Chapter Eight
Bella awoke in Alice's arms which was the most wonderful way to awaken as far as she was concerned. She looked up to see Alice smiling down at her, somehow it didn't surprise her that she was already awake.
"Good morning", Alice spoke softly with a tender expression in her amber eyes.
Bella smiled and replied, "Good morning. Did you get any sleep at all Alice?"
"Some, but I feel pretty well rested."
Bella shifted her body slightly off Alice and lay on her side looking at Alice, who mirrored her position.
"I'm sorry if it was difficult sleeping here with me, it must have been a little uncomfortable being in a strange bed and with me crowding you...", Bella looked sheepishly.
"You don't need to apologize Bella. I enjoy being here with you", Alice smile grew as she added, "And you do seem to have some pretty interesting dreams."
"Oh? How so?", Bella licked her lips, a nervous habit in response to the suggestive tone in Alice's voice with her last remark.
Seeing Alice laying next to her in bed and in the light of day took her breath away. She wished she could wake up like this everyday, and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day laying in bed with her and gazing into the most unusually colored eyes she's ever seen. She found the smaller girl's face even more magically beautiful as they lay face to face, soaking in all the details each others unique features.
Alice's grin grew wider until her dimples showed.
"Well let's just say you seem to get pretty amorous while you're sleeping."
Bella blushed and for brief moment pondered if it was all just a dream. We did at least kiss sometime during the night didn't we?
She looked sideways as she mentally played back that amazing kiss and what transpired before, during and after it. She recalled everything from waking up and finding herself wrapped around Alice, holding her in a very intimate manner, which was at once comforting and arousing. Gazing up and finding Alice awake, how she looked back at her with such spellbinding intensity. The lustful look in her eyes and how it triggered such passionate responses from her body. How she had shed her inhibitions as she initiated the kiss. How that kiss was so above and beyond anything she ever imagined a kiss could be, and how it drove her hormones into overdrive. A kiss that fueled a passion she never experienced with anyone before, how it quickly intensified and her body took control as the lust unplugged her rationale mind...it did happen, right?
She looked back at Alice thoughtfully and softly spoke, "it must be the company I'm keeping that affected me the way it did.."
Alice lightly brushed some of the brunette's hair away from her face. "I suppose so. It's nice to know I have such an effect on you." She continued to stroke Bella's hair and played with a few strands between her lithe fingers.
"It wasn't all a dream was it Alice?", Bella reached her hand out to gently touch the side of Alice's face as if to confirm the reality of her being there with her.
"Not all of it, no", Alice smiled and looked into her dreamy brown eyes.
"I'm glad. It felt too good to have been just a dream...kissing you I mean." Bella smiled and felt herself melt under Alice's gentle gaze.
"Yes, it felt amazing", Alice whispered as she began stroking the taller girl's arm with her fingertips.
Bella was tempted to replay the kiss and almost leaned into it, before she became self conscious about morning breath. She turned away and started to get up. "Um..I just need to go to the bathroom. You can stay here for as long as you like..I mean I'd like you to stay right where you're at, yeah. I just need to...um...be back real quick."
She dashed out of the room as Alice watched in amusement. So cute, how self conscious she gets at times...
Bella was back within a few minutes after brushing her teeth and was relieved to find Alice still laying in bed, though now above the covers. She smiled shyly as she lay herself back down and resumed her previous position.
She slowly reached over to take Alice's hand nearest her into her own and looked a little nervously at her.
"Alice...is it all right if I kiss you again?"
In response Alice leaned in and pressed her lips against Bella's. The kiss was slow and sensual. Alice's hand laid on the brunette's hip and began sliding up along her side, while Bella's hands roamed through her short dark hair. The kiss lingered for a moment as they lost themselves in the feeling of soft lips merging. Bella began trying to deepen the kiss by sliding her tongue in between the crease of her lips. Alice was powerfully tempted to allow her access, but made the effort to moderate the intensity level. She didn't need things spiraling out of control, especially when Charlie was due back home at any minute. She couldn't help remembering how quickly heated it became between them just hours ago when they last kissed. So she held back and gradually pulled out of the kiss.
