Thanks for the review! Here's the second chapter. Again, reviews and constructive criticism, along with any pointers anyone is willing to give me...all are welcome!
Enjoy!
Chapter Two: Long Night
"Edward," Bella sighed from beneath me, her sweet, hot breath ghosting across my cool face. Venom pooled in my mouth as I trailed kisses down her neck, approaching her pulse point. Her blood called to me, sang to me, and the ache to bite into her long, silky neck and taste the fine liquid was unbelievably strong. Fire burned in my throat as I took a deep breath, filling my nostrils with her delicious scent.
However, there was an even stronger fire raging inside me, and the desire for her body was easily overpowering the longing for blood, and I quickly swallowed the venom that had gathered in my mouth. I continued to worship her neck and ventured lower, placing open mouth kisses across her collarbone, my hands gently caressing her neck and shoulders. She shuddered underneath me and I smirked, gloriously happy that I could have that affect on her.
Since the day in the meadow when I had offered myself to her completely, I had been lowering our boundaries quite a bit. It was an idea both she and I had come up with, and we thought it best that we expand our physical horizons a bit, little by little, so after the wedding I wouldn't be overwhelmed. We would both know what to expect and where to draw the lines.
Her hands tugged at my hair, attempting to pull my head up towards her lips. I quickly obliged, moving up to place my lips upon hers in a searing kiss. I rested one of my hands at her lower back and one behind her head, pushing her into me. Her own hands removed themselves out of my hair and ran over my shoulders and back. A shiver ran through me as she brought them up under the hem of my shirt. The warmth of her hands against the coolness of my skin caused a spark to shoot through me at the contact, and I wanted more of it. Her hands traveled further up, gripping me tightly when I ran my tongue over her lower lip.
She let out a small sound that resembled a moan and I shuddered at the sound of it. I rolled us the side, afraid of crushing her with my weight, and pulled away for a moment. She whined softly and I chuckled at her pout.
"Just one minute, love," I whispered in her ear, before sitting up and quickly taking off my shirt, throwing it onto the floor. I returned to her willing embrace and our lips met in a passionate kiss.
My hands went to her back while hers went to my hair and we pulled ourselves closer, desiring more contact than we could ever have. She moved against me, clearly displaying what she wanted, and I hissed as pleasure coursed through my entire body. Bella giggled at my reaction and I growled playfully before assaulting her lips again.
I knew we were going to have to stop soon, if the feelings that were welling up inside of me were any indication. They were starting take control and I was so afraid of hurting her accidentally, in a moment of passion, that I was going to pull away too soon for Bella's liking. I always pulled away too soon for her liking.
Bella's tongue running across my lower lip brought me back to reality and I gasped, pulling away from her in surprise. We both were breathing heavily and as I stared into Bella's eyes I could see the desire and the want there. I wasn't really sure how I was going to be able to pry myself away from her that night.
She shivered a bit, and I remembered that my shirt was off. To protect her from the cold I pulled a blanket up from the end of the bed and wrapped it around her. She scowled, but forgot all about it when we resumed and started kissing up my neck.
"I miss you already," She whispered against my throat and I closed my eyes.
"I don't need to leave. I can stay…" However, I knew that Emmett and Jasper would never let me stay with Bella, and she also knew this, but we pretended not to care.
"Mmm," she mumbled, too wrapped up in her longing to say much else.
There was silence for a long moment, and I listened to the beating of Bella's heart, hammering against her chest and beating too fast for its own good. I smiled at the thought, knowing that it was a reaction to my presence, my touch, which caused her heart to beat that way. I closed my eyes, listening to the soft thrumming and the sound of our ragged breaths.
Sometimes it was hard to remember that I was a vampire kissing a human. These feelings that Bella evoked in me caused me to feel so human, so much like a normal seventeen year old boy, that it was hard not to indulge myself sometimes. The urge to just tear both of our clothing off and make love right then and there was so powerful lately, and seemed to be present even if Bella and I were simply sitting at her kitchen table talking. With Charlie in the next room.
I opened my eyes again and admired Bella's perfect face. Her skin was always so soft and clear, it called for me to touch and caress it. Her long eyelashes rested lightly on the tip of her cheeks when her eyes were closed, and she looked so serene.
The love I felt for her was immeasurable.
Her eyelids opened drowsily, as if she were under some sort of spell, or in a trance, and her deep, brown eyes gazed at me, holding the same look that I'm sure was mirrored in mine. She looked at me as if I was the most wonderful thing she could ever have in the entire world, instead of the other way around. I was nothing compared to her, and I would spend the rest of our existence trying to show her that if I had to.
