TUS - Chapter Ten: Labyrinth

I tried to understand the sensation as I glided my fingertips across my bottom lip. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It definitely felt like an electrical current or something of equal power, but it wasn't painful. On the contrary, it was warm and intoxicating, like heated silk whispering along my skin. How I managed to feel that by sharing a touch with someone was beyond me.
Edward's gasp interrupted my reverie, so I glanced up, meeting shocked eyes. I instantly froze, terrified that whatever happened between us in that touch would set him back, that I'd lose the ground I'd gained with him. "I'm…uh…sorry." I ended up blurting out the first thing that came to mind, and it certainly wasn't that articulate.
Apologizing may not have been the right approach, but it wasn't as if I really knew what other approach to take. I was flying completely blind here. But my apology didn't seem to ease his tension, so I took a deep breath, doing the one thing I could think of; I told him the truth…sort of. "It's okay, Edward, that was just a static shock. It happens sometimes when people touch each other or touch something metal. It happens to me every now and then when I grab onto a door knob." He seemed to ease moderately, but there was something that passed within his eyes, something fleeting that I couldn't name, but my heart definitely reacted to.
I went on to explain further, I think more now for my benefit than his. I needed something to distract my racing heart and my thoughts from questioning my reaction. "Sometimes certain clothing you wear are good conductors of electricity, and you end up getting shocked when you touch someone or something. I know the subject is pretty drab, but-" I paused, chuckling uneasily. "I'm rambling on again, aren't I?" He simply stared at me.
I briefly met his gaze before shifting my attention to my watch; it was now just after seven. "Edward," I sighed as I glanced back up to his face. "I have to go, but I'll be back the same time in the morning, okay?" His only response was a nod, solidifying that he was done talking. I made sure everything was tucked away in my bag then made my way toward the doorway, pausing just over the threshold. "Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then."
He nodded once more, and I left, feeling a bit despondent that I wouldn't hear his voice beforehand.
When I arrived home, just entering through the front door, I heard Emmett yell from the kitchen, "Dad, where's the rest of the leftover lasagna? There was still some this morning before I left."
I nervously bit my lip as I faced the door, closing it softly to camouflage that I was home, but unfortunately for me, Charlie was heading into the kitchen at the same time.
"Hey, kiddo, are you sneaking in?" he asked in a sort of hmph/chuckle.
I jumped, abruptly turning around and placing my hand over my heart. "My God, Dad," I breathed out. "Don't do that, you scared me."
He furrowed his brows. "I was just walking into the kitchen, Bells, and I wasn't even doing it quietly. What's got you so on edge? Are you okay?" I knew the look upon his face very well, the one that said, "Something's up".
"I'm fine and nothing has me on edge, I was just a little lost in thought and didn't hear you."
"What were you thinking about?"
"It's nothing in particular," I said, giving him a small smile. What was wrong with me?
"Bella," he warned. "I know you better than that. What's going on? Did something happen at the hospital?" His voice changed, laced with underlying anger.
I immediately started toward the kitchen with Charlie in tow, acting as nonchalant as I could even though I was now blushing like I'd been caught red-handed doing something I shouldn't. "Seriously, Dad, it was really nothing. Just because I'd been in deep thought and got startled out of it doesn't mean anything happened. Why do you always assume that?"
Get yourself in check, Bella, or he'll see right through you. It's his job, what he's good at.
I knew why I was seemingly transparent, why my guard was down a fraction - it was all because of what happened between Edward and me. Because of that, because it was obviously affecting me for whatever reason, I was slipping up, but I needed to get a handle on myself quickly. Charlie was way too smart for my own good, and I was definitely acting suspicious.
I stopped at the kitchen table, placing my tote bag on one of the chairs, and turned around, facing Charlie and his incredulous gaze. Emmett was rummaging through the fridge, mumbling under his breath. He pivoted around on his heels as soon as he heard me. "Hey, do you know where that-" he paused as he looked between Charlie and me, the tension palpable. "What's going on?"
I placed my hand on my hip, forcing a playful smile upon my face. "Nothing's going on but Dad being in cop mode."
"That's not what this is, Bella, and you know it."
"Dad, you worry too much," I teased
"You're my daughter, so I can't help but worry about you. And you working in that place, then coming home acting strange, I-"
"I'm honestly fine, Dad," I interrupted, softening my tone further while forcing myself to make eye contact. "And I wasn't acting strange. There's really nothing going on, I'm just tired. I did work all day, remember?" I lifted an eyebrow. "I just think you see more than there is because I'm working at that hospital, and you don't like it. You're blowing me being startled, which is something that happens to a lot of people, way out of proportion and making something out of nothing. I promise, if anything bad happened to me, or there was something that upset me, I would tell you," I assured him.
