I woke in the morning to the smell of bacon mixed with freshly brewed coffee wafting up from the main room. I removed the sheet that was neatly placed over me, and immediately noticed I had no clothes on. I gasped and reflexively covered myself back up when I saw the bruises on my hips, hoping Edward hadn't seen them before I woke up. He appeared at the top of the stairs moments later with a slightly pained look on his face.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wanted to be here when you awoke, but decided I should probably get breakfast started. You slept awhile and we did not have a sufficient dinner, surely you are hungry." My stomach responded to Edward's words and the aromas of the house, rumbling perceptibly.
"It seems that I am," I said unnecessarily, my body doing most of the talking for me. "I'll be down in a minute?" My words came out as a question, my mind hoping he would agree and give me just enough time to dress and cover any evidence of harm before joining him downstairs. He crossed the room to the bed where I still lay, kissed me lightly on the forehead and quickly disappeared.
Only when I heard the bacon start to sizzle and crackle did I know he was back in the kitchen, and uncovered myself again. I did a quick self-examination, gently pressing on the thumb-shaped bruises on the front of my hips. I felt minimal pain compared to the deep shade of purple I saw, but felt mostly expected soreness throughout my body. I relaxed at this, knowing that even if Edward did see the marks he had made--which he had probably already seen--I could assure him that no further harm was done. I was fine--we both were.
I dressed in some khaki shorts and a loose-fitting olive green tank top I found near the top of my bag, then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair before going downstairs. I hurried through my breakfast, completely famished, while Edward sat across from me at the dining table watching my every move, his expression unreadable. Only after I had completely devoured the scrambled eggs with ham and cheese, bacon, and wheat toast did I notice the champagne glass sitting just to the left of my plate, containing diluted-looking orange juice with tiny bubbles rising from the center.
"Mimosa?"
I met Edward's stare with a skeptical glare of my own. "Edward, are you trying to get me drunk?" I giggled, hoping my jest would lighten his mood.
His mouth turned into a slight smirk and he stifled a laugh. "Yes, Bella. I need to get you drunk so that I can have my way with you." At that his smirk spread into a full, wicked smile, his bared teeth glistening with venom, the sight of which sent a heated jolt all through my body. After taking a second to recover I smiled a mischievous grin, quickly grabbing the stem and taking two considerable gulps, emptying the glass.
I stopped for a moment, letting the bubbles settle in my throat, and then held the glass out as if to ask for more. Edward reached out and covered my hand with his, lowering the glass to the counter before meeting my curious eyes, looking as though he had something painful he needed to release from his thoughts.
"Bella, did you look at yourself this morning, when you woke up?" I knew this was coming, but had hoped I could stall it long enough for the bruises to fade, showing him I could heal from this type of injury. He did not harm me in any permanent way, as he thought he might.
"Yes, I did. I saw the small bruises on my hip, but that is nothing, Edward. I can't even feel them--really! I. . ." He didn't allow me to continue.
"Small bruises, Bella? I don't think you saw everything I did to you." He stood and rounded the table, grabbing my hand and gently urging me up from my seat. He led me into a hallway to the right of the stairs, and into a bedroom in the back of the house which I had not yet seen. He walked me across the room to a floor-to-ceiling mirror, where he turned me so my back was facing the mirror, and lifted my shirt.
"Oh!" My breath caught unwillingly, verifying Edward's concern that I had not seen the full extent of the marks he had made on my body.
I could see purple shading in the form of fingers on both of my hips, as well as more bruised circles forming two arches across my upper back as though he had dug his fingers into me. "Edward, I--no. I didn't see this." His head dropped to face the floor as he backed up and lowered himself to a sitting position on the bed. "But it doesn't hurt, really. I promise. I would have noticed them if they hurt, and they don't." I kneeled in front of him, moving my face under his to meet his eyes.
"Bella, it may not hurt now, but what about next time?" His expression darkened and he looked away, not able to maintain our eye contact. "I can't risk this again, I thought I had complete control. I was wrong. We have to wait, until after. . ." Normally I would have lit up with joy at the notion of him changing me, but right now the last thing I wanted to do was wait. I had waited, forever, it seemed like. We were finally able to illustrate our love for each other on a new level and he immediately wanted to take that away?
