D/C: I do not own Twilight (the book and/or movie). But I do have a black and white tuxedo cat that I adopted in June and named her Twilight. Seriously. I have proof.
Work was the only thing that tore me out of my bed on Saturday. Charlie's incessant knocking didn't even cause a stir, but when my alarm went off on my cell phone telling me that I had an hour to get to work, I sat up straight. I had missed work on Wednesday, and the last thing I wanted to do was give Dr. Allen the wrong impression that I wasn't a hard worker. Hell, I hadn't been there for more than a week, and I was already missing work!
Dressing in black scrubs, I piled into my car and headed towards the office. I didn't know what to expect after my tirade on Edward the night before. If I knew what was best for me, I would quit my job and cut my losses, claim that working close with Edward was too hard on me. In reality though I was a chicken shit and didn't want to face my problems. I entered the parking lot at work, pulling into my usual spot under the large oak tree at the corner of the lot. Glancing around I saw that Edward's car was not there, so I took that as my cue to get out of my car and into the building as fast as possible. I knew I would feel much better about everything if I were there first, having set the stage for the day.
Waving hello to Lena, I made my way to the back of the office to put my things in my locker. There were no patients there yet, and I took the few extra moments to collect myself. Six hours to go. Six hours to act civil towards Edward, and six hours until I could escape to the confines of my bedroom again. Six hours of fighting back the urge to smack Edward for being so stupid.
"Bella! I'm glad you're here!" Alice's voice called to me from down the hall, and I jumped knowing Edward was close behind her.
"Hey, how's it going?" I closed my locker after making sure I didn't look completely dead to the world. I wasn't a pinup model, but presentable at least.
"You look like hell Bells." I gaped at Alice, not believing that she was so blatant towards me.
"Gee! Thanks!" My face started to heat up and I cursed the blush that I knew was coming. Alice shook her head, throwing her Coach bag in her locker before closing the door.
"Bella, don't take offense. I just meant that you look tired. I can tell you're still torn up over last night." I rolled my eyes.
"Forget it Alice." But the small girl would not relent.
"Really Bella, about last night…"
"I said forget it." I didn't mean to come across as snippy, but I turned on my heel and walked away from her before I said something I would regret. There were voices coming from the front of the office, and I sighed before stepping around the corner. Edward was standing in front of Lena, pointing towards the optical area. I faltered in my steps before I walked ahead confidently.
"Lena, can you give me a printout of Dr. Allen's schedule for his exam room?" Edward's head snapped up and I felt the heat creep back on my face as he stared at me. Lena smiled and turned to her computer to print the pages out for me, and I focused on her Hawaiian print top.
"Bella," Edward whispered. I sighed internally and turned towards him.
"Good morning Edward." He flinched as if I had slapped him, but I didn't give any hint that I had noticed. Instead I forced myself to act civil and professional.
"Bella, can we talk please?" I raised an eyebrow before turning towards Lena. She pulled a few sheets of paper off the printer and handed them to me. Taking them from her outstretched hands before turning towards the exam rooms. I heard Edward follow but didn't react. I didn't have the mental strength to deal with him right now, and being in such confined quarters with him didn't help me at the moment.
"Bella," Edward said again. I turned into an exam room to put the schedule on the table inside, cringing when I heard the door close behind me. I sighed before turning, already prepared for the sight of Edward standing in front of the closed door. I felt suddenly claustrophobic. The lights in the room were very low, but that didn't stop me from seeing every bit of gold in Edward's eyes. I gripped the arm of the leather exam chair and took a deep breath.
"What are you doing Edward?" My voice sounded calm and strong, betraying the turmoil that I felt inside. Edward took a step forward and ran a hand through his tousled hair.
"Bella, please talk to me." I shook my head once.
"No Edward, don't do this. Not now. Not ever. You had your chance." I took a step forward, expecting him to move away from the door. But he didn't move an inch.
"Excuse me," I stated. Edward shook his head though, not budging from his post. I could feel my heart flutter. I could feel goose bumps rise on my skin and send a chill through my body. The way he was looking at me reminded me of how he would hold me just days ago. Remembering the way it felt when he touched me almost caved my resistance.
"Edward," I whispered.
"Please Bella, please let me talk to you." I shook my head again. I had to stand strong.
