Chapter Seven
Charlie came home around five later that day. Thankfully, I saw the headlights reflect off the TV, or I wouldn't have noticed him at all, and he could of walked in on me and Edward on the coach cuddling.
I had a fun day with Edward. It was like when we used to hang out. Before it got awkward, and before we got into the fight. Every once in a while, he'd lean over and kiss my forehead lightly. I sighed in contentment, and smiled down at my lap when he wasn't looking. I laid on my side, and leaned into Edward. That was how we stayed throughout the whole day. We watched two movies. Movies that I normally wouldn't like, but I sat through them and tolerated them because Edward was happy.
When I saw the headlights, I rushed Edward upstairs and told him to stay in my room. And I'd be up later on. I stayed on the couch and flicked through the TV channels, just as Charlie walked through the door. "Hey Bells," he muttered, hanging up his work jacket in the closet. I heard the door open and close, and his work boots on the wooden floor.
"Hey, Dad. Have a good day?" I asked, still flicking through the channels. I felt nervous as hell. I really hoped I didn't look as nervous as I felt.
"Wasn't that bad. Long though." This is what Charlie and I did. Small talk. We never talked long. We only talked about the weather, news, and how our day's were. That was it. That was my relationship with my father. Lately it had been more, because I had been trying to act as if I cared, or wasn't up to anything out of the ordinary, like harboring a homeless boy.
"That sucks," I mumbled. "Weather getting better?"
"Uh huh." He grunted. "You make supper?" Shit.
"I forgot...do you want me to make you something?" I asked, biting my lip. Edward had only been here for less than twenty four hours and I was already screwing up.
"If you want. I didn't eat today."
"Kay." I turned the TV off, and walked into the kitchen. I made spaghetti-something easy and fast. I was dying to get upstairs to be with Edward. Charlie went into the living room just as I entered the kitchen, mumbling something about wanting to watch some game that he taped last night. I nodded. Charlie ate in the living room, like he usually did. And I ate in the kitchen. Like I usually did. Every once in a while, I'd look up at the ceiling. My bedroom was directly above the kitchen. I didn't hear anything though. But that didn't faze me. I ate my supper super fast. It burnt my throat, and I choked a couple times, but I finally swallowed it all.
I checked the living room, making sure Charlie's attention was focused on the TV, before I carried a plate of supper up the stairs. I hesitated at the door. Not sure if I should knock first or not. But I shook my head, thinking that was stupid. This was my bedroom, and he was a guest. A guest who I wanted to be more permanent. Edward was sitting on my bed, his back against the headboard. He was reading an old book I had left on my night stand a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't really read it since I met Edward. "Hi," I mumbled, awkwardly, standing there with a plate of spaghetti in my hands.
"Hi..."
I sighed, and skipped over to him. "I brought you some supper." I grinned.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I know, I wanted too. And I figured you were hungry. You didn't eat anything all day. And I knew I was hungry," I rambled, with an awkward smile.
"Okay." I handed him the plate, and a fork. I sat beside him against the headboard and looked up at the ceiling, fiddling with my thumbs. I didn't want to watch him eat, that would be awkward and rude. So I didn't. The room was silent, I could hear every chew and every swallow. God, it was awkward. "Thanks," Edward grinned when he was finished.
"Welcome." I smiled.
"So, what do you want to do?" I said awkwardly, as he handed me the plate. I sat it on the night stand beside me.
He shrugged. "What do you normally do?"
"Um, I'm normally with you. And if I'm not, I'm out with Alice and Rose until I gotta go to bed."
"Oh..." He said, looking around nervously. "Bella..." He sighed. "I don't want you to like, abandon your friends, now that I'm here. I feel terrible."
"No, it's okay! Alice totally understands."
"You told Alice about me?" He raised a brow.
"Well, not exactly. I told her about you... but I left out that you were... you know." I mumbled, looking down at my lap.
