Thursday, January 6, 2011

Chapter 9- When the Heartache Ends

*Just a little side note... some of the words in this chapter are not mine. My brilliant friend @His_Singer1 lent me some of hers! You can read more of her poetry on fanfiction.net.
Also I have found a beta!!! The lovely genius Maxipoo! She is making my words so, so prettah! You can find her on twitter @maxipoo1024 ;) *


*EPOV*


The thought that I had just spilled my guts to Bella, complete with tears and sobbing, was simultaneously terrifying and liberating. She is still at my side and I don’t think she’s planning on running. I hope she’s not planning on running. I can’t stand that I don’t know what she is thinking. If there is ever a time that I wish I could read her mind, it is right now. At the very least she must think that I am a basket case. I mean, who does that? First I attack her vagina head first, and then I cry into her hair? Come on, Cullen, even you have to admit that was pretty fucking messed up. I want her to be my girlfriend, not my goddamn therapist. I can’t take the silence any more, so against all my better judgement, I speak.

“Bella, you have to talk to me. I’m freaking out a little bit here.” It comes out as a little more than a whisper, and I find myself on the verge of tears again.

She turns to face me, pulling me closer to her. “Some people need to hear words, need to be reassured. Need to know that they are loved, but with us you speak to me with actions. You don't have to say a thing. I can feel it in your chest. Your heart beats for two. With us, it's who loves who more. Words are not needed. Calm down, baby. I thought maybe we needed a moment to process everything that you just said. That’s the only reason I’m quiet. If you need to know what I’m thinking I can tell you.” She sighs softly, and runs her finger tips along my jaw before she speaks again. “Edward, I am so sorry for what was taken from you in that accident. But you need to come to terms with the fact that it was an accident. Tanya didn’t mean for it to happen, and you certainly didn’t mean for it to happen. I’m also sorry that you have felt like you had to hold all of this hurt inside of your heart for so long. It’s not healthy to hold it all in. In fact, I don’t know how you’ve survived this long. I know that you can’t just let it go and move on, but you need to find away to move forward from it. Do you understand what I mean by that? What happened is part of the puzzle that makes up who you are, but it isn’t all of you. It doesn’t define you, so don’t let it be the definition of your life. You need to accept that what happened is part of your story, and move forward to the next chapter. I’d really like to be part of your next chapter, Edward.”


“Bella, you are the entire next chapter. I haven’t even been able to think about this stuff, let alone talk about it, in five years. I feel like I’m ready to forgive myself, because I want to be better for you. I want to be able to enjoy the love that I have for you. You make me want to feel things that I have spent five years trying to forget even exist. I was convinced that God took Tanya and Ben away because I didn’t deserve them. I didn’t deserve the love that they blessed me with. Then you came along and it was like God showing me I was wrong. I deserve your love, the love that you are willing to give to me. Your heart that you trust me with. I never knew that it could feel like this, that I could feel so consumed by a heart that wasn’t mine. The only thing is, I think it is mine, Bella. Your heart is the part of me that I’ve been missing. I thought that Ben took that piece away with him, but here you are.  And I know that you think you have to leave, Bella, but what if you didn’t? What if you stayed? There are colleges here. You could even take your courses online. You could do it while I’m at work. If you leave, you will be alone and I will be alone. It kills me to think of that. How will I open my eyes every morning, knowing that you aren’t next to me? How will I get through my day, not knowing if you are okay or not? I would never get any work done because I’d be too busy driving back and forth from San Diego!”

Bella moves to straddle my waist and pulls me up by my shoulders until we are looking into each other's eyes. “Edward, we can’t do this again. We talked about this. You know that I don’t want to leave you, but I have to do this for myself. I don’t want to look around in twenty years and wonder if I made the right decision. Can you trust me, please? I’m not letting you go, ever. I know in my heart that we were meant to find each other and that you are meant to be in my world. I also know that I need to finish what I started. I will look into taking classes out here, and online, but I’m not making you any promises.” Bella’s fingers wind through the hair at the nape of my neck, as my fingers draw patterns on her back. I know she’s right, but it still feels like shit.

