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Perfect Snapshots


Eddie Cullen is a rising Australian star who has just arrived in Los Angeles. His career is on the fast track, but old anxieties still plague him. Even his playtime is work. He never slows down, he doesn't even know how. He puts on a brave face and a nice mask, but he's lonely. That is until he meets the beautiful photographer hired to follow him around for a week. Can he move past his fears to get the person of his dreams?

A sexy serial Soap Opera

Intended for a mature audience only. (18+)

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1/20/2021

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Sixty-four: Eggnog-y

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Episode Sixty-four:
​Eggnog-y


There were a ton of cars already around Tyler and Lauren’s place when we showed up. They invited everyone they knew. I hurried to my girlfriend’s side of the vehicle, so I could help her stand. She was dressed in her koala pajamas, and I loved it. Honestly, I didn’t expect her to go through with it. But they were adorably baggy on her, and she looked so comfortable. I was wearing my new hat, even though it wasn’t cold enough for it. I didn’t care. She made it.

“I’ll come back for the food,” I informed her as I shut the door behind her. Nodding, she accepted my hand before she hobbled up onto the curb. She wasn’t the most stable, taking a painkiller an hour before. It showed in her jittery movements. “Would you like me to carry you?”

“No,” she laughed, then scrunched up her nose as she thought about it. “Maybe…” She trailed off with a smirk.

Scooping her up, I put her on my hip like one of my nieces. She giggled as she twisted her arms around my neck and her legs around my hips. I took her cane in my other hand. The only problem was that she was pushing my sleep trouser down a little. “Here, hold this.” I gave it to her so I could pull them up in the back. It made her laugh loudly. “I’m losing my drawers, hang on,” I said in a purposely bad southern accent. It got the exact reaction I wanted, making her snicker as she shoved her face in my collar. “Alright, Tiny Tim, let’s go.”

“Ha!” She barked out as her head fell back. “You should have worn a Steve Irwin costume,” she mumbled just as I rang the doorbell. It made me sputter, turning my head away so I wouldn’t laugh in her face. Lauren opened the door a second later. “HEY!”

Our friend chortled when she saw us. She was in pajamas, too. This wasn’t planned, but I think everyone had the same idea. “I love it so much!”

“So, where can I put her down so I can get the stuff from the car?” I asked, bouncing my girlfriend like a toddler.

She hummed for a second. “Hey, get off the couch!” She shouted at Seth, who was playing video games with his best friend. He was in sweats and a comfortable hoodie, but they were both designer labels because that’s who he was. “Make way for the injured woman. Let her put her foot up!” She fussed at him as we followed behind her. He got up wordlessly, his eyes never leaving the screen as he sat on the floor.

Gently, I placed her on the sofa before turning to look at the television. I didn’t recognize the game. “What’re you playing?”

“Spider-Man,” Seth murmured. “I’m playing as Mile right now, though.”

I hummed. “I haven’t played that. I’ll be right back. Bella’s made you a load of goodies.”

“Yesss,” they mumbled in unison. They were like teenagers.

I glanced over at Tyler as I passed him. He was playing a different game on the Switch in his lap. He lifted it up to show me. “Look. Lauren got me the Lite and Breath of the Wild.” It was teal- bright and colorful.

“Dope.” I patted him on the shoulder. His partner followed behind me to help me with the stuff. It was probably for the best. I needed assistance. She gasped when I opened the trunk. “My girl knows how to overdo it with snacks. All of them are labeled. At least half are vegan.”

“Wow!” She breathed as she looked at the stuffed laundry basket. She had also bought them Christmas gifts. “Eddie, she’s fantastic. She’s so thoughtful.” She sniffled and pushed her thumb under her eyes. “It’s actually making me tear up a little. Excuse me.” She took a deep breath as I rubbed her shoulder. “I just get made fun of because of it, and I get it. Sometimes vegans are kinda annoying or whatever, but I don’t have a choice. I’m allergic to so much stuff and-” She fanned her face. “When someone takes that seriously, it’s just nice, you know?”

“She wants to make sure you get plenty of treats. It’s Christmas for you, too.”

She put her arm around my waist and squeezed me. “You need to put a ring on it, or I will.”

I laughed at her words. “I told her I loved her yesterday,” I informed her with a grin. “For the first time, so I’m working on it. I even already have the ring, but don’t tell anyone that.” I didn’t mean to share that part. It just came out.

She squealed and hopped in place. “No way!” I nodded. She smacked my shoulder. “That’s great, honey! Oh, my god. I’m actually going to cry,” she breathed, biting her bottom lip as it quivered. “What is wrong with me? Why am I so emotional?” Lauren looked away and sniffled again through a clogged nose.

“It’s that time of year,” I chuckled. I brought her into a hug for a brief moment and rubbed her back before pressing a kiss to the top of her curly head. “Happy Christmas, huh?”

“Merry Christmas,” she grinned as she pulled away. Wiping her cheek with her palm. “Let’s get this inside.” Nodding, I picked it up and hefted it to the kitchen. Almost every surface was already covered with lots of good stuff. I began to pull things out so she could put them away. “Do you want anything to drink? We have eggnog, apple cider, sodas, beers, tea…”

“Eggnog. Please. That would be fantastic.”

“Alcohol to spike it with is on the counter,” she pointed out, one of her hands full as she pulled it out of the fridge.

“Bella, love, would you like some nog?” I asked, leaning out of the doorway to do so. She beamed, nodding quickly. “Bourbon or rum, or what would you prefer?”

Tyler looked up from his game. “May I suggest the pecan cream liqueur?” He lifted his cup.

Her eyes lit up. “I’ll take that, just a shot. Don’t go crazy.” 

He leaped up from his seat. “Here, I’ll make it for you. I do them extra special.” He almost tripped on his feet, catching himself on the arm of the chair. My friend was already half in the bag. His cheeks were so rosy. “Oh, is that homemade candy? Fuck yes, cookies.” He popped one into his mouth as he pulled out a shaker like the kind used at a bar.

“Yes,” I drew out with a grin as he handed me the drink. “They’re all amazing, too -even the vegan stuff. Trust me. I have tested it all.” I sipped mine. “Oh, yeah. That’ll do, mate. Thanks.” I took my girlfriend’s cup to her, sitting beside her before I pulled her legs onto my lap.

“Can we open our gifts?” Lauren asked from the doorway with a big smile. She held up hers. 

“Yes! Of course. Go ahead,” Bella grinned, raising her mug. “Go get Seth’s stuff, too.” She patted my leg to get my attention, then lifted her feet so I could get up.

She gave them all jams, jellies, and salsa in little jars, which were preserved for later, as well as other candy. They were all thoughtful. Everyone loved them. My gifts to them had been money- lots of it. And some of Bella’s prints from her site. None of them were unhappy with either.

We snacked and drank all afternoon while we played games, some on the television, then cards. It was so much fun. People came in and out all day. They had a ton of friends. My girlfriend sat on my lap almost the entire time, chatting and giggling as she charmed everyone. The more she drank, the more outgoing she became. I could see her being a partier in her twenties.

I could have watched her for days. It was hard to take my eyes off of her. I knew I wasn’t saying much, but I was happy in my own world.

“So, what did you get for Christmas, Eddie?” Lauren asked conversationally, sitting beside us as her husband and his friend duked it out in Mortal Kombat. There was a tournament going on. She was trying her best to be a good hostess.

“Loads of wonderful stuff. Bella got me three different ‘of the month’ club things. Food and liquor. I’m excited,” I chuckled. “She knows me well.” I kissed her cheek lightly. Grinning, she rubbed her fingers under my chin as she leaned into it. “And,” I pointed to my forehead. “It has a matching scarf, but it’s a bit warm for that, but it’ll be perfect for our trip.”

“Oh! That’s right! I remember Tyler telling me about that. You’re leaving tomorrow? Where are you going?”

I shook my head, my smile pushing to one side of my face. “I can’t say, but it’ll be cold. It’s a surprise.”

Bella pursed her lips as she pulled one of my arms around her stomach. “He’s so good at keeping secrets. I can’t keep that kind of stuff to myself. It was hard enough to keep a couple of mine a secret,” she giggled before brushing her nose against my jaw.

Lauren grinned. “And what did he get you?”

She pointed to the hood which was over her head, her curly hair pushing out the sides, then she showed our friend her right hand. “The big one. The little one was from my grandmother. Isn’t it beautiful?” Nodding, she brought it close to her eyes. Bella was gazing at me with a radiant smile. “He also got me this amazing camera lens that I’ve seriously always wanted but couldn’t afford, and a laptop. He spoiled me.” She pressed her hand against mine. “I feel bad. I didn’t get him nearly enough.” She pouted out her full bottom lip.

“Hey!” I laughed. “That last one would have been enough on its own,” I said before pressing a kiss to her temple. Curious, she was looking at us with raised eyebrows. “She gave me some gorgeous photos.” They didn’t need to know what they were. Smirking, she pulled my chin over so she could peck my lips. The look in her eyes was so sexy. My hand slid across her stomach, pulling her tight to me. She giggled, leaning her head back against my shoulder.

“Oh, what kind of pictures?” Lauren teased as she leaned forward.

Bending in, she lowered her voice. “Exactly the kind you’re thinking.” Her mouth formed a little O before they high-fived.

“Are they the size of the canvas you gave us?” Seth asked sarcastically.

I barked out a laugh. “I wish. No, actually, these are better. She’s acting like they’re raunchy, and they’re not. They’re tasteful and meaningful.”

“And what kind of meaning can nudes have?” Tyler dryly inquired without looking away from the screen.

She laid her hand on top of mine on her belly again, resting her cheek against my jaw. “He took them on his birthday. And they’re not… all nude. Most aren’t,” she smirked, then giggled wickedly. “And it’s proof that I’m in love with him because I wouldn’t give that to anyone else.”

A smile stretched across my face that pulled at my cheeks. I pushed my nose into her neck for a moment before kissing it. She tugged me to her for a very sweet, eggnog-y kiss. There was cinnamon on her lips.

“That must make shopping easier,” Lauren spoke into her drink. Bella nodded in agreement. It was purposefully funny, too big and dramatic.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “If she wants to give me that every birthday and Christmas, I am more than okay with that. Seriously, you don’t have to get me anything else.” It made her snicker, looking away from me. Her cheeks were bright red.

“Okay, wait twenty years, and you won’t be saying that.”

“Yes, I will,” I promised in a whisper before kissing her temple. “Even in sixty years.”

She rolled her eyes, but her smile was so sweet, her skin still sizzling pink.

Bella fell asleep on the ride home. My friends kept her nice and toasty, though. Carefully, I brought her to her feet in the garage before scooping her up like a princess. With a half-lidded gaze and a slight grin, she relaxed her head against my shoulder. I laid her on the edge of the bed before moving her suitcase into the corner. She finished packing it before we left so it would be ready the next day. Mine was prepared too. Hopefully, what I packed would be enough.

“I don’t even have to get changed,” she said with a smirk, watching me move around the room.

“You’re so cute in that.”

“It’s a little warm, though,” she sighed before zipping it down to just above her belly button. She was wearing a black bra underneath, lacy to match her panties. It made me pause to stare at her.

“Oh, I’m a pervert. Would you take some dirty pictures with that one at some point?”

Laughing, she pulled it open to expose her breast a bit more before moving her fingers down her stomach slowly. “Bra or no bra?”

“Both?”

Lifting up, she tugged it off her shoulders so she could take her bra off and threw it to the side. She laid back, so her pajamas only covered her lower body. We stared at each other for a long moment.

My phone rang. I pouted, but she winked playfully. It was from Jasper. Sighing, I plucked it from my pocket while going to my closet to pull out my luggage to have it ready for the following day. “Hello, lovey. Happy Christmas!” I spoke cheerfully. Though frustrated at being interrupted, I was never sad to talk to him.

“Happy Boxing Day,” he said jokingly. “How was your day, huh?”

I threw off my shirt after kicking off my shoes. “God, perfect. Just fantastic. How was yours?”

“Eh, I worked. So, terrible. Just awful,” he chuckled. “I’m glad you had a good one, though. That’s nice. I saw all those pictures. You look so happy.”

“I am.” I pulled off my sleep pants before sitting on the edge of the mattress. Bella crawled to me, still only wearing the lower half. She rubbed her hands over my shoulders, pressing her breasts to my back as she kissed my neck. “Being able to spend time with the woman I love has that effect on me.”

“You’re going to say that every chance you get, aren’t you?” She teased against my skin.

I chuckled. “Yeah, I am.” I pulled her arm around my shoulder. “I’m talking to my best mate. Wanna say hi?”

“Hey! Merry Christmas, Jasper!” She sang loud enough for him to hear. “I’m going to get washed up,” she mumbled in my ear, pushing herself up off the bed. Just as she got to the bathroom door, she let the koala onesie drop the rest of the way off her hips.

“Damn,” I breathed.

“What?”

“She just stripped to her knickers and went to the loo. I think she’s about to hop in the shower. And I do believe I will join her if she does,” I said brightly. “I cannot wait to tell you about what she’s gotten me. Holy shit,” I whispered. “This woman. She gave me a bloody book of dirty photos just for me. Remember when I told you about my birthday?”

“Where she let you be the photographer? She made you a book of the pictures?” He scoffed. “Lucky bastard.”

I snickered. “Yes, I am.” The water turned on. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go wash my sexy girlfriend’s back.”

Huffing, he chuckled at my attitude. “Tell her I said Happy Christmas.” 


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1/6/2021

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Sixty-three: Exchange

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Episode Sixty-three: Exchange


Everything was right with the world.

I was in love with a beautiful woman who loved me, who was asleep in my arms, and it was Christmas morning.

I sent messages the night before to my family, telling them happy holidays. They sent me tons in return. I also got videos of gifts being opened and good times being had by my sisters. My parents weren’t there to spoil the fun, and my grandparents were taking advantage of it. My eldest nieces posted pictures of their favorite presents from me, thanking me. Ruby had already pinned all of her posters to the wall. Her proud grin at her interior decorating was precious. The close-up of her face was detailed enough that I could count her nose hairs, her overcrowded walls behind her.

I didn’t realize my girl was awake until she shifted a little and sighed. Her head was on my arm, facing away from me, and I was watching it silently so as not to bother her. “Aw. What cuties.”

Chuckling, I flipped to another. “My sweethearts. Ugh, I adore them.”

“You look so much alike.”

“Yeah, these genes are strong.”

Stretching, she popped her back and yawned. “It makes me wonder what our kids would look like. God, let’s hope they’re tall like you.” She snuggled into my side. “I can imagine a boy that looks like you with my tan and eyes. He’d be stunning like his father.”

My heart fluttered a little in my chest as I thought about it, too. I had always known I wanted kids, but it wasn’t ever a rush. Truth be told, I couldn’t see Vicky as a mother. She was selfish. I knew I would be the one raising them, and that was fine at the time. But seeing Bella as a doting mum was something that made me look forward to the future. But that was putting the cart before the horse. It had only been one day, but it felt like the beginning of a new lifetime.

She pushed herself up and kissed my lips lightly. “I’m so hungry. I’m going to run to the bathroom, then I’ll get breakfast started.”

“Do I need to do anything?”

Humming, she picked up her cane. “You can start the coffee if you want.”

I turned on Christmas music for background noise. It was just instrumental stuff because I didn’t like a lot of the songs. They got annoying and repetitive after a while. Putting the kettle on, I got everything prepared while it started bubbling away.

When she came hobbling out, I hurriedly scooped her up so she wouldn’t have to walk the rest of the way. She giggled as she coiled her arms around my neck after she laid her crutch against the wall. Lightly, she kissed my ear, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

Humming in pleasure, I quickly captured her lips in a kiss before I sat her on the stool beside the island. I brushed my knuckles over one of her cheeks. “God, I love you.”

Bella pulled me in for another kiss. “I love you, too.”

The teakettle whistled loudly, so I ran to get it. She carefully slid down from her spot and hopped on one foot to the fridge. When I was done, I began taking things from her arms. There was no way I was going to have her fall because she had armfuls of jelly and cured meats.

“Tell me what to do, love.”

I did whatever she asked, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind and swaying to the music. I couldn’t take my lips off of her, kissing every spot her silky nightgown didn’t cover. Pushing her fluffy curls away from her shoulders, I dotted her tattoos with kisses. I especially liked the watercolor camera.

When it was done, I had her hold the plate for me so I could snap a picture. I had taken quite a few and some videos, but it was a masterpiece- the meal and the chef. I posted it online with the caption, “My love made us a holiday breakfast nearly as beautiful as her.”

The first comment was asking for the recipe. Soon. Very soon.

I carried her to the sofa when it was time to open gifts after we leisurely enjoyed a couple of cups of coffee and the best cheese bread I ever had. Brie was delicious, especially when wrapped in croissant dough with bacon and the fresh cranberry sauce she made a few days before. I was stupidly full, but it was hard to stop.

I shoved a pillow under her foot to keep the swelling down, then went to get the many packages around the tiny fake tree. Preparing her camera, she pulled it from the bag and got the right lens for the environment. She was so serious as she arranged it.

Straightening her back, she pushed her hair over her shoulder. “There is an order I want you to open these. One will be far less impressive if you open the others first.”

“Doubtful.” I plopped down on the floor beside her. “Well, you can open whatever you want in any order.”

She shoved one of them at me gently before searching through the pile. “This one first.” She found an envelope and put it beside the small sack. “This next. And then this one.” She tapped her finger on the thin, wrapped square. It was hard, whatever it was. Her smirk was slightly naughty.

I reached for the bag. “So mysterious.” Grinning, she snapped my photo.

She blushed for some reason, placing her camera back in her lap. “Well, I don’t want you to get distracted by the last one yet. Honestly, don’t get your hopes up too high. Two of your gifts were made by me.”

Shaking my head, I peered down at my present. “You make that sound like a bad thing.” When I reached in, I felt something delightfully fluffy. It was a lovely multicolored scarf and hat. “Yo, you made these? I didn’t know you could knit.” 

Once again, she looked down to play with the knob on the top of the black electronic, but she smiled. “Yeah, I used to a lot. My grandmother taught me. I’ve had a lot of free time on my ass, obviously. Demetri brought me a bunch of very nice bamboo yarn to keep me entertained.” Bella finally gazed at me. “It’s made locally in New York. It’s super soft, and I like their color combinations. He got them at some Christmas bazaar.” 

“Bamboo? Really? It is soft. This is perfect for our trip. Thank you.” I didn’t even know you could make it out of that. I quickly gave her a kiss before putting them both on. They felt so pleasant against my skin. I hadn’t put a shirt on, just in my pajama bottoms.

She snapped another photo, grinning wildly as she did. Stupidly, I flashed a peace sign. She was trying so hard not to giggle. “Ham.”

“Yup,” I agreed without hesitation. “Now open one of yours.” She picked up the very expensive lens her best friend told me she wanted. “Don’t shake it. If I got it wrong, blame Alice. She helped me pick it out.”

“Okay,” she snickered as she pulled off the gift wrap. Then everything about her expression changed as she gasped loudly. It was all I needed to know that I had gotten it right.

She looked up at me with massive, surprised eyes. “Are you fucking serious?!” Bella didn’t even wait for me to answer before she threw herself at me. She was barely on the sofa as she ravished my mouth with kisses, hanging off the edge.

“I bought the right one?” I joked, feeling breathless from her affection.

She brought it to her chest like a child and hugged it. “Yassss...” Then her eyes grew with desire. “Oh, my god. I hope I get to use it this weekend.”

It was exactly why I got it. I couldn’t help but beam. “I hope so, too. Okay, my turn.”

She giggled awkwardly. “This makes mine way less impressive.”

“It’s not a contest,” I replied quickly. “And to be fair, I simply asked Alice what she’d buy you if she had all the money in the world.” It was a good list I saved for later. I opened the envelope that was in the middle. I expected a card, but it was three pieces of paper with loads of tiny print. “What’s this?” 

She took one from me. “That is one year of monthly boxes filled with unique chocolates from around the world.” Then the next. “This one is savory snacks from around the world. So like chips, beef jerky, nuts. That sort of thing. And that last one is a beer and wine of the month. You get a couple of bottles of wine and a new six-pack every month. So, at least three times a month for a year, you will get something to eat or drink from me even if I can’t make it for you myself. Even if it’s just junk food.”

Her presents were all so thoughtful. Everything about it was so loving. It made tears prickle at my nose and eyes, but I swallowed them back as I smiled. “Aw, that’s so sweet. And it’s like Christmas every month. That’s perfect. I love it so much.”

“I considered a geeky subscription box, but I figured you might already have one, and there is no sneaky way to ask about it.”

 “Oh, I used to, but I didn’t renew it when I moved here. Maybe for Valentine’s Day.” I playfully winked at her. 

She grinned bashfully, playing with her camera’s strap for a moment. “Well, that makes shopping easier.”

Next, she selected the smallest of the packages. “Once again, if it’s wrong, blame Alice.”

Her smile pushed to one side. “Poor Mary Alice, just getting thrown underneath the bus here today.” She unwrapped this one slower, pushing the creaking top of the box open. Her eyes got huge as her face lit up. “It’s James Avery!” She slipped it on the ring finger of her right hand. It fit perfectly. Bella looked back up at me. “It’s so pretty!”

“Well, Alice is two for two, so it’s okay. She avoids the bus for today. You really like it?” I asked, just to make sure. I didn’t think she was that good of an actress, but...

She nodded so hard, her hair bounced. “Yeah, I have one kind of like this one, but not as big, that my grandmother gave me when I was thirteen. I wear it all the time. I mean, I would guess you’ve probably seen it. They’re my favorite jewelry store.” Sighing, she held her hand out in front of her to look at it once more. “I was a little worried for a minute.”

“Why?”

Her gaze was back in her lap again as her cheeks flushed. “I thought it might have been an engagement ring.”

I chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I’d marry you tomorrow if you let me.”

Quickly, she shook her head. “Edward-”

“I said if. If you’re not willing to live with me yet, you’re certainly not ready to be married to me. And that’s fine. I understand,” I paused, then smirked, trying to lighten the mood. I had maybe been a little too open with my feelings. “Unless that’s the problem, and we can make a pit stop in Vegas tomorrow.” I took her hand and pressed my lips to the silver, swirling band. “I’m patient.” 

Bella laughed. “No, you’re not.”

“You’re right. I’m not. But you’re worth the wait. I do want to marry you, though.” I laid my head down on the edge of the sofa. 

Lightly, her fingers grazed my cheek to my temple. Her expression was slightly sad. “What if I don’t want to get married?”

“Doesn’t matter whether we get a piece of paper or not, I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you. Or try my hardest to. If you’re willing to have me. The end results are the same. But you hate calling me your boyfriend, and that would fix that,” I replied with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes before she laid down on the couch with me. Our noses were almost touching. “That’s because my gentleman sounds so much better, though. How can you be so sure? What if something changes?”

“Bells, we can’t predict the future, but that doesn’t change that I know what I want now. What I want in my life. I’ve always been a goal-driven person. And my goal now is to make sure you fall as deeply and crazily in love with me as possible so we can spend the rest of our lives conquering the world together. Because I know when I’m with you, I can do anything. So, you know what? Things are going to change, but it’s going to be far more for the better than the worse.”

Her cheeks went neon. “You’re such a romantic. I never would have expected it when I first knew you existed.” She grinned for only a moment, then her gorgeous eyes met mine. “I didn’t know how much I needed you.”

I leaned forward and kissed her slowly, my hand on her cheek. It was as gentle and sweet as she was. I understood exactly what she meant. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else, the emotions thick in my throat. 

“Alright, open your next gift.”

She pushed herself up, so she was sitting against the back. “I just opened one.”

Rolling my eyes, I shoved the computer I got to guarantee we would have a way to connect, even if we’re thousands of miles apart. “This one is kind of selfish. It’s a high-speed gaming laptop. It should be good for your photography as well, I was told, but this way we can maybe play games together when we’re not together. I know you’ve been wanting one. But check out the best part.” I turned over the box to show her the picture after she unwrapped it. She still had said nothing, and it was making me nervous. “It’s rainbow back-lit. And you’ll never run out of storage.”

She leaned forward to read the numbers I just pointed out. Her eyes squinted. “Holy shit! It has thirty-two terabytes of hard drive space!? That’s so much! How is that even possible?” Her mouth dropped as she read, her eyeballs flying back and forth.

“That is five hundred hours of video, by the way. I got myself one custom-built for me that has sixty. That bad boy is going to make my life so much easier.”

Looking back at me, her jaw was still hanging open. “I can’t imagine how much it costs.” 

“Since you are technically an employee for my production company, it’s a business expense. I need someone to help make dumb videos with me, and I want to play more games with you because it’s always so much fun,” I informed her with a big grin.

“I feel sorry for your accountant. And you enjoyed getting your ass kicked at Guitar Magic at Thanksgiving, did you?” She brushed her fingers against my jaw with a smirk.

“To be fair, I haven’t played it before! And how was I supposed to know Alice was one of the top-ranked online players in the world? How is that even possible?” I wasn’t proud of how high-pitched my voice got. They both destroyed me, but her best friend killed everyone handily.

“Adderall and weed,” she replied dryly.

“But like how is she just quietly always on the top of the rankings? I checked. She’s been at the top for like three years now! I’ve never been that good at anything,” I complained like a child. I had been in actual pro gaming competitions, and she, a tiny middle-aged woman in an apartment in Queens, was holding real-world records. She needed her own channel to show off her skills.

“I don’t know how many people are actually playing it. And yeah, she’s been playing it for longer than three years. It’s pretty much the only reason she’s ever owned a game console. She’s been playing those stupid Guitar Magic games for fifteen years solid now.” She wrinkled her nose. “It makes my eyes twitch.”

“It’s just filthy, though. Filthy!”

“She’s a classically trained musician who’s played at both Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera house,” she giggled. “Oh, and Madison Square Gardens multiple times. She has dozens of symphonies worth of music memorized in her head. I love how impressed you are by the toy guitar, though. You, a man with a damn Grammy.”

It was not the same thing, and we both knew it.

“Really? She’s played there? Solo?”

She quickly shook my head. “No. As part of an orchestra, of course. I played with her at Carnegie Hall and the opera house when we were still in high school and college. But she’s done it again since. She was part of an orchestra group in Queens for the longest, but she’s been focused on just her work for ages now, it feels.” Her eyes stared off into the distance, a bit of longing in her voice.

“Wow. That’s so impressive. And what did you two play again?” I encouraged her to talk about it. She rarely did. I think something about not using her musical degree embarrassed her, though I wasn’t sure why. It was still brilliant.

“Viola and violin,” she stated quietly with a small smile.

“What is a viola exactly?”

“A big violin. It’s part of the violin family that was crafted around the sixteenth century in Italy. Violin, viola, cello, and the upright bass. But there are a bunch of different kinds of each. Different sizes. More strings. Double strings. Stuff like that.”

“Wow. Okay. Makes sense. You’ll both have to play for me one day. I’ve not heard you play the violin.” 

Her bashful grin grew slowly. “Maybe I can make some videos about music and instruments,” she replied as she pulled the rest of the paper off the laptop box. She didn’t meet my gaze, but she continued to smile. “I should earn my keep for the man if he’s supplying me such nice hardware.”

“You can do whatever you want, baby. As long as you’re happy.”

Finally, she looked up. Her eyes were slightly glossy, and her cheeks were pink. “Thank you. It’s all amazing. Everything is so thoughtful.”

“You’re welcome,” I eagerly replied. “Open the last one now.” 

Smirking, Bella rapped her nail on the hard square. “Don’t you want to open your last one?”

“In a sec. I’m having more fun with your reactions right now. I picked this one out all on my own,” I explained as I put the sack on her lap beside the camera.

“Alright,” she spoke quietly before pulling out the fuzzy sleepwear, then let out a loud laugh. “Is it koala footie pajamas?”

“It indeed is. And look, it’s got a pouch in the front for your phone.”

Giggling, she rubbed the fabric between her fingers. It was incredibly soft. “Can I wear this to the Christmas party?”

“I mean, that would be terrific. So yeah. Please do,” I laughed at her reply. I couldn’t wait to see it.

“With one house shoe and a boot, half tanked on eggnog and Lortabs. Yeah, that sounds like Christmas,” Bella continued, then shoved the last one to me with a slight, amused grin. “Now open yours.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I smirked as I finally picked it up. It was a book, which wasn’t surprising, but there was no title on it. The image on the cover was familiar, but I wasn’t sure how until I opened it to the first page. It was of Bella in the corset she wore on my birthday. It was in front of the door, the lights glowing behind her. The next was a closer version at a lower angle, and the one after was from behind. The tattoos on her thighs and the curves of her ass were in view. “It’s the pictures from that night,” I muttered out stupidly. 

“Well, most of them are from that night. Some you haven’t seen yet. I took them just for you.” Her voice was purposefully alluring. Quickly my head popped up, and I met her intense, sexy gaze, then glanced back to the gift.

“We hadn’t really spoken about them since I took them. So much has happened since then. And when you didn’t say anything, I kind of assumed I did a terrible job,” I rambled. 

“Oh, not at all. You did very well,” she cooed. “But it does help to have someone who is a master at photo editing. It’s not photoshopped, by the way. I only blurred blemishes and such.”

She didn’t have to tell me. I knew everything about her was real. I never expected her to give me something so- my brain short-circuited. 

“Oh, boy.” I looked at each page. There were dozens. When I got to an image of her in a lingerie set on her tiny bed, I paused. “Oh, boy...”

“You really should thank Alice for all her help with our gifts this year. She said I was too classy to send those over the phone to you. She helped me take some of the pictures, too. The ones with clothes on, mainly,” she teased.

“She’s the best. No buses for her ever.” The final photo was of her touching her naked body, her legs spread as she sucked on one of her fingers. Her lipstick was slightly smudged, her intense eyes staring into my soul. She was glistening wet, just for me, forever. “Fuck.”

“Do you like it?” She inquired in the sweetest voice. When I peered at her, she was nibbling her bottom lip seductively. 

“It- I... you. I-” My mind was ruined for the entire day. Maybe for the rest of the year. I hurriedly glanced back, taking in her beauty. “Oh, boy.”
​
Like the seductress she was, she twirled a curl around her finger. Her expression was slightly cocky. “I don’t know if I should tell you what Alice called it.”

“Oh? What’s that? What did she call it?”

Her lips pursed for a moment. “The classiest thing you’ll ever masturbate to.”

They were both funnier than me. I hated how correct she was. Heat crawled up my body. Staring out at the mountains, I tried to get my shit together and not laugh like a nervous twit. Before it could rip through my throat, I cleared it a little too loudly. “I am feeling personally attacked right now.”

Laughing, she leaned forward again and kissed me firmly on the lips. Her fingers curled around the back of my neck. Her nose skimmed against mine as our foreheads pressed together. “I love you,” she giggled.

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with episode thirty-seven of Imperfect Pictures

Click to read episode thirty-seven of Imperfect Pictures!

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✨The next episode of✨
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12/16/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode sixty-two: The Day

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Episode sixty-two:
​The Day


I was almost too nervous to sleep the day before Christmas. I felt as if I was vibrating with excitement. It was the day. The day. I was going to confess my feelings to Bella. I was going to tell her I loved her at the place that was our real first date, the LA Zoo. They were doing a light display, and I bought tickets for it early. All I had to do was pick them up at the box office at the front.

When I was in the loo, I sent a message to Jasper that I was going to have a heart attack before the end of the day.

He called me a dumbass and told me I needed to calm down. He wasn’t wrong about either thing.

When I slipped into bed, I kissed her awake with gentle kisses. It was early, but I had reservations for a bougie restaurant. Grinning, she stretched her arms above her head. She was nude except for the soft brace.

“May I take you out for breakfast, Ms. Swan?” I asked as I hovered over her. Nodding, she bit her bottom lip. “I’ve got a table at a place doing a special Christmas meal. And I’ve got a surprise for you tonight.”

“Oh, a surprise, huh?” She lifted to kiss my lips. “Don’t you think you’ve got enough surprises coming up with the trip and everything?”

I still hadn’t told her where we were going, and it was eating her up. It was fun to see her try to guess, but she had been nowhere close.

“Nope,” I chuckled. “This is just… date stuff, though. It’s different. You’ll see,” I waved her off. “Why don’t we get cleaned up, and we can take an Uber?”

“Sounds good.” I helped her to stand. “You should at least tell me how to pack.”

“There will be mountains of snow. Take from that what you will,” I replied. 

She nodded. “Okay. Fair.”

I scooped her up and took her into the warm shower and placed her on the seat. For the third day in a row, she did her makeup. I really was beginning to love watching her do this simple task. It was extra special when it was for me. It made something swirl in the pit of my stomach, especially when she painted her lipstick across her full mouth.

Bella put on a little red skirt that went above her knees and long thigh high socks to keep the brace from rubbing her skin. They were white and from my birthday shopping trip. Her thin green sweater made it extra Christmas-y. It was so cute. Once again, she did her hair straight.

“Wait, before we go… Come take some pictures with me by the tree,” I asked with a big smile.

“Oh! I should get my camera. I should bring it anyway.”

“I’ll get it,” I said excitedly, rushing off to the office where it was sitting on the sofa. I had made sure I charged her batteries for our evening romp.

I passed the bag to her. “I want to take some with my phone, too.”

She grinned. “K. Yours first.”

Looking around, I pursed my lips. “How should we pose?”

“Sit on the couch… there,” she pointed. “I’ll sit on your lap. Angle a little that way,” she instructed. I did what she said, and she crawled carefully into place. With my arm stretched out, I moved around until I found the best perspective.

First, we smiled with the glimmering tree in the background, the stunning clouds filling the blue sky beyond the mountains. Then she leaned in to kiss my cheek. With her fingers curled under my chin, she turned my mouth towards hers while we were both grinning. She didn’t kiss me, though. Bella just pecked my lips so as not to mess up her lipstick. It still left prints on my skin.

I loved them.

Taking her camera, I snapped more photos of us. She promised to send all of them once she edited them. They were going to be beautiful, and we looked so happy in them.

In the car, she relaxed against me. We were both looking at the Christmas displays as we made our way through the fancy neighborhood. They had gone all out.

“Oh, we should drop by a store. We’re almost out of coffee and sugar. We might want that tomorrow,” she blurted out as the idea popped into her head.

Nodding, I rubbed my hand over her stomach. I was more interested in her body than anything else. It was rather distracting. “Whatever you want, love.” My fingers moved down her skirt to her knee, pushing the fabric up some. It was just enough to expose her bare thigh. Instead of telling me to stop, she nibbled on my ear for a moment before pulling on it with her teeth. She giggled and rested her head on my shoulder.

“A bottle of champagne and a carafe of orange juice, please,” I said to the server as soon as we sat, pointing to the one I wanted on the menu. Just like the last time, I needed it for my nerves.

But unlike last time, we sat very close together and flirted and kissed the entire meal. We shared two bottles, making her very tipsy. She was cute and giggly, laughing her way through the grocery store while I pinched her ass and played with her skirt.

When we got home, I pulled her onto the couch, where we stayed for most of the afternoon. The television was on, but we weren’t paying attention to it. It was just some nice, old fashioned making out.

Dinner was a grand affair of porterhouses topped with mushrooms, baked sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, and grilled zucchini. It was all incredible. She acted as if it was nothing, and it was easy. But skills have a sneaky way of making arduous tasks seem simple. The cherry pie I knew took two days to make from scratch, and it was one of the best I had ever stuffed into my face. I was nervously shoving food into my mouth, but when it tasted so good, it made it easier. She watched me the entire time with a smile.

“So, um… I’ll put everything away. Why don’t you get ready to go? We’re going to be outside, so you may want to put jeans on. I don’t want you to get cold.”

“Okay,” she nodded, standing. “No hints?”

Grinning, I shook my head. “You’ll see.”

My heart was beating so fast. I couldn’t drink because I was driving, but I needed one. Or twelve. But I didn’t want to botch this. It had been a perfect day so far. She was happy, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Stick to the romance, I repeated Jasper’s words in my brain.

Hurriedly, I cleaned up the small mess we left behind. She had tidied up as she went, and Bella was much neater than I was.

On my Instagram and Twitter, I had posted pictures of our morning. In the message, I wished everyone a happy holiday season. They received thousands of likes. It made me smile. So many commented about how joyful I appeared, including my sisters and grandparents.

We held hands on the ride there while listening to Christmas music on the radio. As we got closer, she sat up and looked around. Her grin grew. She shifted to peer at me with excitement. “Are we going to the zoo?”

“Yeah,” I smiled, nodding as I glanced at her. Quickly, I turned my eyes back to the busy parking lot, but I squeezed her leg.

After picking up our tickets, we strolled inside. She gasped softly as the lights came into view. “How beautiful!”

In front of the flamingos, I grabbed her by the waist and took her camera so I could snap a picture of us kissing. She kept giggling, having fun with my flirting.

“You are so beautiful,” I sighed in her ear as I took one, making her flush. The warmth spread over her cheeks. After, she pulled me into a deep kiss.

“You make me feel that way,” she admitted.

I looked at the results. “Because you are. Promise you’ll send these to me too?” She nodded, grinning as she glanced away. I pecked her cheek. “Thank you.”

As we moved further in, I became more and more nervous. I searched for my opportunity, but then she gave me the perfect opening. 

“Is it okay if we sit for a few minutes?” She asked as she leaned against her cane. “This is a lot of walking on the hard concrete.”

“Oh, yeah! Sure, sure.” I bobbed my head nervously. We were coming to the small outdoor area encircled with lights where they were serving treats. Surprisingly, it didn’t have a very long line. “Why don’t you get a seat, and I’ll get us something to drink?”

“Oh, yes, please. May I have a hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream?”

