Cold lips pulled me from heavy sleep, my mind turning slowly as I tried to make sense of what was going on. The scent of lavender filled my nose, the sounds of waves crashing onto the beach pulling me to life. I smiled as I felt open mouth kisses on my stomach, up to my ribcage and dotted back down to my navel. My hand reached down, feeling the course auburn hair underneath my fingertips. He smiled against my skin, his hands scooping underneath my back, pushing me to him.
"I didn't mean to wake you." He said as I opened my eyes, his face buried into my stomach. My fingers ran down to the nape of his neck across his bare back as I sighed contently.
"Yes you did." I told him. He smirked, his head turning upwards as his chin rested against me.
"You've been sleeping for well over ten hours. I was getting lonely." He admitted. He still had a smile on his face, but I could see the desperation behind his eyes. This time last year, Edward barely spoke to me. Never would he have admitted that he missed me just because I was sleeping. So much has changed and with the passing time I have grown increasingly aware of Edward's need to be near me. And I felt the exact same way.
"Has it been that long?" I stretched underneath him, feeling completely rejuvenated. The room was casted in a soft sandy light, the sun shining so brightly out the open window, the white curtains blowing from the warm breeze. I was so incredibly content, that I hadn't realized that I was completely naked. This was another thing that had changed, I used to always be aware, always covered myself up. It was just a preference of mine, but with the months spent here with Edward, it felt wrong not to be naked. I was so comfortable in my own skin around him and he took pride in that.
"You were talking in your sleep." He said, his eyes glinting from the sunlight that brightened the room.
"Probably something embarrassing." I rolled my eyes, usually my sleep talk was nothing but nonsense and Edward always seemed to get a kick out of it. I looked down to him and he was no longer looking at me and shook his head as he begun smoothing his cold fingers just underneath my breast, drawing small shapes.
"You were talking about Alec." The name made my heart stutter and Edward's expression was serious and I couldn't quite place why. He didn't say anything after that, his fingers continually drawing invisible lines over my skin as I sunk back into the bed. I reached forward, my fingers running through his silky hair. It was moments like these that I wish I could look into his mind and see what he was truly thinking.
I hadn't spoken to Alec in sometime. It had been back in Jackson, the last letter I received from him telling me to try and move on without Edward. After Edward and I were reunited, I stopped receiving letters. I had brought it up only once and Edward was vague on his answer, Alec was on the run and the only contact he kept with Edward was on his terms, calling him on a pay phone or a disposable phone. I wasn't sure exactly why he was on the run, Edward was even vaguer with that answer.
"What did I say?" I whispered, watching as he looked up to me. He shifted slightly, his arm moving underneath the small of my back, lifting me slightly.
"Something about pinwheels and little boys who are jerks and how Alec is your favorite boy in the... I think it was... Whole infinite universe." He said slyly and I smiled, absentmindedly reaching up and touching my pinwheel necklace. I didn't recall my dream, but I knew exactly where my words were from. A story Alec told me when I last saw him in Ireland during Thanksgiving. "You miss him." Edward said seriously, breaking me from my thoughts.
"Of course I do." I said honestly. Edward shifted again, his hands flat on my back.
"Would you wish you were with him?" He asked, his voice imitating that of a little boy, one who wasn't quite sure if he wanted to hear the truth.
"I think your human is showing." I said slyly referencing his very human-like emotions, but Edward was not amused.
"Isabella."
"If you're asking if I would rather be with him than you, then the answer is no. I miss him. I always will. He is for all intent and purposes my father." I said. "I wish I could see him. I wish he could visit. I don't know whats going on with him and it makes me worried."
"He's fine. He can handle himself." Edward said sternly as if he weren't satisfied with my answer. As if he were expecting more to it. "You know, you never say my name in your sleep anymore."
"Did I use to?" I wondered, now interested.
"Yes. Back in Hilo. You said it from time to time when I first brought you there. But it wasn't until you came home from Jacob's and I met you in the shower... You were moaning my name by that point." He smirked and I blushed, shifting slightly underneath him as I bit my lip.
"I'm surprised you heard me. You were always gone." I whispered.
"I was there more than you think." He challenged. "But now? It's more nonsense. Doesn't make any sense. Did you stop dreaming about me?"
