Chapter Nineteen
I stayed home from school. I told Charlie I felt sick and he believed me without question. I only felt mildly guilty.
Alice stayed with me the whole time, arranging and rearranging my closet and playing with my hair like I was her own living Barbie doll. We didn't talk about vampires or dreams or... anything, really. It was nice. Until it wasn't.
By two o'clock, I'd had enough. I couldn't take the pretending any longer, and the anxiety bubbled out from me like word vomit.
"Did he leave?" I asked casually, carefully inspecting the royal blue polish we'd just applied to my nails.
"No," Alice said, painting her own nails pink to match her dress.
"Oh. Where is he, then?"
"He went to school with the others."
"Oh."
"Yep."
Three o'clock found us in the living room with a romantic comedy and a bowl of popcorn.
"Do you think he was surprised when I wasn't there?" I blurted, picking up the conversation from an hour ago as I clicked through the DVD menu.
"I called them this morning while you were talking to Charlie. Everyone knew you weren't going in today."
"Oh," I sighed, leaning back into the pillows. I didn't know why I was disappointed, but I was.
"Did you want to talk about this, Bella? It's alright if you do, you know."
"I don't," I said quickly. "I mean, why would I? What's done is done, right?"
"But your dream about him-"
"I don't want to talk about it. I mean, if he was willing to just walk away without so much as a 'goodbye'-"
"Great. So we're not talking about it, then?"
"Obviously not," I huffed, rolling my eyes. "If he wants to just go, then-"
"He doesn't know what he wants. You have to understand, Isabella, that it is very difficult for vampires to change. Ever. Edward has been the way he is for a century. He's a brooder and a drama queen, always has been and always will."
"He's a child," I snarked, "no matter what his age."
"He's inexperienced," Alice corrected. "Edward has not been in a true relationship since he was human, and those memories are fuzzy and indistinct at best. He does not know how to communicate with new people. Hell, he barely speaks to us and we're his family. He needs time, Bella. Time and patience."
"He needs a slap in the face."
"That, too," she giggled, nudging me with her shoulder.
We watched the movie. Well, we looked at the screen together. The characters were running around New York, trying to find each other. It was a modern film set in modern day Manhattan, and it apparently didn't occur to either of them to pull out a cell phone and call to see where the alleged love of their life was. It was ridiculous. I used to like romantic movies...
"Will he come today?" I asked finally. I had been thinking it for hours. I had been congratulating myself on the unflappable concentration I had maintained in order to keep those four words in. I guess I'm just not as strong as I thought I was.
"Yes," Alice said simply.
"Will he want to?"
"He always wants to be around you, Bella. He just doesn't understand how to do it without making an ass of himself."
We pretended to watch the movie some more until, an hour later, the credits started rolling and there was nothing left to look at.
I said goodbye to Alice, thanking her for spending so much time with me, for taking care of me. I watched her leave through the front door this time. I wandered into the kitchen, rifling through cabinets for something to start making for dinner, only to remember that I was supposed to go shopping today. We had boxed macaroni and cheese and a carton of eggs. Both sounded horrible. My stomach growled and I realized that all I had eaten all day was a half-bag of popcorn.
I texted Charlie, asking him to pick up some staples on the way home from the station. The house phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Bells. How you feelin', kiddo?"
"Better, Dad. Still a little shaky, but better."
"That's good. Look, I'm sorry to do this with you bein' sick and all, but I have to work late tonight. There's some sort of problem out in La Push, and Billy's asked me to come take a look."
"You're allowed to investigate crimes on the Rez?"
"It's more of a favor, really. I'm really sorry, Bella bear. He asked and I said yes before I thought about it. I can call him back and cancel, though."
"No no no... don't worry about it. It's fine, Dad."
"But you just told me there's nothing for dinner-"
"I was exaggerating. Really, it's fine. There's some stuff here or I could always drive out to McDonald's or something. No worries."
"Are you sure, Bells? I don't want to-"
"I'm sure, Dad. Tell Billy I said hi."
"Will do. Thanks for understanding, kid. Hope you feel better."
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Two hours later, I made the mac and cheese, took one bite of it, and dumped it in the trash. I didn't feel right. Nothing felt right. Or tasted right. Or looked right. Or sounded...
The ache in my chest was becoming unbearable. I felt empty, like someone had dug a hole in my chest and walked away without filling it in again. When I was young enough for my mother to actually speak to me, she would always offer the same speech as we made our escape from one town to the next.
"Hearts are like a block of wood, Isabella. When you love someone and they leave, they hollow out a chunk of that block and take it with them. At first it hurts, missing that piece of your heart, but eventually it turns out to be a blessing because you know what?" she'd ask expectantly.
"What?" I'd pipe in, right on cue.
"The hollower your heart is, the more space you have to fill it with love," she'd finish triumphantly, her mouth set in a firm line.
I think she was trying to convince herself more than me.
A few years later, I realized that she had stolen that speech from a movie.
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Around eight o'clock, the house phone rang again.
"Bells?"
"Yeah, Dad."
"How you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
"Did you eat?"
"Yeah."
It was a lie.
"Good. Anyway, I'm gonna stay out here for the night. It looks like this is going to take a while yet, so Billy's offered me his couch."
"That's fine, Dad. I'll be fine alone."
"No, you won't. You've been sick all day, and I don't like you being home alone anyway, so I called Dr. Cullen and he agreed to let you spend the night over there."
"What?"
"He was happy to help, Bells. Said you and Alice could have a sleepover."
"Dad, this is ridiculous. In Arizona I practically lived by myself. There's no reason to-"
"How you lived with your mother has nothing to do with how you live when you're with me. Forks is a small town, but it's still full of people and people are dangerous. We can talk about this again sometime, but for tonight, you're going over to the Cullens. Alice should be by shortly to pick you up."
On cue, a horn honked out front.
"She's here, Dad," I said wryly.
"That girl doesn't waste any time, does she?" he chuckled, unaware of the nervous breakdown I was having on the other end of the phone.
"Look, Dad, I appreciate your concern, but-"
"No buts, Bells. Go upstairs and pack a bag. You can go to school straight from their house tomorrow. You sleep well, kiddo."
"Yeah, Dad. You, too."
I hung up the phone and turned around. Alice was standing directly behind me.
"Could you not do that?" I snapped, clutching my chest with my hand. "What is it with your family and scaring me?"
"Sleepover!" she squealed, apparently uncaring of the cardiac arrest her sudden appearance had initiated.
It was going to be a long night.
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"Alice, will you please slow down?" I begged for the millionth time, my fingernails digging into the leather seat of her ridiculous yellow sports car.
"I'm sorry, Isabella, but I can't hear you over the purr of my baby," Alice trilled, patting her dashboard fondly.
"Pixie psychopath," I muttered under my breath, checking my seatbelt again.
"I heard that," she admonished.
"What selective hearing you have."
"The better to annoy you with, my dear," she laughed, barely slowing as she made the sharp left onto her family's property. "Honey, we're home!" she sang out as she parked.
"You're home," I groused. "I was home ten minutes ago."
"Can't hear you," Alice called as she lifted my overnight bag from the trunk. "Now get in that house, young lady, or I'll ground you for a week."
"Who are you and what have you done with Alice?"
"She's locked in a trunk in my bedroom. Now scoot. I've never had a sleepover before and you will not ruin this for me."
"Alice, you slept over last night!" I protested, shaking my head and following her up the steps to her front door.
"That didn't count," she argued. "You were being all angsty and stuff."
"Whatever."
She pushed open the walnut doors and I was met with a photo spread from architectural digest. The Cullen home was stylish and modern and warm all at once. It felt too beautiful to be real and entirely lived in at the same time. My eyes darted around wildly as I attempted to take everything in, but there was just too much to look at. My brief visit to this house before had clearly not done it justice in my memory.
"Isabella! Oh, my dear, it is so very nice to meet you. I'm Esme Cullen."
I looked up to see the most beautiful of the Cullen women. She was tall and graceful, with flowing butterscotch hair and fine features. Her eyes were wide and expressive, as was her smile, and her face radiated a sort of maternal warmth that I hadn't experienced in... well, ever.
"Thank you for having me," I said quietly, suddenly deeply shy in the presence of this woman.
"Our home is your home, Isabella. You are welcome here any time, I mean that."
"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."
"Esme, dear."
"Esme."
Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in the most soothing arms I'd ever experienced. Alice's arms felt like affection and acceptance. Edward's arms felt like worship and fate. Esme's arms felt like... home? Startled, I blinked back tears that had no business being in my eyes and returned her embrace weakly. I knew nothing about this woman, really, but I felt like she had become a part of my life already. It was unnerving at best.
