Disclaimer: The 'Twlight' series is worth a lot of money. Unfortunately, I don't own any of the rights to the books, films or merchandise. However, I have written a story based on the 'Twilight' series, and that was a lot of fun to do.
Author's Note: Be warned this chapter contains tiny references to the things that mummies and daddies do when they love each other very, very much. I don't think that it's anything teenagers shouldn't know about, but I told my kids about the birds and the bees when they were four, so perhaps I can't be trusted.
I left the dishes to drain and took Edward upstairs to his room. I told him to sit on the bed, and laughed at the hopeful look in his eyes. "I wasn't going to do what you're thinking about," I told him, "not first off, anyway. I'm going to play dress up with you."
Edward watched me quizzically as I ransacked his wardrobe.
Of course, this had been Alice's idea, but I thought that it was a good one. I knew that her insistence on dressing me had an effect on me, so I could imagine that it would affect Edward if I chose his outfit.
Edward's wardrobe was neatly arranged. There was a rack of tops, arranged by sleeve-length and then by colour, and a rack of pants. Sweaters were neatly folded and piled on an upper shelf. I stretched up on tip-toes, but I couldn't reach his sweaters.
"Come here," I said, tapping my riding crop against my thigh, "fetch down your sweaters for me and put them on the floor." I stepped back and watched him. I couldn't reach the top shelf on my tip-toes, and Edward had to stretch. I enjoyed the sight of him reaching up, it made his top ride up, revealing a line of perfect white skin across his back. I wondered if I could think of any more high things that I could ask him to reach down for me. When he fetched the sweaters, he carefully laid them on the floor in a row. He looked even better bending down than he did stretching up. When he bent over to put things on the floor, his pants tightened over his backside and I saw the perfect sculptured shape of him. Hmmm . . . maybe I would have to bend him over more often. Sadly, he completed his task rapidly. Maybe I should tell him that faster wasn't always better. "Good. Now, you can go back to where you were."
He sat on the edge of the bed watching me as I fingered all his clothes, holding them up against each other and trying to decide what I liked best. I selected two pairs of pants and four shirts. Then I turned to Edward.
"Strip," I said, "down to your boxers."
He had never, and I mean never, taken his clothes off in front of me before. He hesitated and seemed to be trying to decide if it was worth speaking out of turn in order to protest.
I cracked my crop down hard; as before, the sound made him jump. He stood up quickly and, with a rapid grace, he obeyed me, he stripped. I had been certain that he would argue with me. But, he didn't. He didn't say a single word. He just did as I told him.
Suddenly Edward was standing in front of me wearing nothing but his boxers. It was a very, very pretty sight. I stared at his chest, which was wash-board flat and perfectly white, like marble; and at his legs, which were toned and strong and gorgeous. I glanced up at his face and saw that he was smirking at me.
It was like the day before, when he'd enjoyed seeing how the force of him dropping to his knees nearly knocked me over. Now he was enjoying seeing how his beauty made me gasp and stare at him. I grinned back, because I'd learned something during the course of this game: this gorgeous guy belonged to me. His body was my property and I had just as dramatic an effect on him as he did on me. I could make him whimper by kissing him slowly and it made him cry when I left him alone for twenty minutes. He could smirk if he wanted to, I knew now that, had I been standing in front of him in only my underwear, he would be gasping too. It was absurd, but I knew it was true: I sent Edward Cullen wild.
"Take one step forward," I said, "then turn around on the spot very slowly, I want to see you." He did so. His back was as gorgeous as his front, he held himself perfectly straight and tall. His profile view was utterly incredible. I loved his strong arms and the dip of his spine. I loved the way his hair fell on his neck and the square set of his shoulders. I wondered if I could get him to spin around again, or perhaps something else. He would look deliciously sexy doing press-ups. But then a horrible thought came to me. What if he one day asked me to reciprocate. I could hardly refuse to spin for him, if I had made him prance around in front of me. No, I would have to be sparing in my demands.
"Very good," I said, and I enjoyed seeing him smirk at me again, "come here, and put these pants on. I want to see how they look on you."
I held them out carefully, ensuring that our hands didn't touch when he took his pants from me. I had a feeling that, if we did touch, it would be very hard indeed for us to stop, and I didn't want to push either of us beyond the temptation that we could bear.