"I don't need to when you are here when I wake up." I smiled. He seemed content with that answer, nuzzling his face back into my stomach. My fingers went back into his hair as I closed my eyes, "At least it's better than me moaning Peter's name." My voice was playful, but the moment his name came from my mouth I felt a hand around my ankle, tugging my body down as I squealed, now face to face with my jealous red-eyed vampire.
"Not funny." He growled but I only smirked, wrapping my arms around his neck. "If you ever... I would kill him."
"It wouldn't be his fault." I quipped. "I can't control my dreams."
"I don't care. He's been on my list ever since I caught the two of you." He wound his arms around me, bringing me to his chest.
"It was so long ago. Why are you still hung up on..." He stopped me with a forceful kiss, his tongue prying my mouth open as I did so willingly, feeling him finding my own, the two twisting together. I was light headed, nearly on the brink of passing out.
When he pulled away, I whimpered, my fingers digging into his marble skin only leaving slight indentations, but disappearing quickly.
"The thought of him and you..." He growled, shaking his head. I smiled and reached up, pecking him on the lips.
"Who am I with right now?" I asked and his crimson eyes looked fiercely into my brown ones.
"Me." He said.
"Who do I kiss everyday?"
"Me."
"Who sees me naked every night?"
"Me." He growled.
"And whose mark is this?" I challenged.
"Mine."
"Yours. Not his." This seemed to calm Edward efficiently, his body bringing me up with ease as I straddled his lap, my hands pressing into his face as I kissed him with a smile.
"Sometimes I have to remind myself you are a vampire. You act so human with your emotions." I sighed, kissing the tip of his nose.
"I may be a beast, but I am still a man." He kissed my neck, nipping gently at my skin. I moaned contently, my fingers running down his back. "It's in my nature to be territorial."
"There is no reason to be." I responded. He laughed in response.
"If you could only see the way men look at you. You are a magnet. I'm fighting wolves off with my bare hands. If I could kill them all, I would." His lips trailed underneath my neck, under my chin.
"You can't kill them." I said breathlessly as he only snorted. He kissed down my neck, along the mounds of my breast, his hair tickling underneath my chin as I let out a loud laugh, gripping his shoulders as he smirked, meeting me face to face.
"What about all the women who look at you?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I can't help that. It comes with being what I am. Your prey is drawn to you." He shrugged, running his fingers through my hair.
"I could kill every woman who looks at you." I challenged.
"That would be a sight to see." He smirked, leaning forward and kissing my chin. I began to pull away but he growled his disapproval.
"What?" He asked.
"I need to freshen up." I laughed.
"No, stay in bed." He huffed but I stood from the bed, pulling my hair up into a messy bun as I reached the bathroom. I took care of myself, brushing my teeth and washing my face. My eyes spotted a few dry drops of blood from my bite mark and I wiped it away with a warm wash cloth, rinsing it out as the red dripped down the drain.
I grabbed my short light blue silk robe, sliding it on and crossing the bow across my waist. When I walked into the room, Edward was by the balcony staring out into the ocean. He was in nothing but his black boxer briefs, leaning against the white wooden frame. His back rippled with muscles, his auburn hair in disarray from my fingers. He was beautiful and I could watch him all day, the way he moved, the way he spoke - everything about him was electrifying.
"It's a beautiful day." I said as I reached him, staring out to the sun that rays glittered the ocean, the sand smooth and white as the waves crashed soothingly onto the shore.
"We could go swimming. Go to town. Out for dinner." He mentioned, but my eyebrows furrowed.
"We are having company over, remember?" I said, watching as he avoided eye contact. "Edward, you promised."
"I hoped you would have forgotten." He laughed humorlessly. I crossed my arms over my waist as fallen pieces of my hair blew in the wind.
"Just because you gave me a few mind blowing orgasms last night, does not render me incompetent." I told him, watching as his head turned towards me.
"I believe it was eight, if I was counting correctly." He replied smugly, stepping forward and pushing me back against the railing of the deck. I giggled at his touch, his fingers dancing underneath my robe as he began to rip it. "Why do you wear this damn thing?"
"Don't you dare, Edward!" I growled as he let go, smirking playfully. "This is my favorite robe. If you rip it I will be beyond angry with you." I said sternly, pushing him back and away from me. He calculated me, watching my movements as I didn't falter. I was running out of clothing - most of it being thrown out due to him constantly ripping. He could never just pull them off delicately. In the heat of the moment, I didn't mind. But then after awhile, when I came down to only two pair of panties, I had to draw a line.
