Chapter 26

Bella's POV

Things Creeping Me Out!

The next morning

"Bella...Bella...BELLA!"

I jumped at the sudden loud sound, I looked at the sleeping form beside me. God! He's amazing!

"Bella?" Amber asked again as I ran a hand through his soft gorgeous hair.

He groaned and rolled over, hiding his face in my stomach. "Mmmm..." he sighed, I stifled a giggle. "You smell good." he commented groggily. I smiled running my hand through his hair again. "Mmmm..." his eyes darkened again.

"Bella?" Amber asked again.

We both turned to her. "Hey...how was your sleep?" I asked stretching as Edward pulled himself himself out of bed and into his bathroom.

"That's just it!" She burst out bouncing to the bed. "I didn't dream. I slept. For fourteen hours!"

"What?!" I asked jumping off the bed, facing her.

She nodded. "Jake, he did it for me!" She practically beamed. "God I love him!"

"Wait! So...he can help you sleep? He takes away your nightmares?"

She nodded excitably. "Oh, can you touch Edward now?" I blushed before nodding. "Lt me guess, you slept on the couch, had a nightmare, walked around for a few minutes, came back, thought, touched him, he woke up, then you both went back to sleep?" I sat there gaping at her. "What? I know you, Bella. So, that is what happened?" I nodded fiddling with my pajama pants. "You want to talk about it?"

I looked up at her, seeing the worry and concern shining through them. Behind that was the happiness that Jacob had provided for her. I was a little miffed that he was the only one that was making her have that look. I haven't made her as happy as he has since w started school and I took all the sacrifices for her. Now Jake was the one taking them. I shook my had no. "It was nothing. Just the same thing." I lied, thanking God she believed me no matter what.

A few minutes later, Amber left and Edward came out of the bathroom. I held my jaw shut with my hands. A white towel hung low on his hips, water still dripping down his bare, toned chest and abs. I adverted my eyes back to the T.V. "Hey Bella?" he called from the walk-in-closet.

"Yeah?" I asked breathlessly running a hand through my hair.

"Do you want to go to my quiet place with me today?"

"Edward, you don't have to take me to your private place. That's yours!" I protested, though inside I was happy that he trusted me with that.

"But Bella, I want to share this with you. Do...do you not trust me? I mean, I would...un-understand if you didn't..." his voice was sad and it broke a few times.

"No! Of course I trust you. Its just...its your place and you haven't let anyone else in it. I thought you would want it to stay private." I said quickly.

"Oh...no. I want to share this with you Bella. You have every right not to want to come too." he said coming out the closet in a pair of light blue jeans and, still, no shirt; not that I was complaining or anything.

I nodded smiling coyly. "Yes I will come with you. But one condition..." I bit my lip. "You have to wear a shirt."

he smiled his sexy crooked smile coming right in front of me. "Why? Does it distract you?"

I nodded blushing as he wrapped his arms around me. "Yes, it does."

"Just for you..." he whispered lightly kissing my forehead. "Now go gt dressed. It might be best if you wore a jacket and long sleeves."

after he let me out of his embrace, I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. "Fine! I can see when I'm not wanted." I turned to leave, but just when I thought not possible, he was behind me; arms locking me to his chest.

"Don't ever think you're not wanted!" he said fiercely into my ear. "You're wanted by more people than you think."

I trembled at the feeling of his breath tickling my ear. "O-okay!" I yanked myself out of his embrace and continued to the door. "Alice has my stuff...where is her room?"

He chuckled spraying some Axe Chocolate on his chest...small drips of scented liquid slid down his lick-able abs. Move eyes...breath...don't look back. "Two doors down, on the other side of the hall." I nodded finally escaping his room.

"He was walking around without his shirt again, wasn't he?" Alice asked popping out of nowhere. I nodded after restarting my heart and chilled down my blush. "Show off," she muttered. "Let's get him back."

"How?"

She didn't answer, but did drag me to her room. "Don't worry! You'll look fabulous!"

I gulped. "Should I be scared?"

she shrugged. "I don't know...are you?"

"Yeah!" she glared. "What am I wearing?"

She smiled ruffling through my duffel bag. "This," she handed m a tight, v-neck, long-sleeved, navy blue sweater. "These," my favorite black skinny jeans with red lining. "With...these," she pulled out a pair of black fluffy boots from her closet. "You and Rose are about the same size." She ordered me to get dressed while she got ready to do my make-up.

I obeyed, knowing it was useless to argue. The boots were comfortable, so were my jeans. But I felt a little self-conscious about the deep v-neck that hugged my waist so perfectly. A few scars, including the bite mark, were visible from the 'v'. "Well...he's going to figure it out sooner or later." I muttered pulling a brush through my hair.

