Chapter 45
"Here comes your man"
Edward's POV
I had assumed that me dating Bella Swan would draw some attention, seeing as she was the new girl in town and my family and I being the town oddities, I thought to myself as I stood in front of the mirror, trying to decide on how I should wear my hair for the evening.
Yes, Bella and I were bound to stand out a bit in this sleepy town. However, I hadn't expected the reactions to be quite so…extreme?
Monday morning I had picked her up before school as usual. But we both knew that this wasn't going to be just any other day.
"No second thoughts?" I asked jokingly as she got in the car.
She just rolled her eyes at me and smiled.
"You can hold my hand all day long, if that's what you want. I bet no one will even notice. You're blowing this out of proportion", she scoffed as she fastened her seatbelt.
I looked over to take her in. I didn't know if it was just in my head or if she actually was extraordinarily pretty today. The way her chestnut locks contrasted her alabaster skin, the curve of her full lips, the way her abundant lashes framed her hazel eyes… Maybe she'd always looked this good? Or maybe it was the fact that she'd finally let her guard down to me that made her even more appealing this Monday morning. As I snapped out of my thoughts of adoration I realized her eyes were upon me.
"I was just thinking that you look lovely today", I smiled at her and shrugged.
She cocked one eyebrow at me, probably trying to discern if I was being ironic or not.
"Learn to take a compliment, Swan", I sighed and smiled at her and then proceeded to start the car.
"Thank you", she finally mumbled as I pulled out of the driveway of her house. We drove in silence for a few minutes.
"Do you actually think people will notice?" she suddenly asked, sounding anxious.
I threw a glance in her direction and realized she actually did look a bit nervous. She was tugging at the sleeve of her sweater and nervously chewing on her bottom lip.
"Well, this is Forks. There isn't much going around here, except for gossip. When rumor started spreading that Chief Swan's estranged daughter was coming to live with him it was all people spoke of for weeks", I chuckled, amused.
"I'm hardly his estranged daughter, really", Bella objected, sounding irked by the accusation.
"Renee more or less robbed you from the crib, as far as the good people of Forks are concerned", I countered good-humoredly and she laughed at my joke.
"Alright, I see your point. So, you're saying that we'll be the center of attention today?" she went on, sounding nervous once more.
"I'm saying that this will be a day at the Central Park Zoo and we're the main attraction", I said smiling to myself. I watched her cringe at my prediction of how this day would go down.
I actually didn't mind the thought of people staring at us. I normally wasn't very keen on receiving attention, but this was something else. I was proud to be seen with her by my side. This was a dream come true for me and all I wanted was to shout out my feelings to the world. Having all of Forks High School staring at us didn't even seem that bad actually. However, I was aware of the fact that Bella liked attention even less than I did and I imagined she'd be profoundly uncomfortable with the situation.
"It's not like I'm ashamed or anything like that", she suddenly interrupted my thoughts. "I just really don't like people poking their noses into my business. I've hated being the new girl at school. I just want to blend in."
I smiled softly at her and reached out to grab her hand.
"Well, then you probably should have opted for dating someone who isn't the school outcast", I spoke gently and squeezed her hand. I could sense that her palm was slightly sticky.
She smiled awkwardly at me, not even trying to object to what I'd just said. So what if I was the school outcast? With her by my side I was okay with pretty much any label.
When I'd parked the car I exited and walked around to open the door on her side. She clumsily got out of the car and stood up. I hadn't thought she could be any more ungainly, but it seemed like she was taking it to the next level today.
I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"You really don't have to hold my hand today. I was only joking about that", I whispered serenely.
"Oh, shut up for once, Edward", she sighed, annoyed and then went on to take my face in her hands. She shot me a wide smile and then proceeded to give me a long, deep kiss, not letting go of her hold on me.
"I see that you're making up for lost time, Swan", I said once she'd released me from her lips. I'd been meaning for it to come out teasingly, but her sudden display of affection had caught me off guard so instead it came out as a faint whisper.
"What does it take to shut you up?" she sighed and let go of my face.
"Well, not anything that's appropriate to do on school property", I answered teasingly and then waited for her face to turn red.
Sure enough, her face went from alabaster to crimson red in a matter of seconds.
"You are vile", she retorted and slammed the car door shut.
And that was when we both realized that we'd already become the center of attention. As I looked away from her and looked around the parking lot I could see a multitude of astonished faces staring back at me. Okay, so maybe being stared out by half of the student body wasn't as easy breezy as I'd figured it would be.
"Just ignore them", I murmured to her and grabbed her hand. I could sense that her palm was warm and sticky and I instantly felt bad for her. I shouldn't have insisted on the public displays of affection.
