DISCLAIMER: CHARACTERS SADLY DO NOT BELONG TO ME, BUT TO THE VERY TALENTED AND AMAZING STEPHENIE MEYER.
Please review and I'll have the next chapter up Thursday. Your reviews keep me going. C:
EDWARD'S POV
Moving In?
I couldn't, and didn't, go to sleep after that dream. I leaned against my headboard and took deep breaths. The butterflies in my stomach violently fluttered around.
I removed my blankets and piled them by my feet as I got out of bed. My face was hot and my throat felt tight.
I ran my hands over my face as I carefully made my way to my door. I kept my footsteps light and quiet as I passed by Carlisle and Esme's room. They for sure wouldn't appreciate it if I woke them up at three in the morning.
I walked into the spacious kitchen and flicked on the light switch. The bright lights were blinding for a few moments, and I looked down as my eyes started to water.
"Damn it," I muttered. I rubbed my eyes and walked to the dishwasher once my eyes adjusted to the fulgent light.
I grabbed a glass from the top rack and got myself some water. I drank it down in big gulps. My throat didn't feel nearly as tight as it had up in my room. It made a shudder go down my spine as I thought of the many times I had woken up from those dreams. My throat tight and unable to breathe...
I swallowed thickly and brought the cool glass up to my forehead. The chilled glass from the water felt nice against my perspired skin.
I got myself some more water and shut the kitchen light off as I went back to my room. I froze and listened as Carlisle or Esme shifted in their room. I kept going once one of them settled down.
The glass "clanked" quietly as I set it down on my night stand. I flopped back into my bed and covered myself in the blankets. My eyes were already drooping once my head hit the soft, silky pillow.
I couldn't help it as I sunk farther into my mattress and pulled my blankets up to my chin. The warmth was pleasant, and made my eyes close.
Just don't let me have any more dreams...
Please.
I instantly closed my eyes again when the sun stabbed my eyes. I rolled over with a groan and almost fell off my bed.
I tugged the blankets up and over my head. I had no desire to get up and do nothing all day. The best I could do was go on my motorcycle. I could go driving around in my Volvo also.
I do that every other day, I thought with dismay.
I shielded my eyes with my arms and blankets as a knock on my door sounded through my room. The door cracked open, and Esme's head popped in with her hazel eyes, curly, caramel hair, and gentle smile.
"You awake?" She said as she fully stepped in. I couldn't help but chuckle as Carlisle waved at me from over her shoulder when he came walking out of their room in black dress pants and a dark gray dress shirt.
I kept my arms tucked in the warmth of the blankets.
"Morning, Edward," she said soothingly. I grumbled and covered my face with the blankets once again.
"I'm making breakfast," she pushed.
"I'll be down later." I didn't want to get up. The warmth was just too nice.
"Ten minutes." I let my eyes close as my bedroom door shut with a "click". I barely listened as Esme's footsteps retreated down the stairs.
I thought back to when I was seven years old, and all the way up to eleven. If I had ever said "no" to my father, he would have dragged me down the stairs by my ankles, my head hitting the stairs too many times.
I never defied my dad after the first time.
I hated that it was Monday. I loved that it was summer break, though. I was glad that I didn't have to listen to teachers blab about stuff. I'm a straight A student. I most likely know more than most of them anyways.
I put on a dark purple V-neck t-shirt and tugged on some black shorts. I ran my fingers through my hair as I grabbed my glass from the night stand and made my way down the stairs in no hurry.
Well...I was in no hurry until I smelled the glorious smells coming from the kitchen.
"Good morning, Edward," Carlisle greeted with a small smile. His slicked back hair looked almost white as the morning sun shot down on it. His light blue eyes looked even lighter.
"Morning," I said quietly. Esme smiled at me once again as she set coffee down in front of him. He playfully trapped her face in between his pale hands and pecked her lips with his. She giggled as she went back to the stove.
I didn't let my eyes stray over to the coffee.
It made me uncomfortable to see people being affectionate. I mean...I know Carlisle would never hurt Esme, and vice versa.
There are sadly people out there, though. They show love and affection...and then they snap like a rubber band being stretched way to far.
I sat down at the table and fiddled with my fingers in my lap. My heart jumped in surprise as Esme set a plate down in front of me. My stomach called out to me in yearning.
"Eat up, honey. I'd still really like you to fix that fence. Carlisle would do it, but he has work," she said apologetically. I clenched my jaw and picked up my fork.
I forgot all about fixing that fence. I'm going to need a jug of water or I'll melt outside.
I'd rather make some music or read, I think to myself as I stuff some pancake into my mouth. I pop some grapes and strawberries into my mouth as well.
"If I can get off work early, I'll come and help you. How about that?" I looked up at Carlisle as he stands up with his empty coffee cup in hand. Esme takes it away from him before he can blink.
