Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
A/N: Thanks for being so patient during my hellacious week. Now I'm back and first, let's just mention that movie. I'll spare you the details of what I thought because I know you're anxious to read, but I'd love to hear what you all thought.
Secondly, I want to thank you guys for putting up with that last chapter. I admitted that I knew it was different (and short) and most of you seemed okay with it, based off your reviews. Just know that it was a temporary fix because I wanted to update and didn't have lots of time. No, it didn't move the plot along very much, but I still think that it was an extremely important conversation.
Thanks for all the reviews – you all know just what to say to make me happy! Now, let's wrap up this party. Enjoy…
Best Definition of Good Intentions
23 – We Never Feel the Heat Until We Get Burned
"That's cheating, Mike! You can't do that!" Alice shrieked as she swatted Mike's arm.
Throwing his head back, Mike laughed heartily. Once he's subdued himself, he threw the smooth rock he'd been holding far into the depths of the Pacific with as much strength as his could muster.
"It has to skip, Mike!" Alice admonished as she bent down to find another smooth rock.
"Yea, Mike!" Tyler mocked in his best Alice impression. "It has to skip!"
"Oh, that's it! You two are so going to get it!" Alice held her ground as she turned face Mike and Tyler, eyeing them angrily.
"Oh, no!" Tyler faked his fear. "The pixie's out to get us."
Behind Alice, Bella walked up, crossing her arms as she took her place beside her best friend.
"You really haven't learned, have you?" Bella waited for a response, but received none. "Never mess with the pixie. She doesn't make empty threats."
Mike's eyes shifted from Bella's unapologetic smile to Alice's evil grin. "Uhh…Tyler? I think we better run. Now!"
After the smallest of head starts, Alice took off chasing the boys. After only a few steps she stopped and scooped up some of the pebbles beneath her feet. Then she continued.
Following the boys over the sand and rocks of the beach, she never ran as fast as she could. Whenever she had a clear shot, she tossed pebble after pebble, making contact with their backs, shoulder, legs, arms…anywhere she could.
"That'll teach you to cheat!" she shouted with a laugh as a pebble connected square between Mike's shoulders. From the unexpected impact, Mike tripped and Tyler slowed to keep up pace.
"I wasn't even the one who cheated!" Tyler shouted back, taunting. He turned around and stared down at Alice. When she didn't slow, he started running backwards and Alice cocked an arm back, ready to fire another rock at him.
In his haste to turn back around, Tyler lost his footing and ended up seated in the sand. Alice slowed and stopped a reasonable distance away, still poised with the rock in her hand.
"Jasper!" Tyler called out over Alice's shoulder.
Alice quickly cut him off before he could call out his next words. "Don't try and distract me. I know Jasper's not here."
She turned her body sideways, winding up as though she were on the pitcher's mound. Just as she stepped into the throw and was ready to release, a strong hand grabbed hers and turned her around.
"I beg to differ," Jasper said staring into her eyes.
He watched as Alice's eyes grew wide, taking in his presence.
"Jasper?" she whispered as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
"Yes, Alice?"
"Jasper!" Alice shouted as she jumped up and latched her arms around Jasper's neck.
Prepared for Alice's usual antics, Jasper hardly missed a beat. Holding Alice to his chest, he swung around in circles.
"You're home." She pulled back to look into his eyes.
"I'm home, baby. And I'm not goin' anywhere," Jasper promised.
"I missed you."
"It's been 24 hours," he said with a laugh.
Ignoring his comment, Alice asked, "How are you home? Why are you home? What happened?"
"Does it matter?" he asked. "I'm home."
"You're home," Alice repeated with a happy smile as they stared into each other's eyes.
With her hand cupped around his neck, she pulled his face toward her and met him half way in a sweet kiss.
"I'm home," he whispered to her and leaned into kiss her again, more fully this time.
They were lost in their own world of happy reunions until they heard someone clear their throat behind them.
Jasper set Alice down on her feet and they turned to face Tyler who had managed to stand up.
"Thanks for the show," Mike laughed, hiding his jealousy.
Neither Alice nr Jasper felt embarrassed. Instead, they just looked into the other's eyes again with happy smiles on their faces. They kissed briefly again before Jasper walked towards the rest of the group. His path led him right between where Mike and Tyler stood side-by-side. He pushed them both hard to the ground as he passed, growling his warning.
"Never mess with the pixie."
Alice skipped along in Jasper's wake and jumped on his back as soon as she was close enough. She peppered his cheek and neck with kisses as she whispered her thanks in his ear.
Once they'd made it to the rest of the group, Alice jumped down and took her seat next to Bella, patting the space next to her for Jasper. After taking his place, he leaned behind Alice and wrapped his arm around Bella's shoulder, pulling her to him. He offered an encouraging smile, but no words before he released her and let his arm rest around Alice. Feeling comfortable, Alice turned her body to lean against Jasper, all the while not stopping her conversation with Bella and Angela.
During the chase, Ben and Angela had returned with drink refills and after passing out the cups, they'd settled into their places in the group. Ben was seated with Angela on one side and Tyler and Mike on the other. While Angela continued to catch up with her closest friends, Ben looked to Tyler and Mike for entertainment.
Jasper took in the scene around him, finally noticing Edward on the opposite end of the horseshoe, deep in conversation with Jessica Stanley. Her eyes never left his form and she often reached out a hand to touch his shoulder or forearm. Trying to contain his laughter, Jasper fought to remain inconspicuous in his spying. While Jessica was pulling out all the stops to flirt with Edward and hold his attention, Jasper noticed Edward hardly looked her. Instead, Edward's eyes roamed around the group, often lingering at Bella.
As Rosalie and Emmett stalked toward the group, Jasper looked away in odd satisfaction, feeling as though he understood Edward's feelings.
"What's going on over here?" Emmett called out as he and his girlfriend filled in the gap.
Greetings erupted around the now completed circle. Individual conversations came to stand stills while they all waited for a unifying theme. Jessica was the first to give in as she commandeered Edward's attention before anyone else could. Sensing the lull that had fallen over the group, Emmett took it upon himself, as oldest, to rectify the situation.
"You up for a game of beer pong, Bella?" Emmett shouted across the distance.
"What? You gonna kick Garrett to the curb for Swan?" Jasper asked over Rosalie.
"Jasper! My man!" Emmett held out his fist and it collided with Jasper's, he asked, "What are you doing home? I thought you were gone for the week?"
"Change of plans," Jasper shrugged as he pulled Alice tighter to his body, eliciting a rare giggle from her. He turned to Alice. "You always like this when I'm gone?"
"Like what?" she asked back.
"So…carefree." Jasper struggled for the words. "You're always laid-back and fun-loving, but I've never seen you willingly enter into a game with Tyler and Mike. How much did you drink?"
With a wink, Alice said, "Something's got to keep me entertained in your absence."
Bella's loud, unconfined laugh broke through their conversation, capturing everyone's attention. After a moment, Alice turned back to Jasper. "I haven't even had that much to drink! Nothing compared to Bella – she's way worse off!"
"That I could tell," Jasper said blankly as he caught site of Peter walking towards him. To the group, he asked, "What do you say we start calling it a night?"
"Heck yea!" Emmett shouted, wildly throwing a fist into the air.
Quickly, Jasper stood and retrieved his guitar case from where he'd abandoned it in the sand. Before corralling the group, he waited a few minutes until Peter had reached his destination. It wasn't until the dark shadows surrounding his friend receded that Jasper could see the outline of two guitar cases – one in each hand.
"Thought you might want to play with us?" Peter asked, holding a case out toward Edward, who looked to Jasper for reassurance.
"Sounds great," Edward answered after receiving a nod of approval from Jasper.
Together, the three walked toward the parking lots, settling into comfortable spots while they waited for the crowd to form around them. Whereas Jasper and Peter idling plucked at strings and fingered chords, Edward focused on getting a feel for the instrument in his hands. He slid his fingers from fret to fret, strumming softly so as not to draw too much attention to himself. All too soon, he felt, Peter was loudly playing the opening chords of a song that Edward didn't recognize, although the others did. Jasper called out across the beach, over Peter's melody, inviting everyone to join them.
The growing crowd did nothing to help Edward's nervousness. It wasn't the fear of making a mistake that caused the butterflies in his stomach, but instead the preoccupied state of his mind. It had hardly been two hours since he'd tasted Bella's lips but it seemed like days after he'd been cornered by Jessica Stanley with no means of escape. Upon marching away from his car, he'd cared about nothing more than his determination to talk to Bella and to resolve whatever issues may or may not have existed between them, but they hadn't so much as spoken a word to each other since Alice's fateful interruption.
