Chapter 12
Disclaimer:
Sadly, I own nothing related to Twilight or The Commitments. I do, however, own the hopes and dreams of two little girls who may just grow up to get everything they ever wanted but never really thought they could have.
A special thanks to pre-readers byrd, Jasper's Woman, B, Luee Fishes and my fantastic beta Blueeyedcherry.
Chapter Songs:
"Heaven Knows" Donna Summers
"Missing You" John Waite
"Faithfully" Journey
BPOV
During my nap, while wrapped up in my own little piece of heaven, also known as Edward Cullen's incredible arms, I dreamt of him declaring his unwavering love for me. I could picture him kneeling before me while holding open a box that held the most incredible ring I'd ever seen. I felt him wiping the tears from my face after sliding the ring on my finger, where it would stay for all of eternity.
I saw him at the end of the aisle on our wedding day waiting for me with a smile so amazing that it shone brighter than the sun. I could taste him on my lips as we kissed for the first time as husband and wife. I felt the pleasure of our sweat-covered bodies repeatedly being overcome with the most indescribable ecstasy during our honeymoon.
It was my turn to wipe away the tears from his face when I handed him our baby moments after it was born. I woke up startled and worked myself out of Edward's arms as I sat up in the bed. The dream seemed so real. I reached up to wipe my face, only to feel real tears I'd cried while I slept.
More tears began to silently pour down my face. How I wanted that to be my life. I wanted that dream to be real more than I wanted to take my next breath.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked worriedly. His hand cupped my cheek as his thumb tenderly wiped some of the tears from my face.
"Nothing," I said with a small smile. "It was just a dream."
"Must have been some dream to have you react like this," he said softly as he slowly kissed my tears away.
This was not the perfect time for my conscience to begin its newest battle of wills. The devil in me asked if this man was actually for real. He seemed almost too good to be true except when he was working his body in perfect tandem with mine, giving me the most incredible sex ever. The angel in me shook its index finger at the devil to scold it. The next words from the angel startled me even more than the devil. The angel's eyes filled with joy as he said that every touch and caress he has given me, Edward has made love to me. A sigh left the angel as he said that the love was palpable with every breath Edward took each time I was in his arms.
I reached up to grab Edward's hand from my face. I entwined our fingers together and gently squeezed his hand. With my other hand, I stroked his face. When he leaned into my hand, I swore I thought I heard him purr in contentment.
"I'm fine, Edward. I just wish that it was real," I admitted with a huge smile.
"I wish I could hear what you're thinking that put that twinkle in your eyes," he told me.
"No way. I'm not telling you," I smirked and quickly kissed him.
"Tell me. Please," he whispered between kisses that worked their way down the side of my face to my neck. I shivered when his teeth grazed my shoulder.
The devil yelled for me to tell him all about the dream if it meant more of this type of response from Edward. I moaned as I felt Edward's fingers squeeze my breast firmly. His finger worked my nipples into tight buds that begged for more of his fingers and his incredible mouth.
His head had just moved to my left breast, where his teeth bit my nipple and tugged it into his mouth to sooth the sweet ache with his tongue, when I heard the front door close shut.
"Bella!" Alice shouted excitedly. "Are you in your room? I have got to tell you about the incredible thing Jasper did for me today!" Her voice was right outside my door. I heard the door start to creak open.
"I'll be right out, Alice. Please wait for me in the living room," I said breathlessly as I pushed Edward away from me. He rolled onto his back, covered his eyes with his forearm and sighed in frustration.
The devil was just as upset as Edward and I were about the interruption, calling Alice every obscene name he could think of.
Edward and I got dressed quickly. He kept staring at me knowingly, and I wanted to shout to Alice that Bella was not at home right now.
Alice was bouncing in her seat when I opened the door for Edward and I to join her in the living room. Her smile turned to dismay when she saw that I wasn't alone.
"Bella, I am so sorry," she said sheepishly. "I had no idea that you guys were...that...well..." I laughed when she blushed.
"This is definitely a change of pace," I told her. "I was always the one blushing before. I'm glad to see that there are some things that still embarrass you."
Edward sat down on the loveseat, and instead of sitting next to him, I plopped down on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him to me for a kiss so hot that the devil was fanning himself. I felt Edward's growing erection beneath me and whimpered into his mouth as he pulled me closer. Alice loudly cleared her throat to break the spell Edward and I were under. I was almost certain if she hadn't that we would have been naked in minutes, not caring that she was in the same room.
