Disclaimer: My little piece of the Twilight world are my four books and this story. The rest of it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
Chapter 12
When I got downstairs, I found Bella sitting on the black leather couch. She wore blue and green striped pajama pants and a blue camisole. Her hair fell in soft brown waves down her back. She looked utterly adorable. "Where's everyone else?" I asked as I came into the room.
Bella shrugged. "I don't really want to know," she laughed.
I thought about it and nodded, "Me neither." I sat down next to her and smiled as she leaned against me. I brought my arm up and draped it around her shoulders. "Are you having a good time?"
She nodded. "It looked like you were having fun with the boys."
"I like football, or really any sport."
"I can tell," Bella said. She turned her face and smiled up at me. "You had the most beautiful smile on your face when I got out there. I hope I get to see it more often."
I smiled slightly, then brushed a kiss against her forehead. "It's easy to smile when you're around."
Bella took my hand and linked her fingers with mine. "I'm really glad that you moved here," she said.
"Yeah, me too." I pressed another kiss to the top of her hair and refused to think about why I had moved here.
Alice and Rosalie came into the room, followed by Emmett and Jasper. Bella giggled at the two boys as they stumbled into the room, loaded down with sleeping bags and pillows. I jumped up to help them. I grabbed a few sleeping bags off the top of Emmett's pile and carried them to the center to the room. Emmett and Jasper dropped their load and then we all began spreading them out. By the time we had the six sleeping bags unrolled, the room resembled a large, colorful pillow.
"So do you guys want to watch a movie, or play a game?" Alice asked.
"Do you still have Mexican Dominoes?" Jasper asked.
"Of course!" Alice beamed then turned towards the hall closet. She emerged holding a rectangular tin box. "Love this game!"
"I've never heard of it," I said as we sat in a circle on the creamy plush carpet.
"It's fun," Bella assured me. "Don't worry, you'll catch on. It's easy."
"Okay, so everyone chose a color train."
Rosalie grabbed the blue train, Emmett the red, Alice the yellow, Jasper the white and Bella grabbed the green train. Which left the ugly puke colored one for me. I picked it up holding it by the tips of my fingers. "What color is this?"
"A mix between green and yellow," Rosalie said.
"I believe it is called pear," Alice explained.
"Pear?" I asked.
"Don't question her, man," Jasper said throwing his arm around Alice. "Just trust her."
I shrugged and put my small, plastic pear train down in front me.
"Okay," Alice continued. "Now that we all have our trains, start gathering your dominoes. Edward, you take fifteen." I watched as she placed the double twelve in the center of a black wheel. I picked up fifteen tiles and then looked at them, watching to see what the others were doing. They seemed to be deep in thought. I almost laughed out loud when I saw the concentration furrow Emmett's forehead.
"You want to make a line, or a train if you will," Bella explained quietly next to me. "If you have a domino with twelve, that's your starting point. Then you match the number on the other side and keep going. Got it?" she muttered as she arranged her own tiles.
"Yeah," I said softly. I looked at my dominoes. I had a tile with twelve on one side and three on the other. I found one with the three and made my train. The others put out their dominoes and I followed their lead.
"Now," Alice went back to instructing me how to play. "You can play off your train, or if you have another twelve, you can start the Mexican train. Anyone can play off the Mexican train. If you can't do anything, you have to draw a tile and if you still can't play, then you have to put your pear colored train out. That's when others can play on your train. Got it?"
I nodded. I looked at my tiles and saw another twelve. I placed it in the wheel, beginning the Mexican train. We went around the circle and I watched the others make their move. It was a fairly simple game and soon I was playing with no instruction.
"So Edward," Rosalie asked as the game continued. "What did you do for fun in Chicago?"
"Oh. Um. Well, we played baseball," I said awkwardly. "I. Um. Actually, I didn't really hang out a whole lot," I finally admitted.
Alice and Emmett exchanged glances and Bella put her hand on my knee.
"I had to take care of my mom most of the time," I added softly.
"Was she sick?" Jasper asked.
"Jasper," Alice muttered.
