Fighting Temptation
Chapter Nine: Truth …
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are property of me, Dobber17. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
This chapter has been edited by CherryBerry12.
Edward Cullen
"Sure, what the hell. There's nothing else to do," Tyler agreed, turning off the television.
"Yeah, sure," I agreed, looking at Bella. Her eyes were wide as they met mine. Almost inconspicuous, she gave a slight shake of her head before closing her eyes, faking sleep.
"Bella?" Mike asked.
"She's still passed out," I said with a shrug.
"Oh, well that's okay I guess." The disappointment in Mike's voice was evident. I tried to fight my scowl, wondering if I shouldn't have agreed to play.
"How are we going to do this? How are we doing any dares since I don't think anyone wants to get out of bed," Tyler asked.
"We could just do them tomorrow," I offered. Mike and Tyler both agreed, and Mike wasted no time starting the game.
"Tyler, truth or dare," Mike asked much too innocently for me to believe I made a good decision agreeing to play.
"Umm … truth." Tyler's voice wavered a bit.
"How many notches in your bedpost?" Apparently we were jumping right into things. Bella cracked one eye open, pretending to gag when she caught my attention before shutting her eyes.
"Four."
Mike sighed. "Names? Details? C'mon man."
Tyler winced and scratched his chin. "Well, Lauren and I dated on and off for two years. Jessica and I had fun a few times. Sami and Ashley were one time things."
Mike nodded appreciatively. "Not bad. I'm still beating you with nine. Cullen?"
I wanted to point out this was not how the game worked. Instead I shrugged my shoulders. "Zero."
Bella's eyes opened wide before narrowing. I couldn't tell if it was curiosity or disbelief. This wasn't something we had ever really talked about. She knew there was no one in Forks as she constantly teased me about my elusive single status in a school full of willing girls, but we never really talked about my past relationships in Alaska. She knew about my grade nine girlfriend, Tanya, but never asked for any details.
Mike scoffed. "Yeah. Bullshit. Have far have you gone then, Golden Boy?"
I refrained from rolling my eyes. "A few rounds of spin the bottle, and a girlfriend for two months in grade nine. All from Alaska, and no one you would know."
"So you and Bella, you've never—"
Tyler cut Mike off. "I think that's good enough. We've all answered the truth question. Let's do dares now." I couldn't help but agree silently with Tyler.
Mike threw his hands dramatically in the air. "Yes. Fine. Okay. Point made. For the dares, let's
just do one each. We can each make a list of dares and the other person will pick the best one. I'll write some for Edward and Tyler will pick the best one for his to do. Tyler you can write some for me, and Edward you can write for Tyler," Mike explained while ripping off three pieces of paper from the hotel notepad.
It really wasn't a surprise. After trying all the silly bets the night before, Mike was bound and determined to embarrass or beat me in some way. I quickly jotted down four different dare ideas for Tyler, trying to aim for a balance of funny without making him feel humiliated. We finished our lists and passed them. I squinted, trying to decipher Tyler's writing as I picked the most suitable dare for Mike.
"Oh! Okay. I got Tyler's. Man, you have to go up to Emmett tomorrow, tell him how big and strong his muscles look then stroke his arm." Mike howled with laughter.
Tyler shrugged, seeming unfazed. "Edward, seeing as all of them involved nudity to some degree, you have to streak from the lobby, all the way back to our room."
I fought my groan. I wasn't ashamed of my body, I didn't really care about the fact I would be naked. I cared about being naked, in public, hoping I wouldn't have to worry about anything regarding public indecency. I felt Bella shaking beside me, trying her best to fake sleep while containing her laughter. I gently poked her in her side as retaliation.
"Alright, Cullen. What do I have to do?" Mike's voice distracted me from Bella's adorable scrunched face.
I had originally picked a different dare from Tyler's list for Mike, but after hearing all of the ones Mike wrote involved nudity on my part, I didn't feel bad switching his. "Mike, you have to streak during basketball tomorrow, at any time of your choosing. Apparently you have the choice of wearing pantyhose on your head."
Mike cringed but didn't complain. "Fair enough. Hey, Bella is still asleep, right?"
I flicked my eyes down to Bella's curiously half opened ones. "Yeah, she's still out."
"Perfect. So guys, what do you think Bella's bra size is?" I fought the urge to let my jaw drop.
"Mike, you can guess first since it's your question." Even Tyler wasn't in the mood for Mike's shit.
"Well, they are small but not super small. They've got a good shape and bounce. Probably between an A and C. The number part is between thirty and forty right? She definitely not forty, but she not a twig so she can't be thirty. Maybe thirty-three. Yeah, that sounds about right. I guess my final guess would be 33AC."
Bella's wide eyes met mine. She shook her head, mouthing What the hell?
"34A." Tyler guessed, sounding bored.
"C'mon, Edward. I know you've started at her tits, man," Mike coaxed.
I bit back a retort. Bella seemed unfazed though. Instead, she was smirking, her eyebrows raised in challenge. Little did she know she had a terrible habit of leaving stuff laying around her house, especially in her room. I had been in there a few times with her, working on schoolwork on her desktop computer. On more than one occasion there had been a previously discarded bra near her computer desk or hanging half out of her hamper. Despite trying to ignore them, they were close enough to see the tag.
"32B," I answered with a smirk her way.
"If you wanted to know, you could have just asked," she said calmly, pushing herself up from the bed. She couldn't contain her grin as Mike let loose an unmanly yelp.
"How long have you been awake?" Mike asked.
"Awhile," she replied, stretching her arms dramatically beside me. "I need to stretch my legs out a bit."
"Do you want company?" I asked.
Bella shrugged, adorable with her hair in a crazy array from sleep. "Sure."
~!~ FT ~!~
Bella Swan
We decided on taking a walk around the first floor of the hotel, exploring what it had to offer beside the pool and diner. There was a handful of conference rooms and a giant ballroom for larger events. We had only poked our heads into the open room, but I tugged Edward's arm as he started walking away. I silently led him to the back corner where a simple, black piano stood.
"Will you play? Your mom likes to brag about how good you are, but I've yet to hear you," I teased.
He chuckled before nodding. "Of course."
He grabbed my hand to lead me over to the piano bench and pulled me down to sit next to him. I had to squeeze in tight to fit properly, our sides nearly flush. Edward didn't seem to mind as his fingers began dancing gracefully over the keys. He played a composition that was so beautiful and complex and nothing I had ever heard before. I knew Esme said he was good, but I didn't think he would be this good. The notes softened and came to an end.
"Wow," I breathed. "That was amazing. What was that?"
"That was my mom's mother's day present three years ago."
I could feel my jaw drop. "You … wrote that? Can you play another?"
Edward shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish grin. "Yeah. Any requests?"
I waved my hand. "Whatever you feel like. I won't know the difference."
He hesitated for a moment. His eyes flickered over to mine before he started. If I wasn't mistaken, I could see a faint flush on his cheeks. The new melody started out simple and soft, quickly growing more complex. It was amazing; he was quick and playful in spots before slowing to become more gentle. I could listen to him for years and never tire. The notes faded out slowly, like the melody wasn't exactly complete.
It took me awhile to find my voice. "Did you write that one for Esme too?"
He shook his head, not looking at me. "No … not for her," he said, his voice lower than I expected.
"Who did you write it for?" I touched his arm, trying to get him to turn my way.
He stayed quiet for a long time. After a few long moments he grabbed my hand from his arm, lifting it to press a gentle kiss to my knuckles. The tension seemed to release from him and he flashed me a crooked smile.
"A gentleman never tells," he teased with a wink.
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