“Coming right up, beautiful.”

She found a bench away from everyone between two tall palms draped in white fairy lights. I watched her while I waited in line. She looked so lovely wrapped in the glow. When she noticed, she grinned at me.

When I brought her the drink, I sat beside her and took her free hand. I was trying to calm my frantic heart, but I wasn’t doing an outstanding job. She noticed my trembling.

“Are you okay? You can’t be cold.”

“No… I mean, I’m fine,” I babbled. Pausing, I attempted to gather myself. I had a speech, and I was prepared. “The last time we were here, we weren’t together yet. I knew that I had feelings for you. I tried to talk to you the night before, and I guess I wasn’t coming on strong enough, but I didn’t want to scare you off by being too aggressive either. But I wanted to tell you the very same thing then that I want to tell you now.”

Tenderly, she brushed her thumb over my knuckles as she leaned in. “And what’s that?” 

“That I’m in love with you. That I fell in love with you the very first second that I saw you. Before I opened the door. Before we even spoke to one another, I was in love with you. I didn’t know that I could feel this way about anyone or that love at first sight truly existed. But it does. And I do. Every day since then, I have just fallen more and more in love with you. Isabella, I love you.”

Her jaw dropped, and a strangled noise came out. She gaped like a fish. Blinking, she stared at me in surprise. “I don’t know what to say.”

Fuck.

Fuck- FUCK, fuCK, FUCKity.

“Damn, is it too soon? I’m sorry. I should have-” I thought- I- Dammit… My brain went into the alarm bell noises from Kill Bill. 

She quickly turned to me. “No. No, Eddie. No, it’s not. I’m sorry. I should have started with, I love you, too. You just leave me speechless sometimes. I’m not as good with my words as you are.”

“Really?” I spun to look at her fully. “Do you mean it?”

She giggled. “Why wouldn’t I mean it?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. It was what I was hoping for, but you threw me off at the beginning, and I think my heart is having a moment.” I laughed hysterically as I tried to keep my chest from cracking open. What a rollercoaster. “Oh, sweet Jesus. My heart hurts, Bella. I love you so much. I’ve been bursting at the seams to tell you this entire time. I was kind of worried I was losing my mind at first,” I rambled in relief.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I literally just met this perfect, perfect stranger, whom I had fully thought was a man until the moment before I peeked out the window, and had a mild panic attack because I realized I hadn’t showered before I was meeting the love of my life for the first time,” I chuckled. “And then I had to try to play it cool and not fuck up my chance with you, which I was absolutely sure I didn’t have any at all.”

She shook her head as I spoke, her eyes rolling. “You’re so dramatic. Well... you played it off very well. I didn’t realize a thing. I just thought you were immensely charming. And I remember how good you smelled that first night, so don’t worry,” she admitted before biting her lip for a second. “When you leaned in to order that first time. You were so close. You had that sexy unshaven thing going on that I seem to like on you now. I don’t know why you thought you didn’t have a chance, though. Silly boy,” she teased as she moved her fingertips over my jaw. I was butter in her hands.

“I’m in no way good enough for you. For your generosity. For your kindness.”

“Try hard,” she complained. She would have none of my self-depreciation. “What are you talking about, anyway? I’m not going to have this argument with you again. First, don’t compare my nonprofit work to your own. At your age, I hadn’t done a tenth of what you have. Second, I’m a cranky bitch. I like maybe five people. You just happen to be one of them.”

I wouldn’t take hers either. “I can name a dozen people off the top of my head that love you and think you’re awesome. Seth, Tyler, and Lauren being three of them. You’re more personable than you feel.”

She looked away as she sighed. “And I like them, too. I really do. It’s kind of an act with everyone else, though. But I realize I am preaching to the choir with that. We’re both mainly introverts pretending to be extroverts.”

Huh. 

“Oh, no. You’re exactly right. That’s why we get along so well, I think,” I laughed softly. 

“Probably. And we’re both creative, but in different ways, so it’s always inspiring to be around you,” she continued. 

The words struck me, making my heart speed up again for a different reason. “I didn’t realize you felt that way as well, too. I’ve been so vocal about it, I know.”

“Well, I probably am the quieter one in the relationship,” she countered playfully. She wasn’t wrong at all.

Resting my head against hers, I pressed a kiss along her jaw lightly. “Yes, I think I would agree with that. Well, most of the time.” Later, when we got home, I was going to make her scream. That was a guarantee.

She bit her bottom lip for a moment before peeking at me from underneath her thick eyelashes. “Was it really love at first sight? I don’t think that’s even possible.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Lust at first sight, maybe,” she teased in a mischievous voice.

“It can be both.” I stooped in so I could whisper in her ear. “You really can’t have one without the other, I think. Romantic love without at least some lust. I certainly can’t deny being thirsty for you from the beginning. I’ve wanted you more than I thought was possible. But can you really blame me? Our sex has been universe-altering for me.”

Bella had a naughty smirk. “You needed to have better sex.”

“You are not wrong,” I snorted. “I wish I were more experienced for you. I don’t know if I know what I’m doing.”

She made a face before turning to talk in my ear. “You have a massive cock and an oral fetish. And I’ll take determination over experience any day. I’m just glad I found you before you realized your gifts.”

My mind screamed fuck, but for a whole different reason. 

“See? And then you say things like that, and my brain just shuts the fuck down. But, really, though? It’s okay for you?” I questioned seriously.

“If your other girlfriends were having more orgasms than me, then they were faking it because I don’t think that’s humanly possible otherwise,” she retorted bitingly.

“No. They weren’t. I mean, I don’t think they were faking it... at least most of the time? I don’t know. My ex was more of a one and don’t touch me type.” 

“It’s different for everyone. I’ve never faked a thing with you. I do have to fake it with Al all the time. It does nothing for me at all,” she continued in the driest, funniest tone. I didn’t know how she didn’t laugh. “All the magic is gone after all these years.”

I couldn’t help it, though. “You’re mean.”

“No. It’s true. You’ll see for yourself one day whenever that threesome eventually happens. There is just no spice left.”

If I ended up having sex with those two women, my heart might not be able to take it. But if she could be funny, so could I.

“I know you’re fucking with me, but I’m not sure how much exactly.” 

“Oh, you know this, do you?” She gazed at me, holding my stare, then took a comically long sip. “How sure are you that I am, in fact, fucking with you?”

I tried so hard to keep it together, but I couldn’t. Laughing loudly, I looked away before I peered back at her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she replied right away with a radiant smile.

Finally. It was music to my ears.

“Oh, that’s so nice. Can you say it again?” I begged as I moved in to kiss her mouth once more. 

Bella beamed as her cheeks turned pink. She leaned in so we were almost touching, but not quite. “I love you.”

“Again, please.”

“I love you,” she stated seriously before taking my face in her hands and pulling me in the rest of the way. It was deep and passionate, her fingers in my hair. We were both panting when we drew apart. 

“Shall we continue on now?” I questioned with a grin, nodding towards the trail.

“Yeah, just… Give me another kiss first.” I instantly obliged, and her arms went around my neck. “I love you, Edward,” she whispered when she pulled away, only a breath apart. “So much.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with episode thirty-seven of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to read episode thirty-seven of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to download an epub of this episode!
Click to download a pdf of this episode!

✨The next episode of✨
📸Perfect Snapshots📸
will post on
January 6th!
💛See y'all then!💛

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12/9/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Sixty-one: Show off

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Episode Sixty-one:
​Show Off


I was woken up in the morning by my girlfriend’s kisses. She spread them all over my neck and cheek, covering my right side in them. My face lolled towards her, pecking blindly back. It made her giggle. Bella pushed herself up so she could hover over me, taking my mouth as her fingers slid into my hair.

My arms curled around her waist, pulling her on top of me. Sighing softly, she laid her head on my shoulder. Her weight was so nice. It made me want to fall back asleep just as we were.

“What do you need to do today?” Bella asked in my ear, her fingertips tracing over it lightly.

“We don’t have to do anything,” I mumbled, barely able to open my eyes.

“Well, I need to at least prepare a few things for Christmas. And it’s stuff that would be good to film,” she offered in a light voice. “It’s recipes I can do in my sleep.”

Finally, I opened them. “Is that something you’re interested in doing? You don’t mind me filming you while you work?”

She shook her head. “No, I love making videos with you. They’re so much fun.” She moved her finger over my cheekbone to my lips, pecking them lightly.

Slowly, I smiled. It had been ages since I had filmed anything at home. I hadn’t been in the mood when I wasn’t too busy. “What do you need to make?”

She sat up while still on me with her injured foot held out at a funny angle so she wouldn’t sit on it. Bella pushed her hair behind her ear as she thought, her chin tipping back. “So, I wanted to make cranberry sauce for our meal tomorrow and blackberry jam to go with our dinner tonight. I got some nice chicken. You can film me making that too.” She bit her lip. “The cookie dough, too. It needs to sit overnight, at least, and I’m going to bake them and the pies tomorrow. Oh, I need to make the dough for that today too- the crusts. Everything is pretty quick and easy. And we can make more tomorrow, too. Finish the chocolate chip cookies, and I was going to make vegan sweet potato pie for Lauren and a fruit one for us.”

“Oo,” I drew out. “That’s a lot.”

“Nah,” she waved me off. This was where my little girl was the cockiest. “Like I said, it’s all really simple. And fun. These are some of my favorite dishes to make.” She bit her lip for a moment, then grinned at me. 

“Oh, well, in that case…” I dragged out playfully as I sat up on my elbows. She leaned down to kiss me, hunching over to do so. “I can’t wait to see how it all turns out. I’ve been excited to film stuff like this with you.”

Smiling widely, she brushed her nose against mine. “Me too. Why don’t we get a shower? I’ll make the blackberry jam first, and we can have it on toast with some coffee for breakfast.”

“Perfect.”

When she stripped, Bella took off her brace, too. Her tiny toes were just as swollen as they could be. She frowned at them, wiggling them a little. She could, but it wasn’t comfortable. Wordlessly, I ran into the kitchen to get the aspirin and a bottle of cold water for her. She seemed confused until I passed them to her when I returned.

Flushing, she popped the tablets into her mouth. “Oh, thank you.”

“Do you think you’ll be up for our trip?” I questioned gently. Everything I had planned with the help of Jasper could be enjoyed while sitting down. But if she was in pain, nothing would be fun. As much as I wanted to go, I wouldn’t have hated hiding from the world with her at home. As long as I was with my girlfriend.

“Of course!” She promised swiftly. “I’m fine. It’s just a bit achy now, and the medicine will help. It’s better than it was yesterday.”

I picked her up off the bed. “Well, I’ll try to keep you off your feet as much as possible.” She was grinning as I sat her on the bench in the shower. When I twisted to shut the door, she pinched my ass. She beamed at me innocently when I turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “Oi, cheeky girl.”

“This is a splendid view,” she teased, winking up at me.

While she got dressed, I made coffee and hurriedly picked up the mess I made the day before. I hadn’t let her out of the bedroom hardly and was just leaving our rubbish everywhere. I shoved the takeout boxes into a sack and put it into the garage for later. The entire time, I could hear the hairdryer going. She had a lot of hair to work with, so it took her a while. Bella’s beauty was worth the wait.

I even swept. I wasn’t sure when the last time that happened was. It was why I had a maid service. It was probably when I lived in the flat with Jasper, but I wasn’t very good at it, so it wasn’t something that happened often. My best friend was more of a neat freak than I was, but the final year I hired a cleaning service because I couldn’t be arsed to do my merger part. He didn’t hate it. I had offered to continue it once I left. It wasn’t much, but he refused. He was moving into a much smaller apartment and always worked, so it wasn’t messy, anyway.

When the coffee was ready, I brought her a mug. She was working on her face, painting it up with a fat, fluffy brush along her cheeks. Bella didn’t have to do that to be beautiful, but she made herself look like a masterpiece every time she did.

“I love your hair straight like that. Your curls are stunning, but it’s so shiny- like ebony. And it’s so long,” I complimented her before I took a sip. It made her blush, her eyes going to the vanity top, focusing on her tools. “So, what else do you need me to do?”

“I just need to finish getting ready, and then I’ll prep the kitchen.”

I nodded in understanding. “Alright. I reckon I’ll start setting up the cameras. Call me if you need me.” I kissed the top of her head. Her grin was so pleased.

When she came hobbling out with her cane, she was dressed in shorts and a red blouse that looked lovely against her olive skin. Right away, she went to cleaning dishes and wiping the counters before bringing out the supplies she would need for the beginning videos. I enjoyed watching her work. This confidence in her was alluring. I wanted her to tell me what to do. Boss Bella was hot.

“You really should make a list of stuff you want to learn to cook,” she commented suddenly, looking over her shoulder at me as she washed the berries. “Add it to our file. Like twenty things. Don’t go crazy. We should start small. I mean, I know what I’d like to teach you, but it will be easier to learn if you’re doing stuff you want to do.”

It was cute she thought I would learn anything other than I was terrible at cooking, but I would do whatever she wanted. I could be the clown to her straight-man act.

“What would I put on it? ‘All of your cooking.’” I made finger quotes as I spoke.

She giggled. “That’s a bit much. Um, I don’t know. Fried chicken, maybe. Desserts you like. Your favorite snacks. Is there something from a restaurant you’d want to learn to cook?”

“Oh,” I drew out slowly. She had obviously thought about this while I was busy staring at her ass. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

“That could be a fun video. Eddie learns to cook his top five favorite foods.”

Every time she planned our future together, it made me happy. Even if it was technically for work. I was already having more fun than I did when I was alone, though. If the videos weren’t a hit, I still wanted to make them with her. But something told me they would be amazing. My girl had been a natural at everything else...

“We could make it a whole series,” I replied. I smiled as I glanced at her. “I’m ready when you are.” 

“Me too.”

After washing my hands, I came to the island to stand beside her in front of the camera. Just as I turned it on, I pecked her cheek. “You start us off, beautiful. Okay?”

She grinned, her bright, mismatched eyes gazing into mine. I felt stuck in them, held in place by her command. Finally, she shook her head as if she was in a trance, too. “Got it.”

When I winked at her, it made her blush and look away like an excited teenager. I knew the feeling completely. 

“Three, two, one...” I began right before I goosed her bum. She squeaked and laughed, her head thrown back for a second. Bella hadn’t been expecting it.

She took a deep breath and forced a perfect smile for the camera. “Hi! Today we’re going to do something a little different. Eddie is going to actually cook the food he has to eat. Hopefully. Maybe. It’s the goal, at least,” she teased.

“Hopefully, this video won’t be titled ‘Eddie blows up his kitchen.’ Lucky for me, and probably for the LA fire department, I’m joined by the crazy talented Bella Swan, former professional chef and current master of my kitchen.”

She quickly shook her head. “I cooked in a professional kitchen. I wouldn’t say I was a professional chef. But I can make sure nobody is going to blow up this kitchen today. I can’t promise you that you won’t burn yourself, though.” 

My girlfriend was trying so hard to be serious. “Well, there are no guarantees in life,” I spoke in a too big voice, putting my hands on my hips dramatically. She snorted, just like I wanted, and glanced away for a moment. “What are we making, master?”

Her entire face twisted up as she tried to control it. She broke and stuck her tongue out at me. 

“Mistress,” she replied challengingly before roughly coughing in a signal for me to behave. That wouldn’t happen. This was too much fun, and there was no one to stop me from having as much playtime with my girl as I could. She was going to try, though. “Blackberry jam. It’s super easy to make, better than store-bought, and is amazing on ice cream, in cakes, on toast, or with roasted chicken. And the recipe is really versatile because you can switch out the blackberries for raspberries or cranberries. Strawberries or blueberries, too. It just depends on what’s in season or on sale. It’s really quick, too. So, let’s get started.”

I was correct. I could tell right away that Bella was made for this. She controlled the shoot perfectly, though I doubted she understood what she was doing. From the best shots to what to say, she showed me her director skills. All she needed was a clipboard with her notes. Between takes, I took them on my phone for later. Though she might have been in control, she was willing and able to follow any of my instructions, too. I couldn’t understand how she didn’t make it on the stage. She was captivating. This wasn’t my bias. She was already exceeding my expectations in ways I couldn’t have imagined before.

Nothing was hurried, and it was obvious she was having fun. She made fruit spreads for me to keep well after she was gone, ensuring I would have her cooking for ages. When the chicken for our dinner was done, she started making the sides- a quick salad and steamed vegetables with French bread.

“I’m going to leave the cameras up for tomorrow, but I’m going to back up the footage real quick,” I told her after I gave her a kiss on the forehead. She was still on her stool at the island, slicing the loaf. “Pick out some wine for us, yeah?”

Grinning, she pulled me down for another peck on the lips. “Yeah. No rush. The chicken needs to sit for at least another ten minutes. Oh, after dinner, I’ll write down the recipes for the videos.”

“Ah, perfect. Thanks.”

I hurried into the office, sliding the first SD card into place. It would take a few moments to copy everything over. We had over four hours of roll. It made me excited to edit. I would make sure at least one video a week with her was posted so she could have a steady income for the next few months. I hated how worried she was about money, and this would make her feel better. This was her baby, and she deserved the cash for it.

There were dozens of files to upload. When the first was done, I grabbed my headphones and watched it. It started with the kiss on the cheek and ass pinch. Her face was so funny. I wouldn’t put those in the final product, but it made me happy to have that recorded forever. The joy was clear in her eyes and the way she carried herself. She loved what she was doing.

I sent the first unedited file to Jasper with a bunch of heart-eye emojis.

The next morning, I woke up to a message from him. “Are you really sure she’s never done this before?”

“She keeps just getting better and better,” I replied. “She’s going to make me so much bread. Both literally and figuratively.”

“And this is what she wants to do?”

I smiled at his question. “It was her idea. We filmed all day, and we are today too. She’s going to make truffles and salted caramel. She keeps spoiling me with snacks. And she’s making stuff and preserving it so I can have some later. You should see my kitchen. It is just filled to the brim with wonderful food.”

“Oi, stop rubbing it in. I’m jealous enough as it is. I’m eating take away chips with chicken salt straight from the greasy sack.”

“Oh, I do miss chicken salt,” I actually sighed when I typed it.

“Want me to send you some?” He asked right away.

I sent several heart emojis. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

“I got you, darling. Oh, and I got that poster you sent. Thank you. It’s lovely.”

Smiling to myself, I was happy he liked it. He seemed to be in a better mood, but it was hard to tell over text. I hoped he was.

When our breakfast was finished, I took a picture of the plate. It was scrambled eggs, toast with each fruit spread, sliced avocado, and kiwis. I sent it to Jasper.

“You’re just bragging now,” he complained.

I chuckled. “I am. Sorry. She’d happily share with you if you were here,” I promised.


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12/2/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Sixty: Sensitive

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Episode Sixty:
​Sensitive


Bella whimpered in her sleep, especially whenever her foot moved. She had done a lot the past few days, and it was finally too much. I decided to keep her off her feet as much as possible the following day. We both needed a proper break. I didn’t want her to do any more damage and be in pain for our trip. 

She also moaned my name, grinning and giggling as she did. It made me beam. I kissed her forehead, and she sighed in pleasure. “Mm, Eddie…”

“Pretty girl,” I whispered against her skin. “My love.”

She pulled me into a kiss, still fully asleep. It wasn’t gentle either. It was needy, her hand in my hair as she took it forcefully. I let her do whatever she wanted happily. Then she rolled over, so we were spooning, with a soft whine.

I adjusted the covers around her to make sure she was comfortable before drifting off back to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, we were in the same position.

Crawling out of bed, I went to the loo before washing up. It was just after seven. I was too awake to relax anymore. So I wouldn’t bother Bella while she slept, I took the joints and went into the kitchen. I wasn’t really ready to be up for the day, and I hoped they would put my ass back to sleep. Smoking as I searched through the cabinets to see what goodies she had gotten us, I grabbed a banana and a granola bar with a cup of milk before going outside to sit in the sunshine.

Jasper sent me a message in the middle of the night, letting me know his Christmas gifts had arrived and that he loved everything I had gotten him. Art supplies, new video games, and a couple of nice controllers- one for each system he had, both professional ones used in E-sports.

“I’m glad! Just promise to draw me a picture.”

My phone rang, making me smile. It was around midnight there. It didn’t surprise me he was awake. “What should I draw you, darling?”

“Oo,” I drew out, taking a drag. “That’s tough. Whatever you want. I trust your taste. Maybe something to put on my office wall.”

“I can do that.”

Then an idea popped into my head. “Oi! Or you could draw Bella. You’ve got plenty of pictures to choose from.”

He hummed. “That might be easier after I see her in person.”

“That’s true,” I smiled. “Soon, though! Just a couple of months, and we’ll be able to spend time together.”

“You’re going to be too busy with your family and your girl for me.”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “We’re not going over this again. You are family. We might not be related, but you mean everything to me. I would give my life to protect you- to make it even a little better. You know how much I care about you, don’t you?” There was a moment of silence. “Oh, come on! You do. You have to.”

He sighed. “I do, Tony. I just hate being alone at Christmas.”

“I’d offer to buy you a ticket here right now if I didn’t think it would make you mad.”
“I know you would. And that means more to me than you know, but I wouldn’t want to impose, anyway. You’re a totally different man than you were a week ago. Happy and-”

“And being around my best friend would make me even happier! Are you kidding me? What are you talking about?”

“You’ve just got enough on your plate without me in the picture. It’s okay.”

I huffed loudly. “You don’t add to my ‘plate.’ Jasper, you are not a burden. To me, or anyone else. What’s with this fucking pity party? You’re not alone. I know I’m not there, but you have people who care about you. Hell, go to my sisters! They love you, too. They’re your family. If you don’t wish to be alone, please call them. Or the lads or the twins. Lu.” I sighed. “We all love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he sniffled with a slight laugh. “I get it. I do. Pity is the right word for it. I’m being a bit of a tosser right now because I need a fucking holiday. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pour this out on you like that.”

“Don’t apologize for needing to talk. You can call me at any time. Please do. I don’t want you to feel like this. You’re not a tosser or…” I trailed off, rubbing my hand over my mouth.

“And see, I’ve ruined your good mood.”

“No, you didn’t,” I argued. “You couldn’t if you tried. I’m just sad that you’re upset and need a shoulder, and I’m not there for you. But all you have to do is say the word and-”

He laughed again. “I know. The big man with all the money will take care of me.”

“It’s not-”

“I know,” he repeated. “This isn’t what I wanted when I called. I am so sorry. I really just wanted to thank you for the gifts and talk to you. They are so thoughtful, and they’re way too much, but I love them. Thank you for caring about me, too.”

I sighed again. “Oh, mate… Of course.”

“So,” he cleared his throat. “Where’s your girl? I hope she’s not listening to this.”

“Asleep still. It’s early here.” I lit the smoke again and inhaled deeply. “We did this extreme, high calorie-burning workout yesterday, and I’m in so much fucking pain right now. My calves are on fire.”

“Ouch.”

Snorting, I tapped the ash out. “Worst still, the bugger, the trainer, made rude comments about Bella to me. Bonehead didn’t realize I was her boyfriend. I’m starting to hate men. Are there no gentlemen in this world? It’s no wonder women are so scared of us. They should be.”

“They can’t all be you, Tony,” he teased. “Not all of us are raised around four of the strongest women I’ve ever met. You were either going to come out a perfect gentleman or totally frightened of girls.”

“Nah, I’m still petrified of them.” He laughed genuinely. “You know I am. If I wasn’t, I would have just gone after Bella that first week like a real man.”

“Eh, it worked out,” he paused. “Anyway, it’s late. I’m going to bed. I have work tomorrow. Have a good day, hm?”

Nodding to myself, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “Yeah, lovey. Call me later if you get a chance. Maybe on your break.”

When I crawled back into bed with Bella, she rolled over to snuggle with me with her head on my chest. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she grinned. She licked the corner of her mouth before yawning. “Mm… hey, baby. What do you need to do today?”

I shook my head. “Not a damn thing. I just want to relax with you. I want to order some breakfast,” I mumbled as I kissed her cheek, then her nose. “I want to watch a movie. Or whatever,” I drew out before pecking her chin. She tilted her head back, giving me better access. “How does that sound?”

“Is that all you want to do?” She questioned with a cocky smile as her hand trailed down the back of my shorts then gripped my ass tightly.

Of course, my cock reacted right away. I could never deny her.

I kept her as comfortable as possible all day long, propping her foot up and fetching her whatever she needed. We fooled around more than once. After, with her head on my chest, we watched stuff on my laptop.

When it was getting later in the night, I started a bath for her in the big tub with lots of Epsom salts to help her injured ankle. I could see it was swelling, and there were still loads of deep bruises. She got undressed in the bedroom, taking off her brace and limping towards it. I helped her get in before I went back to relax on the bed.

For the first time since November, I was in the mood to write. I had attempted several times while we were apart, but it went nowhere. I had no imagination left once my depression ran through me.

Bella was quiet for a long time while I typed away. She had one foot hanging out of the tub, the unharmed one. It wiggled and flexed as she relaxed her head back against the lip. She appeared so comfortable.

“What shall we do tomorrow?” She questioned after maybe twenty minutes, finally breaking the silence.

I was in the middle of a sentence, so I continued typing. “You mean you don’t want to stay in bed and continue to be treated like the queen that you are?”

“Do you need to work on anything?” 

I shook my head. “Only what I’m doing now. And I’ll be working on it every day for a while.” It wasn’t due until February, so it wasn’t a rush, but it was a priority.

“I’m sorry that I’m keeping you from working,” she said in a soft, almost sad voice.

I glanced over. “You’re not. It’s just something I need to stay on top of. It’s script stuff for a television project. I work it out in my head, then write until I’ve got it all down. And then I have to take a break and daydream all over again until I work out the next scene in my mind’s eye,” I paused my rambling. “That sounds convoluted. Does that make sense?”

Grinning, she nodded. “Yeah, it does. Let me know if there is ever anything you need help on. I’m a pretty good proofreader. I’ve been doing it for Alice for years. She writes a lot.”

Her words made me smile. I honestly would love her opinion, but I wasn’t to that stage yet. “You’re sweet. I might take you up on that offer when I get to that part. You’ll have to be brutally honest and tell me if it’s funny or not, though.” 

“I’m not qualified for that last part. Just at finding typos.”

Oh, how wrong she was. “You’re funnier than me. If I had your sense of timing and were half as witty, this would be so much easier.”

“You only think I’m funny because you get to see my tits,” she replied in the driest tone as she shook her head.

“Wait- no. I-” I sputtered before I realized she was just fucking with me. “I don’t know. Let me see them again and check,” I clapped back. It made her naughty grin grow.

Bella sat up and jiggled her breasts as she wiggled her shoulders, biting her lip. Her gaze never left mine.

“Okay, maybe,” I stated wryly. 

Laughing loudly, she fell back against the rim. With a playful pout, she covered her chest with her arms. There was a mild blush covering her entire body. “No more boobs for you.”

I chuckled and grinned, putting my laptop to the side. “Aw.” I reclined more comfortably on my side to watch her. This was more fun. “But, boobies. I like them so much.”

“Nope. Too bad, too. They’re warm and soft and all wet. And probably well seasoned at this point because I’ve been marinating in this salty water for a while now,” she joked with a playful smile.

My hands slid over my eyes as I tried not to snort stupidly. Clearing my throat, I peeked at her. “Shall I get you out then?”

“Hm, maybe.” She sat up, then pushed herself upwards after pulling the plug. I rushed towards her. She seemed fine, though. She pointed to the wall. “Pass me the towel.”

I snatched it from the warmer. Carefully, I dried her off. She grinned every time I pressed light kisses on her delicious skin. When the water was fully drained, and I had gotten most of the droplets, I lifted her from the bathtub. 

Her arms automatically went around my neck as she laid her slightly damp hair against my shoulder. “Seriously, can’t tell you how much I like this. You’re the only guy I’ve ever dated that could do this on the regular.”

“But you’re so tiny!” I laughed softly, shaking my head. Some of my nieces were heavier. “There are ten years olds who weigh more than you. Are you even a hundred pounds?” She didn’t like my teasing, so she pouted. I knew I was right, so I went to my scale. She loudly laughed again. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’d say... ninety-five?”

She pretended to be offended. “I was one hundred and five last time I went. Last week or the week before. Whenever that was.”

In truth, I was worried about how tiny she was. I wanted to make sure she was well-fed and happy.

I laid her down on the mattress then went to get the lotion she used every morning- any excuse to keep touching her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head with pleasure before fluttering closed at the sensation. She stretched until her arms were above her head, arching her back a little.

“What do you want to do tomorrow?”

She didn’t open her eyes. “Do you need to go Christmas shopping? Or get anything for the trip? I finished while you were working on Monday and Tuesday.” 

“No, I’m good. I had a lot of downtime on set to shop online. I might have gone overboard. I did quite a bit of shopping on your page as well. Made that part easier.” I smiled to myself as I thought about it.

“Really?” She said in a small voice. “You could have told me, and I would have given it to you at my cost. I have a code. I gave a bunch to Esther for their Hanukkah silent action for their youth programs at her temple.”

“Well, maybe next time then.”

She looked up at me. “What did you get?”

“Oh, loads of things, actually. I sent a big canvas to a lot of my professional connections. Some of the directors and such that I’ve been working with lately. I sent some to my sisters, too. Because they really liked that one I sent of the beach scene with the sunset and the clouds, you know? I got some more with the cool clouds. And I got some posters of the cute animals for my nieces. The smaller ones. They’re their stocking stuffers from me. The ones that are old enough, anyway. I was thinking about getting some of the postcards so I could start to write to them regularly. They do so love getting things in the post from their uncle,” I babbled as I rubbed her calves with the cream.

“Eddie, that’s so much stuff. How many canvases did you get?”

Slowly, I realized I was getting myself in trouble. “Um... thirty or so? Give or take around that. I don’t remember. More of the posters, though. I got them a few each, and I have six to buy for. The youngest is too little for posters. As I said, I might have gone nuts. I like to spoil my girls.” 

Bella flew upwards, the towel still wrapped tightly around her chest. “What? Which size canvas?”

“The biggest. Whatever that is. I don’t remember the exact numbers.”

“When?” She demanded, turning red.

Unable to meet her gaze, I rubbed my hands together because I had so much lotion still on them. And touching time was certainly over. “Um, last Tuesday. Why?”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why did you do that, Edward?” She whimpered.

“Are you mad?”

Her mouth opened and closed, looking down at her lap, then at me. “I- Yeah?”

“Why?”

“They’re two hundred apiece! Thirty, Edward. Thirty,” she raised her voice at me the first time. 

“Yeah, and I get to write them off my taxes in a month because they’re for work reasons. It’s networking. That’s how that works. I have no doubt it’ll be worth the investment.” When I picked up the bottle again, she snatched it away from me. “I’d rather give you that money than a stranger.”  

“How much did you spend?”

I bit my lip for a moment as I looked at her. “There isn’t a number where you’re not going to freak out, Bella. How much do you get from your sales? I know it’s a print as they order type thing.”

“Usually, around seventy-five percent after printing costs. It increases the more I sell, though,” she almost whispered. Her eyes were darting back and forth in thought. Then, suddenly, she balled up her tiny fist and popped me in the chest. “Why’d you do that? I don’t want your damn money.”

She wasn’t trying to hurt me. She was just annoyed. “Ow.” It made me laugh, the spot stinging with pain. I may have loved her, but she was acting crazy. “Because they made for good gifts. They’re so pretty. I don’t think that deserves a smack.”

“I don’t want your money,” Bella repeated, her brows furrowed with her lips pouted out.

“Next Christmas, you can give me the code then,” I said with a slight smile as I shrugged.

She kept shaking her head as I spoke. “I’m going to give it back right now.”

“No, you’re not.” Like hell. I would never accept it. “You can use it to plan our next little trip.”

“Edward, I’m doing fine right now. Really,” she continued with a quivering bottom lip. “You don’t have to give me money. Everything is different from two months ago.”

I wasn’t giving her anything. I was buying products she was creating. She was an artist, and I was purchasing her art.

“I am very pleased to hear that you’re doing better.”

She huffed. “Edward!”

Bella had all the ferocity of a freshly bathed kitten. She didn’t have to prove to me she wasn’t a gold digger. I believed her. “Stop saying my name like it’s going to change my mind. It’s your money now. And hey, two months exactly today!” I realized as I was speaking. It made me grin. She looked away, but her nose wrinkled because she thought I was cute. “That’s nice. I should have taken you out to celebrate.”

Flopping back, she covered her face with a pillow. “You ass. I need to look at my bank app. I don’t think I can. Oh, god. My chest hurts.”

She was going to give herself a panic attack. “You need to talk to your therapist about your money feelings.” I grabbed her mobile for her.

“She needs to up my anxiety medication dosage next time I see her. Christ.”

“Agreed.”

She peeked at me. “Can you check for me?” 

I laughed. “What is that going to do?” She ignored me and put in the information, then handed it back to me so I could see the numbers. “It would probably be helpful to know how much you had last time you checked.”

“The bill’s checking and my savings automatically get the same amount every month unless I do something to them, so I know how much is in those. It’s the other one. It was like twenty-something thousand on Saturday when I bought my tickets. It should be the top one.”

Ah, shit. Nope. I was not walking into this one.

“Hm. Oh. Well. I’d like to give you a number that would not trigger your money feels in a bad way, but you can check this yourself to see. So, I don’t know what you want from me? Please don’t shoot the messenger,” I rambled.

“What does it say?”

“Forty-five. Thousand.”

She sucked in a deep, shocked breath as her eyes got huge. “No.”

I exited the app and put it to the side. “I didn’t spend that much, I swear. That’s not all me. I spent thousands, not tens of thousands.”

A wild hysterical laugh ripped through her throat, but she looked as if she was going to cry. She brought the pillow over her face. “I could take the whole damn year off.”

I yanked it away and tossed it to the floor so I could have her attention. “I realize you’re not being serious, but... Do it. Move here and make videos with me. You can still do your store. You could be the photographer for the channel and help me expand the content,” I blurted out, but the more I spoke, the more right it felt. “We’ll go to a ton of amazing places, and you’ll have more pictures than you know what to do with. And you can help me pick those places. You’re so good at helping me come up with ideas. I swear I’ll make sure it’s the best decision you ever make.” 

“It’s too soon,” she whispered.

“Says who?”

“Me.”

“When will it not be too soon? Because I hate this, Bella,” I admitted, feeling the emotions suddenly overwhelm me. “I hate not being able to kiss you goodnight. I hate not waking up to you in the morning. Either I need to move to New York, or you need to move here because this is torture. Even if we don’t live together, it would be better than this.” 

She was gazing at me with such a sad expression. “We’re going to see each other a lot for a while. And then I figured we could make a quick trip early for our Valentine’s. And then we’re going to Australia for a full month. Isn’t that a good start?” She didn’t want to hurt me by saying no. She needed more time.

“It’ll never be enough,” I breathed.

“You’re going to be busy in January, anyway.”

It was almost spooky how much she was like Jasper. I just wished it wasn’t in this way. “So? Why does it matter? I’d rather be worked to the bone with you here than have a vacation without you.”

“You’re so sweet.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m very selfish. I want you all the time. Alright, look…” I swallowed, hoping she would agree to my next thoughts. “We’ll have been together for almost five months when we get back from Australia. If you can still withstand me after and don’t hate my family-“

Bella put her hand on my shoulder. “I won’t hate them. I couldn’t. They love you.”

Her words made me grin. I hoped that was true. “If it’s not too soon, then... Move in with me after? We’re going on a practice run in Australia, anyway.”

“I’m pretty sure me being here right now is a practice run. That’s all we’ve been practicing.”

“Right. Exactly,” I hastily agreed. “We already know how well we do together. We’re very good at being roommates.” Laying down, I pecked her knee, then rested my head in her lap. I was suddenly exhausted and ready to go to bed.

She sighed softly as she petted my hair. “What if I end up breaking your heart with my craziness before then?”

Lightly, I kissed the inside of her thigh before looking up at her. “It’s yours to break. Whatever you decide, I understand. I just know how much I’m going to miss you when you’re gone.”

“Can I think about it?” She hopefully asked. Nodding, I smiled slightly. She leaned down to kiss my mouth. “It’s not no. It’s just a lot to consider- moving across the country away from my friends and home. But I want you to know that I love it here with you.”


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This episode goes with Episode thirty-six of Imperfect Pictures!

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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📸Perfect Snapshots📸 
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11/25/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-nine: Animals

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Episode Fifty-nine: Animals


The third video of the day was going to be at a no-kill animal shelter. This was the one I was most excited to see Bella in. She was biting her lip deeply as she beamed, just pulling into the parking lot. It was adorable. A sexy girl and cute puppies were a perfect recipe for a high viewer count.

We spoke to the director together this time. All the while, my girlfriend had a kitten crawling across her shoulders like a fuzzy black parrot. It pushed itself into her neck then fell asleep, so its head was covered with her curtain of hair. Absently, she petted it as she carried on the conversation. It purred louder than a car engine.

“I wanna sit on the floor, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get back up,” she whispered to me in a pout once we were in the cat room.

I chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

Carefully, she got herself down on the ground with her legs spread out. This signaled every baby in the place to come darting towards her. There were at least a dozen of them, but it was hard to count because they never stopped moving. They crawled up her back and fumbled over her calves as others sniffed her boot and tried to nibble on it.

“Oh, my god! You’re all so cute!” She squealed in a tone I had never heard from her before. I sat across from her, crossing my legs. Bella was smiling so much. The light in her eyes was amazing. She purposefully wiggled her foot to encourage them to attack it, making her laugh when they did. Scooping one up, she bobbed it gently, so its ear flapped. “Such a sweet little bat.” She brought it up to her lips to kiss. It booped her nose with its forehead. “Aw, I love this so much.”