"No Edward, please move." I stepped forward again, expecting to have a battle of some sort against my freedom, but this time Edward moved. I sighed with relief when I made my way out to the hall. Turning back to Edward I felt sad when I took in the look on his face. He looked torn and defeated.
"Edward," I said. He turned to me with a glimmer of what seemed to be hope in his eyes. I didn't want to lead him on, so I said the first thing that came to my mind.
"Edward, don't be so torn up over this. It's what you wanted right?" Edward looked at me and I saw tears collect in his eyes. Keep strong, Swan, keep strong. I turned and got to work. It was going to be a long day.
I sat in my car outside of work, for once grateful for the pounding rain that shielded me from the outside world. When the last patient left, I all but ran from the building in fear that Alice and Edward would both try and talk to me again. It was too soon to be friendly with anyone, and I knew that Alice would try and coerce me into spending time with her today. Probably at her house. With Edward.
No, too soon.
I started the car and pulled away from the building, not looking through the sheet of rain to see if Edward and Alice had left. I made it to my house within minutes, the rain thinning out as I headed further east. Turning on my street, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the police cruiser was not in the usual spot. But the relief turned to confusion when I saw the black Trans Am parked in the road.
"Jasper?" I said to the interior of my car. I pulled in to my usual spot and eyed the car warily. Sure enough, the second I cut my engine, the door opened and Jasper stepped out into the rain.
I had to be honest with myself for just a moment. If I didn't have it bad for Edward, and if Alice and Jasper weren't soul mates, I would gladly run towards that man.
Smacking myself out of my stupor, I grabbed my bag and emerged from my safety zone.
"Hey Jasper, what's up?" My voice betrayed my frazzled nerves, and I all but expected Rose and Emmett to emerge from some hidden place. Everyone was coming at me today, and I didn't know how to handle it. How was I suddenly the bad guy? Edward was the one who had sent me away, telling me that he wanted nothing to do with me. How did everything change so quickly?
"Bella! Glad you're home, can we talk for a second?" I sighed and waved my hand to him. We needed to get out of the rain and into the house. Jasper followed me in the house and I motioned for him to hang his coat next to the door. Without looking back I made my way into the kitchen and picked up the phone receiver, calling the station. The last thing I needed was my father to come home when Jasper and I were talking and get the wrong impression.
"Forks Police Department, Jacob speaking." Great.
"Hey Jake, it's Bella. Is my dad there?" Jacob thankfully didn't bother with small talk, and seconds later I was patched through to Charlie.
"Bella?"
"Hey dad, just wanted to let you know I'm home from work." No, I actually wanted to make sure he wouldn't interrupt an important conversation.
"Thanks Bells, I should be home by nine." I looked at the clock. Four more hours.
"Okay, did you want dinner ready or are you good with fending for yourself?" Charlie let out a low chuckle and I rolled my eyes.
"No, you go ahead and go out and have fun. You worked today, you deserve it." I hung up soon after that and turned to Jasper. He had made himself comfortable at the kitchen table, staring at me intently. My first reaction was to feel uncomfortable under his stare, but I felt soothed.
"Would you like anything to drink?" My hostess skills kicked in. Jasper smiled and nodded.
"Water is fine." I pulled two bottles of water from the refrigerator and passed one to Jasper. Neither of us opened them, and I wondered if the 'talk' was ever going to happen.
"Let's go in the living room," I motioned towards the other room. If I was going to do this I wouldn't be leaning against a cold hard counter, especially after standing all day. The comfort of sitting on a couch didn't help with my nerves, and I eyed Jasper as he sat next to me. I kept the TV off, not wanting a distraction. I let my eyes roam the room, seeing how there was a television guide out with sports games circled. Charlie was always scheduling his nights days in advance, and I wondered briefly if there were any sports he didn't follow.
"So, I heard you and Edward had a little talk last night." He sure didn't sugar coat it, did he?
"Alice has a big mouth," I stated. Jasper laughed freely, nodding in agreement. I laughed with him for a second before I turned to him and stared at him head on.
"Why are you really here Jasper?" He leaned forward and set his water bottle on the table.
"Bella, there is so much that I want to say to you, and I don't know where to begin."
"Did Alice ask you to come here?" Jasper shook his head.
"No, no I came here on my own. Alice called me last night after what happened and I guess you can say I took it upon myself to come over." I thought about that for a second.
