August 10, 2010

–

She said

–

My shrubs were looking fantastic.

I set down the electric hedge shears and wiped my arm across my brow, surveying my handiwork.

Now that I was done with that I could start on the rest of the yard, beginning with the grubby looking weeds at the edges of my fence.

It was a good thing I’d risen with the sun to do this; by twelve the heat would be unbearable.

—

He said

–

That grating, mechanical whine started up again, fully wrenching me from dreamland.

Dammit. I was never going to get back to sleep now.

Then, as abruptly as it had started, it stopped.

Heavenly.

I crept back beneath the covers, already feeling the sweet heaviness of oncoming slumber.

Thank you, thank you, thank -

The noise resumed. It sounded like a weedwacker or something.

Groaning, I squinted at clock on my night stand.

Seven oh eight?

Who does that?

Who does yard work at seven on a Sunday morning?

My psychopath of a friggin’ neighbor, that’s who. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she did it just to piss me off.

I whipped the sheets off and charged over to the window, yanking it up.

“Hey! Hey, Bella!”

She continued right on, either ignoring me or unable to hear me.

Her gardening gloves were yellow. They matched her shirt.

And her hat.

Good God.

“Heeeeeey!” I yelled, contemplating throwing something to get her attention.

She glanced around and then up, shading her eyes against the sun.

“Can you…maybe… wait til later to do that?”

“What?” She mouthed; I couldn’t quite hear above the machinery.

“I said could you not do that right now! It’s seven a.m.!”

“You’ll have to speak louder!” she yelled.

I made the sign for “time out”, hoping she’d get it.

She did. She leaned down and turned her weedwacker off, then turned her face back to me expectantly. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from exertion.

What a weirdo. Kind of cute, but a weirdo.

“I was asking if you could do this at another time,” I said slowly, enunciating. “It’s way too early and it’s Sunday.”

Bella frowned, shaking her head. “Sorry, Eddie, no can do. I work all day so this is the only time I have to work on the yard.”

Inside, I was seething. Outside, I maintained a calm façade.

“I see.”

She shrugged and turned away, revving the engine.

I ducked back inside and slammed the window shut. First the snippy little notes. Then she wouldn’t share her cookies, and damn they’d smelled good. Now her flagrant

disregard for other people’s sleeping patterns.

I was an easy going guy but this was getting ridiculous.

The doorbell rang.

I made my way downstairs, yawning as I opened the door.

Little Ms. Sunshine stood on my porch, hands clasped behind her back.

“I’m done with the weedwacker.”

“Oh, okay.” I nodded, pleasantly surprised. Maybe she wasn’t so heartless after all.

She smiled, and spun around, her cute little ass looking extra cute in those cute little shorts.

I climbed the stairs and got back into bed. Sleep was definitely off the table, but I could catch up on some reading for sure. Peace and quiet had never been so appreciated.

–

She said

–

I put the weedwacker in its designated spot and latched the shed.

Then I crossed the yard and went into the garage, where my red and black John Deere riding mower was.

If he thought the weedwacker was loud, wait’ll he got a load of this!

Sucker.

Jacob came over to the edge of the pool to give me a hug, which I returned with joy. “It’s been forever since I’ve seen you,” I said happily, “have you stopped growing yet?”

He chuckled low in his chest as he let go, although his eyes didn’t register much happiness when I went to sit back down next to Edward. “Yeah, I’ve stopped,” he said as he settled onto the ground next to me. Looking at Edward he asked, “So I hear you and Carlisle are both at the hospital? I didn’t know you were a doctor as well.” His voice was bordering on a sneer and I looked between the two men quizzically.

“There are still many things you don’t know about me,” Edward said quietly as he placed his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. Turning my head I met his eyes and smiled at the warmth I found there. “Some I think we should probably discuss.” Lowering his head he placed a kiss on my forehead, sending my heart beating like a racing metronome.

“It would be unfortunate, after all this time, to have our families at odds because you couldn’t keep control, don’t you think?” Jacob retorted, and I could have sworn I saw a tremor move across his skin.

“It wouldn’t be wise to do that here,” Edward murmured so quietly I almost didn’t hear it and doubted Jacob could, even though it was obviously meant for him.

