Out of the Coffin

Chapter Twenty-Nine

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Chapter Twenty Nine

Bella

After the attack at the restaurant, it was decided that it was best for us all to congregate at our house, humans and vampires alike (with a shifter and a valkyrie thrown in). We briefly stopped at Esme's so she could get some supplies for Ethan before we headed home. After the attack Jake had let Tyler know we were shutting for the rest of the day - he didn't want to risk more coming back and anybody else being hurt. The restaurant had sustained some damage, but nothing that Jake couldn't fix himself.

"Come on in," Rose said as she unlocked the front door and led Esme inside, instructing her she could have her bedroom and Jake could have the spare; she'd sleep with me tonight.

Not long after the sun had set, the vampires began arriving. Carlisle, Edward and Nessie came first, Nessie sporting a slit limp from a run in with a were (Jake was hovering over her, almost like a mother hen). Emmett and Jasper arrived next, Jasper swaggering his way into the house whilst Emmett held back and he and Rose seemed to have some sort of unspoken conversation.

I wasn't really paying attention to anything that was going on around me until Edward gently touched my elbow, his cold hands bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Can we talk?" he asked me timidly. I nodded and we headed upstairs into my bedroom.

Apprehensively I sat on the bed as Edward wandered around the room, looking for somewhere to sit until I patted the bed next to me.

We were both silent. I was watching Edward, looking at every inch of him and wondering how we got here. His pale strong hands which I had loved on my body were the same hands that had pinned me down as he had tried to kill me. His lips which had loved me were the same ones that had almost drained me dry. And his eyes, his eyes that had held so much love in them, were now shrouded with regret and remorse.

"I am truly sorry for what happened," Edward began, his voice breaking the silence. "I never meant to hurt you. I wouldn't hurt you on purpose ever." His eyes began to water and his hands began to tremble. Reaching out, I placed my hand on his to try and comfort him, but his hands just seem to shake more.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered, red tears now falling down his face freely. My heart ached for him.

I used one hand to tilt his chin up so he was facing me. "You really hurt me. Physically and emotionally." More tears fell from his eyes and stained his alabaster skin. "I can't forgive that in twenty-four hours." Edward nodded. "I need time to forgive you." He nodded again. "I still love you."

That sentence seemed to give Edward a spark of hope as he eyes glinted with something before a small smile appeared on his face.

"I still love you too."

Despite how badly Edward had hurt me, there was still a part of me that loved him, that liked hearing him say that. It was this part of me that prompted me to move forward and brush my lips against his. Edward seemed shocked by this for a few seconds before he leaned forward and kissed my lips. It wasn't passionate. It was loving. It was a promise - a promise that somehow, someway we would find our way back to each other. I wasn't quite ready yet, but someday I hoped I would be.

Edward broke the kiss, gently pulling away as our eyes opened. "There's something I have to tell you..."

"Sorry to interrupt," Rose said, coming into the room. "But Esme wants to know if pasta is alright for dinner?" She looked between us as we pulled away, my face red from the blood rushing to my cheeks and Edward's red from the tears he had been crying.