"So Alice doesn't know you're here?" I knew the answer when I saw Jasper cringe and shoot me a desperate look. I wanted to laugh at him, how he was sneaking around behind Alice's back just to talk to me. But I knew that if he had told her, she would have wanted to come too.
"Bella, first thing I want to say is how proud I am that you stood up to Edward. He's an overreacting prick sometimes, and he needed to be shoved back in his place." Nothing prepared me for that. "We all care about you Bella, you need to know that. We've accepted you into our group fairly easy, which I want to point out that we've never done before."
"Alice," I said with a smile. Jasper nodded.
"I'm glad that you know the truth about Edward," he said. I glanced at him and chewed on my lip for a second.
"How long have you known?" I asked. Jasper tilted his head in thought for a second before turning to me.
"For about a year and a half or so. I didn't know about it right away, naturally. But when I lived with them for some time during my mothers trial I noticed things little by little." I thought of the small things I had noticed over the past couple of weeks—the doors and the car dents.
"What happened?" I asked curiously. Jasper laughed and ran his hand along his neck. I wasn't sure if he felt comfortable with talking about it, but I suddenly had the need to know. Everyone was so hell bent on protecting Edward, but I just needed to know the small things. Maybe it would help me appreciate everything more.
"Well not long after I moved in with them, I noticed that everyone would pay special attention to Edward. Careful around him and monitoring his movements. At first I thought it was a normal family, and that's how everyone treated each other. Hell, I thought it was great!" Jasper laughed at the memory and shook his head. "About the time the trial was over, I remember coming downstairs and heading towards the kitchen to get something to drink. It was like three in the morning so I didn't think anyone would be awake. Well, I came around the corner of the kitchen and stopped because Edward was there. He had headphones on listening to music, so he didn't hear me. He was rummaging around the cabinets looking for something, still to this day I don't know what." The far off look in Jasper's eyes drew me in. Hearing about Edward from Jasper's point of view was enthralling and I wanted to drink up every word.
"Edward was standing in front of the cabinets, and you know how each of the cabinet handles is a metal knob?" I nodded in recollection of the intricate details of the kitchen. "Well, Edward was standing back with his hands up, moving them slightly back and forth. The doors were opening and closing without him touching them, and he just stood there going through the cabinets as if it were the most natural thing in the world." I had the mental image of Edward moving the doors and I felt a chill go through me. Was that uneasy feeling ever going to go away? Or would that just stay with me?
"I remember yelling out loud," Jasper continued, "and Edward had jumped in fear. He didn't know I was there, and he and I were just looking at each other. It didn't take long after that for Carlisle, Esme and Alice to come down to find out what was going on. That was the night they all sat me down and explained what had happened."
Jasper and I sat in silence for a few minutes as I let the information set in. Nothing was clear in my mind, only that I was not alone in this. I was not the only one to stumble upon Edward and his gift. I suddenly wondered how Rose and Emmett found out, but I knew that wasn't Jasper's story to tell.
"Edward knows he fucked up," Jasper's words penetrated my thoughts. My eyes floated back to him and I felt self-conscious under his piercing green eyes. It was like he knew what I was feeling and knew about my inner struggle to gain control in my life.
"He sure didn't act like he knew," I finally said. Edward's angry words still stung me, somehow remaining in the air after yesterday.
"Let me tell you something," Jasper said to me. He shifted his weight on the couch and leaned in towards me. "Edward is an idiot. He is used to a sheltered life where his family protects him from the world. They're all so scared about him being found out that they sugar coat everything and make sure he'll be okay. It's not the best way to let him live, but that's not something I can control." Jasper was talking with his hands now, and I was intrigued by his train of thought.
"Edward has never been in a relationship where… well, that's lasted beyond date number one. So this is the first time he's had to think of someone besides himself." I believed it.
"It still doesn't excuse him from the way he treated me," I defended myself. Jasper nodded in agreement.
"I know, trust me. He never gave you a chance to accept any of this. He assumed that you would overreact and throw it all away. How he handled it was moronic and I wish I could slap him for it. When you went over there last night and put him in his place, I think that was the greatest thing I've ever heard." I smiled, slightly embarrassed.
"You've gotta stick around," Jasper said. My eyes snapped up and connected with his stare.
"Why?"
