Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and not to me… sigh.I also don't own Sleeping with the Enemy. The book belongs to Nancy Price and the movie belongs to Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.
Sleeping with a Monster
Previously…
"Uncle. UNCLE!" I yelped breathlessly as my chest heaved from my gasps for air. Edward stopped his assault on my sides as he looked into my eyes. The merriment in his eyes softened as he raised his hand to cup the side of my neck. He leaned his face down to mine and I audibly inhaled as I caught my breath. I thought he was going to kiss me, but then his head veered to the side as he grazed his nose along my jaw up to my ear, inhaling along the way. I felt a jolt run from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
"I'm looking forward to Saturday, Bella," he whispered as his breath fanned out and tickled my ear.
Chapter 10 – So Beautiful
"Let me be the first to welcome you to welcome you to the staff, Ms. Thomas," Mr. Peterson said smiling as he extended his hand to me. I returned his smile and shook his hand.
"Thank-you so much, Mr. Peterson," I replied feeling as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
I have a job! I gave a small victory cheer in my head.
"And please call me Bella," I added still smiling.
"Call me Bill," he returned my sentiment. "Of course around the students, I expect all the staff to call each other in a more formal manner," he instructed me. He stood up and motioned for me to walk with him to the door of his office. My new boss was probably in his mid-forties with thinning red hair and an equally red complexion. He had bright blue eyes and an upbeat personality. His middle-aged body showed the wear and tear of stress and poor eating habits. He was stout standing at about 5 feet 7 inches tall, making him only a few inches taller I was. He was very nice and I was grateful he was willing to give me a job.
"Not a problem." I stood and followed him out the door into the main office area of the high school where I would be teaching.
"Mrs. Cope. This is our new English teacher, Ms. Thomas," Bill said to the plump woman with the brown football helmet hairdo. She reminded me of the school secretary from the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off and I smiled at her. "Will you please show Ms Thomas around the school, where her classroom is, get her started on her paperwork and orient her on the requirements and hours of her new teaching position?" he finished as Mrs. Cope returned my smile.
"Sure thing, Bill," she said brightly before she turned to me. "Call me Debbie."
"Bella," I replied as I shook her extended hand.
"Let's start with a tour, shall we honey?" She stepped out from behind the front counter of the office and motioned for me to follow her out the door into the empty hallway.
As Debbie showed me around, pointing out the various areas of the school, I reflected on the last couple of days. I handed my resume in on Monday, the school called on Wednesday asking me to interview on Thursday, which was followed up the next day, today actually, with the final interview and sudden job offer. I was not surprised once I found out school started in about 10 days and a sudden job resignation left the school high and dry without an English teacher. I would be teaching English, Creative Writing and Composition, and much to my utter delight, Advanced English Literature. I was excited, but I had a lot work to do in 10 days in order to be ready for my first week of classes. As soon as I finished up with the required paperwork for Debbie, I gathered up my books and supplies and left the school.
I opened the door to my car and felt the blast of heat rush out of the car. I really needed to get my windows tinted. I could barely touch the steering wheel; it was so hot from the sweltering August sun. I started towards home. As I came up to the gas station I had asked for directions at when I first arrived in Scottsdale, I remembered Jacob's offer to tint my windows. I decided it was now or never. I didn't think I would have time after this now that I had a job.
I pulled into the parking lot of the service station and parked my car. I walked over to the door that said 'Parts and Service' and when inside. The little waiting room and service counter were sparsely decorated and a little dingy. A young kid, probably about 16 years of age, sat behind the counter and greeted me with a smile. His name tag said 'Seth' and I returned his smile.
"How can I help you?" Seth asked.
"Is Jacob Black here?" I hoped I remembered is last name correctly. Seth turned behind him and looked out the sliding window that opened up to the garage. Seth slid open the window and yelled.
"Jake! Someone's here to see you." Seth motioned in my direction. Jacob came around the red truck he was working on. He waved when he saw me and came into the waiting area.
"Bella, right?" Jacob said, making sure he had my name right. I nodded and he continued, "What can I do for you today?"
"I think I'm ready for that window tinting now." I gave him a slightly sheepish smile.
"Great." He winked at me and then turned to Seth. "When can we fit Bella's car in for a tint job?" he asked. Seth looked at the schedule.
"How about tomorrow morning?" Seth offered.
"It should work, but I will probably need a ride back to my place," I said.
"Not a problem. We'll take care of you," Jacob said with an award winning smile.
"Thanks, Jacob. I'll see you tomorrow morning," I said as I waved goodbye. I left and immediately drove to a big box store, deciding it was time to buy the equipment I would need to set up a home office.
A few hours later and spending more money than I wanted to think about, I was on my way home. It was almost dinnertime when I pulled into my driveway. Edward pulled in next door and I waved as I started to unload my purchases from my car. The last time we had seen each other was on Tuesday morning after we had 'slept together' on my front porch swing. He returned my wave and started to walk over to me still wearing his green hospital scrubs. It was amazing how good he could make that generic hospital garb look just by wearing it. My heart quickened in anticipation of seeing him again and I felt my cheeks warm with a slight blush.
"Need some help with those boxes?" Edward gave me a crooked smile as he pickup some of my purchases out of the trunk of my car. I felt dazed for a moment, but managed to respond before I looked like a complete idiot.
"Sure," I barely managed to say with smile. 'Always the gentleman,' I thought to myself.
"Looks like someone is getting a new home office," he commented, as he looked at all the electronic items I had in my trunk. "Would you like me to help you set this up?"
"Yes, I'd love some help, but are you sure? Your schedule must not leave you with a lot of free time. You've probably got better things to do than wrestle with all these electronics and cables," I said, as we carried the boxes into the house. I did not want to infringe upon his limited time. But I really could use the help. I could do the basics when it came to computers, but I wasn't that confident in my ability in being able to set up the amount of electronics I had without running into a few hiccups along the way. I would have paid extra for the store's in-house tech team to come out and setup the equipment, but their demand was heavy with school starting in about a week. The soonest they could fit me in was Tuesday of next week. That was not going to give me enough time to get my curriculum outlined and submitted to the head of the English department at the school by Thursday. That left me to my own devices to get my office setup.
"Bella," he sighed. "I don't have any plans. Besides it will be fun – I'll order pizza and we can get your office up and running." I smiled in agreement, thrilled that he wanted to spend his free time with me.
"Alright. But, I've got dinner covered," I said. Edward was about to protest but I stopped him. "I'll make us something – consider it a 'thank-you' for all your help." I crossed my fingers. Edward rewarded me when his face erupted in a silly grin.
"Okay. I'll get cleaned up and come over in say… half an hour?" I shook my head in bewilderment at his smiling face and over-eager excitement to spend hours taming the electronic beast that was sure to be my home office. Edward just laughed and said, "I haven't had a home-cooked meal in a long time. My schedule hasn't allowed for that for a while, so this is going to be a treat!"
I laughed in response to his confession as I pushed him out the door. "Well then, hurry up and get ready and I'll start getting dinner ready."
After Edward left, I hurried inside the house and started going through my cupboards trying to decide what to fix. I decided to go with quick and easy, making broiled pork chops with cornbread stuffing and a tossed green salad. I hadn't cooked for anyone since I left James. It was a little weird and I had to fight the urge to make a perfect presentation. I quickly changed out of my 'job interview' closed in a more casual outfit, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair up into a loose ponytail that spilled down my back.
I was just finishing up the salad, when I heard the doorbell. I took a quick peak in the mirror to check my appearance before I walked to the door. I opened the door and took in the sight that was Edward. There he stood, freshly showered wearing a tight black tee shirt that molded to his every muscle and light blue low slung jeans. He smiled at me as he took in my outfit. I had change into the casual comfort of my tan capris and a light green sleeveless button-up shirt. Edward looked at my bare feet and smiled. I was so busy getting dinner ready, I forgot to put on some shoes.
"Smells delicious," he commented inhaling the aroma of the cooking food wafting from the kitchen.
"Thank-you," I replied as I motioned for him to follow me inside. "I'm just finishing up the salad." We walked into the kitchen.
"Can I help?" he asked.
"Would you like to set the table?" I asked as I realized I hadn't done that part yet.
"Sure." Edward eagerly went to the cupboards as if he knew where everything was and started grabbing plates and cups. I quickly ran into my bedroom and grabbed a pair of tan ballet flats to match my capris. I quickly went back to the kitchen and finished the salad. I pulled the pork chops out of the oven, scooped the stuffing into a bowl while Edward set the table. and grabbed a couple of sodas out of the refrigerator. We placed the food on the table before we sat down to get started.
"This tastes great, Bella," Edward mumbled as we dug in.
"Thanks." I smiled at his compliment and we continued to eat in relative silence for a few moments.
"So how's the job hunt coming?" he asked breaking the quiet of the meal.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot to tell you – I got a job today," I beamed.
"Congratulations." Edward grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. We talked about my job and the high school where I would be teaching. I told him about the advanced English literature class I would finally get to teach. Edward told me about his day at the hospital. Our dinner conversation flowed easily and I realized how completely the opposite it was of the dinners I used to have with James. With Edward, there was no fear, no accounting for every moment of my day and no receipts to hand in. I didn't have to worry about a perfect presentation or whether the meal would be fancy enough. I didn't have to dress up, had dinner ready at a specific time and clean up the kitchen before dinner. It was relaxed and the conversation came easily. The best part was when we finished; Edward helped me clean up and do the dishes – refreshing.
After we finished clearing up the last of the remains of our dinner, Edward and I started setting up my new home office. I explained to him that I had to get my classes planned and outlined to submit for approval by Thursday, not to mention lesson plans done as school would start in less than 10 days. A few hours later, we had successfully completed the installations. The laptop was working, my printer was setup, and I had a router and wireless internet so I could work from any room in the house. I even had a webcam and microphone built into my laptop. As we finished up with the setup, Edward gathered up the empty boxes and threw them away in the recycling bin on the side of the house.
When he came back in I asked, "Would you like to go sit outside in the backyard for a while and relax?" Edward grinned and nodded as he headed for the patio door. I detoured over the refrigerator and grabbed a couple of beers. I handed him a bottle as I walked through the door he was holding open for me. We sat down next to each other in two of the metal patio chairs. I let my body relax into the cushions as I sipped my beer. I looked over to Edward and caught him staring at me with a smile on his lips. I smiled back and cocked my head.
"Twilight… it's my favorite time of day," he said as he turned to look at the changing colors of the sky above us. We sat there for a while relaxing in the fading light of the day.
I broke the silence as I said to Edward, "You're very close to Carlisle and Esme, aren't you."
Edward turned to towards me with a far off look in his eyes. "Yes, I am." I sensed there was more to the story and I smiled. So, when I nodded for him to continue, he did. "When I was ten, my parents died in a car accident. Carlisle and Esme took my brother and me in and raised us as their own."
"I'm sorry, Edward. I had no idea," I said regretting that I was making him bring up painful memories.
"It's okay. It was a long time ago," Edward offered with a reassuring smile.
"So which of your parents is related to Carlisle?" I pressed, still unsure of the family dynamics.
"Well, neither. My mother was… is Esme's older sister," Edward said relaxing into the conversation a little. "I don't know if you knew this, but Carlisle and Esme were never able to have children."
"I did know that," I said with a sad smile. Edward gave me a questioning look. I laughed a little. "Esme once told me I was like the daughter she never had."
Edward chuckled. "That's Esme all right. You must be pretty close then."
"She's wonderful. I've only known her for a short while, but she has taken me under her wing and given me so much love," I replied as I realized that Esme was the closest thing to a mother I had ever had. My eyes started to glisten a little with that realization. Edward noticed and gently took my hand in his as he raised it to his lips and sweetly kissed my hand. My pulse quicken as I tried to control my breathing. My response had nothing to do with my thoughts of Esme, trying not to obsess about how Edward's lips that had just been to my hand would feel pressed against my mouth.
"Are you okay?" he asked as his thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of my hand where his soft lips had been. I looked up at his eyes, full of concern. It reminded me of Esme.
"Yes," I laughed a little breathlessly. "It's just that I just realized that Esme is probably the closest thing I've ever had to a mother. My own mother died when I was very young."
"Esme is pretty amazing," he offered with another breathtaking smile. "Emmett and I are pretty lucky to have both of them. I don't know what we would have done without them. They are the only family we have left." His voice sounded thoughtful.
"You are truly lucky. Is Emmett your older brother? " I inquired softly.
"Yes, my older brother by two years." Edward gave me a happy smile. "What about you? Do you see your father much? Any siblings?" I couldn't help it when my face fell a little at the memory of my father.
"I'm an only child. After my mother died, my father never remarried. It was just the two of us," I responded with a little smile as I thought of my father.
"It sounds like you have a wonderful relationship with him," he said softly.
"We did." I said regret lacing my voice. I looked up to see Edward looking at me intently.
"My father died a little over a year ago." I found myself unable to smile anymore as a single tear escaped to run down the side of my face. I felt like I could tell him anything. Edward stood up, pulled me out of my chair and into a warm hug.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories for you," he mumbled into my hair as he kissed the top of my head. I sighed and relaxed into his embrace wrapping my arms around his neck, completing losing myself in the comfort and safety he was offering. After a moment, he lifted his head and pulled back to look at me. He put a hand under my chin and lifted my head. I shyly looked up at him from under my eyelashes.
"Better?" he asked with a sympathetic smile.
"Better. Thank-you." My voice was barely above a whisper as I realized how intimate our embrace was becoming. The sympathy in Edward's eyes melted away to reveal the smoldering green fire underneath.
"Bella," he whispered as he dipped his head closer to mine. There was no doubt this time that Edward was going to kiss me and my heart was crashing against my chest in anticipation. He lifted my chin to gain better access to my lips as I pulled his head down to mine. Just as his warm lips gently touched mine, his pager went off. Edward's shoulders slumped and he groaned in frustration against my lips before he pulled back. He looked into my eyes with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, love. It sounds like I'm getting called back to the hospital." I knew I was blushing at Edward calling me 'love', but my heart was thrilled. I wondered if he realized he had said it. We pulled further out of our embrace, but not apart as we walked arm-in-arm back into the house and over to the front door.
"I'll see you tomorrow for the barbeque?" he said smiling as he confirmed our date.
"Yes. Four o'clock, right?" I asked returning his smile.
"Right." He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips, causing my checks to blush again. Edward caressed my cheek with his free hand and mumbled, "So beautiful." And then, he was gone. I sighed as I placed my hand over spot on my cheek he had caressed. I closed the door and went to bed, dreaming about Edward.
A/N: Okay, now I have a question for everyone. I wasn't planning on doing one of these until later, but my husband thinks I should do Edward's POV now; maybe for some of or all of next chapter. I was planning on doing the bbq next so maybe I'll split it between Edward and Bella. Let me know what you think. :)
Of course I can't let one of these author's notes go by with taking the time to thank everyone who has added me to their alerts and favorites and of course for continuing to read and/or review! I am seriously addicted to the reviews! No intervention needed. XD - SavageWoman