Quick A/N:
There's a play list here -playlists
section-that goes with this chapter, if you
want to listen to some music while
you read, or want to listen to what I
listened while I was writing. DISCLAIMER: Some lucky lady named Stephenie
Meyer owns Twilight!I don’t own a thing,
just playing with her Universe._________________________________________________
Chapter 6: Where to from Here?
"Tomorrow will give us something to think about"
Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Get out!" Esme roared at a stunned Bella.
"Mom!" Edward yelled, trying to get his mother's attention.
"I said get out!" Esme seethed, punctuating every word as if speaking to a dog that refused to obey.
"Mom!" Edward yelled more forcefully, placing himself in a protective stance in front of Bella.
Esme blinked, temporarily forgetting her murderous rage at the sight of her son defending the offending girl. He never contradicted her, he never went against her orders, he never questioned her, so the vision of him defending a Dwyer made her blood freeze. It was like fifteen years ago all over again.
"Edward, you don't understand, son," Esme said in softer voice, trying to get him out of the way.
"You're right, Mom, I don't! Would you please explain to me why you slapped my friend and now you're kicking her out of the house like she's a leper?"
He was enraged. Not only could he not understand Esme's reaction to Bella, but the idea of anyone, even his mom, hurting her in any way made him see red. No one touched Bella, not if he had any say in it.
"Edward, get out of the way. Now," Esme enunciated slowly and calmly. She was losing her patience and the way Edward shielded Bella brought back many unpleasant memories.
"No, I won't. I want an explanation, Mother," Edward insisted in a harsh tone.
He wasn't backing down. He had surprised himself when he decided to go against his mother. He had been raised to be obedient, to never raise his voice, to never question his parents' decisions.
He knew he would be grounded for raising his voice to his mother, but he didn't care about the consequences, only the trembling girl standing behind him. He needed to make her feel safe. She should never feel anything but happiness, Edward thought.
Esme lost her last iota of patience when Edward dared to question her in such a bold way. She had raised him to be a gentleman, not this cheeky boy standing in front of her. Yet again another Dwyer got between her and her son. She wouldn't allow it.
Before Edward had time to react she sidestepped his protective form, and grabbed a very confused and scared Bella by the elbow. Bella shrieked in terror as Esme's fingers painfully dug into her flesh. This woman terrified her, and what frightened her the most was the seemingly unpredictable nature of her reactions. Not even her son's indignation swayed her from her violent attempts against Bella.
Edward immediately reacted, grabbing his mother's hand and forcefully removing it front Bella's tender elbow. Esme acted in response by instinct; she was completely blinded by a rage directed at someone she could no longer punish, so she unleashed the force of her anger on her own son, slapping him once with all her might.
Edward stood dumbfounded, staring at a woman he did not recognize. His mother would never hit him. His mother was not prone to violent outbursts like this. This woman was not the Esme he knew.
Esme's rage dissipated at the sight of her son's bloody lip. She was trying to protect him from this girl before she could damage him like that girlhad damaged Anthony, but instead had hurt the most precious person in her life.
Edward, on the other hand, had had enough and before his mother could react, he turned to face a scared stiff Bella. With a reassuring smile he unexpectedly picked her up bridal-style and started to walk to the door.
"Edward!" He heard his mother yell after him but didn't care. He carried a precious trembling priority that clung to his neck for dear life. For the first time in his fifteen years, his mother placed second.
-x-x-x-x-
Bella held Edward like a limpet.
Never before had she felt as much hate as she did during Esme's attack. She even feared for Edward's safety when his mom struck him hard enough to draw blood. She had been so relieved when Edward got her out of the house that she didn't question the fact that he was carryingher. That action, and the lopsided grin he flashed before picking her up, had rendered her incapable of doing anything but hugging him tightly. She didn't know where they were going, but could not worry. After seeing how he had defied his mom, she instinctively trusted him with her life.
They had walked for quite a while. Bella didn't exactly have the presence of mind to know how long he had carried her, but knew he must be tired. She grew anxious for Edward's well-being, and moved to extricate herself from his grasp.
"No," his soft voice whispered against her ear, making Bella's skin prickle and her body tremble in delight. "We are almost there."