"We've never seen someone react that way to Edward. We all need you." I closed my eyes and put my head back onto the cushion of the couch. I suddenly had a headache, and I wanted to go to sleep.
"I don't know what to do Jasper." To admit that took more energy and will power than I thought. His hand grabbed mine and squeezed.
"He knows he fucked up," he repeated. "Alice chewed him out when you left their house last night, although I think he realized he was an idiot when you started yelling at him."
"Alice did what?" I was suddenly horrified. I didn't want to cause a rift between the siblings, and if anything happened I only had myself to blame.
"When you left she went in Edward's room and told him that he was an idiot for letting you go. And if he didn't fix it all, she would never forgive him."
"No!" I jumped up from my spot on the couch and dropped Jasper's comforting hand. I started to pace the floor, panic settling within my chest. It was one thing to destroy any kind of relationship between me and Edward, but to cause a fight between brother and sister? I don't think I could handle that.
"Bella, it's okay," Jasper tried to soothe me. He stood up and approached me, pulling me into a hug. I buried my face in his sweater, letting the tears that had been threatening all day to fall.
"Jasper, I can't do this," I admitted.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't cause a fight between them. I can't fight with Edward, and I am not strong enough for all of this."
"Bella," Jasper tried to pull me back from the hug and look at me, but I kept my head down and let my hair create a curtain around me.
"Bella," he repeated. I sighed and looked up. Jasper was smiling.
"You didn't do this. And trust me, Alice and Edward are not mad at you. At all. If anything, you're helping everyone."
"How the hell am I helping?"
"You're making our little group whole." That was the second time I had heard that phrase. Did that make it real?
"If Edward won't let me in though, how am I supposed to fix this?" Jasper pulled me in for another hug.
"Just let it all come naturally. I don't know if Edward tried to talk to you today, but eventually when he tries to apologize, let it happen." Well, shit.
"He tried to talk to me today," I admitted with a frown. Jasper laughed and pulled back again.
"That's fine, just let him panic a little. Make him squirm a little in his overly cocky shoes. You be in control and let him crawl back on his hands and knees. Just remember to have an open mind."
I had an all new respect for Jasper at that moment. Alice was a lucky woman.
"Thank you Jasper," I mumbled.
"You are very welcome Bella. Now, you and I have unfinished business." I looked at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" His green eyes twinkled and I could sense the amusement radiate off of him.
"You and I never finished that race, I demand a rematch." I let out a laugh and pushed away from him.
"In your dreams! You're just mad because I would have beaten you!" Jasper and I continued to joke around and planned on a race rematch for the following weekend.
"I gotta head out and pick up Alice. I'm taking her to dinner." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I laughed again.
"Uh huh, you enjoy yourself." I walked Jasper to the door and gave him another hug goodbye. I didn't know how to thank him for his pep talk, but I had a new outlook on the entire situation at hand. I knew Edward was going to come to me again, but I had to be careful. I didn't want to chase him away, but I also didn't want to give him what he wanted so easily. He had to work for me, especially since he messed up so badly.
I didn't sleep well Saturday night, thinking about Edward every second I stared at that ceiling. When I finally crawled out of bed, admitting to myself that I wouldn't get any more sleep, I winced in surprising pain. Looking in the bathroom mirror, I gasped when I saw that the bruise across my chest was dark and purple now.
"Shit," I mumbled to myself. I did the only thing I could think of—I called Alice.
"Bella!" It was almost as if she were waiting for my phone call.
"Hey, can I ask you a favor?" I knew I should be apologizing above everything else, but I wanted to do that in person.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"The bruise that I got from the accident? It's a lot worse, but I don't want to go to the doctor, because then I'll have to explain what happened…"
"You want me to ask my dad to look at it?" I sighed in relief.
"Please?" Alice laughed and my hesitation.
"Yeah, he's home right now, come on over. But heads up, Edward's awake." We hung up and I dressed quickly. I didn't plan on staying there long, but I didn't want to show up looking like I just crawled out of bed either.
Thirty minutes later, I was pulling into the Cullen's driveway, immediately cornered by a hyper Alice. We chattered as she led me inside, bringing me directly to her father's study.
"Dad?" Alice knocked before we entered the room. Carlisle was sitting behind his desk, reading glasses perched on his nose as he bent over a mound of papers.