I love Carlisle and Esme. I really do.
They just think they have to help me with everything. At seventeen, I'm sure I can fix a fence on my own.
We don't know who wrecked the fence, but Esme just wants it fixed.
I could do that for her. All the things she's done for me...
It's the least I can do.
"No, no. It's fine, Carlisle," I said after I swallowed a forkful of syrupy pancakes. I just wanted to be alone. Working alone can be nice at times.
You can think without any interruptions.
"Are you sure, son? It wouldn't be a bother," he insisted. I cleared my throat and shook my head, setting my fork down.
They want to help too much.
"It's really all right," I chuckled. He gave me a nod and stepped up behind Esme, kissing her neck and cheek. I stuffed a strawberry into my mouth and happily looked away.
"Have a good day!" Esme called out to him from the sink as he left out the door with a wave. I finished up my food as Esme went back upstairs to do her hair and makeup or something.
I set my plate in the sink, along with my glass, before I grabbed a water bottle from the cupboard above the stove. I filled it to the brim with water.
If I start now, it will still be a little cool out. I need to get it done before the sun is beating down on me like a crazy inferno.
I stepped out into the backyard and headed over to the shed. I got out a hammer, nails, and the long three pieces of wood that Carlisle had picked up yesterday after his shift at the hospital.
I set the things down by the fence and knelt down, looking at the broken pieces of wood. I rubbed my forehead, sweat already appearing on my skin.
Damn it.
"Hey, Edward." I looked up in surprise, gripping the hammer tightly in my hand. I raised it up with an erratic heartbeat.
"Woah. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Jasper looked down at me with dark blue eyes. His honey blond hair hung in his eyes.
I fell back onto my bottom and sighed. I worked on getting my breath back. He knows better than to sneak up on me like that!
"I could have easily hit you with this!" I waved the hammer around with raised eyebrows. He swallowed nervously before coming around and opening the big gate. He latched it closed behind him.
"Sorry," he muttered again. I shook my head and let the hammer drop down to the ground beside me.
People forget, I told myself as I stood up on shaky legs and leaned against the fence.
"What are you doing here anyways? You didn't tell me you were coming over," I said as I took a swig of water from the bottle by my feet.
Jasper shrugged and leaned up against the fence as well.
"I texted you, but you didn't answer." He shrugged his shoulders as he moved some hair from out of his face.
"Where's Rosalie?"
"She's working on her car. I offered to help, but she threatened to throw the wrench that was in her hand at me," he laughed out. To think of Rosalie covered in grease and throwing a wrench at Jasper had me chuckling and shaking my head at their brother and sister antics.
Pretty comical.
"Good thing you got out of there. She so would have thrown it at you," I said as I knelt down once again and started taking the mangled nails out of the mangled wood with the hammer.
"Yeah...Those thoughts aren't pleasant at all," he mumbled as he sat down beside me with his back against the fence. He fiddled around with some of the nails in his hands while he watched me.
I met Jasper Hale when I was thirteen years old. He and his twin sister, Rosalie Hale, moved to Chicago from New York at the beginning of the school year.
We didn't talk to each other at first, or even look at each other. It was weird to think about that now that we are friends. Rosalie and I? Well...We're on good terms with each other.
It was only four days into the school year, and I had gone to the library to read during recess. Jasper was in the library reading. So was Ben Cheney and Eric Yorkie. They were sitting in the far corner with comics plastered to their faces.
I was getting ready to study for a Math test, but I had frozen and stared at the book that was in his hands...
I set my books down on one of the round, brown tables in the quiet library. I made a move to sit down, but froze when I looked at the Jasper kid. He had a military book clasped in his hands. His dark eyes moved back and forth on the pages.
I sat down in the chair and looked down at my books. My eyes flickered over to the book again.
Should I say something? Esme always tells me it's not such a bad thing to make a friend...
I cleared my throat and raised my head up from looking down at my Math book. His eyes snapped up to mine, and my heart lodged itself into my throat. I cleared my throat again as my face heated a little.
"You into the military?" I questioned. I was hoping he would say yes. I have always been into the whole military stuff since I was eleven.
Jasper's eyes looked down at his book, searching for a few seconds before he set it down and nodded.
"Oh yeah. You into the military? I've always found it really cool," he said with a pretty deep voice for a thirteen year old.
My whole form relaxed as he actually talked to me.
Someone actually talked to me, I cheered in my head.
"I don't know how someone couldn't find it interesting..." I ignored the looks Eric and Ben were giving us as we both closed our books and started talking about the military, guns, and different types of bombs.
I slept pretty easily that night.
I fell back onto my back with a huff. I rubbed the back of my hand on my forehead and grabbed my water as the skin glistened in the sun when I brought it back.
