"Get your fucking hands off me," I growled, glaring at him. I had to be careful here – if I provoked him, things could get very ugly, very quickly, and I wouldn't be able to fight back without breaking cover.
"My, my, aren't we fiery today?" he teased, then reached down with his free hand and undid the top hook of my bodice. I grabbed his hand before he could go any further, deliberately digging my nails into his palm, but he seemed to get off on the pain and laughed as he twisted out of my grip and forced my hand behind my back. I cried out in pain, struggling to push him off me with my unrestrained hand, but he just shoved his arm against my throat, partially constricting my airway.
"Play nice," he chided, smirking as I scratched at the arm pinning me to the wall.
"Get off!" I choked out, then shuddered as he leaned forwards and licked up the side of my face.
"Oh, I plan to," he hissed, grinding his hips against mine. I gagged at the feel of his erection pressing into my hip, digging my nails into his arm and trying to twist my lower half away from him. He moaned and moved his arm from my neck, allowing me to breathe for a moment, but then his hand replaced his arm and he began to choke me more than he had before.
I gasped for air, feeling tears fill my eyes, then tried to scream out for help, but he just smothered my mouth with his own, biting and sucking my lips harshly. I shook my head as best I could, trying to break free, but he just forced his tongue into my mouth and groaned when I bit down on it.
"I love it when you fight me," he growled, thrusting his hips against mine. "It makes the chase all the more fun."
I pressed my lips together as hard as I could, carefully trying to shift my leg between his, and the moment I managed to, I pushed my knee up as hard as I could, kneeing him between the legs.
"FUCKING BITCH!" he yelled, finally backing off from me and bending down to cup himself. I took my chance and pushed off the wall, then ran down the corridor towards The Den, crying out for help.
"Oh, no, you don't!" He grabbed my wrist and yanked me backwards, startling me.
Once I was in range, he kicked me in the back of the knee, sending me to the ground, then crawled down on top of me, pinning my legs and arms down with his own.
"Oooh, you dirty tease," he sneered.
"HELP!" I screamed, squirming as hard as I could. He groaned, enjoying the increased friction, then held both my wrists to the ground with one hand and reached down with his free one, undoing the next four hooks of my bodice.
"NO!" I cried out, rocking my body from side to side. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins now, but I knew it wouldn't be enough; he'd clearly had experience in this and knew how to immobilize someone.
"Yes, ma petite putain. This is happening whether you like it or not, so be a good girl for Daddy and shut. The fuck. Up!" he hissed, then gripped my jaw and held my head still so he could assault my lips with his mouth. I groaned, but stopped fighting back as hard, knowing that would only turn him on more, then waited until his lips were parted before biting down on his bottom one as hard as I could.
Blood spilled into my mouth the moment I broke skin, and when he pulled back in shock, I tried to head-butt the soft part of nose with my forehead, hoping to break it, but he dodged me just in time and slammed my head back to the ground.
"So, you like it rough, huh?" he taunted, but before I had the chance to reply, his weight disappeared from my body and I heard something heavy slam into the wall nearby.
"I swear to fucking God, if you ever touch her against her will again…" I rolled over onto my front, and gasped when I saw Edward pinning James against the wall with his arm, almost lifting him off the ground.
"E-Ed-" I tried to call out, but my throat was burning and I was beginning to feel overcome by dizziness. I reached back and touched my head, checking to see if it was bleeding. It wasn't.
I heard the rush of footsteps from nearby, and saw a group of people flooding down from The Den, wondering what was going on. Shit.
James somehow managed to escape Edward's hold momentarily, but Edward quickly pinned him to the floor and began punching him in the face. I scrambled to my feet, but stumbled in my heels as I tried to step forwards. I kicked the offending shoes off, then rushed towards Edward as James started to fight back.
"Edward, stop!" I cried, moving so that I would be in his eye line. "Baby, you've gotta stop."
"You asked for it, you bitch. Tell him!" James wheezed. Edward looked up at me momentarily, and James took the distraction as an opportunity to head-butt Edward, who barely even flinched.
