
If you'd like to be included in next week's post, please e-mail your Teaser, Chapter # and Link to teaser@fictionators.com or via our new web form no later than Sunday evening by Midnight... There are no restrictions, if you have something you want to tease, we're happy to share it with our readers (we ask that you keep it under 500 words, though). Teasers will be listed in alphabetical order according to the name of the fic.
There seems to be some confusion on teasers, please remember that if it is already posted, we will not post a teaser. These are for unpublished chapters/one-shots or stories only. If your teaser is missing from the list that's posted, this is the reason.
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So are you ready? Here they are...
Chapter 16 of A Labor of Love by lizconno
Chapter 28 of A Litany At Dusk by duskwatcher2153
Chapter 9 of Absolucion by gkkstitch
Chapter 4 of Accused by bqotfu
Chapter 6 of Ashen Skies, A Tainted Genocie by QuestionXisting
Chapter 17 of Bad Habit: Book One by AmeryMarie
Chapter 4 of Battle between Love and Morals by LoveLaPerla
Chapter 6 of Beautiful Stranger by NJNYTwiGals
Chapter 20 of Behind The Clouds by EchoesOfTwilight
Chapter 3 of Bittersweet Irony by SweetVenom69
Chapter 2 of Bubblegum Pop by AzureEyedI
Chapter 13 of Cat O' Nine Tails by booboo.kitty2.0
Chapter 2 of Coming Home by HookaShewz
Chapter 15 of Dark Games & Twisted Minds by katinki
Chapter 16 of Dead Confederates by goldenmeadow
Chapter 6 of Decadence by EscapingGreatly
Chapter 9 of Desired by mcc101180
Chapter 22 of Devil's Angel by ObsessingOverEdward
Chapter 12 of Evading Edward by VampiresHaveLaws
Chapter 11 of Fighting for Love by LexyW
Chapter 6 of Friendly Discontentment by Manderbetis
Chapter 20 of Girl with a Red Umbrella by spanglemaker9 and justaskalice
Chapter 12 of Give Me A Reason To Live by rachelcullen77
Chapter 4 of Gloaming by Readingmama
Chapter 3 of Here, There and Everywhere by LightStarDusting
Chapter 18 of Hold On by todream
Chapter 7 of Homecoming by dont_run
Chapter 15 of Homecomings by Smishli
Chapter 3 of I Wept Not by ArcadianMaggie
Chapter 29 of In Pursuit of Normalcy by KariAnn
Chapter 5 of Innocence Is Dripping Red by EchoesOfTwilight
Chapter 2 of Interviews & Evaluations by Writing4Roses
Chapter 2 of Leave the Pieces by heather dawn
Chapter 17 of Life Flights by if only
Chapter 11 of Life Is Okay by bnjwl
Chapter 4 of Music of My Soul by Addicted to Edward
Chapter 38 of Near You Always by ebalways
Chapter 20 of No Place Like Home by tellingmelies
Chapter 11 of Not Just A Girl by emg78
Chapter 20 of Over, Under & Through by StupidSuckedinReader
Chapter 9 of Punch Me, Love Me, Save Me by ericastwilight and emerald_rosalie
Chapter 27 of Reunion by KeepersoftheNaughtySparkle
Chapter 30 of Reviving Fireflies by greeen goldfish
Chapter 25 of Running Home by twitina
Chapter 33 of Sacrificial Lamb by Nolebucgrl
Chapter 1 of Saints and Sinners by evieeden
Chapter 22 of Since You Been Gone by Dennycullenlutz
Chapter 5 of Smoking in the Boys' Room by CorrinaTFF
Chapter 9 of Something Wicked This Way Comes by Serendipitydooda
Chapter 10 of Stolen Singer by nerac
Chapter 29 of Stripped by reagan o'connor
Chapter 6 of Take a Little Trip by KristenLynn
Chapter 3 of Taste of Innocence by Nolebucgrl
Chapter 7 of The Bottom Line by StupidSuckedinReader
Chapter 3 of The Diner by Jessypt
Chapter 13 of The First Breath by LaViePastiche & ElleCC
Chapter 14 of Ultio by 22blue & mac214
Chapter 27 of Volition by Rochelle Allison
Chapter 23 of Waiting for Dr. Right by vickitori303
Chapter 2 of Washington & Thirteenth Street by Miztrezboo
Chapter 10 of Where The Road Meets The Sun by Miztrezboo
Chapter 17 of Where There's Smoke by NJNYTwiGals
Chapter 25 of Work in Progress by araeo
Chapter 19 of Yeah, You by marvar
Chapter 16 of A Labor of Love by lizconno
Jazzy and I stood in the doorway watching Bella trip her way to Edward’s SUV. The second the car left our sights, I kissed Jasper on the cheek and returned to the living room.
"What do you think you’re doing?" he asked with an accusing tone.
"Those two belong together. I’m just doing what I think I need to do to help them realize it."
He sighed and plopped down onto the couch waiting for the proverbial shit to hit the fan. Although he trusted me, he didn’t expect my conniving to go as smoothly as it always did. I grabbed the phone, ready to put my plans into motion.
Chapter 28 of A Litany At Dusk by duskwatcher2153
"I was so sure you had already turned her," Rosalie said to me when Bella was beyond the reach of our voices. "Then we’d really be fucked."
"I can hardly stand smelling her; you really think I’d have the control to turn her?" I asked bitterly. If I'd felt it was a viable option, I would have considered it.
"Looks like you were doing more than smelling her when we arrived," Jasper said as he and Alice joined us.
"Is that so?" Emmett asked, grinning and looking at me with eyebrows raised.
"So what is your plan?" Carlisle asked. "If she won’t be turned."
Good for her, Rosalie thought, her chin jutted slightly, knowing I would hear.
"I don’t know," I said, shooting Rosalie a look. "She’s going to need some kind of protection."
Chapter 9 of Absolucion by gkkstitch
Edward.
Bella's voice in his mind reached him as if she were standing next to him. Midnight! In a blink of an eye he was standing in their bedroom door. The sight that greeted him stunned him into immobility.
Bella was standing at the window looking out at the dark yard. Only the light on the bedside table was on. Her hair fell over her bare shoulders in waves. Her eyes met his in the reflection of the window. She had prepared for him, prepared for their time together. She was nude.
He took a deep breath to sigh. Instead, he was destroyed by her scent as he breathed in. He could taste her on the air. Edward tensed, fighting to control himself. The tether that always connected them snapped taught, vibrating between them.
Bella felt it, too. Arcs of static raced between them. Even through the reflection of the dark glass of their bedroom window she could see Edward's eyes turn black. She could not look away from them to see if her own eyes were the same, but assumed they were by judging the change in his demeanor. He reached up with one hand and tugged at his shirt, pulling the top fastener free with a pop as if it were held by a snap and not a small black button. There was tiny pinging sound as the button flew across the room and hit the mirror above their dresser.
Chapter 4 of Accused by bqotfu
"Let me start off with some background. My father, James L. Hale, is an attorney. He began over thirty years ago as a prosecutor and then a defense attorney. After one of his defendants was wrongly convicted, he dedicated himself to this work. We get hundreds of letters a year from inmates asking us to review their cases. Mostly convicts with extremely long sentences, in which DNA evidence was not available when they were convicted."
"Does that mean you can't take our case?" Alice asked in a defeated tone.
"No, that is not what I mean, but your family does need to understand how this will affect you."
"Continue," Carlisle replied.
"This case will be a rarity, because Dr. Edward Cullen was convicted with DNA evidence."
"He didn't do it!" Alice jumped out of her seat in protest, slamming the palm of her right hand against the table top.
"Alice, correct?" Rosalie asked, assuring herself that she remembered the names of each of the family members.
"Yes," Alice answered, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
"That is your belief, but you must understand that the evidence says otherwise."
"But," Alice began to interrupt but Rosalie held up her hand up and Alice sighed, sinking into the cushion below her.
"However, my father and I will be unbiased. But I must be bluntly honest with all of you because there is no other way to say this," Rosalie began, making eye-contact with each of them, "you need to be prepared for the possibility that he did commit this act."
Chapter 6 of Ashen Skies, A Tainted Genocie by QuestionXisting
An unexpected expression of compassion from a total stranger, kept me entranced well into the night. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had experience such a surprising act of kindness. I was almost ready to restore my faith in humanity, but Edward Cullen was only one man. He couldn’t and wouldn’t fix the world.
Anyways I was faithless, and I was lost under the surface, nothing and no one would be able to pull me back up. I was quickly learning to accept this.
I just wanted to disappear.
Chapter 17 of Bad Habit: Book One by AmeryMarie
What the fuck was she doing here?
