Welcome to chapter eleven of Evening Falls! This chapter is a bit shorter and will not have an Elisa POV (because Edward and Bella aren't into threesomes. :D ) Don't worry though, our young semi-heroine will be back to wildly dominate the rest of the story.
This chapter is a little more..well, adult then the others. I'm going more for passion and romance than graphic detail, so I don't think it will be too adult, but nevertheless some of the young and innocent might want to avert their eyes.
Thank you again so much for the reviews...you guys keep me going!
5/1/12: Hey anyone who may go back and read this: I've edited this chapter only slightly to remove the way too long, mood killing song verses and Edward/Bella headings. The first half of the chapter is Edward, 2nd is Bella, and they are separated by a double line break. Enjoy!
The Storm:
'...in a boy's dream...'
We were standing on the front lawn, listening to the final farewells of our guests ringing out through the night air. The sound of car wheels on concrete was constant as vehicle after vehice wound around the curved driveway and then sped away, leaving a trail of red brakelights through the night. Those that were too intoxicated to drive, thanks to the generous open bar, were being helped into taxi cabs by my siblings. Alice, who possessed an amazing amount of common sense to go along with her prenatural foresight, had thought ahead and hired every taxi in Forks and Port Angeles to be on standby just for this reason.
Even as I thought that, two of our most drunken guests rolled by. And when I say rolled by, I meant that literally. One was Billy Black, rocking back and forth in his wheelchair, which was being pushed by a none too coordinated Charlie. Even as I watched, Charlie stumbled and Billy's chair tipped dangerously, threatening to dump the man onto the concrete. Both of them found this hilarious...their loud laughter bounced off the treetops, scaring the few night-flying birds that had chosen to rest there.
"Dad!" Bella chided, walking down the steps and taking the handles of the wheelchair from her father.
"Bells?" Charlie blinked his red eyes in surprise. "Where did you come from?"
"Isabella!" Billy burst out at the same time. "There you are...well, aren't you a sight..." He was staring at her like it was the first time he'd seen her all day, as if their disastrous confrontation that morning had never happened. "Seems like just yesterday you were only this high..." His hand flopped next to his chair, moving so much that according to him, Bella had been about six inches tall with a tendency to fluctuate wildly. "Now you're all grown up...and married..." He sighed heavily. "Know what this means, Charlie? It's official...we're old." He and Charlie both suddenly teared up.
"Oh no." Bella murmured quietly, watching them. "Not again."
Alice quickly swooped to the rescue, coming quickly to Charlie's side and gesturing for a taxi van to pull forward next to us. The helpful, and rather besotted driver, hurried out and immediately began to help Billy out of his chair and into the seat. Alice took my new father in law's arm and after Bella had given him a quick hug, hustled him along into the backseat, ignoring his slurred protests. Bella sighed as she leaned into to kiss Charlie's cheek, and then she pulled back, shutting the sliding door.
"I'm glad I got to talk to him earlier." She told me quietly. "If that had been our final goodbye..." She looked after the van and shook her head with a half-amused, half sorrowful smile. It was painful, watching her snip away at the last few remnants of her human life - but necessary. I could not swoop down and shield her from everything, even if my instincts screamed at me otherwise. I was realizing more and more everyday that not only was Bella certain of her choice, she was far stronger than I had ever wanted to admit. I was so proud, so amazingly lucky to be able to call this incredible creature my wife.
A hand on my arm broke into my thoughts and I looked down to see Bella's mother looking up at me "Renee." I smiled at her warmly.
"Edward." She responded, and I saw her look at Bella. Phil, her stepfather, was talking to her now, and I realized with some surprise that Renee had asked him to distract her...my new mother in law wanted to speak to me alone. I took her arm and led her a few feet away to give her a chance to say whatever it was she wanted. Renee looked relieved that I had so quickly surmised what she was trying to do.
