CHAPTER 13: The Open Sea
I hold on firmly to the handles on the boat so that I don't fall out of it as the motor whizzes in the open water. Everyone is enjoying the scenery and talking amongst themselves over the splashing waves, ready to board the vessel we are heading towards. Even Edward joins in on their conversation. He looks like a little kid on Christmas morning while I look like the Grinch. I have a sour face that I hide away from the group, focusing my sights elsewhere. I can't believe I let him drag me along…not that I really had a choice in the matter.
"Bella, you alright?"
I turn my attention to him and force a smile. "Yeah."
He know I'm faking it and smirks. "Are you still mad at me?"
"I never said I was mad," I say sardonically and look away again.
"You really need to relax," he chuckles, positioning himself beside me away from the others.
"I am relaxed. And I would be even more relaxed if I was back on shore." I glare at him to prove my point.
"You agreed to come along and just because I didn't tell the others right away is no excuse for you not to join us. It's kind of childish, really."
I drop my mouth in protest, my cheeks feeling slightly warm. So what if it was childish? I am old enough to make my own decisions! It wasn't like he was my father who I had to obey. "I didn't know it was a crime to change my mind," I grumble.
Edward keeps the amused look on his face. He always seems to enjoy getting me flustered or annoying me in some way. It was times like these that make me wonder why I liked him when he knows how to get under my skin so easily. It was his looks, I keep telling myself. Purely his
looks! I tried picturing him as a cross between an ugly swamp Blob and the Hunch Back of Notre Dame. I giggle inwardly to myself at the mental picture I created.
"What are you smiling about?" he looks at me curiously. Oops.
"Nothing," I don back my serious poker face.
"It didn't look like 'nothing'," he eyes me with a grin.
I roll my eyes. Like I was really going to tell him! "Don't worry about it."
"Alright folks, here we are," the man steering the boat brakes up the chatter. Someone from the yacht came out to greet us and lowered the metal ladder as soon as we are parked next to it.
"Welcome aboard!" he says.
They anchor the smaller boat so that we can get on. One by one the older, plump man on the boat helps us aboard. Edward and I are the last two and he being the casual gentleman, allows me to go first. I half-smile at his gesture and climb the ladder hoping that I didn't slip. Edward comes speeding up behind me as if he's a pro at ladder climbing.
"Welcome! Welcome!" the captain of the ship extends his arms out to us. "Please make yourselves comfortable."
"Uncle…Marcus?" I almost laugh at the unexpected surprise.
"Ah, Bella!" he give me a warm smile and hug. I knew this yacht looked familiar! I remember riding on it once but it was so long ago. Marcus and Aro have been friends for almost thirty years and because they were so close Marcus has me refer to him as 'uncle' as well. He left Volterra for a while to sail around the world and basically just followed the flow of the sea, wherever it took him. "Your uncle said you would be here. My, how you've grown!" he pats my head, laughing. Marcus has shoulder length, dark hair, and is about six foot tall, with an average build and was quite graceful for his age. He's at least well into his late fifties.
"And…you must be Edward," he extends his hand to him.
"Yes, sir," Edward takes it and shakes hands firmly with the man.
"I've also heard about you from Aro. He says you are doing a fabulous job."
"Thank you," Edward casually bows his head with a smile. "I'm just trying to do my best."
I eyes Marcus who merely smiles at me again. How did he know who Edward was? He puts his arm around my shoulder and squeezes it, which is even more confusing. My uncle's long time friend lets go of his hold on me and addresses the entire room.
"If I can have everyone's attention, I have prepared a few snacks and drinks for you. With Aro's permission and because you are all over the legal American age of twenty-one, there are beer and wine available on the front deck. But, please," he stresses, "drink responsibly! I do not want anyone being reckless tonight and getting hurt or injured, especially since we are on a boat in the open sea without quick medical attention available. However, I do have first aid kits stationed in every room on the yacht if needed."
The boys look extremely happy with Mike and Riley quickly making their way outside and the girls right on their heels. "Thanks, Uncle Marcus," I smile.
"It's my pleasure, darling," he kisses my hand. "Now, go have fun with your friends. I'll be below deck if you need me."
Edward and I both watch Marcus until he's gone. Edward finally turns his heels to face me with his hands in his pockets and a confused expression on his face. "Uncle?" he says in wonderment. I shake my head and smile, explaining to him why I call him that. "Ah, I see," he nods, "makes sense. So, shall we join the others outside?"
"Yeah, sure…"
"Bella! You have to try this!" Angela says in between her bites. "I've never tasted crackers this good before!"
"This is, like, the best wine I've ever had," Jessica beams over the red wine in her hand. "Wow, 2003…" she reads the label in front of her. "I bet this bottle is super expensive."
"Yeah, well…not for Marcus," I comment quietly. His family owns multiple vineyards and orchards.
"Yo, Edward," Riley gets his attention. He throws him a cold beer, which Edward catches with ease.
"Thanks, man."
"What kind of beer is this?" Mike looks at the can.
"It looks imported?" Riley replies, also looking at his own drink. Both boys just shrug in the end, not really caring where the beer came from. It was good and it was free. That's all that mattered.