He pulled the pants on quickly, almost as though he was relieved to be half-dressed again. I wondered if he was at all embarrassed to be standing in front of me in his underwear. I would have been bright red, but then, I don't look the way that Edward does. He had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Turn around," I said again, "I want to see what they look like at the back." Once he'd got his back to me, I screwed up my courage and said, "bend over, I want to check that they fit right." There was a slight hesitation, but, he did as I said. Man, that guy has a fine ass! It's the kind of ass that explains why people have spanking fetishes. I would love to do just about anything that allowed me to get my hands on that taut backside of his.
"Alright," I said, "stand up and face me again, pants off."
He was getting the hang of this, he didn't pause, he just did as he was told. And, it turned out that I wasn't the only one who was enjoying myself. I could see, now that he was facing me again, that Rose had been very right, Edward liked to be told what to do. I had him spinning around, stripping and bending over on command and he was very definitely excited He also looked pretty big, but that was not something that I was going to dwell on today. Much as the idea of a full strip appealed, I was going to let him keep his boxers on.
"Try these," I said, tossing the second pair of pants over to him. Obediently he tried them on. This time, when I told him to turn around and to bend over, there wasn't even the slightest pause. "Stand up, face me, put this on," I threw over the first shirt in my pile.
It was great watching Edward take his clothes off and put them back on again. I didn't risk touching him at all. I just got him to dress and undress on command. I mean, obviously, I was thinking about a day (hopefully soon) when telling him to strip would just be the precursor to an awful lot more fun, but today I was content just to watch.
I had him try on two shirts with the second pair of pants. Then I had him switch back to the first pair of pants and try on another two shirts. Then I made him put the second pair of pants back on and try a fifth shirt that I took out of the wardrobe. Finally I settled on the second pair of pants and the first shirt. Edward didn't say a word. He obeyed me perfectly, he didn't put a toe out of line. He watched my eyes whenever he was facing me and he smirked a bit, but he didn't look annoyed or frustrated. It was almost as though he was enjoying watching me as I took pleasure in his sexy body.
When I was happy with his outfit, I sat down in one of the little armchairs and told him that he could tidy up. He grinned at me and raised his eyebrows as if he was thinking about making a clever remark, but he obviously decided that it wasn't worth the risk. He put all of his clothes away, then knelt back down in his 'default' position, waiting for my next command.
"Look at me. Did you enjoy that?" I asked him.
"I liked seeing you happy," he said, "and I liked that you enjoyed looking at me." He smiled a natural smile.
"You didn't mind being ogled, then?"
He grinned "I like it when you ogle me," he said, "I want you to enjoy looking at me. It makes me feel attractive."
"You're extremely attractive," I told him, "do you like the outfit I picked for you?"
This time he shrugged, "it's very nice," he said, "I like very much that you chose it."
"Do you want to come down to the kitchen and learn some more cooking skills?"
He smirked wickedly "there are a few things that I would like to do more," he said, "but, I am at your disposal, and I will enjoy anything that allows me to be with you." I could hardly believe that this was Edward. He was flirting with me. Obviously letting go of a bit of control made him feel freer. I suppose it was like the kiss yesterday: if I was in charge, then I would make sure we didn't go too far and Edward could afford to enjoy himself a little. I ought to have taken some responsibility for setting boundaries earlier. If I'd known that the result would be a flirtatious Edward, then I'd have taken control ages ago!
"Come on then" I said and led him downstairs again. When we got to the kitchen I told him that I was going to teach him to bake a lemon drizzle cake and then how to make a simple pasta dish for my lunch. He was extremely attentive and quiet this time. He didn't glare at the kitchen utensils, he concentrated on what I asked him to do and beamed when I commended him.
"We're going to make a cake first then, while it's in the oven, we'll make my lunch. Here's the recipe – you can start by getting all the ingredients out. Let me know, if you need any help."
Edward nodded obediently and darted off to get all the bits and pieces together. He stopped to ask me sweetly what kind of sugar we needed because the recipe didn't state it. I was rather impressed. Had I asked him to perform this task this morning, he would have lined up every kind of sugar he could find and given them death-glares. So, that was progress: he was considering asking for my advice from time to time.