"I'd say get a room, but you just had one when I got here," Alice snickered at us wickedly. "I'd be doing the exact same thing if Jasper was here." At the mention of his name, a sadness temporarily filled her eyes.
"Hi, Alice," Edward said with a wink to her.
"Hi, Edward," she said. "Oh my God, Bella, you just won't believe what happened to me when I was at work today." She didn't even give me a chance to guess before she continued. "I got eighty-four roses from him! The card was so sweet. It was a rose for every hour that he has known me. Isn't he the sweetest man ever!" Alice rushed out her words so quickly I was surprised that she hadn't passed out from lack of oxygen. She jumped up and ran to her room. "I've got to show you!" She was back almost instantly with a vase overflowing with gorgeous roses.
"They're beautiful, Alice," I said.
"Wait, where are the rest?" Edward asked. "I know that there is no way there are eighty-four roses in that vase."
"Silly, Edward," Alice laughed. "I couldn't have carried 4 vases home on the subway. I left the other three at work. With some here and some there, I will be able to admire them whenever I want."
She noticed the script that I had placed on the table before Edward and I made a mad dash into the bedroom. Reluctantly, I got off Edward's lap and picked the script up and returned to sit next to him.
"This is for Edward's new movie," I said as I held it up and flipped through the pages.
"What are you doing with it?" Alice asked.
"That's right, things have been so chaotic around here lately that you don't know," I admitted.
"I don't know what, Bella?"
"The lead actress had to back out of her part at the last minute. Bella has agreed to audition for the part," Edward told her.
"Really?" Alice squealed. "I can so see you two acting together on the big screen. Damn, after what I just saw everyone in the theater might just burn up from the extreme heat that you create just by being next to each other." Edward and I looked at each other and smiled. He kissed my neck, and I felt him smile against my flesh. "And there you go again," Alice laughed. "I'm out of here. Later, lovebirds." She waved at us before shutting herself and her bouquet of flowers in her bedroom.
"I really do like Alice," Edward admitted as his lips found mine again.
"Edward, I hate to have you stop what you're doing to me, but I really want to make sure I nail down this audition tomorrow," I said softly and climbed off his lap.
I sat down in the chair across the room and opened the script up and began reading it.
"Are you sure you don't want my help with your lines?" Edward asked. I could see a pout forming on his face.
"You are much too handsome to have such a pitiful look on your face," I said as I blew him a kiss.
"As you wish," he grumbled, propping his feet up on the coffee table.
I tried to focus on reading, but the feel of Edward's eyes on me was more than I could take. I dropped the script on the table and walked over to Edward. I grabbed both of his hands and tugged him to his feet. "Baby, you know that I adore you. I love spending time with you more than anything, but I'm going to have to kick you out so I can focus on this. I want to be the best I can be. If you stay here a minute longer, I am going to jump you and rip your clothes off. I will be totally hopeless tomorrow if that happens." His pout grew even larger with my words and my actions as I led him to the front door.
"After the audition, I promise you that my mouth will worship every square inch of your body," I whispered huskily. Edward gulped and licked his lips. "How does that sound?"
"It sounds incredible," he murmured. "Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?"
"Sure," I breathed against his tender lips.
"I will see you tomorrow afternoon, love," Edward said as he opened the door. "Call me if you have any questions about anything."
"I will." I leaned against the closed door after he left. I almost began to hyperventilate as the realization of what I planned to do tomorrow struck me. The angel gently reminded me that Edward had faith in me that I was Faith. I picked up the script and threw myself into the words. Tomorrow would be here before I knew it.
~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~
APOV
I curled up in bed with my arms wrapped around my pillow. I could smell Jasper's musky scent on it. How I wished that it was him in my arms right now.
Just as soon as I wished that my cell phone would ring, it did. I smiled when I saw his number flash on the screen.
"Hey, baby," I told him as I answered.
"Hello, my love," Jasper said with his velvet voice. "How was your day today?"
"It was incredible," I said dreamily. "I got the most obscene display of flowers at work today. Thank you so much. I'm looking at some of them as we speak."
"You are more than welcome," he said. "I wish it was me you were looking at right now."
"I know, Jasper."I wanted him with so badly that I literally ached for him. I could hear how much he missed me too. I needed to distract us both from the misery that we were feeling being from one another. "How was your day today?"
"Today is a day that will be forever remembered," Jasper laughed harder than I'd ever heard him laugh before.
"What's so funny that's caused you to laugh so hard that you're almost gasping for breath?"
"As you know, I owed Emmett big time for that damn chicken feather prank that he pulled on me the other day." I pictured Jasper cringing while recalling that event that only he would find horrific thanks to his nearly unreasonable fear of all farm animals.
"Oh yes, the goo and feather incident," I smiled.
"I swear I can hear your wicked grin on the other end of the phone, Alice. That prank was not funny in the least. I can't even think about it without wanting to strangle him."
"I know that it was a horrifying experience for you, baby," I said contritely. I had yet to get the story of exactly what had happened at the farm he visited as a child that caused him such a traumatic experience. The next time I talked to Rose I would have to get the details from her.
"It really was, Alice. Anyway, I've been trying to come up with the ultimate revenge. I have lived with years of Emmett's foolishness and had never come up with anything close to getting even with him. While talking with one of the roadies today, I came up with the perfect prank to end all pranks. You've seen The Brady Bunch, right?"
"Of course I have. I used to have the biggest crush on Bobby Brady when I was little," I said with a dreamy sigh.
"Another man who has had my girl's heart, huh?" Jasper joked.
"No one has ever owned my heart, Jasper. Just you," I admitted. It was my turn to hear him smile on the other end of the line. His pleasurable sigh reached my ears, making me smile in response.
"Do you remember the episode where Bobby is selling that shampoo?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "That is my second favorite episode, only behind the one where the football smacks Marcia in the face." Suddenly, I knew exactly what Jasper had pulled off. "You didn't?" I giggled.
"Oh, I most certainly did. After Emmett left his dressing room this morning, I added a little something special to his shampoo. I could barely contain myself when he announced after rehearsal that he was going to take a shower. About 20 minutes later, I could hear his reaction through two closed doors," Jasper roared with laughter, and I joined him. "His hair was so much greener than I thought it would be. When he barged into my dressing room, I said 'Well, if it isn't the Jolly Green Giant.'"
"That is absolutely perfect. Attacking him where his pride is. His appearance means so much to him that must have shaken him hard," I said through my laughter.
"What's even funnier is that when he went to try to wash it out, he was so angry that instead of using Rose's shampoo that he used his again!"
"He didn't? I wish I could have seen his face!" I said.
"I forgot the best part! I got a picture of him! You will be able to see his reaction on his face. I had to hide the camera because Emmett was livid that there was going to be photographic evidence. The only reason that he hasn't turned the place upside down to find it is because he couldn't get the green to come out before the show. There are also tons of fans who got shots of him with his colorful hair. Since we were in Chicago, I told the crowd that Emmett was showing his pride for the huge Irish community, and that he wanted to be called the 'Jolly Green Giant.' Every time the crowd cheered for him during his solos they shouted 'Jolly Green Giant.' Emmett just had to grin and bear it."
"It is about time that he really got a taste of his own medicine," I said through my giggles.
"He definitely did. It seems that he can dish it out, but he most certainly can't take it," he added. "Alice, I miss you so much," he said roughly as he changed the subject. Our separation was obviously as hard on him as it was on me. I wanted to be with him every possible second, even if it was just to be held in his arms doing nothing. He was my everything.
"I miss you too. I've been cuddling a pillow on my bed that still smells like you," I admitted. "The smell is starting to fade though."
"I think I can do something about that fading scent. We're off on Sunday, so I'm going to take the red-eye after Saturday's show," Jasper said.
"Really? Jasper, that's incredible!" I said ecstatically. "I can't wait to see you!"
"I can't wait to see you either," Jasper yawned. "Excuse me," he said. "I didn't mean to yawn in your ear. It's been a really long day."
"I'm sure the constant dodging to stay out of Emmett's way has been a challenge for you all day."
"It has been. At least Rose has helped me out. She even told Emmett that something like this was long overdue. I think her exact words were 'Suck it up you big, green-haired boob.'"
"That sounds like something she'd say. Have I told you tonight how much I love you, Jasper?"
"No, I haven't given you a chance to," he chuckled. "I've been too busy recounting my mad prank skills."
"Well, I'm going to tell you now. I love you so, so much."
"I love you too, Alice. I can't wait to see you." I could hear the fatigue filling his voice.
"You need to sleep, my love. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow. Love you," Jasper mumbled through another yawn.
