Every Second Counts
Bella Swan is an intelligent, sarcastic but beautiful girl trying to make it as a writer, but stuck in a dead end job. She lives with her best friend, Jasper Hale - a cocky, but lovable lawyer. What happens when Jasper runs into Edward Cullen, and old friend without a place to stay? How will Bella respond? Stuck in the same space, they'll experience the up's and down's of love along the way.
RATED M FOR LANGUAGE/CONTENT. AU/AH. CANON PAIRINGS. Oh and, I don't own Twilight. What a shame.
A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates guys, it's only a couple of days, but in comparison to an update ever day, it's not so great. Here's the next chapter, thank you to all my reviewers and the lovely comments you leave me. It makes my day, it really does!
Chapter 6: Back Flips
BellaPOV
I'd spent the rest of the afternoon at the bookstore. I wasn't ready to leave after he agreed to move in.
I helped Edward stack books, and had a look at some of my favourites while I was there.
"Oh wow" I'd almost mouthed. Edward seemed to hear me clear as a bell.
"What is it?"
"It's the 1943 Jane Eyre. I've heard about this." I had seen a fair few books in my time, but this bookstore was riddled with little treasures. first editions, hardcover covered in cloth, browned pages with uneven font…
"Isn't it magnificent?" He was equally marvelled. "There are so many books here that we're always stumbling across books like this."
I ran my fingers over the cloth cover, taking in ever flaw. I loved it. It had drawings inside and an intricate carving engraved into the books canvas cover.
"Why don't you sit down, I'll finish unpacking the books." Edward offered, smiling my favourite crooked smile.
We walked over to the long counter and Edward softly placed his hands on my hips and picked me up and sat me on the end. He went to let go, but I put my hands over his. Sitting on the counter I was just taller than him. He looked up at me through his dark eyelashes, his eyes passionate and loving.
You'd been so eager to kiss him at the park, why not now! it's the right moment!
If you do, it changes everything.
My head was arguing again. I bit my lip, thinking about what was about to possibly happen. Edward's voice pulled me out of my little daydream.
"Please don't do that"
I was confused. "what?"
"Bite you lip. It drives me crazy." He smiled.
I blushed the deepest shade of scarlet imaginable. My hands were still over his hands, and he was making no objection to moving them.
I slowly let go of his hands. If my head was arguing, then I knew I wasn't ready.
He seemed to understand me perfectly. He took my hand and squeezed it in acknowledgement, before handing me my book and heading back over to the shelves.
I opened the book and started to read. How much more alive the story felt when you were reading them from a page that was over 50 years old.
"Do you have a radio?" I asked after a while?
"Yes, why?"
"It's too quiet." I complained. "You need background music."
"You've been working in a music store for too long" he joked. "But you're right, it is very quiet in here. The radio is under the counter" he pointed below me.
I put my book down, and rolled onto my stomach so that I could lean over the counter without getting off it, digging for the radio. I eventually got it out and pulled it up onto the counter, before pushing myself back up and turning back to face Edward. His mouth was almost touching on the floor.
"What's up with you?" I giggled.
He snapped out of his shocked expression. "Oh, nothing…" he trailed off, and turned back to the bookshelf.
I turned my attention the radio, and search for the station. Soon the familiar sound of We The Kings filled the room.
He recognized it immediately. "I didn't know We The Kings got airtime?"
"They don't. The music store pumps out the music from the store on local radio. It used to only be on band night, but it goes all the time now." I smiled.
"Finally a station I'll like to listen to." I laughed. "Well you better, It's my job to pick the tunes."
"Oh well, it must be just chance that this is a good song."
"Ouch!" I joked.
"You know I'm kidding, I love your taste in music."
I smiled, before recognising the next track.
"Hey Edward!" I called, trying to muffle the radio while I looked for the volume dial.
"Too late" He whispered in my ear. I nearly jumped through the roof.
"I think I hear a great sing along song" he mimicked.
"No, Edward please don't make me do it!" I was giggling uncontrollably.
"Come on, I'll sing it with you!" He picked me up off the counter and started to sing with me.
"Cause if you jump I will jump too, we will fall together from the building's ledge. Never looking back at what we've done, we'll say it was love. Cause I would die for you on skyway avenue!"
The singing soon went south and ended up more screaming but singing. But who cares? We were having a great time. We kept dancing around the store until the end of the song, and fell on the floor in defeat at the end, still laughing. I rolled over onto my stomach so I could see Edward. His hair was a mess, all over his face and the floor.
"I haven't listened to this song since I was a teenager," Edward confessed. "Let alone sing to it."
"What's life if you can't listen to good music and have a good time?" I repeated my personal motto. Charlie, my father and self-proclaimed music nut used to tell me it all the time, when I was serious and focused on a career. After everything went south and I started here, I sort of adapted it for myself. Edward thought about the comment, letting it sink in. He needed good music and good times more than anyone at the moment.
"So when are you going to move in?" I asked, still excited from the adrenaline rush I got from dancing around like a loony.
He tilted his head to see me. "When's too early?"
"Well I'm not working tomorrow, so how about we go get your stuff then? We can borrow Emmett's Jeep." I smiled.
"Sounds like a plan, Bells." Edward said as he got up off the floor.
It was the first time he called me Bells. It was nothing big, but I could feel my heart swell. Edward put out his hand and helped me up. We finished the jobs then I waited for him lock up the store.
"So where to now, Mr Cullen?"
