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EDWARD CULLEN, YOU ARE THE MOST COWARDLY VAMPIRE I HAVE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE
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The month after the accident practically flew by. After Charlie had cooled down and quit blaming Edward for Bella's 'accident' and Harley's sudden disappearance, things have been comparatively free of danger.. besides the looming danger to Edward and his family. Harleen Frances Quinzel. Yes, they've eventually met eye-to-eye and made amends - you can even say they've become very close friends - but she still blames him for the accident, and rightfully so. She doesn't hate him, but she doesn't quite love him, either. They hold a very strange relationship. No one but them understands it. Still, she accepts him and welcomes him into her circle. That's a big leap for her. It's definitely something she doesn't do often.
Regardless of the arm-length distance she holds for him, he feels quite content. It's progress. Neither of them have talked about what happened at the hospital. They're not ready for that yet. Things are just.. complicated. But sometimes, just sometimes, he catches himself sneaking into hers and Bella's room for the sole purpose of seeing her. What can you say? He finds her fascinating. There are many nights where she is up and awake, and those are the times they stay up and talk for hours about the life she left in New York. Then there are other nights where she had drifted into a deep slumber, and he'd just watch. He no longer visits that room for Isabella, but for Harleen. He doesn't quite know what that means for him and his relationship with his Juliet - again, things are too complicated - but what he does know is that he genuinely enjoys his friend Mercutio's company.
Sometimes he can even see her dreams. She'd occasionally dream of being back home in Gotham, but other times her dreams are revolved around the same man who's grinning face is plastered on her phone's wallpaper. There was no heaven or hell for the Joker. His home went from planet Earth to her memories. He never leaves her thoughts. Ever.
"Don't move your noggin," Harley demands, brushing out the tangled up knots in her cousin's tangled up hair. It's a struggle between her, Bella and the hairbrush.
"Harls, you're ripping the hair out of my scalp!" Bella's screams are heard all throughout the Swan residence as she tightly holds onto a chunk of hair.
"Well, maybe if you'd brush yer hair everyday it wouldn't be this way," she responds, almost finishing up with her hair. "Now, pass me a pin." Stretching her hand, she accepts a bobby pin from her cousin and continues working, pinning it all throughout the brunette's head of hair.
She's playing Bella Barbie with her, poking and touching her in several places with her 'torture devices'. Usually, Bella is really good at getting out of situations like this, but what can you say? She's no match for Harley's puppy dog face. It's a new trick she's recently unleashed on her, learned it from the puppy-dog-face master, Baby Doll, Crazy Jane's child-like alter. God, how she misses that girl. She hopes that she can visit her soon. The second she gets off her parole, she's buying herself a first class ticket to Gotham.
The two cousins stand in the single bathroom, getting ready for the most exciting night of the year, prom. After hours of endless yelling, Harley steps back and smiles at her masterpiece. "Voilà! All done!"
Bella turns to her reflection and gasps in shock, a bright smile emanating from her lips. "Wow! This is awesome," she breathes, running her fingers through her loose curls. Her silky hair is worn into cloud-soft curls, styled half up, half down. She looks.. gorgeous. She turns to Harleen and envelopes her into a strong hug. "Thanks, Harls. It's beautiful."
Harleen laughs and pulls away, afraid she'll ruin Bella's makeup. "Alright, now go get dressed! I gotta get ready!"
Laughing, Bella gives her a thumbs up and exits the bathroom.
The blond smiles, sighs and turns to her reflection. "We got a' lot a' work to do, don't we, Mr. Bernie," she asks her pet beaver, who is sitting on the toilet.
Later that afternoon, Edward is quickly making his way up the sidewalk near their home. You can see his dark eyes and deep blue circles under them. Their existence is from where he hasn't hunted in a while. It is hard to take himself away from Bella for any period of time, so his hunting habits have become less gluttonous than usual. He wears a tuxedo Alice had purchased for him. It's made by some famous and outrageously expensive designer. And clothes, no matter what kind of an occasion, are her specialty. He learned early not to argue with her when it comes to fashion.
He is standing outside the front door, listening to a gruff voice come from inside. It's Charlie. He sits at a picnic table, cleaning out a fish with a sharp knife while mumbling to himself about how bad of an influence Edward is to his daughter. Guess he still blames him for that, huh?
"Out a damn window," he huffs.
