A huge thank you once again to my beta, cdunbar, for squeezing this chapter into her busy schedule!! :-)
To EclipseoftheTwilightMoon...when are we going to the lake??? ;-)
To all the ladies on the Twilighted thread..thank you soooo much for reading and commenting. I love you all and please don't kill me...hehehe!
And finally the disclaimer: I do own Bertha however I do not own these characters, they belong to Stephenie Meyer.
CHAPTER 5
The Morning After
BPOV
A little over halfway through the movie, my attention was drawn away by a deep, raspy breath coming from Edward's side of the couch.
I glanced over and noticed that he'd fallen asleep. His expression was relaxed and his mouth was slightly open, causing the air to whistle quietly through his teeth each time he exhaled.
Turning my body slowly so that I wouldn't disturb him, I arranged myself so that my position mirrored his; our toes not quite touching near the center of the couch cushions. With the movie forgotten, I took the opportunity to take a good, long look at him.
Although I hadn't thought it possible, he was even more gorgeous when he slept. His faultless features were perfectly smooth and relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world, the heavy school course load and the pressures of life seemed to be forgotten.
I resisted the urge to reach over and brush the lock of hair that had flopped down over his eye. My hand tingled as I thought of what it would feel like to run my fingers through the impossibly messy mop, wondering if it was as soft as it looked.
While I missed seeing the intense, emerald green of his eyes, I was relieved that he would not catch me ogling as my gaze slowly lowered, taking in his straight nose, angular cheekbones and his full soft lips.
A quiet gasp escaped from my mouth as my eyes fell on his chest. Mike's shirt was too small for him and was stretched tightly across it, revealing a well toned, muscular expanse. I watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing while visually exploring the peaks and valleys of his firm physique. It truly was a testament to his face that I had not noticed that before now.
There was a tightening in my stomach and moisture pooled between my legs as I imagined tracing the lines created by the muscle definition with my fingertips, triggering tiny tremors to flow through his body under my touch. Wrapping my arms around my knees, I clasped my hands together to prevent them from following through with my brain's suggestion.
With my hands firmly under control, my mind continued to wander. My panties became dampened as I envisioned my tongue following the same path as my fingers had, this time eliciting soft moans and quiet panting from Edward as he whispered my name like a prayer. My breathing started to pick up and I licked my lips as my fantasy self licked and sucked her way down, further and further until she had almost reached the waistband of those god awful sweat pants. All the while, wondering how someone equally as beautiful had not yet snatched this magnificent specimen up.
I heard the snapping of film as the screen in my mind went suddenly blank, a constant flip, flip, flip sounding as the projector continued to roll but was no longer playing my ridiculous daydream. Of course he would have a girlfriend. Possibly several. How could he not?
He hadn't mentioned one during the evening, but then the subject hadn't been broached either. Asking him outright was out of the question. I hadn't want to seem as though I was hitting on him, but I also had not really wanted to hear him speak fondly of someone else while we'd been having such a good time together.
Just as I was gathering my thoughts, Edward inhaled deeply through his nose and flopped his hand lazily onto his stomach. I froze, hoping that he had not woken up and seen me looking flushed and breathless, staring at his delicious abs.
Holding my breath, I chanced a glance upwards and sighed in relief when those green eyes did not meet mine. He was still sleeping soundly, that strikingly attractive crooked smile gracing his lips, confirming in my mind that he did indeed have someone to dream about.
I chuckled quietly at my momentary lapse in control, my head leaning to rest on the back of the sofa, amused by the new film playing in my head of an Angelina Jolie look-a-like pounding on my door tomorrow, demanding I return her Brad Pitt to her, while glaring condescendingly at me.
I was once again relaxed by the thought that there was no pressure on me to try to impress this sleeping god on my couch, no reason for me to feel uncomfortable in his presence, and I slowly drifted off to sleep.
Confusion filled my mind as I began to regain consciousness sometime later; my olfactory senses were overwhelmed by an unfamiliar scent. Breathing in deeply, I tried to place the individual aromas. It was musky but clean smelling, with an underlying hint of mixed spices. It was somehow sweet yet masculine, soothing yet exciting, and I decided that it was my new favorite fragrance.
