Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
A/N: I'm so glad you all seemed to really enjoy that last chapter and hopefully I continue to with this one. Thanks to everyone who review - I really appreciate all the compliments and suggestions – keep them coming! And now what you've been waiting for: the rest of the night. Enjoy…
perfectshadeofdarkblue
Best Definition of Good Intentions
21 – Wishing Wells Were Made to Echo a Dime
Slowing down, quieting the sounds of his steps, Edward completed his path towards Bella. After he handed her a plastic cup filled to the brim with red liquid, he jumped up to sit on the top rung of the fence she was leaning against. Without a word, he turns toward the sunset before him. He heard no noise behind him and saw only the backs of those in front of him; everyone was focused on the sunset now. Even the birds overhead seemed to pause in their flights to watch nature's magic.
As soon as it had started, it ended. The last traces of the brilliant star disappeared beneath the horizon, the green light flashed and the night had officially begun.
Garrett, one of Emmett's fellow graduates, turned his back on the ocean, raised his hands to the air and shouted, "Let's party!"
"Hell yea!" Emmett concurred, just as loudly as he pressed the 'play' button on the iPod plugged into Rosalie's system.
The sudden, jarring noise floating through the speakers caused Edward to lean away, toward Bella. Getting close to her ear so she could hear him over the music, he said "I'll never understand where he gets his taste in music from."
Pulled out of the dream world to which she'd escaped for the last few moments, Bella turned her head, the shock registering on her face. Edward's face was only mere inches from her own and she was shocked at the sudden proximity. However, Edward, not noticing her reverie, believed the shock caused by his words. He quickly apologized, fearing he'd unknowingly offended her.
"Sorry, I never took you for a fan of rap. Personally, it never appealed to me…."
"Oh, no. I'm not a fan, either," she said, effectively cutting him off. A quiet laugh escaped her lips at the expense of Edward's rambling, and then she grew quiet, unsure of what else to add.
Both of their attentions were turned towards the mingling crowd on the beach. They watched in silence as Alice danced before their eyes.
Speaking aloud his thoughts, Edward was the first to break the silence. "Now Jasper – that guy's got great taste."
"Oh, tell me about it," Bella gushed, then turned apologetic. "It's actually a shame he's not here tonight for your first Forks extravaganza."
"Why's that?"
"Awhile back, Jasper started this tradition of always playing his guitar with a bunch of friends at the end of night." Edward nodded in appreciation as Bella continued. "I guess you'll see it in action some other time."
As if sensing her boyfriend being spoken of, Alice suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Stop being antisocial! It's time to make some friends, Edward," she urged, tugging on Bella's arm.
Alice charged ahead while Edward and Bella followed her to a small group gathered to the side. The headlights of cars trained on the beach allowed Bella to discern the faces of Angela, Ben, Tyler and Mike. As a result of the sudden temperature drop, they were all wrapped in blankets, Ben providing Angela with extra warmth in the form of body heat.
Introductions were made around the group and the conversation quickly turned into a discussion of everyone's remaining summer plans. Uncomfortably, Bella sat on the log next to Mike, suddenly very aware of the cup in her hand. As the dialogue swelled around her, Bella withdrew into herself, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by her friends – something she hadn't realized she'd missed.
The unexpected smooth transition from the introductions to their current topic was not lost on Edward. He, in fact, had noticed how quickly Tyler had steered the conversation in the direction of his choosing. And while he was thankful for being spared the painful explanations, he knew it was a deliberate effort. Edward felt certain that Alice had prompted the group before his arrival and did not appreciate having his dirty laundry aired out without his approval. Over the next several minutes, Angela continued to offer small, sad smiles to Edward. As well-intentioned as they might have been, Edward knew there was pity behind her eyes.
Mike bowed out of the discussion when he noticed Bella's silence, choosing to try a more private conversation. He moved closer and turned his body away from the rest of the group so his words were heard only by the one person of his choosing.
"Bella," he started, setting his big, round eyes on Bella's.
At once, she could hear the intentions in his voice. Inwardly groaning, she wished she could ignore him. She's been perfectly content sitting quietly and simply listening. She'd been watching Edward interact with everyone. The ease of which he fit into the group was obvious. He seemed to get along well with everyone. Bella had even noticed that they all seemed to be in awe of him.
