Nightfall
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Phoenix
----------------------------------------------He wrapped his arms around me again and held me as close as humanly possible. I thought hopefully of the day, a few months from then, when he wouldn't have to hold back.
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After a few minutes of cuddling, Edward took me downstairs —in my pajamas, no less— to talk to Carlisle. He sat me down on a stool in the kitchen and tossed me an apple for me to eat while he explained to his "father" how and when he wanted to transform me.
Carlisle glanced at me worriedly from time to time, always looking away quickly. He seemed happy for us though, and respected our decision. He even volunteered to be on call in case something went sideways and offered Edward a few tips.
After our little chat, Carlisle suggested we call Alice to tell her the good news. Edward refused. I think he was still worried about his decision. I really wanted to talk to her though, so I insisted he let me call.
A few moments of heated discussion later, he agreed to let me use the cell phone as long as I didn't tell her about me being turned. He claimed it was still too early to be telling people about it.
I dialed Alice's number quickly and sat down to wait for her answer. I was amazed when her voice said "Hey Bella!" after just one ring.
"Alice! Hi, how are you?"
"I'm great! I miss you! Oh, wait! I'm glad you called, I saw this thing in a magazine yesterday that would be perfect for your hair! I really can't wait for you to get back, I got so anxious yesterday I went shopping and got you a great pair of shoes. They have a bit of a heel, but I'm sure you'll be okay. You have Edward at your side twenty four hours a day anyway, I'm sure he'd never let you fall on your face."
She made a pause to take an unnecessary breath. I used that moment to interrupt "Wow Alice, that's great. Although I am a little worried about those shoes. To tell you the truth, I'm worried about you guys buying stuff for me, period. I'm soon going to start having a problem hiding the stuff from Charlie, you know?"
"Well you can just keep a closet full of clothes here, silly! It's not like you don't already have a few things in Edward's drawers. Oh by the way, I threw away those hideous pants you use in bed and bought you a cute pair of pajamas. Don't worry, it's not a skimpy little thing. My brother would kill me if I made it any harder for him to behave while you sleep."
I just had to smile. I really did miss Alice a lot. She was the perfect girlfriend, even if she did tend to rant a lot. "Well as long as it's comfortable and covers enough skin. Oh hey Alice?"
"Yeah?"
"How is everyone?"
I could hear the pause in her voice "Everyone is great, Bella."
"Alice?" I repeated.
I could hear her sigh before saying "There is no sign of those guys. I haven't even had the vision again. I don't know what's going on! I don't know if you leaving changed their plans somehow or if my vision isn't supposed to come true for several months..."
"But I thought you knew when it was going to happen."
"I did too, but now I have no clue. I think it would be safer for you to stay up there for the rest of the week as planned though. If anything changes I'll let you know."
"Okay." I said reluctantly, not because I didn't want to spend a week with my gorgeous boyfriend doing absolutely nothing but stare at him, but because it made me uneasy, not knowing.
"So anyway, about that hair thing. We might have to cut some of it off, your hair is way too long for the look I want to try on you."
"No! I mean... let's not change the length too much. I like my hair long."
I hoped she hadn't caught the urgency on my voice, but she had.
"Bella?" She asked.
"Yes?"
"Why don't you want me to cut your hair? It grows back, you know?"
"I know! I just prefer it long. Besides, it'd take forever to grow back."
She wasn't buying it. I could almost hear her smile on the phone.
"Oh my God, you talked him into doing it, didn't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." I answered, trying to sound clueless.
"Oh you did! I don't believe it!"
"Alice..." I started.
"I mean I see him doing it all the time! On my visions I mean. But he somehow always manages to resist. Oh this is great! When is he going to do it?"
Edward walked into the living room where I was sitting and stared at me pointedly. He had probably heard my end of the conversation and wasn't too happy about the direction it'd taken.
"Tell me!" Alice urged.
"I can't." I said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, Edward is standing right there isn't he?"
"I can hear you Alice!" Edward raised his voice.
Alice giggled on the phone. "Bye Edward! And don't you think for a second I'm going to drop this one!" She blew me a kiss and hung up.
I placed the cell phone on the coffee table and glanced apologetically at Edward. "I tried to keep it from her, I really did! But she started talking about cutting my hair and it won't have a chance to grow back..."
Edward moved to my side in the blink of an eye. He stopped my rant by placing a cold finger to my lips. I smiled against his perfect skin.
"What are you smiling about?" He asked, a hint of a smile on his own face.
"I'm happy!" I kissed his finger and he gave me a lopsided grin in return.
"Come on," he picked me up in his strong arms. "Let's get you into bed."
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That night he touched his lips to mine gently for what seemed like ages. I breathed his scent through my nose, which had cleared up thanks to some cold medicine he'd grabbed for me in town, and relished the feeling of his perfect, cold lips against mine.
Before I fell asleep I asked, "Edward, why were those two guys hunting me in the woods? They had traps built around the VanBullens' land."