Once the ingredients were out, I told him that he could try and follow the recipe, and I'd help if he needed it. Measuring out the butter and the sugar was simple enough.
"I'm guessing that 'creaming' is intended to convey violence of some sort," Edward mused, "since I haven't got any actual cream."
"Violence?"
"Er . . . it's a term that I've heard Emmett employ. Too old-fashioned?"
"Exactly right, as a matter of fact, you need to beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until they resemble cream. But, you'll want to start off gently, or there'll be sugar everywhere."
"Yes, Bella."
He took the wooden spoon that I offered him and twirled it about between his fingers, assessing the sight of butter and sugar in a bowl.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm a little out of my depth. How exactly does one 'beat' butter?"
I took the spoon from him and demonstrated. This was a brand new experience for both of us: Edward watching me and learning how to do something. He was a flawless imitator. Taking the spoon back and perfectly recreating my actions. I was slightly surprised to find that vampire speed and strength wasn't very useful when making a cake. It turns out that butter and sugar can only be beaten so fast. Edward was no quicker than I was.
He had been so obedient and sweet, and we'd been having so much fun, that I was shocked when he smirked at me and started being cheeky.
"Are you sure that you need eggs in this recipe?" he asked, when he read the next step, "isn't there a limit to how many eggs one human should eat in a day? We could use fewer eggs, that would make the cake healthier." As he spoke, Edward laid his hand on top of the box of eggs, staking his claim to it. Clearly he was under the impression that if he was baking the cake, then he was in control of the eggs. I wondered if he planned on physically preventing me from putting eggs in the mixture. That wasn't the point of today at all.
"Edward," I folded my arms, "are you speaking out of turn?"
Instead of being cowed by my reminder of the rules, he answered me smoothly, with a touch of arrogance. "No, Bella; you said that I could talk."
"I told you to let me know if you needed any help. Now, please continue following the recipe."
Since he'd been so good, I was hoping that we could both just pretend that his previous remark hadn't happened. Alice would be ashamed of me, of course, but I was intending to let this one rule violation go. Unfortunately, Edward wasn't in the mood to let it go. He was sure that he was right, and determined to keep on until I agreed with him. "Bella, I'm trying to help you stay healthy. It's important that you take care of your body. Too much fat is bad for you."
I sighed. I'd thought that, after this morning's scene, the arguing was over and my point had been made. I was wrong. I would have to make the point again.
"On your knees." I deliberately echoed the words that had begun the game.
Edward recognised them and he had the sense to shut his mouth and the foresight to wince. He dropped to the floor and hung his head.
"What are the rules, Edward?"
"First rule: I don't speak unless I'm spoken to. Second rule: I don't move without permission. Third rule: when you ask me a question I answer straight away. Fourth rule: when you tell me to do something, I do it. Fifth rule: I don't touch you without permission."
"So, just now, when you decided to argue with me, were you sticking to the rules?"
"No, Bella. I broke the first rule. I spoke out of turn three times. Then I broke the fourth rule; instead of doing as I was told, I continued to speak without permission. Plus, I was disrespectful."
"Is it your job to take care of my health?"
"No, Bella."
"Do you know better than I do about my body and how to care for it?"
"No, Bella."
All trace of arrogance and argument was gone now. Now the meek and mild Edward was back, submissively kneeling, answering my questions and looking down at the floor.
He was so beautiful and so strong. Having control of this powerful being sent a tingling thrill through my stomach. It felt like flying down a log flume.
I found myself remembering 'The Tempest' and how hard Prospero had worked to control Ariel. These powerful, mythical beings are not meant to be harnessed by humans. Mere mortals have no right to control the supernatural. I had always felt sorry for Ariel, bound by the evil wizard, imprisoned in a tree. Now, here at my feet was my own Ariel: bound by his love for me. I was imprisoning him: making up rules, forcing him to submit. It wasn't right. He was bound to strain against every rule that I made for him.
He belonged somewhere wilder than a human kitchen. He belonged out in the air, surrounded by his own kind. How could I complain that he thought himself superior to me? By every possible measure he was superior to me!
And yet.