My sleep-addled brain had determined that I was lying, face down on something firm but comfortable which was moving in a steady cadence and I could hear the whoosh of breathing beneath my ear. Something heavy was laid across my shoulders and there was a rather large lump pressing into my stomach.
Panic set in as the grogginess cleared and I realized that I was lying on top of Edward who was, thankfully, still fast asleep on my couch. A crimson blush rushed to my cheeks as I tried to slowly remove myself from this embarrassing situation, without waking Sleeping Beauty. However as soon as I began lifting myself up, Edward's arm tightened its grip on my shoulders, pinning me to his chest.
Cautiously opening my eyes, I looked up at him through my lashes just as he nuzzled his nose into my hair and inhaled deeply. Smiling, he squeezed me even more tightly before letting out a quiet moan as his hips shifted slightly, causing his substantial morning wood to rub against my stomach.
Angelina must use strawberry shampoo too, I thought. I'll have to thank her when she shows up.
It became apparent that I wasn't going to escape his vice-like grip without waking him up so, bracing myself for the inevitable awkwardness, I reached up and gently nudged his pec with my one free hand.
"Edward," I whispered. The action elicited a guttural rumble and another, more deliberate hip roll. A shiver ran through my body and my stomach twisted in a knot.
Ung. He really needs to stop doing that before I forget about Angelina and take advantage of him in his sleep!
"Edward," I hissed loudly, my hand tapping on his chest in what I hoped was an annoying enough pace to wake him.
His eyelids twitched briefly before slowly opening, a sleepy grin spread across his face as he blinked at me in an attempt to focus.
3…2…1 I counted down in my head. There it is…
A flash of recognition, followed by embarrassment, flickered through his eyes as a soft pink blush colored his cheeks. He quickly released his hold on me and began running his fingers through his hair, causing it to stand up in glorious disarray.
"I…um…ah…I'm sorry, Bella," Edward mumbled, still frantically pawing at his head, as I scrambled off him to sit on the arm of the sofa at the opposite end from him.
"It's…ah…ok, really Edward," I replied shyly, my own blush reaching epic proportions at that point, as I fiddled with the hem of my shirt.
A palpable air of uneasiness cloaked the room as we both fidgeted nervously at either end of the sofa, each of us struggling to find a way to break the silence.
The sound of two cell phones ringing cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife.
"Alice," I sighed, stumbling off the sofa and rushing to the kitchen to retrieve my phone from the counter.
"Jasper," Edward said simultaneously, while lunging for his phone on the coffee table.
Flipping open the phone, I answered. "Hi, Alice."
"Bella, Edward didn't come home last night. You wouldn't happen to know where he was, would you?" Her tone suggested that she already knew the answer.
"Yes, Alice," I grimaced, bracing myself for her reaction. "He stayed here last night."
The resulting squeal resounding through the tiny receiver forced me to hold the device several inches away from my ear as I made my way back into the living room.
Edward was standing in the far corner of the room, one hand held his phone to his ear while the other continued to rake through his hair.
"Soooo," Alice dragged out the word as though she was expecting to hear some juicy gossip. "Tell me everything."
"There's nothing to tell. We fell asleep, watching a movie." Edward and I both said in unison to our respective friends.
Upon hearing each other's words, our heads snapped up and our eyes locked before we both burst out in laughter, effectively dissolving the cloud that had gathered in the room.
"What's so funny?" I barely heard Alice's question through the noise we were making.
Jasper must have asked the same thing because, once again, we both choked out, "Nothing."
It took a few moments for us to compose ourselves and I could hear Alice sigh and then whisper something, presumably to Jasper.
"Well, if you're quite finished," she huffed into the receiver after I'd caught my breath. "Jazz and I thought it would be fun for the four of us to hang out together today."
"I don't know, Alice. I was hoping to make a start…"
"Pleeease?" she cut me off. "You can start that tomorrow, I'll even help you! Come on," she whined. "Didn't you say that you took this extra time off work so you could spend time with me?"
I could almost see her patented pout through the phone.
"Alright," I sighed. "We'll see you soon. Bye."
I rolled my eyes as I flipped the phone closed and looked at Edward, expecting to see him equally as exasperated, after his conversation with Jasper.
