Chapter 8:
There was sun shining brightly across the road casting shadows of leaves and trees. A cool autumn breeze drifted through the open windows of Bella's truck. It was beautiful out and Bella was excited to see what Edward had in store for her today. The engine of her truck became a background hum to her ears.
She imagined another day out in the woods just spending time with one another. Maybe he would answer more of the questions Bella had burning her tongue.
"So soon Bella?" A voice cut through her pleasant mood and drew her attention to the passenger seat.
Bella looked sharply to her right to the figure sitting beside her that hadn't been there a moment ago.
It was a boy right on the cusp of manhood, who had been cut down shortly after his eighteenth birthday. His shaggy hair tousled effortlessly in the wind and brown eyes crinkled with a joke only he knew.
"Riley?" Bella choked out. There's no way Riley could really be here, but he looked so real.
Riley stuck his hand out the window to feel the air against his fingers. A smile worked its way across his face and he closed his eyes when the sun warmed his face.
"So soon for what Riley?" Bella asked hesitantly, knowing that whatever words he said next wouldn't be good.
"You're already on your next victim." Riley's eyes opened and the light went out. Darkness covered the forest and it was only the glow from the headlights that allowed Bella to see the change to Riley's demeanor.
"I'm barely dead and you've moved on so soon."
Riley's voice had changed to a wet rasping sound. All Bella could see from the darkness was blood and dirt coating the entirety of Riley's face. Where his eyes should have been were only open sockets like they had been eaten away. When he smiled he showed that some of his teeth were missing. Graveyard dirt and bugs fell from his open mouth and Bella had to struggle to contain herself when the cab filled with the smell of decay.
"You'd better watch out." He warned.
Bella looked forward suddenly as if only now realizing she was still driving down a dark street, but it wasn't empty. Right in front of the truck stood Edward and he was far too close for Bella to stop. She felt the truck jolt as Edward smashed over the hood and the windshield to land behind the truck and Bella felt her heart stop at the horrible crunching sound.
With a gasp Bella lurched forward in bed. Her heart ran a painful beat through her chest. She pressed a hand on it in the hopes of slowing it down even though her breaths were coming just as fast.
It took a few moments for the realizations to set in fully. It was only a dream. Another nightmare. Edward was safe. That Riley was not real.
Bella moved herself to get out of bed, but stopped suddenly at the feel of her blanket. It was cold, just on the edge near her pillow. It wouldn't have been strange except that it felt more like someone had placed an ice pack in her bed and forgot about it.
The smell of fresh linen and lilacs tickled Bella's senses, but it was probably her brain stuck on the memory of Edward. He couldn't really be here. Could he?
Bella squinted her eyes into the darkness, but there were only shadows to be seen. Feeling a bit silly Bella crept her way into the bathroom, aware that a blush dusted her cheeks. If Edward really was in the house, hiding from her, he surely got a good look at the holey pajamas that were in desperate need of retirement.
After grabbing a glass of water Bella returned to her bed wondering to herself why the thought of Edward in her house watching her sleep didn't creep her out. Maybe it should have and maybe it would if she were more awake to think about it fully.
Maybe if Bella was brave she would ask him tomorrow.
Charlie woke Bella in time for her to see the sunrise come up above the trees. It was nice of him to ask if she wanted to join him in La Push to fish and hangout, but with the restless sleep Bella had she wasn't in the mood to fake a smile for Charlie's friends. Besides, Bella had a meeting today with the enigmatic Edward Cullen and she wouldn't give that up for anything, even father-daughter bonding in the middle of a lake.
Bella was given another thorough scolding over not letting Charlie know where she had been the day prior and had to promise that she would call or text him if she left the house.
After Charlie had left Bella couldn't go back to sleep, there was a weary energy that kept her brain from shutting off. As much as she loathed the taste, Bella chugged a cup of coffee in the hopes of bringing her back to some semblance of normalcy.
Instead it appeared to layer some anxiety over her tiredness. She couldn't help but feel like her dream was a warning, telling her that she was going to be the reason for Edwards demise.
Bella cleaned the house restlessly to get her mind off of everything and tidied the already organized living room. She gave her bedroom a once over for good measure just in case. She had no idea what she and Edward would do, nor could she ask him as his number had never made it from her cast onto her phone.
It was almost 12 o'clock on the dot that she heard a soft knocking sound from the front door. In her rush to answer it, Bella caught her foot on the leg of the couch and tumbled to the floor with a yelp. She had just barely managed to push herself into a seated position before a long white hand was being held out for her.