That was the only thought in my head when I saw her. As if she was Medusa, she caught my eye and I turned to stone under her gorgon’s gaze. Unable to move or get out of the way of the wrecking ball that she was…and then she was hurtling towards me, and it was too late. She slammed into me with the force of a…well, of a fucking wrecking ball, destroying everything in her path on the way. Immobilized, the soul-sucking creature…the succubus...wrapped her arms around my neck and suction cupped herself to my lips.
This could not be real, it could not be happening.
I closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them she wouldn’t be the one clinging to me, but she was. I looked towards the door, part of me hoping Bella wouldn’t be there and part—the selfish part—hoping she was, simply because I craved her nearness…yeah, I already said I was a selfish motherfucker. Either way, it was the wrong thing to do. Our eyes met, locked, and…I can’t even describe what the sight of her standing by the door looking as if she had just been kicked in the guts—worse than that, really—did to me. All the times I had hurt that girl over the years—too many fucking times, honestly, and it made me fucking sick to think about it—and I had never seen her look the way she did as she watched Tanya molest me.
Chapter 4 of Battle between Love and Morals by LoveLaPerla
I shrugged. "I've got a job. I'll be cooking for our neighbor."
Alice's eyes widened. "Newton?"
I snorted. "Sure, I'm willing to spend more time than absolutely necessary with Mike." Sarcasm was dripping from every single of my words, and Alice giggled at my tone. I shook my head after a moment. "No, I'm working for our new neighbor."
"Dr. Cullen?" Alice's eyes lit up and she sat up a bit straighter, as if I was going to reveal some big secret to her any moment.
I raised my eyes at her quizzically.
She grinned, twirling her drinking straw around her index finger. "Half of Forks is talking about the new Doc. You know how my mother loves to gossip-"
I nodded. Everyone in town knew that Mrs. Brandon was addicted to gossip. I was glad that Alice hadn't taken after her in that regard. "And?"
"My mother said that most of Forks' single ladies have an eye on him."
"He's married," I reminded her, though I tended to ignore that little fact as well.
Alice grinned widely and rested her chin on her hand that she'd propped up on the table. "But his wife hasn't been in town ever since they moved here. That's strange, isn't it? Let's just say the women in Forks have high hopes to become the second Mrs. Cullen." She giggled and shook her head in amusement.
I glared at my water, not at all liking the thought of other women chasing Edward.
"And is he as handsome as my mother claims him to be?" Alice was in chatter mode obviously and I rather felt like sitting in a corner and ponder about what I'd heard.
I shrugged. "He's handsome, I guess." That's the understatement of the year, Bella, and you know it.
A thought crossed my mind and I leaned forward slightly, closer to Alice. She perked up instantly, obviously curious. "Do you know how old he is?"
Alice smirked, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Why? Have you set your sight on him?"
I rolled my eyes but I felt my face heat. I knew Alice was only joking but her suggestion hit too close to home for my comfort. "So, do you know how old he is?" I repeated my question.
Alice took a sip from her orange juice and shrugged one shoulder. "I think my mother said he's twenty-seven."
Chapter 6 of Beautiful Stranger by NJNYTwiGals
"Oh Lauren," I said, stopping her, "I’m actually glad I ran into you. I have been meaning to discuss something with you all night."
"Is that so? What can I help you with, Bella?"
"Well I was talking to Kate tonight when I dropped my daughter off with the babysitter and she is under the impression that you don’t like her."
"Where would she ever get that idea?" she asked as she looked at her perfectly manicured nails.
"I don’t know, why don’t you tell me," I said taking a step closer to her.
At this point I think she sensed that I wasn’t playing games so she stood up tall to try and intimidate me.
"She told me that you are all nice to her when Edward is in the room but the second he walks out you totally ignore her, not bothering to even answer a direct question she asks you."
At this point the two of us were about an inch apart. I realized that even though she was taller than me, I could take this bitch down…no problem.
"Listen Bella, I don’t know what that little rug rat told you but she is lying. And as far as Edward is concerned, I don’t know what the hell happened between the two of you, but whatever it was it is over now. He is with me. I was his date last weekend, and I am his date tonight, so get the fuck over it. Whatever you are trying to pull here with me and his daughter isn’t going to work. So just go back to being the hired help that tends to the children and stop trying to dress up in borrowed clothes and join a party full of guests who are entirely out of your league."
Chapter 20 of Behind The Clouds by EchoesOfTwilight
I put my own thoughts aside while Pierre told me the story of his change, and of being separated from his wife, Vivienne. As heartbroken as I was for myself, I hurt just as much for him. The thought of being able to go to her – to change her – had been the thing that got him through the early time of his immortal life, and to have it end in such tragedy, with him killing her... I just couldn't imagine it.
Though I had no idea how I would survive my impending forever, what Pierre told me cemented in my mind that I could never go to Edward. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt him.
And there was another reason, too: I needed Edward to live as long as possible. If Pierre was wrong, and Aro right about what would happen upon Edward's death...
Even thinking those words broke me, and I knew Pierre could see the despondency in my eyes. "It gets easier," he said softly. "Living without the one you love." But his voice shook as he spoke, betraying the lie.
We made our way back to Volterra in silence, part of me thinking how stupid it was to return to what was effectively my prison. But that was only on the surface. In truth, I was trapped no matter where I went, or what I did, because there would always be an irremovable barrier between me and everything I wanted. At least staying with the Volturi, I reasoned, gave me a place where I could hide, and where I had Pierre to talk to and help me not drink from humans.
At first, when I'd woken up, I hadn't really understood why he was being so nice to me, so understanding, but it was too much of a comfort to really question it. Knowing his story helped me see that we were alike in a lot of ways; the pain etched deeply into his face when he talked about his wife a reflection of what I knew was on my own every time I spoke or thought of Edward. Though no one and nothing could replace what I'd already lost, it felt good to have a friend. Someone who actually cared that I had been ripped from a life and people I loved.
When the stone walls of the city came into view, I obeyed Pierre's command once again to hold my breath. Resolved as I was not to kill humans, they still smelled so delicious, rich and warm and inviting, and I wasn't going to risk accidentally attacking one just because I couldn't help myself.
The halls of the Volturi stronghold were empty, though I could hear voices creeping out from behind closed doors. This time, I purposefully ignored them; I'd heard enough for one evening.
Chapter 3 of Bittersweet Irony by SweetVenom69
On Thursday, I spend part of the day talking with a realtor in Tucson, scouting rentals for when Edward and I start at the University of Arizona in the fall. In the afternoon, I spend a few minutes at the Masens' house feeding their bird, washing the few remaining dishes in the sink, and picking up Edward's room, separating his worn clothes into color piles for the laundry. I chuckle to myself as I pull his socks from the pant legs of his jeans. This is a wifey thing to do. I'm going to be someone's wife in a few short weeks. Edward's wife. The thought both thrills and terrifies me. What if one day he wakes up and doesn't recognize me as the same Bella he's known all his life? What if he decides that he doesn't want me anymore? A sharp pain stabs me in the chest as my worry starts to escalate into paranoia again. That's when I glanced up at the mirror above his dresser and notice a small piece of paper taped to the reflective surface...
Chapter 2 of Bubblegum Pop by AzureEyedI
"Really? Wow. That’s so cool." Hunter slips the next slide into the silver holder thingies and peers down into the eyepiece. "Uh, Nessie?"
"Yeah?" I inch my right hand over towards his left arm. He’s wearing his football jersey today for the pep rally later this afternoon. It’s a big deal and I’ve never been to one so I’m kinda excited about it. Too bad that bitch Kaela and her two shadows Dippy and Kelly will be there to ruin it with their little rah-rah performance.
"Ya know we’re playing Friday night, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, uh, I was just wondering, uh." Hunter pulls his face up and away from the eyepiece and pushes the microscope over to me. "Metaphase."
I don’t look at the slide since I really don’t care. I managed to touch his sleeve just now and he’s not thinking at all about mitosis. He’s thinking about something else.
Actually he’s thinking of someone else.
Me.
Chapter 13 of Cat O' Nine Tails by booboo.kitty2.0
Jasper sailed Irina into position, crossways, in the opening of the island cove. If anyone was going to get to land, they were going to have to get through him.
"Drop anchor, bower and stern," he called out to the crew, "I don’t want her to budge an inch from this spot, understood?"
When Irina was brought to, Jasper looked over the water to see Bella flying across the waves at three approaching ships at an ungodly speed.
"Look at her," Alice said in wonderment, "have you ever seen such a sight in all of your days at sea?"
"Truly, I have not," Jasper answered, "incredible."
Jasper and Alice helped the crew furl the sails in tight and load the cannons as a resounding series of booms echoed across the water.
They watched masts fall and canvases rip to shreds as Bella sailed between two of the lamed crafts to the lead ship. The third vessel broke away unscathed and was headed straight for Irina.
Jasper’s skin itched with the urge to haul anchor and run as the winds would take him and not look back. He had his Alice and that was all that he needed.
