A/N: First of all, you're all going to hate me, but this story sort of took on a life of it's own and is going to be longer than just 2 chapters. My beta seems to think 7 chapters but I'm leaning more towards 4 or 5. I'm not sure though, I keep writing and just as I think I'm about done, something else pops into my head and I have to add it. Sorry, but hopefully you'll all stick around and continue reading.
So for now here is another chapter. The remaining chapters will come a lot sooner now that the contest is over. Thank you to all who voted for my story. I didn't place in the contest at all, but I still enjoyed entering it and I'm glad there were so many of you who enjoyed the story, regardless of whether you voted or not.
The next morning, I woke up in his bed alone. I got up, trying to find something to put on. My dress was still in a wet heap on his floor. I searched around his room, noticing, it was much larger than I first thought it was. He had a small kitchen and a bathroom off to the side. He even has a couch and a TV. It was much like a small apartment.
I finally came across a big shirt of his and slipped it on. I gathered up my wet clothes, which were on the floor, and went downstairs into the main section of the barn. He was in one of the stalls, cleaning it out when he spotted me. I stopped for a minute, as we both looked across at each other nervously. There was an awkward silence that came over the barn. I wasn't sure where this was leading or what it meant.
"I hope it's okay I borrowed one of your shirts. My dress is still soaking wet." I held up the dripping dress in my hands, revealing that it was still wet.
"That's fine," he said, waving me off with his hand.
I bit my lip, nervously. "Well, I'm going to take a shower and put some fresh clothes on." I turned to walk back to the house.
"Do you want to go on a ride with me when you're done?" He asked, quickly.
I turned around, smiling. "Sure," I agreed. "I'll be out in a little bit." He smiled back, nodding his head.
I got back in the house, taking a quick shower and throwing my hair up in ponytail. I changed into some simple jeans and a tank top, and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. I rushed back out to the barn, seeing him standing next to Apple and one other horse. I walked over to Apple, taking the reins from him and mounting her. He mounted his horse and led us out into the trees. We went deep into the trees; farther than I had gone with Jake the other day.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see." I followed him, knowing wherever he led me, I'd follow. It was tough though. We went over hills and through thick brush. A few times the trek was really steep and I was sure I was going to fall off my horse, but somehow Edward got me through.
Eventually we came around a bend and there, sitting in front of us was a beautiful meadow, surrounded with lavender and yellow wild flowers. I got off my horse and walked out towards the middle. It was amazing. I'd never seen anything so beautiful and peaceful. I turned around putting my hand out for Edward to come with me. He gave me that crooked smile, the same one from the first day we met. He secured the horses around a branch and met me out in the meadow, taking my hand in his.
We walked out to the middle and sat down next to each other. "How did you find this place?" I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I take rides quite often. It wasn't hard to find. I've never brought anyone out here before." I smiled at his reveal.
"It's beautiful," I said. "Thank you for bringing me here." He leaned in tangling his fingers in my hair and kissed me.
"It's not quite as beautiful as you are," he disclosed, tucking a flower behind my ear. I blushed at his words.
He chuckled, brushing my cheek with his fingers. "I didn't know it was possible for you blush."
"It takes a lot for me to blush, but yes, I do." I blushed even more at my reveal. He kissed both of my cheeks.
"I like it," he confessed. "It makes you look innocent."
"Well, I'm not exactly innocent, Edward."
He laughed. "I know that, and neither am I." He leaned back, resting his elbows on the ground. "So, what's it like growing up in Hollywood, amongst the rich and famous?
I shrugged, looking down at a piece of grass I was playing with. "It's nothing special. We just know lots of people and you're expected to act a certain way and dress a certain way. Everything you do is judged by everyone else. It's sort of exhausting."
"Then, why do it?"
"I don't know. I don't know much else. When my parent's got divorced, my mom moved me around all over the place, but all I wanted was to come back here. Then she started working as a set designer for a movie and that's where she met Phil." I laughed, remembering that time in my life. "She used to say it was love at first sight. The first time they saw each other that was it, she knew she would marry him. Then when they did, he brought us into this whole new world. My mom took to it really quick. She was born to be in the limelight, but it took a long time for me to adjust. Once I did, it's all I knew how to be. I had to put on a smile and pretend to be something I wasn't, so I could be accepted. Everything else was blocked out. When I first got here, it was so different than what I was used to and I hated it, but now I can't imagine being anywhere else. All the memories of when I was little playing with my dad and riding on the horses with him, keep coming back. I was happy then. It's so peaceful here and I don't have to think and pretend all the time. I can just relax and be me," I explained. "Plus, you're here, so it makes this place all the more appealing." I pulled myself up, straddling his legs and sitting on his lap. He smiled, grabbing my hips to pull me closer. "So, what about you," I wondered. "Where did you come from? How did you end up in Forks, Washington, working for my dad?"
He took a deep breath, leaning in and tracing a line along my neck with his tongue. "It's not important," he whispered.
"But I want to know something about you," I complained. He sighed heavily. I could see the frustration in his eyes.
"I like mushrooms. Any kind of mushroom," he joked. I could feel the smile on his lips as he continued to kiss my neck.
I put a hand on his chest, pushing back a little. "I'm serious. I want to know where you came from. Who you are and makes you, you," I insisted.
He sighed in defeat, leaning back on his elbows. "Bella…" Just as he began to speak my cell phone rang. We both looked at each other in shock by the interruption.
I reached for my phone in my back pocket. "I didn't think I could get service way out here," I observed.
"I didn't think you could either."
I looked at the phone seeing it was my dad. "I've got to answer. It's my dad." He nodded his head, lying back on his arms.
"Hi dad," I answered.
"Bella, are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
"I've been trying to call the house phone all morning and you didn't answer. Did you go somewhere?"
"I'm fine dad. I just went for a ride on Apple. It's no big deal.
"You're riding?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Yeah, Jake took me out the other day and I really liked it," I disclosed. When Edward heard Jake's name he grumbled. I smiled at his obvious jealousy. "Jake's been really nice to me. He invited me out to his house for a bar-b-que yesterday. He introduced me to his family and all his friends. It was fun." Edward sat up brushing the hair off my shoulder and began kissing across my shoulder blade and down my neck. He was making it very hard to concentrate.
"I'm glad you're getting along with Jake. He's a good kid." Edward continued to kiss me all over, driving me crazy with temptation. His arms were around my waist and his hands were in the back of my shirt. "What about you and Edward?" My breath hitched when he said his name. Did he know somehow? "Are you two getting along better?"
"Things are definitely getting better," I said with a smile.
"That's good. Well, I was just calling to check in and let you know I'll be home in a couple days. I'm heading out later tonight so probably sometime late tomorrow night I should be home," he explained.
"That's great dad. Maybe we can go for a ride when you get back," I suggested.
"I'd like that," he chuckled. "I'll see you soon."
"Okay, bye dad."
"Have a good day Bella and be careful."
As soon as I hung up, I threw the phone to the ground and grabbed Edward's face, bringing his lips to mine.
"Why do you have to drive me crazy when I'm on the phone with my dad?" I asked. He laughed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to concentrate when you do that?"
"Do you know how much it drives me crazy when you talk about how much fun you have with Jake? Do you not have fun with me?" He wondered with a grin on his face.
"Of course, I have fun with you. But that kind of fun is not something I can really discuss with my dad." He laughed even harder.
"I guess that's true." He lifted me off of him standing to his feet. "Come on," he demanded, reaching for my hand.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he said, with that crooked smile. We walked across the meadow hand in hand and through a few trees until we came across a pond. The water was mucky and I had no idea what we were doing here. Edward let go of my hand and began removing his shoes and his pants.
"What are you doing?" I asked nervously.
"Going for a swim," he replied.
"You're going to swim in that?"
He laughed. "Yes, I'm going to swim in that and so are you." I shook my head, frightened that he might actually be serious.
"I'm not swimming in that. It's filthy. Do you know how many bacteria and diseases could be in that water?"
"Where's your sense of adventure, Bella? I promise you'll be fine." He came over grabbing my hand and dragging towards the water.
"I don't have a bathing suit on?" I protested.