"Our friends had a bit of a problem when they first moved here. Mina is a very recent addition to their family, she was not at all used to being around humans. Only her love for Abraham made her try long and hard to adapt. She finally did. I'm talking about many decades ago, but when she first came here, she... ate someone."
I raised my eyebrows. "Don't be scared, she's much better at this now. She felt really bad after what happened. Besides, she'd never hurt you."
"I'm not scared. I was wondering how the VanBullens have managed to stay in this house for so many decades."
Edward chuckled, "Well, they don't go out much. Anyway, the husband of the woman she fed from swore to avenge her death, stupid little man. Fortunately for us, no one ever believed the vampire story. But that didn't stop the guy from buying the surrounding land and patrolling it to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Edward tucked me under his arm and continued his story "I do kind of admire his efforts though, specially since he'll never be able to do any harm. I used to think he was just a sick and obsessed old guy who couldn't move on with his life."
"You used to think? What changed?"
I could feel his smile against my forehead. "Well, you. If something ever happened to you, I would personally hunt the culprit down and torture him to death."
"Well, after you change me, you won't have to worry anymore."
"No, after I change you the culprit will be me."
I sighed. "We really need to work on your attitude towards this whole thing."
"Look, just because I agreed to do it doesn't mean I'm ever going to like it. I'm only doing it because it seems to be what will make you happy, even if I know you might regret it later. It just looks like you'll never be satisfied unless I do it."
"Well you're right about that." I wiggled out of his grasp so I could be face to face with him. "But you are also wrong about one thing. I will never regret it Edward, I'm fully aware of the consequences of my actions. I'd never ask you to do it if I had any doubts."
"I know, I know." He kissed my lips again. "Go to sleep Bella."
That, I didn't argue.
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I woke up once during the night, bathed in cold sweat. Edward had recognized the nightmare early enough to avoid any screams, but not the quiet cries.
He rested his body over mine, lifting my shirt a little to make sure my skin could come into contact with his. His hands framed my face as he slowly hummed my lullaby. It'd become a routine. He rocked me back to sleep after the nightmare had passed.
The sun was already rising when I woke up a few hours later. I reached out to find Edward on his side of the bed, but touched only cold sheets.
"Edward?" I asked groggily. When he didn't answer I sat up. I saw him sitting on the couch by the window, his face buried in his hands. The white skin of his fingers was being lightly touched by sunlight and it glowed, making him look like the most beautiful of angels. Like an angel in pain.
"Edward?" I asked again and got no answer. I left the bed, my bare feet touching the cold, wooden floor and making me shiver. I approached him slowly, and carefully placed my hand on his shoulder. "Edward, what's wrong?"
He sighed and, without looking at me, answered, "How can I take your life, Bella? The sole thing I ever swore to protect."
I sat down on his lap. His hands left his face only to circle my waist.
"I'm going to die eventually, and it will probably be in an accident or from some painful disease. It will catch me completely by surprise. I'd rather die on my own terms and for a reason."
"I know." Edward buried his face on my neck "I do know, it's just going to take time for me to adjust to the idea."
I framed his face with my hands and kissed his lips softly. "We have time, Edward. Just don't back out on me."
He nodded. "I'll try."
I kissed him once more before running off to take a shower.
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As we walked down the stairs that morning, I could smell something a lot like bacon coming from the kitchen.
"Oh Bella! Good, go sit at the table. Your breakfast is almost ready." Mina intercepted us at the foot of the stairs and guided us towards the dinning room. When we got there my jaw dropped. The table was set for nine. Beautiful china adorned every place. Candles had been lit, even though it was light out, and in front of one of the places sat several covered dishes.
Jonathan, Arthur, Abraham and Carlisle were already sitting. They stood up smiling when I walked in.
"What is all this?" I asked curiously.
"Well my dear, we don't get guests very often. In fact, this table had never been used! We just thought this would be a good time for all of us to sit down and chat, like the old days." Ellen sounded giddy. I smiled at her enthusiasm and sat down with Edward by my side.
Ruth immediately started to fill my plate with eggs, bacon and pancakes. They all sat down and watched me carefully while I took the first bite. I was amazed at how good it all tasted.
"Wow, this is great!" I said sincerely. Ruth clapped her hands in delight. She'd probably studied a whole cookbook the night before.
Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. I bit my tongue, hard.
My hand flew to my mouth and my eyes widened in both surprise and pain. "Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked. All conversation had stopped at my sudden behavior.
"Oh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" I said, my voice muffled by my hand.
"What happened?" Edward asked again, even more concerned.
"I bit my tongue and it's bleeding."
Edward sighed in relief, everyone at the table chuckled.
"Don't worry, my child. We can handle a few drops of blood." Jonathan smiled warmly at me.
I blushed at how stupid I'd probably looked.
"Just swallow really fast until it's all gone." Edward requested. I could tell he'd stopped breathing. I washed all the blood down with my orange juice.
"I thought blood made you faint." Edward teased once it was all gone. I shrugged. "I didn't even think about it. I was thinking about you. I hate making things harder for you by being clumsy."
He smiled sweetly "You know, I'm going to miss that clumsiness when it's gone."
"Yeah? Well I'll be glad to have something that can even remotely be considered as balance."
Edward chuckled and leaned close to me to whisper, "Eat quickly, there's something I want to show you."
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After I was done with my wonderful breakfast, Edward took me back to our room and handed me a small plastic bag.
I reached inside with a frown. My eyes widened when I discovered a baby blue bikini.
"Edward, you do realize it's cold out don't you?"
He smiled "Just trust me. Go change into that and wear your long coat over it."
I raised my eyebrows but did as I was told. The bathing suit, surprise surprise, fit perfectly. It was a halter top with thick straps and had little white flowers embroidered on the sides. The bottom was pretty too.
I wrapped the coat around myself. It was one of the many Edward had gotten for me the day before. It reached all the way down to my toes. I walked out of the bathroom, barefoot, only to find Edward waiting for me.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see." He lifted me into his strong arms and carried me to the stairs without waiting for me to throw on some shoes. I was more than a little surprised when he walked up instead of down. He took me to a large terrace on the top floor, it was surrounded by tall, exotic plants.
As soon as he set a foot outside, his skin started to glow like a million diamonds. I was mesmerized by this, and silently thanked the heavens for the sunny day.
He sat me down next to what I soon realized was a steamy hot tub.
"Oh wow, this is beautiful." I managed to whisper.
"I know, the VanBeaullens really know how to decorate."
"I was talking about you, but whatever."
Edward gave me a half smile and unbuttoned his shirt slowly. My eyes followed his fingers, no matter how hard I tried to look away. Every new inch of revealed skin glowed brightly.
His pants went next. I was too embarrassed to look while he took those off, even though he was wearing his bathing suit underneath. Once he'd ridded himself of all the excess clothing he jumped into the hot tub and sighed in relaxation.
"Come on, Bella. You're getting cold."
He was right, of course, but I felt just a little self-conscious about letting him see me with so little on. He could, as always, read the look on my face perfectly.
He got out of the jacuzzi, dripping wet, and approached me. Any normal person would've shivered, he was as comfortable as if it were a hundred degrees out.
I would've probably tried to get away from his wet body if he hadn't been staring at me with those golden eyes that left me breathless. All I could do was stand there and wait for him to reach me. He walked slowly and, just as slowly, reached out to touch the collar of my coat. He used both hands to push the piece of clothing off my body gently. His stare bathed my body with warmth as he looked down to admire my exposed skin.
One of his hands reached out to trace a line from my ear, down my side, to my belly button. I shivered, but not from the cold. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off the ground, so I could stare into his eyes without having to look up. I didn't even notice his icy, wet bathing suit touching my legs. My skin was on fire from the contact with his.
He walked over to the hot tub and sat me down on the marble seat. The warm water, which was deep enough to cover me from the neck down, felt good around me, but not as good as Edward. As soon as he sat down next to me, I climbed into his lap and leaned against his chest. He smiled.
"Now this is what I call a perfect moment." He whispered in my ear. I bit my lip when he ran kisses from my lobe, to my chin and back again. My lips tingled and ached to touch his, so I turned around on his lap to face him.
When he kissed me, I had to concentrate hard on behaving. I did allow myself to run my hands down his shining arms, which were firmly holding me to him. He placed one hand on the small of my back to pull me closer and the other one on my cheek, probably to make sure I didn't press too hard against his lips.
He broke the kiss suddenly and with a frown.
"Bella?" Carlisle's voice scared the lights out of me. I jumped and turned to find him standing above us, right on the edge of the tub. I blushed scarlet because of the position he'd found us in. Edward hadn't moved an inch.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Charlie is on the phone." He handed me the small, silver cell phone. He'd probably given Charlie the number while I packed. I could tell he was worried.
"Dad? What's wrong?" I tried to keep the panic out of my voice.
"Bells! Don't be scared, nothing's wrong. No, I mean, something is... but it's not serious. You need to call your mother."
"What happened?" If my mom had called Charlie, something was seriously off.
"I'm not sure. She called here, looking for you. She was in tears. I asked her if she was hurt and she said no. Not physically anyway. She sounded bad though, I told her I'd find you."
"Okay, thanks dad. I'll call her right now. I'll let you know what's going on later."
"All right, take care Bella."
"I will dad."
When I hung up I was shaking. I dialed my mom's number as fast as my fingers would allow. The warm water suddenly felt like a brick of ice surrounding me. I was still sitting on Edward's lap. He tightened his grip around me but didn't say a word.
"Hello?" My mom sounded terrible.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
"Oh Bella, where are you? Charlie said something about Canada!" I could tell she'd been crying.
"Yeah. Mom, what's going on?"
"Oh sweetie, Phil and I got into a huge fight. I really need you right now."
"I'm right here. Tell me what happened."
"No, I mean I need you to come home."
I was so surprised by this whole thing I stupidly asked, "You're in Forks?"
"Of course not, I mean I want you home! To Arizona!"
I literally stopped breathing for more than a few seconds. It took me so long to answer, my mother had to ask, "Bella? Are you still there?"
"Mom... I... what happened?"
"I caught him cheating on me! It was horrible! He denied it, of course but I saw him! Bella... I think we're getting a divorce. I really need you to come home." She'd started crying again. I really hated hearing her pain but I was left speechless. I just sat there, on Edward's lap, and shivered.
Edward lifted me up and sat me down by his side. Then he got out and grabbed a large towel from a pile next to the tub.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I'm going to have to call you back."
"Why?" She asked between sobs.
"I just... I'll call you in a few minutes okay?"
"Bella..."
I hung up just as Edward was lifting me up by my arms. He wrapped the fluffy towel around me and carried me to our room in record time. He sat me down on our bed and started drying my legs while he waited for me to say something.
"She wants me to go to her." I finally whispered.
"I heard." Edward toweled my hair dry and then went over to the closet to get me some clothes. He handed them to me and turned around respectfully, waiting for me to get dressed.
I didn't even think twice about getting dressed with Edward in the room. My mind was running a thousand miles a minute. When he sensed I was done he sat down on the bed, next to me.
"You should go, she needs you. It might do you some good to be away from me for a while anyway."
I turned my head slowly to look at him, my mouth wide open. "Are you mad?" I shrieked, "I can't be away from you! Who knows how long she'll want me to stay! I can hardly stand not seeing you for two days when you go hunting! How will I ever survive without you for weeks?"
"Bella, it's for the best. Maybe this is a sign..."
I was so scared I started hyperventilating. "No Edward, don't leave me! Don't make me go!" I sounded like a child but I didn't care. Tears rolled down my cheeks freely.
He quickly took me in his arms and sat me on his lap. His wet suit soaked my jeans in seconds but I didn't even notice. I clung to him for support as my head started to swim.
"Bella calm down, I'm not making you go anywhere. Please breathe, come on."
"I can't be away from you, I can't move back with my mom."
"Okay, okay, it's your decision. But Bella, she needs you!" He stroked my back soothingly.
"And you don't?" I tried hard not to sound hurt.
"Of course I need you. Hell, I don't think I can exist without you, but she's your mother."
"I've been the parent in that house for too long. I've always put her feelings and her needs before mine. But I can't do it now. Not this time."
"Okay. Let's do something. Why don't you go to your mom's for the rest of the week? Calm her down. I'll go get you on Saturday and we'll take it from there."
"Can't you come with me?" I knew I was being selfish. In Arizona, he'd have to be indoors all day.
"I'll need to go hunting soon, I doubt there are many places for me to do that there. Besides, I really do want you to take a few days and think things through, without me there."
I was still crying. The idea of not seeing him for a whole week was inconceivable for me. I knew it had to be done though, so I nodded.
He handed me the cell phone again and waited while I called my mom back.
"Mom?"
"Isabella! What is going on?"
"Nothing. Look, hold on okay? I'll take the first flight I can find. But mom, I'm only staying for a week, then I have to go back."
"Bella..."
"We'll talk more when I get there, mom. Please, just stay put and wait for me. I'll call you soon."
After I hung up Edward made me change my jeans again while he packed the few clothes I'd be able to wear in Phoenix. He barely gave me time to say goodbye to the VanBeaullens. Carlisle had probably informed them about my situation already, because they all met me at the door and wished me good luck.
I stared at my hands for most of the fast drive to the nearest airport. Edward bought me a ticket and checked my bags while I ate a sandwich that tasted like cardboard. I doubt anything would've tasted good right then.
I'd have to switch planes twice, which I hated. I sat, unmoving, on an uncomfortable chair while we waited for my flight to be announced. When it finally was, I started crying again.
Edward surrounded me with his arms and kissed my forehead repeatedly, whispering words of comfort and love.
"I love you Bella, please try to stay away from trouble. Call me as soon as you land."
I nodded but refused to let go of him. "Bella." He pushed me gently away from him and held my face in his hands. "Listen closely to me. I love you. You are my life. Don't worry about me. I will be there in a week to get you, no matter what. If you see anything strange, anything out of the ordinary at all, please let me know."
I nodded through my tears "I love you too."
He kissed me tenderly and then let me go. He watched as I walked to my terminal. I felt like a death row prisoner walking to the electric chair. I got into the plane, with a sinking heart, without looking back.
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My mom threw her arms around me as soon as I stepped foot out of the plane. She cried on my shoulder and cursed Phil at the top of her lungs. People were staring.
"Mom, can we go home? We'll talk there." I convinced her quickly which was kind of surprising, my mom can be the quite the drama queen. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother and was very happy to see her. I was secretly glad to have one last chance to be with her before Edward turned me. I couldn't help but feel like I'd rather be in that amazing hot tub with him than in a stuffy airport with my mother though.
I drove us to her house, a place I could no longer think of as home. Home to me was wherever Edward happened to be. She started telling me her heart-breaking story as soon as we were alone in the car. Apparently she'd stayed behind, when Phil went to one of his games out of town, to get some new furniture for the house. She'd seen something that reminded her of him and had decided to surprise him. When she got to the hotel where he was staying, she saw some girl leaving his room.
There'd been lots of screaming and throwing of clothes. Like I said, my mother likes her drama. He'd tried to explain himself telling her that the woman was just a friend, but she didn't believe him. I just drove home, not saying much. I usually prefer staying away from her guy troubles.
When we got to the house I got my bags out of the trunk and went upstairs to unpack. My mom followed me, of course. She was still ranting about Phil when we got to my room. I stood at the door, sighed, and looked around. The place looked exactly like I'd left it. A few candles and a couple of picture frames that I'd been too lazy to pack were still sitting on the dresser. The bed was made, the drawers still held my summer clothes which were too light for Forks. A wave of melancholy hit me like a ton of bricks. I dropped my bag on the floor and went to sit on my bed.
My mom opened the suitcase and started to unpack. I didn't even notice she was doing it until she stopped talking for a moment.
"Bella? When did you get this?" She held up a cute little blouse with thin straps. It was light green and had a little lace at the top. It was beautiful, and looked expensive. Edward had probably gotten it for me at our little shopping trip without me noticing.
I realized I hadn't once seen all the clothes he'd bought. He had packed them himself, so I was suddenly overwhelmed with love for him. I'd seen him just a few hours ago, but I was already missing him like crazy.
I knelt down next to the suitcase and sorted through the clothes. "I went shopping in Seattle a few weeks ago." I answered my mom's question. Lying whenever Edward was concerned was now second nature to me.
"But honey, this things look really expensive. How did you afford all of this?" I found a new pair of jeans, a few t-shirts and some socks. I couldn't contain my laughter when my fingers found a little black thong. I knew Edward had probably just gotten it to tease me. I also knew he'd probably packed it by mistake. What my mom grabbed from the bag next took me completely by surprise. She held up a large, white, button down shirt. It was Edward's. That, he'd packed on purpose.
My mom raised an eyebrow. "Bella? What's going on?"
"Nothing mom. I just found a really good sale." I tried to play innocent.
"I'm talking about the shirt."
"Oh, that must be Charlie's."
She wasn't buying it. She sat down right there on the floor and asked, straight out. "How are things with that boyfriend of yours?"
I decided to answer sincerely, "Great, really great."
"Oh, well are you two planning on keeping a long distance relationship? Because you know as well as I do those hardly ever work."
I groaned inwardly. Apparently we were going to have that conversation right then. I sat next to her and looked at her straight in the eye so she would know I wasn't kidding.
"I'm not staying here for long mom. I really do need to go back at the end of the week."
My mom pushed her hair away from her face and gave me her best mom-stare. "Isabella, this is not open for discussion. I really hoped I wouldn't have to set my foot down but honey, I'm home now. You're staying here."
I sighed, "It's the middle of the school year mom, I can't just pick up and leave everything! Besides, I kinda like living with Charlie. He needs me."
"I need you!" She whined, "Bella, I don't think I can make it through this without you."
"You can, and you will. I just... I can't stay."
"You've always hated Forks honey, I'm giving you the chance of coming back to your life, your real life."
I was getting exasperated "I have a real life there, mom. I have real friends and real responsibilities."
"And a real boyfriend?" She asked. When I didn't answer she rolled her eyes. "Isabella, you can't change your life over a crush! You'll have other boyfriends."
"I'm not only staying because of Edward." That wasn't entirely a lie. I loved all of the Cullens.
"Honey, don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't leave everything for a high school boyfriend. "
I saw no point in lying to her then. If I was going to leave her alone I might as well give her a good reason for it. "He's not just a high school boyfriend mom. He's not some random guy I just happen to be dating while I'm there. I love him."
I could see she was trying hard not to roll her eyes again. That made me a little mad. Had I not supported every crazy relationship she'd ever been in? I'd always hoped she'd extend the same courtesy to me.
"Bella, you are too young. You don't know what love is."
I shook my head "You don't understand. Edward is my life. I'm going to be with him forever. I can't live without him! I can't stay here! I will not stay in Phoenix!" Tears blurred my vision as I tried hard to make her believe me.
My mom stood up and frowned "Isabella, you're being a baby. You have to stay here and that's final."
She walked out of my room and closed the door. I sat on my bed and cried until the emotions of the day and the jet lag caught up with me and I fell asleep, clutching Edward's shirt to my chest.