He should run.
A smart man would run.
With a deep breath he hauled Alice into his arms and kissed her like it was the last time he would ever do so. "I love you," he whispered.
The approaching vessel started to come about right in front of them, port side exposed, cannon doors open.
"Hold," Jasper called out, his hand raised in the air, ready to signal the all fire.
A pop and a zing stung Alice’s left ear. She instinctively raised her hand to the sharp pain and saw blood on her fingers just as Jasper crumpled to the floor at her feet.
"Fire!" she shouted.
Chapter 2 of Coming Home by HookaShewz
I didn't want to wake up from the wonderful dream I had been having. In my dream Edward was home. He was alive and he was home. I could hear him at the recess of my dream and I fought to stay asleep, but baby Edward was moving around and I needed to go to the bathroom. Slowly waking up I could still hear Edward talking and felt a large warm hand caress my belly underneath my sleep shirt.
Chapter 15 of Dark Games & Twisted Minds by katinki
A glean of cold sweat dotted her forehead, and the palm resting inside his felt slick and clammy. She’s terrified, he thought miserably.
"Please, please, don’t be afraid. I will never hurt you, Bella. I swear to that. I can’t now," he appealed in his smoothest, calmest tone. Gently and soothingly, he stroked the silken skin cupped in his hand.
The velvet of his voice belied the tumult within. Inside, just the mention of hurting her nearly sent him into a tailspin. Lurching and bending, he steadied himself by concentrating and focusing his eyes on the microscopic cracks in the enamel coating the bed frame. His gaze followed the labyrinth of black lines, seeing the spidery offshoots and dust-filled pits.
"I do-don’t understand, Edward. What are you?" she stammered.
In that instant, he hated himself, hated what he was. He despised the revulsion and loathing that he expected to witness when he admitted the truth. He hated the fact that he wasn’t like her and that he could never be what she deserved or needed.
Chapter 16 of Dead Confederates by goldenmeadow
Mama had counseled me to wait, and she’d made my lurking pleasant as possible, having her boy Caleb make sure I was topped up with libations. Only, for all his pole bean tallness, he was a bit too slow on his long grasshopper legs in replenishing my refreshments.
Tonight I’d packed a cooler.
It sat beside me in Bella’s place. I drank, and waited to see her. To talk to her.
My gut clenched.
I closed my eyes.
A burst of noise made me open them and look left.
To a white cargo van decked out in little multi-colored pom-pom curtains hanging behind the silty windows, the back doors opened over two thick ropes trapping a mess of lawn maintenance equipment inside. Coming to a screeching halt, the shrill din inside the Mariache Mobile stopped.
Four Mexicans climbed out and made way for Mama’s.
During the upheaval, I hadn’t noticed Bella leaving. Until now. When a little white poofter’s pick-up rolled up to her as she walked to her ride. If I couldn’t stand pweeny pig-eye weeny BVD-wearing Newton talking to my woman, I could endure this even less!
Whoever he was, he was just this side of getting his neck slashed, forget his fucking tires.
I could smell his slobber from my parking spot across the way.
Motherfucking FUCKER!
As he slowed his engine and sidled up to Bella, I punched my fist through the roof.
Chapter 6 of Decadence by EscapingGreatly
And what the fuck was Edward planning? Fear gripped me as I thought of him out there, on his own, surrounded by the men who liked to taunt and play games with people’s lives. I needed him here. I needed him to help me, to help us get the fuck out of this situation.
My head started to spin faster, the room I’d grown to love fading into a mesh of dull colours. He didn’t know what he was up against. I’d seen it in his eyes before he’d left. He was going to take action. My Edward was going to take action.
But he couldn’t. They’d hurt him. They’d kill him.
Chapter 9 of Desired by mcc101180
"So, sticking around Washington, eh? I would have thought you’d want to head back to somewhere warm. Weren’t you thinking about University of Florida?" He shot me a quizzical stare.
Truth was I had asked myself this very question not too long ago when I was filling out my applications. I was most certainly not a fan of the cold and the wet, and the thought of at least another four years dealing with it was low on my list of priorities. My mom had also been pressing very hard for me to pick a school in her neck of the woods. So why was it that I had chosen to attend University of Washington? My logical side said it was because the bond that had slowly been building between Charlie and I was not something I was ready to separate from again, and being just a few hours away was much better than being across the country. But my heart, it told me something else. As much as I proclaimed to want a clean break, and avoided thoughts of him, this place, this state, held all of my memories of falling quickly and breaking even faster. And being the glutton for punishment that I am, I wasn’t quite ready to leave it all behind.
"Yeah, but I don’t tan so much as burn, so being in sunny Florida would be a bit of a waste. Besides, UW has a great writing program, and Angela and Ben are going there," I answered with pseudo-confidence.
Chapter 22 of Devil's Angel by ObsessingOverEdward
I never thought that I would fall so hard for a woman. She had me completely love-struck, so much so that I was on the verge of losing my man card and breaking down to take her to the theater. I would literally do anything to make her happy.
When I saw her with Esme, I had more confirmation that she was meant for me. She just fit. Bella was everything that was absent in my life and she had the blaring approval from my aunt.
I already missed her and had only been away from her for a few hours. I wondered how I was going to make it through the week before I could see her again. I shook my head at myself and grinned, flipping on some classic rock to try and shake the pussy-whipped man I had become.
Chapter 12 of Evading Edward by VampiresHaveLaws
It was fairly apparent to me by now that I found her physically attractive. I was a teenage boy after all, and no matter how hard we may try, we simply cannot ignore - or deny - a pair of perky breasts or perfect legs when we see them. However much in this case I wanted to.
I was persistently telling myself than when the time arrived for me to put this little game to bed - quite literally - it would be that much more satisfying. And I was almost positive of the fact her resistance was wavering. Then it would all be over. I wouldn't have to have contact with her purposefully again.
"What's that frown for?" Jazz asked, nudging my shoulder with his own. Huh, I hadn't even realised I had been.
Chapter 11 of Fighting for Love by LexyW
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I opened the door. Edward stood in front of me with water dripping from his hair, a single white rose, and a grin.
"Hi," he said quietly and handed me the rose.
"Hi. Come in," I replied just as quietly, bringing the rose up to my nose to inhale its fragrance. I stepped back to let him through, and he placed his hand on my hip while he leaned in and kissed the top of my head. I smiled into the rose and offered to take his jacket. He shrugged out of it and hung it on one of the hooks that was on the wall, and slipped his shoes off.
"I don’t want to track water through your house. Oh, and I brought a movie," he said, pulling out a DVD from his jacket pocket and handed it to me.
"Thanks," I said as I sat the movie down on the sofa table. I wasn’t sure what to do. This was my first date at my house in six years, and my stomach was in knots. I stared at the ground for awhile before I heard jeans swooshing and Edward’s hand came into view as he reached for mine.
He brought it up to his lips and pressed a small kiss across my knuckles before pulling me into him and wrapping his arms around me.
"Are you as nervous as I am?" Edward whispered into my ear.
Chapter 6 of Friendly Discontentment by Manderbetis
"Edward, are you okay?" Bella’s voice was laced with concern. I guess I wasn’t acting like my normal self, which gave her a reason for concern.
"Just nervous." I told her honestly. I wasn’t going to hold anything back tonight.
"About?" Bella was fishing for information. She always tried to make everything better and no doubt she was already thinking of ways to cheer me up.
We reached the built in seats at the far end of the gigantic deck, next the hot tub my mother just had to have. I didn‘t answer her last question because I wanted to sit down and face her before I said anything. I wanted to see her every facial expression and reaction to my words. We sat down, Bella in the corner slightly reclined back with her feet up on the bench, I sat down leaning against the back of the hot tub and lifted her legs putting her feet on my lap.
"Edward?" Bella said.
"Bella I wanted to talk to you." For all the pep talking I did for myself before the party and even during it, I was at a loss for how to say what I needed to say.
"About what?" She asked nervously. Bella again tried to get me to say something. Not only was her voice showing concern so was her face.
"Fuck, are your shoes comfortable?" I asked while rubbing my hands through my already messed up hair. Bella laughed at me, not a funny laugh more of a nervous laugh.
"You were nervous about my shoes? There not comfy sneakers, but I‘ll survive" She said in disbelief. She thought I sounded like a tool because I really did.
I slipped off her shoes carefully and starting rubbing her left foot first, I figured with my hands busy and Bella getting a foot rub would distract both of us. She let out a soft moan, letting me know she was loving it.
"I wasn’t nervous about your shoes." I was sounding even lamer with every sentence. My nerves were getting the best of me. I need to just do this shit, and now before she thought I was losing my mind.
"Ya I kinda figured that, what‘s wrong?" Bella gave me a small, sweet smile, letting me know that whatever was wrong was fixable but her wistful eyes showed anything but that.