All he wanted was to hear her voice again. He needed to hear her reassuring words. Edward felt convinced that his mind would be muddled mess until this looming conversation had taken place. He didn't know what would be said after his initial question and he didn't know how he'd feel afterwards, but he knew he would feel at peace with the knowledge.
Or so he hoped. But until he managed to find a moment alone with the girl who was racing through his every thought, he'd busy himself by playing the guitar with Jasper and Peter. Never mind the fact that he had no idea what songs he was about to attempt or that he'd never practiced in the trio before, regardless of the fact that it had been months since he'd even picked up his guitar. These days, he much preferred his piano.
But after feeling the smooth edge resting on his thigh, the way his hand wrapped around the skinny neck, and the vibrations that rocked against his body with every strum, Edward was determined to the instrument back into his regular routine. Maybe he'd even add guitar accompaniments to some of the songs he'd been working on lately.
Finally, Jasper was happy with the host of peers that had gathered around. He cleared his throat and the masses grew quiet in anticipation.
"How 'bout we get this started?" Jasper asked, looking around for confirmation.
Not needing the permission, Peter immediately jumped right into playing. Next to him, Garrett sat, bongo between his knees, easing himself into a steady rhythm. Jasper was the next to join, coaxing a beautiful harmony to Peter's melody. With a encouraging smile, Jasper nodded at Edward, inviting him to start whenever ready. When the first words resonated through the cold night air, Edward began to play.
"I'm not asking for forever, and I don't need much of your time. And I know we can't be together, you should know I'm on your side. That's where I'll always be."
With an increased tempo, Edward and Peter joined Jasper in singing the chorus. "It's alright for you to be scared. I'll drive all night or go anywhere. If some day, our stars don't align, we'll go our own ways. You should know I'm always on your side."
Jasper looked to Peter, who began to sing the next verse. "Could I have treated you better? Something else I could have tried? And I don't have to be the one you dream about. You should know I'm on your side. That's where I've always been."
By this time, Edward was becoming more and more comfortable playing by focusing on the song and not the crowd. "It's alright for you to be scared. I'll drive all night or go anywhere. If some day, our stars don't align, we'll go our own ways. You should know I'm always on your side."
He understood now that after that chorus together, the next verse was his. His smooth voice stood alone as he sang, "Oh, I don't know where you are, but I know where you've been. You're just a small town girl, you didn't care about nothin'. And I don't know where to start, but I hope that it ends up with you being happy wherever you are. Forever."
The quiet rang out as all three guitars were silent. Any onlooker would have thought this was rehearsed, but Edward, as a musician, knew better. Sometimes rehearsals didn't matter. All that mattered was feeling the music and doing what felt right. Luckily, Peter and Jasper, and Garrett, too, for that matter, were on the same page as him. In the next breath, Jasper began to play again while Edward raked his fingers through his hair, pulling the bronze locks away from his eyes.
"I'm not asking for forever and I don't need much of your time," Jasper sang.
All three guitars swelled as the pulse on the bongo regained its strength. They sang together, "It's alright for you to be scared. I'll drive all night or go anywhere. If some day, our stars don't align, we'll go our own ways. You should know I'm always on your side. You should know I'm always on your side."
"Nicely done, Edward. I wasn't sure you were going to know that song," Peter said while the crowd applauded their efforts.
"Are you kidding me? I'm a big Colton fan. He's so underappreciated," Edward said with a laugh.
"What about Jack Johnson? You know 'All At Once'?" Jasper asked, leaning into the conversation.
Edward drew in a deep breath, steadying himself. He eyed Jasper, wordlessly asking his question.
"You can handle it," Jasper whispered as he mindlessly ran his thumb over the six strings, effectively recapturing the crowd's attention.
Knowing the reason behind the next selection, Edward continued his deep breaths, hoping to relax. He was all too aware, having witnessed the act before, of how Jasper always picked a specific song for Bella. Jasper had explained how Bella didn't like to talk about emotions, but she understood sentiment through music and songs. Without a doubt, Edward knew this song was for Bella. Jack Johnson wasn't a particular favorite of Edward's, due to the repetitive sounds and cliché attitudes, but he couldn't deny some of the brilliant messages that hid behind the laid-back California surfer melodies.
