CHAPTER 4

Back at the house and finally safe from the elements, I had managed to find him and old Boston College sweatshirt that I had borrowed from an old boyfriend and luckily never given back as well as a pair of sweat pants from another. I handed them to him and apologized that they weren't the same size. One boyfriend had been significantly taller and bulkier than the other. He had taken them without complaint and moved in the direction of the bathroom to change. I walked into the kitchen to put on the kettle. Pulling two mugs from the cupboard, I thought briefly of the short-lived flings from which the borrowed clothes came. One had been quiet, intelligent but selfish and the other was loud and rather obnoxious. Of course I had realized these attributes much later in the relationship and my father had reminded me of them once the relationships had run its course. I decided, at that moment, I wasn't introducing my dad to anyone until I was engaged.

My mystery man walked silently from the bath to the kitchen, past the stairs and white banister, his bare feet making hardly a sound on the wood floors. "I really appreciate you letting me warm up here. I know that it must feel wrong to have a complete stranger here. I assure you, I won't do you any harm." He looked in my direction as I turned around from the stovetop and couldn't help but laugh, the borrowed sweatshirt fit fairly well but his sweatpants were very short on his long legs, practically waders. The particular boyfriend that those pants had belonged to was my height and not comfortable with that. I spent most of that time period in flats and crooked neck due to constantly slouching. I laughed a little bit more as he sized up my trembling shoulders as I tried to stifle my laugh with my hand. He looked down to assess the situation and grinned, a wide tooth bearing grin. It was magic, his grin. It lightened up his whole face and made the lines around his topaz eyes more prominent, the twinkle there sparkled like diamonds and faint dimples showed through the day old stubble. Gazing at him, I decided he was definitely good looking. Lean with a muscular build, the too small sweatpants highlighted his build a bit too much I noted and again blushed at my improper thought. He had the build of a laborer, someone who liked to work with his hands; someone who could never be happy behind a desk but he moved so gracefully. His hair, which had appeared black, had started to dry, lightening to a dark brown with bronze highlights. It had started to dry and curling a little more against his cheek and neck and I could see his pulse there. I swore it quickened. With a breath caught in my throat, I spun to take the kettle off the burner as the whistle cut through the air and the tension that I felt for this stranger.

The mystery man sat at my kitchen table which now looked old and faded, his complexion coming back. His long legs stretched under the table, his fingers curled around a steaming cup of tea and a blanket, I had grabbed from the couch thrown around his shoulders. I had learned on the precarious walk back to the house that his name was Edward Cullen. He lived in Provincetown and was an artist. He lived on Commercial Street, painted by night and carpenter for hire by day. He was not from the area and had only lived here a few months. No wonder, he didn't know about the extreme weather changes here in New England, I thought. He was happily employed as an independent laborer, not working for anyone in particular. He had owned his own business in the past and built up enough of a nest egg to be able to travel with little care. He had built "Escape" himself over the course of several years and sailed it down the coast to land at P-Town. This explained his reluctance to leave it.

"So what made you decide to go for a boat ride? You do realize that it was not the best thing to do if you had been watching the weather at all, these lulls in the storm were only temporary." I asked curiously, mostly just wanting to hear his voice again.

"I know. Tell me something that I don't know" a sly grin forming at the corner of his mouth. " At the time, the rain and wind had let up and I decided that it was a good time to take Escape out I hadn't planned to be out very long but the wind had whipped hard at one point and I hit my head when I lost my balance on the deck. It was a very foolish thing for me to do. She is well built and I trusted her. I should not have trusted Mother Nature." He stated taking a tentative sip of his steaming tea. So he was injured. I stood to approach his head, walked toward his chair and leaned in to get a closer look. He turned his chair slightly in response to my movement and automatically adjusted his body so that I got a better angle.

"Do you want some ice for your bump?" I saw it now, his drying hair had lifted a bit and a small knot had formed on his temple. I reached out to touch it and he winced at my tender touch. I grimaced, afraid that I had put too much pressure on the welt. Edward grasped my hand and pulled me in closer to his body and adjusted his knees to trap me between them. His knees gently applied pressures on mine. His warm eyes searched my face and stopped over my eyes, my nose, my mouth, taking me in. I stiffened slightly at the idea that he was sizing me up and I started to pull away feeling small, boring and inconsequential.

"You're beautiful." Edward simply stated letting me pull away.

"What?" I asked stepping back out of the awkward embrace.

Edward said it again matter of factly, "You're beautiful. You are fantastic to look at. I'm glad that I was rescued by the likes of you. You hair is smooth as dark chocolate, your cheeks pink, especially when you blush, as you are now. Your eyes are mesmerizing. Your mouth makes me want to kiss you again." He calmly sipped his tea, looking toward the window as he sipped, cocking his head to listen to the rain and the howling wind.

"Thank you Edward but you don't need to flatter me just because I rescued you." Staring at my tea that I had placed back on the table, I picked it up and let the warm ceramic wrap around my hand. It felt better to have something in my hands. I promptly put it down and decided that I needed to attend to his wound and to stop letting his words dazzle me.

"Let me get you something for the bump." I said while turning toward the freezer.

"I think its fine. I have had my share of bumps and bruises. Being a laborer for hire has had me seeing my fair share. Nothing that I can't handle" He said while touching his head gently with his fingertips and grimacing slightly.

"Well, I obviously can't make you but at least take some aspirin. It may help with the throbbing ". I leaned toward the cabinet that held aspirin and vitamins, opened it forcefully and grabbed the Aleve. "I wish you would let me get you some ice." I said turning and walked back toward Edward still sitting at the table. "Do you want some water to take it with or are you ok with the tea?"

"Tea is fine. No need to dirty another glass." He said, our hands touching during the transfer of medicine. A spark seemed to jump between his fingers and mine and I silently swore as I felt the blush, he had spoken of, start to stain my cheeks.

"Thanks Bella. You're an angel sent down to watch over me today" I watched warily as he tilted his head back, popped the pills in and sipped his hot tea."

I cleared my throat, and took a moment to speak. "For someone as dumb as you; you seem to need someone to watch over you. Who else in their right mind would take a sailboat out in the middle of a storm" I teased and sipped the tea that I had absently picked back up off the counter. I leaned back on the counter and looked again at him as he calmly sipped his tea and grinned over the rim back at me. For someone who had almost died today, he was quite collected. I absently drummed my fingers on the counter beside me, the other still tight around the tea, the warmth of the cup warming my hand and unknowingly, Edward starting to warm the edges of my heart.

He broke the silence first. "This is a really nice place that you have. The colors are really great, like the ocean on a sunny day. Did you do it yourself?"

"I did. I bought the house a few years ago. It took a while to get the colors right." I laughed. "You should have seen the house before I got to it. It was hideous. Bright obnoxious colors that made you wince to look at them. I thought my mother was going to drive me crazy with all the paint chips and the squares of paint all over the walls in every room". I sighed, shaking my head. I had been so exasperated, remembering the whirlwind that came with Renee. She had come up from Florida and stayed a week to assist in the renovation. "I changed the worst colors first and slowly went from there." I could feel the pride swell in my voice; my hands swept about and demonstrated the changes that I had made. We talked about my house for a little bit longer till I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Well, it's pretty and cozy." Edward laughed while listening to my recollections, "and suits you very well. As a for-hire house painter, I appreciate the changes that you have made."

Our cups drained and our voices mixed together with laughter. It was so easy to talk to him, like talking to a really cute friend.

"Are you hungry? It's almost lunch time. I have some leftover soup that I made last night." I turned toward the fridge and I immediately missed having him in my line of vision.

I heard him stand from his seat to follow me in the direction that I had come from. The pale yellow blanket slipped from his shoulders as he stood to collect on the abandoned chair. It only took him a few steps to reach me and he lightly spun me around with this hands. I turned to face him. Everything seemed to get better instantly. He had a dazed sort of dreamy look on his face. I panicked a little over what he might be thinking but he broke my train of thought with almost a whisper.

" You are beautiful" He whispered and brushed his warm hand across my pale cheek. "Didn't you hear what I said, Bella?"

Yes, I heard what you said, thought I don't believe you, I thought to myself. Instead, I nodded my eyes wide with panic that he would change his mind once he got a closer look.

"You are beautiful. I'm sure others have told you that". I noticed he had almost growled when he mentioned other men. "Perhaps the men that these borrowed clothes came from." He hinted and gestured to his mixed up attire.

I shook my head up and down a little and spoke, "I don't think that I am beautiful. I think that I am fine to look at. Thank you for your kind words. The men that belong to these clothes thought I was good enough for awhile. I don't mean to be unfair to you but you did just hit your head a bit ago." I smiled weakly to soften my words trying to back up a little bit more but realizing that the fridge was now in my way. "My mother seems to think that I am pretty and my dad calls me his princess. Does that count?" I joked.

He stared deep into my eyes, a hard thing for him to do as he stood several inches or more taller than me. I had to tilt my head to look at him, especially since we were so close.

"Bella," he sighed. "Why do women always see themselves so differently?" It was a rhetorical question of course so I just shrugged my shoulders in response. He gripped a little bit harder to pull me in closer to his chest and wrapped his arms around my now stiff form. Edward rested his head on mine and hugged lightly. His body was strong and warm. I could smell the salty ocean mixed with his muskiness again. I breathed deeply letting his scent linger in my lungs and let myself relax in the strength of his arms. I finally rested my head on his chest amazed that I could hear his heart beat faster than what I considered normal and cautiously put my arms around his firm waist.

"You are beautiful" Was all he said into my hair. "Thank You" was all I could muster.

We stood connected like this for a moment, heartbeat to heartbeat until my stomach grumbled in protest. I loosened my arms and repeated the question that I had asked earlier. "Are you hungry?"

He sighed, replied yes and pulled away unwillingly. He ran a hand tenderly over my hair, down my cheek, over my shoulder, arm and back up to caress my face. He stooped down and in automatic response; I tilted my face up and placed my hands on his chest. This kiss was as gentle as before but this time with the faintest hint of desire. I too felt it. This was ridiculous! I thought. I only met this man this morning and I felt ready to jump into bed with him! I pulled away shocked at my reaction and turned quickly, sidestepped him to approach the fridge and opened it. I needed any movement to get me away from Edward and his wonderful arms. I needed to get back to being sensible me.

Edward chuckled light and low peering into the fridge with me, his hand moving to my lower back. "Soup sound delicious. Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"No" I said, clearing my throat and looking for the pot somewhere on the top shelf. "I made it yesterday so all the work is done. We just need to reheat it. I'll just use the stove top so that it reheats evenly." With my hands on the soup pot, I wriggled my way out from under his hand and made my way to the stove. Quickly, I turned the burner on and set the pot on top. Edward had made his way back to the kitchen table and asked me to tell him a little bit more about me. We spent lunch talking about my family and my job. He ate and looked at me smiling and encouraging. It was nice to have someone who knew nothing about me but was just as interested. I noted that he chewed carefully pausing to listen when I spoke. I could hardly eat. It may have been that I was doing the talking or that my stomach had just ceased to be hungry.