Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Day Twenty-Eight Stranded

Edward

The storm had finally stopped raging outside after two days of being in the cove, and when it was light again, Bella and I were going to go back on the island. I was worried about what we would find--what if there was no supplies left? What if there was no more food, and the spring had been trashed to the point of no return?

Then we would really be in trouble. I tried not to think about it.

I lay next to Bella’s sleeping form, spooning her body. I couldn’t keep my hands off of her, and at first she had gotten aggravated when I kept waking her. Each time I would fall asleep, my dreams would turn to nightmares of her beautiful face, deathly pale and sickly. I would be swimming to her, and no matter how hard I kicked and thrashed, I could never reach her, as if I were stuck in the same place.

I woke up in a cold sweat each time, gasping for breath. I would see her lying next to me every time, and she was pale and her breathing was not strong enough for my satisfaction. I had shaken her awake, just to make sure she was okay. After the third time, she got really pissed at me, but seeing my worried face made her hold in her anger.

So I gave up on sleeping. Looking down, I measured Bella’s breathing again. The back of her ribs moved slowly with her breath in a steady rhythm, and the movement stretched her scars when she inhaled.

I trailed a cold finger around the longest scar, careful not to touch the scab itself. It was about four inches long, but it wasn’t deep. We would have to make sure the gashes didn’t get infected. Lying there, staring at the angry marks that marred my beautiful girl’s back, made me want to try everything in my power to get away from this island. We needed to go home. Our time here had been fun for the most part, but not knowing what was going to happen tomorrow, or in a week, terrified me. The unknown wasn’t safe, and I wasn’t about to take a chance with Bella’s safety. Now that I finally had a girl, one that I wanted to take care of, I wasn’t going to lose her.

“Edward,” she murmured in her sleep. Her voice sent a jolt through my spine, and I tightened my hold around her. I kissed the back of her head, and tasted the nasty salt water.

I wanted to bring her home to my enormous, empty bathroom, and just wash every piece of her glowing skin. I wanted to lay her on my big bed and ravish her, and then we could wake up between the white Egyptian sheets every morning and do it all over again.

I wanted my first bath back home to be with Bella. I would litter the floor and counters with candles and rose petals, and shampoo the nasty dirt and sand and salt from her hair and body.

I took comfort from all the things we could do once we hopefully returned. I knew it would be so hard to be away from her for just an hour or so after being with her 24/7 on the island. It would take a long time for us to make the transition back to normal life. Well, as normal as life could be now that I had her in mine. Looking back at Bella’s back, I kissed the scar softly, thinking of ways to get a plane to notice us.

When Bella started to stir an hour later, I helped her get up, trying to ignore her naked body. I grabbed what was left of her shirt and shorts and tried to put them on her. She looked at me like I was silly.

“That’s a lost cause,” she said, taking the ripped shirt from me and dangling it in front of my face. “It looks more like a rag now.” I laughed. “I’ll just go naked,” she continued, shrugging. My laugh was cut short, and I blinked a few times to clear my head. Had I heard that right? Bella walked away, holding the shorts and her underwear, and smirking back at me.

I pulled on my shorts and joined her at the edge of the water. The tide had risen with the storm, and I knew it would be harder to get out now. But we had to do it--it’s not like we could just stay in the cave forever. First, we would die, and second, we would never be seen to get rescued.

“How bad do you think it is?” Bella asked, referring to the damage on the island. I tried not to look at her naked, knowing it would make me stupid with desire, even under the circumstances. I still failed, though, and Bella covered the girls with her arm when my eyes darted to her, a wide smile on her face.

I chuckled. “I don’t know. I think it will be okay. This island’s probably been here for thousands of years--if it’s survived a hurricane before, it can do it again,” I said. I took her hands and led her through the water. The light from the holes in the ceiling of the cave was the only thing allowing us to see, and I worried it would be darker underwater because it was deeper. “Hold onto my back, and kick your feet. I’ll swim us out of here, okay?” She nodded her head at my request, and we were off.

I made it to the other side without any problems, and we both gasped for breath when we finally reached the opening. Seeing the sun was such a relief after not having it for over a day and a half. I swam out more, getting my first view of the island. I couldn’t see much because the cliff was blocking me, but the few trees I could make out were bent all the same way from the wind blowing so hard. It didn’t really worry me…yet.

We swam around the cliff, to the other side of the island where we usually resided, taking in everything that had happened. Many trees had been snapped in half, the tops just dangling on the ground.

When we finally reached our side, Bella yelped.

“The suitcase! Edward, it’s gone!” she swam to shore frantically. I followed her, amusement taking over. I tried not to burst out laughing as she ran around in the nude, searching for the suitcase with the only clothes we had. Water dripped down her breasts and long legs as she did so, and the whole scene was like something out of a really funny movie.

She looked at me with a pout, probably hoping I would help her look for the clothes. I would do no such thing, however.

“I’ll just go naked,” I said in a high, girly voice, mocking her words from earlier. “I bet you wish you had that rag of a shirt now, huh?” I keeled over in hysterical laughter, and I could feel her scowl upon me. She pulled on the panties and the shorts, but was left with nothing for her torso. She walked up to me quickly, mad. I could see her eyes smiling, though.

“And what if a plane comes by today, Edward, and we get saved? Would you really want another man to see my chest, just because I can’t find a shirt?” she said in a mocking tone, matching mine. I frowned for a second, thinking about it before I made up my mind.

“Let’s find that suitcase.”

***

We did not find the suitcase, but by some miracle, my old undershirt was caught in a tree somewhere, along with some of the underwear. The suitcase must have toppled over, making everything inside fly around, then floated away.

I wasn’t sure what I liked more: Bella naked, or Bella wearing my t shirt. It was hot again, so she just put on the red panties this time. A lot of the food we had picked had been either trashed or drowned, so we went in search of more. Luckily, the food trees stayed mostly intact, and we were able to eat an okay meal.

And now we were back to square one. I wasn’t going to be ignorant this time, however. As Bella walked around, I dug up the word “SOS” in the sand next to us. Maybe, just maybe, a plane would see it, and send someone to our aid. It looked big enough for a plane to see it from high above, but the problem was whether a plane would even pass by us at all.

The air was dry and hot, very different compared to what we had experienced before and during the tropical storm. I was already sweating, even though I was just clad in shorts. I started a fire anyway, hoping that it would add to the possibility of getting noticed.

I realized Bella had been gone a long time, probably around a half hour, and I grew worried. We never spent this much time apart; every time she would “go to the bathroom,” she would always be back within ten minutes, at most. I looked around the broken tree line, but caught no sight of her. Concerned, I started walking the path she had followed.

I finally found her ten minutes later, sitting in the fresh water in the spring. It seemed unharmed, but something was wrong with Bella. She was just sitting there, looking down at the water. She was perched right at the edge, in all the rocks, barely any water under her. She gathered water in her hands and ran it over her stomach, sighing. She never even noticed me approaching. I watched the water cascade down her abdomen, dripping down her legs and returning to the spring. Why did she look so sad?

“Love? Is something wrong?” I asked loudly, hoping my voice didn’t shake with the worry looming in my chest.

My words had startled her, and she turned her head quickly to look at me. Giving me a small smile, she said, “No, I’m just having cramps.” I could see through her little fib, so I walked over to her. She had gotten rid of the shorts, and all she had on was my tee and the red lacy thong. I thought this rather strange, so I sat next to her in the water.

She frowned deeply, and I took her head in my hands gently. “Really, Bella, what’s wrong? I can’t help you unless you let me.”

She sighed again, finally looking at me. There was so much sadness in her brown orbs.

“Igotmyperiod,” she rushed out. I didn’t understand her, especially given the fact that she was blushing profusely.

“Um…what?” I asked dumbly. She threw me a dirty look and repeated herself.

“I. Got. My. Period.” Oh. Yeah, I could see how that would distress her. I pulled her close to me, making sure the water still hit her. I poured more over her stomach--it must have soothed the ache. I understood that she was in pain, but I couldn’t comprehend why she seemed depressed. She leaned her forehead against my shoulder.

“Why are you sad, baby?” I asked, “These things are natural.”

“I’m embarrassed, Edward. This must be so disgusting to you. And I have nothing to stop the-the bleeding,” she choked out, terrified for my reaction.

“Bella,” I chided, “nothing you could ever do would disgust me. Well, unless you pulled a Marilyn Manson and wiped your butt on an American flag in front of a large crowd, and to tell you the truth, I’d probably find even that fascinating if you did it. But, anyway, my point is that you shouldn’t be embarrassed or disgusted. And we can always find something to hold the bleeding. You’re probably not even bleeding much anyway, what with not getting the proper nutrition your body needs.” I looked at her questioningly.

She nodded. “No, it’s not much. I didn’t think I would start at all because of the added stress, but I guess it just delayed it. I counted, and realized I probably should have started a few days ago. It likely won’t last long, either.” She smiled at that thought, and I just had to know what was on her mind.

“What’s making you grin all of a sudden?” I asked. She laughed.

“This period better not last long, because I don’t think I can refrain from jumping you for any long length of time,” she giggled. I laughed with her, and kissed her softly, showing her how not disgusted I was.

She gasped all of a sudden, and I pulled away, thinking she was in pain.

“What?”

“How many days has it been since the crash?” she asked me hurriedly. I counted quickly in my head.

“Almost thirty, I think, if I haven’t lost count,” I said, suddenly worried by her alarmed expression. She gasped, her eyes widening and gaining tears.

“Edward,” she cried, “my birthday was last week! I’ve been twenty-three for six days and never even realized it!”

My jaw dropped to the ground. Bella’s birthday? What was I supposed to say to that? “Happy birthday” wouldn’t go over well. She put her head down, and my heart broke for her.

“I’m sorry, love,” I said softly. She shook her head, her long hair swishing from the movement.

“It’s no big deal,” she added after a few seconds. “I’ve never really enjoyed birthdays anyway.” Her voice shook, but I didn’t want to call her out on her lie.