"I fucking doubt she did anything to deserve that," he said scarily calmly, then wrapped both hands around James' neck. "So next time you try and fuck with my girl, wait for her to say she wants it, because I guarantee you'll be waiting a long fucking time."
"Edward!" Riley shouted from somewhere behind us.
"Baby, please," I begged as tears filled my eyes. I rushed forwards against my better judgment and tried pushing Edward off of James, but he held fast, and James was now gasping for air. "Please! Don't do this here."
"Break it up!" Aro. Fuck.
I rushed round behind Edward and tried pulling him back that way, but he shook me off.
"Out the way, Isabella," Felix growled, roughly pushing me aside as he and Demetri rushed forwards out of nowhere and grabbed Edward by the arms, dragging him off James, who coughed violently and brought both his hands up to his neck. I stared at him in disgust for a moment, but then I heard Edward groan, and when I turned to see what was wrong, I gasped in horrified shock.
No!
As I ran towards the three of them in tears, I saw Demetri punch Edward in the stomach, making him double over in pain.
"Stop!" I pleaded, but they were relentless and kept hurting him anyway. "Please, stop!"
"Bella," Edward groaned. "Get the fuck out of here."
"No!" I was right in front of them now, panicking and desperately trying to find a way to get them to back off. "Edward was trying to help me. He did nothing wrong."
"He attacked one of his brothers," Demetri growled angrily.
"With good cause!" I protested, then reached out and grabbed Felix's wrist before his fist could hit Edward again.
"Good cause?" Felix scoffed, stopping his attack on Edward and turning on me. "He's just jealous because his little whore was-"
"About to be raped!" I cut across, glaring at him even as my voice cracked. I tried to hold strong, but he was huge and practically towered over me.
"You fucking asked for it," James coughed from somewhere behind me.
"James!" I startled at the sound of Aro's voice, and when I turned my head in his direction, I was surprised to see the fury etched in his features was aimed at James, not at me.
"Bu-"
"Enough!" Aro snapped, then rounded on Felix and Demetri. "Leave him be."
Almost immediately, they both backed away from Edward, who struggled to hold himself upright as he stood there, fists clenched and staring down at the ground.
"Edward," I said softly, rushing forwards and closing the distance between us. "Are you okay?"
He nodded weakly, then reached out and did up the front of my bodice, which was almost exposing me, but I didn't care about that anymore.
"Baby, look at me," I pleaded. His chest was heaving with each breath he took in and out, so I pressed my hands against it, hoping my touch would soothe him. His heart was pounding beneath my palm, and I felt more tears spill down my cheeks as I saw his fists clench and unclench at his sides. He was angry.
"It's okay," I murmured, stepping closer and pressing my chest against his. "I'm okay, baby."
He didn't respond.
"You saved me," I told him, then I raised myself up on my tiptoes and kissed him softly. His eyes closed, but other than that, he didn't react.
"Everything's okay," I whispered, reaching down and covering his hands with mine. "Come back to me, baby."
I pressed my lips to his, and this time, his bottom lip moved slightly and his hands relaxed under my touch.
"I love you," I murmured, the words coming out before I could stop them. His breath caught in his throat, and I quickly leaned in and kissed him once again, then moaned when I felt his lips move with mine.
It wasn't much at first, but then some of the tension in his body faded away and he began to relax into the kiss. I parted my lips in invitation, and his tongue immediately sought mine as his arms wrapped around me tightly, holding me to him. He caught himself just moments later, and stepped back from me like he'd been burned.
"I'm sorry," he choked out, wide eyed. "I didn't mean to-"
"Shhh," I soothed, closing the distance between us again and pulling him into a tight embrace. "I'm okay, baby. I promise."
"Edward? Bella?" Edward turned us so that we could look at Aro, who had stepped further forward than the rest of the crowd. "I suggest the pair of you leave. Now."
"Are you fuc-" I began, but Edward quickly cut me off.
"Of course, Sir," he said stiffly. "I apologize."
Aro nodded, his expression one of muted anger. I swallowed audibly, feeling delayed fear rush up my spine.
"Thank you for inviting us," I murmured, smiling weakly.
