That's Why You're Beautiful
Chapter Fifteen
I was sat with Alice and Jasper half an hour later, telling them both about my plans. Naturally, they were both shocked and didn't seem to approve about what was going to happen. I took a deep breath to calm myself, waiting for the enslaught.
"You're gonna live with him?" Alice frowned. "Like, properly live with him? In our place?"
I rolled my eyes. "I couldn't exactly let him live in a burnt out flat. He doesn't deserve that."
"Doesn't he have parents to stay with?" Alice countered, obviously looking for a way out.
"Yes," I said slowly. "But they're on vacation at the moment."
Alice's reply was a strange little noise.
"Do you trust him?" Jasper asked carefully.
"Yeah, I do. I've shared things with him that I haven't even told-" I trailed off, feeling my face prickling. Damn, I'd really blown it this time...
"Told who?" Alice asked.
"Uh..." I looked around the room desperately. "Lets... lets just say there are a few things I need to tell you sometime soon..."
Her eyes widened and I saw Jasper turn rigid. I knew what he thought I was on about, but he couldn't be more wrong. I gave him a look, trying my hardest to tell him this. I'd actually forgotten all about it until that moment, and the memory was a little disturbing to relive.
"Is Edward gonna be sleeping in my bed?" Alice asked suddenly, wrinkling her nose.
"No," I replied, feeling a little relieved for the subject change. "He'll have to sleep on the sofa."
"That's alright, then," she said, shuddering lightly. I didn't know why, but I felt angry at this. She had seemed to like him earlier and I couldn't understand her sudden change of heart.
"Alice, it's not like he's got a disease or anything," I snapped. "He really is a decent person."
"But Bella... he's... nerdy." She said the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth.
"If you bothered to get to know him, you'd see past that," I argued.
"You didn't deny it," Alice murmured under her breath.
"Oh for goodness' sake," I grumbled, running my fingers through my hair.
"Argh, I'm sorry Bella," Alice suddenly said, clearly backtracking. "I've been getting terrible mood swings lately. I... I can't help it."
A sigh escaped my lips and I felt horrible again. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that."
She smiled timidly and there was a sudden knock on the door. I turned around and Edward was standing there with a heavy-looking suitcase in each hand.
"Hi," I said, happy to see him. "Is that everything you need?"
He nodded, causing his glasses to slip down his nose. He sighed, setting down one of the cases and promptly pushing them back in place with his free hand. "S-sorry, y-yes, this is everything."
"Right, we'd best be off, then," I told them, smiling to myself. "I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"
"OK," Alice replied quietly, not uttering another word.
***
"I'm really sorry about this," I gushed, watching Edward haul the suitcases up the final flight of stairs. "There really should be an elevator here..."
I stood up the top of the steps awkwardly, fiddling with my coat buttons. Edward had refused to let me help him with his bags, insisting that he could carry them by himself. Because of his flushed face and panting breath, I soon realised that this really wasn't the case, no pun intended.
He eventually reached the top, chucking the cases on the floor and leaning against the wall in exhaustion. After a few deep breaths he turned towards me, looking a little bewildered. "Blimey."
I couldn't help grinning at the expression in his voice. "I did offer to help... but don't worry, you can have a rest on the sofa after all that hard work."
Once I'd unlocked the door, we both stepped inside and I felt a little prickle of self consciousness. I hadn't been here in a while and I feared that there might be some dust or something somewhere... I just hoped he wouldn't mind a little bit of clutter.
"Sorry if there's any mess," I said, kicking the door shut with my foot. "Nobody really lives here anymore..."
"It looks lovely in h-here, Bella," he complimented, taking a look around. "It's very... you."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, feeling a little confused.
"I don't know why, r-really, it just... is," he shrugged.
I still felt a bit puzzled but just nodded, offering him a coffee. I was extra special to avoid the mention of alcohol, cursing to myself about my relaxed attitude towards it in the past. When Edward and myself had first met, I'd carelessly offered him some wine and then joked about the way that he had refused it. I felt awful about that now; I was so stereotypical at the time, not taking anything into consideration. On top of this, Alice and I had joked about that photo album and the pictures of me with a bottle of drink. I felt terrible about that too... There were people out there with real problems and I just took it all for granted.
He politely declined and asked for some water instead, something which I fastly assumed was becoming his favourite beverage.
I handed him the glass and quickly gave him a tour of the flat for good measure. It didn't take long and we promptly took a seat on the sofa; Edward looked absolutely shattered and I felt a surge of pity towards him. I was pleased, though, because he looked comfortable here and was finally beginning to relax, something which I had grown to learn that he found difficult.
I soon noticed him staring at a particular area in the room and followed his gaze curiously. My eyes immediately widened and all of my body tensed up. So much for feeling relaxed...
He quickly saw me looking and hastily apologised. "S-Sorry, I shouldn't be staring," he murmured.
"No, it's OK," I managed. "That's D-David, in case you were wondering."
My throat burned a little. I could only bear having one photo of him in the flat and I barely looked at it out of fear of the pain it would cause.
"Y-You look so happy there," he said, causing me to smile briefly.
"It was a few days before our wedding," I told him. "Good times."