Bella slowly opened her eyes and looked at Alice. She wanted to continue the kiss but didn't want to seem too pushy. No one's ever affected her this way before. Being with Alice was making her lose her inhibitions and part of her wanted to continue on this path of intimacy with her. To shed all barriers between them and merge herself with this incredibly sexy girl, but knew it was not the time to give into such primitive urges. She didn't want to rush Alice into anything either. What was it about this sexy pixie that drove her hormones into such a frenzy? She never understood people's preoccupation with sex until now. Until she met Alice she had often wondered if there was something wrong with her since she didn't seem as interested in sex as most teens. She's only exchanged a quick kiss or two with a couple people when she still lived in Arizona. Nothing as passionate as the kiss she had shared with Alice.
She brushed her hand through Alice's messy raven hair and sighed.
"You really are so beautiful Alice."
Alice smiled and gave Bella a final firm kiss on her lips.
"Thank you Bella. You are quite beautiful yourself."
"I'm glad you think so."
"I do."
Alice wanted to linger for more kisses, but she already felt like she had been pushing her luck as it was. She drew herself up to a sitting position and combed her fingers through her hair that looked a bit wilder than usual.
"Well I should get up and get dressed. I'll need to go home soon."
"You'll stay for breakfast at least?", Bella asked hopefully.
"Thank you Bella, but I already made plans for brunch with my family." Which was a lie...and it was becoming readily apparant to Alice that the more time she spent with Bella the more of these she'd have to tell her, unless she was ready to disclose the truth about herself. She needed more time before either one was ready for that. Try as she might she was finding it harder to ignore the bad aftertaste each lie left as they slipped through her delicate lips.
Bella was disappointed, but tried not to show it. She wasn't ready to part with Alice but she realized the smaller girl had already spent considerable time with her during the weekend. Since she accepted Alice's invitation for a date she felt more alive than she's ever felt. It was a wonderful feeling and she wanted to prolong it. If she was already this addicted to the small beauty, what will it be like if they became steady girlfriends? Bella didn't want to blow things before they even had a chance to start.
"Oh okay. I guess I'll get dressed too." She figured she'd wait to shower until after Alice left. It felt good to smell the smaller girl's scent on herself and wanted the sweet scent to linger after she was left alone. She thought Alice smelled vaguely of honeysuckle and vanilla.
Alice slipped into the bathroom and went through all the necessary rituals of brushing her teeth and hair before changing into another set of clothes she had brought. A pair of designer jeans and a low cut blouse that showed a hint of cleavage. Once she finished she came downstairs to where Bella was sitting drinking some coffee. She had also changed into a pair of faded jeans and a blue tank top.
"Would you like some coffee? I made some while you were in the bathroom."
Alice sat down next to the taller girl on the couch.
"No thanks, I'm not much of a coffee drinker."
Bella nodded as she took a sip from her mug. She was beginning to wonder if this girl ever took in anything other than the occasional sip of water. Aside from being on the pale side Alice looked healthy enough, she didn't think she had some type of eating disorder.
As if reading her thoughts Alice added, "I'll have something when I get home with my family." More white lies...
"I'm so happy you came over. I wish you didn't have to leave already..", Bella gazed into her cup, feeling her usual shyness back in place.
"Me too. Well you know I'll see you at school tomorrow right?" Alice gave her a cheery smile.
"Yeah. At least now I have a reason to look forward to school now." Bella looked into her eyes and smiled back.
"You know, if you ever need a ride I'll be happy to come pick you up and drop you off back home afterward. Your vehicle looks and sounds like it could give out at any time."
"Oh it runs better than it looks. It may not be as fast as what you're used to but it gets me where I need to go."
"Well even so, all you have to do is give me a call if you'd rather me drive you."
"Thanks, that's very kind of you. I may take you up on that sometime. It'd give me an excuse to spend more time with you."
Alice took Bella's hand in her own and looked into the chocolate brown eyes she loved so much.
"Bella you don't need to have an excuse. I want to continue spending time with you."
Bella felt her heart swell up and her smile brightened.