"You're welcome, Isabella," Aro replied with a polite smile. "My apologies for the… misunderstanding."
I didn't get enough time to do much more than nod in response, for Edward moved his arm to my shoulders, then pulled me firmly into his side as he guided me forwards. Going through The Den was the only way to get back to the shuttle (as far as I was aware, anyway) and unfortunately, that meant we were forced to walk through the crowd who had gathered to watch the fight, and almost everybody glared at Edward as he passed them.
"Bella?" A soft voice called. Edward stopped walking, allowing me to turn to face Didyme, who was standing beside Marcus and holding my shoes in her hands. "Here."
"Thanks, Didyme," I murmured, taking the shoes from her. "I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome," she replied, then mouthed, "Go."
I nodded weakly, then turned back to Edward and leaned into his side as he stiffly walked towards the double doors leading to The Den. I didn't know what to say to him. Seeing him so full of rage and hatred just… It scared me a little. I'd never have thought he'd present that side of himself so openly like that, but I knew he didn't just do it to try and act like my over-protective and possessive boyfriend. It was so much more than that. That fire there? It was real.
And what I'd said to him… I didn't regret it. I'd been so unsure of everything involving the two of us before today. My feelings were all over the place, and I'd been too scared to try and identify that warm feeling in my chest… the overwhelming feeling of completeness and rightness that swelled inside me whenever we were together. But then the words came right out of my mouth, and I knew they were the truth.
And that was something that both terrified and thrilled me. I was terrified to let someone in again, to leave myself vulnerable to pain, but most of all, I couldn't stand the thought of losing yet another person in my life who was that important. Both of my parents were gone, Alice was halfway across the country most the time, and after losing Billy like we had, I couldn't bear to even think about losing Jake as well. He was so young, so full of life…
But then again, despite all how overwhelming and scary these feelings were, I couldn't deny that they were also amazing. To have that connection with someone was so… new to me. It was strange, to feel that way for someone when I didn't really know them, but at the same time… I did know him.
Fuck, this was confusing. Carlisle would skin me alive if he knew I was feeling this way. He didn't even give his own daughter a reprieve; I had no chance.
"Bella?" Edward slowed to a stop, then turned to face me. "Are you okay?"
"Are you?" I deflected, bringing my hand up to touch his cheek, which was already starting to bruise. I didn't want to think about how I was. Not yet. I couldn't think about what happened, couldn't focus on how it still felt like imprints of his hands had been left upon my skin everywhere he touched, because if I did that, I'd break down and not be able to compartmentalize this like I so desperately needed to.
"No," Edward replied truthfully, shaking his head. "I'm not."
I smiled sadly at him and stroked his cheek with my thumb, knowing nothing I could say would really help him right now. Once we were alone and in the relative safety of our suite, I may be able to comfort him, but not now. Not out in the open like this.
"Give me your shoes?" He sounded almost pleading as he spoke, and he seemed so… defeated. I hated seeing him this way. I handed over my shoes to him, and then he stepped forwards suddenly and I automatically recoiled, shocking even myself. This was Edward, for God's sake. I knew that. My body, for once, just didn't.
"Sorry," he mumbled, his eyes filled with sadness as he took a large step back from me. "I didn't mean… I just wanted to carry you. Your feet must be sore and-"
"No, I know that," I assured him, trying to smile as calmly as possible. "I know you'd never hurt me."
"But I already have," he muttered, his voice so quiet, I knew I wasn't really meant to hear what he'd said. I sighed softly, then closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms loosely around his neck, even though I could feel him tense up at my touch.
"My feet are hurting a bit," I half-lied, then tried to reassure him further by adding, "I'd like you to carry me, if you want to?"
"Okay," he agreed, then scooped me up into his arms awkwardly, treating me like a fragile doll. I knew he was probably in pain, but he didn't let it show.
"I won't break," I told him, leaning against his chest. "I promise."
He nodded stiffly, but held me a little tighter as he carried me past the double doors leading to The Den and a little further down the corridor. I frowned, completely confused by our new route, but remained silent anyway, knowing there must have been a reason he was going this way.