And yet, if we were to have any kind of relationship, there would have to be mutual respect. And yet, he loved me and he was bound to me; I couldn't set him free even if I wanted to. And yet, I couldn't be harnessed either. I couldn't live as his little-woman. I couldn't always submit to him. I couldn't allow him to walk all over me. Where would it end? Would he lock me away and not allow me to make my own decisions ever again? I had to stand up for myself.
There he knelt: my angel with clipped wings.
"Oh, Edward, what am I going to do with you?"
I'd meant it rhetorically, but he replied anyway, "you're going to punish me for breaking the rules and being cheeky, Bella."
He brought me out of my fancy and back into the kitchen and into the game that we were playing. He knew his role and I should get on with playing mine. Alice and Rose had suggested a whole raft of potential punishments: stripping him of his clothes, setting him chores, press-ups, confiscating his things, withholding affection. But, when I looked at my Edward, none of those seemed fair. They were all aimed at humbling him and reminding him that I was in charge of the game. That was unnecessary He was already chastened. He already knew that he'd displeased me. He knew what he'd done wrong and he didn't plan on repeating it. All I really wanted to do was to fix this moment and this mood into his mind so that he didn't forget. I just wanted this lesson to sink in: my body belongs to me. I wanted to impress into his mind the image of me as someone who should be respected. Perhaps then he would continue to show me some respect once the game was over.
"Go and stand in the corner, facing the wall. I want you to spend some time thinking about what just happened."
He rose to his feet and walked slowly over to his place. "Thank you for punishing me, Bella" he said.
I wasn't going to leave him alone again. Instead, I sat down at the kitchen table, pulled a book out of my bag, and began to read.
After a chapter, I put my book away and looked over to check on my Edward.
He hadn't moved a muscle. He was stood in his corner, back straight and hands clasped behind it. His head bowed. His feet perfectly lined up; toes pointing into the corner. He wasn't even breathing.
"Alright," I said, fighting the urge to throw myself at him. A hug from me was probably the last thing that he wanted right now. "Your time's up. You can come back here now."
Edward turned around slowly and walked carefully back, keeping his face down. Once he was in front of me, he returned to his knees. He never looked up. He kept his eyes, and his lips, and his perfect cheekbones hidden.
I couldn't bear it. Even if there was hatred in his eyes, I had to see them.
"Look at me."
He looked up. And there was no hatred. There was love and acceptance and there was desire. I don't know exactly what Edward had been thinking about whilst he'd stood in the corner, but when he came out his eyes were almost scandalous. He looked at me as though he was seeing me naked.
All my thoughts of conversation and understanding went out of the window. I knelt in front of him and pressed my lips against his. I kissed him hungrily. I put my hand behind his neck and tugged him by the hair until his face was tilted into my kiss. I pulled his love for me out of his mouth, because I needed to feel it inside me. I needed him inside of me. I had to feel that he loved me.
He responded eagerly, moving with me, pouring his kisses into me. It was wet and hot and I forgot everything except for that blissful feeling of his lips against mine, his breath mixing with mine, his face pressed so hard against mine that we were one thing. Our bodies were fused together by that desperate, needy kiss. I was sure that he needed it as much as I did.
It was a perfect moment: hot and wet and hard.
But, perfect moments, just like all other moments, must end. I had to breathe and, eventually, I would have to eat. The kiss couldn't last forever, though I hoped and prayed that the sudden connection that we'd found would.
"Are you ok?" I asked, remembering my guilt from before the kiss.
"Yes, Bella. I will be good now, I promise."
"You have more cooking to do," I reminded him, "come on. Let's finish making my lunch before I get so hungry I try to eat you!"
Edward kept his promise. He spoke only when spoken to. He made no cheeky remarks. He did exactly as he was told. And, weirdly, we both had a good time. I would have imagined that an obedient, scrupulously well-behaved Edward would be boring. But, he wasn't boring. Cooking together was fun.
He was obviously delighted when his cake (he'd done everything, all I did was stand by and instruct) rose perfectly, and only a tiny bit disappointed when I told him that I wouldn't taste it until it had cooled down a bit. He enjoyed making the pasta, and seemed thrilled to be providing my lunch. Now that he had relaxed about learning from me, he really seemed to enjoy himself. I realised that Edward loved to acquire new skills and he was excited to be doing something that could make me happy.