For the first time, Edward scanned the crowd, looking for the brown-haired beauty. His eyes found Alice's form first. She was practically bouncing in her seat from excitement, most likely from Jasper's sudden appearance. Next to her was Bella, looking much less excited. In fact, Edward wondered if Bella was actually asleep. She was leaning sideways with her head resting on Tyler's shoulder while his arms wrapped around her. He was rubbing soothing circles over her shoulder – her shoulder that was still clothed in Edward's jacket. Bella's brown hair was down, free from its ponytail, and strands were hanging over her face, resting on Tyler's chest.
Sensing the next song was about to begin, Bella's eyes shot open and instantly locked with Edward's. He flashed a quick half-smile her way and she responded in a similar fashion and pushed herself up away from Tyler. Once upright, she closed her eyes as her body swayed. She grabbed onto Tyler's arm to help regain her balance.
Edward watched as Tyler held her again and leaned in to ask something he couldn't hear, but the concern was evident on his face. Bella merely nodded and brushed him off, Edward assumed she'd merely insisted she was fine.
He was forced to tear his attention from her as Jasper began to play and sing in the same instant.
"All at once, the world can't overwhelm me. There's almost nothing you could tell me that could ease my mind." Jasper's eyes locked on Bella's now, and Edward was the only person in the group to see the wink that was exchanged between the two. Jasper continued to sing as the two remaining guitars began to play matching chords. "Which way will you run, when it's always all around you? And the feeling lost and found you again, a feeling that we have no control. Around the sun, some say, it's gonna be the new hell, some say. It's still too early to tell, some say. It's really ain't no myth at all. Keep asking ourselves, are we really strong enough? And there're so many things that we got too proud of. We're too proud of. We're too proud of."
Edward took over the vocals as Jasper threw a nod in his direction. "I wanna take the preconceived out from underneath your feet. We could shake it off and instead we'll plant some seeds. Watch them as they grow and with each new bead from your heart the roots grow deeper. The branches, will they reach for what? Nobody really knows. But underneath it all, there's this heart all alone."
As a group, they sang, "What about when it's gone? And it really won't be so long. Sometimes it feels like a heart is no place to be singing from at all."
The velvety smoothness of Edward's voice and the roughness of Peter's voice dropped off as Jasper finished the song strong, by himself. "There's a world we've never seen. There's still hope between the dreams. The weight of it all could blow away with a breeze. If you're waiting on the wind, don't forget to breathe 'cause as the darkness get deeper, we'll sink until we reach for love, at least something we can hold. But I'll reach to you from where time just can't go. What about when it's gone? And it really won't be so long. Sometimes it feels like a heart is no place to be singing from at all."
His eyes fluttered open as the last of the chord rang out over the sand and water. Jasper immediately looked to Bella, to make sure she'd understood what he was trying to say. Upon meeting her eyes, his heart broke. There, reflected back to him in those chocolate brown eyes, were glistening tears. Silently, he watched as a single tear escaped its confines and made its way down Bella's cheek. However, no one around her noticed. They were all too engrossed in clapping and encouraging the boys to continue. Typically, Jasper always ended these sets with the same song, the song that meant so much to Bella, but he realized she couldn't handle it right now. He couldn't handle it right now, either. Luckily, Jasper was able to look to Edward for help.
"How about you wrap things up for us tonight, Edward?" Jasper asked loud enough for everyone to hear, but his pleading eyes could only be seen by Edward.
Edward nodded and Jasper unhooked the guitar strap and let the instrument fall to rest in its case. He straightened out the shoulders of his jacket, shaking out his arms in the process. As Edward took a moment to decide on a song, Alice made her way over the Jasper. He parted his knees and she settled her small body between his outstretched legs. She made herself comfortable, with her elbows resting on his thighs and her back pressed against her chest. Jasper leaned down and kissed the bit of flesh that was exposed on the side of her neck.
Having made his decision, Edward quickly began to pluck at individual strings with his right hand while his left hand slid across the neck of the guitar. His head was bent over the guitar, hair falling in his eyes, as he bit his head in concentration, watching his left hand move with ease. Immediately recognizing the song, Garrett realized he was no longer needed. He set the bongo down behind him and leaned back to enjoy the performance.
Once Edward looked up and began singing, Peter looked to him for directions. With a shake of his head, and without missing a beat, Edward explained he was on his own for this song. "And even though the moment passed me by, I still can't turn away. 'Cause all the dreams you never thought you'd lose, get tossed along the way. Letters that you never meant to send get lost and thrown away."
