Let Love Lie
Chapter 5 – Regrets
BPOV
"Okay, guys, quiet down," I called above the chatter in my class. Once the talking died I smiled. "Welcome back, how was your break?" The chatter broke out again. "Okay, okay, settle down," I grinned. "Let's get started."
Lunch couldn't come quicker.
Ever since I told Jasper how I felt about Edward I couldn't get it out of my mind. I like Edward more than a friend. A friend is all he'll ever be to me. He made that clear. I can do friendship. I can make this friendship work.
"Hey," I said as I entered Rose's office while knocking on the door.
"Hey, come on in," she smiled and motioned for me to come in. I went in and sat on the loveseat she had against one of the walls. Rose's office is a very relaxing place. Three of the walls are a deep orange while the fourth is brown. She has comfy chairs and a couch. The atmosphere is very welcoming.
"We still on for lunch?" I asked.
"Yeah, of course," she smiled. Rose grabbed her purse and we went out to her BMW. We drove to the local diner that Edward brought me to. When we walked in we went to the nearest booth we could find and sat down. We ordered our drinks and food.
"So," she smiled and looked at me expectantly.
"So?" I urged.
"I haven't heard about Edward lately." I shrugged.
"We haven't hung out in a few days. He has a job, you know. He can't spend all his time on a lost cause like me."
"Lost cause? Bells, don't say that," she frowned.
"Well, what do you expect me to say?" I asked. "I'm a total freak. I can't act normal around this perfectly nice guy because I was a douchebag's personal punching bag for about a year," I hissed.
"That doesn't make you a lost cause, Bella," she said softly. "You don't know how great it is to see you smiling after you hang out with Edward. Like on the car ride back to your house after you went to breakfast with him you were smiling as you looked out the window. I know you like him, Bell."
"I'm so scared Rose. Everything about him scares the shit out of me." I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. A throat cleared from next to the table and I jumped, feeling the all too familiar current run through me. I knew who it was before looking up.
"Hey," I smiled in a small voice.
"I'll leave you two alone," Rose smiled. I shot her a warning glance.
"You don't have to," Edward intervened. "I just figured I saw Bella so I'd stop to say hi."
"No, no, you two need to talk. Bella, I'm going to go through the drive-thru at McDonalds. Your mom has been monitoring my fast food intake because of the wedding," she winked before getting up and leaving before we could get a word in. Edward took her spot.
"How much of our conversation did you hear?" I asked mortified as my hands covered my face.
"Hey, what have I told you about being shy with me?" he asked softly.
"Please answer the question," I whispered as I lowered my hands.
"Enough to know that you're scared of me," he said quietly. I looked up at him and his eyes were downcast on the table.
"Edward," I said to get his attention. He looked up at me. "I'm not afraid of you."
"But you said," he started but I cut him off.
"I know what I said. But," I sighed and raked my fingers through my hair again. "I don't know," I groaned. "You have to understand that I haven't talked to a guy besides family since I met James. He wouldn't let me. He ruined my friendship with one of my best guy friends because he was too insecure to realize that I wouldn't cheat on him." Edward was silent, his jaw tense.
"How could you stay with a bastard like that?" he asked in a low, heated voice after a few moments. I felt my blood start to boil from the tone of his voice.
"What?" I asked bewildered, blinking furiously.
"I'm pretty sure my question was pretty clear, Bella."
"I-I know, but how could you ask me something like that?" I asked angrily.
"What do you mean? It's a plausible question," he raised his voice a little.
"I thought he loved me," I said exasperated.
"A man who treats you like shit obviously doesn't love you!" he said heatedly and raised his hands. I instinctively cringed back. "Shit," Edward said as he lowered his hands. "I'm not going to hit you Bella, and you thinking that I would, thinking that I could," he struggled for words.
"You don't have to finish, I get the idea," I said angrily as I pulled out my wallet and placed money on the table before walking out.
"Bella, wait," he called as he walked after me.
"Leave me alone," I said with tears streaking my cheeks.