"Thank you, Edward. I wanted to...well, I was going to apologize to you for being so stubborn about all of this, but then it occurred to me that it was probably good practice for life with my daughter." We both laughed, and then she continued. "But still, I wanted to tell you..." She looked again towards Bella, biting her lip in hesitation then spoke again. "I'm happy for you both, but I'm not going to lie. I'm still worried. Bella is convinced you two have done the right thing and I have to admit I trust her judgement more than I trust my own most days. Still, I'm her mother and it's my job to look out for her, so hear this. Bella loves you above anything else in this world. She loves you in a way that makes absolutely no sense for someone who is so rational normally, in a way that I didn't even think she believed in. She trusts you to never hurt her again. Don't let her down."
"I won't. I swear it." My voice was as low as hers.
Renee gave me a searching look very reminiscent of her daughter's and then she smiled. "I believe you." With that, she turned back to a now suspicious looking Bella.
"We're going back to the motel now, sweetheart. We have to leave early for Seattle if we want to make our flight." She kissed Bella's cheek, whispering a few more words in her ear and then with a final wave she and Phil were off. I realized with a small jolt that they were the last of our guests to depart. Only our family remained. Within a few minutes, we would finally be alone to begin our first night as man and wife. I sighed now, looking away from the emptying grounds to the darkening sky. It was thick, with blackish clouds now obscuring the stars, making it seem later than it was.
"What are you looking at, Edward?" Bella's voice was muffled against my shoulder, tired but happy.
I wound my arm around her waist, pulling her even closer as I kissed the top of her head. "It's twilight, Bella. I was remembering how it used to hold such melancholy for me."
"And it doesn't now?" Bella's face was upturned as she waited for my answer.
"No. Now it's a promise, the end of another day I got to spend with you and the dawn of so many more to come. You've changed my perspective on everything." I kissed her lips this time. "Thank you."
Bella sighed and pressed herself more firmly into me. I might have had to remind myself to not lose control if a teasing thought hadn't sounded in my brain.
Oh, get a room, why don't you?
I turned, and Bella moved with me, to see Elisa sitting on the porch steps, watching us. Her lips were quirked into a small smile. I noticed that she had already changed out of her bridesmaid gown into a pair of sweats, her traveling clothes. Her hair had been taken down and braided. Like Bella, she looked pleased, if tired, but her happiness was tinged, bittersweet. I knew why the sadness was beginning to overtake her but I couldn't linger on that...not tonight, when Bella was already facing so many separations. At least this goodbye would only be temporary...for now.
"Well, we would get a room, Elisa." I matched her teasing tone, and Bella laughed with me, realizing what Elisa had been thinking. "But apparently we're not allowed to go to it. In fact, I was under the distinct impression that you, Alice, and Rosalie had forbidden us to go into the house at all."
Elisa giggled. "Well, everything is just about ready for you. But we're thinking that you'll want to wait to get the full impact until we're gone." Her voice became pained now. "Which is in about five minutes, apparently." She stood up then, and walked over to us, making a valiant effort to blink back the tears in her eyes. "You guys will come soon, won't you, to St. John's? And you won't just grab Carlisle and take off again for Alaska right away - you'll stay a few days at least, right?"
"Of course we will, Elisa." Bella spoke up before I could, her face compassionate. Carlisle had warned us that he suspected Elisa would take our departure from her life very hard and it looked like the fallout was already beginning. I knew that Bella felt as badly about it, if not worse, than I did, but there was no help for it. Newborn vampires and helpless young girls were not a good combination - if Bella was going to become like me, sacrifices had to be made. Elisa, unfortunately, was only one of them.
Elisa frowned, and I saw in her thoughts that she recognized our worry about her and she didn't want it, not tonight. She stood up, plastering a bright smile on her face, and I heard her searching for a way to change the subject when the quiet roar of an engine pulled up in front of us, distracting her.
Carlisle got out of the maroon van and headed up to the porch to pick up the last few suitcases. Emmett, Rosalie and Emmett had come up to us now. They were murmuring goodbyes to me and Bella, exchanging hugs, when Emmett was distracted by Elisa's horrified expression. "What's up with you?" He asked, his voice curious.