"Now, Alice told us that you've not eaten all day. Come into the kitchen, dear. I think we can fix that," Esme told me, taking my hand and guiding me into the most lavish kitchen I had ever seen.
The room was easily the width of my kitchen and living room combined, with soft grey walls and white, minimalist flat-fronted cabinets. An enormous stainless steel refrigerator occupied one corner, with a double oven right next to it. The stove was flat black glass with a modern stainless steel hood, and a large tiger orchid in a beautiful black, glass pot took up residence on the far corner of the countertop. Bisecting the room was a gleaming white island with grey leather barstools spaced evenly across the front. It was to one of those stools that Esme led me.
"You have many options," Esme began, fussing about the kitchen and retrieving dishes that I hadn't even noticed. Suddenly, the countertop in front of me was full, heaving with family-sized portions of lasagna, salad, sushi, roasted chicken, some sort of fish, and something that looked like... beef wellington?
"I thought that... why do you...?"
"We play human, Bella," Alice explained from the corner, understanding my confusion. "We go grocery shopping every week. If we didn't people might talk."
"Oh," I said lamely, distracted by the ridiculous options in front of me, all of which smelled amazing. "But how did you know how to-"
"I like to cook," Esme explained, shyly. "It's a hobby of mine, something I vaguely remember enjoying in my past. Ordinarily, my creations go to the local homeless shelter, but I must admit that I got a bit over-excited when Alice foresaw your visit tonight."
"Esme, this all looks amazing," I assured her, still in awe. "I cannot thank you enough, but I'm afraid there's just too much here for me to eat. There's no possible way-"
"No worries," Alice piped up, shrugging, "anything you don't eat you can take home to Charlie or we can leave at the shelter."
"Just take what you like, dear," Esme confirmed with a smile.
Shaking my head, more than a little daunted by the feast in front of me, I reached for the platter of beef wellington and dug in.
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Alice was a master distracter. She had been great at keeping me occupied this morning, but that had been nothing compared to seeing Alice in her native habitat, seeing Alice with her family. I played Xbox with Emmett, who taught me the finer points of Halo Reach, I had a prolonged and fascinating conversation with Carlisle about the origins of vampirism, and I was on the receiving end of a facial and mud pack in Alice's palatial bathroom. I got the feeling that every part of my night had been carefully orchestrated by Alice prior to my arrival, but I didn't really care. I couldn't sense Edward within the house, and it was nice to get a chance to bond with his family without the emotional trauma of the night before hanging over me.
Around midnight, I began yawning with such frequency that I couldn't ignore it anymore, and so Alice and Esme led me up to the third floor to a loft space I hadn't even realized existed.
"This is incredible," I breathed in awe, taking in the open, airy space. There were windows everywhere, some encompassing entire walls, and they opened into the gorgeous trees that surrounded the Cullen's property. The floors were a warm hardwood with thick, fluffy rugs scattered throughout in a pattern that seemed arbitrary but probably wasn't. There was a low sage green couch bookended by two wide taupe chairs, all over-stuffed and giving the appearance of being obscenely comfortable. The wall one wall with no windows was covered in bookshelves which were, in turn, filled with books, a natural stone fireplace set into the center of the wall.
"Whose room is this?" I asked curiously, running my fingers along the spines of the books, jealous of whoever got to occupy this incredible space.
"Yours," Esme replied simply, smiling at the shock I exhibited at her response.
"Mine? This can't be mine."
"Don't be silly, Bella bear," Alice giggled twirling around the furniture. "You're family. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"Alice, I have a house... I have a room..." I looked around again, still trying to take it all in. The bed was enormous, with a wrought-iron frame that looked remarkably similar to... I gasped.
"Esme designed your attic room, too, Isabella, or did you forget?" Alice tsked, shaking her head. "You should really pay better attention to your father when he speaks to you."
"But-"
"I wanted you to be comfortable here, honey. You may not reciprocate our feelings yet, but we truly do see you as family. All of my children have their own space in our home. Why should you be any different?" Esme asked warmly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I can't accept this," I said frantically, dropping heavily into one of the sinfully comfortable chairs. "This is too much!"
"Well it's not like you're picking up the room and walking away, Isabella," Alice said laughing. "Quit being ridiculous."
"I'm not being-"
"What did we say about gifts?" Alice asked quietly, glancing significantly over to a clearly crestfallen Esme. Oh no...! Had I hurt her feelings?