Bella looked up into Edward's face to see a mix of amusement and worry.
Apparently it was true that he did not need permission to enter her house. But that wasn't really a surprise, he hadn't been invited the night he had found her drunkenly trying to rip her arm out of that darn cast.
"Why, yes Mr. Cullen, please come on in." Bella said jokingly trying to cover up her embarrassment. She did take the hand he offered and he pulled her to her feet effortlessly.
"I'm sorry Bella, I heard you fall and I was a bit worried about you." Edward said, pulling his hand out of her grasp and standing straight like a child being reprimanded.
"Are you in the habit of breaking into my house when you're worried about me?" Bella asked, arching her brow. She tried to sound more calm and collected than she felt, but being so close to Edward was distracting.
"I wouldn't call it breaking in, the door was unlocked." The charming smile he sent her way almost made her forget her line of questioning.
"But, you do worry about me then."
"Of course I do, you're positively accident prone." Edward stepped forward into Bella's space, a surprisingly forward move for him. He raised his hand to brush the back of his fingers across her cheek. "I worry about you anytime I'm not around to catch you."
Bella, aware that she was blushing enough to imitate a tomato, cleared her throat and walked into the kitchen hoping that Edward would follow.
"Would you like a drink?" Bella asked "I uh…think we have squirrels in the backyard."
If there was anything more musical than Edward's voice it was definitely his laugh and it made Bella immensely proud that she managed to draw it from him. When she turned to face him she was struck by just how perfectly beautiful he was, like an animated statue of Adonis. She could still see the playfulness on his features and in the way he was leaning casually against the doorframe.
"You think you're so funny?"
Bella couldn't contain her own smile from him. "I've got plenty of jokes."
"Emmett is going to love you." Edward said with a groan, but he seemed pleased all the same.
"So, tell me a bit more about your family." Bella encouraged. "You've told me about Alice and Jasper's powers, but how do they feel about you talking with me?" How do they feel about a human and a vampire together?
Edward gestured to the kitchen table and Bella sat in the chair he pulled out for her.
"Alice is by far the most supportive, but Emmett is a close second surprisingly."
Bella pictured Edward's dark haired older brother. From what she had seen in the cafeteria, he was easy to make smile, but he also looked intimidating. Not quite nearly as intimidating as his girlfriend Rosalie. From what Bella was able to gather, Rosalie didn't like anyone or anything really.
"Esme is delighted of course, what mother wouldn't be? Carlisle and Jasper are content just to see that I am happy." Edward continued, not privy to Bella's thoughts.
Bella pursed her lips at his clear avoidance of his blond sister. No doubt Rosalie was displeased with Edward exposing their secrets to a human no matter how strange that human may be.
"Does it matter that I'm not like you?" Bell asked, running her fingers along the lines of the table.
"You mean human?" Edward paused, as if he were gathering his thoughts. "We hadn't ever encountered a situation like this before. Carlisle changed myself, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett on the brink of death. Alice and Jasper came to us much later. Our only interactions with humans for the most part have only been in passing. I've never spent so much time with a human as I have with you."
Bella noticed that he avoided answering her question, but the warmth in his tone melted her heart just a bit. This was obviously new territory for him and for his family. He was probably just as nervous as Bella even though he didn't show it.
"You know…." Bella started, "I have more questions for you." She smiled at Edward who grinned back shaking his head.
"Today it's my turn to ask the questions." Edward leaned forward onto his elbows, closing up the space between them.
Bella had anticipated that Edward would be curious, but not the wide variety of questions he would ask her. And it wasn't just that he had a lot of questions, it was that he also asked her the reasoning behind her answers. At first they started out simple, but progressively got more in depth.
"What's your favorite color?" Brown.
"Why?" I miss brown, it's warm. Forks is too green and I guess I'm still not used to it yet.
"What's your favorite food?" Cheeseburgers with pickles.
"What books do you like to read?" I really like the classics. Jane Eyre, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, I'll read just about anything though.
"What's your favorite gemstone?" Topaz.
"Why are you blushing at this question?" I am not. Next question.
"What do you want to do after you graduate?" I haven't really thought about it much. I'd like to do something with books.
"Why haven't you considered your future after high school?" For a long time it was just me and Mom. She means well, but she needs to be taken care of. I had mostly just assumed that I would be wherever she was and that influenced my decisions. It wasn't until Phil came along that I really had the opportunity to think of myself. Then last year happened and then I was just worried about other things.