By the end of the first verse, everyone in the crowd recognized the song. Although the richness of Edward's voice couldn't compare to the huskiness of the original singer's, the song subdued the crowd. It was a perfect ending to the evening – just enough to please the crowd, allowing them to leave without wanting more. Edward lacked the rugged tone and jagged breathing required for an exact replication of the song, but because he was Edward, he held the crowd captivated in the magic.
"And now we're grown up orphans that never knew their names. We don't belong to no one, that's a shame. You could hide beside me, maybe for awhile. And I won't tell no one your name. I won't tell 'em your name."
Not once did he open his eyes, not to look at his busy fingers or to look at those watching him, mesmerized. "Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far. And did you lose yourself somewhere out there? Did you get to be a star? And don't it make you sad to know that life is more than who we are?"
His playing grew more frenzied and his volume increased. "You grew up way too fast and now there's nothing to believe. And reruns all become our history. A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio. And I won't tell no one your name. I won't tell 'em your name."
Fingers running rampant from string to string, fret to fret and thumb dancing across those same strings, Edward drew more music from that single guitar than any of the people present had ever witnessed before. The small interlude was enough to put the spectators in frenzy, wanting, needing, more. Now his singing was little more than heavy breaths and whispers as he finished out the song. "I think about you all the time, but I don't need the same. It's lonely where you are, come back down. And I won't tell 'em your name."
Clasping his open palm against the oscillating strings, Edward silenced the music and sang out, "And I won't tell 'em your name."
One by one, friends left the beach speechless. No one words could be used to describe the performance they'd all just witnessed. And it wasn't until minutes after his voice had died out that Edward even opened his eyes. He was surprised to find the much-thinned crowd, and then noticed the growing rumbles of engines as they departed La Push and made their way back into town.
With the help of Garrett, Emmett and Rosalie leave the circle to clean up the remains from the party. In the small town, it was impossible to keep these get-togethers unknown, but they'd found that as long as they cleaned up the evidence, they'd never had any trouble. Alice and Jasper were the next to stand, and then Bella, realizing she'd be leaving with Alice.
She's managed to stand half-way up before she faltered and Tyler was quick on his feet to catch her.
"You alright, Bella?" Tyler asked, afraid to let go.
Bella nodded her reply, but then quickly the nods turned into shakes as she sunk into the ground. She groaned, "I'm going to be sick."
"Uhh…" Tyler slowly backed away, knowing he couldn't handle vomit, if that's where this was heading. Thankfully, Jasper and Edward had watched the entire episode and rushed to Bella's side at once.
Her eyes were shut lazily and her head was rolling back onto her neck as Edward struggled to help her regain focus. Bella's body lurched forward at the apparent signs of an impending upheaval. Her eyes opened wide, bloodshot, and her hand flew to mouth.
"Bella!" Alice called, dancing over. "You need to drink some water."
"My drinks right there." Bella's words were almost incoherent as she flung her arm sideways, vaguely motioning to the plastic cup beside her.
"This cup?" Edward asked holding it up.
Bella nodded and reached out to grab it, but Edward pulled it out of her reach, while Jasper supported her weight.
"This is empty, Bella. And I doubt more alcohol is going to help you."
"Ughh, fine," Bella huffed at him, her eyes closing again.
"Bellaaa!" Alice called again, plopping down next to her in the sand.
"Jasper, just get Alice home. I'll take care of Bella," Edward directed.
"But I drove, Edward! What about my car?" Alice whined, sounding childish.
"We can come get it in the morning, Alice," Edward answered, losing his patience.
"You sure, man? Can you handle getting her back alright? She's going to be sick any second." Jasper stood, nonetheless, and then helped Alice to her feet.
"Yea, it's fine. I'll see you guys later." He turned his attention back to Bella, to try coaxing her to her feet.
As Alice danced away towards Jasper's car, her boyfriend said, "Take you time, Edward. Alice and I probably won't head straight back to the house. We're…"
"I don't need details. But that's probably better anyway. I doubt Esme and Carlisle would like it so much if we showed up with a sick Bella. So we might as well give them enough time to be asleep. Just call me when you're going back so we're all at least there together in case they are awake."
With a wave, Jasper took off after his girlfriend. Edward watched him back out of the parking space until the red lights disappeared over a bend in the road.
