Sacrificial Lamb Chapter 11
BPOV
I got off Edward’s bed, our bed, and went to head back to the party. I opened the door without looking and plowed right into someone. “Oof!” Soft hands caught me before I could topple over. I looked up into the concerned blue eyes of my mother.
“Bella, are you okay?”
“Oh, of course, Mom, I was just calling Edward for a second.” Trying to get him to come rescue me, but you don’t need to know that.
My mom looked at me like she could see right through me; which, now that I think about it, she generally always could. “Bella, let’s talk for a minute, alright?”
“Sure.” I sat back on the bed and waited to hear what my mother had to say. She glanced around and took in all of Edward’s music and journals.
“This is a great room. He really is a collector, isn’t he? He’s got music older than me!” Oh, Mom, if you only knew.
“Yeah, Edward’s eclectic like that.”
Renee heaved a breath and sat down on the golden comforter next to me. “Bella, I’m sorry if I embarrassed you downstairs. I wasn’t trying to, you know. We’ve always been open about sex and I thought that sharing that story might make you less nervous about tomorrow, honestly.”
“But, Mom, can you see where it would be weird to hear about my parents going at it within moments after they met?” I mean, really, who wants to know that about their parents anyway?
She laughed. “Yes, I guess I wouldn’t want to hear my mother talk about my father that way either. It’s just that, here you are, almost nineteen years old and you’re getting married tomorrow, but that time with Charlie still feels like yesterday. It makes me feel young again to remember just how wild I could be; and just how different your father could be. He’s so controlled now. He grew up long before I did and that’s why we grew apart.”
I hadn’t ever really thought of their breakup like that. I guess I always assumed Charlie was the same Charlie that she married. “So Dad changed?”
“He had to, Bella. He had a wife and a child. He was always responsible, that never changed, it’s just that he tucked that wilder side away so he could concentrate on doing the right thing. It’s what he should have done; I just didn’t appreciate it at the time.” In all these years we’d never really talked about their divorce, though I knew they were opposites in every way. I guess it wasn’t always so.
“And, honey, that’s really why I wanted to share that story with you.”
“What do you mean, Mom?”
“I mean that you’re so like your father, so serious and so committed. It’s a wonderful trait and I’m glad you take after him on that front, but I really wanted to remind you to have some fun. Get wild with your husband while you have the chance. You’re young and you should roll around in the grass and have passionate sex.” Oh, Mom, I wish! Right now just getting him to make love to me will be a big accomplishment.
Something in my face must have alerted my mother to some of my thoughts, because she reached out and cupped my chin. “Bella, surely you know that Edward is crazy about you. It’s written all over his face every time he looks at you. You guys waited for a reason, one I definitely don’t understand but I can surely respect. Your first time will be beautiful, as it should be. While I have no regrets over the way your father and I came together, it was different for us, neither one of us were innocent. Just promise me that someday soon you’ll have some spectacular, spontaneous sex.”
I laughed, I couldn’t help myself. “Yes, I promise.” It’d have to wait until I was a vampire, but I would be sure to attack Edward any chance I got.
“Now I believe you have a party to attend, young lady.” Mom took my hand and pulled me to my feet. I groaned. “None of that, or I’ll tell another Charlie story.”
“Okay, okay! I’m putting on my party face, Mom.”
She laughed and gave me a quick hug. “Let’s go, I’m interested to hear if that snotty Jessica has any good stories to share.”
“Mom!”
“What, I don’t like the way she treats you.” My ever observant mother continues to see everything, hopefully that’s the only act she sees through tonight.
We headed back down the party where it appeared that Rose was just finishing up her own story. “And then the bed frame cracked and we rolled under the desk, upending that and causing everything to crash around us, including the computer. Of course my monkey man didn’t let that stop him.” Angela’s jaw was wide open and Jessica looked shell-shocked. Esme and Alice both just shrugged as they’d probably been there and experienced it themselves.
“Bella, there you are!” Alice beamed at me. “Story time is almost over, but maybe Jess has a story to share?” Everyone turned to look at Jessica to see if she had anything to impart.
“Me?”
“Yes, Jessica, you were having fun laughing at all our sex stories, surely you have something to tell.” Rosalie pinned her with a pointed stare. “Or are you all talk, no action? You walk around school acting like you’re some kind of hot piece, so let’s hear it.”
Jessica looked mortified. “Um, uh, I really don’t have anything remotely like that to share.”
“Oh really? So those rumors I heard about you and Mike Newton…” Rosalie was enjoying herself. She looked like the cat that ate the canary.
“What? What have you heard?”
“Come on, Jess, spit it out.” I almost felt sorry for her, she seemed quite agitated. She wouldn’t look any of us in the eye and she kept clenching her fists.
“Look, Rosalie, if she doesn’t want to share she doesn’t have to. We can do something else. There’s cake and presents, right?” That was a first, me asking for presents, but I wanted to take some heat off Jessica.
