Chapter 40

All through the night, Bella had only her thoughts to reflect on. She had not felt nervous or anxious in so long that it felt foreign to her. She put in her EarPods and listened to some of her favorite songs. It did the trick, and she was able to center her mind, causing all anxious thoughts to melt away from her body.

She decided to sit on her bed in a yoga position and practice with her powers. She did not try any great feats while in the house, having learned that lesson all too well back in Forks. She just practiced using her shield to move an item from one side of the room to the other. She kept increasing the number of items she moved all at the same time and all going in different directions. It was not easy, but she felt it gave her much better control of her abilities to multitask this way with her shield. As she moved objects around her room, she couldn't help but smile to herself, thinking about her upcoming date with Garrett. This was only the second "first date" she had ever been on.

In college, Bella had dozens of guy friends and she went out with them all the time, but she never considered any of those outings to be dates. No, she had been waiting for a moment like this, a chance to find a vampire who interested her in more than just a friendly way. As she thought about Garrett, Bella couldn't help but feel a sense of hope rising within her. For years, she had dreamed of finding a man who was strong, confident, willing to take risks, and had a sense of adventure. And from what little she knew of Garrett, he seemed to be everything she was looking for.

With a smile, Bella wondered if Garrett would offer to take her on the classic first date of dinner and a movie. Would she accept or decline the offer of munching on some unlucky man? Truthfully, she doubted Garrett would do that, but the thought made her laugh.

Throughout the night, Bella continued to practice with her shield, trying to remain level-headed and relaxed. When morning came, she got up from her bed and went to decide what to wear. Garrett looked like he dressed casually, which is just how she liked to dress. So, she decided that any of her jeans and blouse outfits should be fine. All dressed and ready, she descended the stairs to wait for Garrett in the living room.

While Bella waited for Garrett, Alice came down and sat beside her, smiling. "Relax, Bella. You'll have a great time. I've seen it," Alice said, beaming.

Bella looked at her friend. "First off, I am relaxed. Second, please don't tell me anything, Alice. I want to live in the moment," she said. She never liked it when Alice spoiled her future. She figured there was no reason to hear one's future unless it was a dire emergency; otherwise, what was the point of living life?

"I know how you feel. I would never say a thing," Alice said reassuringly as she got up. "He'll be here in eight minutes, so you can stop shaking your foot," Alice said with a smile and walked up the stairs to her and Jasper's room.

Bella looked down at her foot, and it did seem to be tapping away at nothing. Maybe she was a little anxious. She stilled her foot and, as predicted by Alice, heard the roar of an engine coming closer exactly eight minutes later.

She got up and looked out the window to see Garrett pulling up to the house on a beautiful vintage Harley. Bella smiled at the sight of such a powerful motorcycle and hoped that the date would include riding on it, preferably with her hugging Garrett from behind. She went out to meet him.

As Garrett got off his bike, Bella took a good look at him. He had his riding gear on to protect himself from the sun, but he looked stunning in it. As he removed his helmet, Bella was struck once again by how attractive he was. She couldn't help but let loose a big smile as they locked eyes with each other.

"Hi, I love your bike," Bella said, approaching Garrett and looking at the bike he had just gotten off. "That's a '64, right?" She liked that the bike looked well-loved and used, and was not just a showpiece.

"Thanks. Yep, it's a '64 alright. Believe it or not, I bought this sucker new. I've probably had to replace every part of the motor over the years, but you can't go wrong driving a vintage Harley. It may not be the fastest, but it feels more powerful on the road than newer bikes."

"I could not agree with you more. I've gotten into vintage automobiles and bikes too. Remind me sometime to show you the '57 Chevy Rosalie and I restored. It's so much fun to drive," Bella said with a grin.

"I'd love to see it. I owned a '57 Chevy when they first came out. I always loved the fins on that model. So, are you ready to go? We could run, or if you'd like, we could take my bike. From your knowledge of bikes, I would assume you have your own riding gear?" Garrett asked, hoping that Bella did.

Bella quickly darted into the garage and returned with her gear. "Sure do. They even match yours. You ready to go? Where are we headed?" she asked, excited to get going.

Garrett was pleased to see her enthusiasm. "I'm all set, and let's keep it a surprise for just a little while longer. It's not far," he said with a smile.

Bella deftly donned her gear and nestled behind Garrett on his motorcycle. With a roar, Garrett revved up the engine, and they took off down the open road. Bella quite enjoyed the ride with her arms around Garrett's midsection. He was right; it did seem more powerful riding his bike than hers, even though she knew her bike was faster.

After half an hour of riding, they arrived at a fenced-off offshoot from the road. Without hesitation, Garrett kicked the fence, breaking the lock and opening the way. They ascended a steep mountain path, with Bella holding tight to Garrett. Upon reaching the summit, Bella hopped off the bike, removed her helmet, and beheld the breathtaking view.

Bella was utterly awestruck when Garrett brought the motorcycle to a stop at the mountain's pinnacle. The view was simply awe-inspiring, with no other peak in sight as far as the eye could see. Bella gazed in wonder in every direction, completely taken aback by the breathtaking scenery. She turned to share her excitement with Garrett, only to find him taking off his helmet and jacket. The sunlight glinted off his skin, as though he were made of diamonds, and for a moment, Bella was rendered breathless by his beauty.

"I thought we could sit over there on the rocks and get to know each other," Garrett suggested, gesturing towards a set of large boulders. "I discovered this spot about 50 years ago, and I haven't found a better view of the area since."

As Bella and Garrett chatted, they regaled each other with amusing tales from their past. Garrett, who had lived for nearly 270 years, had a wealth of experiences to share, and Bella couldn't get enough of his stories.

Eventually, Bella grew curious and asked Garrett how he became a vampire.

Garrett settled in, preparing to recount the tale of his transformation. "I lived near Boston with my family, and was 25 years old when the revolution erupted. It was clear to me that I needed to fight for our rights against the British, who were imposing excessive taxes on everyone and everything. The war was a gruesome experience that I prefer not to dwell on. After only a couple of months, I took a bullet to the chest and was left for dead."

Bella was horrified. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. It's a miracle that you're here with us today." She reached out to place a comforting hand on Garrett's chest.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened next." Garrett continued, "My best guess is that a vampire stumbled upon me while I was wounded and decided to feed on me. Somehow, he didn't finish the job, and I ended up going through the transformation. When I finally came to, I was alone and had no idea what had happened to me. I made my way back to my unit, but before I could reach them, I ran into some men from my Battalion. They were dead before I even knew what was happening. After realizing what I had just done, I was absolutely terrified. It took me years to be able to get a handle on my new life, but meeting Carlisle changed everything. He helped me understand what I had become and started me on a better path.

"I'm grateful that Carlisle was there for you as well," Bella said, smiling at the thought of the Cullen patriarch. "He made a tremendous difference in my life after my change. I was always a fairly controlled newborn, but I still had to work through some other issues when I first woke up. The whole family really stepped up and offered their support."

Garrett and Bella's conversation flowed smoothly until Garrett felt it was time to bring up his diet. He took a deep breath and said, "I know your family drinks animal blood, and I really like you, Bella. But before we get too involved, I need to know if my diet is going to be an issue for you."

Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she quickly composed herself and replied, "I appreciate you being upfront about this, Garrett. Actually, I was wondering about your dietary choices too. How do you decide who to eat?"

Garrett hesitated for a moment, then said, "I only hunt criminals. When I was a newborn, I killed without discrimination, but as soon as I learned control, I decided to only go after those who deserved it. Back then, it was British soldiers who had invaded my homeland. And I also prefer not to drink from women. It just doesn't feel right."

Bella breathed a sigh of relief. "That's so good to hear, Garrett. I don't have an issue with that at all. When I was staying with the Volturi last year, I had to do the same thing. A woman was about to be assaulted, and I had to save her. After I did, I drained her attacker in a rage. I haven't killed a human since then, but I don't see anything wrong with what I did."

"Phew, that's a load off my mind!" Garrett exclaimed with a big smile, pretending to wipe away imaginary sweat from his forehead.

As they continued their conversation, the midday sun shone brightly upon them. Garrett was in the middle of telling a hilarious tale about how he once got trapped in a shed surrounded by humans because of the sun with no way to escape unnoticed. Bella laughed heartily at his story and couldn't resist playing a joke on him.

She quickly activated her shield, preventing him from sparkling in the sun while he wasn't looking, and then asked him, "Why did you feel the need to hide from the sun, Garrett?"

Garrett turned back to face her and replied, "These damn sparkles, you know that Bella."

Bella kept her poker face on and asked, "What sparkles? I don't know what you're talking about."

It was then that Garrett realized he wasn't sparkling anymore. He looked up at the sun with a puzzled expression, and Bella extended her shield to cover herself as well. Garrett continued to look confused, then turned to Bella, who appeared completely normal now too.

Bella put on a convincingly confused expression and asked, "Are you feeling okay, Garrett? We look perfectly normal in the sun. It's only in the movies that vampires can't go out during the day."

Bella kept up the act for as long as she could before bursting out laughing. "I'm sorry, Garrett. I couldn't resist. I loved the look of confusion on your face," she said, before deactivating her shield and allowing both of them to sparkle like diamonds once again.

Garrett gazed at Bella as she laughed, and in that moment, he felt a strong urge to kiss her. He could no longer contain his emotions and slowly leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. Bella responded enthusiastically, kissing him back with passion. The world around them seemed to fade away, and they lost themselves in the moment.

As Bella laughed at the joke she had just played, she felt a sudden rush of warmth spread through her body as Garrett leaned in for a kiss. The sensation of his lips against hers was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She parted her lips slightly, inviting him in, and was overcome with desire as their tongues met for the first time.

It was the first time Bella had ever been kissed like this, and yet it felt so natural, so right. She felt a deep connection with Garrett as their tongues danced together, exploring each other's mouths. The taste of him was intoxicating, and she couldn't help but moan softly in pleasure as the kiss deepened.

They were holding each other tightly, their bodies pressed close together, as they continued to kiss. Bella could feel the heat rising between them, and she found herself getting more and more turned on by the second. She loved the feeling of Garrett's strong arms wrapped around her, holding her close, and she couldn't help but let out a soft moan as he started to kiss her neck.

As he lightly sucked on her earlobe, Bella felt a jolt of pleasure shoot through her body. She could feel herself getting wet with desire, and she wanted nothing more than to give herself completely to Garrett, but she knew this was only their first date and first kiss, so she had to reign in her desires. She tilted her head back, giving him better access to her neck, and moaned softly as he continued to kiss and nibble at her skin.

In that moment, Bella felt a deep connection with Garrett. It was more than just physical attraction - she felt like they were connected on a deeper level, like they were two halves of a whole. She knew that this was just the beginning of something amazing, and she was eager to see where it would take them. But for now, all she could think about was the incredible pleasure she was feeling as Garrett continued to kiss her in all the right places.

For what felt like hours, they remained entwined in each other's embrace, kissing and hugging with a sense of contentment that they had never felt before. Finally, Garrett pulled away, reluctantly ending the kiss.

"As much as I would love to continue kissing you forever," he said, "I thought we could move on to the next part of our date. Are you up for it?"

Bella was feeling incredibly flustered. Aside from a few light pecks from Edward, she had never been kissed like that before. After making out with Garrett for hours, she couldn't believe how different it felt.

Feeling a bit out of breath, she managed to say, "Yes. Very, what do you have planned next?"

"You'll soon find out," Garrett replied with a smile. "I'll have to ask you later about that trick you did with our skin. It was amazing, by the way. I have a feeling you're full of surprises. The sun is still up for another hour or so. Let's get our gear back on, and I'll drive us to our next destination."

As they rode off together, Bella couldn't help but feel that her relationship with Garrett was just the beginning of something truly special.

As they arrived at their destination, the sun had just set, and the sky was painted in shades of deep purple and fiery orange. Bella looked at the sign and felt a surge of excitement. "You mean it. We can go up?"

Garrett nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, if you want to go skydiving, let's do it. Jumping out of a plane at night is an experience like no other. Since you've never done it before, they'll want you to be attached to an experienced jumper. I hope you don't mind if we jump out together," he added with a wink.

Bella's heart leapt with joy at the thought of jumping out of a plane. It was something she had dreamed of doing for years. "No, that sounds perfect. I can't wait!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Bella and Garrett soared two miles high in the sky, flying in a plane towards the thrill of a lifetime. Clad in their jumpsuits and securely attached to one another, Garrett wrapped his arms around Bella's waist as the instructor opened the door. "Ready?" he whispered to her.

Bella shouted back, "YES!" before the rush of air drowned out her voice. With one swift motion, they leapt out of the plane and into the vast expanse of the night sky. As they plummeted towards the earth, Bella felt a surge of adrenaline that she had never experienced before. The exhilarating feeling of the wind rushing past her face, the stars twinkling above, and Garrett's arms holding her tight was a moment she would never forget.

After a while, Garrett signaled to Bella to pull the cord, and she did. The parachute opened with a jolt, and they were jerked backward as the wind carried them safely towards the ground. As they descended, Bella couldn't help but marvel at the stunning view of the city lights below. It was a breathtaking sight that she would remember forever.

Finally, their feet touched the ground, and Garrett unhooked them. As Bella turned around to face him, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. It was a kiss that conveyed all the joy and gratitude she felt at that moment, the perfect ending to a perfect day.

* Be sure to come back tomorrow to read about Bella's first time with Garrett. It's bound to be memorable. *