"Ok...sit," Alice said pointing to the chair in front of her vanity. "So, basically, I'm putting mascara, eyeliner, and clear strawberry kiwi flavored lip gloss, kay?" I nodded liking the idea of very little make-up. "Your hair, I'll leave it down, but with a new parting and a little more waves added to it."

Twenty minutes later, I walked down into the kitchen with dark blue mascara and dark blue eyeliner on my bottom and top lid. "Hey Amber, Jake. How was your sleep?" I grabbed a mug and poured some newly brewed coffee.

"Short!" Jacob said immediately. "Uneventful!"

"Long, uneventful, awesome!" Amber beamed happily. "I think I found the cure for my sleeping problem! We just have to sleep together, innocently." We both popped Jake on the head when he pouted at the last word.

"Hey, Hey! No smacking the poor guy!" Edward warned smiling playfully.

I smiled over my cup. "So...when do you want to leave?" I asked looking down at my coffee.

"After I finish my coffee." I looked up at him, his eyes darkened. I smiled playfully sticking my tongue out. "Alice?" He hissed, I nodded still smiling like a Cheshire cat. He was quiet after that. "Come on," he said opening the front door, before grasping my hand and pulling me to the Volvo.

"So...how far is it?" I wondered buckling my seat belt and leaning back.

He shrugged and entwined our hands tightly. "About five miles. Four years ago, Carlisle and I got into a heated argument. I lost my temper, threw something, it broke plus the thing it hit broke and I just ran. I didn't stop til I reached it."

I nodded watching the trees fly past us. "Can you believe that this entire time you were able to touch me?" I asked rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand.

He smiled before shaking his head. "I don't believe that I could touch you all this time." He took a right onto a long dirt road. "I just had to earn your trust. I'm glad I did."

I grinned at him. "Me too."

We reached the end of the road. There was an old wooden fence and a long trail behind that. As Edward opened my door and helped me out, I gulped and looked for alternative ways around the fence that jumping it; I found none. "I'll jump first, then help you over, ok?" Edward said putting his foot on a ledge in the middle, the other foot swung around and went over the side of the fence. He put his right hand on the top and swung his entire body over the top and I heard a soft thud as his feet landed on the ground. "Do exactly that." he yelled from the other side.

"O-okay..." I answered. I put my right foot in the same place as he did, then the other over the side, I felt for the ledge. I placed my right hand on the top and slung myself over, just as he had.

"Oof!" Only I'm sure he landed on the ground and on his feet. Not on someone else. So, here I was, straddling his waist, my hands on his hard shaking chest, his arms around me, his face red from either laughing or how heavy I was. I sighed hiding my head in his chest. "That sucked and was so embarrassing."

He continued laughing as we walked along the trail. "You looked so con-confident that you had done it!" he laughed harder and pulled a limb away and waited for me to walk pass before continuing his tour through the woods.

I smiled at him. Even when he was laughing at me, he was still a gentleman. "You know, on the way back, I'm going to make it over. Clean and smooth." I claimed watching him smile.

"We'll see..." he said quietly before he spun me around, facing the way we had come. He softly covered my eyes. "Do you trust me?" He whispered.

I trembled violently, my breath coming in gasps, my heart pounded un-naturally as his smooth lips grazed my ear. I could only nod. I could barely do that!

Slowly, he turned me around. Then, "Close your eyes." he whispered again. I sighed and did as he said, fighting the urge to turn around, tackle him, and kiss him senseless. I felt his hands move from my eyes, over my cheeks, to my shoulders. Easily letting them rest there, softly rubbing his thumb against the soft skin at the base of my throat. "Take a look." I did so.

"OH!" I gasped looking at the clearing. Edward moved his hands from my shoulders to my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. "Its beautiful." I smiled leaning my head down on his. There was wild flowers sprouting out of every square inch of the ground. Dark trees surround the meadow; in some places you could see where someone had snapped twigs and branches to get here. I couldn't imagine killing something so...amazingly beautiful or...breathtaking.

"When you stand next to it," he said quietly moving his thumb back and forth on my stomach, "it loses its beauty."

I smiled. "No, I think that's what happens when you step foot inside of it!" I teased pulling his hands away from my stomach. "Race ya!" I laughed playfully running into the gorgeous meadow.

"Bella!" He growled darkly. I shivered and not because of the chilled wind slapping my face. "I'm going to get you." he yelled playing along, before running after me.

I smirked. "Check this out!" I launched myself in the air quickly flipping backward. Just as I was coming down, I landed on my right hand. Successfully doing a one handed cart-wheel. Edward stayed where he was, he had barley moved since I started flipping. Finally, reaching the middle of the clearing, I did one final summer-sault, before collapsing on my back breathing heavily. "Edward!" I yelled wanting him close to me. I heard his footsteps immediately.