After a couple minutes of silence, she looked up at me. There was determination on her face and all the tears were gone. I picked her up bridal style, carrying her back to our usual lounge area. I tried to give her privacy as she changed clothes. When she came find me, I was poking the fire to make it bigger. She was only wearing my shirt and new, black panties. I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, and she giggled. I grabbed her leg, making her fall gently on the sand next to me.

I laid her down and hovered over her, attacking her swollen lips.

“You don’t know what your wearing my shirt does to me,” I growled.

***

A few days later, I decided it was time for another special dinner. The last week had been the hardest so far considering everything that had transpired. The storm, Bella’s womanly “problems,” as she called them, and her depressing skipped birthday realization had all weighed down our little happy bubble.

I wanted to do something special to celebrate her birthday, but there was only so much in my power. So another special dinner made by me was going to have to suffice.

Bella’s scars on her back were healing, and I made sure nothing got in the way of their progress. I didn’t let her lift a finger for anything strenuous, especially picking food or catching fish. We hadn’t even made love for six days, but her period was also to blame for that. But now she was done with it for another month, and I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t stop thinking about how sweet our reunion would be as I rubbed aloe vera juice on the pink gashes lining her hot, roughening skin. She sighed at the cool contact.

“I still can’t believe you’re a doctor,” she said softly. I smiled, thinking about the first time I told her about it.

“Do you doubt my skills?” I asked.

“No, not your skills. Your maturity, sometimes, yes, but never your intelligence and ability,” she laughed. I scoffed at her, finishing the last mark and kissing her shoulder.

“Hilarious, Bella. Why don’t you go pick some avocados, and I’ll try to catch us some fish,” I suggested. I wanted her out of sight so I could make another surprise for her. She turned around quickly in surprise, complaining that I hadn’t let her pick anything in the last few days and asking why today was different.

“Your back is almost healed, love. C’mon, I can’t do all the work around here,” I said jokingly. She frowned and stared at me suspiciously before jumping up and doing as I told her. Once I saw that she was through the tree line, I ran to the water and searched quickly for fish. I’d gotten much better at catching them since the first time a month ago, and I didn’t even need a weapon to beat it with anymore. It was all about speed and aim, two things I never had trouble with.

I caught two flounder, our favorite, and what seemed to be the most abundant on the island, and put them to cook over the fire. Bella still wasn’t back, thankfully, so I filled our cups with water from the spring. We had emptied a wine bottle and filled it with the fresh water so we wouldn’t have to keep rushing back for more every few hours. Most of the things we had scrounged since we got stranded had been damaged or scattered for the storm, but nothing was out of use. Every object, broken or not, was still of some sort of value. It was a small wonder how cavemen lived like this. Didn’t they ever get bored?

And Adam and Eve…we were so much like them in a way. This island was our planet, and we were the only beings. It was romantic in so many ways. I just wished it was perfect no matter the circumstances. I wondered if the first man and woman had bickered and played as we did, and if they ever wished there was someone else around for company or to complain to. Sometimes I wished Emmett was here to see Bella, so I could brag to him how lucky I was. And if Esme were here, she would definitely never question my sexuality again. The thought made me laugh out loud.

I set a shirt out on the sand as if it were a table cloth and put our “cups” in the corners.

“What are you doing?” Bella’s voice called out from the opening in the trees. I looked up and saw her carrying a few avocados and bananas. “What’s all this?” She started walking toward me, a sly grin from ear to ear.

I smirked crookedly and shrugged, hoping she would appreciate this little sentiment. “Happy birthday.” She stopped in her tracks suddenly, staring at me, just five feet away. She seemed a bit confused, like she didn’t know what to think of what I had done.

Then she smiled. “You know, I usually hate gifts. Especially when I have nothing to give back,” she said, walking again. She fingered the string ring I had given her and sat down next to me. She emptied her arms of the fruits and looked at me lovingly.

“You do?” I asked, adding this fact to the list of things I knew about her. She nodded.

“But I think I’ll let it slide this time. Only because I love you,” she added. I handed her water to her. She would have to get used to receiving gifts if we ever got back to the states. There was no way I would not give her special things. I bit my tongue, however, and kissed her sweetly, inwardly cheering at the other “gifts” I would give her tonight.

The sun was going to go down in about another hour, and the heat was starting to die out. I took our fish from above the fire and handed one to her. It had taken a while to get over the weird taste of an almost-raw fish, but now we had gotten to the point where we would take whatever we could possibly get. I held my cup up to toast before we ate, and she held hers up, too.

“Happy birthday,” I said again. She rolled her eyes playfully but touched her water to mine anyway.

“Thank you, Edward,” she said.

Once we were finished, Bella stared down at our fish bones, deep in thought.

“I used to love sushi,” she said. I chuckled at her admission.

“Well, isn’t that a good thing?” I asked. “Seems to be the only thing to eat around here other than the stupid fruit.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever want raw fish again. I would eat at my favorite sushi restaurant every Friday. I would go to the bar all by myself every Friday and became pretty good friends with the people who worked there, even though half of them didn’t know English,” she said, pausing. “I bet they’re wondering where I am. Or maybe they know what happened.” She frowned and looked down at her hands in her lap. I took our fish bones and threw them in the fire, not wanting her to have a reminder.

“Hey, I whispered, taking her cheek in my hand. She looked up at me sadly. “Don’t think about it. Everything will be fine soon,” I promised her. I wished I could promise more, but doubt was honestly starting to eat its way into my brain. We’d been here for almost a month and a half, and still there was no sign of being rescued.

She nodded, and I could see she didn’t really believe me, but she was going along with it just to satisfy me. It made my heart ache.

I pulled her up so that we were standing together. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn’t want to keep giving her empty words, so I led her through the woods, her left hand in my right. She didn’t question me, didn’t fight me; she just followed me through the trees. Just five minutes after crossing the forest entrance, I stopped and pulled her close to me. We couldn’t hear or see the ocean from here, and that was what I wanted. From this spot, an onlooker wouldn’t have known we were on an island at all.

“I’m sorry,” I said to her. “I wish I could assure you more, Bella, but I don’t know what to say other than to hope.” I kissed her forehead, and she wrapped her arms around my waist.

“Thank you for the present, Edward,” she said, “I’m sorry I’m being so pessimistic. It’s not your fault.” She sighed and sat down. I sat, too.

“This paradise doesn’t seem like paradise anymore, huh?” she asked sadly.

“Paradise is anywhere you are,” I said. She looked up at me, finally meeting my eyes. Hers were swimming with tears, but none spilled over. She smiled brilliantly, and I thought for a moment she was completely happy, hope or not.

“I love you,” she said. She cupped my face in her small, warm hands, and brought her lips to mine, kissing me wildly. Her fingers drifted into my hair, pulling at the strands. I moaned at the feeling. She was everywhere, and everything in my world.

“Bella,” I moaned, my voice husky and sultry. Her tongue swiped my lips, and I gave her entrance into my mouth. She whimpered and shook, even though she was the one in control.

She rubbed my hardness through my shorts, and I gripped her hips roughly, bringing her impossibly closer. My hands made their way through the hem of her shirt, and I kneaded her breasts through the little silky bra. I gasped when I felt her peaks harden under my touch. I could feel them perfectly through the fabric, and it was amazing.

She started to climb my thighs, and straddled my hips. I bucked upward, trying to create friction for the both of us.

“Hmmm, Edward,” she groaned, pulling her lips from mine for a second. I trailed my mouth down her neck, sucking the soft skin there. I bit lightly, making my mark even though there was no one here to see she that she was mine. The heat of her core above my erection was sublime, and I started to go mad with lust. I looked up at her again when she started grounding onto me, and saw that her eyes had darkened with lust, too. I kissed her again, and started to pull her shirt off.

Bzzzzzzzzz…..the sound came from nowhere, and I froze. Bella kept kissing me, however. She mustn’t have heard it. It didn’t stop, and I jerked in surprise. She felt my sudden movement, and broke her lips from mine, looking at me questioningly.


“Do you hear that?” I asked Bella. The sound seemed to be getting louder every second. She scrunched her eyes in concentration, straining her ears to hear what I was hearing. She nodded slowly, looking back at me. I whirled around, looking for the source.

My heart was beating a mile a minute.

My eyes darted through the sky, the buzzing noise getting closer, but the source was nowhere in sight. Bella jumped up from her little seat on the ground, throwing sand everywhere in her haste. She ran to the shore with me hot on her heels. Running around the trees slowed us down, but we finally made it. The buzzing sounded an awful lot like a--

“It’s a plane! It’s a plane, Edward!” she called back to me. Her arms flailed around, trying to get the plane’s attention. It was facing sideways, far in the air, just a speckle the size of an inch where I was standing. Bella had run knee deep into the water, and was screaming at the top of her lungs. I ran to her, hoping my movement would get the plane’s attention. We both flung our arms like birds, yelling.

But nothing happened. The plane continued on its course, so far away from us. There was little chance anyone even saw us.

“NOOO! LOOK BACK! TURN AROUND! NOOOO!” Bella yelled. She was hysterical. I saw tears running down her cheeks. I felt numbness spreading throughout my body as the plane’s buzzing grew faint. Bella’s yells turned to sobs as I turned to her.

I grabbed her around the shoulders and held her tightly as her body wracked with her cries. She collapsed in my arms, and I went down with her. I wiped her tears with my fingers, fighting my own. Her hopelessness grew with the fading sound of the plane, and she sounded more broken than ever.

This was the worst that had happened. This was our breaking point. This was even worse than when she ran from me.

After about twenty minutes of holding her as she cried, I picked her up bridal style and carried her back to the fire to dry off. She cried in my shoulder, and I knew now that there was definitely nothing I could say.




All pictures are taken from either Google or Deviantart.

Stranded Outtake: Fun on the Island!

A/N: Hello, my beautiful readers. This is an outtake from Stranded. It takes place sometime during B and E’s stay on the island. I’m warning you guys, this is a major lemon, not like most of my other lemons.

