"YOU DIDNT HAVE TO PICK UP MY SCHOOL WORK, THANK YOU SO MUCH." jaylen thanked for the ninth time since the two migrated to jaylen's room. jaylen sat hanging over the end of his bed, bella sitting next to jaylen's legs as she glances around the well decorated room.
"i thought it would make things easier for you, considering you weren't at school to get them." bella snarked, smacking jaylen's exposed stomach as she flopped on her back, dangling her body next to jaylen's.
the two sat in comfortable silence for a little while. basking in the soothing feeling the moment brought them. the bed felt just right underneath bella, the silky sheets caressing her skin, and the pillowed stuck between her legs softening her tense knees. the dim lighting let her feel at ease with her closed eyes, and the sound of jaylen's gentle breath floated into her ears, causing her own breathing to sink with the blonde being next to her.
bella reached out a pale hand nervously, grazing jaylen's as she thought about what she was trying to do. holding jaylen's hand sounded really nice, but, she risked something greater if she goes through with it. with a deep breath, she moved her hand closer and slowly slipped her pale hand into jaylen's.
jaylen instantly went tense, before tightening her hold, and glancing over to bella, eyes shimmering as she smiled.
"i think, i'm going to enjoy my stay here in forks." jaylen whispered, rubbing circles into bella's thumb. a gentle smiled appeared on bella's lips, her brown eyes lighting up as she squeezed back tighter.
"yeah, for sure."
as much as edward was used to watching bella from afar, watching as her and jaylen bonded and seemingly gain more feelings for each other, did not leave that nasty gut wrenching feeling in his gut. maybe he was over thinking it, maybe human bonds truly have changed a lot more than he thought, but that look, its not just a look you give your best friend.
the window had a clear view of the bed. he watched as the two giggled and flipped through teen magazines, crossing out answers in the quizzes in the backs, and circling celebrities' they liked. bella would tap jaylen's shoulder anytime she found an interesting article, and jaylen would grin the biggest grin he's seen, and nod. the two went from the magazine to a book, bella's copy of Wuthering Heights he gave her the day of her birthday, the already worn cover cradled in their hands as the two read through bella's annotations.
The two meet nearly two weeks ago, and their closer than edward and bella were in two months of knowing each other. he wasn't jealous, but he felt that he should have been. he looked over everything he's seen jaylen do, and they haven't done anything but treat bella with such kindness he sees now. the gentle, real friendship she was missing out on with being with him. and he didn't feel bad about that.
in the moment, he looked over at the two murmuring about the book and smiled. a genuine, real smile, that he hasn't held for long until now. jaylen was someone who baffled him, and calmed him all at once.
he promised bella the night jaylen and her met, that he wouldn't read jaylen's mind. she wanted her intentions to be a complete surprise, wanted to have a completely normal friend for as long as she could. bella was afraid that if jaylen had ill intents, she would spiral once again.
and edward refused to see her like that.
without another thought, he dived into her mind.
he felt mellow the moment his mind connected with jaylen's. the serenity his body felt was blissful. he felt his limbs relax, and his body lean against the tree as his sleep was taking over.
he felt warm arms wrap around him, and he swore he heard a voice whisper in his ear,
"𝔟𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔰 𝔞 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔥."