"You found them?" I inquired.
"Yes. A few years ago. You see, I wasn't in a very good place," Her voice was a whisper, filled with sorrow. My gut churned with unease. "But I had a bit of a gift—a special ability, and I was eventually able to use it to escape the guards. And that's when I found them. Carlisle and Esme took me in with open arms."
My mind reeled with this information. Where did she live before the Cullen's? Did they hurt her, wherever she was? What was her gift? But I would not pry, no matter how badly I wanted to know. I waited for her to disclose more. But she remained silent.
"Bella?" Alice asked.
"Hmmm?" I stroked her soft raven-black hair.
"What was your mother like?"
Memories of Renee came to the forefront of my mind. I even chuckled at a few of them. "She was eccentric, that's for sure," I snorted. "She loved to cook, but most things she made was errr…" I pondered for the word. I didn't want to make her sound like a failure. Even now, I wanted to protect her reputation. "A little strange. She went through many hobbies, music, dancing, teaching, and even singing, but as soon as we got used to one hobby, she was already trying something different." I chuckled.
Alice seemed perplexed. "She doesn't sound anything like you."
I laughed. "No, I'm too much like Charlie. Stubborn and constant." As much as we both adored Renee, she was hard to keep up with. "She would've loved you, you know." I said in whisper. "You both have that infectious energy, that radiance that makes the world look dull in comparison." She was the light in my boring, dull world. I continued to stroke her hair, relishing in its softness.
She sighed. When I looked down at her, she was frowning. When our eyes met, hers seemed sad. She gave my thigh a squeeze. I know it was supposed to be comforting, but it had a different effect. Heat shot up my leg and burned in my center. I sucked in a surprised breath.
She chuckled.
My cheeks reddened. It was embarrassing how little it took for her to turn me on.
She push herself up and threw her arms over my shoulders. Slowly, torturously, she pulled herself closer, so that our faces were inches apart. My breath caught. This close, her beauty was almost overwhelming. Her skin was perfect and smooth. Her face was both angular and youthful. Was she really twenty one?
As much as I wanted to close the little distance between us, I couldn't. I was lost in her bright, knowing blue eyes. There was so much to see there, so much depth. She held my gaze with an unwavering intensity, and it made my bones dissolve to jelly.
When the corner of her perfect lips lifted into a sly grin, I couldn't take it anymore. I closed the distance and kissed her. I moaned when our lips made that first contact. We held our lips just like that, pressed together softly, enjoying the feel of softness and warmth.
And then we were kissing. Really kissing. Our tongues battled desperately. There was no more hesitancy, no more gentleness. Just the unbearable need for more.
Alice'ssoft moan prodded the already burning fire in my body. She moved closer until she was straddling my hips. Oh my god, how I loved this position. I felt as though I would combust if I didn't have more of her. Soft lips continued to move against my own as my hands moved up to cup her hips. She shuddered under my touch, and another moan escaped her lips.
We would've kissed forever—if we didn't have the need for oxygen. We broke apart reluctantly, gasping for breath.
"That feels amazing," Alice panted, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for the real thing."
I should've stopped her then, to ask her what she meant. The real thing? What a strange thing to say. But Alice took off her sweater, and the strange comments lost their importance. Now she was just in a black undershirt, which exposed the bare skin of her shoulder, neck, collarbone, and several inches of her trim waist. When Alice's body covered mine, I was amazed at the smooth softness of her skin. My hands traveled across Alice's bare back, and my lips traveled along the soft skin of her neck. Alice let out a needy moan.
My own need burned with a nearly consuming rage. I wanted her—all of her. Now. But I was determined to take it slow. I didn't want her to know what a desperately horny teenager I was. I kissed up her jaw while tracing slow circles against the small of her back.
"Bella." she groaned in frustration.
I smiled against her neck. Alice was getting very frustrated—I could tell by the way she squirmed against my lap. I gently laid her down on my bed, propping myself over her with my good arm. "Yes, Alice?"