He held her tighter and Bella allowed herself to snuggle further into his embrace. Hadn't she daydreamed about being in Edward's arms during this past week? Why not take advantage of this rare opportunity?
Suddenly, Edward stopped. Bella could see that they were in a wooded area and wondered why he had brought her there. He set her on her feet and she reluctantly let go of her hold on his neck.
Bella gasped when she took in the beauty around her. Not only was she standing in a stunning meadow full of flowers, but she was in hermeadow, her dream meadow.
She had dreamed of this place, and had drawn it from memory countless times since her family moved to Forks. Her meadow existed! This was beyond bizarre.
"Do you like it?" Edward asked in an excited voice.
Bella turned and faced a smiling Edward. Ever since she met him he had been gorgeous in her eyes, but here, in her meadow, he was godlike. Something about the way the filtered sunlight made Edward's hair shimmer in different hues of bronze, his pale skin look as if made of marble, and his eyes shine impossibly greener caused Bella to consider the possibility that she had fainted and was dreaming.
Edward thought along those same lines as he took in the beauty that was Bella in his meadow. Her hair, glossy and chocolate in the shade of Forks' clouded sky, sparkled in different tones of reddish-brown under the suns rays. Her skin, normally fair and rosy-cheeked, took on an ethereal quality. She looked like a forest nymph, magnificent and magical. Her shapely red lips called out to him, like the song of a siren. He couldn't resist and before realizing what his body was doing he came closer and closer until their lips made contact.
Bella's breathing hitched when Edward's mouth touched hers. If the spark between them was strong and buzzing whenever they touched, it turned into a lightning storm when their lips met.
She initially stiffened at the suddenness of Edward's lips descending on hers but once she allowed herself to feel their softness and the explosion of sensations they generated, she let her instincts take over. She pulled Edward down and circled his neck with her arms, bringing their lips as close as they could be.
Bella had never experienced any sort of romantic attraction before Edward. She had fantasized about her first kiss in vague terms, usually picturing herself in Pemberley, with her very own Mr. Darcy sweeping her off her feet and asking for her hand in marriage. The reality of her first kiss was much better than any fantasy.
Edward also drowned in the deluge of new sensations that soaked his soul. He had been propositioned several times by various girls in the last year. And even though some of them had been beautiful enough to be models, none had captured his attention. He had never been interested enough to kiss any of them. But that didn't stop him from appreciating that this shy meeting of lips, his first kiss, was far beyond his imagining.
Edward had expected to feel at peace when the nightmares stopped. He had expected to feel like a whole person when his dreams were his own. However, on the very day those nightmares came back to haunt him, he finally felt complete. He didn't consciously decide it, but his arms took on a life of their own and wrapped themselves around Bella's waist, bringing their bodies closer, as their bodies should be.
Bella felt as if she were on fire. The burn started where her lips joined Edward's, then spread, filling her heart with a fluttery flame that grew in intensity when Edward pressed her to him. She wasn't aware of time. They could have been kissing for mere minutes. They could have been kissing throughout the centuries.
But it didn't feel like a first kiss. She didn't feel as if strange lips bruised her own with passion. She felt as though she had finally found home, in Edward's arms, with his lips and body pressed to her own.
Edward groaned, and Bella was quickly reminded of his injured lip. She unwillingly separated her mouth from his but refused to step away from his embrace. Their heavy breathing and swollen lips were a testament of the precious moment they had shared.
No words seemed necessary at that moment. Bella felt as if she could read Edward's mind through his eyes. She could see in the mischievous glow that danced inside his green orbs that he felt sheepish, but happy.
Edward tried to gauge Bella's reaction to his kiss. She looked radiant with her lips red from his kissing. He saw no hurt or offense dancing in her coffee tinted irises. He only saw delight and understanding. He smiled as he caressed Bella's lower lip with his thumb.
Bella shivered at Edward's touch. Her still sensitive lips felt alight under his soft strokes. Her eyes were prisoners of Edward's intense stare. She felt trapped inside a bubble of glee in his arms.
But when she caught sight of a bit of blood on the corner of Edward's mouth, her bubble burst. She would normally cringe at the sight of blood but her only instinct was to take care of Edward as gently as she could. She ripped a small piece of her shirt and wiped the blood drops with it. She used light touches, trying to spare Edward all the pain she could.