Instead I was greeted by a beaming smile from across the room, which caused my heart to race and then leap in my chest when Edward winked at me playfully, while snapping his phone shut.
Blushing profusely, I mumbled, "Those two sure have us right where they want us, huh?"
"I guess they do," he grinned.
"Okaaay, well I'm going to get changed." I eyed him warily; his goofy expression was making me a little self conscious.
"Help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen and I'll be right out," I called over my shoulder on my way to the bedroom.
"Thanks," he chuckled as I heard him enter the kitchen and open the fridge.
Closing the door to my room, I took a deep, calming breath, before stepping toward my closet. I grabbed my khaki shorts and a red tank top before moving to my dresser to pull out some underwear.
After I had changed, I quickly walked across the hall to the bathroom, smiling to myself as I heard the clinking of plates and the banging of doors coming from the kitchen, before locking myself inside the tiny room.
One look at my hair in the mirror told me that piling it into a messy bun was my only option for today. It was also the most likely explanation for Edward's reaction earlier, even I had to admit that I looked quite comical, peeking out from underneath a haystack! Getting my hair somewhat under control, I proceeded to wash my face and brush my teeth.
I opened the cupboard under the sink and pulled out a small towel and one of the many brand new toothbrushes I had accumulated under there, thanks to Alice misplacing hers on a regular basis.
I left the items on the countertop for Edward to use, if he wanted to freshen up before we left, and headed towards the kitchen.
I was expecting to have a quick bowl of cereal while I waited for Edward to get cleaned up. So, when I walked into the kitchen to find Edward arranging slices of fruit on a plate filled with scrambled eggs, I was gobsmacked.
He hadn't heard me enter and, as I was rendered speechless, all I could do was take in the sight before me.
Two place settings had been set on the small table in the far corner of the room with a similar plate of eggs and fruit already positioned on one side. There were two servings of toast, juice and coffee arranged neatly around the placemats with milk and sugar in the center.
"Edward," my voice was a little shaky, "You really didn't have to go to so much trouble."
He turned in my direction and I was worried that I had startled him. His breath hitched as his eyes glazed over and it looked like he was in danger of dropping the plate he was holding. With his brow furrowed slightly, he shook his head infinitesimally before regaining his composure.
"No trouble at all," he said, putting the plate he had been working on down on the table before pulling out a chair and waving his hand above it, beckoning me to sit.
"It was the least I could do after such an entertaining evening." His tone suggested that making me breakfast was the most natural thing in the world for him to do.
Still in a daze, I walked over and sat down. Edward pushed the chair forward until my knees were tucked under the table before moving to the chair opposite me and seating himself.
"Now, eat," he demanded lightheartedly. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know." His mouth pulled into that beautiful lopsided smile as he picked up his fork and stabbed at his eggs.
"Yes, doctor," I smirked at him before following suit and digging into my eggs.
"Mmm, these eggs are delicious!" I gushed after swallowing my first bite. "What did you do?"
"Ahh," he smiled. "It's the Cullen secret ingredient. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." He winked teasingly.
"But you made these with what you found in my kitchen," I shot back. "I'm sure I could figure it out sooner of later." I winked back at him.
"I suppose you're right," he sighed dramatically. "I guess I can tell you as long as you promise to keep it a secret."
"Cross my heart." I made a criss cross motion over my chest with my finger and smiled.
He leaned across the table and brought his lips to my ear. His warm breath tickled the sensitive area and caused a shiver to run down my spine.
"Just a hint of maple syrup," he whispered, as though there was a chance that someone may overhear, before returning to his seat.
"I had maple syrup?" I blurted out, both shocked by the revelation and reeling from the effect that Edward's actions had on me.
He threw his head back and laughed at my response. "I found it in the back of a cabinet, next to some pancake mix that was a little past its prime."
"Oh god, how embarrassing," I groaned, blushing a whole new shade of red.
"Don't be silly, Bella," he shrugged his shoulders, "Everyone has at least one, long forgotten item, lurking in their kitchen somewhere." That crooked smile made a reappearance as he pointed his fork at my plate.
"Now eat," he repeated. "Before it gets cold."
"Yes, sir!" I saluted before settling in to finish my meal.