"Ah! Bella! Alice told me you'd be coming over, please come in." I smiled at Alice's father, giving Alice a look that asked her to stay in the room with us. She didn't need more than that, and she had a seat in an ottoman next to the couch I sat on.
"So what seems to be the problem?" Carlisle asked. I hesitated, not sure if I was supposed to tell the full truth.
"Well, I was um, in a car accident. And I got a bruise from the seatbelt. It's starting to worry me because it's getting darker and when I woke up this morning it really hurt." Carlisle was staring at me in confusion as soon as I said 'car accident'.
"Did you go to the doctor after the accident?" Carlisle asked me. I shook my head slowly, glancing at Alice. Carlisle caught my gesture and turned towards his daughter.
"Does this have anything to do with Edward's car?" My mouth fell open. They told him!?
"Yeah," Alice confirmed, "Bella was the one driving when it happened. I guess we should have gone to the doctors…" Carlisle shook his head though.
"No, you did the right thing by coming to me." I was in a daze. Carlisle knew about the accident. He knew that I was driving. And he was okay with us hiding it and only now coming to him.
"I'm so lost," I admitted. They both smiled at me.
"We hide little in this family," Alice admitted. I nodded once, turning back to Carlisle.
"Please don't tell my dad," I begged. Carlisle nodded and motioned towards my shirt.
"That's fine. Show me the bruise." I removed my sweater, leaving my tank top on beneath it. Alice gasped when she saw the thick purple line spread across my skin, and I wanted to wince at that alone. Carlisle, thought, didn't react. He just leaned forward and went about pressing around the area, feeling the bones beneath. When he hit a spot to the left of my heart, I cried out.
"That's what I was afraid of," Carlisle said. "Seems like you have a few bruised ribs. Nothing is broken, but you need to treat it as if they were." Great. Fucking great.
"What do I do?" I asked.
"You're going to need antibiotics, which I can give you no problem. But you also need to put ice packs on the bruise to decrease the swelling. Try not to sleep on your stomach for the next couple weeks, mainly on your back if you can help it. Then in two weeks I want you to come back and let me check it. If you notice the bruise isn't going away, you have to tell me."
"Okay," I said. Carlisle quickly handed me a prescription for antibiotics and I was whisked away by an over anxious Alice. From the floor above us I could hear the steady beat of a drum set accompanied by a guitar.
"What's going on?" I asked. I didn't even know that Edward could play the drums. He must not be alone.
"Nothing, Jasper and Emmett are over and they're just messing around." I eyed Alice for a second and shrugged.
"That works for me. Sorry to duck and run, but I don't want Charlie to question where I went off to." Alice understood though, and I was on my way back to the house. Looking back though, I realized that Alice seemed hell bent on getting me out of that house…
The weekend ended quickly, and I was slightly disappointed that I hadn't heard from Edward. Alice had texted me late on Sunday, long after I had left her house, and told me that she was sorry for pressing me at work, and I quickly told her that I wasn't mad at her. Just the situation. She understood, thankfully, and we were back to normal.
At school on Monday I felt like I was being kept out of some kind of secret within the group. I somehow managed to be around Edward without any hostility, but felt uneasy when he never even glanced my way. Had he already given up? Was Jasper wrong? Could my dismissing him so quickly on Saturday ruined any chance I had with him?
At lunch Alice sat next to me so that I didn't feel out of place, and I smiled in thanks to her. Edward sat on the other side of the table, immersed in a very quiet conversation with Jasper.
"What's going on?" I asked Alice after lunch. She just smiled at me though, sending off my concern with a wave of her hand.
"Oh, Bella," Alice said to me before we separated ways, "Rose and I are going to Finnegan's tonight for dinner. Want to come along?" I thought about the Irish pub and my mouth watered when I thought of the jalapeno poppers they had.
"Yeah, that sounds great." Alice seemed ecstatic that I agreed to the dinner and I headed to class. The rest of the day flew by and before I knew it I was avoiding Edward as I walked to the parking lot after music.
Is this how it was going to be if Edward and I didn't make up? Would we be forced to be around each other because we shared the same friends? Or would I eventually be pushed aside because I was the newest person to join the 'group'? I hated to think of it all that way, but my constant paranoia was unavoidable.