He sat behind me, his hands went to my neck and carefully pulled my head into his lap. Softly, he stroked my hair from my face. "You know," he started breaking the soothing silence, "I was having an anxiety attack the entire time you were flipping."

I giggled lightly, enjoying the electrical sparks that were shooting from my skull to my heart. "Mmmm...silly," I mumbled.

He chuckled. "I know. Old habits die hard."

I opened my eyes and turned over on my stomach, my elbows propping me up. "Why do you care"? I wondered out loud searching his eyes for the truth.

He smiled, his hands cupping my chin. "Bella..." he sighed gently pulling me up into his lap, before laying us down on the ground. I moved to lay beside him, on my side. I held his hand and listened. "I care about you because, you're an amazing woman. You're strong, independent, selfless, and down right pure to the soul." I snorted at that. "Let me finish. You're all of those things and more. Someone tried to break that. Someone broke your spirit, temporarily. They meant forever, but look at the progress you've made. Its amazing." He paused taking his hand from mine. He wrapped it around my waist, pulling me to him. I gasped when my chest made contact with his. "I care so much about you, Bella." He sighed lightly kissing my forehead. "I'd do anything for you!" He said his lips tracing the words into my head. "Anything."

So that's what we did till six o'clock that night; lay in the grass, holding each other, and swimming in each others eyes. It wasn't until my phone vibrated, did I move. "What?" I grumbled not moving my eyes from Edward's.

"Hello Bella," an eerie voice answered chilling me to the bone.

"What do you want?" I asked shooting up from my spot on the ground; my eyes roaming the woods.

"I think you know what I want," it breathed into the receiver.

"Go to hell!" I hissed through gritted teeth before snapping my phone shut.

"Who was that?" Edward asked sitting up beside me.

"Uh...wrong number," I said quickly wiping my face and running a hand through my hair. "We should be getting home, huh?"

Edward looked at the sky. "Wow! Time flew." I nodded slowly standing up, letting the blood rush to the places that had lost circulation. "You ok?" he asked taking my hand, squeezing it softly.

I smiled unconvincingly. "Yes. I'm fine."

We made it back to the fence, without saying anything, Edward launched himself over it. My phone rang, I looked at the caller; Home. "Hold on, I'll be right there." I called over to Edward. He started the Volvo and warmed it up. "Hello?"

"Nice room you got here," the eerie voice said.

"Why are you in my house?" I asked leaning against the fence.

"Oh, just looking for some sexy langera for us. What size are you again?" it snickered coldly.

I glared at the tree in front of me; wishing it was this sick bastard. "If you knew where I lived, why didn't you come and get me the first time?" I asked counting the times the bastard had contacted me; home, home, cell, cell, home, cell, text, e-mail, and finally cell. "You've contacted me nine times. You have to be after something? What is it?"

"Ah Bella..." it didn't answer immediately after that. A few seconds went by, then a minute. "Your heart!" The line then went dead .

"What?" I whispered disbelief creeping through my voice. "My...my heart? My...heart?"

"Bella, you coming?" Edward called.

I jumped up onto the ledge, slung my a leg over. Then a twig snapped. I flung myself over immediately afterward. "Edward!?" I exclaimed quietly wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close; I needed my rock with me at times like this.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked concerned. "You look as if you've just seen a ghost!"

I took a deep breath. "Sorry. Just a twig snapped. Made me paranoid." I lied opening my door and he closed it. "Thank you, Edward. I had a really amazing time." I laid my head on his shoulder. "We should come back soon."

Once we made it back to the house, we found that Alice, Amber, and Rose had cooked dinner. "Hey, hey!" Alice chirped coming and hugging us both.

I smiled when I saw Amber. "Hey sis!" I said hugging her tightly.

She laughed. "Hey Bells! How was your day?" She eyes me warily before she glared at Edward. "What did he do?"

"Nothing! Calm down. Can we talk up stairs?" She nodded and was reluctant to release her glared hold on Edward. We both made our way upstairs, unnoticed. I told her everything; the phone calls, texts, e-mails, the creepy feeling that someone was watching me. "I don't know what to do, Amber. I haven't been this terrified since...well since Alex." I sobbed out leaning against her shoulder.

"Sh-shhh..." she cooed rocking me back and forth. "Its ok." After I had sobered up, she asked me. "Who do you think it is?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Maybe its just some creep caller who gets a hard-on scaring girls!"

My eyes widened. "AMBER MARI SWAN!"

She blushed. "I have to stop hanging out with Emmett so much."

"Yeah! Good idea!"

And just like that, I forgot about the creeper. We ate dinner, stayed up till three in the morning, and I fell asleep in Edward's lap. All along, I didn't see the man watching from the woods.