We ate in companionable silence, with only the sounds of chiming cutlery and the muffled thuds of coffee mugs being lowered to worn wood, breaking through the quiet.
"Why don't you go and get washed up?" I offered, raising myself up from my chair while stacking our dirty plates. "I'll clean up in here."
"Sure, thanks," he said, moving toward the bathroom.
"No, thank you. Breakfast was wonderful," I called after him.
"Anytime." I barely heard the word before the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut temporarily cut off any further conversation.
Edward reentered the kitchen just as I was setting the last plate in the drying rack. He was dressed in the jeans and shirt from the previous night but he still managed to look refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day.
A giggle escaped from my lips when I noticed that his hair was slightly damp, as though he had attempted unsuccessfully to tame his wild mane by running wet hands through it. I was amused by the fact that I wasn't the only one with hair issues this morning.
He raised an eyebrow bemusedly.
"So, are you ready to go?" I pretended I didn't notice his silent question as I snuck by him and into the entryway. I slipped on my white tennis shoes and picked up my keys from the hall table.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he followed my lead. "Yup. How are we getting there?" he asked, holding the door open for me, obviously deciding to let my unexplained giggle slide.
"You navigate and I'll drive," I instructed as we both stopped at the doors of the elevator.
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted, mimicking my actions at the breakfast table.
We were both still laughing when the doors opened and we stepped inside. The uneasiness from last night was not present this time as we waited for the car to reach the parking garage in the basement of my building.
Edward kept pace with me as I approached my parking space, searching for the correct key as I strode up to the driver's side of my truck. Unlocking my door, I watched as Edward slowly walked around to the passenger side, his face was contorted into an expression of disgust as he eyed the flat red paint and the occasional rust spot.
"What?" I said, amusement colored my tone.
"You drive this?" he asked incredulously.
"This," I answered mockingly. "Is Bertha. She is a 1983 Chevy Scottsdale, ¾ ton pick-up truck and I've had her since high school. She can be quite sensitive, so I would appreciate it if you were nice to her."
I laughed when he looked at me, disbelief clear on his face, his nose still scrunched up as though there was an unpleasant smell in the air.
Hopping into the cab, I reached over the long bench seat and pulled up the lock on the passenger door. When he made no move to open the door himself, I yanked the door handle and pushed the door open for him.
"Well, are you getting in or would you rather walk?"
He paused for a moment, seeming to seriously consider his options, before climbing in and fastening his seatbelt. He visibly recoiled when I turned my key in the ignition and Bertha roared to life.
"So, where are we going?" I inquired, driving out of the garage into the bright July sunshine.
Edward gave me the directions to get to his street and I smiled as his demeanor reminded me of Alice whenever she was forced to travel anywhere in my vehicle. He sat stiffly, glancing incessantly at the speedometer as we drove through the busy Seattle roads.
Every person I knew hated Bertha, none of them understood why I wouldn't just get rid of her and buy myself a nice little car. Honestly, I wasn't sure why myself sometimes but all I knew was that I loved my truck; even though it could be less than reliable at times and drank gas like it was free, I just couldn't bear to part with it.
Perhaps it was because I appreciated the gesture it represented to me.
Renee had taken on a part time job approximately six months before my sixteenth birthday; I had questioned her about it, worried that she may burn herself out by working so many hours, but she had just brushed off my concerns. It wasn't until I returned home from school on my birthday to see Bertha sitting in our driveway, wrapped in a huge blue bow, that I realized what my mother had been saving her extra wages for.
In that moment, that big, old red truck was more impressive and beautiful to me than any of the Porches, BMWs or Audis my friend's were receiving from their parents.
We had turned into a quiet side street that seemed a million miles away from the busy main road, just feet behind us.
"It's the fourth house on the left," Edward pointed out, looking relieved that the journey was coming to an end.
The two cars parked in the driveway of the house were both impressive, in differing ways; the first was a classic, convertible E-Type Jaguar, its flawless body was covered in British Racing Green paint and the chrome bumpers and accessories shone brightly in the light of the sun. Parked next to it was an equally shiny, but obviously brand new, silver Volvo.
Edward flinched as I pulled in to a stop behind the Volvo, flipped the transmission into park and cut the engine.
