As soon as Charlie drove off I was in the driveway waiting for her, anxious that one day she will walk out of the house, see me waiting for her and then will deny me her company.
It pained me to think like this but I was still not completely sure of her feelings. Her hidden thoughts make things more interesting, I sighed, but they also drive me insane.
Bella came out of the house with a slight skip in her step as she turned around to lock the door, leaving the main dead bolt unlocked. I noticed everything about her, even the inconsequential.
As I watched her carefully, I almost exited the car to give her a hand, worried she might fall at her pace but she slowed when she saw the silver Volvo waiting for her in the drive. I felt a quick sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Well, I should remain in the car; she obviously was considering her options at this point.
More pain, my burning desire feared to be extinguished.
She continued her unhurried pace in my direction. What was she thinking? Did she not want to ride with me today?
She stopped with her hand on the door, wavering. Aggravation flooded me in waves I'd never felt before, not at Bella, but the fact that I didn't know what she was thinking. I tried to probe her mind once again, and reached a solid and impermeable wall.
My light mood quickly faded at my new fear.
Her hand reached out to grab the handle. I exhaled heavily at the relief that now flooded me.
Finally, she decided to ride with me, I hoped, considering she was now opening the door. Her head ducked under the roof of the car and I greeted her with a smile while I waited for her scent to assault me.
She finally sat in the passenger seat and shut the door, sending a hot wave of freesia in my direction.
Daggers, white hot knives...burning. I took in a large breath, closing my eyes.
Her scent did exactly what I expected. The warmth of her body and her pulse emitted the loveliest smell and the scent wrapped around me as it scorched down my throat. I opened my eyes to see the particles of air swirling around me that were now doused with her aroma.
My eyes finally met hers.
"Good Morning," I said after swallowing my thirst. "How are you today?"
How was she? What were her dreams about? Did she miss me? There were countless quantities of things I wanted to inquire about. My questions distracted me from my thirst more than anything else.
I suppressed a sigh.
"Good, thank you," she smiled.
Smiling, that was good. I surveyed her face and could tell she didn't sleep well because she had large circles under her eyes. And I stayed in her room all night as she tossed in her sleep, I added mentally. No need to inform her of my nightly visits, though.
Once again I became frustrated because I couldn't hear her knowing mind. What kept her up at night? What made her toss and turn and say my name? It never appeared like she was having a nightmare, or maybe I was just trying to convince myself of this. What else could possibly be making her so restless if not scary monsters that actually exist?Maybe I was just fooling myself.
"You look tired," I pointed out to continue her talking.
I took in another breath and was instantly intoxicated by her scent. My mouth watered, I was nearly salivating.
No mistakes, I ordered.
"I couldn't sleep." She looked like she was confessing to something and then hid behind her curtain of hair.
Keep it light.
"Neither could I," I teased as I turned the key to start the engine.
She laughed and the sound was harmonious.
"I guess that's right. I suppose I slept just a little bit more than you did."
"I wager you did," I returned her smile; relieved the conversation was going so well.
Another - deeper - breath soared down my throat this time and I bit down hard on my cheek. The tantalizing smell was luxurious, painfully pleasurable...a rich profusion, opulent. The elaborate mix of her enticing scent was the only thing I ever wanted to breathe in, though, at the same time I craved the fresh air outside...just to clear my mind. I could literally stick my tongue out and taste her on the air; it was so saturated with her aroma.
Oh, who cares about the pain, she was here with me and that was all I wanted, I told myself.
No mistakes!
I took in a few more gulps of air while the monster clawed angrily at my throat. He was so close to the edge that I was using all my concentration now to fight him back.
"So what did you do last night?" she asked, intrigued.
She instantly scared the monster back into the darkness with just the sound of her voice.
She's clever...but not clever enough, it was my turn to ask the questions - as I had made clear the day before. There were so many questions that were left unanswered and I had to know.
A smile broke across my face and I chuckled.
"Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions," I said enthusiastically.
"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?" her forehead creased.
What was going on in her mind? She looked worried and I almost reached out to press my finger in between her eyebrows to smooth out the worry lines.
Keep it simple, light.
"What's your favorite color?"
That was simple enough.
She rolled her eyes.
Maybe too simple.
"It changes from day to day," she smiled.
I knew I was going to have to drag everything out of her, no surprise there.
"What's your favorite color today?" I asked gruffly.
"Probably brown," she said, looking down at her brown shirt.
Really? I had to stop myself from snorting and instantly dropped my serious gaze, the pretense no longer needed.
"Brown?" I asked skeptically.
"Sure. Brown is warm. I miss brown. Everything that's supposed to be brown - tree trunks, rocks, dirt - is all covered up with squashy green stuff here," she complained.