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Chapter 8

Stupid Hormones - Exercise Session


Bella


I grabbed a fresh pair of sleeping pants and trudged into the bathroom. There I closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. A chaos of emotions was raging inside me that I didn't know how to categorize.

It was just so damn embarrassing to have my body betraying me at every moment ... Edward could probably hear - and interpret - my still racing heartbeat even now.

I clenched my fists.

That was exasperating. In future, should he really always receive the scent warning 'Attention! Your girlfriend is totally hot for you again'? In an express procedure directly through my own ... evaporations?! I could go to bed with a tampon in every night ... But would that help? ...? It would just be a bit embarrassing to have to explain it if he actually - improbably - ventured that far ... Ahrg ...! What was it like among vampires, anyway? I could only hope that this would change with my transformation ... At least I would then also have a sharpened perception and could perhaps smell it with him too. That would definitely have advantages! Because now he always seems so cool ... sigh ... and sexy. How he had just stood there again leaning against the window and grinned wryly at me with shining dark eyes ... How his hand had run through that irresistible hair. Those long slender fingers that moved so smoothly ... What they could do with me ...

A hot shiver ran through me, and I became aware of the still quite aroused state of my body.

I shook my head to be able to detach myself from my fatal thoughts.

How could those be so hormone-driven? I should really take a shower now.

So I took off my clothes and got in the shower.

But the warm water that hit my already heated skin felt different than usual. It ran down my body as if it were caressing me. My whole body behaved as if it had a life of its own.

Energetically I took the shower gel and began to lather myself. But when my hands reached my breasts, I was overcome by a tingling longing feeling, of which I was not aware before.

As if my breasts were calling out to me, 'Touch me!'

My pressure increased.

Jesus. It felt so good. How would it feel if it were his hands?

I stroked my thumbs over my nipples and instantly had to bite my lip to keep from groaning out loud.

... His hands massaged and caressed me, followed the flow of water between my legs, tenderly explored my slit and found the most sensitive point of my hot center ...

I gasped ...

God, what was I doing here? Was I already so horny that I had to do it myself? While he was in my room? And most likely could hear everything?! And for sure afterwards all the happiness hormones - or whatever was released during an orgasm - could smell in my blood! Maybe a cold shower would be better!

Without further ado, I turned the faucet to the right and could only suppress a cry with difficulty.

But I quickly got used to it - and it helped! The desire was gone from me.

I got out of the shower and started to dry off.

At this, I had to shake my head at myself.

How did I come to think of masturbation? I had touched myself once before - around the time when my mother had dragged me to the gynecologist for the first time and had rambled things like 'a woman has to know her body and what she likes'. But that had seemed to me more like doctor's games, completely unerotic. Then I had no serious interest in boys or sex at all for a long time - until I met Edward. And then he was either always there or there were some catastrophes going on that I didn't even think about it - or would have had the opportunity.

I struggled to clear my head and rubbed through my hair, which had gotten a little damp because I had forgotten to tie it up earlier.

Then I got dressed and went back to my room.

The window was closed, and Edward was lying on the bed with his legs crossed and one arm across his forehead.

Nevertheless, I could see that he had his eyes closed and was concentrating.

I let my gaze glide over his lean muscular figure and got stuck on his pants.

A clear bump loomed there.

I started grinning to myself.

Didn't that leave him as cold as he often pretended ...

I felt somehow relieved.

I had to pay attention more often in the future. My body was not the only one that betrayed itself! No ... When I thought about it, I also felt again his gasping breath on my neck and his urgent kisses. When he had rubbed himself against me, his excitement had been clearly felt despite the blanket.

My fingers twitched.

I wanted to touch it, get him off, feel how it felt - know what it looked like.

Already the tingling spread again in my abdomen.

A throat clearing.

"Bella?"

My eyes twitched to his face.

I had stared at his cock the whole time. How long?

He grinned at me.

Crap! Long enough.

I suddenly felt incredibly hot and abruptly turned to the window.

