In His Words

Bella returns home from Europe after a six-month work-study. She takes a psychology class at UDub dealing with romance and erotic relationships. All throughout her textbook, there are written comments from its former owner, and Bella feels drawn to his words, as she tries to find him.

A/N: You know, after I write a chapter and go through it, I'm so thankful for Fran. Yeah, I'm comma-challenged. She saves me. This time I didn't go through the chapter. Thank you, my queen!

Chapter Four: The Info

BPOV

I clutch the crumpled scrap of paper to my chest with reddened fists as a disheveled Alice bashes her small toe hurdling the corner of the cabinet. As she stumbles into the living room with a knotted, pink satin mask dangling from her hair and covering one eye, she exclaims, "This had better be good, Bella. It's too damn early for a fucking rooster!" She nurses her pinkie hopping on the other foot, before landing on a cushion.

The humidity in the room thickens my breath as I freeze in anticipation, extending the note to her. She shakes her head. "I don't have my reading glasses."

I recite, "I'm learning that beauty is skin deep from falling in love. Her eyes can show the soul. Yet, one important issue - When I look at a woman and see into her eyes - when she naturally smiles an innocent, sweet smile - her disposition is one of sincerity ... I feel her truth. There's no agenda. And with her dash of a blush, I am a goner … one whole heart."

She turns her head with rolling eyes and deadpans, "And?"

I protest, waving my arms, "How can you say 'and'? Doesn't that mean something since I found that piece of paper on my bedroom floor, which obviously came from the book."

She slowly focuses, batting her eyelashes. "You're expecting too much from me at this God-forsaken hour."

I glare at her. "Alice, someone put that note in my book. It seems as though I'm not the only one crushing here."

A look of recognition lights up Alice's face, and she blinks. "He, as in 'he,' did this?"

"Who else would write this? Alice, he mentions my blush."

She nods, "Woooooow. That's not something he could miss." She looks at me. "Bella, he's seen you."

I aimlessly pace around the sofa. "I'm not losing my mind. I did smell his musky cologne, the other day. I did see his copper hair in the hallway. I did sense him in the classroom."

Alice carefully sits on a cushion. "He's watching you?"

I nod.

"He knows who you are?"

I nod.

"When would he have had the opportunity to put that in your book?"

"It was on my desk when I went to the restroom."

"But I would have seen him?

I sarcastically moan, "Not if you were with me."

"Then, it was Dale?"

"Who else?"

"We need to have a chat with the professor. If he told him," Alice perks ups with a huge smile, "Then he can arrange for a meeting."

She jumps up, grabs her foot moaning, and hops back onto the sofa. "We corner Dale tomorrow. Ow, that hurts."

*IHW*

Like two fluttering hummingbirds, we zig zag our path throughout the hallways avoiding oncoming students, running to class.

Dale stands at the doorway as we approach him. He sees us with a huge smile. "Good morning, ladies."

Alice doesn't wait for a cue, pointing a finger in Dale's face, "You sly dog. You've known all along."

He frowns. "I haven't a clue what you are talking about, Alice."

"Bella's mystery writer."

His face scrunches in confusion, "What about him?"

I separate Alice from Dale. "Can we talk about this quietly?"

The three of us enter the empty classroom.

"Dale, someone placed this in my book." I hand him the paper.

He reads and looks at me, puzzled. "You found this in your Rumi book?"

"Yes."

Alice interrupts, "Don't act so coy. You placed it there for your former student."

"Alice, you are quite mistaken," he pleads. "I did nothing of the sort."

With both hands firmly on her hips, she squares off with Dale, looking him dead in the eyes. "You're saying you didn't put that in Bella's book."

He's adamant. "I didn't."

"But you know who did," Alice continues to badger him.

"I'm unaware of what transpired," he pleads.

Students enter the room.

Alice points. "We're not through with this, Dale!"

We go to our seats in the first row. Alice vehemently stares a hole through his frontal lobe, as she plunks her behind down on the pillowed seat with an 'oof," crossing her legs. I slide myself over the cushion, bending my knee to sit on one leg while vigorously swaying the other.

I coyly watch him with my head tilted to the side, chewing on the end of my pencil. Yeah, he may not have done anything, but he knows who did. With his concentrative, wandering eyes, he scans the lower to upper levels of the theater seating, as perspiration covers his head, spotting his forehead and under eyes.

Someone is nervous.

After twenty minutes of his light-hearted standup comedy, he asks us to open our books to page seventy-four.

Dale softly reads, as I read E.C.'s comments.

Mashallah (by Rumi)

There's someone sway by your

Side, lips that say, Mashallah,

Mashallah. Wonderful, God inside

Attraction; a spring no one knew

Of wells up on the valley floor.

Lights inside the tent lovers move

Toward. The refuse of Damascus

Get turned over in the sun: be

Like that yourself. Say mercy,

Mercy to the one who guides your

Soul, who keeps time. Move, make

A mistake, lookup. Checkmate.

In his words:

"Self-forgiveness finds in these poems a superb working image; turning garbage over in the streets of Damascus, letting the wet underlife open to the sun. That turning over the shadow side to light and air starts new processes going. Make a mistake lookup, checkmate: accepting the troubles we've been given brings fortunate consequences."

"And your interpretation, Bella?" Dale solemnly asks.