My voice trailed off and we sat in a thoughtful silence for a while. After a few moments, however, my stomach growled loudly and I recoiled in embarrassment.
"Argh, maybe I'd better make some food. Would you like anything?"
"Uh, I don't mind," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "If you l-like."
"I'll see what I can rustle up." I was actually keen to get out of the room and keep my mind busy.
"Couldn't we o-order something?" Edward offered. "It w-would save on the trouble..."
"It's fine," I sighed, looking through the cupboards and waiting for my emotions to be back in check.
***
"The pasta wil be ready in a minute or two," I called, about half an hour later. I was stirring the contents of the pot and humming to myself. I'd forgotten how much cooking actually relaxed me and was grateful to keep myself occupied.
"Bella, I did say we c-could get a takeaway instead," he replied with a hint of guilt in his voice. "I d-don't want to cause any f-fuss."
I sighed to myself. The amount of times he'd apologised this evening was unbelievable. He didn't even realise that I actually wanted him here, deep down.
"I know my cooking is bad, but I really do insist," I teased, smiling to myself.
He didn't have an answer to that and I smirked smugly. The water was bubbling over madly now and I quickly turned down the heat, moving towards the sink to drain the pasta. As I was doing this, my phone buzzed in my pocket, causing me to jump and suddenly feel a painful sensation along a few of my fingers.
It all happened in a blur; the pan clattered against the sink and I involuntarily yelped, clutching my arm to my chest. There was still a horrible stinging and I glanced at my hand, noticing a few ugly blisters across some of my fingers.
Tears were gathering in my eyes before I could stop them and Edward swiftly arrived in the room. At first he looked confused but, as soon as he realised what had happened, he rushed over towards me, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Bella, are you alright? Did you s-scald yourself?"
I nodded slowly, still a little shocked.
"OK, we n-need to run some cold water over your fingers." He eyed me carefully. "Can I t-take a look at them?"
I held my hand out to him and he winced, noticing the marks.
"R-Right, the water will h-h-help, I p-promise."
He turned on the tap and the cooling sensation of the water was immediately soothing. I closed my eyes, letting out a little sigh and suddenly feeling Edward's hand lying somewhat protectively on my shoulder. He was right behind me, watching carefully, and I wondered briefly what he was thinking.
I really hoped he wasn't feeling guilty about this, as usual.
"Before you say anything, this really wasn't your fault, Edward," I said shakily, alarmed by my uneven voice.
I twisted my neck around to look at him. His gaze met mine and he shook his head. "I know. It w-was an accident."
After a moment, his eyes moved back to my hand and he flicked off the water, turning me around and obviously thinking to himself.
"Argh!" He ran a hand through his hair in apparent despair. "I h-had first aid training a few years ago, I should be able to r-remember what to do..." His eyebrows furrowed together.
"Um, I think we might have some bandages or something in the cupboard over there," I suggested.
He nodded, stretching up to reach the handle and quickly rummaging around. "A-ha."
He pulled down the box, staggering a little when he lost his balance.
"H-Here we are," he smiled, standing close to me.
After a little look he found some suitable bandaging and we sat down together at the table. I rested my hand in his, watching his face as he worked.
"Did you learn some of this from your father?" I asked.
He chuckled for a moment. "I did, actually. He insisted that I s-should know some basics."
"Thank goodness for that, then."
He made a noise of general agreement and began wrapping something around my fingers. He was incredibly gentle all the time and, once he was finished, he looked truimphant and smiled over at me. "How d-does that feel?"
"It's great," I said honestly. "Thank you."
"When you g-go over to see Alice next time maybe you should get it c-checked over by a doctor."
I nodded. "Yeah, I will do."
"Is it sore at all?" he questioned while packing away all the things.
"A bit, but I'll survive."
"OK," he said, a little wearily.
My gaze moved around the kitchen and I grimaced, catching sight of the sink. "Is any of the pasta salvagable?"
He took a quick peek and I nearly laughed at the look on his face.
"I'm guessing that's a no, then?"
With a sheepish smile, he nodded. "Want a t-takeaway?"
I sighed in defeat. "Alright then."
I pulled out my phone to dial the number, soon realising that I hadn't checked it when it had buzzed earlier. I noticed a text from Alice and immediately felt worried, something which came naturally now. I carefully opened the message and soon grimaced.
Have a nice night with Edward ;)
A. x
I rolled my eyes, not daring to think what was on her mind.
***
A few hours later, it was dark outside and Edward and I were sat together on the sofa, staring at the television. The programme showing was slowly numbing my brain.
"This is boring," I mumbled, reaching for the remote.
After spending a ridiculous amount of time flicking through channels with my good hand, I came to the disappointing conclusion that nothing was on tonight.
"Bummer," I sighed, flinging the remote down on the table.
"I d-don't mind what you put on," Edward pointed out, clearly trying to make me feel better.
"But what sort of hostess would I be without any TV?" I retorted. I chewed on my lip for a few moments, desperately thinking to myself. All of a sudden, the solution came to me and I couldn't believe how I hadn't thought of it sooner.
"Oooh! I know!" I suddenly squealed, causing Edward to jump and look at me in alarm.
