I hope you guys like this chapter! It took me a while to write it.
The song for this chapter is "All Around Me" by Flyleaf.
Okay, that song really fits the love that Edward feels for Bella, but I also have to mention the song "Situations" by Escape the Fate, because that song is so fun.
It's a completely different feel than "All Around Me," but I love it.
Enjoy!
"My hands are searching for you,
My arms are outstretched towards you.
I feel you on my fingertips,
My tongue dances behind my lips for you.
My hands float up above me,
And you whisper you love me.
And I begin to fade,
Into our secret place."
- JayBee
EPOV
"Mom and dad are going out tonight, right?"
"They already left. They're going to Fordham to check out the dorm rooms with Emmett again. And they're staying the night this time."
Good. "And you?"
Alright, I knew I was being annoying, but I had to ask. I had to make sure.
She sighed heavily. "I don't know…I'll find something to do. Obviously you don't want anyone home."
A black Labrador Retriever ran up to me then, and I bent down to pet it as I looked up at Alice. "Thanks. And sorry. I just wanna be alone with Bella tonight."
The dog's owner ran up to us and apologized as she grabbed the leash and took him away. I stood up and continued walking with Alice. I loved this park. I've had some of my best
walks and talks here. And the weather was perfect today. I wish summer was like this every single day. Sunny and breezy, so I wasn't dying of heat.
"You guys are always alone."
"No. I wanna be alone alone." When I saw the look on her face, I knew what she was thinking. That was not was I thinking about when I said I wanted to be alone with Bella.
"Oh."
"No. I don't mean that. I'm gonna make dinner for her, and I want it to be just the two of us."
"Oh. Well…that's really sweet, Edward."
"Thanks. I try." I said it as a joke, but to be honest with myself, I was serious. I actually thought about what I could do for Bella. I wanted to do something special for her, and making
dinner seemed safe enough. As long as I didn't burn the house down, it would be a success.
"You know…sometimes, I really wish Brian would do things like that. Like make me dinner…or surprise me with tickets to a hockey game. He doesn't even like sports!" She threw her hands
up in the air and laughed humorlessly. "Who am I gonna speak to about hockey?"
It didn't take a genius to figure out that something wrong between them. They didn't act the way they used to act with each other, and I didn't know if I should be happy that they
weren't always on top of each other, or be sad that they were having problems.
I knew she didn't care about the sports thing; she just wanted someone to do things with.
But I answered anyway. "Me."
"But you said the Rangers suck!"
My face froze. "How do you know that?"
"Pfft. Bella told me. Obviously. Why do you look surprised?"
"Huh…"
I sat down on a nearby bench and Alice followed, sitting next to me as she brought her hands up in panic. "But don't tell her I told you!"
I gave her a look. Of course I was gonna tell Bella. She had some explaining to do. "Alice, she shouldn't have told you in the first place."
"Well, she was good with keeping everything else a secret. I wondered how she would get you of all people to say something like that. So I asked her. She wouldn't tell me, though."
That cooled me down a bit. I mean, I didn't really want my sister knowing about my sex life. I know girls talked about that crap, so I was glad Bella didn't say anything. "So can I know?"
"Know what?"
"How she got you to say it. I'd like to know how to get your stubborn ass to do things you don't wanna do."
I'd rather you didn't know. "Uh…no. It's something…that only Bella can do." And that was as far of an explanation as I was going to give her. I don't know if she got what I meant, but
she didn't argue. "So…what's going on with you and Brian?"
"Nothing. Literally. Nothing is going on. Our relationship is based on arguments and sex."
I cringed. I didn't want to hear about her having sex. Or doing anything with that dumbass. "Um…Alice…can you please just tell me one thing about that kid that's good? Just so I can
see something positive in him. I don't wanna hate someone you're dating. He's just so…annoying." It was no secret that I couldn't stand anything about him.
She sighed and looked up at the branches that provided the bench with a shade. "I don't know." She looked back at me. "He's hot."
He's hot? Who gives a shit? "That's not really something I care about. Tell me something else. I mean…how do you even trust him? He looks like such a sleaze. And I'm not saying that
to make you mad."
"Says the manwhore of New York."
I threw my head back and laughed. "I don't cheat on my girlfriends. I just like to…have fun when I'm single."
She looked disgusted as she spoke. "Yeah. I know. My room isn't far from yours, and our walls aren't sound-proof."
Oh, shit. I bit my bottom lip to keep from bursting out laughing. "Alright, alright! I get it. Now, tell me something else about him that's good."
She let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know, Edward." We sat there for a few minutes and she began crying out of nowhere. I looked away quickly. I was not prepared for that, and
I didn't want to see her crying over a fucking douchebag. I looked back at her and she looked down, the way Bella always did.
I didn't ask Alice to look at me the way I did with Bella, though.
I was so glad this kid wasn't here. I would've chucked a fucking rock at his head without thinking twice.
I leaned back and stared at the kids playing tag on the playground. I wish I was that age again. A little kid, with no major problems in life. With nothing to hide from anyone and
nothing to threaten my relationship with the people I love. For major personal reasons, I didn't let myself think any deeper about it, and turned back to Alice.
"What happened?…We don't have to talk about him if –"
"He said I was ugly."
"He's blind."
"And that I didn't deserve him."
"You deserve better."
What the fuck? I had to try to keep my composure. My blood was fucking boiling. I reminded myself that we were at a park, and I wasn't going to blow up here.
"And it hurt, Edward. A lot. I acted like I didn't care when he said it, though. And at first, I didn't. But when you keep hearing the same things…"
"Alice, you're fucking beautiful, okay? And you deserve someone so much better than him."
She finally looked up at me, her face blotchy. "Edward, calm down. Please."
"I am calm." My voice was low. In a situation like this, that meant I was calm. "Tell me you don't believe him."
"I don't. I don't think I'm ugly…"
She was lying. And because of that, I wondered how many times he'd told her these things. I didn't want to ask. I didn't want to know. I knew that he'd said it enough times.
"And you deserve better." She kept quiet and at that moment, I wished that he was here. I would've fucking murdered him and enjoyed it. "Alice, how can you think otherwise? You
think you deserve someone who treats you this way? Who abuses you?"