"That's what I want as well."
Alice smile got wider at seeing the expression of joy on Bella's face. I'd love to be able to always make her smile like that...
"Well I should get going", she rose up and picked up her night bag.
"Don't forget all the movies you brought over." Bella rose and started to move towards them.
Alice waved them off with a hand. "Why don't you keep them? I have plenty at home and this way we can watch the ones we didn't get to see yet some other time."
"Oh okay, thank you. Yeah, I'd love for you to come over again soon."
They stood a moment facing each other before giving each other a hug that lingered longer than most, and Alice reached up and kissed Bella on the lips which the taller girl returned with much affection before they pulled away. They said their goodbyes and waved as Alice pulled away in her bright yellow car.
Bella found herself standing in the doorway again watching the beautiful pixie girl drive off and knew that if she hadn't already, that she was at least starting to fall in love.
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Alice heard the music playing before she even pulled up on the driveway to the Cullen home. It was coming from the Kawai grand piano inside and a slow and somber melody was playing. It must be something he composed himself. Damn, It's as depressing as he is...she thought to herself.
For a brief moment the music took on a more grave tempo before resuming its previous pace. The particular place within the music when it occurred would have only been perceived by the ears of a musically trained vampire.
Well it was nice while it lasted...I guess it's time to face the music so to speak...
She proceeded to enter the house and saw Esme and Carlisle sitting in the living room going over some blueprints on the building project they've been planning for a future home. They looked up and smiled at Alice's arrival.
"What's with the funeral music, did somebody die?", she grinned at them.
Carlisle chuckled softly at their beloved daughter's joke. Esme smiled but held her laughter inside as she was all too aware of the growing animosity between Alice and Edward as of late. She really didn't want to have to deal with yet another outbreak between them.
"Haven't seen you for a couple days Alice. Esme told me you made a new friend, so did you two have a good time?", Carlisle asked.
Alice smiled at his sincere interest. "Yeah, we did. I met her father the other night before we went out, he seems nice. Visited her last night, watched a couple horror movies...talked.."
"Is that all you did with her?", the flatly spoken words held a steely edge to them. Edward had stopped playing and now stood leaning in the doorway of the music room. He gave the appearance of someone trying to seem indifferent, but there was malicious look in his eyes as he glared at Alice.
"And you want to know because...?", Alice calmly replied as she looked into his piercing eyes.
"I think we should all want to know why you spent the entire night with a human girl. You put the entire family at risk of exposure and you act like it should be none of our concern?" Edward raised his voice, but tried to maintain composure when all he really wanted to do was throttle Alice. He knew he couldn't attempt any such thing at the moment as they weren't alone. He was going to bide his time.
"Oh just quit the bullshit already Eddie. We all know that the issue isn't that she's human or a girl. For you it's really about this particular human girl - Bella."
"Why don't you both sit down and we can try talking about this calmly", Carlisle spoke in his usual sedate manner.
Edward ignored him as he continued voicing his objections with Alice. "You knew for weeks now of my interest in her yet you interfered!"
"Considering that during all that time you've been creeping into her room at night while she slept, I should have interfered a long time ago!"
"Bella is mine. I don't have to explain myself to you or anybody else!"
"She is not yours. Stop talking about her as if she's property to be owned. She can think for herself and make her own choices", Alice steadily spoke.
Edward took a step closer to Alice and looked down at her. "Well then she should know what her options are. Without your interference." There was venom in his voice and in the final glare he gave her as he turned and climbed the stairs to his room.
Alice stood there for a moment as silence filled the room. Carlisle rose from his seat and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I'll have a talk with him. Let's just give him a little time to calm down."
"I think we're beyond that now", Alice sighed as she turned her head.
School is definitely going to be interesting tomorrow, she thought.
A/N: I'm posting this feeling quite sleepy, so I haven't edited it as thoroughly as I probably should. But I'm taking a chance and posting it anyway, and I may even go back and edit a few things later. I wanted to get something up sooner than I have been lately.
I want to thank all of you who take the time to leave a review, especially to those who return with each update. It means a lot to me.