"Well, if what you wore the first day we met was a bathing suit, then I don't think it's much more than a bra and panties. Or you could always go naked," he smirked. "Come on, it'll be fun."
I sighed, giving in and removing my jeans and tank top. He jumped in with a big splash. When his head came back up he turned around waiting for me.
"Bella," he called. I took a few steps closer, barely putting my feet in the water. I couldn't believe I was about to swim in this filthy water. I had never swum in anything, but a chlorinated pool. I didn't even like swimming in public pools. I preferred my own pool, in my own backyard. Edward stood up in the water coming towards me. He wrapped his wet arms around my waist. "Would I ever put you in danger?"
"I would hope not."
"Then what are you afraid of?" Before I could answer, he fell backwards into the water bringing me with him. I screamed as I hit the water. We both went under and I was able to squirm away from his grip. When I came up and brushed the water out of my face, I turned around to find him. He was a few feet away from me with just his head above the water and smirking. I splashed water in his direction.
"Why the hell did you do that?" I shouted. He swam closer to me wrapping his arms around my waist.
"You know, you say 'hell' a lot."
"What's your point?"
"I like it. It's quite the turn on," he admitted, raising an eyebrow. I smirked at him, placing my arms around his neck.
"Is that so?"
"Uh huh…" he breathed, as he began kissing me with so much passion and tenderness.
We kissed for a long time, just holding on to each other while we treaded water. I was surprised how relaxing the water actually was. His kisses made me forget exactly where I was.
We were only in the water for about ten minutes and already starting to lose ourselves in the kissing, when we heard the thunder coming in. I jumped at the sound, breaking the kiss and looking to the sky.
"We better go," Edward insisted. He was watching the sky as we started to climb out of the pond. We quickly put our clothes back on and ran across the meadow to where we kept the horses. We had to rush back to the house to beat the storm coming in. It hadn't started raining yet, but I had a feeling it was only a matter of time.
When we got back to the house, Edward and I quickly took the horses to the stalls. Edward started doing his nightly chores of feeding them and making sure everything was put away for the day, while I went to the house to take a shower. I felt grimy after swimming in that pond. I took my time in the shower, making sure I washed all the dirt off. Afterwards, I dried my hair and put on some fresh clothes. I wasn't sure what Edward and I would be doing, if anything, for the night, but I wanted to look nice no matter what we did.
A little over an hour later, I walked back out to the barn. I looked around and couldn't find him anywhere. I went upstairs to his room, but he wasn't there either. I went back downstairs, searching through the stalls. I finally spotted him at the very end of the barn standing in front of one of the stalls, looking in.
"There you are. I have been searching all over for you," I shouted. As soon as I spoke he turned to shush me. I scoffed at his tone. "Don't tell me to shush. You can't order me around, Edward."
"Bella," he demanded. "I need you to be quiet."
"Why, what's going on?" I walked up next to him and looked into the stall he was leaning up against. There was a horse walking around in circles and whinnying rather loudly.
"She's getting ready to have a foal."
"A what?" I wondered.
He chuckled, turning towards me. "She's having a baby."
"Really? Should we be doing anything or calling someone?" I asked.
"Not unless she's having trouble. But she seems to be doing just fine. I may need to help her a little when she gets closer, but for right now we just watch and wait," he explained.
I turned back to the horse, watching as she continued to circle and pace. We watched for a long time with nothing happening. Edward went in the stall quite a few times, checking on her progress and feeling around her abdomen. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing, which impressed me so much.
Finally, late into the night, the baby started to come out. It was such a strange thing to watch. I was amazed and excited all at the same time. Edward stayed right next to her the whole time, comforting her and doing everything he could to help.
"Bella, come here," he shouted. I was hesitant to go in the stall. I didn't want to invade her privacy.
"Are you sure I should be in here? What if she doesn't want us watching?" I asked, climbing into the stall slowly.
"She's not a human, Bella," he laughed. "You aren't going to invade her privacy if that's what you're thinking. She doesn't care who's here as long as you're quiet and gentle. I need your help."
"Okay, what do you want me to do?" I spoke rapidly.
"I need to help get the baby out. I think it may be stuck. It may hurt her a little, so I need you to talk to her and try to keep her calm and hold her still."
I grabbed the reins petting her nose and along her neck. I didn't have the slightest idea how to keep a horse calm or what I was supposed to say to a horse. I had to hold on tightly every time she would jerk her head or try to step away. All I could think to do was to shush her and tell her it's okay and almost over. I had no idea if she understood me in any way, but I was doing my best. I watched as Edward gently helped the baby horse out, never pulling or tugging, just guiding. It was so amazing to watch him. He knew exactly what to do and how to help her. When the baby popped out and landed on the ground, I became so scared. I thought for sure the baby had been hurt and wouldn't survive after falling like that. But Edward pulled off his t-shirt and wiped its face like everything was fine.
"Bella, you can let go of her now." I let go of the horse and she instantly turned around sniffing and looking all over her baby. I stood aside, too afraid to move after what I just witnessed. I have never seen anything being born before. I didn't even watch that sort of thing on TV, so this was a whole new experience. "Do you want to look?" He asked, holding out his soiled hand for mine. I took a deep breath trying to hold in my disgust and took his hand. He pulled me over next to him and sat me down on the ground next to the baby. He took my hand and gently placed it on the babies back. I smiled, as I began to pet the baby, and wipe away the gunk all over it. Within a few minutes the momma horse started nudging the baby.
"What's she doing?" I worried.
"She's trying to coerce him to get up and start walking."
"They walk this soon after being born?" He laughed at my question.
"Yes, Bella. They start walking right after birth," he explained. We stepped back as the baby stood up on his wobbly little legs and started to walk around. We stood on the side of the stall for a little longer watching the first few minutes of this new little baby's life.
"This is so amazing. I've never experienced anything like this before," I revealed. Edward turned towards me with a smile.
"It is pretty awesome, isn't it?" I looked up at him and smiled. I slipped my hand in his, linking our fingers together and leaned against his shoulder, as we continued to watch the new life we helped bring into the world.
I felt him kiss me on top of the head, taking a deep breath. "Come on. Let's go to bed. It's been an exhausting day." I nodded my head following him out of the stall and up the stairs. We went to his sink washing our hands thoroughly before we removed our pants and crawled into bed. It was the first time I slept with someone, that didn't result in sex. It was comforting to know, he didn't want me here with him only for that purpose. He wants me here just to have me with him.
I rested my head against his bare chest and he wrapped his arms around me protectively. I could tell he was tired and I was too, but there was something I still wanted to know, although I didn't know if he would actually tell me.
"You never did answer my question earlier," I reminded. His hold on me tightened.
"What question was that?"
"I asked about where you came from. I want to know something about your past. What makes you, you." I heard him sigh, rubbing his hand across my back. He didn't say anything for quite a while and I didn't think he plan to tell me what I wanted to know. I figured for now I'd just drop it and not push him to tell me something he wasn't ready to talk about.
I cuddled into his side, getting comfortable, so I could sleep, when he finally started to speak. "My parents were drug addicts," he began. I turned my head to look up at him. He stared up at the ceiling, not willing to look in my eyes. "When I was really little, we lived in Chicago in a rundown, small apartment. We had nothing in it. I had one little toy horse to play with and that was it. We very rarely ever had food. What I did eat was usually just scraps of stuff my parents would bring home from wherever they found it. I never had clean clothes or was ever told to brush my teeth or to take a bath.
"When I was eight, my mom came home and told me my dad wasn't ever coming back. She said he had died. I didn't really understand what she meant. I figured it was just another one of his drug binges and after he got his fix he'd be back. But he never did. My mom was gone even more than she was before. She left me home all the time. I didn't go to school or leave the house at all. I just sat on the floor and watched cartoons on a tiny beat up, old TV.
"When I was ten, a social worker came to the house and packed me up. My mom stood right there and watched this lady take me away and never tried to fight or tell me it would be okay and she would get me back. She just stared blankly at the wall. The drugs were more important to her than me.
"I went to foster home after foster home for years. It was horrible. Too many kids in one home all fighting for someone to love them and notice them, which normally caused more problems than good. I kept waiting for my mom to come take me away, but she never did.