Chapter 20 of Girl with a Red Umbrella by spanglemaker9 and justaskalice
"They tossed my files. I can’t tell what might be missing, but I have an idea."
"What do you mean?" I muttered, feeling suddenly cold all over.
"The room was trashed, but this was lying square in the middle of the floor. No way for me to miss it."
Jasper passed me a photo. It was of Alice, sunglasses on, scarf wrapped over her hair, leaving an office building. It was taken at a little distance and Alice seemed unaware that she was being photographed.
"That’s the Vogue offices where Alice works," Jasper growled.
Chapter 12 of Give Me A Reason To Live by rachelcullen77
I stood off to the side, biting my nails and staring at her pale face. My hands were still shaking, and only then did I notice that I was still covered in her blood. It was all over me. I felt my head spin, and I reached out to grab onto the wall. I groaned, and felt vomit come up my throat. I choked it back, ignoring the burning feeling it caused, and tried to focus on not passing out.
"Hey." A young nurse came up and placed a hand on my back. "Come on, let’s get you some water. We need to wait outside." I looked at her, and groaned again. I stumbled outside, but in the hall, the light was brighter, harsher. I saw her blood more clearly now, all over my jeans, soaking my t-shirt, staining my hands. A great pressure began to build in my head, and my vision blurred, all the shapes around me merging together.
"Shit," I mumbled, before I fell to the floor and hit the ground with a loud thump. I saw feet running towards me before everything went black.
Chapter 4 of Gloaming by Readingmama
QPOV
The first time I saw the Cullens, I was seated in the cafeteria. I had joined Sheldon and his friends at his table. I learned that his uncle had gone to school with my mom. I thought it was weird that he would know that, but he said that his uncle always talked about my mom like she was the one that got away. I was convinced that he must have been mistaken, I was pretty sure I had never heard her mention the name Mike Newton in my life.
They entered the cafeteria confident and yet not arrogant. Each of them exuded a carefulness in their movements that made me wonder if they had complete control over everything their bodies did. The blonde girl was the first to pass my gaze, but it was the short, dark-haired one that caught my attention. Her large eyes and pointy face reminded me of an ethereal creature from the Lord of the Rings or something. She was stunning.
Chapter 3 of Here, There and Everywhere by LightStarDusting
I stood next to them for a moment, staring into the nearly empty cup of Jungle Juice and thinking about what I should do. Should I wait and see if Lucy was going to come up for air? Should I look for the other girls from the floor that had seamlessly blended into the crowd around us? I looked around and saw no one I could connect with. Once again, I was surrounded by people, yet alone.
So I did what any other drunk and stupid first year college student would do; I stumbled up the stairs by myself and made my way back to our dorm. One of the fraternity brothers offered to walk me home, but I knew better than that. What if he tried taking advantage instead of coming to my rescue? I wasn’t falling for that.
I waved him off and somehow made my way to campus while clutching my keychain-sized pepper spray in my hand. I’m not sure I would have had even the wherewithal to use it, but it was my security blanket in my drunken state. I might have even randomly shouted out: "I have pepper spray and I’m not afraid to use it," at squirrels rustling in nearby bushes. Thankfully, I made it back to my dorm without getting mugged, raped, kidnapped, killed, or otherwise assaulted by said squirrels and any other baddies that might have been skulking about the streets.
Chapter 18 of Hold On by todream
Jacob pictured this moment in his head differently. He saw himself sweeping Nessie off her feet and onto his bed, making love to her without any screw ups, and Nessie had visions of every romantic movie she had ever seen. However, the ideal of perfection they held in their minds for this night shifted to familiarity as they sat on the kitchen floor laughing and throwing cereal at one another. They were in love, and no matter what happened, tonight would be unequaled to anything they could ever dream up. The humor of the situation made the night more real to them, and that in itself was perfection.
The Cocoa Puff incident helped ease the pressure of trying to make the night flawless, and the two of them would never think about cereal in the same way again.
"You liked that, didn't you?" she asked in a sultry voice, raising an eyebrow.
"You got anymore in there? That was really fun," he joked.
"Don't you wish." Nessie searched and adjusted her sweater, checking for any pieces of rogue cereal that might be hiding.
"I hate to disappoint you, but you ate the one and only one from down there." Nessie's hands raked across the back of his neck right at his hair line, enjoying the feel of short hair as she stroked it. He noticed just how a simple touch from her made his body want more. Her fingers seemed to tease him, spurring him on.
Every dream and fantasy he ever had sat right here, watching him longingly. Jacob shifted his weight a bit, pulling her to him. Her head cocked ever so slightly to the side, and she gave him a look, a look that made him forget himself but still knew exactly what he wanted. Her innocent eyes hid her intentions well, just showing a hint of lust. She was filled with happiness knowing she would finally get to make love to Jacob, but she felt a small twinge of apprehension at the same time, hoping to keep that part hidden. Seeing that eager look from her let Jacob know that the two of them needed to leave the mess of cereal behind and find their way to his bed. Everything about her turned him on, and he didn't want to stay out in the kitchen any longer.
He held her closely and fisted her soft hair in his hands. "Let's go to my room," he implored. She buried her head in his shoulder, and he breathed in her lingering floral scent.
"Okay," she answered, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. The once dull ache in her body seemed to rouse and began to spread outward to every part of her body. The laughing that had once filled the room left and only the complete and quiet surrender to each other remained.
Chapter 7 of Homecoming by dont_run
Bella’s POV
My room is dark and Alice is sleeping soundly in the bed beside me. I’m thankful she has finally run out of energy, because I’m tired. She painted my toe nails and finger nails, made me put green goop on my face, which I had to wash off once it hardened and then I had to try on dresses from my closet so she could pick out the perfect outfit for me to wear to Edward’s birthday party. I’ve never been to a party before but my self appointed bff assures me we will have a blast.
I’m not really sure what a BFF is, but apparently I’m Alice’s. I mean Alice explained that it’s best friends forever, but what is a best friend? I’ve never had a regular friend and now I have a best friend? It’s a little overwhelming, especially since I have no idea what is expected of me in my new capacity as Alice’s bff. Don’t get me wrong I’m honored that Alice would think of me as her friend. She is a sweet girl and while that sometimes scares me with her exuberance, and I also find myself envying her as well. I envy the fact that she knows what she wants and goes for it, I envy that she knows who her parents really are, and that she knows who her brother is. Most importantly I envy her the fact she never had to deal with Renee.
Mostly I just like her though. I think it would be hard not to like Alice. Her natural warmth and her genuine nature would leave her open to only the coldest of hearts not liking her. So now I am Alice’s bff. I wonder if that means I could ask her what to call Charlie Swan? I wonder if anyone has noticed I’ve never directly called him? I honestly don’t know what to call him. Charlie? Chief Swan? Mr. Swan? Dad? These people are so different from what Renee told me to expect. I’m still waiting for that other shoe to fall and for them to turn into the monsters Renee assured me were waiting for me here.
Chapter 15 of Homecomings by Smishli
"I like board games," I said finally. "Brings me back to days of innocence, when I thought the worst disappointment in the world was not getting to play the dog in Monopoly."
"I always played the shoe," he said distractedly, sorting through the boxes. "Oh, Life! I played this in Paris when I was younger. It was called Destin. That means ‘destiny.’"
"Yeah, I figured out that much despite the language barrier," I said, rolling my eyes. "How’d your destiny play out?"
He turned to grin at me. "I tended to have obscenely large families."
I pretended to shudder, though I couldn’t deny the idea of lots of baby Edwards running around would be pretty darn cute.
"You have Clue!"
"Well, of course I have Clue. There is no point in even owning a board game collection if it doesn’t include Clue."
He didn’t respond, just carefully put the other board games back in the cabinet and started setting up the Clue game board on my coffee table.
"Alright…if you’re sure you want to do this," I said, sitting up a bit against my pillows. "But I’ve got to warn you…I’m very, very good at this game."
"So am I."
He was still smiling, which showed how little an idea he had of my extreme competitiveness when it came to Clue. "No. Edward. You don’t get it. I have a strategy. I always win."
"Like I said…so do I. Who do you want to be? Miss Scarlet?"
"Edward, what if this game ruins our relationship?"
He smiled lazily. "Afraid your pride will take a beating?"
My eyes narrowed. "Miss Scarlet will work fine, thank you."
He handed me the red piece, took Professor Plum for himself (when I snickered, he said, "Hey, don’t bash the intellectuals"), and doled out the cards between us.
"Don’t look," he said as I carefully selected – facedown – the murderer, the weapon, and the location.
"Thanks for your faith in my integrity."
"All’s fair in love and war," he said lightly, and then cleared his throat and looked away.
He really needed to stop saying things like that.