"I'll do my best", she whispered and squeezed my hand tightly.
I was painfully aware of the fact that she was holding her breath as we strode across the parking lot with everyone's eyes on us.
"Hey! Lovie-dovies!" I suddenly heard Emmett calling from the stairs to the main entrance.
Note to self: Secure an alibi, then kill Emmett.
I watched him gasp for air as Rosalie punched him savagely in the stomach as they stood waiting for us at the foot of the stairs.
"Bella! It's so good to see you", Rosalie called out, walking towards us. "I missed you during spring break. You have to tell me everything that went down in Phoenix."
Yes, like she didn't already know every little detail of what went down between Bella and I. I was however grateful to her for trying to be casual and make Bella feel comfortable.
"It's good to see you too, Rose. We'll catch up at lunch, yeah?" Bella replied, her voice trembling slightly.
The rest of the day had gone by in pretty much the same manner. By second period I could make out that there wasn't a student at Forks High who wasn't aware of the fact that Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen were dating now. I knew they'd all been waiting for it to happen, even though I hadn't been as convinced as they had that it actually would, so I didn't quite understand why they were all sudddenly so shocked now that we were actually dating. During every class I attended that day I could sense their stares burning holes in me.
"For how long are they going to keep staring at us?" Bella whispered awkwardly to me at lunch.
"They'll get tired eventually", I replied gently, knowing full well that this would be no comfort to her. Would it be days? Weeks? Months? This was yet another time when I wished that I'd been able to read her mind so as to know the right thing to say to comfort her. For the majority of the time I was grateful for not being able to hear her thoughts, but this wasn't one of those occasions.
Luckily, as the week passed the interest for our new relationship status seemed to wear off and come Friday only a few eyes lingered on us. Bella seemed to be relieved by the fact that most seemed to have lost interest in us. Given my insider information I was well aware of the fact that we were still very much on a lot of people's minds, but I wasn't about to tell her that. We'd made it through our first week, of possibly many to come, of being stared at and we were still going strong.
I didn't want to push it with Charlie, knowing that he still had some reservations about us dating, so I only spent one afternoon at their house during that week. Officially that is. In reality Bella and I spent every afternoon, evening and night in her bedroom, varying between incessant talking and passionate lovemaking. It was as if this new label had made her let her guard down completely. Maybe it was a temporary thing of the moment, but I was hoping that it would turn out to be a more permanent change.
A sudden knock on my door interrupted my thoughts as I stood in front of the mirror, hopelessly trying to tame my unruly hair.
"You look really handsome, honey", Esme asserted, her voice bursting with emotion, as she stood in the doorway beaming at me.
"Thanks, mom", I replied amiably, shooting her a gentle smile. "It isn't too much then?" I gestured at the shirt I was wearing. I knew I should probably dress down a bit to be able to meet the standard teen dress code. But tonight was special and I didn't feel like wearing whatever. I wanted to wear something nice.
"I'm sure Bella will be a bit overdressed too", Esme replied gently. She walked over to me and smoothed out a strand of my untamed hair that had gone rogue.
"I suppose you're right." I smiled to myself thinking about how uncomfortable Bella would be choosing an outfit for the evening, and probably end up choosing a dress that she wouldn't be comfortable in. Esme smiled at me encouragingly and then left me to make the last finishing touches on my hair.
After having rearranged my hair back and forth for another ten minutes I decided that it was as good as it was ever going to get and I headed downstairs to grab my coat.
"Have fun tonight, loverboy!" Emmett called out to me from the living room. "I'll be looking forward to hearing all the juicy details when you get back home. Tomorrow that is", he added teasingly. The laughter that followed was ear-splitting.
"At least he's getting some tonight, compared to others", I heard Rosalie sneer at him.
"Oh, come on, babe!" Emmett complained childishly. "You know I've been waiting literally decades to poke fun at Edward for being smitten with someone. Can't I have a bit of fun with this?"
I rolled my eyes at his defense. Emmett had been poking fun at me for as long as I could remember. Before Bella it had been the whole Jessica Stanley-stalking, and before that the supposed romance between Tanya and I. The only reason his badgering bothered me this time was because Bella was actually someone I cared about, as opposed to Jessica and Tanya. I despised the way Emmett's jokes made Bella uncomfortable and I'd smack him silly the next time he dared to make sly remarks in her presence.
"Have fun tonight, Edward", Rose said, now standing in the doorway to the living room watching me appreciatively. "Sweep her off her feet."
I gave her an awkward smile and a nod and then headed out.