"On one particular day, I was in a really bad fight with one of the other kids in the house I was living in at the time and I had been blamed for it even though it wasn't my fault. I was told I was going to have to move yet again. I didn't want to live in foster homes any more. So I stole a handful of money that I knew my foster parents kept hidden, and left. I bought the first bus ticket out of town, which happened to be Seattle.
"I worked odd jobs for people and lied about who I was and how old I was. For a while I just mowed lawns in communities. They all thought I was some kid who lived in the area.
"One day, I came across this older gentleman who hired me for the whole summer doing odd jobs. His name was Carlisle and he was the first person who actually seemed to care about my well-being. He let me stay with him for a while. He gave me tons of books to read and things to keep me busy. He taught me how to drive and gave me the truck as a gift. When he died, I was left with no one again. I changed my name to his last name, just so no one would be able to trace me and got an actual job working as a bus boy. I lived in the truck while I worked, but eventually when they found out I didn't have a social security card and Edward Cullen wasn't my legal name, I was fired. So I was left alone, living on the streets once again.
"That was when your dad found me and for whatever reason he offered me a job working here for him. I was desperate for anything, so I took him up on the offer. The minute I stepped onto the property I felt like I was home. It was where I wanted to be and where I felt safe. Your dad reminded me so much of Carlisle. He has a good and caring heart and actually cared about me as a person and wanted to teach me everything he knew about horses. He helped me set up the loft here, so I could live right here on the property. Your dad's always been too good to me." He finished telling me his story, laughing nervously towards the end. He still wouldn't look me in the eyes.
"Is that why you got so mad at me? …Because I was rude to my dad?" I asked.
"It just bothered me how you have two parents who seem to love you and would do anything for you, and give you everything you could ever want, yet you treated your dad like shit. I could see the hurt in his eyes and how much your words affected him. He was trying very hard and you didn't appreciate anything. I grew up with nothing and when your dad took me in; I was so grateful and still am to this day, that he was there for me. I just didn't understand how you could be so heartless to him after everything he's done." I reached up, placing my hand on his cheek forcing him to look at me. I could see the tears glistening in his eyes from the moonlight coming through the window.
"I'm sorry." It was all I could think of saying. I had tears in my eyes as well, from his touching story. He brushed at the tears in my eyes with his thumb.
"I've never told anyone this. Not even your dad knows all of it." I leaned up giving him a sweet little kiss on the lips.
"Thank you for sharing it with me and trusting me enough," I whispered. I laid my head back on his chest, curling into his side. I heard his steady breathing and soft snores only minutes after he told me about his life. Everything I had been in the past seemed distant and non-important. I felt guilty about how I had been behaving and how I acted towards my dad and even my mom. He was right, I had two parents who loved me and gave me everything while he had nothing. I understood so much now why he hated me and why he was close to my dad. It made me respect my dad that much more knowing what he'd done for Edward.
Eventually I did fall asleep, only to be woken a few hours later by Edward's panicked movements around the room.
"Shit," he shouted.
"What's wrong," I asked, worried.
"Jake's here," he stated. "If he finds out about this, he…"
"…Will tell my dad," I finished.
"Yeah."
"I'll just stay here until you tell me it's all clear. Then I can sneak back over to the house."
He came back over sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You know why we can't say anything right? You're my boss' daughter. If your dad found out, I could lose my job. I could lose everything." He explained.
"I know. It's fine, just let me know when he's distracted with something." He licked his bottom lip, before giving me a quick kiss and dashing out the door.
I pulled on my pants and slipped on my sandals. I cracked the door listening for a sign, it was clear for me to come down. I heard Jake asking Edward why he was so late getting up. Edward used the new horse as his excuse, which wasn't far from the truth. I heard them both go down to the end of the barn to see the new addition. I figured this might be a good time to come down. As quietly as I could, I walked down the steps and headed towards the end of the barn where Jake and Edward stood.
"Good morning,' I said, cheerfully. They both turned in my direction. Edward had a horrified look on his face.
"You're up early," Jake observed.
"I wanted to see how the new little baby was doing," I explained. "I got to watch the birth. It was really amazing."
"You watched?" Jake asked with a confused look on his face.
"Yeah, Edward let me help," I said, with a smile. I glanced over at Edward, who had a grin on his face.
"Wow, I thought you two hated each other."
"Well, I needed someone to help me. I'm just glad she was here and willing to help," Edward announced. Jake glanced between the two of us curiously, before turning back to look at the new baby in the stall with his mommy. We all stood there and watched the baby for a few minutes. I felt Edward's finger trace a line along my arm, sending chills up my spine. I was trying so hard to hold in my smile.
"Well, I need to get going on my chores," Jake announced. "I'll see you later today, Bella. Maybe we could go on a ride again sometime."
"That would be fun. Bye, Jake." I smiled as he walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, Edward grabbed my hand, pulling me behind a pillar in the barn. He pushed me up against it, pressing his lips to mine, giving me an urgent kiss.
"Why do you do that to me?" He asked, through clenched teeth.
I giggled at his jealousy. "Because I know it'll make you do this." He let out a long breath, glaring at me playfully.
He gave me one more, long kiss, before speaking again. "Go back to the house and get some sleep. I'll see you later tonight." I nodded my head. He smacked me on the ass as I walked away. I turned around giving him a shocked look. He grinned and laughed at my expression. All I could do was shake my head at him.
I went back to the house, going straight to my bed and sleeping most of the day. When I woke up, Jake was just pulling out of the driveway and heading home. I threw on some clothes, rushing out the door. I saw Edward coming towards the house and once I saw him, I went running towards him. He had a big smile on his face when he saw me coming. I squealed with excitement and jumped in his arms. He caught me and started kissing me instantly. I loved how his lips felt against mine. I loved how his rough, dirty hands felt against my body. I loved how his strong arms felt wrapped around me. I loved everything about him. There was no denying, I was head over heels in love with him. But did he feel the same way about me? I still wasn't sure and I don't want to complicate things more by telling him I loved him.
It was crazy to love him already. Just a few weeks or even days prior, I hated him. Now things were so different. I wanted to love him. I wanted him to love me. I'd never loved anyone before, yet with him, it seemed so right and natural.
Just as he started to carry me back to the barn, we heard a familiar sound coming down the driveway. Edward very slowly put me down on my feet and stepped away slightly. We both looked at each other sadly, knowing what this meant. My dad was home. As much as I was upset, how I won't be able to spend as much time with Edward, I was just as excited to see my dad again. After hearing Edward's story, I wanted to try and make things better with my dad. Edward quickly went back to the barn, while I walked out to meet my dad as he pulled in.
As soon as he got out, looking extremely exhausted from the trip I walked over giving him a huge hug. I missed him.
"This is different," he observed, hugging me back in an awkward way.
"I just missed you dad. I'm glad you're back."
"Are you okay?" He pulled away, holding me at arm's length, looking me over with a concerned look.
"I'm fine dad. I'm actually better than fine. I'm happy," I revealed.
He let go of me, walking over to his truck to start unloading his stuff. "So what happened to make you so happy?" He wondered. I couldn't tell him it was mostly Edward. I couldn't tell him about Edward and me, period. If he knew he'd be furious. Not only was Edward an employee, but he's also about 3 years older than me. The age difference wasn't a big deal to me, but to my dad, considering I was still only seventeen, he wouldn't be happy.
"I guess riding the horses and spending time with people has really helped. I've been having a lot of fun the last few days," I explained.
"That's great news. I'm glad you seem to be finding your way here," he expressed excitedly.
"Hey, Charlie," Edward greeted, walking up the path from the barn. I ducked my head, feeling the butterflies in my stomach. I feared my dad would be able to tell, just by looking at me, how I felt about Edward. I'm not sure what he'd do if he knew, but I didn't think he'd be happy about it. I didn't want Edward to get in any trouble either. "How was your trip?"
"It was good. I didn't realize how much I missed the rodeo until I was back in it. Judging was a new thing for me, but I think I did a good job. You should enter in the rodeo, Edward," he suggested, unloading his stuff from the truck. I sat down on the steps of the porch, listening to them talk. "You're a strong young man who knows how to handle a horse. You'd be a natural."
