Chapter 3

Edward knocked on the door politely, but he didn't wait for a reply before he entered. Bella was leaning against the sink on her good leg, arms crossed. She smirked at the champagne flute. "I'm sorry I made fun of you for being boring. You don't have to try and get me drunk to prove your point."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You won't get drunk, and it's nice champagne. Also, I don't care."

He kissed her. "You've made me so happy."

She giggled. It was intolerable, that giggle. It was so youthful, so honey-sweet and innocent, it was practically an accusation in and of itself.

It meant the world to him. He wanted her to do it again. He put the champagne on the bench so that his hands were free to lightly tickle her sides, just because he could.

"Yeah, well. Wish I could say the same about you," Bella said as she batted at his hands, squeaking in protest. Cute.

"Is that so?"

"Mmm. I think you could stand to try a bit harder."

Edward ignored her squeamish struggles and nuzzled her neck, tickling the sensitive skin with his nose and breath. "I'm sorry to hear you feel that way."

He couldn't resist sneaking his hands beneath her shirt, tracing up her ribs to touch her breasts. And he didn't have to resist quite so much anymore, he realised, with no small amount of boyish thrill. She certainly didn't protest. At her eager, cheeky grin, he removed his hands only to gently shove up her shirt to below her chin. She startled a little in surprise, but not alarm. He smiled at the hum of adrenalin he detected in her scent. He made a low, approving sound at the back of his throat as he stared at her. Her pale peach nipples were larger than he expected, and more sensitive. The substantial weight of the warm, tender flesh in his hand had surprised him.

How he was ever going to get anything done again, he didn't know.

A knock on the door solved that problem for him. He winced as he was assaulted with Alice's thoughts – she was screaming Japanese pop songs at him.

"You're lucky I knocked. You have three seconds and I'm coming in. Three…two…"

Edward growled into Bella's throat before resignedly pulling down her top.

"Actually, Edward Mason, you fuck off," said Alice as she slammed the door open and zipped towards them before he'd so much as taken a breath. She got between them and started shoving Edward to the door. "Get out! Go jump in a cold lake and drink some deer. I don't care – out!"

Edward resisted and was about to snap at her when her defences dropped, and he saw the future that had sent her barging in here. His face went bone-white. Alice winced.

Don't freak out. It didn't happen. Just go, Edward.

Edward couldn't move. Shame burned him like venom.

"Go," Alice said kindly, too fast and low for human ears. "Carlisle's waiting for you. It's okay."

Somehow he managed to relax, to smile at Bella in good-natured exasperation as Alice shoved him out the door. As if he had any right to so much as look at her.

Alice shut the door in his face and he heard her rush to Bella and start to undress her, talking a mile-a-minute. He walked at a human pace down the stairs, feeling sluggish and weary at the shock of being pushed so violently from such happy heights. Alice's tinkling voice followed him as he reached the door.

"Sorry, but trust me, it's way less awkward if I help you. By the way, thank god you and Edward have gotten somewhere. Keeping those tits of yours a secret from him was exhausting."

"Alice!"

"What? They're very dear to my heart, you know. It's so hard not to think about them, you have no idea."

"Oh my god, I hate you."

Edward forced himself to walk away from the house into the woods, sick with despair.

So close. He had been so close.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Bella lifted her head from Edward's chest and looked at the clock on his bedside table. She sighed.

"I told Charlie I'd be back in the afternoon."

Edward growled and tightened his arms around her.

"I suppose 'afternoon' is vague enough that we can push it," Bella said, putting her head back down.

Edward purred and relaxed his hold. Bella laughed.

Alice had left her with her schoolwork in Edward's room after getting her dressed in another comfy set. Bella had sprawled on the bed with her books, fully determined to do at least one of the calculus worksheets, and promptly fallen asleep before the third question.

It wasn't long before she'd stirred as she felt cool arms wrap around her, and she'd turned into Edward's arms with a contented hum. They'd lazed in each other's arms, Edward quiet, but responding to Bella's occasional queries. Eventually, she decided to let him be and they just lay together.

She was worried, though. Something had happened between Alice and Edward in the bathroom, and she couldn't help but feel it had taken them a step back somehow, though there was nothing concrete in Edward's behaviour to indicate that was the case.

Bella couldn't stand the thought of them going back. Not now that she knew.