Trying to delay the imminent awkward words, Bella brought the plastic cup to her lips. She took a long sip, savoring the feel of the liquid slide down the back of her throat. After swallowing the sugary beverage, Bella took another sip, happy to have something else to focus on. Silently, she thanked Edward for not putting a lot, if any, alcohol in her drink. All she could taste was the sticky sweetness of the fruit punch.
She continued to drink until her cup was half empty. Only then did she turn to face Mike.
"Bella," he said again, his hand making its way to her knee. "I heard about your mother. I just wanted to say how sorry I am. I can only imagine how hard things must be for you right now." As much as Bella wanted to push him away, she could hear the sincerity in his voice and appreciated his sympathy even if she didn't appreciate his sharing of that sympathy.
"Anytime you want to talk, I'm there," he continued.
With that last line, it became too much for Bella. She stood up, brushing his hand off and took another long drink to steady herself. Once she felt comfortable enough to speak, she announced she was going for a walk and headed away from the group.
The entire group stared after her, worried about the sudden outburst. Tyler stood, saying he'd check on her. He was worried by the outburst and had been hoping for a chance to talk to Bella alone and saw the perfect opportunity. He ran after her, draping his arm over her shoulders once he'd caught up. In the next two steps, each altered their paces and their strides synchronized. Hoping to comfort and convey his emotions, Tyler began to rub circles with his thumb over the bare skin of Bella's arm.
Edward's gazed lingered on the retreating couple.
"So Tyler and Bella are dating?" he asked, looking around the circles. He looked from person to person, waiting for someone to confirm the relationship.
Mike was the first to speak up, emphasizing his words. "No. They're just friends."
Understanding the hidden meaning, Alice glared at Mike before she explained more fully. "Actually, they dated earlier this school year, but broke up after a few months. They're still pretty good friends now, but there's nothing more to it."
"Unless you count the fact that Tyler's still in love with her," Ben chided, which earned him a playful slap in the arm from Angela.
Alice laughed and leaned closer to Edward. "And he's not the only one."
He followed her eyes across the circle to Mike who was sulking as though someone had just run over his dog. After taking in Mike's sad form, Edward turned his attention back to Tyler with his arm around Bella. Although he had just met them, he couldn't help but think that neither was good enough for Bella. It had only taken him a short time to realize how special she was and he didn't see that either Mike or Tyler truly appreciated her. Trying not to dwell on the sudden protectiveness he felt, he allowed himself to be pulled back to the people surrounding him. Edward settled for reminding himself to make a point to talk to Bella later on in the evening and trying to find out what her deal was when it came to Mike and Tyler.
Gulping down the remaining liquid, Bella silently urged Tyler to disappear.
"Want more?" Tyler asked, holding his hand out.
With a nod, Bella handed over the cup and watched as Tyler refilled it for her. As he walked back to her, drinks in hand, she was grateful to at least have a drink to focus on, instead of him.
"Thanks," she mumbled before taking a long sip. She swallowed and felt the burn travel down the back of her throat. In the sweet, fruity flavor, she could taste the bitterness laced throughout. Licking her lips, she controlled her face, not allowing the pain of the burn show. After her second taste, Bella turns as Tyler follows, to continue walking away from the crowd.
They hadn't moved two steps until Lauren was in front of them. She stood her ground in front of them as she tossed her curled, blonde hair over her shoulder.
Knowing the animosity Lauren harbored towards Bella, Tyler quickly tried to diffuse the situation: he offered Lauren a polite greeting and tried to steer Bella around her.
"What? Too scared to talk to me without Alice around to protect you?" she spit with stepping directly in front of them.
Bella could only look up, shocked at Lauren. She would never understand what made the socialite despise her so much. They'd been friendly towards each other in middle school, but then once they'd arrived in high school, their relationship had turned.
She had no sooner taken a step closer to Lauren and opened her mouth to tell her exactly what, when Tyler put a restraining hand on Bella's shoulder.
"Leave her alone, Lauren." The tone of his voice was no longer polite and he pushed past her, pulling Bella alongside him.
