paper love | edward nygma

Chapter 31 ○ Flustered

A/ N

Thanks for 450 reads! I love you all so much. Also, I don't plan on writing smut because a lot of my personal friends don't really want it. I don't really know how to write it either. So maybe I could write extra chapters after the story is done as an alternate chapter where there is smut. 

Grace's POV

I was wondering what Edward was doing. He was taking a long time, and I was almost sure I could've heard yelling. Was he talking to himself? I can't judge him for it, we all do it once and a while. I took a sip of wine and heard the bathroom door open. Edward came out and was obviously frustrated. "I-I'm terribly sorry about that." I sighed with relief. "It's alright, I understand. Is this your first ever date?" 

Edward looked up at me with a surprised look. He rubbed the back of his neck and pushed his glasses up towards the bridge of his nose. "Yes, it is. I hope this wasn't a bad experience for you." I was in shock. This was a great date, and I loved it. "Edward, are you kidding? This was amazing." He smiled and stood up. 

His hands were shaking. A bead of sweat formed on his face, and it was very noticeable. His eyes were all over the place. "I need to tell you something. There is a voice, he talks to me. Sometimes, I can see him. He appears in mirrors or just behind me." 

I stood up and walked over to him. "Edward, what does he say?" I walked behind him and put my hands on his shoulders. He turned around slowly, with a solemn look on his face. "He tells me that I'm an idiot. He tells me to hurt people, kill even. I won't let him hurt you." This was serious. It was schizophrenia for sure and a very bad case of it. "Don't let him win. You can control him, he's weaker than you."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. I was falling for this man, I knew it. He might not be the most romantic man, but he is kind and not a jerk. The men I met were arrogant and only cared about bodies. Edward cared about the mind, he never grabbed me in any way. James did early on in our relationship, and even later in. I didn't think anything of it until I knew it wasn't normal. Edward is what a normal man should be, he was smart, handsome, and nice. 

I got even closer to him and looked straight into his eyes. He was looking back, occasionally looking over to the wall behind me. "Is he there?" His eyes darted back to mine. "Y-Yes, he is." I looked over to the wall and saw nothing, but I'm sure he was seeing someone. 

His eyes were full of fear. This person in his mind had obviously hurt him. Edward kept staring at the wall until I put my hand up to his cheek. He looked back towards me, and clearly swallowed as the lump in his throat softened. He wasn't scared anymore. 

Edward's POV

"Now why the hell did you say that? Now she thinks you are crazy."  Her hand was soft on my face. I didn't know why she was doing this. I had come to like her over the few months we had been friends, and sometimes I thought about us being more than friends. This was not what Miss Kringle made me feel like, this was different. Grace appreciated me and the voice that was in my head. She didn't think I was a freak or a pervert like all of the other people did. 

She would always bring me coffee in the mornings and would bring me puzzles every month. Grace would comfort me when I felt low and would stand by me when people were being hostile towards me. She was special in a sense that she didn't care about my flaws. She cared about me in a way no one else had. 

"Don't be scared Edward, I'm here for you. He isn't stronger, he is in your mind. You can control him." She was concerned, and I was for myself too. Our faces got closer together, and I could feel her breath on my face. Her smile was subtle but beautiful. Suddenly, she pushed her lips to mine. I had never gotten kissed by a woman before, and it felt different from anything I've ever felt before. Her hands rested on the back of my neck, and mine were on her hips. 

The air became hot, and she pulled back right as my lungs started to burn. She looked directly into my eyes and exhaled a small laugh. I took a few deep breaths, and she ran her fingers through my hair. "I'm sorry if that was a little forward, but I like you, Edward." I chuckled and looked into her eyes. "I-I like you too. No need to apologize, I'm just a bit flustered." 

She pulled me back into another kiss. I was surprised, but I knew it would happen. We slowly walked over to the bed, all the while kissing. We were both having fun, and we finally started realizing that we did love each other.