"He's not abusing me."
"Why would you stick up for him? He's hurting you, Alice. You wouldn't have brought it up and freaking cried if it didn't bother you. It might not be anything severe, but it's abuse. Why didn't
you say anything sooner?"
"I don't know. Why are you making it into such a big deal?"
I just stared at her. Was she kidding? "How is this not a big deal? Did you expect me to be fine with this? Oh, someone's making my sister feel ugly and worthless. Yeah, that's not
a big fucking deal at all…"
"Please don't tell mom and dad."
I wasn't planning on it. "I'm not going to." It would hurt them to hear this.
Her hands shot up again. "And don't say anything to Brian! I'll deal with it…"
I didn't want to ask her the next question that came to mind, but as terrified as I was to hear the answer, I had to ask. I took a deep breath. "Does he hurt you?"
"What?"
"Physically."
It took her a second to answer and a million things ran through my mind as I panicked.
"No." She dropped her head again. This time, I had to have her look at me.
"Alice, I'm begging you, don't lie about this. I swear to you, I won't tell anyone." If it was true and she didn't want me to tell anyone, I wouldn't. I would find him, though. And he would
never see her again.
She looked up at me and when I looked through her tears, I felt my body go limp as I let out a breath of relief. She wasn't lying. "I'm not lying, Edward. He doesn't hit me or anything."
"Are you gonna see him tonight? You can stay at home with Bella and me. Or I can just invite her over another night. I haven't even invited her over yet. We can just watch movies if
you want to. Just the two of us. Or bake cookies! I did that with Bella a few times. She tells me everything I have to do, though, so you have to guide me through it." She laughed, not
knowing that I was completely serious about the cookies. I smiled, because wow, it felt so good to see her laugh.
I had no idea what to offer or tell her to make her feel better. I just didn't want to see her like this. Especially over a guy who put her down that way.
"Thank you, but please. Invite her over. Have dinner with her. She'll love it. Yes, I'm gonna go see him. But only to end all of this. Everything. I'm done."
"Really?"
"Really."
She smiled and I smiled back, feeling more at ease. I just hoped everything would go smoothly when she ended the relationship.
I looked at the time on my phone and got up, Alice wiping her eyes as she followed. "We should get going. I still have to go get everything I need for tonight."
We began walking home, watching people ride their bikes, run, skateboard, rollerblade, play, and just sit on the grass. I loved being here.
"So why did you stay with him for so long?"
I looked down at her and she shrugged. "I just wanted to be in a relationship, I guess."
"Not a relationship like the one you're in now, I hope."
She laughed lightly. "Definitely not. It wasn't always like this. Just…this past month, it got pretty bad."
I didn't tell her that I'd noticed the change in their relationship. She didn't need to know. I picked a flower out of the ground and gave it to Alice, just to see her smile. It worked, and I smiled back.
"You know, Edward, sometimes I get so tired of getting dirty looks from these random girls. And all I'm doing is walking next to you."
I looked at her apologetically. "Sorry." I know it was pretty bad that I couldn't even give my own sister a flower, but seriously, what could I do? Yell at them?
"It must be even worse with Bella. Holding hands, kissing. I can only imagine what she goes through."
Her tone was still light, but I didn't want to hear this shit right now.
"Don't say that."
"It's true."
"I know. But Bella gets upset. I don't wanna think about it right now. And don't say anything about it to her. She already thinks she doesn't deserve me." And to this day, I couldn't
imagine how Bella would think something like that.
Alice didn't say anything, and we walked in silence for a while.
I looked down at her as she looked up at me, squinting as the sun hit her eyes. "So how's the weather down there?" I couldn't help but laugh at my own joke. She was so short!
"We're not all trees like you are, Edward."
I forced out an exaggerated laugh at her comeback. "I'm not a tree. I'm a human being." I shook my head like she didn't know what she was talking about, and she cracked up.
"You're such a loser."
"So I've been told."
"What are you making for dinner tonight?"
"Pasta."
I paused because I knew she would laugh, and she didn't disappoint. "Pasta? That's so generic."
"In case you weren't paying attention before, I still need someone telling me what to do when I bake cookies. And there are a total of what…four steps in the process? So I'm making
pasta. I can't really mess it up if I pay attention to what I'm doing. And Bella's not gonna be there to help me."
All she said was a simple "Oh." before continuing. "So what kind of pasta are you making?"
"I don't know. Uhhh…Bow-tie. With Alfredo sauce. And a salad. And dessert."
"Alfredo? No meat sauce?"
"She doesn't like meat sauce."
"What's for dessert?"
"Vanilla sponge cake."
"No chocolate cake? Mmm…that sounds so good right now."
"She doesn't like chocolate cake. Or chocolate ice cream, for that matter." Did Alice not notice these things?
"I didn't know Bella was a picky eater."
"She's not. There are just certain things people like and don't like. And I know the cake's not something fancy, but cake comes with instructions."
"It doesn't have to be fancy. You can make her lemonade for dessert and she'd be happy with it."
I let out a heavy sigh. "She doesn't like lemonade."
"It was hypothetical."
"Okay."
A few seconds passed.
"Alright. You can make her iced tea for dessert and she'd be happy."
I knew she wouldn't let this go, and I had to laugh. "Was that hypothetical?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, well, that's a shame. She likes iced tea."
"Ugh!" She glared at me and I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my mouth.
When we got home, I grabbed my car keys as soon as I got in the house, and Alice walked toward the kitchen. When I got back to the door, I turned to the kitchen. "Alice, you
wanna come with me?"
She was looking through the fridge, and stood up with a bottle of apple juice in her hand as she answered. "No thanks. I'm gonna leave in a little bit. Thank you so much, Edward. You
know, at the park and everything."
"I didn't do anything."
"You listened."
"No problem. Anytime. Really, just let me know whenever you wanna have a talk." We exchanged smiles again. "Good luck, Alice." There was no sarcasm in my tone. I meant it. I hoped
Brian wouldn't give her any problems tonight.
"You too."
With what? The food? I laughed before opening the door and walking out. I was going to need luck, no doubt.