This is what happens when a woman like me becomes single again. I hope you guys feel benefited from my heartbreak, lol.

Seriously, this lemon will make your lips pucker. Read at your own risk ;D


Bella


I was insatiable, and he was a godsend from Heaven. Just looking at him made me wetter than the ocean surrounding us. I watched his back muscles move up and down with his heavy breathing.

Edward had been asleep for almost two hours, but I just didn’t feel tired. We’d swam and played and goofed off all day, so I should have been exhausted. We didn’t have sex in the last twenty four hours, and I was surprised Edward hadn’t tried today. Every other day he wanted it three times a day, and I was all for it each time.

So what was the problem today? Did he think I was sore or something? Honestly, I loved that he cared about me, but if supposed soreness was the reason, he should have just asked. I’d thought about jumping him just to make sure he still wanted me. The lust was killing me, and even though he was just two inches from me, I missed him. Well, my vagina missed him.

I groaned loudly on purpose, trying to rouse him. Maybe he would see my little problem and…tackle it. I rolled my eyes at myself. God, I was being so stupid.

I laid down next to him and put my head on his outstretched arm. Looking up at the stars, I started counting them as if they were sheep.

Ten minutes later, I had counted a hundred and fifty stars and I still was not one bit tired. And Edward was simply snoring away. It was adorable and aggravating at the same time, and I wanted to scream. Scream in frustration and to wake him up.

I sat up again quickly, sending sand everywhere, including inside my underwear. Ugh, this is what I got for trying to stay cool and sexy at night. I stood up clumsily, and I could feel the sand in between my butt cheeks.

“Oh, this is disgusting,” I moaned as I started walking towards the water. The sand moved with me and stuck to the sweat on my unsatisfied body. I looked back at Edward’s sleeping form to make sure he didn’t see what had just happened. As much as I wanted him awake, I didn’t care for the idea of embarrassing myself.

I got to the water, and it was surprisingly cool for once, probably because the sun hadn’t been beating down on it for a few hours. I finally made it waist deep and started washing the sand off my bottom. Once I was finished, I didn’t really want to leave the water. After all, it was cooler than the sand, and I wasn’t in any danger being in this shallow level. Maybe I would get out once I started to feel tired. The water was so soothing on my sun burn. I laid back a bit and started floating, thinking about Edward.

I had lost my virginity in this water, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Other girls could say they lost it in their boyfriend’s bed or in his old pickup, but me, I was special. I lost it in the Atlantic Ocean, stranded on a desert island with the most perfect man on the planet.

Flashes of that day erupted in my mind, and once again, I was aroused. I was throbbing, aching for something. For Edward. My fingers drifted to my center, and I unabashedly started rubbing myself. I needed more, though, so I slid my fingers under the band of my underwear and touched my clit. I circled it a few times before moving on to my poor, lonely opening. I had never done this before in my life, but then again, there were many things I had never done before I became stranded on this spit of land. I pretended my fingers were Edward’s and imitated the wonderful movements he had gotten me addicted to. I slowly pressed one finger inside--

“BELLA!” I heard the voice come from not so far away and abruptly ripped my hand from my core. My face caught on fire as I looked around.

Edward was standing on the edge of the water, looking straight at me. I stood up and met his gaze.

“Bella,” he called to me, his voice shaky. He started walking through the water to me. I stayed still, wondering how much he had just seen. “I was so worried, Love. I woke up and you weren’t next to me, and I even called your name a few times. I was about to have a heart attack!” He sighed exasperatedly. “What are you thinking, coming in the water at this time? It’s dark and you can barely see! I almost searched the whole island for you, never thinking you would be crazy enough to come in the water alone in the dark!”

I frowned and looked down at my glowing legs in the water. He reached me and took both my hands into his. He noticed my face and said, “What’s wrong, baby? You look so sad.”

I shrugged, still not meeting his eyes. I just want you inside me, that’s all. “I--I--I couldn’t sleep.” He let out a breath before leading me to the shore.

“Let’s go back to sleep. I’m dead beat. I can hum your lullaby, if you’d like. Think that might help you fall asleep?”

No. “Sure.” I met his eyes and smiled. He smiled back and we walked back to our sleeping spot. We laid down together and he started to hum my song. I put my face in his chest and pretended to fall asleep. He must have dozed off not even five minutes later, because he quit humming.

Five more minutes.

Ten minutes.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Not even a yawn or sleepy eyes. I made a face and rolled over. I was actually kind of pissed at him. Really, a man is supposed to satisfy his woman every night, isn’t he? I thought Edward of all people would have gotten that message.

I rolled over again and looked at him. I traced his pectorals, letting my hands drift down to the trail of happiness on his beautiful stomach. I stopped at his waistband and let my eyes look over the rest of him. My gaze met a slight lump in the crotch of his cutoffs, and I felt my nipples tighten at the wondrous sight.

I don’t think he’s sleeping. And if he is, then he’s having a good dream.

Deciding that it didn’t really matter either way, my hands pounced on him lightly, going for the gold. He was hardening more by the second, and I stared at his face to make sure I didn’t wake up as I unzipped his shorts. He didn’t move, and his face showed no sign of waking, so I pulled his erection out.

Hello, my darling several inches of Heaven and Hell. I’ve missed you terribly.

Looking at his face one more time before continuing, I studied the beautiful specimen in my hands. It hardened more and throbbed when my fingers ghosted over the head. I grabbed the base with one hand and started stroking, and lubricated the fingers of my other hand with the wetness from my pussy.

I took my wetted fingers and swirled them over the tip of his head, still stroking with my other hand. The moonlight created a magical glow.

“You know, Bella, rape is very frowned upon,” a sexy voice said across from me. I looked up at his face, surprised. His eyes were still closed, but he was grinning slightly.

“Rape is only rape when the other person isn’t willing,” I said, my voice just as husky as his. I sped up my actions on his shaft just to prove my point. His grin turned into a mega watt smile, and I heard him chuckle softly.

“Are you going to tell me no, Edward?” I said sweetly, squeezing him lightly. He moaned and opened his eyes slowly.

“Telling you no would be a sin,” he responded, looking at me. His emerald eyes were hooded, and he was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. I wanted to show him that fact.

I leaned over and took him into my mouth quickly, opening my jaw as wide as possible. He hissed and swore loudly, grabbing a handful of my hair. I swirled my tongue over the head and took him as far as my mouth could. I was not experienced at this, so I didn’t try to deep throat him, afraid that I would gag and make a fool of myself. Maybe he could teach me some other time. I sucked hard, his moans egging me on. I drifted my free hand to his sack and lightly took it in my palm. I looked up at him through my lashes because I knew how he loved that shit.

Suddenly he grabbed my face and forced my mouth off him. I licked my lips and looked at his questioningly. He crashed his mouth to mine and dominated my tongue. I moaned into the kiss and gripped his hair. I was literally dripping for him now and couldn’t help bucking my hips into his. He bucked right back and took hold of my hips and ass, raising me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and gripped him harder as he stood up. He broke our kiss and said, “Need you. Now.”

I took hold of his mouth again and he carried me away. He broke our kiss again to see where he was going, so I started sucking on the skin on his muscular shoulder, marking him. There was no one else to see it, but it still made me happy to have a visible claim on him.

“God, baby, you keep doing that and I’ll never get us to where I’m going,” he moaned.

“You don’t have to keep going, just fuck me here!” I nearly shouted. A second later he threw me up against something rough and uncomfortable, but I barely even noticed, I was so engrossed in him. Our lips crashed together again, and we were gripping each other so tight it was as if we were trying to be one person.

His shorts had fallen off while walking, and he started ripping off my underwear and baggy shirt. Once he got them off, his fingers shot into me, feeling my wetness.

“I love you so much, baby. Your pussy is like a waterfall, and so, so perfect.” He stroked the inner walls of my center, curling his fingers and caressing my special spot. I dimly noticed he had me pinned against a tree. The rough bark was digging into my back, but the pain only turned me on more.

As much as I loved his fingers, I needed his dick at the moment, and nothing else would distract me. I let go of his shoulder and reached between us to grab him. He got my message and pulled his fingers out of me, replacing them with what I wanted most. He slammed into me quickly and I cried out in pleasure.

“Fuck, Edward! Fuck!”

“That’s what I’m doing, Bella!” He wrapped one of his hands in my hair while the other hand gripped the bark of the tree next to my head. He started a quick rhythm, and I couldn’t even think. I was on fire. My insides were burning. The tree was tearing up my skin and his hips were slamming into mine. The sweat was running off us in rivers, and I squeezed my legs around him to make sure I didn’t slip.

My head fell to the side, my brain turning to complete mush with each thrust he gave me. He licked the indentation below my throat, tasting my skin and sweat. I could feel the skin of my opening going back and forth with his sex.

“Unnhh, Edward--you’re--so--good--I--love--you,” I told him between thrusts. Gathering what was left of my strength, I lifted my head to look into his eyes. They were dark green with lust, and he looked crazed.

I made him that way, and it was the best feeling in the world…well, beside the feeling of him doing what he was doing at the particular moment.

“I--love--you--too!” he shouted. “You’re fucking Heaven, baby!”

A few more seconds of pounding, and I was done for. I started to tighten around him, my eyes rolling in to the back of my head. My insides were now a whole forest fire. My orgasm broke free, and I was drifting. My inner walls gripped him harder than they ever had before, and I could even feel my heartbeat where we were connected. I laid my head against his chest, weak. I felt his heart pounding to the rhythm of his thrusting.

Then he let go, shuddering and spilling his seed inside me. He fell back to the ground, taking me with him, still inside me. We both rode that wave for another minute before coming back to Earth. He opened his eyes and looked at me, moving a sweaty strand of hair out of my face and smiling smugly.

“That was--”

“--mind blowing,” I finished for him. His heart started to slow down, and he softened inside me, slipping out. I kissed his chest, now aware of the pain in my back. It really fucking hurt now. But that was definitely worth it.