When they were a safe distance away from a shell-shocked Lauren, Tyler stopped walking and turned toward Bella. Nervously, he raised a hand to his neck, his thumb stroking the pulsing vein beneath the skin. His left arm was on Bella's shoulder, urging her to listen.
To steady herself under Tyler's unwavering gaze, Bella took a deep breath and another drink, focusing on the burn in her throat rather than the pain that another person could inflict. Only when the cup has half emptied did she return Tyler's attention.
"I'm sorry, Bella. I heard Alice telling Lauren off before and when I asked her what was going on, she explained what Lauren had said to you. I just couldn't let her say anything else to you," Before surging forward, he took a quick breath. "We live in a small town, Bella. News travels fast, but so do rumors. I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but I needed to tell you that I heard about your family. Now, I know a lot of what I've heard probably isn't true, but that doesn't really matter because I'm sure it's hard enough as it is. I just want you to know I'm sorry. And I'm here for you – I'm always here for you. If you ever need anything, Bella, you can come to me."
In front of his eyes, Tyler could see her resolve crumbling, her heart breaking. He watched as a shaky hand brought the plastic cup to her lips. He watched her throat tighten and then relax as she swallowed. For the next few seconds, he watched as she finished the drink. Bella couldn't say a word and afraid that he'd said the wrong thing, Tyler couldn't take it any longer.
"I know you broke up with me, Bella, and I don't have any right to be saying the things I'm saying to you now, except the fact that I still care about you. And I want you to know that there are people here who care about you. You have to know that. We're all here for you."
From across the beach, Bella heard her name being called. When she finally broke away from Tyler's sad eyes, she saw Rosalie jogging towards her.
"Sorry, Tyler. Emmett's requesting a larger cheering section." She offered an apologetic smile while tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. Pulling Bella away with her, Rosalie turned back over her shoulder and waved. "I could tell from a mile away you didn't want to be having that conversation. And I have the perfect cure: watch Emmett make a fool of himself while playing beer pong."
Rosalie jumped, taking a seat on the bed of a truck. She patted the seat next to her and Bella joined her.
"Bella! Kiss my ball!" Emmett shouted, bounding over to her, beer pong ball held out.
Behind him, Garrett was doubled over with laughter. Rosalie was shaking her head, trying to keep her smile at bay.
"Kiss your what?" Bella asked, playing along.
"My ball! For good luck!" He placed the small, glistening ball in front of Bella's lips. Apparently, Emmett wasn't understanding. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at Rosalie for help.
"You're really going to ask another girl to kiss your ball in front of your girlfriend?" Rosalie asked, pretending to be offended.
"Rose…," Emmett whined. "I always have your luck. I need something special this time."
"You need Bella to kiss your ball?"
"Emmett," Garrett started but was unable to continue due to his laughter taking control.
"Why is this such a problem?!" Emmett asked.
"Think about it, Em," Rosalie offered.
"Thinking about Bella kissing my ball?" Suddenly, realization washed over Emmett's features. "Oh! Sorry, Bella."
Laughing, Bella waved it off. "It's all you, Rose."
"Alright, alright," Garrett declared as Rosalie pressed her lips to the plastic. "Game on!"
And with that, the game continued. On Emmett and Garrett's side of the table, a perfect triangle of beer-filled cups was laid out. Opposite them, were two guys that Bella did not know. She recognized them as having graduated with Emmett, but their names escaped her. In front of them, was a smaller version of the same triangle. As the game continued, Emmett and Garrett continued to sink balls on every turn where the two nameless boys struggled to make any of their shots.
The only thing keeping the game from getting boring was the relentless taunting coming from Emmett and Garrett. But it was mid-taunt that one of Jasper's friends made an appearance. Bella waved as Peter stepped out of his car. Quickly, he made his way over to Bella.
Giving her a one armed hug, Peter said, "It's good to see you, Bella."
"You, too. How's the summer been?"
"Good, good. I just missed Jasper, though. I went on vacation with Charlotte's family last week and now he's gone. You gonna play tonight in his place?" Peter asked, referring to their expected performance at the end of the night. Even though Jasper played lead, everyone would still expect the songs without him.
"Oh, I don't know about that! But I'll definitely be there to listen," Bella compromised.
