Chapter 17: Green eyed angel
~An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind. - Mahatma Gandhi~
The night air was damp and cold, but it wasn't snowing. It always snowed in Forks during Christmas so I assumed it would start snowing tomorrow morning, which happened to be December 24th.
Sasha and I came back from Seattle early this evening carrying loads of shopping bags with famous designer names stamped all over them. They all belonged to Sasha except for one, which was mine.
Sasha ended up buying a crystal studded Motorola. I chose that one too for her, just like I had picked the Blackberry for Edward. It seemed my choice was the better one these days; at least that's what I thought.
"Are you going to the party? You know, which is hosted at the Cullens house." Alec said, as he slowed down to my normal pace.
Alec and I were doing our usual routine, which we hadn't done in two weeks: jogging. It felt like forever since I had been alone with him. Ever since he and Edward got into a fight, he avoided me like the plague.
So, it surprised me when Alec showed up in my doorstep just ten minutes ago and asked me join him in his night jogging.
"Mom and dad are going, also my friends are going. I mean, the entire town is going. So I am going too." I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "You?"
"I guess so. I am going for the same reason you are going," he smiled. "Or is there another reason you aren't telling me?"
"No, there's not another reason." I avoided eye contact.
"Well...isn't Edward a - "
"He's not the reason why I'm going, Alec." I stopped and glared at him.
He threw up his hands. "Sorry."
I shook my head and we resumed jogging along the quiet cold street. We took a turn and the old ruined church came into view.
I remembered bumping into Edward near the church one night when I went jogging without Alec. Edward had warned me not to go out in the dark without company that night. Or was it an advice?
"Hey!" Alec exclaimed suddenly. "There's someone sitting in our usual place."
By our 'usual place', he meant the grassy area under the huge Oak tree where we took rest after jogging for a long time.
"I don't think it's a 'someone'. There are two." I lingered behind Alec.
It was déjà vu all over again.
"Bella?" One of the dark figures got up and came into the light of the dim street lamp.
"Edward," I breathed. "What a surprise!"
"I couldn't agree more." The other figure emerged. Randall finger-waved at me with his usual charming smile.
"Hey guys," Alec gave them a small smile then turned back to me. "We should go."
"Yeah," I took a reluctant step back, my eyes glued on Edward's face.
"So your night routine started." Edward noted casually. He stuffed his hands in his jeans pocket.
"I guess it did." I answered just as casually. My eyes zeroed on Alec's faded scar, which Edward had given him.
"Did Alice bail?" He asked to Alec. What was he talking about? Why would Alice bail? Unless...
"You take Alice for jogging?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper and took a step away from Alec.
"Thanks a lot, buddy." Alec said sarcastically to Edward.
"You are such a cheat!" I glared at him.
"I thought you told her, since you were, uh, close friends." Edward's bright green eyes twinkled with mirth. Randall snickered.
"At least I didn't take her to the dance and then ditch her for a sophomore." Alec shot back.
"I never ditched her!" He scowled. "You were the one who went with Alice for the dance even when you knew that Bella doesn't speak to her anymore."
"Okay, why am I getting ditched by everyone here?" I put my hands on my hip and glared at both of them.
"I hate to interrupt but if I had gone to the dance, I would never have ditched you, Bella." Randall grinned.
"Shut up, Randall." Edward and Alec snapped at the same time.
"No, you both shut up. I'm leaving." I warned.
"This is all because of you," Alec threw Edward a withering look. "You first imagined to yourself that you were Bella's boyfriend and then hit me for kissing her."
"I don't remember mentioning to you that I was her boyfriend. I simply hit you because you weren't appropriate with her." Edward sneered, his face dark and angry.
"Don't I have a say in this?" I asked, afraid that the consequences of this trivial fight would be dangerous.
"There's nothing to talk about."
Before I could say 'don't' or before I could even blink, Alec sprang forward and smacked Edward hard on the jaw.
"Now we match." Alec spat in satisfaction.
Edward wasn't a saint, either. He got hold of Alec's hands and knocked him twice on the face.
"Stop it!" I yelled, shock paralyzing my body. They started throwing punches at each other and fell on the muddy road.
Randall tried to lift Edward off Alec's body but I could see that it was very hard for him. They both stood up but neither of them had given up.
"Stop it right now!" I screamed again, this time kicking Alec in the shin.
He stumbled back a little -not a surprise- and grabbed his bloody jaw with a groan. Edward's cheek had a cut and his lips were bleeding. My heart went cold.
"Easy there, mate." Randall said soothingly as he tried to pull Edward to the other side.
"Thank you so much for making my night!" I hissed to Alec.
"It's not just my fault - "
"Stop. Blaming. Each. Other." I said through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word.
"Don't worry, I'm taking him." Randall said to me and started dragging Edward with him along the road.
"You both go first. Then we'll go." I decided as I kicked a rock lying near my feet. We were neighbors and so there was a risk that they might start fighting on the way.
"No," Edward shook his head vigorously. "I'm not leaving you alone with him."