Bella placed her hands on Edward's shoulders and tried to push herself up; Edward grabbed her waist, trying to support most of her weight as she struggled to her feet.
"I'm fine, Edward. I'm fine." Bella placed her hands on Edward's, removing them from her body. "See, I can walk."
"Bella, maybe you should just take it easy. You're drunk – just sit down for a bit." Edward walked behind her, hands poised to catch her if she stumbled.
She turned around to face him, a smile playing on her lips. "I just stood up too fast. I'm fine, now, really."
Facing away from Edward again, Bella shook her head roughly, hoping to help clear her mind. She was fighting to regain control of her body – the control she'd lost; the control she couldn't afford to lose. She'd promised herself that she wouldn't show weakness, that's she would be strong, and here she was already bending that promise. She could take care of herself; she couldn't rely on others for help. Not when they would only let her down.
Instead of opening the door to the Volvo and sitting inside, Bella leaned against the car's frame and waited as Edward approached her. He stared at her, questioning.
"I heard what Jasper said. And trust me, they're not going to be back for awhile. Unless you've got a better idea, we might as well just hang out here." Her voice betrayed her; it was the one thing she couldn't gain control over. Her words were slurred together but her eyes remained focus and Edward wasn't sure how to interpret the mixed signals.
In the now empty space where Jasper's Jeep had been, Edward sat, resting on the curb and he noticed they were the only ones left at the beach. There were so many things he wanted to say, wanted to ask, but it wasn't appropriate if Bella was drunk. But he didn't want to wait. He settled on a compromise: he'd wait for Bella to speak first and would play it by ear. If it seemed as though she could actually give him the real answers he was looking for, he'd ask, but if not, he'd have to wait until another time. Edward just hoped that another time would present itself soon.
Edward was lost in his own thoughts, staring out at the expanse before him and when he heard the sound of the car door slamming, he was jarred from them.
Bella noticed how she'd startled him. She shrugged, pulling her brown hair behind her shoulders, "Sorry. I'm a little warm for the jacket now."
"Are you sure you're alright?" The warmth she was feeling was because of all the alcohol in her system.
She closed her eyes impatiently and nodded. She ducked her chin, letting her cheek fall to rest on her shoulder. Bella was disappointed in herself – she couldn't even manage to convince one person she was strong enough to take care of herself. Suddenly, she felt the hand under her chin, lifting her face up. She opened her eyes at the last second to see Edward's perfect face staring at hers. Avoiding the concern in his eyes, she looked everywhere but. She focused on his furrowed brow, his high cheekbones, his strong jaw. She focused on his hair, standing on ends and over his forehead. She focused on the fullness of his lips. Her mind wandered, remembering how his soft lips felt on hers.
Placing her hands against Edward's strong chest, Bella drew in a deep breath and looked him in the eye.
"I'm fine, Edward," she whispered. "You don't need to baby me."
It was not lost on Edward how sure her words were – annunciated to perfection. Either Bella had managed to sober herself or she had wicked self-control.
"I'm not babying you, Bella." Edward tucked the hair that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear. "I just want to make sure you're okay."
"You don't need to." If there was one thing he'd learned about the girl standing before him over the last few days, it was that she was stubborn. For a few moments, he'd managed to forget that small detail, but she apparently wasn't going to let that happen.
"But I want to." There was no way she could argue with that.
Bella's body wasn't listening to her mind. She couldn't maintain her control. Her lips were longing to touch Edward's again, and he was saying all the right words. But she couldn't let herself believe them. She simply wanted the pleasure and nothingness his kiss brought her.
Staring into her eyes, Edward tried reading the thoughts that floated through her brown orbs. Much too soon, her eyes were closed and she was shaking her head. Her hands dropped to her sides, but Edward held his strong at her shoulders.
"You don't need to," she repeated.
It was as good a time as any and Edward didn't want to wait any longer. "Can I ask you something, Bella?"
Bella knew what was coming and she couldn't bear to look at him while he asked. She didn't know how she was going to answer.
"Bella." He lifted her chin again, forcing her gaze to meet his.
Her eyes flickered down to his lips when she saw the movement of his tongue tracing over the bright pink against his pale skin. He was preparing himself to say the words. But Bella didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to give him the chance to tell her the kiss was a mistake. She didn't want to give him the chance to think any less of her, to think she wasn't as strong and independent as she was trying to be. She needed to be strong.