"Esme," I hastened, walking over and drawing her into a tentative hug, "I cannot thank you enough. Both for this room and my attic."
"Oh, Isabella," Esme sniffed, dropping her chin onto my head and returning my embrace, "welcome to the family."
They showed me some of the finer points of the room before taking their leave and wishing me sweet dreams. There was a bathroom hidden behind one of the bookcases, a feature which actually delighted me to no end, and a gallery railing hidden by a gorgeous floral tapestry which, when pulled back, revealed a two story drop overlooking a grand piano below. From the driveway, the house had seemed grand enough, but once inside, it occurred to me that there were more rooms in this home than seemed structurally possible for all of its openness. I felt like I was in some sort of fairy tale, surrounded by benevolent sprites and fairies that refused to allow life to be anything but fantastic. It was all so incredible... and unsettling.
I rifled through my bag and retrieved my pajamas, relieved to find that Alice hadn't switched them out for something lacy or mesh or something. Piling my hair on top of my head in a messy bun, I pushed on the second bookcase to the right, as instructed, and accessed my cute little bathroom, eyeing the garden tub with some interest but realizing I was so exhausted I'd probably fall asleep. I brushed my teeth and washed my face, drying it with what had to be the most expensive hand towel ever created, and taking one last longing look at the tub before dragging myself back into "my" room.
My room.
This was so fucked up.
I didn't know how to deal with these people... vampires... people... which was the correct term? Each one of the Cullens was incredible, welcoming me in their own way, well, except for Rosalie who'd examined her nails during the whole of my time with Emmett, and treating me as though I was, indeed, one of them. But I wasn't. Not really. I am not a vampire. Shouldn't that be a big deal to them? It seems to be one to Edward. And who are they to base their opinions on me and my future with their family on Alice's precognition? How long ago had they built me this room, and how was I not supposed to be at least moderately wigged out by its existence?
I yawned, glancing wearily at the too-large bed that dominated the room. There was no way I was sleeping on that thing tonight, regardless of how incredibly soft and comfortable it looked. It was just too big, too much, one more reminder of how generous these people were and how ridiculous I felt in this situation. Sighing, I turned and looked at the couch instead, easily long enough to accommodate my body, and far more reasonable during a "sleepover." Couch it was, then.
I wandered around the room, flipping light switches and turning off lamps, casually examining the wall of books as I passed it, idly wondering if I could manage to build a fire in the fireplace without accidentally burning the entire house down, tripping over some sort of sheepskin rug which felt amazing under my bare feet. Taking in every detail, flourish; it was clear that this room had indeed been designed for me. It was a more lavish version of my attic retreat, a space that Esme had clearly taken great pains with, and I worried once more that I had offended her with my reaction. It wasn't the room that bothered me, really... it wasn't even the expenditure, not that I thought about it. It was the generosity of the family... something that I did not feel I had earned yet.
The bulk of their knowledge of me came from Alice's visions of how I would be in the future. I was not a part of their family now, regardless of the growing warm fuzzies I felt for them, and it was disturbing to consider how absolutely they had offered themselves to me, how free they had been, and continued to be, with their hearts and their home. This family was comprised of, hands down, the most incredible human beings I had ever met. It didn't matter what their diet was or just how long they had been wandering the earth... it was their souls, their amazing humanity... I had no words.
I stretched out across the sofa, snuggling into the cashmere throw I'd found in the antique trunk at the foot of the bed and closing my eyes heavily. Too much had happened today. Too much had been learned, and even more had been avoided. Edward was still absent from the house, I was sure of it, and I had to wonder if it was my presence keeping him away. I didn't know what I wanted more... to see Edward and hash things out, or to pretend nothing had ever happened to begin with.
I fell into a fitful sleep, vaguely uncomfortable in my new surroundings, clutching at the growing ache in my chest, until, all at once, the ache was gone, replaced with the warm feeling I got whenever Edward was near. He had come home. I knew it without question. A piano began playing downstairs, a soft, delicate melody that spoke of hope and love and promise. Closing my eyes once more, a soft smile graced my lips as I listened to the music, grateful for its assurances.
Without thought, I spoke two words: "Goodnight, Edward," before drifting into a peaceful slumber.
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I woke with the sun, wiping the sleep from my eyes and looking around for a full minute before I remembered where I was. Of course, if I hadn't been able to guess by the opulence of the room, the boy seated in the chair closest to my head was a dead giveaway. No pun intended.
"Hello, Edward," I said without turning. "How are you this morning?"
See? I can behave like an adult.
"I am well," he said cordially. "I trust you slept well?"
"I did," I confirmed, sitting up and stretching, noting with more than a little smug satisfaction the fascinated look he was giving my torso from the corner of my eye. "You've seen me in my pajamas before, Edward," I scolded.
"I'm sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable," he replied stiffly, his posture straightening so quickly that I couldn't help but glance over.
"You have a knack for apologizing for the wrong things."
"So I've been told."
When it became clear he wasn't about to say anything else, I rose from the sofa, which turned out to be more comfortable than I could have possibly hoped, and began moving about the room.
I folded the blanket I had slept under and returned it to the chest at the foot of the bed. I unpacked the remaining items from my overnight bag, laying them out across the bedspread and noting with more than a little chagrin that Alice had apparently replaced the clothes I had chosen for myself last night with something entirely different.
"Was there something you needed," I called over my shoulder, "Or did you come up here to watch me get dressed?"
I didn't see him flinch, but I felt it.
"Do you like your room?" he asked, ignoring my question. "This is my first time up here."
"Is it now?" I replied disinterestedly. "I suppose there are many rooms in this house that you haven't been in."
"No, just this one."
"Well, at least we know that there are some lines you're not quite willing to cross then, don't we?"
"I am unsure of your meaning."
"It's just nice to know that while spying on me from a tree outside of my bedroom window seems ok to you, walking up a flight of stairs to see a room your mother designed for some random girl is a step too far," I snarked, striding to the wall of bookshelves and opening the bathroom door. "Well, but I guess that's not entirely true, either, since you clearly thought it was alright to come up here and watch me sleep this morning."
I strode into the bathroom without a glance behind me and began brushing my teeth, assuming Edward would feel properly chastened and leave. I was wrong.
"I wanted to speak with you," he said quietly from the open doorway behind me.
"So speak," I said through a mouthful of toothpaste, continuing my ablutions.
"I do not know what to say..." he began slowly, drifting off.
"Well, that was a great conversation, Edward. Thank you so much for sharing. You have a nice morning."
"Stop it," he whispered, his voice soft but his tone surprisingly firm. He moved into the small room, perching himself on the lip of the bathtub to my left.
"Stop what?" I spat, unwilling to drop the bitch act until I knew what was happening.
"Stop speaking to me in that way," he pled, his eyes wide and ashamed. "It is beneath you. I am beneath you."
"Well, that's great, Edward. Glad to know we agree on something."
"Isabella," he breathed, "please."
"Please what, Edward? Christ, I don't know what you want from me! For every step I take in your direction, you shove me back a mile. Do you have any idea how exhausting that is? How difficult it is to try to get to know you? You have to give me something, Edward. Tell me what you want, because we can't all be mind readers!"
"I want you," he choked out, his voice thick with emotions I couldn't begin to name. "I want you, Bella. Bella," he laughed bitterly, repeating my name again and again. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to call you that? Alice gets to use it. She gets to call you all sorts of wonderful, endearing things, and I am so jealous... you have no idea how jealous..."
"It's just my name, Edward," I said, confused. "You can call me anything you want. I don't care."
"But I want you to care," he explained desperately, his hands going straight for his hair. "I had all these fantasies about you inviting me to call you that. I know it's only Alice and your father, and I wanted to be a part of that, to be someone who got to call you something special..."
"Edward, do you have any concept at all of how many times you've called me 'baby'? Or 'love'?"
"I have never-"
"Yes you have! Sure, it's normally when you're freaked out or something, but you do it all the time."
"I do?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Do you... do you mind it? When I call you those things?" he asked curiously, studying my face.
I sighed, dropping onto the cold tile floor and extending my legs in front of me.
"I like it," I admitted against my will. "Sometimes I don't want to, but I do."
We sat there for a long time, him on the tub, me on the floor, each lost in our own screwed up thoughts, until a loud thud from the second floor brought us back to reality.
"How do we fix this, Isabella?" Edward asked quietly, looking at me as a scolded child would look upon a parent.
"I don't know," I admitted, twisting a strand of hair around my finger. "Is it worth fixing?"
Please say yes. Please say yes.
"You know it is," he told the floor, shaking his head.
"So what do we do, then?"
"Carlisle said we should talk."
"Talking gets us in trouble," I said wryly, barking out a humorless laugh.
