The first time I wrote this chapter it was over 6k words again, so I had mercy(?) and split it this time.
Hopefully the ending gives you a good idea of where this is going.
Thank you EdwardsFirstKiss for not letting me get away with people thinking Bella can walk through walls lmao
Also we went to the Toledo Zoo with my kids, my parents, and the kids godparents. Their ostriches are named Jasper, Rosalie and Esme. Me and their godmother had a time with that lol
Baby, can't you see I'm calling?
A guy like you should wear a warning
It's dangerous, I'm falling
There's no escape, I can't wait
I need a hit, baby, give me it
You're dangerous, I'm loving it
Blistering rays caressed my back, turning my shoulder blades into puddles of sparkly marble goo. Not like I could actually get tan, but it felt good to pretend. I was completely nude, letting my body just be natural for a little bit.
The area was blissfully uninhabited, to the farthest-most tip of the peninsula and completely isolated. We'd even gone so far as to purchase the air rights for the property to ensure it was a strict no-fly zone. Kinda necessary, considering our bodies sparkled like a diamond when in the direct path of the sun. Imagine how weird that would look from a jumbo jet.
People had boated by at one point, but mysterious buoys had appeared signaling shallow water for miles. One boat 'ran aground' a la Emmett digging into the hull while we hid under the water, and we never saw one again. Humans were so gullible. Speaking of gullible...
Sighing, I sat up on my elbows and texted Alice: How long?
It chimed back almost instantaneously: He's still trying to get past Rose. I see him arriving in an hour.
I smirked, stretching like a fat, contented cat, sticking my ass in the air for extra effect. God, I loved Rose. Even Alice was on board now that'd I'd actually agreed to give this whole chivalrous courting business a fair-ish shot. It was really too bad I couldn't fall asleep - the image of Edward walking up on me, naked as the day I was born, asleep and all innocent, sent me.
I was planning on staying at the Montauk house for a week, which gave me one week once I got back until the Met Gala. Technically, I should have a date, but Edward hadn't earned that luxury yet. I'd rolled single every other time, so this one was really no different.
So far, I had been here for five days. Honestly, I was amazed it had taken him this long to start ferreting around. Rose and Alice were keeping him on the hook, knowing I really wanted some time Off, and even Emmett was keeping his mouth shut, finding Edward's frantic searching almost as funny as I did.
Not funny though was Kylie. She had been texting me non-stop as well, not to mention Snapping, DMing and anything else she could think of. Clearly the girl had forgotten that I could hold a grudge. I was moderately pissed at her, mostly because Edward had been exceptionally forthcoming with the information about her videos - Kylie was plastered all over him like a wet blanket and Edward, for his part, had looked disgusted and borderline murderous. Definitely no attraction there.
Honestly, it wasn't like I was mad Kylie had tried to sleep with him. Any other dude, it would've been downright rib-splitting hilarious. The fact that she tried to go after Edward even after knowing my very forthright opinion that he was a total ass was the disgusting part. Like I said, we hated as a group, end of story. I didn't go around trying to sleep with anyone they hated. Not that I slept around, or actually slept at all, but that is so not the point.
Now I had an hour to muster up the wherewithal to put on at least one article of clothing but uugggh. It just sounded so hard right now when I could finally be totally and completely outside in the sun. Laying my head back down on my arms, I turned up the music playing through my Beats earbuds and tried to just enjoy being normal-for-a-vampire for five holy seconds.
I must've got lost in daydreams about how to make Kylie pay, because it felt like way too soon I heard tires crunching on the gravel. Raising my wrist slightly, I peeked at the time - yep, I had actually lost an hour. And I was still naked. A smirk snaked across my face - guess Edward was getting thrown to the sharks sooner rather than later.
His voice, calling my name, carried across the sea grass and dunes easily. I answered, letting him follow my voice, and closed my eyes again. His footsteps grew louder on their approach, then ceased abruptly so I knew he must have seen me. My evil grin spread further.
"To take a page from your book, are you fucking kidding me right now?" He sounded somewhat stunned and a little amused. It made me laugh, a loud ringing chime.
"I am definitely not fucking you right now. The sun feels nice. You should try it sometime."
His answering scoff made me laugh harder. I cracked open an eye to look at him, almost rolling in laughter at the sight. He looked like a caricature the way he was twisting around like he was trying not to stare, but didn't have the willpower not to. Made two of us - sheesh he looked nice, all undone in a black heather t-shirt and deep grey shorts.
"Relax, princess, I'll spare your virtue. Throw me that shirt." My tone was only slightly mocking, drawled out, as my finger pointed to the item in question, laying on top of my bag in the sand.