Edward goes and joins the boys while I stay with the girls. There's a small radio that Mike has found sitting on a counter near the extra life jackets and brings it outside. We turn it on and let the jazzy Italian beats play while we ate, drank, laughed, and watched the boys make fun of each other. They somehow get into an arm wrestling competition on one of the smaller tables, which Edward has won. Mike looks to be the most affected by it, wearing a sour look on his face right after he loses.
"Aw, c'mon, Mike, don't be such a sore loser!" Riley laughs at him. "I lost too!"
"My elbow slipped!" he protests. The girls quietly laugh at his excuse.
"That's understandable. The boat is kind of…rocky. I'm fine if you want another re-match, Mike," Edward politely offers. I know he's just putting his acting skills to the test knowing he'd win again.
"Nah, it's cool…" the blonde-haired boy declines quietly. "Maybe when we get back to shore when the tables aren't sliding around."
"Sure," Edward smiles. The girls look at each other and grin. Riley just rolls his eyes and opens another can of beer. Mike just wouldn't admit defeat and Edward didn't mind humoring him a bit, which I thought was actually kind of nice of him.
"I'll be back. I have to use the bathroom," I tell Angela. She nods and continues to enjoy her wine. I see Jessica approach Mike to try and console him before I disappear inside. Maybe she does have a thing for him? Better Mike than Edward. Walking around the yacht, Marcus forgot to mention where the bathrooms were, but if my memory serves me correctly, it's on the lower deck. I remember I drank so much water that day I had to go every ten minutes so I just stayed downstairs.
I keep walking alongside of the water vehicle, holding onto the railing, peering into the rooms and see Marcus in his office moving his arms like an orchestra conductor, taking sips of his wine as he did it. He's probably listening to his favorite classical pieces like he often did when Aro brought me along to visit him at his villa.
I finally find the bathroom and see the starry night from the small window inside. After I wash my hands, instead of making my way back to the group, I stay downstairs and sit myself on the bench outside on the smaller open deck. Everyone is directly above me. I can hear laughter and the music still playing. It makes me wonder what they were up to but not enough to want to leave my comfortable spot just yet.
After thinking about it, I'm glad that Edward forced me to come along. It really isn't as bad or awkward as I thought it would be, but I would never admit that to him. He'd probably just laugh at me and say, "I told you so." Behind the cameras they were just ordinary young adults like I was. I wouldn't have suspected any of them to be actors if I didn't know about this movie my uncle was making. If the movie does really well, this could open up a lot of doors for Edward and the rest of the cast.
I think happily on that idea since I wish them all the best of luck until Edward dominates my thoughts again. Instead of wondering what the rest of the gang is up to, I am only concerned now about Edward. I look up at the stars again and how brightly and beautiful they beam toward the dark waves and laugh to myself. I never think about Edward when I'm around him, even if we weren't directly speaking to each other. But as soon as I step away from him, all my mind can think of is him. His crooked little grin, his messy bronze hair, gorgeous green eyes, even the way he always slumps against walls with his hands in his pockets are adorable.
"There's that smirk again."
I look up and jump in my seat from being startled. "Don't do that!"
Speak of the Devil. "Sorry," he laughs softly and sits beside me as I scoot over.
"What are you doing down here?" I ask.
He eyes me. "I should be asking you the same question. Angela said you had gone to the bathroom and when you didn't return I thought I'd check up on you in case you fell into the toilet or something," he grins widely.
"Very funny!" I punch him in the arm. He can be such a punk sometimes!
"Ow!" he rubs the sore spot. I can tell it actually hurt, which gives me a little satisfaction. I'm also surprised on how muscular he really is when it felt like I almost hit stone when I punched him. "I was only teasing. I worry about you sometimes."
"What?" I look at him bewildered. His words are sending heat to my cheeks again.
"Don't look so surprised," he chuckles at my expression. "We all know you're not the most coordinated person in the world. It would be troublesome if something bad happened to you."
Why does he always need to bring that up?
I ball my fists and stand. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not the Swan Lake princess who's so graceful on her feet all the time!" I'm about to storm away when he quickly grabs my wrist to stop me.
"Bella, wait!" he says softly. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" I glower at him. "I don't understand you sometimes. One minute you're making me smile and then the next—you make me want to punch you again!"
Edward suddenly grins like a little schoolboy. "I make you smile?"
My face turns hotter than the sun after I realize what I just said. And I can't believe those were the words he decides to pick up on! "I'm going back upstairs," I mutter. I am not going to have this conversation with him. My dream hunk is turning more and more into the Blob Hunch Back in my eyes.
"Wait, wait, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he lunges for my wrist again. I scowl at him when I turn to face him again. He's quiet for a moment as if he is pondering something. "I just feel like I should…protect you."
"What?" I lose my composure. "…Protect me?"
He seems embarrassed and uneasy about his statement, rubbing the back of his neck. It's too late now to take back his words. He shakes his head, lightly smiling to himself. "I feel like I can never formulate the right words around you and I find it so ironic, given that I'm an actor. I've never had this problem before."