The way Bella took care of him made Edward smile. No one but Alice had ever been so gentle. His mother was always too busy with bossing everyone around to spare a moment to be sweet to him. He knew his mother adored him, but she was very firm with his education and care, as if she was trying to toughen him up. The memory of his mother and the fact that Bella's red cheek and his wounded lip was a direct consequence of Esme's actions made Edward feel ashamed.
"I'm so sorry," he said with a troubled expression as he caressed Bella's reddened cheek.
Bella blinked, perplexed. Why was Edward sorry? Was he sorry that he kissed me? Bella's insecurities surfaced briefly, but when she remembered his look after they broke apart, those doubts were obliterated. He had enjoyed the kiss just as much as she had. Then Bella noticed how he tenderly caressed the cheek that Esme had struck earlier that day, and realized the reason behind his apology.
"Don't be," Bella replied, taking his caressing hand in hers. She placed a sweet kiss on his palm and watched with excitement how Edward gulped at the gesture.
"But my mom… " Edward began in a hesitant voice. Bella stood on her tiptoes and kissed the corner of his lip, the same corner where she had just wiped off blood.
"There," Bella smiled at a very much dazed Edward. "I kissed it better."
Edward was completely blown away by the not so pure feelings even Bella's smallest gestures could stir within him. He had heard of the wonders of first love, but his time with Bella felt more incredible than those descriptions.
He could read Bella's expressions like an open book, and few words were needed between them to convey so much meaning. Being with Bella felt as natural as breathing and as comforting as home.
And even though he knew he should be scared of such intensity so soon, he wasn't. Something inside told him he was going at the right speed in the right direction. He finally understood his father's words that everyone had a compass in their heart.
Edward's had guided him to Bella since the first day, since the first time they had tripped and fell to the ground together, since the first time he knew how to strike up conversation with her, since the first time he shared his passion for music with her, since the first time he tried to kiss her. He had a compass, and its needle pointed to Bella, his north.
Edward was brought back to the real world by the sweet voice of his angel.
"Edward? Edward?" Bella asked, trying to draw his attention back to her. He had seemed so lost in thought she was afraid her little playful gesture had been too much. She had no experience with boys and didn't know what was appropriate.
"Yes," Edward replied with a warm smile to a worried Bella, who immediately relaxed.
"Why do you think your mother reacted like that?"
Edward was at a loss for words. He honestly couldn't think of a reasonable explanation to justify his mother's actions. "I really don't know, Bella. All I know is that the woman you met today didn't act like the mother I know at all. I think we should wait here for your dad to call and pick you up while she cools off a bit, and then I'll ask her what her problem is."
Bella nodded in agreement. There really wasn't much more they could do. Still, the idea of Edward returning to his house, alone with that crazed woman, frightened her deeply.
"Edward… um… " she hesitated.
"What?" Edward responded, lifting her chin so that he could look into her eyes.
"I was just wondering… " Bella trailed off, "if maybe… um… it wasn't better if you came home with me, and waited until your dad and your brother were back from their fishing trip. I really don't like the idea of you and your mom alone in that house."
Edward's smile could have brightened up the darkest of Forks' days when he realized that as deep as his feelings were for Bella, she too felt strongly for him. She was worried about his safety. Edward started to laugh.
Bella misread Edward's happiness as amusement and felt the impulse to stomp her foot in a very unladylike manner to make him stop. Luckily, she refrained and just threw him a deadly glare.
Edward immediately subdued his laughter before Bella's glower. He really didn't want to cross the only girl he had ever liked.
"Sorry," he tried to explain, "I wasn't laughing at you. It's just that I can't help but feel blissfully happy when I'm in your company."
Bella's expression shifted to the goofiest of grins at Edward's words. That boy really had a way of transforming her heart to mush in the space of a nanosecond.
"For the record," Edward continued after a few seconds, "I'm almost a foot taller than my mom, and the only reason she could hit me was because we were too distracted by all the commotion. I'm sure she didn't even intend to hit me. She was just too caught up in her anger."
