Stephenie has it all. I just decided to play with her characters and add some of mine.
Pictures of the characters on my web, here: http:/ newdawn-newday-newlife . webs . com/ residentadviser . htm.
As you know by now, remove the spaces. On FB you find me under the name of Cherry Bella. THANK YOU, GUYS! I never expected so many reviews or story Alerts/Favorites or hits. You are great! This is seriously my only story to receive such feedback! I update every week.
Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight.
PS: For those that don't know, I posted outtakes for this story. It's about Edward.
I hope to update at least once during the next two weeks, but I'm not sure. I'll keep my chapter in my doc manager here on ff . net so in case I can do it...I'll update. ;)
Thank you for the kind reviews, everyone! I am enjoying my vacation. :) And I thought of you...and decided to update. :D I hope everyone is well.
We arrived on the inside court, after a detour to his room to grab the ball. I was nervous, but really wanted to play with him. I knew how it was to want to do something you liked and not be able to do it.
"A real one-on-one or just some fun throws?" He asked, spinning the ball on his little finger.
I slapped it away. "Show off."
He barked a laugh, catching the ball with the other hand. "So?"
"One-on-one. How hard can it be?"
He smirked knowingly. What had I gotten myself in? Then he was gone, dribbling the ball around me before throwing it.
"Hey! That's not fair! I wasn't ready."
"Do you have to enter your nirvana state to play?"
"Why must you be a jerk sometimes?" I groaned, snatching the ball from his hands.
"Just sometimes?"
"It's good you admit you're a jerk," I said, laughing. I threw the ball into the hoop above me. It bounced off.
"That's fault. You have to dribble first."
I moaned loudly and decided to show him that I had paid attention to his ramblings and I knew how to play. In no time, we were both sweaty. Our sneakers were squeaking against the floor as we ran around, blocking each other. This was better than running with him.
I made an impressive sprint along the court, dodging him and instead of just throwing the ball; I dribbled it once before preparing to throw it. And he bumped into me, stealing it and pushing me to the floor in the process. The next second, as I was about to get up, I saw the ball rolling on the floor and Edward's worried face in front of mine.
"Shit. Are you oaky? I'm such an idiot. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
I looked at him surprised, when I shouldn't have been. Since we had gotten together he had always been attentive to me. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure?" he insisted, running a hand over his hair, nervously. "I just got into you, like a total jerk."
"I'm fine, Edward. Besides, we were playing, not fooling around, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
My favorite smile appeared on his lips. "Do you want to fool around?"
"And you choose to hear what you want."
He chuckled, leaning over me to kiss me. I didn't care we were in the arena or that the floor was dirty or that we smelled of sweat.
"Happy Valentine's Day, I guess," he murmured against my lips.
"Happy Valentine's Day," I whispered back, winding my fingers in his crazy bronze hair. I was trying to block the images of him hurt from last year, but somewhere between thinking that and kissing him, I started sobbing.
"Shh," he whispered. "I'm right here." Of course, he knew what caused me distress.
"What if I had lost you?"
"But you didn't. Who would have made your life hell?"
"You're not funny," I mumbled, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.
"You're right. It's serious." He helped me up, hugging me tightly. "But I'm here. That's what matters. I forgave Jake, because it wasn't his fault. And…" he trailed off, sighing heavily.
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't want to bring it up, but…it's been lurking behind the corner for a few days."
"I understand you, Bella. I did the same. I tried to ignore what today meant."
"We're such a pair!" I giggled, leaning my head against his chest.
After bundling up, we exited the building and saw it was snowing.
"I hope I don't get sick," Edward muttered, tugging his beanie over his ears.
"Oh, yeah, how are things going? Something new?" I asked.
The officials had to announce him on which team he'd be next season. Edward insisted that it would be a team no one had heard about or just some losers, but as long as he played, it didn't matter.
"I didn't tell you?" Edward shouted, whirling to me, nearly losing his footing. "Fuck, I knew I forgot to tell someone."
I laughed at him. "So everyone knows?"
"Every one," he said, making me understand he had made an important phone call to Chicago.
"So? Are you going to tell me what team you're on?"
"Can it wait until you have somewhere to sit down?" he said meekly, his eyes sparkling.
"That big?"
"Huge!" His grin was infectious. "I had to choose…and I hope I made the right choice."
"Stop toying with me, Cullen! Spit it out."
He got a playful look and for a second, I expected him to spit on the ground, but he refrained. "There were the Bulls and Lakers…"
"WHAT?" I screeched, stopping in my tracks. "That is really…HUGE!"
"I know, I told you it was huge. I chose Chicago Bulls." He looked nervous as he whispered it. Then he started rambling about the heat in L.A. and how many superstars are there and that it wouldn't be a good place to live. He was adorable.
"You can just admit that you want to talk to them again, to renew your relationship."
"I haven't forgiven them," Edward said quickly.
"I don't think you'd ever forgive them. What they did…was…" I shuddered. "I am still surprised you accepted them as it is."