Edward knocks lightly on the door, which is quickly yanked open by Charlie. He holds onto the knife, glaring down at him. Even the naturally calm vampire is unnerved by his glare.
The door is the opened wider to reveal Bella Swan in a stunning, blue dress. She moves slowly and awkwardly into view, her eyes searching for him. He's seen the dress in Alice's head, but not like this. She's beautiful. The thin chiffon is ruched and ruffled to provide a semblance of modesty, but it still clings to her skin in a very distracting way. The design exposes her alabaster shoulders, then falls graceful and sheer down her arms to fold in at her wrists. The body of the dress is gathered in an asymmetrical line that gives her shape subtle hourglass contours.
Of course it's deep blue in color; Alice had noticed his preference.
On one foot, Bella wears a blue satin shoe with a stiletto heel and long ribbons wrapped up her leg to hold it in place. On the other foot, is her dingy walking cast. She is stunning, though her facial expression is clearly not in league with her appearance. She has a deep scowl on her face and there is a tiny pucker between her eyebrows. She descends the steps with difficulty, due to her leg cast. Charlie helps her out, as Edward is still in shock.
"Alice lent me the dress," she speaks. "It was the only thing that would fit over my cast. Is it too...?"
"You're perfect," Edward breathes, smiling. He turns to Charlie. "I'll take good care of her, Chief."
Charlie rolls his eyes. "Heard that before."
Then, they hear someone holler from behind the father-daughter duo. "Okay! Okay! We're ready," the voice sings loudly, rounding Charlie to get to the front door. The door widens even more to reveal Harley in a gorgeous red dress.
Her blonde hair is in a formal bun, her silky dress clinging just right onto her extravagant body and her feet in delicate high heels with red lace wrapping around her lower ankle. She is wearing the exact dress Alice had gifted her months back, when they cleaned out her closet. And it looks amazing on her. Edward is astonished. He literally has to put his tongue back in his mouth. His eyes trail down to finally notice the thing that clings to her like a newborn child. It's her dead pet beaver. Thanks to Alice's incredible skill at designing clothes, Bernie matches his owner to the T. He wears a mini, red tuxedo with matching black dress shoes.
He looks up at her while she stares at him, smiling. She glances down and blushes. Then she shrugs her shoulders as if to say, Well, this is me in a dress. Their moment is interrupted by Charlie clearing his throat. And he remembers! What is a prom without a corsage?
Edward finally looks away from Harleen to look at Bella's slight smile and knowing look. "I almost forgot," he chuckles and pulls out a corsage with a white lily on top. Alice had left it on his dresser.
Her smile widens and brightens. It's beautiful. "Thanks," she whispers.
He gently takes her delicate hand and ties it to her wrist. "You're gorgeous, Bella Swan," he says before lifting her into his arms.
"You take care of my girls," Charlie commands. "I put a new pepper spray in your bags," he says, making sure Edward heard him.
In Edward's arms, Bella scoffs and smiles. "Dad!"
"Have fun at prom." He smiles.
"We will," Harley calls out and waves, walking behind the two lovebirds. "See you tonight .. or tomorrow."
This enters Charlie's ears just as he goes to shut the door. "What," he asks, confused. "Harley, what do you mean by that? Harley!"
He gets ignored by his niece, who just laughs like a hyena on cocaine as she climbs into Edward's car. Once inside, she continues to laugh as the car owner helps her cousin into the passenger seat. He glances at her, smiles and shakes his head.
Bella's lips turn up as he helps her with her seatbelt. Carefully, Edward makes sure that she's secure, including her dress, before he shuts the door and slides into his seat. Alice would literally kill him if he gets her dress dirty before they arrive at prom.
As he starts the car and pulls out the driveway, Harley pokes her head between the two front seats. Bernie sits comfortably on her lap. "So, it's prom night..," she chuckles on the way to the venue. "Ya know what that means?"
"Oh, haha. Very funny," Bella laughs sarcastically.
Edward frowns at the blond.
"Oh come on, B-Man! I'm curious! Help soothe my sickly deranged, morbidly curious mind!" She raises her hands in faux exasperation. "Did you get a hotel room or are ya plannin' on doing it in the car?" She guffaws stupidly for several minutes at her own joke.
Bella clears her throat, clearly uncomfortable.
Edward notices. "We're not going to.. have sex, Harleen."
All while he's talking, she is reaching into her handbag for a piece of bubblegum. She unwraps it, sticks it into her mouth and starts to chew on it. "Hmm," she hums jokingly, tilting her head to the side as she pretends to think. "Well," she stops for a moment, then continues, "I call bullshit. If you two aren't plannin' on.. fornication, then what's with all those nights you spend watching Bellsies sleep?"
Bella furrows her eyebrows, turning to Edward. How does she know about that?
Harleen smirks in triumph.
"That's enough, Harleen," he warns, glaring at her through the rear-view mirror. She knows how to get under his skin, and it shows. The car stops at a red light, only fifteen minutes away from the venue.
Harley Quinn hums and meets his gaze, still smirking. There's a few seconds of heavy silence between them, Bella unsure of what to do or say. Then, in the small mirror, Bernie the beaver's grim face appears, having been lifted from his owner's lap.
What in Hades, Edward thinks to himself. He watches silently as the taxidermy animal's right arm is waved around.
"Aw, don't be mad, Mr. Moneybags," the beaver says to him. Bernie's sentence is brought to life by Harley, who speaks in a low and shy tone, sounding like a little boy. "It's just a joke.."
The immortal vampire's twitch slightly as Harley continues to pose as Bernie, the 'talking' beaver.
"C'mon, take a joke..," she says.
Edward catches himself finally smiling.
Meanwhile, the brunette watches them with wide eyes. What in the world..
"Take it.."
His smile deepens. His face is illuminated by the green light up front, meaning it's time to go. But, he can't bring himself to look away from Harley's silly antics.
"Take it.. Take it.."
This time, he laughs.
Harley puts her lips together in an attempt to stop herself from laughing, but can't hold it in any longer. Her breath comes whooshing out along with loud cackling. Instead of stopping, Edward can't help himself and continues to laugh with her.
Bella watches with big, doe-like eyes while Edward and Harley continue to laugh insanely loud. She feels like she just entered a twilight zone. With each second that passes, their laughter grows louder and more maniacal.
"Ah! That was a good one, huh," Harley breathes and leans in to punched Edward in the arm.
Edward's laughs, nodding his head. "Alright, alright. Humor me," he requests while gazing deeply into the small mirror.
The rest of the drive continues like this... Harley making sex jokes, Bella listening in like a traumatized victim and Edward grinning widely at the blond's highly inappropriate jokes.
Finally, they pull into a lovely inn, parking next to Rosalie's M3.
The sun is starting to set and the sky is turning a coppery color as the thin layer of clouds cast shadows down on the ground in odd angles, turning the white fluff into red and orange. To the east, the sky is showing some stars while turning purplish due to the setting sun. The sunset is beautiful, but when Edward gets out to offer his help to the two cousins, the sunset is suddenly insignificant in comparison. He holds out a hand for them and Harley takes it, though Bella tightens her folded arms and humphs stubbornly. Her chin juts out with a superior smugness in her expression. He would pick her up, but there are too many people in the parking lot.
Harley places a hand on her hip, her other hand holding onto Bernie. "When the bats are wan'ing ta kill ya, yer as brave as a lion — and then when someone mentions dancin' you...," she trails off, watching her cousin's expression change to fear in an instant. Releasing a deep breath, she shoves Edward aside to sit next to Bella in the passenger seat. It's a tight fit, but they're together now. "Bella, we won't let anything hurt you," she pauses, "— not even yourself." Her eyes look up at Edward, who watches them intently. "And.. knowing Edward, he won't let go of you for the night.. Not once."
The fear washes away as quickly as it had placed itself on Bella's expression, and Edward is relieved at once. He takes a step toward, smiling at them. "There, now," he says gently, "it won't be so bad."
Harley stares at him blankly. "Edward, quit sounding like you're about to take her virginity."
Edward flashes her a look, his lips twitching slightly. He quickly looks away from her and, without effort, reaches out, pulling Bella to his chest. Harleen smiles with satisfaction and watches him carefully wrap his arm around her waist while holding her hand in the other. She stands up, shuts the car door and follows them into the venue. Edward holds her firmly in his grasp, letting her place all her weight on him if necessary. Their progress is slow, but tonight there are no expectations and they are in no hurry.
This year's Fork's High School prom takes place in a lovely inn not too far away from the school. As they enter inside, Harley fully takes in the decorations of balloon arches, pastel crepe paper and twisted garlands that cover every inch of the walls. Plates of food are being served and the large crowd is mingling amongst themselves. She turns to the pair behind her, releasing a whimsical giggle as she looks at Bella, who holds onto Edward tightly.
"This place looks like a horror movie just waitin' ta happen," she snickers, referring to her cousin's clumsiness. "And to think I was gonna miss out on this."
Bella and Edward join in with her humor.
"Well," Edward starts as they approach the ticket table, "there are more than enough vampires present."
She looks over the ladies shoulder at the ticket area. On the dance floor, Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice are floating fluidly around the enclosed circle of admirers as they dance gracefully around in their evening gowns.
Looking down at her, Edward watches as a humorous joke caresses Harley's thoughts. He already knows what she's going to say, causing his smile to deepen. Bella listens in, knowing that look on her cousin's face. She's thinking of saying something she knows is funny.
"So," Harls starts, smirking mischievously as they stand in line, "should we bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk? It'll be a killer party.."
Edward raises an eyebrow, scoffing. "And where do you girls fit into that scheme?"
"Oh, we're with the vampires, of course," Bella collaborates, laughing slightly.
"Yup," Harley pitches in. "We're with the bats, all the way."
The happiness in Edward's face is evident. He turns to Bella, smiling reluctantly as he tries to read her face. "Anything to get out of dancing," he assumes.
"Anything." She smiles, faces Harley and takes a hold of her hand.
After purchasing the tickets, Edward and Harley pull Bella to the dance floor. And well, she's literally dragging her feet. Edward purses his lips, glances at Harley, then stares down at Bella.
"I've got all night," he informs her, not in the least bit worried that she won't fold.
Harley stares at her, also. Her arms hold onto her prom date, Bernie, her beaver. "We sure do. An' you ain't gotta worry about Bernie's bedtime tonight. It's a weekend."
Finally, Bella's stubbornness subsides and they move onto the dance floor next to his family. This is Harley's first time going to the prom. She was always either stood up or not fortunate enough to afford a beautiful dress like the other girls. She'd just save herself from the embarrassment and stay home. So it's nice to be able to enjoy tonight with her friends. Because she doesn't actually go to school in Forks High School, she is only allowed in with a date, and her 'date' tonight is Bella. Though, she's with Edward and will spend most of tonight with him. So, Harley's partnered up with Bernie.
Unlike her cousin, she wastes no time to hop into the dance floor and join her friends into the dance pit. Alice instantly grabs her hand and leads her to her small circle, joined by Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice. Not paying any mind to Bella and Edward - who argue on why they should or shouldn't dance - they dance the night away. Her, Jasper and Emmett toss Bernie around in the air as the unlucky beaver screams his little heart out.. at least in Harley's mind he is.
Eventually, Edward forces Bella into the dance floor. He leads them into the dance circle and situates Bella to where she's comfortable. He pulls her close to his chest, her feet leaving the ground before he places them over his, and wraps her arms around his neck. Bella looks over his shoulder, seeing Harley grinning and waving at her before she falls back after being hit by something in the eye. She sees Emmett instantly rush to her, his toss on the mystery object aggressive enough to force her back. Jasper follows after him, revealing what had hit Harleen - Bernie!
Bella's giggle seems to shock Edward. He smiles down at her, and she meets his eyes. This isn't too bad. Without effort, they twirl around the dance floor with their friends and family, happiness and content sinking into their hearts
"I feel like I'm five years old," she giggles after several minutes of them waltzing.
"You don't look five," he breathes in her ear, hugging her closer to his body.
"I wonder if anyone's spiked the punch bowls yet!" They hear Harley yell from afar as she jumps up and down. Her blonde hair is a wild mess, having been loosened from its previous bun. Her humorous comment causes Rosalie to erupt in wild laughter. Her laugh is so loud she has to cover her mouth to contain it in.
I'm a genius! I mean, just look at that dress on her, Alice thinks as she watches Bella and Edward twirl around. Bella catches her eye and smiles back at Alice's grin. She looks like she's finally enjoying herself.
Then, Harley Quinn comes rushing up to them, Bernie somewhere in the Inn with a bunch of teenage girls surrounding him. Knowing her beaver's in safe hands, she crashes Edward's party by yanking Bella out from his feet and placing her over her shoulder. Don't let her small stature fool you, she is one strong cookie. Edward steps back, laughing as he watches Bella struggle against Harley's grip. Her captor's blonde hair blows around her face with each jump she makes and her cheeks are flushed the perfect pink.