She sat up and turned, leaning an elbow on Edward's chest to hold her chin in her hand as she stared at him. He raised an eyebrow at her in question. Bella bit her lip and fiddled with a button on his shirt.

"Did Alice see something bad – about us in the bathroom or something? Is that why you looked freaked out before you left?"

Edward was shocked for a second before he rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I even bother." He glared at her. "It's not normal to be as observant as you are, you know. It was what – one second, maybe two?"

Bella shrugged. "I try and notice everything about you."

Edward's features softened, and he sighed. "Come here."

He pulled her smoothly up his body so she was lying almost entirely on top of him, and he kissed her. "I've really not been looking forward to this conversation," he murmured against her lips. "Can we just do more of this?"

Yes. "No."

Edward groaned and let his head drop heavily back to the pillow. Bella pulled away and folded her arms on his chest, looking up at him patiently.

She waited. And waited.

"It's not easy for me to put something like this into words, especially to you," he said carefully.

"Why?"

Edward looked at her a little pleadingly. "It feels to me like I'm dishonouring you even to speak of it."

Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "Edward, can you just –"

"Yes, I will tell you, and tell it to you straight, but I'm just explaining why it's hard for me."

Bella nodded. "Okay."

Edward swallowed. "Do you remember what I told you about how her visions work?"

Bella frowned. "Yes."

"The visions of the near future are changeable, but there are more of them and they're very clear. Mostly, she sees things that are within a day or two when she tries to seek someone's future. More rarely, she has visions of the distant future. These are random, vague and often more symbolic and open to interpretation. They are not, however, nearly as changeable."

"I never took you for a procrastinator."

"So roughly, Alice sees near possibilities and distant prophecies. But I need you to remember that nothing she sees is absolute before I tell you what she saw."

"Okay. Visions of the future are mysterious and confusing. I am shocked, but somehow you've convinced me."

"She saw me hurting you, Bella. And hurting you badly."

Bella paused. She had expected that, but it was still a gut-punch to hear. "How?"

Edward flinched. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

"I pulled your ponytail." His voice was thick with disgust.

"That's it?"

Edward laughed darkly.

"Yes. Yes, that's it. I pulled your ponytail, and that was it. I nearly scalped you. You had a line of blood across the top of your forehead where your hairline starts. You were screaming, again, and –" Edward threw a hand across his eyes, nostrils flaring.

Bella was quiet as she absorbed this. That was actually quite a lot worse than she thought. She tugged at his forearm, trying to make him look at her. It was like tugging on a statue.

"Edward, it's okay."

"It is not okay, Bella. Of course it's not okay."

"So I don't wear ponytails anymore. Big deal."

"Don't act stupid, it doesn't suit you. It has nothing to do with your hairstyle."

"I know, Edward. Can you please just look at me?"

He relented, staring at her with mournful black eyes.

"Maybe it just means we need to take some things slow. It's just a possibility, like you said. It might not have even happened. It doesn't mean –"

"That I'm a monster to allow even the possibility of something like that happening? Are you sure about that? You didn't see the position you were in at the time. That you were…that I had gotten you to…" Edward choked on the words.

It took Bella longer than it would take other teenagers to understand what he was alluding to, but she did eventually. She felt a bit numb with shock, but then the words and images came together in her head and, gnarly outcome notwithstanding, a moment of desire shivered down her spine.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I don't know how…I never imagined asking you…I would never expect you to perform such an act and…"

"Never?" Bella blurted out before she could help herself.

She may have developed a slight oral fixation since dating Edward. She had never imagined wanting to do something like that, only understanding giving head as something that would be demanded of her eventually if romance was to come around.

Maybe it was how good he tasted. Maybe it was how much he resisted her that filled some of her favourite fantasies with scenes of pleasuring him, of making Sir Edward The Eternally Chaste lose control for goddamn once, of being on her knees…

Edward's face was stark with horror. "Are you insane?" he hissed.

"I just meant –"

"You think I'd risk your life for a blow-job, Bella? Is that what you think your life is worth?"

Bella flushed with shame. "Of course not. But I had wanted – and it just means we know to be careful, right?"

Edward stared at her, completely incredulous. "I was worried you'd finally see sense and run for the hills. I should've known better than to think you'd act rationally."

Bella felt tears sting her eyes. They were going backwards. She was right.