"Homeless." He finished for me. I nodded. "It's okay if you tell them you know, I don't care." And then I felt horrible, because that wasn't why I didn't tell Alice. I didn't tell Alice because I didn't want her to judge me, and I didn't want Rose to know. So I nodded, but didn't look at him. I looked everywhere but him. He watched me though, I could tell that he knew. "That's not why you didn't tell her..." He said. I shook my head. "Great. Well, I'll be going now, if you'll just get my clothes from downstairs."
"Shit!" I said, jumping up from the bed. I had forgotten about his clothes. Charlie didn't do laundry often, but if he decided that he wanted clothes clean tonight, he'd surely find them. I didn't bother telling Edward that I'd be right back. I'm sure he understood what I was going to go do. I raced down the stairs, and into the laundry room.
"Whatcha doing Bells?" Charlie hollered from the living room. He sounded distant. Like he wasn't even paying attention, like he thought he should just ask anyway even though he didn't want to know.
"Laundry," I mumbled.
"Kay." I got his dry clothes out of the dryer, putting them in a hamper. And then I proceeded to walk up the stairs to my room. When I opened my door back up again, Edward was sitting on my bed, his face in his hands.
"What's wrong?"
"I really wanna go home," he mumbled, sounding muffled by his hands.
"Jesus Christ!" I yelled. Edward jumped, looking at me with wide eyes.
"What?" He asked.
"What is it with you and always wanting to go home? The last time I checked, you didn't have a fucking home Edward! You live on the streets, remember? I found you.. you almost died. You almost froze to death twice. Did you forget or something?" He shook his head, still looking at me with wide eyes. "Fuck you piss me off," I mumbled, under my breath. But my room was quiet enough so he heard. I didn't mean to be so blunt, but fuck. He was really pissing me off. Why didn't he just get that I cared about him, and I wanted to take care of him? Why didn't he get that I couldn't just walk away now, and I couldn't just forget about him? No matter what he said or did, I wasn't walking away.
"Sorry, that I'm you know... a burden," he mumbled, looking down at his feet.
"Edward," I sighed, walking over to him, and leaning between his parted knees. "You're not a burden. I never thought of you as a burden. And to me, you're never going to be a burden. I'm sorry that I was harsh. I just wish you'd stop pushing me away." He looked up at me, gazing into my eyes. I didn't look away.
"I'm sorry," he breathed, his breath fanning my face. I closed my eyes.
I nodded. "It's okay. Just stop, okay? I want you here. I wouldn't have you here if I didn't want you to be."
He nodded and frowned. "Okay."
"So...this is gonna be awkward. But what are we gonna do about sleeping?" I stood up awkwardly, and sat beside him on the bed. "I mean, I can sleep on the couch, if I just go down after Charlie falls asleep. Or I could sleep on the floor."
"Jesus, no! I'm not taking your bed from you."
"It's really okay, Edward. I give my bed to Alice, every time she spends the night."
"Well, not with me. I'm not taking your bed," he said firmly.
I nodded. "Okay, well you're not sleeping on the floor. And you can't have the couch."
"Well.. why can't we sleep together." I gaped at him. "Shit! I mean, in the bed together... not like that..." I sighed, and looked away. Covering my frown. It wasn't like I wanted to have sex with Edward. I didn't, at least not right now. I wasn't ready for that, and I didn't entirely trust Edward fully yet. He still had to open up to me, and if he couldn't do that then I didn't know. But it's not like I hadn't dreamed, or fantasized about having sex with Edward. It got me, really, really horny. But the way Edward said it, made it seem like there was no hope. Nothing in the future. Like he didn't want to have sex with me, and that hurt. Weren't all teenage boys horn dogs? Why wasn't Edward one?
I sighed.
"What?" He mumbled.
I shrugged. "Nothing." It wasn't like I could tell him why I was upset, that last time I brought it up, he flipped his lid, and tried to break up with me. Not that we were together. "Just nothing," I mumbled again. And rolled over on my bed. I laid on my arm, and faced the window. My back to Edward. He curled in behind me, and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"Tell me."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"You know why."
"Humor me."