"It's okay," I moved my shoulders. "My mom wasn't her self after my dad died," I said, looking at both Rosalie and Jasper. "She kind of retreated into herself and I needed to protect her, keep her safe."
"Oh." Rosalie ducked her head. "I didn't know."
"Yeah man, I'm sorry," Jasper put in.
"No worries," I said, giving them a small smile. "My life in Chicago was a whole different world than this." I put my hand over Bella's and squeezed.
"I heard you are an amazing piano player," Jasper said, changing the subject.
"Oh my God, yes!" Alice squealed. "You should hear him, it's amazing!"
I could feel my cheeks heat up.
"I didn't know that," Bella said.
"Uh, yeah. I like to play."
"I'd love to hear you play sometime," she said.
"Oh yes!" Alice clapped her hands. "That would be fabulous! I think we are about done here, don't you guys agree?" With that, Alice began to pile dominoes. Jasper laughed and helped his girlfriend.
"How do you feel about an impromptu concert," Jasper asked, his eyes dancing with laughter.
I groaned. "Now?"
"Please Edward," Bella implored. "I'd love to here you play."
"Yes Edward, please?" Emmett batted his eye lashes at me.
"Okay," I said, feeling my heart begin to pound. I had never played for an audience before and even though these were my friends, it was still a daunting idea.
More hands joined Alice as the group hurried to clean up the game.
When all the tiles were put away, we went into the living room. I walked to the shiny black piano and pulled back the cover, revealing the ivory keys. Taking a deep breath I sat down on the bench and lightly ran my fingers along the keys. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the group sitting on the couches. Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett sat on the long couch, while Bella sat alone on the love seat. I met her eyes and she nodded. I took another breath and closed my eyes. My fingers found their places. Like always, when I sat at a piano, my hands moved as if powered by another source. Chopin, my favorite composer began to pour through the room. I kept my eyes closed as the music swelled and took control. Within the first phrase I had forgotten my audience, losing myself completely in the music.
As the last notes drifted through the room, I opened my eyes and remembered my audience. I looked over my shoulder again and saw them all sitting silently. Rosalie reached up and brushed under her eye. "That was beautiful, Edward," she whispered, breaking the silence. "I had no idea."
"Told you he was good," Alice said hoarsely, her own eyes glittering precariously.
"Dang man," Emmett said. "A football player who plays the piano, who would have thought?"
Emmett's comment broke the quiet atmosphere and the four of them laughed. But I couldn't, not yet. I bit my lip and searched out the one who meant the most. She sat, unmoving, still watching me. "Bella?" I asked, her stillness unnerving me.
Her face lifted when I said her name and then she stood. As she walked towards me, I saw the others exchange looks and then they quietly got up and left the room. Bella came to me and sat down on the piano bench. Very slowly, very tenderly, her hands reach up to cradle my face. Her eyes scanned mine, her thumbs gently caressing my cheeks.
Staring into her eyes, my fingers began to move along the keys again, diving into a song that had been playing in my head for days now. I stared into her deep, beautiful eyes as the notes played out, exquisitely soft and tender. "You inspired this one," I whispered as the music began to build.
Bella's eyes widened and she turned to watch my fingers dance along the piano. The music was sweet, intense, beautiful, just like her. I watched her as I played; watched as her eyes lifted to watch my face, then lower again to watch my fingers. I played on, pouring all of my feelings into the piece. As her eyes began to sparkle with tears, I let the notes soften and fade until eventually we sat in quiet. I shifted uneasily. "Bella--,"
"No," she breathed, pressing a finger to my mouth. "Edward," she whispered, her words barely more than a breath. "You are the most beautiful, most precious person ever." Her hands ran along my face, then fisted in my hair. "Don't ever doubt that," she whispered fiercely. Then she kissed me with a force I didn't know she possessed. Her lips moved against mine and I held her tightly, groaning softly under her assault.
She ripped her lips away, only to leave trails of kisses along my cheeks and neck. "Edward," she said my name again. "Edward, I--,"
"No," I choked. I knew the words that were about to come out of her mouth, but I wasn't ready, I couldn't handle it. Not now. Not yet. As true as they may be, I wasn't ready. Those three words I hadn't heard in so long. "No." I repeated, begging her with my eyes to understand.