"She is perfectly safe with me." Alec snarled.
Randall, sensing another fight, quickly turned his smile to Alec. "Come one, we'll go together. Let them come behind us."
"No, no -" Alec began.
"You both are giving us no choice! Alec...just leave." I turned to face the other side.
There was silence for a few seconds and then I heard them leave quietly. When I could not hear their footsteps anymore, I sighed and glanced at Edward.
"I'm so sorry, Bella -"
Before he could finish, I tackled him with a hug. I threw my arms around his chest and hugged his body tightly to mine.
"Are you alright? Does your lip sting?" I cried as I pulled back to inspect his face.
"I am...I-I am fine," he said startled yet pleased at the same time.
"It's just that...Alec used to go to this g-gym. I thought he would overpower you - " I began.
"I went to the war. Should I remind you that?" Edward rolled his eyes, his ego clearly wounded.
"Yes, but you died!" I tightened my hold around his chest. "What if you die again?"
"I think you are going a little overboard here, Bella. But I must say this; I am quite flattered that you care very much for me." His bloody lips curled into a grin.
"You should get this looked after," I changed the topic and pointed at his lips.
He sighed and licked his lips. "I suppose so. My dad, Carlisle, is a doctor. So I don't have to worry."
"And we should go. I'm sure Alec reached his house." I said. I remembered dad mentioning that Carlisle was a very gifted doctor.
"Without throwing a paroxysm, I hope." Edward added.
"What in the world is that?" I raised my eyebrows.
"The term paroxysm stands for convulsion, a fit. A tantrum," He explained, gnawing on his lips.
"How do you..." I trailed off.
"I used to read medical journals during my time." He said, paying more attention to his lips. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that he wasn't from this century.
"Come on." We sat on the moist grass under the Oak tree.
Thank God, I was wearing a scarf. I removed it from my neck and started to dab at his lips.
"Ow, ow, ow," he complained.
"You deserve it," I sighed happily and continued torturing him.
"Well, it was worth it." He shrugged, lowering his eyes.
"No," I scoffed. "That fight wasn't worth it."
"I don't mean the fight." Edward said quietly. An owl hooted nearby. A dog howled in harmony.
"All done," I tried to get up but his hands shot out and grabbed me. Before I knew it, he had pulled me to his lap.
"I'm sorry about what happened at the dance." He apologized. "I said that nothing is good enough for you and by 'nothing', I meant...me."
"Edward, please stop talking like this." I closed my eyes, trying to breathe properly.
"Why not?" He sounded exasperated. "I want to be honest with you. Don't you?"
"Sometimes honesty is not the best policy." He finally let me go and I helped him up.
"That's very assuring, thank you." Edward commented drily.
I laughed and hugged myself as we walked along the dimly lit deserted road.
"It's better to just know what you're thinking," he said suddenly.
I choked slightly and tried to recover from the passion which burned behind his words.
"Do you want to start over?" I asked, deciding on a safe subject.
"But don't you remember the promise you made?" He grinned, his voice light.
"That was a stupid one. We were both dramatic that night." I joked with a roll of my eyes.
"Emotional," he corrected. "Not dramatic."
He startled me when he boldly put his arm around me, pulling me to close to his body.
"Besides, we are teenagers...confused teenagers who have a lot of insecurities." He winked at me.
"How do you do that?" I asked in awe. Happy tingles erupted in my belly as he continued to rub my arm in a comforting way.
"Do what?"
"You speak like you had read my mind...like you know what's in my heart." I said, almost tearing up.
"I have no idea," he shrugged. "But I do know that I want to know more about you. Will you give me a chance, Bella?"
"You're sweet talking me," I faked a frown and leaned closer to him. Was I going to wake up any moment?
"You're not answering me," he said.
We reached my house and Edward lingered behind, holding my hand tight in his. It felt as if we were returning home from a date.
"Do you…..would you like to go on a walk with me? We could get ice tea or something." Edward squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with hope.
"Ice tea?" I giggled. "This is not the 20th century, soldier Masen."
His well-defined cheekbones turned pink. "Well, whatever they do these days. I am not familiar with the courting customs yet."
I swallowed and his eyes widened at what he had just said.
"Actually, a walk sounds great. I know of an abandoned park nearby." I said, working hard to conceal my smile.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at the party." He reluctantly untangled our fingers and stepped back.
"Okay," I agreed.
I started to climb the steps of the front door when his hand wrapped around my elbow and he pulled me back.
"Good night, Bella." He hesitated and then kissed my forehead.
"Goodnight, E-Edward." I sputtered in shock. I felt very faint and the skin where his lips met, tingled as if it was touched by an electric wire.
He watched as I opened the door and let myself in.
"What are you smiling at?" Mom asked, looking up from the novel she was reading.
"I just had the strangest dream."
"While you were jogging?" She sounded puzzled.
The kiss could certainly be qualified as a dream – even if it was on the forehead.
Yaaaaay, finally! They're finally together! To soon or took them long enough?
-BEJL
