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Blinding
by xlavendermoonx
Edward Cullen is intrigued by the new student at college, Bella Swan. But why is Bella really in
Forks? Is Edward Cullen in danger? Will her secrets be revealed? Before it's too late for both of
them. ExB AH
Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement
is intended.
Prologue: Epiphany
BPOV
October 31: Halloween Night
The night was unseasonably mild for late October in Forks, Washington. I leaned my head back
slightly, closed my eyes, and breathed in the night air. I felt... uneasy.
There was something indiscernible in the air tonight.
Not the cool, crisp undercurrent of autumn in the air. Not the wafting smell of neighbors' burning
leaves in the air. Not the images of shadows being cast by the blood red and golden leaves falling
from the trees -- nor the stillness of the dead, dried ones on the ground. Not the eerie rustle of the
light wind whispering in the trees. Not even the feel of the coolness of the concrete beneath me.
Although I did take in all of those things as I sat outside on the front steps of the modest, white-
framed house I was renting this semester.
This wasn't something you could easily detect with one of your five senses. Maybe it was
something you
would
be able to define with your sixth sense... if you believed in that sort of thing.
My new friend, Alice, certainly did. But I, Bella Swan, generally did not... although that was
changing.
Lately, I wasn't sure what I believed in anymore. I was starting to question a number of things. It
was confusing and I didn't like it. I just knew I needed to get back on track, and tonight was the
night to just finish what had started more than eight weeks ago.
Eight weeks that now felt like a lifetime ago.
It was 9:00 at night. Edward Cullen was due to pick me up at any moment.
Not surprisingly, we'd met and had become friends over the past seven weeks since my arrival in
Forks, and subsequent late-enrollment into my junior year of pre-law at tiny, but prestigious, Hale
College. As expected, Edward and I shared many classes, as he is a pre-law student as well.
Ironic... and convenient.
Despite the stellar reputation of Hale College, he had been rather perplexed as to why I would
choose to transfer from Pepperdine in sunny, lively Malibu, California, to dreary, quiet Forks.
Of course, I could not tell him the
real
reason. Only a handful of people knew
that,
and not one of
them lived in the state of Washington.
Therefore, I had fabricated a story about wanting to start a new life somewhere completely
different. It was a really lame, bullshit story, but he apparently bought it. At least he never
questioned me further.
9:07 PM: My cell vibrated, indicating I had a new text from Edward.
On my way. 5 mins. bringing some booze from dad's old stash.
now I really do feel like I'm 17 again. fuck. btw ur crazy swan.
I couldn't help but smile to myself. At least Edward was keeping a sense of humor about our
unconventional idea on how to spend Halloween night... or rather,
my
unconventional idea.
Since neither of us had even had a remote desire to attend any of the numerous Halloween parties
around town, we'd decided to do something just the two of us. He had suggested we just stay in,
get a little drunk, and maybe watch a movie, but I immediately had the idea that Halloween night
might actually be the perfect night to
finally
get the answers I still needed to finish what had
 started weeks ago. However, I knew we were going to need to be in a very remote location to pull
that one off successfully.
When I had suggested maybe getting drunk in the woods somewhere instead, Edward had looked
at me like I'd lost my mind... and then he had laughed at me... hysterically.
"Swan, we're both fucking twenty-one. We don't have to go hide out in the woods like some kind
of fucking teenagers to drink... I think the last time I did that I was like... seventeen or some shit. If
you don't want to stay in at your house, then we can just hang out at mine," he had offered in
exasperation. "Besides, Alice and Jasper are going to be at Rosalie's party, so we can get drunk in
fucking peace at my house."
I knew he'd been alluding to his sister's loquaciousness.
Alice is adorable, but she sure does like to talk... a lot.
Edward and Alice live in their parents' house. Scratch that. They live in their parents'
mansion
.
Their parents, Carlisle and Esme, are wealthy enough to spend their time traveling the globe
almost nonstop, thus leaving their beautiful contemporary home in the care of their only two
offspring.
Since I certainly did not care to be at either of our houses for what I was planning, I'd had to think
fast on that one.
"Didn't you mention some pretty meadow... or something... where you used to go to be alone or
whatever? We could go there," I had stated -- more than asked.
Edward had looked at me strangely, but acquiesced. "Sure, Swan, we can go to the meadow, but
it's not going to be too fucking ‘pretty' this time of year. But yeah - I'll show it to you. It's actually
back that road I pointed out to you the other day."
"Oh yeah, I remember," I'd answered.
I have a photographic memory and knew exactly where the road was that he had pointed out to
me the other day in passing. It was damn-smack-in-the-middle-of-nowhere. It would be perfect for
my plan.
This was going to be
the
night... unbeknownst to Edward Cullen.
Oddly, now I was beginning to have second-thoughts about tonight.
I usually did
not
have second-thoughts or second-guess things.
That was... until the last several weeks.
Something was changing.
This whole thing was turning out to be far more complicated than I had originally thought it would
be.
That was probably why I felt that certain
something
in the air tonight.
I knew I was still missing vital information.
Something else was off though.
Was it me?
Things were certainly different than they had been in mid-September.
What had changed?
I just had to figure out
why
I felt so...
conflicted
.
Was it because I foolishly allowed myself to
really
become Edward's friend? Was it because we
shared so many classes together... and usually ended up having quite a bit of fun in them?