"I'm not so sure, Charlie," he laughed. "I don't care much for chaps. I much prefer to ride horses for fun, not use them for others entertainment."
"I know, I know. You've always had a kind soul. I don't think you could hurt a fly. But in all honesty, the horses are, for the most part, never in any danger and always cared for properly," my dad, defended. I didn't know Edward was so against the rodeo. It actually surprised me.
"Training horses to buck and kick someone off, I don't think is the right way to care for a horse," Edward argued. I could hear the anger in his voice.
"I see you got the haying done. I was a little worried when I heard there was a storm coming through here," my dad changed the subject. He obviously noticed Edward's distaste for the rodeo.
I noticed him smirk and briefly glance my direction. "I wasn't sure we were going to get it done in time. We ran into a couple snags, but Jake and I were able to get it all in before the rain hit." I got the sense he was referring to the day I ordered Jake to shut the tractor down and do the hay later. I guess I shouldn't have gotten so upset. The way they were talking about the rain gave me the impression if they hadn't got it in when they did, it would have been ruined.
"So any other exciting news happen while I was gone?" My dad wondered. I shot a look towards Edward. There was definitely something exciting happening, but it wasn't something my father should know.
"There was a baby horse born," I announced, excitedly. My dad turned in my direction. He looked shocked by my sudden outburst.
"A baby horse?" He asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.
"There was a colt born last night," Edward, clarified.
"Red finally had her foal?" He questioned.
"She sure did. Bella even got to help." Edward tilted his head towards me with a smile.
"Really?" My dad looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.
"Don't look at me like you're shocked, dad. It was actually quite interesting," I explained. "Besides, I didn't do much. All I did was, hold the mama horse still, so Edward could help the baby get out."
"And neither of you killed the other while you did this together?" My dad asked, even more surprised.
I rolled my eyes. "Seriously dad, I said things were getting better. Edward and I came to a little understanding." I tried to keep the smile off my face. I noticed Edward was doing the same.
"Huh," my dad expressed. I think he was lost for words. He walked to the back of the trailer, lifting the lever and swinging the door open. Edward walked over to help him. I could hear the hooves of the horse, scraping against the metal floor of the trailer. I hopped up to go look.
Edward very slowly walked to one side of the horse, whispering little things to him. My dad was standing on the other side, encouraging the horse to step out of the trailer. He looked scared and so sad. He kept thrashing his head and trying to move to one corner of the trailer. His eyes were large and fearful. I wanted to go in there and help the poor horse.
The horse was absolutely beautiful. He was pure black. Even in the dark trailer I could see the shimmer of his coat. I had never seen a horse so pretty before. Most of the horses my dad had were different shades of browns or tans.
My dad and Edward worked for well over an hour trying to get this horse out of the trailer with no luck. He was definitely a stubborn horse.
"Maybe we should get the gun," my dad suggested.
"What!" I shouted. What was my dad talking about? There was no way he was talking about getting a gun.
"It's not a real gun, Bella," Edward explained, breathlessly. "But Charlie I'd rather not do it that way if we can avoid it. Why don't we just leave him be for a while and who knows, maybe he'll come out on his own. You look exhausted as it is Charlie. Why don't you get cleaned up, and get some sleep. I'll keep an eye on him tonight."
My dad sighed heavily from the fatigue. I hoped he listened to Edward's suggestion. I didn't want my dad to get any sort of gun near this horse. "Maybe you're right. I'm pretty tired and I'm not sure if we're going to get him out on our own. We had to use the tranquilizer gun to get him in to begin with. It's why I suggested it. But I'll let you handle it Edward, if you want to prevent using the gun." He brushed the sweat from his brow and patted the horse one last time on the neck before stepping out of the trailer.
Edward sat down on the edge of the trailer, wiping his face with his shirt. It was starting to get dark already, but I could still see the glistening of sweat on Edward's arms and stomach. I wanted to touch him.
"Bella, are you coming in?" My dad asked.
"I want to go check on the new little baby first. I'm sort of fond of him," I said.
"Is that so?" He asked, with a smirk. "Well, if you want Bella, you can give him a name."
"I can really name him?" I asked, excited. "You'll let me name the baby?"
He chuckled. "Sure Bella. Go ahead and give him any name you want to. This horse here needs a name too, so if you want to name him, feel free."
I squealed and ran to him, giving him a big hug. "Thank you." He laughed even more, hugging me back.
"I need a shower and a good night's rest. I'll see you both in the morning. Bella don't stay out too late. There are wolves and other wild animals out here at times, so I don't want you in any danger," my dad warned.
"I'll be fine dad," I insisted. "I've got to think up some names."
"Alright," he gave in. "Good luck, Edward." He headed up the stairs and through the front door. I turned around seeing Edward grinning at me.
"What?" I asked defensively.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. I walked over to him in a seductive way, sitting down on his lap and placing my hands on his shoulders. He put his hands on my hips, slowly tucking his fingers through the hem of my shirt. I reached down, grabbing his hands, holding them above his head. I shook my head at him, with a grin on my face.
"Mr. Cullen, if you'd like to touch me, you're going to have to tell me what you're laughing about over here," I whispered against his neck. I heard him sigh, pulling away to look me in the face.
"I'm just curious why naming a horse is so exciting to you." I looked down at a small hole in his shirt, near his bellybutton.
"I don't know. It's just… I've never had anything I was responsible for or had any say in what happens to it." He looked deep in my eyes, studying my words. Before I could stop him, he leaned forward, kissing me. I squealed, playfully, pulling away, making me release his hands. He grabbed my head with one of his hands pulling me back to him and kissing me even fuller. The kiss was soft and tender. I smiled against his lips. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer to him.
"So, what names are you thinking of for these horses?" He asked, brushing his knuckles across my cheek.
"I'm not sure yet. I've got to think about this really hard. It's a big decision." Edward chuckled again. I didn't bother asking why he was laughing this time. "First of all though," I pulled myself off his lap. "We need to get this horse out of the trailer." I walked into the trailer, running my hand along his neck.
"Bella, don't be crazy. If your dad and I can't get him out, there's no way you'll be able to," Edward insisted. I turned towards him, glaring and clenching my teeth. If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was someone telling me I couldn't do something. "I'm going to go feed the horses for the night. Just stay here and don't do anything stupid." He got up and headed towards the barn.
I patted the horse gently, trying to calm him. He whinnied and tilted his head. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." I grabbed the reins, rubbing my hand along his nose. I stood in front of him, letting him look me over. I may not have known all the terminology or how to care for a horse completely, but I knew how to get a horse to trust me. It's the first thing I was taught when I took riding lessons.
I loved taking those riding lessons when I was a kid. Somehow, I think I thought if I learned how to ride the horses really good, we could go home. As a kid, I didn't understand why my parents got a divorce and I blamed myself. I wasn't good enough. It was too dangerous for me to be around the horses. My dad didn't have time to teach me himself. I was in the way. There were a thousand things I thought could have been the reason why I had to leave. Once I learned how to ride a horse and even got praised from the instructors for being such a good listener and a natural on a horse, we still didn't go home. Eventually, I gave up on the riding lessons and never went back.
After talking to the horse and shushing him, doing my best to let him smell me and see me, I gently tugged on the reins, whispering for him to follow. He didn't budge at first, but I didn't yank on the reins or demand he come. I just stood there and waited for him. Slowly but surely he started to shuffle his feet forward. I walked him out of the trailer, praising him the entire time and walked him out towards the barn.
We walked into the main area, seeing Edward coming out of one of the stalls. He stopped in his tracks, staring at me with a dumbfounded look and his mouth hanging open.
"You know you've looked at me that way, once before, when we went over to Jake's. Is it a habit of yours to stare?" I asked.
Again, he closed his eyes, shaking his head. He came walking over to us slowly. "How did you do it?" He wondered.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I think it would be a good idea to get this horse in a pen and find him some food. I'm sure he's pretty hungry." Edward walked over trying to take the reins from me. I wouldn't let him and even the horse took a step back in protest. "Just show me where to go, Edward."