Bella adored animals. I could definitely work with that. A million more notes popped up in my brain that I would have to write out later. It would be worth it. This was going to be the best shoot of the day, no matter what happened at the chicken place after. Her happiness was infectious, and I could see my friends smiling behind the cameras.

I leaned forward and scratched the top of its head, nuzzling my nose against it while still in Bella’s hands. The creature roughly licked it, getting inside my nostril. It was like a wet sandpaper tissue.

“Oh, jeez,” I snorted and laughed, covering it with my palm.

She brought it up to her eyes to look at. “Mm, boogers.”

This made Seth laugh like a child. He sat on the edge of a chair. When he did, one of the adult cats made a home on his lap. He scratched under its chin for a second before putting his other hand back on the camera to steady it.

The director of the facility was waiting for us when we left the room after playing for forty-five minutes. She beamed. “So, we have a special group of friends we’d like to introduce you to. They just came in at the end of the last week, and they are now available for adoption. Why don’t you come with me to our puppy yard?”

It was a small fenced area, so people could interact with the pets outdoors to see if they were a good fit. It was half concrete and half grass with plastic play equipment and toys scattered about. Once again, Bella sat on the ground while she waited.

Two staff members opened the doors. Maybe a dozen bright yellow golden retriever puppies all came charging out at once. They were massive, but still very much babies. Their heads were too big for their bodies, and they kept tripping over their enormous feet. Their blond hair stood up like a puff around their chubby faces.

Four of them went straight for my girl. She giggled loudly, trying to pet them all at once. It was an impossible goal, but she gave it her best. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I wanted to soak up her joy.

“I love you!” She gasped. “Holy shit! You’re so fucking adorable!” She laughed as two of them licked her face excitedly. Undoubtedly, she still tasted like lunch. She smacked kisses at them and loved it when they returned it all over her cheeks.

One became very interested in Tyler, pawing at his leg until he looked down at him. When he turned the camera towards him, he sat and wagged his tail. He kneeled down to pet them, a smile growing on his face. Clearly, he enjoyed them. He chuckled when the puppy licked the lens.

I don’t know why they say not to work with animals or children. I found both to be exciting. They were naturally making the video better.

When it was time for her to get up, my girl groaned when she put pressure on her foot but said nothing. She was moving a little slower, obviously in pain. There was a small pout on her lips when we had to leave.

On the ride to the chicken restaurant, Bella spoke about all the weird creatures she grew up around as a teenager on a ranch. A wolf, a bobcat, skunks, opossums, raccoons- and that wasn’t even mentioning the regular farm animals that lived there. I looked up the place when we first started dating. It was a massive farm, taking up hundreds of acres outside of Houston. It was known for its organic meat and produce at local farmer’s markets.

When I helped her from the car, she inhaled deeply when she tried to put pressure on her leg. It came out as a shaky breath through her trembling lips. She pushed them together and straightened her shoulders.

“Do we need to stop?” I offered softly so no one else would hear.

“Of course not. It’s just starting to ache. I’ll be fine,” she promised.

This place dunked whole deep-fried chickens in different spicy sauces. We would try their mild, original, and extra hot. Seth was going to be in this video with us. They also served garlic rice and flatbread. The pungent sweet smell of spices and oil blasted us in the face as soon as we opened the door.

“Is it sad that I’m a little scared after last time?” I questioned as I caught a whiff of heat wafting out of the kitchen. It made my nose tingle.

“Well, we didn’t have to sign a waiver… So, it can’t be that bad,” my girlfriend offered with a smirk. “Are we going to try the mild first?”

“Yes, ma’am. Which piece would you prefer?” Seth picked up the knife with a big grin. He purposefully smiled like a psycho, but we ignored him.

“Breast, please,” she grinned. “Thank you.” She thought of something, an idea lighting up her eyes. “Can we have extra sauce for dipping, please?” She asked the owner who was standing by to help us. “This rice smells so good. You can see the roasted garlic in it,” she spoke to the camera. Then she made a funny face as our friend put a sizable chunk on her plate. “Oh, yes. I’m so hungry now.” She turned her gaze to me. “I adore your taste in food. I seriously haven’t eaten anything I didn’t love when you pick a place.”

I placed my hand on my chest and fluttered my eyelashes stupidly. “Wow! That’s a big compliment.”

“Especially coming from such an excellent cook. Lauren is still talking about that hummus you made last time,” Tyler added from behind the camera in a soft voice. “Those Rice Krispies Treats were great too.”

“I made more hummus for your party! I fixed a bunch and put it in the freezer. And I made salsa too, because the longer it sits, the better it is.”

“So good, too. Spicy as fuck, but yum,” I remarked. They set the ominously dark sauce in front of us. “Well, that is a powerful smell. Wow.”

Bella picked up a piece of the skin covered in it and devoured it. “Can we eat now?”

“Yeah,” I replied, accepting the other slice of the breast with skin. Seth had a leg. We brought forks to our mouths at the same time after clinking them together like champagne flutes. The mild sauce was sweet, and I liked it.

My girl took a slice of the bread, added some of the chicken and rice, then drizzled the sauce on top. She held her hand under it as she brought it to my mouth after she took her own bite. “Try this.”

“Oo,” I cooed, promptly taking a big chomp. It created a mess, but it also made her giggle. “Oh, yeah. This would make a good burrito, too. Especially with the crispy skin.”

She nodded her head quickly. “Agreed. I am so excited for the spicy one now.”

My fear was for nothing. It wasn’t hot at all, it only pleasantly stung and warmed me up a little. It was exactly the heat level I liked. I wasn’t sure if my tolerance had gone up or if it was just the right amount. She said it wasn’t hot either, but she could eat straight lava and add some red pepper flakes and a dash of Tabasco for a kick.

We ate a ton, but there were a lot of leftovers after Tyler had his fill. Seth took them home with him happily.

When we stepped out of the car at the house, Bella whimpered quietly to herself when she stood. Without a single thought, I picked her up before she could get her cane.

“Edward!” She squeaked and laughed. “I can walk.”

“I can tell you hurt, though. Let’s get you inside.” I looked over my shoulder at the guys. “I’ll be right back for the stuff.”

Carrying her into the living room, I sat her carefully on the sofa. I went to the island where her nearly empty bottle of pain pills rested. I took one of them to her with a glass of water.

“I don’t need that,” she complained.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Take it, and it’ll be extra fun for you in twenty minutes.” She made a little face, pursing her lips. Finally, she grabbed it from my palm and popped it into her mouth. “Good girl.” I pecked her forehead.

My friends had most of it inside before I could come out. The only thing I needed to grab was her walking crutch.

“Today was great!” Tyler said brightly, patting my shoulder. “Having Bella there made it even better. The animal shelter shoot was muah.” He kissed his fingers. “And I really want a puppy now.”

“Me too,” I chuckled. “Someday,” I sighed in fake longing, then beamed at them. “Thanks for working so hard today. I’ll see you at the party?”

“Hell yeah!” Seth smiled. “Merry Christmas, bro.” He leaned into the house to wave at my girl. “Happy Holidays, sweetie! I had fun!”

“Me too!” She smirked back. “Merry Christmas!”

Locking the door behind them, I was so glad to be alone with her. She was lying on her side, her head on her arm as she grinned at me dreamily. “Hi there.” She wiggled her fingers at me. “What do you want to do?”

I hummed, crawling onto the couch with her, and laid on my stomach beside her. It was so huge that we could have stretched out at any angle. “What would you like to do?”

She laughed. “That’s not fair. I asked you first.”

“Yes, but your foot hurts, and I don’t know what you’re up to.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “Well, my drugs haven’t fully kicked in yet. Want a smoke?”

“Absolutely.” I hopped up right away to go fetch it.

I carried her outside after getting us drinks. She only had soda water, not wanting to overdo it. Laying with her head on my lap, she propped her leg up on the arm of the sofa. We were about halfway through our joint when her phone rang. It was just after eight o’clock. She looked at the screen and smiled.

She put it on speaker and laid it on her stomach, taking a drag. “Hi, Momma,” she sang. “How are you?”

“I’m fantastic, baby girl. How are you? Mary said that you went to LA early. How is it?”

She held the smoke up for me, grinning as she did. “Amazing. The weather is even better than Texas.”

“It’s actually a little chilly here! I can use the fireplace. We’ve got some nice mesquite in there. It smells so good, but it makes me hungry.” Bella giggled. “What are you doing?”

“Sitting outside with my man by his pool, looking at the mountains. We spent all day filming videos for his channel, and it was so much fun. You’ll like these. We had this whole fried chicken for dinner. They did the entire bird in this almost Nashville-style hot sauce. It was so delicious.”

“Oh, girl,” she drew out in a thick southern accent. “That sounds good. And you know I’ve got that turkey fryer, too.”

“They marinated it in buttermilk for forty-eight hours, which is more patience than I have when it comes to waiting for fried chicken,” she joked as she took another hit. “Then they dunked the entire thing in the sauces- like a five-gallon bucket. And I got to play with a whole litter of golden retriever puppies today. You would have adopted all of them.”

The older woman laughed at the words. “That depends on how many there were. What’s your boyfriend doing right now?” There was a slight pause, and she lowered her voice. “He is such a handsome young man.”

“He is,” she cooed, her drugs fully kicking in as her head lolled back. She closed her eyes. “He’s my pillow right now. And he’s treating me like a princess because my foot hurts.”

It was the first time she admitted it all week, and it took the painkillers to make her finally confess it. 

“Good,” the woman replied. “Well, I just wanted to check on you.”

“I’ll call you on Christmas,” Bella promised. “I love you. Kiss everyone for me.” She turned it off with a smile after it ended, putting the phone on the table. I held the joint to her lips, letting her take a hit. She blew it out slowly. “I am so glad I am not there right now. Alice is already losing her mind,” she laughed.

“That’s how I feel about my parents,” I admitted with a chuckle, tapping the ash out. “I’m overjoyed you chose to spend it with me instead.” 

Her fingers moved over my jaw as she held my gaze. “Me too.”


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This episode goes with Episode thirty-six of Imperfect Pictures!

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11/18/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-eight: Meathead

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Episode Fifty-eight: Meathead


It was stupidly early when we got up for filming. I instantly regretted packing the day with so much. I was just trying to keep my mind busy until she arrived. If I had known, I would have done less. At the very least, I would have skipped the workout with the fancy trainer. Bella didn’t seem to mind, though. She let me chatter endlessly about my thoughts for future videos with her in the shower. There were so many she would be amazing in. Every one I had posted so far with her had done incredibly. My fans loved her and how we interacted on the screen.

There wasn’t a thing she could do at the gym besides snap pictures, though. I felt bad for dragging her along, but she seemed genuinely pleased to work, even if she wouldn’t be in it. She would do it for free, but I was going to make sure she got her part, especially since I knew she would take hundreds of photos for me to use.

While my girlfriend readied herself for the day, I made coffee for everyone. I made each of us mugs, taking it to her while she worked. She thanked me with a grin and a tender kiss. She was making her hair straight, her makeup already done perfectly. It wasn’t too dramatic, making her face softer and brighter somehow. It made her eyes seem bigger, the mismatched color standing out. I recognized some of the products I bought for her laid out neatly on the vanity. She hadn’t done her lips yet, so she wouldn’t mess them up as she drank. When she finished her second cup, she carefully wiped her mouth before smearing it with a soft pink.

Since our first stop was an extreme workout, I was only wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. I felt like a slob beside Bella, but it was for a purpose. I packed more clothes to take with us, as did she, just in case. It wasn’t a bad idea since we were eating and playing with animals. I made sure her camera bag was ready and fetched her battery from the charger. It was going to be a long day, and she would need it.

I realized as soon as my friends walked in that I had forgotten to tell them she was there. They both seemed shocked, but not displeased.

“Hey!” Seth yelled loudly as he burst in without knocking. He was holding his arms out at his sides with his eyes wide. “There’s our favorite soccer player!”

“Soccer player?” I questioned, looking between the two.

Tyler smirked a little. “Because she’s good at kicking balls, Eddie. Please try to keep up,” he stated sarcastically before turning to my girl. “How’s your foot? No more cast, I see.”

I grimaced at their joking. There was nothing about the situation that was funny. My lawyers and Zafrina were certainly taking it seriously. I got updates on it regularly, hoping the son of a bitch wouldn’t get another chance. I feared he would somehow get off and find her, but my attorneys promised that wouldn’t be the case. I hoped so.

Bella didn’t seem to mind, though. Amusement danced in her expression as she leaned forward to look at her foot for a moment. “Yeah, no more regular cast, but it feels like I broke it kicking a racist in the balls,” she spoke dryly then shrugged, smirking as she did. “So, just great. Just no high heels for a couple of months. It’ll be fine,” she waved him off.

The two idiots were so impressed with her. Alice was right. The confident and cocky side of her was going to get her ass kicked someday if she wasn’t careful. Though I liked that she didn’t take shit, it scared the hell out of me. 

Tyler had a sly smirk as he patted her on the back. “That’s the price one must pay for sweet, sweet justice.”

I shook my head at their exchange. “It was his chin that broke your foot. I don’t think nuts can do that kind of damage. I shudder to think of what you did to his,” I blurted out. 

“If he broke your foot, what did you do to his chin?” Seth made a face as if he was going to be ill. He stuck his tongue out and shivered all over.

I held in a sigh as I gathered the rest of my things and shoved them into my pockets. “According to my attorney, she knocked out two teeth and loosened two more, which were restored at the hospital, broke his nose, fractured his cheekbone, split his lip, blackened his eye, and gave him a concussion. With one kick.” I lifted a finger as I gazed at him. “One. Let’s just assume his balls were purple as well.”

My girl’s thick thighs, plus years of practice and training, equaled a strike powerful enough to disfigure a racist permanently. She might have been small, but she was mighty. It was something I thought about a lot. It was almost a cruel and ironic joke.

Bella seemed to be the most surprised by this information. She took a shocked breath, her eyes wide as she gazed at me. “Oh, I didn’t know all that.”

Quietly, I scoffed to myself. It was an event I wouldn’t ever stop thinking about. It would always be on my mind, in the background. I would constantly be waiting for the next xenophobic twat. 

“It’s almost as if you had been dancing and kicking three and four hours a day for three weeks solid just before. And you don’t believe in destiny,” I finished with a lame joke.

Seth was in a mood. He came up beside my girlfriend, putting his hand on her shoulder as he did. “Your skills were perfectly honed. Fate and karma came walking in, hand in hand, gloriously together,” he began in his best announcer voice. I rolled my eyes. This was why his cheesy ass was perfect for YouTube. “Bringing you to the exact right moment for you to punish this limped dick, pea-brained, ugly, toothless mouth breathing, sister fucker!” He laughed like a madman, vibrating in place during his little act.

I stared for a tick before I pointed at him. “Alright. No coffee for you.”

“Hey!” He snapped in annoyance, then realized how loud he was and shrank back some. “Okay, maybe I have had enough already.”

Tyler walked into the kitchen to make himself a mug. “We stopped at Starbucks, but yours is better. He’s already had a triple shot venti iced mocha with extra mocha this morning.” 

“Eddie made it,” she informed them. This seemed to impress him, nodding in approval.

My other friend turned towards me with a smirk. “Then why don’t you make us coffee, asshole?”

“I obviously like her more than you,” I responded wryly. Snorting, he rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

Nodding the whole time, Tyler took a sip. “Yeah, that’s fair. Good coffee, though, boss.”

I shook my head at their silliness. They were both weird, hot messes, and I completely understood why we were such good friends. “Let’s go.”

The entire ride there, I was thinking about the bastard that attacked my girl. I knew he would go to court in a few days. It got my anxiety going, my heart pounding in my chest. Just imagining him walking out of the courtroom free made my stomach turn. The incident played out repeatedly in my mind. She was so brave, and I felt like a coward for not doing more. I wasn’t afraid of him, and I should have taken charge of the situation and thrown him out. But everything happened so fast I wasn’t sure how I could have. I wasn’t certain of what I could have done differently.

When we arrived, the trainer we were going to film with was waiting for us in the lobby by the juice bar. He grinned, clapping his hands together loudly. “Hello, gentleman. I hope you’re ready to sweat!” He sounded like every health guru in an infomercial. Then he noticed Bella tucked behind me with a walking cane. He tilted his head to the side as he took her in. “Well, hi there,” he changed his tone, so it was softer, almost gentle. “I’m guessing you are not here for the workout.”

Laughing, she shook her head quickly. “Nope. I’m just the photographer today,” she smiled as she accepted his handshake. “I’m jealous. This looks like fun. I used to take classes like this all the time in Manhattan.”

“It is a lot of fun!” He leaned in, trying to sell it too hard, in my opinion. “Well, when you’re up to it, you’ll have to come back and do it again.” He winked at her. 

I cleared my throat to get his attention. I wasn’t enjoying the act, but I wouldn’t let it show because I was a professional. “So, to get started, we’re going to get some shots of the gym for the video. And you and I will chat a bit before I get all sweaty. We’ll talk about what it’s all about. I’ll ask questions, and we’ll go back and forth- that sort of thing. And then you do what you do on a normal day, and we film it. Sounds good?”

The man grinned. “Sure. Just let me know what to do.”

Tyler and Bella went around while Seth filmed me with the owner. We were on a tight schedule, and we didn’t want to waste any of the time we had. My girlfriend kept sitting down on the equipment to take shots from different angles. Sometimes she would lie on her back, her long hair dragging the floor as she took pictures of the bars and weights. When I caught it out of the corner of my eyes, it made me smile.
​
After we wrapped, my friend ran to the bathroom before we started our exercise. He wanted to get changed into more comfortable clothing. All I needed to do was take off my hoodie, throwing it on top of my bag. After I did, I stretched my arms over my head and popped my back.

“Your photographer is super hot,” the trainer, who was still standing beside me, muttered after a moment of silence. “Great tits and ass. Is she single?”

I chuckled darkly as he confirmed my notion he was flirting with her before. “No, and you would have to get behind a long line of men and women to even get a chance.”

He scoffed then smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as if I had given him a challenge. She was bending over with her back to us, snapping photos of the kettle weights in a neat row. “Huh, I wonder if she’s faithful. If you know what I mean,” he snickered. I turned to look at him and cocked my head to the side to glare at him. Men were fucking pigs. Clearly, I had to worry about the guys who liked her as much as the ones that hated her. Finally, he realized. “Oh, you’re her- Uh, I’m sorry,” he drew out stupidly. “I’m just joking around. I don’t mean-” He chuckled. “Shit. I wasn’t serious.”

“I don’t believe you,” I coldly replied.

Seth showed up with a smile on his face in his workout clothing. He didn’t know he was probably saving a life. “Ready to go! Let’s get started!”

The trainer said nothing as he hurried out onto the floor with us trailing behind. I could be professional for another hour, and then we would never have to see him again. It made me seriously consider not putting the video up at all, but that was childish.

The three of us all enjoyed exercise, but it was in different ways. Tyler liked yoga and swimming, low impact with lots of mediation elements. Seth biked. A lot. He loved riding the trails around LA. But it prepared none of us for this bullshit. I tried so hard to not look as if I was suffering, but halfway through, I was dying. Sweat poured down my face as I moved through sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, and jumping jacks in rapid succession. And I thought my movie routine was tough.

We were almost done when I heard a gag from beside me. We had maybe five minutes left. My friend dashed off into the bathroom again, throwing up a little behind his hand as did. We stopped to stare at him. Tyler didn’t even ask, he just followed him with the camera. It wasn’t out of concern, but for the desire for funny and embarrassing content for the video. And to mock him for drinking sugar for breakfast, then spewing like a shook can of soda.

“Is he okay?” Bella asked curiously from her seat on a weight set. Her leg was propped up on it with her camera in her lap.

“You’d be surprised how often it happens,” the trainer explained to her. “This isn’t for the faint of heart, but I bet you could handle it.” He then turned and looked at me, smiling awkwardly. “Your, uh, man seemed to do well.” He nodded as he spoke, nervously bobbing his head.

Grinning, she bit her lip as she gazed at me. “That’s because my boyfriend knows how to handle himself.”

“She’s a dancer, and she could do literal circles around all of us. On the very tips of her toes,” I replied, not looking at him as I spoke. We were peering into each other’s eyes, and it was hard to look away.

“Former dancer. Very former.” She lifted her foot and pouted.

Her expression made me laugh. “You danced in a show a month ago,” I called her out. She just rolled her eyes. “The doctor said you are doing well, and you’ll be back to normal soon. You’ll be back to-” I paused and hummed. “I don’t know any ballet terms. What’s the thing where you stand on your toe and bend your leg back?”

“Arabesque or attitude,” she remarked, playing with the end of her shirt. “It depends on how far it’s bent.”

I smirked. “You’ll be back to getting into the attitude position in no time.”

She giggled a little, lifting her camera to take a picture of me. She wasn’t even looking at the man who was disgusting earlier. It was as if he didn’t exist. “That sounds like how a short, angry woman would stand.” Balling up one fist, she playfully brooded as she put it on her hip. It was so cute, making me laugh. “Or maybe a BDSM thing,” she jokingly added. Her eyes drifted off purposely.

Snorting, my head fell back. “Standing on one toe seems like torture either way.”

It was fun to ignore the toolbag while we flirted. It was good for my ego. He was in shape- being a trainer. And he was decent looking. But she didn’t even glance at him. She was there to work and to spend time with me. The kid in me wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but I was better than that.

Finally, Seth came stumbling out of the locker room. He was covered in a flop sweat and smelled like the worst thing that could happen to coffee. Grimacing, I took a step back. He probably regretted the whipped cream and shit he put in it. His lactose pills did little to help when you stirred everything around like a blender.

“Dude, you okay?” I questioned. Tyler was still filming, walking behind our colleague. Bemused was a perfect word for his expression. He loved to see us suffer, which was probably a good thing. He knew what our audience enjoyed. I realized I was going to have to put up the video after this. 

My friend nodded weakly. “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m cool,” he sputtered as he waved us off. “I feel better. Just had to get it out, you know,” he said unconvincingly before swallowing. He forced a smile.

“We have enough. If you want to wrap up-”

Seth didn’t even let me finish. “Yeah, sure! I mean, if you think we have enough.”

“Yup.” I turned to the guy. “Thanks for your time. We’ll get cleaned up, and then we’ll head out.” I glanced at my girlfriend. “Hey, gorgeous!” I called to her flirtatiously. “We’re going to hit the showers. If there are any more pictures you want to take before we go, now’s your chance.”

“Okay, boss,” she answered with a wink, standing again with her cane. She brushed her hair off of her shoulder, going back to work.

I glanced at the man beside me, who was putting away the camera. “Tyler, keep an eye on her. Let me know if she complains too much about her foot. I’m worried she’s doing too much on it. She’s not taken a painkiller in ages.”

He nodded in understanding. “Sure thing. I got some medicine in my bag if she needs it.”

Truthfully, I just didn’t want the sack of dicks to get a chance to be alone with her. She hadn’t even noticed he was an unprofessional meathead. And I was going to keep her blissfully unaware of it. Ignorance, in this case, was bliss. If I could keep the dirty thoughts of others out of her head, I would.

“You okay?” Seth inquired once we were in the locker room.

Grunting, I threw off my shirt. I was covered in hickies, but I didn’t care. Thankfully, he said nothing. “That bastard asked if Bella was single, then pondered aloud if she was loyal.”

His entire body turned towards me, his chin tucked in. “And you told him you’d rip his dick off if he spoke to her, right?” He demanded in annoyance. It made me laugh. “Douche canoe. She’d get so bored with a dumbass like that. She needs a smart guy like you to keep up with her… almost.”

“Almost is right,” I snorted. I rubbed my hand over my face before I let out a huffing breath. “Let’s hurry and get out of here.”

“Sounds good to me. Fuck this- hard. I’m never doing anything like this ever again. Tyler is.”

They were waiting for us in the lobby, all the equipment already in the car. She was sipping on juice, looking blase as she reclined in a chair with her foot up and reading her phone. We were in fresh clothes for our next shoot, which was thankfully lunch. When she realized I was walking towards her, she lit up with a bright smile.

The food truck we were getting it from was by a park. It made for a pretty backdrop. Bella leaned against me as we read the menu for the camera. It was Mexican-Asian fusion- burritos filled with Americanized Chinese food. It was two of my favorite things from America combined into some unholy union created by a stoner.

Jasper would love it, too.

She put her arm around me, glancing up. “I can’t believe you decided to get deep-fried burritos after that workout.”

“Man, that’s the best time for one,” Seth answered, holding the camera very close to her. “What are you getting?”

Humming, she bit her lip for a moment. “Crispy rice, veggie lo mein, and the orange chicken. With the sweet chili sauce.” She made her eyes wide. “If this is good, I know what I’m making next time we have takeout. What about you?”

“Beef and broccoli with rice noodles and teriyaki potatoes. And a coconut shrimp with the crispy fried rice. And I’m going to try all the sauces.”

Tyler slowly turned to look at him, horrified. “I just watched you dry heave for ten minutes and-”

“I’m fine now!” He snapped over him, making Bella laugh. She pushed her face into my chest to hide her giggles. “It was hard!” She nodded sarcastically, patting my stomach as she did. “It was,” he whined, then laughed.

I said nothing, enjoying their banter. I would never tell them I was sore all over and that I had to ask Tyler for some aspirin before we left to go to the next shoot. 

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with Episode thirty-six of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to read episode thirty-six of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to download the epub of this Episode!!
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✨The next episode of✨ 
📷Perfect Snapshots📸 posts on
November 25th!
💛See y'all then!💛

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11/11/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-seven: Pinching

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Episode Fifty-seven: Pinching


When I woke up, I was almost positive I was dreaming about the events of the previous night. It was too perfect, too fantastical to even imagine her just appearing in my bedroom like a fantasy. If it weren’t for the pleasant weight of her body pressed against mine, I would have convinced myself it was the most vivid vision of my life. But there she was with her head on my arm, and her tiny fingers curled tightly around mine. I rolled so I could press my chest against her back. With a smile, I kissed her temple several times because it was the only spot I could reach. Slowly, she stirred with a slight grin on her face. Bella’s eyes fluttered open, peering up at me.

“Good morning.” 

“You’re really here,” I said with a quiet sigh. My brain was still too hazy to control my mouth.

Giggling, she twisted around so she could look at me. Her injured foot was in a soft cast and rested over my calf on top of the blankets. She smoothed her palm over my chest. “Yes, I am. I couldn’t wait another minute.” She lifted to kiss me, her fingertips brushing through my hair. “Merry Christmas.”

“Happy Christmas,” I chuckled, weaving my fingers into her curls as I brought her in for another. Then another, and another. My heart started beating faster, the emotions bubbling up in my throat until I laughed. “You don’t know how much this means to me. You coming like this.”

“Mm,” she hummed playfully. “I think I do,” she countered as she wrinkled her nose. “Because I know how much it meant to me in New York.” She pecked my bottom lip, then the top. It was so gentle. Her eyes glanced up at the clock for a moment. “How much time do you have before you go to work?”

Quickly, I grabbed my mobile to double-check. “I’ve got two hours before I have to leave the house.”

She swiftly rolled over onto her back. “And what do you have to do before then?” She began tugging on my shirt. When I sat up, she pulled it off and flung it to the floor without looking.

I grinned. “Just shower.”

Her answering smile was so sexy. She threw hers off too. “Oh, good.”

I barely made it there, but I did with a big ass grin on my face. My hair wasn’t dry, barely combed, and I hadn’t eaten, but I didn’t give a fuck. An assistant hurried towards me, gripping several files in her arms against her chest. “Mr. Cullen! Right on time! Would you follow me?”

“Sure,” I replied pleasantly, trailing behind. “Thank you.”

“Of course!” She glanced over her shoulder. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’d love some coffee, and if there is something like doughnuts. I… uh, overslept this morning,” I lied. “I had to film late last night.”

She understandingly grinned. “Yes, sir. Let me get you set up, and then I’ll get that for you.”

“Perfect! Great! Thank you so much.”

When she opened the door, the director was waiting for me. We were both ready to work.

When I got a break for lunch, I ordered something and sent a text to Jasper. It was a picture Bella had taken before I left. She was sitting on the vanity, wrapped in only a towel. She had just replaced her soft cast after drying off. Her wet hair was over her shoulder, dripping rivers down her chest to the fabric, and she had a pleased smirk on her face. I had my chin resting on the other shoulder, my hand moving across her stomach. My gaze was on her, grinning like a fool.

“Look who crawled into bed with me last night,” I added after.

His reply was waiting for me when I got out. “Oh, wow!”

“She surprised me! Came right into my bedroom. God, I am so happy right now. She said she couldn’t stand to be without me,” I responded on my walk to the parking lot.

“Aren’t you two quite a pair?” His message was instant.

I chuckled. “I think so. I can’t wait to go home to her again. It doesn’t even feel real. Seriously, I keep pinching myself. I’m so excited. This is going better than I hoped already. It’s so tempting to tell her about my feelings earlier, but I’ve been planning this shit for a month, and I’m going to make it romantic,” I rambled.

“Yeah, stick to romance.”

When I got to my place, I could smell something cooking in the kitchen from the garage- baked goods of some sort. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw fresh food on the counters and shelves that had not been there the day before. She had been busy. Bella was standing in my living room by a small table. She was wearing the tiniest pair of shorts and a tank top that rose just above her belly button. On the tabletop was a short fake tree with lights. It was decorated in a candy theme in a bright variety of colors. It was glittery and full of sparkle.

She beamed when she saw me. “Hi, honey! How was work?”

This was exactly what I wanted to come home to every day for the rest of my life. She looked like an angel with the glowing lights around her body. It was dark outside, and the living room was dim except for the tree. It was quite the effect.

Quickly striding towards her, I pulled her into a kiss with my hand on her waist. She was using a crutch to keep herself upright. Leaning into me, she wrapped her other arm around me. 

It took several minutes for me to pull away from her. “Fantastic. Super productive, but I don’t think nearly as much as you.” I glanced around. “Look at this! You did this for me? God, and you must be jet-lagged-” 

She shut me up with a kiss. “Do you like it?” She whispered against my mouth.

“Yeah, I do! I wasn’t planning on doing anything, but- I’ve had nothing like this in- I don’t know.” I breathed. My emotions were in my throat. “You’re spoiling me so much.” I laid my forehead against hers. “Thank you, my love.” 

She kissed me again with a big smile. “Are you hungry? I made chili and cornbread for you,” she cooed, rubbing her fingertips over my jaw.

“That sounds incredible,” I responded between kisses. I picked her up, grabbing her by the thighs to do so. She giggled as she wrapped her bare legs around me. Her cane toppled to the floor, but we both ignored it. “Does it need to be eaten right now or…?”

“The longer it sits, the better. It’s in the slow cooker,” she explained before pressing her mouth to mine.

“Oh, good.” I stole her words from the morning before marching us purposefully towards the bedroom.

We didn’t eat until a few hours later. Bella was wearing my t-shirt and nothing else as we sat outside with beers and smoked. Her legs were over my lap, and she was fully relaxed. Her messy hair was haloed around her head, curls in every direction. It was so cute. I pulled out my phone and filmed her because I couldn’t resist.

She smirked slightly. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing. You’re just so lovely.” She clicked her tongue, not believing me. Looking away, she took a drag of the joint. “You are.” She leaned forward to press a kiss to my mouth before blowing it out as she laid back. “And hot, too.”

“The latest in women’s lingerie,” she teased, wiggling her shoulders for the benefit of the camera. I snickered as I continued to film. “This is so nice. One of my favorite meals with my favorite person. It’s too warm to feel like Christmas, but it’s perfect.”

I chuckled a little. “Actually, this feels exactly like the holidays back home. It might be a touch hotter. Perhaps we’ll get to have one there together. Spend it by the ocean.”

“Ooo,” she drew out. “I like that idea. Maybe next year. We can hang out with your family.” Bella smiled at the idea, taking another hit before passing it to me. 

“Once you meet my mother, it won’t sound so nice,” I informed her, making her chuckle. “You’ll see.”

“I’m sure she’s not that bad.”

When I scoffed, she laughed louder.

Before we went to bed, I sent the video to my best friend. He replied with only a simple message. “Oh, she’ll see.”

The next morning I didn’t have to be at the studio as early. It gave me time to exercise. Bella worked on our breakfast while I did. She was in this tiny, silk crimson romper. It was short, sleeveless, and she was braless, which made her nipples visible through the fabric. I stopped for a full minute to gawk.

“Hey! Food will be ready in about twenty minutes.”

“Do I need to do anything?” I offered, coming into the kitchen. She was sitting on a stool as she chopped vegetables. 

She bit her lip in thought. “Can you start the coffee?”

Leaning in for a kiss, I brushed my fingers just over the curve of her breast. “Yeah, I can do that.” She didn’t look at me, but a smile tugged at her lips, and a soft blush covered her cheeks.

Once the kettle was on the stove, I moved in behind her so I could peck the back of her neck as she worked. Lightly, I trace my nail over the fabric, making her nipple taut. I smiled to myself. “I just want you to know,” I whispered in her ear. “I can see through your outfit, and I love it.”

She giggled softly. “It’s actually warm enough to wear.”

“I can’t wait to see what you wear when it’s hotter.”

When I got a break at work, I called Jasper. Bella made me a lunch to take with me. It was chili sprinkled with cheese, cornbread, fruit, and homemade cookies. I lounged in a green room with a microwave, all alone.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I said cheerfully when he answered. “Good morning, lovey!”

“Well, hello. Someone sounds a lot happier than they were a few days ago.”

Quietly, I laughed. “I can’t imagine why!” I took a bite of my cookie. “My gorgeous girl is where she needs to be, in my bed with me, and she’s spoiling the fuck out of me. Yesterday, she got a Christmas tree for us and decorated it while cooking me dinner. And she made me lunch from the leftovers. Then, tomorrow, I get to film with her and my friends. The only way it could get any better is if you were here, too. I wish you were.”

“Ah, you know I have to work.”

“Bah,” I complained, taking a sip of my tea. “You shouldn’t work on Christmas.”

He snorted. “The news never sleeps, and rent is still due on the second. We can’t all be celebrities like you and take off for weeks at a time.”

“Mmm,” I hummed, then blew a raspberry.

“You wouldn’t want me there to spoil your break with your girlfriend, anyway!” He snapped back.

“Um, yes, I would! Of course, I would! She’s keen on spending time with my family.”

“I’m not your family, though. I’m just-”

I interrupted. “Yes, you are. You are my brother as much as you are my best friend. I love you as much as my blood.”

He huffed quietly. “I love you, too.”

“Are you cross with me?”

There was a slight pause. “What? Oh, no. Why?”

“Why are you so snappy?” I questioned.

“Uh, just have a hangover. Had Christmas dinner with the lads last night,” he explained, clearing his throat. “We did a pub crawl.”

“Ah,” I drew out. “How is everyone? Tell them I miss them next time you see them.”

“They’re good. I will. Hey, Tony, I need to go back to work. I’m so glad you’re in a better mood. I hate it when you’re in one of your funks.”

“Me too,” I agreed. “Have a good day and drink some liquid that isn’t liquor, yeah?”

He chuckled. “I will.”

When I arrived home, once again, it smelled amazing. Sitting in my car, I took a deep breath with a smile. The first thing I noticed was the addition of fairy lights around my living room. The overhead ones were off, and the beautiful colors blinked in a pattern. She was exactly where I left her, chopping vegetables. But instead of coffee, she now had a glass of wine.

Right away, my arms went around her waist from behind, and I kissed her cheek several times. “Have you been doing this all day?”

She shook her head. “Off and on. I’m prepping stuff for later in the week. And for the party. I don’t want to cook more than I have to on Christmas.”

“What have you made so far?” I questioned, just wanting to hear her soft voice. I dotted tender kisses on the back of her neck.

“Three kinds of salsa. Mild, super hot, and a green one. I canned them so they’ll stay fresh- all vegan for Lauren. I’m going to make hummus, too. I got a bunch of chips to bring with us and Oreos. I know how much she loves those. And I’m going to take other stuff too, but I wanted to get a head start.”

“You are so thoughtful. She’ll love all of that.” I squeezed her middle. “What do I need to do to help?”

Shaking her head, she glanced over her shoulder. “Nothing. I’ve got enchiladas in the oven. Beef and cheese in sour cream sauce. It should be ready in about ten minutes. I was just prepping some veggies while it’s cooking.” She leaned back into my touch, putting the knife down as she closed her eyes when I nibbled on the nape of her neck. I traced her nipple through the see-through fabric, enjoying her taste. “Mm,” she giggled. “Go get cleaned up, and I’ll get you a glass of wine. We don’t have time to fuck around tonight. I don’t want to burn it, and you’ll want this hot and fresh.”

I chuckled, finally kissing her lips. “Okay.” I pinched one of her nipples before retreating towards my bathroom. It made her squeak. When I looked over my shoulder, she was watching me with obvious desire in her eyes.  


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This episode goes with Episode thirty-six of Imperfect Pictures!

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10/28/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-six: Stars

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Episode Fifty-six:


It pissed me off so goddamn much when they had to delay shooting for a little while. I could have stayed with Bella longer. Instead, I used that time to sleep and get some more work done on videos I had been putting off. Though I was productive, it was because I didn’t speak to anyone but my sweet girlfriend. After the first day, she put on a facade of handling it much better than I was. She was determined to be professional and work. And I respected her for it. She was stronger willed and more independent than I was. If our roles were reversed, I wasn’t sure what I would have done.