He tossed it to me, trying not to stare at the swell of my breasts as I sat up enough to catch it. Giving him a flat stare, I twirled my finger in the universal sign for 'turn around, dickhead.'
Edward did as commanded, although it looked like it took a good chunk of effort. I snickered as I slithered into the black cover-up, letting it dip off my shoulder as it fell to midway down my thighs.
"I'm chaste enough now, your prissiness. So, what took you so long?"
Turning back around, his eyes scoured up and down my body, paying close attention to my very bare, very long legs. "Your sisters were running interference. I honestly wasn't sure you'd be happy to see me."
I started walking back up to the house, kind of just assuming he'd follow. "Who said I'm happy? I'm only about 10% less sure you're a sexist playboy peacock. It is progress, though."
"I really wish you'd forget that. Clearly, I was deranged and possessed." His voice, hard and annoyed, drifted from not far behind me as I strode through the back sliding glass door.
I pointed to my head, crossing through the open living room/eat-in breakfast nook/kitchen. "I'm perfect, remember? Better than an elephant, without all the extra skin."
"Oh, Isabella, you are far from perfect, but I think you're perfect for me."
My feet had just reached the top of the stairs to the second-floor balcony when he spoke, and I noted it was farther away than before. Leaning over the railing, I answered him where he was standing below in the doorway.
"I'm not even going to ask what that means. You thirsty?"
Without waiting for an answer I went into the bedroom I usually occupied, putting on underwear and a bra. It always felt kind of weird because I didn't really need them, but something about wearing them made me feel more human. I heard him answer as I was slipping into joggers and a slouchy tee - none of the items I'd brought were designer. Just my own, real shit.
"Not particularly. I don't know if you've noticed, but I tend to behave more like an 'obnoxious, pompous, deceitful asshole' around you when I'm thirsty. Staying full helps."
Huh. It just wasn't something I thought about, because even when we couldn't go out to hunt, there was always a supply of animal blood in the house. I never really went thirsty - bad habits don't die when your body doesn't, apparently. Must've been subconscious from my years of going without. I did note him being all snarky, using the names I'd called him in my bedroom a few days ago.
Trotting back down the stairs, I didn't bother with shoes as I grabbed my keys and glided over to stand in front of him. "Well I'm famished, so I'm going hunting. Feel free to tag along or make yourself at home."
In response he only snorted, following me out the side door to the garage. Guess that meant he was tagging along. Like having a shadow but more mouthy. And more annoying. I was just making to open the driver door when the keys vanished from my fingers. Spinning, I leveled a glare at my personal, incessant blight.
"Those are my keys? To my car?" I seethed.
He smirked, twirling them around on his finger. "You seem to be under the impression I am going to - what's the phrase? - 'go quietly'. You've made it quite apparent you think I'm some sort of barbaric brute." As he spoke he leaned down, bringing his face both closer and more level with mine. "Allow me to rectify that and show you I can be a gentleman. Please let me drive you."
We were way too close. Now that I'd opened up that door, I was far too aware of precisely how handsome he was and the sinful things it did to my body. Maybe he could actually get inside my head, and was making me pay for all the times I'd walked away from or called him names by making me go insane from horniness. I could think of about 24 different positions we could do with him fettering my hands again. Jesus, I couldn't think.
His eyes raked down my body again before he straightened up, letting me finally breathe without his presence invading most of my senses, and laughed softly.
"I do appreciate that you're attracted to my body, but I would prefer you be attracted to my personality as well."
Since I could finally fucking think, I had a snappy retort waiting this time. A growl issued from my clenched teeth, pissed he could send me reeling so easy. "You're starting off on a deficit on that front. But fine, drive. If you wreck it, you buy it."
Again he laughed, moving to the passenger door and holding it open for me. "I can afford it, I promise. Just tell me where you want to go."
I climbed in as bidden, trying to swallow the bristling indignation prickling across my skin and teeth. My control-freak tendencies made it difficult to watch him slide behind the wheel, steer my baby, and send her flying down the drive.
"Linda Gronlund Memorial Nature Preserve is the closest thing to a forest around here, but there's plenty of deer. Do you even know where you're going?" I tried to keep my tone kind of light but still harassing, but honestly I just felt awkward. I always drove except for when I was in the back seat, so riding shotgun was kind of disturbing.
As he stopped at the end of the drive, I directed him to drive southeast, but he wasn't really paying attention where we were headed - he was just staring at me. Internally I flinched, although it had nothing to do with the fact he was going 90 mph without watching the road. Even without weird mind-reading abilities, I didn't need to look to know where I was going all the time.
It was more from the way he looked at me. Like I was something to eat. Like I was the sun. Like he wanted to hold me down and chain me up. Like I made breathing easier.