He led the way down to an empty stall and opened up the gate. I walked in with the horse taking off the bridle and letting him free. Edward handed me a bucket full of oats and an apple. I placed the bucket down near him and brought the apple to his mouth. He sniffed at it before pulling it into his mouth with his lips. I rubbed his neck one last time before walking out.
"Bella, how in the world did you do that?" Edward asked.
I raised my eyebrow at him. "Don't ever tell me I can't do something. Because if you do, I'll prove you wrong," I warned.
"Okay," he drew the word out, sounding a little intimidated. "I'll remember that." He snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I smiled, just as his lips pressed against mine. I stood on my tip-toes, placing my hands on the sides of his face, kissing him even deeper.
He quickly ended the kiss, grabbing my hand and leading me into the tack room. As soon as we were in, he slammed the door, locking it behind us, and pressed me up against the wall, kissing all across my neck and shoulder blade. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, reveling in the need building inside of me. I grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it off of him, but he grabbed my wrists, pulling them away from him and holding them above my head against the wall.
"If you want to touch me, you have to tell me how you did that first," he whispered, against my ear.
I huffed, looking at his face. "I didn't do anything. I just talked to him and he followed me out."
"That's all it took? You didn't do anything special?" He wondered further.
"No. Now will you please let go of my hands and remove your pants?" I asked, grinning at him. He smirked at me, shaking his head. I glared at him.
"I sort of like you in this position."
"What the hell, Edward? Let me go," I insisted. He hummed seductively, nipping at the skin along my collarbone. The sensation made me lose all rational thinking. He gripped my hands above my head with one hand, while he reached down, pulling my shirt up and releasing my breasts from my bra. His free hand squeezed my breast, massaging it. He rolled the nipple between his fingers.
"Say hell again," he requested. "Yell at me. Force me to release you and I will."
"Force you?" I questioned, breathlessly. "I don't want you to let me go. I just want you inside of me. Right here, right now. Please, Edward."
"Say it, Bella," he demanded, brushing the tip of his nose along my neck. He wouldn't give me what I wanted.
"Damn it, Edward. What the Hell do you want from me? Just do it already," I shouted, with annoyance in my voice.
His lips consumed mine in a passionate kiss. He released my hands pulling my shirt and bra off the rest of the way. I reached down unbuttoning my jeans, pulling them down as quickly as I could. I grabbed his pants, unbuttoning them and pulling them down.
Edward pulled my hands away and finished removing his pants himself. I closed my eyes, leaning back against the wall, waiting. After a few seconds, he gripped my thighs, lifting me up to get a good position. I wrapped my legs around him, holding on tight. I placed my hands on his shoulders, balancing myself against him. He slowly entered me, making a slow pace with each thrust. He was too slow in my opinion.
"Edward. What the Hell is this? I want it hard. I want you to consume me. No more of this slow shit." He lifted me up more, getting a better hold of me and balancing himself. I gripped his shoulders as he started thrusting harder inside of me, giving me exactly what I wanted. I cried out with every thrust. The orgasm was building inside of me so fast. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. He let out throaty grunts, matching my cries in exact unison.
"Yes, just like that," I breathed. "…So good."
"Bella," he groaned, through gritted teeth. "You have to… I can't… Oh God Bella…" As soon as he said my name, I clenched around him, releasing all the tension and need, which had built up inside of me. I felt his whole body shudder, before coming inside of me. He slowed his movements, pulling out slowly. I thought he would place me back on my feet, but he didn't. Instead he leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around me tighter than they already were.
"Hmmm, do you have any idea how good it feels to be inside of you?" He asked, brushing his lips across my cheekbone. "I can hardly contain myself long enough."
"Well then, I guess it's a good thing you make me get off so easily," I smirked. He chuckled, brushing the hair out of my face.
"You should probably get inside before your dad starts searching for you. I don't think he'd be happy if he found us in this type of a position," he pointed out.
"Probably not." He slowly placed my feet back on the ground, stepping away from me. I gathered up my clothes, scattered across the floor and put them back on. I noticed Edward slipped off a condom and stuck it in a wad of paper before pushing it far into the bottom of the garbage can.
"Can I ask you something?" I wondered, nervously. He turned towards me, looking me over intently. "I told you I was on birth control, yet every time since then, you've worn a condom. Is there a reason why? Do you have something? Should I be concerned about this?"
"Why do you think using a condom automatically means I have an STD? Do you think just because my parents were druggies, I must be tainted?" He asked in a harsh tone.
"I didn't mean it that way. I wasn't even thinking about your parents. I just wanted to know why you were using a condom now. Forget I even asked." I tried to sound defensive, but I think I came off sounding angry more than anything. I grabbed my sandals off the floor, rushing towards the door. I tried to turn the knob, but it wasn't budging. I remembered he locked it when we came in but I couldn't figure out how to unlock it and I was getting more and more frustrated with every second.
Just as I was about to scream, I felt Edward's hand come over mine to stop me from yanking on the doorknob. He reached up, undoing the lock I couldn't seem to figure out. I yanked the door open, walking back out into the barn with a huff.
"My parents had Aids," he explained so quickly, I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly. I stopped, turning around to look at him with a questioning expression. "Remember when I told you my dad died?" I nodded my head in understanding. "He died of Aids. He shared drug needles with all kinds of people and contracted it that way. At least that's what the report said. When the social workers came and took me away, it wasn't only because my mom was a druggie. It also had to do with the fact that she was carrying the HIV virus and was found to not be healthy enough to care for me." All I could do was stare at him, with a gaping, mouth. I couldn't even think straight. "I found out a couple years ago that she passed away too." My mind suddenly started filling with thoughts of our first time. He didn't have a condom on that time, but every time since then he did. Was he infected too? Was I in danger of getting sick also?
"I know what you're thinking," he accused, walking closer to me. "I don't have it, Bella. I've been checked every year since I found out about my parents. The tests always come back negative. I promise you I didn't put you in any danger. But you have to understand my paranoia when it comes to this. I don't want to end up like my parents. I don't want to go down that same path. And I don't want to put anyone else at risk for being careless. I trust you when you said you didn't have anything, but I'm just trying to protect us both." He walked a little closer, reaching his arms out to me. I looked up into his hurt, sad eyes and knew in heart he was telling me the truth. I didn't need to be scared of him or worry about being sick. He would never do that to me. I folded into his arms, holding on to him tightly. I could feel tears building in my eyes for him. When he held me close to him, after revealing this secret, I'm sure he never told anyone, I could almost feel his pain. It made me hurt for him. I wished so bad there was a way I could take his pain away.
"So what do you do then, carry around a condom in your pocket everywhere you go now?" I asked, trying to break the tension. I figured it worked when I heard him laughing.
"Yeah, pretty much. I always have to be prepared when I'm around you. Who knows when you're going to start saying Hell or start yelling at me for doing something wrong?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. I slapped him across the chest playfully.
"I'm going to have to catch myself more so I don't drive you crazy now that my dad's home. It's going to be difficult to keep this going," I informed.
"Do you want it to continue?" He asked, nervously.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know. I figured after you knew about my parents, things would change. I don't tell people about them. Ever," he revealed, walking away from me and leaning against the stall, looking in on the new horse
"I know. I'm not concerned about it though. I trust you," I insisted, coming up behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist.
"How can you trust me? You barely know me."
"Because I can see who you are as a person. I can see your heart. You make me see myself." He turned in my arms, wrapping his arms around me giving me a quick kiss. He had a sly grin on his face.
"You seriously trust me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I do."
"Then we're going to test just how much you trust me. You, Miss. Swan, are going to ride this horse," he informed, nodding towards the horse my dad just brought home. The same horse no one can seem to ride, due to the abuse and neglect he suffered. I looked at him with large eyes.
"Are you serious?"
"Quite serious," he chuckled. "It's a way for us to be around each other every day, without your dad getting suspicious. Your dad can already tell you're fond of the horse so, we'll work together to train him and hopefully get you up on him."
"Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked, looking over at the horse. Our eyes met for a brief second before I turned back to Edward.