"Let me guess, yours is the Volvo, right?"
"Why would you assume that?" Edward sounded affronted.
"Well, you obviously don't appreciate a classic when you see one," I smiled, swooshing my hand along Bertha's dashboard, like a Vanna White wannabe.
"Bella, there's a difference between a classic and just plain old…"
"Shhh…she'll hear you!" I interrupted, stroking the dash soothingly.
Edward rolled his eyes. "But yes, the Volvo is mine," he chuckled as he removed the seatbelt and opened his door.
I remained in my seat for a few minutes, looking through the windshield at the house. It was an older, two story home with a deep wraparound porch and shuttered windows. The wood siding appeared freshly painted in slate blue and the porch railings and trim were a fresh, clean white. The front yard was small, but well kept, with small flowerbeds filled with roses flanking the steps that led up to the porch.
Edward opened my door and offered his assistance by holding out his hand to me. I accepted the offer, taking his hand in mine and using it to steady myself as I jumped out of the truck.
"It's pretty," I motioned towards the house. "Are you guys renting it?"
"No, our…uh…Jasper's grandmother left it to us when she passed away a few years ago." Edward's hand moved to the small of my back as he led me along the uneven stone path that led to the steps.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I hoped I hadn't inadvertently cast a cloud over our day.
"Thank you." He noticed my worried expression before adding, "It's ok, it happened a while ago and she was such a wonderful lady that we love remembering her." He smiled reassuringly at me.
"Come on, let me show you the inside. Esme just finished redecorating again, she'll be thrilled to have someone other than Jasper and I look at it. I'm afraid she thinks her talents are wasted on us." He smiled widely again and gently guided me up to the large, intricately carved front door.
Before we made it the door, however, it was flung open and a flash of black hurtled towards us as Alice shrieked in delight.
"Oh Bella! You have to see this house!" She bounced in place before snatching my hand and tugging me though the door. "It's beautiful!"
I could hear Edward's laughter behind me as I was pulled forward to embark on a whirlwind tour.
My eyes scanned the space, taking as much in as possible in a short period of time, knowing that with Alice as my guide I wouldn't be able to linger for very long in any one place.
The entryway was bright and spacious with French doors leading off into rooms on both sides. The hallway ahead of us stretched back through the length of the house, narrowing halfway to accommodate a staircase. I could see through the glass of the doors that the room to the right was a formal dining room while the one to the left was a living room. Both rooms had large fireplaces dominating the outside walls.
Alice dragged me swiftly down the hall into a large country kitchen that took up half of the ground floor at the rear of the house. The cabinetry was made up of large, free standing pieces topped with granite counters and the appliances were all, state of the art, stainless steel. The expansive island at the center of the space was topped with a well worn slab of butcher's block and a cast iron rack hung above it, with various pots and pans hanging from it haphazardly on hooks. The balance of old and new in the room was achieved perfectly.
Another set of glass doors led onto a patio, which overlooked a large, meticulously maintained, back yard; a large oak tree growing at the far end served to provide not only shade, but also privacy from the surrounding neighbors.
Alice tugged impatiently at my arm when she had decided I'd had enough time to fully appreciate this part of the tour. "Hurry up, I want to show you the upstairs."
I followed her as she flitted back down the hall and up the stairs. "This is Jasper's room." She pointed to the first door on the right but did not open it. "And this is the guest bedroom." She opened the door next to Jasper's to reveal a generous sized room, decorated in greens and creams, a king sized bed dominated one wall and there was a small but apparently functional fireplace set on a wall between two sash windows. The dresser and the bedside tables appeared to be antiques made from a rich mahogany.
Crossing the hall we passed another closed door. "Edward's room," Alice informed me. "And this is the bathroom." Alice opened the fourth door with a flourish.
This room was as immaculately decorated as the others I had seen; the floor was covered in small pentagonal mosaic tiles laid in a repeating pattern of larger pentagrams in black and white while the walls were covered to the halfway point in white subway tiles, the upper half painted a deep charcoal grey. A toilet and pedestal sink lined one wall and a huge pickled pine cabinet stood beside the window, which had frosted, leaded glass panes. The focal point, however, was the large claw foot tub with a stainless steel, rainshower showerhead rising up to join the oval shower curtain rod; the mixture of the old fashioned tub and the modern shower was so tastefully done you could have believed that both were original features in the house.