Chapter 3 of I Wept Not by ArcadianMaggie
In desperation I crushed my lips to Peter’s and pressed into him, backing him against the wall. I could feel his surprise, but it didn’t last long before it turned into a heated desire. His lips parted and I thrust my tongue inside his mouth, feeling his own sliding against it. His hands were on my clothes, urgent and impatient, pulling my shirt away from my body, undoing the belt from my pants so he could feel my hard flesh and touch my skin.
Chapter 29 of In Pursuit of Normalcy by KariAnn
Sam stopped abruptly in his dash through the woods, his eyes quickly skimming the tree line, and it only took him a moment to spot the source of the strange scent – three cowering, filthy, and frightened children. Their eyes were wide in their dirt-smeared faces, and the one he assumed to be the oldest – a girl with black ringlets and black eyes – shielded the other two. She hissed at him, and he knew that she wasn’t human – at least, not entirely. His thoughts flashed to the only other human-hybrid he’d ever known.
At that moment, there was a blur of movement from the other side of the clearing, and four starkly pale figures appeared in the trees. Carlisle, Edward, Bella, and Emmett.
Sam watched on as the four vampires registered the children. The girl hissed again as she attempted to shield the other two once more.
"At peace, little one," Carlisle soothed, raising his hands in a friendly gesture as he slowly moved toward the children. "My name is Carlisle Cullen, and I am a doctor. I wish only to help. I see you’ve met my friend Sam," he said, his eyes flashing in the werewolf’s direction. "What are your names?"
The girl’s eyes widened in visible surprise, and she rushed forward with a sob, flinging herself into Carlisle’s arms. Clearly startled by her reaction, Carlisle raised one confused eyebrow at Sam as he returned the girl’s embrace.
"You came!" the girl sobbed into his jacket. "Momma always said that you would come for us some day…"
Sam didn’t miss the way Carlisle’s eyes shot in Edward and Bella’s direction then. "Who’s your mother, child?"
She pulled back slightly, her wide, tear- stained black eyes peering into his face. "My momma is Renesmee, your granddaughter, of course."
Chapter 5 of Innocence Is Dripping Red by EchoesOfTwilight
The city embraced us, wrapping arms of scent and neon light and humming activity around the speeding car, pulling us in. Hundreds of potential victims were here, lurking around corners and leaning on bars of scratched oak as they drowned sorrows of their own devising.
A lucky one - or perhaps a few - would have their miserable human existences ended tonight. The urge to take the lives of innocents would be swallowed from them, washing down our throats in a river of blood spiced by cruelty and hate.
Not as delectable as the adrenaline-sweetened mouthful I had sampled from Bella, but delicious nonetheless.
Hunting this time would take slightly more care, more attention than even I usually invested, the pool of possible kills narrowed by my wish to avoid testing her gift too thoroughly.
Excited as I was by its prospects, it was no time to be foolish.
No cretins whose sins ran to the sexually depraved. And none who had killed the ones they loved. I preferred to keep the pain Bella could cause me with her newborn strength as an electrifying addition to sex.
The thought nearly made me pull over to the side of the road. Already I wanted more. City lights washed over her skin, emerald and amber and crimson, the latter making her appear awash with blood.
I licked my lips.
Chapter 2 of Interviews & Evaluations by Writing4Roses
Immediately began to think of the night at the bar on San Jacinto Boulevard and Keeton Street. I had played a full set of songs and received a warm response from the crowd.
"Thank you," I smiled through the shining lights, taking my guitar in my hands and slinging it over my back as I stepped down-stage and walked back over to my table.
He was sitting proudly at our table, sticking out like a sore thumb in his dress clothes. My boyfriend was looking absolutely handsome as he was clapped his hands on my arrival to the table and wrapped me up in a bear hug. As he let go, I gave him a once over, taking in the vision of his dress shirt, tie, slacks and dress shoes. Yep, my man rushed right over straight from work to see my show.
Chapter 2 of Leave the Pieces by heather dawn
"I know, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just don't know what to say besides I love you and I miss you."
"I miss you too, baby, so much it hurts," I assured her quickly. "I love you, baby. I'll see you soon."
"Yeah," she said with a sniffle. "I'll see you soon."
With a heavy heart I disconnected the call. I couldn't bear to sit there and listen to her cry, half a world away when there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.
Chapter 17 of Life Flights by if only
Monday morning, I found myself, once again, in the helicopter, waiting on the medical crew.
I had the helicopter ready for departure when Mike, followed by Edward, walked up and boarded the aircraft. Unfortunately, they both arrived at the same time and I wasn’t able to give Edward the ‘hello’ that I would have liked to.
"Dr. Masen, what brings you up here today?" I asked as Edward leaned in to my seat.
"Captain Swan, I am scheduled for your flight today. What do we have?"
"Dr. Masen, this is Mike Newton, your PA for the flight. The other nurse should be here shortly, she stocked the chopper just a little while ago."
Mike and Edward shook hands and the other nurse approached the helicopter.
"Looks like we have a victim of multiple gunshot wounds to pick up in a remote area about 35 minutes from here. Ready?"
They all nodded and we took off in the helicopter. After we were airborne, Edward started to talk to me from the co-pilot seat that he was occupying. "So, can I have dinner with my wife after we get back to the hospital?"
"That would be nice. I wish Newton wouldn’t have come out at the same time as my husband did, I didn’t get to kiss him yet."
"Hmmm. I didn’t have a chance to check out the supply closet locations yet, either." He looked over and smiled that devious smile at me. I couldn’t help but to smile back.
Before I could say something in response, Mike tapped on my shoulder as he was putting on the other head set. "Bella, after we get back, do you want to grab some dinner with me like we used to, sweetheart?"
"Sorry Mike, I already made plans for dinner . . . and for the record, the only time that we have ever grabbed any dinner together, Sweetheart, is in your dreams."
"Well, now that Dr. Cullen appears to be out of the way, right, there isn’t anything stopping us from getting together."
I could see Edward getting pissed "Mike, as flattered as I am that you would want to go out with me, I must still decline your offer. I am involved someone that is very important to me." Edward gave me a small smile.
"Bella, I can make you forget all about him." Mike said in a voice that I’m sure he intended to be seductive, but it was more like the mating call of a bullfrog. He was rubbing my shoulder with the tips of his fingers.
When I shuddered from his touch, I may have accidently shifted my gloved hands around on the flight controls and he lost his footing, slamming him into the glass of the door.
"Whoa, Bella. If I can get you all twitchy by touching your shoulder, just think what I can do . . ." Thankfully, Mike was cut off by Edward.
Chapter 11 of Life Is Okay by bnjwl
I wanted to tell him so much more but it couldn’t be done on a text, I would wait until I was face to face with him. I wanted to tell him that he was so important to me. Make him understand that I wanted to help make him whole again, make all of his trouble go away, and to love him like no woman has ever loved a man before. I needed to tell him that I loved when he touched my cheek, when he opened the door for me, when he asked me what I wanted to do first instead of telling me what he wanted. How much I loved that he kissed Esme when he saw her and how his eyes softened when she hugged him. I loved the way his eyes glinted when Emmett called him Eddie but deep down I knew he loved it, how he could talk so animated to Jasper about so many things and I loved to watch their conversations when it was the two of them discussing something that engaged them both. How he always did exactly what Rosalie told him to do to take care of his car and that he trusted her completely. That he followed Carlisle’s advice every time. I loved the way he touched my body and caressed my face. How tender his kiss is and how it turns to fire a second later. How his eyes look when he enters me, they become glazed and heavy lidded, like he has to fight to keep them open. I love the way he whispers my name as he comes, and the sweet words he says to me to excite my body. I love so many things about him, and I can’t wait to tell him all of them.
Chapter 4 of Music of My Soul by Addicted to Edward
It hadn’t been this bad since the beginning, those first few months after her death. But something happened inside me last night. The box I’d so carefully wrapped my emotions in and hidden away had ripped open and refused to close again.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remember the feeling from last night, the pure joy that Jasper’s dancing had infused in me. I tried to picture the way he moved across the stage, so fluid that it was as if he was an angel, floating just above the ground.
My memory just couldn’t do justice to his grace. No matter how hard I tried to envision him, I couldn’t recreate that feeling of being wrapped in warmth, protected from sadness.
I would have to see him again.
Chapter 38 of Near You Always by ebalways
I could feel the heat coming into my face. That’s exactly what I’d done after the fire, and she knew it.
"You’ve created a vicious cycle for yourself, Edward," Dr Jordan continued. "You lost yourself in Chicago and basically sold your soul, but that’s not who you really are; those behaviors were self-protective, keeping you from facing the real problem. Your standards for yourself are incredibly high, and you allow no room for error. And when those closest to you try to tell you that it’s okay, you lash out, because to you, it just isn’t acceptable. Tanya’s cruelty to you is only part of the reason you said those things to Bella and your mother. You also did it because the only option you’ve allowed yourself when you fail is anger and self-resentment. Instead of listening to the reassurance you receive from your friends and family, you’ve put words into their mouths, and projected your feelings onto them because of your own problems with self-acceptance."