"We can leave the window open if it's too much for you," I croaked with difficulty.

Stupid hormones! If this kept up, I might as well spend the night in a cold bathtub!

"No no. That's okay. I have to toughen up somehow!"

My eyes fell on the heater, and I turned it off.

It was too risky for me that Charlie would ask stupid questions. Toughen up!, I thought shaking my head and had to think about how he had told me that he had spent nights in my rocking chair with a burning throat to get used to the smell of my blood.

"You really have a penchant for masochism!"

He laughed and lifted the blanket for me.

"Be glad! Otherwise I would not be here for a long time!"

"Don't say that! I am," I said and crawled under the covers next to him.

After a much too brief and reserved goodnight kiss, I snuggled into his arm as best I could to fall asleep.


Not too many hours later, I was standing - once again - in Alice's private salon – bathroom - wearing a wedding dress, and I felt like a living Barbie doll.

She wanted to make the final - who believed it! - adjustments related to the shoes and the corset.

Adjust hem or something ... How you could waste so much time, money, and thought on a single piece of clothing was completely beyond me. I had with these high heels - or whatever these things were called. How could I be so stupid and let her have free rein? Completely incomprehensible! – I was already having difficulties standing upright in only one spot.

After ten minutes my toes hurt, and I started to nag.

"Alice, that's not how it works. These shoes are already killing me!"

"Now hold still! I still have to pin the hem - and no backtalk! These Prada stilettos are absolutely perfect. It was pure lucky find that we found them in that store!"

"Lucky find ... more likely a misfortune ...", I grumbled to myself.

"Excuse me?" Alice was completely horrified. "You really are hopeless! - If you can't come to terms with it yourself, then do it for Edward!"

"For Edward?", I said incredulously. "As if he would look at my feet! If he had his way, I could get married wearing Birkenstock slippers!"

"Ha ha! Tell me, do you have no sense of beauty and elegance at all?", she grumbled and, pouting to herself, turned back to the fabric flowing around me. "I know, aesthetic understanding takes time ... But slippers? ...Any hope is a lost labor of love!"

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

God, my feet!

"Are you almost done? - And just so you know, I'm doing this all for you! So don't play the offended one here!"

At that moment she stood up and beamed at me.

"I know - and I love you for it!"

Exuberantly she hugged and kissed me.

If she hadn't held me so tightly, I would have toppled over backwards.

I had to grin.

You just couldn't stay mad at her.

"And yes, I'm done. We'll get you changed back and then you can start your first walk training session right away."

My grin disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"No! I already can't feel my toes now and can barely stand on one spot with these things on, let alone take a step."

"Walking is easier than standing ... But if you think so, take a break first. Change your clothes in peace. Esmé has put a little something for you to eat and drink back there."

She helped me out of the dress with deft moves and immediately got to work.

I sank down on a chair with a sigh and immediately pulled these tormentors off my numb feet to knead my toes.

I took endless time to change and eat ...


After about half an hour, Alice said casually.

"You don't have to dilly-dally like that ... I won't let you get away!"

She threw me a nasty little grin.

"Alice, I can't take a single step with this alone ..."

"Then ask Edward to help you. He's ..."

She concentrated for a moment and her expression took on a euphoric glow.

She squealed.

"Ooh ... yeah ...!" She jumped up and clapped her hands wildly. "This is going to be so great!" And a split second later, she was at the door, holding the handle. "Stay out. The dress is not wrapped up!"

"It's okay," I heard Edward's voice through the door. "Not a word to Bella! Do you hear me, Alice?"

"Yes, yes. You got it!"

She contorted her face somewhat unwillingly.

"I have a whole series of phone calls to make now - so I'm upstairs," I could still hear him say.

"OKAY, what's going on?", I asked.

"You have heard. I'm sworn to secrecy..."

Then her face took on a mischievous expression.

