Well we are back for another chapter. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support of the story. I now officially have my own Beta ,Mandilynn, who rocks! I want to shout all the people out who gave me some excellent ideas, I love you all. Thank you so much I can't say it enough. This is all Bella, enjoy!
CHAPTER EIGHT
When I arrived back at my apartment it was dark. Where was Rose? I wondered if she stayed with Emmett, but when I tried to flick on the light the lamp in the living room suddenly turned on. Rose was sitting on the couch in her pajamas.
"Well, it took you long enough to get home. How was dinner?" She patted the spot on the couch next to her.
"It was okay." I flopped down next to her, taking off my heels.
"You had dinner with Edward Cullen and it was just okay?" She smiled suspiciously at me.
"Yes, Rose. You were there for most of it." I eyed her.
"I am very sorry, Bella. You know me; I get a little carried away sometimes." She gave me apologetic smile.
Oh yes the whole Emmett thing came to mind. Answers. I needed answers.
"So, care to explain what happened with Emmett?" I smirked at her .
"No. Not really." She pulled her hair back from her shoulders.
"Come on, Rose. You owe me this after what you did tonight. I could've been fired." I whined.
"Fine." She huffed. "We met last year at some charity auction. I thought he was hot, so I bid on him. He seemed very charming and we hit it off. We had a couple drinks and … well, you know." She tilted her head in the air.
"No, I don't know. That's why I'm asking." I looked down at her.
"We had drunk sex. Then the idiot called me the wrong damn name!" She just about screamed.
I couldn't help but laugh. That was the funniest thing I ever heard. Rose gave me an evil look.
I held my chest trying to control the laughter. "I'm sorry, Rose, but that is funny. Whose name did he call you?"
"I don't remember, but it was humiliating, Bella. Who would ever mistake me for someone else?" She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.
"So what did you do when he said it?" I asked, still trying to calm myself.
"I kicked him in the nuts and left him there." She said nonchalantly.
"I guess that was the right reaction." I had no idea what else to say.
"Yeah, then he stalked me for almost six months. Men. I will never understand them." She yawned.
"Well, I am ready for bed. See you tomorrow?" She got up, stretching her arms.
"Yeah. Goodnight, Rose." I sat on the couch for a little bit longer.
Sunday morning came quickly and Rose had left early to have breakfast with her friend Lauren.
I needed to get my research done, so I decided that it was a good idea to sit in Golden Gate Park instead of at home. I didn't want Rose to walk in on me while I was looking this stuff up. I put on a pair of faded jeans along with a comfy flannel shirt, slipped my sneakers on, and pulled my hair back in a low ponytail.
I fished through the fridge for something to eat real quick and gobbled up some yogurt. I grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and my laptop off my desk and headed out the door for my morning of information.
It was around 10:00 am when I got to the GG, and there were people scattered all around me. I took refuge under a large oak tree. I spread the blanket on the grass and laid the laptop on one end. I removed my sneakers and placed them on the bottom ends of the blanket so it was securely in place.
Finally getting comfortable, I booted up my laptop and waited for Google to load. I typed "dominant" into the search engine and a million different sites popped up. I became a little overwhelmed looking at all the links.
Wikipedia had been a great resource for me in college, so I figured that's where I could start. I typed in "dominant" and was greeted with about three pages worth of a definition explaining the role of the dominant in the relationship.
It said the dominant is the one who regulates how things operate in the relationship during play, or even after. Could I really give all my control over to Edward? I didn't know if I could. Then it mentioned something about a scene.
Of course, I clicked to look further into what that meant, and scared myself to death. All these pictures popped of women tied up, gagged, and even whipped. I had to go on to the next topic, not sure that I wanted to know any more about how a scene played out.
The next topic was safe words. Were they seriously telling me that I needed to say a word in order to prevent him from doing something? There were instances where some people didn't even use a safe word. This was called edge play. I mean, can you get more freaky than that?
Then the article had another link for a section called "limits." This was beginning to be too much for me. Edward expected an answer tomorrow, but I wasn't sure that I would have one for him. He expected a list, of what exactly? My limits? How would I know if I would enjoy being whipped? I knew that I didn't like it as a child.
What everything boiled down to, in my opinion, was that Edward would get pleasure out of my pain. How was that a good sexual high? I will admit that being tied up sounded pretty fucking hot, but him actually hitting me? That was not very appealing to me at all.
I had spent about three hours sitting in the park looking and researching the topic on my laptop. By about 1:30 I definitely needed to focus on something else. As if she knew what I was thinking, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket.
"Hi, Rose. How was breakfast with Lauren?" I asked nonchalantly, trying not to reveal the tiniest bit of what was on my mind.
"Oh it was good, but that's not why I'm calling. You need to get home right now!" She whispered in a forced tone.
"Why? Is something wrong?" I was starting to panic.
"Can you just get here please?" Her voice didn't give anything away.