"Ok, Bella," Alice was once again pulling on my arm, "Let's go see what the boys want to do today!"
Heading back down the stairs I was impressed by the way the feel of the house flowed together. All of the paneling that enveloped the lower third of the walls was painted in a warm, creamy off-white as was the trim around the doors and windows; the doors themselves had been stripped down to their original, natural wood and finished with a low luster lacquer. The upper 2/3 of the walls were all painted in strong deep colors, the only exceptions being the hallways which were painted a neutral beige making them feel calm and inviting.
Opening the door to the living room, we were met by the sound of laughter as Edward and Jasper relaxed and waited for us to finish snooping around their home. Alice moved gracefully across the room to sit on Jasper's lap; the moment she sat down he popped out the foot rest of the recliner he was sitting on and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest where she seemed to fit perfectly, with her head tucked under his chin.
Edward was sitting at one end of the long, midnight blue sofa, its color was a perfect match to the paint on the upper walls in this room, and I took a seat at the other end.
"Your house is beautiful. Esme certainly has an eye for design," I said to the room in general. "I'm jealous of your bath tub, though. I only have a shower at my apartment and there are times that I would kill for a bath!"
"You are welcome to come over and use it any time you want," Edward said. "We hardly ever use it, I prefer a shower myself."
"I may take you up on the offer, I have a feeling I'm going to need several over the next couple of weeks with all the work I have ahead of me." I sighed as I was reminded of just how much I had to accomplish in such a short time.
"I thought Alice had mentioned that you had time of off work right now?" Jasper asked.
"Oh, I do but I have a lot of packing to do before I leave on the 30th." I rolled my eyes and leaned back with a groan, sinking deeper into the back of the sofa.
I felt Edward's weight shift as he turned his body to face me. "Where are you going?" he probed.
"Chicago," I stated. "Charlie, my dad, still lives there and I used to spend at least a few weeks there, with him, every summer while I was growing up. I haven't been back since the summer before graduation though and I decided that this year I would like to spend some time with him."
What appeared to be a look of disappointment passed over Edward's features before it disappeared so quickly I couldn't be sure I hadn't imagined it.
"How long are you going for?" Jasper questioned before I turned my attention back to him.
"I haven't exactly figured that out yet," I confessed. "I have about six weeks of vacation time owed to me because I rarely take any time off and my lease is up on my apartment at the end of the month. As it stands right now, I have a one way ticket and I did not renew my lease so I'm going to put everything in storage and take only what will fit into the giant suitcase that Alice has lent me," I smiled at Alice who was looking sad, I knew I was going to miss her but this was something that I needed to do.
"I'm going to see how things pan out there and if I decide to make my stay more permanent, I'll make a short trip back, sell most of my stuff and take the rest back with me. Otherwise, Alice and I were planning on finding an apartment together if I come back. Sooo," I dragged the word out for effect. "I have to pack everything up and make countless trips to my storage unit before I'm ready to go. It's going to be exhausting, hence the need for a long hot bath." I smiled at the thought of relaxing in the huge tub, surrounded by sweet smelling bubbles.
Jasper's gaze flashed to Edward and then back to me. "Well, Edward and I would be happy to help you in any way we can. Wouldn't we, Edward?"
Three pairs of eyes turned in Edward's direction as he hesitated to answer. He had his eyes squeezed shut and he was pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger; deep lines marred his forehead as his eyebrows scrunched together.
"It's ok Edward, I won't be offended if you don't want to help. I know what it's like when your friend volunteers you to do things you'd rather not do." I winked at Alice to let her know that I was just trying to lighten the mood.
"No, it's not that," he mumbled quietly but his posture never changed.
"Are you feeling ok?" He was beginning to worry me and I reached out and gently touched his arm.
"No, not really," he sighed, releasing the hold on his nose and scrubbing at his face with both hands. "I…uh…if you'll just excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back."
He leapt up from the couch and shot out of the room. We could hear him race up the stairs, taking two at a time, and then a door slammed as the three of us stared at his vacated seat in confusion and concern.