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When I woke up a few hours later, I realized how incredibly childish I'd sounded. I figured my mom was probably being such a pain about Edward because of her own recent experience with men, and me blabbing about my feelings for him probably hadn't helped. I decided right then to let the matter drop. I'd fight her on it again on Saturday.
That afternoon I got up, walked downstairs and apologized to my mom for being such an ass. She asked me to forgive her for dismissing my feelings so quickly, but made no reference to the living arrangements, which was a relief.
We talked some more while I cooked dinner. I did most of the listening, since the last thing she seemed to want to hear was me talking about my perfect boyfriend. Since Edward had basically taken over my life, that didn't leave me with many topics of conversation.
After dinner I suggested watching a movie, just so I could get a couple of hours of peace and quiet. While my mom stared intently at the television, I thought about what would happen once I became a vampire. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to upset my mom and run away from home, that would give me an excuse to not stay in touch with her much. It'd make it easier for me to cut ties later on.
When the movie ended I went upstairs under the pretext of being tired again. I took a relaxing hot shower and then wrapped myself in a towel. When I opened my bag of toiletries to get my hairbrush I saw something that made me burst into tears. Edward had packed his toothbrush instead of my new one.
Some people might find it disgusting, using someone else's toothbrush, but to me it was just such an intimate, private thing. I was still crying when I got to my room. I changed into a pair of shorts and Edward's white shirt and climbed into bed. I knew for sure I'd be unable to sleep without him and I was right. The last time I saw my alarm clock before exhaustion took over me, it read five a.m.
An hour later a honk outside my window woke me up. It was the neighbor's carpool. I didn't even try to fall back to sleep after that. I sat on my bed and listened to music until I heard my mom moving around the house. I went downstairs to have breakfast with her. She'd made some questionable-looking pancakes, which would've probably been hard to swallow even if I hadn't been carrying around a lump the size of Texas on my throat.
"Honey, why don't you call some of your old friends today? It might do you some good to reconnect." My mom suggested. I had to try hard not to make a face. Sure, I'd met some nice kids at school in Phoenix. I'd even gone as far as to call them my friends. Until the Cullens walked into my life, that is. I just wasn't in the mood for small talk, and I knew if I called my old acquaintances they'd want to know about my new life. While I was away from Edward, even thinking about his name could make me tear up.
"Well mom, I thought maybe you and I could do something together today."
My mom smiled widely "Oh that sounds wonderful Bella, what would you like to do?"
"Well, how about we go grocery shopping first? The fridge is almost empty. We can also buy loads of junk food and maybe rent some movies. We can have a sad movies marathon tonight and cry ourselves to sleep." Since I was probably going to do the crying thing anyway, I might as well turn it into a bonding thing. My mother was thrilled.
So that's what we did, all day long. We ate, talked, watched movies, and then talked some more. I was exhausted by the time I got to bed that night, so I only tossed and turned for a couple of hours before sleep took over me.
That night it happened. To tell you the truth, I was amazed it hadn't happened the night before. The running, the bleeding, the goodbyes with Edward, the hunter, the tears, the screams, the cold sweat. My mom came running to me as soon as the hysteria began, of course, but she wasn't Edward. She had a very hard time calming me down after the nightmare.
Minutes passed in a blur of tears. Before my mind cleared up, I screamed Edward's name and reached around the bed trying to find him. All I got was my mother's soft, warm body. She was terrified, almost as much as I was. She held my head to her chest firmly and whispered for me to calm down. It took a while, but my brain finally understood that it had just been a nightmare.
"Mom, I'm okay. I'm sorry if I scared you." My voice was muffled by my mother's chest. She let go of me gently and placed her hand on my sweaty forehead.
"Bella what was that? I thought you were being murdered in your bed!" Satisfied with my temperature, she sat back on the edge of my bed and stared at me intently.
"It was just a nightmare. A very vivid one, but still a nightmare." I took the sleeve of my shirt and used it to dry my face. My mom's eyes widened when I did that and I frowned. Then I looked down at myself and blushed furiously when I saw why.
I was wearing Edward's shirt again, she hadn't seen me in it the night before. "Is that Charlie's shirt?" She asked, her eyes squinting.
"Yes." I tried to sound convincing, but of course she wasn't buying it. However, she decided not to say anything about it, and for that I was grateful.
"You were screaming." She stated the obvious.
"I was scared." I returned the favor.
"You were screaming your boyfriend's name. Was he doing something to you?" She was trying hard to sound calm. I admired her efforts.
"No mom, of course not. He was being hurt by someone else."
Even though my mom was right there with me in the room, even though I knew Edward could never get hurt, I still felt alone and uneasy. I reached for the phone on my nightstand and dialed his cell phone number.
"What are you doing? It's four o'clock in the morning!" My mom raised an eyebrow.
"He'll be up." I waited for the phone to ring, but he answered before it did.
"Oh my love I'm sorry! I forgot about your nightmares." He said before I could even greet him.
"Edward." I whispered, grateful to hear his voice.