"Please, I'm sorry," he said as he caught up with me. He came in front of me and cut me off. "Oh shit, I'm sorry, Bella. I-I, fuck, I didn't mean to make you cry," he said softly. He slowly reached up to my cheeks, judging my reaction, and wiped my tears. "God I'm such a dick," he murmured.
"Don't say that," I sniffled. He smiled softly.
"I really am sorry for how I acted back there. I shouldn't have talked to you like that," he pulled away and sighed. He ran his hand through his hair anxiously. "I can't even begin to understand why someone would want to hurt you." I looked back into the diner not knowing what to say. I spotted the clock and my eyes bulged out of my head.
"Shit, I need to get back," I said as I pulled my phone out to call Rose.
"I'll take you," Edward offered.
"Would it be un-lady-like to ride a bike with a skirt?" I giggled.
"I have my Volvo. It was raining this morning so I didn't take my bike to the hospital," he explained as he led me over to a silver Volvo. We got in and he started heading towards the high school.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he drove, taking his eyes off the road for only a second to look at me.
"Yeah," I nodded. I pulled down the visor and checked my make-up. It didn't smear too much. I swiped my thumb under both of my eyes.
"Are we okay?" he asked sounding unsure.
"We're fine," I answered with a small smile. I looked over and saw him smiling at my answer. He pulled into the school and parked. He got out and opened my door for me. When I got out he pulled me into a hug. I tensed up at first but relaxed and hugged him back after a few seconds. He pulled away from me and smiled.
"I am so sorry about how I acted," he said again.
"Don't, it's fine," I said. "I know how stupid I was."
"Don't say that," he said, mimicking my words from earlier. "Now, go have fun teaching and I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, go save lives," I smiled. I walked off towards my class. I walked in right before the bell rang.
"Okay everyone, sit down. Let's get started," I said as I walked to the front of the classroom.
XOXO
After school I drove my ancient truck home. I walked inside and saw Jasper on the couch filling out job applications.
"Hey, girlie," Jasper smiled when I sat next to him.
"Hey," I smiled. "Where are you applying?"
"Just a few restaurants and bars," he shrugged and sighed. "I'm planning on going back to school so I just need a flexible job."
"Good for you, Jazz," I smiled. "But I'm going to go change." I patted Jazz's shoulder and went up to my room with Rufus right behind me. He jumped up on my bed and sprawled out on his side with a grunt.
"Make yourself comfy there, Ru," I giggled. I pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a formfitting sweater and changed into them. I walked back downstairs and pulled on some gloves and my jacket. I took Rufus outside and he brought me his Frisbee. I threw it and wrapped my arms around myself.
Snow was lightly falling from the sky, the first snow of the year.
My phone dinged, signaling a picture message. I opened it and it was a picture of me throwing the Frisbee. I looked at the number and I didn't recognize it. I looked around to see if I could find someone that could have taken the picture but there was no one around. My phone dinged again.
Don't bother. U won't fine me.
"J-Jasper," I called for him. Rufus came over and nudged me, sensing my panic. I felt like I couldn't move. "Jasper!" I called louder. I heard the front door open.
"Bells? Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he came up to me. He took my phone from me. "Come on, let's call Dad," he said as he pulled my hand. The next thing I knew I was on the couch.
"Dad?" Jasper said into his phone. "Can you come over? Bella's getting weird texts." He paused so Dad could talk. "What do you mean again?" I felt Jasper's gaze on me. "Okay, see you in a few." Jasper's phone snapped shut and he knelt in front of me. "Bella, we're getting you a new number," he said. I nodded.
EPOV
I saw Bella look at her phone then look around for someone. I made sure I was well hidden so she wouldn't find me. What's on her phone?
"J-Jasper!" she called for her brother. Chief told me Jasper was home. I began to scope around me to see if I could see anyone else. I saw someone a little ways back. He spotted me and ran. I got up and ran after him. He had a major lead and I couldn't catch up. He made an abrupt turn to the right and I turned from where I was and couldn't find him. The trees became too thick. He could be anywhere.
"Fuck," I panted. I searched for the next hour with no success. My cell phone stopped my searching. It was Chief.