"Let me kiss you." He pleaded and I smiled, tilting my chin up. He hated when I pushed him away. If I didn't have strength over Edward, then I definitely had emotion. He stepped forward, his hand sliding behind the small of my back and pushing me to him. My fingers danced across his bare chest, his lips reaching down just to barely skim over mine. I pushed forward, forcing him to kiss me harder.
I would never tire of kissing him. No matter how many times he kissed me, each time would feel like the first. My stomach dropped, butterflies moving in as my body nearly began to shake. He stole my breath away in every sense of the word to the point when he pulled away, I was gasping for breath. He relished in the fact that he could make me feel this way. And I didn't mind. It made everything more exciting.
"I'm going to be pulling my hair out today." He whispered against my lips. His fingers clutched me a little harder, as if he were afraid to let go. I pulled away slightly, gazing into his red eyes. "I don't know if I can do this."
"You said..."
"I know what I said, Isabella." He bit, the playful moment suddenly gone as he began pulling away and gripping his hair. "I'm sorry." He apologized with a long sigh. "What if she's fine today? What if she's great? And I leave tomorrow? What if while I'm gone you fall and you skin your knee, or you get a paper cut from opening the mail?" He began asking, leaving me no time to answer in between. "What if I come back to you dead? Because I was careless? I shouldn't have agreed to this."
"Edward..."
"I won't back out. It's... It's not fair. But what if it happens? What if I'm not here to protect you?" He asked desperately, his eyes pleading that made me almost back out of my decision. "Bella, I don't know what I would do if you were hurt. If you died... I... I wouldn't be far behind."
"Edward!" I cried out, the thought of him killing himself because of me causing a tremor through my body. "Don't say that."
"What would you do if I died?" He asked honestly. His words cut deeper than any knife. I couldn't even fathom it - couldn't even imagine the life I would live if he weren't in it.
"I'd like to think that I would be able to continue on..." I trailed off, knowing that wouldn't be true. I felt tears well up in my eyes and I shook my head. "I don't like talking about this." My voice faltered as I moved past him and back into the room. I wiped away a stray tear and felt a cold hand against my stomach, pushing me back into a hard chest. He kissed my exposed neck, but it wasn't playful like before. They were deliberate - they were slow. They sent shocks of calm through my body, easing me to relax.
"You can't even think about it, can you?" He whispered and I shook my head, clutching his arm around my waist. "You mean so much to me that a life without you would mean absolutely nothing. And I know you feel the same. It's not anyones fault, it was what was destined for us."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore." I cried, shaking my head. He turned me around and into his chest as I brought my face into his neck, holding on tightly.
"I will always protect you, Bella. And that's why if I say they cannot stay while I am gone, I need you to be on board. I don't want any complications. I know how newborns work. I know the signs of a weak one. I can't lose you. I can't. I won't. So please, for my sake, whatever the decision is just let it be. Okay?" He asked and I nodded my head. "Look at me." He said and I brought my head up so that our eyes met. "I love you. So damn much."
His words were powerful, forceful. I couldn't doubt them. I never could. I nodded and he reached down, kissing me so tenderly that I felt it rocking through my body, leaving me speechless.
/TSIPWR\\
The morning had passed by with no more talk about separation or death - but it had put a dent on the joyous mood that I was supposed to be feeling. I knew Edward meant well, he didn't want to upset me - but I couldn't help but think about it. Edward had left a little over an hour ago to pick up our guests and I'm sure to check Alice out for himself.
She was my best friend, my confidant, we had been through so much. Maybe it was naivety, maybe I liked to believe she wouldn't hurt me - but Edward was right. It was in that moment that I looked down, realizing I was cutting celery with a sharpened kitchen knife. I dropped it instantly onto the cutting board, glaring at it as if it were going to explode. I needed to be careful, no more touching anything that could potentially break skin.
I didn't want to cross any boundaries, step over any line. I didn't want to test fate, because even if Alice was truly my best friend, she was a vampire now. And one drop of blood could kill me if I wasn't safe. I set the knife into the sink with few of the other dirty dishes, filling it with water and bubbles and allowing them to soak. I wiped my hands on the dish towel and blew a piece of hair from my face as I made my way up the stairs, changing into decent clothing.
I tugged off my robe, grabbing a pair of shorts and a thin tank top, the humidity even in October almost making me want to walk around naked. As I pulled my hair down from my pony tail, I heard something vibrating. I turned to see a phone lightning up on the bedside table. It was Edward's.