"Okay, give me about ten minutes. I'm on my way." With that I shut my phone and picked up the blanket and laptop. I shuffled my shoes on and quickly made my way to my apartment. I hoped nothing was wrong with Rose. Maybe something did happen with Lauren, but why was she being so short with me and whispering? I hoped Edward didn't decide to just show up.
I reached the apartment, basically running up the stairs, and almost tripped twice. Out of breath, I flung the front door open .
"Rose? I'm here. Where are you?" I yelled, out of breath.
"In the kitchen." Her tone was very calm.
I dropped the blanket and laptop on the table by the door and walked in the direction of the kitchen. Rose was sitting at the island sipping a glass of tea. I looked all around, searching for something out of place, something to give away her cryptic phone call, but I noticed nothing.
"Rose, what the hell? I rushed all the way home and you're just sitting there like a fucking statue." I huffed, leaning on the counter.
"Jake was here." She shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of her tea.
I knew my mouth was hanging open and my eyes were bugging out of my head at this point.
"Did I just hear you correctly? Did you say Jake was here?" I asked her, not knowing what to think.
"That is correct, Swan. You get to compete in the next round." She said in a crazy announcer voice.
"What the hell is he doing here?" I began looking frantically around the kitchen.
"He claims that he needs to talk to you, but I have no idea about what. He was very vague. He just told me to let you know that he came by and he would be back later." Again with the shrugging.
I hadn't spoken to Jake in almost two months. That's how long it had been since we broke up. He had a lot of nerve to just show up here now. What did he want? Did I care? I wasn't sure how I felt about this. Was I mad, upset, happy, excited? There were so many different feelings to process.
I was having enough issues with the whole dom/sub thing that Edward had just sprung on me, and now I had to deal with my ex boyfriend? Someone was out to get me. I needed to sit down and steady myself.
"I can't believe he is here in Seattle. It's been two months since he talked to me. I don't get it." I put my head in my hands.
Rose began to rub soothing circles across my back.
"If it makes you feel any better, I told him to hit the road because you were seeing someone." She stopped rubbing my back and looked into my eyes.
"You told him?" I looked at her a little more harshly than I should have.
She flinched slightly.
"Of course I told him. I said you were pretty serious too. I hate him, Bella. He was such a jerk to you. You never deserved the way he just left you hanging." She said, looking down into her lap.
"You had no right to do that, Rose!" I just about screamed, getting to my feet.
She threw her hands in the air. "I'm sorry. I just thought-" She looked away.
"Forget it. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm going to my room." I said exasperated. I left her sitting on the kitchen and made my way into my room, grabbing my laptop from the hall where I had placed it just five minutes earlier.
Why was Jake here? The way things ended I thought he would never want anything to do with me again. He was so cold and mean. I just leaned back, thinking about the time that had passed. I was over him, and he was probably over me, so why was he here? I lay back on my pillows and stared up at the ceiling with my arms behind my head, thinking about the last day that I had seen him.
It was a warm day, but then again every day was in Arizona. I paced the floor of my apartment waiting for Jake to come home. I wasn't sure what I was going to tell him or how to explain things to him. No matter what, I wanted him with me when I moved to Seattle.
We had talked about leaving Arizona and trying to live somewhere new, but every time I wanted to talk about it he would make some excuse. I realized that I was wasting time here and I wanted more for myself, even if Jake didn't see it that way.
I heard his keys jingle in the door and knew it was game time. I quickly sat on the couch and took a few deep breaths. A moment later, Jake walked in. He was a dirty mess from working under cars all day long.
"Hey Jake, how was work?" I asked giving him a big smile.
"You know, boss giving me shit all day. How was work for you?" He asked, pulling his boots off.
"I quit today." I bit my lip waiting for him to freak out.
"Why? I thought you liked it there." He didn't even look at me. He just continued to remove his clothes.
"Working in a dinner, as a manager, isn't my dream job, Jake; and I've just had enough. I talked to Rose today." I said with apprehension coloring my already shaky voice.
He looked up at me and rolled his eyes. We had had this conversation before and he already knew what Rose had said. It was the same thing she had said every time that I had talked to her in the last six months. She had asked me to come to Seattle.
"She just doesn't give up, does she? How many times is she going to ask, before she'll take no for answer?" He chuckled lightly.
This was it, no going back now.
"Actually, Jake, I didn't say no this time." I waited for his response, but it never came.
He just stood there frozen, but his blank stare quickly turned ice cold.
"I thought we talked about this Bella. I told you I don't want to move to Seattle, especially not with Rose. You know I don't like her." He said through gritted teeth.
"It's my life too, Jake, and you keep making all of the decisions for me without even considering my feelings. I have an opportunity to be better if I go to Seattle. Don't you want that for me?" I was trying not to let the anger come out.
"Is that what you think? That I don't want more for you, for us? It's just not the right-" I finished the sentence for him.
"Time, Right? I am so tired of wasting time here because change doesn't feel right to you. I am ready to go and start my life with or without you." I couldn't fight back my anger any longer.
His eyes grew large and he looked shocked.
"Well, I see you already made up your mind then. You are leaving no matter what I say, so why even ask me for my thoughts on the matter?" He all but screamed at me.
I walked to him then and grabbed his face in my hands. He looked away from me, but I pulled his face closer and forced him to look into my eyes.
"It doesn't have to be like that. I want you to come with me. It would be a new start for us both. Jake, we've been together six years, and we've built up this comfortable routine. I love our life together, but I feel like there is more to life than this." I hoped he could see the love I had for him through my eyes that were quickly starting to betray me with tears.
He reached up and grabbed my hands, removing them from his face, and placing them at my sides.
"You don't have to waste your life with me any longer, Bella. Go to Seattle and find your dream, but don't expect me to be waiting for you with open arms when you learn the hard way that it's not what you are expecting it to be." He was seething and I just stood there in shock.
"You don't mean that." I said not really sure how I sounded, weak perhaps.
"Don't back down now, Bella. You were doing so well being all tough. You don't get the right to be sad because you didn't get the reaction you wanted. We are done. I was getting bored of this anyway." He brushed passed me and made his way into the bathroom.
I heard him turn the water on and I stood there feeling numb. I thought he would come back, but I guess he didn't really love me. I wiped the tears that were running down my cheeks and walked into the bedroom.
I grabbed my suitcase from the closet and threw it on the bed. I went to my dresser and just started emptying out the drawers into it. I felt like I was emptying my life into that tiny suitcase. I took what I could and closed the suitcase. I took one look at our bedroom, the one where I had felt so safe and loved just last night, and walked out. I would come back the next day and pack the rest. I knew I couldn't stay there that night.
I must have drifted off without even realizing it because when I turned over and saw my alarm clock it was already 7:00 pm. I stretched and got off the bed. My stomach growled loudly, indicating that I was starving. I hadn't eaten since early this morning.
The verdict was still out on whether or not I was mad at Rose for telling Jake a lie, but I guessed she had her reasons. I walked into the kitchen to see if I could make something up to eat. I found a note on the fridge from Rose.
Bells,
sorry about earlier, went out be home late, love you,
Rosie
I rolled my eyes, smiling, and throwing the note in the garbage. I looked in the fridge and realized I would need to go grocery shopping some time this week. I sighed, closing the fridge door and decided to take a walk to the pizza parlor down the street and get something from there. I had become a huge fan of the baked ziti.
I went and grabbed my phone from my room and walked to the closet to get a jacket because I was sure it had gotten cooler out.
I grabbed my keys off the table, locked the doors, and headed down the road. It was a nice night, a bit cool, but refreshing. The sky was clear with stars beginning to pop out of the forming night sky. I zipped my jacket up and stuck my hands in my pockets. I walked with my head down trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
It only took about ten minutes to walk to Waldo's pizzeria and it was not too busy. I figured on a Sunday most people were home relaxing anyway. I placed my order at the counter and they told me it would be about ten minutes. I decided to take a seat and waited.
The lady called my name, I paid her, and walked out with my bag of food. I was excited about getting home to eat it. Who gets excited to go home and eat alone? I really needed to get some friends. But as soon as I made it about twelve feet from the entrance I heard that sexy mouth watering voice. It could be none other than Edward Cullen.
"Bella is that you?" Chimed Edward from behind me.
I spun around to face him and, god, could he just look bad, like one time? His hair was a disarray of bronze and his green eyes were screaming at me. He had on a white tee shirt under a black leather bomber jacket with some dark washed fitted jeans and a pair of all white Adidas sneakers.
I had never seen him look so casual god, he was sexy no matter how you dressed him. I bet his body was the best outfit he could wear and he had offered it to me! Get a grip here, Bella.
"Edward, what are you doing here?" I tried to divert my thoughts.
"I was actually picking up a dinner order. It's funny running into you here. Did you have time to research?" He asked with his eyebrow arched.
"Somewhat, it's a lot to read, I had no idea how involved it could be." I answered, trying not to be too specific in case someone was listening.
He chuckled, shaking his beautiful head. "Well I hope you wrote down everything that you want to know. I would like for you to be thoroughly prepared when we talk tomorrow."
He still wanted to talk. I had almost forgotten with everything that developed earlier, almost.
I finally realized this was the second time in such a small amount of time in such a large city that we had run into each other.
"If I didn't know better, Cullen, I would swear you were stalking me." I giggled.
"Hm, you may be right about that." He smirked at me.
I could feel my face burning from the thought of it. Stalker Edward was actually kind of a hot idea. How did he turn me on so easily? Jake never was capable of that.
We stood there looking at each other for a while until we were broken out of our trance by a perky little voice.
"Hi I'm Alice."
Well my little fans, I now have a beta, so let me know what you think, predictions? Ideas?