I shifted in my seat. "No offense, doc, but I … I’m aware of most of these things now. You’ve said it better than I could, but trust me … I’ve been thinking those very things ever since the day of the fire."
Chapter 20 of No Place Like Home by tellingmelies
I was lost in the taste of cherries when Bella suddenly pushed away from me and leaned back against the counter. She brought her hand to her mouth, eyes growing wide.
"I kissed you," she said, sounding more like she was talking to herself than to me.
I nodded slowly, "I know."
She shook her head back and forth, "No, not now…then."
"I know."
Without warning, Bella flew forward and slapped me, hard, across the shoulder. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it sure as hell wasn’t that.
"Why didn’t you tell me?" she shouted.
"Tell you?" I shouted back, taking a step towards her. "Why didn’t you fucking remember?"
"So this is my fault?" she asked, slightly outraged.
"Well, I don’t see how it’s mine," I countered.
We were standing toe to toe, both refusing to back down.
Chapter 11 of Not Just A Girl by emg78
I don’t remember walking down the stairs. "Bells?" I manage to choke out as I realize I’m crying. She turns a little my direction and her eyes are full of sadness.
"Hey Bear." She says quietly through her tears.
"Emmett, hold this please." I’m shocked to hear Edward's cold tone as he speaks through gritted teeth. Looking at him I notice is cold stare is focused at a group of students standing at the top of the stairs. I take over holding the fabric to my sister’s head scared to look at the injury underneath.
Chapter 20 of Over, Under & Through by StupidSuckedinReader
I was convinced that he had returned, of course when I was away for the weekend. Whatever he wanted; I wasn’t it. Part of me still couldn’t believe he had broken his promise of never of returning. Maybe he lied or maybe he just broke his promise, correction promises. When I lived in Phoenix I was a realist, then Edward lulled me into a false sense of security, leading me to believe that there was someone out there for me and now I was back to being a realist. Reality was that people broke promises and you couldn’t rely on anyone, but yourself.
Chapter 9 of Punch Me, Love Me, Save Me by ericastwilight and emerald_rosalie
"Ready for the sun, Edward?" Bella asked sweetly. I shrugged my shoulders as Emmett pushed a plate in front of me. "You’ll need to put on some sunscreen. With that white as hell skin you’ll turn to a lobster out there in no time."
"You gonna rub it all over me, ThreeB?" I asked, matching her previous tone and looking completely innocent.
Bella shrugged and muttered a "sure," happily eating her food. I watched as she put a fry in her mouth, entranced by the way her lips wrapped around it.
Jamie suddenly appeared and smacked the back of my head. "My baby sister doesn’t do that, bro."
Bella looked at us confused by what just went down. Emmett started laughing, catching on. Rosalie and Jasper were snickering, but remained quiet.
"Did I miss something?" Bella asked.
I shook my head, hoping that everyone shut the fuck up.
"Nothing much," Jamie said with a smug smirk. "Eddie was just picturing you eating his fry."
Chapter 27 of Reunion by KeepersoftheNaughtySparkle
NO! Just five more fucking minutes!
I tried to will myself back to sleep as the blaring alarm clock started to edge it's way into my mind. I wanted to ignore it and return to the dream I was just having. It was like so many of the others I'd had in the past couple of weeks; Bella was in my arms and my heart no longer felt like it had been slammed against the wall a million times.
I started to take a deep breath to try and hold the pain at bay that would always follow once I woke, only I felt pressure against my chest. My eyes snapped open and there she was. Bella. Her head was tucked into my chest and her hair completely blocked her face from me, but in that moment she had never been more beautiful.
I tightened my arms around her body and placed a kiss into her mess of hair as I breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn't just been another dream...it was real and we were going to be okay.
Chapter 30 of Reviving Fireflies by greeen goldfish
Perhaps because it was comforting to them, the two of them proceeded with their normal routine that night, by the fireplace in the parlor. Mrs. Brown mended clothing while Carlisle whittled. The only sounds were the crackles and pops of the fire and the occasional moan from the dying man. Sporadically, Mrs. Brown would rise and adjust his blanket or pillow or try to give him some water. It accomplished little, other than making her feel slightly less useless. The soldier was so young, she could not help but mother him. She knew he had a mother somewhere that would wish to be in her place.
Chapter 25 of Running Home by twitina
Bella watched from her lawn chair as Rose chased after Lia, catching her by her shirt and pulling her back.
"Stay here, young lady. Your brother’s game is going to start in a minute."
Lia twisted, trying to get free. "But Mom, the playground is only over there. I can play while you watch the game."
Bella watched Lia’s face. She puckered up her lips and batted her eyes at Rose, doing her best to soften her mother.
"No, Lia. You can’t go to the playground alone." Rose was trying to be firm. Bella stifled a laugh.
"But, Mom…" Lia whined.
Carlisle grabbed Lia’s hand. "I’d be happy to swing with my favorite Lia in the world."
Lia danced around happily.
"Carlisle, you don’t have to take her…" Rose started, but he lifted his hand to stop her.
"It’s my pleasure."
He reached down and grabbed Lia around her waist, lifting her up onto his shoulders as she squealed with pleasure.
Chapter 33 of Sacrificial Lamb by Nolebucgrl
"Well I doubt he’ll be happy now that his daughter’s dead!"
I closed my eyes and heaved a deep breath. "He’ll be fine without me; he was for most of his life."
She narrowed her ocher eyes at me. "So that’s it, you’re getting payback now. He didn’t spend enough time with you when you were a child so now you’ll teach him a lesson by taking yourself away permanently."
"What are you talking about? I’m nineteen years old; I got married and moved across the country. I had already taken myself away from him. I did what most kids my age do. I made my own life."
"And ruined his. You’re the most self-absorbed person I’ve ever met."
That did it, I started yelling. "What was I supposed to do? Stay in Forks all my life and take care of Charlie? Would you have done that for your father? It seems to me that you were anxious to leave your family and marry your rich fiancée and have your own life yourself when you were my age."
Rose flinched like I’d slapped her. "How dare you bring that up? I didn’t purposely leave my family behind like you did."
"I made a choice, Rose. Like you, I fell in love with a man and got engaged. Unlike you, I got my happily ever after. I’m sorry if that bothers you." I was ashamed that I’d thrown her past at her but she was ripping my open wounds, I couldn’t help ripping back.
Chapter 1 of Saints and Sinners by evieeden
Curious as to what was going on, I obeyed, moving my weight up onto my knees. Edward rolled onto his side underneath me, one arm reaching for a drawer in the bedside cabinet. I watched as he rooted around inside, finally emerging with a wrapped, flat, square package which he promptly handed to me.
"Happy Valentine’s Day, love."
"Oh shit." I stared down at him completely horrified, my eyes stretched impossibly wide.
Valentine’s Day. A day for love and romance and people who were happily ensconced in their couple-dom... and I had forgotten it.
I mean I knew that I’d been busy at work lately - hence the need for a vacation - but I didn’t realise that this time of year would come around so fast. Although, if I was being honest, I couldn’t really use work as a decent excuse as to why I’d forgotten.
I had never had reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day before. It was just another day in the year for someone who was doomed to be eternally single. So for the last few years I had spent the day helping Alice get ready for a special evening with Jasper before heading towards the sofa with a bottle of wine, a mountain of popcorn and a copy of When Harry Met Sally.
I had never had anyone to celebrate Valentine’s with; the fact that I now did was utterly mind-boggling.
"Well," Edward prompted, "are you going to open it?"
"It’s Valentine’s Day." God, I’m clever sometimes.
"Yes, it is."
"And you bought me a present."
"I did... and if you open it you can see what it is."
My gaze shifted to the package in my hands and all of a sudden I felt incredibly guilty. "I didn’t get you anything."
"That’s alright." Edward shrugged, before a mischievous smile crossed his face. "Maybe I should make you pay me back in kind."
I mock glared at him before grinning back. "Oh, I just bet you’d love that, wouldn’t you?"
Chapter 22 of Since You Been Gone by Dennycullenlutz
It rang a few times and the machine took my call.
"Hi, this is Edward, this is Bella and this is Nessie, we are not home right now but you can leave us a message after the beep"
I waited for the beep smiling, hearing our family message on the answering machine because Nessie made us do it her way.
"Hi babe! Hi Ness! I called to know if you guys were doing fine. Bella call me when you have the chance. I love you both" and I snapped my phone shut.
I exited the conference room, looking for something quick to eat because I could hear my stomach growling at me. I called Alice but she didn’t answer her phone either.