I said my goodbyes to everyone in the parking lot, glancing at Edward before I disappeared into my car. I had agreed to meet Alice and Rose at the restaurant at five, which left me an hour and a half to work on any homework.
It was almost a joke when I got to the house and tried to work on my history paper. I opened my book and tried to read the same paragraph eight times before I gave up and closed the taunting pages. Maybe a night out with the girls is what I needed. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was twenty to five. Looking down at my school outfit, I knew that if I showed up wearing that Alice would have a fit. So I headed up to my closet and changed into a black sweater dress and white tights. My black leather boots completed the ensemble, and I suddenly felt confident in my new clothes.
Heading down to the kitchen, I dialed the number to the station quickly.
"Forks police department, Patrick speaking, how can I help you?" Patrick? Who was Patrick?
"Um, hi, this is Bella Swan. Can I speak to Charlie please? I'm his daughter."
"Oh! Hi, I've heard so much about you. I'm Patrick Colgan, the new deputy." Patrick's voice sounded relaxed and masculine. I tried to imagine what he looked like, but failed to do so. I was glad that he sounded friendly though, knowing that if the new guy was a complete ass, Charlie would be coming home in a bad mood more often than not.
"Hey, I heard a lot about you too." That's a lie, I realized. "How do you like working there so far?" Patrick laughed and I could hear the keys of a keyboard typing away on the other end.
"It's good, thank you for asking. The guys are all really nice, especially your dad. Who, by the way, is not here. He is out patrolling with Jacob for the next couple hours." I sighed and glanced at the clock. I had ten minutes to get to Finnegan's.
"That's fine. Can you leave him a message for me?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Just let him know that I am heading out with some friends to go to Finnegan's. I should be home by ten." I was pushing it with ten o'clock on a school night, but I needed to relax tonight. And if I had to lose an hour of sleep, than so be it.
"Of course Bella, I'll let him know as soon as he walks in the door." I smiled at his sincere voice, glad that he was the new addition to the department.
"Thanks Patrick, you have a great night."
"You too Bella. Hope to meet you soon." I hung up the phone and grabbed my purse and coat. Locking the door, I fell into my car and headed towards the restaurant. I made it there with one minute to spare, seeing Alice and Rose hanging out by the front door. I had only been there twice before, and quickly dubbed it as one of my favorite places in this town. I guess it wasn't much of a contest considering there weren't many places to compete with.
"Bella! You made it!" Rose exclaimed. I laughed and made my way across the small parking lot towards them.
"Of course I made it, did you really think I'd bail on you?" Alice rolled her eyes and threw her arms around me in a hug.
"No, silly. Now, let's get warm and have some girl time."
As the next hour flew by, I realized this was exactly what I needed. No one pressed me for information about Edward, and I listened intently as Alice talked about the colleges she applied to and Rose talked about her parents. My advice I had given her was working, and her parents had started to slow down on the bribes.
"I wonder what they're going to do when I graduate and move out?" Rose wondered. Alice and I laughed at her.
"They're going to have to call each other and harass the other. Heaven forbid they talk to one another!" Alice was right, and Rose nodded.
"Oh, I think there's gonna be a band," Rose suddenly said. I looked over my shoulder and saw that there were two men setting up a drum set. To the left of the drum set was a small piano, for the usual band that played on the weekends. The restaurant was full now, and I tried to strain over the crowd and see who the band was.
"Probably some local band," I said. I turned back to the others and saw Rose and Alice exchange a look.
"What?" I asked. Alice shook her head slightly and changed the subject. Within minutes I heard the screech of a speaker being connected and I turned again to see the band. Instead, I saw an older gentleman walk up the microphone.
"Ladies and gentleman, if I can have your attention." Everyone turned, and I smiled in anticipation. I was in the mood for some good music.
"We usually don't have a live band on Monday nights, but tonight is a special occasion. As a personal favor for a friend, I am letting a certain individual say a special sorry to his girl." My heart stopped. Slowly I turned to look at Alice and saw that her eyes were wide and shinning.
"Alice? Rose? Who's playing tonight?" I knew my questions would go unanswered, and I sighed. Shit. I turned back to the small stage and saw that the stage itself was hidden due to the lack of light. I noticed movement, and figured whoever was playing was setting up. The gentleman walked off stage and I sighed as the restaurant grew silent. A dark figure walked up the microphone, and I tried to squint through the darkness to see the person's face.
