Pyejammies beta'd

I forgot to say this & I'm not even sure it's necessary, but anyway, here it is:

DISCLAIMER: Twilight is not mine, unless you count my books and movies that I bought, and then a teensy bit of it IS mine!

"There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed." ~Napoleon Bonaparte

1001 - Chapter 3, Her Touch

She placed the back of her hand on my forehead, "You don't feel feverish or clammy."

I was practically panting with fear. All my life, I'd prayed and wished for this, for silence, for her—and now what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? How I am supposed to stay calm and think rationally? I don't want to freak her out, to scare her away.

"I'm...sorry about that, I'm fine. Thank you." My voice shook with nerves and trepidation, but I didn't know what to say. I could barely think logically, much less talk.

She took a step back away from me and I bent my head down to look straight into her eyes again, she confused me so.

One side of my mouth lifted and curled into a crooked smile and then she giggled.

"What?" she whispered as her hand came up to swipe over her face. "Do I have icing on my face or something?"

"No, you don't. I just…" I stopped from telling her the words that perched on the tip of my tongue, telling her that I was just making sure she was real. That I thought I might be dreaming right now because it seemed that I had finally found her. "I just wanted to thank you for checking on me." I said and nodded my head.

I couldn't take my eyes off her's, I hadn't been able to look anyone in the eyes since my mother, and even then, it wasn't a simple thing to do.

It wasn't easy, not like it was right now.

Her eyes widened and her hand came up to my face and then she quickly withdrew it. "Your nose," she pointed at mine, then back at her's, "your nose is bleeding a little."

"Shit," I mumbled and I reached up to touch my upper lip. I forgot about the nose bleeds that followed the invasions—that's what I called them, because that was how it was for me. Other people's thoughts invaded my mind so swiftly, it was a hostile takeover.

"Come on," she grabbed the lapel of my jacket and tugged me to follow behind her. She didn't have to pull hard, I would have gone anywhere with her.

I realized she was taking me back toward the front of the bakery where the patrons were, so I reached up to clamp down my headphones again tighter on my ears.

I closed my eyes when the chatter started, it wasn't too loud, maybe four people or so, nothing I couldn't handle and it seemed to be almost muted for some reason.

She pulled me into a small office and shut the door. The voices weren't much louder than murmurs, at least I couldn't comprehend what their exact thoughts were.

"What are you listening to?" She pointed to my headphones as she pulled a first aid kit out of a desk drawer.

I pushed one headphone back off my ear and let it rest on the side of my head. "Nothing right now, my battery is dead. Um, you really don't have to do this." I pointed as she opened an alcohol wipe.

"No, it's okay. Why do you still have them on if you're not listening to anything?" She asked as she proceeded to step closer to me.

The fluorescents in the office were much brighter than the lights were in the hallway. The closer to me she got, the more I noticed how absolutely beautiful she was. Her skin was pale with random freckles scattered across her nose and along her sharp cheekbones. Her hair was the darkest mahogany and it looked to be so soft.

My eyes danced over her face, soaking in her natural beauty. I traced over the edges of her features with my eyes, memorizing her so I could dream about her later.

I bet this is what angels look like.

"Sit down," she motioned with her head to the chair to my right.

"Now scoot back," she hovered over me and then brought up and bent her knee to balance herself on the chair in between my legs. Her left hand came up to hold my cheek as her right began to clean up my nose.

"Gloves?" I suggested.

She giggled again, and I watched as she licked her lips and shook her head. "Nah, I'm being careful. A little blood won't kill me."

I couldn't help but lean into her hand that held my cheek, she was so warm and it'd been so long since anyone had touched me. I knew what I'd been missing, but I had forgotten that it was this nice.

Her tongue slowly moved along the edge of her teeth, as with precision, she cleaned off my face.

I felt the intense stirring of my body, her close proximity causing me to be on alert...and hard. My breathing began to speed. Her knee was right there, if I shifted, she would feel what she was doing to me. That might be bad.

My hands were in tight fists at my sides, I'd never wanted to reach out and touch something so much.

Her hand inched forward to stretch the skin on my upper lip, "Tilt your head back a little. I'm almost done." She moved even closer, her knee now flush with my crotch.

I held in my groan and instead focused on her eyes. The brown was so deep and dark, little specks of green and black dotted her irises. Her eyelashes were long and had perfect curl, even without any obvious eye makeup. I'd bet people pay lots of money to look like she does now.

The door suddenly swung open and I was startled to see the other woman from behind the counter glaring at my brown-eyed beauty.

"What are you doing?" Counter woman said through clenched teeth.

The girl in front of me didn't let go of my face, "Shut the door, I'll be out in a minute." She wasn't in the least bit fazed by the older lady. She just looked at me and rolled her eyes. I smiled and then glanced back behind her at the open door. I noticed that both ladies had the same round face and dark hair.

"Bella, I swear, if you don't stop…" Counter lady was pissed, but oddly I couldn't read her mind. I couldn't hear her, even when I was looking right at her.

What was it about this place?

I had noticed that she called the girl who was cleaning me up, Bella. Her name was Bella. That was so ...perfect.

Then Bella let go of me and spun around, "Shut the door Renee!" she shouted rudely.

It was like in slow motion, in that instant when her skin disconnected from my own, the mumblings around me tripled in volume. Like it sounds when someone sits on the television remote and the volume goes for four to forty within seconds, almost wide open. There were voices filling my head from everywhere.

That was until Bella turned back toward me and placed her hand back on my face.

Then there was silence again.

Mere seconds, quiet to loud to quiet again.

Was this some kind of cruel joke fate was playing on me? Tempting me with how it could be if only I was normal?

Or was this what I wanted it to be? What I had always prayed for?

The door slammed, but I couldn't look away from Bella. She was the one, she was my saving grace. I just knew it. Her mind was silent to me and her touch—her touch shielded me more than music ever could.

But...

This could be bad.

I panicked.

"I have to go." I tried to stand, but she was so close, I didn't want to push her down.

I needed air and space and to think and I needed... away.

"You're shaking, are you all right?" Her palm smoothed over my cheek.

Goosebumps covered my flesh and I felt the beginning of saltwater pooling in my eyes.

"Please," I all but begged in a whisper. "Please, I need to leave now."

She stepped back and her hand fell away. My ears were suddenly filled with loud, mindless chatter. I covered them both tight with my headphones and cupped them with my hands.

I briskly walked off watching my feet out the office door and out of the bakery. Not turning around even once to look at her.

My mind spun so quick, I felt dizzy.

Then I took off in a sprint toward my apartment.

Tears stung my face as the passing wind whipped around me. I hummed to myself as my mind was bombarded with the thoughts of strangers around me, but my questions were screaming louder, demanding answers.

With every breath of my lungs, every blink of my eyes, every pound of my heart, every step I took, all I could picture was brown eyes and mahogany hair and the answer to all my prayers.