I cradle her face in my hands and rest my forehead against hers. “I believe you, and I trust you, and damn fucking right you aren’t letting me go, ever.” My voice is raspy and full of need. “I’m starting to need you, beautiful, and I’m scared.” She stopped my words with her lips, and kissed me softly. My lips move with hers, my hands touch every part of her that I can reach. We share breaths and sounds and feelings. Her hands are everywhere, and I love that she knows that my body is hers. Clothes are coming off and fuck, I love this girl. She feels like home, when she wraps her arms around the top of my shoulders. I can feel her heartbeat, and I know that in this moment, it’s beating for me. This thought moves me to tighten my grip around her, and my need to feel her is overwhelming. I feel the moment she realizes my craving. Her movements become forceful and meaningful. Bella is trying to show me that she can take care of me the way that I have been taking care of her. Her hands make their way up my back and into my hair, just as I feel her around me. She stills as she comes to rest in my lap, giving me a chance to adjust to the intensity of the moment. I hiss out a breath as she sighs against my neck.

“Is this okay, baby? I couldn’t help myself. I need to feel you,” she whispers, as she starts to move above me.

My hands find her hips and I help her achieve the friction that we are both searching for. “This is always okay, Bella. I’m yours remember? Always.” My tongue sweeps out along her collar bone while her nails lightly scrape down my back.

Being with her like this is how I want to spend the rest of my life. I feel her begin to pulse around me and I smile against her skin, knowing that I’m doing this to her. She falls to pieces on top of me, my name echoing off of the walls around us. I roll her onto her back, never losing my connection with her body. I have to really concentrate on not crushing her, holding myself up on my elbows and drop my head into the crook of her neck. Bella’s voice breaks my concentration.

“More,” she pants. “Edward, I need more. Please?”

The sound of her begging for me sends my body into a frenzy. I hook my elbow under her leg, opening her body further, and push in deeper than I have ever been. I have to stop and compose myself, or I will explode, literally. “Bella, touch yourself for me. I need to see you come again before this is over. I want to make this good for you.” I force the words out through clenched teeth. I watch in amazement as her hand moves down to where we are joined, and her back arches off of the bed. My hips thrust forward to meet her and I hit a spot inside of her that makes her moan.

“Don’t stop, Edward... I can’t... it’s too much!”

“Right there, baby? Do you feel what you do to me?” I feel my resolve start to slip as her inner walls clamp down on me again.

“Edward... Oh God... I’m...” It’s all she gets out before I erupt, and I swear I see stars. This woman is going to be the death of me, and I like it.


   xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo

I wake up and reach out for Bella, and find a cool, empty sheet. I sit up and see that she is standing out on the balcony wrapped in a white fluffy bathrobe. She has her camera out and is taking pictures of the Vegas lights. I stop and watch her, she is so beautiful. I can tell that she is concentrating, and for some reason I feel like I’m seeing something I shouldn’t be. Without warning, she turns the camera on me. She is stalking toward me with a wicked smirk on her face, and I walk backward away from her as she continues to snap my picture.

“Mr. Cullen, you are a very handsome subject. I can’t seem to take my eyes off of you.” I feel the backs of my knees hit the bed and I sit down. To my surprise Bella doesn’t stop. Her knees hit the bed as I scoot my ass back until I am in the center. She crawls over me like a cat and straddles my chest, still taking pictures of my face. “Take your shirt off, Edward,” she whispers, with the camera still pointed at me.

“Why, Bella, are you trying to get naked pictures of me? I will, but only if you can guarantee that these won’t end up on the internet.” I smirk up at her, reaching down to comply with her request.

“Oh sweet boy, these are for my personal collection. I don’t like to share.” Her face is blank, but I hear the smile in her voice.

I reach for the hem of my shirt and graze the inside of her thigh. My fingertips linger and caress the soft skin there. The only sign that she can even feel me is the hitching of her breath. Other wise she just continues snapping pictures. I find the end of my shirt and pull it up over my head. The smile on her face is brilliant and I want to be taking her picture. I sit up and take the camera from her. She stands to move away from me, but that only gives me a better vantage point. I pull the sash that holds her robe closed and reveal the creamy skin that lies underneath. The pictures that I take of her are going to be stunning. I want to wallpaper my fucking apartment in them. She is amazing, and she is all mine.

Bella is giggling and reaching for the camera, and she sits back down on my chest. “That’s enough, buddy. Give me my camera back.” She lays down with her head on my chest, and holding the camera above us snaps the first of what I hope will be many pictures of us together. I pull her face up to mine and kiss her on the lips, and the camera flashes again.

“Hey, Bella? Do you wanna be my girlfriend?”

