She stared into my eyes, surely reading the internal fight I was having. I was eager to bring our bodies back together. They fit so perfectly, but I couldn't make any more mistakes. If I were to hurt her now, I would surely wither and die. I continued to stare into her eyes. This kiss... it was the most pleasurable thing I had ever done. I smiled at her casually. I had caged all the beasts.
"There," I exclaimed.
"Tolerable?" she asked.
Tolerable? It was the most amazing experience I have ever had, couldn't she tell? I laughed loudly at the absurdity.
"I am stronger than I thought. It's nice to know." I explained.
"I wish I could say the same. I'm sorry," she replied with an impish grin.
I was high, excited, "You are only human, after all," I said playfully.
"Thanks so much," she said sharply.
I quickly stood up and offered her my hand, something that I had never done before, but after this afternoon, and after our kiss, I realized that contact with her was not something I should shy from. She looked at my hand in surprise, but reached up without any hesitation, bringing her hand to mine. The warmth was tremendously pleasurable. She wobbled on her feet, but I kept her hand to steady her, not wanting to let go. I was still a little worried about her.
"Are you still faint from the run? Or was it my kissing expertise?" I asked playfully.
"I can't be sure, I'm still woozy," she replied, "I think it's some of both, though."
How amazing were the feelings I had. I felt so light hearted, like there was nothing in this world that could damper my good mood. I looked at her truck then, and remembered that she insisted on driving, "Maybe you should let me drive," I offered.
"Are you insane?" she protested.
"I can drive better than you on your best day," I teased, "You have much slower reflexes," I explained after she gave me a doubtful look.
"I'm sure that's true, but I don't think my nerves, or my truck, could take it."
"Some trust, please, Bella," did she really not think I could handle driving her truck? Was she that nervous I would harm her, after everything we went through today? I looked at her then, saw she was clutching something in her pocket, her key, no doubt. She tightened her lips, considering her options. She shook her head while grinning, her lips still tight, "Nope. Not a chance." She said.
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. I couldn't believe she wouldn't let me drive. Did she still not fully trust me? She stepped to my side to walk around me and I watched her unbalanced step carefully, making sure I didn't need to catch her. I stuck my arm out and caught her around the waist, refusing to let her go.
"Bella, I've already expended a great deal of personal effort at this point to keep you alive. I'm not about to let you behind the wheel of a vehicle when you can't even walk straight. Besides, friends don't let friends drive drunk," I added playfully and chuckled.
"Drunk?" she scoffed.
"You're intoxicated by my very presence," I smiled at her, though it was me who was intoxicated by her presence.
"I can't argue with that," she admitted with a sigh.
I swear, in that moment, I might have felt my heart beat. She removed her hand from her pocket, holding the key. She raised her hand then, and opened it up and I watched the key fall. I snatched it up before it hit the ground, effortlessly.
"Take it easy - my truck is a senior citizen" she muttered.
"Very sensible," I agreed.
"And are you not affected at all?" she asked me, a little pain in her voice, "by my presence?"
All the sensations from this afternoon flooded back into my body and I was instantly eager to hold her in my arms and reassure her. Unthinking, I bent down and touched my lips to her jaw, where I slowly traced a line from her ear down to her chin, knowing if I were to place my lips to hers at this moment, I wouldn't stop her next time she clutched me to her chest. She shivered in pleasure in that moment, and it sent electricity shooting through my body.
"Regardless," I whispered, "I have better reflexes."
I drove Bella's truck with ease. I kept to the speed limit, in no hurry to bring her back. While driving, I kept one hand securely in hers. The windows were rolled down and the breeze whipped her scent all around me. I turned the radio on and began singing along with a song that was playing. Bella's eyes never left my face, and I returned her gaze as often as possible.
"You like fifties music?" she asked.
"Music in the fifties was good. Much better than the sixties, or the seventies, ugh!" I shuddered. "The eighties were bearable." I explained to her.
I realized I made a mistake when she asked, "Are you ever going to tell me how old you are?" but her face was soft.
"Does it matter much?" I smiled, hoping she wouldn't press the issue worried that she wouldn't like what she would hear.
"No, but I still wonder..." she frowned, "There's nothing like an unsolved mystery to keep you up at night."
"I wonder if it will upset you," I mused, hoping she would give me a hint of how old would bother her.
I stared into the sun then, and she didn't respond. I could tell that her face was still looking at mine. After several minutes she insisted, "Try me."
I sighed, turned my gaze on her, and realized I could never lie to her. Keeping secrets from her would be unbearable. Her gaze only made me want to tell her more than just my age. I turned and looked into the sun again, rainbows reflected off of every surface.
"I was born in Chicago in 1901." I paused, and glanced over to gage her expression. She showed no emotion on her face. My lips twitched at her fa?ade, but I continued, "Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza." I explained.