"I don't think it's fair for this to ruin something that's only just started," she said quietly.

Edward winced at the hurt in her voice. "I'm sorry. This is exactly what Carlisle told me not to do," he sighed.

Bella felt extremely awkward that Carlisle might be aware of any part of this conversation, but she breathed through the adolescent embarrassment as best she could. Vampires, she reminded herself. Usual rules need not apply.

"What did he say?"

Edward smiled ruefully. "That it was just a possibility, that it's as likely to not have happened as to have happened, that Alice is predisposed to see the more dangerous outcomes because they're the most critical. About a thousand or so times."

"Funny that."

Edward ran a hand through her hair. "He made it very clear that to let this ruin the special moment we had together was a downright cruel thing to do."

Bella nodded, looking down. Edward lifted her chin to his gaze with his finger.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin anything, I promise. It's just…" Edward cupped her face, staring at her earnestly. "You are the most precious thing I've ever come across. I need you to take your safety seriously, or I'm going to lose my mind and lock you up alone in a very tall and spiky tower. Please?"

Bella felt her defences soften. "Okay. I will, I promise."

Edward let out a strained breath. "Thank you." He kissed her forehead.

"But no going backwards, right?"

Edward smiled. "I've discovered I'm not strong enough to do so regardless. So no, love. No going backwards."

Bella tried not to hear the undertone of bitterness in the words. But though she may be good at supressing unpleasant things, she'd never been good at lying, even to herself.

Edward, she'd noticed, didn't seem to have that problem.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Bella glared at Edward across the school lunch table. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow challengingly. She wasn't going to be the one to back down here. She had a full lunch tray of sloppy ammunition to chuck at his head and the immaturity to do it. He was a gentleman with self-control. He was screwed.

"You can't tell me what to do," she said. If he tried one more time, she was going for the yoghurt.

"I already did. You're not going."

Screw it, she was going to play the long game and spill a container of clam chowder in his car later.

"They're my friends! They were the only good part of this town – before you showed up, I mean. It's not my fault you can't come on their land. Also, I agreed to go to prom with you next week. You owe me."

"You're perfectly welcome to visit with your friends where I am able to protect you."

"I don't need protection with them. I've been surfing with them since we were little."

"I can take you surfing; I would love to take you surfing," Edward said emphatically. "But you only just got your cast off from the last time I failed to protect you –"

He held up a hand to silence her as she opened her mouth to protest.

"Yes, and because I failed to stop you from so stupidly throwing yourself into danger. Exactly. So how do I –"

This time, he cut himself off. She felt a flush of shame.

"So how do you trust me?" she asked bitterly. "Is that what you were going to say?"

Edward pressed his lips together in a thin line. "Yes."

They stared at each other, hardly noticing the slight lull in the surrounding buzz of the cafeteria as the tension between them drew rabidly curious onlookers.

Bella looked away first. She felt the sting of tears and sniffed. Edward sighed.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, frustrated.

"I'm not," she snapped.

"Bella…"

"Stop, okay? I'm sorry about Pheonix. I thought I was doing the right thing, and I was really stupid, and I'm sorry."

Edward winced when she said the word 'stupid'.

"But that's not what this is about! I grew up with Jake and Leah; I've really missed them. Plus, I always feel safe at La Push."

"You would feel safe surfing in a tsunami, you reckless little…" He threw up his hands with an exasperated huff.

He always slipped and got all old and condescending when he was mad. He sounded ridiculous, Bella thought snidely.

"You can't force me to stay."

It was Edward's turn to raise an eyebrow in challenge.

"You wouldn't," she warned.

He just stared at her. The implication of his silence filled the air between them, and Bella choked on a rush of hot rage.

She didn't break eye contact with him for a second, and with a sudden jerk of her arm, as fast as she could manage, she flipped her tray up and sent it flying into his chest. It was like a gunshot went off, the cafeteria fell so dead-quiet. He slapped it to the table before it could crash to the floor, but the contents went flying. She felt giddy with satisfaction at his gaping shock. His surprise quickly turned to disgust and irritation at the greasy muck he was covered with, pink yoghurt dripping from his hair. Nice. How did that even happen? Even physics was on her side, she thought smugly. He threw her a baleful glare.

"Really?" he bit out through clenched teeth.

