Chapter 21

Tangled Web

Plaintive cries and sorrowful whimpers penetrate my sleep. Kitten claws dig against my ribs. I open my eyes, grabbing for the source of the pain. It's not a cat scratching at me—it's Bella. Her hands are shoved under my T-shirt, and her nails dig into my flesh. I grasp her shoulders and try to push her back to stop the stinging pain, but she doubles down, pressing closer and mewling. So I go the other way and wrap my arms around her back, pulling her against me.

At first she panics, fighting me, scraping against my sides so hard, I'm sure blood has been drawn, but then her body starts to relax. The wounded animal sounds coming from deep in her throat morph into a raspy sigh.

Tentatively, I stroke her hair, murmuring comforting words. I glance at the sun encroaching at the edges of the drawn shades with such brilliance it almost appears the beams will burst into the room. A glance at the bedside clock tells me I've been sleeping for only a few hours.

I'm trapped here with Bella. Adrenaline shot through my system in response to her assault on my skin, and now my heart is racing. If I loosen my hold on her, she starts flailing and whimpering, so I keep running my fingers through her silky locks, soothing her back to sleep, and I follow shortly after.

When I open my eyes again, the position of the sun has shifted, leaving long shadows. I'm in bed alone. My heart stutters in my chest, and I sit up, looking around. I call Bella's name. So many scenarios go through my mind in a rush—Bella was never here, and I dreamed the whole thing; she passed out in the bathroom or fell down the deck stairs and broke her neck.

My chest heaves with shallow breaths. "Bella?" The panic in my voice is unmistakable.

The bedroom door glides open, and there she stands, holding a tray. "Hey, sleepyhead." She's wearing one of my T-shirts, which comes to mid-thigh. Her shapely legs are bare. She pads over and rests the tray on the nightstand, then folds a leg under her, perching on the side of the bed. The mouthwatering scent of eggs and bacon waft up my nose, and my stomach growls, clenching painfully.

She laughs and snags a piece of bacon from the plate, putting it up to my lips. Without thinking I open my mouth, and she feeds it to me. It's well done and crunchy, just the way I like it.

"Orange juice? Coffee?"

"Bella—"

"There's eggs and—"

"Stop." I grasp her wrist gently, blocking her from feeding me more. "Are you okay?"

She draws a breath, looking at me like a startled rabbit for a moment, and I wonder if she will bolt from the room. Whatever she sees in my eyes must allay her fear because she breathes out and relaxes. "I'm fine, Edward."

I happen to glance at the time. "Oh, shit! I should have been at the shop hours ago!"

"I already talked to Seth, and we rescheduled everyone." Bella smiles, plying me with another piece of crispy bacon.

I let her feed me, but I insist on holding my own drink. I sip the cold orange juice and watch her over the rim of the glass. She's like a different person though she still startles easily. I'm not sure what to say about her and Seth rearranging my schedule, but I'm in no shape to tattoo anyone.

She loads a fork with eggs, and I hold a hand up. "I can feed myself." I take the fork from her and bring it to my mouth, cupping my hand under it to catch falling bits. "Mm . . . this is great. Thank you."

Bella's face flushes with pleasure, and she watches me eat with a slight smile.

I'm so damn hungry that I'm past the point of being self-conscious. I try not to eat like a Neanderthal, but I dig in and enjoy it while she looks on with approval. When I'm done, she grabs the tray and leaves the room. A few seconds later, the water starts running in the kitchen, followed by the familiar sounds of dishes being washed.

I stretch a bit and decide to take a quick shower. I need to get away from Bella for a few minutes. My plan fails spectacularly. The hot spray massages my muscles, and I start to relax. I tip my head back, closing my eyes as the water soaks my hair.

I wrap my hand around myself.

I glance down, and Bella kneels before me, looking up at me with adoration and desire. She cups my balls in her palm, using her other hand to guide me between her supple, pink lips.

My eyes fly open. I don't want to continue this! But the movie playing in my mind continues without my permission as my fingers tangle in her autumn hair, and my hips thrust—

Jesus Christ. I lean against the tile, breathing hard, and rest my forehead on my arm. I'm embarrassed I blew my load in less than a minute, like some horny twelve-year-old. I have no business fantasizing about Bella.

Unbidden, the image of her feeding me bacon springs to mind. But it's okay if Jimmy's girl cooks breakfast and feeds it to you while wearing your T-shirt? Hypocrite.

I turn off the tap and towel myself off savagely. I yank my clothes on, nearly ripping my shirt in the process, glad the mirror is fogged up so I can't look into my own eyes—because I'm afraid of what I'll see there, afraid of who I'm becoming, and I resent the hell out of it. I didn't ask for this shit.

When I open the bathroom door, there are voices coming from the living room—Bella's and Jimmy's.

"Where is he?"

"Taking a shower."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jimmy sounds concerned, tender.

"I'm fine, truly. Have you found her?"

He sighs. "Not yet, but I'm close."

"When will this nightmare end?" Bella wails.

"Soon, baby. I promise."

I slide the door open and peek through the crack. Bella paces, one hand jammed into her hair.

And then I see the phone in her hand. Jimmy isn't here. They're on Face Time.

She must sense me because she turns and looks right at me. "Speak of the devil." She glances back at the screen. "Edward is out of the shower." She hands me the phone.

Jimmy's friendly face comes into view. "Hey, man! I heard there's been some excitement there."

"That's an understatement." My tone is clipped. I'm annoyed at Jimmy for putting me in this position, at Bella for making it worse, and at myself for getting caught in their web.

~oOo~

Some answers will be coming, but there will still be secrets and mystery. Edward has had it, so we can expect him to push for more information. Keep on sharing your thoughts and theories. I love reading them (and some of you get close sometimes)! See you next week!

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