"Love you." I smiled into my Jasper-scented pillow as I hung up the phone. I couldn't wait to see Jasper's face when he saw what I had in store for him. It was my turn to surprise him with roses on Saturday night.
~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~
BPOV
Edward knocked on my door at exactly 1 p.m. as promised. I had been pacing the floor for over an hour while waiting for him. I'd hardly slept last night from worrying about this damn audition. What had I gotten myself into?
Edward reached out and squeezed my hand gently while his driver slowly maneuvered through lunchtime traffic.
"It's going to be okay, love. I promise," he smiled as he brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my palm. Damn if that man didn't know just exactly what to do to distract me from torturing myself. Now instead of the audition, I was wishing that this car had a divider so we could have some privacy, and I could rip my pants off and ride Edward into the sunset.
"I know that look in your eyes, Bella. Now is definitely not the time or the place," he chided me gently. "I promise to take you up on that later though." He kissed my cheek and kept my hand held tightly in his.
"So, exactly what is going to happen once we get there?" I asked.
"The director and my co-producer will both be there. I'm sure you've heard of Aro Churchill."
My heart started pounding wildly in my chest. "Who hasn't heard of him?" I whispered. "He's got a reputation of eating his actors alive on set."
Edward laughed at my reaction. "He is definitely fierce, but he is absolutely brilliant when it comes to directing movies, so his vision is what is seen on the big screen. As long as his actors deliver the way he wants, Aro is very amiable. My co-producer is Felicity Howell."
"I thought she was just an actress?" I asked.
"Like me, she is branching out. I'd heard through the grapevine that she was looking for a film to invest in. As soon as she read the script, she nearly begged to help produce Innocence."
"I can handle that. I've got your script memorized from front to back. I think that I know exactly how Faith should be played. How long will the audition actually last?"
"It depends on the number of scenes they have us do together. Aro will be the one to tell us what he wants to see. It could be one scene. It could be ten. After we are finished, Aro and Felicity will have a closed door meeting and let us both know what their decision is," he told me.
"I'm sorry to ask so many questions, Edward. I've just never done anything like this before," I murmured.
"I know. Just relax. I believe in you. You can do this, and you will be great," he smiled reassuringly.
The car slowly slid to a stop outside an office building. The driver came around to help me out, and Edward immediately grabbed my hand in his as he got out to stand beside me.
I took deep, soothing breaths during the elevator ride to the 30th floor. When the doors opened, my nervousness tried to make another appearance but I fought my way through it.
I followed Edward into an office and saw Churchill and Howell sitting at a conference table, their heads bowed together in quiet conversation.
"Good afternoon, Aro, Felicity," Edward said as he walked over and shook their hands. "I'd like to introduce you both to Bella Swan. Bella, this is Aro Churchill the director of Innocence and Felicity Howell, the other producer."
"It's nice to meet you both," I said as I shook their hands.
"It's a pleasure, Bella," Felicity said pleasantly. "I've heard a lot about you from Edward."
"All good I hope," I joked.
"Definitely, good," Felicity winked.
"Enough with the pleasantries already. Let's get on with this, shall we?" Aro grumbled bruskly.
"As you wish, Aro. Where would you like us to begin?" Edward asked. He was the ever-consumate professional.
"I'd like you to do the scene where Faith confronts Johnathan about him giving up on himself," Aro said. The look that followed the words was almost a dare. I could see in his eyes that he didn't think I had a snowball's chance in Hell of pulling this off. "If you'd begin, Edward," Aro ordered.
"What are you doing here, Faith?" Johnathan's words poured harshly out of Edward's mouth.
"I heard that you were going to confess, Johnathan. Why in the hell would you do that? I know that you didn't do anything wrong! You could never hurt someone. Ever!"
"You think you know me, but you have no idea what you are talking about," Johnathan scowled.
"I know exactly what I'm talking about. You're the man who helps his elderly neighbor carry her groceries after every shopping trip. You're the man who fed the stray neighborhood cat. When you saw that cat being bullied, you snuck the cat into your apartment to take care of it and to be certain that it wouldn't ever be harmed. You saved me the other night when those men broke into my home and tried to hurt me. You always put everyone else first before yourself."
"I don't know what you are talking about. The only thing that matters now or that has ever matter is myself. I've always been a selfish bastard. I fucked up and got caught. Now, I just have to live with the consequences. Why do you even care anyway? You're nothing to me," he said through gritted teeth. "You're absolutely nothing!"