"Officer Cullen," I sighed.
"Where the hell are you, Cullen? This is the second time!" Chief asked in an angry whisper.
"I almost had him, Chief. I've been searching the forest for him for the past hour!"
"What? And you didn't call me?"
"Chief, with all due respect, I was kind of in the middle of something. I couldn't just pick up my phone and call you!"
"Well, do you know where he is?"
"If I knew where he was I wouldn't be searching," I said irritably.
"Don't talk to me in that tone, Boy," he nearly growled. "This is my daughter's safety we're talking about. I can have you fired quicker than you can say sorry!"
"Okay, Sir, but he's gone. I've been searching for an hour."
"Alright," he sighed. I heard someone in the background. "Just go back in the house, Bell. I'll be there in a moment."
"Is she okay?" I asked after I heard the door shut.
"Yeah, she's fine, just a little shaken up. Give up searching, Cullen. He's probably far gone."
"Yes Sir," I said. He hung up and I put my phone away.
BPOV
Dad finally left around eight that night after talking to Jasper in private for about an hour.
Jasper sat next to me on the couch.
"It was James, wasn't it?" I asked.
"Yes," he said barely above a whisper. I swallowed and looked at him.
"What's going to happen?"
"Dad has a guy on his team looking for him. Apparently they almost caught him today but he got away. He knows what he's doing, Bells." I sighed and put my face in my hands.
"If he finds me he's going to finish what he started, I just know it," I whispered.
"He's not going to get close to you. Not with me around."
"You can't be with me everywhere I go, Jasper."
"He's not going to get close to you," he repeated.
"I'm going to call Edward," I said and got up. I went into the kitchen and picked up our house phone. I punched Edward's number into the keypad and pressed send.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hi, it's Bella," I replied.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Not much, rough day," I frowned.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Can we meet somewhere? I don't want to do this over the phone."
"Yeah, do you want me to pick you up? Or do you want to meet at the diner or something?"
"Let's meet at the diner," I said.
"Okay, I'll see you in a few."
"See you soon." I grabbed my keys and called a goodbye to Jasper before walking out to my truck. I looked around me to make sure no one was out there and got into my truck. I drove down to the diner and went inside where Edward already had a table. I sat across from him and pulled my jacket off.
"Hi," he smiled.
"Hey," I smiled back softly.
"So, rough day?" he asked. I nodded.
"James texted me today. But it wasn't his number. He must have gotten a new number," I explained softly. "I think he's coming to finish what he started."
"I'm not sure what you mean," he said, but I knew he was aware of exactly what I meant.
"I think he wants to kill me. H-he's threatened it before," I said, recalling on memories. "He's told me once or twice that if I ever broke up with him he would." I covered my face when I felt tears in my eyes. I felt Edward sit next to me. He hesitantly put his arm around me.
"Your dad'll find him."
"Apparently one of his guys almost caught him today," I sighed. We were quiet for the next few minutes. A waitress brought us coffee and we declined food. "Can we talk about anything besides this?"
"Okay," he said as he thought. "How was teaching?"
"Same as always," I shrugged. "Boring," I smiled. "How was the hospital?"
"Eh, it was alright. A kid with a cold, one with strep, but other than that there wasn't much going on." I nodded. Silence settled in as we drank our coffee.
"How're Alice and Riley?" I asked after a few moments.
"They're good. I haven't had a chance to see them since Thanksgiving but I'm planning on going over there tomorrow.
"How about you guys come over for dinner tomorrow?" I offered. "It's just Jasper and me at home and I'm sure he'd be fine with it. I want to see Alice and Riley anyway."
"We couldn't impose like that," he smiled sheepishly.
"Impose? Bullshit. I insist," I pushed.
"Well since you insist," he chuckled softly.
"Great. Tomorrow at five? Five thirty?"
"Five thirty sounds great," he smiled.
"Is Riley picky?" I asked. "I'll make something everyone likes."
"No, the kid is like a vacuum," he chuckled.
"Okay," I smiled. "So spaghetti is fine?"
"That would be great," he grinned.