I should have been over the moon to be surrounded by my idols. Actors and actresses who were award-winning superstars. People I wanted to be like. But every smile that crossed my face during that time was fake. I interacted with them and was polite, and I wasn’t purposefully cold or distant. They were all lovely and kept praising me for my professionalism. My goal was to get through everything as quickly as possible, getting done on the first take. Especially the fight scenes. My attitude wasn’t diligence but depression. But it made it easier to be a sarcastic, dark asshole in front of the camera. Every punch I threw made me feel a little better. I needed to get it out violently.

The only thing that really kept me in any sort of good mood was shopping on her website and sending it to all the people I worked with regularly, or wanted to, for Christmas. I also bought my family a ton of things. She was so talented that I wished to share her art with everyone.

Bella tried to act like she was just fine when we spoke every night. Her foot was doing okay, she assured me, but I didn’t believe her. I had spoken to Alice through text, and she said that she was in pain, whimpering in her sleep. But she refused to take her pills until it was almost unbearable. In an attempt to show her my support, I sent her little gifts and meals. I wanted to cheer her up.

It was close to midnight in New York when she called me after a day of photographing some Broadway star I had never heard of. She was following her just as she had done me but could go home at the end of the night since it was in the same city. She had been doing it for a few days, and she was miserable. Not because of her injury, though.

“Oh, my god. This bitch,” she began as a greeting. It was so salty and mad. There was so much venom in her voice, and it made her accent adorably thicker. “How- How- how does someone this- this,” she stuttered comically, making me laugh. “She’s so awful. Why is she talented?” She whined. I could almost see her bottom lip sticking out.

“The universe is cruel like that,” I chuckled. “Bitches can climb their way to the top, using the people they step on as ladders. It’s just the way it is. Nice guys finish last in business.”

“Please tell me they’re not all like that. I know some of them are, but- ugh,” she groaned. She was so tired of this woman. Bella had been endlessly patient with me, but I couldn’t imagine how this lady was behaving. None of my co-stars were in any way unpleasant.

“They’re not.”

My girlfriend huffed. “Yeah, I guess you’re not like that,” she drew out. “You set an incredibly high bar,” she flirted before sighing. “I miss you.”

I breathed the words in. “I miss you, too.” 

“Oh, by the way, thank you for the coffee this morning. It was the only thing that kept me from killing someone. So you saved lives today. Good job.”

She made me laugh again. “My pleasure.”

“So, tell me about your day. Having fun?”

“It’s exciting. The stunts are cool. I’m so goddamn sore, though,” I complained. “It’s so intense all the time. Hopefully, one day soon, you’ll be able to hang out on set with me and watch.”

Bella sighed softly. “That sounds like so much fun.”

We spoke until it was far too late for both of us, but when I fell asleep right afterward, I dreamed of her. It was a sweet one, and when I woke up, I could still smell her perfume and taste her kisses with just a hint of coffee in the background.

I smiled at the countdown on my phone that stated it was less than a week to her visit. It was my last day of shooting, but I wasn’t getting much of a break. I had to do some recording the following day, but it was much easier work, where I could sit down if I needed.

My poor girl wasn’t having a fun time, the witch sleeping through her busy schedule without a care in the world. She felt it was very disrespectful to everyone involved, and I had to agree with her. I was far too anal to do that.

The final day was the hardest, stunt-wise. If someone got hurt, it wouldn’t hold up shooting for anyone else. It was wrapping for the entire movie the next day, and they invited me to the wrap party, but I declined my invitation because I didn’t feel like partying. Smiling was exhausting enough.

When it was close to ten her time, she hadn’t called for the night, but I was still on set myself. She might not have wanted to bother me. So, I decided to chance it and call her, but it went straight to voicemail. I didn’t know how long the late shows on Sundays went, or if she had something after. But I knew Bella would be overjoyed to be finished with her.

A couple of hours later, I filmed my last scene before taking a car home. I still hadn’t heard from her. It was well after midnight there. I sent a text instead of calling again. “Oh, I do hope the old bat isn’t keeping you up too late. Ugh, you better not have kicked her and broken your other foot. I know she deserves it, but…”

When it dinged as I walked in the front door, I got excited, but it was Jasper. “HOW WAS YOUR LAST DAY?!”

“Exhausting but fun,” I replied vaguely. When I thought back on it, or even the previous weeks, I couldn’t exactly tell you what happened. It all blurred together. Depression wasn’t good for my memory.

He called. “That’s it? That’s all I get?” He began in an annoyed tone. “Tony! You got to punch Jason Bourne!”

“I didn’t actually punch Matt,” I explained quietly, going into my room to get changed into some pajamas and find my joints. I was too tired to order dinner. “I smacked around his stunt double, though. A lot. My hands hurt. That padding shit is rough.”
​
“Oh, Matt. I see. How very casual,” he teased, then chuckled. “You sound so exhausted. Was it thrilling? I’d be a wreck around someone like him.”

I shook my head. “He’s a real nice guy.”

There was a long moment of silence. “Are you okay, Tony?”

“Yeah,” I lied, just like I had every time he asked. I wasn’t a very good actor when it came to him, though. “It’s just been the longest day, and I stayed up too late last night talking to Bella,” I explained as I made my way outside. I lit my joint as I plopped down on the cushioned loveseat that overlooked the city. “She’s not having a great time right now, that’s for sure. She hates the woman she’s shooting. Apparently, she’s a heinous bitch.”

“Aw,” Jasper drew out softly. “That’s a shame. I liked her in the things I’ve seen. How much longer does she have to do it?”

“Today’s the last day. I’ve called and texted her, but she’s not responded yet. It’s super late, and I’m a tad worried.”

“Hm, maybe she’s gone to bed. I’m sure she’s fine.”

I took a long drag. “Oh, yeah. I’m certain she is,” I lied once more. Every day I thought about the horrible man at the café with his gun. I had never encountered a human like him before, and it made me wonder how many people out there were like that. I had several nightmares where Bella suffered some painful fate because she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. But I didn’t want to think about it. I was overprotective, and she wasn’t a child.

He sighed softly. “What are you doing now?”

“Just about to head to bed. I can barely keep my eyes open. I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Get some rest. Call me when you feel like talking. Good luck with your recording tomorrow.”

I finished my smoke before heading into the house. Gulping down two aspirin, I drank an entire bottle of water in one go to help my aching body. When I got to my room, I turned the ringer up as loud as it would go so I wouldn’t miss it and put it on the wireless charging stand beside my bed. I flopped back into the covers with a yawn.

Just as I drifted off, her song played. It jolted me, making me sit up to grab it hurriedly. I almost fumbled it to the floor. “Ello?”

“Hi, darlin’. How are you doing?” Bella questioned in the sweetest southern drawl. It made my worries melt away.

I smiled, stretching as I got more comfortable for our conversation. “Tired. I finished filming my final scene this evening.”

“How did it go?” She asked just as eagerly as Jasper. I could give her more energy than I did him.

“Good. Everything went smoothly. Such a long fucking day, though. I have a few new bruises, too,” I pouted playfully. “What are you up to now? Are you in bed?” I inquired as I closed my eyes. I liked to imagine her as she laid there in her comfortable nightgown, the sheet wrapped around her calf as her toes peeked out. In reality, it was probably too cold in her apartment for that, but LA was just right.

“I’m in a taxi heading home right now.”

This shocked me. “It’s so late there, love. You must be tired, too. What time is it? Midnight? One?”

“I’m a little wired, to be honest,” she replied, not answering my question. She seemed perky despite the hour. Bella really must have been pleased to be done with the crone.

“Mm,” I hummed as I tried to stifle a yawn. “Do you have a lot more editing to do?”

“Not really. I’ve kept up with it pretty well.” She disliked the woman so much she was already rushing through her edits so she wouldn’t have to look at her for any longer than she had to. I couldn’t imagine her hating anyone that much, so she must have been a piece of work. “What are you up to?”

I rolled over to my side to peer out the back towards the mountains. “Laying in bed, thinking about you. Your soft skin. Your delicious smell. Your beautiful lips.” Swallowing, I licked my bottom lip as I thought about her taste. “All I want right now is for you to be in my arms so we can fall asleep together,” I flirted then took a deep breath. “I want to wake up beside you again.”

“Soon, I promise,” she swore adamantly. Bella was just as excited to be back together as I was. She paused for a moment. “Um, I’m here. Let me let you go for a second so I can get inside.”

“Alright, love. Don’t take too long, or I might fall asleep. I’m right knackered.”

“It’s okay if you do. We’ll see each other soon enough,” she stated in the smoothest tone.

I rolled over onto my back, shaking my head. “No, I want to talk to you tonight.”

“Okay then,” her voice was bubbly. I wasn’t sure how she had the vigor. My eyes were already starting to sink closed without my permission. “Give me five minutes.”

Though I didn’t mean to, I knocked out. It wasn’t on purpose. Bella’s voice was still in my head. It was so clear, like she was in the room with me. “Eddie,” it sang. My dumb ass thought it was the phone ringing, and I jolted from my spot, sitting up. I scrambled to bring it to my head, not even looking at the screen. My girlfriend laughed. “Edward!”

I blinked several times, trying to decide if I was asleep or not. But, in my dreams, Bella with a broken foot rarely meant something good. But she was smiling and very happy. And real and really there.

Turning on the light, I stared in surprise. “No!” I barked as I launched myself out of bed and towards her. In a second, she was in my arms and kissing me back just as hard as I was her. I spun around her happily, so over the moon that I danced in place. It made her grin against my mouth.

I had no idea how long we made out for, but I couldn’t stop. I had missed her too much. My brain was actually having trouble processing it. Bella held her foot up behind her, only a toe on the floor because my grip was so tight.

My girl had found a way to surprise me because she couldn’t wait to be with me either.

Finally, I leaned back to look at her beautiful face. Her eyes were glowing with excitement and joy, her wet lips curved in a gorgeous smile. “What? But. But- that mean old twat? What happened?” I could barely get the words out.

She quickly shook her head. “I got what I needed, and she didn’t want me there. My thing on Wednesday canceled, and I called in sick already tomorrow with a broken foot. Because you know.” She glanced over her shoulder at it, then back at me with a proud smirk. “And, it just seemed fair to return the favor.” She bit her lip as her hands smoothed over my chest. “I hated every moment I was without you.”

“You’re so dramatic,” I joked stupidly, but my smile was so big it hurt my cheeks. I couldn’t help myself and kissed her again, dotting her face with them. She melted against me, laughing as her eyelashes fluttered. “I’m so happy you’re here. I’m recording all day tomorrow and Tuesday, though.” I had never called in sick to something like it and didn’t want to disappoint my director. Bella shook her head vigorously, stopping me from going too deep into my thoughts.

“I know. I don’t care. I just… I just want to be close to you again. Ever since you left, I’ve felt like I’ve been in a daze. Like something was missing.” She pressed her hand to her heart as she gazed into my eyes. “I can’t even really tell you what I did during that time. I know I worked and did stuff with Demetri and Alice. Jessica. But it’s just a blur. And it’s not because of the stupid painkillers. It’s... just that after being that happy with you around, even when things were terrible, being back to normal sucked so fucking much.”

She put what I had been feeling into words. All I could do was nod, my own thoughts too jumbled. So I just kissed her again. It was hard to stop myself, but she was holding on so tightly.

I carried her to my bed, laying her down in the center where she looked so perfect. She was already in comfortable clothes and barefoot. Hurriedly, I moved in behind her so we could spoon. Her body was meant to be against mine in this way. It was the most relaxed I had been in days, her warmth instantly soothing me. I breathed her in deeply, my face shoved against her shoulder blade. She wiggled her perfect ass against me.

It took a long time to get my thoughts together enough to express them to her. “That’s exactly how I felt, my darling. My heart can’t seem to beat without you now. Though you could blame your blur on painkillers if you wanted to. I would not blame you. I have no excuse,” I joked lamely.

She giggled as she pressed her luscious lips against my jaw, keeping me in place with her palm. It felt so nice. But she didn’t stop at one kiss. Slowly, she spread them all over my face. With each one, she lulled me into slumber. I fell asleep holding her as close to me as I could.

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10/14/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-five: Heart Broken

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Episode Fifty-five: Heart Broken


Once I checked out, we went to a small lunch. It was nothing fancy. It was a little deli where we sat in a corner. My heart was in my throat the entire time we waited, looking for someone else to pop up and be an asshole. Thankfully, there were no incidents. I couldn’t really taste anything I was eating, though. We both needed to eat, but it was mechanical, nothing more than fuel.

Being quiet was wasting my time with her, but I was too deep in my thoughts. Bella picked at her food, not excited about it either. She ate half of her sandwich, nibbling on her chips as she gazed towards the window out onto the street. She seemed on the edge of tears again. So was I.

The pavement was crowded with Christmas shoppers. It was a pretty day with a few clouds in the blue sky, but it was windy. It whipped their scarves and jackets around, pulling at their hats. The red-leaf trees that decorated the lane where we waited for our car swayed and threw leaves everywhere. The crimson ominously dotted the streets.

We had plenty of extra time when we got to her apartment. We wanted to make sure traffic wasn’t a problem, so we left early. Also, I needed to make certain she was comfortable and settled before I left. It was actually hard to fit her chair in the elevator. She held one of my bags in her lap.

Carefully, I moved Bella onto her couch with her foot propped up. Once she was snug, she pulled me down next to her to stop my nervous fidgeting. The entire time, she laid against me with one of her hands in mine. She was eerily silent, her frown etched deep on her normally cheerful face. I wanted to take it away, but I knew I looked just the same. My heart was heavy in my chest, sitting almost in the pit of my stomach. Acid swirled inside of it, leaving a foul taste in my mouth.

The engagement ring burned a hole in my jacket pocket. The box was inside my coat, pressed against my breast. My thumb moved over the ring finger of her left hand repeatedly, trying to imagine it there. It seemed so big in my mind, and her fingers were so small and delicate. Then I tried to see her in a white dress, but I couldn’t. It didn’t seem right for her, and I remembered how uncomfortable she looked in the one with Aiden. Instead, I imagined the suit she had worn so well. It was the only thing that made me smile.

I attempted to ignore the time as much as possible, but I knew I couldn’t.

“I have to go. They won’t leave without me, but...” I lamely joked as I stood. I strode over to my luggage to get the rest of the weed oil for her. She didn’t have easy access, and I could always get more back home. “For you and Alice, yeah?” I carefully chucked them onto her day bed for later. “I don’t like it as much as my joints.”

She smirked a little. “She’ll love you forever,” she stated lightly before her face changed, and she picked at the blanket draped over her lap. “I think I’ll open one of those, take two pain pills, and go to bed until my doctor’s appointment on Tuesday.”

“It’s not a terrible idea. I wish I could join you. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep without you again,” I admitted, feeling exhausted. All I wanted to do was curl up with her on her little mattress like we did the night before Thanksgiving, quietly making love until we both passed out. It just made me sadder. “Do you need anything before I go?”

Her pouty, full lips quivered as her eyes turned red. “A kiss.”

Without hesitation, I took her mouth while holding her tiny face in my hands. She held onto mine, giving back as good as I gave. The moments melted together, time losing all meaning as we desperately clung to each other. It was so hard to pull away. “Now I really have to go,” I breathed. “Feel better, my darling,” I whispered before I pecked her forehead.

Bella tried to force a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. I could see the obvious struggle in them. It was the one I was feeling, too. “I’ll be fine in a few days,” she promised weakly. “Be careful. Text me when you’re on the plane.”

“I will.” I couldn’t resist, and I kissed the top of her head one last time. “Goodbye, love.”

When I shut the door of her apartment behind me, I had to stop and take a breath. My hands were trembling at my side. I couldn’t and would not cry in public. I was a grown man, and I could handle my emotions.

Of course, I was lying to myself.

In the elevator, I swiped at my cheek and sniffled. My nose was a little stuffed up, and my brain was hollow. When I got out to the street, I pulled out my phone to order a car. Something in my pocket rattled. The keys to Bella’s apartment were still in my possession. I had forgotten all about them in my distress. Smiling at them, I was grateful for my accidental excuse to give her one more kiss.

“Oh, darn,” I muttered sarcastically to myself as I turned to go back inside with my luggage rolling behind me. I would, of course, have to return them to her. The entire ride up, I grinned to myself. It just felt like a bonus, like finding one more fry at the bottom of the bag. I was greedy and always wanted more.

Going back inside without knocking, I left my suitcase by the door. Patty greeted me with a loud meow. I patted her head when she jumped up to her tree before moving back into her room. “I’m sorry. I realized I forgot to give you your keys back...” I began loudly to announce myself but paused when I saw that Bella was in Alice’s lap, weeping heavily. Her red face was covered in tears, her lips trembling as her fingers curled into her friend’s trousers. Alice looked at me with pain in her eyes as she stroked her best friend’s black hair. “Oh, no, no, no. Don’t do that.”

I moved so quickly that I tripped on my own feet and slid in front of her on my knees. The ache was shocking, but it didn’t matter. I took her face in my hands and tried to wipe away her anguish.

“What did you expect?” She said in a thick, emotional whimper. Her chest heaved with the overwhelming distress she was letting out. Her body was shaking with the effort. She brought her palm to my cheek, and it was moist with her tears.

I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I don’t want this. It hurts my heart so much.”

Turning to kiss her hand several times, I pushed it into my skin. I could feel my own emotions beginning to overflow. Everything I had been trying to hold in on the elevator came flooding out.

The door closed behind her roommate as she left us alone. I didn’t even notice she got up. I was so focused on Bella. Patty meowed at her in annoyance. “Come on, girl,” she whispered to her quietly as she shuffled back to her room. Her own sorrow was clear in her tone.

I needed to calm down, at least for her sake. I knew she was unhappy, but I didn’t realize that it was going to hit her so hard. Sad, yes, but this was so much worse. My heart kept breaking and made me want to stay even more.

“It’s not that long. It’s just until the twentieth. We will both be so busy it will fly by. I promise,” I lied for both of us.

“I know. Don’t cry,” she begged, curling her fingers against my skin. I hated the tremor of anxiety in her voice.

Resting my forehead against hers, I shook my head a little. “That’s not fair. If you can cry, then so can I.” There was no way I could stop myself.

Our magnetic force kept me in place for so long. Silent, my thoughts were screaming a thousand things at me at once. Stay. Don’t go. She’s hurting. Take care of her. She needs you. She doesn’t want to be apart, either. We were meant to be together. Leaving felt wrong in every way.

Bella finally sat up once she had fully calmed down, resting against the back of the couch. Her face was still splotchy, her eyes glassy. “Go before they do decide to leave without you,” she tried to say lightly, but her voice was too thick to make it believable.

But if she could do it, so could I. “Okay.” I took a deep breath through my nose and forced a smile. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

She smiled slightly. “Please, don’t apologize,” she whispered, reaching for my hand. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

I laughed. Honestly, I didn’t know how she could feel that way. I shook my head again as I swallowed some of the emotions in my throat. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. This week and… everything.”

Her lips were salty with tears, but at least there were none coming from her eyes when I left.

With no more excuses to go back, I ordered a car and went to the airport. I was empty and emotionless, exhausted by the surprise wave of blubbering. I was about twenty minutes late, which wasn’t too bad considering there was traffic. If it bothered them, the crew said nothing, and they greeted me with a pleasant smile. I was sure they were used to dealing with far worse celebrities.

When I got on the plane, I sent a message to my girlfriend like she requested and my best friend. Silently, I sulked in the comfortable lounger.

“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” The host asked when we got in the air. My disposition made her nervous, not that I could blame her. I wanted to force a smile, but I couldn’t.

“Whiskey. Double- on the rocks, please. I’m going to want a couple, actually.”

“Yes, sir,” she said instantly before hurrying away. There was no judgment on her part. I doubted that it was a wild request.

I drank four doubles in fifteen minutes and fell asleep for the rest of the flight in the chair. Then I had three more after I was woken up and informed about our landing in twenty minutes. When I got home, I sent messages to everyone that cared. Bella first, Jasper second, and a group message to my family. Zafrina, too.

My best friend shot me a message back right away. He must have been waiting for it. “How are you? Are you doing any better?”

“No,” I responded as I flopped onto my bed with my arms over my head. My phone rang in my hand. I figured it was him, so I just started talking. “I’m a fucking idiot for leaving. She’s hurt and upset. I left her in tears. I’m a monster-”

“Oh, do shut up,” he stated firmly, interrupting me before I got too far. “You are not. You’re an adult. You asked her to come, she said no. She knew you had to work. It’s not your responsibility-”

“It’s not about that. It’s not about feeling responsible. I need to take care of her. I want to. This feels wrong in every sense of the word. This is worse than when she left LA. I honestly don’t know how I flew away from her,” I rambled.

“Um… has someone been drinking?” He questioned with a soft laugh. I just grunted. “Wait. Are you drunk?”

“Not really. Just buzzed now. I was a couple of hours ago,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “They had this nice whiskey on the plane, and I finished the bottle.”

“Well, that’s one fucking way to cope,” he declared sarcastically. “Do be careful, darling.”

I felt my bottom lip quiver like a child as my nose stung. “How am I supposed to… I don’t know? Do anything next week?” I pushed in a strangled voice. “I… I don’t know,” I sighed and closed my eyes. “When I left, I forgot to give her the keys back. And when I came to return them… She was sobbing. Fucking bawling, man,” I sniffled as tears appeared. I attempted to swallow them. “She didn’t want me to go either.”

He scoffed. “Well, of course, she doesn’t, you idiot. Because she’s in love with you, too. She might not have told you, awake and out loud to your face, but I promise you she does. Why wouldn’t she? Hm? Everything she’s done so far has shown you how much she cares. But you are still at the beginning of this relationship. Slow down, give it time. Rushing will scare her. She doesn’t know what kind of anxious anal asshole you are yet. Surprise her with that after you get married,” he finished mockingly.

I sighed. “You’re right.” I took a deep breath and held it for a moment before I let it out.

“Yeah, don’t want to drop that bomb on her until you got a ring on it,” he mumbled. “Not everyone has had years to get used to it,” his tone was almost bitter, like an ex-wife.

“You are so mean to me, I swear,” I complained with a snort. “You’re not wrong about it either, but I think she already knows how fussy I am. Bella might be just as bad. You’ve seen our docs. Have you seen how detailed her notes are?”

“Your poor type-A personality children.” He clicked his tongue playfully.

My head fell back as I laughed. “They’ll be so damn beautiful and need so much therapy.”

“Good thing you’re rich now,” Jasper deadpanned. “At least you’ll be able to afford it.”

“Damn right,” I snorted. I sighed as I gazed at the ceiling. “That was, by far, the worst vacation I’ve ever had, and I wish never ended.”


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Thanks to Gina for Proofreading! 


This episode goes with episode Thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures! 

Click to read episode thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures!

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✨This next episode of✨ 
 📷Perfect Snapshots📷
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9/30/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-four: Lying to Myself

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Episode Fifty-four: Lying to Myself


Bella pouted in her wheelchair with tears still in her eyes the entire time I tried to pack. It was making it hard to focus, and I just crammed everything into them roughly. I had so many thoughts on my mind, all of them racing. She didn’t want me to go, and it clearly bothered her. She would not break up with me when I left. Not if that reaction was any indication. So often, I struggled to reassure myself that her feelings were as deep and as real as I hoped, but that was proof of it.

I couldn’t stand the silence anymore, so I made a stupid joke like I always did.  “I do hate that we didn’t get to play with all the fun new toys.”

She didn’t look at me, her eyes unseeing as they pointed towards the balcony. Her hand was by her mouth, and she was gnawing at the side of her thumbnail viciously. All of her nails were as short as they could be, and that was because she was stress-chewing them. “Take some of them with you, and we’ll play when I come.”

“We didn’t even take everything out of the box,” I mumbled with a sigh, putting a couple of the vibrators into my suitcase.

She scoffed quietly. “Well, someone did go a little nuts and bought a lot of stuff at one time.”

I walked behind her and curled my arms around her, leaning down so I could kiss her cheek. It was still so salty. “I’m enthusiastic.” She said nothing but continued to chew anxiously. I nudged her hand away. “You’ll be missing another nail soon if you don’t stop.”

Bella turned and pushed her nose into my jaw, closing her eyes as she dragged her fingertips over my chin. Her bottom lip quivered just as a little as her eyelashes fluttered against my skin. Her warm breath flowed over it as she tried to breathe. She was so close to crying again, and it hurt my heart so much. I felt it, too.

“I’m not ready to lose you.”

Then it broke. I understood her fear, and I hated I couldn’t do anything about it. “You’re not losing me, I promise.” I knew the words were worthless, but I still had to say them. I had to show her with my actions, and only time would ease her worries.

“But you won’t be here. I’m selfish.” Her lips moved against my skin. “I want you all to myself.”

Smiling briefly, I curled my fingers in her soft hair. “I know the feeling. I liked sharing you with your friends, though.” I pecked at her earlobe from behind. “I can’t wait until you come to Sydney to meet all of mine. They’ll love you. Especially Jasper. Oh, and my sisters, too. And you’ve already won over all my grandparents.”

One of my grandfathers asked about my little slugger in the family chat. Tanya corrected him and said she hadn’t punched anyone, but kicked them. They were now calling her Ms. Lee, as in Bruce Lee. I would never, ever, show her these conversations. The girls were just sending kicking gifs back and forth, much to my grandpa’s amusement. He was a movie buff and knew most of the references.

Bella pulled back a little to look at me, leaning away in the chair so she could meet my eyes. “I can’t believe I’m going to Australia for almost a month. I’m glad I’ve already got my bill money for the next few months. I’m excited, though.”

“I plan on putting you to lots of work while you’re there. So, don’t worry about money.” I would do my best to make sure she was taken care of. If Bella felt like she needed to produce, I would help her with that. I would do whatever she required to feel secure in her romantic or financial life.

She grinned slyly. “We have to get through the December list first. What is it up to now? Thirty, thirty-five?”

“Forty-two,” I replied automatically, thinking about our growing file of projects for the future. It made me eager, and I enjoyed adding to it every day. I never got through things like this and didn’t want to. It was a bad sign if I was running out of ideas.
Bella laughed softly. “There is no way you can do that many in three weeks.”

She was, of course, correct. Even attempting half was overly ambitious. But that was just how I was. “Some of the cooking videos we could film all at once, and then I could make them into different videos. We could probably do three or four at a time. I don’t know, you’re probably right. I’ve got to start planning our videos for Australia, too. I need to make sure I have enough videos made until I get back. Fuck, January is going to be nothing but editing.” At least I would hopefully get to see lots of her face until I had her in my arms again.

Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head. “You love the editing. I can tell.”

“I might, but I could stand to do less of it.” Even if all the work was killing me inside, and I was giving more and more to the guys to do... I didn’t want to think about all the responsibilities I was coming back to in LA. I was already tired. My vacation had been anything but relaxing. “Anyway, what would you like to do tonight?”

Her eyes moved over my face, finally meeting mine. “Make love to me.”

Taking her cheeks in my hands, I kissed her slowly to savor the taste of her mouth. It was delicately sweet, some of our wine from dinner lingering on her lips. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,” I admitted when I leaned back.

Bella pulled away, reaching for the bottle of medicine on the table. She rather dramatically swallowed a tablet, holding my gaze as she did. “There. Now you won’t. And it’ll be extra fun for me in about twenty minutes.”

Laughing nervously, I looked away for a moment. That wasn’t how that worked, but I wanted her so badly. I bit my lip, thinking about how I wouldn’t get another chance. The fear was so strong, but I needed her. “You have to tell me the second something hurts. Seriously.”

She smirked. “So, no ball gag then? Darn,” she deadpanned wickedly.

Damn, she was funny.

I came around the chair, quickly scooping her up. “Next time.”

“Take it with you, and you can tie me up in your bed when I come to visit,” she offered as I sat her in the middle of her pile of pillows on the mattress. She wiggled into the blankets.

First, I took off her shoe. I kissed the top of her thigh-high covered leg. I moved up her body slowly, pressing each kiss purposefully. Her ankle, her knee, the inside of her leg as I held her gaze. When I slid it over my shoulder, I pushed up her skirt. Bella was biting her lip, smiling as she watched with flushed cheeks.

“You do not know how tempted I’ve been. I’ve gotten such glorious views while on my knees for you the past couple of days. And then in the shower…”
“Me too,” she pouted, rubbing her toes up and down my back gently with her uninjured foot. Her other leg spread open for me. It was such a splendid invitation.

I pushed her dress over her hips so that her panties were finally exposed to me. They were already a little damp, the heady smell pleasant. I couldn’t wait for another second to kiss the crimson fabric repeatedly. Tracing my nose over her clit through it, I sighed softly.

It was exactly where I wanted to be.

Bella pulled it over her head and threw it to the floor. Her bra purposefully matched her panties. One of her things from Victoria’s Secret she promised me. It looked so luscious against her light olive skin. Her fingers moved through my hair, smiling down at me.

Even with the broken leg, she was the most beguiling woman on the planet. She let me cover her body in kisses, needing to show her how much I wanted her, hungered for her. It wasn’t enough. I could have done it for days.

When I slid inside her, her eyes locked on mine, and we moved together. It made me realize this was what real love-making was. I always thought fucking, sex, and love-making were the same when I was growing up. Nothing more than synonyms. But the difference was undeniable. And we had experienced all three during my trip. And they were all breathtaking.

The emotions I felt when I looked into her eyes were so overwhelming. Her slight smile and beseeching gaze made me feel adored. Bella wanted this, needed it, as much as I did. I wouldn’t be so pathetic to blurt out my feelings in the middle of it, but it was there, swirling in my mind. She deserved more romance than that. She was worthy of fairy tales, and I would give her that.

“You’re so beautiful,” she said breathlessly as we rocked together. She was so close to another orgasm, the slight telltale pulsing beginning. I wanted to experience it again. I was trying my best to make it last as long as I could. Her fingers moved over my cheeks into my hair, gripping it. “God, you’re incredible. You make me feel so unbelievably good.” I drew in a sharp breath as the unexpected stroking of my ego pushed me closer to the edge. I grabbed her hips, struggling to focus and adjust, but it hit the right spot inside her. She tightened as she shrieked. “EDWARD!”

Her eyes rolled back as she came all over me. I felt it on my legs, hot and dripping. Lost to the sensation, I was unable to control myself for a moment longer. I was on the brink for too long.

Flopping beside her, I tried to catch my breath. As best as she could, Bella rested her head on my chest while lying at an angle. She was panting too, coming down slowly with her hand on my stomach. Her fingers curled into the trail of hair below my belly button.

Every fear, every emotion, was worth it to experience that fleeting moment with her.

After a few minutes, she pushed herself with a huff. “Dammit, I have to go to the bathroom. I can’t have a UTI and a broken foot. I will throw myself off the Brooklyn Bridge.”

“Yeah, fuck that,” I chuckled, sitting up to get her. Her awkward look was hilarious. She hated being slimy and naked while being carried to the toilet to take a piss. Of course, I didn’t care at all, but she was cute.

Bella fell asleep quickly, exhausted and drugged. She didn’t bother to get dressed, only wrapping in a sheet. I watched her for a long time. Her good leg rested on mine, her body twisted oddly so she could touch as much of me as possible.

I took a picture of her because she was so gorgeous. Everything was covered, her leg peeking out at the thigh. The white fabric rested just at her breast and was tucked under one of her arms that were resting on her stomach. The other fell above her head when I moved to get my phone. Her lovely black hair tumbled over the pillows onto her shoulder.

I sent it to Jasper because I was a creep, but I had to show someone how exquisite she was.

“I wanna sleep next to this woman every night for the rest of my life,” I stated in the message.

He replied right away. “I can see why. What a fox. Doesn’t she look snug in her pillow nest?”

I chuckled at his words as I went to the bathroom. I didn’t want to bother her, and I was nowhere near sleep. “What are you doing? What time is it there?”

“5. I just got off of work. It’s fucking late there. What are you doing awake?”

I called his mobile. It would be easier to have this conversation that way. “I can’t have another nightmare. I don’t want the last moments I’m with her to be filled with night terrors.”

“That bad?” He said in surprise.

Sighing softly, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yes. I’ll sleep on the airplane. I can’t-” I didn’t know what I was going to say. Shaking my head, I turned away from my image in the mirror. “I don’t even know if I can get on that damn plane now.”

“It’s not like you have a choice, darling. When do you film?”

“In a few days. Soon.”

My best friend huffed when I didn’t say anything else. “Aren’t you excited about that?” I pouted a little but still didn’t speak. “Oh, come on. I know you are. Please, don’t give up on your hopes and dreams for this woman. I know what this means for your career.”

“I’m not. I’m just… worried and scared,” I admitted. “She almost fell face first on her crutches tonight. The only reason she didn’t was I caught her. And she’s already said no to coming home with me. I need to take care of her,” my voice got higher during the last sentence as I got emotional.

Jasper sighed. “You don’t have to take care of everyone.” It was something he had suggested to me many times.

“Okay, you’re right. But not everybody. Just her. I need to make sure she’s okay. She’s hurting because she protected me. I made the situation worse and-”

“No, that’s not your fault. And it’s only a broken foot,” he interrupted.

There was no way he could understand all my overwhelming feelings on the subject. “No, it’s not my fault, but it’s more than that…” I trailed off and groaned. There was no point. “It doesn’t matter. I’m getting on in a plane in a few hours, one way or the other, and I know she won’t be with me, and I just fucking hate it. When we’re together, the pull is so strong, and when we’re apart, I feel like I’m missing something.”

My best friend sighed again, but it was more lighthearted. “You are so damn dramatic. I hope she’s into that.”

I snorted. “She is.”

“Lucky you. Um, hey, I got to go. Sorry. I’ve got to run some errands. Text me later, darling. Chin up, hm? You’ll be fine, and so will she. I promise.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “You’re right. Have a good evening.”

When I came back to bed, Bella shifted, so she was lying with her head on my chest again. She was awake, stroking my stomach with her fingertips. Slowly, her palm slid down my nude body to my waiting erection. It was surprising how quickly it reacted to her.

I drew her mouth into a kiss as she massaged me lazily. When she pulled away, she gazed into my eyes. I could barely see them in the very dim light. “I want you.”

“I’m yours.”

We made love for another couple of hours before I finally exhausted myself and fell asleep for a little while. It wasn’t long. Just a nap, but it was better than nothing.

When I brought her into the shower to get cleaned up before we left, Bella had a wicked smile on her face. She didn’t play around this time. Leaning in, her breasts brushed against my cock while she kissed my stomach with her hands on my hips. It instantly grew against her warm, wet skin.

When she took me into her mouth, she hummed in pleasure around it. Her fingers dug into my thighs as she bobbed, working me with astounding skill. Her mismatched eyes were hungrily watching my expression. I couldn’t move, fixed in her stare.

I was hers, totally and completely. She owned my body, and I wanted to be hers. I would be her slave if she demanded. All Bella had to do was say the words, I would do anything she wanted. And I was lying to myself if I said I wouldn’t stay if she asked.


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with episode thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures! 

Click to read episode thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to download the epub of this Episode!!
Click to download the pdf of this Episode!!

✨The next episode of✨ 
​ 📸Perfect Snapshots📸
will be posted on
October 14th!
See y'all then!

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9/16/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-three: Imperfect

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Episode Fifty-three: Imperfect


The next day, Bella was awake before I was. She had hopped herself to the bathroom with her crutches and brushed her teeth. Her sweet minty kisses stirred me from my slumber pleasantly. They were so cool, causing my lips to tingle just a little. She was still in the sexy nightgown from before, and I knew she wasn’t wearing panties. It was an unbelievable way to wake up.

“Yum,” I mumbled against her mouth, making her giggle. I brought my fingers to her hair, holding her in place as long as possible.

She carefully brushed her fingertips over my temple, her smile almost dreamy. “How are you feeling?” My girlfriend pushed a curl out of my eyes, biting her lip as she did.

Swallowing and sniffling to check, my throat seemed fine, and my nose was only slightly clogged. I rolled my head, and my neck popped loudly, but it wasn’t painful. I had just been in the same position for too long. Yawning, I cracked my back. “I’m good. I feel okay. How are you?” I questioned as I ran my hand over her jaw.

“I’m fine.” She bit her bottom lip again, closing her eyes as she leaned into my touch. She slid her palm over mine and pressed it against her skin. “I want to go out with you today.”

“What would you like to do?” I asked encouragingly. She seemed to be in a good mood, and I wanted that to continue- anything to see that smile. My thumb ran over the scar on her cheek. Bella turned her head to peck my hand.

“Well,” she began as she traced my stomach with her nails. My abs were already starting to fade from my lack of working out, but I didn’t care. At least I wasn’t sore from that anymore. I had been overdoing it in my boredom and loneliness. “I was thinking about the Natural History Museum and the MOMA.”

“Oh… Museum of Modern Art?” I inquired. She nodded with a grin. It went all the way to her glowing eyes. She obviously loved the idea. How could I say no to that? “Sure. Either would be great.”

Pushing herself up on her palms, she sat up a little as her smile grew. “We could do one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. They’re not too far apart. We can go to Central Park, too,” she spoke like a giddy child.

Pulling her down for another kiss, I grinned against her minty lips. Bella was beaming. “Sounds perfect. Do you want to go out to dinner tonight? I promised to take you out somewhere nicer once I felt better,” I reminded her, pecking her mouth in between the sentences. Part of me wished we could just stay in bed and fool around, but she wasn’t up to that. I wasn’t sure she was really up to anything other than relaxing.

“If you’re up to it.”

Scoffing, I pulled back to look at her. “Me? You’re the one-”

Bella rolled his mismatched eyes. “With a wheelchair and pain meds. And you’ll have to roll me around. If you want to stay in bed all day again, I’m cool with that, too.”