On the ride to the supermarket, I thought about how amazed I was with the change in my relationships with Alice and Emmett. We used to kill each other. Okay – not kill each other, but
Alice and I would beat each other up – a lot. God, and get each other in so much trouble. When we got a little bit older, we would tag-team against Emmett and make him cry. Pick on
him, watch WWF and do all the wrestling moves on him, things like that. I don't know when it happened, and I don't know if it happened gradually, but at some point, we all just stopped
fighting. Well…we still have arguments, obviously. We just don't murder each other.
When I got to the supermarket, I had no idea where to begin. I grabbed a basket and began walking around, grabbing a bottle of Arizona Iced Tea and putting it in the basket. I was glad
Alice had brought it up, even if she didn't mean it literally. I wasn't going to give Bella iced tea for dessert, but it would be what we drank during dinner. I don't know if it would be the best
thing with pasta, but I wasn't going to serve root beer, and I didn't feel like serving wine. I got the pasta and Alfredo sauce, grabbing whichever jar looked fanciest.
When I went to get the cake mix, I put the basket down and stared at the boxes. What the hell? There were so many different brands of cake.
Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury…
The Pillsbury Doughboy was popular. Did that taste the best? He laughed when people poked him. Did Bella think that was cute? Did she not like him? I don't think I've ever heard her
say anything about it.
Or about cake brands.
There was a teenage girl standing next to me looking at cookie mix, and I decided she could help me. Teens baked a lot, right?
I turned to her. "Excuse me?"
She turned and smiled at me, and I couldn't help but notice how long her hair was as it swayed from side to side. Down to her thighs. Wow. Definitely an accomplishment.
I looked back up at her, and she was staring at my shirt. Which made no sense. I was wearing a plain white t-shirt. She looked back up at me and I gestured toward the boxes
of cake mix. "Which one tastes the best?" Her smile never faltered and all she did was blink a few times. Couldn't she at least point at something? "Right…" I turned back toward
the shelves, picked out whichever vanilla cake mix was in front of me, and walked away.
"Wait!"
I turned around when I heard the girl call out, and she ran toward me with a box in her hand. "I always use this one. It's the best! And it has such a rich chocolate taste."
I looked down at the box. Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil's Food.
Chocolate.
What is it with girls and chocolate cake? "Do they have that in vanilla?"
"Yeah!"
I began walking back to the boxes of cake mix and she followed behind me. I grabbed the box of vanilla and put back whatever box I had in my basket.
"And don't forget this. This is the best." She grabbed a tub of chocolate icing and held it out toward me. I was beginning to think that everything was 'the best' for this girl. I felt bad
for getting annoyed because she didn't even do anything…and she did help out. But I couldn't help it. I hated it when girls acted this way.
I grabbed some vanilla icing and put it in my basket. "Thank you."
I went to get salad dressing, and…how could there be so many brands of dressing? There were a few people around me, and I asked an old woman which dressing would be best to use.
"What kind do you want, sweetie?"
I shrugged. I hadn't even thought about it. "Caesar?"
She grabbed a bottle and handed it to me. "I always use this one, and my husband absolutely loves it."
I looked down at the bottle. Newman's Own. My mom always got this, too. I took the bottle and thanked her.
I should've just asked an old lady about the cake mix.
I finally made my way toward the checkout line, paid, and left the supermarket.
Shit. Calling Bella before I bought everything would've been smart.
I got in my car and blasted the AC, waiting for it to cool. I turned it down to low after a minute, and finally called Bella.
"Hello?"
I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face when I heard her voice. "Hi, baby."
"Hey!"
"What are you doing?"
"Watching TV. And eating chips."
"Yeah? What are you watching?"
"The Notebook."
Of course. "Doesn't that movie make you sad?"
"Yeah."
"Why are you watching it?"
"It's so good!"
I don't think I'd ever understand why she would watch something that always made her sad. I figured it was just like the chocolate cake thing that every girl (besides Bella) had.
It was a girl thing, and I wouldn't understand it. I just let it go.
"Alright, baby. Just don't cry again…"
"I wasn't crying! I yawned and my eyes were tearing up."
I laughed, because when I watched that movie with her a few years ago, she wasn't just tearing up.
"Sure, Bella." She didn't say anything, and I figured she was watching the movie. "Are you free tonight?"
"Yupp."
"Do you wanna go out to eat?"
"Yeah. Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise. Um…wear something pretty."
"Oooh, is it somewhere fancy?"
"It's a surprise."
"I wanna knowww…"
"Too bad."
"Hmph."
I don't know why she even tried to act sad. As long as I couldn't see that lethal pout, I wouldn't crack. "Bye, Bells. I love you."
She still sounded sad when she spoke, and I had to remind myself that it was an act. "Love you, too."
I just hoped she wasn't disappointed when she realized we weren't going out.
I hung up and pulled out of the parking spot, checking the clock. I had extra time, and I looked in the mirror, running a hand through my hair.
I guess a haircut would be nice. It was about time, anyway. I had no idea how my hair still stayed in its usual spiky mess. It had gotten too long. Yeah, a haircut was definitely
what I needed. I'd look nice and clean for my Bella.
I pulled up to my barber's parking lot and got out of the car, almost getting back in. I forced myself to go inside.
This time, I was going to get it cut short. I'm not going to lie, I was fucking nervous. My hair hadn't been really short in a while, but this would be worth it. Short hair was so much
easier to deal with.
"Edward! Long time, no see!"
"Hey, Tony." I smiled at him. I loved this man. He gestured toward the seat and I sat in it as he wrapped the cape around my neck.
"The usual?"
"Not this time. This time, I want it short."
He stared at my hair. "How short?"
"A number 4."
"Are you, uh…sure?"
I had to laugh at the look on his face. "Yes, I'm positive. But quick. Please. I don't have a lot of time."
He grabbed a pair of scissors and quickly chopped of my hair, following it with a buzzer.
He finished pretty quickly, and…damn. The person staring back at me through the mirror looked completely different, even to me. I couldn't believe how different a haircut made me seem.
"Thank you, Tony."
"No problem. This is easier to handler than that mop of hair, huh?"
"Definitely." A buzz cut was definitely what I needed. Especially in the summer.
I paid him and left, thinking about the day Bella and I were watching The Notebook on the way home.