“You know what, love? I really, really do. I must warn you though, I might keep you forever.” She beams up at me through her lashes.

This makes me laugh because I was thinking the same thing. “That’s what I’m hoping for, beautiful.” She laughs and the camera flashes again.
                   
          xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo

We check out of the hotel, against my better judgment. Bella is insistent that she wants to see the city and then go home. The fact that she is calling my place home is enough for me to give her anything she asks for. I want to take her home and keep her there forever, knowing that isn’t going to happen reminds me that my heart will always be broken. Her smiles, kisses, and love, have made the breaks start to heal, but I am sure that her departure will forcefully rip the stitches out. I’m trying to put those thoughts out of my mind and enjoy the fact that I have this amazing woman in my arms for a few more days, if she wants to go home then I’ll take her home.

“Ugh, Edward. Why did you let me eat so much? I think I’m gonna puke. I think that I want to puke. And who decided that every restaurant in Vegas was going to be all-you-can-eat? No wonder Americans are all fat. They can come here and eat their weight in omelets for three dollars. Man, I need a Rolaids.” She huffs and I laugh. She is so fucking cute. “Are you seriously laughing at me, baby? I’m miserable here.”

“Bella, when you said you wanted an omelet, I didn’t realize you meant that you were going to try and eat all of the omelets Las Vegas. Damn baby, for a munchkin you sure can eat.” She looks shocked and I can’t stop laughing.

“I’m sorry you asked me to be your girl before you found out what a pig I am, Eddie. You are stuck with me now,” she mumbles and flicks my ear. “No take backs, buddy.”

“I don’t want a take back, sweet face. What I want is to get you home and show you how fucking sexy I think it is that you tried to out eat me. I can’t wait to have you all to myself again, locked up tight in our little safe haven. Back where we belong.”

Bella grabs my hand and squeezes it. “I’m done with Vegas, Eddie. Take me home.”
                
xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo~xoxo

Once we are finally back in the car, Bella gets comfortable and I play with the stereo. “Hey, Bella? What happens when it’s time for you to go, baby? How long will it be before i see you again? Who travels first?” I let out all of my concerns in one breath and she tightens her grip on my thigh.

“Do you really want to talk about this right now? I mean, I don’t mind it, but it’s kind of a lot for traveling don’t you think?” she asks with a sad sigh that breaks my heart. I don’t ever want to hear her sad voice again, but this is something I really want to get a handle on so that we don’t have to waste anytime on it once we get home.

“Bella, I really think we should get this over with before we get home, that way we don’t have to waste anytime on it.” I can feel her looking at me and yet I can’t bring myself to meet her eyes.

“Okay, sweetie. I was thinking that once I’m home, it’s going to take me some time to get settled and figure out what is going on with school. I also really want you to see where I live. So maybe, if you don’t mind, you can drive out to San Diego as soon as it’s convenient for you. I love it in Baker so much that I’m sure eventually I’ll be doing most of the traveling. I just want you to know where I am and that I’m safe. So you won’t have a reason to worry so much.” She lays her head on my shoulder and rubs my arm as she speaks. I’ve noticed that she does this when she thinks I need to be soothed. Have I mentioned that I love this girl?

I rest my head on hers and I take a minute to process what she said. Of course I want to know where she lives, but I want her here with me. “That sounds like a good plan, baby girl. I think we can go with that for now. When are you thinking about leaving?”

“I’d like to stay the week, Eddie. You know I don’t want to go, right? What I want to do is stay wrapped up in you forever, and I know that eventually I will be. Let’s do this the right way, though. I want to take care of anything that could pull me away from you in the future. I want to go into this with a clean slate, baby. You get that, don’t you? I’m going to take care of this school stuff, and then I’m going to tie myself to you in every way humanly possible,”  she says with her lips against my neck. “Now, I’m not going to tell you again, baby, take me home.”




“It's never easy and you never know
What leaves you crying
And what makes you whole
There ain't no way that I can hold it down
Falling to pieces
Forever in doubt

But it's alright
Why don't you tell me again
How you'll still be there
When the heartache ends
It's alright
Why don't you tell me my friend
How you'll still be there
When the heartache ends

There ain't nobody who can show you how
To find the surface when you're underground
There ain't no blanket that can hide this cold
There ain't no memory
That ever gets old”
When the Heartache Ends ~ Rob Thomas

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