I could only fantasize about the thoughts that swirled around in Bella's mind. It was so impossible sometimes to not know what she was thinking, or how her mind worked. I desired to know how she felt about me, how she truly felt, with no restrictions. I wished to hear her feelings about leaving her human life, or her feelings about that dog. I tried not to show the distaste I felt for him on my face, not wanting to ruin the moment.
Despite the longing I had to be able to see into her mind, being with Bella was one of the most peaceful things on earth. I loved and hated not hearing her thoughts at the same time. While it was different, and I always wondered what she was thinking, being surrounded in silence was wonderful, and I loved not having to use any strength to block out others thoughts.
Bella pulled my face back to hers and her scent overwhelmed me with desire. Our lips locked in a passionate embrace and I cradled her face in my hands as she ran hers through my hair.
"Definitely staying," I murmured as we pulled away a moment later.
"No, no. It's your bachelor party. You have to go."
Although Bella said the words, I could tell she really didn't believe them. She wanted me here with her as much as I wanted to be here with her. I did not wish to go out with Emmett and Jasper the night before my wedding. I wanted to stay with Bella, comfort her, worship her…make love to her.
I gently shook my head free of those thoughts. The next day was the wedding, and I figured I could wait a little longer to share that aspect of my love with her.
Bella's fingers of her right hand locked into my hair, while her left-hand pressed tighter against my back, bringing us closer. I let my hands stroke her delicate face, the warmth seeping into me.
"Bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn't be more eager to have mine behind me. So there's really no point." And I truly believed those words. I had begged Emmett and Jasper to let me have just one last night with Bella, before she became my wife. I had assured them that I was in no need of any type of bachelor party and all of that nonsense, but they insisted.
Bella gazed at me. "True." She let out a sigh against my throat and her hot breath made me shiver.
Being here with Bella like this was surely paradise. Charlie slept obliviously in his room, giving us the impression that we were alone. Bella's small bed provided the necessity of staying close together, which neither of us objected to. Despite the fact that Bella was wrapped in a blanket, we seemed to be getting as much contact as possible, although it never seemed enough.
Bella's hands started roaming of their own accord, and made their way across my chest and down to my stomach, tracing my muscles. Her soft, warm fingertips touching my cold, hard chest always had a strong affect on me, and she knew it. A shudder rippled through my entire body, and my lips found hers again. Her tongue came to press against my lips once more, and I was afraid that if we continued any further I would lose control. I was already on edge and I wasn't sure how much more I could take.
I started pulling away, and I could tell right away that Bella was going to be difficult. Not that I entirely minded.
"Wait," She gasped, gripping my shoulders tightly and bringing herself even closer to me. One of her legs made it free of the blanket and it wrapped around my waist. I almost groaned at the pleasure that racked through my body. She had no idea what she did to me. "Practice makes perfect."
I chuckled, thinking of all the practicing that we had been doing lately. "Well, we should be fairly close to perfection by this point, then, shouldn't we?" I noted the dark circles under eyes and frowned. "Have you slept at all in the last month?"
"But this is the dress rehearsal," she said, "and we've only practiced certain scenes. It's no time for playing safe."
She was making a joke of our situation, and I didn't find it funny. In fact, it just brought thoughts of uncertainty to the front of my mind. I still wasn't entirely sure what to do about our honeymoon, and that part of our bargain. How I longed to see, and touch Bella that way, but if I couldn't even handle being here like this, simply kissing and light touching, how was I to handle making love to her?
"Bella…" I whispered, wanting to convey to her how serious this was.
She frowned deeply. "Don't start this again," she said. "A deal's a deal."
"I don't know. It's too hard to concentrate when you're with me like this. I—I can't think straight. I won't be able to control myself. You'll get hurt." I was so distracted by her presence that I couldn't even come up with a good argument on the matter. I simple sounded like a bumbling idiot, spewing out words and sentences that I didn't mean to say.
"I'll be fine." She was determined to have her way.
"Bella…." I was giving in, and she knew it. I could never refuse her when she begged with me like this. Simply giving me that pleading look with those beautiful eyes seemed to do me in, and I could never seem to grasp the concept of saying "no."
"Shh!" She pressed her lips to mine, in order to stop my worrying, but I couldn't stop thinking about the wedding night, and if I could make it through without losing control. Bella could tell I wasn't as into it, but that didn't stop her from taking all she could before pulling away, gasping.
I attempted to distract her from our current position and the topic at hand. "How are your feet?" I asked her.
She knew exactly what I meant. "Toasty warm," she answered immediately.
I looked at her doubtfully. "Really? No second thoughts? It's not too late to change your mind." I hoped she wouldn't change her mind, for I was sure it would break my cold heart into tiny pieces if she did.
She looked at me curiously. "Are you trying to ditch me?"
The idea made me laugh. As if I would ever want to "ditch" her. "Just making sure. I don't want you to do anything you're not sure about."
Her eyes softened a little and she stroked my face. "I'm sure about you. The rest I can live through."
Happiness rose up within me, but I pushed those feelings down when I comprehended the last few words she had said. I hesitated, wanting to continue on to a touchy topic that always got either Bella or me upset.
"Can you?" I asked her softly. "I don't mean the wedding—which I am positive you will survive despite your qualms—but afterward…what about Renee, what about Charlie?" It pained me to see her choosing to throw her life away, just so she could be with me. It caused me such immense guilt, changing her to one of us so I could have her forever. She was giving up so much. Her parents, her friends, school, eating, sleeping…. She was giving all of that up…for me.
I was not worth a life as valuable as Bella's.
Bella sighed, and I knew she didn't want to discuss this. "I'll miss them," she admitted.
"Angela and Ben and Jessica and Mike." I reminded her of her friends, though mentioning that vile Newton boy's name caused jealousy to rise up within me.
"I'll miss my friends, too." I could see her white teeth as she smiled through the darkness. "Especially Mike. Oh, Mike! How will I go on?"
I growled, both at the mention of his name and her joking manner. How could she kid around about a subject as serious as this?
Bella laughed, yet I saw nothing funny. "Edward, we've been through this and through this. I know it will be hard, but this is what I want. I want you, and I want you forever. One lifetime is simply not enough for me."
I could not help but feel joyous at her words, but I felt so entirely guilty…
"Frozen forever at eighteen," I whispered sadly.
"Every woman's dream come true." She was still teasing.
"Never changing…never moving forward." I thought of how I wished I could give Bella children, and how heartbroken—metaphorically speaking—my mother and Rosalie were over not being able to give birth to a child.
"What does that mean?"
I spoke slowly, as not to upset her. "Do you remember when we told Charlie we were getting married? And he thought you were…pregnant?" I could barely speak the word.
"And he thought about shooting you," Bella guessed, laughing. "Admit it—for one second, he honestly considered it."
He had considered it, though that was not the thought that occupied my mind at the moment.
"What, Edward?" She was anxious now.
"I just wish…" I wasn't sure if being honest would make her sad or angry, or just plain annoyed. "Well, I wish that he'd been right."
"Gah," Bella gasped, making a face. She obviously loathed the idea.
I tried to explain my feelings further. "More that there was some way he could have been. That we had that kind of potential. I hate taking that away from you." I hated it more than she could ever know or imagine.
She was silent for a moment and I desperately wished I knew what she was thinking.
"I know what I'm doing," she said.
"How could you know that, Bella? Look at my mother, look at my sister. It's not as easy a sacrifice as you imagine."
"Esme and Rosalie get by just fine. If it's a problem later, we can do what Esme did—we'll adopt."
I tried not to flinch at the proposal. I would absolutely not do that to someone else. Bella's case was different, and I had made a promise, however that did not guarantee me for more murders. I did not want to have more lives on my conscience than I needed to.
And just the mere fact that she was thinking about that option led me to believe that she wasn't as carefree about this decision as she made herself out to be. She did put some thought into having children one day, and I was taking that away from her.
I sighed and when I spoke my voice came out stronger than I had anticipated. "It's not right! I don't want you to have to make sacrifices for me. I want to give you things, not take things away from you. I don't want to steal your future. If I were human—"
Her hand came up over my lips to silence me. "You are my future. Now stop. No moping, or I'm calling your brothers to come and get you. Maybe you need a bachelor party."
I had ruined her good mood and now she wanted me to leave. I suddenly felt bad, but I didn't regret the things I said. I hoped I put some perspective into this decision for Bella, but I wasn't sure what made this conversation different than any of the others we had had about it.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, and I knew that she could tell I was sincere. "I am moping, aren't I? Must be the nerves."
She eyes me speculatively. "Are your feet cold?"
"Not in that sense. I've been waiting a century to marry you, Miss Swan. The wedding ceremony is the one thing I can't wait—"
Put it away Eddie, before you scar us for eternity when we come up there to pry you away from Bella!
"Oh, for the love of all that's holy!" I cried, already dreading the night out with Emmett and Jasper.
"What's wrong?" Bella asked.
Put your clothes on, Ed, and come down here now. You don't want us to come up there and see your fiancée in all her naked glory, do you?
I gritted my teeth, attempting to ignore Emmett's vulgar thoughts. "You don't have to call my brothers. Apparently Emmett and Jasper are not going to let me bow out tonight."
She gripped me tighter for a moment, and I wished more than ever that I could stay with her. Her warmth seeped into my shoulders where she held tight, and I almost decided to ignore Emmett and continue our intimate session.
However a second later Bella released me, knowing she could not win with two vampires. "Have fun."
A loud squeal against the window made both Bella and I cringe as Emmett ran his fingernails across the glass. Bella shuddered and I scowled.
"If you don't send Edward out," Emmett threatened, "we're coming in after him!" Edward, I'm serious. I won't hesitate, no matter how much you don't want us to see her without her clothes on.
The sooner you leave, the sooner you will be back, Jasper thought from down below.
"Go," Bella laughed. "Before they break my house."
Though leaving was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment, I rolled my eyes and hopped to my feet and put my shirt back on. I looked back at Bella and smiled softly to myself, admiring her beauty.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead, savoring the contact.
"Get to sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."
"Thanks! That's sure to help me wind down," she said sarcastically.
"I'll meet you at the altar." It was such a long time until then, but when we were finally united as man and wife it would be the happiest moment of my existence. I figured I could wait one more day, considering I had already waited almost a century.
Come on Edward, say goodbye and let's go.
"I'll be the one in white," Bella said, smiling.
I laughed at how natural those words sounded coming out of her mouth. "Very convincing," I said, and before I could get distracted any more I sank into a crouch and sprang out the window. I landed gracefully and turned to see Emmett grinning like a madman.
I smacked him upside the head, and he cursed.
"What was that for?"
"You're an absolute moron," I informed him, as if he didn't already know.
"You'd better not make him late," I heard Bella murmur from upstairs.
Jasper leaped up the side of the house and appeared in her window. "Don't worry, Bella. We'll get him home in plenty of time." He sent out a wave of calm.
He was about to jump down when I heard Bella's sheets rustle, indicating she had sat up.
"Jasper?" she called anxiously. "What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You're not taking him to a strip club, are you?"
I smiled at her fears, knowing full well that we wouldn't be going to any club of that sort. I would kill Emmett and Jasper if they ever forced me to do such a thing.
"Don't tell her anything!" Emmett growled up to the window, and I punched him in the arm hard enough for him wince, rubbing it soothingly. I chuckled.
"Relax," Jasper assured Bella. "We Cullens have our own version. Just a few mountain lions, a couple of grizzly bears. Pretty much an ordinary night out."
I almost laughed at that, wondering how Bella was ever going to be able to sound that laid back about a vampire night out, and our vegetarian diet.
"Thanks, Jasper," she sighed happily, content with his answer.
He dropped from the window and strode over to us. "Ready, Edward?" he asked.
I looked longingly at the window before turning away, running into the forest, with my brothers behind me.
Jasper's voice came from behind me. "Please try to control yourself, Edward. I have enough trouble when Bella's over at the house, I don't need to feel your lust while we hunt, also."
Emmett let out a loud guffaw behind me and I rolled my eyes. "Sorry," I said to Jasper, and I really was. I felt terrible for putting Jasper through all these different emotions, the strongest of them being lust. The sexual tension between Bella and I grew every day and it had come to the point where Jasper was ducking out of the house everytime she came over. Bella had no idea why he left when she was around, and I supposed that if she did she'd blush to the tips of her ears.
I tried to get hold of myself, but my thoughts kept drifting to Bella throughout the night. I thought of her, alone in her room, hopefully dreaming of me. And I thought how this would be the last night she would be Isabella Marie Swan. Tomorrow, she would become Isabella Cullen. And I couldn't have been happier.
My brothers and I hunted in the park for the night, and upon arriving back at the house, Emmett proceeded to bombard me with unnecessary information about sexual desires, and the mechanics of making love (though making love was not one of his choice words). I brushed him off, his thoughts trailing me as I went up the stairs to my room.
I spent the rest of the night thinking of my future wife and our future together. Emmett continued to pester me, and Alice fluttered around the house with last minute preparations. I knew she was going to make the day perfect for Bella and I, and couldn't thank her enough. I owed her one.
I sighed, lying down on my fairly new bed that I had purchased for Bella not too long ago. I wished it were tomorrow already, because after tomorrow, my life, my existence, would finally be complete.