I spent the drive over to Bella's house trying to power myself up. This was just Bella and I going out for dinner. We'd done this before. It didn't have to be awkward or any different from our previous dinners. We'd only transitioned from kissing in the seclusion of her room to kissing in public. It wasn't a big deal, really.
It was a huge deal.
I took one last breath, even though I didn't physically need it, before firmly rapping at the door to her house. Although I wasn't in need of air to live anymore, the habit of taking a deep breath to compose myself hadn't abandoned me. Old habits die hard, even after a hundred years I suppose. I could hear the sound of Charlie's heavy footfalls on the other side of the door and I felt mildly queasy at the thought of having to face him. Why was this such a big deal? I'd met Charlie on a great number of occasions these past few months and I was positive of the fact that he even liked me. So why was I so nervous about this?
"Hello Edward", Charlie said awkwardly as he opened the door and I could sense him matching the feelings that I was having. He didn't know how to play this game either. The realization made me relax slightly.
"Good evening, sir", I replied, willing my voice to remain steady not to reveal my nervousness.
"You don't have to call me sir just because you're dating my daughter. I'm still just Charlie to you", Charlie insisted, giving me a faint, disarming smile and then gesturing at me to come inside.
"Alright then, Charlie", I responded and stepped inside. Once inside I stood awkwardly in the hallway, not knowing what to do with myself.
"I think we'd better wait for Bella in the living room", Charlie continued amiably. "She's buried in a ton of different outfits upstairs and we probably shouldn't rush her." He chuckled as he spoke the last sentence and then disappeared into the living room. I followed him and proceeded to sit down on the couch. Charlie stood by his chair, hesitating as if he didn't know what to do next. After another moment of hesitation he finally sat down in the chair opposite the couch and gave me a sober look.
"So… I'm not going to give you a speech about treating my daughter well, since I've already determined that you do by observing the two of you these past few months", he spoke, his voice suddenly serious.
"That's what I aspire to, sir", I replied, giving it my all to sound sincere.
"You don't have to convince me, Edward. Actions speak louder than words and your actions have spoken plenty regarding how much you care about Bella", Charlie stated, his voice a touch milder now. "However, I will ask of you not to overwhelm her."
I nodded eagerly, however, not quite sure what I was agreeing to, and then held my breath, waiting for him to elaborate further on the subject.
"I figure that you already know that Bella had a rough last year. So I will ask you to be careful with her feelings and not promise her more than you can live up to. I know disappointments are a part of life and that she'll probably have plenty more in the future. Yet, I'd like to hope she won't be having any more this year, or anytime soon. You catch my drift?" he finished, looking at me intently.
If there had been a way for my heart to warm, this moment right here would have been it. I was deeply moved by the concern in Charlie's eyes. I'd overheard him reporting to Renee about Bella's well-being on several occasions since January and it had given me a deeper understanding of just how much they'd been worrying about her because of the whole Dan-thing. I had also been pleasantly surprised by hearing him defend me against Renee the other night. I knew that a part of Charlie probably wanted Bella to never date again. But another part of him seemed to embrace the fact that Bella and I were good for each other.
"I just don't think she should jump into a new relationship so soon. You should have seen her when she'd accidentally run into Dan. It was horrible. It was november last year all over again", I'd heard Renee complain.
"Well of course it's always going to be a raw nerve for her. He was her first boyfriend. On the other hand though, this could probably have been avoided if you'd told her he'd been trying to get in touch with her and that he'd be home for spring break. Admit that there was a small part of you that actually wished that they'd get back together so that she'd want to come back to Phoenix" Charlie had replied sharply.
"Of course I don't want them to get back together just so that she'll come back home. But they were good together! They motivated each other, they made each other want to…", Renee protested.
"Well, I don't care if he's the love of her life. He treated her terribly when he broke up with her. That's all that matters to me", Charlie interrupted her heatedly, raising his voice.
"And I know that there's a part of you that thinks it's a huge disappointment that she's taken to someone from around here. Don't even try to deny it", he continued crisply, not missing a beat. "But he's a good kid. He's respectful to her, he shows her genuine interest and concern, he takes her out to do things, he does well in school, he comes from a good family - I could go on indefinitely regarding why I'm not worried about her seeing this boy. He really cares for her and I see the positive effects of it on a daily basis. So I really don't care that you're underwhelmed by the fact that he's just a smalltown boy."
I had to prevent myself from smiling at the memory. Even though Charlie was giving me the speech right now, yet a gentle one, I knew he was actually on my side in this.
"Sir. Charlie", I finally spoke candidly. "I know that you've understood that I have very strong feelings for Bella. Maybe even more than she herself has grasped."
Charlie acknowledged what I'd just said with a faint nod.