"What kind of music do you listen to?" My mom had us listening to everything. She went through a lot of phases so it was always changing. I preferred classical and instrumental music to everything else though.
"How often do you call your mother?" Not as often as she would like, but she only answers about half the calls I make anyways. I send her emails and texts to keep her updated about how I'm doing though.
"Do you miss her?" Of course! She's been my best friend for as long as I can remember.
"Do you miss Phoenix?" There are things I miss about Phoenix. I miss my mom the most, but I also miss how open everything is. You can see for miles and the mountains and rock formations. I miss the smell of creosote and the heat. I don't like the cold so I'm not looking forward to winter.
"Do you regret moving here?" No, as much as I miss Phoenix and Mom, I know that moving here was the right thing for me. I don't think I was dealing too well with what happened there and this change was something I needed.
Bella considered admitting to Edward that she didn't regret moving here partially because she had met him, but didn't want to sound too bold. Whatever was between them was too new with no real name and Bella didn't want to push him away. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, but startled when Edward reached out his thumb and tugged it free.
Caught in his gaze she almost missed his next question.
"The other night when I came to your house, why did you not just use your gift to remove your cast?" Edward's voice was just as soft and curious as when he asked the previous questions, but Bella felt the shift in the conversation.
"My power, gift, whatever you want to call it, is apparently unlimited in what it can do. I generally try not to use it, but sometimes I can't help it." Bella shrugged as she picked at the table anxiously. "The only time it doesn't work is when I'm drunk. I guess that being inebriated blocks my brain from doing whatever it does."
"Do you get drunk often?"
"No."
"What made you drink that night?"
Bella frowned, "It was a lot of things honestly. The first anniversary of Riley's death and my mom had sent me the card for his memorial. I…. uh.. I called Bree. I'm not sure why, she never appreciated my reaching out to her before and the last time we spoke a few months ago didn't go very well either. I guess I just hoped that it would be different."
Edward was silent, but Bella was thankful that he didn't barrage her with more questions immediately. Bree's words were still very painful and had opened old wounds that Bella thought had been sealed shut already.
"Why do you do that?" Edward asked softly.
"Huh? Do what?"
Edward reached over the table and ran his fingers over Bella's wrist and up to her elbow. Unknowingly Bella had wrapped her arms tightly around her abdomen. Her grip was not quite painful, but you could see the strain in the delicate bones of her wrists. Bella allowed Edward to unwrap her arms from herself and he held her hands when he was done.
"Sometimes I feel like I have to hold myself together. Like if I'm not too careful that I'll fall apart." Edward ran his thumbs over her knuckles as she spoke. The motion was grounding and his cool marble skin was far more comforting that she would have admitted.
"You know, I wasn't entirely truthful when I told you that I couldn't hear your thoughts." Edward said, continuing to hold Bella's hand. Bella tensed up immediately at his words. "I can't hear your day-to-day thoughts. I can only hear when you use your gift."
Bella relaxed slightly in his grip trying to think back on when she used her power around him. The first that came to mind was when she had first met him, trying to keep him from being angry with her. At the time she had only wanted to get through the class with a semblance of peace. It had worked in the past when Bell had wanted to diffuse tense situations and when his face shifted from bored to angry it was almost a reflex for her to try and calm him down.
"So you heard me then? Even at the very beginning?" Bella asked. This made complete sense, he had already begun to act suspicious of her after only a few days of meeting.
"Yes." Edward said with a laugh. "You can't imagine how shocked I was. That afternoon was ludicrous to say the least."
Bella looked away from him then, remembering what he told her yesterday about wanting her blood when they met. He made it sound like the only thing that had held him back was her power and Bella wasn't quite sure what to think of that. It appeared that he had no trouble around her now and she hadn't seen him struggle with anything except for that day.
"What do I smell like?" Bella asked, it was only reasonable that she would want to know why she smelled so good to him. Good enough to throw away years of hiding in plain sight in this small town.
Edward caught her gaze then, his eyes had darkened to an amber color. She felt trapped in his stare, very much like the prey he claimed her to be. Bella could see the vampire in him when he watched her this way.
"You smell like freesia and lavender after a summer rain. Warm and inviting, a promise of relief and satisfaction. Fresh and clean like a cloudless sunrise. Your scent is so alluring that I would have left my entire life to follow you to the end of the earth if that's what it took to find you. I knew that indulging in a taste of you would give me a gratification that I haven't seen in all my years and in that moment I would have given up anything and everything in the world to have you." The way Edward spoke about how Bella smelled probably should have been weird yet the cadence of his voice made the words sound like indecent poetry.