Eventually, we reached another set of doors, and Edward carefully backed through them with me in his arms before turning back round again. I gasped in surprise. Where the fuck were we?
"Sorry it's cold," he mumbled as he walked us down the narrow, bland hallway. "It's just quicker if we use one of the maintenance shuttles."
Maintenance shuttle?
"It's not as comfortable as the one we usually use, but I… I just think it'll be easier this way," he told me. "Nobody really comes down here, but… I mean, if you'd be more comfortable around more people, we can go ba-"
"Don't be stupid," I murmured, shaking my head. "I'm not a china doll, Edward. I won't break if you touch me. I like you touching me. What happened back there happened, and you don't have to walk on eggshells for fear of hurting me. It hurts more when you treat me differently because of it."
"But Bella, he-"
"I know what he did," I replied angrily. "And thinking about that? It's just gonna hurt even more than it already does. So stop treating me like I've somehow become weak and defenseless, because you're making everything worse."
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
"I know," I told him honestly, moving one hand up to touch his face and gently forcing him to look me in the eyes. "I'm okay. If I have you… I'm okay."
"Bella…"
"Shhh," I soothed, then leaned forwards and kissed him softly, keeping my eyes open and gazing into his for once. It took him a few seconds to respond, but when he did, I couldn't help but moan quietly and shut my eyes. He was so gentle with me… so warm… It helped me forget what had almost happened, if only for a second.
"Let's go," I murmured softly as I eventually forced myself to pull away. I wanted to get to the suite as soon as possible and be with Edward in relative privacy again. I didn't feel so safe out here anymore.
"You can close your eyes and rest, if you want," he offered quietly as he slowly began to walk down the corridor again. "I'll tell you when we get there."
"Okay," I replied, then settled against him with a soft sigh and closed my eyes, turning my face towards his neck so I could breathe him in. "Thank you."
"You never have to thank me for anything, baby," he murmured.
I smiled to myself. He had no idea just how much I needed to thank him for or how much I owed him. But I got the feeling that even if he did know, his response would still be the same.
I didn't know how long it took us to get back to the suite. I was aware we were moving pretty much constantly, whether that be through Edward walking or the shuttle moving, but time didn't really seem to register. I kept my mind carefully blank, knowing that if I let it wander or I thought about anything, the results could be disastrous. Instead, I focused on the sound of Edward's heart beating beneath my ear, the steady rhythm of his breathing… Him.
"Bella?" We slowed to a stop, but Edward still kept me cradled to him. "We're here."
"Okay," I mumbled. "Do you want me to get down?"
"Do you want to get down?" he asked softly. I shook my head quickly.
"No."
"Then stay right here," he murmured, and I sighed with relief as he held me tightly, kissing the top of my head. "But I need you to get my key card out my pocket, baby, or else we can't get in."
"Which pocket is it in?" I lifted my head from his chest, then laughed awkwardly when I saw the answer was right in front of me. "Oh."
I reached into his shirt pocket for the key card, but instead of giving it to him like he expected, I awkwardly stretched my arm until I could slide it through the reader myself. A few seconds later, the light turned green and the door unlocked, allowing Edward to carry me through into the suite before kicking the door shut behind us.
"Do you want to watch a film or something, or would you rather go straight to bed?" he asked, even though we both knew what my answer would be.
"I just wanna go to bed," I told him, hating how weak my voice sounded. Edward nodded sympathetically, and as he carried me through to the bathroom, I found myself starting to shake.
"It's okay, baby," Edward soothed, quickly moving to the bathtub and sitting down on the edge of it with me in his lap. "You're okay."
"I know," I mumbled, but that didn't stop the delayed fear from welling up inside of me. Now we were alone, I could feel my barriers begin to crumble, and even though I knew fighting it would only make things worse, I struggled to hold everything in anyway. I didn't want Edward to see me break down – it'd only upset him.
"Bella…" He gently stroked my hair, trying to calm me, but it wasn't enough. "Baby, you're safe now."
"I… I don't… I…" was such an idiot. "How could I have been so fucking stupid?"