"Please." She begged, gasping. She placed her hands between us and began to unbutton my shirt.
Despite my own burning desire—I managed to chuckle. "What's the rush?" I brushed my lips against her ear. She shivered.
She did not stop to enjoy the humor. Her hands found their way to my bare skin—and we both groaned. Her hands explored the muscles of my abdomen, then slipped under my bra to cup my breast. I had dreamed of Alice touching me, but I was not prepared for the way my body reacted. The arm I was using to hold myself over her shook, threatening to give out. The sensations were far too great. A choked gasp escaped my lips when her small fingers closed around a hard nipple.
Things started to happen in a blur. Somehow, I ended up underneath Alice. I blinked for several seconds, startled by the change of events. She was on top of me, her small body pressed against mine. She kissed my neck, while her hands made short work of my jeans.
"Wait!" I gasped, panicking.
Alice froze. She reluctantly tore her eyes away from my half-removed jeans.
"What's wrong?"
"I—err…" I struggled to get the words out. I did not want to admit that I was getting cold feet.
She crawled back up to where my face was. "What's wrong, Bella?" She repeated.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" I stammered.
"Of course, I've never been surer of anything." She said sincerely. It was hard to believe that someone of her class would want to sleep with me, but I couldn't deny the absolute sincerity in her voice. After studying me for a moment, she sighed. "You're not sure, are you?"
"I am, it's just…" She waited as I hastily collected my thoughts. "I'm afraid."
"Afraid of?" She inquired.
"That I'm going to… love you." I stammered. The words were out before I could properly think about them. Heat flooded my cheeks. It was the truth—mostly. There was no doubt that she had already captured my heart. I was falling for her. Hard. But she didn't need to know that.
Where did she stand? For all I knew, this could be a one night stand. An experiment. And if I were to give myself to her now, my heart wouldn't survive such devastation.
Her eyes softened and a guilty expression followed. She moved her hands away from my jeans and cuddled up next to me.
"Oh, Bella." She sighed, her voice filled with warmth. She wrapped an arm around my torso and leaned into my ear. I shivered. "I'm afraid too, you know."
"R-really?" I choked.
"Yes." She sighed.
"Of?"
"The future," Alice's voice was so quiet, even with her lips pressed against my ear, it was difficult to hear.
I sighed too. Yes, that was definetly something to be afraid of.
"It's always changing," she continued, "Even the smallest of decisions can turn things in a completely different direction."
This struck me as odd. Most people were afraid of the future because it wasn't predictable. And people feared the unknown.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She paused, deliberating. "Let's say you had a wide variety of futures, and there was a few that were more desirable than the others. Wouldn't you follow the path that would get you to where you wanted to be?"
I took a deep breath. Alice's sweet scent overwhelmed my senses, making it harder to think. "Sure, I suppose."
"It would be very difficult. You see, even the slightest deviation can start a chain of events that lead to a new path, far from what you want. It's like following a path of string." Anxiety began to leak through her voice. Her small hand fisted around the material of my shirt. "A string that is embedded in a thick rope, among an entire sea of ropes. And you are so very afraid of losing sight of it."
I nodded as if I understood, stroking her hair soothingly. Truthfully, I had no idea what she meant about the path of string.
"Where are you trying to follow it?" I asked.
"To you." Her voice was tormented.
Alarmed by the sound of her voice, I pulled her onto my chest. I tried not to groan when she nuzzled against my neck.
"And it's very hard—" She gasped, sounding close to tears.
"Shhh." I calmly stroked her hair, trying to soothe her growing panic. But I was not calm. She wasn't making any sense at all, and I did not understand the reason for her anxiety. "You already found me."
"No, there's so much you don't know. I should tell you." Her voice cracked, filled with fear and regret.
"Later." I told her, even though my curiosity screamed in protest. I couldn't bear to hear her so upset. "You can tell me later."
She nodded against my neck in surrender. "Tomorrow." She said apprehensively.
"Tomorrow." I agreed.