Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any songs I may use.
Chapter 13:
Edward POV
The next morning after Mom and Dad went to work the guys and I got into the jeep, ready to go to the gym. Rosalie has been working on the engine of her BMW, so they needed to ride with us. They were taking forever though.
"Why do they always have to dress up just to go to the mall?" I asked. "They already have boyfriends and all they're going to do is try on other clothes anyway." You could hear the annoyance in my voice.
"They just like to look nice no matter what," said Jasper. Emmett and I gave him a weird look.
"No, it's because they always have to make things as simple as going to the mall complicated," Emmett explained.
*SMACK*
"Oh double whammy!" Jasper laughed. Rosalie and Alice had just slapped Emmett in the back of his head at the same time.
"You guys are making me lose IQ points you know," Emmett told them as they climbed in.
"What IQ points?" Alice retorted.
"Whatever ones I have left," he grumbled.
"You don't even know what IQ stands for you dim bat."
"Yes I do! It stands for… Umm…" he floundered.
"Intelligence Quotient," Jasper filled in matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, what he said," Emmett said starting the car grumbling, "Smartass."
"So long as I'm smart," Jasper chuckled. Alice kissed him on the cheek and called him the smartest man in the world.
After we drove for a while I asked. "What was taking you guys so long anyway?"
"We were trying to get Bella to come with us," said Rosalie.
"I told you guys, she wants some time alone."
"She's been alone for three years Edward."
"Which is exactly why she might feel a little bit overwhelmed by all of this, don't you think? She went from being one lonely girl in the middle of the forest to being surrounded by people, living in a great big house, and becoming part of a family in less than a week. She has had someone there with her every minute when she comes out of her room trying to get her attention and talk to her. The least we could do is let her walk around and get to know her surroundings without s million people hovering."
"I'm sorry. You're right, we didn't think of that."
"What I'm wondering is, why did she even run from Chief Swan anyway?" Alice asked. "He seemed pretty nice the few times that we met him." She sent a glare toward Emmett and Jasper.
"That doesn't matter. Just don't ask her about it. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you," I said. I must have looked convincing because the subject was dropped immediately.
"Whoa!" Emmett just swerved the car on an empty road.
"Emmett you moron, what the hell are you doing?" Rosalie roared.
"I told you all that hitting was going to affect my brain," he laughed, swerving one more time.
"That's not funny," I told him.
"Yes it is," he replied.
"No. It. Is. Not."
"Belly Bean would have thought it was," he muttered.
"No she wouldn't."
"You don't know that. Why don't I just call her and ask?" He started to pull out his phone.
"Don't!"
"Why not?"
"Bella lost her mom in a car crash, that's why!" I realized what I just said. "Please, don't tell her that I told you. Don't let her know that you know at all."
Silence…
No one spoke a word as we drove toward the mall. We dropped off the girls and headed for the gym. The guys seemed really uncomfortable. We all just headed to a machine and started working out.
After five and a half miles on the treadmill, I took a breather by the water cooler and saw my friend Sam. I talked with him for a while before I went to the punching bags. I thought about all that was going on: Bella and Jacob, Emmett's dumb joke, me telling everyone about Bella's mom. How could I be so stupid? Bella trusted me with that information.
Sam came over and put a hand on my shoulder. "Dude, you need to calm down. Any harder and you'll knock it down," he told me with a concerned look on his face.
"Thanks man," I said as I walked over and grabbed my towel to wipe the sweat from my face.
"Do you need anything?" he asked me.
"No. I'm fine." Then I thought about it for a second. "Actually, could you give me a ride?" I had noticed he was getting ready to leave.
"What about your brothers?" he asked.
"They'll be alright. I just need to go home and take care of something." I needed to talk to Bella before she found out that everyone knew about her mom. There was no way anybody would be able to keep from pitying her.
"Okay then. Just grab your stuff and meet me out front in five," he said. I got my things and left a note on Jasper's bag:
Hey dude, I left early with Sam. I had to do something important. See you at home. – Edward
Sam drove me home and I thanked him quickly before jogging inside. I threw my things at the bottom of the stairs and made my way to the third floor. When I knocked on Bella's door there was no answer. I was about to pull out my phone and call her when I heard the strum of a guitar.
