Waxing Crescent (Alice Cullen x Bella Swan)

Chapter 19 - Middling Success

I opened my door gingerly, and peeped through the crack. 

No. She wasn't here.

I huffed as I pushed inside.

I mean, on one hand, I wasn't exactly looking forward to our conversation. She'd heard everything. 

Heard Jacob. 

Heard me. 

But, on the other hand, wanting her around was like breathing.

I missed her. I would've taken the argument - the needless miscommunications - any day.

And didn't I deserve a little fire? I'd stuck my head in the sand so I could play in two separate worlds. So that I could keep things neatly packed away according to their kinds. That wasn't fair to anyone. And, it was all pointless. There never was separation. There never was a line in the sand. My world was just bigger now. Much bigger. Full of the natural and unnatural. I had to accept that.

I kicked off my boots before tugging off my jeans and shirt, slinging the latter into my laundry basket. 

I star-fished out onto my bed, my fingers twitching. The urge to grab my cell phone and call her just about getting the better of me. 

RING RING RING.

I immediately jerked to attention. 

Nearly rolling over and off the mattress in my haste to grab the phone off my bedside table, I mashed the accept button.

"Hello?" I gasped, flattening down my hair as if she could somehow see me, "I thought you couldn't read minds?"

"No, I definitely still cannot do that. Why? Did I have uncanny timing, as per usual? Also, of greater interest, why do you sound so out of breath?" She laughed - so beautifully melodic, so inhumanly perfect. 

"I, um," I swallowed back my chagrin, "Nothing. Just forgot to breathe. You know how I do that, um, sometimes."

"You are such an atrocious liar, love," She mused, "Never mind that, though. You do recall why I am calling, yes?"

"Uh," I sucked my lower lip into my mouth, trying not to leave indentations too deep as I gnawed mercilessly, "I do. I'm, uh, just really confused? Why didn't you want to come here? Y'know... to talk? After everything with Jacob, I just thought..."

"Firstly, you do not remember at all. Secondly, I did think to! I have so many questions I want to ask you. So many things, perhaps less than amicable, to say about the situation. But, then, after further thought, this particular venture seemed like the more pressing issue. Angst and grievances can wait. But, I have waited long enough for you. And, after that poor performance in that boy's dinky little car, I desperately need some gratification to offset this sour mood of mine."

My breath hitched in my throat. I wasn't sure if she'd heard it. But, if she had, there was no way of telling, let alone playing it off. 

"Would you like me to remind you? Remind you of our little... Date?"

"Yes," My response much too quick. 

The tone in her voice... The cadence. It made my body hum with electricity.

She chuckled before letting out a wistful sigh.

"I believe we made a promise to each other, of sorts..." Her words trailed.

She let out a short little nervous giggle. The sort of giggle someone does before they do something drastic, like cannonball into frigid water or run across a football stadium naked.