So Bella did the only thing she could think to stop the words from coming.
She leaned in to kiss him again, holding his gaze the entire time. When their lips met again and the initial spark of electricity raced through their bodies, Bella watched Edward close his eyes and she followed suit. She wrapped one arm around his neck, pulling him closer, allowing her fingers to run through his hair. Her other hand found its home against his chest, feeling the strong pumping of his heart.
One of Edward's hands fell to Bella's waist, holding her tight against him. The thumb of his left hand traced patterns across his cheek. Lost in the momentum of each other, their tongues danced together for several minutes. When breathing was necessary, Edward pulled away, sucking in air.
"What are you doing?"
"Kissing you. What did you think I was doing?" Her independence had returned along with her wit. Garnering that reaction from Edward had boosted her confidence and she felt strong enough.
"But why?" His hands were still on her face and waist, thumbs tracing matching patterns against her skin.
"You didn't want me to? Could have fooled me," Bella retorted, keeping herself collected. She couldn't allow Edward to know she'd wanted it just as much. She needed to convince herself these feelings were temporary, flighty. She'd only get hurt if she let this continue. She pushed his arms away and went to sit in the same place Edward had been sitting minutes earlier.
"No, Bella," he groaned. This wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. "I mean, God, yes, I wanted you to kiss me. And I wanted to kiss you. That kiss – it was unbelievable."
His fingers traced his lips as he became lost in his newest memory, in the taste of Bella. He forced himself to focus. "But why? I mean, what are we doing?"
Bella shrugged, acting as though this was the least important question in the world. As though this answered didn't matter. She knew he was only asking for her benefit, which was exactly why she couldn't tell him the truth. Nonchalantly, she offered, "Having fun?"
"Having fun?" Edward repeated. Was she really just playing with him? One second he was positive that was all she was doing, but then in the next instant he'd question that deduction again.
"Yea," Bella forced herself to sound confident, to give Edward no way out. What guy would turn down this kind of fun? She walked over to him, smiling, and pulled his face down to her level. "Want to have some more fun?"
He wasted no time in pressing his lips against hers, but because of the large height difference, Edward knew he wouldn't be able to maintain this posture for long. Without losing contact, he swiftly picked Bella up and she wrapped her legs around his torso. Her turned them around and pushed her against the cool window of the Volvo. He leaned into her body, pinning her body against the car with his weight, allowing his hands to freedom to roam. They'd somehow managed to fall into a comfortable pattern in their kisses, each with one hand on the other's neck, holding the other closer, tighter. Edward's free hand floated down Bella's side, down her waist and over her thigh, down her back and over her backside. Rubbing through the material of her jeans, Edward's hand followed the same up and down, over and across pattern.
Her legs tightened around him and her head fell back against the car as Edward's lips moved from Bella's lips to her ear. Quickly, he found the sensitive space just below, kissing, sucking and nipping at the skin. Bella's eyes were closed tight in the pleasure and her fingers repeatedly ran through his hair, unable to get enough of the sensation. Soon she couldn't bear having his lips away from her own and she pulled on his hair, forcing his face away from her neck.
His crazed look met hers as she commanded, "Kiss me."
Their lips crashed together and once again they fell into their comfortable rhythm of exploring each other's mouths. For what seemed liked hours, and which very possibly could have been for neither was aware of the time, they stayed that way, in the comfort of each other.
When Edward's phone began to ring from his pocket, he groaned into Bella's mouth, cursing the interruptions that continued to plague them. The vibrations drove Bella wild and she tightened her grip on Edward. But at the same time, Edward loosened his hold to pull out his phone. Unexpectedly, Bella was falling to her feet. Her head was spinning, dizzy from the lack of air, dizzy from the pleasure, dizzy from the possibilities running rampant in her mind. She sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and tried to calm herself.
She could hear Edward mumbling on the phone and but couldn't focus enough to hear his words. Instead, the sounds surrounding her were getting lost in her mind. Everything jumbled together, getting mixed and matched, nothing making sense.
"Bella. Bella! Are you all right?" Edward's shaking and loud voice brought her back. Edward took in her droopy eyes and even paler than normal demeanor as she looked up at him.
"I don't feel so well," she answered.