"Bella, don't you dare blame yourself for this," Edward replied firmly, shaking his head as he pulled me in closer and held me tightly.
"I never should have gone down there by myself."
"I know," he murmured. "I should never have told you to."
But he did, and I agreed, and then…
"E-Edward?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"Can you, uh… Can you get me something to change into? I don't… This outfit's…"
"Of course," he said softly, then carefully helped me climb off his lap before standing up and kissing the top of my head. "I'll be back in a sec."
I nodded weakly, and as he made his way out into the bedroom again, I walked over to the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I suddenly felt sick. My make-up was smudged, my hair was a rumpled mess, my dress was twisted, and my wings were now ridiculously bent and contorted. I looked like I'd just been…
I pulled off my fake eyelashes much harder than necessary and scrambled for some make-up remover wipes before trying to wipe my face clean of all traces of what had happened. I rubbed and rubbed until my skin was red and blotchy, then gasped when I saw the faint but already present bruising on my neck. I reached down and touched my skin, then shuddered violently as what felt like an exhale ghosted across my face.
I knew nobody was in here. It was just me. So why was I suddenly petrified? I knew how to handle this sort of thing. I'd been trained to. But I'd also been trained not to walk down dimly lit hallways alone, and look where that had got me. I'd almost been…
My stomach turned, and suddenly, I felt unclean. I felt dirty, and he hadn't even managed to do anything major to me. Edward had stopped him. But my mind wandered and created the 'what ifs' of that scenario… What if Edward hadn't arrived in time? What if James had managed to get any further than he had? What if… I'd gone without underwear. All he would have needed to do was…
"Edward?" I reached round and tried to pull the wings off my dress, suddenly suffocating from everything associated with it, but when that didn't work, I tried to yank on the pole, not even caring if I ripped the dress. I just wanted it off. "EDWARD?"
Seconds later, Edward burst through the door, clothes in hand, then rushed forwards in a panic the moment he took me in.
"What's… Baby?"
"Off," I gasped, turning so my back was to him. "Please."
"It's okay, baby. Breathe," he soothed as he quickly unclipped the wings and removed the pole. "Just breathe for me, okay?"
I reached up with trembling fingers and tried to undo the front of my bodice, but I was shaking too hard to focus.
"Help," I pleaded, feeling tears stream down my face. "Get it off!"
"Okay… Stay still for me, baby." Edward gently turned me to face him and quickly undid my bodice, then guided my hands to his shoulders before carefully pulling my dress and stockings off, finally freeing me.
"Edward," I groaned, and the moment he stood up straight, I wrapped my arms around him tightly and buried my face in his neck. My emotions were running haywire and I couldn't control anything, just like I couldn't control what almost happened to me, and I needed him to be my constant. He was the only one who could make me feel okay again, the only one who would be able to understand.
"I was so scared," I whispered, clenching my eyes shut. "I couldn't… I didn't wanna risk… I-"
"I know, baby. I know," he replied sadly, kissing my hair.
"I'm sorry. I didn't wanna cry, but I just… When you left, I… It's like he's still… I…" I shook my head and tried to pull him closer, wanting to just disappear inside him and never come out again, but it didn't work. Edward sighed softly, then lifted me off the ground, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist and press myself against him more fully.
"Thank you," I breathed, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you… You stopped him. He didn't… You saved me."
"I'm the one who allowed you to be in that situation in the first place," he murmured. "Don't thank me for that."
"Don't blame yourself," I told him as more tears spilled down my cheeks. "It wasn't your fault."
"Bella… You're my girl. I'm supposed to protect you, not endanger you."
"You did protect me," I pointed out. "And you never endanger me."
"I'm the reason you're here. If that isn't endangering you, then-"
"Stop!" I pleaded. "Please don't do this. I can't… Edward, I feel safe when I'm with you. You're the only one who understands, and if you… If you blame yourself for this, then you're gonna pull away from me again and I can't… I don't… I need you… You can't just…"
"Shhh," he soothed, gently stroking my hair as my breathing became shallow and fast. "I've got you, baby. Just breathe. I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm sorry," I choked out. "I just… I can't stop."