Elisa pointed at the vehicle Carlisle had just gotten out of. "That. It's hideous." She shuddered. "The Cullens, forced into family vandom. I don't think I can bring you any lower."
Emmett laughed. "Yes, clearly there's no end to your insidious evil." He teased. "Come on, kid, it's time to go." He and Rosalie would be riding with her, Esme and Carlisle.
Elisa exhaled shakily. "Just a minute." She turned back to us and hugged me first, then Bella, biting her lip to hold back the tears. "You two have the best honeymoon ever." She smiled. "Even if you're stuck in moldy old Forks. We'll see you soon." She turned abruptly and climbed in the van. I knew she didn't want Bella to see her cry.
Let's not drag this out and upset her more. Carlisle's thought sounded in my head now and I nodded as he moved to us quickly and said a fast, but heartfelt goodbye. Esme and the others did the same and then, almost too quickly, the van also descended down the drive and disappeared. As they pulled away there was the soft purr of an engine as the yellow Porsche pulled up next to us. Alice jumped out of the driver's side, followed quickly by Jasper.
"Well, I guess this is it..." Alice's eyes sparkled as she looked at us. She came to me and put a delicate hand on either side of my face, not saying anything else. She didn't need words, not even the ones in her head, to express what she was feeling at the moment.
"Thank you again, Alice, for everything." I knew my answering smile was enough to express my gratitude but I wanted to say it aloud anyway.
I turned to Jasper to say farewell to him as well and noticed his face was turned upwards. I followed his gaze to see that the black clouds were swelling angrily, buffeted across the sky by a rapidly rising wind. In the distance, there was a muted boom. He grinned. "Looks like one hell of a storm is heading this way."
"Imagine that." Alice murmured quietly, and beamed an angelic smile at me when I looked at her. A sudden suspicion crossed my mind and I stared hard at her, remembering her words earlier today right after the ceremony...something about enjoying the storm. As I tried to puzzle it out, her mind immediately filled with song lyrics. I glared at Alice and her grin widened.
At least I'm sparing you a rousing chorus of 'Like a Virgin'...
I glowered at her. Alice rarely withheld her thoughts or her visions from me and it was beyond aggravating when she did, especially when I suspected whatever she'd seen had to do with Bella.
Knowing me as well she did, Alice quickly recognized the look on my face. In a hurry now, she launched herself at Bella, giving her the briefest of hugs, a kiss on the cheek, and then grabbing Jasper's hand and tugging him back towards the Porsche. "Sorry to rush off, but we don't want them to get too far ahead. We'll see you in a week or two!"
"Alice..." I said her name through gritted teeth.
"Edward..." She returned, her voice teasing, but then she looked at me and her expression became serious as her thoughts were suddenly crystal clear to me once more. Word of the day for you, Edward: Faith. You've learned to have it in Bella, and perhaps even in a higher power. Now why don't you try having some in yourself?
With that, she turned back towards the Porsche. "I don't suppose you'll let me drive for a while?" I heard Jasper ask her as they moved away.
"Not a chance!" Alice's tinkling laughter sounded as she waved at us a final time, and then they were in the car and speeding off.
Bella looked surprised and just the slightest bit hurt by the abruptness of Alice's departure. "What was that about?" She asked me.
I lifted my shoulders. "She was eager to leave us alone."
"Alone?" Bella turned around and surveyed the empty lawns. Even the caterers and servers were gone...a cleaning crew would come tomorrow to pack up the remnants of the reception. "We are, aren't we? We are completely, one hundred percent...alone."
"Finally." Despite the wariness that was beginning to creep in on me, I could not hide the relief and joy in that word.
Bella laughed, a sound that was abruptly cut off as I swung her up into my arms and leapt on to the porch. "Ready to see whatever is waiting for us inside?" I asked her. A breathless chuckle was her only response as I pushed open the slightly ajar front door with my foot.