And just as he starts to feel himself relax, he hears a thought burst into his head. Someone's arguing with themselves. As he twirls around to see who it is, he realizes it's Jacob Black.
I can't believe I'm about to do this. Seriously – he's here with her, what does my dad expect me to do? Go up to her and tell her to leave him right here on the dance floor... but my car, I really want my car up and running. Stupid master cylinder.
Bella struggles to walk up to Edward, having escaped Harley's death grip. Gotham's queen follows after her, laughing and smiling like this is the most fun she's felt since she arrived in Forks.
"Okay, I'm fully convinced she's on something," Bella jokingly admits to him, but he's too busy glaring towards the doors where Jacob leans.
I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Jacob chants over and over in his head. Why did she have to be here? Argh! He hesitates on the dance floor. Master cylinder, he reminds himself. ...just remember driving around in your car, his lips twitch up. ...maybe Bella in the passenger seat. The mental image is enough to make him move closer to their dancing forms. But then.. he stops. Maybe I shouldn't -
"Hey, Jake," Harley calls out, causing him to freeze. He's been caught, and it's too late to turn back. She smiles and waves him over, much to Edward's distaste. His eyes never leave Jacob for more than a fraction of a second. He watches him walked towards them.
Bella's ears instantly perk up once hearing Jacob's name fall from her cousin's lips. She looks over her shoulder as Jacob continues to move towards them. His face displays his thoughts of distress and discomfort.
Come on, Jacob. Pull yourself together! He frantically tries to calm himself. He's not actually a vampire.
He shouldn't bet on that.
Just do it. Ask if you can cut in. I can just relay the message from dad. Jacob looks at Bella. Wow! She is positively the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. He blinks to clear his eyes, trying to get a better visual on her. Man, this is going to suck. I'm sorry, oh man I am so sorry, Bella. His eyes then shift to Harley who continues to wave him over with a bright smile. This encourages him to continue, his thoughts drifting to how he'd never think he'd ever see her in a dress.
A snarl comes burning up Edward's throat, but he's able to quickly stifle most of the noise.
"Behave," Bella hisses at him in reproach.
Behave? He wants to argue, but Jacob is only two feet away.
Just cut in and get it over with. This is so embarrassing. Jacob's eyebrows pull together in concentration. 'Hey, Bella. Just break up with your boyfriend... please.' He shakes his head. This isn't going to be good.
Anger boils under Edward's cold skin. "He wants to chat with you." The severity of his thoughts are obvious in his voice.
Harley turns her head to him, only now noticing the fury in his expression. "Well, duh.. That's what friends do, Eddie," she scoffs, patting his chest with the back of her hand. "Maybe you should find yourself some."
Edward ignores her comment, his eyes trained solely on Jacob, who is now standing in front of him.
"Hey, Harls. Hey Bella," Jacob addresses his friends, completely ignoring Edward. "I was hoping you guys would be here." Jacob lies as he smiles brightly.
"Hi, Jacob." Bella beams back as Harley stands back, watching with a knowing smirk. "What's up?"
Why does she always have to return his smile? She never greets any other males so warmly. What was so special about him? She's just being polite. That's all.
"Can I cut in," he asks hesitantly, swiveling towards Edward.
Edward grits his teeth in anger. Behave... behave... behave, he chants over and over in his head in Bella's voice. This planned conversation is angering him, and now he is asking him to break his promise to Bella.
Then, Harley cuts in by clapping her hands. "Welp," she starts, "I don't know about you three, but I hear the dance floor callin' my name! See ya," she exclaims before she turns to the crowd. ... Now, where is that little rascal of mine?
As the next song's melody begins, she starts to weave her way through the crowd of people, finally catching sight of Bernie, who is in a circle of girls. She instantly pulls him from their grasp and heads for the door. "Why, you little sphinx!"
"Hey, why you mad, Sugar," Bernie asks, clearly enjoying himself. "There's a whole lot'a Bernie ta pass around."
"Oh, shush," she orders as she leads them out the back door and into a well-lit garden. The area is full of lushly vibrant flowers that surround a pavement path. It leads all the way to an unoccupied gazebo surrounded with flowers and whimsical fairy lights. There is a bench under two madrone trees that asks her to rest her feet. She accepts its request, gently setting down Bernie beside her. Finally, they are away from all the stares and hostility between Jacob and Edward.
