Watching Her Chapter 24 - Jiminy Cricket

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Chapter 24 – Jiminy Cricket - Pinocchio
Jiminy Cricket is the greatest friend. He's dedicated, wise, and loyal. He's easy-going, but tells you like it is! 

By the time Bella goes inside, I can't feel my feet, my hands, or even my lips. It's been hours. Hours of watching her write and pace, and run her fingers through her hair, and sit still as a statue. She's cried and smiled and chewed her fingernails and sat huddled in the corner of the loveseat with her knees pulled up beneath her chin and her arms wrapped tightly around them.

It's the longest she's ever stayed outside and while I would never want to cut my time with her short, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that when the sky started to turn lavender and then mauve as the sun began to rise, I wasn't getting a tad worried. And confused. And anxious. And really fucking ready to see what tonight might bring.

Yes, I know, I'm insane. The girl's just gone inside and already I'm counting down the minutes until tonight. The absolute need that's bubbling and brewing inside of me to see if she's opened up and finally let me in is like a powder keg just waiting for a spark … I'm on the brink of exploding.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I turn around and run home. It's the first time it has ever been this late, or early if I want to get technical about it considering it's just barely sunup. There's a fine layer of dew that covers the ground and by the time I clear the steps leading up to our front porch in one long stride, my shoes are soaked.

After I kick off my shoes, I head straight for the kitchen and chug some orange juice. I take time to notice how utterly still and silent my house is with no one at home other than me. There's not a sound besides the quiet, steady hum of the refrigerator and the gentle swish of the pendulum of the grandfather clock in the living room This summer's not the first time I've stayed home alone, but it is the first time it's been for so long. My parents spending the night in Seattle after one of my dad's doctor functions is a hell of a lot different than a month of nights alone.

I lean against the island and stare out the window, not really seeing anything … well, except for Bella of course. I can feel the corners of my lips lift and the twisty turny thing my stomach does when I even so much as think her name kicks in and then … yep, right on schedule, my dick's harder than a damned rock. I care about Bella, I truly and honestly do, but fuck, I'm not blind. She's fucking hot, and the more time I spend watching her and the more things I find out about her only makes her hotter.

Suddenly I'm exhausted. The adrenaline has burned away leaving nothing but bone deep fatigue so pervasive even my hair hurts … my eyelashes and my fingernails, too. With what little energy I have left, I put the juice back in the fridge and slowly climb up the stairs to my bedroom. Half asleep by the time I reach the top step, I'm barely able to toss Bella's notebook on my bed. I somehow manage to get undressed without hurting myself or falling over, and naked, I walk into the bathroom.

The hot water feels fucking amazing. My head falls forward as the streams loosen my aching muscles … well all but one muscle which of course is anything but relaxed. Between the party the other night, talking to Jasper, and then the whirlwind of emotions surrounding Bella, I'm just … wiped. And hard, and wound up tighter than a Jack-in-the-Box right before it's about to spring. Feeling no shame, because, really, by this time, what's the fucking point, I close my eyes and let my mind do its thing while my hand does the same.

Bella, as if there's anyone else, immediately comes into focus and I'm immersed in visions, some crystal clear, some just vague images. I hear her voice as she cries out my name when she comes. I feel her hot and slick on my fingers. I taste her, a mixture of peppermint and sugar cookies with a hint of hot chilé pepper and something even more obscure, citrusy, tangy … her neck, her nipples, her pussy. I imagine what it would feel like to be buried deep inside of her and feel her smooth, sinewy legs wrapped around my waist and her heels digging into my ass.

My fingers grip my dick harder and I pump, up and down, swiping my thumb through the bead of liquid at the end. The shower pelts my back, but all I can feel is her mouth, hot and wrapped around my hard cock. All I can see is her eyes as she stares up at me from her knees, burning straight into mine.

"Oh, God. Oh, fuck, fuck." I groan as the pictures and sounds swirl so fast I can't even concentrate.
The muscles in my legs lock, my stomach clenches and then I come with a roar. My heart hammers in my chest, as I keep my fingers wrapped tightly around my throbbing cock until every drop of come is expelled.
"Son of a bitch." I pant, my body sagging in relief.

Once my shower's done and I've dried off, I pull on a pair of loose basketball shorts, sans boxers, and drop down on my bed. I reach for my cell phone and tap the screen to call Jasper.

"What the hell?" he mumbles because he's still asleep like any sane teenager would be at a little after six in the morning.

I huff at him, though I shouldn't. "It's me."

"Edward?"

I snicker because Jasper's about the least coherent person around when he first wakes up. It takes him at least one Mountain Dew to even be semi-human in the morning.

"Of course it's me." I huff again. My mind's racing with everything about last night, so fast I have to close my eyes … which in all actuality only makes things worse because then all I can see is her.

I hear rustling in the background, a grunt, then a yawn. "So, did you do it? What happened? Did you see Bella? What'd she say, did she say anything? Come on, spill," he spits out rapid fire, so fast I can hear him take a deep breath when he's done.

"Yeah, I did it. I still can't believe I let you talk me into that fucking ridiculous pen … but it made her laugh, so I suppose I can't kick your ass now." We laugh but then it dies pretty damn fast because words and feelings and a whole smorgasbord of shit is spinning around inside of me and I need to talk about it.

So I do.

And he listens and listens and snorts a few times and sighs, and I even think he laughs, but he tries to cover it up with a yawn so I can't be too sure.

"I don't know, Jas." I groan once I've told him everything. "Watching her write was the most surreal thing," my voice trails off as the question I really want to ask him sits right on the tip of my tongue. Finding my balls mostly because I know Jasper won't ever lie to me, I ask, "What if I can't handle what she tells me? You've never seen Bella, but if you did, you'd know there's something going on with her, and it's bad, Jasper, I know it is. I can feel it."

He doesn't say anything for the longest time, but it doesn't bother me. He's thinking, putting things together … dissecting, and looking at the issue from every possible angle. That's Jasper, it's what he does, and why I always know that I can go to him with anything.

So I wait.

"Look, Edward," he begins in his no bullshit voice. I expect no less. I need no less, because really, if I can't handle what Bella's going through, then I need to get the fuck off this train right now … before I wind up hurting her somehow, someway. "You care about her, don't you? I mean, I know you think she's hotter than sin, but this … whatever you want to call it, is more than just wanting to see her naked or getting a piece of ass, right?"

"You know it is," I snap. "If all I wanted was a piece of ass, I would've gone to Alaska with my parents and had Tanya every which way but loose. You saw Gia and Heidi the other night. I can get a girl any damn time I want to, but Bella's different. I don't know how I know, I just do. It's fucked up and it scares the shit out of me, but she's … she's special." I sigh softly and I don't miss the light chuckle from the other end.

"I think you just answered your own question, my friend. You'll do whatever you need to because you want to, because Bella means enough to you to try to help her. You know we're all here for you, Edward, and that means we're here for Bella, too. Emmett, Ali, and Rose, even your parents, we'll all help."

I can't help but laugh at how absurd he sounds. Oh, he means every word, I know he does, but still. "Bella doesn't even know my damned name, Jasper, and we're talking about her like we've known her forever."

The irony isn't lost on me.

He laughs along with me and then clears his throat in that way he does when he's about to say something I might not want to hear. "You know, Google is a wonderful thing. I'm pretty fucking sure if we did some digging we could find out everything you need to know with a few searches."

Oh yeah, not only is Jasper scary perceptive, he's also wicked smart when it comes to computers … hacking especially. I shake my head before he's done talking even though he can't see me. "Uh uh, Jas, no way. I'm not doing that to her. I want, I need," I emphasize heatedly, "Bella to trust me. I want her to want to talk to me. It's already bad enough I know her name and haven't told her. No, whatever she wants me to know, she can tell me herself."

My voice leaves no room for discussion and Jasper's smart enough to let it go. "So, what'd she say last night?" He's teasing, but boy is his curiosity simmering and about to boil over.

I grab the notebook and lay it on my chest. My fingers flick at the edge of the paper and now all I want to do is read, then go to sleep.

"Yeah, like I'm telling you, asshole," I scoff. "Sorry I woke you up, but thanks for listening. I'm going to sleep 'til lunch time then I'll catch up with you guys for afternoon practice."

We say goodbye and I read her letter. It's a hell of a lot better than I imagined, though I really shouldn't have worried to begin with. She's not mad, thankfully, and she told me she missed me, even though she thought that was kind of messed up seeing as how she's never even seen me. She was worried that something had happened to me and hoped I was okay. I read it no less than five times before sleep claims me; my last thought being tonight's the night where it all changes.

I just know it.
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