At first, nothing looked different. The great room was the same as ever - when we moved on from a place, we only took what was irreplaceable or had some type of sentimental value, so our furniture and nearly everything else still remained. Despite the fact that the house was still fully decorated, it had already begun to take on that hollow, empty feeling, as if the walls themselves knew that the occupants were never coming back. And then, as we approached the staircase, that empty feeling began to ease as we saw what was waiting for us.
The lights had been dimmed, but it was not too dark for even Bella to be able to see. The stairs were covered in rose petals...thousands of them, poured over each step, their fragrance warm in the air. On the side of each step there were what looked like candles, but on closer inspection they proved to be cleverly disguised lights, pointing the way upwards. I hesitated for a moment, and Bella stiffened in my arms, clearly wondering what was stopping me. With a sigh, both of hesitation and anticipation, I carried her up the stairs.
More rose petals and more flickering lights led the way to my bedroom. The door here was also just slightly ajar, and we could see the golden light filtering out from under it. I pushed it open, and Bella gasped.
It was not the same room it had been a few days ago. Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Elisa had outdone themselves. My black and gold color scheme was completely gone...the walls redone in a warm cream color with just a hint of rose. The carpet as well had been completely replaced, the new one just a shade or two darker than what was on the walls. Most of my furniture - anything that would have interfered with the clearly romantic theme they were going for - was gone. And in here, candles - real ones this time - covered every surface, hundreds of them, from tiny scented votives to long tapers. They, along with two tiny, antique lamps cast the only light in the room. The trail of rose petals continued, drifting across the floor and up over the bed, which had also been stripped and then remade with new bedding to match the rest of the room. A white, gauzy canopy surrounded it now. My stereo system was gone and my CDs and albums long since packed and shipped, and yet soft music filtered through the room. I saw that it was coming from a small silver CD player that was nearly hidden underneath the bedside table. I smiled as I recognized Clair de Lune.
"Wow." Bella whispered, echoing my thoughts.
I set her down carefully and something flashed in her eyes - disappointment? I touched her face gently and then gestured to her dress. "I thought you might want to change into something a little more comfortable."
"Oh." I could see her slight blush even in the dim glow from the candles. "I suppose I should...where did they put my suitcase?" She looked around the room and finally we saw it, sticking out just slightly from under the bed. Bella knelt down to pull it out and I saw her frown. "It's..." Her face became suspicious and she pulled it out, the flipped open the already unzipped top to reveal that it was empty except for a small sheet of paper. She pulled it out and read it, the suspicion darkening to a scowl.
"What?" I asked, holding my hand out for the note. Bella handed it to me without a word, glowering. I read it quickly.
'Dear Bella,
Congratulations! You are a married woman now!
And as such, we respectfully request that you stop dressing like a colorblind slacker teen. No one needs that much flannel. To help you on your way, you'll find a few things in the closet. Don't be mad...you'll thank us someday.
Love,
Alice and Elisa
P.S. Your nightgown is in the bathroom.'
I had to take a deep breath in order not to laugh. I had never cared about how Bella dressed - rarely noticed it, if I was at all honest, unless she'd made a particular effort, but I knew it had always been a point of contention between her and Alice and now apparently Elisa had become Alice's partner in crime.
"I am going to murder them!" Bella announced as she stood up and headed towards the bathroom. She closed the door behind her a little harder than necessary and I waited for the infuriated shriek as she confronted whatever overdone (or underdone) monstrosity Alice and Elisa had left for her. She made no further protests however...there was just a long silence before I heard the rustling that meant she was changing out of her wedding gown.
My chest, and quite a few other muscles that I didn't want to contemplate, tightened as I tried to block out the sound of buttons being unsnapped and cloth pooling onto the floor. I turned, pacing across the room as I tried to get the dangerous images of Bella undressing out of my head. My own intense reaction to just the sound of her movements on the other side of the door alarmed me. Tonight, of all nights, I needed to be completely in control and I was beginning to fear that I had even less of that restraint than I had been counting on. As I paced, I shrugged out of my jacket and pulled off my tie, throwing both on the loveseat in the corner.
