I got this chapter so fast! I'm so proud of myself! ^^ Now if only I could be sure that people are actually reading this story, I'd be so much happier
Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine, neither are any of the characters, nor are any of the components
Chapter Six, Halloween Night
Edward
I was up in my room, trying to be invisible. I knew that Bella was helping Alice prepare the house: there was still an hour until the Halloween party started. Alice was mentally pestering me to come downstairs and help out, but I had no desire to see Bella.
At least not yet.
Oh of course I wanted to see Bella – everything about me burned to see Bella. I wondered deliciously what her costume was: all Alice would only leak to me was that it was red (as if that wasn't tempting enough). I lied in bed on my side, curled around a pillow, pretending it was Bella's soft body against mine. I wished I could bury my nose in her silk dark tresses.
But then, I didn't want to see Bella. Not when she was so greatly informed, and so determined to prove it to me. For the reminder of the week following our meeting in the forest, I had to duck and dodge her, while she watched me under narrowed and knowing eyes. This isn't over Edward. Trust me on that. I could tell that Bella was not going to give up on this until they spoke face to face and I admitted to her being right about being a vampire.
And while, I could see why it would make things easier – Bella knowing the truth, and I admitting the truth – I could also see why this would make things that much harder.
For one, her little friend, Jacob Black, was already on the watch of our relationship. If I decided to pursue something serious with Bella, I would have to also endure the constant extra surveillance from Black and his pack – something I didn't want to bring upon myself or my family. Certainly Rosalie wouldn't make that easy to deal with.
Secondly, Bella would probably think that my admitting the truth meant that they could have a real relationship together now – since everything was out in the open between them. But all that would do is bring the risk of something dangerous happening – something that would make Jacob Black's surveillance tactics all the more worth it. And I didn't want that for Bella, to accidentally change her. And I, again, didn't want that for my family – a mistake of mine result in warfare between us and the wolves.
But the scariest thought of all, the one that I thought of most above all others, was the one that plagued my mind thanks to Alice: the thought that Bella would, someday, come to want for me to change her. I could still clearly picture Alice's vision – Bella laughing with Emmett in our kitchen, blood red eyes dancing. True, Alice's vision could change instantly once a decision was made, but the fact that the possibility of Bella wanting to live a life like mine – if you could call what I do 'living' – was something that made me more conflicted above all things. I didn't want this life for Bella: I didn't want Bella to have to walk away from her family, her friends, her beautiful blushing red cheeks, and become a vampire.
And yet…another side of me, a small side that was starting to grow into a larger portion of me, wanted Bella for myself, and wanted to do whatever it took to make her just mine. If that meant taking her life…
Don't go there Edward.
Do. Not. Go there.
This was much too complicated to bear. I was wondering if Bella Swan was even worth all this mental battle. What had truly transpired between us so far? One unsuccessful date, a more successful date, a kiss, a confrontation, and then expert avoidance on my part. In essence: nothing. There was really nothing between Bella Swan and I, to merit all this confusion and inner turmoil.
And yet, here I laid – still thinking about that captivating brunette, acting like a punk and hiding in my room, when I really wanted to see her.
I heard Alice a moment before she knocked on the door: I can't believe this idiot is really doing this.
"Go away," I said in response to her knock and her thoughts.
"The party is starting. People are arriving." And Bella is here, she added in thought.
"Tell her I'm sick," I murmured.
"Oh yeah, that will go over well. Telling Bella, that an invulnerable, impervious to everything vampire is sick. With what pray tell? The common cold?"
I sighed, and rolled out of bed, heading for the door. Opening it, I found Alice standing there wearing a strapless jumper, with the shorts stopping at her upper thigh, and a gold and black stripped design. She wore rounded wings and gold feelers. I raised an eyebrow.
"And you're a–?"
"Bumblebee, dumbass," Alice hissed. "Never mind that. What are you doing up here? Jasper looks funny wandering around dressed as you, and no one is dressed as him!"
I chuckled: Jasper and I did this every year for Halloween, dressed as each other. Long before this party idea came up, and only a little after Bella entered my life, we had lain out ensembles for each other to wear today. While the rest of our family thought it was fun to dress up in costumes for Halloween, he and I believed we lived the lives of a Halloween costume every day – save the extra dollar and just be each other.
"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" I asked her, folding my arms.
"Of course not," Alice said, folding her arms as well. "I also wanted you to know that Bella is here, and looking for you. Although you already knew that."
"I didn't know she was looking for me," I replied, and a mix of elation and dread came over me.
"Well she is," Alice said. "And it's only so long you can hide up here. Because I'll send her up here to you."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because you're being a fuckwad," Alice said with an eye roll. "Bella doesn't care that we're vampires you know. She doesn't think less of you and I or any of our family members. In fact, she thinks–"
"You've said this all to me before," I replied, slightly irritated. "She thinks that this can bring us closer, blah, blah, blah."
"Well you should be happy!" Alice exclaimed in exasperation. "You had told me, the only reason you thought a relationship between you and her couldn't exist is because you were a vampire. But now that she knows, and she's okay with it–"
"Does that solve the problem of me possibly attacking her?" I said in a raised voice.
"You wouldn't attack her," Alice said off-handedly
Why did everyone have this incredible faith in me? Clearly they just didn't understand what this girl's scent did to me, how it made venom pool faster in my mouth than anything else had, that it sharpened my reflexes and heightened the animal in me. On top of that, I struggled with a need to possess her sexually as well.
I certainly had no faith in myself: that was for sure.
"Edward, I know you," Alice said. "And I understand the struggle that you're going through right now. Really I know!" she added quickly when I gave her a look of disbelief. "Don't think that this whole family doesn't appreciate the fact that you're willing to put us before yourself, and therefore you don't want to get into a potentially damaging relationship with Bella."
Alice was only touching upon one aspect of this whole thing, but I let her continue. "Still, don't you think we want to see you happy as well Eddie? And Bella makes you happy. You care about her enough to defend her from Rosalie's scathing attacks. You certainly enjoyed your date with her last Saturday. And, well, you just seem so much happier as of late. Conflicted at times, yes, but also, happy."
I was surprised at that last part. Had I truly seemed happier recently? "That doesn't necessarily have to do with Bella," I said weakly.
"Right," Alice said, not believing me for a second. "My point is, I believe in you Edward. I know that you always make the right decision. And I guess if you're up here trying to decide what is the right decision, from what is wrong one, then maybe I'm wrong for coming up here all heated like this. Like I said before, I know this can't be easy for you." She took a deep breath. "But I guess I just don't want you to make the wrong decision. Because I really like Bella, and most of all, I like Bella for you. Okay?"
"Okay," I said earnestly. I loved Alice like my sister, and I could read it on her face that she was being real with me. She was just wanted the best for me, above all things. I couldn't hold that against her, even if she had a complicated way of going about things.
She took a deep breath, then smiled. In the next instant, she pressed a sticker to my shirt that said, 'Hello, My Name Is Jasper' on it. "Jazz wanted me to give that to you, just in case you decide to make an appearance, because he feels a little silly walking around with the 'Edward' sticker."
"Fair enough," I said with a smile. "I'll be down in a minute." I told her.
She smiled, and gave me a sisterly peck on my cheek, before bouncing away, not downstairs, but towards her and Jasper's room. Then I heard her angrily scolding people who were clearly about to start hooking up. Oh Alice.
I idly ruffled my hair before leaving my bedroom, closing and locking the door behind me – so I wouldn't have to worry about people coming into my room to get busy with each other either.
The party was well under way when I got downstairs: the turnout was large with most of my grade present and a couple of underclassmen, mainly girls. These girls spotted me and batted eyelashes and giggled flirtatiously in my direction. I put on my best smile, but paid them no real mind.
The person I was looking for was easy enough to spot.
Bella Swan was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. She was wearing a pair of red shorts and a black spaghetti-strap tank top, with the red hood and cape tied at her neck. She had the hood up, her dark hair cascading on either side of her face. She wore red gloves that climbed up her arm in a slimming way, stopping mid-forearm. I recognized the gloves as the very pair I had told Alice I liked when she asked me to help her decide from her foreign catalogs. Even though I had picked them with intentions for Alice, they looked amazing on Bella. In fact, Bella looked flat out gorgeous. The red complimented her flawless skin perfectly, and even the matching red high-top Converse sneakers made the whole ensemble perfect.
I swallowed hard, something I was used to doing when I saw Bella, then put on my best smile as I made my way towards her. She caught my eye a second before I could speak, and a lovely smile came on her face. There was already a ting of red on her cheeks. Why was she so fucking hot?
"Hi, Edward," she said warmly.
"Hello, Bella," I replied. My voice had deepened towards the sexual tones. I tried to remove it the second time I spoke – "How are you doing?" – but it failed miserably.
Bella didn't seem to notice, or if she did notice, she didn't seem to care. "I'm good," she said. "Everyone is staring at me," she added curiously.
I wasn't surprised by the comment, but a surge of angry jealously did come over me, and my eyes darted around the room to find any perpetrator – the last thing I wanted was guys checking out my Bella.
Your Bella? Exaggeration, maybe?
"It's because you look so nice," I said in a hard tone, more for myself and less for her. I hated that this girl made me vulnerable to emotions that I wasn't even used to feeling. "Red is a good color for you."
"Thanks," she said, her smile returning. Her eyes went over my body, and I went smug with her checking me out. "What are you supposed to be?" she asked me.
I pointed to the obvious sticker on my chest. "Jasper," I told her.
Her eyes narrowed on the sticker, then she started to laugh. Music to my ears. "I was wondering why Jasper was walking around in that long pea coat. And why it looked so familiar."
"Ha, ha," I said, rolling my eyes.
She smiled at me still, then took a step closer to me, her hands reaching for me. "Can we talk somewhere?" she asked me.
I frowned, unable to stop myself from doing so. "Really? So soon?"
"I told you that we were going to talk," she said, her voice surprisingly fierce all of a sudden.
"Yes, I know," I said. I gave her a disarmingly smile. "But we're at a party, and we haven't even danced together yet."
She blushed, her eyes falling away from mine. "Oh no, I don't dance. I don't know how."
"It wouldn't take much to show you," I whispered. Gently, I put my hands on her waist and pulled her closer to me. "It isn't much at all, dancing."
She glanced up at me. "Teach me to dance later," she said finally. "I want to talk to you first."
I growled inwardly in displeasure, but I kept a neutral expression. "Fine. Shall we return to the meadow?"
"You want to go all the way out there?"
"Well it's the only place I can't hear other people's thoughts, and I'd rather not be disturbed with everyone else."
"Other people's thoughts? What do you m–"
I didn't let her finish, because I dragged her expertly through the crowds and toward the fron door, and once we were outside I pulled her on my back and sped off into the forest at my fastest speed. Once I took off, I heard her squeal and wrap her arms around me tightly, burying her face in my neck. Even as I ran, I appreciated the feeling of Bella's nose against my flesh. We arrived at the meadow in under a minute.
The speed of my motions and blown off Bella's hood and her hair was now wild around her face. "I didn't know that super speed came along with being a vampire," she said, trying to smooth her somewhat puffy hair.
I paused, then sighed. "A lot of things come along with being a vampire," I muttered.
She turned on me quickly, her eyes widened with surprise. "You're admitting it? So easily?"
"Trust me, it's not so easily," I said in a grunt.
Immediately, Bella's face softened. She took a step closer to me, and to my own surprise, she put her arms around me, in what was probably supposed to be a hug. But my body was too hard to squeeze. Still, the gesture warmed me inside.
"I'm sorry," she whispered in a shiver. "I didn't mean to make things harder for you. I guess I really didn't understand how things have been for you. When you were avoiding me, I thought it was just because you didn't want to talk. Not that you weren't ready to talk."
It was almost impossible not to put my arms around her as well. But when I did, she shuddered so violently, that I let her go instantly. "Sorry," I said quickly. "I forgot–"
"No," she said softly, coming back to me. "I want you to hold me. It's okay. I can stand it."
I didn't want her to be cold – certainly not while she was wearing a next-to-nothing costume, but she put her arms back around me again, and again, I couldn't resist returning the gesture: I squeezed her as tightly as I could without hurting her, loving how soft she felt in my arms.