Suddenly I heard the strum of a guitar, followed by the soft keys of the piano.
"Ten miles from town, and I just broke down
Spittin' out smoke on the side of the road"
The voice was strangely familiar and I gasped when a spotlight appeared and illuminated Edward's face. He was sitting at the piano, mouth turned to sing directly into the microphone attached to the piano top.
"I'm out here alone, just tryin' to get home
To tell you I was wrong but you already know.
Believe me I won't stop at nothin'
To see you so I've started runnin'."
My heart was pounding. I was dizzy. I could hear Alice and Rose giggle behind me, but I refused to turn and acknowledge them. All I could register was the fact that Edward was singing, and was now looking directly at me. Suddenly all the lights on the stage shone, showing Jasper standing behind a microphone with a guitar in hand. Emmett was sitting in front of the drums, a shit eating grin on his face. Jasper leaned in then to sing with Edward.
"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm laughin' with you
I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after
After the life we've been through."
"Did you know about this?" I asked. I never turned to look at the two girls behind me, but they knew I was talking to them.
"Yes!" Alice squealed. I couldn't help the smile from appearing on my face. My eyes were glued to Edward, not wavering from the golden orbs that infiltrated my very soul.
"Last time we talked, the night that I walked
Burns like an iron in the back of my mind
I must've been high to say you and I
Weren't meant to me and just wasting my time.
Oh, why did I ever doubt you?
You know I would die here without you."
"Oh my God," I whispered. Edward smiled at me from his position behind the piano, and I wanted badly to stand up and sit next to him. His words were speaking to me, and I suddenly wanted everyone in the restaurant to go away. The tempo in the song changed suddenly, and I was caught up in Edward's expressions. He seemed to be torn as the words flew from his lips, and I could feel my fingers twitch as I felt the urge to comfort him.
"You and I, right or wrong
There's no other one
After this time I spent alone.
It's hard to believe that a man with sight could be so blind,
Thinkin' 'bout the better times,
Must've been outta my mind.
So I'm runnin' back to tell you
All that I'm after is a life full of laughter
Without you God knows what I'd do."
"That's my line!" Alice whispered loudly from behind me.
"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm laughin' with you.
I'm thinkin' 'bout all that still matters is love ever after
After the life we've been through.
I know there's no life after you…"
I was crying. The tears were running freely from my eyes and I didn't know what to do. Before I knew it, the song was over and the applause was deafening. Edward was looking directly at me, not seeing anyone else. If I never had tunnel vision before, I had it now. I only had eyes for him.
"Go get him," Rose whispered in my ear. I turned to her and saw that both her and Alice had tears in their eyes. I smiled and stood.
"Woo hoo!" Alice screamed along with everyone. I turned back to the stage and saw that Edward was now standing. He looked so scared, I mused. Pushing my way through the tables, I made my way towards him, one thought on my mind. Stepping in front of him, I tilted my head up and took a deep breath.
"Kiss me," I whispered loud enough for him to hear. Edward relaxed visibly and in one fluid motion rushed forward and grabbed me in his arms. I was only slightly aware that Emmett and Jasper were standing a foot away staring at us, cheering with the crowd. I could hear Alice and Rose above everyone, clearly encouraging the exchange. But what I felt was the want and need that Edward showed me through that kiss. His lips were glued to mine, desperate to hold me as close as possible.
I was in heaven.
OK. Stop. Review. It makes me happy. Good, bad, ugly, etc etc etc. Even if you want to talk to me about the new nail polish you just bought. I'm happy with knowing about it!
A/N: The comment about Bella thinking Jasper is attractive is just a side note lol. Don't go all ape shit on me, because I retaliate. I was just pointing out that Bella is a human being, and Jasper is insanely hot. SIGH.
Also the song "written" by Edward is actually "Life After You" by Daughtry. I LOVE THIS SONG! And it was actually what I was listening to when I first got the idea for this story. So I guess that's the inspiration for it all :-)
ALSO- please please please try and download this song for when you're reading that portion. You can just picture Edward singing it, and it's the full effect. If you don't have the song or you can't download it for some reason (legally of course LOL) please PM me or something with your e-mail address and I will send it to you! I have absolutely NO problem going out of my way to do this. Trust me! ~Ashley