Faith backed away from him like his words had physically slapped her.
"You know what, Johnathan. If I was anyone else, I would turn my back on you right now and just watch you fry. I know you better than you even know yourself. Your words may say one thing, but your eyes and your heart are a different story. I'm everything to you. Everything. Just like you are everything to me," Faith moved closer to Johnathan and put her hand on his heart. "This is mine," she told him as she grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart. "This is yours. We belong together. I know you feel it," she whispered, and Johnathan jerked away from her as if she had scalded him.
"I have to do this," he yelled at her as he paced like a caged tiger. "Those men will come back if I don't! They know what it would do to me if something happened to you. You mean far too much for me to sit back and just wait for you to be ripped out of my life by that malicious group. They are probably watching us right now. I have no doubts that they are following every move that you and I both make. I will take the fall for this, if it means that you will be safe. I would die for you, Faith. I can't let them hurt you. I can't," he confessed, his breath coming harshly.
"Johnathan, when I saw those men in my house with guns, I knew just how real things had gotten. We must be close to to truth or they wouldn't be doing this to you – to us. We need each other. With you beside me, I will be safe. That's the only way you can truly protect me. Stay with me. I need you. I need you," she begged with her eyes filled with unshed tears and she moved closer to him. Faith stood on her toes and pressed her mouth tightly against Johnathan's. Suddenly, the entire world disappeared except for Johnathan and Faith. Their emotions swirled throughout the air and the steam their heat generated could have scorched their surroundings, and they would have never noticed.
A throat clearing brought Edward and I back to the real world. We quickly tore ourselves out of each other's arms. I saw Felicity fanning herself, and Aro was just sitting back with his fingers tapping on the table in front of him like he was impatient. He also looked extremely unimpressed.
"Thank you, Bella. That will be all," Aro said dismissively. "Edward, Felicity and I will discuss this now. We need you back in the office in a few hours to finalize some shooting locations."
"Okay, Aro. See you both later," Edward said as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
"I'd like to thank you both for this opportunity," I said to Howell and Churchill as Edward led me from the room and shut the door behind us.
The ride back to the condo was quiet, almost too quiet.
"I was awful, wasn't I?" I asked Edward as I opened my condo door.
"Far from it, Bella. You were spectacular!" He said with a huge smile.
"Aro seemed like he couldn't stand me at all," I admitted.
"Everyone feels that way about him. He never lets anyone know exactly what he's thinking until he wants others to know it," Edward kissed my forehead and hugged me. "You should be very proud of yourself," he whispered in my ear.
"Edward, you're my boyfriend. You're going to tell me what you want me to hear."
"Trust me. You were Faith," he said as his lips glided against mine softly. "I better head back to the office now. When Aro says a few hours, he means as soon as I can possibly get back there. Dinner tonight?"
"Definitely," I said as I kissed him one more time.
"I will call you as soon as I know something, love. Have faith," he winked and left.
~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~NYM~~~~~ NYM~~~~~
Time seemed to stand still while I waited for Edward's phone call. I had cleaned every square inch of the condo – twice.
Maybe he just wanted to tell me face-to-face later. Maybe Aro and Felicity couldn't come to a decision.
I opened a bottle of wine and sighed as I took a drink. I took the glass to the living room and dropped myself into the comfy armchair. I laid my head back against chair and re-played the audition in my mind. I knew that I had done a great job. Maybe they just didn't want a no-name actress in a breakthrough role like Faith. I had no doubt that this movie was destined to be a success no matter who was cast in the role. Edward had done a tremendous job with an incredible story.
The phone rang, and I rushed to answer it.
"Hello," I said.
"Hi, Bella," Edward said. "Aro and Felicity have come to a decision about your audition."
A/N: Who wouldn't want to heat up the big screen with Edward or even just a big bed with him? Will Bella get the role? You will DEFINITELY find out next chapter. Jasper comes back to visit his love, Alice too!
New York Minute is nominated for an Emerging Swan Award for Best Bella and Edward. Voting ends this Friday at emergingswanawards . blogspot . com
All of twidictedbyrd's stories can be read at FF, The Writer's Coffee Shop and on Archive of Our Own under the same name.
FYI: Jasper's band, Double Vision, is envisioned like the band The Commitments. If you haven't listened to their music, you are missing out :D.
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