"Edward," she breathed out.
She turned her head towards mine, and smiled, "Even in the dark, your eyes are so bright. Like the sun."
And then she kissed me.
Bella
Kissing Edward is the most perfect experience one could have in life, and lucky for me, I could count this as my second time. And truly, second time's the charm, because I felt as if I was lying on a particularly soft cloud, while a soft wind carried me over the bluest of seas. I could list few things that could compare to kissing Edward, and those few things would still have to include Edward. And even then, I don't think it couldn't get better than this.
I don't know how I got to the ground, or when my hood came off, as I had been so caught up in kissing Edward, but I was now lying on my cape, with Edward lying partially on top of me (from the waist down, our bodies separated).
His kiss was so insistent, so soft despite the hardness of his body. I had long gone numb to his cold touch – now everywhere his hands met my flesh was a heated surprise for me. His fingers danced over my legs, gripping my thighs. Another hand seemed to be under my shirt, on my back – not going for my bra strap, but mainly just supporting me.
I wanted him to go for my bra strap. Suddenly I wanted those fingers on my thigh to slip beyond into my inner thighs. Suddenly, I knew of something that could be that much more perfect than just kissing Edward.
I pressed myself closer to him, feeling my nipples hardening against his chest. Was that because of the cold, or because I was becoming very turned on, I couldn't say for sure. But something told me it had to do more with the second thought. "Edward," I murmured against his lips.
"Hmm?" I murmured back, his mouth dropping to my neck.
When I felt his tongue brush against my jaw, my breath got caught in my throat, then came out in a soft moan. Words Bella, use your words, "Edward, I–" Words wouldn't come, I was back on that cloud again.
As his kiss traveled from my neck and jaw back to my mouth, I welcomed him invitingly, putting my hands on his shirt and pulling him closer to me. In my pull, his waist moved closer to mine, and I felt the throbbing by his zipper. It excited me beyond description. If I had had any ounce of good sense left in me, it flitted away to no-man's land. Now there was only one thing I desired.
Edward.
"Take my shirt off," I said breathlessly, my mind now focused on one thing.
He pulled away from me. Not far, but enough for me to see the haze in his golden eyes. "What?"
My hands were working on their own accord, slipping under Edward's shirt and dancing over his body. God, his abdomen was perfect – I could feel every cut and defined line that made up his six-pack. When my fingers trickled down to his sex lines, I could barely contain myself. I pushed myself against Edward, toppling him over so that now I was on top of him.
He seemed in mildly surprised by my actions, but I didn't give him any time to really consider it, as I plunged into another deep, passionate kiss. His hands found my waist easily, and he slightly lifted the hem of my shirt, so that his skin made contact with mine. I could still feel him throbbing, now pressed exactly against my heat. I grinded my hips into his, and Edward released a groan in my mouth.
"Fuck, Bella."
The words only egged me on further. I rotated my hips a second time, and then continually, stimulating the girth pressing against me. Even my own motions drove me crazy, brushing against my clit and pleasuring me beyond comparison. Edward's hands dropped to my hips, and now he controlled my movements, as he still kissed me hard. He flipped me back over so that I was on my back, but we stayed connected: my legs locked themselves around Edward's waist as he bucked against me. I gasped, shivered, arched my back, wanting more from him, needing more from him.
I whispered, "Edward."
But before he could reply, I heard a furious cry, and the words: "What the fuck is this!" uttered in the angriest of tones.
Edward reacted faster than I did, because suddenly was on my feet, standing behind him, while he crouched low, somewhat defensively in front of me. His eyes were focused on something approaching, and I soon recognized that something to be someone.
Jacob.
"What the fuck is this?" He yelled. Then he turned angry dark eyes on Edward. "Bloodsucker you better explain all this shit before things get fucking ugly."
"Jake, I'm fine," I insisted. "Really."
"You better be fine, or else I'll–"
"She's fine, mutt," Edward growled out.
"What the fuck did you say, bloodsucker!"
"Guys, don't, really. Everything is fine."