I guess she didn’t appreciate my help, though, because she pinned me with a hot glare. Her brown eyes bore into mine and she sniped, “No, Bella, it’s okay; you should know what first time sex really is like.” Uh oh. “It’s not hot times by the lake or bed breaking. It hurts and it’s over quick and it’s really not fun, if you must know.” What was I supposed to say to that?
“Hmm, well it’s really all about your partner. Guess you just chose badly.” God, Rosalie was evil. Funny, but evil.
“Um, sorry, Jessica?” It came out sounding like a question and I wasn’t sure what I was sorry about; Rose’s treatment of her or bad sex with Mike Newton? I really didn’t want to think about the latter though. Now I had a new worry. Was it going to be really bad with me and Edward? We were both virgins after all.
Esme, ever the peacemaker, came and sat next to me. “Don’t worry, Bella. Everyone’s first time is different.” She looked around the room. “Carlisle wasn’t my first husband. I was a child bride prior to meeting him. It was an arranged marriage and we didn’t really know each other well. I can’t lie and say the sex was something I enjoyed or wanted at that time; it was more just a chore that I did.” She squeezed my hand. “But after I lost my husband, I met Carlisle. Our first time was magical. He was gentle and loving and kind. He was everything. The sex act itself was no different, but the feelings and love behind it made everything wonderful and new. I have no doubt that’s how it will be with you and Edward, because you share a special kind of love that few people find.”
Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over. “Thank you, Esme,” I whispered. “Even though we’re both inexperienced, I can’t help but feel it will be right, just like you said.” I did feel that way. I was nervous, of course, but I knew being with Edward would be a dream come true.
“Time for presents!” Alice’s timing was impeccable, as always. I had to stifle the urge to run as she brought over package after package.
“Alice, there are only a few of us here, why do I have twenty gifts?”
“Silly Bella, you know I wasn’t going to get you just one thing!” Of course not, this was Alice we were talking about. I should be glad she didn’t get me more.
“Alright, bring it on.” Best to get it over with. The majority of the packages were lingerie. Bag after bag of fancy French lingerie that I didn’t think I could even figure how to put on, if I were going to wear them, which I wasn’t. “Alice, this is see-through!” I hissed as I took in some beige nightie that looked like it was made out of fish net.
“Well duh, Bella, it’s supposed to be.”
“Why put it on if you can see through it?” I really found that concept baffling.
Alice glared at me. “He’ll like it, just trust me on that.” Oh man, she’d seen me in this thing in one of her visions? That was just too much.
“I’m not wearing it.”
I pictured myself throwing it away. Alice must have seen that because she shrieked, “Bella Swan, you will not throw away a Jean LeClerc nightie!”
“Alright, alright, I won’t throw it away.” Nor will I wear it. She seemed appeased though, because she stopped yelling at me.
I opened up the next package, a gift from my mother. Now this was more like it. It was a pretty blue baby doll nightgown. It was on the short side but it wasn’t see-through and it actually covered everything. It was quite beautiful. “Oh mom, I love it.”
“I thought maybe you could wear it on your wedding night. Alice told me that blue was Edward’s favorite color on you.” I tried to picture his face when he saw me in it but I really wasn’t sure how he’d react. I think he’d like it though.
Alice handed me another package. “This is from Rosalie.” Oh, Lord, Rosalie got me a present? This couldn’t be good. I ripped into it and felt the tell-tale blush spread across my face. She’d gotten me a big blue 8” vibrator. I didn’t even know what to say, if I had any words at all.
“Just in case brother dear doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Rosalie purred at me. “And blue is his favorite color on you, after all.” With that, I lost it. I laughed for about ten minutes straight. It was humiliating but hilarious and I couldn’t help myself. Everybody joined in with me though.
Once the laughter died down I continued opening my presents. Jessica and Angela had gotten me some bath and body lotions and Esme got me another pretty white nightgown, satin that flowed all the way to the floor. At least I had a few new things that I’d be comfortable wearing, unlike the atrocities Alice had saddled me with. A red leather bustier? Really?
“Thanks everyone, really, these are great.” Alice passed out the cake and we all sat around eating, or pretending to eat in the case of the vampires.
We finished with our cake and suddenly Alice’s head shot up and she said “They’re back!” The men had returned. Before I could stand up Edward was next to me.
“Hello, love, did you have a good time?”
“Actually I did, I got some lovely gifts…”
“Which he will get to see at a later time,” Alice interrupted, stowing the gifts back in their bags.
Edward just smiled his heart stopping grin. “I’ll look forward to that, then. If you ladies don’t mind, I’d like to borrow my bride for a few minutes.”
“Edward!” Alice’s voice held a warning.
“Alice, it’s 11:12, I have 47 minutes before I have to return her and be out of the house. I know your rules.”
“Well, alright then.” At Alice’s acquiescence, Edward swept me up and carried me up the stairs bridal style.
“I think you’re a day early for this,” I reminded him.
“Practice makes perfect, Bella.”