It was as if she could read my mind. As tempting as it was, I remembered her face from before. I didn’t need to be tempted, anyway. I shook my head, kissing her once more. “No. I like your idea.”

She was even more alluring in the shower than she was the day before. But that was on purpose. The way she rubbed all over me was shameless. I was trying to be a gentleman, but she was doing everything in her power to make me hard. But I was too afraid of hurting her. I would never forgive myself if I did more damage to her poor foot. Bella pouted when I turned off the water again. I felt it, too.

The history museum wasn’t wildly busy, but it was fairly early in the day. She took her camera out as soon as we arrived and started snapping away at a stunning speed. She twisted and bent in her chair or raised her arms above her head. It was obvious that she was enjoying herself, and I loved watching her more than seeing the exhibits. She looked at everything with such wonder and joy. People moved out of the way for her, giving her the best views possible. Every chance I could, I brushed her hair away from her neck and lightly kissed it as I crouched to see what she was taking pictures of. And she would show me with a glowing grin.

“So, what do you want to do for lunch?” I questioned as we rolled around the edge of Central Park. Orange and brown leaves littered the concrete, crunching under the wheels. She was even snapping photos of that. She was tilting her head to the side as she looked at the results.

“Mm…” She hummed, taking another. “Have you had a hot dog yet? It’s a tradition.” Bella glanced over her shoulder at me.

Shaking my head, I shrugged. “Nope. Sounds good to me.”

We moved a little into the park, into the shade. There was a children’s play area close to us. I sat on a bench with her facing me in her wheelchair once we got our hot dogs from the bright yellow Nathan’s truck near the entrance.

“I love these so much,” she confessed through a big bite. She brought her tiny hand up to cover her mouth, mumbling the words. “When I first came, I was broke as hell. All the money I had went to my education and moving. And our place, even though Roe and Al mostly paid for that. There was a cart close to school that I went to almost daily. It was a dollar, and sometimes it was the only thing I would eat all day. If I was working, they’d always feed us, but-” She shook her head. “I survived on cheap slices and these.”

Gazing at her, I realized just how different the worlds we came from were. I was never that broke. Ever. And if I didn’t have the cash, I always had credit cards I could use if I needed it for emergencies. It reminded me of Jasper’s harsh childhood. My best friend had more in common with my girlfriend than I did. I chewed my bite for a second quietly, giving myself time to reflect. I was so privileged, and it wasn’t a good thing.

So, I went in a different direction. “Which slice was your favorite?”

“Oo,” she drew out, her eyelashes fluttering as she thought about it. Bella tapped her chin lightly. “I don’t think they’re there anymore. Something like Gino’s. They did the traditional Italian style. You’d like them. Next time we need to do that.”

It did my heart so good to hear her talk about future visits.

“I have had pizza. It was pretty decent.” I leaned forward and absently wiped some ketchup from her cheek with a napkin. She flushed and grinned at the action, looking away as she brushed her hair out of her face. Taking her chin, I kissed her lips lightly. “Ready for some art?”

“Always,” she spoke with a smile. Her cheeks were still pleasantly pink.

The MOMA was a big white open space. It had a pride flag hanging in front of a glass wall that went out onto a patio with a fountain. There was a colossal statue of a rose in it. Bella took a bunch of pictures of it, then showed them to me. She was such a talented artist. All the colors were stunning and I never could have achieved the angle she did, nor would I have thought to try it at all.

Most of the people were unsurprisingly around Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. But I could see why. Photographs and copies did not do it justice. The depth of the paint was astounding. It was a living, breathing world. A hot, lazy summer evening. The wind was blowing across the rooftops, twirling the wisps of clouds.

My girlfriend took my hand and squeezed it. “The first time I saw it, I cried,” Bella admitted in a quiet voice. “I was so ready to be disappointed. But it was more than I hoped it would be, which is so rare. It’s only happened to me a few times before.” I leaned down and kissed her temple at her words. My girl was sharing a part of herself with me. Twisting to peck my cheek, she scratched her fingers over my chin before turning to whisper in my ear. “You’re one of those times. So much more than I expected.”

My heart jumped in my chest.

“I was thinking the same thing,” I replied before kissing her lips. She returned it slowly, her eyelashes fluttering closed. We were in our own bubble, everything else around us just noise. But then I felt something on my arm. It was a surprisingly sharp tug. I turned in surprise. Several young women were standing behind me with their phones. All of them were grinning wildly.

“Hi! Pardon me. Are you Eddie Cullen?” The one that touched me asked in a thick accent. She was the ringleader, or maybe the one that spoke English the best.

I cleared my throat and straightened up. My soul deflated a little when I realized I had to go to work and interrupt this special moment. But I couldn’t let it show. I forced a smile. “Yes, I am. Hi.”

“Oh, my god!” She giggled, bringing her phone up to her face to hide behind it. “That’s so awesome. We’re big fans. We love your videos, and we’ve watched all of them.” She waved her finger between her friends as she spoke. The girl was so loud, drawing attention to us. “We’re on vacation from Tokyo. Can we take a picture with you, please?” She asked politely.

I glanced at my girlfriend to make sure it was okay, and she smiled encouragingly. I held in my sigh as I turned back to them. “Yeah, of course,” I said cheerfully, even if I wasn’t in the mood. Thankfully, Bella didn’t seem to mind at all. She even helped take a group picture for them. It was so embarrassing, getting all the stares. I was literally no one and didn’t deserve their happy squeals as I posed with each of them. It should have felt good, but the last thing I wanted was my time with her taken away. I didn’t want to be a celebrity right then, and I hated thinking of myself as one.

After we finished the museum, we went back to the hotel to get freshened up. She retired to the bathroom to do her makeup and hair, wobbling out on one crutch in a sexy little sweater dress. She had one long thigh high stocking on. It made me pause. Her injury did nothing to take away from her charm. Perhaps it added to it.

“Damn, you’re so beautiful,” I muttered absently almost to myself.

Blushing, she tried to make it to the bed, but I quickly scooped her up and put her on the edge. It made her giggle, holding onto my neck as I did. I didn’t want her to tire herself out. Once again, I kneeled down at her feet to help put on her shoe. “You’re my Prince Charming,” she cooed as she played with my hair. Her fingers moved over my jaw. “You make me feel like a princess when you dote over me like this.”

“Do you enjoy it?” I inquired as I took her hand in both of mine. I brought her knuckles up to my mouth to kiss, letting my lips rest on each one for a long second as I held her gaze. She nodded, biting into the corner of her bottom lip as a slight blush tinted her nose. “Good to know. I promise to keep it up.”

The restaurant I picked was uncomfortably narrow. It was too small for her chair, so she took out the shorter crutches she brought with her that were stored in the back. They were the kind that supported her forearms. She moved in front of me slowly and as carefully as she could. It was nerve-wracking.

She was doing fine until a pole caught on a chair. I was prepared, worriedly walking close behind. Instantly, my arms went around her waist. I wouldn’t allow her to hurt herself if I could help it. She gasped, her eyes going wide as her face twisted around to look at me.

“Are you okay?” I breathlessly asked.

“Yes,” she grumbled, leaning back against my chest for a moment as she got her balance again. She let out an unsteady breath before glancing up once more. “Thank you.”

I held her arm the rest of the way to the table. When we got to it, I put her foot up into a chair to keep the swelling down. We sat close together since it was loud. It made it feel so much more intimate. I enjoyed how she whispered in my ear with a seductive smile. Her lips were so full, and I liked to just watch her talk. We shared a bottle of wine, taking the night slowly. Bella kept stealing kisses, much to my pleasure.

We couldn’t get close enough. It felt like we were magnets again. The pull was so strong. She had to feel it too. The intensity was shocking, and it was as if, at any moment, we would collide together.

It was fairly early when we went back to the hotel, but that was fine with me. I was ready to be alone with her. No tourists or waiters to interrupt in our bedroom.

Bella was quiet while riding up in the elevator. We were about halfway up when I heard her squeak. It was a strange sound. Her mouth was twisted, squeezed shut tightly. She was trying to hold her chin up as she stared ahead, but tears were streaming down her face in rivers. It was so sudden.

Moving down to her level, I was worried that her foot was bothering her. The fall had concerned me, but she seemed fine after. “Love? What’s the matter? Are you in pain? Are you okay?”

Her lips quivered as she looked away from me. “I don’t want you to leave tomorrow.”

“I don’t either. But I have to.” If I could have gotten out of my contracts, I would have so I could take care of her. She was more important. But it was far too late for that now.

“I know,” she breathed as she shook her head. She couldn’t look at me. It almost seemed as if she was embarrassed. I couldn’t understand why.

“You can come with me.”

Pain went across her entire face as she tried to hold back her emotions. “I can’t,” she sobbed. “This is not how I wanted things to go. I wanted to give you as good a time as you gave me. This isn’t what I wanted.”

I laughed at the absurdity of it all. “Well, of course not.” I took her hand. “It’s not your fault. And I’m the one that got sick for most of it.”

“I wanted it to be as perfect as the time we had together in LA.”

It warmed my heart that she thought of our time together like that. I did too. “You can’t control that, Bells.” I enjoyed using her friend’s nickname for her. It was so cute. “And, even if it wasn’t perfect, I got to spend it with you. That’s all I wanted in the first place. And it’s all I want for Christmas, too.” I pecked at each of her knuckles as I had done earlier in the night. I could taste the salt on them.

“The twentieth seems so far away now.”

“I know. At least it’s not as long as before.”

“I guess,” she said as her other hand scrubbed her skin. She seemed almost angry, but not at me. Maybe at the situation. I rolled us to our room.

Moving my hands over her shoulders from behind, I leaned down and kissed her briny cheeks several times. She turned her face towards mine and captured my mouth. It lasted for a few needy moments with her fingers in my hair. I had to steady myself on the arms of the chair to keep myself upright.

When we pulled apart, we stared into each other’s eyes. In that moment, I wanted so badly to tell her I was in love with her, with the flickering lights of Manhattan as the backdrop. If I were braver, it would have been a sublime ending to a perfectly imperfect day.


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9/2/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty-two: Temptation

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Episode Fifty-two: Temptation


Bella fell asleep quickly, propped up on almost all the pillows. She was still fully dressed, her blue jeans cut up to her thigh. I watched her for a long time, stroking her hair. She moaned a combination of my name and her husband’s. Whimpering whenever she shifted, her face showed the tension and the pain under the surface.

My throat ached, and my nose was tender from wiping so much. I took extra medicine after an hour to help myself knock out. My dreams weren’t much better than when I was sick. When I woke up, I felt more exhausted than I did the night before.

I woke up a few minutes before her, picking up my phone to look at my messages. They were from everyone. Jasper had sent several, my sisters obviously talking to him.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!” It was from a couple of hours earlier. I felt guilty for his panic.

I took my mobile into the bathroom so as not to bother my sleeping girlfriend. I decided to just call him. It would be easier.

“Oh, fuck sakes. Are you okay?” He said right away when he answered. He sounded breathless.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just… stressed out,” I admitted, sniffling deeply. “Still a little sick.”

“You were attacked, though? I spoke to Irina a bit ago.”

“He tried to punch me, yeah. Bella…” I laughed and sighed. “Protected me because I’m a terrible fucking boyfriend.”

“No!” He declared right away. “Jesus Christ, I can tell how ill you are over the phone. This is not your fault,” he defended me. “Where are you right now?”

“Back at the hotel. Sorry I didn’t answer sooner. We were asleep.”

Jasper sighed softly. “Oh, good. You need your rest. Um…” He cleared his throat. “How’s your girl?”

I rubbed my hand over my forehead. “She’s in pain. God, I feel awful about it. She’s pretending to be fine, but…” I trailed off and took a deep breath. “I want to talk her into coming to LA so I can take care of her, but she’s already said no. She’s worried about money.”

“I can understand that.”

“She can’t work on a bad foot.”

“That’s up to her to decide,” he replied. I grunted softly in agreement. “What is she doing?”

“She’s asleep still.” I sat down on the toilet and put my face in one of my hands. “This has been this shittest week of my life.”

“I’m sorry, darling,” he breathed. “I wish I knew what to do to make it better.”

“Find a cure for the common cold and help Bella deal with her anxiety, so she doesn’t break up with me, then figure out how to stop racism. That should do it.”

He inhaled deeply. “Break up?”

I licked my bottom lip. “I overheard her with her best friend. She’s too overwhelmed and wants to let me go because she thinks she’s broken. She said she was falling in love with me, but she wasn’t ready.”

“Oh, Tony. I’m sorry.”

“That was days ago, though. She’s acting like nothing is wrong. It was when I first got sick.”

He sighed. “Well, maybe she was just…” He didn’t know how to finish.

“She was in the middle of a panic attack.”

“Ah, yeah. That explains it. Don’t worry. She’s still there.”

“Unless she’s waiting until I leave to break up with me.”

“No. Don’t do that. Be confident. She wants you. You said it yourself, she said she was falling in love.”

“It would be better if she said it to my face while not on the edge of tears.”

I heard his mobile shift. “Just give it time. Stop rushing everything. It’ll be fine. Hey… I’m sorry, but I need to go back to work. Call me if you need me, okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for listening.”

After going to the loo and washing up, I went back into the bedroom. Bella shifted a little and yawned, stretching her arms above her head. Her eyes slowly opened, and she smiled at me.

“Hi there, handsome.” She rubbed her face before reaching for her phone. “Oh, damn. It’s late already.” She pushed herself up on her hands before pursing her lips. 

“What’s the matter?”

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh!” I hurried to her side, quickly scooping her up. Once I brought her inside, I set her to her feet. She stared at me. Then she pointed at the door. “What?”

“Leave.”

“Honey, I don’t mind-” I began laughing.

She shook her head. “No. This is one of my relationship rules. No spouses in the bathroom, and the door is always closed.”

I couldn’t help myself. I snorted. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” she pouted. I shook my head in disbelief. “I have a shy bladder. I couldn’t pee with you in here even if you tried. Leave,” she whined as she pointed at the door again.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” I continued to snicker to myself. “You know as far as rules, I guess I can respect it,” I added teasingly as I moved to the entrance. “I’ll be right here when you finish.”

“Go farther. That doesn’t help.”

I laughed as I closed the door. Flopping onto the mattress, I took a deep breath. “I’m on the bed. Is that far enough, or should I-”

“Shut up!”

After a few moments, she opened the door. “I have a problem.”

“Should I leave the building?” I smirked.

She rolled her eyes as she leaned against the door frame. She was holding her foot back behind her in the air. “Maybe. I can’t get my pants off over my cast. Do you have any scissors? I realized last night but forgot about it until just now.”

I sat up. “Oh, no. I don’t. Hm, I wonder where I could get a pair.”

“The pharmacy,” she suggested. “They’re going to know our names before this is over.”

I got off the mattress. “That’s alright, though.” I came to scoop her up, moving her back to the bed. “I’ll run to fetch those. Do we need anything else?”

She made a little face. “I feel gross, and I need a shower. I need something to cover my cast so I can do that.”

Gently pushing her hair out her eyes, I gave her a reassuring smile. “I think I can figure something out.” She smiled, leaning forward to kiss my lips lightly. I laid my forehead against hers. “Okay, anything else you can think of? Is there anything else we need for the day?”

“What do you want to do today?”

“Mm…” I hummed. “We can just watch Netflix and eat all day. The doctor said to keep your foot up, anyway.”

She pouted her bottom lip a little. “Okay. Sounds good.”

I pecked her nose tenderly. “I’ll get us some treats while I’m there.” 

She watched as I got dressed, a small smile on her face. After I made sure she was arranged completely, I hurried to the elevator. I didn’t want to be away from her for any longer than I needed to be. I was feeling a little better than I was the day before. Or at least my body did. My mind was in shambles.

On the ride down, I typed a message in my sister’s group chat that stated we were all fine. Everyone would be okay, at least. We would talk about it with them once I got back home in a few days.

I put the thought off in the back of my mind. I wasn’t entirely sure I could leave, especially with her in the state she was.

It rang as I got onto the street. It was so loud that I had to yell into the phone. “Hello?”

“Eddie!” Zafrina shouted. “I saw the news. Are you alright? Why didn’t you call me?” She demanded.

“What?” I said slowly, confused.

“Were you attacked yesterday afternoon?”

I hadn’t even thought about speaking to her. “Yeah. Shit. Sorry. A lot has been going on. I’m fine, though.”

“What a fucking nightmare. Is your girlfriend doing okay?”

I was going to have to answer that question a million times, and it felt like I was lying every single time. “Yeah, she’s fine. I’m getting things for her right now.”

“Alright, so I want you to know that I’ve already got in contact with your lawyers. They’re going to keep an eye on it for you. I think it’s best we have no comment and try to bury this as much as possible. I don’t want this to overshadow your Disney contract. We aren’t victims, we’re money makers.”

Swallowing, I nodded. “Whatever you think is best.”

“And what a way to ruin a vacation,” she mumbled apologetically. “You work so hard! I’m so sorry. Let me know what I can do or if you need anything.”

“Thanks. You’re the best,” I sincerely stated. “I don’t know where I would be without you.”

“In Sydney, hustling. I’ll talk to you later.”

I picked up a ton of snacks and some breakfast while at the store. Going up and down every aisle, I grabbed too many things, but I couldn’t help myself. 

When I returned, Bella was talking on the phone. “No, Rose. I’m fine. Thank you, though. The break isn’t that bad. You’ve done so much worse. God, that time when that chick stomped your foot with cleats on in soccer.” She cringed, then looked over at me and smiled. “No, I don’t need anything. My sweet man is already spoiling me. I’ve got to go. I’m about to take a shower.” She laughed. “Well, I hope it’s with him.” She playfully wiggled her eyebrows at me. “Bye.”

I had several pastries for her to pick from along with orange juice and milk. I took them to her with her pain medication. It was going to take some jostling to get her trousers off.

After she finished eating, she pulled off her shirt and bra, tossing them to the side. I kneeled beside the bed, carefully as possible following the cut seam up to her hip. She bit her lip, sucking in her stomach to watch me. Her cheeks were flushed, her nipples slightly hard.

I was going to hell for wanting her. She was in incredible pain and on heavy drugs.

It was a struggle to get the top. Finally, I had to grab it and finish it off with my bare hands. It ripped loudly away from her body. She wiggled them down her other leg with her panties. Picking up a couple of rubbish bags, she thought for a moment. “We should double layer because I don’t want it to get wet.”

“Sounds good,” I agreed as I took it from her.

It was incredibly difficult not to stare directly at her vagina in my position. She kept playing with my hair as I worked, making my desire to lean forward and taste her even stronger. When I got done, she tugged on my shirt as I stood. I removed it and tossed it to the side. She leaned forward and kissed my stomach lovingly.

“Let me go get things ready.”

The shower was big and had a moveable wooden chair that was perfect for her condition. I made sure all her soaps were in easy reach as the water warmed. Then I stripped out of my trousers with my boxers.

She giggled when I picked her up. “I love this part of it.”

I sat her down on the seat then quickly stole a kiss before passing her the showerhead so she could wet her hair. It was so hard to keep it innocent. Her tempting tits kept rubbing against me.

“This is the perfect height,” she cooed as she fluttered her eyelashes. I realized then she was doing it on purpose. Bella smirked wickedly as her hands moved up my abdomen. Her pink tongue darted out at the corner of her mouth.

“We probably shouldn't play around right now.”

She frowned. “Boo,” she pouted.

My girl was a silly one. I loved it, though. “How can you be in any mood?”

“I took strong painkillers? And, I've not been fucked in a week.” She began to kiss my stomach as her fingers curled against my sides. “I've missed you.”

“Is it that good?” I joked.

She held my gaze, kissing my stomach. “The best.”

I needed to distract myself, or I would fuck her mouth just like she wanted. Fetching the shampoo, I began to wash her hair. She obviously loved it, too. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as I massaged her scalp. When we were like this, it made me forget everything. She wanted me as much as I desired her, and all was right with the world for just a few seconds.

Especially when she took the time to wash every inch of my lower body three times in an effort to rub on me as much as possible. Her impish smile was so delightful. Her pout when it was over was even cuter. I adored it because I felt the same way.

Once she was dried off, I took her to bed. With the towel wrapped around my hip, I kneeled down again with the scissors to remove the sacks from her leg. If I thought she was tempting before, the struggle became real with her still all warm, wet, and fresh from the shower. It was like waving a loaf of freshly baked bread in front of my nose. There was no doubt how much of a pig I was.

She slipped on a sexy little satin nightgown, not bothering to put on any panties. Bella snuggled into bed, hugging one of the pillows. One of her ass cheeks was slightly exposed as she got comfortable. “What do you want to watch first?”

“Whatever you want, love.”

We laid for hours on the mattress, snacking on everything I got while we smoked and watched mindless entertainment. Neither of us picked anything serious. I knew we couldn’t handle anything but dumb shit. We watched at least three standup specials.

Both of us ignored our phones, except for Alice. Once she got off work, she decided to come to check on her best friend.

When I answered the door, she seemed a lot calmer than she was the day before. “Hey! How are you feeling?” I whispered.

“Fine,” she waved me off with a small smile. “Sorry that I bailed.”

“Nah. Don’t worry about it,” I promised.

Bella was wrapped in a robe when we came in. She held up the oil pen she was sucking on most of the day. I think it was helping with her pain more than the pill was. It was making her relax, at least. “So, what should we order for dinner?” She greeted her.

“I don’t care. What are you in the mood for?”

She looked at me, and I shrugged my shoulders. I would be okay with whatever she wanted, as long as it made her happy. She was the one in distress. “Korean?”

Alice took it, kicking her shoes off as she flopped down beside her on the mattress. “Yum.”

I laid on the other side of her. “You already know I like it.” I kissed her ear.

After we ordered, the girls snuggled close together with her best friend scooting in to be her little spoon. Bella rested her hand on her stomach and her chin on her shoulder as they watched television. I smiled to myself.

“Do you normally watch TV like this?” I asked as I laid behind her. Her ass was resting against my crotch pleasantly. They both looked over her shoulders at me. “It’s cute.”

Her best friend giggled. “You just think it’s hot.”

“No, no, no… All innocent,” I promised.

“Fucking liar,” she laughed then wiggled against Bella. 

Playfully, she kissed her cheek and wiggled her eyebrows at me. “Too bad I have a broken foot,” she teased, fucking with me. At least I wasn’t the only pervert in the room.

We joked all night. They would flirt with me and each other, being cute and innocent the entire time. 

When Alice peeled herself away, I could tell she didn’t want to leave. “I need to head home. It’s getting late.”

“Take the leftovers with you,” Bella ordered, pointing to the boxes that couldn’t fit in the fridge.

“Okay. Love you,” she cooed before kissing her forehead. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. This was fun.”

“Yeah, it was,” she agreed. “Love you, too. Goodnight!”

“I’ll walk you out,” I said as I stood, picking up her jacket. I helped her slip it on.

“Thanks,” Alice breathed. She paused at the doorway. My girl couldn’t see us from there. “Does it bother you?”

“What?” I questioned in surprise. It took a moment to realize what she was talking about. “The cuddling? No. Not at all. I really do think it’s sweet.”

She quickly hugged me. “Thanks. And thank you for dinner.”

I watched as she made her way down the hall. I really liked her and was glad she was her friend. At least I knew Bella would always have someone there for her.


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This episode goes with episode thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures!

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✨The next episode of✨
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September 16th, 2020!
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7/22/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode fifty-one: Pretend

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Episode Fifty-one


Alice texted me questions about the kinds of things she would need. There were lots of different crutches. I told her to get the nicest of the two different styles and the best regular wheelchair. A motorized one would do her little good in New York City.

We snacked for a long time on our meal. Bella saved Alice her lot, putting some of it to the side for her if she knew she liked it. There were a few desserts, and she was sampling them all, though. Flan, rice pudding, cookies, and tres leches cake.  It was her favorite. She kept feeding me bites.

She even ate while getting her cast, offering to share it with the doctors and nurses. Alice came in with her bounty.

“Your lunch is here!” My girl spoke in an airy voice as she lifted her hand. “They brought everything.” 

They were halfway through the process. One of the nurses laughed. “I guess we won’t need to get you crutches.”

“Nope, we got her covered,” her friend smiled as she rolled the stuff over. The bags were in the seat, the crutches needing to be put together. It made them easier to travel with them. She walked to the box. “Nice. What’s mine?”

“Your sandwich. Some of all the appetizers they sent.” She pointed to another bag. “Cookies and arroz con leche. Half a flan. I ate all the cake.”

“I don’t like it anyway,” she mumbled, looking at her container.

“I know,” she smirked. “That’s why I didn’t feel bad about it.”

“I hate to do this,” Alice said as she glanced at me. “But I need to get back to the office if you’re alright.”

“I’m fine,” she promised, high on the drugs still. She squeaked when they picked up her heel, though. “It’s just tender. I’m in amazing hands. You go back to work and tell everyone hi for me.”

Standing, I leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I’m going to walk her out and run to the loo. Do you need anything?”

“Nope.” She sipped her coffee with a smile.

Alice handed me my credit card with the receipt. I didn’t even look at it. “Thanks,” I breathed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just won’t do her any good. She’s great at pretending everything is fine, and I don’t want to break that illusion for her with my panic attack.”

“She will be, though.”

Her face was furious. “Eddie, he had a gun. She talked shit back to a man who could snap her neck with one hand, and he had a loaded weapon on him. That ballsy little idiot will get herself killed one day. I love her, but she needs to learn when to shut the fuck up.”

“No,” I argued. “He had no right to start that.”

“Right and wrong are not the same things as smart and dumb. Tiny girls can’t go around doing shit like that. We get murdered. Do you understand how many of us are assaulted every year? Bella is already one of those women-”

“I know,” I interrupted her. “I know… I wish it didn’t happen either, but it did. I should have protected-”

She shook her head. “No. This isn’t your fault, either. I’m sorry,” she paused to take a deep breath. “Bells is dealing with this by pretending she’s fine. The medicine is helping. But in a few days, she’ll freak out. I know how she works. And I just can’t pretend right now. I’ll be okay in a few hours, but it’s too much right now.”

I hugged her. “Don’t feel bad. She’s alright. I’ll take care of her.”

“I’m glad you’re a better actor than me,” she sighed. “You look so tired. How is your fever?” She touched my forehead. “Seems normal still.”

“That’s something, I guess.”

I walked her to the door. On the way to the bathroom, I got a message from one of my sisters. Sasha asked how I was doing, hoping my sickness had gone away. She said she missed me too.

I missed my siblings more than words could say. I wished they were all around to help me. “I’m feeling fine, but we’re in the hospital. It’s a long story, but a racist attacked my girlfriend while ordering lunch. She kicked him unconscious but broke her foot.”

The phone rang. “Are you shitting me?!” She shouted into the receiver. “Tony, what?!”

I leaned against the wall. “Nope. He called her an ugly wetback and tried to punch me. She legit pushed me out of the way and kicked him square in the goddamn jaw then the nuts. He went down like a sack of potatoes. But now we’re here.”

She gasped. “That’s CRAZY. Oh, my god. I have to tell everyone.”

“Really? That’s what you have to do?”

My older sister snorted like I was stupid. “Uh, yes? This is interesting family news.”

I sighed and laughed. “Sasha.”

“Are you okay?” She questioned, ignoring me.

“Yeah,” I promised quickly, lying. “Just stressed. Bella will be fine, though. She’s a tough one. Part of the reason I’m so in love with her.”

She softly giggled. “Aw. Well, that’s sweet. I’m glad she’ll be alright. But even so, her poor foot.”

“I need to get back to her. I was escorting her friend out when you texted. She’s kind of freaking out, but I think she just needs to process what happened.”

“It’s a lot to handle,” she agreed. “Okay. I love you. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Have fun gossiping!” I said sarcastically.

Sasha giggled again. “I will.”

Bella was snoozing when I returned. They had finished with her cast, and we were only waiting on some sort of test before we could go. It took forever to come back. It was several hours later when we got to leave. Then we had to pick up her medication from the pharmacy beside the hotel. By the time we were finishing, she was getting cranky. Her foot hurt, and she needed a pill.

“I can’t believe you bought me a wheelchair,” she fussed as we came into the lobby. I was glad she wanted to come back here. It was more comfortable all the way around.

“You’re going to be like this for a while.”

“I’ll get a walking boot next week. I’ll be fine before Christmas,” she snapped, then frowned. “Probably.”

“It’s not like wheelchairs go bad. You can keep it for a rainy day. Or give it to someone who needs it. Donate it. I’ve already bought it, and I’m not returning it,” I told her with my chin in the air. I had thrown away the receipt, anyway. 

“This is the worst. Literally, everything I wanted to show you was outdoors and sandy beaches,” she whined as she leaned her head back.

“Well, tomorrow we’ll take a break to keep your foot up like the doctor said, and then we can go roll around a museum the next. Where it’s inside and warm.” I didn’t want to be outside in the cold, anyhow. The Northeastern nights were bitter, and I did not enjoy them.

“New York is not designed for wheelchair use.” 

I had thought the same. “Then why don’t you come back to California with me until your foot is all healed? It’s very accessible,” I countered. My house was open, and everything in LA was modern.

“Oh, sneaky. I see. I’ll only need a cane by next week. And I still have to work,” she scoffed, then rolled her eyes. She was very dismissive.

“Would it be so bad to come home with me?”

Frowning, she glanced up at me. “No… Not at all. But I want to work. I need to. For me.”

Money would be an issue with us, I realized. I could take care of her and all of her needs while she was healing, but she would never allow me. It was probably overstepping my bounds as well since we had only been dating for a short while.

“Okay. But the offer is there if you change your mind. Look, just say the word, and I’ll try my best to move heaven and earth to get whatever you want or need,” I promised as we rolled onto the elevator. 

“Thanks,” she whispered.

I leaned down to kiss the top of her head, and she rubbed her fingers over my chin.

As we moved towards our room, my mobile began to sing to me. Glancing quickly up at the screen, I realized it was my grandmother. I never ignored her calls. “Hi, Nana.”

“Tell Nana hi,” my girl said with a smile.

The old woman was off right away like a shot. “Hello, my sweet darling. I heard about your drama today. Is your girlfriend well? How’s her foot? Are you with her?”

“Yes, she’s right here. I’m getting her back to the hotel to properly prop her foot up and pamper her.”

Bella gasped almost inaudibly. “She already knows?”

“I texted my sister Sasha.” She had been sending me tons of messages at the hospital after our brief conversation for more information.

“What happened to her? Does she have a boot or an old-fashioned one? She kicked someone in the balls?”

I loved it when my grandmothers said naughty words. It was always funny. I was a child. “She’s got a proper plaster cast to hold her foot still. She cracked the top of her foot. Oh, it was gorgeous, Nan. Right in the jewels. Bastard.”

“Isn’t she a spunky little one! She seems so tiny in your videos.”

“Yeah, she’s a scrapper.”

Bella’s face fell into her hands. “Oh, no. This is worse,” she complained under her breath. “Your family is going to think I’m trash.”

Clearly, she had never been to Australia. “How do you figure that? He attacked you while you were ordering your bloody food, the loathsome toad.”

“What’s that, lovely?”

“She thinks this is going to reflect poorly on her.”

“This is in no way her fault! He assaulted her, and she defended herself beautifully,” she fiercely declared.

“That’s what I said! Such tosh,” I replied as I passed my girlfriend the card so we could go inside. 

As I did, I heard my grandpa wrestle the phone from my grandmother. “Tell her outstanding job kicking that right twatter in his bloody fucking face, dear.”

Sucking in a breath, I would not laugh and give him the satisfaction. “My grandfather says... Well, I’m not going to say exactly what he said because he didn’t say it so politely but good job, dear.”

“That’s not what I said!” He retorted. “You should tell her I think it’s foxy when a lady is feisty.”

“No, I’m not telling her that either, Grandpa.”

“You don’t think so?” He questioned in shock. 

“Yes, it is kinda, but you’re a dirty old bugger.”

My Nan scoffed in the background. “Yes, he is.”

“See, Nana agrees. I need to go and get her into bed.”

He laughed loudly. “Ha. Good for you, boy! Do have fun, but be mindful of her foot,” he cheered. My grandmother told him to stop being filthy.

“No, not like that, you cheeky bastard,” I chuckled.

He wickedly snickered before becoming more serious. “I love you, Anthony. Be careful.”

I smiled to myself. “Love you, too. I will. I promise. Goodbye.” 

Bella giggled. “Aw, your grandpa is fun.”

“You don’t know what he said.”

Smirking, she brought her thumb up to her lips for a moment. “I can make assumptions.” 

“And, you’d probably be right,” I responded as I put my phone down on the table. “But, I’m not going to take advantage of your doped-up state after such a trying day.”

Pouting and fluttering her eyelashes, she whined softly. “Aw.”

I made sure the bed was ready for her before returning to the chair. Carefully, I picked her up. “Alright there, princess. Neither one of us is up for that right now, I think.”

When she was settled in place, I laid down beside her and rested my cheek on her soft thighs. She played with my hair, twisting her gentle fingers through it. Everything that happened that day swirled in my head. It was so much. Too much. 

“Like, what the actual fuck, Bella? I don’t understand why anyone would say such cruel things to you. You weren’t even doing anything!” I blurted out.

“It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last,” she sighed, almost bored with the idea.

“It’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair. It’s... whatever,” she sighed again. She moved her fingers over my earlobe slowly, tracing it. “I’d like to ask him how he knows ‘where I’m from’ when I don’t even know, though.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she whispered.

I glanced up at her and took a deep breath. “I had been thinking of an idea for a video, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it. One of those kits. The DNA ones. But we can do it just for us. But it’s of course up to you…” I stuttered out nervously. “It’s just that I know you’d like to know, but I know it’s a sensitive topic for you.” 

“You’re not wrong. I do want to know. I’ve considered doing it before,” she paused and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter where my family is from, really. It doesn’t change anything.”

I moved so I could look into her eyes. “No, it doesn’t. But it bothers you obviously a lot. And, since you don’t have a medical history, you can have your genes checked for certain markers. I was going to do it with Seth and Tyler but, if you wanted, you could be a part of it, too.” 

Bella nodded. “Okay. In December?”

“Yeah, I’ll get the kits, and then it takes a couple of months to get the results,” I breathed.

She smiled a little, dragging her nails over my five o’clock shadow. “It sounds like a good idea for a video.”

“We don’t have to worry about the video part.”

Carefully, she moved her fingertips over my chin with a smirk. “No. We can record it for prosperity,” she said absently. “I bet you’d look sexy as fuck with a beard. A neat one. In a suit. Mm...” She mused, her eyes going over my face.

It made me feel so good that she thought I was attractive too. It did so much for my confidence. “I’ll have to shave for the movie once I get home. I’ve not grown my facial hair since the first year of college. It was patchy back then.”

“Maybe after you can grow it out a bit for me,” she flirted. It was even better that she was thinking about hanging out for the months it would need to get that long. It improved my mood.

“It’s so rough right now,” I stated as I moved my cheek along her thigh. “Can you imagine that with no trousers on?”

She flushed a little, and I realized her nipples got visibly harder. “Mm, yes. Yes, I can,” she groaned the words. Since she liked it, I did it again more roughly. It made her giggle.

“I’d rub you raw,” I mumbled before I kissed her leg.

She pulled on my hair gently so I would look up at her. “You’d die right now, anyway. You can’t breathe through your nose still. You’d suffocate.”

She had a point there. I decided to be silly. It was what she needed. I breathed in deeply. My nostrils sealed almost instantly and whistled. A load of gunk went down my throat. “A worthy death.” 

Laughing, she scrunched up her face. “Ew.”

I grinned at her expression. “Do you want to get something to eat, or are you ready for bed?”

“Let’s just go to bed.”

Sighing in relief, I pushed myself up to go fetch all the medicines both of us would need to rest peacefully. “Sounds good.”

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with episode thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to read episode thirty-four of Imperfect Pictures!

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7/8/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Fifty: My Card

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Episode Fifty: My Card


Alice and I took an Uber to the hospital, following right behind the ambulance that took Bella to the nearest emergency room. It wasn’t that far. When she came out of the rear, she was covered in a silver blanket. Her head was resting against the back of the stretcher with her eyes half-closed. They already had her foot wrapped in ice packs and raised.

Her best friend had both of their purses, charging after her quickly. It was hard to keep up. She pushed past people to get beside her.

“Hey there,” she cooed. Bella looked at her slowly. “We’re right here.”

She smiled slightly. “Don’t be dramatic. It’s not that bad.”

Her eyes rolled before glancing at me. Alice said nothing, just sighing. She shook her head a little, taking her hand.

They got her arranged in the room, moving her over to the bed. My jacket was still around her, but she was trembling. A doctor and a nurse were waiting by the door for the paramedics to finish, reading the chart they had started.

“Hello,” the physician said as he came towards her. “So… There was a fight?”

“Not so much. Someone attacked her, and she defended herself. She kicked him twice,” I explained, gripping her hand. She wasn’t up to talking.

“Okay. I’m very sorry that happened. The police will want to speak to you once we get her settled,” he revealed. “Ms. Swan, can you tell me your pain level right now? ‘Zero’ being fine and normal, ‘ten’ being the worst you’ve ever felt in your life.”

“Mm…” She hummed and swallowed. “I’d say it’s a five or six. And I can’t move my foot at all. I’ve broken toes before, but this is worse.”

“Are you allergic to anything?” She shook her head. “We’re going to start an IV line, just in case we need it, and we’ll give you some medication through that. We’ll do that first, and then we’ll get X-rays,” he informed us before looking back at the nurse that was assisting him. “Morphine. I can tell from here her foot is swelling pretty good.” She nodded and went to work getting the things she would need for that. “I’m going to take a closer look.”