It's beautiful outside. It's almost as though the sun chose today to shine at its brightest. Loud dance music comes from inside the venue, causing Harley's face to wrinkle. She considers it awful, so she plays her own tune in her head. Her eyes are shut closed as she pictures herself dancing around the lot with a human version of Bernie. A soft giggle escapes her lips.
She can just imagine Bernie as a human being. He'd be a short, stubby man from New York with countless kids and a heavy nicotine addiction. The imagine of that causes her laughter to grow louder. She finds herself quickly out of breath, wheezing heavily.
"What's so funny, Giggles," a velvety voice suddenly asks from behind her. This causes her to turn, finding Edward leaning back against a large oak tree.
"N-Nothing," she stutters, unable to answer his question truthfully. What is she going to say? 'I was just imagining what my dead pet beaver would look like if he were human'? "It's just.. I was thinking about," she pauses to think, "something funny."
Edward dips his head and cracks a smile as he walks towards her. He takes a seat beside her, looking straight ahead. "Well.. I think something sounds like he would definitely have a nicotine addiction.. and a massive beer belly."
She giggles, agreeing with him. He stares at her, silent. After a moment, she stops laughing and looks back at him. There's a minute of silence before he slowly reaches into his front pocket and pulls out a corsage with a delicate red rose on top. He shows it to her, smiling softly. Alice had given it to him a few minutes ago, since he forgot to get one for Harleen. "This is for you," he whispers.
Blood rushes up her face, coloring it a delicious pink. "What," she asks in a soft murmur. She doesn't know what to say. "T-Thank you, Eddie." It's beautiful.
"Here," Edward says while pinning it into her pale wrist. ".. Now you're perfect."
Her blush turns an even darker shade of pink. This is the most life her face has gotten since she was with her ex lover. Her eyes meet his, wide and full of emotion. Her genuine gratitude isn't letting her make fun of him right now. "You're not so bad yourself," she breathes. Her lips twitch up into a smile.
He smiles and extends a hand. "Dance with me?"
She stares at his hand for a moment before she accepts it. He snakes an arm around her waist they proceed to the well-lit gazebo. He doesn't realize how long he's wanted to do this until now. He gently brings her close to his chest and they start to dancing, Bernie's penetrating eyes straight on him. Harleen's hair moves slightly with their breeze. Waves of rose float in the air around them.
"So, where's Bella," she suddenly asks, peeking over her shoulder. She secretly wonders if her cousin put him up to this in hopes of making her feel less lonely to the prom. Sure, Bernie's here.. but he's not real. He's not a real date you can take to prom.
He continues to stare at her. "Bella," he repeats the name. ".. She's dancing.. with Jacob. You know him, correct?"
Harley's smile seems to brighten. "Best friends since we were fresh out the womb. Well, since he was fresh out the womb. He's like three years younger than us. But, yeah.. The three of us are like the Powerpuff Girls.. but, like, on cocaine."
Edward's lips part to release a low chuckle. Of course she'd use cocaine and a children's show in the same sentence.
She smiles, still staring at him. "So are you going to tell me the reason for all this?"
What does she mean by that? Her eyes lift to the fairy lights and her lips purse. He understands. But.. he truthfully doesn't know the answer. He watches her as he thinks for an answer.
The sun is beginning to dissipate below the horizon, the sky a brilliant color of pink and orange. Her vibrant eyes and gorgeous features glow in the coppery color of the sun.
Why am I here? Why.. His thought is immediately banished from his head. He needs answers.. not more questions.
The moon is already up, visible through the gauzy clouds. He looks up, wishing the sun wouldn't fade to night.
"What," Harley asks softly.
"Twilight, again," he whispers. "Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end."
She smiles softly and looks up to the sky. Her eyes fall and land on Edward. "An ending means nothing but a new beginning," she whispers softly.
His lips twitch slightly, threatening a smile. God, who even is she? Who am I talking to? Is it psychiatrist Harleen..? Reckless Harleen? The younger version of her Bella always talks to me about? There are no words to describe her.. much less the other versions of Harleen Frances Quinzel. She's confusing. She's unusual. She's difficult to understand. She's an enigma.