He sat with me, while I ate my lunch, careful not to stare, and he lit up when I complimented his cooking. I ate a slice of the cake for dessert and was pleased to find that it was genuinely good. I was seeing all sorts of new things about Edward today. I saw him uncertain and curious and I saw him turned on, and now I saw him pleased with his new skill as a cook.
Since he'd been so good, I let him off washing-up duty and did it myself. I was surprised to see that his smile faltered a bit. When I asked him what was wrong he frowned and fiddled with his hands.
"I thought that I was doing alright," he said, "but you've taken over the washing-up. I was watching you and trying to work out what I'd been doing wrong."
I laughed at him, "you didn't do anything wrong. I'm doing the washing-up because it isn't fair to make you do it all day. You're not even eating."
"I like doing things for you" he said, "it feels good to be helpful in a normal, human way, will you let me?"
"Are you kidding? Edward, you can do the washing-up whenever you want." I sat down at the table and watched him get on with it. His delight in winning this chore away from me reminded me of when I'd been very young and I'd wanted to do the ironing. Renee wouldn't let me, of course, because it was dangerous, but she had allowed me to iron one skirt under her close supervision, and I had been ecstatic. The ironing was just a boring chore to me now, but I could remember how I had felt when it had been new and exciting. Edward seemed just as thrilled with the washing-up. I wondered how long it would be before he lost interest in washing-up and cooking for me. If I was very lucky, he wouldn't lose interest before I was changed. Not only did I have a boyfriend who doubled up as a bean grinder; for the moment I had a boyfriend who thought that being asked to do the washing-up was a reward for good behaviour.
He finished and put everything away, then he returned to his knees. It was starting to feel normal to see Edward kneeling on the floor, waiting for me. I hoped that we would both remember to end the game before his family came home.
"Come on," I said, standing up again, "we're going to the lounge."
He was smiling when he stood up; he looked proud of himself. I realised that he felt that he'd improved on his earlier behaviour. At breakfast, he'd been left alone while I went into the lounge, after lunch I was allowing him to come with me. I sat down on a couch and Edward, not sure where I wanted him, knelt down in front of me.
"I'm going to teach you a new skill, now" I said, "if you're going to be the perfect boyfriend, you're going to need to learn how to rub my feet. Girls like that."
I reached down and slipped off my shoes, then I held my feet out for Edward to take. He was very careful at first, so I had to tell him that it was important that he didn't tickle my feet. The idea was to rub them in a soothing motion, not to tickle them. He took foot-rubbing as seriously as he'd taken cake-baking. He listened to my instructions and obeyed me. He remembered everything that I said and, of course, he could repeat movements flawlessly. Actually, teaching Edward how to do something was incredibly easy. Whenever he did something that felt good, I told him that I was pleased and he added it to his repertoire I wondered why I'd never thought of taking advantage of his vampire nature before. His ability to remember exactly what I liked and to never get tired, made him a brilliant masseuse Of course, one day I would be able to ask Edward to rub more than just my feet, but I was taking things one step at a time.
Edward seemed just as happy as I was. He loved being told that he was doing something right and he seemed to enjoy watching me get happier and more relaxed as he rubbed my feet. He was even comfortable on his knees. It's very soothing to be with someone who never fidgets or gets uncomfortable. If I'd been kneeling down for half an hour, my feet would have gone to sleep and I'd have been aching all over. But Edward was still poised and calm.
"You've got very good at this, very fast," I told him, "that feels amazing."
Edward grinned at me, and carried on rubbing his fingers in light circles down the sides of my feet. It was so lovely being with him and seeing him smile. I didn't want to have to be 'mean Bella' anymore. I wanted to love him and hug up with him instead. Alice and Rose would be disappointed in me. They would say that I hadn't finished the job, but I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to enjoy being with Edward. I didn't need him to change. If he liked bossing me around and not listening to me, then I should just let him get on with it.
"I'm sorry that I've been a bit mean to you today," I continued, "we don't actually get days to ourselves very often and I don't want to waste a whole day ordering you around. Do you want to stop playing the game now?"
"No thank you, Bella," Edward said, continuing to contentedly caress my feet.
"Why not?" I'd never imagined that he would want to keep playing. Hadn't I made him cry this morning?