This finally pulled Bella out of her daze. She squeezed my hand, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she held in her sobs of anguish.

It broke my heart. Leaning my forehead against her temple, I pecked it lightly to comfort her. “Shh… It’ll be okay. I’m here.”

She pressed her nose against mine, closing her eyes. “I know.”

Alice held her fingers until the nurse put the needle into the top of her hand. It only took a couple of moments. She already had the bottle and syringe ready. They also had a mild sedative for her. The doctor prepped it when it was time, flicking the tube to get the air out before pushing it into the IV line. Bella melted instantly into the plastic mattress, sighing in relief.

“That should only take a few minutes to kick in. We’ll be right back,” he explained before sweeping out of the room.

“Oh, that’s better,” my girlfriend mumbled. “It’s so warm.”

“They gave you the good stuff, didn’t they?” Alice inquired with a smirk as she pushed Bella’s hair out of her eyes. She nodded with a slight smile. “Aren’t you a little old to get in schoolyard fights?”

Her grin was funny, her head weaving. “Apparently not. He started it. Tell me to speak English, pendejo,” she muttered. “I finished it, though.”

“You sure did,” she grinned encouragingly. “Teach him not to fuck with little women.”

“That’s right.”

They were joking, and I was positive that I was having a panic attack. I could barely think, let alone talk. Alice looked over at me. “Eddie,” she called my name calmly. “How are you feeling?”

Clearing my throat, I sniffled. “Um… I’m okay. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“Are you sure?” Bella worriedly questioned as she looked at me. Her face had relaxed some. Limply, she brushed her knuckles over my cheek. “You don’t have a fever.”

I took her hand, then kissed her palm. “I’m alright,” I promised. There was a knock at the door. It was the nurse with some big machinery. There were also two cops. My heart was in my throat.

“I’m going to need everybody to go outside,” she declared as she came in. “Except for you. You don’t go anywhere,” she directed at Bella.

“I’ll be right out there if you need me,” I said as I kissed her forehead. I moved into the hall, and one of the officers smiled at me. “Hi. I’m guessing you need to speak to me?”

“Yes, Mr. Cullen,” he began brightly. He was young. I realized he recognized me. “We need to ask you a few questions if that’s okay with you,” he finished politely. His partner rolled their eyes. He was an older, fat gentleman.

“I’ll answer anything,” I replied right away, forcing a smile.

“Can you tell us exactly what happened?” He questioned, pulling out a phone to record it. His colleague had a pad and a pen out to write. I went over everything I knew, which didn’t feel like much. He asked several follow-up questions. No, we didn’t know each other. No, I had never been attacked before. And no, I had never been arrested.

They questioned Alice, but she knew even less than me.  

The X-rays were done by the time the police were finished with me. We walked back in with the doctor. He put the black film onto a lighted board. “Well, Ms. Swan, it looks like you broke two of your toes and cracked the top of your foot.”

“Holy fuck,” I whispered.

“That was some kick, Bells,” her friend breathed, looking at the broken bones.

“If you didn’t have so much padding, it would have been much worse,” he mused. “We’ll put you in a cast for two weeks before we switch you to a removable one. It won’t be that bad.”

“We’d like to ask you a few questions, Ms. Swan,” the younger officer said to her once the doctor left the room for a minute. “In private,” he glanced at me and smiled. “It’ll just be a couple of minutes. We won’t bother her much.”

“We’ll be out here,” Alice called to her. Nodding, she adjusted my jacket around her body.

I flopped against the wall beside her door, pushing my hands over my eyes. Suddenly, I was being hugged tightly. I wrapped my arms around her and pushed my face into her soft hair. My fingers curled into her coat.

“She’s okay. It’s okay,” she chanted into my chest. Sniffling, she peered up at me. She had started to cry. “Are you alright?”

Squeezing her, I nodded. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m-” I let out a shuddering breath. “What the fuck just happened?” I questioned, swallowing the bile that had come up from the pit of my stomach.

She shook her head. “I… I don’t know. Jesus.” She pushed her face into my shirt. I rubbed the back of her neck as her fingers twisted into my hoodie. “Why is she so fearless at the worst times? Fucking racist.”

“I can’t believe she… she took him out like that.”

She snorted. “She’s tough.” Alice blew out a long breath. “I don’t know if I can keep calm. I’m feeling like I’m having a panic attack. Fuck, I hate hospitals.”

“Can I do anything?”

Shaking her head, she finally pushed away from me and leaned against the wall. “No. Honestly, I just want to get out of here. That’s so terrible.”

“I’m here. I get it. If you can’t handle it, I got it,” I swore. “Um… Here…” I pulled out my credit card from my wallet. “She’ll need crutches and a wheelchair. Could you go to get one? I don’t know where and I don’t-”

“Yeah,” she grinned, taking it from my fingers. “I can handle that.” Palming it, Alice ran her fingers over the numbers. Her eyes moved over them repeatedly. “This is why we didn’t make it as a couple,” she blurted out. “I could never deal with this kind of shit. Bella needs someone, and I’m running away. How… How awful a friend am I?”

“You’re not. You’re getting the supplies she requires to get through this,” I countered. She forced another smile. “I’m here, and I got this. She’s okay. Her pain levels are under control, and she seems comfortable enough.”

Hugging me again, she lifted on her toes to kiss my cheek. “I’m glad you’re here for her.”

“Bella literally just took care of me for the last few days. I’d be a prick if I didn’t.”

Snorting, she shook her head. “That’s true, but it’s more than that, and you know it. Is there anything else I need to get?”

“No.”

“Call me if you think of anything else.”

The officers came out. Alice pushed herself off the wall and went into the room to tell her where she was going.

“Is there anything else you need from me?” I asked softly. 

The older cop shook his head, but the other one smiled. “Could I get a picture?”

I was beyond not in the mood, but I wouldn’t tell him that. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, sure.”

He pulled his phone out within a second, ready to go. In an instant, he was in my face. He held up a peace sign, and I tried to grin like I was happy to be in the hospital after my girlfriend and I were attacked by a fucking racist.

As soon as he put his mobile away, his partner smacked the back of his head with a thud. “What the fuck are you doing, you mook? He doesn’t want you up in his mug. Insensitive. I am so sorry, sir. He doesn’t know how to be professional.”

“No, it’s fine,” I promised. “Thank you for…” I trailed off.

“Yeah. Um… So, just to let you know what’ll happen. The restaurant has decided to press charges against him for trespassing and property damage. He’ll also be charged with the possession of an illegal firearm and narcotics.”

“An ungodly amount of meth,” the younger officer added, shaking his head.

“And he’s being charged with assault. He’ll have a lot to talk to the judge about.”

“Will we need to go to court?”

“That depends,” he replied. “You’ll be notified if you need to in advance.”  

I nodded in understanding. We were quiet for a minute. “Is it alright if I go in there now?”

“Yes, sir,” the older man replied. “We’ll contact you if we need anything else.”

I pulled out my card and handed it to him. “Just to make doubly sure you have my information.”

“There he is,” Alice said when I came into the room. It was bright and bubbly. “There’s your man. I’m going to get those things for you. Let me know if you think of anything else you need.”

“Okay,” Bella replied. She held out her hand to her, beckoning her to come closer. She kissed her cheek, then smoothed away the lipstick. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She pecked her forehead. She smiled sadly as she walked past me. I patted her shoulder before she left.

For the first time in a couple of hours, we were alone. I felt overwhelmingly tired, and my body ached all over. My girlfriend grinned at me and reached out with her hand. Wiggling her fingers, she bit her bottom lip.

I smiled as I walked to her. Taking a deep breath, I sat in a chair beside her bed. We were quiet for a while as I played with her curls with one hand and held her palm with the other. I needed as much contact as possible. 

“What a fine week this has been. I’m sorry. I should have protected you,” I blurted out. 

“Obviously, I don’t need protecting,” she calmly replied.

“Obviously, my little fighter,” I agreed sarcastically. “Is there anything more beautiful than a ballet dancer kicking a racist in the balls?” I tried to joke, but there wasn’t anything funny about the situation. “Christ, Bella. He could have really hurt you, though.” Tears stung my eyes, burning my nose. I swallowed them back. 

“I’m fine.” The words came out in a sing-song tone. She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand with the IV in it.

“We’re literally in the hospital right now,” I countered. I didn’t know if the cops had asked her the same things they had me, but he had a weapon. They questioned me about it. It wasn’t even something I considered a possibility before. 

She patted the top of my hand and gave me a slight smile. “I’m sedated. Everything is fine,” she reminded me. “I’m hungry, though. Think we could go to the cafeteria, or do I have to stay here?”

“Where are you going on that foot? You’ve not gotten your cast yet,” I chuckled. I realized she was trying to make me feel better by joking around, too. I doubted she was. Honestly, I suspected she felt nothing much of anything at all.

Bella shrugged and looked at me from underneath her drooping eyelids. “I’ll hop onto your back and ride you there. It’ll be fine.” I had to keep from snorting loudly, falling back in my chair. The tears I had been holding in rolled down my cheeks. I tried to wipe them away as quickly as possible, sniffling. “It’ll be fun. You could put me on your shoulders, but I’d hit every hanging sign and door frame on the way there,” she continued.

Even drugged out of her mind, she was hilarious.

I laughed a little. “I know that’s right.” I placed both of my hands around hers and brought it up to my mouth. I kissed her knuckles several times. “I’ll get you something as soon as they put your cast on, I promise.”

“Thank you,” she grinned, closing her eyes as she took in a deep breath. “I feel so relaxed.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Only when I move it,” she answered. “I’ve broken things before. Not this bad. But I’ll be fine in a few weeks.”

“I hope so,” I breathed.

My girl smirked. “I’m going to be limping around like Tiny Tim for Christmas.” I scoffed loudly, shaking my head. She stuck her tongue out a little. “My favorite version of that is The Muppets one.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

She put her hand on her heart. “Oh no,” she drew out. The words were slurred. “We’ll have to watch it. I love The Muppets. I loved the show. It’s such a good kids movie. We can at Christmas. When I come to visit you.”

“Do you still want to?” She nodded her head, smiling sweetly. I leaned in and gave her a deep kiss on the lips. “I’d love to watch anything you wish when you come.”

“I’m so glad I won’t be alone for the holiday,” Bella said drunkenly. Her eyes were still closed from the kiss, but her face was in my direction.

Kissing her again, I earned a little moan. “Me too.”

There was a knock on the door, interrupting our moment. It was the young man from the restaurant. He had a gigantic box in his arms. “Hi… Ms. Swan?”

“Oh, hello!” She murmured as she pried her eyes open.

He looked down shyly for a second. “You never got your food. Um… so we brought everything you ordered, and we threw some extra stuff in there we know you liked. How are you doing?”

“Wow…” she breathed in surprise. Her stomach growled loudly. Apparently, she wasn’t kidding about being hungry. “I’ll be fine. I’m starving, though. That smells amazing.”

I stood up from my chair to take it from him. It was surprisingly heavy. “Thank you so much,” I told him in shock. “This is incredible.”

“Of course,” he waved me off bashfully. He nervously scratched behind his ear. “But, like wow! You kicked the shit out of him.”

“She’s a former ballet dancer,” I informed him. “And she’s been training for a charity show recently.”

He laughed. “Nice. I found one of his teeth on the floor.”

“Ew,” Bella whispered. “Well, I lost my nail. Seems fair.” She sat up in the hospital bed a little more. “Is there sauce, too?” She pointed at the box. I brought it to her to look at, setting it beside her. On top were plastic containers with green and white condiments. “Oh, my god. You are so awesome. Thank you so much.”

“We put one of each of the desserts in there for you, too. And there are your coffees,” he explained. “Whelp, I just wanted to deliver this. I need to get back and help my mom clean up. There is glass everywhere.”

I walked with him to the door. “Thank you,” I repeated her words and pulled out my wallet. I offered him two hundred-dollar bills and my card. “Tell your mother to send me the bill to replace whatever you need, okay? I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said as he looked at the money. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“No… This is a tip. You’re having a dreadful day, too. It’s the least you deserve.”

He grinned. “Thank you, Mr. Cullen. By the way, I’m a big fan. I didn’t know it was you until the cops told us. I’ve played every video game you’re in. Plexie is my favorite character of all time.”

Flushing, I ducked my head. “Thanks. That’s fantastic. I’ll tell you a secret… He’s mine too.” He smiled. “Thank you again for bringing the food.”

When I walked back in, Bella was already eating something out of a white paper bag. She dipped it in the container of green sauce. “It’s still warm. It’s so good. Do you have a bottle opener? The sodas need one.”

I pulled out my keychain, which had a small one on it. She grinned. “Come sit with me, and we’ll have a picnic,” she suggested cheerfully, her drugs fully kicked in. Bella might have been a little delirious, but so was I. 


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with episode thirty-three of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to read episode thirty-three of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to download the epub of this Episode!!
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✨The next episode will✨  be on July 22nd! See y'all then!

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6/17/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode forty-nine: Kick

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Episode Forty-nine: Kick


I could not believe I got that sick. I had never in my adult life gotten that ill. It was, without a doubt, the worst possible timing. It scared the hell out of me, not because I was on death’s door, but I was frightened Bella would get too freaked out and break up with me.

And I had so many nightmares.

She never wavered in her care for me, though. She was gentle and sweet. Whenever I awoke, she would feed, pet, wash, and dote over me as if I was a child. Perhaps I was acting like it. I laid in her bed and watched dumb stuff on the internet when I was able, but the fever made it hard to focus.

It was dark when I woke up after a few days of suffering. A door had just shut, someone down the hall leaving for work for the day. When I looked over, my beautiful girl was sleeping on her couch. She was all curled up in a ball. It was so cute.

Slowly, I sat up. My nose was clogged, but my throat wasn’t as sore. I went into the kitchen quietly to get myself something to drink and to take my temperature. It was back to normal.

My stomach gurgled. I didn’t wish to raid her pantry, nor did I want to wake her while she was sleeping so peacefully. So I made myself a couple of slices of toast with butter and a pot of green tea. I could taste the lemon and honey in it this time.

Once I finished, I ran to the bathroom to shower for the first time in days. It felt so good to scrub the salt off. The one at the hotel would have been better, but it still felt like heaven. I couldn’t wait to get back to it with her. We just had a few days left, and I didn’t want to waste them being sick.

I went back into her bedroom to get dressed. She was shifting restlessly. Quietly, she moaned. “Aiden.”

I wasn’t jealous that she was dreaming about him, but worried about what it meant. I had a feeling that her dreams with him were rarely pleasurable. Her face scrunched up. “Don’t,” she whimpered.

Lightly, I touched her cheek. I just wanted to soothe her. Slowly, Bella’s eyes opened. She automatically sat up and yawned widely. 

“Would you like the bed for a while? I’m sorry.” I had been hogging it for days.

“I normally sleep on the couch. How are you feeling?” She questioned as she rubbed her palms over her eyes. They dug in deep, trying to get the sleepiness out.

“My temperature is normal again. I woke up hungry, so I got some toast and got washed up. I think I’ve finally slept enough.”

She smiled briefly. “That’s good. Would you like to go back to the hotel today? It’ll be more comfortable for you there.” She yawned again, her eyelashes fluttering as her mouth opened in a big O.

“Yeah. That would be good.” I felt terrible about all the stress I had put her through. I needed to make it up to her right away, and I needed to take care of her for a while. “Do you want to go to lunch? We’ve been cooped up for days now.”

“That would be nice. We can go around noon. That would give me time to wash a load of clothes and get ready. Are you craving anything?” 

“Mexican, maybe? Or something like that.” I wanted something that would clear my sinuses more, and I knew she enjoyed it too.

“Oh. Hm,” she drowsily hummed. “Have you ever had Venezuelan?”

“No, I can’t say that I have.”

She nodded. “Great. I have the perfect place.” She lifted her head when she heard her roommate move towards the front door. “Mary Alice, do you want arepas, too?”

Her keys rattled as she fetched her purse. “Yes, please. I’ll meet you there for lunch. Text me when you get there.”

I laughed at their cute exchange. Finally, I sat down beside her. She glanced over at me bashfully. “It’s her favorite, and it’s right beside the office.” Bella laid her head on my shoulder, her hand resting on my thigh. “I missed you.” 

“You were in all of my dreams,” I flirted with her. It was the truth, even if they weren’t all nice.

“Were they good?” She coiled her arms around mine, gazing up at me hopefully.

“Most of them were,” I lied. “I had a few nightmares, but I don’t think you can have that much medicine in your system and dream normal things. A lot of them were in color.” I held her hand, pushing my palm against hers. It was soft and so tiny.

“Are your dreams normally black and white?”

Shaking my head, I glanced down at her. “No... They’re normally more muted? Subtle? I just remember a lot of bold colors. Blues and reds. Too much cough syrup. I just remember a lot of the feelings in them, if that makes sense.”

“It does.” She yawned again. “I’m going to run to the restroom and start some laundry. Then I’ll take a shower.” Slowly, she stood and popped her back. The couch wasn’t good for her spine.

It took her a few moments and some hot water to wake up, but once she did, she fluttered around her room to get ready. Though the laptop was open and something was playing, I was watching her style her hair and paint her face.

It wasn’t that cold, and the air felt nice. Bella offered to order a car, even if it was only a quick jaunt, but I declined. I needed to stretch my legs. I knew I had to push myself to feel better. With some effort, I would be back to normal the following day.

The walk took us over a bridge. It was over an old train yard, and the Manhattan skyline was just beyond. Thick fluffy white clouds filled the horizon. The wind felt so good on my cheeks. I couldn’t wait to explore all of New York with her.

Then I heard a little click, click, click.

I glanced behind me to see Bella hurriedly taking pictures with a grin. “But I look terrible right now.”

“You’re beautiful, and I want to remember this feeling,” she replied. I flushed as I looked away, unsure of what to say. It gave me hope that eased some of my fear.

“You’re the beautiful one in this relationship. Especially right now,” I informed her as I held out my hand.

Bella messaged her best friend to let her know we had arrived. She went to get a menu for me to study. Everything looked so delicious. Pulled pork, beef, chicken. Lots of cheese and plantains, too. There was also some type of rice and beans. Honestly, even the drink section was too much. I wanted to order everything. Maybe while filming, so I had a good excuse to be a pig.

“So, what’s an arepa exactly?”

“Think pita bread.”

“Oh, so it’s like a sandwich,” I mumbled to myself. “Yum. What kind of beans is it?”

She bit her lip. “Black beans, I believe. They’re tasty on them with the plantains.”

I was lucky Bella was a patient woman. She answered all the dozens of questions I had. Somehow, she didn’t roll her eyes when I just gave up sheepishly. “It all sounds good. Pick something for me. I’m overwhelmed.”

Right away, she knew what she would order for me. “Pulled pork arepa with fried plantains, black beans, and cheese. Garlic rice for a side? Let’s start with some yucca fries and some mini fried empanadas since we have to wait for Alice’s slow ass,” she concluded. It was a ton of food, and I was ready for all of it.

“That sounds perfect,” I laughed at her salty words toward her friend.

“Do you want a Jarrito or maybe fresh juice? I think they have passionfruit and a strawberry one. Oh, and dragonfruit. That’s new.” She made an ‘impressed’ face as she read.

“What are you getting?”

“A fruit punch Jarrito and a café con leche with raw sugar for dessert.”

“Same but the mandarin flavor, instead.” Hot coffee was the perfect way to end the meal. I could have used caffeine, too.

She touched my arm. “Why don’t you go sit down and get us a table by the window? I’ll order for us.” I would have argued with her, but I was already starting to feel drained. My energy levels would need more than a day to get back to normal. I took out my wallet so I could give her some cash to pay. “No, I got it.”

I wanted to argue again, but I didn’t. She was sensitive about the issue, and I didn’t want to push it. “When I feel completely better, I’m going to take you out somewhere really nice.” I quickly pecked her cheek before going to find us a table in the sunshine by a window.

Pulling out my phone, I looked at my text messages. I had told Jasper and one of my sisters I was sick, so everyone knew I was ill. Everyone was sending me ‘get well’ messages. I would save those for later. 

Instead, I read the one from my best friend. “How are you feeling, darling?” It was from not long before.

“I don’t have a fever, so that’s better. I’m out to lunch with Bella. We’re getting Venezuelan!”

“Exciting! I’ve never had that before. Tell me how it is,” he responded instantly. Smiling to myself, I missed him terribly.

When I glanced up at Bella, she was happily chatting with the young man at the counter. I couldn’t really hear what she was saying, but I could tell it was in Spanish. It was so elegant, the way her mouth moved as she spoke. The boy was louder, laughing at something she said. I understood the word “Beuno!” She giggled in return.

I saw a man walk in the door and go behind her in line, but I thought nothing of it. I looked back down at my mobile to send Jasper another message. “It’s got pulled pork and cheese, it can’t be bad. Also, we’re getting a ton of little fried things for appetizers.”

“Oh, spoiling your lady, I see.”

I chuckled. “Actually, she’s buying me lunch. And yes, I’m very spoiled.”

Once again, I glanced up at Bella to check on her. She had twisted around, and her face was furious. “First of all, it says ‘Si, Habla Espanol’ on the goddamn sign, so you came in here hoping to be all butthurt, you racist piece of shit. Second, you’re willing to shove the food down your gob, but we should go back to our country? Sure, okay. I was born in Texas, and it’s lovely this time of year, bitch,” she said just loud enough for me to hear. Every word was calm.

Damn, she could be scary.

“Sir, you need to leave,” the boy behind the counter replied in English. He pointed towards the door.

“The fuck I do. Let me speak to your manager,” the man growled at him. I couldn’t understand what happened and how it did so fast, but it was clearly escalating. 

“It’s his mom. So, good luck with that,” she informed him as she paid. Then she put a whole wad of cash into the tip jar to spite the prick. “Just leave. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

This riled him instantly, his cheeks going red as he screamed in my girlfriend’s face. “Shut your fucking mouth, you ugly wetback. Yeah, I bet you were fucking born in Texas. Did your mama shit you out on the border?”

Fuck. No.

“Really fucking classy, my friend. Been wanting to use that one for a while now?” She hissed back, unfrightened.

I have no idea how I got from the table to stand in front of her protectively. Something in my brain just took over, and I had to be there. 

“Oi, mate. The only immigrant in this room right now is me. So, if you have a problem with them, why don’t you take it up with me?”

He waved me off. “I don’t have a problem with you. This is none of your fucking business.”

What a piece of shit. He wasn’t worthy of licking the bottom of Bella’s dirt-covered boots. Anger filled me in a way it never has before. “Why? Because I’m white? Or is it because I’m a male? And though my partner is more than capable of destroying you on her own, I find people harassing someone I love very much my business, wanker.” 

The bastard didn’t give a shit what I had to say. “You speak English. If they spoke English, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“What bullshit, you racist twat.”

Then there was a blur of movement. Everything happened so fast. He moved, as did Bella. She shoved me out of the way as he punched towards me. It landed on the glass case behind us, making it crack. Then my girlfriend kicked him twice before he hit the ground.

She wasn’t kidding about her fight or flight. Holy. Shit. She was maybe a third of his size.

“I told you she could destroy you,” I grunted at the cunt, but he wasn’t awake to hear it.

The police followed her roommate into the building. Alice was confused by what was going on. The cops pushed past her.

“He tried to sucker punch him! And he called me a spic. I’m not even Mexican! Dumb fucker. I’m Colombian! We have security cameras,” the boy squawked from behind the counter. His voice was breaking with the stress.

Everything was happening so quickly. It’s all I could keep thinking. I looked down at Bella. Her eyes were forward, staring blankly at the wall ahead of us. It didn’t seem like she was breathing. I placed my hand on her shoulder gently. 

Slowly, she peered up at me. “Honey, are you alright?” She didn’t respond.

The female cop got our attention while the other was dealing with the scum on the floor. “What’s going on here?” 

“He got mad because she was ordering in Spanish. They asked him to leave, and he became belligerent. He tried to attack me because I called him a racist. But my girlfriend pushed me out of the way right in time. And she kicked him. Once in the groin and in the face. It was self-defense. It just happened. Literally.” I kept looking at Bella, hoping that she would come out of her daze.

“Ma’am? Is that right?” 

“I-” Her mouth hung open for a moment, then she slowly inhaled. “I think I broke my foot,” she finished emotionlessly.

Alice rushed around us. “Eddie, she’s in shock.” She took her hand. “I’m her sister,” she explained to the police. “Bells, honey. Let’s sit down.”

“I can feel some blood in my boot,” she informed the officer sedately. It was like it didn’t bother her at all.

The woman nodded in understanding. “Okay, there is an ambulance on the way, and it will be here shortly.”

Then Bella began to weave. I took her into my arms before she could fall. I rushed to take her to a chair. Placing the foot she used to kick him on the one beside her, I kneeled down to examine her. As I did, the racist shrieked crude insults at anyone in sight. 

“Take her boot off,” Alice instructed. I nodded, doing it swiftly. Bella’s socks were thick fluffy white except for the tip that was already saturated with blood. Gingerly, I pulled her socks off to see the damage. As soon as I did, one of her nails fell to the floor. “Oh, Jesus,” she loudly gagged.

At least two of her toes were bleeding. I promptly got some napkins from the table to wipe some of it up. Her foot was swelling. 

“Can I get some ice for her?” The young man behind the counter nodded before rushing away to go get it. Bella trembled, her arms encircling her torso tightly. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her. “Don’t worry, love. It’s alright now.” Her vacant eyes gazed at me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, soaking the fabric of her shirt. Pressing my lips to her temple, I need the reassuring contact. “It’ll be okay soon.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


This episode goes with Episode thirty-three of Imperfect Pictures!

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6/3/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode: Forty-eight: Night Terrors

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Episode: Forty-eight: Night Terrors


Nightmares. I had so many fucking nightmares. Stupid murder documentary. I watched Bella or Jasper get hurt in a thousand ways as we were chased through the old LA Zoo. Their screams of agony made me want to die, too. I was trembling with fear, cowering away from some unseen force. I felt as if the shadows were going to eat me.  

“Edward. Love. Wake up, please,” I heard Bella’s sweet voice call to me. I thought it was still part of the dream because it was so hard to open my eyes. Everywhere hurt a thousand times worse than it did in the days before. Her fingers dragged over my skin, and finally, I peeled them open. “Sweetie, you have a fever. You’re sick.”

“I believe you,” I mumbled stupidly.

Bella was frowning, clearly worried. Her mismatched eyes kept moving over my face. “We need to get you to a doctor. I’m going to make you an appointment for as soon as I can at a clinic, and then I’ll run to the Duane Reed next door to get you something for the fever for now.”

“Okay. I have an insurance card in my wallet. Take some of the cash for the medicine,” I explained. I couldn’t even move my arm to point at it. I didn’t have the energy.

“Alright. You’ve obviously got a fever and chills. What else is going on?”

“I ache all over,” I said right away. That was the one thing I knew for sure. I hurt so much.

She pushed her lips to one side. “How’s your stomach?”

“Fine. My head hurts. So does my throat,” I noted. As if to make a point, I coughed. It rattled my chest and made a glob of mucus shoot out of my nose. “Ew, god. So much snot.” I couldn’t stop hacking. Hurriedly, she fetched me a box of tissues.

Bella got the card and sat on the bed so she could look up where to call. I curled into her side. “I am so sorry,” I whimpered.

Absently, she rubbed the back of my neck as she typed with one hand. “No. You have nothing to be sorry about.”

After she arranged the appointment for me, she fluttered around the room for a moment to get dressed. As much as I loved her naked body, there was no reaction. I was so annoyed. At myself and whoever the fuck got me sick on my vacation.

“Alright, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she informed me as she went to go get her keycard. We had always been together, so she didn’t need it. 

“Did you take cash?”

She shook her head. “I can get your aspirin,” she sardonically replied.

“Just take the damn money, woman. I’m going to need more than aspirin,” I growled before I could stop myself. I regretted it as soon as I did.

My girlfriend raised her eyebrows at me, tilting her face to the side. She wasn’t impressed, nor should she have been. I was a prat. “Oo, someone is a cranky bitch when they’re sick,” she remarked before taking it from my wallet. She held up two of the bills before shoving them into her pocket.

“Sorry,” I pouted, pulling the covers over my head. I was an asshole, but too sick to be apologetic about it. But I knew I would have to make it up to her later.

Within moments of her leaving to get the medicine, I fell back asleep. I wasn’t sure how long she was gone. My brain quickly started with the dreams again, colorful and unpleasant. Even in my nightmares, I realized my shivering was because I was ill in the waking world.

Gingerly, Bella played with my hair to rouse me. “Let’s check your temperature, hm?” she offered in a gentle voice. I nodded, allowing her to put the device under my tongue. As it started, she wiped my forehead with a wet washcloth. She frowned at the number when it beeped. “Okay, I’m going to give you something for the fever for now. We’ve got a little while before you go to the doctor.”

Only a second after I swallowed the tablets, I fell asleep again. This time, she had to be more forceful in waking me. Sitting on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, I willed my body to be better than it was. 

I exercised and ate fruit and vegetables. I wasn’t sure what its problem was. There was no reason to punish me.

At the clinic, they swabbed my nose and throat after making me piss in a cup. The entire time we waited for the results, my girl was by my side in one of those rolling stools. She held my hand and sweetly hummed as she petted my sweaty hair.

“I hope it’s not the flu,” I breathed. “I don’t want to get you sick.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ve gotten my flu shot.”

“So have I,” I muttered in annoyance.

The doctor, an older bald Asian man with a round face, came in. “Well, it seems like it’s just a cold.”

“With a fever?” Bella asked in surprise.

“It’s rare, but it happens. All you can really do is get rest, drink lots of fluids, and keep your temperature under control. If your symptoms get worse or don’t improve in a few days, come back to see us again.”

“There isn’t anything you can give me to speed this along?” I questioned, my voice thick and disgusting with the slime that was running down my throat.

The man shook his head. “What I’d recommend is rotating doses of Benadryl and the stronger Sudafed for your sinus congestion. Robitussin or Deslyum is good for the cough. Alternate Tylenol and Advil for your temperature. Honestly, the best thing you can do is sleep and drink lots of liquid.”

“Okay,” Bella answered for me. “I’ll make sure he does. Thank you.”

I was furious. With myself, my body, and the whole damn world. Except for my girlfriend. She was doing everything she could to make me feel better. Because she loved me. Not that she had told me out loud. But it was the only thing that made the entire situation even slightly bearable. 

Shivering, my arms hugged my chest. This was a different kind of cold. It wasn’t as chilly as it had been in New York. This came from the inside, tightening my muscles until they burned with pain. I glared out the window of the taxi as we rode back to our hotel.

“Can I take you to the apartment so I can make you soup? You can sleep in my bed, and I’ll take care of you,” she suggested softly.

Slowly, I turned to look at her. Some of my anger slipped away. “Soup?” She was trying so hard for me. “That would be nice. I’m not really hungry right now, but I should eat something soon. But we can just order. You don’t have to cook for me if you don’t want to.” 

“Homemade soup is better for you when you’re sick. And we’ve been eating nothing but take out the past few days. We should eat some real food,” she countered. I slowly nodded before glancing back out the window.

“I am so angry right now. We had plans,” I whined.

She gently reached over and touched my knee. “It’s okay. We all get sick.”

“But... I don’t want to waste this time with you. I don’t have all that much, and then I’m not going to see you again for ages,” I continued to whimper like a pouty child.

Bella rolled her eyes. “It’s like three weeks.”

“Ages,” I repeated before sniffling. 

Trying to smile at me reassuringly, she squeezed my thigh. “You’re so dramatic, Eddie. Look, I’ll baby you for a couple of days. I’ll feed you eight kinds of soup and then you’ll feel better because you’re twenty-five and healthy. You youngins bounce back from this kind of shit pretty quickly. It was bound to happen. You’ve been working all the time. You’ve been traveling.”

“I guess so. I can barely keep my head up right now,” I complained as I pressed my face against the cold glass. It felt so soothing, but it was utterly disgusting. I would make others sick.

“I know. Let’s go get some stuff, and then we’ll go back to my place. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I breathed softly.

When we returned to the hotel, Bella packed the bags we would need, shoving some of my comfortable clothes into my backpack with all the medicine she bought. She wouldn’t let me carry much. Normally I would have been offended by it, but it was probably for the best. I was leaning against everything to stay upright. My entire world was swimming.

When I flopped onto her twin bed, I curled up into a little ball. She put all her covers over me before adjusting the temperature in the room. She gave me a full range of medications. Pills, liquids, salves. Bella held the glass for me with a straw, so I didn’t have to sit up.

“Drink the whole thing,” she urged, kneeling beside me. “There you go,” she cooed, petting my forehead. “You’ll be okay in a couple of days, I promise.”

I knew she was right, but my brain thought I was going to die.

Instead of croaking, I fell into a deep and uncomfortable sleep. My mind was a hellscape of colors and sounds. Vibrant, sharp, painful. It was like being at a club I couldn’t escape. I hated it. The feelings of dread overwhelmed me, drowning me in cyan and crimson. Someone ran their thumb over my bottom lip. When I opened my eyes to see who it was, I realized it was Jasper. His hand was dripping in something slimy black. I could feel it oozing on my skin. When he pushed two fingers into my mouth, I choked. “Take it, darling,” he grinned evilly.

I woke up coughing, my chest on fire. The apartment was dark and quiet, only the hum of the heater in the room echoing around me. It took a few minutes to catch my breath.

Pushing myself off of the bed, I went to look for Bella. I wanted to make sure she was alright. My dreams left me uneasy, and I needed to see her.

Then I heard talking in the kitchen. It was Alice, her voice soft. “It’s okay to be worried. These are valid feelings. But you’re going to take excellent care of him. You already are,” she said patiently.

“Thanks, Doc,” Bella snapped. I had never heard her use that tone before. It was hard to describe it. 

“Anyone could empathize with why you’re scared right now, Bells.”

She drew in a ragged, pained breath. “Oh, you mean because my very healthy husband dropped dead buying us breakfast? And now the fact is, the man I am probably falling in love with has a cold, has brought on a panic attack.” Her words all came tumbling out quickly together, her distress obvious in her voice. Bella had been so calm and sweet to me earlier in the day. I would have never realized how anxious she was.

“Are you falling in love with him?” Her friend inquired in a hushed whisper. It hurt me for her, but I was glad she did. I wanted to hear more about that, too.

“I don’t know, but I’m obviously freaking out right now,” she spoke emotionlessly. “Maybe it’s just because he’s the first since Aiden.” 

“Maybe. What do you think?”

I could hear her draw in a quick breath as if she was about to cry. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this. For him. For this relationship. What if I can’t handle it? I don’t want to hurt him, but I’m too broken for this. I should just let him go.”

My hand went to my mouth, and I closed my eyes. How could I beg her not to even think that way? She wasn’t broken. Maybe damaged, but I didn’t care about that. She could never hurt me. The only thing that could… was if she left me because she felt like she wasn’t good enough for me. Because that’s what it was, I realized. She lacked confidence in herself, and it scared her. I had seen it manifest itself in so many small ways when we were together. And I fucking hated it. It was the one trait I wished I could fix about her, but not for me. For her.

“If you’re falling in love with him, why would you want to end it? He clearly has strong feelings for you, intensely so. What benefit is there to it?”

“I don’t want to end it, but he deserves-” 

“No. He gets to decide that. It’s not about him, it’s about what you think you deserve. This is your anxiety. I don’t think you’d be reacting this way if you didn’t care deeply for him. Look, I think you need to go talk to someone who isn’t me. Like, seriously. It’s becoming a problem. The money, now this,” her friend pushed.

“Yeah. Set me up with someone you trust,” she finally responded after a long minute of silence.

Alice really was on my side, I realized. All she wanted was Bella’s happiness, no matter what that looked like for her. She believed my relationship with her closest friend was the best for her and was trying to preserve it for me. I was extremely grateful to her. 

And very dizzy. 

My stomach gurgled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since the night before. I decided it was for the best to pretend as if I didn’t hear a damn thing. For the moment, anyway. It would give me plenty to think about for a very long time. 

I stumbled my way into the small white galley. “’Ello. Can I have that soup now?”

Bella stood from her seat instantly. “Of course. Come sit down. Do you want some hot tea to go with it?” She immediately became my nurse again.

“Yes, please,” I responded with my woozy head against the wall. My eyes rolled over to look at Alice. She gave me an apologetic smile.

“What kind would you like? I have chicken broth, vegetable broth, chicken and vegetables with rice and pea soup,” she elaborated. I wondered how long I was asleep.

Her roommate offered me the pen she was smoking from. I stared at it for a second. I couldn’t feel worse than I did, and I wanted my brain to shut the fuck up for a minute. But my hit was too big, and I almost hacked up a lung after. 

“Ugh. Um. The pea soup, I guess.”

“I want the pea soup as well.”

“I put the oil pens in your purse. Alice, if you’d like one...” I offered. I figured Bella might need something to relax while dealing with my cranky ass. She got up wordlessly, leaving us alone in the kitchen. “We probably shouldn’t share because of germs.” I was likely spreading the plague everywhere I went.

Absently, my girl shook her head. “You’re really unlikely to get sick from mouth-to-mouth contact.”

“Really?”

She nodded, not looking at me as she got a glass from the shelf. “Generally, cold germs are spread through hand-to-hand contact, then touching your nose or eyes. Especially your eyes. So we could share a fork or a cup and probably be fine. Anyway, if I’m going to get sick from you, it’s too late now.” She brought it to me once she filled it with water. “Drink that first. You’re dehydrated from all the medicine. Alice, get my chapstick from my purse for him,” she shouted the last sentence.

One day, she would be a fantastic mother. I just hoped it was to our children. “Does that mean you can still kiss me?” I flirted, wanting a little reassurance. I couldn’t tell her I was eavesdropping yet.