Bella sighed in relief at the truth behind Edward's words. He was in no real danger as long as he wasn't defending her. The thought was saddening. It was clear that whatever set Edward's mom off had something to do with the Swans. It was at the mention of her mother's name that she became enraged, and even though she would much prefer to stay at Edward's side, she also couldn't wait to ask her mom if she knew Esme Cullen.
Trying to change the subject, Bella voiced the question she wanted to ask when they first arrived at this beautiful place. Before her first kiss.
"Where are we?"
Edward grinned before replying. "We are at my meadow, well more like our meadow now," he said, grabbing Bella's hand in his and inviting her to sit next to him on the flowerbed.
"This place is close enough to my house for me to walk to, and hidden enough for me to enjoy my solitude, which before I met you meant a great deal to me."
"I always come here to think and enjoy the view. It's the only place where I can feel peaceful even when I'm really mad. That's why I brought you here. This is my safe haven."
"I have seen this meadow before," Bella whispered, but Edward heard her perfectly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…. " she hesitated, unable to find a reasonable explanation for her dreams and unwilling to lie to Edward after her recent nightmare.
She sighed heavily, gathering strength before continuing. "You're going to think this is so crazy, but… um… I've dreamed about this meadow before."
Edward gave her a confused look and she continued before he could respond. "Ever since we moved to Forks I've been having these weird dreams where I'm in this meadow. Sometimes I'm sleeping here under the sun, sometimes I'm sitting by that rock drawing," she pointed at a sizable boulder near a stream. "Or just dancing, which is completely out of character for me because I do not dance."
Edward sighed longingly at the mental picture of Bella doing any of those things, especially dancing. He decided right then and there that he would do everything in his power to persuade Bella to give him a performance of her supposedly appalling dancing skills.
However, this whole dream issue brought last night's to the forefront of his mind. Why were they both having these strange, ominous dreams? What was their purpose? Why was Bella sharing his private curse?
"Um… " he said, doubt tainting his tone. Edward didn't know how to start a conversation that was bound to be at the very least weird. "About those dreams… last night… er… what exactly did you dream?"
Bella paled at the question. Even though she knew she hadn't done the things Anthony accused Marie of, she couldn't help but feel guilt for what her dream-self had done to that boy Anthony. She didn't know the details, but based solely on Anthony's pained face she knew that whatever Marie had done, it had been bad, really bad.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Edward reassured her, taking her hands in his. He felt pretty bad for putting Bella on the spot. He desperately wanted to confirm his suspicions that they had shared the same dream, but he realized he was being a coward by making Bella confess to it first.
Trying to be the gentleman he knew he should be, he silenced Bella and placed a finger on her lips before she could answer. "All my life I've suffered from nightmares," he confessed in an uneven voice, while gauging Bella's reaction. He was surprised to find compassion instead of the fright and contempt he had expected.
Encouraged, he continued before he lost his nerve. "I was never able to remember them once I woke up, and I've spent most of my life trying to hide the fact that I have them from my family. Only Alice knows. A little over a week ago they stopped. They just stopped, but instead of feeling relieved I felt lost. They had been the only constant in my life for so long that I didn't know what to do without them. This may sound weird to you, but it was like I lost a part of me when they left. But last night, they came back. The difference is that I remember it." Edward sat in silence as he waited for Bella's reply.
"Ever since I could remember," Bella started after taking a deep breath, "I've suffered from terrifying nightmares. My parents didn't know what to do with me and took me to see hundreds of shrinks. It never helped because I couldn't remember what they were about but I kept going. My last psychologist advised my parents that a change of scenery might do me some good, take my mind off things. So they decided we should move to my mom's hometown. Once we got here the nightmares stopped and I started to dream normal teenage dreams," Bella shrugged at this point, "or at least I thought they were normal before I discovered I was actually dreaming of a place that really existed and that I've never seen in my life until this day."
Bella gripped Edward's hand tighter in hers and continued with her account. "I did feel some form of relief when they stopped, but I didn't feelcomplete. I still felt a sense of something like… um… " She pondered the best way to describe her feelings when the nightmares stopped. "Maybe nostalgia or longing? I don't know, I just didn't feel like myself. And last night I had a nightmare again, and it was heart-wrenching, and it was scary. But today, here with you in this meadow, I finally feel whole, even if the nightmares have really come back."