She listened, concentrated, and then showed with her hands first two intertwined rings, then formed an airplane, and then raised both thumbs while jumping up and down excitedly. And then she conspiratorially put her index finger to her lips and winked at me.

I nodded with a grin.

Alice was simply impossible. She always managed to trick Edward. How she managed to hide her thoughts about the wedding dress from him until now was a mystery to me.

But at that moment, my perfect Prada stilettos - I mentally rolled my eyes - came flying into my lap.

"Edward is falling flat already, he's busy now for a while." She heard intently. "Esmé is also on the line ... with your mother, so it's going to take a little while ..."

"Esmé is on the phone with Renée?"

"Yes, about four hours a day. She is very enthusiastic."

Enthusiastic about my wedding ...?! The quiet voice of having been deceived came to me once again.

But Alice did not give me the opportunity to bathe myself in self-pity.

"Jasper ...?", she pondered aloud, then shook her head. "No, I don't think that's such a good idea ... Carlisle is in the hospital ... Rose?" she looked at me questioningly, "... she's in the garage right now, working on your car."

Rose? was all I could think at that moment. Somehow I was not quite comfortable with that. I frowned and contorted my face disinclinedly. So that left only ...

"Emmett, then!"

She had interpreted my expression correctly.

"No problem, I'll make him do it!"

Well, that could be fun. Practicing walking with Emmett.

"Go on, put them on! I'll take you downstairs. He's in the living room."

"Not a chance! I'm not walking on any stairs with these ..."

"That's all right! And stop insulting these heavenly masterpieces!"

As we came down the stairs, Emmett was already standing there expectantly.

"Did I just catch that right? Bella starts with her first attempt at walking?"

Alice replied, "Yes, and you're going to help her do that so she doesn't break her ankles ... or hurt herself in any other way."

"Yes ...!"

He clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together in anticipation. At the same time, he let himself fall backwards onto the sofa.

"This is going to be fun - let's get this show on the road!"

I sat on the bottom step to put on my ... shoes and gave him a withering look.

"Very funny!"

"Oh, don't be like that!", he winked at me. "Since you've been here, my life has become a lot more fun!"

"Well, I'm glad that I could contribute to the amusement of your dreary existence!", I replied bitingly.

Alice pulled me up and turned to him.

"Not like that, buddy, that's not what I meant. Stand up and lead her by the hand!"

"Oh no, come on!" he pouted. "You spoil all the fun, ... It's only going to be half the fun."

"Come on, up now! And if you're not careful, I'll sic Jasper and Edward on you ... I'm busy!"

Still pouted, but with eyes twinkling with mischief, he stood up and came toward me.

"Shall we, Madame?" he made a bow and held out his hand to me.

However, so far away that I had to stagger two steps towards him. I was just able to hold on to him before I would have twisted my ankle.

Immediately, a grin spread across his face.

"You look like a duck on stilts!", he laughed.

"Well, the duck's bill was just you in the face ..." I tried to counter.

Duck on stilts. The image in my mind's eye made me smirk.

"I hope it's not because of my rear end!" I said, and we laughed together.

Alice turned to face us outside her door.

"You are to walk, not stand still and goof off."

He made a serious face.

"Oooh ... the evil teacher. She's about to come with the cane."

I clung to his arm with one hand, and we started moving, chuckling.

I noticed how he twitched more and more under his suppressed laughter.

"What?", I released my concentrated gaze from the floor and looked up at him questioningly.

"I'm just looking at a stork with balance issues right now," he chortled.

"You're really stupid!", I said playfully offended and could just stifle a jostle with my elbow and save myself a bruise. "What is it with you and birds all the time?"

Then he snorted. He leaned backwards and then forwards, holding his stomach from laughing.

I lost my balance doing this and toppled forward, shrieking.

But he caught me in time and, grabbing me around the hips, set me back on my feet in front of him.

"Gotcha." We grinned at each other until he jerked his head up. "What?"

Heads had appeared from all the doors.

"Emmett, get a grip!" Alice threatened and disappeared again before he could defend himself.