I couldn't wrap my head around any of those things except for maybe wanting to be held down. My stomach flipped and clenched at the idea of letting this man in particular take control of me, my body, and work it with the same finesse he was commandeering my car. Fuck, I couldn't think about that right now. Then I'd be the one to wreck the car, not him.
Driving in silence meant dealing with the feelings creeping up my legs and twisting around my thighs and into my pelvis and I just could not go there, not trapped in a car with him. I had to keep him talking.
"So, tell me. How are you a gentleman, and not a 'barbaric brute'? By my tally, you called me trashy, new money, and crude at our first meeting. Then you got all frisky and practically tried to tongue-fuck me without my consent. Seems like you're not off to a great start."
My head was looking out the window, trying not to stare at him, but I couldn't resist side-eying him just a little. His jaw was clenched, fingers twisted into fists on the steering wheel. When he answered, his voice was cooler than steel.
"You seem to be forgetting I behaved badly on two occasions. Two more than is acceptable - I am fully aware. But nonetheless, only two. I don't know how to explain this, so please don't jump to any conclusions. I just… I wasn't ready when I saw you. I was completely unprepared for how your mere presence affects me. It's like I forget the whole reason we don't consume human blood is for our humanity, and I'm a savage, feral animal. You bring out the beast in me. I want to believe it's good, because I have never felt this way before. But because it led to me hurting you, I'm very certain it's awful."
I could see him, struggling not to look at me once again, only daring to look for fleeting seconds. Personally I felt a little stunned - it was quite the speech. How do you even take someone telling you that you bring out the worst-kind-of-best in them? I kind of felt flattered, because after that kiss I was pretty sure I felt the same way. But I was also a little alarmed because I had no idea if I was actually ready for that kind of thing. Fantasizing about it was totally different than it actually happening.
My considerations made me forget, temporarily, that I wasn't telling him where to go. I had just opened my mouth to tell him when I noticed his phone in the cup holder, unlocked to display Maps leading us to the reserve.
Promptly, I shut my mouth again. Just to open it right back up, because I felt like I had to know.
"So what you're saying is you like me for my body?" I tried to keep my voice neutral, mostly because I still wasn't sure if that bothered me or not. It was starting to occur me - far too late - that maybe I had been unfair to him, and I wasn't sure about that either.
The dripping annoyance in his voice was almost amusing as he remarked, "That's certainly a factor, but by and far not the most important one. Believe it or not, Bell, I find your mind just as attractive."
"I thought you couldn't read my mind." My tone was slightly accusing, my head working to not immediately assume he'd just lied to me.
Since I was openly staring at him now, I saw it when he rolled his eyes. "Yes, you would take that in the most negative way possible. I don't mean actually reading your mind, I only meant you as a person. How you see things, your reactions, the relationships you value. In all honesty, I find not being able to read your mind refreshing at times."
It made me wonder what he saw in me, and I did almost ask. Something stopped me though - like taking that next step felt like too much of an admission that whatever was going on here was beyond consensual. Like I would be encouraging him, and frankly, the idea of inviting, rather than tolerating, his active pursuit made me nervous.
We rode in silence the rest of the way, which left me with a lot of time to mull over my personal feelings. The biggest thing I noticed was that spending time with Edward was, truthfully, very easy. Maybe it's because we had been antagonistic from the start. There wasn't much room for awkwardness or hurt feelings when you blew through them in the first two minutes.
After that, despite all my indignant blustering, he did genuinely seem to be very different from how I'd originally pegged him. I wouldn't go so far as to say a gentleman, although there had been glimpses such as his vehicular etiquette. Still, not totally misogynistic and preening. It made me feel vastly better about being attracted to him physically.
The car stopping jerked me from my thoughts, my eyes blinking furiously. I hadn't been consciously paying attention to the scenery whipping by, but now that we were pulled over into a somewhat hidden trail I knew we were at the reserve. Before I could get my door open Edward was there, holding it ajar and offering his hand again. Trying to touch him as little as possible I climbed out, self-consciously brushing my hair up and around into a loose ponytail for something to do with my hands that didn't involve him.
I coughed, feeling strangely weird - probably because I knew precisely how natural being in his company was. "Anyway, I'm gonna go find some deer so… yeah. Meet back here in an hour?"
He nodded in response, running a hand through his already-messy hair. As I studied him, he rubbed his hand across the side of his face, appearing to be caught in indecision over something before he said, "Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you in an hour."
I guess I could've invited him along, but things were different when I was hunting. I let go almost completely, giving in to the more savage and instinctual tendencies, letting my eyes and ears and nose do the work and just shutting my brain off for a while. Turning my brain off around Edward right now was definitely a bad idea.