Edward stole glances at me the entire ride back, making me uncomfortable. Heck, I was uncomfortable enough as it was. Why the hell did he kiss me? And it wasn't just any old kiss; it was like he actually meant it.
"Weird." I murmured.
"Huh?" he asked, not really paying attention.
"Oh, uh nothing."
He gave me an odd look, then turned back to the road. My gaze fell to his hands gripping the steering wheel. They were tightly wrapped around it, as if he meant to choke all the life out of it…that is…If it were real.
"Um," I started, "are you ok?"
He didn't answer, but his eyes narrowed.
"Look, I don't know what the hell happened back there. I was every bit as unprepared for that as you were." I told him softly.
And it was the truth. Memory flooded me; the moment that Angle's and my eyes met something happened. I didn't know what but I knew it did. Something in his icy glare softened, almost like he loved me again.
I snorted at the thought. Edward's eyes flicked over to me in question, but I waved it away with my hand.
When he came to my house, he just pulled up alongside of the curb.
"Charlie's still not home yet." He noted.
"I know." I wrung my hands, trying to think of something to say, that might ease the tension between us, but nothing came. Finally I just said goodbye.
"Well, I'd better go. See you on Monday." I started out of the car, when suddenly his iron cold hand clamped around my arm, spinning me around into him.
His head lowered and his mouth captured mine. My lips warmed his cold ones, messaging the life into them, and he kissed me back just as fiercely and hungry. When he finally tore his moth away, his eyes had grown to the color of deep ebony.
"Be safe." He said in a low tone, which made me shiver.
I leaned over and kissed him again, more quickly this time though.
"Bye." I whispered against his lips. I felt the corners of his mouth turn upward in a small smile. Then I turned and stepped out of the car.
The weekend went bye in a blur. I patrolled every night, but saw no sign of Angel, and I wondered if I was ever going to see him again. His face refused to evaporate from my mind, and it really agitated me. I wasn't supposed to like him again. I had Edward, what more could I want. Every now and then his face would pop up and push out Angle's which mad me sigh in relief.
What was I going to do about him?
Ever since Angel kissed me, my love for Edward was questioned. After I gave it a long thought, I figured since Angel was my first love, a part o me would never let him go.
Sunday night I was attacked, when I was out. Not that it was anything new, but this one wasn't interested in fighting, he had a message from Angel.
"Thursday," he whispered into my ear. "Meet him Thursday in the large clearing in the woods." I nodded quickly, then he got up and ran.
I was amazed that Angel had actually set up a meeting unlike his usual surprise ones.
Charlie looked up from his paper when I walked in.
"Hey hun, how was your w-" a slow smile spread across his face.
"Don't say anything." I warned. "I just happened to trip a little, go figure, and kind of fall in some mud." I stated simply.
Charlie closed his mouth and turned back to the TV, laughter in his eyes. He knew that I was usually klutzy (or so I pretended, in reality is hardly ever tripped), so it wasn't hard to cover up the bruises and cuts that tagged along from my 'walks.'
That night I had a strange dream. I had dreamt that Angel had turned me. The Slayer a vampire? I would have laughed, had I not been dreaming.
Morning came and I stared at the ceiling, watching the sunlight dance all over. I thought about the dream. It was crazy, I knew, but still, some of my dreams had come true in the past. This had damned well not be one of them. Groaning, I sat up and got ready for another day.
My mind was constantly zoning in and out during my morning classes. The other students were mostly quiet; the news of Jess's death was still shockingly new. But around lunchtime, things got a little livelier.
As I walked into the cafeteria, walking a slowly, my gaze shifted over to the table that the Cullens usually sat at.
Only Edward was there today. The rest of them were only God knows where, actually they were across the room. I knew that Edward wanted something and they were probably really annoyed with him right now. I felt his eyes on me, drawing me in.
Idling over to him, I sat down next to him with a simple 'hi.' He nodded, but was silent; his eyes holding mine for a moment.
"How are you?" I asked quietly.
"Nothing I can't handle.' He said a little curtly. Nodding, I looked around the room, trying to seem occupied, because, hell, this wasn't awkward at all. Then at once we both spoke.
"Edward I-"
"Would you-"
He chuckled, and I smiled.
"Sorry, you first." I gestured with my hand for him to continue.
He licked his lips and gazed at me intently. "Would you want to meet my family this weekend?" My eyes widened.
"You talkin' to me?" He rolled his eyes, which were a stunning amber color now.
"Is there anyone else around?"
"Well, yeah." I jerked my head back to the right. "They're some kids over there that I know fr-"
"Bella." His voice was sinister. Obviously not appreciative of sarcasm. "If you're uncomfortable, just say so."
I sat back a little. "No, I mean I'm not. I do, want to that is."
"But…?"
"I don't know." I fidgeted in my seat. "Your family doesn't really seem to have me on their top ten favorites list." Edward's face softened.
"Their problem isn't you. They just can't understand why I can't leave you. Truth is…I'm not sure either."
I smirked. "Really? Is that so?" I sat up a little straighter, and flipped my hair over my shoulder, exposing my throat.
His eyes darkened and widened as he took a sharp intake of breath.
"Tempting?"
"Very." His voice was dangerously low, and It sent a shiver down my spine.
"Maybe that's why you're with me."
He mused over that. "Maybe, but maybe more."
I smiled to myself, proud that I held a little power over him. It was then when I noticed that the lunchroom was nearly deserted.
"Shit." I muttered, rising gracefully to my feet, Edward's eyes following my every movement with almost a dark, lustful look. "God, you are such a distraction, you know that?"