"I'm sure of it. Trust me," he whispered in my ear before kissing me on the cheek. "I need to go take care of some things. And you should really get back in the house." I nodded my head, giving him a smile as he took off to the other side of the barn.
I turned around, looking over the horse one last time. "I guess I should give you a name before I attempt to ride you." I opened the pen, and slowly walked over to him, rubbing across his neck. "You wouldn't hurt me would you? If I try to ride you, you'll be good right? Edward would never put me in danger. He must trust me and you if he thinks we can do this. Just don't disappoint me Midnight." I don't know where exactly the name came from. It just sort of came out before I had a minute to think about it. But it fit him. All sleek black, a little mysterious, cold personality. He was definitely a Midnight. I smiled at the name, petting his nose and letting my head rest against his. "We're a team and we can do this." He nodded his head almost in a way to answer me. Or maybe he just didn't like my head leaning up against his. I didn't know, but I took it as a cue to leave his pen.
I looked around for Edward, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I decided to just go inside and get some sleep. Knowing Edward he'd want me up first thing in the morning to start working with Midnight.
I walked in the house, seeing my dad had left a mess in the kitchen after making a quick sandwich. I rushed up stairs to change my clothes. I could hear my dad snoring in his bedroom already. This shouldn't be too hard. I quickly changed into some comfy pajamas, before going downstairs and cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Normally I would have left it, being a girl who barely cleaned up after myself, but my dad was exhausted and probably wasn't even aware he left everything out. The least I could do was help him out by putting everything away.
As soon as I was done, I opened the front door, as quietly as I could and snuck off towards the barn. Edward wasn't in the main part of the barn and all the lights were turned off. I figured he was up in his room, so I very quietly walked up to his room. I stepped in, not seeing him anywhere. He wasn't in the bathroom or in his bed. He was nowhere. I thought about going out to look for him, but the thought of going down into the dark, barn again, by myself, was not something I was willing to do. He had to come to bed at some point, so I decided I'd wait.
I sat on his bed for a long time, with still no sign of him. Eventually the exhaustion started to get to me, so I curled up under his covers, shutting my eyes just to rest for a bit. I had no intention of falling asleep. But I did anyway.
I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep by the time he got back, but was woken by him shaking my shoulder and kissing my cheek. I stretched out in his bed, looking up at his surprised eyes.
"What are you doing here?" He asked. "I thought you were going back to the house?"
"I did. For a few minutes anyway," I replied, groggily. "Where've you been?" I sat up, looking at him intently.
"I told you I had some things to do. I figured you'd stay at the house now that your dad's home."
"What things did you need to do this late at night?" I asked, suspiciously. Where could he possibly be going this late for this long?
"Relax Bella," he urged, taking off his shoes and removing his pants. "I had to get some supplies from another rancher I know. He trains horses for a living and there's stuff I need, to do this right. He was more than happy to let me borrow whatever I needed, but he likes to talk, so I got stuck there for quite a while." He chuckled, thinking back on some thought. "He wanted to know a lot about you."
"What did he want to know about me?" I questioned.
"He's good friends with Charlie also. His names Harry Clearwater and he and Charlie talk like old ladies. He's known about your visit here for some time. He just wanted to know what you're like and if you were still the sweet little girl he remembers back when you still lived here."
"What did you tell him?" I pressed, further.
"I told him you were a bitch," he laughed. I scoffed, pushing him. He wrapped an arm around my head, pulling me to his lips. I should have protested, but I didn't. I couldn't when it came to him. "…At first. But I said you seem to be coming around and making some progress. It was hard not to tell him too much. I almost slipped a few times." I smiled, knowing he was thinking about me and wanted to tell people about us. Even though he didn't, he still wanted to.
"I'm exhausted. I haven't slept much the last few days. He laid down on the pillow closing his eyes instantly. I didn't move. After a few seconds he opened an eye looking at me.
"You know if you stay you'll get caught?" He warned. I bit my lip, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
We stared at each other for a few seconds more before he opened his arm, welcoming me in. I smiled, curling into his side. He brushed his fingers through my hair, soothingly.
"Your dad gets up at five a.m. every morning. If I get you up at four, you can sneak back over. If you get caught though, you better have one hell of an excuse," he explained.
"I'll figure it out," I assured. He pulled me closer, rubbing my arm.
I laid in his arms for a long time, thinking about what it was he wanted me to do with Midnight. Was it even possible for me to ride him? What if I got thrown off of him?
"Edward?" I whispered. He hummed in return. "Do you think it's really possible for me to ride Midnight?"
"Who," he asked, half asleep.
"The horse, I named him Midnight. Do you think it's possible?"
"We're going to try," he answered.
"But is it dangerous? What if he bucks me off? What if I'm not cut out to be a horse tamer or trainer or whatever it is you're having me do?"
He groaned moving slightly beneath me. "Bella, can we talk about this tomorrow? I need sleep."
"Sorry. I'll shut up." I didn't make another sound all night, even though the questions were still running through my mind. Eventually I did fall asleep, wrapped up in his strong, protective arms.
I don't think I slept more than an hour before he woke me up informing me it was time for me to leave. I crawled out of bed, still half asleep. He flipped on a small lamp, helping me find my shoes and my keys. I didn't realize my teeth were chattering until Edward came over wrapping one of his big sweatshirts around me. It was nothing special. It probably cost him no more than ten dollars. But it was perfect to me. It was from him.
He walked me to the door, opening it up for me. I stopped at the door, giving him a questioning look. "Is this how it's always going to be?" I wondered. "Sneaking around in the middle of the night to see you, and sneaking back early in the morning, before my dad wakes up?"
"Are you planning to come out here every night?" He questioned. I blushed at his question.
"Maybe," I disclosed, timidly. He smiled, kissing my lips softly.
"I want you up and ready to train at eight a.m. Don't be late." He gave me one last kiss before shooing me out the door. I descended the stairs slowly, into the dark. I wished so bad, I had a flashlight. Just as I hit the bottom step, I felt Edward's hand come around my waist and guide me out into the barn.
"Thank you," I breathed.
"Did you honestly think I was going to let you walk all the way to the house in the dark by yourself? What kind of a man would I be if I didn't walk you to your door?" I smiled at the thought.
He walked me back to the house and up the steps to the front door. He gave me one more kiss goodnight before he dashed back across the yard to the barn. I waited until he was completely out of sight before I quietly slipped back into the house and up to my room. The bed was cold and unwelcoming. I wanted to be with Edward. Even when he wasn't there, the bed was warm and comfortable. I did eventually go back to sleep though.
My phone rang promptly at eight a.m. I answered, groggily.
"Your late," he said. I sat up, smiling at the sound of his voice on the phone.
"How did you get my number?" I wondered.
"I have my ways. So are you ready? We've got a lot of work to do."
"I'll be down in ten minutes," I answered, jumping out of the bed. I hung up the phone and quickly threw on some clothes and put my hair up into a ponytail. I ran downstairs and out to the barn. There was already a small circular pen set up in the field. Edward was standing there with a bridle and other items to start.
He held out the bridle, tilting his head towards the barn. "Go get him." I took the bridle from him and rushed into the barn. I ran straight into my dad, just as I came around the corner.
"Whoa, Bella, where are you going in such a hurry?" He asked.
"I have to get Midnight. I'm going to train him."
"You're training him?" He questioned, with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, sort of. Edward said I could help. I was the one who got him out of the trailer last night," I informed.
"Yeah, Edward told me. You two seem to be getting along a lot better than I thought you ever could."
"People can change dad. I like this horse. I feel like we have a connection. I want to do this and Edward said he'd help me. I'm sure we'll argue quite a bit, but I really want to do this."
"Alright, I'm not going to stop you, but just be careful and listen to Edward. I know it may be hard to do, but he knows horses a lot better than you do. So, if he tells you something, try not to argue. Most likely it's for your own safety. You need to trust him when he tells you what to do.