"I'm right here, I'm okay. I love you." His words soothed me more than anything else in the world, except for his touch.
I wanted to tell him how much I missed his body next to mine, how I craved his presence in my bed, how even though I had his shirt on and his smell around me, I still needed his breath to feel safe. Since my mom was right next to me, looking at me as if I'd just grown a horn, all I could say was "I miss you."
"I miss you too Bella. Now lie down again, hang up and I'll call you from a landline."
"Okay." I whispered.
My mom was still staring. "You should not be calling boys at this hour."
"I've had this nightmare a few times before. I can never go back to sleep unless I know he's okay." I was getting good at the whole half-truth thing.
"Well it's weird Bella." She stood up and crossed her arms.
The phone rang then. "Can we talk about this in the morning?" I asked her before answering.
She raised both eyebrows in surprise at my rudeness but left my room anyway. I predicted another monster fight during breakfast the next day, but it didn't matter. As long as I got to talk to Edward, I wouldn't mind having to fight a whole army on it.
"Hello?" I answered the phone.
"Would you like me to hum for you?" His deep voice filled my senses. I raised the collar of his shirt so it would be closer to my face and laid down under the covers. "How about if you tell me a story instead?"
He snorted, but even that sounded graceful coming from him.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing, I just felt like a grandfather all of a sudden."
"Well, you're certainly old enough to be." I smiled.
"Are you complaining?" He said it lightly, but I could tell he was waiting intently for my answer.
"Not at all, I like my men experienced."
He laughed wholeheartedly. "You know as well as I do that if I tell you a story you'll hang on to every word and won't get any sleep."
I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah, you're right. Fine, hum me to sleep."
He started to, and I closed my eyes contently. "Bella?" He asked after a minute.
"Yes?"
"I won't be able to answer your calls after tonight. Will you be okay on your own until Saturday?"
I sighed. I wanted to ask why, I wanted to complain, I wanted him to be with me every day, all day long. Instead I whispered, "Yes, I'll be fine." Not because I truly believed it, but because right then, what I really needed was for him to keep humming. I fell deeply asleep with that magical sound and woke up hours later to the beat of the dial tone.
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The next morning was chaos. My mom woke me up at seven a.m. by opening my curtains and flooding my room with sunlight. I groaned and pressed the pillow to my face.
"Isabella, get up. We need to talk." She sounded mad. She probably hadn't slept, because I'd never seen her up before nine unless she had work.
"Mom, can't this wait? It's ridiculously early!" Even though I'd never be able to go back to sleep now, I wanted to put off the inevitable for as long as I could.
"Get up, get dressed and come downstairs. You have five minutes." I took that as a no.
I dragged my feet to the bathroom. After brushing my hair and changing into jeans and a t-shirt I stood at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. I was going to have to fight her, hard. I could see the war coming and it was going to be epic.
She was sitting on the couch, two cups of coffee in the table in front of her. I sat down next to her without saying a word.
"Bella, something is very wrong here." That's my mother, always right to the point.
"What do you mean mom?"
"You're behaving like a stranger. You are disrespectful and childish and you want to stay in Forks? It sounds like you've had a lobotomy!"
I covered my eyes with my hand so she wouldn't see me rolling them. "You're overreacting mom. Look, I know you're going through a very hard time in your life. I know you thought Phil was the one and now you're alone again but mom... I just can't help you anymore. I can't keep putting my life on hold for you."
"When have I ever asked you to do that?" She raised her voice.
"Never, I've always done it on my own. I've always cooked for you because you can't even make toast without burning it. I clean after you because your idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance. I wash our clothes because I got tired of buying white underwear and ending up always wearing pink. I moved to Forks so you could start your new life with Phil without me being in the way! And you know what? I did all of these things gladly, because I wanted to make you happy. I know how much you gave up by having me so young, and I've spent most of my life trying to make it up to you. I love you mom, I really do. You're my best friend and the one person I can always count on and trust, but you have to understand. When I went to Forks, something happened. I met the one person that would do all of that, and anything else, for me. Edward makes me feel safe, mom. He's just perfect."
"Everyone has flaws, Bella." Renee interrupted.
"Even his flaws are perfect. He's it for me. I know I'm young, and I know he's my first boyfriend, but that only means that I was lucky enough to find my destiny at the first try. He is the man I'm going to be with for the rest of my life. That's why I can't stay here with you."
She took a sip of her coffee and got up. "Come on, let's go."
"Where are we going?" I asked, a hint of hope in my voice.
"To your old school, we need to get you back in there soon or you'll end up missing too many classes."
My heart sank. "Mom, didn't you hear a word I just said?"
She sighed and stopped by the door. "Of course I did, I just can't let you do it."
"Do what?"
"The same mistakes I did when I was your age."
I was too stunned to say anything, so I just sank back down on the couch.
"Bella, when I met your father I thought he was it for me too, I thought I'd be happy with him forever! And then I got married. And then I got pregnant. And that was it. You have so much potential Bella. You can go to college and have a career. You could travel the world! Why tie yourself down now?"
