Silence Is a Virtue
Don't Apologise
I owe you an apology, Bella.
My hand was shaking as I looked up at him.
Edward, Edward, Edward.
I couldn't bring myself to reply. I drank in his appearance - his tousled bronze hair, the way it moved as he ran his hand through it. His green eyes, so deep I felt I could look into his mind, see his every thought. He was dressed simply, yet he still looked better than any male model I had ever seen, in a black shirt and a plain pair of jeans. He looked down at the notepad, then back at me. I pushed it towards him again, understanding there was more to say.
I reacted too quickly and too angrily. You didn't do anything wrong, and neither did your friend. I don't usually let people see when I'm angry, so it all just exploded, sort of, when you told me that your friend didn't want you around me. It seems now she's taken it back. He paused, looking up at me for a long moment. His eyes searched my face, and I bit my lip nervously. I'm sorry for what I did. You don't know how horrible I felt every day when you came into school and I saw how horribly broken you looked. I'm sorry for not apologising sooner. I'm sorry for hurting you so much, Bella. Please forgive me.
I gazed at him, and he gazed at me. He looked so truly guilty, I could tell he meant what he said. I nodded slightly, and smiled, though I could feel that it didn't reach my eyes.
"There's nothing to forgive." I whispered. He smiled in relief, closing his eyes and exhaling. He ran his hand through his hair again and opened his eyes, grinning at me. I smiled back, brighter this time. He stood up and walked around the table, holding out his hand to me. I looked at it, then at him, confused. He rolled his eyes and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. The current running through our hands was overwhelming, I stumbled as I stood up and my breath shot out of me. He quickly dropped my hand.
"Sorry..." I murmured, trying to catch my breath.
He smiled crookedly, not helping my breathlessness at all. His smile faded almost immediately, his expression changing. He looked wary, and tentative.
"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning up at him. He shook his head, looking down, then took my hand once more. I froze, looking down at our intertwined hands. He had stepped closer to me, and I could smell his delectable cologne. I inhaled deeply as I looked up at him. He smiled, still wary, and pulled me close to him in a slow but evidently desperate action.
In one split second, I lost my self-control and common sense, as I always did when I was around Edward, and I threw my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes so I could be closer to him. I buried my face into the crook of his neck, biting my lip in an attempt to stop myself from crying again.
I felt his arms snake around my waist and he pressed my body against his, his fingers tightening on the fabric of my sweater. Tears leaked from my eyes, despite my efforts, and I quickly withdrew one arm and wiped my tears away, not wanting to stain Edward's shirt. He made a small noise of discomfort and pulled me closer still, closing all space between us. We stood like that for a long time that wasn't long enough.
He pulled away, and I saw a single tear slip down his cheek. It worried me how much that one, small tear of his sent a shooting pain through my chest. I lifted my trembling hand and placed it gently on the side of his face, looking up at him with concern. Something sparked in his eyes as he stared into mine, and he pushed me backwards to the kitchen table until it bumped against my legs.
I looked up at him in alarm. I wasn't used to this side of Edward. His arms were tight around my waist, his eyes contained a heat, a determination that I hadn't seen before. My eyes dropped to his lips, which were trying to frame a word that would never escape. I frowned, my gaze fixed on his lips, trying my very best to read the word. After several seconds, my eyes widened, I froze, every muscle in my body jerking to a halt, except for my heart. He, too, froze in my arms, realising that I had understood. My cheeks flushed, my lip began wobbling, and fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Edward..." I whispered. He leaned his face towards mine, trying to hear my quiet, shaky voice.
My hand was shaking as I looked up at him.
Edward, Edward, Edward.
I couldn't bring myself to reply. I drank in his appearance - his tousled bronze hair, the way it moved as he ran his hand through it. His green eyes, so deep I felt I could look into his mind, see his every thought. He was dressed simply, yet he still looked better than any male model I had ever seen, in a black shirt and a plain pair of jeans. He looked down at the notepad, then back at me. I pushed it towards him again, understanding there was more to say.
I reacted too quickly and too angrily. You didn't do anything wrong, and neither did your friend. I don't usually let people see when I'm angry, so it all just exploded, sort of, when you told me that your friend didn't want you around me. It seems now she's taken it back. He paused, looking up at me for a long moment. His eyes searched my face, and I bit my lip nervously. I'm sorry for what I did. You don't know how horrible I felt every day when you came into school and I saw how horribly broken you looked. I'm sorry for not apologising sooner. I'm sorry for hurting you so much, Bella. Please forgive me.
I gazed at him, and he gazed at me. He looked so truly guilty, I could tell he meant what he said. I nodded slightly, and smiled, though I could feel that it didn't reach my eyes.
"There's nothing to forgive." I whispered. He smiled in relief, closing his eyes and exhaling. He ran his hand through his hair again and opened his eyes, grinning at me. I smiled back, brighter this time. He stood up and walked around the table, holding out his hand to me. I looked at it, then at him, confused. He rolled his eyes and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. The current running through our hands was overwhelming, I stumbled as I stood up and my breath shot out of me. He quickly dropped my hand.
"Sorry..." I murmured, trying to catch my breath.
He smiled crookedly, not helping my breathlessness at all. His smile faded almost immediately, his expression changing. He looked wary, and tentative.
"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning up at him. He shook his head, looking down, then took my hand once more. I froze, looking down at our intertwined hands. He had stepped closer to me, and I could smell his delectable cologne. I inhaled deeply as I looked up at him. He smiled, still wary, and pulled me close to him in a slow but evidently desperate action.
In one split second, I lost my self-control and common sense, as I always did when I was around Edward, and I threw my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes so I could be closer to him. I buried my face into the crook of his neck, biting my lip in an attempt to stop myself from crying again.
I felt his arms snake around my waist and he pressed my body against his, his fingers tightening on the fabric of my sweater. Tears leaked from my eyes, despite my efforts, and I quickly withdrew one arm and wiped my tears away, not wanting to stain Edward's shirt. He made a small noise of discomfort and pulled me closer still, closing all space between us. We stood like that for a long time that wasn't long enough.
He pulled away, and I saw a single tear slip down his cheek. It worried me how much that one, small tear of his sent a shooting pain through my chest. I lifted my trembling hand and placed it gently on the side of his face, looking up at him with concern. Something sparked in his eyes as he stared into mine, and he pushed me backwards to the kitchen table until it bumped against my legs.
I looked up at him in alarm. I wasn't used to this side of Edward. His arms were tight around my waist, his eyes contained a heat, a determination that I hadn't seen before. My eyes dropped to his lips, which were trying to frame a word that would never escape. I frowned, my gaze fixed on his lips, trying my very best to read the word. After several seconds, my eyes widened, I froze, every muscle in my body jerking to a halt, except for my heart. He, too, froze in my arms, realising that I had understood. My cheeks flushed, my lip began wobbling, and fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Edward..." I whispered. He leaned his face towards mine, trying to hear my quiet, shaky voice.