"Give me a sec," I said, practically leaping off the sofa and rushing off into my bedroom.
I rummaged carefully under my bed, smirking to myself as I found my secret stash of DVDs. I hurried back into the lounge to an amused looking Edward who was glancing over at me in obvious expectation. I dumped the pile of boxes onto the sofa and grinned.
"Doctor Who!" he laughed. "What a b-brilliant idea!"
"Thank you," I said with a little bow. "Now... which one to watch?"
To my surprise, we both pointed to the same box and laughed together as I put it on and sat back.
"I always cry at this, though," I warned, suddenly feeling a little worried. "So expect tears."
He stuck out his bottom lip in what I assumed was a mocking gesture and I nudged him playfully. "I bet you cried the first time you saw it."
He shrugged casually and I realised that must be a yes.
The opening credits launched on the screen and I settled down, clutching a pillow to my chest. Edward and myself were quite close together on the sofa, our shoulders almost touching. I was surprised that I liked the idea of this.
I took a deep breath, preparing for the sadness.
***
I wiped at my eyes in embarrassment, feeling a familiar sense of heartbreak over what was happening on the screen. I'd always related so well with the characters and never failed to sob when watching the final scenes.
I saw Edward glance over at me in my peripheral vision and I looked over, smiling weakly. He held out his arm and, in slight shock at his gesture, I snuggled over closer to him, resting my head on his chest. The warmth radiating from his body temporarily stopped my tears but, when the words that affected me so deeply everytime were uttered again on the screen, I weeped.
Edward's hand was rubbing my shoulder lightly and I sniffed pathetically.
"Am I ever gonna see you again?"
I swallowed thickly, thinking back to David. I couldn't help feeling guilty and ashamed; what would he think of my behaviour with Edward? I was going around in full circles with this torrent of guilt; I knew he'd want to be happy for me, but was it too soon? It wasn't like anything was really happening with Edward anyway...
Not yet, at least.
The scene eventually ended and the final credits began showing. I let out a shaky sigh and rubbed at my eyes once more, still leaning against Edward's chest.
"That scene means a l-lot to you, doesn't he?" he asked softly.
I nodded. "Yeah. I'd f-forgotten how much it affects me."
His chest rose and fell as he took another breath. "It'll be alright."
I closed my eyes and was alarmed at how suddenly reluctant I was to open them again. Edward was silent for a long time and the sound of his breathing created a steady, slow rhythm...
No, Bella. Do not fall asleep on Edward. Don't.
I murmured something incoherent and exhaled heavily, unable to gather the energy to move. I snuggled closer to him, feeling the weight of my eyelids becoming overwhelming. I vaguely heard Edward mutter a few words before I slipped off into an exhausted sleep.
***
I was sluggishly aware of myself slowly regaining consciousness and I lay still for a moment, not wanting everything to come back to me.
I sat in blissful unawareness for a time I couldn't measure, when suddenly I heard a sound coming a few inches away from me. I grumbled to myself, adjusting my position and feeling my head brush against something hard.
I was thoroughly confused.
Unwillinging, I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to try and displace the blurriness. I looked around and turned my head, suddenly seeing somebody lying beside me.
I instinctively jolted backwards, causing the person to stir and open his eyes.
I hardly recognised him and was beginning to feel scared but, when the familiar green eyes stared at me and the smile I knew came onto his face, I relaxed a little. It was Edward.
Everything from yesterday came back to me and I clutched my chest, regaining my composure. He was so unfamiliar without his glasses... in fact, he looked so much better...
"Edward," I gasped. "Sorry! I forgot you were here!"
He reached over and placed his glasses back on, blinking as if to focus on me. Something dawned on me suddenly, and I cringed.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry... I fell asleep on you!"
He snorted when I placed my head in my hands. "I'm so sorry! Ahh!"
"It's a-alright," he chuckled. "I was c-comfortable enough."
I couldn't help snickering to myself. "I promise you, tonight you'll be in a proper bed."
He raised his eyebrows and they shot up into his messy hair. I couldn't help staring for a bit; I was still alarmed by just how good he had looked without those glasses. They really didn't do his brilliant eyes any justice.
After a moment too long looking at him, I stood up, wincing at the thought of what I looked like. "Can I get you any breakfast?"
He stretched out and I heard a few of his joints click. "Maybe I'd b-better make it. We d-don't want another injury."
I looked down at my finger, forgetting what had previously happened. "Oh. Yeah. OK. If you're sure..."
He smiled, heading towards the kitchen. "I h-happen to have some fantastic c-culinary skills."
"Cullen's Culinary Skills," I smirked.
"Yup," he grinned back.
"Have you got a chef's hat?"
"U-Unfortunately, no. I l-left that at the flat."
"Darn," I joked, feigning disappointment. "Never mind."
With a final laugh and a smile that was nothing other than beautiful, he disappeared into the kitchen.
Aww, bless.
Sorry to mention Doctor Who again but, for any fans of the show, the episode they were watching was Doomsday. It gets me everytime...
So I hope you liked the update. I'm aiming to get two more updates out before Christmas (10 days!!!)
Anyway, please review if you can!