"I think that I'm learning a lot," he said, "I don't just mean that about cooking and rubbing your feet, though I've liked learning those things too. I mean that I've learnt a lot about you, Bella. You're much more complicated than I realised. And you're very good at being in charge. Even though I'm not allowed to speak without permission, you still make sure that you listen to me and know what I'm thinking. I like you being in charge; haven't you noticed that we haven't fought at all today? I think that maybe you should be in charge always. I'm not sure about the kneeling on the floor, it might be a bit embarrassing when everyone gets home, but I think that I can handle that if it means that we stop fighting. I trust you, Bella."
Of course I wanted us to stop fighting too. But I didn't think that the best solution was for Edward to submit to my every whim. The game was kind of fun, but I wanted a partner, not a servant.
"Edward," I said, "I want to be equals. I don't want to be in charge. I think that there are probably plenty of people telling you what to do at the moment, you don't need another one."
He smiled my favourite crooked smile, then he knelt up, leaned over me and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips, "alright," he said, "but can't we at least keep playing until they come home?"
"Well," I said slowly, then I gave him an evil smile, "are you sure that you want to do that? After all, if we're still playing, then you're in big trouble for speaking out of turn, moving without permission and kissing me without permission."
Edward winced "when you put it like that, I'm not sure that I do want to play anymore, thank you, Bella."
That was lucky, I didn't have anything to do to him if he broke all the rules at once. "Why don't you cuddle up and kiss me instead," I suggested, "wouldn't you like that?"
He grinned and pounced on me.
We cuddled on the couch together and talked about all the places that we would go once I was changed. There was so much that Edward wanted to show me, so many places that he wanted to see with me. It was wonderful to snuggle up together, just talking, just enjoying one another's company.
When I kissed him, he kissed me back and he didn't pull away. I had to break the kiss because I needed to breathe. I stared at Edward in wonder. What had happened to the boundaries?
"What was that?" I asked him.
"I think that it was a kiss," he said cheekily.
"But, you didn't stop us. Why didn't you pull away?"
Edward shrugged, "you showed me yesterday what it was like to be in the middle of a kiss and then have someone pull away from you. It doesn't feel nice. I don't want to do that to you anymore. We both know what the dangers are, so we can both think about when we need to stop. I shouldn't try to control everything all by myself."
Maybe Alice and Rose wouldn't be cross. Maybe I'd actually succeeded.
It was gone five, and I was beginning to think about dinner, when Edward's phone rang. He answered it with one hand, keeping his other arm loosely around my waist. He pulled me closer when he heard the person on the other end of the line speak.
"How?" he said, and he sounded agonised.
"I know" he said next.
Then, after a long pause, when I couldn't hear anything from the phone at all, Edward said, "yes, alright. Thank you, Alice" and he hung up the phone.
"They lost her," he said to me, "I'm sorry, it isn't over yet." He held me tight and pulled me onto his lap so that he could nestle me against his chest. With his arms wound tightly around me and his chin tucked over my chest, I felt so safe. Nothing would be able to get to me, while I was wrapped up in Edward like this. I wondered if he would agree to hold me forever and never let me go. But I knew that he wouldn't. Soon we would have to be apart again, and Victoria was still out there, just waiting for her chance. I shivered and Edward, misunderstanding me, peeled himself away so that I wasn't so tightly held.
"They're on their way back," he said, "and they'll explain everything when they get here."
"Is everyone safe?" I asked.
He chuckled grimly, "nobody's hurt," he said, "and we are going to keep you safe. I swear it, Bella, I will not let her touch you."
That wasn't what I meant. I wasn't really afraid that Victoria would get to me. That was to be expected. After all this time, my luck had to run out eventually. I just wished that my friends and family wouldn't put themselves in danger trying to protect me. Why couldn't they see that they were fighting an impossible battle?
It would be better if Victoria did get to me soon, then all the danger would be over. She would have what she wanted and she would leave everyone else alone. Of course I knew that they would be sad. But the vampires must be used to seeing humans die. It would be sad, but they would mourn me and they would get over it. I wouldn't be the first person to die young. I didn't want to think about them mourning, they would all feel guilty. The vampires and the wolves all thought that it was their duty to protect me. When Victoria finally did get me, they would all blame themselves. That was foolish, but unavoidable.