He sighs. He doesn't know what to say. "I brought you for a dance," he starts slowly, "because.. well, I guess because I don't want you to miss anything about tonight. I've noticed you like to live your life recklessly. You're the only person I've ever met who doesn't care about life.. And I fear that.. that way of living will take you away one day. And me being here will only strengthen that possibility. All I do is bring danger.. and chaos. I have seen it with Bella. Alice told me she's seen a shift coming. This is, in a way, my apologies in case if.. something bad happens to you because of me. I just want you and Bella to continue your lives as it would have if I'd died in nineteen-eighteen like I should have." That, and he doesn't want Bella's accident to repeat itself..
She trembles slightly, still staring at him. "I can take care of myself, Edward. I have so far, haven't I? I survived a bomb to the neck, a maximum prison facility, the death of the only person who ever saw me, I survived the freaking vampire apocalypse. Nothing will ever happen to me.. or Bella, because you will always be there to protect her. My feet are planted strong to the ground, Edward. The world will end before anything ever happens to me."
His lips curve into a half-smile at her believing she's invisible. "Everyone dies, Harleen."
"You didn't.."
"But, in a way, I have."
"Maybe," she whispers and gazes absently back up at the moon. Life... What even is it right now? Then a question pops in her head and her stomach begins to bubble with curiosity. "Will you tell me something?" She glances up at him.
"Anything," he responds.
"Does it hurt," she asks. "I mean, when you turned into a vampire.. Did it hurt?"
He stares into her eyes, reliving the moment. He nods after a while. "It was the most miserable pain I've ever felt. It was as if I was on fire, and was being burned alive."
She's meaning to ask something else, a tougher pill to swallow. "Will Bella be like you?"
He releases a deep sigh, showcasing how difficult this is for him. "Alice has seen it.. but I wouldn't wish for it. She doesn't deserve to be this, a monster."
This perks another question. "You think you're a monster?"
"I believe so," he answers with no hesitation.
"Well, I've seen monsters, and you don't look like them, Edward Cullen." Suddenly, her blush deepens to a scarlet red and she looks down, her fingers lightly tugging a piece of silk.
"Bella tells me the same thing," he whispers, desperately wanting to caress her cheek.
"Then you should believe it."
"Maybe," he responds shortly, coping her recent response.
They dance in comfortable silence, genuinely enjoying each other's company. Harley bites her lower lip and looks up at him, and him at her. There are no thoughts as they feel a magnetic force pull them together. Their lips caresses for the quickest of seconds, as a bright red stop sign pops in his mind.
His angel. His life. Bella.
And though Harleen's eyes are closed shut and she is prepared for what's to come, she feels a sudden shift as he moves his lips over her soft skin instead. He breathes softly at the corner of her jaw, letting the flavor of the strange toxins from her bloodstream burn down his throat.
"I'm sorry," he whispers. His regretful words aren't match his actions as he is slowly inching his lips down her neck. She trembles under his touch, unsure of what to do. He wants to bring their lips together fiercely, but he resists.
"It's okay," she whispers.
Her breathing begins to pick up, her heart pounding out a jagged rhythm. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the dead beaver sitting on the bench with piercing eyes, and instantly he understands.
It shouldn't be allowed. He is with Bella, and this is no more than lust and confusion with one's self. In this moment, he decides. Bella is the one he wants, his fate, his bloodsinger. Harley is but a fantasy he'd love to explore. Leaving Bella isn't an option. He needs her, and she needs him, too. All previous thoughts of getting closer to solving an enigma such as Harleen disappears, like someone popped a balloon.
"Harleen." His fingers lightly trace the shape of her lips. "I apologize deeply. I cannot follow through."
And she does the unexpected. She smiles gently under his fingertips. "Edward Cullen, you are the most cowardly vampire I have ever met in my entire life."
And he laughs. He laughs because she responded in a way he never expected. He laughs because she's a shock, a walking puzzle. He laughs because sometimes it seems as though she's the only one who can cause this reaction from him.
She watches quietly, smiling at his laughing form, though it stings. "So, we good?"
He nods his head, and her smile widens. And before he knows it, he is being pecked on the cheek. Her red lips press against his right cheek, a sign of no harm done. He silently wishes for more, quickly internally smacking himself for thinking such thoughts. He watches as she strides out the gazebo and yanks Bernie from his seat.
"Alright, come on," she groans like a mother would to her child. "I know, I know. You don't wanna leave, but we gotta. We got a big day tomorrow! I heard they're putting out a new episode of Dexter tomorrow."
Edward is leaned up against the gazebo with an amused smile on his face as he watches her argue with her dead beaver.
FIN