Disclaimer: I is not the owner of Twilight.
A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and for those who reviewed. I can't tell you enough how excited I get when I see a review waiting for me. I wrote a majority of this chapter at work, so I've had to go back and tweak some of it. That and I had to add in a lemon. I felt awkward attempting to write one of those at work, despite the fact that I work third shift with only two other people who sit nowhere near me. I hope that everyone had a good week and stayed warm if you live some place cold. From now on I will be updating every Saturday. Granted, I might update in the wee hours of the morning when I'm awake or late in the evenings.
Design for Life
"Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them."
~Arnold Lobel
EPOV
Saturday morning after Bella left for work, I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep so I trudged downstairs, got some cereal, and ate my breakfast while watching Spongebob. I loved that show. It was something Emmett and I actually had in common. By the time nine-thirty rolled around, I figured I'd better shower and get dressed. While I was in the shower, I began to thinking that perhaps the best place to talk to Alice would be at our parents' house. It was neutral territory for us, and if things go out of hand, Mom and Dad would be there to help calm things down.
By the time I got dressed, Alice was ringing my doorbell. I opened the door, and she gave me a glare. Great. I held up a hand before she could say anything.
"I know you want to talk, and we will. But I'd rather talk at Mom and Dad's."
"Why?" she asked, her voice filled with hostility.
"It's neutral ground."
We each drove our own cars, and I wasn't looking forward to this talk at all, but I knew it was a long time coming. Mom and Dad were thrilled to see both of us, but knew something was wrong. I explained that Alice and I needed to have a serious talk, so they left us alone. I sat down on the couch and waited for Alice to take a seat. She sat down with a huff and continued to glare at me.
"Would you care to explain to me why you felt the need to verbally attack Bella?"
"Excuse me? I didn't verbally attack her! Is that what she said? What a liar!"
"Cut the crap, Alice."
"Fine. I went to see her. I just wanted to talk to her. That was all. It's not my fault that she blew things out of proportion."
"Why did you want to talk to her?"
She looked at me as if I was an idiot.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice the tattoo on your wrist? It's not like you to do that. Hell, not too long ago you were freaking out because Jasper and I got tattoos. She's changed you," she spat out.
"She has changed me. For the better. Thanks to Bella, I've become more confident in who I am. For the first time in a long time, I like who I am. Why can't you just be happy for me?"
"Because I'm worried. Bella's no good for you. You need someone less loud. Less freakish. Lauren would be perfect for you," she said, completely ignoring everything I'd just said.
"Lauren? Who the heck is that?"
I seriously had no idea who she was talking about, but if she thought for one minute that I would leave Bella, she was crazy.
Alice rolled her eyes before answering me. "Rosalie's younger sister. You've met her more than once. She came down for Labor Day Weekend."
Ewww. I remembered Lauren now. She had stringy blond hair, a nasally voice, and dressed like, well, a whore. Why in the world Alice thought that girl would be perfect for me was unfathomable.
"Ugh," I said, scrunching up my face and shuddering at the thought of being with that girl.
Clearly, that was not the answer the response Alice had been hoping for.
"You just need to give Lauren a chance. You'll really like her. I promise."
"No, Alice. Not happening."
"Just give her a chance," she pleaded.
"I said no, Alice!"
My voice was starting to rise, and I was getting really upset with her.
"Listen, just go on one date with her and see," she pleaded.
"No!" I roared at her.
"But Edward," she whined.
"Jesus Christ, Alice! Stop. Just fucking stop!"
Her mouth fell open at my use of the f-word. I knew that my face was red, and I sure that if I could breathe fire or shoot lasers out of my eyes, I would have been. Tears began to well up in her eyes, but I wasn't about to fall for it. At that moment, Mom rushed into the room.
"What in the world is going on in here?" she demanded to know.
"Edward's being mean," Alice sniffled.
I rolled my eyes. I was so freaking tired of her and her childish attitude. Mom turned to look at me, hands on her hips, eyebrow raised.
"Alice has decided that Bella isn't good enough for me. She's demanding that I go out with Rosalie's sister, Laura."
"Her name is Lauren. And she's a perfectly nice person."
"Why on earth would you think that Bella isn't good enough for Edward? She's wonderful!" Mom said, looking confused.
Alice looked stunned. "What do you mean she's wonderful? Look what she's done to Edward? She's got him talking back to Emmett, being mean to me, and she even got him to get a tattoo!"
At the mention of my tattoo, Mom turned her attention back to me.
"Well? Aren't you going to show me?"