I'm so confused by his ramblings. "I don't understand?"
"I just want to look out for you. Make sure you're okay," he replies, his eyes finally looking directly into mine.
I roll my eyes. "If Aro has put you up to this, I don't need a babysitter, Edward. I may be clumsy at times but I know how to take care of myself. I practically took care of Char—my dad—while I was living in Forks. And, as you can see, I'm still in one piece," I present myself to him with an exaggerated motion. "You don't need to protect me. It's not like a sadistic killer is after me."
He averts his green eyes to the open sea again. "It's not that, Bella…"
"Well, what it is? I'm sorry, Edward, but I didn't major in cryptic words," I sigh sarcastically.
Somehow my remark brings a smile to his face again, which is even more baffling. "Yeah, I know. And no, your uncle didn't ask me to do anything that I wouldn't already do. After that night at the restaurant, I felt miserable about that situation…" he quietly confesses. My heart begins to beat loudly in my ears. "…And it wasn't something I wanted to get you involved in because it just makes things more complicated. If my actions hurt you in anyway, I'm sorry. I was just really angry that you had to see that side of the business where your privacy was revoked because of me."
"Edward…"
"I guess…I guess I just didn't want that to be a reason for you to not want to do things with me in the future."
Was this a dream? Is Edward really confessing to me how he wants to spend more time with me? I am shocked, speechless, embarrassed, and happy at the same time. No wonder he looked so upset that night when Aro asked about the picture taken of us. My Blob Hunch Back is slowly turning back in my Prince Charming. This whole time he was just looking out for my well-being.
"Is that really what's been bothering you?"
"Well, yeah," he laughs softly. "Was it stupid of me?" he looks at me for an honest answer.
"Very stupid," I reply in a playful, sarcastic way. "Of course I don't want my picture in the tabloids, especially with fabricated stories made up about me—or us—but I'm more concerned about you. It doesn't matter as much to me about what the media says about me since I'm no one famous. If anything, I don't want things to be harder on you. You're already in the constant spotlight and I don't want to be the reason for your existence to be on the news 24/7." And that was the truth. "So…don't worry about me. Like I said, I don't need protecting."
"I'll keep that in mind," Edward grins. His features seemed happier, relieved even. "So, are you up for a walk on the beach with me sometime?"
"Huh?"
"Well, it seems like we're both just trying to watch out for each other and because neither one of us cares if we're in the spotlight together, a walk on the beach shouldn't be that news worthy. Right?"
"Wait…I didn't necessarily say that I didn't care about being in the spotlight…"
"I know your concern is fabricated stories or even assumptions by the media, but I can easily deal with that. I have Rosalie, remember? She can make any news station or magazine retract their story. She's known for her reputation in the industry and if she says to remove something, she doesn't need to repeat herself," he replies with a smirk. Now that—I believe. Rosalie can be scary and intimidating and I'm not surprised if the media obeys her beck and call with a simple glare.
"Umm…okay…" I say unsure. It seems like such a weird and random request. I mean, it wasn't a date or anything since we would just be walking along the beach.
"Okay to you believing me about Rosalie or taking a walk on the beach?" he gives me his crooked grin.
"Both," I nod.
"Hey, you two," Marcus interrupts us at the perfect time. "What are you two doing down here?" he smiles at us with his eyes. "You should be above deck with your friends. We'll be heading back to shore so you only have about twenty more minutes left to enjoy the sea."
"Yes, Uncle Marcus," I laugh softly. Edward nods his smile as we both make our way past him back upstairs.
"Be careful walking back!" he calls out. "The boat will be turning around soon."
And he was right. We begin to gently sway back and forth on the walkway as the boat starts to make its U-turn toward the shore. Both Edward and I have to hang onto the railing and take our time to avoid colliding into each other. Edward is practically right behind me with his hand near mine on the railing. Just the slightest slip up and I could fall back onto his chest, which is a nerve wracking thought after the last time. I'm smiling to myself thinking how I'm doing a pretty good job maintaining my balance and even try to brag about it to Edward.
"See, I know how to walk without tripping on myself," I say proudly.
He smiles at me, nodding his head. "Well, I'll be here to catch you if you do. But, I'm not saying you will…"
"Har-har," I glare. There he goes again.
There is a piece of rope tied to an upper hook I thought I'd grab onto for support as I climb the stairs. The boat jerks again causing me to grab onto it more forcefully before I'm ready, which wasn't as secure as I thought it was and lose my balance. My foot slips off the first step making me bump my side hard into the railing. I can feel pain shooting through my hip.
"Bella, are you alright?" I hear Edward's concerned voice. He's still making his way toward me.
The rope snakes itself around me as the boat makes its final jerk around. It all happened so quickly. I didn't know where to hang onto to in order to regain my balance and before I know it I'm tossed over the other side of the railing. I see Edward frantically grabbing for me but it was too late. I feel my body free falling into the water. It was hard to tell if I'm screaming on my way down or if I'm too paralyzed with fear to make a proper sound.
"Bella!" Is the last thing I hear before I go under.
Author's Note: Uh-oh! Poor Bella! Want to know what will happen next? Stay tuned!