“We should do that every night,” I said. He laughed. “I really needed it.” I looked at him, daring him to say why he hadn’t touched me like that all day.

“I’m sorry I didn’t do that earlier. It’s just…I’m always the one to instigate the sex. You never come to me; I always go to you. I was starting to feel like an ass,” he confessed.

“I’m always all for it,” I told him. “I love when you make love to me.” He smiled wider.

“I know. I just wanted you to start it for once. I wanted you to ask for it,” he explained. “And I love when I make love to you, too.” I sighed happily and started to doze off on his chest. Yeah, now I was tired.

“There’s one more thing,” he said. I looked up at him sleepily. He grinned wickedly. “Would you mind telling me what you were really doing in the water earlier?”



A/N: I hope you liked it! Bit different, huh? It’s been nagging at me for a while, and I wished I had put it in the story, but now it’s too late…so it’s just an outtake.
I can write more fun times on the island if you guys have any suggestions! ;D


All pictures are taken from either Google or Deviantart.

Chapter Thirteen

Previously:

“BELLA!” I shouted, blinking water out of my eyes. I looked everywhere for any sight of her, but couldn’t see anything.

“BELLA!” I shouted again. She’s gone, where is she? She’s gone… I could feel myself start to go crazy as another wave hit me against the cliff.


Chapter Thirteen

Day Twenty-Six Stranded continued

Edward

“Bella!” I called again, shaking the water out of my hair to keep it from getting in my eyes. I could barely see through the fog and the darkness. I looked around frantically, trying as hard as I could to see something, anything.

It suddenly occurred to me that she could be stuck underwater, and I quickly sunk my head below, digging my feet and hands into the sand under me to keep myself from being pulled away.

At first I saw nothing but water, and the salt and pressure stung my eyes. With the current moving me constantly, it was hard to really focus on anything.

I caught sight of large bubbles rushing to the surface of the water about ten feet away from me. What looked like a mass of brown hair swirled below them, going every which way.

My heart leapt, and without a thought, I rushed toward Bella’s limp body. She was being thrown everywhere with the waves from what I could tell, and my stomach dropped to my feet when I saw that she wasn’t fighting it. I was sucked back toward the cliff as another wave hit my body, but I kicked and pulled my arms up above the water, swimming freestyle toward my girl. The wave came back, and I was pushed toward Bella.

This happened three more times before I finally reached her. I took a hold of her lank limbs, one arm around her waist, and pulled her to the surface. It was important that I kept her face above the water, but it was extremely difficult, as I could barely hold myself above it.

One look at her face made me cringe. Unconscious, I thought, damn it! Her face was deathly pale, and her lips were turning blue.

Water in the lungs, I assessed. I had to get her to a flat surface and perform CPR quickly. She wouldn’t last long if I wasn’t careful. I gripped her tight, much like I had during the plane crash. Another wave pushed us, and I didn’t fight it, letting it take us toward the cave opening. When the wave retreated, I fought as hard as I could using all my body’s energy, swimming against it. It didn’t do much good, but at least I wasn’t being pulled more into the ocean.

I managed to keep Bella’s languid head above the water’s surface, even though my own face kept going under. I used my arms to hold her and my legs to kick. My whole body was exhausted, and I knew I was running off of pure adrenaline now, as my veins pumped blood at an alarming rate. I kept swallowing water, and if I wasn’t careful, I could drown us both.

Halfway there, another large wave hit us, and we were pulled under the water. I came face first with the sand on the floor of the ocean, and I felt my nose crack hard as I was forced into a flip. I went blank for a second, just staring at the blood leaving my face and floating away.

I was out. It was over. My body was screaming in protest at the thought of trying again. I felt like just moving one more time would kill me. I started to close my eyes in surrender. But just as my lids were about to shut, out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella’s long brown hair wave in the water, the strands all separated at the ends. I looked more left and saw the contrast of her white skin against her dark hair. She looked like a mermaid, or an angel, and as morbid as it was, it was the most beautiful sight I’d ever laid eyes upon. If this was the last thing I would see before my death, then that was okay. As long as we were together in the end, nothing else mattered. I smiled sadly, water entering my mouth as I did so.

Bella, I thought, mentally tracing her face, I love you.

Another wave hit me, rushing me forward once again, and reason flooded back into my mind. This is not the end, I determined fiercely. Images of Bella--full of life and complete with blushing red cheeks--raced through my head, and I felt strength come back to me. I looked up to the surface of the water, which was only about five feet away. I grabbed Bella around the waist with one arm and kicked up from the ground as hard as I could. I shot up, my head breaking the surface, and my lungs felt like they were leaping with relief. I took deep breaths and waited for another wave to push us toward the opening in the cliff.

The storm still wasn’t calming down, and it was nearly pitch black dark. My face was freezing from the water and strong wind. When the wave came back, I fought.

I did this over and over again, the whole time worrying that I wouldn’t get to help Bella soon enough. She was turning paler every minute, and I knew that I could lose her if I wasn’t fast enough.

Three feet away, two feet away, one foot…finally, I made it to the cave. My feet touched the ground again, and I lifted Bella in both arms, carrying her like a child. She looked so bad, but I tried to keep my anxiety under control.

I dove through the tunnel, and even though it was dark, I could still make out the rocks along the way and avoided hitting them. The water in the tunnel was calm, very unlike the raging storm outside.

When I finally got to the grotto, I lifted Bella out of the water and laid her gently on the sand. I plugged her nose with my fingers and spread her mouth open, shooting my breath into her lungs. Then I started compressions--one, two, three, four, five. Then I breathed into her again.

I’d never had to perform CPR on a drowning patient before, but I remembered the dummy and the embarrassing partner I’d had to work with.

“C’mon, Bella, breathe! Please, breathe for me!” I pleaded, continuing my efforts. I breathed into her again, and pushed my palms into her chest.

I felt her stomach muscles tighten, and her chest rose up with force. Water flew from her mouth in sputters, and her cough was like a sign from heaven. I tilted her head so she could cough all the water out, and her bloodshot eyes opened slightly with a groan. I could feel the giant smile on my face as she looked up at me slowly.

“Edward?” she rasped out. I nodded, for I couldn’t speak. I kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin, her eyelids, everywhere I could reach. I kissed her lips softly and looked up at her, my eyes swimming with tears.

“I thought I lost you. Those few minutes felt like forever,” I whispered. Her sweatshirt was soaked, and I could feel her shivering. Quickly, I pulled it up from the hem and removed it from her torso, revealing her little blouse. I leaned my forehead against her chest. The thrum of her heart calmed me, and I kissed the cool, wet skin above it, worshipping her.

“My back hurts, Edward,” she groaned out. I backed away from her to look at her back. There was blood on the sand beneath her, and I gasped. I turned her over tenderly so she was on her side. Blood lined her shirt in a few spots, and I ripped her shirt off to see how bad it was. I realized her scratches were from when we had been thrown against the cliff, when she had been ripped from me into the current.

I traced the cuts with my fingers, determining how bad they were. “They’re not deep,” I told her thankfully. “You’re going to be okay. You didn’t hit your head against the cliff, did you?” I laid her back on her back, my hands covering the scars so they wouldn’t hurt her.

“No,” she murmured, “I don’t think so.” I sighed in relief, and my heart finally started to calm down. Her eyes opened and grew more focused, her gaze locking on mine. “Edward, you’re bleeding,” she said sleepily.

I realized that she was talking about my nose, and bringing my hand to my face, I felt the warm blood coating it. It was very painful, but I’d forgotten all about it when I was saving her. It felt broken, so I grabbed it and yanked it the way it was supposed to be. Bella winced when she heard the muted crack.

My hands returned to her face, which was slowly gaining color again. I couldn’t stop touching her, a reaction from thinking I would never, ever do it again. Her eyes were drifting closed with exhaustion.

“Don’t sleep,” I pleaded. I didn’t want her to close her eyes again, but admittedly, I was tired, too. My whole body and mind were aching, begging me to just pass out.

She gave me a weak smile. “I feel really pathetic. You must be pretty sick of saving me,” she said. I chuckled.

“Never. But I think I may have to agree with you on one thing,” I said.

“Oh? What’s that?” she asked.

“You really do have bad luck,” I said, smiling. She laughed, and I could hear it echo around the grotto, even with the angry rain outside. The sound was Nirvana to my ears. I laid on my side next to her and watched her fight unconsciousness. I kissed her lips one more time and said, “You can sleep, Baby. I know you’re tired.” She didn’t seem to have a concussion, so I guessed it was okay. I just wished she would stay up with me so that I could be with her, assured, for a while.

“Love you, Super Edward,” she whispered, drifting off. “Thank you, again.” she said drowsily. I laughed at her absurdity, and put an arm around her waist as she fell asleep. I watched her for a little while, feeling as if I were drowning just from looking at her, before I found sleep myself.

Bella

It must have been a few hours later when I woke because the storm was still raging outside. I’d been through hurricanes before, living in Florida, but it had never been anything outrageous, just a category two or less, and I’d been inside for it. This was only a tropical storm, and I knew that we were actually lucky it wasn’t anything greater than that. When storms traveled over water, they gained more power and speed. Hitting land is the only thing that will slow one down. My mom had made me learn everything back and front about it when we moved to Florida.

Edward’s arms were still around me, covering the scars on my back and keeping them from getting dirty. His body was partially on top of mine, but I could feel very little of his weight. I looked down, and even through the darkness, I could make out every line separating his abdominals. Mmm, candy.

I wasn’t as cold as I had been, but my hair was still wet, and I was exhausted. My body felt as if it had been hit by a train. I remembered being pulled from Edward in the raging sea. I had been tossed about like a rag doll, not knowing which way was up or down, unable to fight it. It hadn’t been long before I had to take a breath, and the feeling of water entering my mouth and lungs made me faint.

It was terrifying to think that I had almost drowned. Edward was always saving me, whether it was emotionally or physically. We needed to get off this island. It was just getting more dangerous by the day. There was the possibility of another storm, one stronger than the one going on outside the cave walls. Who was to say we would survive the next one? Or the one after that? We couldn’t risk it, and the stuff we’d been doing to get noticed had been bullshit. We needed something that was bound to get noticed, no matter what.