I rolled up the cuff of my shirt and showed her. Gently, Mom traced the words imprinted on my skin. She gave me a soft smile as she told me how nice it looked.
Alice threw her hands up in the air. "I don't fucking believe this!"
"Language, young lady," Mom scolded. "Now, Alice. I don't know what your problem is with Bella, but I suspect it has something to do with Rosalie. I'm letting you know right now, that I will not tolerate any rudeness to Bella. She's like another daughter to me, and you will treat her with respect. Is that understood?"
Alice crossed her arms over her chest and refused to answer.
"Edward? I need a moment to speak to your sister alone."
I nodded and left the room, wishing I could be a fly on the wall. I would love to hear what Mom was saying, but I headed into the kitchen where I found Dad sneaking a piece of cake.
"Does Mom know you're eating that?" I asked from the entryway, startling him.
"Shh. Are you trying to get me in trouble?" he asked in a whisper.
I held up my hands. "Not at all, old man. Eat away."
He let out a snort before shoving fork fulls of cake into his mouth.
"What brings you over here today? And where's that gorgeous girl of yours?" he asked between bites.
"Bella's at work, and I needed to have a talk with Alice," I told him.
"What? You couldn't talk with Alice at your own house?"
"Sure, I could have. But this is neutral ground. Plus, you know how mean she can get. I might have needed assistance from one of you."
"So, where's your sister now?" he asked..
"Probably getting yelled at by Mom."
"Better her than me," he said, causing me to snicker. "What did Alice do?"
"She's decided that I should date Rosalie's sister. Apparently, Alice has a problem with Bella. Which is funny because in the beginning she loved Bella. Now she can't stand her."
Quickly washing his plate and cleaning up the crumbs of his crime, he said, "Obviously, Rosalie has something to do with that. I'm still not sure what Emmett sees in that girl."
"She's got a large chest," I said without thinking.
Dad burst out laughing. "Poor boy is paying for marrying a girl for her looks."
I was about to say more when Mom came into the kitchen. Alice was nowhere to be seen, but I heard a door slam and a car start.
"I take it your talk went well," Dad said.
"Hmph. She has some growing up to do. I don't think she's ready to be getting married just yet," she said sitting down at the table.
"Carlisle!"
"Yes, dear?" Dad asked, an innocent look on his face.
Mom wasn't fooled. "Have you been eating cake?"
"What? No. Of course not."
She narrowed her eyes at him. I couldn't wait to see how he got out of this.
"Really? Because there are cake crumbs on the floor."
"It was Edward!" Dad yelled, pointing at me.
My jaw dropped open. I couldn't' believe it. My own father was trying to blame me for his crimes.
"I'm completely innocent, Mom. I wouldn't lie to you."
It was true. Mainly because I was a crappy liar, much to my siblings disappointment. My face would get all red, and I'd stumble over my words trying to get the lie out. Mom knew it, too. She turned to Dad, and he wilted under her glare. Deciding I didn't want to watch them hash it out and then make out, I grabbed my laptop that I'd brought with me and headed to the solarium.
I spent the remainder of my afternoon searching for jobs online. I still wasn't having any luck. If worse came to worse, I'd apply at the New Age bookstore, but I really hoped it wouldn't come to that. Forks pretty much had nothing available, so I was focusing most of my search in Port Angeles. Closing my browser, I opened up a folder on my hard drive that contained my novel. Yes, like every other English major out there, I was attempting to write the Next Great American Novel. I had three hundred and twenty-six pages of crap. Might as well start writing and see if I couldn't make it three hundred and twenty-seven pages of crap.
Time always flew by when I was writing. I tended to get so caught up in the story and my characters, that I failed to pay attention to the time. I vaguely remembered someone bringing me some dinner to eat, but I was completely absorbed in my writing.
"Edward? It's almost nine. Did you want to be heading home?" Mom asked from the doorway.
I jerked my head up, unable to believe that that much time had gone by. I needed to get home to my Bella. After I gathered all of my stuff, I said goodbye to my parents and headed out to my Volvo. I was bit surprised to see Alice standing near it, obviously waiting for me. I didn't want to hash it out with her anymore. I just wanted to go home. So I ignored her, climbing into my car. Before I could shut my door, she grabbed it.
"All I'm trying to do is help you, but you're so blind and stupid. You've gone and fallen in love with the first girl you slept with. It's pathetic. She's going to destroy when she leaves you. And she will leave," she said in a hateful voice.