“Ha, we have plenty of practice of you hauling me around, but if you’d like to practice something else…”
He deposited me back on the bed and shook his head at me. “Let’s not go there right now. I believe we have some gifts to exchange?”
“Ugh, more presents.”
“Love, you promised. This is important.” He was right, I did. Plus I was pretty excited to give him my gift.
“Okay, can I give you yours first?” He nodded. I handed him the gift bag. “Tell me about your night, how was it?”
Edward rolled his eyes. “Emmett had fun playing the horny human teenager. He kept yelling at the girls to take it all off. Of course, then he informed all of us that Rosalie was hotter than all of the girls there put together.” I laughed. “He and Jasper thought it would be fun to embarrass me by ordering me lap dances but I refused every time, gave them to your father and Phil.”
Oh, ick. “Uh, not an image I needed!”
He grinned. “They had a good time, at least.”
“That’s good, I guess. Now open your present.” He made quick work of the shiny blue paper and flipped open the box. He lifted up the pocket watch and flipped it over, reading the inscription and seeing the date.
“Bella, it’s wonderful. You couldn’t have found anything better. Is it really from 1918?”
“Yes, from the year you changed, which brought you to me. I had to get it for you.”
“I love it, truly.” He leaned over and kissed me softly. “Now, your turn!”
He handed me two square packages. “Two?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“They go together and before you start, they’re not expensive at all.” He knew me so well.
I opened the larger package first and found an engraved journal. Breaking Dawn by Isabella & Edward Cullen. It was beautiful, green leather with gold writing. I flipped it open and found page after page in Edward’s perfect flowing script.
It was a day like any other in Forks, rainy and cold, even for March. The school was buzzing about the presence of a new girl, Isabella Swan. I looked over at Edward. “What is this, exactly?” I knew what it was but I wanted to know what it meant to him.
“It’s a journal documenting our story. I wrote my version and there’s plenty of space there for you to write yours.”
“It’s lovely. How did you think of it?” I really wanted to ask why, because I suspected his answer would be the best gift he could give me.
He looked uncomfortable and ran his hand through his perpetually messy hair. “It’s just, when you change, you’ll still have your human memories but they won’t be as sharp as they are now, so I wanted to write everything I could down for you. That way you can go back and read it when you need to remember.” There it was. He was really and truly accepting of my change. He may not like it but he was going to do it anyway.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you, Edward.” I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing if I tried. He reached over and wiped them away with his cool fingers. “It means the world to me that you would give me our memories for a present.”
He smiled and brushed the last tear away. “Open the other one.” I ripped into that and it was another journal, just titled Bella’s Childhood. I flipped it open and saw more of Edward’s writing, documenting the stories he’d been begging me for night after night. He’d put all my mishaps and memories down there for me to get to any time I needed them. “Again, there are a lot of blank pages so you can jot down anything we didn’t discuss yet or whatever you want, really.”
I stood up and threw my arms around him. “These are the best gifts I could ever ask for. Thank you, Edward.” I kissed him, harder than he usually allowed but he wasn’t about to stop me in this moment. We melted into one another.
“Edwardddddddddddd” came the shout from downstairs. “Time!” He groaned and pulled away from me. We both glanced at the clock and saw that it was 11:57 PM now.
“Alice has the worst timing, ever.” I grumbled.
“That she does, love, but I did make her a promise. Next time I see you, you’ll be walking down the aisle. I can’t wait.” He was so excited and truthfully so was I. Seeing him waiting for me in a tux would be quite a treat.
I kissed him one more time. “I’ll see you at the altar.” He flashed me his special smile and got out of the house before Alice could start yelling at him anymore.
Awesome chapter. There was humor, fun, but also some very sweet moments between Edward and Bella.
Loved Rose’s gift. Hilarious…and very much like her! I was happy to see you gave Renee a moment with Bella to have a heart to heart. I know you aren’t her biggest fan. I liked their interaction a lot. I also liked that you made Jessica so uncomfortable. She totally deserves that.
But, most I loved the short moment that B an E shared. Gifts were awesome! I can’t wait for their wedding.
Hee…and of course Rose’s gift was blue since that was Edward’s favorite color on her! Yeah I figured that was pretty fitting. Of course now I may actually have to write the use of it in later, which was not my wisest move! haha
Glad you liked the Renee thing, I had to soften the interaction after the last chapter a bit and touch into their friendship. You haven’t seen the last of Renee…I have given her my single funniest moment I’ve ever written, chapter 15. You’ll die!
I had fun making Jessica uncomfortable and giving her bad sex with Newton. It was the least I could do.
Wedding itself is chapter 14, our next chapter is wedding day prep with the boys taking orders from the tiny terror known as Alice! Glad you liked!
See! Rose is a brilliant at giving gifts. I don’t understand why people rely so much on Alice and her sight while Rose can do the same without any supernatural help! That’s one exclamation mark too much but I don’t care.
Hee…there’s another potential outtake. Gift shopping with Rose! Don’t worry, I’m a big exclaimer myself.