"No." I clenched my eyes shut.
"Please, Bella," he breathed. I loved the sound of my name coming from his mouth.
I clenched my eyes harder, and gritted my teeth. "You know why!" I said firmly.
"You like me," he said, without hesitation. I nodded. "You won't tell me because I freaked out before." I nodded. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry, it's how you feel."
He sighed. "Turn around." So I did, I turned around, laying on my back. "That's not how I feel, Bella." I gasped, and pushed up on my elbows.
"What?!"
"I like you. A lot."
"What!?" Did I just hear him correctly? Oh my fucking God.
"I like you." He smiled. "A lot." It widened to a grin.
I grinned back. I couldn't help it. "Really?" I said, a little bit too enthusiastically, causing Edward to chuckle.
"Yes, really."
"Wow." He laughed. "But..." I said, because there were always buts.
"No buts."
"Really!?" I almost yelled. He laughed and nodded, laying his head in the nook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around his torso. "But why, why wouldn't you tell me that before?"
"Honestly?" he said into my neck. I nodded. He sat up, crossing his legs. I sat up beside him, mimicking his actions. I leaned my elbows on my knees, and my chin in the palms of my hands, staring intently at Edward. He rolled his eyes playfully. "I was scared," he whispered, almost so low, I couldn't hear.
"Of what?"
"I haven't told you what happened to my parents," he mumbled.
"Are you gonna?" I couldn't lie. I really, really wanted to know.
"Maybe...yeah. Yeah, I'll tell you. I'm just not ready."
"You don't have to tell me," I lied.
"No, I will. Just not now... Can I finish what I was going to say?" He asked, raising a brow.
"Yep, 'kay. Continue." I smiled.
"I was scared. My parents left me, and maybe it wasn't their faults. It wasn't intentionally, and I was tied to them. I was their blood, and they left. And I'm mad at them for it, for leaving me. And then you come along, and this sounds corny. But God, Bella, you were like an angel." I blushed, and looked down at my lap. Yes, that was corny, very corny. And a boy hadn't ever told me I was like an angel before. He laughed lightly at me expression. "Sorry," he mumbled, coughing out a laugh. "But it's true. I lived on the streets for five months, and then you come. With your shit load of McDonald's." He laughed at the memory. "And you kept coming back. You didn't stop. No matter if I was nasty to you, or whatever. You came back. And it scared me that I was getting attached to you, and I didn't want that to happen. I mean, fuck. My own blood left me, and you weren't my blood. I was scared you were gonna leave me too. So I pushed you away, so I wouldn't have to feel that hurt..." He trailed off, frowning at his feet. "Does that make sense?"
I nodded. "Yes," I breathed. And it did, at least to me. I understood it. Probably way more then any other teenager would. It was why it took me so long to trust and open up to Alice or Rose. Why I didn't want to be close to Charlie. "I get it..."
He snapped his head up. "You do?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Look," I sighed, I couldn't believe I was about to open up to this boy. "My mother died when I was thirteen. It was fast, and sudden. A car accident with her new husband. I wasn't in the car, I was at school. Anyway, they took me out of school and told me later that day. I didn't have any family. I had Charlie, but I had never met him before, so honestly I wasn't even thinking about him at the time. Renee-my mother-was an only child, and her parents were dead. So I didn't have any family. Social services were going to send me to live with Phill's family, but he wasn't legally my guardian, and next in line would have been Charlie. I don't know... when I first moved here, I was so out of it. I wouldn't speak to Charlie because he wasn't my mother. And the more I got to know him, the more I realized that I was a lot more like Charlie than my mother.
"At first, I didn't love him. I do now, though. I love him so much. And honestly, I couldn't think of a better father. Sure he watches too much TV, and drinks too much. We don't talk, or spend a lot of time together. But I love him. And I'm happy he gives me my space. At first, I was terrified when I realized I loved Charlie. I was so scared. My mother died so fast, and I couldn't stop thinking about what the hell would happen to me if Charlie left, or something happened to him." I trailed off, "So I get it. I know my story sounds stupid, but I get it. I know why your scared to open up to people. It took my a long time to open up to Alice about everything and she's my best friend."