I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as she continued to insult me, so I grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut. She barely got her fingers out of the way. I sped down the drive, but not before I heard her yell that she hated me. I knew that she didn't mean it, but the words hurt nonetheless.
I pulled into my drive and noticed a light on at Bella's. I knew that she was probably going to be angry with me. It wasn't until I got in the car to head home, that I realized that I'd left my phone in it because it was dead. I knocked softly on her door and was greeted by a slightly angry Bella. She gestured me in, and I took a seat on her horribly bright purple couch. She sat next to me and asked me why I hadn't returned her calls or texts. I explained that my phone had died, and I'd left in the car. She told me how worried she was because she hadn't heard from me, and I felt like a complete jerk. After I apologized, I told her all about my talk with Alice and how well it didn't go.
Sunday night, I was sitting at my desk working on my novel. I'd been bitten by the writing bug and knew if I didn't get it written while the ideas were fresh, I'd forget what I wanted to write. Bella had been downstairs curled up on the couch immersed in some tattoo magazine that she got every month. I wasn't sure how long I'd been lost in my own world, but I was startled out of it when Bella came into my study.
"Whatcha' doing?" she asked, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and resting her chin on the top of my head.
Panic raced through me. I was terrified of someone reading my novel. Which I guess kind of defeated the whole purpose. I tried to save it and close it as quickly as possible, but her hand came to rest on mine.
"Edward?" she asked.
"Itsmynovel," I mumbled.
"You're writing a novel? That's so fucking cool! What's it about?" she asked.
That wasn't the reaction I had been expecting. I'd expected her to scoff and laugh at me. I should have known better. Pushing the chair away from the desk, I pulled her down onto my lap.
"It's-ugh. It's about three guys who are attempting to unleash a horrible evil upon the world."
"Why?"
"Well, the one guy is doing it because he just doesn't care anymore. He's sick of life. The second guy is doing it because he sees it as a grand adventure; a quest. The third guy is doing it because he was threatened into it."
"Who threatened him to do it?"
"The leader of the Church of Thirteen Moons," I told her.
She sat on my lap looking confused. Letting out a sigh, I realized it would be easier to let her read it than to explain it. Gently removing Bella from my lap, I stood up, gestured for her to sit, and scooted the chair close to the desk.
"You can read it. It'll be easier to understand," I told her with a shaking voice.
She shook her head.
"I'm not going to read it if you don't want me to," she said, turning to face me.
"It's okay. Really. Maybe you can help me with it? Give me some feedback."
Reaching out, she grasped my trembling hands.
"Why are you so nervous?"
"It's scary to think of someone reading something I wrote. I'm not very confident in my writing abilities," I told her honestly.
"I'm sure it's wonderful, but if it sucks, I'll let you know. I'm nothing if not honest. You know that."
I did know that. I knew that if it completely sucked, she'd tell me. Leaving her to it, I headed downstairs to putter around. I plopped down on my couch and started flipping through the channels, but nothing held my attention. All I could think about was the beautiful woman upstairs reading my novel. An hour later, she still hadn't come downstairs, and I was beginning to become a nervous wreck. Slowly, I made my way upstairs and crept into my study.
"So, uh … how bad is it?" I asked, afraid to find out the answer.
She held up a finger indicating that I should wait a moment. When she was done reading, she turned to face me.
"It's great. I really, really like it, and I'm not just saying that. There's a lot going on, but it's funny, scary, morbid. It has so many wonderful elements to it. There seems to be a few plot holes at the moment, but I'm sure you can fix those easily."
"So, you like it?"
"Yes. Very much so. When you finish it, you should try and get it published or even self publish," she told me.
I gave a shrug. Publishing meant people would read it.
Monday was a slow and quiet day at the library. Both Angela and Mrs. Cope were out sick, leaving Jasper and myself to man the library. I hadn't seen him since Friday and things were a bit tense between us. He plopped down in the chair next to mine and glowered at me.
"What?" I finally asked, tossing my pen down on the counter.
"I think you know what," he growled.
I could only assume that Alice had told him we'd had a fight. And knowing her, she'd made herself out to be the helpless victim.
"I take it you're referring to the fight Alice and I had?"
"Obviously."
"Well, I'm sure she spun it so that she was the victim in the whole thing. Never mind the fact that she went to Bella's work and verbally attacked her. Your fiancée has gotten it in her head that I should breakup with Bella and start dating Rosalie's sister," I told him.
Judging from the look on his face, Alice had obviously left out that part of the story. I explained everything to him, and when I was done he was pissed. Not at me, but at Alice.
"What the fuck is she thinking? Lauren isn't just a bitch, she's a slut as well," he said, shaking his head before mumbling that he'd be having a talk with my sister.
The rest of the day dragged on, and I was so freaking glad when it ended. I hit up the grocery store on the way home since it was my night to cook dinner. Bella had been teaching me to cook and while I wasn't great at it, I was learning. I pulled into the drive, grabbed my groceries, and went about getting dinner ready.
An hour later, Bella walked into my house, and she was pissed. She threw her coat over the back of the couch, tossed her shoes in the corner, and stomped into the kitchen. She threw herself into a chair with a huff. I knew better than to say anything. She'd let me know what was wrong.
"I cannot believe that fucking bitch!" were the first words she uttered. I wasn't sure who she was talking about, but she continued before I could ask her.
"She thinks that because she worked at some fancy tattoo shop in Vegas that she's all that. Strutting around Eclipse like she owns the place. Stupid bitch has another coming if she thinks that she can talk to me like that," she ranted.
Afraid to interrupt her, I placed her dinner in front of her and poured her glass of water. She shoveled her food into her mouth as I sat across from her. It was a bit like watching Emmett eat.
"Slow down, love. I don't want you to choke," I warned.
She slowed down, and we finished eating in silence. As soon as dinner was done, she picked right back up were she'd left off.
"She sat there and basically told me that my work was amateur. Like hell it is! I'm a pretty fucking great artist. Who the fuck does she think she is talking shit about me and my work? Of course, she doesn't say anything when Jake or Seth are around. But the minute they leave, she's there making some snide remarks."
"Sounds like she's jealous of you," I told her.
Bella gave a shrug. "Maybe. There's something about her that puts me on edge. I don't trust her. She's always giving me these looks, like she knows something about me. I think she's been going through my stuff."
"Why do you think that?" I asked, concerned because Bella was really upset.
"I don't have any proof, but my some of my stuff seemed like it had been moved around. I'll definitely be keeping a closer eye on her. Jake might trust her, but I don't. She's up to something, and yes, I realized that I sound completely paranoid."
"Talk to Jake and Seth. Tell them your concerns. I'm sure they'd be more than glad to keep an eye on her or your stuff," I suggested.
She agreed that it was a good idea. I hated seeing her so upset, so I ran upstairs and started a bath for her. She looked like she could use some relaxation time. When the bath was ready, I went down and got her. Her eyes welled up a bit, and she turned and gave me a fierce kiss before thanking me for being so sweet.
While she was in her bath, I climbed into bed and began reading a book that I'd been struggling to get through. My mind was really focused on it, though. I was more focused on the fact that my girlfriend was naked in the tub a few feet from where I lay. Part of me wanted to go join her, but another part of me knew that she needed the time to relax and wind down. Twenty minutes later, I was joined in bed by a gorgeous, naked woman. She straddled my lap and tugged my book from my hands.
"Thanks, baby. I needed that," she said, pressing a kiss to my lips.
"Anything for you, love. You know that," I told her, deepening the kiss.
I broke my lips from hers and asked her to lay down on her stomach. I had a bottle of massage oil on the side table which I grabbed. I poured a small amount in my hands before rubbing them together to warm them up. I was no masseuse, but I figured she'd enjoy the massage. I straddled her lower back and pushed her hair out of the way before I began kneading her muscles. Her shoulders and upper back were tight with tension, and I did my best to loosen the knots that I felt. Below me, Bella let out a low moan that made me spring to attention. I mentally berated myself. The massage was about Bella, not me.
By the time I'd worked my way down to her lower back, she was writhing and letting out little moans. I was unbelievably turned on, and I knew she could tell. When she moaned my name and told me she needed me, I climbed off of her and rolled her over.
Her lips found mine instantly. Her tongue flicked mine gently before tracing the curve of my lips. Her kisses were amazing, and I could never get enough of them.
"Please," she whispered, pulling away from my lips.
Like I could say no to her. I hovered over her, drinking in her beautiful form. She was stunning and took my breath away every time I looked at her. I bit down and slowly ran my tongue across the swell of one breast. She let out another moan, and I couldn't contain the smug smile that crossed my face. I made my girl want me. With one hand, I cupped her breast, rubbing the pad of my thumb over one of her nipples before flicking my tongue over the turgid peak. I soon turned my attention to her other breast, not wanting it to be left out. Underneath me, Bella was gasping and pleading for more. Who was I to say no?
I began kissing my way down her stomach, making her squirm when my tongue dipped into her belly button. I ran my hands down her sides, until I gripped her thighs and pulled them apart.
"You're so lovely," I said, gazing at her.
A light blush rushed over her skin, enchanting me even more.
Slowly, I dragged a finger through her wetness, feeling a sense of pride come over me that I had done that to her. I slid a finger into her and felt her muscles clench around it. As I thrust it gently in and out of her, her hips began to thrust in time with me. My thumb slid over her clitoris, swirling around it, and Bella's back arched. Her eyes closed, her mouth fell open, and she cried out my name. It was so freaking hot.
Slowly, her body relaxed back onto the bed, and she opened her eyes.
"Edward?"
"Hmm?"
"Get up here," she murmured.
"I'm not done," I told her while pressing light, feathery kisses across the tops of her thighs.
I spread her legs a bit wider before swiping my tongue over her center. I gently traced light circles around her nub, causing her to wiggle and fist her hands in my hair. I gave her nub a gentle nibble, then slid my tongue down and into her. I began to thrust it in and out of her and felt her clench down on me as her fingers gripped my hair tighter.
"Edward! Oh God, oh God!" she screamed, coming for me once more.
After she came down from her second orgasm, I crawled up her body, pressing kisses along the way, until my lips found hers. Growling, she rolled us over so that she was straddling me. I couldn't resist giving her gorgeous breasts little love bites.
"Uh uh. It's my turn now," she told me.
She reached down and stroked me through my boxers, causing my hips to buck into her hand.
"These have to go," she said, tugging on the waistband.
I lifted my hips to help her and soon I was relieved of my boxers. Her small hand began a leisurely pace, stroking me up and down. I knew that if she didn't stop, things were going to be over before they began.
Realizing how close I was, she removed her hand from me, and pressed kisses against my chest. Moments later, I felt her place the tip of me at her entrance. We both let out moans of pleasure as she sank onto me. She braced her hands on my chest as she began riding me. It was hot, sexy, and hard. She threw her head back, hands gripping her breasts, as she rode me to completion. Holy heck that was hot! But she wasn't through with me. When it was my turn to come, I yelled her name, loving the way she made me feel.
"Hmm. I love you," she murmured afterward, her head on my chest.
"Love you too, sweet girl."
The next day, I was sitting at work texting Bella when Mark walked in. Immediately, I was on alert. He walked over to me and gave me a small smile. He looked tired and worn out.
"Hey, Edward."
"Hi, Mark. Uh ... what brings you here today?" I asked because I had to know.
He ran a hand over his hair and then his face.
"I need to talk to you and Bella as soon as possible."
My gut churned. That didn't sound good at all.
"Okay. She doesn't give off work until six. How about you come over to my house around seven-thirty?"
He gave me a nod and left. I quickly texted Bella.
Mark was just here. He wants to talk to us tonight.
abt what? she texted.
No idea. He looked tired though. And worried.
laurent?
Maybe. I told him to come over around 7. That okay? I asked.
that's fine.
So how is your day going? Jane still giving you problems?
ugh. yes. she's such a spiteful person. i talked to seth like you suggested. ill tell you abt it tonight
We texted for a few more minutes, until Jasper came back from lunch. He must have noticed that I was a bit distressed.
"What's wrong? Did Alice do something? Because she and I had a nice little chat the other night. Granted, it didn't go well, and she's not speaking to me at the moment."
I shook my head. "No. Mark stopped by. He wants to talk to Bella and myself, but didn't say what it was about."
"Oh, man. That doesn't sound good. I'd almost forgotten all about that shit."
"Yeah, me too. Mainly because it seemed that after Laurent was killed the threat to Bella went away."
Bella and I were a nervous wreck as we sat on the couch at my house waiting for Mark to show up. At seven-thirty on the dot, the doorbell rang. I went and opened it and found a very haggard looking Mark standing there. I gestured him inside, while Bella offered him something to drink. He shook his head no as he took a seat in the recliner.
"Are you okay, Mark?" Bella asked.
He let out a weary sigh.
"Not really. I'm exhausted and this case has us running in circles."
"So, you haven't learned anything new?" I asked.
He hesitated for just a moment. "I wouldn't say that. We've learned some things about him, that are very worrisome. I need to ask you some questions about him Bella, and they aren't going to be pretty."
Bella clasped my hand tightly as she nodded at Mark.
He took a folder out of his briefcase and grabbed a pen and notepad. "Okay, let's begin."
a/n: I know. Why did I have to leave it there? Because. As always, I appreciate every bit of love or hate you send my way. I prefer love to hate, but you know, I'll take either one.