“My father told me your family had come back and that you were out with Bella,” was all Jacob said in return, leaving me confused at the sudden change in the direction this conversation was taking.

“She kindly acquiesced to spending time with me,” Edward explained, reaching with his long fingers to turn my face to his. “We are only getting to know one another, but,” and with that his eyes shot to Jacob’s, “if things go as I hope? Surely there are ways to reach a compromise. Either way, she is safe for now. You have my word on that, Jacob Black.”

Something moved in the trees, drawing my attention, and it was easy to see, despite the distance, that it was Alice and Jasper, walking hand in hand back to where we were. Their skin practically glowed in the moonlight, appearing like two angels in the distance. Jacob mumbled something that sounded like he was accusing Edward of calling in the posse. Alice turned and put her hands on her hips in what appeared to be annoyance, but if I couldn’t make out what Jacob had said, how could she possibly know enough to be annoyed?

“You’ll have to speak louder!” she yelled, hands cupped around her mouth, the sound reaching me like bells ringing in the distance.

A rumbling laugh came from Jacob’s chest at that as he rose to his feet. “Well, I’ll leave you two in peace. I have your word, right?” he asked, staring down at Edward.

“Unequivocally,” Edward nodded in reply.

With a happy ‘see ya’ later, Bells’ Jacob waved and ran off in the direction of the parking lot. I just crossed my arms across my chest and turned on my date. “What was that all about? I don’t think you two could have been more cryptic if you tried.”

Edward’s shrug was graceful as he moved in front of me, trapping me against the side of the pool with his long arms. “You were asking me a question,” he crooned as he came in closer, causing my heart to race.

“You’re changing the subject,” I whispered, pushing myself against the side of the pool in an vain attempt to stay away from him.

“Hmm, actually, I’m changing it back,” he breathed against my neck, his nose traveling along the bottom of my jaw.

“Isn’t Alice and Jasper joining us again?” I panted out and heard him chuckle.

“Now who’s changing the subject?” he asked, placing a kiss over my pulse point in my neck.

Before long he was sucking gently at that spot, laving his tongue over it to soothe the skin. My hands were now gripping his shoulders, which felt like holding onto a boulder, as his hands started to travel down my sides, just missing the sides of my breasts. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you were a vampire,” I giggled, feeling a tickle where his fingers dug into my sides.

A growl built low in his chest as he pulled his body flush with mine and he pulled his lips from my neck to stare at me with hooded, burning eyes. “Think about that, Bella, how did I catch up with your car? What was I doing in the woods?”

His chest still felt rather cold in spite of the hot water, and yet wherever it touched me it sent shocks of fire through my body. “Vampires drink blood and have red eyes,” I said, my lips reaching up for his. My mind was screaming at me that I was acting like a slut but all I wanted was him.

“They’re only red if we drink from humans,” he said against my lips, “and it’s taking all my willpower to not drain you now.” His hands were now everywhere, touching my body everywhere the bikini didn’t, leaving me gasping for air and almost screaming from frustration as his fingers came so very close to where my body craved them before slipping away.

My hands weren’t quite as in control. Slipping from his shoulders they traveled down his sculptured chest, tracing the ridges they found as they went on their journey of discovery. His abdomen clenched as they got closer to his suit. When they came across the trail of hair from his belly button all they wanted was to follow it down until they skimmed the top of the low hanging fabric.

With a loud growl he had my hands locked in the long fingers of one of his, and I was flat on my back beside the pool. The colder air cleared my head some and I looked around to see that no one else was nearby. “Alice and Jasper?” was all I got out.

“Found another way home,” he grunted as he held his body rigid over mine, as if the cool air froze him in place. “A place I should probably take you before doing what is on my mind.”

A gasp left me at his admission but then I lifted my head up to touch my lips to his. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Lowering his body down, but still keeping the majority of his weight off me, he brushed my lips softly with his tongue. “Oh, but I think you would, as would I.” With that he rolled off of me and sat up in a fluid motion. “Let me take you home before I ravish you far more than is acceptable.”

“Too late,” I muttered, drawing forth a laugh from him.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have allowed myself to lose control like that. Perhaps your friend Jacob is right.”

“I was talking about me, and I still have no idea what you two were talking about.” His answer was only to laugh, ensconce me in a blanket he pulled from his trunk and start driving home like a maniac.