"I believe I should walk you home." Edward, always the gentleman.
***
We walked slower than usual back to the flat, stopping to look in shop windows, or walking in zigzags for fun. Edward made me feel like a kid, without feeling like I was missing out. Sure I was happy in the company of Jasper or Alice, but I was untouchable with Edward.
When we got to the door, I had no intention of saying goodbye just yet.
"So I guess its goodnight, then?" He looked like he didn't know whether to leave or to stay.
"Do you want to come have a look at your new quarters?" I asked timidly. New quarters? What the hell is that?
I could feel my stomach doing back flips.
Why do I always have butterflies around you?
"Well if you insist." He smiled. We'd been standing in a fairly awkward position while standing outside the door, I was leaning up against the door, and Edward was leaning ever closer toward me. I searched the door feebly with my hand looking for the doorknob, without breaking eye contact with Edward.
It's the doorstep moment. Seize it!
I got the door open and almost fell over with the loss of my leaning support. Once again, a pair of strong arms caught me before I had the chance to hit the floor.
"Please be careful." The way he said it, it didn't sound like he was condescending, but anxious.
"I'll try." I smiled warily. I pushed the door open all the way, and walked backwards through the doorway, before turning to switch on the lights.
"This is much nicer than my place… well, what used to be my place." he sighed.
"You still have one more day, don't you?"
"Yes, but honestly," he turned to meet my gaze. "The sooner I'm out of there the better."
"Good thing it's only one more night then." I offered.
Edward laughed at my attempt, and turned his attention around the flat.
"It's nice." he commented.
"It's too plain," I complained. I'd always wanted to decorate the place, but I never got around to it. I was always too scared I'd do something truly horrible. I was never good at making decisions on things you can't take back.
"I like the plain." Edward muttered under his breath. I didn't respond, I don't think he meant for me to hear it. Instead I allowed him to walk around in silence, taking in the flat. He headed for the first floor, slowly walking up the stairs.
"Is this your art?" He asked simply, admiring the masterpieces on the wall.
"No, I'm not artistic at all – they're Jasper's. He gets bored." Jasper's emotion-filled personality meant that he needed a way to express himself sometimes. I suggested he turn to art, and every now and again, he'd paint something truly beautiful. Against his will, I hung them. Like him, they had a calming affect. The colours always reflected his mood, starting with the red and blue paintings, all the way to the piece at the end. My favourite.
Edward had just reached it. I followed him up the stairs.
"I feel like I'm sharing emotions with this painting" He said, simply but awestruck. I knew, I often felt it when I stopped to look at it.
It was a mess of colours and brush strokes, unpredictable and erratic.
"It's amazing." I nodded.
Edward looked at it a little longer, before continuing up the hall.
"That's Jasper's room on the left, and mine is here on the right," I said as we stopped in front of my door. It was open, but Edward never crossed the threshold into my room. He looked around, chuckling to himself over the mess.
"I know, I know, It's messy." I blushed furiously.
"It's no messier than mine, don't worry." He smiled at me. I relaxed a little.
As we stood in silence, Jasper's familiar voice called from downstairs.
"Bella! You here?" "Yeah Jazz, upstairs with Edward!" I called back.
Jasper bounded up the stairs to meet us. He patted me on the head and messed up my hair – he could do that because he was so much taller than me - and then turned to Edward. They shared a glance, then smiled and shook each other's hands firmly.
"Good to see you man." Jasper laughed, beamed. Wait, they knew each other?
"You too, Jasper" Edward agreed.
"Wait!" I cut in. "How do you know each other?"
Edward decided to explain this one. "Jasper and I met at college, in a small project the school had going, teaching the primary school kids from down the street music." Jasper had mentioned this project before. But never Edward.
So when he said he knew him, he'd been at college with him. It all makes sense now!
"Oh right, that makes sense. It's just Jasper never mentioned you."
"I'm hurt, Jazz" Edward faked someone stabbing him in the chest.
"You'll live." Jasper mocked. They seemed to be really good friends. I excused myself from Jasper and Edward, they had a lot of catching up to do. I headed for my favourite place, the kitchen. I loved cooking, and even when Jasper was the one cooking, I liked to sit on the island and chat to him. It was all in the smell.
I could hear Jasper and Edward laughing as the walked down the stairs.
"Well I'd better get going," Edward said when he got to the kitchen.
"No way, Bella's cooking is better than anything, you have to stay for dinner."
"Bella?" Edward asked me. It didn't bother me that Jasper had asked Edward to stay, but when Edward asked me if it were alright, I felt valued and respected.
"Yes of course, you're more than welcome to stay." I smiled, before turning back to the stove.
"Good, it's settled then!" Jasper exclaimed.
I leant over to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers. I had a bottle opener attached to my apron, so I flipped the tops off the bottles.
"Here," I passed two of the beers to Edward, and we looked at each other with the same thought running through our heads.
Eclipse
I blushed and turned away, focusing on dinner. I was making a simple satay chicken dish, with my own satay sauce and rice on the side. My satay sauce was so easy that I could make it with my eyes closed.
Coconut milk, onions, soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper flakes, and of course, crunchy peanut butter.
15 minutes later, dinner was ready. Edward and Jasper were sitting on the couch watching the baseball on ESPN.
"Hey Guys," I called over the breakfast bar. "Hungry?"
Forgiven? Maybe?
Reviews are good, like singing in a bookstore with Edward