Wow, thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing this little story!
Today has been a really busy one so this update is a little later than I wanted it to be.
Right, hands up who pimped this story out... I appreciate it so much! Kisses from Edward are being sent to you!
Also thanks to Mi, for reading this chapter .. .
Twilight isn't mine.
I wake up feeling alone and cold. I search around blindly with my fingertips and all I feel is an empty space. I sigh and wonder if that was all a really weird dream. I turn over to my night table and grab up my cell. I have two new messages. One from Alice and one from an unknown number. I read the last one first.
Now you have my number. Use it. Edward.
I giggle as I programme his digits into my contacts. I may have to teach him about boundaries.
I stretch and get ready, taking twice as long in the shower.
This evening we're supposed to be going to the carnival, but the rest of the day is mine to watch Netflix and hopefully make a sizeable indent in the sofa cushions. I end up watching The Fall but even Jamie Dornan on the huge screen can't take my thoughts away from last night.
I can't help but freak out when my phone rings in the middle of Spector doing his thing.
"Hello?" I grip the phone, I forgot to check caller ID before answering.
"Hey B." looks like Emmett's little nickname is rubbing off. I let out my breath.
"Hey Rose. What's up?"
"We're swinging by to get you at six. Sorry about last night. Wonder where Edward was?"
"I've got no idea." Because that's true. I only know where he was this morning at an ungodly hour."I'll be ready."
"It's going to be so much fun!" We chat for a little while and she's full of excitement and gushes over Emmett. After lunch I get ready. I go for a casual look, jeans converse and a hoody.
Edward turns up to collect me at six, apparently he volunteered. I try not to drool when I open the door, he's only wearing jeans and a sweater but he looks amazing.
"Are you ready, friend?" His grin is cheeky and I want to kiss his mouth instantly.
I remind myself that we've labelled us, as friends. I need to get that through my thick skull.
I immediately repeat it as a mantra in my head. Edward shoots me a look that questions if I'm okay, I probably look really constipated. I pause when I realise what he just said.
"You do know that you don't have to keep saying that, right?"
His mouth turns up into a wicked smile.
"Yep, but I need to keep reminding myself."
Seems like we're both on the same wavelength.
He drives us to the outskirts of the city, towards the fair. He asks me questions about starting at Masen's Advertising, I tell him how excited I am to start and he rolls his eyes. I ignore it and carry on yapping about the field trip that I went on and how my obsession started. He listens, but doesn't say much.
The others meet us there and Emmett immediately pulls me under his arm. He tells me that he wants me to swing by his shop and make an appointment, so we can make a start on a small tattoo for me. I tell him that I definitely will, which makes him very pleased and he claps his huge hands together with a big grin on his face.
"I get to ink the good girl. Amazing!" He winks at me, Rose laughs at his enthusiasm and links arms with Alice after we've all hugged.
Emmett pulls me back into his side and walks with me as Edward walks with Jasper and I keep trying to crane my neck, to see him. I glimpse them a few times and they look deep in conversation.
As we all walk through the stalls and rides, Emmett lets go of me and strides over to the crossbow shoot game and I watch as he shoots all the targets in quick succession, winning Rose a huge purple teddy bear, which he presents to her. He looks so proud of himself as Rose thanks him by attacking his mouth with hers.
As I watch them, I feel Edward's warm hand slip into mine, our fingers entwine together and I feel his breath on my ear.
"I could totally do that."
I turn and laugh at his serious expression.
"Isn't this one more your game?" I tease and point to the fish bowl game. He puts his other hand over his heart and feigns shock, with wide eyes.
"Are you mocking me?"
I laugh, pullling my hand out of his and put them both up in front of me, surrendering.
"Show me, then."
He grabs my hand again and pulls me over to the crossbow game. I turn and look back at the others, who are all watching us in fascination. I shrug and smile, before turning back to Edward.
He already has his crossbow and aims it at the target, I stand by his side and watch. He pulls the trigger and it hits the first target, right in the middle. It's actually quite impressive. His smile is full of arrogance as he reloads and aims again, I gently lean forward.
"Pussy."
I say it just as he's about to pull the trigger. It obviously affects him because he moves and hits one of the small teddies at the back, right through the head. I giggle as he turns to me with wide eyes.
"You just said pussy. You're trying to sabotage me."
He looks at me in the face as he reloads and turns briefly, before quickly shooting the arrow through the second target. I take that as a challenge, so just as he shoots his fourth arrow I lean towards him and grab his ass. It doesn't work as well as I'd hoped, he's off slightly but he still hits within the smaller circle.
"I could do this all night, what else are you going to grab, Bella?" His eyes twinkle under the lights as he glances down at me. I think I forget to breath.
He takes the opportunity to turn and shoot his final arrow though the last target. I smile as the man behind the stall presents him with a tiny little grey bear, clutching a heart. He turns back to me and places it in my hands. I hug it to my cheek and smile.
"Thanks." I mutter and laugh.