"Alright. Well, I'll see you later then." He walked away, greeting friends as he made his way through the party, probably on the search for his girlfriend who'd been at the party since its start.
Bella turned just in time to see Emmett skillfully shoot a ball into the last cup on his opponents' side of the table.
Shouts erupted through the small crowd that had gathered as Garrett yelled, "Drink up, boys."
"Wait. But I'm thirsty!" Emmett complained as he grabbed the cups on his side of the table. Passing them around, he handed one to Bella and Rosalie, he claimed that he felt bad for making them drink all of their own cups that the least he could do was drink his own.
During the game, Bella had finished her own drink so she took a small sip of the amber liquid. Puckering her face as she tasted beer for the first time, she shook her head, trying to expel the liquid from her taste buds.
The gesture earned a hearty laugh from Emmett who tried to encourage her. "You don't taste it as much if you chug it!"
"No way, Emmet. I am not chugging this," Bella protested as she took another sip, making the same face.
"Come on, do it!" Garrett urged. "We'll all do it!"
More quietly, Rosalie explained, "Really, Bella, it won't be that bad."
"Fine," Bella mumbled while a roll of her eyes.
"That's the spirit!" Emmett crashed his cup into Bella's as a toast and then brought the cup to his lips and gulped the remainder down. Garrett followed suit and Bella hesitantly did the same, taking much longer than the others to drain her cup.
Emptying the cup to the last drop, she slammed the cup onto the table, crumbling the plastic. All around her, cheers rang out and Emmett pulled her into one of his signature bone-crushing hugs. Bella melted into the hug, trying to shy away from the attention. Though she wasn't a fan of any attention, she rejoiced because this attention was not centered on her home life.
As a new pair stepped up to the table to take on the reigning champions, Bella left Rosalie in search of Alice. She followed the path of the boardwalk and as soon as she felt the sand shift beneath her shoes she kicked them off and left them in a pile beside the steps. The closer she moved to the raging ocean, the harder she felt the wind push her back. Fighting against the wind, Bella moved through the noisy crowd but soon the atmosphere became too much. She hurried along the beach, searching for an out. Once she found the edge of the crowd, she continued escaping further and further away.
She slowed down and faced the ocean, not daring to look back at the chaos she'd left behind. In the distance, the crowd had grown quiet and Bella allowed the emptiness to wash over her. She collapsed onto the sand, the compacted sand cooling her skin on contact. No sooner had she laid back onto the sand closed her eyes than a wave of nausea overcame her body, forcing her to sit up. She planted her bare feet in the fine crystals, bending her knees to duck her head.
After a few minutes her breathing returned to normal and she dared to sit straight up. Bella easily became lost in her own thoughts as she leaned back onto her elbows. Time no longer held a meaning while she stared into the dark.
It could have been minutes or hours as far as she was concerned. And she could have spent more minutes or hours right there if it weren't for sand being kicked up around her. Brought back to reality by the cool sand on her hands, Bella looked up to sit Edward take a seat next to her.
"Hey," he said simply, brushing his long locks off his face.
One corner of Bella's mouth turned up in greeting before she turned back to the darkness. The comfortable silence that was so common for the two settled around them as Bella returned to her thoughts and Edward mirrored her.
"How did we get here?" Bella asked softly, successfully being the first to break the silence.
"'In the face of an overpowering mystery, you don't dare disobey,'" Edward quoted, closing his eyes.
"The Little Prince?" she asked.
With a nod of his head, Edward continued explaining, "You can't think about it. It may not make any sense now, and it may never make any sense. You have to realize that sometimes there's no choice but to succumb to life's mysteries when they're too difficult to understand."
Bella nodded and allowed the comfortable silence to return.
Still sensing that something was plaguing Bella's mind, Edward asked, "What's going on?"
With a shrug of her shoulders, Bella answered "I wasn't feeling too hot."
"Do you want me to take you home?" Edward asked concerned.
"No, no. I'm fine – just needed a break from the craziness," Bella insisted, as she shivered in the cold from the increasing winds.
"Come on, Bella. I've got a jacket in my car you can borrow." Edward stood up and held out his hand to help Bella to her feet.
"Really, Edward, you don't need to. I'm fine." She shook her head and refused his hand.