The tentative creak of the bathroom door wrested me from my thoughts and I turned as Bella stepped hesitantly back into the room. Her arms were crossed self consciously across her chest, and then she dropped them with a mixed gesture of resignation and defiance.
I could not stop staring. I had been expecting - been prepared, really - for Bella to come out in some near see through bit of lace held together with a few satin straps. Something that, as tempting as it would be, would be so not her that it would have be easier to focus more on her unease and making her comfortable than anything else. Instead, the gown that Bella was wearing was clearly vintage, in obvious keeping with the theme of her wedding gown. It was ivory colored, long, flowing and falling to her ankles, almost modest...until one observed the bodice, which was molding to her every curve and caused her cleavage to swell gently above the delicate fabric. Worse were the delicate corset strings that laced up the front and held the bodice closed...just one tug on those and...
"What?" Bella flushed now and I realized that I had not been subtle about my staring. "Don't blame me...Alice picked it. Don't you like it?"
Like it? Like it? I was half a second away from tearing it off of her...I had to pull myself together - couldn't let her see me like this, all need and instinct. I didn't want to frighten her. Alice, I will kill you by inches. I silently vowed to myself.
"It's very...nice." I finally managed and Bella's face fell slightly. Damn it - I was terrible at this, all stilted awkwardness and inexperience, for once really like the green schoolboy I pretended to be. I crossed the few feet that separated us and took her into my arms, touching the shining hair that she had taken down to cascade around her shoulders. "You, Bella, are more breath-taking than should be allowed. Forgive me if I don't always say the right things...this is new to me too."
Bella relaxed into my arms and then wound her own arms around my neck, pressing us together, swirling her scent around me until I had to stop breathing for a second or two and count backward in my head -in French, Portuguese, and Gaelic- in order to kill the sudden burning in my throat. If only the rest of it could be as simple...my throat was hardly the only part of me that was on fire.
Bella lifted her head, her fingers lightly trailing the seam of my white dress shirt. "Don't you want to...change or something as well?" She asked me.
"Soon." I told her, and with that, I swept her up in my arms again and carried her over to the bed. Gently, I deposited her on the far side and then carefully, I eased myself next to her and pulled her back to me, cradling her on my chest.
Bella didn't seem to like the chastity of this position...she raised herself up on her elbows in order to see my face, and then reached out, lightly caressing my skin. I sucked in another breath...the sensations that her careful touch raised in me were nearly indescribable. Once again, I fought against myself, struggling to remain still, and she frowned. "Edward, is something wrong?"
Again, I cursed myself for being so inept. Here I was, trying to hide my desperate desire for her, fighting to stay in charge of my own instincts, and not only was I a miserable failure at it but I was making her feel insecure of top of everything else. "Nothing is wrong." I assured her, reaching out to cradle her face in my hands. "Nothing could be more right than this, the two of us, together."
Bella relaxed, smiling, and then she leaned down, pressing her lips to mine. For a dangerous moment I forgot everything that was at stake and I kissed her back, wanting to do more, so much more, and as her hands began to travel to the collar of my shirt and then unfastened the first few buttons I knew I was just seconds away from throwing caution to the wind. It took everything I had...and stores of strength I didn't even realize I had access to, for me to stop and to gently tug her back down to my chest.
"Edward..." Her protest was muffled, but the frustration in her voice was clear.
"Easy, Bella." I whispered to her as I stroked her hair, feeling her reluctantly relax underneath my hand. "We have all night. Let's take it slowly. I just need a few minutes to take it all in." My voice was smooth, sincere...lying was one thing I never seemed to have a problem with. I shuddered to think what that said about me.
Bella sighed, but acquiesced, and I felt her relax further on my chest. It was what I'd been counting on, that the fatigue I knew she was feeling after such a long, momentous day would be my ally. To further my agenda, I began to hum her lullaby, keeping my hand rhythmically moving through her hair, feeling both sadness and satisfaction as I saw her eyelids began to grow heavy, then finally close.