He laughs with me as we carry on walking through the fair, trying to catch up with the others.
We pass 'Mystic Sara's' tent, just as she pops her head out.
"Come and have you're fortunes read, sweet lovebirds." She shouts it out to us and gestures for us to go inside.
We both swerve her, shaking our heads and giggle at her faux accent. I finally spot the big wheel and pull him towards it, the others are all waiting to get on and Emmett spots my teddy.
"I always knew that mine was bigger than Edward's!" He laughs as Edward playfully punches him in the arm.
The wheel stops and we all clamber on in pairs, Edward pulls the bar down across our laps and I watch with fascination as we climb higher. I can see all the bright lights of the fair and further across the horizon I can see the lights of the city. I turn and catch Edward watching me. He grins back at me, his perfect teeth on show.
As we get to the top I shake the bar gently.
"This is your stop pussy hound. Wanna get out?" I wink at him and he actually blushes and smirks.
"Emmett and Jasper are so dead." We both laugh as he puts his hand over his eyes.
I scoot a bit closer to him and he pulls me in closer with his arm. It feels nice and safe under his nook and I watch everyone down below us. It's getting dark and the lights are pretty. I can feel Edward running his fingers over my arm and it makes my tummy flutter.
We grab some corn dogs after our ride and eat them as the others all go in separate directions. We walk hand in hand and laugh about everything and nothing.
He tells me about the time Emmett decided to let his apprentice tattooist who was a girl he quite fancied, tattoo his ass. He thought he'd hit the jackpot until he'd looked in the mirror. He now has JACK written on his ass. He apparently liked her 'fire' as he put it and she still works for him and has turned out to be great for his business.
It makes me laugh a lot and I know I have to ask Rose about it. I wipe the tears from my eyes as he buys me some cotton candy. He's definitely getting his own back for them telling his stories.
We both decide that it's time to get back after we've eaten far too much candy and had a few goes on the stalls. I manage to win myself a fish from the balloon and darts game and I smugly wave the little bag under Edward's nose as he scoffs and tells me it's just 'first time luck'.
As we wander back to the car, I hear a drawling and sickly sweet female voice say Edward's name. We both turn, his hand still in mine. A beautiful, but fake looking woman saunters up to us.
"I just knew it was you Edward." She purrs. She runs her fake fingernails down his chest and then seems to spot me.
"Oh wow Eddie, I didn't know that you traded me in for a little one. Isn't she cute." She stinks of heavy perfume and sarcasm.
Edward grips my hand tighter, but doesn't respond.
"We had fun and I was hoping to have a re run of that amazing mouth action. Maybe you can call me to make that happen." She slips her card into his jacket pocket and taps it. I pull my hand out of Edwards but he grabs it back.
"I'm sorry but I have no idea what your name is. I guess that's my bad, but you can keep this. I won't be needing it." He screws the card up and flicks it back at her. It lands at her feet, she narrows her eyes at him and they slide over to me.
"Well if you change your mind and decide to get with a real woman again, you know where I live. Oh and it's Tanya by the way. I would've thought you'd remember after the third time." She turns, flicking her hair and walks away.
I let out a long breath. I keep forgetting who Edward is because I don't see that side to him when I'm with him. I guess I was getting lulled into a false sense of security, but that was a stark reminder.
She definitely doesn't seem like a nice person, but I just can't comprehend, how he could be that cold to her. I know that I'm naive but I don't want to have cards flicked at me like that.
He didn't even know her name, and he has an amazing mouth? I assume she means he kisses well, I can definitely attest to that. I also realise that she must be his usual type and I don't look like she does, at all. I shuffle my feet as he pulls me along to his car and I get in in silence.
The whole ride home is silent as we're both deep in thought. He pulls up outside my apartment and turns to me.
"That is part of who I am. I need you to know that there's a high chance of that happening again." He's running his finger around the steering wheel, I watch with mild fascination.
"Why do you do, what you do?"
"It's all I know. I guess." He shrugs.
"You were so cold to her."
"I didn't want you to see that. I know it's not nice and I didn't like how she looked at you."
I scrub my hands against my face. "I know that's part of who you are, I just need to." I let out a sigh. "I think I just need to have some time."
He looks hurt, which in turn, hurts my heart.
"Okay. If that's what you want."
"I just can't think properly when I'm around you."
"Why?" He asks.
"Because you." I pause to think. "You dazzle me, with those eyes and the things you say."
He doesn't say anything as we both get out of the car and walk up to my apartment. I turn to him after I step inside.
"I dazzle you?" There's a flicker of a small smile on his lips.
"Often." I reply with a sigh. "Thank you, for tonight Edward. I had a great time."
"Me too. Surprisingly." He mutters the last bit under his breath. His smile looks almost nervous as he adds. "Text me, sometime."
"Yes, I will."
He says goodbye and leaves me in my doorway, wishing that I'd asked him in.
When I'm in bed later, I write a message to Edward. Then I delete it.