She stared at me again, her eyes searching deep into mine. I don't know what she was looking for, but she must have found it, because she nodded slowly. "Okay," she said gently. "Okay." And then she pulled me into a hug, running her hands along my hair.
I don't know how long we sat like that, Bella in my lap, my face buried in her sweet smelling hair, her arms wrapped around my neck, her hands gently smoothing my hair. Long enough for a movie to start in the other room, long enough for the smell of popcorn to drift through the air.
"We should join the others," Bella finally whispered.
I nodded. I took one more breathe of freesia and strawberries and pulled my face away. I looked at her for another moment. "I'm sorry," I said, gently tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
She shook her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't ever apologize." She got up and extended her hand to me. I took it and stood up, following her out of the room.
In the family room, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett sat on opposite couches, while the movie played. I glanced at Bella and smiled. Obviously the movie was a cover up because neither couple was actually watching the movie. I pulled Bella over to our sleeping bags and we lay down next to each other. I pulled her close and dove my hand into her soft hair. Our lips touched and gently moved, in deep tender caresses. We stayed that way for a long time. Enjoying the feel and taste of each other, not needing to push too hard or move too fast. I moved my hand in time with our mouths, massaging the back of her head as we kissed.
Eventually the movie ended, the silence penetrating through to our world. We separated for the first time in hours.
"It's dark," Bella said in a low voice.
"And quiet," I added.
Bella sat up on her elbows, squinting in the low light. "I think Alice and Jasper are asleep over there." She looked around. "I don't know where Rosalie and Emmett are."
I threw my hand over my mouth as a laugh sputtered out. "Take a guess," I said softly.
"Yeah," Bella said, shaking her head. She climbed into her sleeping bag and then scooted over to me so she could rest her head on my chest. I watched her cuddle into me and smiled. It felt so right. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly against me. "Good night, Edward," she sighed.
"Good night Bella." I ran my fingers along her arm and listened as her breathing evened out. I smiled into the darkness as her body relaxed completely into mine. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart," I whispered when I knew she was too far gone to hear me.
I lay on my back, holding Bella. I kept my eyes opened as I stared at the ceiling. I could hear Alice and Jasper's deep breathing. Time passed. After a while, I saw two dark shapes creep into the room. I bit back a smile as I watched Emmett and Rosalie slide into their sleeping bags. They kissed again, but soon their breathing deepened to match the others around me.
I had forgotten how peaceful it would be to lay in the dark, listening to others sleep. My eyes drifted closed and I had to work to keep them opened. The night continued and it got harder and harder to keep my eyes from closing. No sleep, I whispered to my self. I turned my head and saw the clock above the TV. It was just after two in the morning. Only five more hours until the sun came up. I went back to staring at the ceiling. I tried to think of something that would keep me awake. Tomorrow, I thought. What would tomorrow bring? So much better to think of tomorrow, than the past. Tomorrow, I thought again. Maybe Bella and I could do something alone again. Maybe we could go to Port Angeles and I could take her on a real date. I smiled at the thought. I could take her to a movie and then to dinner. Afterwards, I could take her home and kiss her on her porch, under the stars. Or maybe we could just go for a drive and talk. Or we could…
I raced home, terrified of what I was going to find. I had stayed late after school, helping Javier, an exchange student from Mexico, with his English homework. And now I was late. Please, please, please I whispered to myself as I floored the gas pedal. I glanced at the clock. It was four forty five. As long as he wasn't early, I should be okay. I pulled up to the house and raced through the front door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my mom sitting on the couch, no alarm on her face.
"Mom," I went over to her and kissed her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, honey. Just fine. But he's going to be home soon. You should start dinner."
"Yeah." I straightened and put my backpack down next to the couch. I went in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to pull out the chicken I had marinated that morning before going to school. I frowned when I didn't see it. "Hey Mom?" I went back into the family room. "Did you see the chicken I put in the refrigerator?"
"Yeah, I had it for lunch. Is that okay?"