The wind whipped his hair as he turned to face the ocean and walked towards the water. Bella could make out the shape of him as the distance between them increased. She watched as he ran a hand through his hair and then shoved both hands into his pockets. Then, as if trying to prove a point, the wind howled even louder.
"Edward," Bella called out over the wind, hoping her soft voice would carry over the distance. He turned around, eyebrows raise and she continued with a laugh. "I think I'll take that jacket now."
He jogged back to her place in the sand and helped her up. Bella stumbled the first few steps as her equilibrium shifted. Edward caught her before she fell and kept an arm around her in order to prevent that from happening again. She leaned into Edward for support as they traveled across the uneven sand. They walked slowly, but even that did not help Bella's balance. Every few paces, she stumbled and Edward's grip tightened around her.
When they crossed the threshold between the sand and asphalt, Edward assumed Bella's stability would be better. His car was on the back edge of the parking lot, the farthest from the hustle and bustle of the party and he quickly moved Bella in that direction.
"Masen! Wait up!"
The shouting was coming from behind them and Edward stopped in his tracks, pulling Bella to a stop as well. With a quick glance over his shoulder he saw Garrett jogging towards them. Edward dug his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Bella.
"The jacket's in the backseat. I'll meet you over there." Then he turned around and jogged toward Garrett.
Without her steady post to lean against, Bella could a few moments to gather herself together before continuing towards Edward's shiny Volvo. She closed her eyes and drew in two deep breaths, but quickly opened her eyes and allowed her breathing to become shallow when she felt the world spinning around behind her closed eyelids. Her first few steps were unsure, but she figured that the sooner she made it to the car, the sooner she could sit down.
She pushed through her dizziness and confusion and was soon leaning against the side of Edward's car. Through the window, Bella could see the lump of fabric that was the jacket on the backseat. Unlocking the door, she reached inside and grabbed the jacket.
Once she'd slide her arms into place, she pulled the zipper up and took in her appearance. Her reflection on the side of the car showed just how big Edward's jacket fit her. She pushed up the sleeves just enough so her hands peaked out, but there was really nothing more that she could do. The jacket completely covered her backside and the tops of her thighs and while she was gracious of the warmth it provided, she hadn't realized how much bigger Edward was before now.
Having finished appraising herself, Bella went to grab the keys from their resting place on the top of the car, having put them there to dress herself. With the long sleeves, she fumbled, causing the keys to crash to the ground. She bent at the waist quickly to recover from her mistake and immediately regretted her haste.
The blood rushed to her head and her stomach churned. Trying to ward of sickness, she squatted and closed her eyes, bracing herself against the side of the car.
"Bella?" Edward's voice called out as he approached the car. Finally, he could make out her form, curled towards the ground, when it got closer. He rushed to her, helping her to her feet. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
She laughed meekly at his concern. "I'm fine, Edward. Just not feeling all that well right now."
For the first time, thanks to his heightened senses from his concern, Edward noticed that Bella was slurring her words. Leading her around to the front of the car, he asked softly, "How much have you had to drink tonight?"
Again, Bella laughed but this time more heartily. "I don't know. I wasn't really keeping track."
"I think you just need to take it easy for awhile." Edward had stopped at the front of his car and leaned back against the hood next to Bella. His arm was wrapped around her, holding her to his body and Bella was amazed how much better she already felt.
However, her legs still felt weak and pushed her body backwards, out of Edward's grip, to sit on the hood. When she felt the incline of the windshield behind her, she leaned back and stared up in the night sky. She waited for Edward to follow, but grew disappointed as the minutes passed.
"What? You're not going to join me?" she asked, breaking her gaze at the stars.
As if all he needed was the personal invitation, Edward hopped onto the hood of the car and sat back next to Bella. He locked his hands behind his head to use as a pillow. Bella took advantage of the access to his shoulder and moved closer to lean against him. Automatically, his left hand dropped and pulled her closer.
"What'd Garrett want?" Bella asked from her resting place. Beneath her, she felt Edward's body stiffen.
"Nothing," was his response through clenched teeth.
"What happened?" she asked, worriedly.
Immediately, Edward felt about his reaction. "Nothing, really. It was nothing, Bella."
"Did you and Garrett not get along?" Bella was unable to let it go.