"It isn't stupid, Bella," he replied, without hesitation. I looked up at him. I had told my story, looking down at my feet. I could feel Edward's gaze on me the whole time, but I didn't look up.
He brought his hand up, wiping the tears off my face. I smiled, and moved into his touch. When I opened my eyes, Edward's face was directly in front of me. I could see every imperfection in his face. The color of his eyes. Avocado. Avocado green. I could finally tell the exact shade because his face was slowly inching its way towards mine. His eyes darted to my lips, then back to my eyes. And then he placed his lips on mine. Gentle. And we slowly started moving our lips in sync with each other. There were no tongues, just open mouths, and breathing heavily. I smiled against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. I brought my face harder against his, and straddled his lap. Edward moaned, and gripped my hips tightly. Automatically, I could feel the heat in my panties and the strange feeling going to my belly.
Then I moaned, and Edward froze. I pulled back, and felt my face heat up. I got off his lap slowly, and ignored the bulging in his jeans. I couldn't even look at Edward, I was that embarrassed. "Sorry," I mumbled, even though, technically, I wasn't sorry at all.
"It's okay." He grinned. "It was nice."
I grinned back. "It was?"
He laughed. "Yes,"
"That was my first," I said shyly.
"Really?" He gasped. I nodded, looking down at my feet. "It was mine too."
"Really?" This time it was my turn to gasp. He laughed and nodded. "Wow, you're a good kisser." I said, lamely, causing him to laugh harder.
My laughter eventually died down. And we decided it was time for bed. I hopped off the bed, and locked my door, making sure that Charlie couldn't get in my room, not that he would really want too, and crawled back on the bed with Edward. He laid on his back, and I laid on his chest, his fingers running through my hair. I played with the lines on his chest, and eventually we fell asleep like that. It was peaceful and long.
When I woke up the next morning, I automatically curled myself closer to Edward's body. I nuzzled my head into his chest. He sighed in contentment and wrapped his arms tightly around me. "Hi," he mumbled. I looked up at him, and he was grinning. I couldn't help but grin back.
"Hi," I replied, giggling.
"Did you sleep good?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
"Yes, did you?" He nodded with a grin. "What do you want to do today?"
"It's up to you." He curled a lock of hair around his finger.
"Um, movies, TV? Lots of food?" He laughed.
"If that's what you wanna do."
"It is." I smiled and got out of bed, and started to walk towards the door.
"Wait!" he whispered, frantically. "What about Charlie?"
"Oh." I sighed. "Hold on, let me check." I had almost forgotten. God, I'd have to get better at this. I tip toed down the stairs quietly. I checked the living room, and the kitchen, but Charlie wasn't anywhere. "Charlie?" I called out, but nothing. I checked the driveway, and his car was out. I walked back into the kitchen and noticed a piece of white paper on the table. Gone to Billy's for the day. Be good. I laughed quietly to myself, and ran back upstairs. "Dad's gone for the day. What do you want for breakfast?" I asked.
"Doesn't matter. Can I have a shower?"
"Yep, come down stairs when your done." I made eggs and bacon for breakfast this morning. Edward came down shortly afterwards, not taking as long as he did yesterday in the shower. He was wearing the same sweats I gave him yesterday. He sat down on the at the table beside me, and we ate mostly in silence. It was nice. Every once in a while, he'd look up and smile a toothy grin at me, and I couldn't help but return the gesture. I did the dishes after that. Edward sat on the counter beside me and watched me and talked to me as I did them. When we were done, we walked into the living room, resuming our position that we had the day before on the couch. We watched reruns of Friends for the majority of the day.
"God, I missed Friends," Edward mumbled, not taking his eyes off the screen. I laughed and curled up beside him. Eventually Friend's started repeating the episodes that they had played earlier that day, but Edward didn't notice. Or if he did, he didn't say anything. He laughed at every dumb thing Joey did. And every funny thing Chandler said. I stopped watching Friends, and concentrated on Edward. He was amusing and funny, and super cute. And it was such a good day. Until he turned the TV off, and turned around on the couch so he was facing me. "I gotta go back, Bella," he mumbled.
"What?!" I whispered, looking at him with wide eyes.
"I told you, I'd just stay until the weather got better. It's better, Bella. I should go home."
"No!" I yelled. "I don't want you to go home. I'm having so much fun!"
"I don't want to go back either. But I can't live here, Bella. Your dad-"
I cut him off. "Stay here. Live with me. Here."
"What?" He stared at me.
"My dad hasn't noticed yet-"
"Yet. He will eventually."
"But he won't!" I said surely. "He barely even notices me. You can stay in my bedroom while he's home. And when he's at work, you can roam around and do whatever. At night, you can sleep with me. He never needs to know."
"You're serious?"
"As a heart attack," I said lamely, without blinking. I was totally serious.
"Wow."
"Please. Tell me you will. Please," I begged.
"But school?"
"What about it?"
"You gotta go back tomorrow."
"So? You can stay here. Charlie gets home around five thirty. Sometimes five, sometimes six. I get home at three thirty. That's more then enough time to get you upstairs. Charlie leaves for work at five in the morning. I get up at six. Again, he'll never notice. You've been here a full night, and how many times as he knocked on my door? Or even asked me to do anything?"
"None, but-"
"But nothing. Look, I love my father but he's clueless. There's a TV in the basement, I could bring it upstairs and hook it up in my room. You could watch TV all day, and eat anything you want. Dude, that's like a fucking dream. Dude, I want that!"
"You have friends and priorities."
"Yeah? I can still hang out with them. Alice knows about you. She's not gonna be a problem. And I've been neglecting them lately anyway."
"Bella-"
"No, don't Bella me!" I sighed. "It's perfect. And then you don't gotta go back there, and freeze to death. Look Edward, I'm gonna be honest with you-"
He cut me off. "Bella!-"
I cut him off. "No, stop it. I'm talking! I'm gonna be honest with you. Before I knew how long you lived on the streets, I thought you would of been fine. Like, it wasn't your first winter. And now I know better. You're not leaving me. You can't. I'm not risking it. You aren't dying. It can't happen," I said firmly, looking him straight in the eyes. He opened and closed his mouth a dozen times, but nothing came out.
"You have no reason to go back?" I asked, just to make sure.
He shook his head. "No."
"You'll stay?" I asked.
He nodded. I smiled, leaning back on the couch. He followed suit. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he grabbed the remote and turned the TV back on. I covered my mouth, trying to stifle my giggles because his smile was so fricking wide and goofy. "Then it's settled," I smiled, grabbing the remote from him.
Because it was.
A/N: I actually liked this chapter. Fluffy. Sort of gross, but I liked it nonetheless. Next chapter will involve a little bit of drama. A lot less fluffy.
I have a couple things to say, so sorry in advance. I was going to delete this story, because I've been getting comments and shit about how I write like a ten year old. So I was planning on doing this whole story over. But I decided last night that I didn't care. If you're going to read my story, and you can't get past the first chapter of grammar screw ups, then you suck. And I don't want you reading my story anyway. So on that note. I have a beta. iamashleydawn. My bestestest friend. She will be beta-ing my chapters for now on. Maybe in the future, I'll go back and redo the first couple of chapters and fix all my shit.
And thank you so much to the people, who actually can see past all my mistakes and review every chapter. I love you guys. Really, I do.
I think that's all I gotta say right now. Check out my other story. http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5642081/1/Songs_to_Live_and_Die_By
If that link doesn't work, it's on my profile. Seriously, check it out. I really enjoy writing it.
Also, check my beta's story out. http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5638838/1/Consider_Me_Gone
I also enjoy that story. A LOT. And I'm gonna keep promoting those two stories, until you ALL go to them :)
Anyway, review.
I love you.