"It's okay," he murmured. "You can let it out, baby. Just let it out."
So I did.
I cried and cried until my throat hurt and my eyes were sore, letting all the frustration, fear and anger that had built up through the day out in one go while Edward held me in silence. He knew what I needed, and he gave it to me without even needing to be asked.
When I had finally exhausted myself and had no tears left to shed, Edward kissed the side of my head and carried me over to the bathtub before sitting down on the edge of it with me still in his arms.
"Better?" he asked softly.
I laughed awkwardly, suddenly embarrassed. "Yeah."
"Good," he murmured, then shifted back from me slightly as he whispered, "Baby?"
I raised my head to look at him, and the relieved smile that broke across his face when he gazed into my eyes made that familiar warmth flood through me again, pushing all the darkness to the back of my mind, right where I needed it to be.
"There you are," he mused, reaching up to push some of my hair back from my face. I leaned into his touch and sighed, surprised by how calm I now felt.
"Thank you," I said softly.
"For what, baby?" he asked, frowning.
"Letting me do… that, and for not… for not pulling away from me."
"Bella, I…" He seemed to catch himself for a moment before murmuring, "I care about you. A lot. And… And when you care about someone, you let them do what they need to do, and you stick by them when they do it, because you know they'd do the same for you."
"You… care about me?" My voice came out weak-sounding and shy.
Edward smiled and gently stroked my tear-stained cheeks with his thumb. "Very much."
That hurt and pleased me at the same time.
"I… care about you, too," I told him truthfully, smiling weakly back at him. His expression softened, and then, ever so slowly, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was incredibly gentle, but firm at the same time, and unlike our kisses from earlier, it wasn't about comfort or passion or hurt or reassurance… It was about us, and acknowledging this thing between us. It was progress.
When our lips broke apart, we lingered there for a few moments, foreheads touching, eyes closed, before slowly pulling away again and smiling at each other.
"You're so beautiful like this, Bella," he said softly. I blushed, then shifted uncomfortably in his lap when I remembered my clothes were somewhere to my left and I had no make-up on whatsoever.
"Naked?" It was meant to sound teasing, but came out as more of a shy question. Edward smiled, then reached up and tucked some of my hair behind my ear so he could look at me properly.
"Yes," he eventually replied, and I knew he didn't just mean physically. "Right now, you're just you."
"I'm always just me," I told him, frowning. Around you, at least.
"No… You're not," he sighed sadly. "You have layers built up around you, and I love that, but sometimes… Sometimes I prefer you bare."
"I'm still me," I assured him. "Even with those layers. I don't know how to be anything else."
"And I don't want you to be," he replied softly, gazing into my eyes. My chest swelled with that emotion again to the point where it was almost too much to bear, but instead of resisting it or worrying, I accepted it. I was too tired to fight that losing battle anymore.
"I don't want you to be, either," I admitted quietly. "I lo-like you just the way you are."
If he noticed my almost-slip, it didn't show.
"Even with all this baggage?" He sounded vulnerable now, and I knew it had to be hard for him to open up and expose himself like this.
"Baggage is what makes us human," I told him softly. "It shows you've lived, not just existed."
He shook his head and smiled brightly at me. "You're kind of amazing, you know?"
"Oh, I know," I teased. His smile softened, and I sighed contentedly as he reached up and gently ran his fingers through my hair.
"Do you want me to run you a bath?" he asked softly. "To wash the stuff out your hair and things? Or do you want to just go to bed?"
"Um… Would you stay with me?" I hated how quiet my voice now sounded. "I mean, in the bath?"
"If you wanted me to," he replied, smiling.
I nodded. "Please?"
"Okay, baby," he murmured. "Up you get, then."
I reluctantly climbed off his lap and stood in front of him on shaky legs, watching as he twisted round to put the plug in the bottom of the bath before turning the taps on. For some reason, I was surprised when water started pouring into the tub; it had never really occurred to me that the bath would actually work and wasn't just there to look nice or act as a make-shift bench.