"I know dad. I'll listen. I promise." I gave him a little kiss on the cheek, skipping off to the stalls. I walked into Midnight's stall, slowly walking over to him. He watched me cautiously as I came over. I noticed my dad was standing on the outside of the stall watching. I slowly placed the bridle around his head and tugged gently. He didn't move at first. I turned around, just like I had the night before, and waited for him to follow me out. My dad smirked as I stood there. I was sure he thought it wouldn't work. A few minutes later, Edward came in, standing next to my dad to watch. I had to prove to both of them, I could do this. I gently tugged on his reins again. I was hoping what happened last night wasn't just a fluke. I didn't want to look like a fool in front of both of them. Slowly, but surely his feet started to move forward. I smiled at both of them, as I walked him out into the field. They both followed behind me. My dad looked astonished by what I did, but Edward just looked proud. I think he had more faith in this working than I did.
My dad watched for a long time, as Edward explained what we were going to do. It was so hard to look at him with a straight face. Somehow he was able to sneak in little touches without my dad noticing.
Eventually my dad did go off to do other things, giving us both a chance to breathe, but we knew we were being watched. Not only by my dad, but also Jake. He was lurking around, watching everything we were doing. Therefore, we had to continue to be careful.
Those first few days, I didn't do much at all, but walk him around in a circle. Edward was never more than a couple feet away from me. I did my best to listen to him and trust his every word, even when I thought he was wrong. But when it came to Midnight, I did everything. I fed him, I cleaned him, and I took care of his every need. Mainly because I was the only one he'd let near him, but it was more than that. I wanted to do everything for him. He was my horse in a way and I wanted to be the one to take care of him.
I snuck out almost every night after my dad went to sleep, only to wake a few hours later to go back inside before my dad woke up.
My dad still watched as Edward and I worked with the horse. At times, I thought he was a little suspicious of our connection, but he never said anything.
Jacob, on the other hand was overly obnoxious. He kept bugging me to go on a ride with him, and every time I turned him down, I could see the suspicion building inside of him. Edward insisted I shouldn't worry about it, but I still did. Honestly, I didn't know why Edward still wanted to keep it all a secret. It wasn't that big of a deal in my eyes. My dad probably wouldn't be happy at first, but he'd get over it. He'd probably be glad, knowing I was with Edward and not some other jerk. The more I thought about it though; were Edward and I really together? Were we dating or a couple? We never said what exactly all this meant. All we ever did was sleep together and have sex and work with the horse. He was sweet to me and always so gentle and caring, but he was that way with the horses too. Maybe this meant more to me than it did him.
It didn't take me long to realize I was completely and irrevocably in love with him. There was no turning back. But I was terrified to love him. I couldn't tell him I loved him. What if he didn't feel the same way? What if this meant nothing to him? What if he pulled away from me if I said it? I knew he had a hard life and it was difficult for him to get close to people. I'm not sure if he ever loved anyone. I'm sure he cared about me and Carlisle and even my dad and Jake, but was he even capable of love? Could he ever love me?
There were so many times when we were together, I thought he was going to say it, but he never did.
One day, we were working with the horse and my dad and Jake were out fixing some fence. He told me we needed to take a break. He walked out in the field a little ways, sitting down under an apple tree. He picked a couple apples off the tree and handed me one. We watched the horses, graze out in the field and watched the youngest horse, running and kicking, gaining his independence. I laughed at him, dancing around in the field. The other horses ignored him, but he seemed to try to want to get their attention so bad.
"You still haven't named him," Edward reminded.
I glanced back at Edward, thinking about what he just said. I'd been so focused on training Midnight, I forgot about naming the baby. "What do you think I should name him?"
"Your dad told you to do it." I took a deep breath in, looking back out across the field at the little baby. He was standing in the direct line of a stream of sunlight. I smiled, thinking of the perfect name.
"Sunny," I announced. "I want to name him Sunny."
"Sunny sounds like a good name. Can I ask why?"
I shrugged. "I guess because he's always so happy and carefree. He makes me happy and warm, just like sunshine does."
He laughed. "I guess I can see it. He does look like a Sunny." I smiled, feeling pleased with my selection. His hand slowly came across the distance between us and linked our fingers together. It was so covertly done, yet still so sweet. We had to be careful even still. Being that my dad and Jake were out of the way for now, we could be a little more open with each other. But they could come back at any time so we had to be alert.
"Are you going to eat your apple?" He asked, looking down at the apple in my lap.
"Shouldn't I wash it first?" I questioned. He laughed.
"It's up to you what you do." He took a big bite out of his, smirking as he chewed. I knew he was testing me. I glared at him, rubbing the apple against my jeans to clean it off a little before raising it to my mouth and taking a bite. His smile spread across his face as he took another bite. "Now that right there is as organically grown as you will ever get. No whole foods store is going to be as fresh or as juicy as these apples are. The little apple worms are probably still inside," he joked. I took yet another bite, not willing to let his antics get to me. He laughed at every bite I took.
As soon as I finished every last bite of the apple and all that was left was the core, he clapped his hands mockingly. I shoved him playfully against the chest and threw the apple core over my shoulder. He laughed as he came back up and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me to him. He kissed me softly and long. I rested my hands on his sides, balling his shirt in my fists.
I started to move closer to him, when I felt something nudge me from behind. I pulled away quickly, practically jumping into Edward's lap from the sudden interruption. My heart was beating so fast, as I turned around to see what it was. Midnight was standing above me, rubbing his nose against my head. Edward laughed so hard at my fright.
I crawled out of his lap, shoving him for laughing at me. He pulled me back into his lap and kissed me again. "Guess what?" He asked. I groaned at his silly question. "He's ready."
"Who's ready?" I asked, staring at him with questioning eyes. My curiosity was peaked now.
"Midnight is ready to be ridden. He loves you and he's jealous because you're with me and not with him. If he didn't care about you, he would never come over here freely like he just did. He trusts you."
"Are you serious?" I asked excitedly. I crawled out of his lap, walking to Midnight and rubbing his neck.
"I was testing him. It's why I didn't close the pen when we left. I had a feeling he'd come over here to see you," Edward explained.
"Well, what do I do? Do I just get up on him and go?" I wondered.
He jumped up to his feet, walking over to me with worried eyes. "No! This is where you really need to trust me and listen to every word I say. Otherwise you or Midnight might get hurt. I need to know whether or not you plan to listen to me."
I looked deep into his worried and strong eyes. "I promise Edward. Whatever you say, I'll do." He let out a long sigh wrapping me in his arms. I hugged him back, trying to ease his worry. I could tell he was having doubts about letting me do this.
He kissed the top of my head, before he pulled away and stepped a good distance away from me. I looked up at him with questioning eyes, when he motioned with his head to the other side of Midnight. I turned around, peaking over his back, noticing my dad and Jake walking back across the field. My shoulders fell from disappointment.
"Come on. Let's get Midnight back in the pen and back to training."
"So, when do I get to ride him?" I asked, as we walked back to the pen.
"I don't know. Not for a while."
"Why not now?"
"I want to look him over and try a few things before I let you up on him," he replied.
"He won't hurt me, Edward."
"He might not intentionally hurt you, but he's still a little wild and I'm not going to let you ride him when I don't know what he's capable of," he argued. We walked back towards the pen.
"What do you plan to do to him?" I asked, defensively.
"I'm not going to do anything to him. All I want to do is look him over and see if he'll let me get on him," he explained.
"What! I thought I was going to ride him?" I asked.
"Not yet," he answered coldly.
"Why?" I shouted. My dad and Jake were within earshot now and I knew it wasn't a good idea to argue with Edward about this, but he said I could train him. I wanted to do all of it. I didn't need his help. "He trusts me and he'll let me do it."
"Bella, he may like you and not want to hurt you, but if you do something he isn't ready for, he's going to react. You aren't going to know what to do or how to get out of his way without getting hurt," he shouted back. "He's going to buck and kick and you'll be in the way."
I glared up at him. "Don't tell me I don't know how to get out of the way if he gets upset. I know him better than you do and I know what he's thinking. If you want to ride him, I'll do it first," I asserted. I reached for the reins he was holding and jerked them out of his hands. I could see his jaw clenching and he took in a long breath through his nose. He was doing everything he could to control his anger.
"What's going on?" My dad asked, glancing back and forth between the two of us.