Was it because we kept saving each other
...
from our own selves
?
Maybe it was because I really liked
this
Edward I had grown to know throughout this time. I was
having a lot trouble reconciling
this
man with the man I knew he very well
could
be.
That was why I needed some answers... from him... tonight.
9:15 PM: I caught a glimpse of Edward's silver Range Rover approaching my house, thus thankfully
breaking me out of my reverie of anguish.
I stood up, brushed off my skinny jeans and popped open one more button on my thin white
cotton blouse. Now if I leaned over at just the right angle, the top of my white lacy bra would be
visible. I fluffed up my long chestnut-brown hair and pinched my cheeks to add a little color to my
pale, porcelain-like complexion. I already had some light make-up on, but Edward
is
a guy and
these little things would only serve to distract him just enough that he wouldn't suspect a thing. I
only wished I could wear my favorite Christian Louboutin thigh-high boots. However, I didn't think
the four-inch heels would prove to be very practical in the woods, so I opted for my favorite
sneakers instead... not exactly sexy, but much more practical. I grabbed my black leather purse off
the step -- feeling burdened by the extra weight in it tonight.
No more questions tonight... only answers
.
Edward pulled into my driveway and met me halfway on the walkway.
I caught him totally checking me out before he pretended to be suddenly interested in the front
door of my house. Guess I didn't really need to wear those sexy boots after all.
I almost always caught Edward checking me out, even when he obviously thought he was being sly.
Lately he was doing it more often.
Although this time he definitely knew he'd been busted. His cheeks reddened slightly.
"All locked up?" he said, clearing his throat and running his fingers through his coppery-bronze
hair.
It was a nervous habit of his I'd noticed the first day I met him. I couldn't help but smile at his
obvious embarrassment, not to mention his now even-messier than usual hair. There was no
denying it -- Edward really was incredibly attractive.
I tried very hard not to think of him in
that
way.
It wasn't easy.
Things were already confusing enough trying to maintain this friendship with him.
I looked at him standing there in his blue jeans and grey long-sleeved t-shirt. His clothes always
accentuated his muscles perfectly.
Edward is tall and lean, but his body is strong and powerful. I couldn't help but think he really did
look like he just stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch ad... maybe even better with his coppery-
bronze ‘look-like-I-just-got-laid' hair, striking emerald-green eyes, and strong jaw line.
Standing there now, Edward Cullen was definitely beyond gorgeous.
Confusion and guilt washed over me once again. I forgot what Edward had even asked me.
"What are you going on about, Cullen?" I said, trying to recover.
Edward raised an eyebrow at me. "I was asking if you locked your front door. This may be fucking
Forks, but you still have to be careful and shit, Swan."
The many levels of irony in that statement made me laugh... out loud.
"Yeah, the door is locked," I said, rolling my eyes at him. "But I think I can take care of myself. After
all... I am armed."
I immediately froze and inwardly cringed, realizing what a really stupid thing that was to say.
Especially since I
was
armed... heavily-armed. And very adept at handling a multitude of weapons,
mostly thanks to Felix.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Then he seemed like he was actually getting turned on by the thought. Something flickered in his
eyes as they darkened. He shuffled uncomfortably, as did I.
The tension was palpable. Our eyes met and I saw a hunger in his. They looked primal and
animalistic. I couldn't tear my gaze away from his, because, frankly, the way he was looking at me
was
alluring
. I found myself wanting Edward Cullen in ways that were probably illegal.
Nothing good could come of this. I needed to change the subject and lighten the atmosphere.
"Cullen, have you been drinking already?" I said accusingly, but with a grin.
The tension was thankfully broken. Edward exhaled loudly and turned to walk towards his vehicle. I
followed.
"Nope... but I'm sure as shit starting now... so you're driving," he said as he threw me the keys over
the roof of the Range Rover.
"Fine," I replied as I caught the keys and got in on the driver's side.
While Edward was busy buckling up on the passenger's side, I swiftly slid my purse under the seat.
***************************************************************
My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, as I drove through the inky-blackness of the night.
The full moon was shrouded by a veil of clouds so the night was darker than usual.
In my peripheral vision, I watched as Edward lifted the bottle of thirty-year old Glenfiddich to his
lips and took a long drink. He shuddered slightly as he swallowed.
In this limited illumination, his profile was still achingly-beautiful.
God -- even when he was getting drunk on a two-hundred and fifty dollar bottle of scotch whiskey
he still somehow managed to look like a male model.
Unbelievable
.
I sighed and reached for the bottle, having not had a single drop of alcohol yet this night.
Nonetheless, I was beginning to feel somewhat intoxicated already by that indiscernible something
in the air.
Edward shifted the bottle away from me and threw me a crooked smile. "A little anxious there,
Swan? Remember -- no drinking and driving," he said jokingly. But I knew he was serious.
That was another thing confusing the living hell out of me. Edward was such a seemingly good and
caring person, especially to me. I knew he had a dark side that loved to party some and get into
fights. But the partying was no more excessive than any other pre-law college student letting off a
little steam... myself included.
And the fighting was usually due to Edward's hair-trigger temper when it came to injustices against
people unable to defend themselves.
I had witnessed one such incident myself, and knowing what I know, I found him to be incredibly
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