"No, Edward! No more waiting! Everything is fine! I'm not dead, right? I'm not broken in two, like you thought I would be. I'm fine, and I'm not waiting anymore!" Irritation filled my features as I waited for his response.
He answered in a much calmer tone than mine, but still did not look up to meet my stare. "Bella, I am sorry. This is not because I want to wait, I don't want to wait anymore than you do. This is for your safety." He looked up for just a moment, measuring my understanding of what he was saying. "Every decision I make is centered around you. I need to keep you safe, and"--he let his gaze drop back to his lap--"last night I did not do that. I won't allow that lapse in judgment again."
I stood abruptly, pulling his face up to look at me. When he complied I released his chin to cross my arms over my chest, my face filled with determination. I felt my nostrils flare slightly as a huff of air escaped my nose. I might have looked like a five-year-old throwing a fit when I didn't get a new pony, but I didn't care.
"Edward, listen to me. You will not make all of the decisions regarding my safety anymore, do you understand? I have dealt with this far too long, and I deserve to have a say in what happens with my own body. I have waited plenty long already, and see no reason to restart the waiting process after we have already proven that our making love is perfectly safe! Last night was--unbelievable, and I am not going to allow you to take . . ." He stood, raising his finger to my lips, silencing my little rant.
"Unbelievable, huh?" His previously devastated look had now morphed into something like surprise mixed with relief, but both overshadowed by the black of lust. His hand raised to push back my blanket of hair so he could kiss the side of my neck, letting his lips linger there longer than necessary.
"Weren't you just. . .I mean, didn't you just say. . ." I left my thought incomplete, pulling back to look at him with an entirely confused expression.
"I know, love, but you are completely irresistible when you throw a tantrum. And I understand, I was being unreasonable. Overreacting, as usual." He grinned as he leaned down again to continue his interrupted kiss, lowering the strap of my tank top and kissing along my shoulder. I hated that he thought of my taking control as a "tantrum," but I had learned to pick my battles, and in this moment the last thing I wanted was to combat his agreement to my terms based on a technicality. I eased my stance, melting into him as he moved us onto the bed, never letting his lips leave my body.
***
After making myself a green salad and half a tuna sandwich as a late lunch, Edward and I went out to the front porch which overlooked a beautiful pond I had failed to see the night before. He led us to two lounge chairs placed on either side of a matching table, and pulled me into his lap as he sat down on the closest one. "Isabella Marie Cullen, I love you." He nuzzled his nose into my hair and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.
"I love you, too," I whispered, lowering myself so my head rested on his chest as we watched the movement below the surface of the water, the pond full of life. "This is perfect." I yawned loudly, more tired than I expected to be given how late I had slept that morning. The combination of Edward rubbing my head and the soothing sounds of the ocean in the distance put me to sleep after just a few minutes.
The click of a door closing and following sound of running water startled me awake. I sat up in a bed--I had been moved to the loft while I slept. I looked towards the balcony, seeing moonlight shining through the windows. I climbed out of bed and looked around the room, realizing the sound I heard was coming from the bathroom. I slowly opened the door and peeked my head inside just in time to catch Edward turning to climb into the tub, the scent of lavender filling the room. When he heard the door open he quickly turned around, his face relaxed and grinning with delight.
"I had hoped you would wake up soon. Would you like to join me for a bath?" I was sure my jaw had detached and fallen to the floor as I stood there motionless, my face turning every shade of red. I finally regained composure and rearranged my features into a pleased expression, my blush refusing to fade.
"I would love to." I gave an embarrassed smile as I turned to undress, leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor next to his.
I was nervous beyond belief as I turned back to face him, now fully exposed. This was the first time we had been completely unclothed without being in an. . . already intimate state. His breath hitched slightly and then quickly regained its normal rhythm, the same delighted smile dancing across his face. He reached out for my hand, allowing me to grasp his as he helped me into the Jacuzzi. As I stepped in I heard him murmur what I thought sounded like, "absolutely beautiful," under his breath. I felt myself blush at the words as he climbed in behind me, turning me to face him and pulling my body to his, both of us surrounded by lavender bubbles. The sensation of the steaming water next to his arctic body sent chills through me as he lowered to kiss me, leaving me breathless once again.