"But I also hope that you know and rely on the fact that I always try to do what makes her happy and what's best for her. I worship the ground that girl walks on", I spoke sincerely and I could tell by his astonished reaction that he hadn't been expecting a declaration of my devotion to her. "I know that she's been having a hard time and I know that given these circumstances she's got her guard up. I know that you've all got your guards up. Bella. You. Her mother. And I understand it completely. I'll admit that I do have very strong feelings for her, but I'm not asking anything more of her than she can offer at the moment. I just want you to be able to rely on the fact that I would never purposely do anything to harm her."
I could tell that Charlie was flustered by my response to his speech and I could hear him fumbling for words in his head.
"Well, as long as we're on the same page I don't mind you worshiping the ground she walks on, as you put it", he mumbled awkwardly and nodded at me.
"And of course I'll be worshiping that ground while respecting curfews and house rules, sir", I added graciously, trying to lighten the mood.
"That's all I ask", Charlie replied good-naturedly. I could discern by reading his thoughts that he was glad that this talk was over.
"So where are you kids going tonight?" Charlie inquired, swiftly changing the subject.
"We're going to this Italian restaurant,Bella Italia, in Port Angeles. It's a bit cheesy, the name, I know. But Bella likes Italian food and the atmosphere is nice, so it seemed like a good choice", I answered his question, grinning awkwardly.
"I'm sure she'll love that", he assured me cheerfully. "Anyhow, Port Angeles is a bit of a drive. It's fine if you'd want to bring her home by twelve instead of her usual curfew. I don't want you to have to rush your dinner", he added, tugging nervously at the sleeve of his shirt. I had to stop myself from smiling at the sight of him tugging at his sleeve. He and Bella were so much alike sometimes.
"Thank you, sir. That's very nice of you", I answered sincerely. "Still, I'll try to have her home by eleven. I don't want my parents worrying about me getting home late. I'm sure you understand."
And I also didn't want to spend too many hours at the restaurant when I knew I'd be spending the remainder of the evening in Bella's bed. Yes, I wanted to take her out on a proper date. But did I want it more than I wanted her squirming beneath me, moaning into my shoulder? Hardly. I also liked to maintain the facade that my parents set up rules and boundaries for me and my siblings since I knew that Charlie had a soft spot for my family that had been working in my favor. I doubted that he'd be impressed by the truth - that I was allowed to roam wild as I pleased, as long as my behavior didn't raise suspicion.
"Yes, of course", Charlie mumbled in reply.
As he spoke I heard the door to Bella's room open. I heard her light footsteps across the floor upstairs as she made her way over to the stairs.
"I guess she finally managed to pick out an outfit", Charlie chuckled as he heard the creaking sound of the stairs. He stood up and approached the hallway. I followed his lead.
She was a sight for sore eyes as she stood by the foot of the stairs, nervously fidgeting with her hands. She wore a dark-blue dress with a lovely silver heart pendant that rested beautifully against her ivory chest. The dark-blue color of her dress paired well with her pale skin and the contrast of the opposing colors made her lovely features stand out even more. The skirt of her dress stopped just above the knee and she wore thin, see-through stockings underneath it. I couldn't wait to rip those to shreds…
"Hey", she spoke, almost whispering her words. I studied her closely for a moment as she stood there, tugging slightly at the hem of her dress. Yes, she was nervous. Yes, she was uncomfortable. I'd have to help her get out of that dress as soon as possible, I thought to myself.
"You look wonderful, Bella", I finally spoke zealously.
"Yes, you look nice", Charlie agreed. This man needed a thesaurus if that was all that he could muster to describe this divine apparition that was his daughter.
"Thanks", she mumbled awkwardly and reached for her coat. "Are you ready to get going?"
"I was born ready", I exclaimed, perhaps a bit too eagerly by the look Charlie shot me. Yeah, he was probably regretting extending her curfew right now.
"Great." She grinned at my response and reached for the door. "Shall we?"
"Let's", I replied and then directed myself at Charlie. "I'll have her home by eleven, at the very latest, sir." I didn't want to lose any points with Charlie for being too eager about taking his daughter out.
"All right then", he muttered, not sounding entirely pleased with the situation. I'd have to come up with a way to earn back those points it seemed.
"Good night then, sir", I said and then went after Bella.
She was already sitting in the passenger seat once I reached the car. I sat down in the driver's seat and swiftly turned the keys in the ignition.
"So, what did you guys talk about before I came downstairs?" she asked curiously as I pulled the car out of the driveway.
"Oh, just the regular banter", I replied, smiling teasingly at her.