The water was gone in seconds. I welcomed the coolness of the liquid. I relished in the cool feeling of it making its way to my stomach.
"You shouldn't be the one sleeping," I grumbled to Jasper's relaxed, sleeping face. I lazily grabbed the hammer and returned it back to the shed.
Esme came out the back door as I was making my way back to Jasper.
"I made you lunch, sweetie. Are you almost done?" She said as she looked me up and down. I'm sure my face was flushed and my hair as crazy as always. I pulled at my shirt as it stuck to my chest.
"Actually, I'm all done," I breathed out as I stepped under the shade of the tree that stood beside the shed. Esme's hazel eyes widened for a split second.
"Wow. Thank you so much, Edward. I really appreciate it," she said as she patted my arm. The contact still made me uneasy after almost seven years.
"It wasn't easy," I chuckled, running a hand through my hair without fully thinking about it.
"I'm sure it wasn't," she replied. She waved me inside, but I stopped her with a nod of my head toward where Jasper was sleeping.
"Do you have enough for two? Jasper came over a while ago and is now sleeping." She followed me over to him. I placed a closed fist to my mouth to keep from laughing out. He had fallen over, and his face was mashed into the grass.
Esme placed a hand over her heart and smiled down at him with all her teeth showing.
"He's so cute. I made enough. I'm just going to cut some more watermelon, all right? Wake him up and come in and cool off." She disappeared through the door.
I tugged at the front of my shirt one more time as the sticky sweat made the cotton material stick to me. I placed my hands on my hips and nudged his leg with my foot. His lips twitched and he groaned loudly.
I chuckled and nudged his knee even harder. He jerked up and looked around with squinting eyes.
"Jasper!" I said his name loudly. His eyes completely opened and he looked up at me in confusion. He looked around some more before getting up slowly.
"I fell asleep?"
"Yeah. I don't know why...It's not like you were the one working," I said with a shrug. He laughed and stretched his arms above his head.
"Esme has lunch ready if you want any," I said. Jasper was already walking towards the back door before I finished the sentence.
Again, it's not like he was the one working!
I walked inside and removed my shoes. Jasper was already drinking a glass of milk. A plate of Kraft Dinner sat in front of him. He winked at me as he dug in.
I scowled and rolled my eyes as he chuckled around a forkful of cheesy noodles.
I went up to my room and changed my shirt before going back down to eat. I bit into the watermelon first and almost moaned in pleasure as the juice trickled into my mouth.
Esme and Jasper laughed at me, but I was too absorbed in my watermelon.
Jasper left after strumming a few tunes on my guitar. Esme sat on the end of my bed and listened as he made some music. They tried to get me to sing a song, but I insisted on sleeping. I made my point by burying my face into my pillow and closing my eyes.
My eyes popped open at the sound of the front door opening and closing. I listened with a groggy mind as Esme greeted Carlisle. It was silent for a moment, and I didn't even want to think about what they could be doing by the front door.
"Where's Edward?" I heard Carlisle ask. I could hear the hum of Esme's voice, but not the words that left her mouth. I turned my head so my face wasn't pressed into my pillow. The cooler air felt good on my flushed face. I worked on keeping my eyes open as I tried to listen in on their conversation. I groaned in frustration as all I heard were murmurs.
I finally got up and opened my door quietly. I know, it's rude of me to be eavesdropping, but I couldn't help myself as I stood at the top of the stairs.
Carlisle and Esme's voices were as clear as fresh water.
"I got a phone call today at work," Carlisle started. I stepped back and watched as Esme followed him past the stairs and into the kitchen where glasses "clanked" together, and water was being poured.
I took cautious steps down the stairs so I could get closer to the kitchen.
Who called Carlisle?
"It was Isabella. Bella," Carlisle declared in a...shocked voice? I scrunched my eyebrows together when Esme gasped. I got closer as they started to whisper.
"Bella? She called you?" Esme' voice was low, but happy. She sounded excited.
Who the hell is Bella? I asked myself that over and over again while I waited for Carlisle and Esme to move on with their conversation.
"Yes. Esme...Charlie died on the job. He was shot three times in the stomach. Bella doesn't have anyone else," Carlisle's voice broke.
My eyebrows shot up into my hair when I heard the crack in his voice.
I have never heard Carlisle close to tears before. Never.
Who the hell is Charlie?
"What? No...He was shot? Oh, that poor dear." I could hear the tears in Esme's now rough voice. I heard her sniffle.
There was an eerie silence as Esme sniffled. I was sure Carlisle was holding her in his arms now.
I cocked my head and crossed my arms as Esme gasped once again. I took another step down the stairs, getting even closer to the kitchen.
"That means she's going to move in with us!" Esme's voice was cheery once again.
I stepped back and held my breath as I almost tripped on the steps.
Moving in?!
With us?!