"Alright, let's get you home. That was Jasper; they're on their way back now." Edward lifted Bella and placed her in the passenger seat before he ran around to the driver's side.
As soon as he'd made it out of the parking lot, Bella slouched sideways, lying down across the center console with her head resting in Edward's lap. Her eyes were closed and Edward noticed she looked a little green.
"Bella, love, you need to sit up. You'll feel better if you sit up." With one arm, he tried to push her upright. She fell to the other side, resting her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She swiped her hand against the door, struggling to the find the button to lower the window. Noticing, Edward used the controls on his side of the car and as soon as the wind hit Bella's face, she leaned over the side, with her hair whipping behind her.
"Keep your eyes open, Bella," he instructed.
Edward drove slowly through the winding roads, being cautious because the smallest movement might make Bella sick. On the way back to his newest residence, they had to stop once. When Bella called out, pleading him to stop, Edward immediately pulled over and helped Bella out of the car. He supported her as she made her way to lean against a tree and threw up. He held her hair back and rubbed comforting circles over her back. Once she claimed she was okay, he helped her back in the car and they continued to the rest of the drive in a tension-filled silence.
Jasper was just coming out of the house when Edward pulled into the garage. In an instant, he followed them into the garage and was at Bella's side of the car and helped her out while Edward unlocked the door.
"Alice is in her room, asleep and Esme and Carlisle are already sleeping, too. You want help getting her upstairs?" Jasper asked handing Bella off like a baton in a relay race.
"No, I got it. I'm going to bring her to my room so she's farther away from everyone else in case she gets sick again."
Taking in Edward's appearance carefully, Jasper noticed his red lips and disheveled hair.
"What'd y'all do that pass the time?" Jasper asked with a sly grin.
Edward eyed him roughly, "We can talk about that later."
"Alright. But don't think I'll forget," he warned. "I'm just as bad as Alice when it comes to gossip.
Edward groaned, but laughed at the same time. "Thanks, man. For everything."
"Anytime." Jasper left the garage as Edward lowered the door and made his way up the three flights of stairs with Bella.
On the first landing, he realized Bella was only hindering the process by trying to walk on her own. In one swift motion, he scooped her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. In no time at all, Edward was at the door of his room and preparing to set Bella on her feet.
"Bella," he asked, "do you want to go in the bathroom?"
She mumbled an agreeing response as her feet touched the ground. As soon she took her first step, she lost her balance and went crashing against Edward's chest. He helped her walk into the bathroom and set her down in front of the toilet. Her body lurched forward again and Edward quickly raised the seat of the toilet. Bella immediately hunched over the porcelain, emptying the contents of her stomach into the basin.
Repeatedly, she threw up into the toilet until all that was left was spit escaping her lips in the form of dry heaves. The entire time, Edward, unable to abandon her in this time of need, took his place next to her. Just as he had when she threw up on the side of the road, he gathered her hair away from her face and rubbed soothing patterns on her back. He held his breath as Bella held up her wrist, offering him the rubber band to secure her hair.
Unsure of how best to fasten the hairdo, Edward simply pulled the hair through the loop twice, not thinking it mattered much what her hair looked like while she was throwing up. He left Bella's side for a moment, only to wet a washcloth and place in on the back of Bella's neck, in an attempt to cool her body.
During a lull, Bella pushed Edward away.
"I'm okay, Edward. Please, don't watch me throw up. It's gross."
"I just want to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine. You don't need to stay here."
"Bella…" he started to argue.
"Edward, please. Just wait outside." She held off the next wave of nausea until Edward had left and shut the door. She knew that if he saw her throw up again, he would never leave.
Finally feeling calm and settled, Bella stood and went to the sink. She took a new washcloth from the closet and thoroughly washed her face. Unable to tolerate the taste in her mouth, she searched underneath the sink for a new toothbrush. Upon successfully finding one, she proceeded to brush her teeth, using Edward's toothpaste, for longer than the recommended two minutes. As soon as she leaned over to spit into the sink, her stomach churned.
She raced to the toilet, ready for another round of vomit to make its way through her body. Soon, Bella's eyes were drifting shut as she leaned against the cool porcelain.
A/N: The title song is "Appreciation and the Bomb" by The Spill Canvas. Then, in the order of the chapter the songs played at the party are: "On Your Side" by Graham Colton, "All At Once" by Jack Johnson and "Name" by Goo Goo Dolls. Hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought!