Chapter 17: Fight
E POV
I can't believe what Bella has just finally admitted to me. That Drake kid was a goner if I ever laid eyes on him. To have used a perfectly innocent and good person over twenty dollars was beyond my imagination.
Broken was an understatement Bella had used to describe herself. She wasn't just broken, she was emotionally incapacitated, and I was the lone resuscitator, like Ed Harris in the movie The Abyss. I was going to breathe life back into this broken-winged dove.
After I confessed to her that I would be whoever she wanted me to be, the food arrived. Bella, being emotionally stunted, used it as her excuse to not answer my plea. She excused herself to the bathroom, came back fresh faced and smiling and began to dig in to her food. I was starving and couldn't not eat just because I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation.
We continued with dinner as if we had never had the emotionally charged conversation and talked about the concert and which songs we hoped they would sing.
"I hope they play Hurricane," Bella says as she takes another bite of her ravioli.
"Oh I like that one." I nod. "Personally I hope they play the song Haley." It was very fitting for the thoughts that were sweeping through my head.
"I don't think I've heard that one." Bella scrunches her face.
"It's a good one." I answer as I take another bite of lasagna.
"Well then I hope they play that one too." She smiles at me. I should be upset because she is avoiding the topic that I want to get to the bottom of, but I can't help but be light hearted.
She is smiling and carefree about this concert and I only want to see her be like this. The tears she shed earlier had almost made me choke up as well. So much pain and hurt behind that face. I reach out and stroke her cheek again, she closes her eyes and just smiles. I take my hand back and finish eating my dinner.
I pick up the check and open the door for her to enter back onto the street. We walk the few blocks down to the Knitting Factory. It's only 5:30 at this point and the concert doesn't start until 7:00.
"We should get in line." Bella says. "Because I read from people who had come to this concert house online that seating is kind of sparse, especially for anyone under the age of 21. We can only stand on the floor or on the balcony. The few chairs they do have are reserved for handicapped and elderly."
"Okay." I shrug. "Fine by me." I had brought my IPod to listen to in case we got bored.
A line was already forming when we walked into the building, a dozen or so people were sitting or standing against the right wall. We sat against the wall and listened to my IPod for an hour or so discussing the music and listening to different people in line. I was also trying to force the idea of looking down her top out of my head. That shirt was the most revealing thing I'd ever seen her wear and I was right at the perfect angle to see down it.
At 6:45 a guy the size of King Kong came out and through the line checking ID's. He put huge black X's on both Bella and my hands using the kind of pens that permeate the air with that alcohol smell.
They opened the gates shortly after. The crowd at this point was rather large, so in order to prevent us from being separated (and also because I had this overwhelming urge to touch her) I grabbed her hand and walked with her into the concert hall. We chose a spot right on the floor and up on the barrier that separated the stage from the crowd.
The crowd spread out behind and all around us. Bella and I were over to the right side of the stage and in front of a very large speaker. The group to our left included two girls and a guy and the group to our right included three guys. Everyone kept a little distance at first, but once the lights dimmed and the leading band started everyone pushed in a little closer.
The starting singer was a good crowd warmer. He was a local and he had this rock and funk kind of sound. I peeked at Bella to my right and saw her bobbing her head to the song.
Soon the official opening band of the traveling group started and the crowd started dancing along more, as well as drinking. I noticed the guys to our right were getting a little rowdy, each of them had probably had a couple beers by now.
Bella seemed to notice as well, she would glance at them and then scoot closer to me. I had to keep an eye on them, to make sure they didn't get too carried away.
The announcer got up onstage and finally introduced the band Needtobreathe. The whole house burst into screams, claps, hoots and whistles. Bella looked up at me with this huge smile plastered across her face and bounced a little in excitement.
The band took the stage and introduced themselves a little bit then went straight into singing 'These Hard Times'. I was clapping and snapping along and bobbing my head to the music, Bella was dancing slightly and singing along. It was too loud to hear her but I saw her lips moving along with the lyrics.
The band continued with a lineup of songs from their latest album, including Hurricane, which caused Bella to squeal in delight. Then they dimmed the light and the lead singer took center stage.
"This song is a song that comes from our 2006 album, Daylight." The singer states. "It is a slower one but is dedicated to a girl I once knew. It's called Haley." Bella looks at me and smiles, then grabs my bicep and gives it a slight squeeze.
The lead singer grabs a guitar and sits on a stool. A single beam of light comes down on him as he starts playing.
If you don't know just how you feel,
Don't say those sweet things that you know I'd wanna hear.
If you don't know just what to think,
Then put your thoughts away and keep them out of reach.
Haley don't hurt me, if you don't know,
I could have moved on a long time ago.
You're undecided, your eyes do show,
Haley don't hurt me if you don't know.
Bella's gaze meets mine and the unanswered questions we have are communicated. She turns to face me full on and I mirror her movement.
If you don't know just where we are,
Then slowly step away before we get too far.
If you don't know just where you stand,
Don't brace a fall that you may never want to land.
Haley don't hurt me if you don't know,
I could have moved on a long time ago.
You're undecided, your eyes do show,
Haley don't hurt me if you don't know.
Bella stands on her tiptoes as her hands move to wrap around my neck. I let my hands rest on her waist and lean down until our foreheads are touching. I close my eyes and feel the reverberations of the music guide my heartbeat and the soft-as-a-whisper breaths she takes graze across my face.
We're on and off again,
It's more than I can stand.
So let me know if you're for real this time.
Your voice, it shook again,
Reminded me of when,
We talked our way into the end.
I move my lips to her ear as the final line of the song is sung and replace my words with those of the singer. "Bella don't hurt me if you don't know, I couldn't move on a month ago. You're undecided, your eyes do show. Bella don't hurt me if you don't know."
I pull my face back to look at hers, a single tear has made its way down her face. I use the pad of my thumb to wipe it away, her eyes close and she leans into the soft touch. I close my eyes and lean down to press my lips to hers.
A loud thump is heard a second before I anticipate her lips touching mine and she's ripped away from my grasp. My eyes snap open to see Bella, sprawled on the ground in front of me and in the oncoming way of two of the drunk guys next to us who are now fighting.
B POV
The music is all I hear. The touch of his hand on my face and waist are all I feel. The smell of the mint he ate from the restaurant wafts from his mouth. I know now that I want this. I want to trust him and I want him to prove me wrong. I close my eyes and wait for his lips.
A hand grabs my shoulder and pulls me away from him and for a second the image of Tanya snaps through my head. Did she follow us?
When my hands hit the floor panic sets in. I turn my face to the left to see that there is a clearing in the crowd that has formed and two of the guys that had caused me some concern are brawling.
The scuffle has caught the attention of the bouncers though and they are on it in less time then it took me to be ripped from Edward's grasp. I feel a comforting hand on my arm as Edward leans down to help me up. He pulls me up and into his embrace.
"Are you okay?" he whispers in my ear. I nod into his shoulder and push myself away. The people around me are all looking at me in surprise. I blush and duck my head. The singer has stopped performing and is covering his eyes to see if everything is all clear.
"Sorry about that folks," he says. "Guess some men just don't know their limits." The crowd giggles nervously and the band starts another song.
Edward's arms are around me, enclosing me like a cage, his hands are white knuckling the bar in front of me. I rest my hands on top of his and slowly trace lines up and down the backs, trying to relax away his tension and anger. Had those bouncers not taken care of things I have no doubt Edward would have.
His fingers loosen in response to my soft touch and he lets go of the bar completely, his arms wrapping around beneath mine, he squeezes lightly and then relaxes again. I start swaying in time to the music and he soon follows suit.
The final song of the night is 'The Outsiders'. It's the most high energy song of the night and I can't help but to wiggle out of Edward's arms and dance to this song. I toss my hair around and clap my hands and move my hips. Edward is right behind me clapping and dancing with me.
As the song ends, the house lights come up. Edward grabs my hand and leads me out the side exit to the street.
"Oh man." I grab my ear and wiggle it a little. "My ears are still ringing."
"WHAT?" he shouts jokingly in return. "I can't hear you! I think I'm deaf."
I laugh and he pulls me in closer and wraps his arm around my shoulders. It's a bit chilly out so the warmth that this creates is welcome. Edward pulls out his phone and dials Jeremy. Jeremy and Emery pick us up and drive us back to the house.
Emery is tall and blonde like Jeremy, I wouldn't call her skinny, but I wouldn't call her fat. She's more average looking but she has at least a size DD chest.
When we finally arrive at the house it's just past 11.
"I'm not tired." Edward admits.
"Neither am I." I agree.
"Let's start a fire in the backyard." Jeremy offers.
We all agree and are soon sitting around the fire. Jeremy invites a couple of his friends over and soon we are being introduced around the fire. The chat is light and fun, such a welcome difference from being heavy and emotional like earlier.
Edward sits on one of the rocks that surrounds the fire and I sit in front of him, leaning back on his legs.
The warmth of the fire is comforting but doesn't do a great job of keeping me warm. I shiver in response to how chilly it is. A warm jacket surrounds my shoulders and I look up. Edward drapes his fleece jacket around me and then rubs up and down my arms so that the friction helps warm me.
'Thank you' I mouth at him from where I sit. He just smiles and kisses the top of my head and lets his hands rest on my shoulders. I look over at Jeremy who is leaning against a rock with Emery cuddled up to his side. He looks at me, the same "I told you so" look plastered across his face.
Before long I'm drifting asleep to the sounds of the fire and the light banter going back and forth between friends.
"Bella," I hear Edward whisper in my ear. "Bella, everyone's leaving and we have to get you to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow and head back."
"Okay," I sigh.
He walks me into my room, pulls back the covers and deposits me into bed. He covers me and kisses me on the forehead. At this point I wonder if I'm sleep walking or if this is real.
"Edward," I croon before he shuts the door. "Don't hurt me," I whisper remembering the words he sung-spoke to me at the concert.
"I never will. Now sleep and dream good dreams Isabella." I nestle down into the covers more and let myself drift.