I tried Bella’s phone again after I grabbed a turkey sandwich from the vending machine and a Coke.
Chapter 5 of Smoking in the Boys' Room by CorrinaTFF
I watched as the man sized me up before greeting me. "You must be Edward. Bella told me you were the one that took care of her last night and that your uncle here was coming over to have a look at her latest injury."
He extended his hand and my hands suddenly felt very clammy. I hesitated to take it as I tried to sneakily wipe my palms on my jeans. I saw his eyebrows raise in question, and I knew he hadn’t missed that move. Shit. I mentally pictured a referee throwing a flag on the field, calling out a personal foul. There was no playbook to get me through dealing with Bella’s father.
Chapter 9 of Something Wicked This Way Comes by Serendipitydooda
Aaaaaand it's locked. Thanks for the getaway, Rose. I'll be sure to keep you in mind if I ever have the urge to rob a bank, and want to spend the rest of my life in prison...which actually sounds preferable to my current situation right about now. Because? It. Is. Fucked.
The cool rag-top of Rose’s car feels comforting against my hot, flushed face as I press my forehead into it trying to make it pop open by sheer force of will.
"Bella..."
Oh.
No.
Oh, God! Please let him go away. Please let him take the fucking hint already that I am in no mood to chat…I mean, I high-tailed it away from him just to stand shivering and half naked in a crazy crowded parking lot with my face buried in Rosalie's car roof; figure it out. Please let him go so he won't be witness to my impending meltdown into a puddle of self-pity, and the subsequent oozing out around his feet like a rejected prototype for The Blob.
Pretty please with sugar...or loaves and fishes…or frankincense, or…whatever the fuck it is that the gods are interested in…just PLEASE!
Quivering, I wait for him to disappear via divine intervention, or poke at me, or pull on my arm…or something Edward-like, but he doesn’t. He doesn't make a move, or a sound even as the silence billows around us like the world's heaviest, most stifiling, and uncomfortable blanket EVER. When the realization hits me that he obviously doesn't want to even touch me anymore, I can't stop the shaky breath that leaves my body. I wrap my arms protectively around myself, so the shakiness doesn't think that it has free reign to take over and turn me into a shivering, weepy heap of tulle and polyester, and Rose yells at me for slobbering all over the side of her car.
"Turn around...say something...please..."
"What do you want me to say, Edward?" There is so, so much I could say, but nothing that can be voiced in the minutes that we probably have before Little Ho Peep tracks down her lost little lamb, so I'm staying silent. Well, it beats screaming, which is running a close second.
"Yell at me...tell me what an asshole I am...anything..."
Those are definite possibilities that I hadn't thought of but, before he can stammer anything else, I actually DO turn around, catching him off guard. Surprised, he sharply draws in a breath of air.
There is one thing that I just have to say. It’s the thing that has most knocked me for a loop and left my unwavering belief that I KNOW Edward better than anyone—that I know every last inch of his beautiful heart, and every tiny facet of his shimmering soul—shaken to it's naive, idealistic foundation. It’s more than the fact that he's with her, and even more than the fact that he obviously had a big fucking change of heart somewhere around the time of his phone call, and decided that screwing—or whatever the hell they were doing in the dressing room of a Halloween store of all places—was a fine and fucking dandy idea…
"You lied to me."
"I know."
Chapter 10 of Stolen Singer by nerac
A devilish smirk lit up his features as he considered testing her... pushing her limits, doing something to see how she might react, knowing that her mood could, and probably would, flip in an instant. Just like it had before...
Maybe I can get her to tackle me again, he thought.
Chapter 29 of Stripped by reagan o'connor
I opened the wine and poured, holding up my hand when Bella reached for her glass.
"It hasn’t had time to breathe yet."
She raised an eyebrow at me. "I need something to settle my nerves, Edward. I don’t really care if it’s breathed yet or not." She took a drink, sighed, and put her glass down on the table.
I opened my mouth to explain to her the importance of aeration… and I shut it. I let it go.
I growled at myself in disbelief. Did it matter, really? Did I always have to be in control? Wasn’t it her choice if she drank a glass of fucking wine when she wanted to?
Chapter 6 of Take a Little Trip by KristenLynn
I dropped my bag just inside the door and collapsed to the floor beside it, burying my face in my hands. Now that I was safely ensconced in my home, I allowed the emotions of the day to finally take over. My whole body began to shake and the tears rolled down my cheeks unchecked. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to wallow for as long as I would have liked; a knock on the door immediately jolted me from the abyss of my own self-pity. I frowned in confusion; it was really fucking late. Who the hell would be knocking on my door at eleven-thirty at night?
I was still sitting on the floor, but the knock on the door caused my tears to cease. I wiped my hands across my cheeks as a second knock sounded, more insistent than the first. I turned to look at the door, eyeing it suspiciously. After a moment, I heard a muffled thump, as if something had come to rest against the door. Standing slowly, I looked out the peephole. I took an involuntary step back, my hand coming up to cover my mouth.
It was Edward.
I heard the frustrated irritation in his voice—even through the closed door—when he finally spoke. "I know you’re there, Bella. Open the door."
I stepped back to the door and placed my hand hesitantly on the paneled wood before sliding it down to the handle. My heart was racing within my chest as I unlocked the door and slowly cracked it open. He was leaning one hand against the doorjamb, looking straight at me. I raised my eyes to his, hoping that I had wiped away all evidence of my incriminating tears.
"What are you doing here, Edward?" I asked in resignation.
It was really a rhetorical fucking question. I knew exactly what he was doing here.
Chapter 3 of Taste of Innocence by Nolebucgrl
"I have given you the greatest gift in the world."
"What? An STD? Because whatever the fuck you gave me burned like nothing I’ve ever had before. Do I have to get tested? You said you were clean!" Holy shit, did she seriously think I had an STD? That would have been fucking insulting if it wasn’t so damn hilarious.
I chuckled, I couldn’t help it. And she huffed in reaction. It was really quite adorable, if I was being honest. She’d keep me on my toes for the next century or so. "Who would call an STD a great gift?"
"Someone psycho who bites people while having sex with them?" Oh, so she remembered that part as well. Good.
I leaned against the wall. "First of all, I bit you after making love to you. What we did wasn’t just sex. It was an emotional connection that I’ve never had with anyone before. And because of that, I decided to keep you."
"Keep me? What the fuck do you mean, keep me? I’m not some stray pet you picked up at the pound, Edward. I’m a person!" She raged around the room, flinging her arms, the t-shirt I’d dressed her in riding dangerously high on her supple white thighs. Venom welled in my mouth at the sight. I had to have her soon.
I ran a hand through my hair, unsure of exactly how to explain to her what had happened. Maybe it was just like a ripping off a band-aid. Do it quick and painlessly. Then again, where was the fun in that? A little pain begets a lot of pleasure, at least in my world.
"Well, you’re not exactly a person anymore."
Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to figure out how to respond to that. How I wished I could read her mind. I bet it was just fascinating, like she was. "What the hell does that mean? Of course I’m a person!" She glanced down and took in her barely covered body, gasping in surprise at her state of undress. She grabbed the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her waist.
I raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "It’s not like I haven’t seen it all before."
Chapter 7 of The Bottom Line by StupidSuckedinReader
"Bella! My office, please," Sam barked.
Bella felt a lump in her throat as her mind went through everything she had worked on. Where did I fuck up? What did I forget? He knows. Edward told him. I am going to be fired for sexual harassment. I will have to move home, work at the Thriftway bagging groceries. Maybe it won’t be so bad, I mean, sure paper cuts are bad, but I could move up and become produce manager or something. I like apples.
Sam shut the door to his office as Bella took a seat. "Yes, Sam. Is everything okay?" She chewed on the end of her pen. Shit! Wrong end. Ballpoint isn’t poisonous, is it? Bella press her fingers to her lip and then took them away. They were covered in ink. She tried to nonchalantly rub out the ink around her lip.
Chapter 3 of The Diner by Jessypt
I spent the rest of the day waiting on tables and cleaning up after people. Fortunately, the day passed quickly. Things between me and Edward, however, were tense. I tried to stay out of his way all day, and had been super responsive whenever he called out an order or needed something from the back. But it didn’t seem to make a difference, because he never acknowledged me. Man, I must have really hit a nerve. And just like that, I felt like I was back in Phoenix, walking on eggshells. Every day for the last six years had been like this and I started to feel sick. I’ve done it again… I’ve upset him and I know better. I knew that this was a different situation but I didn’t know what to do. I was completely lost in my memories when Edward shouted out my name, clearly annoyed.
"Bella! Are you planning to stand there all day? I just called up an order. Do you think you could come over here and get it?" His face was a mask, but his jaw was tense.
