As the sun began to sink behind the tallest mountain in the area, its waning light shone on Edythe and me as I ate the dinner she packed for me. We sat on a blanket and held each other as if afraid the other would escape without the contact.
Edythe broke the silence, "We should head back soon, you will have trouble moving through the forest if it gets dark."
I smiled, "The way I plan to head back, the lack of light won't bother me in the least. So, there is no rush. Unless you have something to do."
"No. That's fine, I kinda forgot about that. I was focusing on just the moment, I guess." She laughed at her last comment.
A short time later, the sunset faded behind the mountains fully, and I reluctantly let Edythe slip from my side as I needed to move to the treed area so I could remove my clothes. The only issue was that it didn't really offer much privacy. My face flushed as I turned to look at Edythe, and she gave an exaggerated sigh and turned her back. As I stripped down, I was pretty sure I saw her turn her head a few times, but she was too fast for me to be sure. Internally, I shrugged my shoulders, not like I was losing anything from her looking.
After stuffing my clothes in my backpack, I made the shift and picked up the backpack in my mouth. Edythe walked over and offered, "I can carry that, it won't bother me in the least."
I let it go, and she slipped it on. Then, with a mischievous look in her eyes, she reached out and tapped me on the head, "Tag, you're it." Then she made a run for it.
I was startled for a moment by the gesture, and then I gave chase. I heard her moving before I saw her, she was an arrow in the air. The sound she made while running was loud to my ears. It didn't take long to catch up to her at my top speed, but the sight of her butt as she ran made me not want to pass her. For a moment, I thought about just keeping this view for a time, but then I heard, "You can touch it, if you can catch me."
{Damn, I forgot she could read my thoughts in this form, good thing she couldn't when I was checking out her chest in her bra.}
A quick stumble from Edythe showed me that I was dumb to think that now. Well, she offered. I quickly lined up a good angle to catch her and gave it all I had. Just before I was about to reach out and tap her, we broke into a clearing next to the Jeep. Edythe raised her arms, "HA, I win."
I leapt onto her, knocking her to the ground, standing over her, I thought, {You didn't make it to the Jeep though.} Then I gave her a long, wet lick with my tongue. Keeping it flat so the barbs of my tongue didn't scratch her. She broke out into peals of laughter. "Fine, it's a tie then."
Once I let her up, she handed me my backpack. I took it into my mouth and moved into the woods to get dressed. Once we were back in the Jeep, we drove back to Charlie's house, and Edythe pulled into the driveway. Before I could invite her in though, Edythe's phone rang. She looked at who was calling and answered it.
"Hey Alice, I just pulled into Thomas's driveway. What's up?" There was a moment of silence, and I saw Edythe clench her teeth. "Is she okay? Did he get there in time?" Then her body relaxed. "That's good. Yeah, I'll be there in a few." Then she hung up.
"I need to head home for a bit, but I would like to come back tonight. If that's ok with you."
I looked into her eyes, "Of course you can come back. Want to share what happened? You looked serious."
She took a deep breath, "Everything is fine, no one was hurt. Yet. I will tell you everything when I come back. I don't want to give half assed information. I promise to explain later."
I nodded, a little suspicious. "I will be waiting for you."
"I will be back as quick as I can, Tiger." She leaned over and gave me a soft kiss goodbye, and as she pulled back, her whole body shivered. "The heat of your lips drives me crazy. Better get inside so I don't have to worry about anyone else finding trouble tonight."
A bit mystified by her words, I climb out of the Jeep and head for the house. She didn't move the Jeep until I opened the door to the house, even though I didn't close it until she was out of sight. I left it unlocked for Bella, unsure of what time the girl's night would end.
(POV Edythe)
I made the drive home as quickly as I could. Outraged by what Alice told me she saw nearly happen to Bella. How could that idiot be so close but still allow her to be in danger? I planned to have a few choice words with brother dearest about this. A small part of me wondered if Rosalie would lay off Bella now that they came so close to having the same fate. But I doubted it, my sister is all kinds of stubborn and dare I say it, jealous at times.
It would be hard to imagine for all the girls in school to realize that their jealousy towards Rosalie was returned 10-fold by Rosalie herself. Their ability to have a family that so many took for granted was the one thing Rosalie would give up everything, including Emmett, for.
My thoughts were interrupted by Alice as I parked Emmett's Jeep in the garage. My mind entered hers as I saw what triggered the night's events for Bella and her narrow escape with Edward. She knew Alice had tried to call Edward, but he didn't answer, and now it was a waiting game for him to return on his own.
Alice looked her sister over closely, "It looks like you had an interesting date with Thomas today. Wasn't that shirt tucked in when you left? I hate that he blocks my visions, it cuts into my teasing time. Tell me all about it while we wait."
Knowing that she wouldn't give in until I told her something, and my own desire to share the wonderful events of the evening. I spilled it all to her. The acceptance, the fiery kiss that felt like it would melt my lips, catching him looking at my breasts and his hardening reaction to that. I held nothing back, even describing how comforting it was to be held in his arms. The contrast of our body temperatures was amazing. His always being a hot 107 degrees now, and my skin taking on the ambient temperature, proved a volatile combination.
Their chatter and the subject they were discussing drew Esme from the house to join in on the girl talk. Edythe felt just a little closer to them both now that she was beginning to understand their connection to their own mates. It is one thing to intellectually know something but another thing entirely to feel it in the same way as others, at least to a degree.
After about an hour, Alice asked Esme, "Would you ask Carlisle to come out here? Edward will be here in a few moments, and he is having a bit of a crisis right now."
"Of course, Alice. We will be right down."
Before the door even closed, Edward pulled up and got out of his car. Alice watched him approach, "Carlisle is coming down."
He tousled her hair with his hand as he said, "Thank you,"
"Thanks for returning my call," she said with a bit of sarcasm.
He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, "Sorry. I didn't even check to see who it was. I was...busy."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry too. By the time I saw what was happening, you were already on your way."
"It...it was close." He whispered as if afraid to say it too loud.
"Sorry," she said, sounding ashamed of herself.
Edward took her hand, and I put mine on her shoulder, "Don't be. We know you can't catch everything. No one expects you to be omniscient, Alice," I said.
Alice and Edward had a quick mental conversation between each other before I could reach out and listen in. They had become experts at this, probably why they were so close. The only thing I caught was, {You will be with her soon enough. Just go with Carlisle and get the small stuff out of the way.}
As if he too heard his name, Carlisle walked out the door at that moment. He brought with him a sense of peace and wisdom that seemed to follow him.
Edward spoke out loud, "I need help."
"Anything, Edward," he quickly promised.
"Did Alice tell you what happened to Bella tonight?"
"Almost happened." Carlisle amended.
"Yes, almost. I have a dilemma, Carlisle. You see, I want...very much... to kill them." His voice went passionate as he spoke faster. "So much, but I know that would be wrong, because it would be vengeance, not justice. All anger, no impartiality. Still, it can't be right to leave a serial rapist and murderer as well as his gang wandering Port Angeles! I may not know the humans there, but I can't let someone else take Bella's place as their victim. Those other women in town, it's not right!"
Carlisle unexpectedly smiled and embraced Edward. "She is very good for you, isn't she? So much compassion, so much control. I'm impressed."
"I'm not looking for compliments, Carlisle," Edward responded to his father's praise.
"Of course not, but I can't help the way I feel now, can I?" Over the next few minutes, the pair came up with a plan to deliver the guilty to the police in another state after rendering them unconscious. That way it wouldn't make the local news and cause rumors in the area.
Knowing that they had it covered, I went upstairs and changed into clean clothes after a quick shower and made my way to Thomas's window.