"You're sure?" he asked.
I nodded, smiling. "Dad, you know me, you know how lost in thought I get; especially when I'm tired."
"She's right, Dad," Emmett chimed in. "She's really easy to sneak up on. I've done it more times than I can count. She can't help she's a scatterbrain."
My head snapped in his direction. "Thanks, Emmett," I said through gritted teeth.
"No problem, sis." He winked at me, and I realized he was deliberately deterring Charlie. Why, I wasn't sure, but I appreciated it all the same.
"Yeah, I guess so," Charlie agreed, shrugging. "I just worry about you being there, and I guess I get a little worked up because of what happened to you."
"I know, Dad." I cleared my throat, then sighed. "Alright, why don't you go sit down and I'll make you some dinner."
"Thank God." Emmett plopped his oversized body down on one of the kitchen chairs, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm starved."
I chuckled to myself, knowing that if it hadn't been for me, those two would be living off Hungry-Man meals.
After we finished eating, - more like they finished eating because I wasn't really hungry - Charlie, Emmett and I ended up watching Robocop on the flat screen. It wasn't exactly what I considered an entertaining evening, but I sat through it for Charlie. When the movie finished, I excused myself to bed. Charlie made sure to remind me that I was supposed to call Alice. I, of course, felt guilty afterward because she and I had spent so little time together lately, but I assured him I would before falling asleep.
I showered and changed into some comfortable pajamas before settling under my comforter and calling Alice. No sooner had she answered – after the second ring, I might add – she was reading me the riot act. "I've called your cell I don't know how many times today, Bella, but you never answer, and then you wait until late to call me back. You always used to answer. It's like you just don't want to talk to me anymore."
I couldn't very well talk to her while I was with Edward because he certainly garnered all my attention, and she didn't know about him anyway, but it wasn't as if I had service down in the boiler room. I couldn't tell her about Edward, so I settled for the latter. "That's not it, Alice. I don't get reception through most of the hospital. I'm sorry, okay?"
"You seem to be there an awful lot these days."
"I work there, so that's kind of expected."
"I know that, I just…I miss you, Bella, and I wanted to talk to you, tell you about my day."
"I miss you too, Alice. I'm not trying to avoid you, I promise. I just stay very busy working there," I explained. I could hear her sighing on the other end. "I don't wanna fight, Al. I'm sorry I haven't been around much, but I'm here now, okay? So what did you want to tell me?" She sighed again. "Alice," I coaxed in a playful tone. "You know you wanna tell me."
She giggled. "I can't stay mad at you, you know that?" We both laughed, and she proceeded to tell me about her lunch date with Jasper, how he finally kissed her, and how her lips tingled afterward. Of course, this got me thinking about Edward and the way I felt when our fingers touched. I realized swiftly that was a thought I didn't need to be ideating, so I forced myself not to think about it and just listen to Alice.
By the time our conversation ended, two things occurred; I was completely exhausted – both mentally and physically - and I did in fact learn how her entire day went. I finally hung up the phone, but not before being made to promise that we'd do something together over the weekend, and settled into bed.
I'd just started falling asleep when I heard a knock at my door, then it partially opening. "Bella, can I come in for a sec?"
I rubbed at my eyes, grinding out the sleep. "Yeah, Emmett, come in."
"Sorry," he whispered. "I know you were sleeping, I'll only take a minute."
"What is it?" I may have come off agitated, and to be honest, I was. I was tired, and all I wanted to be doing right now was sleeping.
"I wanted to talk to you about earlier, about what happened between you and Dad."
Not only did he have bad timing for conversation, but he brought up a topic I was anxious about discussing too. I was hoping what happened earlier was long forgotten. "I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told dad, nothing is-"
"Bella," he interjected. His expression and tone were so serious, I actually felt panic settle in my bones. "I know what's going on. I know what you're hiding."
I felt like someone had just punched me in the chest while stealing away the air I needed to breathe. How could he know? How did he find out? What did this mean for Edward now? "I…I-"
"It's okay, I won't tell Dad or anything. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Bella, so I'm not sure why you think you need to hide it." He sat down on the bed beside me, and actually patted my leg like I was a little child needing reassurance. "These things do happen."
"Are you…are you serious?" I questioned incredulously, my voice rising with the question. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You act like that is normal." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Why are you laughing?" I growled. "It's not funny."
"I realize it's new to you," he laughed. "But you aren't the first person to have a crush on someone."
"I can't-" My words caught in the back of my throat just as my brain finally understood the crazy he was speaking. "Wait, what?"
"I take that back," he smirked. "Crushing on Mike Newton isn't normal, but who am I to judge?"
I may have vomited a little in my mouth while my ears tried to curl up inside my head so I'd go deaf. "Whoa, hold up there, big fella. What makes you think I have a crush on…" I had to swallow against the bile just saying his name, "Mike Newton."