"Can you go over to the sink and get the pink soap-like thing out from the cupboard underneath it on the left for me, please?" he asked softly, not looking up from the bath. I frowned slightly, confused by his reluctance to look at me, but did as he'd said anyway and handed him what he was looking for. He crumbled it up in his hands and dropped the bits into the bath, and I smiled widely when bubbles started to form almost immediately.
"I haven't had a bubble bath in years," I told him. He laughed genuinely, but still didn't look at me.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied, using his hand to swirl the bubbles around. The tub was filling up surprisingly fast, and I was glad; I was starting to get cold.
"Why won't you look at me, then?" I placed my hand on his arm, trying to coax him to turn towards me, and when he did, his eyes immediately went straight to mine.
"I am looking at you," he told me calmly, but we both knew that wasn't what I meant.
"Edward…" I took hold of his dry hand and brought it up to my breast, holding it in place as I urged, "Look at me."
He glanced at his hand quickly, and shivered as he pressed it more firmly against me. I moaned softly when his thumb brushed against my nipple, then reached out and gripped his shoulder, silently pleading for him to stand up.
"Bella…" he protested weakly, but stood up anyway and let his eyes fall shut with a sigh as I started to undo his shirt.
"It's okay," I assured him as I pushed his shirt back off his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. I looked down at his stomach and cursed under my breath when I realized the darker patches of his skin weren't a trick of the light.
"They really did a number on you, didn't they?" I mumbled, shaking my head. "I'm sorry."
"It doesn't hurt that much," he said softly, but I could tell he was lying. I let my fingers trail over what would soon be bruises, then slowly moved them lower, brushing over the front of his slacks.
"Bella, I-"
"You're not getting in a bath with clothes on," I told him firmly, moving one of my hands to his chest as I gazed up into his eyes. "It's okay, you know."
He swallowed audibly, then lowered his lips to mine, kissing me softly as I undid his slacks and pushed them to the floor along with his boxers. Once we were both free of clothes, I stepped closer and pressed myself against him fully, bringing my other hand up to thread itself into his hair as we kissed.
"It's just you and me," I whispered, coaxing his lips to part with my own as he slipped his arms around me and held me tightly. "Just you and-"
Edward's phone started to ring from somewhere beneath us, letting out a loud and constant sound that immediately made me groan. And not in a good way.
"Shit," Edward muttered, sounding almost frightened. "Sorry, Bella, I have to take this."
"Who is it?" I asked worriedly as Edward moved away from me and crouched down to retrieve his phone.
"Aro," he replied, and the look in his eyes as he glanced up at me said it all. We were screwed.
"Yes, Sir?" he said as he answered the call, somehow managing to keep the fear from his voice. He reached out and squeezed my hand with his free one, then pointed to the bathroom door, letting me know he was going into the next room.
I nodded weakly, trying not to panic, then watched as he hurried out the room with the phone still to his ear and shut the door behind him. The running of the bath taps was the only sound I could hear, so I had no idea what was going on with Aro or why he had called. Edward wanted to protect me, I knew that, but not knowing what was happening scared me more than I liked to admit, and with him being in a different room to me… What if something happened?
Swallowing nervously, I bent over and turned the taps off in the hopes of hearing some of Edward's conversation, but that just made everything worse. The silence was terrifying.
I spent a few seconds trying to slow my breathing and calm down, not wanting to work myself up over what could possibly be nothing. It was then that I realized the microphones would now be able to hear what was (and wasn't) going on more clearly now, so decided to climb into the tub to make it seem like I wasn't bothered by the phone call. The water was pleasantly warm and smelled absolutely gorgeous, so I didn't hesitate to lower myself into it and rest my back against the side of the tub, making sure the water sloshed noisily enough for the microphones to pick up.
I sat there awkwardly for a little while, unsure of what to do. There was still silence coming from the other room, but I tried not to panic and swirled my hands through the pink-ish water, making as much noise as I could without sounding false. After a few more moments of silence, though, I couldn't help myself.
"Edward?" I called, barely able to keep the fear from showing in my voice. "Is everything okay?"