He gave me a little sheepish smile. "We came to an accord."
"Yeah?" I prompted him, taking his gloved hand and continued our walk to the dorm.
"I'm calling them on their first name. I simply can't call them anything else. They're not my parents. Maybe they were once…a very long time ago."
His voice broke on the last sentence. I could see the same vulnerability I had seen when he told me his story. I stopped walking and turned to him, hugging him tightly. And I suddenly hated the winter clothes. I wanted to feel him close, to take his pain away.
Edward took a deep breath then kissed my forehead. "I love you, Bella. And…I promise to tell you everything, one day."
"You don't have to," I whispered. "And I love you too. So much." I pressed my face in his neck, breathing in his scarf. Which was a bad idea. A minute later, I started sneezing, ruining the moment.
Edward chuckled, pulling me toward our building, so fast that we slid on a path of ice. Of course, he would have kept his equilibrium if I hadn't been holding onto his hand. We went down with a loud yelp.
"Are you okay?" he asked, laughing.
"I guess. You?"
"Probably. Come on, let me help you up." He rose, reaching down. I slipped again and he fell over me since I dragged him down.
"Okay, maybe we should try it on our own," I decided.
"That sounds good. I shouldn't break anything."
As we entered our building, I finally brought up his surprise. "So…the Bulls?"
"Yep!" he answered, almost giddily. He was such a goofball sometimes.
"And you simply forgot to tell me?"
"Yep."
"It wasn't on purpose at all?"
"Nope."
"Sure of that?"
"Yep."
We looked at each to her and burst into laughter. We had reached his room.
"Okay, fine! It really slipped my mind, but… I was worried to tell you my decision."
"I'll support you no matter what."
Edward grinned, licking his lips. "Come inside."
"That should be my line. It's really weird for a guy to say it," I told him as seriously as I could.
"Do you realize that you're making more dirty jokes than me?"
"I learned from the best."
"That's right. I'm The Edward Cullen."
I slapped his shoulder, making him chuckle. "I truly hope you don't have some surprise in there or I'd really kill you." I reached for the door handle as I said it.
"How about we spend the night in your room?" Edward asked suddenly, gripping my elbow and tugging me down the hallway.
"What did you do? Now I'm curious." I turned around, ready to open the door again.
"It's nothing important!" Edward shouted, panicked.
Before he could stop me, I had opened the door and switched the light on. I was shocked into silence. The way from the door to the bed was peppered with rose petals and on the bed were petals as well. His guitar lay at the foot of the bed and there was a pink box next to it.
"Your room," he mumbled from behind me.
I felt the tears running down my cheeks and I opened my mouth what felt like ten times, nothing coming out. Finally, a sob escaped me and my hands covered my face.
"Shit. I overdid it. I knew it. I'm really sorry. I was…trying to make the bad memories…into some good ones…it is too much. You're not a real girl…I'm such an idiot…" He kept rambling.
"Jerk," I sobbed, hitting him with my scarf half-heartedly. "It's very romantic and…I wanted to tell you that you were so thoughtful until you ruined the moment with your big mouth."
"What did I say?"
"I'm not a real girl."
"But you're not," he insisted seriously.
I laughed and cried at the same time, hugging him tightly. "Spending time with Bob was bad for you."
"Seriously now, you don't act like a real girl."
"Just shut up before you go in deeper," I warned him, flicking his ear.
"Shutting up."
"And kiss me."
"Kissing you," he murmured, pressing his lips to mine.
"What are you singing to me?" I asked once we made it to the bed.
"Nothing," he mumbled. "You don't want this. It's just stupid."
"How about you let me decide that? And you went through this…please, sing."
His whole face turned red and he focused on the guitar, moving one finger over the strings. Why was he so nervous? He had done it before. Lots of times.
After a moment, he gave me the pink box that was next to the guitar. I pulled at the red ribbon then took the top off.
I glanced at him and he was looking everywhere but at me. I looked back at the contents. There were photos of three houses.
"Edward?" I whispered. I could feel my pulse in my ears.
"In July, after Alice's wedding… I'm leaving."
The box fell form my hands and my mouth went dry. I couldn't swallow.
"I want you to come with me," Edward whispered, turning to me. "Please, think about it."
"I… what did you say?"
"I have to move to Chicago, Bella. And…I want you to move in with me. I know this is soon, probably too soon…"
"I will," I blurted out.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded, blinking through my tears. "What are those?" I nodded to the pictures that were on the floor now.
"Those are the cheap, available houses Liz helped me find." It took me a second to realize who Liz was. "And…we need to talk to a real estate agent. Do you really want to move in with me?" he insisted.
"Edward, we practically live together," I said softly. "Have you talked with your parents about this?"
"Yeah, Dad gave me the idea to call them in Chicago and…have them help out since they live there and all."
"Are you ready to live in the same city…with them…with the memories?"
"I think so." After a few quiet minutes, he looked up at me, smiling. "We're really doing this?"