His smile faded. "You don't? I mean, he said that he believed you were interested because of the way you looked at him, and he thought he'd seen your truck pass his house a few times in the evening, so I-"
"Of course I pass his house, Emmett." I cut him off. "He lives on the main highway."
"So you don't have a crush on him then?" he asked. "Then why would Dad-"
"Okay," I admitted quickly. It was either allow him to believe I actually liked Mike Newton, or give him a reason to question me further, and I wasn't willing to do that, not when the cost was Edward. I had to silently plead with God to keep me from hurling before I finished speaking. "You caught me, you know my secret now. I have a crush on Mike. I…uh…can't help it, he's just so hot." My stomach was now turning. "Please don't say anything, though, because I'm not ready to be outed yet."
"I won't say anything," he promised. "But you really need to stop driving past his house like a crazy person. People might constitute that as stalking, Bella."
"Right, I'll just drive through the forest next time I go to and from the hospital," I mumbled sarcastically.
"What's that?"
"Oh, I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but it'll be hard to do. He's like a magnet, he just draws me right in." I tried to appear lovesick, but hiding the fact that I was actually cringing wasn't that simple. "But…uh…thanks for the advice, Emmett."
"Yeah, you're welcome." He sniffled a little as he threw his shoulders back, appearing smug. I imagined he was probably mentally fistpumping himself, or at the very least, giving himself a virtual pat on the back. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to sleep. Goodnight, Bella."
"Goodnight, Emmett."
With my stomach now aggravated and my brain feeling like it trekked through a maze today, I was positive sleep was not something I'd achieve much of.
When I arrived at the hospital, I didn't see Marcus anywhere around - though I didn't actually go looking for him either. So I headed down to the boiler room and left the chicken and dumplings I prepared for him as lunch on his workbench with a little note, telling him that despite the fact that he'd asked me to stop bringing him food, I couldn't in great conscious leave him to eat sandwiches or greasy fast food while Edward and I enjoyed a home cooked meal. And once I secured the note to the plastic food container, I made my way to Edward.
Edward had surprised me many times before, and I suppose I should have been more acclimated to that happening again, but when I walked inside that room, seeing him seated against his wall, eyes closed while listening to my iPod, my heart nearly burst in my chest. I was so proud. It wasn't a smug proud, it was an "Oh, my God, you amaze me" proud.
I had no idea if he'd actually listen to it, but that was the purpose in leaving it with him, to give him something to keep him entertained and feel a part of. He'd be a part of the music and that would hopefully help drown out whatever plagued him when I couldn't be there to help do that for him. I know music certainly helped me when I was somber.
I could have stood there watching him that way all day, and I would have if he hadn't noticed me. But the moment he did, he pulled the earbuds from his ears, his eyes drifting up to meet mine. "Hey." I swallowed against the emotion building in my throat. "I'm glad you were listening to it." I pointed to the iPod; he was still holding it within his hand. "Did you like it?"
He stared at me for a moment then nodded, whispering, "I did."
"I have a lot of songs on there," I told him as I sat down, back pressed against the wall, tote bag settled beside me. "I like all different genres." I watched his gaze fall from me to the iPod. "I don't know how long you listened to it, so the battery may need to be charged, but I could do that for you and then bring it back."
He once again made eye contact, and I smiled. "Okay."
He slowly moved forward, pushing his arm out toward me, then suddenly stopped, pulling back a few inches. He glanced between me and his hand, and I couldn't help but wonder if what happened yesterday made him a little weary about having any more physical contact with me. "Edward, you don't have to hand it to me, okay? You can toss it or slide it over to me." Sliding it would obviously scratch it, considering the ground was cement, but I'd deal. I was looking at the bigger picture, and Edward being comfortable was more important.
He shook his head.
"It's okay," I assured him. "I don't want you to do something you aren't comfortable with. And if you're not comfortable with handing it to me, then-"
"No," he whispered, shaking his head, effectively ending my words. "Take it….Bella"
He leaned forward even more, sticking his arm out again, but his eyes were focused on the iPod within his hand, and I could see the appreciation he held for it. That appreciation was what led him to move toward me. I eased my body forward and, when I was in arm's length of him, I reached out, wrapping my fingers around the iPod. Once again, the sensation coursed through my fingertips, traveling through my body until it stopped at the nerve endings in my toes, bursting into little starbursts of warmth.
Edward inhaled sharply, exhaling his words on a jagged breath, "So warm."
He felt it too, and it was obviously more than just static shock. That was no longer an explanation I could factor into what was happening. I couldn't even be sure what was happening or why it was happening now. Did this mean we had some kind of a connection? Was I meant to save him all along?