Here is the next chapter. I am hoping to get these out faster. I am running on a path with this and hoping that it is the right path to take. Thank you for the great reviews and alerts! And I love that it has also been marked by many as a favorite!
My beta at Twilighted is awesome, BTW!
BPOV
I dug through every bag I had; the book was gone. My favorite book was missing. I spent the whole weekend retracing my steps and found nothing. It was one of the few things that I felt an attachment to. Everyone has those things they hold dear. Sunday, I gave up the search. I was sure I had lost it for good. No one would turn it in - why would they? Wuthering Heights was just a book to most people and not very well liked.
I was sitting in the common room when Edward came in. I gave him a small smile while I was mentally kicking myself for losing the book in the first place. He sat down next to me.
"What's up Bella? You look upset."
I just shook my head and sighed. I was not going to bring up my missing book. I was sure he already thought I was weird. How would he take a girl who was obsessed with a book? I closed my eyes briefly before looking at him. His green eyes were beautiful, and I could have gotten lost in them. I smiled at him. I knew better then to think about him like that, but his eyes were amazing.
"Just been a bad weekend. Nothing to really talk about. As they say, 'This too shall pass'. How has your weekend been?"
He shrugged and leaned back on the couch, sinking into the pillows there. I followed suit, turning toward him as I tucked my legs under me. I knew I was attracted to him, who wouldn't be? It wasn't planned nor would I act on it. I just thought he was handsome, and I admired the passion he had for his music.
"I have had a quiet weekend. I was thinking about going to grab a bite to eat in Port Angeles. Jasper said I could borrow his car. You want to come with me?"
I blinked as I looked at him. Had he just asked me to dinner? I was left unable to think for a moment. I smiled at him and was just about to say yes when Jasper and Alice came into the room. They had been whispering, but when Alice saw Edward and me on the couch together, she grinned. She gave me one of her questioning looks, and I just smiled at her. I knew she wanted me to hit it off with Edward.
Alice turned to Jasper, "Maybe we should go for a walk instead, Jas."
He shook his head and moved toward Edward, hand out, "I need my keys. Alice and I are going to go eat something. Do you two want to come with us?"
I could see the frown on Alice's face as Jasper asked for the keys. I shrugged at her and stood up. I mumbled something about homework and headed into my room. Going out alone with Edward was different then going out with others. There was always that pressure to be a couple when you go out with other couples. I just wanted to be friends with Edward, didn't I?
EPOV
I wanted to kick Jasper. I had actually asked Bella to dinner, and he had to come in and take his keys. I really needed to get my car up here. I had watched as Bella left the room. I sighed and looked at Jasper and Alice. She was frowning, too, and mouthed she was sorry. I shrugged and stood up, heading out of the room. I was not sure where I was going, but I needed to get out of there for a while. Emmett and Rosalie had gone to Seattle for the weekend. They were due back at any moment. I was not in the mood to be around couples.
I wasn't sure what I was feeling for Bella, but I was not going to let it get too far. I was really hoping that the person who left me music nightly would be the one I would connect with. The music they left me said a lot about them. I was getting anxious to see who it was. I found myself in the music hall, hours earlier than normal. I didn't go into my normal room though. Instead I sat down on the steps by the room. Was this where they sat every night when I was playing? I sat there, lost in thought for a while. It was the sound of the hall doors opening that brought me back to reality. I can say I was surprised to see Bella walk through those doors. I don't think she saw me as she walked, so I stood and slipped around the nearest corner to watch her.
She looked lost in her own thoughts as she walked. It was when she stopped outside the room I usually played in that I almost jumped out to confront her. I watched her slip into the room and a few minutes later she came back out. She left quickly, but I waited there in my spot for a while. The fact that she had been in that room had left me speechless. I could not wrap my mind around the fact that it was her leaving me the music. I went to the room, to see if it really was her doing it for sure. I approached the piano slowly and stared at the new sheet music there. I had no idea she knew so much about music. She had great taste, and it showed in each piece she left me.
I smiled as I sat down, looking at the music. Bella was my mysterious listener. How would I deal with this? I knew that for the time being, I would need to keep it to myself. Until I knew how to approach it right, I would need to just let her keep the mystery alive. I stood up, tracing fingers over the sheet music before heading out of the hall. I was not due to play for a few hours yet, and I had a plan. I needed to run back to the room and grab that lost copy of Wuthering Heights. I was sure the owner would love to have it back. I think that was why she was having such a bad weekend, and I wanted to make the weekend end on a good note for her. Knowing it was her leaving me the music changed everything, I just didn't know why.
BPOV
The hours until I would get to hear that beautiful piano music always seemed to drag by. I was restless and roamed through the small group of rooms we all lived in. It was always hard waiting on the days when I had nothing else to do. I had gotten all my homework done. Usually, I would read in my spare time, but the book I was right in the middle of was missing. I frowned and huffed as I dug through all my stuff again, looking for that book. It was tiring to lose something. It was hard work to dig through everything you owned.
Somehow I had passed enough time though, and soon I was headed to the music hall. I was humming something the mysterious player had played the night before. I had not recognized it, but I had loved it. I heard the familiar notes of a Beethoven piece as I entered the hall. They had a real talent. I smiled and let my mind wander as I headed for my normal spot on the steps. Someday, I would confront whoever it was in there, but not any time soon. I was happy to just listen as they played the things I left for them.
As I sat down I felt something poking me. I stood up; my eyes fell to the book on the steps. It was my copy of Wuthering Heights. I wanted to giggle and jump up and down. I didn't though. That would have drawn attention to me, and even though the hall was empty, I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I was so happy to see that book there. I heard the music stop, and I stood perfectly still. It felt like forever before the next piece started. I sat down, hugging my book to my body as I listened. It was turning into a great weekend, even if it was Sunday night.
EPOV
As I finished the last song, I wondered if she was still out there. I sat there and waited a bit, letting the last note fade away. There was no one there when I did finally get the courage to leave. The book was gone, too. I hoped that it had put a smile on her face. Now I just needed to figure out how I was going to approach this whole thing. I was sure I could become friends with Bella, but this changed things for me. I knew that I felt something for her. There was something there that I could not explain and had been trying to fight. My own feelings were so confusing.
When I got back to the room, I laid there in bed, thinking about everything. This was definitely a turn I was not expecting. I was not unhappy about it, but I was sure I would mess something up somewhere. Bella's face was actually in my head as I fell asleep. She really was beautiful. What I couldn't figure out was why I was so happy it was her leaving me the music.
So he knows, but she does not. I plan to drag out her side of this. I want them to get to know each other before she finds out. I love love love Reviews!!!