XOXO
I flitted around the kitchen trying to get everything ready and make sure I didn't ruin dinner.
"Jazz, could you help me real quick?" I asked as I stirred the noodles.
"Yeah, what's up?" he asked as he came into the kitchen.
"Can you set the table please? There's going to be five of us."
"Now, who's coming tonight?" he asked for about the millionth time.
"Edward, his sister Alice, and her son Riley," I repeated. I feel like a broken record. "And no cussing in front of Riley. That's a huge thing about Alice."
"Okay, Alice, Riley, Edward. No cussing. Got it," he said. I giggled at his determined tone.
"Keep an eye on this, okay? Make sure the noodles don't boil over. I need to go get ready."
"How do I know when they're done?" he called as I walked out.
"I'll be down in about ten minutes. They should be done by then," I called back as I bounded up the stairs. I went into the bathroom and plugged my straightener in. I lined my eyes with bluish purple eyeliner and put a soft silver shimmer on my eyes. I raked mascara through my eyelashes before starting on my hair. I sectioned my hair off before curling it with the straightener. The curls look more natural in my opinion when done this way.
Once my hair was finished I went into my room and changed into a deep blue long sleeved blouse and a pair of dark skinny jeans. I walked down the stairs and found Jasper in the kitchen stirring the noodles.
"Everything okay?" I asked knowing cooking wasn't necessarily his expertise.
"Peachy king, Jelly Bean," he smirked as he put the wooden spoon down.
"Great," I grinned. I looked at the clock and saw it was almost five-thirty. Butterflies filled my stomach. I took a deep breath before draining the noodles.
"Nervous?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah, and I don't understand why. I always get like this when Edward and I hang out."
"You really like this guy, huh?"
"I like him, yeah," I shrugged. The doorbell rang and I ran to answer it. "Hi," I greeted with a smile to Alice, Riley and Edward. "Come on in." Alice squealed and hugged me. I giggled and hugged her back. Riley hugged my leg and I ran my fingers through his hair with a smile. Then Edward came up to me and I held my arms out letting him know it was okay to hug me. He didn't hesitate before embracing me. He squeezed me a little before letting go. I then led them into the kitchen.
"Edward, Alice, and Riley, this is Jasper, my brother. Jasper, this is Edward, Alice, and Riley," I introduced.
"Hi, nice to meet you," Edward said as he shook Jasper's hand.
"Likewise," Jasper smiled politely. Jasper held his hand out to Alice. She took it and he kissed her hand. She giggled and blushed before taking her hand away. My brother the charmer I thought with a mental eye roll.
"So, you guys are just in time. The noodles just finished." I put the noodles in a bowl before mixing in the sauce. I set the bowl on the table.
"Okay," I smiled when everyone sat down. "Dig in!" We all served ourselves and settled into a friendly chatter.
"So, Edward, Bella tells me you're a pediatrician," Jasper said.
"Yeah, I followed in my father's footsteps."
"And Alice," Jasper said, taking on a different, happier, tone. "Bella says you're into design?"
"Clothing design, yes," she smiled wide. "I think I actually found someone who likes my designs."
'That's great," Jasper grinned. They continued to talk and were tuned out to the rest of the world. I looked up at Edward and he was already looking at me.
"It's not polite to stare, Mr. Cullen," I teased and smiled. Blush was no doubt covering my cheeks.
"How are you, Bella?" Edward asked.
"I'm fine," I smiled softly and nodded. "And you?"
"I'm great," he smirked.
After dinner Jasper and Alice took Riley outside to play with Rufus, who became Riley's new buddy. Edward and I sat on the porch swing watching them. "Thank you so much for inviting us for dinner," Edward said. He turned towards me, resting his elbow on the back of the swing and resting his head in his hand. I, in turn, shifted so I was facing him and brought a leg up onto the swing.
"It was my pleasure. It gave me an excuse to actually make dinner instead of sandwiches like Jazz and I always have." I turned and looked at my brother as he handed the Frisbee to Riley.
"Riley seems to have taken a liking to Jasper," Edward smiled.