I walked down to my music room and stand outside the door listening.
Phone rings, baby cries She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows Slow dance, second chance Fix the sink, mow the yard, She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows Well she's got her God She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows Well she tied her hair up in ribbons and bows X's and Os, X's and O's
TV diet, guru lies
Good morning honey
Go to work, make up
try to keep the balance up
Between love and money
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's tryin to make it in her daddy's world
She's An American girl
An American girl
mama needs romance
And a live-in maid
Really isn't all that hard
If you get paid
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's tryin to make it in her daddy's world
An American girl
An American girl
and she's got good wine
Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's gonna make it in her daddy's world
An American girl
An American girl
She's an American girl
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's gonna make it in her daddy's world
She's an American girl yeah!
Sign her letters with X's and O's
I was mesmerized. Did she write that? I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper every time I was around her. I slowly walked in and looked at her. She was admiring my Fender DG-60 acoustic guitar. "You can have it if you want," I said, startling her almost out of her seat.
Bella POV
I sat there on my bed with a paint brush in my hand. What quote should I use? I was suddenly distracted from my work by my growling stomach. I decided a break would do me some good. I'd been painting for quite some time and knew I'd do better if I ate something.
I go downstairs to make a sandwich, then grab a soda and sit down at the island counter. I couldn't stop thinking about Edward. I thought that he might speak up or something when Jake asked me out. Instead he just looked away like it was nothing. After that when he came to my room, I thought he wanted to talk about it, maybe even ask me not to go. All he wanted to do though was tell me that they were going places.
Was I just fooling myself? Did he even like me at all? Who would? I was weird girl who hid out in the woods for three years. Not to mention the fact that I fell out of a tree and almost crushed him. I surprised he didn't break his legs or anything. Why would anybody want to go out with me? I guess Jacob did. I picked up my phone and gave him a call.
*RING RING*
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hey Jake, its Bella," I told him.
"Hey. How are you?"
"I'm good, just wondering about that movie you were talking about."
"Of course. How bout I pick you up in about three hours?" he asked.
"That sounds good. What are we going to see?"
"I'll find something good. I'll call you when I get there. See you later."
"See you later."
I hung up the phone and went to pick out something to wear. I grabbed a dark blue tank top and a pair of jean capris. Over the tank top I put a white t-shirt that was just thin enough to see the color. For shoes I strapped on a pair of black sandals. I grabbed a black jacket and put it on my bed while I did my makeup.
I put on a basic black eyeliner and mascara. My eye shadow was the same blue as the tank top I was wearing, and I just added a little bit of strawberry lip gloss because I loved the way it smelled. I pulled my hair back into a clip and checked myself out in the mirror. I thought I looked Alice approvable.
I grabbed my jacket and walked out of the room to go and look for some paper and a pen to leave a note for everyone. I couldn't think of any place to find it until I saw the door to Edwards's music room slightly ajar. Of course he would have paper and a pen in there. I walked in and started looking around. For a moment I forgot about the paper because I started thinking about what I might decide to use my extra room for. Alice had showed it to me and explained that I could use it for whatever I want.
Edward had so many beautiful instruments in there. What really caught my attention was the beautiful acoustic guitar he had sitting by the piano. I knew I probably shouldn't mess with anything in there, but I just felt drawn to it. I picked it up and strummed a few notes to find that it was perfectly tuned. Before I had any idea what I was doing, I started to sing Trisha Yearwood's song X's and O's. That was one of my mother's favorites.
(A/N: She sings the song of course. You already saw the lyrics. ^ BTW I love that song.)
"You can have it if you want," Edward said from the doorway. He scared the hell out of me. I almost fell off the piano bench wear I was sitting.
A/N Okay so I'm sorry it took so long to update. A lot of stuff has been going on, but I couldn't sleep tonight so I thought I'd write something. Thanks to those of you that stuck by and waited for this. God bless you. Drive safe.