I looked up into Edward’s sleeping face, thinking about everything he’d done for me. He risked his life again, just to save me. I couldn’t let that happen anymore. Plus, if he was the one who had been pulled into the current, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to save him. I would have tried, and probably would have died trying, but it just wasn’t possible for me.

We could have both died, and it was the scariest thing in the world. I shivered.

From the light coming through holes in the cave, I could see dried blood caked around Edward’s nose. His nose was not lined like it had been, either; I could tell it was still a little off. Water was coming through a few holes in the roof of the cave, dripping in the same spots, and there was sound of the wind whistling against the cave. I lightly pushed Edward off of me, and he laid on his side with a slight snore.

I stood up shakily, making my way to the dripping water. I stood under it, as if it were a shower, and cupped my hand to catch some of the falling liquid. When my hands were full, I walked back to Edward. I washed the blood from his face carefully, making sure no water got into his nose. He didn’t even budge the whole time, but as if he could sense my presence, even in his sleep, his lips puckered and kissed my palm, making me giggle quietly. When I was satisfied his face looked less morbid, I walked back to the dripping water, standing under it again. It was cool and fresh, and I opened my mouth to drink some of it. It soothed my bruised flesh, and I took off my tattered shirt and bra so that the cold water could help the sting of my scars. I craned my neck, trying to see how bad the damage was. Blood mixed with the water made pink little droplets run down my backside. I had bruises on my arms in the shape of handprints, and I knew they were from Edward pulling me to safety.

Suddenly, I felt warm hands on my hips, and I jumped. Edward had crept up on me quietly. He kissed my shoulder, my back to his chest. I sighed at the contact. Without words, Edward took the water that was falling, and washed my back with it. His hands were rough and calloused, just as mine were, from living on the island, but he made sure I felt no pain. His touch was full of love, and I couldn’t help but moan. When his movements slowed, I turned to face him, the water hitting both of us like a heavy drizzle.

I dropped my arms, uncovering my chest and leaving me with nothing but my shorts. The cold water dripping down my body caused my peaks to harden, and he couldn’t help himself; his eyes darted down to my breasts, just like I knew they would. I smiled.

He cleared his throat and forced his gaze to return upwards. Taking a step forward, he closed the distance between us, grabbing my hips again.

“You’re so beautiful,” He whispered, bringing his lips to mine. We kissed softly for a moment before pulling away. He put his forehead to mine and simply looked at me, his eyes full of love. His hands trailed up my hips toward my waist, then slowly he cupped my breasts. “I thought I would never touch you again,” he said. I shook with his words, so full of meaning.

Bringing his head down, he kissed my neck, sucking on the skin a bit. I could feel him place open mouthed kisses along my jaw line. My breath came short, I was so aroused. He kissed his way back to my lips, hungry. He kissed me roughly, and his hands drifted to my jaw line, caressing the skin there and holding me in place. My mouth opened to his, completely of its own accord. My brain had turned to mush, my body feeling faint again. “I thought I would never kiss you again,” he said, his voice sad. I could feel tears threaten in the corners of my eyes. I didn’t know what to say to him to make him feel better. He was completely right; he’d almost lost me, and I him. So, I kissed him again, hoping to convey my thankfulness and love.

“I love you,” I said, “and I’m still here.”

“I’m never letting you out of my sight again, Bella. I promise,” he said. I shook my head at him.

“It wasn’t your fault, Edward. If I had listened to you and come to the cave before the storm got worse, none of this would have happened,” I told him, motioning to my bruises. He frowned, and I knew he was inwardly disagreeing, but he didn’t want to fight over it. The electricity was still humming between us, and I just wanted to get as close to him as possible. The water was still running down our bodies, and I was starting to get cold. The storm was probably going to last about another day, maybe less, so we weren’t going anywhere. Just thinking about it made me hungry.

I touched Edward’s chest, admiring the planes in it. “I love you, too, by the way,” he said, pulling me out of the dripping water. I led him to the damp sand a few feet away from the water, and laid him down, climbing on top of him. He still looked worried, but I could tell I was calming him. I put my head on his chest, my chin up, and bent my elbows in the sand, looking up at him. We heard a loud BANG against the wall of the cave, and I figured it was probably a tree branch that flew haywire.

Edward brought his hands up around my back and flipped us over so that I was under him. He kissed me passionately, throwing in a few bites for good measure. He ground his midsection into mine, and I could feel every bit of him. His fingers trailed to my bottom, and he quickly pulled off my shorts. The sand was uncomfortable, but I didn’t care at the moment. Edward kept a hand under me, around my shoulder so that the scars wouldn’t get full of sand. I undid the button of his ripped jeans and pushed them off with my feet. I always loved these moments with him. His sweetness and caring was always appreciated, and I loved him for it, but when he was rough and…manly, it drove me crazy. I never thought that I would become addicted to making love before I’d lost my virginity, but Edward was totally right--he’d created a monster. I knew it was just Edward, though. Had it been anyone else, I wouldn’t have fallen in love, and I certainly wouldn’t be kicking my underwear off twice a day.

His lips latched onto the wet skin of my neck, and he opened my legs with his own carefully. I could feel him at my entrance, teasing me. “You’re driving me insane, Edward. Please!” He chuckled at my impatience, and plunged deep into me, making me feel whole again. The feel of him inside me was one of pure ecstasy in itself. His chest skimmed above mine, putting little weight on me. He surrounded me, completed me.

He moved slowly, savoring every precious movement of our joined bodies. The heat coming from both our forms warmed me instantly, and I forgot all about the fact that I had almost drowned hours earlier. I felt every inch of him gliding against me, thrusting, joining our souls. I moaned as the now familiar burn in my belly started, and his movements quickened. His free hand grasped at the sand beneath us, squeezing the particles through his fingers as his orgasm threatened to take over.

Mine broke free first, numbing my mind and the pain in my back. My walls clenched around him hard, and he followed me to heaven on Earth. I touched my hand to his chest, reminding him of our little problem. I knew it wasn’t exactly safe, but it was the only plan we had to avoid pregnancy. He pulled out quickly with a groan, spilling onto the wet sand next to us. When he was done, he entered me again, still hard. I chuckled when he collapsed on me. He just couldn’t get enough of me, and having him inside me again after such an intense explosion made my insides quiver.

He sighed, putting his ear on my chest. I could feel my rapid heartbeat thumping next to his face. He listened to it for a few seconds before I felt him finally soften, and he pulled out again. I whimpered at the separation, wishing I could just stay attached to him forever. He brought his lips to mine, both of our mouths swollen from attacking each other. He kissed me softly, a reminder of the tenderness and love he had for me, the things that made my heart soar every time I thought about it. I really had the whole package; he was smart, he was funny, he was beautiful, he put up with my snarkiness, he was brave. And he loved me.

“I thought I would never make love to you again,” he said quietly. I kissed him again, assuring him that I was here, and he was here. We were together, and we would stay that way no matter what it took.




All pictures are taken from either Google or Deviantart.

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Day Twenty-Six Stranded

Edward

“Damn it. I hate this. Can’t I beat you at just one thing?” Bella exclaimed. We were playing a very heated game of ‘rock, paper, scissors,’ and Bella had only won three times out of the ten rounds we played.

“Best six out of ten?” I said, trying to cheer her up. I smiled crookedly, knowing how that made her blush. I hoped it was a good blush and that she wasn’t truly thinking “Oh, God, this guy’s a weirdo.” Besides, how would I know? It’s not like I smiled at myself in the mirror…often. But my grin had the intended effect on her; she turned crimson. Good blush, I thought.

She shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. Yeah, she’s thinking about last night and the night before that and the night before that.

I had worried that after our first time making love, Bella would pull away from me or grow scared, and not want to do it again, especially after her nightmare. It was one of her traits I was beginning to notice--she was the type of person to overreact, and even the littlest thing could set her off. I overreacted eighty percent of the time, too, so I couldn’t exactly fault her. Our first time had been perfect, but lack of confidence and Bella’s unusual character made me worry she wouldn’t want to do it again.

Boy, had I been wrong. She actually had the opposite reaction. Like I had told her before we found the grotto, I had created a monster--a sex monster. And I loved every bit of it. She never tried to initiate the sexy time, though, but I was starting to think she knew how to get me going. She would give me this look, a look in which her eyes just turned this darker brown color with lust and her lips puckered up, as if she were dying to be kissed. She knew it drove me crazy, especially when one of her eyebrows shot up seductively. To me, it was like she was saying “Come hither, hot stuff” without actually saying it. Either way, I complied every time.

I was a very, very happy stranded man. The image of Tom Hanks in Cast Away with his volleyball ‘friend’ popped into my head, and I was so very thankful to have a human being by my side, especially Bella. If it had been anyone else, I probably would have offed myself by now, and if I had been alone, I may have lasted a week…maybe two. But now we were nearing the fourth week of our stay, and while I was still worried about my family and getting home, I certainly wasn’t miserable. And Bella wasn’t, either, as far as I could tell. She was just more worried after her nightmare.

“No. I don’t think I can take losing one more time. It’s really wounding my ego,” she said in disdain. She pouted at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I opened my left hand out, palm up, and fisted my right hand, putting it on top of my left one, daring her to play again. She sighed, following my actions.

“Rock, paper, scissors,” we said together as I tried to ignore the way her hand moved up and down. I landed on rock, since she always chose scissors for some reason. But she didn’t have any of those; instead, her hand was fisted with her thumb poking straight up and out.

“What the fuck is that supposed to be?” I asked her. She smirked at me.

“It’s a bomb,” she responded. “Boom!” She let her hand out of her fist, spreading out her fingers quickly as if her hand had exploded. “It beats rock, paper, and scissors.”

“You’re so weird, Love,” I said, pursing my lips to keep myself from laughing at her absurdness. She giggled.