Bella said nothing. She just got up stormed out of the cafeteria, ignoring the cheers and whistles that followed her out the door.

She hoped he did try and kidnap her. He clearly needed a better idea of who he was dealing with.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Bella slammed her books down on the desk she shared with Ben and Angela in English. Their two heads were closely bent together over their clasped hands, whispering and smirking. They deliberately ignored her until she pulled out her chair with an aggravated screech before taking a seat next to Ben. Ben and Angela giggled at each other and parted, turning to Bella.

"Having a good day, Bells?" Angela raised her eyebrows.

"Fine," she snapped.

Ben snorted. "Really? Because you look like my mom did just before she ran over my dad's golf clubs."

"You look like…a madwoman who just escaped from an attic," Angela chirped in.

"You look like you're missing a few snakes there, Medusa."

"You look –"

"Guys, I swear to god," Bella laughed in spite of herself before she buried her head in her hands and groaned.

"There, there. Tell us all about it," Ben patted her on the arm sympathetically.

Bella hesitated. "It's hard to explain."

Ben shot Angela a knowing glance. "Ah. Secret identities could be at stake. I see."

Angela sighed. "Let it go, Ben."

Bella frowned at Ben. "What secret identities?"

"None whatsoever. Say no more. The less I know, the less the government can torture out of me. It's better this way."

"Angela, what's he talking about?"

"Ben has theories about Edward and the Cullens."

"Theories," Ben scoffed. "But we shouldn't talk here anyway; they could be listening." Ben's eyes darted around the room with exaggerated paranoia, and Bella and Angela laughed.

Bella laughed a little harder than she should, mostly in relief – and because they were definitely listening. She felt lighter already, back here on earth with her fellow human teenagers, but the same cloying frustration still itched beneath her skin, and it wasn't just because of Edward being an overbearing control freak. All morning, she had felt a prickling sensation slowly build on the left side of her neck until she felt a consistent, mild stinging. It was maddening. She kept tugging at her collar and lifting her shoulder to rub at the irritating patch of skin, but it only seemed to make it worse.

"Seriously, though," Angela said. "What did Edward do?"

Bella sighed. "He can be…protective. It's like since the accident, he has to be with me or he flips. He doesn't want me to go surfing with Jake and Leah at La Push," she explained.

Bella fiddled with her notebook, flipping through to a blank page, pursing her lips in thought.

"I think sometimes that he secretly liked me being injured because it was easy to control me," she blurted out. Bella winced as soon as she said it. She'd thought it, but hadn't really believed it until she said it out loud.

And it felt disarmingly true.

"Damn," said Ben. "That's…"

"Pretty fucked up, Bells," Angela finished for him. She was staring at Bella with serious, if gentle, concern.

"No, I'm being dramatic," Bella said. "He's just…" She didn't know, really.

"Burdened with finding the lost crystal his race needs to save their home planet," Ben said gravely, shaking his head. "Tough break, Bells." Angela whacked him on the arm, but they were all laughing. The teacher finally hurried in, and the students settled into their places.

"If only it were that simple, Ben," Bella said wryly.

"Whatever. If Cullen ever has a position open for a sidekick, give him my card? No one wants to be Robin, but…"

"Traitor," she whispered, smiling.

"Some things are bigger than you and me, Swan."

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Edward leant against his silver car, arms crossed, his face as stormy as the skies behind him while he watched the crowd burst out of the school's exit. His sad, grey gym uniform stuck to his skin as the rain started spitting down. Alice's thoughts hit him before he spotted her making her way towards him. She was as pretty as a picture in a plum knitted dress and brown boots, black raincoat slung over one arm.

So, since you've clearly learned nothing, what's the plan, big man? Clubbing her over the head?

Edward let a growl rumble in his throat, and she rolled her eyes at him as she neared the car.

I can still see yoghurt in your hair. She reached up and pinched a crusty lock of his light brown hair between her fingers before he smacked away her hand. She's the best.

"She's a child, and she acted like it," he said matter-of-factly.

You're an old fool, and you're acting like it. Alice dug in her purse and pulled out her boxy little Nokia mobile, clicking a text to Jasper with a blur of her thumb. This is what you get for not waiting until her frontal lobe developed. You know, like yours never did.

"Thank you, Mary Alice," he said drily.

You're welcome. Oh, here she comes! Be sure to give her nose a good whack with a newspaper when you're telling her off.