"This is cheating." She whispered before sleep finally claimed her, and I smiled to myself. Yes, but if it was the worst thing I did to her tonight, we could both count ourselves lucky. My grim smile faded then, and I exhaled as silently as I could manage. At once, I felt like the most blessed, yet most cursed man in the universe. I had what anyone would envy...all my dreams had come true this day, and yet I was cursed. Bella was mine and I was the last person in this universe who she should be with, the one who couldn't hold her, couldn't caress her, couldn't kiss her even without worrying what I could do to her. I remembered Renee's words to me earlier, telling me that Bella trusted me not to hurt her, and I felt sick. Renee thought she was warning me to not leave Bella again, as if I could, but she didn't realize I could hurt her in far more insidious ways.
I wished that I could give Bella a better reward for her love and trust in me, but all I had for her was pain and broken promises. It was definitely better if she slept now, oblivious, peaceful, because when she woke up there was going to be no end of turmoil. Oh yes, a storm was certainly brewing, but it wasn't the one outside.
Because I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't make love to her. Not tonight, not when she was warm, and soft, and oh so fragile. So frail, so breakable...it was too much of a risk. One that I could not bear, for her sake and selfishly, so much more for mine. I could not hurt her again...I could not lose her. There was no way I could withstand that agony.
So I would break my word, the bond that I had given to her, and she was going to hate me. Oh, maybe not forever, but probably close to it. At the very least, Bella would not be able to trust me for a very, very long and that realization was agonizing, but it was the price I was going to have to pay to keep her safe. I should not have promised her in the first place - I should not have been so weak. Should have always remembered that it was her life that lay on the line, and that was far too high of a price to pay. I should not have tricked her into this eternal bond with me under false pretenses, even if I had believed at the time that I could go through with it. I was a loathsome, foul, deceptive monster and when she woke up, she'd know it.
Please forgive me, Bella. Please. I whispered, far too low to disturb her. She turned in my arms and sighed, burying her face on my shoulder, so trusting, and I hated myself even more for not being stronger, not being what she needed, for being this disgusting beast that could snap her like a twig with one thoughtless gesture.
I knew Bella trusted me but she had always been braver than me. She was the lion, and I was the lamb, the coward...if it had been up to me, we would have never been together. It was her that first whispered my name, who reached out and touched my hand, who kept saying yes every time she should have said no and run. It was her that loved me even when I betrayed her, who accepted me with open arms when I came crawling back... My fists clenched together. After all of that, how could I do this to her? What else had she ever asked of me but this moment? How could I not be strong enough to give it to her?
Alice's voice whispered in my ear now... Word of the day for you, Edward: Faith. Why don't you try having some in yourself? How well I understood now just what she had been talking about.
Alice... I groaned silently back. It is just not that easy. It's too much of a chance. This is Bella's life we're talking about here... But I could feel myself weakening, remembering back to a day, a black, horrible day, when Bella lay broken, poisoned and bleeding before me and I had raised her hand to my lips...I had been stronger than I'd believed myself to be then too...maybe I could -
No! I nearly screamed the word at myself. That had been different. If I hadn't acted, Bella would have lost her life, become a monster like me. Even if I had known then what I knew now, that one day I would accept her choice, even celebrate it, she hadn't been ready then. I hadn't been ready then. It could have destroyed us.
Bella turned then, moving restlessly in my arms, and her lips parted. "Edward..." she breathed, and the sound vibrated through me. I felt myself burning again, the flames hotter this time because they had sensed my weakness and exploded like gasoline contacting a lit match.
I'll be alright. I thought to myself as my insides burned and my fingers throbbed with the need to touch her. It was nearly impossible to resist, but if she just remained still, asleep for just a few more minutes, I could pull myself together, bring back my resolve, recall all the reasons why it would be madness to give in tonight and risk it all...
And at that moment, the fates, or something with a hellish sense of humor saw fit to intervene. The roar of thunder that sounded outside was so loud that it shook the whole house, making the windows rattle, and then the skies opened up and rain began to pound the windows.