My fists clenched as fear began to trickle through me. "Yeah, it's fine. Don't worry."
No, no, no. I repeated over and over again in my head. What was I going to make now? I went into the kitchen, praying I could find something that didn't take too long to cook. I rummaged through the cabinets. I found a packet of fajita spice and a can of beans. "Okay," I whispered to myself. "Good." I went to the refrigerator and let out a sigh of relief when I saw the tortillas, peppers, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. "Good."
I pulled more chicken out of the freezer, set it on a plate and put it in the microwave to defrost. I was cutting up the tomato and peppers when I heard the garage door open. "Oh God," I whispered. Dinner wasn't nearly done. I looked at the clock. 5:05. I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath.
"Hey Mom?" I went out to the family room. "Can you do me a favor? Can you go in your room for a little bit?"
She looked at me, questions in her eyes.
"He's home and dinner is not ready."
"Oh. Are you sure?" she asked as she stood and began leaving the room.
I heard the garage door closing and I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just stay in your room for a little while." She did what I said and I went back into the kitchen. I picked up the knife with a shaky hand and continued to cut the peppers. I dumped them into the wok and gave them a stir.
"Where's dinner?" a harsh voice asked.
"Almost done," I said, not turning to look.
"Doesn't look like it, you little brat." He grabbed my arm and spun me around. "What have I told you?"
"I know," I managed. "I had to stay at school little bit longer, but I'll have it done, I promise, just give me a little more time." His hand raised and I knew what was coming. I braced myself for the pain.
"Edward."
We both turned at the soft voice that had called my name. I squinted at the bright light coming from hallway.
"Edward, come with me," the voice said softly.
I took a step forward, following the voice that sounded so familiar. I walked, staring only at the bright light. As I got closer, the light faded and I saw her. "What are you doing here?"
"I will keep you safe," she whispered. "Stay with me." She took my hand and pulled me away. "Stay with me."
I let her lead me and we walked, leaving the small house in Chicago behind. For a minute, everything was foggy. And then we stepped out of the fog. And into our meadow. Bella smiled at me. "I'll keep you safe," she whispered again. We sat down among the flowers. Bella laid her head on my chest, one of her hands began rubbing circles on my stomach. "Sleep, Edward. I will be here."
I opened my eyes and blinked at the sunlight that filtered in through the windows. Disoriented, I moved my head to the side to get a better idea of where I was. I saw the black leather couches and the TV. Then I remembered. The sleep over. I looked around again, but didn't see any of the other sleeping bags. Then I felt the warm weight next to me and became aware of a hand moving in circles on my stomach. I looked down and saw Bella smiling triumphantly up at me. "Hey sleeping beauty," she said quietly.
I had fallen asleep. I had been thinking about possible dates to take Bella on and then I had fallen asleep. Then I remembered my dream. It had started the same as all the others, I had been back in the house in Chicago, reliving one of the many nights that he had beaten me. But it had been different. Bella had been there. "How?" I whispered.
Bella smiled sadly and she reached up to brush a stray hair off my forehead. "I woke up when my pillow turned rock hard and ice cold. But you were sleeping and I remembered what you said about having nightmares every time you sleep," she said softly. She ran her fingers along my cheeks. "I knew that was what was happening. I just wanted you to be able to sleep. You are so tired," she said sadly. "Then you started shaking really bad."
My grip on her tightened. This is exactly what I had been afraid of. "I'm sorry."
Bella shook her head. "After you started shaking, you started crying, saying it was almost done. I couldn't take it. I wanted to help you. So I started talking to you. I told you to stay with me and that I would keep you safe. I kept repeating those words and you started to calm down." Bella smiled now, the same triumphant smile. "And then you relaxed. And you slept." She turned to look at the clock. "For ten hours."
Startled, I glanced at the clock as well. It was well past noon.
"That's why the others aren't here. They went to the mall."
"Thank you," I said quietly. "You were there, in my dream. You took me away from him."
"Any time Edward." She brushed my hair back. "Any time."
a/n: Don't forget to review! I get very excited when I get reviews :o)