"So has Alice," I giggled. Edward smiled at his sister. He turned back to me and grinned. I couldn't help but smile back.
"Bella!" Riley called. I turned and looked at him.
"Yeah, Riley?" I called back.
"Watch Rufus!" he giggled except it sounded like "watch Wufus". Riley held the Frisbee as high as he could and Rufus sat on his hind legs and put his front paws bent in front of him. Riley giggled and threw the Frisbee before looking back at me. I smiled and nodded.
"He adores you," Edward said softly. I looked at him and smiled.
"He's a cutie," I grinned.
"I can't even go over to Alice's without him asking where you are."
"As if that's my fault," I scoffed jokingly.
"It's totally your fault. You have too much charm for your own good."
"Sure," I laughed sarcastically.
"You do," he jokingly argued. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes after that and watched Alice and Jasper play with Riley.
"Tell me something about your childhood," I said randomly.
"Sorry?" he chuckled, taken by surprise.
"Never mind," I blushed and looked away, biting my lip.
"Hey, what did I say about being shy with me?" he asked softly. I turned and looked at him. "What do you want to know?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "I just want to get to know you." Edward thought for a moment before talking.
"I took dance classes until I was eight."
"What type of dance?"
"Hip-hop," he chuckled. "What's something about your childhood?"
"I did cheer all through school."
"And you're still clumsy?" he chuckled.
"Hey," I giggled and grinned. "I was great at cheer!" I defended.
"What did you do in cheer?"
"I was a flyer."
"That's the one that gets thrown into the air, right?"
"Yeah," I smiled.
"You let people throw you into the air?" he asked incredulously.
"Uh, yeah," I giggled.
"You're just asking for an injury," he chuckled. I shoved his shoulder lightly and he responded by shoving me back. I stiffened slightly before calming down and laughing. I reached to ruffle his hair but he grabbed my wrist. "Don't even think about it," he laughed. I stuck my tongue out at him and he raised his eyebrow in return. He let go of my wrist and chuckled at my childishness.
Riley ran over to us.
"Uncle Eddie!" he cried happily.
"Yeah, Punk?" Edward chuckled.
"You going to come play with me tomorrow!" Edward looked up at Alice questionably.
"Jazz and I are going to go out to get some dinner tomorrow night," Alice explained. "And Riley, I told you to ask," Alice scolded softly. Edward smiled.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Edward asked Riley. Riley's eyes lit up.
"Everything!"
"That may take more than a night, Punk," he chuckled.
"Edward, we should head out. It's almost time for Riley to go to bed." Edward set Riley down before getting up and helping me up. Alice hugged me goodbye. I picked Riley up and kissed his cheek as he hugged my neck.
"Cooties," Riley whined. Alice and I both smacked Edward.
"Hey, whoa!" Edward laughed.
"That's your fault!" Alice scolded.
"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. Alice rolled her eyes before going to say bye to Jasper.
"Bye," I smiled to Edward.
"Bye," he smiled. "Thanks for inviting us to dinner. I had a great time."
"Me too," he grinned. I opened my arms to hug him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped mine around his neck. He squeezed me tight and I never wanted him to let go. His arms made me feel safe and secure. I squeezed him to me before reluctantly letting go.
"Goodnight Bella," he said in a slightly husky voice.
"Goodnight," I said softly. He walked away and down to his Volvo where Alice was getting Riley in his car seat. They drove off after that.
"Thanks for inviting them over, Bells," Jasper grinned.
XOXO
"James?" I called. "I'm home." I came home early to surprise him.
"Man, I thought you said your woman wouldn't be home!" a man called annoyed. I walked into the kitchen where James and a dark skinned man sat at the table.
"She's not supposed to be," James said through clenched teeth.
"Whatever, J, I'm out. When your woman isn't here, call me." The man got up ad left.
"Your woman?" I asked.
"What the hell are you doing home so early?"
"I came home to surprise you."
"Yeah, well, that was a client you just 'surprised' away," he said sarcastically with air quotes.
"Sorry," I said in the same sarcastic tone. "I'll just go back to the school." I started walking for the door but I was yanked backwards by my arm. I let out a yelp from pain and surprise.
"Sit down!" he roared. He sat me in a chair roughly.
"What the hell is your problem?" I screamed.
"Since when do you want to surprise me?" he ignored me.
"I'm not doing this," I said as I tried getting up. He pushed me back down roughly.
"Ouch, James, you're hurting me!" I yelled. I tried removing his hands from my shoulder but he pressed harder. I cried out in pain before he let up.
"Surprise me, my ass," he muttered as he started walking off. I got up again. "I said sit down!" he yelled. He marched over to me angrily and slapped me across the cheek. My knees buckled and tears fell down my face as I sobbed, on my hands and knees on the floor.
I heard him punch a wall and groan in anger.
My cell phone woke me up from my nightmare.
"Hello?" I asked as I answered, trying to calm my crying.
"Bella? Are you okay?" Edward asked.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine," I sniffled. "Hang on a second." I pulled the phone from my ear and covered the speaker before letting out a soft sob. I kept the phone away from me for a few seconds before I composed myself enough to put it back up to my ear.
"What did you need?"
"I was calling to see if you wanted to hang out seeing as Alice and Jasper are out again and I'm watching Riley."
"Yeah, uh, Edward, today's not a great day. Sorry," I whispered, really wanting to tell him that I wanted nothing more but not wanting him to see me in this state.
"Bella, you sound like you're crying."
"I'm fine."
"I'm coming over," he said. I started to protest but he hung up. I sighed and put my phone down. I turned the TV on as I waited for Edward to get here.
About five minutes later someone knocked on my door. I went over and answered it. I was immediately wrapped in a familiar pair of arms. I wrapped my arms around Edward's neck and felt myself get lifted off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his waist.
"What happened?" he asked. I sighed but didn't answer. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against his shoulder. "Come on, Punk," Edward said. I heard the door shut and Edward carried me over to the couch. Edward sat down so I was sitting in his lap. His hands rubbed circles on my back soothingly. "What's wrong, Baby?" he asked. My heart fluttered at the nickname and butterflies filled my stomach.
"It's silly," I mumbled into his shoulder.
"Nonsense." I sighed before answering.
"I had a nightmare. Your call woke me up from it." Edward tightened his grip on me. I felt myself shaking slightly and tears began flowing down my cheeks again as the dream replayed in my mind.
"Hey, Punk. Go take Rufus into the kitchen and play, okay?"
"Okay," Riley said happily. "Come on Rufus!" I heard them walk away.
"You're fine, I've got you," Edward whispered as he rubbed my back. I let out a muffled sob into Edward's shoulder. Edward sat silently and rubbed my back as I cried into his shoulder. Once I calmed down to sniffles and my tears slowed he gently pulled me away from his shoulder. He brought his hands up to my face and wiped my smeared make-up and tears away.
"Sorry," I whispered. He smiled softly.
"You're crazy," he murmured. "You have nothing to apologize for."
"Yeah, you shouldn't have had to come over here. I'm just being stupid," I sniffled.
"I wanted to come over." I smiled at his words. "Are you okay?" I nodded. I moved to get off his lap.
"We should probably check on Riley. It's kind of quiet in the kitchen," I mumbled. I got up off the couch and helped pull him up. I led the way into the kitchen where Riley was lying on the floor with Rufus sleeping. Edward chuckled and walked over to him.
"If you want to stay a little longer you can put Riley on my bed," I offered.
"That'd be great," he accepted. Edward picked Riley up and followed me to my room. He laid him down and Rufus jumped up on the bed to curl up next to him. We walked out of the room and shut the door so it was open just a crack. I sighed and raked my fingers through my hair.
"Are you really okay?" Edward asked once we were in the living room again. I nodded.
"I'm just a little scared," I whispered.
"Shit, I-I didn't even realize," he trailed off. "I wasn't thinking when I walked in. I forgot that I have to be careful around you."
"No, no, don't," I said to stop him from scolding himself. "I needed that. I felt, I don't know, safe," I mumbled. "You don't need to worry about being careful around me anymore." I walked over to him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Sure, what do you want to watch?" he asked.
"I don't know," I shrugged. I went over to the movie rack and picked the first one I saw. It happened to be Burlesque.
"Chick flick?" he chuckled.
"It's a musical Mr. Cullen," I giggled. "Get it right," I added with a smirk. I sat down on the couch with him. He draped his arm across my shoulders and I snuggled into his side feeling safe from harm.
XOXO
I woke up the next morning because my bed was moving. I groaned and rubbed my face further into my pillow and sighed. My nose was instantly filled with a familiar scent.
I opened my eyes and saw Edward sleeping with me halfway on top of him. His lips were slightly pouted and he looked peaceful.
I tried to get up without disturbing him but he groaned and tightened his grip on my waist. I sighed and gave up, resting my head on his chest again.
Would Edward feel awkward about this? Would he tell me we couldn't be friends anymore? Would he tell me he also has feelings for me?
Questions raced through my mind, some being absurd and others making sense. I hoped he wouldn't tell me that he didn't want to be friends with my anymore but knew that the chances of him sharing the same feelings as me were slim to none. That didn't stop me from getting my hopes up, though.
"Good morning," Edward mumbled huskily. I lifted my head to look at him.
"Morning," I whispered.
"Shit, Riley," Edward cursed. He let go of me and we both sat up before he went up to my room. I sighed before getting up and following him. I was about to walk into my room when Edward burst out of it.
"Do you know where Riley is?" he asked frantically.
"He's not in my room?" I asked, confused.
"No. Shit!" he groaned. "I can't believe how stupid I was," he muttered to himself as he searched my house. A tinge of pain shot through my heart as all my hopes that he felt the same as me came crashing to the ground. He regretted sleeping over last night. I bit back the tears and helped search for Riley.
Edward checked his phone and sighed in relief.
"Alice took him home last night. Jasper apparently slept there too," he explained. I nodded showing I understood.
"Bell, are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said barely above a whisper. "You know, maybe you should go." I walked to the door and opened it.
"What? Why?" he asked as he came over to me. I looked down at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with him. If I did, even for just a second, the tears that were swimming in my eyes would fall. He would know how I feel and probably never talk to me again. I would scare him away. "Oh," he said sadly. He knows that I know. He walked out without saying goodbye. I closed the door and let the tears fall down my cheeks.
EPOV
I woke up to someone rubbing their head against my chest. I realized it was Bella and we were still on her couch. I didn't move and pretended to still be sleeping. She tried to pull away but I groaned and held her small, warm body closer to me, hoping she thought I was still sleeping. She sighed before placing her head back on my chest—just above my heart.
"Good morning," I mumbled after a few minutes.
"Morning," she whispered as she looked me in the eyes. She looked so beautiful even though her hair was sticking in all directions and her eyes were hooded from drowsiness.
I remembered about Riley and panicked. We both got up and I went up to her room. He wasn't in the bed where I placed him last night. Rufus was still there though. I bolted out of the room and asked Bella is she knew where he was but she was just as clueless as I was.
"I can't believe how stupid I was!" I scolded myself. How could I lose my nephew? Alice is going to kill me. I searched the bathroom and kitchen before checking my phone. Alice had texted me. Great, she was probably wondering where I went and why her son is missing. Well, funny story sis…
Jazz and I picked up Rie last night. At my place. Thanks for watching him. – A
I let out a sigh of relief as my heart rate slowed down. I explained to Bella where Riley was and she nodded but was silent.
"Bell, are you okay?" I asked. Did she regret last night? Did she know how I felt and this was her trying to think of a way to let me down easily?
"Yeah," she said so soft that I had to strain to hear her. In the same tone she added, "You know, maybe you should go." She walked over to the door and opened it, not bothering to look at me.
"What?" I asked shocked. "Why?" I walked over to her and she wouldn't meet my eye. She did regret last night. Shit, I fucked this up. "Oh," I whispered dejectedly. I walked out of her house and she shut the door without saying goodbye.