"You and Charlie have a regular banter, huh?" she retorted skeptically. "Come on, Edward. Did he give you a speech about dating his daughter?"
"Well, sort of", I said grinning at her and watched amused as her face flushed red.
"Man! I thought he was going to be more relaxed than that", Bella sighed and hid her face in her hands.
"It was hardly a talk", I consoled her. "He just asked me to play nice and not break your heart."
My words didn't seem to console her and I watched as she cringed at what I'd told her.
"However", I said and swiftly pulled the car over to the side of the road, "he probably should have been giving me a speech about not ravishing your body instead of your heart."
Without hesitation I unfastened my seatbelt and reached over the gearbox to grab a hold of her. I took her face in my hands and gave her a deep kiss. She responded instantly to my touch and raised her hand to take a firm hold of my neck, willing me to come closer. As I kissed her I let one of my hands slide along her body, and proceeded to place it against the inside of her left thigh. I gave her thigh a hard squeeze and then let my fingers trail up and down along the inside of her thigh. The sensation of the thin fabric of her stockings and her soft skin underneath was alluring and I could feel my pelvic region responding to the feel of her body. I heard her breath hitch in her throat as I squeezed her leg and I could feel her inching down slightly in her seat to meet my hand. I snaked my hand up the skirt of her dress and let it skim across her groin. She gasped for air against my mouth, as I was still holding her locked tightly in a ceaseless kiss, her sucking the breath out of me. I could sense her raising her pelvis, rubbing against my hand.
I eagerly complied and rubbed my hand against her crotch, pressing down hard on her. I could sense her grip on my neck stiffen and I moaned satisfied into her mouth as her nails dug into the skin of my neck. Her expression of her need for me made my entire body throb with lust and I was seconds away from leaning her seat back and simply taking her.
But this was about her and her pleasure and I also wanted to make it last. I knew I'd get mine eventually. Without uttering a word I forcefully tore a hole in her stockings right in the middle of her crotch, only using one hand. I kept my other hand fixed on her jaw, holding her face in a steady grip. As I ripped her stockings I felt her trying to move her head, but I willed her to remain in her place, slightly tightening my grip on her face.
"Just lean back and enjoy this", I whispered into her mouth as I let my index finger slip through the hole in her stockings.
When I felt the damp fabric of her panties I groaned profoundly and let my finger glide across her wetness before swiftly sliding the fabric to the side. As my finger disappeared into her drenched folds I could sense her body go rigid against mine and her breath hitched in her throat once more.
I let go of her jaw and placed my hand firmly against her shoulder instead, pressing her back into her seat, meanwhile gently slipping my finger deeper inside her. Her slick walls clamped down desperately on my finger and I had to use considerable force to be able to bend it. As I hooked my finger inside of her she inhaled deeply and then bit down hard on my bottom lip. I could feel my fingers gripping her shoulder rigidly and I had to pause for a second to regain control of myself. I had to be careful with her and not lose control, I reminded myself. I loosened my grip on her shoulder.
I then placed my thumb on the hard nub hidden between her folds and gently started rubbing against the taut spot, all the while flexing my index finger inside of her.
"Oh, Edward", she moaned, tormented as she sank deeper into her seat, bearing down heavily on my hand.
I didn't want to prolong her suffering, and furthermore I doubted that I could take much more of this myself. Pressing my thumb fervently against her clit I pumped my index finger in and out of her, pushing her towards her climax. Just when she was about to climax I ruthlessly slipped my middle finger inside of her too, ceaselessly hooking my fingers inside of her, rubbing against her core.
"Oh my god", she moaned, barely intelligible as her body writhed uncontrollably at my touch as she finally came undone.
Not wanting to let her off the hook so soon I continued to pump my fingers inside of her at a steady pace, dragging out her orgasm until she was panting desperately for air. When the last tremors had rolled through her body I gently slipped my fingers out of her, only pausing to give her thigh one final firm squeeze before removing my hand from her.
She was pressing her head back against the head restraint, her cheeks rosy and her mouth slightly ajar. Her eyes remained closed as she heaved for air, her hands clutching frantically on the hem of her skirt. This was definitely an image I wanted to memorize for future occasions when carnal desire struck me and she wasn't around, I thought to myself. I gently stroked my fingers along her jawline.. She finally opened her eyes and looked straight at me, her gaze still hazy and craving more, while licking her bottom lip.
"Yeah, he definitely should have told me to keep my hands to myself", I said gleefully and leaned in to ravage her mouth.
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Author's note
I'm sorry for making you wait too long for this chapter, but my daughter has been sick and there simply is no way to write with a cranky, feverish toddler in the house. I'll be posting the next chapter shortly!