“You make me that way,” she said in a soft voice.

“Oh, I make you weird?” I asked, feigning hurt. I touched my hand to my heart, trying to look dumbfounded.

“No,” she explained, “you make me happy. And I’m…playful when I’m happy.” I smiled at her as her cheeks reddened. I’d seen every part of her, and yet she was still embarrassed around me.

“Why does that embarrass you?” I had to know. She looked up at me, her big brown eyes wide.

“It doesn’t really embarrass me. It’s just…” she drifted off, twisting her string ring unconsciously and looking down at her fingers. She never stopped touching that thing I gave her, and even though it was just a strand, it made my heart leap that she liked something I gave her. “I can’t even remember the last time I was really cheerful, and I don’t think I’ve even tried to crack a joke in, like, three years.”

I stared at her, sadness and joy both seeping though my body. Sadness because she had been so unhappy, and joy because I was the one to crack her misery. Her lips turned down in a frown, and her eyebrows puckered. This was her concentrating expression, and to keep her from dwelling on the past, I changed the subject.

“Tell me more about your work. That’s gotta be fun, working for a magazine company. My sister would be very envious of you,” I said. Bella rolled her eyes.

“I hate my fucking job. What I really wanted to be was a publisher, but there was just nothing available at the time when I finished college. So, I tried what I thought was the next best thing,” Bella said. “The only thing I’m good for is correcting all the articles’ grammar. I’m not good with hair and makeup tips or what to wear on each day of the week. I remember Mike once asked me to write an article on ‘how to tell if your boyfriend is cheating’ and I tried; it was a complete disaster.”

The only word I seemed to hear was ‘Mike’. “Who is Mike?” I asked, trying to keep the curiosity out of my voice. It mustn’t have worked, however, because Bella looked up at me, and I could tell that she was trying to read my thoughts.

She looked back down at the sand as she spoke. “He’s my boss.”

I’d never felt such jealousy in my life. The only time I could think of was when Emmett got a brand new mountain bicycle for Christmas from our folks, and I had to watch him ride it as I played with my toy car. No, that moment didn’t even come close to the jealousy I felt now.

“He’s also an asshole,” Bella continued. I could see her smiling out of the corner of my eye. She knew how I felt.

“You work for a girly magazine company, and your boss is a man,” I clarified. “Is he gay?” I asked hopefully. Bella snorted.

“I don’t know. Now that I think about it, maybe he is. Maybe he just hides it by flirting with me all the time,” she said. I growled, and she batted her eyelashes at me innocently. “But I don’t date, as I’ve told him many times,” she went on, rolling over onto her back. Her breasts bounced with the movement, and I was distracted momentarily from my jealous mood.

“Oh, you don’t, do you?” I asked, licking my lips. She chuckled.

“Nope. I just fall in love with half-naked stranded men,” she said. Her eyes were closed, and the angle of the sun made her eyelashes create a shadow against her cheeks. It was so sexy, and I could feel myself harden.

I cleared my throat, trying to get it together. I failed, of course, giving up and just attacking her into the sand, our limbs flying everywhere. I pulled her face to mine and kissed her roughly, grinding my midsection into her own.

“Just one stranded man,” I corrected her, “and you’re mine. Always.” I kissed her again, her sweet taste coating my taste buds once more.

“Always,” she said with conviction, kissing me back. I reflected on our words, and I swore to myself that she would not have to go back to work for Mike once we were home. We could move in together, anywhere she wanted. I could finish my internship elsewhere, and we wouldn’t have to worry about ever being apart.

* * *

I tossed a banana at Bella, which she almost caught, holding her hands out awkwardly. A smile lit her face when her fingers skimmed the flying fruit, but then she fumbled and dropped it, and her smile turned to a scowl, looking at it on the ground. I couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at me, hoping for another one. I walked up to her and held another one out to her.

Just as she reached to grab it from me, I whipped it high above my head, out of her arms’ length. “Edward!” she whined, reaching for it, but I was much too tall for her.

“You’ve gotta be fast, babe,” I chuckled. She narrowed her eyes at me and smiled mischievously. Her leg came up and she kneed me in the groin. I fell to the ground, grasping my stomach. She took the banana from me as I fell.

“Fuck!” I rasped out.

“Fast enough for you, babe?” I heard her ask, satisfaction coating her voice. I looked up and saw her taking a bite out of the damn banana.

“Mmmm,” she moaned, taking another bite slowly.

I got up from the sand slowly, the pain subsiding. I leaned into her ear and whispered, “You’re going to pay for that,” as huskily as I could. She looked up at me from behind her lashes and crinkled her nose. I touched my lips to hers, sucking on her bottom lip hard. I bit down on it softly as I retreated my face from hers, and her eyes opened slowly, gazing at me with lust. It was that look again, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to complain. Well, my poor, beaten shaft might, but I wouldn’t.

“You’ll have to catch me first,” she whispered, and the next thing I knew, she was out of my hold and running away from me. Her white little legs flew around the trees as she bolted.

She had taken to wearing one of the shorts from the suitcase lately, so that she wouldn’t be so hot all the time. The only thing I had was my boxers, since the woman’s suitcase only had female clothing, and I felt kind of stupid running around in my underwear, so I just ripped my jeans to make shorts. It was a lot better, not to mention comfortable.

I ran after her, but since she had gotten a head start, I couldn’t find her right away. I shook my head, smiling at her playfulness.

Figuring she was just hiding behind a tree, I tried to keep my footsteps quiet, which was next to impossible due to all the twigs and leaves on the ground. I kept hearing noises, thinking it was her, ready to jump out and scare her, but it was just the jungle playing tricks on me.

I looked for nearly ten minutes before I finally got frustrated.

“Bella, this isn’t funny anymore. Please come out,” I said loudly.

I was met by silence, and groaned.

“Bella, come out now, or I won’t have sex with you for a whole week!” I yelled. I heard a twig snap behind me, and whirled around. I could see her long hair behind the tree. She must have thought it was covering her, though, because she made no move to get away from me.

I smirked like the Cheshire Cat and tip-toed toward her. I went directly behind the tree and held my breath so she wouldn’t hear me. As fast as I could, I jumped in front of her and grabbed her waist, falling to the ground with her. She cried out in surprise, her eyes wide with astonishment.

I leaned up on my elbows and kissed her neck. “Your hair gave you away,” I explained. She rolled her eyes, bringing her hand up and swishing her long tresses behind her shoulder.

“It’s getting so long. Just like your beard,” she said, giggling. She traced my jaw line, scratching the facial hair that now lined it. “You were joking about the no sex thing, right?” she asked, a worried look on her face.

I smiled at her and put my hands behind my head, laying back. She shivered as the wind blew, and when I looked up at the sky through the treetops, I realized it was about to rain. Angry clouds raked the sky, and I heard faint thunder far away. Bella heard it, too, and her eyes grew wide.

“That doesn’t sound good,” she said. I shook my head in agreement, and I lifted her up to her feet as I stood.

“If it starts to get bad, I think we should move to the grotto,” I said. She nodded reluctantly, and I knew how she felt about it. Bella didn’t trust the grotto. I didn’t, either, since it looked as if it could cave in on us, but it was safer than staying on land, chancing the wind and waves.

I prayed this storm wouldn’t be as bad as the last one, but now that we were in the middle of hurricane season, it was likely that it would be worse.

We walked to the shore, and sure enough, twenty minutes later, it started drizzling and the wind picked up. I walked over to the suitcase and collected warmer clothes for Bella. Leaves were flying everywhere, and our fire had gone out again, the ashes drifting in the wind. The only warm garment was a pullover, and I handed it to her. She put it on, and I could see goose bumps on her skinny little legs. I frowned and looked toward the far end of the island where the grotto was.

Bella followed my line of sight, and she said, “No, Edward. I think we should wait. Maybe it isn’t even bad. Maybe we’re just on the outskirts of the storm.”

A tropical fucking storm. Just our luck.

I looked at her and nodded, agreeing with her for now. If it got any worse, we were going in that cave. Bella would probably just blow away with seventy mile per hour winds, and I didn’t care what she said. I would drag her kicking and screaming if it meant keeping her safe.

I could just be overreacting, though. Maybe it was just a little storm, no big deal. After all, just this morning it had been warm and mostly sunny. And she probably knew more about this stuff anyway. She was from Florida, where hurricanes frequented, and I was from Chicago. The only natural disaster we ever had was blizzards.

I followed her to our spot in silence.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, I was debating my decision to listen to Bella. The wind had picked up even more, and Bella and I were completely soaked. Her white pullover had turned a murky gray color with the water, and I kept fighting my hair to keep it out of my face. The rain was coming in sheets, hard and cold like diamonds, much worse than the last time.

The wind was blowing so hard that I could barely hear myself as I told Bella we should move before it got even worse.

“We won’t have light for much longer, and then it will be impossible to get in the cave,” I shouted to her. Her beautiful face was scrunched from the wind blowing so hard. She looked toward the rocks on the other end of the island, her expression one of indecision. The tops of the trees were bent enough to where I thought they would break with the pressure.

“Please don’t tell me you want to try to stick through this,” I yelled to her. Her eyelashes were watery when she looked back at me.

“I don’t know, Edward. The waves! We have to go through the waves to get to the grotto. It isn’t safe!” she yelled back. I sighed. She was right.

Suddenly, a flash of light littered the sky and blinded us for a second. The lightening was so close. Then we heard, more than saw, the tree fall before us, struck by lightening. I pulled Bella quickly out of the way before the tree toppled onto us. The thunder shook the ground beneath us with its force. We both looked at the stump of the tree that had been hit with lightening, and it smoked for a few seconds before the rain put it out.

Bella turned and looked up at me, fear in her eyes. “Let’s go!” she shouted, taking my hand. I put my arms around her waist and her shoulders, leading her across the island.

Running as fast as we could, it took us about ten minutes to get to the other side. I shook my hair out of my eyes and took in the frightening sight that was the sea before us. Waves were crashing against the sand like angry fighters in a wrestling match.