And Edward . . . he would be utterly convinced that it was his fault. He would go back into his spiral of guilt and he would . . . he would go back to Italy! That was the worst thought that I had ever had. But, I knew it was true. Edward had always said that he couldn't live without me. When he thought that I had died before, he had gone to Italy. If I really died this time, then he would do it again. He would kill himself! And I knew now what that would do to the rest of his family. It would destroy them. I had to stop him.
"Edward," I said, he was clinging to me, he must have heard my heart speed up, but he didn't know why, "I want you to promise me something."
"Anything, Bella," he said. He must still be thinking that I was afraid of Victoria. He probably thought I was going to ask him to come home with me tonight, to watch over me.
"If anything happens to me, and I die," I said, trying not to stumble over the last word, "you must promise that you won't try and kill yourself."
Edward didn't answer, he cuddled me close and he whimpered a bit. He couldn't bear the thought of me dying. I understood that. I hated the thought of him ever being killed. But, I had reason on my side. Edward could live forever. He was being silly.
"Promise me," I said again.
"I don't want to," Edward whispered, "I don't want to make a promise to you that I would have to break."
"Well, then, promise me and keep it," I pressed, "think about the rest of your family. Think about me. Do you want my last thought to be hopeless? If I die, I don't want to die knowing that my death will destroy you. Promise me that you won't hurt yourself and you won't put yourself in danger. Promise me."
"I won't let you die," he said, "I promise you that. I don't need to make any promises about what would happen if you died."
"Edward, that's not what I asked. Edward, remember what you said you learned today about trusting me? Trust me now and believe that I know what I'm saying. If you're determined to keep me safe, then you shouldn't worry about a promise that will never bind you. Promise me."
Edward groaned, "alright, Bella," he said slowly, "I promise you that I won't try to kill myself if you die. I won't put myself in any unnecessary danger. Now, um . . . much as I love the outfit, are you sure that you want the rest of my family to see you in it? They'll be home in two minutes."
Ah! I was still dressed up in my torturing-Edward outfit. "I can't get upstairs and changed in two minutes!" I shouted at him, "why didn't you warn me earlier? And, what am I going to wear?"
He smirked at me, "I did tell you as soon as I knew that they were on their way back. But you wanted to keep talking. I can get you upstairs in ten seconds, and I expect that Alice has left you some clothes in my room. May I carry you?"
I was pleased that he asked, but didn't he realise that we were in hurry? "Hurry up!" I said.
He scooped me into his arms and ran up the stairs with me. In ten seconds time I was in his room and he was passing me a bag with a note from Alice attached. 'Did you remember to hide the riding crop?'
"Ah!" I screamed, "we left my . . . um . . . accessory downstairs. You'll have to go and get it and hide it, quick."
Edward narrowed his eyes, "I don't want to touch it," he said.
"Don't be stupid, it's not a bomb, it's not going to go off in your hands. Do you want Carlisle and Esme to find it? Do you want Emmett and Jasper to know what we've been doing all day?"
I thought that Emmett would be the greater threat, he would never let Edward forget it if he found a riding crop. But, Edward winced when I said Jasper's name. Perhaps he had noted that I hadn't asked him if he was worried about Alice and Rose finding out. Perhaps he had just realised that Alice and Rose must already know what we'd been doing today.
"Alright," he said reluctantly, and he walked, at human speed, to the door.
"Hurry up!" I screamed, this was no time for dawdling.
As soon as Edward left the room, I peeled off my boots and struggled out of my stupid cat-suit. Goodness knows why anyone thinks it's sexy to wear an outfit that's so awkward to take off. Inside the bag from Alice, I found a pretty little summer dress with a blue gingham print and a pair of white patent leather sandals. There was no way that I would ever choose to wear something like this, unless I had absolutely no other options. Trust Alice to take advantage of the situation. I growled under my breath, but I put it on, because it was that or walk downstairs naked. I crammed the other outfit into the bag and threw it under Edward's bed. Then I heard a discrete knock on the door.
I panicked, who was it? Would they find the shameful bag? Why wasn't Edward here to protect me from his nosy family? Was he downstairs trying to explain away the riding crop? "Who is it?" I called out in a voice so nervous it cracked twice in three words.