**She was lying down on top of me on her living room couch. We were watching the movie, as Ally forgot who Noah was again and pushed him away. The doctors came rushing in
and…Noah began crying.
Well, I didn't really blame him. He just lost the love of his life. Again.
I jumped and looked down when Bella let out a loud sob.
She was crying her eyes out, and the front of my shirt was soaked in her tears. She wasn't even watching the movie anymore. I immediately brought my hand up and stroked her
hair, trying to comfort her.
I was thankful that her face was buried in my shirt, because as bad as I felt about it, I was laughing silently. She would fucking kill me if she saw me right now.
This wasn't her first time seeing this movie, and I had no clue why she was crying so much. I looked at the TV screen again. Ally and Noah were lying down in a hospital bed together, and
when the nurse walked in, I realized that they'd died. Well…I'll admit, that sucked.
I looked down at Bella again and she was looking at the TV screen. When the movie ended, she turned her face into my shirt again, grabbing my shirt in her fists. She said something, but I
understood absolutely nothing through her crying.
"What?"
"Why do they have to dieee?"
Because they're old. "Bells, it's okay. They ended up together in the end."
"They died!"
"Yeah, but she remembered him. And at least she remembered who he was right before they died right?"
It took her a few seconds to answer. "Mm…yeah. I guess." She sat up and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. I looked around for tissues and with no luck, pulled down my
shirt sleeve over my hand, hooking it over my thumb. I wiped her face and nose, which would be disgusting – if this was anyone besides Bella. "And she realized how much he loved her?"
"Yes, baby. And she realized how much he loved her. And he knew how much she loved him."
She pushed me down gently and lay on top of me again, nuzzling my shoulder and breathing in deeply before speaking. "Good." **
When I got home, I still thought about that day. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe how much my love had grown for her. Back then, I never thought my love for her would
turn into something more.
I had no idea where my thoughts had taken me, but by the time I realized what I was actually doing, the pasta was already in the pot and I was mixing the cake batter.
I checked over the cake instructions, and realized I'd already done everything. I preheated the oven and checked on the pasta – hard and crunchy. Definitely not ready.
I tried to think of anything I might have picked up from watching those late-night Food Network shows.
I couldn't think of anything.
Probably because you were half-asleep while you were watching them, dumbass.
I quickly ran a hand through my hair, surprised at the fuzzy feeling. I'd already forgotten about my haircut. I chuckled lightly to myself and continued cooking as quickly as
possible, throwing the cake into the oven.
I got a text and went over to the counter to check my phone. The name on my phone read Jasper and I honestly wanted to call him and tell him to leave me the fuck alone, just
this once.
From: Jasper
- Dude, do u wanna chill tonight?
I answered him as quick as I could. I didn't want to deal with this shit tonight.
To: Jasper
- No. Gonna spend the night w/ Bella.
From: Jasper
- Ur always with her! And when the fuck r u gonna tell her?
To: Jasper
- Shut the fuck up. Bye.
It would make my life so much easier if he minded his own fucking business and left her alone. I turned my phone off and continued what I was doing.
The home phone rang a few minutes later and I let out a heavy sigh before answering it. Could I just finish this shit without being interrupted?
I spoke through my teeth when I picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, baby."
I relaxed when I heard the voice on the other end. "Hey, love."
"Um…sorry I'm calling the house. I called your cell, but it's off."
"You can call the house whenever you want to. And sorry. People were bugging me so I turned off my phone."
"Oh…what time should I come over?" I was glad that she didn't ask me who was bothering me.
I was almost done with everything. I looked at the time. "In thirty minutes?"
I could tell she was smiling, and I smiled as well. "Okay."
"What are you doing?"
"I am…getting dolled up for you."
"Yeah? I like the sound of that. I'll let you go so you can get ready." I couldn't wait to see her.
"'Kay. Bye, babe. Love you."
"Bye, baby. I love you, too."
I drained the pasta – thank you, mom and Food Network. – and filled up two bowls. I looked in the fridge for mozzarella cheese, but had to settle for Parmesan. I sprinkled some
of it on top of the pasta.
I brought the bowls, silverware, and salad over to the dining room table, setting everything up before bringing the drinks out. I stared at the table and thought about what else I
could put on it.
Candles. She'd like that.
I looked around the house and found two candles, one taller than the other. They were pretty wide, so there was no need for candle holders – which was great, because I didn't have
time to look for them.
I put the candles on the table and lit them, running into the kitchen to take the cake out of the oven. I put the cake in the freezer to cool it down enough for the icing. You didn't need to
know how to bake to know that the icing would melt off from the heat.
I sprinted upstairs and threw on my light green button-down shirt and black pants. Bella liked this shirt.
I heard the doorbell ring and ran downstairs toward the door.
Shit! The cake.
I turned around and ran into the kitchen, taking the cake out of the freezer and putting it into the fridge. I'd put the icing on later.
I walked over to the door and took in a deep breath, letting it all out before answering the door.
"Hey, baby." I had a huge smile on my face, and ended up laughing at Bella's shock.
Her mouth dropped as her eyes shot open. "Your hair!"
I laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her inside as I closed the door. I bent down to give her a kiss and she pushed me back, still staring at my hair.
"I got a haircut."
"Yeah, no kidding!" She brought her hands up and ran them through my hair, tilting her head up as I brought mine down to kiss her.
When we parted, her hands stayed on my head and she scratched my scalp as I moved my head against her palms. Fuck…that felt amazing.
Bella giggled and dropped her hands as she took a step back. I finally got a good look at her, and at that moment, I could only think one thought.
She was beautiful.
"You look gorgeous, baby." Her grey dress fit her perfectly, and her make-up looked…wonderful. I loved the fact that she didn't have to cake on make-up, and yet she was still
breathtaking.
"So do you. I mean –" she shook her head. "You look so handsome. And you look like such a bad-ass with that hair!"
"What? What are you talking about? I am a bad-ass." I tried to keep a straight face, but smiled when she spoke.
"You're such a softy!"
I shrugged. I could understand why she'd think that. "Only for you." I don't think she fully understood how big of a soft spot I had for her.
"And I love you for that." She wrapped her arms around me and turned her head to the side, laying it on my chest.
She gasped and picked her head up as quickly as she had laid it down.