I walked to it, picking it up just as the vibrations stopped. I scrolled through seeing a phone number under the missed calls section. I began going through all of his calls, some from Jasper, some from Carlisle - and a lot from different numbers that were not programmed into his phone. I thought for a moment, wondering who all these numbers could be and why he was speaking with so many people.
Alec.
Edward said he changed phones, called from pay phones - only contacted him when he needed too. I bit at my lip, scrolling up to the latest number hovering my thumb over it before slowly pushing down. The phone lit up, the call going through. I put the phone to my ear, listening as it buzzed several times.
"What the hell are you doing calling me, Edward? I only call you." The voice was angry and sharp and I let out a shuddering breath. "Bella?" The voice said immediately, as if recognizing my heavy breathing. "Ma biche, is that you?"
"Hi." My voice was weak.
"What's wrong? Did something happen? Is everything okay?" I could hear him moving, fumbling as I couldn't find the words to speak. "Bella, are you there? Damnit, what's wrong?"
"Nothing... Nothing..." I said quickly. "I just... Edward left his phone and I saw this number and I just... I'm sorry." I sighed, shaking my head. "I know it's not safe. I shouldn't have called."
"It's okay, doe." He laughed, suddenly very lighthearted. "How are you?"
"I'm okay. I'm better than okay, really." I smiled, grabbing ahold of my pinwheel necklace. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. As good as ever." His voice was off. I knew he wasn't being completely honest.
"Is everything okay? Are you okay?" I didn't know if he would tell me the truth - odds are he wouldn't. But I had to ask.
"Of course everything is fine. Why wouldn't it be?" He asked.
"I just... I haven't heard from you." I choked out, gnawing at my lip as I felt tears swimming in my eyes. "Are you in Deer Isle?" I wondered.
He was silent for nearly a minute.
"No." He answered shortly. "I'm in Russia."
"Russia? Are you trying to get Victoria?" I quipped.
"Ma biche, I can't talk long. I really need to go..." He made a movement and I thought for a moment he were going to hang up.
"Wait!" I bellowed before going quiet. "I... I miss you." I cried, a tear slipping down.
"I miss you too, my little doe. You are being safe there?" He asked and I hummed my response. "Good. I need to go now."
"When will I talk to you again?" I asked.
"I'll be sure to call you soon. We can talk a little longer, I promise." He said and I nodded squeezing my necklace.
"I love you, father." The words tumbled out and the phone was so silent - I thought he may have hung up. A breath came to life and he stayed silent.
"I love you too, Ma biche." The phone disconnected. My breaths were shaky, my hand dropping as the phone went black. I wiped my tears and stood from the bed, a door slamming in the distance catching my attention. My head turned towards the noise and suddenly hands were around me. I yelped, my fingers clutching on the object holding me close.
"Relax." Edward whispered kissing the back of my head.
"Is she here?" I couldn't hide my excitement. I was wiggling in his arms and he began to laugh, holding me still against his chest.
"We are going to take this nice and slow. I want you to stay by my side. Can you do that for me?" He asked and I nodded. He pulled my hair away, kissing my neck. He took my hand and led me down the stairs, my heart thumping so fast I thought I was nearly going to faint. With each step my nerves were growing and I held onto Edward tightly, hitting the bottom step. Familiar giggles filtered in the back by the ocean and I sped up. Edward slowed me down, the two of us walking to the back door.
She was there, her feet in the water as she splashed around, the ends of her yellow dress becoming wet. She looked the same - just paler. When the wind picked up, she stopped and turned, her face now in view. Jasper was by her side, holding her arm as her lips gaped open, her now bright golden eyes dilating. Edward gripped me tightly, beginning to push me back. But as he did, Alice smiled wide and I knew I had no reason to be afraid.
"Alice." I breathed, pushing away from Edward who still had a grip on me. He was reluctant to let go but when Jasper nodded, Edward dropped my hand and I felt as if I wasn't quick enough. I ran off the back deck, hot sand hitting my feet and it wasn't long till I reached her. We both laughed so loudly, gripping each other in our arms. I was crying - I couldn't help it.
She was colder, harder... but she was radiating warmth from her soul and I knew that no matter what, no matter who she becomes or what she had turned into - she will always be Alice to me.
Incase you didn't know, I have a new story up that will be filled with outtakes from TSIPWR. Visit it and check out the first chapter!
- ii