“Mm, I could, but I’m going to say not right now because you’re covered in sweat,” she teased.

“I could use a shower.”

“Can you stand up that long?”

“I kind of doubt it.”

“After you eat, I’ll draw you a bath. Then I’ll get you some more medicine and put some Vapor Rub on your chest to make you more comfortable. And I’ll wash those clothes for you tonight,” she said in a rush as the kettle whistled for the tea. She was having trouble keeping her mask on, her strain starting to show through. But Bella quickly got it under control again.

When she brought me the mug, I put my hands on her hips so I could pull her closer to me. I laid my head against her, just wanting to cry. Everything hurt, my body, my brain, my emotions. It was too much. All I longed for was a nice vacation with the woman I was in love with. I should have spent the day wandering New York City, not fearful she would break up with me because a minor illness understandably overwhelmed her.

She played with my hair soothingly. “It’s definitely time for more medicine.”

I glanced up at her slowly. “Thank you for being so wonderful to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“You would have gotten NyQuil, gone to sleep, and ordered soup when you were ready for it,” she smirked a little teasingly as she touched my face with her smooth fingers. “Do you want bacon and sour cream on your soup?”

“I do,” Alice declared as she passed me the chapstick. She also had two of the pens. They were different strains. “How did you get these through the airport?”

“I took a private flight, so you don’t go into the airport. You go directly to the plane,” I grumbled as I smoothed it onto my chapped mouth. It burned like a motherfucker. “No bag checking.” 

Bella quickly turned to look at me. “You took a private plane?”

“It was cheaper,” I said vaguely. It already felt like bragging to mention it, and she was obviously uncomfortable with the money. I didn’t want to add to her uneasiness.

She blinked. “I don’t know if I believe you.”

“You would be surprised,” I replied before I coughed into my elbow. It took a minute to catch my breath. “Next time I come, if there is anything you want, let me know.”

Her friend grinned. “Thank you! Oh, my gosh. Edibles. Please.”

“I think I can arrange something. Get you some of those disgusting little gummy bears. Or one of those sodas.” I would get her the biggest gift basket of THC infused whatever if she could convince Bella not to leave me. I would get her high for years.

“What a time to be alive,” she remarked sarcastically as she blew out a long billow of smoke from her peach lips. Then she winked at me.

My girlfriend set two bowls in front of us before going to get a plate with strips of bacon and a tub of sour cream. She kept finding more stuff to bring to the table. Spoons, napkins, drinks. Finally, she poured herself a bowl of the green soup and sat down with us. Alice gave her the pen to take a hit. She was worried about her friend’s stress levels and had purposefully given her the one with the more relaxing strain.

The food was wonderful, despite the fact I could barely taste anything. It was creamy, and the bacon was salty. It made my throat feel a little better. Once I was nearing the end of my bowl, she got up to prepare the bathroom. She warmed it up with the heater while starting the water.

“Here,” she mumbled as she passed me the thermometer again. “I’ll get you some more medicine.”

It felt strange to undress in front of her and slip into the bathtub. She was trying her best to take care of me, washing my hair before covering a puff in some shiny pink goo. All I could do was lay my cheek against the edge as I watched her, my head too heavy. 

“I’m glad you agreed to talk to someone about your anxiety. I’ve been worried,” I blurted out suddenly.

She paused for only a second before moving it along my skin. Bella blinked. “Heard that, did you?”

“Yeah, as I was coming in. I wasn’t eavesdropping purposefully,” I admitted. I didn’t want to tell her how much I heard, though. But I wanted her to know I would support her with it. If she needed help, I would do anything. 

Flushing, she peered absently down into the water towards my feet. “It’s okay. I’m sorry that I worried you.”

“You didn’t worry me. It did. The anxiety.”

“Well, I’m sorry it worried you. I’m realizing that I might not be very good at handling this on my own and that I don’t have to. I’m just now realizing it because I am terrible at taking my own advice, obviously,” she joked as she washed my arm. The bubbles gathered on my skin before sliding down. Every once in a while, I caught a whiff of fake strawberries.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help. Just tell me,” I implored. She smiled before pressing her lips to mine. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

Her soapy fingers moved over my cheek. “It’s just because I like you so much.”

She was scared because she loved me. And it was breathtaking, in both wonderful and terrible ways. I needed to show her how much she meant to me… when I was better. 

“I know,” I grinned.


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This episode goes with episode Thirty-three of Imperfect pictures!

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3/18/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty-seven: Ferry

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Episode Forty-seven: Ferry


Bella had taken her hair down, and it whipped around us as we boarded the ferry. There were only a few people, and most of them looked bored and tired. They were going to work. She took my hand and led me to the balcony so we could see it properly. The sky was already starting to turn purple.

It wasn’t as cold as it had been the days before. I was more prepared, even if the long underwear made me sweat my ass off in the club. My girl was chilly, though, not that she would have mentioned it. Wrapping her in my coat, I pulled her close to my chest with my arms around her back.

She peered up at me, a small smile on her face. Bella seemed so content. I leaned down and kissed her sweet lips that still tasted like coffee.

“I had so much fun tonight,” she declared in a breath against mine. “I am so glad you could be here for it.”

“Me too,” I grinned. Dragging my nose across hers, I lost myself in the softness of her skin. I was still tipsy enough to be relaxed. “I like your friends.”

“They like you, too.”

“I’m so glad you’ll get to meet mine. Jasper will love you. My sisters, too,” I sighed in happiness.

“It’ll be exciting. I haven’t been to Australia since I was a teenager for a school trip,” she answered. “We went to Sydney for a week.”

I pressed my lips against her ear. “I’ll have to show you a really good time.” The Statue of Liberty came into view. Everything was glowing orange behind it. “Wow,” I breathed.

“Do you want to take a picture with me?” She questioned in a sweet voice.

“Absolutely,” I grinned in answer.

First, I took several on my phone before we switched to hers. I held it up in the air because I had such long arms. The light behind us was so beautiful, but it was nothing compared to her smile. She had me kneel in the last few so she could press a kiss to my cheek then lips.

I sent one of them to Jasper on the cab ride to the hotel. Bella had her head on my shoulder, her fingers dragging up and down my thigh as she did. With every pass, they would go lower and closer to my half-hard erection.

“Stunning view, darling,” he replied right away. “Are you staying up all night partying?”

“I only partied for the first part of the evening. Then we went to eat and took a ferry ride. We’re heading back to the hotel now.”

“Did you have fun?”

I grinned to myself. “So much fucking fun. We danced for hours. Oh, lol and a guy who looked just like you hit on me at the club. He had an American accent, and it was a little unnerving.”

“So, you’re saying he was sexy,” he joked.

I chuckled softly. Bella could read my conversation on the phone as I typed. She was smirking. “He was! But he didn’t have that stupid fucking mustache.”

He sent a picture right away of a closeup of said stache with his middle finger up in the center. The words ‘u r a cunt’ were in white lettering in the middle of his forehead. Bella giggled softly.

I slipped my phone into my pocket. “I am a bit of one to him. I hate his facial hair so much.”

“Why?” She questioned, scrunching up her nose.

“Because it’s part of a character he plays and not who he is. I don’t like it. I like the real him.”

She shrugged. “It’s just hair.”

“I realize, but it’s what it represents. He started growing it after a nasty breakup, and the bigger it gets, the more he’s hiding his feelings.”

Bella made her eyes wide, looking away knowingly. “Ah. So, he was appeasing the personal crisis gods?”

I laughed at her way with words. “Exactly. But it’s been a while. I guess he likes it. I just always imagine him without it. I don’t know, maybe it’s me.”

We got out of the car and walked into the already busy hotel. I could feel eyes on us as we did. A few tourists looked at me as if they recognized me, but said nothing. Bella didn’t notice. She pressed the button to the elevator as she gripped my fingers. We were shoved into the corner with a ton of other people. Her back was squeezed against my chest, and she held my hands as she leaned into me.

She kicked off her heels as soon as she came into the room. “Ow,” she whimpered quietly.

I scooped her up into my arms after she got her coat off, so she didn’t have to walk. Giggling, hers went around my neck.

“You’re so sexy in this,” I mumbled as I marched towards the bedroom.

“I’m so gross right now. I need a shower,” she answered as she undid the top buttons of my shirt.

Instead of dropping her off on the bed, I took her into the bathroom. Carefully, I sat her down onto the vanity. She crossed her leg over her knees, leaning back on her hands. I went to flick on the water for us.

I returned to her and freed her tie from its Windsor knot. She went back to the buttons on my shirt. Her lip was between her teeth as she watched her fingers. When she pushed it to the floor, I tossed off my undershirts too. Her cool palms went to my bare skin. The smell of sweat filled the space. She pressed her nose to my heart, deeply breathing me in.

“I love dancing with you. I’ve never had a romantic partner who was a good dancer,” she informed me as she undid the buttons of my trousers. “The way your hips move against mine is so sexy.”

Chuckling, I flushed at her compliment. I worked on her shirt next. As I moved my way down, I could see the red lace of her bra. “It helps when you’re hammered.”

Giggling, her head fell back a little. “Yeah, it does.” She pushed the fabric off her shoulders and onto the counter. She reached behind her and popped the hooks on her bra so they could come free. Running her fingers over her bare skin, Bella’s nipples hardened at her own touch. Then she hopped off the countertop to her feet to remove her pants. She looked me over, her eyes moving from my toes to my wild mane. “Wanna fuck around in the shower?”

I shoved my trousers to the ground, adding it to the huge pile of clothes. Eagerly, I followed behind her.

We crashed so hard. She was asleep within seconds of her head touching the pillow. She was naked and still slightly damp from the water. Her hair was sticking to her skin as she laid flat on her belly, not even bothering with the blanket. I pulled it around both of us, lying on my side close to her with my hand on the small of her back.

My dreams were wild.

We were at the club, but I couldn’t hear anything. I could just feel the beat in my body. The neon-colored lights were frantically moving around our heads. In the center of the dance floor was Jasper. I felt so drawn to him. Suddenly I was standing in front of him, and he was taking my hands. He placed them on his hips as we danced together. He was grinding on me like Bella had.

I pressed my body against him, his back to my chest. My fingers explored his own over his clothes. They slid down his stomach. One of them kept going until I palmed his erection.
The crowd parted as my girlfriend walked towards us. She danced with us with Jasper in the middle. My hand was on her hip, pulling her against him and his hard-on. He kissed her neck, both hands moving over her breasts. She was wearing the same sexy suit.

In my dream, I wanted to be alone desperately with both of them. We were covered in sweat, and I wanted to feel their own drip on my bare skin.

The beat got harder, my heart thumping in my ears. Jasper tilted his head back and kissed me on the lips. Soft, wet, warm, I felt on the edge of ecstasy. Bella’s fingers grasped me through my slacks just as his tongue slid over mine.

When I woke up, my girl was curled around me with her hand on my balls. She was dead to the world, and her mouth was hanging open.

I laughed a little to myself and carefully moved it. Almost right away, she tried to put it back where it was. It made me snort. Turning over, I wrapped my fingers around hers to hold it. She smiled as she pressed closer to me. She pecked my nose. With her cheek on mine, I fell back asleep.

When I woke up again, I felt like shit. My stomach was gurgling, and my whole body hurt. The day before, I had been sore when I got up because of all the fucking, but this was worse. Bella was waking up beside me slowly, yawning and stretching with her arms above her head. Sitting up, she sulked when she looked at the clock.

“Damn.”

“What?”

“We were supposed to do something today. It’s like six, though.”

I stretched and popped my back. “Whoops. We can do it tomorrow. It’s okay,” I promised, touching her thigh. “I’m hungover as fuck.”

“Aw,” she pouted. She nodded her head and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Yeah, me too,” she admitted. Bella glanced over her shoulder as she pulled one of the sheets up to her breasts because she was getting cold. “Netflix and chill?”

“Yes, please,” I replied with a grin. “Room service?”

She got out of bed and went to get the menu for us. When she did, she also got the oil pen for us to share. Taking a big hit, she blew the smoke out in a long stream. Bella stole one of my button-down shirts from my luggage after passing them both to me.

I took a little drag, watching my beautiful girl get dressed. It went down to her calves. She twisted her curls into a wild bun. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

“Why don’t you get your laptop? What do you want to watch?” She questioned, crawling back into the bed.

“Oh. I don’t know.” I gave her the menu so I could do what she asked. I hurried to my bag to get some underwear, picking up my computer. “What are you thinking about eating?”

Bella flipped open the book, biting her bottom lip. “Mm… Cheese,” she mumbled to herself as she ran her fingers over the words.

“Cheese? I like cheese,” I remarked drowsily.

She allowed me to pick a movie from my list and was happy to indulge me. I just selected the first one I hadn’t seen before, Blade Runner. It had been on my ‘to-watch’ list for a long time.

She laid her head on my lap, smoking while we waited for the food to arrive. I hoped as I woke up that I would start to feel better, but I was disappointed. Maybe stupidly, I decided the hair of the dog was just what we needed. I poured us each a glass from a bottle she got me for my birthday.

Since I chose first, I insisted she picked the next one. I wasn’t surprised when she selected a documentary about murder. What shocked me was that I was enthralled by the end.

“Okay, your turn,” she said as she refilled my glass once it was done.

I put on another with a frown. “I hate it, but I need to know what happens next.”
We watched all the shows. There was no justice in the finale. My mouth hung open as the screen faded to black.

“What the actual fuck?!” I demanded angrily as I got up to throw away our second bottle of wine. “So, that motherfucker got away with it? Seriously? Clearly-” I growled brokenly. “They protected him simply because he was a man. And they treated her like she was insane because-”

“I know,” she smirked at me and sighed.

“If there had been a proper mental health care system in place to begin with, they would have seen that she was a victim of long-term abuse. And how the police handled it! It’s just so fucking careless. It can’t be that way when people’s lives are at stake.” She let me go on for way too long about it, pacing around the room in front of the bed. A pretty smile spread over her face, her knees were drawn up under her shirt. “I wish there was something that I could do.”

“Well, you know there are charities for all those things.”

“It’s not enough, though.” I could always do more.

“You’ve already given more than the average person does in a lifetime. Don’t stop now, of course.”

I shook my head. “Money is one thing, but look at how much time you’ve put in. Rosalie was telling me at the show that you helped Alice more than anyone with CfA and that you’ve given thousands of hours to help her. She said you put your career on hold to help Alice get started and that you gave her a lot of the money she needed.”

Her smile disappeared as she got more serious. “Aiden did that. And she got most of the money she needed from her dad when he died.”

“You were married. That was your money, too.”

Bella quickly shook her head. “Not really. I did help her get it started. Worked in the office. Me and Rose were her first leaders. It’s taken years to get it to this point. I’m glad Alice is so business smart because she’s just grown this thing to crazy heights. I don’t do as much as I used to, obviously, though.”

“Alice told me you did five big trips just this year and that you’ve done over thirty-day trips. Sometimes doing three or four a week,” I replied, thinking about one of the many conversations I had with her at Thanksgiving. She had brought it up casually when we spoke about Culture for All.

“To be fair, one trip was overnight, and another was two nights. I did do the long two weeks one this year. We went to Mexico. They needed translators. And, most of those day trips are only two hours long. It’s not entirely out of the goodness of my heart. I do get paid something,” she countered.  

“Twelve a bloody hour. Is that even minimum wage here?” It wouldn’t even be enough to motivate me to get out of bed. 

She pouted at being called out. “No. It’s fifteen, I think.”

“I thought not.”

Lifting her chin, she squared her shoulders. “But I do get pictures which I can make money off of. Nothing I’ve done will compare to the money you can give. I can see you in twenty years donating the kind of money that eradicates diseases. Or builds schools. Maybe make your own nonprofit to focus on whatever you care about.”

She was right. I loved the idea. We snuggled into bed again, my arms around her. Gently, I petted her curls. “Now that’s a goal to work for. I’m glad I know someone who has experience starting a successful charity.”

“I’m sure Alice would be happy to help,” she said a bit sarcastically. Rolling my eyes, I ignored her. Instead, I kissed her lightly until Bella fell asleep with a smile on her face.


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This episode goes with episode thirty-two of Imperfect pictures! 

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💛Hi, y’all!💛

Due to unforeseen circumstances (my children getting off of school for a full month at least unexpectedly because of a ☠plague☠??? Sure wasn’t on my radar in January…) 📷Imperfect Pictures and Perfect Snapshots📷 is going on hiatus after this week.

Imperfect Pictures will return June 1st with episode 132, and Perfect Snapshots will return June 3rd with episode 48.

I won’t be going away completely, though! A Change in Direction will continue to update on Thursdays, and Key will update on Tuesdays and Fridays! (Except for planned breaks on April 13-17 to prepare for my eldest birthday and May 25-29 for my anniversary.) Luckily, I’ve already gotten those chapters to my proofreader!

To keep up to date with news and schedules, please join my Facebook group, where I also have teasers for every chapter. And the best way to keep up with new chapters is email alerts, so don’t forget to sign up! (Remember to check your SPAM folder if you didn’t get a confirmation email!)

💛💛Thanks for being awesome!💛💛

~Jeska


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3/11/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty-six: Buy a Drink

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 Episode Forty-six: Buy a Drink


It took a few minutes to get out of the theater, Demetri locking up behind us. There was a large group, all of us mismatched perfectly. It reminded me of going out with my friends in Sydney. Maybe a little quieter and less drunk. Most of my girl’s companions were older, though, and probably at least somewhat more mature.

“Tacos!” Alice shouted when we turned the corner after walking a few blocks. “Ooo. I love these.”

“Oo,” Bella hummed in agreement. We were holding hands as we ambled down the empty sidewalk to the club that wasn’t too far away. She glanced up at me. “Hungry? I only had a slice for lunch.”

“I had some pizza, too,” I smiled. Great minds think alike, but everyone was eating pie in New York City. “Yeah. You know I love them.”

“Have Bells order it for you,” Emmett said over everyone’s head. “They always do it better when she does.”

“Why?” I asked in a laugh.

“She orders in Spanish, and she looks Mexican, so they try harder,” Alice answered for her. Bella looked at her and scrunched up her nose. “Plus, she’s hot, so they flirt with her with extra food.” 

She threw her head back in laughter before playfully twisting her braid around her finger. Then she cocked it to the side. “Hola! Extra queso, por favor,” she teased in a high-pitched voice. Then she looked down at her chest. “It only works when they can see down my shirt, though.”

“Girl, you bad,” Emmett laughed, swatting her shoulder. “No, but can you order for me? It always comes out right when you do it.”

Even in the darkness, I could see her eyes roll. “Yeah. What do you want?”

“Cheese-crusted bean burrito with extra cheese.” His wife made a disgusted face. “What?”

Bella ignored them, walking ahead of the crew and taking control of the situation. It was obvious she was an alpha and didn’t mind being the boss. She looked perfect for the role in her tight outfit. It made her ass look so good.

“Hola, Mami!” A young Latino man said as he hung out of the truck window when she approached. “Dope suit. Hambrienta?”

Grinning, she put her hands in her pockets. “Gracias. Yeah. Mmm…” She tilted her head to the side. “Un carne asada y a Jarritos, por favor. Puedes…” she paused. Bella was thinking hard about something. Finally, she shrugged. “Cheese-crust a burrito?”

“Yeah, Mami,” he smiled at her. “Meat or Frijoles?”

“Frijoles, extra queso, por favor.”

He winked at her, pointing his tongs at her. “Un minuto. Let me get that started.”

Her brother-in-law looked so deflated. “I could have done that,” Emmett complained. I chuckled.

Demetri pushed up to the front to study the menu. “But you didn’t. Chicken or beef?” He questioned Bella. She just shrugged. “You’re not helping. Tell me what I want.”

My girl leaned back into me, tilting her head to look at my face. “What do you want, honey?”

I grinned at the opening. “A kiss,” I answered, leaning down to peck her lips lightly. She smiled, holding onto the back of my neck with her gloved hand. “And I’d like two of the pork with the pineapple and a Jarritos, too.”

Her mouth formed a little ‘o’. “Can I have a bite?”

“Of course,” I cooed as I stole another kiss.

Music was playing as we waited for our food. The girls playfully danced and sang along with it. Bella took Alice’s hands, and they twisted and spun around each other. They were both very hyped up from their performances. It was an old Britney Spears song, and my girl was definitely leading.

“Damn, and I’m all out of ones,” Emmett quipped dryly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

They didn’t even slow down. “Bitch, you can’t afford this,” Alice sassed as her head fell back so she could look at the starless sky.

“They’re so mean to you,” I laughed. It made him chuckle warmly. “You like it, don’t you?”

Shaking his head, he smirked. “Obviously,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

The place was packed with people. The music was so loud. I had never been to a gay club before. They were playing ‘It’s raining men,’ as we came in, the version by one of the Spice Girls. All of my sisters adored them. Demetri turned around and began dramatically lip-sync to it as he hung off his husband. “I’m buying the first round! Shots for everyone!”

He came back with Jack for everybody. We all slammed it down. My girl didn’t even grimace. I loved whiskey, but it still made my eyes water. “I’ll get the next round!” Bella said with a big smile. “More JD or something else?”

“Tequila!” Alice shouted at her, putting her arms up. She had a huge, shit-eating grin on her face.

“No!” she responded instantly in the driest tone. “Fireball?”

Rosalie got very excited. I could see what she was like in uni. “Yes!”

I bought the next round. And then Rose wanted more Fireball. Everyone just kept purchasing more. It didn’t take long for it to get to me. I couldn’t understand how my girl was still standing, but she didn’t seem bothered at all. I was so much bigger than her and could handle my liquor pretty well.

Demetri grabbed my girlfriend’s arm. “I want another dance!”

I was nursing a beer, and she had half a drink. There were a few left on the table from people dancing. “I’ll watch these. I’ll get the next one,” I winked at her. She smiled and kissed me on the cheek. I could smell the cinnamon lingering on her lips.

Riley was sitting across from me, watching our partners go. He was probably the quietest and most reserved of the group. “I’m so glad he has someone to dance with tonight. I hate it.”

Softly, I chuckled. “I love it. I can’t wait,” I admitted. Then I felt something on my shoulder. A guy was behind me. “Um, yeah, mate?”

He smiled, looking my face over. “Hi, I’m Tom. Can I buy you a drink?”

I automatically laughed nervously. “Uh, no. Thank you. I’m with my girlfriend tonight.”

He walked away without saying anything. Riley raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “The gay hookup culture is so toxic and rude. I’m glad I’m done with it. At least say something before you tuck your tail and run away.”

“I wonder if it’s the same in Australia,” I mused, taking a big gulp. “None of my close friends are gay there, so I don’t know. I’ve met a lot more since coming to America.”

Sipping his drink, he shrugged. “Well, Hollywood is filled with them. New York, too.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “My manager is a lesbian. She’s active in the community in LA.”

“Nice!” He grinned. Then his eyes got wider as he peered over my shoulder. “Oh, incoming.”

I turned and looked to see what he was talking about. Just behind me was a very handsome blond man with curls that hung over his forehead. His big blue eyes studied me like the other guy did. He resembled Jasper so much… without his stupid mustache. It stunned me.

“Hi there,” he said in a deep voice. His accent was Midwestern American. “How are you?”

“Hey. Fantastic,” I responded instantly. 

He took a sip of his drink then grinned at me. “Are you here for the afterparty, too?” I nodded in answer. “Were you in it? You look familiar. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with all the makeup and costume.”

For some reason, I was a little dazed by him. My cheeks heated as I swallowed. “No, no. Um, I’m an actor, though.”

Quickly, he nodded in understanding. “Awesome!” He praised me. “Have you been in something I’ve seen before?”

“Uh.” I was stuttering a lot. I laughed and cleared my throat. “Well, maybe, but I’m mainly a voice actor.”

He bit his bottom lip, just like Jasper did. His eyes raked over my body. “Mm, that makes sense. You have a very sexy voice. Can I get you another one of those?” He pointed at my bottle.

I realized instantly if I had been single, I would have said yes. I had no idea what to do with that information, but I shoved it to the back of my brain and blamed it on the liquor. “No, thank you. I’m actually with someone.”

“Lucky guy,” he smiled before pouting for just a second.

“I am,” I replied. Bella was pushing through the pack towards me. I finished my beer in one go. “Thank you for the compliment, though. It’s very flattering.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good night,” he said before he winked at me. Then he turned to go back into the crowd. He filled out his Wranglers really well.

Riley leaned in again. “He might have been okay. He was hot.”

I smirked nervously, glancing at him. “I think I just figured why some chicks enjoy going to bars. This is amazing for my ego,” I mumbled in return. He chuckled. “Oh, my god. Buy me a beer and call me pretty!” He continued to snicker when they finally got to us. I innocently smiled at my girl. She didn’t notice I was being stupid. If I was tipsy, she was already drunk.  

“Your boy got hit on twice while you were away,” Riley told her with laughter still in his voice. He was trying to cause trouble. 

“You’re just mad I’m getting hit on more than you,” I sassed. His husband threw his head back and cackled meanly. He pouted at his reaction until he got a kiss on the cheek.

Bella leaned in, grinning at them. “I’m not surprised. He’s sexy as fuck,” she declared before winking at me. She finished her drink, throwing her head back to do so. Then she held her hand out to me. “Come dance with me.”

She tugged me along to where her friends were dancing. A new song came on as we did. Bella instantly turned and ground against me. My hands automatically went to her hips, drawing her back into me hard. She pulled me into a quick kiss with her hand on the back of my neck, forceful and sweet with her liquor.

This was the kind of dancing I wanted to do with her at the club the night of the jump. If she had moved like this against me, I really might have dragged her off to the roof for a good fucking. Or at least that’s what my alcohol-fueled mind imagined.

Alice was close to us, so she pulled her over so they could dance while Bella still twisted against me. They were very handsy with each other, neither shy. There was no way my girlfriend didn’t notice my arousal. My threesome fantasies came in full force. Us and her best friend, or with mine…

And she was definitely encouraging them on purpose. I knew Alice didn’t want me, and I would never endanger my relationship with the woman of my dreams. But it was fun to dance with them. When the song changed to a bouncier one, they each took one of my hands and jumped around as they giggled.

Rosalie hopped over to them. They were so cute together. They were laughing and so happy.

“This is amazing,” Bella breathed with her head against my shoulder. Her eyelashes fluttered, her lips parted. I couldn’t resist her mouth, and I didn’t have to. I kissed her deeply, earning a soft moan as her fingers twisted in my hair. “Again,” she sighed against them.

I honestly had no idea how my girl was still upright. My brain was swimming with our booze. The lights swirled around us, the music blending together. Kisses and sweat, dancing, and grinding. It was almost overwhelming. There was a reason I never did harder drugs than pot.

“Shit, I’m hammered!” Rosalie shouted at her sister and Bella. Alice nodded vigorously, making my girl giggle. “Let’s get out of here! I’m hungry.” She looked at her wristwatch. “Go get Demetri and see if they wanna get something.”

Riley jumped at the chance to leave. He had been ready for ages.

The women led the pack, taking everyone to a quaint diner. We took up the largest booth meant for a big family. They were one, though. It was fun to observe all of their interactions. And they were all so welcoming to me. We stayed for hours, snacking on the perfect hangover killers.

“Al.” Demetri took her hand as he leaned over the table after everyone said goodbye to her sister and husband. We were still faded, and Rose looked as if she was about to fall asleep at the booth. “Do you want to have a sleepover?”

“When?” she inquired, looking at her watch.

“Right now,” he laughed. “You can come to our place, and when we get up, we’ll order food.”

She pursed her lips. “That would save me a trip tomorrow. We left so much shit in your office.”

“Oh! Can you get my stuff too?” Bella asked. “I forgot about my flowers.”

“Yeah,” she responded and shrugged. “Yeah, okay. That sounds like a good idea. I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

“Great,” Riley mumbled, then yawned. “I’ll pay, and we’ll get out of here.”

We said goodbye to them, and it left us alone for the first time all day. She smiled at me, her eyes so warm. She sat down across from me after she got up to hug everyone. I took her hand because I needed to feel her skin. 

“Shall we go back to the hotel?”

Peering down at our joined hands, a small smile crept over her sweet face. “Do you want to take that ferry ride I was telling you about? It’ll be sunrise soon.”

“I would love to.”


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This Episode goes with Episode thirty-two Of Imperfect Pictures!

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading this episode! 


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2/19/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Nineteen: Holding Out on Me

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Episode Nineteen: Holding Out on Me


Once again, I was left alone early in the morning so that Bella could prepare for the show that evening. I felt a little tired and sore from all of our fun, so I was happy to have the time to sleep in. I took some aspirin when I got up. We had spent most of the night fucking in the most obscene ways, and my shoulders and back hated me for it. 

It was worth it.

So, instead of going out to purchase clothing, I bought it online and had it delivered to the hotel. It was incredible how quickly they could get stuff to me. Money was such a helpful thing.

Jasper sent a few messages asking about the day. I texted that it was amazing and to call me when he had a chance. I smiled when it rang just a moment later.

“Amazing? That’s all I get, you wordy bastard?”

I laughed. “Honestly, it was better than that. I don’t know how many details you want.”

“All of them. What did you do?”

“Well, we waked and baked and had mimosas and breakfast in bed. Then we ran to a sex shop where I went bonkers. Just nuts,” I chuckled. “I spent so much. Bella was trying to get me to open up, and I don’t think she was prepared for it when I did.”

He snorted. “What did you get?”

“Clothes, shoes, lube, bondage gear, and a half a dozen vibrators. Tons of random shit. I think I embarrassed the hell out of her, but she humored me.”

Jasper hummed loudly, then laughed. “Bondage? I hate to inform you that blindfolds don’t qualify.”

“Hey!” I grunted. “Actually, we bought a kit. And clamps. And she picked out a riding crop and a collar.” I cleared my throat as I blushed. “Cuffs, too. She really liked those.”

“So did you just spend all day smoking weed, eating, and fucking?”

“Yup, pretty much.”

He sighed softly. “Oh, you lucky cunt,” he mumbled in annoyance. “I need to get laid.”
“I thought you got laid the other day!”

“But it wasn’t all day birthday sex.”

I scoffed. “That’s true.”

“What are you doing today?” Jasper questioned, changing the subject.

“Bella is performing at that charity show, and I’m going to support her. Then we’re going to a club afterward to the afterparty. This is one I’m looking forward to. It’ll probably be a lot of fun.”

“Aw!” He responded cheerfully. “Well, that’s nice, darling.”

“Oh!” I remembered something. “I have stuff to tell you.”

He was quiet for a long minute. “Oh?”

“Bella’s coming to Sydney with me! You’ll get to meet her! I’m so fucking excited. She agreed last night.” I chuckled happily. “I was talking to my Grandpa Alistar over Facetime, and that shifty old bastard flirted with her, brought it up, and then abandoned me when he realized I hadn’t asked her yet. But it worked out.”

“Oh! Cool!” He remarked. “In February?”

“Yup! So, what are you doing right now? I don’t suppose you want to help me plan this extra-special romantic trip for Bella before then? Since you’re so good at it.” He had helped me with pretty much everything at least a little. He always had such wonderful ideas. “I want to take her on a quick snow holiday around Christmas.”

He laughed quietly at my sucking up, then cleared his throat. “Um, I’m off right now.” There was a pause. “So, sure. Yeah. I’ll help, mate. What do you need?”

I hummed for a moment. “Where the fuck do I take her?”

We worked until I got too hungry. I let him go to get ready, going to a pizza shop not too far from the hotel in my new layers. Beside it was a florist. They delivered, so I sent two roses with a handwritten message to tell the ladies to break a leg. Bella was pretending she wasn’t nervous, but I could tell. They were just a little something to encourage her before. I also purchased a beautiful rainbow bouquet in a variety of colors to give her afterward.
When I arrived at the theater, Riley, Demetri’s partner, found me. He waved me over to his group of seats. “Oh! She will love those!” He said as he placed his hand on his heart.

“I hope so!”

He pointed to a seat. “This is yours.” Rosalie was already sitting down with her husband.

“Hi, man! Welcome! Join us!” Emmett greeted me loudly, shaking my hand.

“Thank you!” I took my spot beside the gorgeous blond, putting the flowers on my lap. “So good to see you again.”

“Did you have a fun birthday?” She questioned, lightly touching my arm. Her smile was pleasant and slightly knowing.

I chuckled softly. “It was splendid, thank you. I got to spend it with Bella.”

“Aw,” she grinned then pouted out her full lips. “That’s sweet. She was so happy on Thanksgiving! It was nice.”

“Yeah, it was nice to see,” Riley agreed as he sat in the seat beside me. He shook his head. “She was walking on air. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her this happy, to be honest.”

Rosalie cocked her head to the side then shrugged. “There were points with Aiden, but I think she’s more stable and healthy now, so it makes a difference. Her anxiety is better than it was. She’s slowing down and relaxing.”

“As much as she can,” Emmett chuckled. He leaned over to look at me. “I used to think she had ADHD. She still might, she’s just better at handling it.”

“No, it’s the anxiety,” Rosalie mumbled to him in a whisper. “And what her grandmother did to her.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned. Bella didn’t talk about the woman who raised her often, but it was always loving.

I think they forgot I was there, and I didn’t know all the stories they did. The blond licked her lips then glanced over at me, considering everything she wanted to tell me. Then she huffed. “That bitch straight-up abused her. She was what I guess you’d call a helicopter grandparent. They would wake up every day at four in the morning and from then to the moment they went to sleep at ten that night, she had her work. She studied, read the bible, practiced her music, cooked, and cleaned. That witch treated her like a slave and would beat the crap out of her if it wasn’t perfect. Did you know her mom started her in gymnastics when she was a toddler, and she was so good at it she got scholarships? Won tons of shit. After she died, that cow rode her so hard to keep it up that it was making Bella a wreck. When she quit, she hit her with a belt until she bled and grounded her for months.”

“No,” I breathed.

“Bella would call it tough love,” Emmett remarked as he shook his head.

She scrunched up her face in disgust. “She wouldn’t want to speak ill of the dead. But I will. I despised that woman. I hated her so much. So did Alice. She used to give our mom shit for being divorced, too.”

I felt sick to my stomach. “Did she really beat her?”

Looking down at her hands, she nodded. “Her back and thighs used to be covered in tiny scars. Mama took her to a lot of spa treatments to get rid of them. She hid the worst with tattoos.”

I realized then that Alice and Rosalie were both honest and blunt women who would tell anyone the truth if they felt they needed to hear it. No matter how brutal.

Slowly, I wiped my hand over my mouth. “No wonder everyone is so worried about me giving her new scars. She’s already had a lifetime of them,” I said to myself before I shook my head. “She’s really gone through a lot, hasn’t she? I feel like I’m just now starting to understand how much. She is so damn strong.”

“She’s been to hell at least three times,” she told me in a serious voice. “The next time she’s there, it better be because her fine ass is there to take over, not because someone else dragged her through it.”

I laughed at her words. “No worries. I’d protect her with my life if I had to. Bella is such a kind-hearted and strong-willed woman. I would never do anything to harm her. Every day I am just blown away by her goodness. Like this.” I pointed my hand towards the stage. “I love this. This is exactly something I would do. I admire her dedication to her charity work.”

“She’s always wanted to make the world a better place.”

“Me too.”

Her husband leaned over again. “I think besides Alice, Bella has probably put in more hours than any person I know,” Emmett added into the conversation. “She used to do twelve-hour days in the office when Al was starting up. She was the first one I met when I started at CFA, actually,” he chuckled.

She looked disgusted again. “He hit on her. She was bent over cleaning, and he complimented her ass.”

“Am I never going to live that down?” He questioned his wife, pouting at being called out. I snickered at him. I couldn’t blame him for liking it. It was a fine one to be sure.

“You said, ‘Hey mama, nice ass!’” Riley looked at him and snorted. “Who thinks that’s a good idea? Ugh, straight people. You were doing charity work!”

“Uh, a horny twenty-something?” He answered, then shrugged. “Hey! She thought it was funny!”

Rosalie rolled her eyes, ignoring him. I chuckled. “I have to admit, there is something about her charity work that does things to me. So, I don’t blame you. Also, her ass is legendary.” He winked at me.

“She is dedicated,” Riley mused.

“You know that Al considers CFA as much Bella’s as it is hers? She put up so much of the money to start it and has worked more than any other leader. Alice told me she’s over ten thousand hours logged, but you know it’s more than that.”

“Damn,” Emmett breathed. "It’s because she does all the long trips.”

“It’s incredible that she just gives her time away like that.” He quickly nodded in agreement.

“Well, as a volunteer, you get twelve fifty an hour. So, she gets a little something,” she countered.

Her husband leaned over to continue the conversation. “Not in the beginning, though. It was only after Aiden died that she started accepting it. Usually, she just gave it back.”

“She put everything on hold to help her, too.” Rosalie shook her head, frowning. “I think her career would be in a different place if she hadn’t. I know she doesn’t regret it, but I think it upsets Al. She feels guilty when she watches her struggle financially. She’s still paying off the bills Aiden left her with.” 

I wasn’t in the least bit surprised at anything they said. The lights chose that moment to dim. Just a second later, Demetri came out onto the stage wearing a bright bubblegum pink princess style ball gown.

“Wow!” I declared in surprise. Riley looked over at me in a smirk. “That is pink.”

“It’s his color,” he replied.

“It looks good on him.” He smiled and nodded happily in agreement. I chuckled quietly.

I didn’t know what Bella was doing in the show besides the ending. She would dance, but other than that, she hadn’t given me many details. So with every act, I became a little more excited, hoping to see her beautiful face from just a few rows back. I hadn’t ever seen a girlfriend in a thing like this before. I was usually the dramatic one.