Bella couldn't help but reimagine their first meeting from Edward's perspective. He had just been sitting there minding his own business when in walks someone who technically should be a meal and smells so enticing that he decided at a moment's notice to throw away everything for. It wasn't anger that Bella had seen on his face that day, it was the desire from a predator. She flushed at the thought of Edward succumbing to that desire on the first day, leaping up from the table to sink his teeth in and ravish her like the black and white movies her mother used to watch.
"Sorry." Bella said awkwardly, pulling one hand free to brush her hair more firmly behind her ear.
"What on earth do you have to be sorry for?" Edward asked with surprise coloring his words.
"I guess I'm just sorry that I smell so good?" Bella shrugged. She sensed that there was more to this than Edward was giving her, but he was holding back from her for a reason and she didn't want to push him further than he was ready for. Bella didn't want him to retreat from her life because she made him uncomfortable.
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and Bella wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling at the moment. He looked up at her with a sigh, his eyes shining brightly.
"Your phone is ringing Bella." He said. Bella didn't hear anything, but she checked her pockets anyway and he smirked at her. "Upstairs."
Right, his super hearing. Bella rolled her eyes at him as she went upstairs. Instead of leaving him in the kitchen Bella tugged on their joined hands for him to follow her. At the landing Bella could hear her phone vibrating against a tabletop and then she remembered she had left it on her bedside table this morning.
The screen was lit up with MOM across the picture of Bella and Renee out at a concert. Bella hurried to answer it before it went to voicemail. Renee was notorious for leaving sad, pouting messages that made you feel guilty about missing her calls.
"Hey Mom." Bella said breathlessly, finally releasing Edward's hand.
"Bellaboo!" Renee laughed. "Did I wake you up honey?" Bella flushed at her childhood nickname, knowing that Edward could probably hear everything her mom was saying.
"No, I just left my phone in the other room. What's up?" Bella watched as Edward walked around her room to look at all the books on the shelves. He trailed his fingers along the spines of the well-loved books on the desk.
"Are you trying to get rid of me Bella? What's wrong?" Sometimes Renee was far too intuitive for her own good.
"No, I'm not trying to get rid of you Mom. I just….have a friend over." Bella admitted.
"Ooh, a friend? Anyone I might know?" Renee asked. Bella saw Edward's mouth tilt up in the corner before he turned towards the window.
"Uh, his name is Edward." Bella sat on her bed to better watch Edward's exploration. He seemed content to examine everything that Bella had left out in the open and she was thankful that she had cleaned her room this morning.
"Edward? Dr. Cullen's son?" Renee said unexpectedly.
"Yes actually. How do you know him?" Bella said, confused. The Cullens had moved to Forks only a few years ago and Renee hadn't been back to visit since Bella was four.
"Well, you gave your dad the slip yesterday and he called me to see if I knew what you were up to. Of course, I had no idea and was worried sick, but he called me last night telling me that you'd come home and where you had been." Renee said, barely taking a breath. "Although when we were your age we were doing far worse things than getting a cast off, if you know what I mean."
Bella felt her face heat at her mom's insinuation. "Ugh Mom." Bella covered her face to avoid seeing Edward's expression. "We didn't do anything."
"Well, I'm sure your father will be relieved to hear that, but make sure you're being safe just in case." Renee's voice dropped down to a stage whisper. "If you're too embarrassed to go to a pharmacy I can place an order online with discreet packaging so you dad won't see the condo-"
"Mom." Bella whined. "Please stop talking. It's not like that. We're just friends." Oh god would her mother ever stop talking about this. If the earth could open up and swallow her whole Bella would take that over this embarrassment.
"Okay hun, I'll let you go, but I fully expect to hear all the details later. I wanna hear about how cute he is-"
"I love you mom."
"Love you too! Bye!"
Bella hung up the phone as she threw herself on the bed with an arm covering her face. A chuckle from across the room made her groan. Edward had definitely heard every embarrassing word her mother had said.
Looking over in Edward's direction Bella lost her train of thought. Edward sat in the old rocking chair by the window with his legs crossed and his chin placed almost absentmindedly in his hand as he watched her. He made that old beat up chair look like a throne and he looked positively regal in the afternoon light.
"Why are you so far away?" Bella said softly. She felt the mattress dip before she realized that the rocking chair was empty. Bella laughed looking over at Edward who sat at her feet, his shoes off and his legs stretched out next to her.
Bella sat up and pulled her legs in until she was sitting cross legged facing Edward. He smiled back at her as he copied her movements.