Edward felt like a weight had lifted from his shoulders at Bella's confession, and turned her around, so she was sitting between his legs with her back pressed against his chest.
"What was your nightmare about?" Edward inquired after a few moments. "Did you dream about a couple fighting in a rainy street at night? About a boy named Anthony and a girl named Marie?"
"How did you know?" Bella asked in shock, turning slightly in Edward's arms to see the expression on his face.
"Because I had the same dream."
-x-x-x-x-
Edward and Bella spent all morning dissecting every detail of their shared dream. They decided that before trying to figure out why they were having the same dream, they needed to find out whether Marie and Anthony were real people and whether there was a connection to Edward and Bella.
There was also an impending talk between Bella and her parents and Edward and his. They were both sure that the adults were hiding information from them and they desperately needed answers.
"Doesn't this feel like the calm before the storm?" Bella asked. Before Edward could voice his worries about the future her cell phone rang.
"Bella!" a frantic sounding Charlie yelled through the speaker. "Where are you? Are you at that address that you texted me? I'm so sorry, Princess! I was at a meeting and I just read it. Are you alright?" He went on and on, raising Bella's suspicions that her parents knew a lot more about Edward's mom than she thought. Why else would her dad sound so rattled?
"Dad! Calm down! I'm perfectly fine. There was a change of plans and we had a picnic about six blocks away from the address I sent you. Can you meet me at the side of the road in about ten minutes? How far away are you?" Bella asked her dad, trying to reassure him.
"I'm a couple of minutes away. Are you alone?"
"No, dad, I'm with my friend. We'll be there in a minute. Remember it's just six blocks past the address I texted. It will look like forest to you from the road, but we are in a clearing. Just wait for me there, we're on our way."
"Okay, I'm almost there," Charlie said, sounding calmer.
Bella hung up and shared a conspiratorial look with Edward before they started walking to the main road.
"Okay," Bella said, stopping when she saw her father's parked car through the trees. "You better go to your house and leave me here. I don't know yet if my parents hate your parents too, and I think we've both been slapped enough for one day."
She caressed Edward's slightly swollen lower lip and placed her index finger over his mouth before he could respond. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about. Please call me on my cell once you have your talk with your mom."
"I will."
With a final peck on Edward's lips, Bella sprinted through the trees towards her family's SUV, which would carry her home to the only people who could answer her many questions.
No matter what happened in the future, Bella knew that she and Edward were inseparable now, one soul in two bodies. If anyone tried to break them apart they would face a magnificent foe. Edward and Bella were no longer fighting for love or friendship but survival. Separation for them was no longer an option; being apart was death.
_________________________________________________
A/N I hope you remember this tidbit from Chapter 3:
Bella started sketching on her notebook while the rest of the students continued to arrive. She was so focused on the drawing—a beautiful meadow full of flowers she had dreamed the first night she spent at the new house—that she didn't hear the person next to her.
So yes, I didn't just invent the Meadow dreams Bella was having *giggles* Well if we are being accurate I did invent everything. *shrugs*
Thank you so much to my suffering Betas, I flove you and your undying patience, Monamour, Dante Levine, You rock!
Also, my pre-readers, lemonmartinis and Rhian0000, they suffer for my art as well *sniffs* I adore you all.
I have a Twilighted thread where I post teasers/announcements.
Congrats to the teams that continue on the World Cup, my team it's still in *fingers crossed for Tuesday's match*
Also, commiserations to those that were eliminated, you were amongst the best 16 in the World, feel proud.
This week I would like to remind you-or let you know if this is News to you- that the 'Fandom Gives Back' auctions have started…there are lots of items (outtakes from popular stories, crafts, Banners/Blinkies, autographs from Twilight stars, etc) being auctioned off…Please buy something or Donate to Alex Lemonade Stand, they do work for kids with cancer, what greater cause to donate than that?
The Fandom gives back site: http://www.thefandomgivesback.com/
Alex Lemonade Stand Site: http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/19842
As always thank you for taking the time to read,
I promise some answers next chapter,
((hugs))
Ange
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