Slowly, he also rose, and walked next to me. "I wasn't planning on going to class anyway." I sighed.
"Edward, you skip anymore classes you're going to have to repeat this grade."
He laughed deep in his throat. "Bella, I've been taking this grade for years."
I smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. Forgot." I shifted a little closer to him, and laced my fingers with his long, cold ones. The presence of him made me loose all track of everything, and I didn't even realize that he was leading me outside. My feet stood firm, when I did notice.
"Hey, I didn't think you were serious. You may be able to leave, but I can't" A smile spread over his perfect face, he walked back towards me, which made me nervous.
"Hey hey hey." My voice was strong, but my stomach was doing somersaults. I took a step back. When he was about two inches from my face, I remembered something. "You can't beat me."
"That's not the question here." His breath flowed over me, making me realize just how close he was.
"Meaning?"
"If we did…tussle, would you want to win?" The question caught me off guard, my eyes spanned up to his. Would I?
"Edward, I'm not going to fight you." I said, sighing and taking a couple steps back.
"Why not?"
"Because it's stupid!"
"Because you don't want to hurt me, is that it?" His voice wasn't angry exactly, but I could sense that somewhere inside him, he didn't like the fact that odds were I could kick his ass if it ever came to that.
"Well, yeah. And I'm sure the same goes for you." I really didn't like the turn this conversation took. "Edward, what do you want from me?"
He looked away, and remained silent. Then it dawned on me.
"It's Angel, isn't it?" I asked crossly. I couldn't believe that he was still on about this. "He bothers you. In a way that you just can't ignore, right?"
His gaze drew back to me, "I worry."
"Well don't. He's not your problem."
"But you are." He retorted
"No! I'm not. Just leave it alone ok!" I practically shouted.
"It's hard to. Bella you've got so much power, that I feel like I can't even touch you."
"I'm right here." I whispered.
"Not the same thing is it?" He demanded. I moved closer, our bodies almost touching, and I could sense the torture I was putting him through.
"You want to touch me? Go ahead." I put my hands on my hips, waiting.
His eyes burned into mine. "Not here."
"Fine," I said simply. "We'll go somewhere else then."
"Bella, you don't have to prove anything-"
"No." I said, cutting him off. "Come on." I said grabbing his hand and started walking towards the parking lot.
"Bella. Where are you going?"
"We are going to the beach."
He drove in silence. Memories of last time flooded back to me as we drew closer. God, I hoped that I didn't have to repeat last time. If Edward wanted a little 'heart to heart' I'd sure as hell be glad to give it to him.
When we pulled into the empty parking lot, I got out quickly, and he followed suit. I grabbed his hand, he looked surprised at my endurance.
"Lets walk." I said, and we headed out to the ocean.
We walked slowly, feeling the spray of the waves soothed me to a point of relaxation. And I moved closer to Edward without knowing. After a while he cleared his throat,
"So…how exactly did he loose his soul?"
I squeezed my eyes shut, dreading the question. Why did he have to ask that, now of all times.
"You really want to know?" I asked glancing up at him.
"I asked didn't I?"
Sighing I moved away, and looked out to the sea. "I slept with him." I kept walking, but Edward had stopped in his tracks.
"You did what?"
I turned on him, defenses up. "What are you deaf now?"
"And you had no idea of the consequences?" he demanded, striding up to me.
"No…look we just had a really bad encounter…it was a heat of the moment kind of thing!"
"Oh, that's ok
then." He laughed sarcastically.
"Oh my God, are you twelve?!
Your not my mother or anything, so just lay off!" What the hell was
wrong with him? He was acting really strange and it was bugging me to
death. Like he knew anything about my past life with Angel.
Edward smirked and started walking around me.
"What?" I growled.
"Just wondering if you had a lot of 'heat of the moment' times."
That did it. I turned and backhanded him across the face.
"You bastard! How dare you judge me! You don't know anything that happened back then, and you still don't!" I picked him up by the collar of his shirt and punched him again, working out all of my anger. He stumbled back a step.
"Fine," he growled deadly low in his throat. "Take it all out on me if it makes you-" He was cut off as I kicked him in the chest. He flipped back onto the sand, and I was on top of him before he could blink. I raised my arm, but suddenly he rolled, pinning me to the ground.
"Don't." he whispered gently. I was too angry to hear anything else. I lurched out from underneath, and scrambled to my feet. Edward was already standing. A light rain had started to fall, cooling down the heat in my face, as the rain was mixed with angry tears. Turning I headed to the edge of the tree line where the path to the car was. I reached the edge, when Edward's arm snaked around my waist and turned me around.
"Talk to me." He said sternly.
"No." I tried to be strong, but I was breaking down. I tried to hit him, but he grabbed my arm and pinned it to my side, shoving me back against a tree. Our breathing was ragged, and I noticed a cut on his forehead. I stared at him for a second then grasped his shirt, and brought his head down to mine, and kissed him deeply. He groaned and wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me to him. I tore my mouth away and stared him in the eyes, which had grown darker and hungry.
"Bella." He breathed.
"Don't." I put a finger against his cold lips, then replaced it with my own. I wanted him, and I could tell that he had the same feeling. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pinned me back against the tree. He kissed me again, and I tore at his shirt. We fell into the sand, and it was a long time before we got up again.
A/N: Sorry about the looooooooooooong wait! But I made this chapter longer for you guys. Thanks to every person who was kind enough to review! ILY!
Diosa Di Notte