To my surprise, the bathroom door gently swung open just seconds later to reveal a calm looking Edward, who was still talking quietly on the phone. He smiled at me and waved, then held his finger up as he pushed the bathroom door shut on his way in.
"Of course, Sir. That's not a problem," he said as he walked towards me. "I'll let her know."
I frowned with confusion, but sighed anyway when he sat down on the edge of the bathtub and kissed the top of my head.
"No, Sir, I understand completely," he continued, then stood up and walked over to the shower, opening the doors so he could reach inside. "Okay. I'll speak to you tomorrow, then."
When he pulled his arm out the shower again, he had the small bottles of shampoo and conditioner I'd been using lately in his hand, and I couldn't help but smile at him as he walked back towards me. He winked, then smiled brightly back as he said his goodbyes to Aro.
"Goodbye, Sir… Yep, you too. Bye." He hung up the phone, then put it down on the floor before placing the bottles on the edge of the bath beside me. "Hello, beautiful."
I laughed awkwardly, surprised by his suddenly good mood. "Hey."
"Sorry about that," he said softly, then climbed into the tub and moved to sit behind me, one leg either side of mine. I leaned back against him instantly, craving the closeness it provided.
"That's okay. What did Aro want?" I asked him, then half-moaned, half-sighed as he brushed my hair away from my neck and kissed it softly.
"He wanted to tell me that I've been removed from active duty for the next week and that James has been taken off Caius' service. He and Victoria are moving out to one of Marcus' hotels in Boise temporarily, and both of them have taken 'personal time'."
I stared blankly at the edge of the bathtub, unable to take it all in.
"Bella… James is gone," he told me softly. "And he won't be coming back for at least a month."
"Why?" I managed to ask.
"He may be Aro's son, but that doesn't mean he'll go unpunished for what happened," he explained, sliding his arms around me. I covered his hands with my own and slid my fingers between his without hesitation. "Aro wants you to know that he is very sorry for what James did and said to tell you that he is deeply embarrassed by his behavior towards you. If there's anything else he can do to help rectify this situation, he wants you to let him know as soon as possible."
It was like being in The Twilight Zone.
"I…" I didn't know what to say. "Why are you off active duty?"
"Aro… Aro wanted to give us some time to be together and recover," he replied, gently stroking whatever skin he could reach with his thumbs to try and soothe me. "I won't be called out to work or be expected to leave the suite until I'm ready to go back."
If he wasn't at work, how were we going to get the plans to the damn place to work out our escape route?
"But what about-"
"Don't worry about it, baby," he interrupted, squeezing my hands tightly. "It's not a problem – nobody will be put out by it."
"Are you sure?" I asked, turning my head slightly to try and get a better look at him.
"I'm sure," he replied firmly, then lowered his lips to my ear and whispered, "I've got an idea, but we'll have to wait a few days to do it."
I nodded. "Okay. And James… He's definitely gone?"
"Yeah, he is," he assured me softly, then murmured, "We won't need that pact anymore."
"That's good," I breathed as I turned towards him more, feeling this giant weight lift from my chest. "Because I really don't think I'd be able to-"
He silenced me with his lips, kissing me softly but deeply as he brought one hand up to cup my cheek. I moaned quietly and parted my lips, then slowly turned round to face him fully and gasped when he pulled me into his lap, shifting us forwards so that I could wrap my legs around him.
Needing to be closer, I tightened my legs around him and moved my hips towards his before sliding my arms around his neck and letting my fingers thread themselves into his hair. Edward groaned softly, and I gasped as he trailed his lips down to my neck and began to kiss the sore skin there. His lips were so gentle and - dare I say it - loving, that I felt tears rush to my eyes, but I promptly blinked them away. I didn't want him to think he was causing me pain.
"Bella…" he whispered, sounding almost apologetic as he kissed his way down to the tops of my breasts, which were scratched and tender. "I'm so sorry."
I smiled sadly and gently encouraged him to lift his head so I could look him in the eyes. I kissed him softly, then ran my fingers down the side of his face, keeping my touch as light as possible as I brushed over his already-forming bruises.
"Yeah," I murmured. "Me too."
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