My idea didn’t seem so great anymore. The cliff was all rock, and the only way to get to the opening of the grotto was to swim around the rocks. We wouldn’t have to go far in the water, but it was still dangerous, especially with the mad current. And I knew we couldn’t fight what was happening on land.

“Edward…” Bella trailed off, taking in everything. My eyes shot to hers, and she was facing the same dilemma as me.

“C’mon,” I said, gripping her hands and leading her to the edge of the shore before the waves struck again. She ran with me through the water, and soon we were deep in. The water had risen with the wind and current, so it was deeper than it should have been.

I knew my swimming skills were near perfect, and my legs were as strong as they were when I was in high school, but I also knew those things didn’t matter when put up against nature.

“Hold on tight!” I yelled, and was instantly reminded of the plane crash when I had told her to hold onto me. I wasn’t sure which situation was worse.

We had to fight the waves, and I lost my footing under the water many times. We finally neared the rocks, and I was already exhausted. My main goal was to put one foot in front of the other and pull myself to my destination. Swimming was impossible with the current, and it kept trying to suck us farther into the sea. I was up to my shoulders in water, and Bella could only hold onto me since her feet didn’t touch. Each wave that hit us was harder than the last, and I kept feeling Bella get pulled from me. She held on tight, though, and it was what kept us together. I couldn’t hold onto her anymore; I had to use my whole body to fight the current.

I reached the edge of the cave opening finally, but wave after wave crashed over our heads. I had nothing to hold on to, just my feet in the sand beneath the water.

One wave hit us extra hard, harder than the others, and I was thrown into the wall of the cliff hard. I could feel my shoulder get cut and scraped against the rocky edge. We were only about three feet away from the opening, but it was getting harder every second.

“Edward, I’m scared!” Bella cried as the water retreated and sucked us away from the cliff. I braced myself and tried to dig my feet into the sand beneath. She coughed water up and tried to wipe her eyes with her left hand.

“No!” I shouted. “Don’t let go of me!”

But it was too late.

The next wave hit us with so much intensity that I was thrown into the rock wall again, harder than the last time. My bare back met the rocks, where Bella had been. I felt the absence of her arms around my neck, and everything went blank for a second until the water retreated again, pulling me forward. I looked around frantically, searching for her.

“BELLA!” I shouted, blinking water out of my eyes. I looked everywhere for any sight of her, but couldn’t see anything.

“BELLA!” I shouted again. She’s gone, where is she? She’s gone… I could feel myself start to go crazy as another wave hit me against the cliff.


All pictures are taken from either Google or Deviantart.

Chapter Eleven

Day Twenty-Two Stranded

Bella

I woke up in a dazed state, looking around. The first thing I saw was the emerald eyes of my love looking down at me with devotion, love, and lust. I couldn’t feel the sand beneath me, couldn’t smell the usual salt and humidity in the air. The sky was still dark, and I felt as if I were swimming with the stars, they were so bright.

“Bella,” Edward whispered huskily, his honey breath hitting me straight on and taking over my senses like the sweetest drug. His voice seemed to echo, which was strange, but in my daze I couldn’t really seem to focus on it enough to question it. His eyes were clouded and half closed, making him the pure image of hot. He looked down at my body and growled animalistically, turning me on more. I moved my hands up to touch his face, and sand came off my fingers, floating into the air as if there were no gravity. Again, I did not question it, as Edward’s lips were begging for my attention. I kissed him softly at first, our lips molding together perfectly as they always did, and he deepened it, tracing his tongue around my mouth, asking for entrance. I gave it to him.

All of a sudden, I was under him in the sand, caressing his back muscles and arching my back in hopes of getting closer to him. He pulled back and smirked at me, trailing his fingers down to my breasts. Memories of our previous night came back to me, and the sensation of his hands on me now was even better than I remembered. There was no noise around us; all I could hear was the sound of Edward’s breathing. His fingers traced the peaks of my breasts until he replaced his hands with his mouth. My fingers wove into his bronze locks, and I wanted so badly to moan, but I didn’t want to disturb the silence. I was reminded of one of those silent birth things, but quickly jumped out of those thoughts. I definitely did not want to compare my intimate moments with special birth options.

Edward separated my legs with his knee, and in one swift thrust, he was inside me once more. He moaned above me, breaking the silence.

“You’re so perfect,” he murmured as he started a steady rhythm, worshipping my body in the sand. I could feel myself throbbing and my head spinning as he continued to give me pleasure and take pleasure in return. He filled me so perfectly, the missing piece to my puzzle.
Before long, I could feel my insides coiling up, tightening in the most sublime way. I let go, and my climax was so powerful I could feel myself nearly shaking. My peak triggered Edward’s, and he repeated my name over and over as he emptied himself into me. He collapsed onto me, holding himself up by his elbows just slightly. I tugged on the hair in the back of his head, playing with the strands.

“Mmmm,” he sighed. I giggled, and he lifted his head, giving me a giddy, accomplished smirk. I laughed more.

Suddenly, everything around me changed, as if I had switched from one vision to another.

We were scrounging for food again. Edward was smiling down at me from one of the trees on the island, and I was on the ground. The height at which he was perched frightened me; I reached toward him, but he only seemed to grow farther away from me.

“Edward!” I yelled in alarm, “Get down from there!” He chuckled at me.

“Bella, you don’t need to worry about me!” he yelled. As if fate was trying to spite him, the next step he took broke the branch beneath him, and I yelped as his body came tumbling down at my feet. I closed my eyes in horror.

When I opened them, there was no whimpering, no sound coming from Edward like I expected there to be. I looked around and saw him lying just a few feet from me, unmoving. Something was strange about the way he was positioned, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I ran to him, fighting the urge to hyperventilate. Once I was close, I realized it was his head bent at an odd angle.

“Oh, God,” I whimpered. His neck was broken, his body lying lifeless. I checked for his pulse, ignoring the way his eyes stayed open eerily. There was no pulse. “Edward!” I cried. I yelled his name over and over. Come back to me.

“Come back to me, Bella. Wake up, Love.” My eyes snapped open. Edward was sitting above me, concerned. He rubbed my face. “It was just a dream, baby. Shh, it’s okay,” he said. I let out breath in relief--he was okay. I was in a cold sweat, and Edward wiped tears from my eyes. I simply stared at him, never wanting to look away from his face. I could feel his strong arms underneath me, holding me, and I never wanted him to let me go again. I never wanted that nightmare to become a reality.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack! One minute you’re moaning my name in your sleep and the next you’re screaming bloody murder,” Edward said. It was just a bad dream, but I couldn’t get it out of my head, couldn’t let it go. I sat up quickly and threw my arms around Edward, caressing his back and gripping his hair. His stubble scratched against my shoulder, and I had never welcomed the feeling so much. Edward held me tight, and I knew I must have been freaking him out. “You wanna talk about it, Bella?” he whispered.

“Oh, Edward, it was horrible. You were in this really high tree, like thirty feet high, and you fell head first and you broke you neck, and I couldn’t save you. I couldn’t save you..” I trailed off. The tears came in full force and my shoulders shook with my sobs as I remembered Edward’s body crumpled on the ground. It was so realistic, and the fact that it could really happen scared the hell out of me. “We need to get off this island, Edward. What if one of us gets sick? What if one of us gets hurt?” I cried into his shoulder.

Edward ran his fingers through my hair gently, trying to calm me down. “We will, Bella, I promise. We won’t be here much longer. A plane or something is bound to pass close sometime, and nothing is going to happen to either of us.”

I leaned away from him, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. His loving and serious expression didn’t waver for a second, and my tensed muscles relaxed. I looked down to his chest and traced the valleys between his muscles. “Staying here isn’t as appealing anymore after that dream,” I muttered. I could almost imagine the frown that graced his face at my words, but I refused to look at him. He sighed.

“I know. We really can’t live in our little bubble here forever. It would be nice, though,” he said. I looked up at him, surprised that he was agreeing with me. I was all prepared for him to give me a speech on how he could take care of me and not worry about everything else. I raised my eyebrows at him. “We’re kind of like Adam and Eve, eh?” He nudged me, the cute, lopsided smirk plastered on his face again.

I laughed and said, “Oh, yes. Adam and Eve indeed. Where’s that forbidden apple?” I looked around playfully, pretending to look for an apple tree. Edward snorted.

“I wish you were Eve,” he said huskily, giving me a look as if I were his prey.

“And why is that?” I asked, curious.

“Because then you would be naked all the time.” My jaw dropped at his words, and memories of the night before and the beginning of the dream filled my dirty little mind. He chuckled and kissed me chastely. “Speaking of nakedness, how are you feeling? I’m sure last night had to be, uh, different for you,” he said, slightly blushing.

“Last night was perfect, Edward. I want many more,” I whispered the last part. Edward’s eyes widened.

“Oh. It seems I’ve created a monster. Or maybe a vixen,” he said. “But all joking aside, how do you feel?” I was a little sore, honestly, but it wasn’t bad in any way. The slight discomfort in my limbs was a reminder of our lovemaking, and each time I moved and felt a little pain, I wanted to smile. Call me a masochist.

“Sore. And happy.” I kissed him deeply, biting his lip and tracing it with my tongue when I pulled away. Edward cocked an eyebrow at my sudden forwardness, then looked down at his lap. I followed his gaze, and saw that my ministrations were exciting him.

“Yep,” he laughed, “definitely created a monster.”

***

“Let’s go swimming,” Edward suggested after we ate lunch. I was busy tracing the small string around my finger, the one Edward had given to me the night before. I loved it already, even though it was just a string. Edward had given it to me, and I knew he had probably been thinking of a real ring when he tied it around my finger. The thought excited me, and I couldn’t stop admiring the strand.

“I’m not a good swimmer. I thought you realized that when we swam to the island,” I said, embarrassed.

“I won’t let you drown, Bella. Please?” I couldn’t deny that face of his, especially when he wanted something.

“Alright,” I huffed, “let me change into one of those bikinis from the suitcase.”