"In Arabic, Mashallah means, "God has willed." It's the appreciation of a person. It is respect. It reminds us of the will of God. I believe, what is meant to be is meant to be. God's will."

Alice adds, "Karma." She broadly smiles at Dale. She enunciates each word, "At its very best."

His eyes pierce my gaze. "And the person who sways?"

"The lover."

Alice coos, "The soulmate."

When class ends, Dale surrounds himself with students. He's quite unable to talk with us.

Point taken, Dale!

*IHW*

Side by side, standing at the small island in the center of our kitchen, Alice and I prepare dinner. She hovers over the cutting board, chopping veggies for a salad. I pour tomato sauce over the cheesy-rolled chicken in a casserole dish.

"I think it's great Jasper eats everything. He's a no-fuss no-muss kind of guy."

"Bella, in the past few weeks, I've learned to bake, broil, flambe`, and fricassee meals for Jasper. He eats without complaint; burnt, raw, or chewy."

I ask, "You took a cooking class?"

"No, I've been watching food shows." She chops a carrot with the swing of her blade a little too close to my face. "See, I'm holding the knife like a trained chef."

I gently move her hand to the side, " Okay, Rachel Ray."

"And we can have challenges ... like Chopped."

She's too enthusiastic about this. I inwardly sigh.

The old saying "saved by the bell' runs through my head when Jasper arrives. I like this guy. He stands at the door with two bouquets of flowers, wine, and a chocolate souffle he made. Yes, he'll cook with Alice, getting me off the hook … They can 'chop' together.

We breeze through the chicken and dig into Jasper's chocolate taste of pure heaven. I look up at him in absolute surprise. "Wow, Jasper, this melts in my mouth."

He smiles, "Then, you like it?"

"I'd say the Parisians made you a lifetime member," I answer.

I glance over at Alice, and she's in the middle of an oral climax. Her head tilts back, the eyes roll upward, and a guttural moan escapes her lips. I mutter, "You okay?"

She sits up, grabbing each of our hands. "This is ethereal. I'm having an out-of-body experience."

Jasper grins. "It's that good?"

"Oh, Jasper, it's orgasmic." She sighs, "And you made this?"

He proudly informs, "It's my grandmother's recipe."

"Well, bless your granny." Alice kisses his cheek.

I giggle. "Jasper, you just scored big time. Alice is a chocoholic."

Alice coos, "He's going to score more later."

He sits up straight, grabbing both of her hands in his and peering into her eyes, he whispers, "Wait until you taste my mousse."

And Alice being Alice answers, "I'm looking forward to …" She looks at his lap, whispering, "Tasting your … mousssssse."

I clear my throat, uncomfortably removing the dishes from the table. "I'll just be in the kitchen."

Once the sexual cloud clears, Alice follows me to the sink. "I'm sorry I got carried away."

"Geez, Alice, It's okay. He's perfect for you."

Jasper enters with the rest of the dishes. "Here, you go."

Alice grabs my arm. "Okay, we can do the dishes later. Jasper has worked out a plan of action."

I smile. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've given this situation a great deal of thought since you first told me."

"Do you know about the note?" I ask.

Alice answers, "I was waiting to tell him after dinner."

Both Alice and I explain about the note and our confrontation with Dale.

He rubs his chin. "Seems to me, the professor does have an idea about your mystery man, yet, he's not willing to openly to tell you. Was he generally surprised about the note?"

"Yeah, I got the impression he didn't know," I say.

"Hmm," Jasper ponders. "Bella, I think your guy placed the note in your book. Somehow, he was able to slip by the teacher."

"Then, he was in the room?" I surmise.

Alice huffs, "Maybe, he's in the class."

I shake my head. "Then, I would have seen him, Alice. His hair is like a bronze beacon."

Jasper points. "Not if he had it covered and sat in the back, Bella. For him to write about your words and your blush, he had to have seen it firsthand."

"But how can I check out the classroom without it being obvious that I'm looking?" I groan.

"You don't. But I can," Jasper offers. "I can sit in the back, undetected."

Alice yelps, "That would be great, Jasper. No one knows you."

"Wow, that would be amazing. But what would you do when you found him?"

"Nothing. I'll walk out like the rest of the class, following him, seeing where he goes."

"That's too much to ask of you, Jasper."

"You didn't. I offered. Besides, I work my own hours. I usually don't start my day until later. It's not a problem."

"When can you do this?" Alice excitedly asks.

"You have class the day after tomorrow."

"Oh, we can walk together," she happily says.

Jasper adds, "I think it would be best not to have any contact. Whoever this is, he knows you and Bella are close."

"That makes sense. Bella and I will just do what we normally do."

"But, we still have to bug Dale. It'll seem off if we don't," I think out loud.

"Okay, then we do it Wednesday." Alice hugs me. "And you'll finally meet your soulmate."

She bounces me up and down. Jasper wraps his arms around us. "What? I'm in." And the three of us hysterically laugh, pogo-style.

A/N: Next chapter … Finally, Edward! Ooooooooo! I will update as soon as possible between the three stories. Please, hang in there with me.

A/N: some recs:

Hereafter by Rosie Rathbone. It's a tear-jerker.

:/ s /13502772/1/ Hereafter

Behind the Bars by Rosie Rathbone. Another tear-jerker.

:/ s /10978750/27/ Behind-the-Bars