"Nothing I can't handle," Edward assured. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Let me make something clear. I'm not something you can "handle". You are not touching this horse. You stay away from him. I'll take it from here," I stressed. I turned, leading Midnight back to the barn.
"Bella," my dad called, following behind me. I walked to the barn, putting Midnight back in his stall. "What happened?"
"I've done everything for this horse. I've listened to every little command Edward has given me and now he tells me Midnight is ready to be ridden and he wants to be the one to do it. The deal was I would be the one to ride him. Not that I'd do all the work and he'd get all the glory," I explained angrily.
"I'm sure that's not what he's doing," my dad argued.
"It sure sounds like it to me. I'm not letting him ride Midnight. I don't want him anywhere near my horse."
"Your horse?" He questioned, looking at me curiously.
"Well," I began timidly. "I know he's not my horse, but I've done all the work, dad. Shouldn't I have some say in what happens to him?" I questioned.
He smiled, walking closer to Midnight and patting him on the back. Midnight jerked away stepping behind me. "Whether or not he's yours, doesn't matter," he explained. "He's claimed you and that's all that matters. He's your horse Bella. You do what you want with him."
I smiled. "Really? You're giving him to me?"
"Yes, but," he started. There was always a "but". I rolled my eyes, having a good idea what he was going to say. "You promised me you would listen to Edward and follow his instructions. Why are you not listening now?"
"It's not that I'm not listening. He's just being ridiculous and not listening to me. I know Midnight. I know his every move and every thought. Now Edward is trying to say I don't know what I'm doing and I'm going to get hurt. I can handle this. I know I can," I explained.
"Alright," he agreed. "I'll talk to Edward."
"You will?" I asked, excitedly.
"He's your horse, Bella. You call the shots."
I ran to him, hugging him tightly and thanking him for listening to me.
"Riding him is a lot more dangerous than teaching him to follow commands and leading him around the field. I need to know you're going to listen to Edward. I don't want you arguing with him and putting yourself in danger," my dad insisted.
"I'll listen to every command he gives me, as long as he's reasonable and doesn't treat me like I'm an invalid," I disputed.
He shook his head, letting out a sigh, before walking out of the barn.
I stayed with Midnight a little longer, brushing him out and talking to him before putting him in his stall. I went back to the house, taking a long shower and trying to relax my tension.
When I got out and changed into some pajamas, my phone started ringing. I picked it up seeing my mom's name come up on the screen.
"Hi, mom," I answered.
"Hi, baby. I haven't heard from you for a few weeks, so I thought I'd call and see how you're doing."
"Everything is great. I've been enjoying the horses and spending time with dad."
"Really?" She asked, sarcastically. "You actually enjoy being around those smelly animals?"
"I do, mom. And they aren't smelly. They're smart and lovable and so much fun," I disputed.
"Well, you won't catch me on one of those animals. It's why I left in the first place. Your dad knew I didn't like them, yet he insisted on owning them."
"Mom is there a reason why you called? Or did you just call to tell me how much you hate dad?" I asked.
"I don't hate your father. I just don't like what he chooses to do," she clarified. "But yes there was a reason I was calling. Phil will be done filming in another two weeks and I was thinking since it's right around the time of your birthday, we would come to Seattle and have a huge birthday bash for you. I've already called around and made some arrangements. All you need to do is give me a list of who you want to invite and I'll send out invitations."
"You're throwing me a birthday party in Seattle?"
"Why not? It's a lovely place with lots of character. Wouldn't you like a destination birthday party?"
"A destination birthday party would be more like Hawaii or maybe Jamaica, not Seattle," I argued.
"Are you saying you don't want your birthday in Seattle? If you don't like the idea I can change it to whatever you want. Just tell me where you want it and I'll make it happen," she insisted.
"Seattle's fine mom," I said. "I'll work on a list of guests and email it to you."
"Okay honey. I miss you, you know? I wish you could have come with us," she informed.
"I'm sure you did." I rolled my eyes. If she wanted me to go, she would have made it happen. She wanted to go there alone, without me. "I've got to go. I'll talk to you later." I hung up and went to bed early. I had no intention of going out to see Edward tonight, so I figured I'd try to catch up on some sleep.
The next morning, I crawled out of bed late in the morning. Normally Edward would call my phone every morning right at eight to wake me up, but I guess he didn't want to today, so I slept in. I went downstairs and was surprised to see my dad sitting at the table. Usually by now he'd be outside working. "I was just about to wake you up. I need to go into the city and pick up some feed and a few other things. You're welcome to come along if you'd like, since it looks like you have no interest in working with Midnight today."
"Who said I didn't have interest in working with Midnight today? Just because I accidentally slept in, doesn't mean I don't plan to work with him," I argued. "I don't have any need in going to the city, so I'll stay here."
"Okay, I was just offering," he said, defensively. "I talked to Edward. He's still willing to help you if you want him to. He agreed to do things your way, within reason."
"Good," I said.
I went upstairs and got dressed. I saw my dad's truck pulling out just as I walked outside. He had Jake with him and they both waved as they drove by. I waved back giving them a weak smile. I darted off towards the barn to check on Midnight. I walked into his stall. He seemed scared and a little on edge. I walked towards him, shushing him and trying to calm him down. The minute he saw me, and heard my voice, he calmed down.
"He's been acting like this all morning. I think he was worried because you didn't show up," Edward said. I turned around, glaring at him for a second.
"Well, I didn't have someone call me at the crack of dawn to wake me up," I argued. I heard him take a few steps closer behind me. I kept my attention on Midnight.
"I didn't think you'd want me to call," he countered.
"I didn't. But I still figured you would."
He sighed, taking a few steps closer. "Look, Bella, I'm sorry. I know you're mad at me and you probably have every right to be mad at me, but I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I know," I rolled my eyes, turning towards him. "If I do, it'll be your ass and you don't want to lose your job."
"No, Bella. That's not why." He walked closer, standing over me. He put his hand out, touching my arm, but I jerked away from him. He flinched backwards, sighing. "I don't want anything to happen to you because I care about you. I'm worried about you getting hurt. It has nothing to do with me wanting the glory or whatever it is you accused me of. I just want to make sure it's safe first."
"I'll be fine. I know him, Edward. I'm aware of the danger and I know he'll probably freak when I get on him for the first time, but I can handle it. I want to be the one to ride him. You were the one who had this idea in the first place and got me all excited about it. Then as soon as it comes time to ride him, you changed your mind." I took a step closer to him. "I can't do it without you. I need you to trust me, just as much as you need me to trust you." He looked deep in my eyes, taking in my every word. I knew he was trying to be brave and give in to what I wanted. It was the first time he actually said he cared about me. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but it was close.
"Okay," he agreed. "If we do this, I need you to do every single thing I say. I can't have you arguing with me about what I say or how I say it."
"I'll listen. I'll do everything you tell me to do," I agreed, excitedly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you."
"I'm going to regret this so much," he whispered. I looked up at him, kissing his lips.
"No, you won't. I promise. I'll be fine." He smiled, kissing me again.
"Go get Apple ready for a ride," he said.
"Why am I riding Apple?" I asked.
"We're going for a ride first and we're going to test Midnight a little. I may think he's ready, but I need to be sure." I nodded my head and left the stall to get Apple. I saddled her up and walked her down to Midnight's stall. Edward was in there attempting to put a saddle on him. Midnight kept jumping away and bucking his head at Edward. I started laughing.
"Would you like some help?" I asked. He stared at me, not answering my question. I wrapped Apples reins around the gate and walked into the stall. I took the saddle from Edward's hands, and walked over to Midnight. I talked to him slowly and softly, making sure he knew it was me and everything was okay. I got him to hold still and slipped the saddle on his back, tightening it around him. I grabbed the reins and led him out, taking Apple with me.
A few minutes later Edward came back, leading Chester out. He mounted Chester and I did the same to Apple.
"I want to take you somewhere. I want you to lead Midnight out with us. It's going to be some tough terrain, so hold on to him and don't lose your balance."
"Okay," I agreed. I didn't know where he was taking me, but as long as he was still helping me, I didn't care.
-Next chapter will be up in a couple days.