In my arms Bella shot up, gasping slightly, her hand over her heart. Watching her chest heave against the too tight bodice strings of her nightgown, like the heroine of some silly paperback romance, did absolutely nothing to strengthen my resolve. Only my last last scrap of self-control, and the startled sheen of her eyes, stopped me from lunging at her like an animal.
"Bella, it's OK, it's just - "
Another blinding flash lit the sky, followed by an even more deafening roar, and then with a crack, the electricity snapped off. Bella gasped as the room noticeably darkened. I hadn't realized how much light the tiny lamps had provided until they were extinguished. The lit candles nearby flickered as the relentless wind found its way through tiny cracks in the walls and inside the room.
"Bella." I whispered, knowing she was struggling to see me in the darkness. I could feel the way her heart pounded as I held her close. "It's alright. It's just the storm. Don't be afraid."
"I'm not." I was surprised by the strange note in her voice, enough not to resist when Bella struggled out of my arms and off the bed. She walked across the room to the sliding glass window and pushed it open. Immediately, we were buffeted by a spray of rainwater, blown in by the rushing wind. Another flash of lightning lit up Bella's face brilliantly, and her expression stunned me. Her eyes were glowing with excitement. She was staring out into the storm, and then before I could stop her, she stepped carefully over the sill and out onto the narrow balcony beyond.
"Bella!" She was going to get wet, cold, sick, and without the electricity, I wouldn't even be able to turn on the heat to warm her up. I stepped over the sill after her, intending to demand that she come back inside and drag her if she resisted, but then I saw her, face upturned to the sky, eyes closed, raindrops dewing in her hair and sparkling like diamonds, touching her face and streaming down. Her nightgown was already soaked, and I saw with a groan that where it clung to her skin it was nearly transparent. Another flash of lightning illuminated her, standing there like a young goddess, lighting up every curve where it showed clearly through the wet cloth, and I knew I was lost.
And as I stepped to Bella and pulled her to me, I was certain of two things.
One, that at no time in the entire history of mankind was surrender going to be so rewarding.
And two, that somewhere between here and the Canadian border, Alice was laughing.
I wasn't frightened, not when the roar of thunder woke me out of my quiet doze, not when the next flash of lightning flared so brightly I was temporarily blinded, not when the electricity snapped off and the room was plunged into darkness except for the muted glow of the candles. No, I was enthralled, exhilarated...I felt suddenly, vividly alive, connected to everything around me, as if I were a force of nature myself.
It was a strange reaction for me. I was used to rain...endless, dreary, drizzling sheets of rain, day in and day out, but this was no ordinary shower, what was hurling itself from the sky right now. No, this was Mother Nature showing off, letting us know no matter what advances modern man made, she could not ever be tamed or controlled.
I didn't know what it was that compelled me the most to move, whether it was the sound of the rain pelting the roof, coming down so hard and so fast it was like thousands of tiny fists knocking and demanding entry. Or maybe it was the howl of the wind, whipping and whirling around, clawing at the windows and making them rattle. I could almost visualize it, curling into invisible fingers and beckoning me forth.
Its call pulled me out of Edward's arms and off the bed, out the window and onto the balcony, disregarding my flimsy attire and bare feet as I stepped on to the frigid wood, water pooling around my toes. Despite the storm's unchecked wildness, it treated me gently, seeming to celebrate that I had answered its summons. I didn't feel the chill of the raindrops that pelted me even as they rolled down my face, streamed down my neck, soaked into my nightgown. The wind, when it touched me, was like a caress, dancing around me, twirling my hair and making it flair around my shoulders, flicking the bottom of my nightgown and making it ripple... The sky lit up again and I could see the jagged streak of the lightning across the sky, so awe-inspiring, so beautiful.
"Edward!" I called. I wanted him to share this with me, wanted him to feel the wild excitement that was lighting me up from the inside out, but as I turned to go and find him he was already there. His cold arms were suddenly pulling me to him, and before I could take a breath his lips came down on mine and I forgot everything else. Nothing else existed except for the feel of his lips, and his hands, and those were suddenly everywhere, pushing back my hair as his mouth drifted from mine only to rain kisses down my neck, stroking my face, my arms, and then moving upwards again to gently flick at the straps of the gown until they fell away.