"Nothing happened," he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Esmé stood in the kitchen doorway and shot him a glare, but spoke soothingly to my mother.

Rose stood in the front doorway with oil-smeared hands and remarked with a skeptical look: "My husband, the gentleman! That I may still experience this!", before she floated away again with waving hair.

Only Edward was still standing at the top of the stairs, giving us an indefinable look, as if he were considering whether the phone call was really so urgent now that he couldn't free me from his brother's clutches.

Emmett waved at him with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, little bro! I've been wondering all along why you let me take the introductory course! ..."

Judging by Edward's expression and his growled "Just restrain yourself!" that was not all he had heard.

"Don't worry, man! I'll do it for you. I'll teach her some good moves and when she's ready, I'll hand her back to you!", Emmett laughed.

Edward's rumble rang out at the same moment as the ringing of the phone in his hand. Frustrated, he looked at the display and picked up.

"Ola, Gustavo ..."

With a threatening index finger and a deadly look toward Emmett, he disappeared back into his room.

Wow ... somehow I got the faint feeling that I was really on the line right now ...

The quiet laughter of Jasper, who had settled down on an armchair, also reinforced this.

We started moving again.

For a while I jerked shakily and highly concentrated through the living room.

Until I wondered why Emmett was so patiently and quietly plodding along beside me. He was apparently having a conversation with Jasper that I couldn't hear.

I stopped.

"Hmm ...?" he looked at me innocently.

"What's going on here?"

He pressed his lips together for a moment and then looked at me in an amused, challenging way.

"What do you think? Can you make it to the wedding?"

I rolled my eyes and groaned ...

So slowly my feet were hurting again ...

"You have bet!", I stated.

He just shrugged apologetically. But his look immediately undid everything.

"And what?" I put my free fist on my hip.

"Until where you make it," Jasper admitted. "Right now I honestly have my doubts, but I can't really find it that funny either."

"Hmm ... unless we build you a zip line," Emmett pondered aloud.

"Yeah, just like in the circus or the movies," Jazz immediately joined in enthusiastically. "We'll tie you to a tightrope and float you down the aisle on it."

I had to chuckle at the idea.

"I wonder if Alice can add another safety hook to the dress?"

All three of us laughed.

"That would be so cool! Or we could just let you come right down from the top, like an angel! Isn't that what he calls you sometimes?"

"Yes, but I do not know! ... Above the heads of all the guests ...?", I doubted.

"Would definitely be something different," Jazz noted." I just don't know if it would fit into Alice's planning."

"No kidding!" Emmett gushed enthusiastically. "With the right underwear, you can do it."

I ran bright red, of course, and they both roared with laughter.

However, facing Edward's door.

"THAT is not funny at all!", I protested.

"Yeahahaha ... Ed doesn't think it's such a great idea either!", Emmett snorted.

My facial expression must have reflected my irritation, because Jasper, who had already regained his composure, explained, "He just had to explain to his interlocutor why our 'dog' just growled like that."

"Oh, you guys are really too dumb for me."

I dropped onto an armchair, exhausted.

"You know what would be the easiest thing to do?"

Emmett was obviously just getting warmed up.

I looked up at him wearily.

"If you actually break both your ankles - Charlie can push you forward in a wheelchair all the way to Edward."

"Well thank you, very romantic!"

However, when I looked at these murder weapons on my feet … Not the worst option ... If only the pain and the hospital visit before would not stand in between ...?

"Yes true, it would complicate the honeymoon a lot more too."

Emmett was fully in his element.

"You are such an idiot! Shut the fuck up already."

That was really none of his business.

"Aren't there any shoes at all where you can't break your ankles?", Jasper tried to relieve the tension.

And Emmett was already yelling again.

"How- e - e - wer! ... Ski boots!"

And the image of me stomping towards Edward like a robot monster in a wedding dress made not only me laugh. The laughter suddenly rang out from all corners of the house.


Thank you for reading!