"Everything gets us in trouble," he agreed, his eyes shining with mirth. He was beautiful. He was always beautiful.
"Well, let's start over then," I suggested, jumping up and shaking out my limbs before crossing the small bit of floor between us with a smile and an outstretched hand. "Hello there," I said. "My name is Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella if you like. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," he replied, taking my proffered hand between both of his and grinning widely. "It is an honor and a pleasure, Bella."
"Likewise," I agreed, reveling in the contact between our still-joined hands. "By the way, Edward, I'm a mortal 17-year-old human girl."
"How fascinating, Bella. I'm an immortal 109-year-old vampire boy trapped in the body of a 17-year-old. I believe we will have much to learn about each other," he laughed, seeming to enjoy our little game.
"You know, I think you're right."
"Alright, kids, that's enough playtime for now!" Alice sang out from the room... my room, I suppose, if I was being accurate. "Esme's cooking you breakfast, Isabella, so you'd better get downstairs before she goes through the entire Betty Crocker Cookbook!"
"I guess that's my cue to get dressed," I said wryly, not bothering to answer Alice. Reluctantly, I tugged my hand from Edward's grasp and turned towards the door, pausing and looking back at Edward. "This won't solve everything you know," I said, not unkindly.
"I know."
"But it's a start," I finished, painfully aware of the risk I was taking here... the risk to my heart, the risk to my sanity...
"It's a start," he echoed, rising slowly and following me out of the bathroom.
I gathered my outfit from the bed, turning around and almost jumping when I realized he was still in the room.
"I want to thank you, Bella, for giving me this second chance. I am well aware that I do not deserve one... that I do not deserve you, but..." he trailed off, looking frustrated, before continuing. "I know my behavior of late has been reprehensible, and I can only hope and pray that you will give me the opportunity to make it up to you."
"You hurt me, Edward," I admitted, hugging the armful of clothes to my chest.
"And I will mourn that fact for the rest of eternity," he said heavily, his chin dropping to his chest. "Nothing I do will ever make right the wrong that I have inflicted upon you, but I swear to you that every day I spend upon this earth will be dedicated to atoning for my sins against you."
"You needn't be so dramatic," I muttered awkwardly, shuffling my feet and inwardly slapping myself for reverting to bitchiness in my discomfort.
"It is not drama, but the truth," Edward said fervently, moving slowly towards me until his face was inches from my own. "You are my light in the darkness, Isabella. Your existence is all the proof I need that there is goodness in this world. You are my champion, my salvation. You are my everything," he breathed, reaching out a hand and tenderly stroking my cheek.
"I pushed you away because I was afraid, because I did not and do not feel worthy of you, but I know now that it was a futile endeavor, that my entire miserable existence was but a prelude to this, to you..."
Alice called up the stairs, warning us that we would be late for school if we carried on, and Edward took a step back, breathing heavily.
"I will see you downstairs, Bella. Do not worry about rushing. We will leave whenever you are ready."
He turned towards the stairs, making it down a handful of steps before I called after him.
"Edward?" I asked tentatively, smiling when his head snapped up and looked at me through the bars propping up the banister. "The way you feel... you should know that you're not alone."
"Do you truly mean that?" he breathed out, his voice barely audible.
"With everything in my heart," I confirmed, sighing as a bit of the tightness in my chest disappeared, affording me a measure of relief.
"Thank you."
"Anytime," I smiled, shuffling my feet. "Oh... and Edward?"
"Yes?"
"You'd better prepare yourself for a long day. I have a lot of questions to ask you, and I'd like it very much if you'd answer them."
"I can deny you nothing, Isabella," he said charmingly, flashing me a crooked smile that he seemed to only bring out for occasions such as these.
My balance wobbled a bit as my pulse sped up I turned into a puddle of goo in his gaze. And from the faint chuckle I heard as he descended the stairs, he knew exactly what he'd done to me.
Bastard.
A/N: Yet another Author's Note... I had been doing so well without them before...
This is a friendly heads-up that I seem to have tapped my inspiration well for a while... I went on a multi-chapter writing spree over the past couple of weeks, and it feels as though that spree has come to an end. This does not in any way, shape, or form imply that this fic will be abandoned because it WON'T. It's just a preemptive strike about personal messages asking me when I'll update. I'm guessing you'll have another chapter in a week, maybe two. Not a big gap. Just don't forget about me. :)