My breath came in gasps as I returned every kiss, my own hands clinging to him, touching every bit of exposed skin I could find and feeling frustrated that there wasn't more of it. I heard his quiet laugh as my fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt, tearing at them when they didn't open quickly enough for my liking. Somewhere deep down I was waiting for the moment...the point when he'd stop, pull away, put that wall up again between us...I had been expecting it ever since he'd carried me into the bedroom earlier. Despite his promises, I had seen the barrier in his eyes and I'd been afraid he was going to back out on our deal. I didn't know what had changed...maybe nothing had, maybe I was still dreaming, but if this was a dream I wasn't ever planning on waking up.
"Bella..." His voice was a low whisper, almost a plea as he whispered it into my ear, and I answered his unspoken question by dragging his head down to mine and finding his lips once more. I exulted in his response...he didn't pull away, he didn't stop...his lips moved with mine and then parted, and I felt a shock that thrilled me from the top of my head to the very core of my being when his tongue touched mine with the lightest, most feathery of flickers. Despite the fire that was raging through me now, untouched by the icy sheets of rain that were drenching us both, I was careful to not respond in the way that I wanted to. I could feel, despite the gentle passion that he was assaulting me with, that he was still holding back, struggling to stay in control, and as much as I wanted him to give himself to me freely, I knew that control was necessary. Some things would have to wait until I was as strong as he was.
Too soon, he dragged his mouth away from mine and I wanted to protest until his lips traveled downward again and once again I felt the electric shock of his icy tongue, this time on my neck as he kissed the raindrops off my skin. My breath caught between a gasp and a moan and then I was cradled against his chest as he picked me up, carrying me back across the window sill and then gently set me back down on the bed. For a moment, he hesitated, almost as if he were going to move away instead of join me, his beautiful face torn even as his eyes burned down at me.
I wasn't about to allow him a single instant more to fill up with second thoughts. I reached for him, pulling him to me and he came although he could have easily resisted. My hands were busy with his shirt once again, most of the buttons undone or torn off now thanks to my impatience, and I slid my palms under it, parting it and then sliding it off of his shoulders. I couldn't get enough of touching him. I don't think anything but the feel of his fingers gliding over my shoulders, down my collarbone and then lower, hesitantly touching the bodice strings of the far too tight garment I was wearing, could have distracted me.
He had paused there, his hands poised, but careful, and to encourage him I covered his face and his neck in kisses. I heard a deeply exhaled, nearly growled breath and then the strings gave way and the gown was being pushed down. I helped him, impatiently pulling the wet fabric off my skin and then tossing it away from the bed. I turned back to him, and for a moment I saw the black fire in his eyes as he looked at every inch of me, and I smiled before my eyes closed and I fell back against the pillows, bringing him down with me. Somehow, the rest of his clothes melted away and it was just the two of us, skin to skin.
And as the thunder crashed and lightning lit up the room, as the last lit candles were dousedby the wind and the rain rushing in from the window we'd forgotten to close, we were together, connected, instinct telling us what to do, moving as one.
It was the perfect storm.
To Be Continued...
In Chapter Twelve, Edward and Bella make the final preparations as she counts down the last days of her life as a human. Meanwhile, just as life begins to finally become routine for Elisa, she has an unsettling experience that makes her question the one person she thought she knew better than anyone...herself.
A/N: Regarding Breaking Dawn (No Spoilers!)...I had originally planned to finish this story before BD came out, which was a ridiculous plan because I have a huge amount of story left to tell. So I wasn't sure how reading it would make me feel about continuing Evening Falls, but I love writing this story, so I've decided that I'm not going to worry about what happened in Breaking Dawn. I'm just going to continue this exactly as I had planned and not sweat over whether it's too similiar or too different or whatever. It is what it is, and I love Elisa too much to not tell her tale, or to put my own twist on Bella and Edward for that matter. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy it!