Runaway Girl {A Twilight Love Story}

Just One Kiss

You'll risk all this for just a kiss
I promise I will not resist
Promise you won't hold me down
And when we reach a good place
Let's be sure to leave no trace
Promise they won't track us down

There are many things I can do well. I can bake a mean German chocolate cake, I can balance ten beers on a tray with one hand, I can name all the presidents in order. But I cannot deal with a hangover.

The sun was far too bright, even through the thick clouds. Everything was too bright; the flickering light bulb on the bedside table and the white and cream lined wallpaper. I sat up slowly in bed to take stack of my surroundings. I vaguely remembered last night, the party, grey goose and yelling at Edward in between vomiting spells. Fuck.

Edward strolled out of the bathroom, freshly showered and wearing just a pair of jeans. He was too bright for me too.

"Hey, Love. You're up. I was going to wake you soon."

I rubbed my head, wincing at the pounding that was going on inside my skull. "What time is it?"

"12:30."

I threw my legs over the side of the bed, standing suddenly. A wave of vertigo hit me and I swayed on my feet. I brought my hand up to my head and prayed the room would stop tilting beneath me.

"Ugh, shit," I moaned.

"It's okay, Bella. Jasper and Alice have Ryland down in the restaurant. He is eating his weight in bacon as we speak." He handed me jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt. "Here, put this on and we'll go down to meet up with them."

I pulled the nightgown off and sat on the edge of the bed to put the shirt on. Edward was fiddling with the remote, flipping through channels on the TV.

I felt my face get hot. I knew I would have to explain myself. It was only a matter of time before my feelings came out. I just wished they hadn't come out along with a stomach full of rigatoni.

"So, about last night..."

Edward looked back and smiled at me. "You don't need to explain, Love. You had a lot to drink. Humans often say things they don't mean when they're drinking."

I opened my mouth to correct him and then shut it. What was the point of it all? He would always be so much better than me. There would always be an irrevocable discrepancy between us. Talking about it wouldn't make it better, but it could make it worst. Sometimes words that are unsaid are preferable to the weight of their consequences. I knew that better than anyone.

I pulled the pants up and slid my feet into ballet flats that had magically appeared by the bed side in my exact size.

"Right, I'm just glad you're not mad."

"Mad at my Bella? Never," he replied, pulling me into a hug. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the present. I tried my best to focus on the fact that I was happy right now, that I loved him with everything I had and I hoped that would be enough to see us through the shamble of my life. I tried not to think about it very often. It only hurt me. I knew I was playing a precarious game right now, that when I messed things up, I would right back to where I started. Yet I couldn't bring myself to stop the ensuing pain. I was only putting it off.

I hiccupped loudly and pulled away. "I need to, uh, brush my teeth before we leave..."

Edward smirked at me and nodded his head. "I can wait out here. Take your time, darling."

Berating myself, I sulked into the bathroom to make myself somewhat presentable. Like it even mattered.

I felt much better after lunch. Ryland and Alice made an intricate drawing of a hippopotamus, and Alice taught him a song to go along with it. Ryland had quickly become taken with the entire Cullen clan, and I couldn't help but smile at the fact that right now things were working out for the two of us.

We got up from the table, each grasping one of Ryland's hands. He walked between us down to the waiting Volvo. We were almost out of earshot when Edward turned around.

"I'll take care of it later, Alice."

I looked back to see Alice, hands on her hips and a stern look across her face. "Wait just a minute, Bella Swan...What happened to my Stella McCartney?"

Add that to one more thing I had to be embarrassed about.

Sia-Day too Soon