"Baby, what is this?" She took a few steps toward the dining room and stared at the table.
I walked over to her and put my hands on her hips. "This is dinner."
"Are you serious? You made this? You?"
"You don't sound shocked at all, babe." I hope she caught my sarcasm.
She turned around and looked at me with a frown. She looked like she was about to cry, but she didn't let one tear fall. Because of my sarcasm…?
"I'm sorry. This is so amazing, Edward! Aw, and you dressed up for this, baby! This is so sweet. And candles and everything!" She hugged me again and I wrapped my arms
around her. "Thank you so much."
I kissed the top of her head and got a whiff of her strawberry shampoo, lingering there for a few seconds longer. God…I loved that smell. "You're welcome, Bells. Shall we eat?"
She giggled and looked up at me. "Yes. We shall."
I walked over to the table and pulled out her chair, waiting for her to sit before I took my seat. With the first bite of pasta I took, I realized I should've left them in the pot for a
little while longer. I put my fork down and looked over at Bella. She didn't seem to notice about the pasta, and even if she did, she didn't make it obvious.
She looked up at me and I smiled. "What?"
I shrugged. "Nothing."
"You're not eating?"
I looked down at my plate, and back up at her. "I will." I just want to watch you for a little bit. …Without it sounding creepy, the way it just did.
We continued eating the pasta and salad, and honestly, all I could think about was what Alice might be going through right now, and I felt so guilty for not completely being here
mentally for Bella.
Thinking about Alice reminded me of something I wanted to let Bella know.
"Oh. So, Bella. I was talking to Alice today…" I couldn't help the smirk that formed across my face.
She looked up at me, and I was almost positive that she knew what I was going to bring up. "Yeah? That's nice."
"No, no. I'm not done. But, yeah…it was nice how she knew that I said the Rangers suck! Isn't that something?" I put on a fake smile, and had to hold myself back from laughing at
her reaction.
"Yeah. That's something…"
"She said Emmett told her. It was pretty funny, actually." I saw her relax when I mentioned Emmett, but I don't think she realized that no matter who told who, it would always come
back to her because she was the only one who initially knew about it.
"Funny?" I had to try even harder not to laugh at the confused look displayed on her face.
I took a bite of some pasta and chewed it slowly, swallowing before I spoke. "Yeah. Who knew Em was so funny? I mean, the way he told her –"
"Emmett's not the funny one! I am! I told Alice." I sat back in my seat and folded my arms across my chest, acting mad. Honestly, I wasn't really mad. A little annoyed, yes, but not
mad. "I'm sorry! But she wasn't supposed to tell anyone."
My eyebrows shot up. "Baby, you weren't supposed to tell anyone."
She looked down at her empty plate. "I know."
I ran my thumbs around the rim of my plate. "Can we just keep our private things…private…from now on?"
"Yeah. I mean, I didn't tell her how I got you to say it."
"I know. But I specifically told you that no one could find out I said that." I wanted her to know that even if she didn't think keeping it a secret was important, I asked her not to tell
anyone. She should respect that.
She played with her fork. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry."
"Bells."
"Yeah."
"Can you look at me?" She brought her face up and I was relieved when she didn't look too sad. "You know I'm not mad, right?" She said nothing, and I continued. "I just want some
things to be between us. I don't wanna share them with other people."
She smiled at me and I automatically smiled back. "I don't wanna share them either."
I looked down at her bowl and gestured toward it. "Do you want some more?"
"No, this was perfect. Thank you."
Hell yeah… 'perfect.' I did it. I would do a fucking dance right now if I could.
"You're welcome, baby. Thank you for coming."
I picked up my plate and bent down to give Bella a kiss before picking up her plate and walking over to the kitchen. I heard Bella pick up the salad bowl, blow out the candles, and follow me.
"Just put it on the counter, Bella. I'll put it away later." I didn't want her to see the cake in the fridge before it was time for us to eat it. She went back to the table and brought back
the cups, putting them in the sink as I rinsed everything.
She pushed herself up on to the counter next to the sink, and I thought of splashing her, but quickly thought against it.
Ah…screw it.
I quickly grabbed the spray hose and pulled it out of its spot next to the faucet. I pressed down with my thumb and quickly let go, spraying her enough to wet her, but not drench
her in water.
She had no idea what hit her, and her eyes shut closed as her mouth dropped open. "Edward!"
I laughed loudly as I turned off the faucet, and dried my hands on a towel before stepping in front of her. I put my hands on her knees and separated her legs enough to
stand between them.
She pouted – and automatically, I melted into a pile of goo. "My hair's gonna get frizzy."
I ran my hands through her hair and looked into her eyes. "Baby, who cares? No one's here." I looked down and saw a thin black hair band around her wrist. I held her hand
as I took off the band, and ran my hands through her soft hair again.
I used my fingers as a comb and smoothed out all of the bumps – she hated those – as I pulled her hair into a ponytail and pulled it through the hair band a few times. It was hard
doing this from the front, but I think I managed to do a pretty good job.
I bent down and gave her a peck on the lips. "Better?"
She looked completely confused and shocked, and I let out a laugh. "When did you learn to do that? Guys aren't supposed to know things like that!"
"Alice taught me when we were younger. She said I had to learn, and…I would just believe anything she said, so…"
I watched as she took one of my hands in hers and played with my fingers. "So…do you know how to do anything else? With hair, I mean."
"Um…" I had to think about this. I hadn't done anything in a while. "…I…can braid. And do a bun. That's it." It wasn't much, I know.
"Really? Oh, my God. Can you braid my hair one day? And put it in a bun!"
I had to laugh at her enthusiasm. Honestly, I think she was just surprised by the fact that she didn't know this about me. "Sure."
"How come I never knew this?"
I shrugged, because really, I had no clue why I'd never told her. "I honestly don't know, baby. No one besides Alice knows."
"Oh. Is it a secret?"
I shook my head. I didn't care if people knew. "No. I just never had any reason to tell anyone."
"Can this be one of those things we keep just between us?"
I'd be more than happy to keep something between just us. Something no one else knew. Even something this small and insignificant. "Of course."
I bent down and gave her another kiss, pulling away when the doorbell rang. I looked at Bella with a questioning look and got the same look back. Who would be here?
I only had to think for a second. I whipped my head around and looked at the counter on the other side of the kitchen. My phone.
He wouldn't come to my house right now.
Would he?
He knew Bella was here.
Maybe it was Alice.
I squeezed Bella's thighs before turning and walking toward the door. "One sec, babe."
I panicked before opening the door. Calm the fuck down.
When I opened the door, I didn't know whether to be glad it wasn't who I thought it was, or be angry at whom it actually was.
I let out a sigh and leaned my back against the open door. "What do you want? I'm busy." I heard Bella walk toward us, and I turned my head to the side to look at her before
looking back at him.
He glanced at my hair, took a quick look at Bella, and looked back to me. "Did you tell Alice to break up with me?" Needless to say, he was pissed. He pointed a finger
at me, and I stared at it, wanting to break it off his fucking hand.
"Did she break up with you?"
"Yeah, she did."
I moved my head to look outside. "Where is she?"
"I don't fucking know. She went out with a girlfriend. I know you had something to do with this shit."
"No. She has a mind of her own. She makes her own decisions. Bye." I shut the door and heard him yell my name once before I heard his car drive away. I let the door carry my
weight as I leaned my back against it and closed my eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.
I didn't want to think about the shit Alice must have gone through with him. I was positive that he did everything in his power to make it as hard for her as he could. Pathetic.
I put my hands on top of my head and slid them over my face. Ugh! I didn't want to fucking think about this shit! I kept my hands there for a while, and dropped them when I felt
Bella's hands on my wrists.
I looked down at her with a mean glare. She knew the glare wasn't for her. I just…God…I couldn't help it. The more I thought about Alice and Brian, the angrier I got.
It irked me even more that I couldn't look into the soft brown color of Bella's eyes to comfort myself. The lights were too dim.
I knew she was going to ask, so I finally closed my eyes and let it all out.
"She's not…" I let out a sigh. "She's…" I tried again. "…Bella, he treats her so badly. And she just sits there and takes it. I know she can stick up for herself. But with him, she
doesn't. And I don't know why. She's getting hurt because of the stupid shit he says to her. And I don't wanna see that. I mean…I'm so relieved that she ended things with him. But
what if this isn't the end? He doesn't look like he's gonna let this go. And I don't…" Another sigh. "…know what to do."
Bella didn't ask any questions, and I appreciated it. I don't think I could've gone into any details right now. I closed my eyes again and breathed in deeply when I felt her cradle my
face in her hands and run her thumb over my eyebrow, straightening it out.
"It's okay. It's okay. Baby, look at me."
I opened my eyes and let a weak smile splay across my face. She was speaking to me as if she was speaking to a baby, and I couldn't explain to her how much it comforted me. She didn't
need to say anything else. It would be fine. Alice was more than capable of taking care of herself.
I leaned my head down and rested my forehead against Bella's.
I felt my chest ache because of my love for her, and I finally admitted to myself that my love for Bella scared me so much. I'd never met anyone I would do absolutely anything for, and
before this moment, I never thought love could be something to…fear.
It wasn't love that I was actually afraid of, but the feelings I had for her were unbelievably strong, and it scared me to know that someone had me falling this hard for them without
even trying. All she had to do was be herself. Merely exist, and that was more than enough. Even when I got mad at her, even when we fought, I forgave her so easily. How could that
not scare someone? Especially someone who had such a short temper. How could that person not be afraid of a tiny girl that changed everything he thought he was?
But none of that mattered, because she was the same Bella she had always been. I was the one who was changing.
I had turned into such a sappy person; into someone who'd do anything – anything – for another. It made me feel so unstable to feel this vulnerable around another person, but I couldn't
do anything about that. I could never go for too long without being around her.
I had no idea how much deeper my love for her could go. That was another thing I feared. No matter how many times I thought I couldn't love her any more than I already did, my love
grew even deeper. Sometimes, I didn't even want to think about it. I sound like a dick, I know. But it hurt so much at times, and the more I thought about my feelings for her, the more it hurt.
She was my everything.
I closed the small gap between our lips and kissed her as softly as I could, barely touching her lips with mine. She leaned forward and I pulled my head back enough to look at her with
a smirk. She smiled, tightening the corners of her mouth, and at that moment, I was grateful for the dim lights. With the soft shadow hitting her face, the dimple on her left cheek was more
noticeable. She looked so innocent. So adorable.
I cupped her cheek with my hand and rubbed my thumb over her bottom lip. God, I loved her lips. So soft. Soft and…succulent.
She kissed my thumb before taking it in her mouth and flicking her tongue over the tip. Fuck…what the hell was she doing? She caught her bottom teeth under my fingernail and sucked
hard. She knew exactly what she was doing. I was a guy. I had two heads. Right now, I was obviously thinking with the one that was downstairs. I let out a low moan and Bella
smiled around my thumb as she looked up at me through her eyelashes. Jesus…
I pulled my thumb out of Bella's mouth and pushed her back, onto the wall behind her. I wrapped my hand around her ponytail and crashed my lips onto hers, moaning as our teeth
collided. She gasped before kissing me back, and I swallowed her moans as my tongue tried to dominate hers. I let everything out through the kiss. My anger toward Brian, the sorrow
I felt for Alice, and my undying love for Bella.
I pulled her hair band off and threw it on the ground, running my hands through her silky hair before bringing one hand down her body. I hitched her dress up high enough to grab her
thigh and wrap her leg around my waist. I parted my lips from hers, panting as I slowly inched my hands down her back and grabbed her ass aggressively. She gasped again, not expecting
the force, and wrapped her other leg around my waist as I picked her up, her dress bunching up above her hips. Her head hit the picture frame that was hanging behind her, and I moved
her to the side, letting it fall to the ground and shatter. I turned my head and looked down quickly at our family picture, covered with fragments of glass.
I'd pick it up later. I wasn't letting go of Bella.
I bent my head down and attacked her neck, nibbling and sucking as she shoved her hands into my hair. Her fingers automatically went to pull at my hair, but all she could do was scratch
my scalp. It felt fucking amazing, but at that very moment, I wished I'd gotten it cut a little less. I slowed down, speaking between tender kisses.
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have." After hearing my own voice, I realized that neither of us had said a word in a long while.
I brought my head up and looked at her as she put her hands on my lower back and shook her head slowly. "It'll grow back."
She moved her hands up my back and massaged the nape of my neck before bringing them to my hair again. I leaned my head toward her hands and closed my eyes, letting out a soft
moan. She made small circles with her nails as she ground her hips into mine, and I felt my fucking knees tingle as I let out a loud whimper and rolled my hips.
"Bel-…unh…"
I was already rock hard, and I didn't know how much more I could take. All we were doing was dry humping against the wall, and I was already on edge. I couldn't believe how quickly I
got worked up when I was with her.
I pulled my hips back and aimed higher when I pushed forward, rubbing my bulge against her clit.
Fuck…she looked beyond sexy. Her mouth dropped open and she panted loudly before letting out a loud moan. I felt her hot breath on my face, and right then, I had to have her.
I stared at her intently, speaking between breaths. "Baby…I need you…I need you…" She nodded, and I had no idea if she knew what I was talking about. "No. Bella…I…need you. I need
to be inside of you." I didn't want to force her into it, but I couldn't take it anymore.
She nodded again, and this time, I understood. "Yes…please…"
I held onto her tightly as I walked her up the stairs and into my room, closing the door before walking over to my bed and placing her down gently.
Tonight was the night.
And I couldn't wait.
I didn't turn the lights on. There was no need. The moon shining in through my window was enough. I got on the bed and Bella sat up on her knees, her hands jetting to my belt
buckle. Her fingers fumbled with the belt, and I swatted her hands away gently, making quick work of the buckle. I shoved my pants down and threw them off the bed as Bella pulled my
shirt off, buttons flying everywhere.
"Bella!"
"Sorry. It was taking too long trying to take it off!"
I laughed at her as I took my shirt and flung it behind me. I wasn't mad. I didn't blame her for being impatient. It jut took me by surprise. Bella turned around and I quickly pulled down the
zipper of her dress, pulling the straps down her shoulders as she took the dress off. I ran my fingers over her tattoo as she turned back around, and I crashed my lips onto hers again, taking her bra off and shoving my hand into her panties.
"Unghh! Edward!"
All I felt was smooth skin, and then it hit me that she was completely bare. I had to take my hand out and push her panties down to look. Holy fuck. "You shaved everything?"
She shook her head. "Waxed."
"Fuck, baby…" She usually left a little strip, and I didn't mind either way, but this looked completely different. So sexy.
I brought my hand back to her heat, and had to force myself to slow down. I rubbed her clit with my thumb before pushing a finger into her opening. I laid her back and continued, adding
another finger.
"Fuck, Bella. You're so wet…" I brought my head down to her nipple and sucked on it as she squirmed. She put her hand on the back of my head and moved me to her other breast, and I
couldn't help giving it a little nibble as she moaned. "Fuckkk…your tits are so fucking perfect, baby…"
She responded with a low moan, and I rubbed her clit even harder, curling my fingers inside of her. I sucked on her breast for a while, and smiled when I pulled back and saw the dark
spot forming where my mouth was. I loved leaving little marks on her, and as long as it was somewhere that no one could see it, she liked them too.
Bella's moans grew louder, and she began writhing on the bed. God, she was so fucking tight. She felt so good around my fingers…I could only imagine how good she'd feel around my
cock. I had to add another finger. This definitely wouldn't stretch her out enough, and I didn't want to hurt her later on.
"Edward…Ed–…more…" She began panting, and I put in a third finger. "Ahh! Fuck!" Her moans filled the room and she shut her eyes tightly, clenching around my fingers as she released, her
juices running down my hand. I couldn't help myself as I brought my hand up and licked it clean. She tasted so fucking sweet.
I hadn't even realized that I was rubbing myself against Bella's leg until I looked down. I was already leaking, a wet spot forming on the front of my boxers. I stood up as I took them off, and
hissed as the cold air hit my cock.
Bella kept her position on the bed, and I grabbed a condom out of my drawer, strocking myself a few times before sitting in front of her. Fuck, my dick was throbbing.
Bella took the package out of my hand and chucked it across the room. "No."
I looked up at her face, her eyes pitch black. "No, what?"
"I'm on the pill."
I gave her a questioning look. Why would she be on the...
She laughed. "To regulate my period."
Oh. "But –"
"And you're clean."
I didn't argue with her. She came with me whenever I went to get tested, and I knew for a fact that she was clean as well.
I looked at her before leaning down and kissing her forehead, looking into her eyes as I whispered. "Bella, no matter what anyone ever tells you, you're beautiful. Don't ever forget that."
"Thank you so much, baby. You are, too."
"Beautiful?" She nodded her head slowly, and I wasn't insulted at all. I knew exactly what she meant. "Thank you, love." I gave her a kiss before getting back up and looking down
at her body.
She was so…precious.
I rubbed the head of my dick against her folds and her clit before placing it at her entrance. I looked up at her. "Baby, you have to tell me if you have any doubts about this. I'll stop
at any time, I promise. You know this is something we can never take back."
She stared at me for a second, and I knew she was thinking about it. "I have none, Edward. I'm positive."
I pushed the head of my dick in, and we both moaned at the contact. She was so fucking tight.
She whimpered, and I looked up at her. "More…" I pushed in slowly, willing myself not to cum yet. Holy fuck…If I had known it was going to be this amazing, I wouldn't have waited
this long. "Baby…fuck…I can feel you stretching me…faster…unh…unh…"
"Bella…" I pulled out and thrust in harder, pulling out again before setting a rhythm. I would've loved to be her first, but I was glad she wasn't a virgin. I don't think I would've been
able to controlled myself at this point.
She was biting her bottom lip, and as much as I wanted to see that, I couldn't look at her. I'd finish too soon. I looked down, and the sight of me entering her was
unbelievable. "Fuck…Bel-la…fuck…look at us, baby…"
"Shittt…" Her voice came out as a squeak, and she still managed to sound sexy. "Edward…ungh…" She scratched her nails on my back and I let out a growl. It felt so fucking good. And
hearing her say my name…Jesus Christ. "You feel…mm!…so fuck…fucking good…"
If she kept speaking that way…this shit was going to end so soon. "You do too, baby…so so good…Bells…I'm so close…ah…ahhhh…" I pulled her up as she wrapped her legs around
my waist, and I rested my forehead against her shoulder as I pounded into her.
"So am I…unghh…Edwarddd…"
I brought my hand down and rubbed her clit furiously as she brought her hands to my hair again. My thrusts got rougher, and my hips were jerking back and forth – I could not keep
a steady rhythm anymore, and I stopped trying to. I brought my head up to look at her. "God, baby…I fucking love you…"
"I love…fucking you…"
"Oh fuck! Babyyy…" She couldn't say shit like that right now. She was going to fucking kill me.
I grunted as she scratched my head, and I rubbed her even harder. She knew what that shit did to me – the same thing rubbing her clit did to her. Okay, not to that
degree, but still. I fucking loved it.
I started whimpering again, and no matter how much I told myself to shut up and stop mewling like a fucking dog or cat, I couldn't. I felt Bella clench around my dick, and I fucking lost it.
"Bella…I'm fucking…fuck!...I'm cumming…ahh…unghhh!" I felt my dick twitch inside of her, and came with a long moan.
I looked at Bella, her face flushed. "Me too…ungh…me too!…shitfuckkk…baby…Edward!" She put her hands on top of my head and rode me until she was completely spent. Even in this
state of hysteria, she looked like an angel. All I could do was stare as we both gasped for air, and I finally moved us so that she was laying on top of me.
I moved to the side, when Bella stopped me. "Don't pull out yet. Please." I didn't object. I would never. Being inside of her was the closest I could ever be to her. I'd have no problem
staying this way forever.
She ran her hand over my forehead and down my check, letting it rest there. "Baby, if I'd known this was going to happen…and that it was gonna be this amazing…I would've waited
for you." I opened my mouth to speak, but she put a finger over my mouth. "And when I said I loved fucking you…I meant it, but I hope you know that I love you too. So so much. I just
got caught up in everything…"
I gave her finger a kiss before she brought it down. "I know you do, love. And believe it or not, I love fucking you, too." I let out a small laugh because it sounded so crude, but she
didn't seem to mind as she laid her head on my chest. "And there was no way of us knowing that…this…would ever happen between us. You can't see the future. You never know what's
gonna happen. Don't regret anything, baby."
"Mmm…" She nuzzled her cheek against my chest and closed her eyes as I pulled out of her and ran my hand through her hair.
I froze when I heard the downstairs door open. Bella opened her eyes and looked up at me. I knew it could only be Alice, so I wasn't worried.
"Edward?"
I picked my head up, and spoke to the my door. "Yeah!"
"Why is our picture frame broken? Where are you?"
I looked at Bella before looking back up. I blurted out the first thing I could muster. "I hit it with the door! And I'm in my room!"
Bella looked up at me, laughing as she whispered. "Babe, the door doesn't even reach that far out!"
Shit. She was right, but all I could do was shrug. Too late. I heard Alice coming up the stairs and stared down at Bella, panicking. She seemed so calm, but how could she be? We were
butt-naked on my bed, and my door wasn't locked.
I heard Alice walk toward my door before she knocked.
"Don't come in!"
"What? Why?"
"Bella's here."
"Um…okay...?"
Was she serious? How did she not get it?
Bella laughed, scraping a nail over my nipple. Fuckkk. I stifled my moan and scolded her as best I could with a whisper. "Mm!...Stop it!" She quickly brought a hand down and gave my
cock a feather-light touch – "Isabella!" I had to speak through my teeth. This was not the time for this shit.
I let out a breath before speaking. "Alice, take a hint. I'm with Bella. In my room. Alone."
"Oh. Shit! Sorry."
I heard her walk away, and waited for her to close her bedroom door before I addressed this little girl on top of me.
I tried to give her a stern look, but failed miserably. "Bella, you can't do stuff like that!"
"Well, why not?"
"Because…I can't control myself around you." She pouted, and I immediately looked up at the ceiling. I wasn't going to let her use that right now. "Are you done?" I heard her giggle, and
I finally looked down at her, smiling. "Thank you. This is a much better view than the ceiling." I spanked her butt and watched it jiggle slightly before looking back at her. "Come on. There's
dessert downstairs. Made by yours truly." Okay, yeah. I know. I can get arrogant. What a big surprise.
Her eyes got wide and she pushed herself off of me, grabbing her underwear and putting it on quickly. She grabbed my NYU hoodie off the chair and found a pair of basketball shorts
on the ground, throwing them on. She pulled the string on the shorts and tied it swiftly, looking at me as if I should've been ready as well.
"Edward!"
I threw my head back and let out a laugh. God, I loved her. "Baby, you don't even know what the dessert is."
"It doesn't matter. It's dessert. And you made it." She went over to my closet and grabbed some sweats and a t-shirt, dressing me quickly. I'm not going to lie, she was pretty
aggressive, and it kind of hurt when she yanked the t-shirt over my head. I wouldn't complain, though. I loved aggressive Bella.
She grabbed my hand and yanked me off the bed. "Okay. Now, come on. I'm hungry."
I didn't blame her. I was pretty damn hungry, too. Eating was the second best thing to do after having sex. The first? Sleeping. Duh.
I pulled the waistband of my sweats forward and looked down. "I'm not wearing any underwear." Could she…put some on me?
"And I'm not wearing a bra. Come on."
I guess not.
I laughed as she pulled me out of the room, and as we walked down the stairs, I called out to Alice to join us. We got downstairs and I sat at the kitchen table, watching Bella have
fun putting the icing on the cake.
At times like this, I was so grateful for my life.
And the amazing people in it.
Wooo! They finally did it!
Oh, and I know it's 'WWE', but when I growing up, it was WWF, and that's what I'm going to refer to it as.
The next chapter is something a LOT of you have been waiting for, and I'm really excited to write it. I'm sure you guys can guess what it is, because it's the one thing everyone
has been asking about, haha.
Oh! And who saw Rob at the Teen Choice Awards? SEXYYY. The awards were kind of annoying, but damn, Rob always looks good. Even when he looks like a bum.
Oh yeah. Taylor was there too, but who cares…
Please, please, please review!