"So your mom seems nice." Edward said with laughter in his voice. Bella groaned again and looked away from his amusement.
"Sorry, she really has no filter, but she means well." Bella said, pulling at a loose thread on her blanket. She let her hair hang forward to block her face from Edward, hoping that he will overlook Renee's not so subtle hints.
"She loves you, you know." Edward responded.
Bella looked back at him through her lashes. He really was kind, to avoid bringing up the more embarrassing bits from her conversation with her mother. He really was beautiful in every way, how his hair lay messily across his forehead, his bright gold eyes, his strong jaw emphasized by his crooked smile, the way his shoulders and arms filled out his sweater, and how he managed to look like a posed model without even trying. Even the way he was watching her made Bella's heart flutter and she wondered if he could hear how it was racing.
Bella pressed her hands more firmly into her blanket to ground herself from going off in a daydream when she remembered something from so early this morning.
"I have a strange question for you, if you will answer honestly." Bella started, trying her hardest not to appear as anxious as she felt. And when Edward nodded in agreement she almost lost her nerve, what if she had only imagined it and he thought her crazy?
"You didn't happen to be in my room last night were you?"
In the pause after her question Bella felt like her stomach had tied itself in knots and it wasn't until Edward's expression turned into one of guilt that it relaxed somewhat. At least he appeared contrite before flashing Bella a small apologetic smile, likely trying to soothe any ire she had.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to invade your privacy like that or betray your trust." Edward looked positively bashful at his own words like he was embarrassed to admit to the things he was saying. "It doesn't mean much, but I couldn't help myself. I felt drawn to you and the compulsion I felt to be near you overshadowed my rational thought."
Bella couldn't decide between being horrified that she had said or done something embarrassing while asleep or pleased that he was so distracted by her. She knew that she probably should have been angrier at him, but she couldn't find the urge when face to face with him like this. Edward was completely disarming in his charm when he wanted to be.
Perhaps obsession was a vampire trait? It certainly seems so with the way he spoke about being around Bella and the strength of the pull between them. Edward was so intense and he spoke so passionately about Bella it was hard not to be swept up in the moment.
"Have you done it before?" Bella needed the answers to these questions and he didn't appear to be lying to her.
Edward rubbed the back of his neck looking more like a teenaged boy than she had ever seen. He seemed unsure of himself and lacking his usual aloof confidence in this moment.
"I have. Quite a few times actually." Edward said. "I hadn't intended to come into your room, but I could hear you having nightmares and I only wanted to calm you. It was hard for me to stay away from you once I realized that my presence helped you sleep."
Bella couldn't help but melt at his words. The reasoning behind his visits was sweet, protective, like he had already laid some sort of claim to her and Bella could admit to herself that she liked the thought of that.
"You like me then?" Bella asked.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I find you fascinating." Bella arched her eyebrow at him when he didn't continue his explanation.
"So am I just an experiment for you to observe?" Bella wilted a little at the thought of just being the weird girl with powers, something shiny and new that he had never seen.
When the appeal to her finally wore off, what happened then? Would he disappear from her life as quickly as he had crashed into it? Would she be forgotten by him while she ached for his presence? Ever since she had first seen him he had been stuck in her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to ignore him and she knew if he left it would just reopen that hole in her chest.
"No, Bella, you are nothing of the sort." Edward said hurriedly, grabbing her hands to hold them in his own. "I find you captivating. The reason you do or say things is a mystery to me and I find myself trying to anticipate what your next move will be, but I am rarely correct. I can't stop thinking about you and I know for certain that if I could dream it would be of you."
Bella was caught in his gaze, unable to look away from the honesty they were portraying.
"I'm here for as long as you'll have me." Edward's words sounded so cautious and uncertain.
"So what is this?" Bella said, pulling a hand free and gesturing between them. She hoped he would voice what was hanging between them.
"Well, you told your mother that I was your friend, but yesterday I thought I was quite clear that I wanted to be more than that with you." Edward said hesitantly, like he was on the cusp of rejection and was waiting for confirmation.
Quite frankly Bella had forgotten that bit of information between the revelation that he was a vampire and everything that entailed. The last twenty four hours had so much shared between them that it fell through the cracks.
"Alright, so then you're my…"
"Boyfriend?" Edward supplied.
That word sounded like such a strange thing to call him, but Bella nodded to him in agreement and the resulting smile was so worth it. Edward appeared pleased with this turn of events and Bella couldn't help but feel a warmth in her chest in response.