"Apparently," I giggled, bringing his head close to me and kissing him. "Now, would you sing to me?"
"It's stupid."
"I'm sure it's not. Is it another Secondhand Serenade one?"
Edward gulped, fidgeting. "I…not really… It's sort of…. I might have… Jesus! I wrote it, okay?"
My eyes widened and my heart tried beating out of my chest. Being written by him, I wanted to hear it more than anything. "Please," I whispered.
"Stop me if you realize how stupid it is," he mumbled, picking his guitar and arranging it on his lap.
There was something about him with that guitar. It made my insides twist and panties wet. I couldn't wait until he finally plucked up the courage to play the piano in front of me.
"Mystery the moon…" he started then stopped, clearing throat, giving me a nervous smile. After a huge breath, he continued.
"A hole in the sky
A supernatural nightlight
So full but often right
A pair of eyes, a closin' one,
A chosen child of golden sun
A marble dog that chases cars
To farthest reaches of the beach and far beyond into the swimming sea of stars."
It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard, and coming from his lips, his creation, it made it even more beautiful.
"A cosmic fish they love to kiss
They're giving birth to constellation
No riffs and oh, no reservation.
If they should fall you get a wish or dedication
May I suggest you get the best
For nothing less than you and I
Let's take a chance as this romance is rising over before we lose the lighting
Oh bella bella please
Bella you beautiful luna
Oh bella do what you do
Do do do do do."
Butterflies erupted in my stomach. Could it be? No. He wouldn't do such a thing.
Edward turned to me, grinning.
"You are an illuminating anchor
Of leagues to infinite number
Crashing waves and breaking thunder
Tiding the ebb and flows of hunger
You're dancing naked there for me
You expose all memory
You make the most of boundary
You're the ghost of royalty imposing love
You are the queen and king combining everything
Intertwining like a ring around the finger of a girl
I'm just a singer, you're the world
All I can bring ya
Is the language of a lover
Bella luna, my beautiful, beautiful moon
How you swoon me like no other."
Tears started falling from my eyes as he kept singing. He must have realized why I was crying and he didn't stop.
"May I suggest you get the best
Of your wish may I insist
That no contest for little you or smaller I
A larger chance happened, all them they lie
On the rise, on the brink of our lives
Bella please
Bella you beautiful luna
Oh bella do what you do
Bella luna, my beautiful, beautiful moon
How you swoon me like no other, oh oh oh."
He kept playing the guitar after finishing the lyrics. I took a shuddering breath, wiping at my eyes but it was in vain.
The second, the instrument was safely away from him, I straddled his hips and hugged him tightly, burying my face in his neck. "It was wonderful."
"I thought about you when…I wrote it. Only when it was done, I realized what I had done," he explained in my hair.
"You must do unthinkable things more often. Thank you."
We started kissing and he turned me around, pressing my back to the bed. "I love you, Bella."
I raked my fingers through his hair and kissed his jaw. "Love me."
He smiled, making quick work of our clothes. Then he sank in my arms, inside me, pressing his lips to mine. I moaned, throwing my head back, it seemed more intense than ever. Edward's lips started peppering kissed all over my neck and chest, gently pulling my skin between his teeth, nibbling at my nipples, biting the side of my throat, kissing that sweet spot behind my ear. I was sure he was trying to turn me into a goo pile. My nails were digging in his back, probably scarring him, but I felt like I'd lose contact with reality if I let go of him. When one of his hands went between us, where we were joined and his thumb tormented my clit, I felt my muscles clenching around him as I exploded, arching off the bed. He held me close, grunting my name as he shot inside me.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
"Huh?" I mumbled, looking at him still dazzled.
"Fuck, Bella." He looked scared shitless. What did I miss?
"What is it?" I whispered, touching his cheek, leaning up to kiss him.
"We didn't use…a condom," he explained in a tensed voice.
I suddenly became alert. My heart leaped into my throat, remembering Thanksgiving. I hadn't mentioned anything to him, but was it wise to bring it up now?
"Say something," he mumbled, flopping on his back, next to me. "I'm so freaking sorry."
"I'll go take a shower," I told him, getting up on my jelly legs.
"Bella." He caught my wrist, looking at me with pained eyes. "I swear, I didn't want…"
"I know. Umm…." I looked down then at his green eyes that looked black with worry. "It happened… We did…" I gulped before blurting it out. "We didn't use a condom on Thanksgiving, but…you ended on my hand."
His eyes widened and then he slapped his forehead. "Fuck! I don't remember a thing from that night. The only thing I remember is waking up on your dad's couch, naked."
I giggled, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I'll go shower quickly then…in the morning, I'll ask Rose or Alice for the pill."
"I'm so stupid."
"Don't blame yourself. It was wonderful. Let's not ruin such a beautiful moment," I murmured, stroking his hair. "Join me?"
"Are you serious now?" he asked shocked, surprised and probably wondering if I was crazy.
"Just shower. Please."
I promise to read all the reviews and if I don't answer because that's more likely to happen...know I read and cherished them.