"Everything is not fine Bells," Jake said. "Didn't you hear what I told you about this guy. About this bloodsucker and his family? What are you, trying to be their next course?"
"Edward isn't like that," I said indignantly. "He's sweet, and kind, and–"
"Ever thought that that was part of his plan? To lure you into this false sense of security only to feed you to the rest of his coven! That's what his kind is capable of."
"Don't you dare take about my family like that," Edward said dangerously. "Or you'll regret it, you fucking–"
"Edward!"
"Yeah, how about that you sick fucking–"
"Jacob, you shut up too!"
I stepped from behind Edward and stood between the two of them with my arms folded. I knew I couldn't have looked too intimidating, with my hair fluffed up and face flushed, but I didn't care. This tirade between them was starting to get ridiculous.
"Now, both of you better calm down and talk to each other like civilized people–"
"I don't have to talk to that fucking mutt in any kind of 'civilized' manner," Edward hissed in disgust. "Or did he not tell you that he's a fucking animal."
"Edward!" I spun around on him.
"No disrespect Bella," Edward said calmly. "I am a vampire, and Jacob is a werewolf."
My eyes widened in surprise, and I spun back to Jacob. He looked livid, but also afraid. I whispered, "A werewolf?"
"I'm not going to drink your blood like that fucking freak will!" Jacob said angrily, pointing a finger at Edward. "I would never hurt you, ever!"
"And you think I would hurt Bella?" Edward said, sounding horrified. "I would never lay a finger on her."
"You seem to have had many fingers on her just a while ago–"
"Jacob," I said, my face flushing. "That had nothing to do with attack, and everything to do with–"
I couldn't explain it, my momentarily lapse into this need for sexual release, but Edward, his voice now completely cool said, "You can smell the air and decide for yourself, Jacob Black, what that had everything to do with."
Jacob snarled, but said nothing. The air? I wondered if maybe there were things that only superhumans detect that I couldn't. The air smelled like pine to me, and that was about it.
"I refuse to let this continue," Jacob said in a low grumble.
"And what are you going to do, really." Edward said, now sounding amused. "I'd love to hear what your plan for dictating Bella's life entails."
I turned back fiercely at Jacob after hearing this. "Don't you dare Jacob Black. I do whatever I want, and I make my own damn choices."
"You clearly make some wrong ones," Jacob said, narrowing his eyes at Edward.
"It's none of your business whether they are the right or wrong decisions," I said with finality. "You shouldn't even be here. You shouldn't have even come. I'm so embarrassed, and humiliated by you right now."
Suddenly, there was a flicker of remorse in Jacob's eyes. "Bella–"
But I ignored the flicker: "I don't want to talk to you Jacob."
He looked back and forth between me and Edward, but finally turned away, caught between anger, frustration and confusion. I turned back to Edward, who was still watching the spot where Jacob stood. I could see the fury in his eyes, though his exterior had now retained a tranquility. Then suddenly, he turned to me.
"I should get you home," he said.
"Edward–" but he lifted a hand to silence me.
"We'll talk tomorrow. But for now, I should get you back home."
He picked up my cape off the ground, shook out the debris and wrapped it around me, I suddenly realized just how cold I was. But when Edward lifted me into his arms and held me close, I felt warmed immediately. I snuggled close to his chest as he took off, making it to my doorstep at lightning speed. But he took me to my bedroom windowsill as opposed to the front door.
"Get some rest," he told me. "You're tired."
I did feel tired suddenly, and had no strength to argue. Much. But I did strike up some rebuttal. "You'll come see me tomorrow. So we can finish talking?"
"I wouldn't say we did much talking just a while ago," Edward said suggestively, making me blush.
"Well I'm hoping we could do more of that too," I added shyly.
Edward smiled at me, touching my face gently, and pressing his lips on my forehead. "I'll come back Bella, I promise. At this point, I feel like as if I can't be away from you, even if I tried."
The words warmed my heart, but I only smiled in response. "Well then, good night."
"Sleep well, Bella Swan."
And then he was gone.
I would greatly appreciate reviews! Just so I can know if this story is going along well with the public, since right now I can't really be sure.
Will try to update quickly again, but I can't make any promises.
--Brin--