"No, no. Actually, just the opposite; we got along great."
"Then what'd he just say to piss you off?" Edward couldn't help but to grin at Bella's words – her altered state obviously affecting her normally polite demeanor. Even though he regretted that she didn't feel well, he was glad to see her relax a bit.
Wanting to answer her, but not wanting to burden her with his troubles, Edward decided to remain silent.
Bella sat up and look him in the eye. "Come on, Edward. You can tell me."
He simply shook his head, but didn't look at her.
"Just think of all the stuff I've shared with you. You know you can do the same for me."
Finally, he broke his concentration of the constellations. He looked her directly in the eye as he answered. "I know, Bella. Trust me – I know. And thank you for that. I don't think you'll ever understand how appreciative I am of your support. But…there are just some things I'd rather pretend didn't happen."
"Stop pretending you're all right, Edward," Bella said almost forcefully and she lay back down beside Edward. "Don't think I haven't noticed, either, cause I definitely have."
"Noticed what?"
"That you're pretending to be okay." Bella let out a sigh, exasperated. What else could she have noticed? "The only reason I haven't said anything until now, besides dealing with all my problems, is that I've been trying to figure out why."
"Why I'm pretending to be okay?" Edward asked, more to himself than to Bella.
"Exactly," Bella said as the seriousness of the conversation escaped her voice.
Edward smiled, remembering Bella's intoxicated state. "So what have you come up with?"
"Nada."
"Nothing?"
"Goose eggs."
"Hmm," Edward said as he ran his free hand through his hair. "You don't think I could be pretending I'm all right for the same reasons you are?"
"Edward," Bella stated, sitting up to look him in eye again.
"Bella," he said back, keeping his arm wrapped around her. He waited patiently for her to continue.
"I'm not pretending to be okay."
"Could have fooled me," Edward said with a sly grin and a shrug of shoulders. He really enjoyed egging Bella on. She was still very much in control of herself, but seemed to not have her guard up. Edward felt as though he were really getting the chance to talk honestly with her.
"Seriously, I'm not," she tried to convince him.
"Whatever you say." He rolled his eyes.
"I'm pretending I don't care, not that I'm okay."
"How's there a difference? Aren't we both still pretending to be something we're not?" Edward tried to shoot holes in her argument.
"Good point," Bella noted as she lay back down, silently declaring the conversation over.
Or so Edward thought.
Then Bella asked again, "What happened with Garrett?"
Giving up, Edward answered her. "Aside from calling me 'Masen,' he told me that it was a shame I didn't move to Forks sooner."
"What's wrong with that?" Bella asked, wanting confirmation.
"It's like saying it was a shame my parents didn't die sooner."
To Bella, the words were like a breath of fresh air. Hearing Edward speak openly about his parents helped her feel as though she weren't the only lost one in the universe.
"I just walked away. How did he expect me to take it?" Edward asked.
"He didn't mean anything by it, Edward. You've got to realize that. In fact, he was probably trying to make you feel more comfortable here. He knows you didn't move here under the best of circumstances and he was trying to tell you that it would be alright. That life here wouldn't be too bad."
"I don't think life here is bad," Edward quickly corrected, giving Bella a squeeze. "I just wish that my parents could still be a part of it."
Bella let herself melt into Edward's side, not knowing what more she could say.
"What more can I do to move on? It's not like I'm trying to forget them. I've accepted their deaths; I know they're not coming back. I'm ready to move past the pain. I want to be able to think about them whenever I want, not be blindsided whenever I misconstrue someone's words. I want to go back to living my life. I know it sounds callous, but I don't know how else I can deal on a daily basis."
During his speech, Bella changed her position so she was sitting against her elbows, allowing herself a better look at Edward. His face was still turned forward. They were too far away from the party for anyone to notice them there in the dark, but Bella could see his eyes sweep across the moving sea of bodies, back and forth. Drawing silent, he finally rested his gaze on the stars above.
Bella reached out a hand, brushing the hair out of his eyes and resting it on his cheek to demand his attention. Slowly, he turned to look at her.
She spoke with authority. "You will learn, Edward. You will move on and you won't forget them. You'll be able to think about them whenever you want and whenever someone else forces the thought. It won't matter - you'll be past the pain."
Staring deep into his eyes, the words soothed Edward in every inch of his existence. He gave her an imperceptible nod and closed his eyes as he leaned into her touch.
Taking notice of the relaxation that swept through his body, Bella couldn't help but be pleased with herself. For once, she'd managed to get Edward to open up about his life as well as offer her own advice. She wasn't sure if their connection was something she'd ever be able to understand but she past caring about the understanding. At the moment, all that matter was sharing that connection.
She gathered in one last look of Edward's appearance – the soft skin of his cheek beneath her warm hand, the thick lashes tangled together of his closed eyes, the slight part of his lips as she felt his breathing on her arm.
She closed her own eyes and gave herself over the connection. Edward was still leaning against the windshield and Bella leaned over his body, angling her face. In an instant, her lips were upon his with the slightest pressure. Her left hand found its way to the side of Edward's neck as he responded to the kiss. Just as Bella was about to pull back, Edward's own hand grabbed Bella's waist and pulled her body closer to his own. No longer to support herself in that position, Bella moved her hand from Edward's neck to the other side of his body.
As her hand pressed against the cool glass, her lips pressed harder to Edward's. Suddenly, the kiss was different. With a simple movement, Edward's lips parted around Bella's and he drew her full bottom lip between his. With a surprise gasp, Bella moved her hand to Edward's hair. Pulling her fingers through his bronze strands, she stopped at the back of his neck but continued to massage the skin beneath.
Her body shifted at the same time her mouth did. Covering more of his body, she hovered above as she tilted her head in the opposite direction. With a mind of its own, her tongue darted out of her mouth and faintly outlined Edward's bottom lip. She felt his mouth open and her tongue quickly took advantage of the opportunity. Bella's tongue was ablaze with the excitement of its newest adventure.
Inside Edward's mouth, his own tongue massaged Bella's, making quick work of exploring the new territory. Tiring of his own cavern, he pushed through their point of attachment. Now it was his tongue's turn to explore the new territory, all the while, still massaging Bella's. During their kiss, Edward's hand had moved to Bella's hip, pulling her tight, holding her nearly on top of him. He took the time now, to push her back against the glass and held his own body up, hovering above hers. Not needing to support her weight anymore, Bella's hand took stock on Edward's shoulders. She traced patterns over the fabric, sliding her hands over his broad shoulders and down the tops of his arms, only to repeat the gesture, earning chills from Edward.
All his weighted rested on one arm, placed next to Bella's body against the glass. His other hand danced across Bella's body in a fashion similar to her own. He slowly slid his hand down Bella's thigh, only to trace it back up, over the hem of the jacket and onto her waist. With each pass, he pushed the jacket further and further up, until his hand came into contact with the smooth skin of Bella's stomach. Gripping her hip tightly there, his massaged her hip bone roughly.
For what seemed like hours for the two, but in reality, was only minutes, their lips continued to dance. They broke apart, gasping for breath, but refusing to open their eyes and end the kiss. Although they were no longer joined mouth-to-mouth, they bodies refused to break contact. Instead they were pushed flush against each other and trying desparate to get closer.
It took the vibrating of Bella's phone, in her back pocket, against the windshield, to break the trance the two existed in. Edward pushed off Bella, giving her the necessary space to answer her phone. She raised her hips off the hood of the car and looked at the name flashing across the screen.
"Crap – it's Alice. She's probably wondering where I disappeared to," Bella explained as she jumped off the car. "I'm going to go find her."
And with that, she was gone. Without as much as a fleeting glance in Edward's direction.
A/N: Alright, so I did mean to have this up a lot sooner, but it gave me a lot of problems. As far as the plot goes…I knew what was going to happen. But writing it was an entirely different story. I kept feeling as though it wasn't flowing well at all and that it just didn't make sense. So any feedback anyone has – I would love to hear it! Did you like it? Hate it? Like some of it? Dislike others? Were you expecting it? Was it out of the blue? Tell me please! Since I finished the original, I've rewritten it probably 3 or 4 times, trying to make it better. So please, give me your comments. I hope you liked it! But if you didn't, let me know what could have been better! Thanks! "Wishing Wells Were Made to Echo a Dime" comes from Gavin DeGraw's "Cop Stop."