Ten minutes later, I was on Edward’s back, floating and clinging onto him as if my life depended on it. I was terrified and trying to hide it from him. When we were swimming toward the island almost a month ago, I wasn’t as scared, only because I was so focused on finding land. Now that we had found it, and it was only about fifteen feet away from me, I never wanted to go in deep water again. Ever. But here I was, fighting my fear in an attempt to make Edward happy.

Every little touch or caress to my legs under the water had my heart rate up and my anxiety level going crazy. I was sure my blood pressure had to be really high with my paranoia. I could see Edward’s face, too, and he was smiling like a boy with an entire cookie jar. He was breathtaking.

“I don’t want to go far, Edward,” I said nervously. That was where I would put my foot down. He turned his head to look back at me.

“I won’t, Bella. And you’re stiff as a board. Relax a little,” he said, turning around again. He swam with me on his back for a little longer before putting me down. We were up to my neckline deep, and I was glad that I could see everything through the clear water.

“Hey! Look, a shark!” Edward said loudly, pointing to the right of me. My heart shot into my throat, and I darted to Edward’s side faster than the speed of light. My eyes searched furiously for the offending sea animal. I couldn’t find it, and I froze and started screaming.

Edward clamped his hand over my mouth, halting my shrieks. “Bella, it’s just a little nurse shark. It’s not going to hurt you.” He pointed again, and I could make out the outline of the shark. It was small, only about two feet long, and under the water. It swam past our legs sluggishly, and I calmed down as it moved farther away from us. I looked up to Edward in apology, and I was feeling stupid for being so scared, but when I saw the expression on Edward’s face, I could feel my cheeks heating up with anger and embarrassment.

His lips were pursed to keep himself from laughing at me, and his eyes were full of amusement. I slapped his chest, effectively breaking the dam for his laughter. I scowled at him.

“You should have seen your face!” He chortled out. I crossed my arms.

“You shouldn’t have said ‘shark.’ You scared the hell out of me,” I complained. I bit my lip.

Once his laughter died down, Edward took me in his arms. “I’m sorry I scared you. Forgive me?” he asked. I nodded, knowing there was no point being mad at him. It wouldn’t last long anyway, and I had to admit…it was kind of funny. Edward smiled and we walked in the water to the other side of the island, a relatively unknown place to us.

There were lots of rocks on the other side, and there was a little cliff about fifteen feet high. The rocks blended into the trees, so it was hard to see where the cliff started, but I could tell it was on land.

“Look at that big crevice,” Edward said, pointing toward the cliff. Sure enough, there was a large opening where the water met the cliff, and it looked like a cave. Edward started swimming toward it, dragging me through the water with him.

“Oh, no, I don’t think so! You’re not getting me to go in there!” I said, pulling back. It was dark and unknown, threatening. Edward looked at me, then back at the cave, and then back to me, weighing his options.

“You want to wait here?” he asked me. I looked around, shaking my head. “Well, how about you go on the beach and wait for me there. I’ll come right back; I just want to check it out.”

I internally sighed. “No, I would much rather if we just go back to the shore. Together.” I looked back at the crevice. It looked kind of scary.

Edward’s shoulders slumped. I knew he didn’t want to leave me alone, but he still wanted to see the cave. I gave I.

“Alright. I’ll go with you,” I said, defeated. I knew I could have gotten away with him coming back with me, but I didn’t want to do that to him.

He frowned. “Bella, I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do. If you’re scared, I understand, sweetheart.” Oh, now he’s pulling the sweet name calling trick. That means he’s actually very happy I’m agreeing.

I think I’m starting to know him like the back of my hand, I thought. “No, really,” I lied, “I want to go.” I just had to grin and bear it. “Just don’t let go of me. I’m scared of the dark, too.” I looked at the opening again. It looked extremely dark. We wouldn’t have any light.

Edward smiled and took my hand, swimming to the crevice. Once we reached it, I realized it was much bigger than I thought it was, and it was filled with water. There was only about two feet of space for us to keep our heads up to breathe. My feet barely reached the sand at the bottom, and even Edward had trouble keeping himself upright with his six feet and two inches height. He held onto me as we floated inside. There was enough light to see toward the end of the cave, but when we got to the end, I realized it wasn’t truly the end of the cave; it was just the end of free space. The roof of the cave turned in and met the water in front of us, and to go any farther, we would have to swim under. Edward dipped under to see, and when he came up, he turned excited.

He gripped me by the shoulders and brought me to the left side of the cave so I could hold onto the stone wall. “Wait here,” he said. “The cave goes on, and I can see light at the end. I think it might lead to the island, but I want to make sure. I don’t want you to come in case there isn’t an opening.”

I gaped at him incredulously. “And if there isn’t an opening? What if you run out of breath? Edward, you’re crazy!” I cried. But he was already swimming away from me.

“Don’t worry, love, I’ll be right back.” And with that, he went under and I could see his form swimming through the hole.

“Edward!” I called. My dream from earlier came back to me. Was it a sign? Edward had been doing something dangerous and stupid in my dream, and now he was doing something dangerous and stupid in real life. I wasn’t usually superstitious, but I had a bad feeling about this cavern. I hoped he came back soon, and when he did, I was going to give him a piece of my mind.

Five minutes passed. Then another ten minutes passed. I was growing extremely antsy, and I could feel tears of horror threaten to spill over.

Edward, come back to me, I prayed. I kept dunking my head under the water, trying to get a glimpse. Fifteen minutes was way too long for a human to be under water, even a human who had been the star of the swim team in high school. I made a deal with myself: if he wasn’t back in five minutes, I was going after him.

I counted in my head. I got to one hundred twenty seconds and decided that this was long enough. I was going find him, and he’d better be okay, or I was going to lose it.

I swam to the opening under the water and put my head below so I could see. Edward was right--there was a little light coming from the end, so there had to be an opening somewhere. I rose up, took a big gulp of oxygen, and plunged into the water with open eyes. Big green orbs met mine as soon as I was under the water. I shrieked, my breath leaving my lungs in large bubbles, floating to the surface. I shot back up, grabbing my racing heart.

“Edward!” I yelled. He came out of the little tunnel under water and shook his hair out. “You scared the shit out of me! I was so worried!” I slapped his chest and arms, everywhere I could reach. “What took you so damn long?” I demanded. He merely grabbed me around my waist and pulled me back where he came out from.

“Bella, you’ve got to see this. It’s so amazing,” he spoke quickly and vehemently.

“What is it?” I asked, still annoyed. He had no right to scare me like that.

“You just have to see. Can you hold your breath for forty seconds?” he asked. I nodded, and he told me to do it. I did as I was told, and we both plunged into the water. He pulled me through the water, through the cave. I was extremely nervous, knowing I couldn’t go up for air. I tried to help him out by kicking my legs.

I was growing claustrophobic, holding my breath and waiting for an opening. There was barely any light, and that terrified me, especially while being in water. It reminded me of the times my electricity would go out while I was in the shower and I would get so scared, I would just get out and wait for the lights to come back on, suds in my hair be damned.

Eventually, in thirty seconds, I felt Edward rise up in the water, taking me with him. We floated to the surface, and I took a deep breath as my face hit air. I looked around, and Edward was right--it was fantastic.

“It’s a grotto,” Edward explained to me, “isn’t it beautiful?” We swam to where there were sand and rocks, and I stood up as soon as my feet could reach the bottom.

It was made completely of rock, with a breakage in the roof that let the sunlight in. It was only about ten feet in height and about twenty in width, but it was gorgeous. There were vines along the walls of the grotto, and I could see little fish in the water. There was a tiny waterfall on the left wall, and it made the most beautiful sound. The sand wasn’t as white as on the shore, and it was clumpy and moist, but it was solid and just perfect. There were plants and sea shells everywhere, giving it the most natural effect. Stalagmites and stalactites lined the roof and floor corners. I could feel my grin from ear to ear.

“I knew you would like it,” Edward said, taking my hand.

“It’s gorgeous,” I said, all anger for him gone completely. I leaned into him, looking at his lips. He crushed his to mine, and I opened willingly, tasting his sweet, cinnamon flavor. He brought his hands to my face, holding me in place as he pulled away and returned his mouth to my throat, nibbling there.

“What took you so long?” I asked shakily, trying to keep a hold on my sanity as he nipped along my neck.

“I wanted to make sure it was safe,” he whispered against the heated skin of my collarbone. I gave up talking, as I knew if I tried to speak, it would just come out as mumbo jumbo in my state of being. My breathing turned ragged when I felt his kisses drift to the top of my breasts.

With one last open-mouthed kiss above my heart, he pulled away. I looked at him, and he laughed. “You’re blushing like fire now,” he said. He traced my cheekbone with his fingertips.

I walked into the water again.

“It’s warmer here than the rest of the water out there,” I mused, “Or did you just pee?” I joked. Edward snorted.

“No. I think it’s because sunlight comes through there,” he pointed at the holes in the roof, “and the heat is trapped. It probably cools off at night, though.”

“Well, I don’t want to stick around to find out. I hate the dark. At least out there we have the moonlight,” I said.

“Yeah, but now we have a place to go if there is a storm,” Edward said. I nodded, remembering how miserable I was during the last cold storm. I shivered at the thought.

Edward sat in the sand, and he looked so yummy sitting there, I had to join him. This place was so beautiful, everything on the island was. And I knew as perfect as everything was, we couldn’t stay. It made me sad.

We stayed in the grotto for hours talking and kissing and touching. Edward told me more about his high school and college years, and I shared the same information with him. He couldn’t believe that I had only ever really dated one guy, and I couldn’t believe he had actually tried cocaine.

“I was drunk. I don’t even remember it. One of my friends told me I had the next morning,” he explained. “It’s like I always say: “I’m never mixing tequila with Jack Daniels again.” The waterfall was our only other source of sound, and we had to talk loud over it to hear each other.

And never once did we hear the plane flying above us.




All pictures are taken from either Google or Deviantart.