"Hey, Bells! Over here!" Alice waved at Bella, who promptly stuck her little button nose up in the air and stalked past them to where her truck was parked a few spots over.

That's rude. I'm not the one being a bore. And I gave her those jeans that make her butt look like that.

"I think you're guilty by association," Edward sighed. "She's never going to listen to me about a damn thing, is she?"

Alice barked out a laugh before putting a pitying hand on his shoulder.

Edward, my brother in death, of course she's not.

They both flinched when they heard Bella's car door slam, though neither looked over their shoulders to look, instead staying side by side against the car.

Are we waiting for anyone else? Alice asked a bit bemusedly.

Edward didn't reply. He counted down in his head, hearing the first click of the key in the ignition, a splutter of the engine, once, twice, before –

"Edward Cullen!" Bella shrieked. Even from inside the cab of her truck, it reached Alice and Edward clear as day.

A smile twitched on Edward's lips. Alice sighed.

You fucked up her car, didn't you?

The smile grew.

You two deserve each other. I'm out. I'm going to meet Jasper at his office. I hope she doesn't set you on fire – well, no, I don't mean that. That'd be great, but your hair would be a loss. Tell her she's right and you're an idiot for me, will you?

Edward nodded, now outright grinning as he heard Bella stomp her way towards him, her heart pounding hard enough that he could practically feel it.

Alice shook her head at their antics. She darted away onto the street, dodging niftily between exiting cars.

"Edward!" Bella screamed as she rounded on him, her tiny form vibrating with rage. "What…did…you…do?" She whacked him with her bulky shoulder bag at each word. He ducked and held his hands up for the sake of onlookers. He couldn't help smirking at her, in no small part because he knew it would piss her off more.

"Oh dear, what's the matter? Did someone's truck not start? That's too bad. These things happen with old cars, you know."

"You're an old car, you…you…ugh!" Bella whacked him again with her bag.

"Don't you worry about a thing. I'll give you a lift, and if you say thank you very nicely, I'll ask Rosalie to come sort out whatever's gone wrong with your truck."

Bella squealed behind clenched teeth in wordless fury and flew at him. Edward couldn't help but delight as her small, soft form barrelled into him with all the force of a raging kitten. He captured her hands swiftly and pinned them to the small of her back, pulling her tight against him.

She glared up at him. He melted at the sight.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I don't want to control you, not even for the sake of protecting you. I was being an ass – a chauvinistic pig of an ass – and I hope you can forgive me."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "You broke my car."

"You ruined my clothes." He pecked her on the lips, smiling.

"You deserved it. But seriously, I can call off the escape plan?"

Edward winced. "I don't even want to know. But, yes, you can," Edward let go of her wrists to tuck her hair behind her ears. "I never want to be something you have to escape from, Bella," he said earnestly, cupping her warm, flushed cheeks.

Bella rested her hands on his broad chest. "Then don't be," she said simply.

Edward took a deep breath. "Fair enough."

He kissed her again, longer this time, until Ben and Angela started whooping and honking at them from Ben's car as they exited the parking lot. Bella and Edward laughed softly and pulled apart. Bella waved at the couple as their car disappeared onto the street.

"I like them," Edward said. "Ben's theories are a lot more interesting than yours ever were."

"He's kind of on the money about it all, isn't he?"

"He has a lot of inspiration."

Bella sighed and wrapped her arms around Edward, and he held her back as tight as he dared, feeling the release of tension in his chest as her warmth seeped into him.

"I'm still mad about my truck."

Edward smiled ruefully.

"I know you are," Edward nipped the top curve of her ear and she jumped at the small sting, clapping a hand to her ear protectively, frowning up at him. He grinned at her unrepentantly, his arms firm around her waist. "Let me take you home, and you can yell at me some more in private, okay?"

Bella tried to keep glaring, he could see it, but her pink lips curved into a smile anyway.

"You're going to drive me insane," she said, as her hands clenched his shirt in tight fists.

"You're going to destroy me," he replied lightly, holding her with the kind of care one would show a spun glass figurine.

They held each other for a moment longer, and another, and just one more, until the light rain stopped and soft orange rays of the afternoon sun began to peak through the clouds.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

A/N

Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to know what you think, good or bad. I am shy too. Y'all are the best.