," was the only thing Bella had been able to whisper, over and over. Edward certainly had found his creativity again.
.
Her words meant the world to Edward. But he knew what had enabled him to create those works: the dragon.
But he couldn't find it in him to stop. Each time, temptation won over common sense.
He had no idea where this was going.
Three weeks after his birthday, they went to his parents' for tea. They had invited Charles and Renee and Jackie as well, but Bella's parents had gone to Spain for a fortnight, and Jackie was busy with band practice.
It was a sultry afternoon, and they sat outside in Carlisle and Esme's garden. Rosalie and Emmett had come as well, and conversation was lively and full of laughter. The only one not partaking was Edward.
He knew that something needed to happen, but had no idea what. He was ashamed, and he didn't want to hurt Bella, or his family, but he was old enough and sensible enough to know that he had a big problem on his hands.
"Edward?" It was Ro's cool hand on his. "Everything okay?"
"Um, yeah."
"You seem preoccupied."
Her blue eyes showed nothing but sincere concern.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Bella, watching them with a worried expression.
Shit.
He needed to do something.
He needed to stop.
oOo
Hello, my darlings! Thank you for all the reviews that made me smile.
This update comes early since my MacBook is acting up again, and I'll finally have to bring it into repair tomorrow… Next update when I have it back.
xoxo
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