I shook my head. "It's different mom, I can't explain why..." She was already walking to the door again. I had to tell her something, anything.
"Mom wait!" She stopped, but didn't turn around. "Give me a few days, just until the end of the week. I'll make an effort to try to adjust."
"This is going to happen whether you want it to or not." She didn't even look at me.
I groaned. She'd chosen the wrong time to be parental. "I know. I just need time. Just a little bit of time."
She sighed but dropped her keys on the coffee table. "We will go on Monday."
I let out the breath I'd been holding. She'd left me no other choice. I'd have to run away with Edward on Saturday.
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The rest of the week was stressful, to say the least. I'd given up sleep altogether, knowing that the nightmares would only make my mom more determined to keep me in Phoenix. I was deeply depressed and spent most of my time in front of the tv. I could think of nothing but Edward. I ached for his touch constantly. My mom walked around the house looking worried but still sure of her decision. She made many attempts at cheering me up, but nothing worked. Part of me hoped that if she saw me sad enough she'd take pity on me and send me back home.
By Thursday I was going insane with loneliness. I knew I had just two more days before I got to see Edward, but that also meant I had less than 48 hours to be with my mother. That's why, when she suggested going shopping for new school clothes, I didn't object. I wanted to buy something nice to surprise Edward with anyway.
We walked through the packed mall quickly. I was heading straight to a little store where I'd seen some cool clothes a few months back, but my mom stirred me in the direction of a jewelry store near the other end of the mall.
"Bella, you're turning eighteen soon. I want to buy you something nice. Maybe a bracelet."
"Mom, seriously, I don't need jewelry. Why don't you get me a shirt or something instead?"
My mom shook her head. "Your grandparents got me a bracelet when I turned eighteen. I've always treasured it and I plan on giving it to you someday, but for your birthday I want you to have something new. I've been saving up for this."
I sighed. It was a nice gesture. When we got to the store we stood in front of the window and looked at some necklaces through the glass.
"Maybe you can get something with a nice, little stone in it. How about a garnet? I know it's your favorite."
I was about to tell her I had a new favorite when my eyes fell upon a pair of earrings made out of large topaz stones. They looked just like his eyes. The color was almost exact. I could feel my eyes watering up. I wanted to fight back the tears, I really did, but the pressure of the whole week, the lack of sleep and my need for Edward just crashed down on me at that moment.
I closed my eyes, but the salty tears rolled down my cheeks anyway. "Bella? What's wrong? We can get you something else!" My mom sounded alarmed but I could barely hear her. My head was swimming with thoughts of Edward, of his piercing stare, his perfect face, his godlike complexion, his smell.
I suddenly realized I was afraid, terrified in fact, of never seeing him again. Insecurity combined with stress made me thing that maybe he'd reconsidered, maybe he'd decided not to be with a simple human after all. Maybe he would leave me for good, why else would he have asked me not to call him anymore? It made me dizzy. I started hyperventilating.
"Bella! What's wrong?" The tears turned into sobs. I had to lean against the wall to keep myself from falling. "Mom, I have to go back to Forks." I managed to get out between cries.
"What? Bella, what does that have to do with anything?"
"I have to see him again mom. I can't breathe without him. I can't think, I can't eat. I haven't been able to sleep in days! I need him mom! I need him!" I was almost screaming. People were looking over in alarm. A crowd was starting to form.
"Isabella calm down!" My mom hissed. My vision was blurry, probably from the lack of oxygen. "Breathe slowly, Bella, just breathe slowly!"
I couldn't stop the tears, no matter how hard I tried. I hated making scenes, but the situation was beyond my control.
Suddenly I caught a whiff of something familiar and delicious. Something I craved more than life itself. I looked up immediately, my eyes searching the crowd. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. There was no mistake, he was standing just a few feet away, dressed in black from head to toe, and he was staring at me.
I started walking towards him, pushing my way through the crowd without noticing. When I saw him do the same I broke into a run. He met me halfway. My body collided with his and he lifted me into a fierce hug. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him back with all my strength. His smell overwhelmed me, his cold skin pressed against mine in the most delicious of ways. He set me down, just so his hands could cup my face. I stared deeply into those beautiful eyes I loved so much.
"Edward." I whispered.
He silenced me with the most wonderful kiss.
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I wrote those last two paragraphs while listening to the last minute of the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. It was a bit of an intense experience.
Congratulations to the person who noticed the name thing. You know your vampires well. This story has many twists and turns ahead. If this chapter seemed unnecessary or slow to you… well I must tell you the truth, I just had to get it off my chest. No, I'm kidding, it does have some relevance in the future.
It takes me about a week to write chapters this long, so I'm sorry if it seems like it takes me forever to update.
Oh, I'm taking my TOEFL test next Saturday, so wish me luck! (I'm very nervous, hehe.)