Chapter 13 of The First Breath by LaViePastiche & ElleCC
Peter puts down his glass and leans toward me a little bit. "That’s Jared Erickson. He’s captain of the lacrosse team. Want me to introduce you?" I can feel my eyes widen. "He’s headed out East somewhere, too, after tomorrow," he continues. "I think he’s from Philly. Or Pittsburgh, maybe."
"What?" I know I’m gaping at Peter but I can’t think of any other way to react. The times my brother has tried to set me up with anyone are so few and far between as to be basically zero. That he’s offering to do it right now is bizarre and unsettling.
Peter rolls his eyes a little and grins. "How many beers have you had, Bells? It’s a pretty simple concept. You. Jared. Meet?"
Chapter 14 of Ultio by 22blue & mac214
He leaned in and whispered, "I’ve always had a thing for Wendy," and winked.
Bella blinked slowly as his sweet breath fogged her mind and didn’t hear the car pulling up to the curb next to them.
Chapter 27 of Volition by Rochelle Allison
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I watched Edward get ready for his classes. "So what time d’you think you’ll be home y’think?"
He paused in front of the mirror on our dresser to check his appearance before turning to me, his hands smoothing the collar of his Oxford over the sweater he was wearing over it.
"Three, at the latest," he promised.
"Okay," I nodded, lying back.
"You approve?" he leaned over me, his hands on either side.
Pulling him down to meet me, I kissed his mouth.
He kissed me back and pulled away, brushing his hand over his zipper with a grin. "You’re always makin’ me late, enough of that shite."
I eyed his bulge in the front of his pants with satisfaction. "Okay then, run along. We can do it later…"
"Much later; we’ll be up ‘till all hours with Em and Rose, so we will." He adjusted his jeans, looking around the room. "Where’s my bag?"
"By the door, where ya always bleedin’ leave it," I sighed, hearing my mother in my tone. Instead of curling up beneath the blankets like I wanted to do, I forced myself to get up and follow Edward to the door, where he kissed me goodbye and left.
Chapter 23 of Waiting for Dr. Right by vickitori303
"Here," I said handing him the beer. "On the phone, it sounded like you could use this."
"Yeah, thanks," he smiled weakly, taking the bottle out of my hand and chugging the cold liquid.
I ran my hand up and down the side of his arm trying to ease his worry. "What is it, Edward? You seem stressed about something."
He wrapped his free arm around my lower back then pressed his lips softly to mine then placed the beer on the counter as we pulled apart.
"So, I did something that I think will make you angry," he mentioned running his left hand through his hair.
My brows furrowed as I looked at him confused and curious.
"I did it with the support of your dad and Sue," he continued.
I nodded my head for him to proceed, staying quiet.
Chapter 2 of Washington & Thirteenth Street by Miztrezboo
Of course, I was doing as well as could be expected when the anniversary of her death rolled around. The blackest day of them all. The day that I spent, shrouded in a scotch haze in a motel room somewhere. Wherever my car had taken me that day until I’d nearly run out of fuel. I knew if I had stayed home, her ghost would have been everywhere. Or our family would. I couldn’t handle that look in their faces anymore. So I’d left work on the afternoon before and just drove, stopped in at the nearest liquor store, bought her favorite brand of scotch. Her special occasion drink, a sick joke even to myself. I’d locked myself away in a cheap motel room, held her sweater that was infused with patchouli and coffee and her to my nose, and drank until I passed out. Spending the next three days in a stupor of her smell, her taste, and the hole where heart had been torn from my flesh bled all the more.
Then it was, "You should date." I have this cousin. I know this girl. My mother's, Aunt's, son-in-law…. Like after losing the one bright spark in my life would mean I would suddenly want to bat for the other side?
Chapter 10 of Where The Road Meets The Sun by Miztrezboo
Rose's hand came shooting out from the closet, holding up what I had thought was a pretty decent shirt. Sure it had a few holes and there was this strange grass stain on the back - but it was alright.
"Exhibit A and the prosecution rests."
"Rose." I sighed taking the shirt from her hands and caressing it lovingly. I loved this shirt. This shirt was memories and that's why I'd brought it with me. "This shirt is evidence of a good time, Rose! A few years back Edward and I snuck into Seattle to go to Bumbershoot. Edward was so freaking obsessed with The Shins." I chuckled, remembering his face when I got Lauren to get us the tickets, she was a bitch but she had a brother who attended UW and got us booze, she was only good for her connections.
"We'd lied to our parents about a field trip for Bio that both our years were taking just so we could go. We had thought we were so clever, right up until we missed our bus and Edward had to ring his Dad to come get us." I chuckled, fingering the dark green stain on the otherwise clean light grey surface.
I knew what that green was from. My lady parts tingled with the memory of stolen kisses and a quickie in the grassed area after grinding on each other in the crowd had lead to Edward having a large problem in the pants department. He'd made me come in a matter of minutes. I wasn't sure if it was the thrill of being in public or because it was him. He learnt quickly and committed everything to memory it seemed. Within the short space of time that we'd been dating and more, he'd figured out all the right buttons to push and pull and lick and suck and bring me to orgasm faster than I could myself.
Fuck I missed that.
Chapter 17 of Where There's Smoke by NJNYTwiGals
"This is a drug house. Mostly squatters and drug addicts. Although I can’t be sure yet, I would say the fire probably started from someone smoking a crack pipe. There tends to be lots of paper in places like this that the squatters use to lay on or as blankets. This is also a much older building so be careful of the structure because chances are it was constructed all from wood, with little or no metal structure support."
We all quickly split up into groups. Some of the guys ran to the lift to start seeing if there was anyone on the upper floors. Mike and Eric ran to the hose and started setting that up to get to the flames that were coming out of the first floor window.
"Edward," Emmett called to me, "you come with me. We’ll go in through the front door and see if we can find anyone in the basement."
I nodded my head in his direction and followed him toward the building. As soon as we entered we saw how thick the smoke was already. We both made sure our oxygen masks were on securely as we proceeded into the building to locate the staircase to take us downstairs.
"I found it," I called to Emmett, and he nodded.
We both made our way into the staircase. We could see flames below and we started calling out as we carefully descended the steps to see if there were any people down there.
Chapter 25 of Work in Progress by araeo
"You know, we’ve spent your whole break in here…no one’s seen me. They’re still going to think you’ve got an imaginary girlfriend," I joked, hopping off the desk to help him right his clothes.
"It’ll just give me an excuse to ask you for another lunch date," he said, giving me that delicious smirk.
How does he do it? How does he manage to work such voodoo magic on me all the time?
"Although, if introducing you to my coworkers will turn out like your reunion with Brady, I’d rather keep you to myself." His voice was low as he leaned in closer.
"Why do they think you’re making me up?" I asked, wondering why it would be such a surprise for Edward to be seeing someone.
"They think you’re just a smokescreen. Because I don’t want them trying to play matchmaker. I’m sort of ‘a catch,’ you see. A smart girl once told me so," he added in a whisper, his eyes bright with that look that made me so happy it was almost sickening.
At the same time, the girls were busy telling their Dark Passenger to buckle his fucking seatbelt, because they were going hunting for all the single women in the hospital.
"Well, this ‘imaginary girlfriend’ wouldn’t like any other peahens shitting on her lawn." This appeased the girls. Edward, however, was a different story.
"Did you just compare me to your lawn?" he asked, wide-eyed. "Are you still drunk?"
"No!" I laughed. "Well yes – I mean – I’m not drunk, but I did sort of compare you to my lawn."
"I’m going to tell myself to take that as a compliment," he said dryly.
Chapter 19 of Yeah, You by marvar
Emmett showed up in our room about ten thirty.
"I didn't pay for a suite, you moochers. This is nicer than mine," he complained.
"Jasper traded sexual favors for an upgrade," I smirked.
Emmett raised his eyebrows.
"Just harmless flirting."
"Well, that's a relief. I just saw two gorgeous girls that would be devastated if they found out their boyfriends were ‘whoring’ for hotel upgrades."
"You saw Bella and Alice?" I asked eagerly.
"Yeah. Damn, Edward. She's grown up since I've saw her last spring - in all the right places. I can see why you're all emo about her."
"Please don't tell me you were checking her out."
"Nah, bro. Just the boobs. Verree nice."
I growled at my brother.
"Dude, Rose told me to. Don't get pissy. And Jasper, that little Alice is a hottie. I guess I don't need to buy you guys some hookers."
We both tackled him at that point. Well, we tried. He was in the NFL, after all.
"I was joking, you pansies. I'd never buy a hooker. You never pay for pussy. Well, unless you're marrying it." Emmett threw both of us aside with a flick of his wrist. "Fuck, you two are weak. We need to hit the gym."
Thank you to the huge number of authors who participated this week, we ended up with a total of 64 teasers! Remember - we'll continue this as long as you guys keep sending in your teases!
caren & Kassiah





























