Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I do, however, own a pair of very sharp ice skates.
Chapter 3
"Wh-what? I thought you were an only child!" I yelped, a new set of worries assailing me.
"Yes…" he agreed slowly.
"And your parents died, from a foreign illness of some sort," I persisted. Pain flashed across his face, and I felt guilty. Briefly I wondered if I would miss my parents when they died. Afraid of the answer, I shook that thought away.
"Yes…" he repeated.
I still couldn't quite gather the nerve to give him a glare, so I settled for clamming up and waiting in silence. He looked a little peeved when I refused to play his little game anymore, but relented when he realized he'd already gotten all he could out of me for now; I wasn't comfortable enough with him for this yet.
"I have very close friends that I consider family just as much as I would my parents. They've been waiting to meet you, because you'll likely see them a lot in the near future. You will need to know the household staff, too. Nobody in my life knows you yet; they were kept in the dark as much as I was regarding our arrangement," he informed me, still in his oddly good mood.
Despite Edward's transparent enthusiasm, I was starting to feel a little weak-hearted again. I didn't have friends; it was that simple. The last person I remembered bonding with was a pale little girl named Julie, short for Julia. I'd played with her while her mother was a servant to my household in my youngest years. I never figured out why they left, but recently I'd begun to suspect that my parents had removed anyone that started developing a connection with me. I grew up alone; I didn't understand how anyone could be so close with another person. Now I was beginning to wonder why it had to be that way.
It didn't seem to come as a surprise to Edward that his mention of 'friends' didn't instill any amount of fortitude in me. He observed me as I curled up into a fetal position and hid my face in my hair.
"Don't be that way, Isabella," he pleaded. "I know you'll enjoy their company. Here, I'll even make you an offer. You agree to meet my family, and I'll do something for you-anything."
I lifted my head a fraction. "You're not going to make me meet them?" I demanded, a little taken aback. Why wasn't he forcing me to? It wouldn't violate his promises of not hurting me.
"Of course not! What have I been saying, over and over?" he muttered, sounding aggrieved.
I had to admit, I was a little intrigued. He was giving me a choice-something my mother had assured me I would never have while married- and I was ready to make my decision.
"Alright then. I'll meet them," I said softly, looking at my hands. I was doing this because I had a choice. I was going to meet people important to Edward, who was doing his best to make me more comfortable. So why were there tremors spreading through my body? Had I really been so sheltered- and isolated- in my old life that I couldn't even face a handful of strangers when I wasn't in the safety of my own home? Yes, yes I had been that hidden from the world. And this place was my home now. I balled my fists up and summoned up all the courage I could, however little it was.
Pulling the blankets and sheets back, I crawled off the bed to search for something decent to wear. That was when it struck me that I didn't know where any of my clothes were. I looked back over my shoulder towards Edward to see him laughing silently, probably mocking me.
It hurt to know he thought of me like that, but at the moment I was more concerned with finding my belongings. In the periphery of my sight, I saw Edward gesture towards the corner opposite the huge desk. I spotted a door, very inconspicuous because its smooth wood carried the same design as the wall. It was adjacent to the washroom, so I wondered briefly how I had missed it before. I marched towards it, wanting to disregard the tingling in my stomach that told me I was still being watched.
The door opened easily, and I could see that it was lined with shelves on one side and a massive dresser that matched the desk in our bedroom on the other. The dresser was lined with intricate carvings that gave an overall appearance of grandeur. A full length mirror took up most of the space on the far side of the walk-closet. More like a small room, really.
All of the personal belongings I had brought with me were evenly dispersed amongst Edward's things. Considering my position in society and my family's overall wealth, I should have had more to my name. My father had justified this lack of basic material goods by saying that it was now someone else's job to care for me now. To him, even I was property. What did it matter to him that I was his own flesh and blood?
I carefully went through the hanging clothes first, instead of attempting a search through the imposing dresser. I settled for a dark blue dress that folded neatly to my body and didn't require the awful, choking corset. I dressed in the closet, not wanting to change in front of Edward; I wasn't entirely certain what our boundaries were now.
A muted thud startled me as I finished up. I opened the closet door again, my fingertips only lightly brushing the cool knob, and peered out.
Edward was standing near the door to the sitting room. He looked at me sheepishly and shrugged. I didn't bother asking what had happened. It didn't look like he wanted to tell me.
"Done?" he asked. I nodded and passed him as he entered the closet. His skin briefly brushed the skin exposed by my elbow-length sleeves. I almost stopped walking, because my body chose that moment to wage an internal war: delight in the strange sensation, or flee?
Thankfully, I kept my composure and made it to the sitting room in enough time to hide my reaction. I sank to the couch gratefully, because my knees were suddenly weak. By the time Edward returned, I was more or less under control of myself.
"Shall we?" he teased, voice light. Probably in an attempt to put me at ease, I reasoned.
He proffered his arm to me, which I promptly refused. His eyes darkened and his bright expression faded some, but he seemed determined to keep the mood casual. I had to give him credit for that, even if I wasn't too keen on feeling any kind of emotion right now at all. A single sigh escaped my lips as we made our way from the relative safety of our room.
***
"No, this way," Edward corrected me as I almost took another wrong turn. I was hopelessly lost already. The Masen home was enormous and confusing; on my first night here, it had been dark and I hadn't taken much notice of my surroundings.
It was truly a house worthy of nobility. Richly woven tapestries and incredibly detailed paintings adorned the light-colored walls. Heavy, soft carpeting lined most of the hallways, and in its absence there was dark wooden flooring covered with expensive rugs. Statues and plants littered the rooms we passed through, and one particular bronze sculpture caught my eye.
It was of a little girl, with her arms around the neck of a rotund puppy. The hound's tail was waving in sheer ecstasy, and looming over the small pair was a man. His eyes portrayed love, but his stance was one of protection. "A true work of art," I noted quietly, observing new details that I had passed over at first glance.
Edward stopped beside me. He gazed at the marvelous figurine. He nodded almost absently, lost in a world of his own.
"My uncle made that, before he died. His forge caught fire and burned his home to the ground. No one survived," he said. His voice was a little off, matching his unfocused expression.
I put my hand to my mouth in horror. "That's terrible! I can't imagine how you must feel," I cried, trying to eradicate the awful pictures painted in my mind. I shuddered, completely unsettled by the thought of burning; I was afraid of fire, or rather, the thought of being burned to death.
Edward tentatively put one arm around my waist, drawing me closer. I went rigid for a few seconds, before slowly relaxing into his side. He was here, I was safe, and I could depend on his protection. I wondered uneasily about how quickly I had shifted my loyalties from my family to Edward, and was shaken by the fact that I was already so trusting of him. I'd known him for what, three days?
We stood there for an immeasurable amount of time, embracing. When I finally slipped free of his hold, my face was flushed.
"So you approve of this now?" Edward murmured in my ear. The heat in my body grew in intensity, making me step back in surprise. Why was I reacting so bizarrely to him?
"Yes, I do." I stated firmly, stunning us both with my clear, bold answer.
"Well, then, you'll have to trust me to do it more often. As a friend, of course," he informed me, his former attitude restored. Good friend indeed, I thought to myself, more than a little sarcastic. My thoughts were safe in my head.
"And you'll have to trust me not to bolt at the first opportunity I get," I retorted, reveling in my unexpected bravery. Apparently, my brain wasn't as securely locked as I thought.
"For some reason, I don't think you will. Not anymore," he responded, eyes thoughtful. I shivered, despite the fact that I wasn't cold or scared anymore. And I couldn't help but think he was right. Possibly more right than either of us knew.
***
Our footsteps echoed hollowly around particular hall that had marble flooring, unlike most of the house I had seen already. We approached set of wide double doors that had brass inlays along alternating portions of the thick wood. Two men uniformed in the standard Masen colors, green and gold, stood guard. Both nodded respectfully as we passed through, though I couldn't help but feel like their demeanor towards me was forced and artificial. The doors opened to a large sunlit garden. I hurried out, wanting to feel the bright sun on my skin.
Around me, thick shrubs and beds of flowers blossomed in an explosion of color. The smells were exquisite, and attracted several buzzing insects and butterfly that flitted about lazily in the summer warmth. I laughed for a minute at the beauty of it all. The sweet air made me feel free, like a bird in the sky.
I was brought back to earth when I caught sight of Edward's expression. He looked dazed. I frowned for a moment, wondering what was wrong. It seemed like everything was going fine this morning to me. Better, in fact, than I had ever expected it to be in such a short time.
Unwittingly Edward answered my question. "Why haven't I heard you laugh before?" he mused, more to himself than to me. I wasn't sure he even knew that I heard him.
The tranquil spell woven by the garden was broken when Edward shook his head and sighed.
"Well, I think Alice and Jasper are already out here. They've got to be around here somewhere."
"They're already here?" I squeaked, unnerved. All the fight went out of me at once, rendering me a pathetic little girl once more.
"They're actually staying here; I asked them to meet us in the garden to give you time to prepare," he explained, giving me a side-long look. "I figured you'd react this way, so I played it safe."
I should have taken offense at his words, but they were all too true. I was quaking like a leaf in the wind. I wasn't quite reduced to tears; it would take a lot more pressure to do that, but that didn't quell the innate fear I felt.
Edward led me along slowly, doubtless afraid that I would trip, being the clumsy person I was. He'd already gathered that much about me. We came upon a wide open space that had several seats spaced out around a little table. There were three people present: first, a young woman with short dark hair and incredibly delicate features, seated in the arrangements furthest from us. Next, a man in his early twenties with sandy blonde hair, who was standing directly behind the girl's seat. And lastly, another man in the Masen uniform, who was just turning to leave.
The first one to spot us was the dark haired girl. She literally bounced up from her seat and whispered something to the man behind her.
Instinctively I grasped Edward's hand tighter. I felt his strong, quiet presence beside me and looked at his face. These people were unknown, and what was unknown was not worth risking. Right?
Note: So Bella is starting to feel more and more conflicted. How much does she really trust Edward? She can't control both her negative and positive emotions around him; his very presence triggers powerful reponses from her.
So how do you guys like it so far? I've decided to keep writing, but that doesn't mean I won't appreciate some love! (Hint: The more reviews I get, the sooner I post)For the next few chapters, I'm going to post based on reveiws. Later on I'll most likely put new chapters up weekly, to space them out. After all, I did three chapters in two days already!Regarding Edward's POV, I've decided that when this story is moving steadily along, I'll post it speparately. I'll let you all know what it's called when I put it up.
I was asked why Edward has dark hair in this story. It's because when I first started writing it, Bound by Fire was based on different characters. When I changed things up a bit, I kept that one characteristic. Once again, feel free to ask questions!
P.S. As an incentive, I'm going to give a sneak peek of the next chapter to everyone who reviews! Tell me anything- how I could improve, what your favorite part was, specific characters you'd like me to include, pointing out mistakes, what I should name the chapter, etc. I appreciate any and all input!