Something like a tune from a music box played after Demetri came out in his third outfit. This one was a tux. The area was dark behind him. “Dance is where I fell in love with the stage,” he announced to the audience. “Just like so many other kids out there. But I knew that I was different. Just a bit of a rebel.”

He passed off the mic before the lights turned up. Bella was dressed as a ballerina with her leg bent back behind her. Demetri held his hand out to her, and she seized it so he could pull her off the platform. The song changed to one I recognized but didn’t know the name of. It fit his speech perfectly.

My girlfriend had told me she took ballet as a teenager and that once she came to New York City, she continued to take classes to help her try to get roles. She downplayed it, though. She acted as if she was terrible, and that was part of the reason she quit.

I had never seen anyone move like that so close up. It was like she was telling a story with her body. Every motion was clean and perfect, sharp, and to the point. She worked amazingly with her partner as he spun her around the stage until he ripped off her dress to reveal a black one underneath.

Demetri threw her around like she was a feather. I could see her gymnastic training in the way she landed in a proper split after one of his flips. When the song ended, she twirled her way back to the platform.

The whole packed audience cheered wildly for her. I clapped and stood to my feet, as did everyone else. There were wolf-whistles and catcalls all around us.

“That was incredible!” I breathed in wonder.

Rosalie leaned in. “Bella wanted to take ballet when we were kids, but her grandmother wouldn’t pay for it. So, Alice convinced our mom we all wanted to, and that we needed her to do it with us. Isn’t she great? I always loved watching her.”

I did something I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help myself. I pulled my phone out and sent a message to Bella. “You have been seriously holding out on me,” I informed her, adding a bunch of stupid emojis to go with it. I felt giddy from just watching her, my heart beating a million miles an hour.

“I told you I was a dancer. Thanks, but I’m not that good.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “But, like... You’re a legit dancer. Like you have real moves. Ballet moves.” I didn’t know how to word my feelings. They were overwhelming me. 

“You are so so so sweet and biased. I stopped dancing seriously a decade ago, and I’m rusty as fuck. I’m so sore. I might be dying right now, actually. Like legit. My chest.” She sent a funny gif of a man grabbing his breast like he was having a heart attack.

“lol You did great though,” I promised, grinning to myself. I sent a whole rainbow of hearts.
An hour later, the show was wrapping up. Demetri came to the stage again in his tux. Bella was standing behind him in her own suit, but it was very feminine. It was fitted to her body and so sexy. Something in my brain just misfired and kind of shut down when I watched her. I didn’t even hear what her friend was monologuing about. Watching her expertly play while looking like that made me melt in my seat.

And then she sang.

“Wow,” I whispered to myself. I saw Rose nod in agreement. “Why isn’t she on Broadway?”

“She’s not as confident as she pretends to be,” she replied. “That’s why you have to encourage her every step of the way.”

I just nodded in understanding.

It took forever to get to my girl. There were so many people trying to get her attention. When she finally saw me through the sea of bodies, she threw herself at me. I caught her easily, lifting her feet off the ground. She giggled cheerfully as she kissed my cheek.  

I put her down, appreciating the view close up. “You look incredible.”

“Yeah, this queer groomsman’s look ticks so many boxes for me,” her blond friend agreed, giving Bella a tight hug too. 

She looked pleased with herself, slipping both of her hands in her pant’s pockets as she averted her eyes to the floor. “Oh, I should skip the dress next wedding then? Demetri has such good taste.”

“Those shoes are everything,” his husband added, looking at her feet. I hadn’t even really noticed how high her heels were. They made her almost four inches taller. “I bet you can’t dance in those.”

Glancing down, she shrugged. “I used to be able to. But it’s been a while. So, I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”


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2/12/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty-four: Pictures

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Episode Forty-four: Pictures


Warning: this episode contains graphic sexual descriptions. Reader discretion is advised. Intended for a mature audience only. (18+) 


I thought my smile would split my face in half. “Yeah?” She nodded in answer, her grin so bright. “I’ll prepare everything. I’ll make it perfect. I promise.”

“I can’t wait,” she replied before she stood up from the bed. Coolly, she arranged her camera and brought it back to me. “This one will be good to start with. I like it for indoor lighting. It doesn’t zoom, so if you’d like to do that, I can switch it to another. I also have another that’s better for close up detail. I have all my lens with me and filters if you want to experiment.”

“You are so casual.” I slowly took it from her. I was actually nervous. She didn’t seem bothered at all. 

Bella smirked at me seductively. “I’m excited to be honest.”

“I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how I want you to pose,” I admitted, looking down at the device.

She shrugged. “The best pictures aren’t posed. Just take the camera and take a picture when you’re ready. When you see something you like or want more of, tell me,” she explained, turning to go over to the table covered with all our fun purchases. She searched for a moment before she found the shoebox. Bella didn’t look behind her as she took off her robe and tossed it carelessly onto a chair. 

Everything about her was perfect. The corset made her waist narrow, her body a flawless hourglass. Her ass was just… “Damn.”

She turned, shimmying so that it jiggled her breasts before glancing down at the tempting mounds. “If I looked down, I’d get my nose stuck.”

It was too cute not to take a photo. She giggled, shocked. Her hand flew to her mouth, her cheeks full with her grin. She was even more adorable than she was sexy. I laughed and swiftly took another. She was glowing in it. “Okay, I like that one.”

She said nothing as she unwrapped the box. I decided I wanted some from a different point of view. I sank down onto my knees, quickly taking more. It still wasn’t the right angle, so I sat back and tried once more.

Bella noticed my displeasure with how it was going. She leaned down and flicked something on it so that the viewfinder popped up. “That will put the picture on the screen, and you can turn it so you can see it from other directions. And you can press the screen to take a picture as well.”

Using her instructions, I placed it on the ground so that the shot went right up her legs. It was exactly what I wanted. She was a great teacher. 

“Yes, that helps. Thank you,” I said lightly.

Spinning around, she shook her ass again so that it wiggled almost in my face. She flirtatiously gazed over her shoulder at me. I snapped shots as swiftly as I could. These looked like something out of a fashion shoot.  

“I love your bow tattoos,” I mused as I touched them. Kissing each, I let my lips linger there on her delicate flesh. I no doubt needed a close-up of them and her ass. She looked so good, I wanted to take a bite out of her. When she felt my teeth against her skin, she eeked and giggled. I quickly took a photo of her smile. She was having fun, too. 

“Shall I put the shoes on now?”

“Mm, yes, please.”

I continued the entire time she put them on. She did it in such a way that it was unmistakably a show. With her ass in my face, she bent over to slip one on, and then she kicked her foot up to put on the other. When she straightened up, she glanced over her shoulder at me before walking over to the glass door.

“So, do I look silly?”

Not even close. My girl looked like a model.

“I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Lean against the door,” I requested quietly. The frost was making a halo around her, and the colors of the city were perfect on her skin. The way she looked at me was so sensual, her thumb between her teeth. Her hips raised off of it, her breast pushed out towards me.  

“Turn your head to the side.”

She did what she was told, and a streak of blue light fell over her red lips. Her blue eye reflected it, shining brightly. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, her expression sultry. I wanted her so badly. Everything about her was so luscious.

Cool and collected, Bella pushed off the door and turned on music for us to listen to.

She had liked my instructions earlier, so I continued. “Sit in the chair.”

With her eyes on mine, she sat down gracefully. As if she was about to have tea with me, she placed her hands on the arms and tucked her feet underneath like a princess. But she was more than that, I realized. Pecking her knuckles, I held her gaze still. “My queen.”

Laughing, her cheeks turned pink as she looked away from me for a moment. “What are you trying to do to my ego?” She said mockingly in my accent, mimicking my action from the Zucker’s kitchen with her hands. 

“I worship you,” I told her honestly.

With her eyes on mine, she pushed the tip of her shoe into my chest and shoved me back gently. I grabbed it, kissing the very top of her ankle.

I rearranged her legs, knowing exactly how I wanted to take the next pictures. Spreading them, I hung the other over the arm. She knew precisely what I was doing, adjusting in her seat. Teasing me, her fingertips slid from the inside of her knee almost to her panties. 

“Is this what you want?”

She really had no idea. “Yes.”

Kissing her thigh, I pushed them further until I could see that she was visibly slick. I took dozens of pictures, moving her around in different poses for more. She did everything I wanted eagerly.

“Go to the bed.” Her body swayed temptingly as she went to sit on the very edge of the mattress. She rested on her palms, her warm eyes inviting me over. Standing, I continued to take photos as I drew closer. Bella smirked as she pulled my shirt from my trousers. “Lay back.”

Stretching out, I rested on my knees over her so I could capture her expression. She allowed me to change her position in whatever way I pleased again. I touched her stomach, feeling the rough material under my fingers. 

“You are perfection.”

Resting her black heel on my shoulder, it gave me the perfect shot of her leg. Going back to the end of the bed, I grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her towards me. She went to her knees on the floor in front of me. With a wicked little giggle, she peered up at me hungrily. Bella undid my trousers, but I knew the night would go faster once they were off, and I was still having too much fun. Grabbing her jaw, I made her look up at me before taking a photo. She pecked at it, holding my gaze.

I was getting too tempted and needed to pull back. 

Going across the room, I looked through her kit. “Which one is the one with the zoom?”

“The two longer ones at the very end of the bag. Get the shorter of the two.”

After the exchange, I went to the chair she had sat in before. “Take off the corset. Slowly.”

I didn’t like strip clubs, but this show was something else. And so much hotter. Without her eyes leaving mine, she freed each hook one at a time after she stood up. She let it drop to the floor, her hands smoothing over her stomach and breasts afterward. 

“Turn around. Shake your hair loose,” I directed. She did so, knowing exactly what I meant. “Perfect. Look back at me.” Bella peered over her shoulder, her lips parted slightly with desire. “Now your panties.” Hooking her thumbs into them, she pushed them down her thighs before throwing them aside. My girlfriend then turned and came towards me. I knew if I touched her, I would lose my cool, and I wasn’t done yet. I needed just a little more. “Lean against the glass again.”

She did everything I asked so smoothly. Resting against the door, her head rolled back for a moment as her fingers moved between her legs. I could see her wet fingertips sliding over her skin. She was so turned on and was just as ready for this as I was.

I put the camera away. “Come here.”

Bella did quickly, and I pulled her to me so I could lavish her breasts with attention. She played with my hair, tugging on it gently. It reminded me of how she did when I tasted her. I realized I needed to eat her like this. Carefully with my hand on the back of her ankle, I put her foot on the arm. It opened her up to me completely.

With only her heels and stockings, it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. I slid my fingers over her bare skin. “You’re always so wet for me.”

I would never get enough of her flavor. She was the most delicious woman in the world. Whimpering, she held on to my hair just like I wanted her to. Bella shook with my touch, calling out as I brought her over the edge for the first time for the night. First, but not last. When I finally stopped, I looked up at her with a proud grin. She was slightly flushed, but her face was totally relaxed.  

She put her leg down before picking up her camera and walking smoothly over to her bag once again. I didn’t know how she could be so calm after. Changing her lens, she didn’t look back at me. “Unbutton your shirt.”

I grasped then what she was doing. It was only fair she got to snap her pictures, too. Bella said she wanted some as well the day before. 

Watching her, I undid each one slowly. She had given me a show. Hopefully, she would like mine too.

Her head tilted to the side slightly. “Stand up and take off your pants.”

My jeans caught on my big feet, and I almost fell over while pulling them off. I felt my face turn red as I hurried to free myself from them. She was still taking my photo, though, but I really couldn’t understand why. I was so awkward and uncomfortable in my own skin that I wasn’t sure what she could like so much.  

“Turn around,” she ordered in a firm voice. I did, my cheeks flaming hotter. “Take them off now.”

After I did so, I mindlessly touched myself. It was so hard that I was aching, and the pressure was exactly what I needed. All I wanted to do was pump furiously, but I would finish in a matter of moments if I did.

Bella put her camera down before striding confidently over to the table so she could look at our purchases. Arranging them, she pulled things from the bag. Finally, I came up behind her so I could lightly kiss her neck and shoulders.  

“Hm, what shall I use on you first?”

She said nothing, a naughty smile on her face. 

I let my fingertips move down her shoulder before I reached for the handcuffs. Bella allowed me to bind her, her grin turning into a small smirk on her pretty lips. I held her waist so that my erection dug into her ass, tasting her soft skin from behind. Next, I picked up the blindfold. 

I took her to the bed and had her climb onto it so that she was sitting on her calves.

There she waited, bound and helpless while nude with a giant smile on her perfect scarlet lips. They were parted slightly as she panted, her chest heaving. She was having as much fun as I was.

Quickly, I grabbed her face and kissed her delicious mouth. Before, I didn’t want to mess up her makeup, but it was exactly what I needed. I could feel the red smearing between us and spreading across my skin. When I pulled away from her, it was smudged slightly around the edges. It just made her sexier. 

Gazing at her, I knew I needed to put a ball gag in her exquisite mouth before the end of the night and see if I could make her scream around it with the aid of as many as toys as I could. I wanted to see how many I could get her off with before she couldn’t take anymore.

The answer was three, which was more than I was expecting. We still had two more to try.

It was, without a doubt, the most incredible birthday ever. The things she allowed me to do to her were like something out of a porno. It was the greatest gift I have ever been given. Taking those pictures were… 

I let my mind wander while getting dressed after. It felt as if I was floating on air.

When she came out of the bathroom after cleaning up, Bella was wearing one of my shirts, and it went to her shins. Her wild curls rested on the top of her head, piled up in a haphazard bun. Her skin was clean, and her lips pink and slightly swollen from being kissed so much. 

Startlingly, her eyes got huge. “I just realized I haven’t given you your gift yet.” 

“That wasn’t it?” I jokingly asked. I knew she had a present, but nothing would beat naked photos.

She giggled softly, rolling her pretty eyes. “No. Of course not.”

Scampering to her suitcase, Bella retrieved a bag. She hurried back over to me, a grin on her eager face. She plopped it onto my lap heavily before leaning in to kiss me.  

“Thank you,” I breathed against her lips. She grinned as she leaned into me, her temple resting against my shoulder. She looked so small, almost young, this way. 

“Happy birthday, honey.” My girl looked up at me, her mismatched eyes glowing. “Are you having a good day so far?” 

“The best, obviously,” I answered right away. I couldn’t wait a moment longer before opening the gift. It was heavy on my thighs, and I had no idea what my girlfriend would get me. The very first thing on the top was little snack cakes. “Oh, I remember you talking about these,” I chuckled. It wasn’t was I was expecting.

“For a video, of course,” she said with a nod of her head, playing with the ends of the long sleeves of the shirt she was wearing. Her fingers were barely peeking out, most of it pushed up to her elbows. Bella had pulled her legs into it, and her toes were hardly showing.

“Oh, nice! Maybe this can be our dessert?” I offered. 

She looked at me in surprise. “Do you want to make a video tonight?”

“I think that’s a pretty awesome backdrop for a video, don’t you? I mean, if you want to,” I added the last part quickly. I wanted to create one to remember the night by, and it seemed like a perfect excuse. 

Grinning, she inclined in and pressed her lips to my cheek. “Of course. Sounds fun.”

I continued to take things out. She had it packed. “Let’s see what else is in here. Oo, wine. Yes. Very nice. We should put these in the fridge for later.”

“They should pair very well with our Drake’s,” Bella joked slyly, wrinkling her nose.

“Maybe we’ll order some milk to have with them,” I replied, knowing how much she loved it with sweets.

The next was an old-fashioned shaving kit. It had soap, a brush, cup, aftercare lotion, aftershave, and a heavy silver razor with several replacement blades.  

“That’s more a gift for me,” she cooed as she kissed my cheek again while her little fingers danced across my jaw lightly. “I love how smooth your skin is.”

“Oi, very fancy,” I replied before I pulled out an object that was very well wrapped. “Let’s see what we’ve got here. It’s something all bundled up.” It took a few moments to unearth. “Oh, it’s a Plexie clock! How fun. I’ve not seen this one before.” I had most of the toys for him. People were always sending me pictures of them, too.

She looked so proud of herself. “That’s because it was handmade by someone local. I found it at a comic book shop not too far from here. They had all kinds of good stuff. There is one more thing in there,” she finished before pointing to the gift.

Carefully, I put it down to the side and pulled out the item that was at the very bottom. It was heavy as hell and felt as if it was made from metal. When I unwrapped it, I discovered it was a large Plexie statue. It was at least eight inches tall and was a perfect replica of my character in its standard armor. It was all scuffed up as if it was battle-worn. There were even little bullet holes. 

“Yo, it’s so detailed!”

“You can pose it,” she explained as she moved the statue’s metal arm up and down. Its front panel popped open just like in the game. He was basically a sarcastic mule. “I know how much you like your shelf, so I thought I’d get you something for it that is one of a kind.”

I loved it so much and would cherish it for the rest of my life. It was so cool to receive something that was custom. I kind of wanted to cry, but I held it in. She couldn’t know how special she had made my entire day.

I kissed her to show my gratitude because I didn’t have adequate words to do so. “Thank you. I was expecting more lingerie.”

Bella impishly grinned. “Oh, you’ll get to see those soon enough. But it’s like an advent calendar. You get a new one every day,” she teased against my mouth.

“That sure as hell beats lollies.”

Then my girlfriend sang like an angel with a devilish grin on her face. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a pair of crotchless panties and a teddy. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a bra-sized thirty-two triple D!”

Honestly, Jasper was just going to love her, too. She was quick, though. He would have trouble keeping up with her. 

“You are so weird, and I adore you,” I chuckled as I promptly hugged her to me. “I love everything you got me. It’s been the best birthday. I’ve never been so happy,” I confessed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, handsome,” she answered. “Now, are you ready for dinner? I am starving.”

“Me too,” I agreed, hopping up to arrange my gifts neatly, so they were safely off the bed. As I did, I passed my girl the weed and my phone. “Get hungrier, I’ll fetch us a drink. Pick out some options for us.”  


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2/5/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty-three: YOLO

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Episode Forty-three: YOLO


Glancing around the shop, I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Those shoes are perfect. How can you walk in them?”

Bella looked up at me, her eyebrows raised as she smirked. “Practice.” She paused for a moment, looking me over. “I intended not to wear those for very long, either.”

Best. Birthday. Ever. 

As we walked back to the clothing, I had to keep myself from grabbing her ass. She wouldn’t have minded, but I didn’t need to get us kicked out of the fun shop before we made our purchases. 

Searching through the corsets again, she went for the most Christmas-like colors first. She skimmed through the reds and whites before coming to a selection of green. I stood behind her, looking too. Then one caught my eye. It was deep emerald and had silver details sewn into the thick fabric. The buttons were little paste diamonds. It reminded me of her engagement ring. 

“I like this one. Do they have your size?” I questioned softly, biting my lip. One day, I wanted to see her in this and my ring with maybe the heels and nothing else. 

“Mmhmm.” She grabbed the correct one from the rack. It had matching panties attached too. “I love these colors.” Smiling, she trailed her fingers over the silver looping. “The green reminds me of your eyes.”

Quickly, I leaned down to steal a quick kiss. It was innocent and sweet, just a peek. She brought her hand up and pulled me down for another one, brushing her nose against mine when she drew away. 

She tugged away and flicked her little finger towards a display with different Santa themed items. “Are you sure you don’t want a hat?” Her smile was impish and playful. 

“Perhaps a bow,” I joked. If she was going to be my present, she needed it. We made our way towards another wall. This one had a selection of BDSM type toys. There were probably twenty different styles of collars. Bella took one from the hook that was a deep satiny red. “Or, that.”

The idea made me flush a color to match. She put it with the shoes and corset as she gazed into my eyes. I couldn’t look away. “I know you enjoyed spanking me. Are you into BDSM?”

That was a good question. I liked certain ideas though I hadn’t done many of them. I more than enjoyed spanking her. That evening had become one of my favorite fantasies to think about when I was alone.  

“I’m not really experienced.”

Gazing at me knowingly, she smirked. “That’s not what I asked.” Bella looked away from me and glanced at the other toys. “Have you tried anything else?”

“Tying up and blindfolding. I realize it’s not really hardcore,” I barely breathed out. It felt as if the words got caught in my throat. 

“Not everything about BDSM is hardcore. It’s not like I’d expect you to have hogtied and hung someone in a gimp suit from the ceiling while hitting them with a cane and calling them dirty names.”

I wasn’t sure if she was just throwing random phrases together to create a situation or if she was remembering an event. “That is so specific it’s concerning,” I jested, hoping it wasn’t real. 

She smirked again at my expression, shaking her head so that her hair fell around her face. “I’ve never hung anyone from the ceiling or even seen a gimp suit in person. I’ve definitely done some hitting and name-calling, though,” she explained as she reached for one of the toys. It was a riding crop. She twirled it in her fingers for a moment before tightening her grip around it. Then she popped her palm with it twice while looking me straight in the eyes. 

My brain went ‘OoOooOoo, Yes, Mistress’ right away. I grabbed it from her hand and went to add it to our loot, but she stopped me with a laugh.

“Ah. No. Not that one. It has a rubber end. You don’t start with that,” she said as she retrieved a better one. She really was more experienced than me because I had no idea there was even a difference. Then Bella picked up a pink one with a star that looked like a wand. “I’m the BDSM fairy, and I’m here to fuck you up right,” she teased in a sexy voice, wiggling her eyebrows and tapping the star onto her palm again. 

I laughed too loudly. “Kinky Godmother,” I quipped.

Wriggling her shoulders, she timed her taps to her words. “Bip-di bop-pi-di bondage, baby.”

I realized then that Bella would be the perfect teacher for me. She was as patient as she was funny. And she was enjoying herself too. 

There were several beginner’s BDSM kits. I picked out the most expensive one, figuring that would be the best quality. It wouldn’t do if the handcuffs broke the first time I tried to cuff her to a chair. 

Then I turned to see the shelf with lube on them. I had forgotten to pack any. I wasn’t sure exactly what we would do, but having that just in case was never a terrible idea. She picked up a tube, bringing it close to her eyes. It was bright yellow and looked like chapstick. 

“What’s that?”

“It’s supposed to make your nipples tingly in a fun way.” 

I reached over and took it from her, making her giggle. “Do you even like pineapple flavors?”

“Yes,” I smiled innocently. 

Beside them were some warming massage lotions and oils. I loved the idea of dripping it all over her body and rubbing her from head to toe. I grabbed two of those too. She bit her lip as she watched, and I realized she liked it as well. 

When we got to the dildos and vibrators, I felt her stiffen up beside me, and her face was flushed. It was kind of cute to see her almost nervous about something. She hummed, walking to a box and pointing at it.  

“I’ve heard good things about this kind.” I instantly put it in with the rest of the haul. “Seriously, stop just grabbing,” she laughed, amused as her blush brightened. 

I smiled wickedly. “Why not? It’s my birthday, and I can buy whatever I want,” I stated like a bratty child. 

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Leaning in, she whispered. “Though that is true, you’re just having fun picking out all the dirty things now. Look how much junk we have.”

I pick out a single thing that was only for her, and suddenly it was too much. No, I meant it when I told her I would buy her a bunch to try. “I fail to see a problem here. We said we’d test them out tonight and see what you like best. We can’t do that if we don’t have a wide selection. You need choices.”

Bella giggled as she looked away from me, her arms wrapped around her stomach nervously. “I was joking about that part.”

I leaned down to kiss her ear before whispering in return. “Well, I’m not.”

Looking up at me with her wide innocent eyes, I saw her arousal and surprise. It was delicious and made me feel more confident. 

As I looked around, I caught one sales lady's attention. She hurried over, smiling brightly. “Hi. Can I help you with anything?”

Clearing my throat, I smiled in return. I could pretend to be an adult not made nervous by women’s sexual aids. 

“Actually, yes. What are your best-selling toys for women’s pleasure? Top five.”

My girlfriend’s eyes got as big as saucers as even her ears turned neon. She slowly brought her hand up to her forehead, facepalming at my stupidity. The pink-haired girl didn’t notice, though, and smiled. 

“Well, if you’re interested in this style, I would recommend this brand right here. It’s a little bit cheaper, and it also has a spot for regular batteries, and it’s USB rechargeable. It’s one of our top-selling,” she helpfully explained. I grabbed her selection. 

“Are you just looking for this style?”

“No, looking for new, fun things to try.”

She walked over to a shelf. “So, these suction ones are really popular. They are… very fun, um,” she giggled. “All the girls at the shop have a favorite. This one is the best-selling overall.” I grabbed it, too, following her to the next section. “Also, the rabbits are always popular.”

Bella’s horror was hilarious in a way I couldn’t describe. She would let me do whatever I wanted, and I kept picking things out until the pink-haired woman took my basket behind the counter. I still brought more stuff in my hands. 

“I’m going to look at the shoes again,” my girl grumbled when I went to pay, making me chuckle. 

There was a display of candles that turned into massage oil after you burned them. They were even edible. I got one of each flavor. 

“The cherry is delicious,” the lady commented to me. 

“Oh, I like cherry,” I agreed, pulling out another just in case I really liked it.

“Okay, wow. Well, your total today is $2335.98. I believe that is the most I have rung up. I mean, there is more expensive stuff in the store, but we rarely sell it,” she explained in a rush. 

I laughed at her expression, some of my confidence coming down from the high of shopping. “Um, yeah. Might have overdone it. It’s my birthday, though.”

She beamed. “Happy birthday! Yolo, right?” I nodded, signing the receipt. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Nice! I’d tell you to have fun tonight, but that won’t be a problem as long as you don’t forget the batteries.”

We walked together hand in hand down the very crowded Manhattan streets. It was just as bitingly cold as before, but I tried to ignore it. “Um, we need to stop to get batteries,” I commented through my chattering teeth. 

“Oh, there’s a Duane Reade right by the hotel. We’ll stop there. Is there anything else we need?”

Apparently, what we required was candy, chips, cookies, and booze. Bella also picked out a little bow choker from a Christmas display. I smiled to myself. 

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket as I unlocked the door with the keycard. It was one of my grandparents, but I wasn’t sure which. Hurrying, I put the bags on the table before I pulled out my mobile. My grandmother was requesting some Facetime. 

“Oh, it’s my Gran,” I informed my girlfriend. 

She smiled and nodded. “I’m going to get freshened up,” Bella replied as she went searching through our loot. She took out several things before turning to go to the bathroom. 

Finally, I answered. I put on my biggest smile. “Hello there, you gorgeous woman!”

“There is my beautiful baby on his birthday!” She cooed happily when I came onto the screen. Her eyes were too close, and I could see up her nose. “Happy birthday to you,” she sang, and I felt like my chest would burst. I put my hand on my heart, feeling the emotions stinging my nose. I missed my grandmother so much.

“Thank you so much!”

“Have you spoken to everyone today?”

Bella stood and watched, leaning against the bathroom door as I chatted happily.  

“Mum called. The girls sent me lovely messages. And I talked to Nana last night, but you were the only one to sing me a happy birthday. They all tried, and I told them no. Only Grandma Jane can do it right, I told them all,” I joked, making her laugh. When I looked up again, my girl was shutting the door behind her.

She leaned back in the frame. “Are you having a good birthday so far?”

“Yes. It’s been great. Relaxing… except for talking to Mum.”

“Poor babe,” she teased. No one was a huge fan of my mother in my family. “What have you done?”

“Well,” I chuckled awkwardly. “Um, I got up early and spoke to Jasper. He made me a lovely picture.”

She nodded her head. “Such a talented boy. How is he?” I frowned, shaking my head. “I know you miss him, darling. It’s okay.” 

“Today, especially,” I admitted. “I know he’s unhappy. Why won’t he let me help him?”

“Because men are stubborn and have to do it their own way. Anyway, tell me what else you’ve done? It should be mid-afternoon there if I planned it right. I didn’t want to bother you too early or late.”

“It doesn’t matter when you call. I’ll talk to you anytime.”

“I know, darling,” she cooed. “So, what plans do you have?”

I laughed at her persistence. “This morning we had room service with lots of champagne, and we just got back from doing a little shopping. Today is a big shopping holiday in America.”

“They must have known it was your birthday,” she teased gently, making me laugh. 

“They sure did,” I agreed. I kicked off my boots and threw off my jacket to get more comfortable. “We just went to a couple of stores though because it’s bloody cold. I’m going to go tomorrow when I have some free time to get some better winter wear. I packed terribly. Perhaps I’ll order it and have it shipped to the hotel.”

She nodded her head. “Packing was never something I’ve done well either. I always forget something.”

“Me too. Thank God I’ve got the money to indulge the way I do. Bella doesn’t particularly like it, but I enjoy spoiling her.” 

My grandmother smiled brightly. “Bella is such a lovely name. Is she there with right now?”

“Yeah,” I grinned. “She’s getting ready for tonight.”

“Going out?”

“Yeah,” I lied, smirking a little. “You know me, a real party animal.” 

She laughed. “So, you’ll eat too much and be in bed by nine?”

I acted as if it offended me. “Gran, I am a twenty-five-year-old man, and you shouldn’t call me out like that. Jeez, I know that I’m boring.” She snorted, shaking her head as she rolled her eyes. “You’re giving me too much credit.”

“This is why I never worried about you,” she continued to shake her head before she perked up. “Alistair! Darling! I’ve got Anthony on the telephone. Come say hello,” she encouraged. 

“Oh, good! I thought it was about time to call him,” I heard him mumble as he came over. The mobile switched hands, and I was staring at my Grandpa. “Happy birthday!”

“Thanks, old man. How are you doing?”

“Good, good. So, what’s this I hear about a new girlfriend? Hm?” 

I laughed at his interest. “Um, yeah. I met my dream girl.”

He rolled his eyes at my dramatics, but he was smiling. “Your dream girl, huh? Is she an American?”

I nodded. “She’s a sweet little southern bell, but she might smack me if she heard me say that,” I said in a fake country accent that was terrible. “She’s from Houston, Texas.”

“Oh, got yourself a cowgirl?” He joked, trying to do an accent too. His was worse. 

“Actually, I know her guardian as a teenager owns a ranch. She’s told me how she rode with her best friends sometimes,” I explained in a chuckle. “But she’s not wearing cowboy hats and boots,” I smirked as I wrinkled my nose.

Bella came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a robe. I could see only the choker and stockings. Her gorgeous makeup was green and red, her lips calling to me.  

“So, what does she look like?” He asked, pulling my attention away from her. I couldn’t help but grin. 

“Well, she’s very petite. A tiny thing and right fit. Very fit,” I explained. That didn’t cover how stunning she was. “She’s got the longest, curliest, black hair that goes all the way to her bum. And her eyes are the most amazing thing. She’s got one blue eye and one brown. It’s bewitching,” I continued as she held my gaze. Bella looked away, blushing as she pulled the robe to her tighter. 

“She does sound enchanting. I can’t wait to meet her. She getting ready for your hot date?” He asked playfully as he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I laughed and nodded.
 
“She is. She’s just got out the ladies, in fact.”

Slowly, my girl walked over to the bed and sat down beside me, so she could talk to my grandfather too. She held the robe so tightly in place her knuckles were white. She smiled widely, nervously. “Hi!”

His mouth opened in surprise, looking between us. “Would you look at that! Your eyes really are different colors. Your bird is quite the looker!” He smirked. “How are you doing, dollface?”

“Oi, old man. Don’t flirt with my lady.” I tried to copy his accent badly and laughed somewhere in the middle. 

“When I have your grandmother? Never.”

“I love you. I can’t wait to see you again in February,” I told him honestly, having a pang of longing for my family. It had been too long since we had been together. 

“I love you too, darling boy. Is she coming?” He asked as he nodded his big head towards her. I instantly grimaced. I decided to play it off as a joke. 

“Shh... I’ve not asked her yet,” I said in a fake whisper. “I was going to ask her at Christmas. I was going to ply her with presents before I asked her to go visit the insane asylum with us.”

Actually, I was going to confess my love to her first before I tested that by introducing her to my crone of a mother.

Grandpa pursed his lips for a moment, looking around. “Oops, oh, dear. Would you look at the time? I have nothing to do. Your aunts send their love. Have a good birthday!” And then he hung up. 

That fucking trouble maker. This is where I got my attitude problems. I shook my head, my jaw to my chest for a second. 

“You bastard,” I laughed in annoyance. That cat was out of the bag, and there was no putting it back. I threw my mobile onto the table beside us. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Bella. “Okay. Well, then. Would you like to go with me to Australia?”

She didn’t hesitate at all. “Yes, I would.”

I chuckled happily. “Yeah?”

Finally loosening her grip on her robe, she nodded her head as she gazed up at me. Her smile was so pretty, curved ever slightly to one side. “I’d love to.”


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Thank you to Gina for proofreading this episode!


This episode goes with Episode Thirty of Imperfect Pictures!

Click to read episode thirty of Imperfect Pictures!

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1/29/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty-two: Mum

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Episode Forty-two: Mum


“Christ, no,” I mumbled. Bella glanced back at me with concern in her mismatched eyes. “Sorry, I have to, or she won’t stop,” I explained apologetically. She nodded her head, looking puzzled. “Hello, Mum. You’re up early today.”

My girlfriend started to cackle meanly, throwing her head back. “Oh, no...” She whispered to herself. 

“Hello, Anthony! Happy Birthday!” My mother began loudly in her purposefully over-posh accent. She was putting an effort in to use her nice voice. It felt like a trap.

“Thank you,” I replied weakly. This was the last thing I wanted or needed.

“Are you at home?” She pondered.

“No,” I answered promptly, but she was already talking again by the time it came out of my mouth. 

“We’re about to leave on our holiday today! I’m delighted.” 

I rubbed my temple, my head already starting to ache. “Yes, I know. I don’t suppose I can call you back?” I asked as I followed Bella over to the shoes. It was quieter over there and had a lot of empty chairs to sit in. I had spoken to my parents the week before about their travel plans. It was probably the seventh or eighth time. They were good at repeating themselves. Perhaps they just forgot which child they discussed it with. 

“No, no, no,” she stated hastily. “You know how shotty mobile service is once you get on the road. It’s better if we talk now. I won’t be able to later most likely, and I have to speak to my son on his twenty-fifth birthday!”

I flopped into the seat, covering my eyes for a moment. “I see.” That was a shite excuse. I wouldn’t call her out right then. Life was too short to argue over stupid things. She was just my mother and wanted to talk to me, I reminded myself. I couldn’t blame her for it, even if she was being rude and ignoring me.

“Are you working? Where are you? At home?” 

“No. I’m in New York this week,” I answered sharply. We had spoken about my trip at least twice, and I had talked to all of my sisters, grandparents, and father about it. There was no way that she didn’t know about it. I had even brought it up when she discussed her plans.

My mother drew in a sharp breath as if I had smacked her. “You didn’t tell me you were traveling for your birthday!”

Anger began to build in the back of my skull, but I needed to keep my cool. As if I had to tell her anything in the first place. I was an adult. “Yes. Yes, I did tell you.”

“No, you didn’t!” She spat back, her poshness dropping with her rising attitude.

I wanted to punch someone in the face. Her, preferably. But she wasn’t there. “No. No, Mum, I did. I swear, I did tell you,” I hissed through my teeth. There was no person on the planet that could push all of my buttons faster.

“Are you working?” She asked again, disregarding my tone. My mother had an inability to listen, at least to me. I couldn’t imagine a human wanting to be like that on purpose, but I didn’t think she was that dim, either. Perhaps it was me she had a problem with.

“No, I’m not working. No,” I repeated because I was annoyed. I was getting too old to feel this way. She was sucking all the joy out of my body. “I told you I was taking a vacation for my birthday,” I spoke the words slowly as if she was stupid. Maybe it would help. I was already starting to lose my patience. All the while, Bella was busily looking at stripper shoes. 

“Are you traveling with someone or alone?” She said the word ‘someone’ as if it was venomous. She thought I was wildly partying with my friends. But I wasn’t sure why. I hardly did in school. 

“Yes. With my girlfriend.”

There was a slight pause. “Girlfriend? You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend,” my mother retorted.

“Yes, I’ve told you about her.” Bella glanced over her shoulder at me, smirking. Her attention went back to the boxes. She ran her finger over some as she looked for sizes.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes,” I stated shortly, interrupting her before she could catch her breath.

She huffed loudly. “No, you didn’t,” my mum repeated. 

“Yes.”

“I swear, you purposefully keep these things from me-” She began to rant, but I wouldn’t have any of it. She was out of her damn mind.

“No. No, Mum-”

Of course, she spoke over me. “You didn’t-”

“Mum, I did.” She tried to speak again. “Mother!” I growled her, half tempted to just hang up on her. Pinching my nose, I covered my eyes as I struggled to take a deep breath. If I had a brain aneurysm, I wouldn’t have been surprised.  

Bringing a pair of heels over with her, Bella sat beside me to try them on. She pouted her bottom lip a little, a bit concerned for me. My sanity was slipping, so she had a right to be. I was a weirdo who was arguing with my mother in the middle of the porno shop. 

“Why? Why must you be so difficult?” Mum demanded. “If we just talked more often-” 

Hell, no. We spoke too much, in my opinion. I could have done without hearing her shrill voice ever again. “It’s not my fault you don’t listen to me when I speak.”

“Anthony!” She hissed my name. “Ugh, this is not the right time to discuss this. We will go over this later.”

“Okay,” I mumbled like a fifteen-year-old. That meant nothing. She would bring it up whenever she was looking for another fight. It was just ammo.

She tried to ignore me, making her voice more cheerful. “So, are you free to talk right now?” 

“No,” I snapped loudly. 

My mum paused. My answer confused her. I could almost see the way she turned her nose up. “Are you busy?”

“Yeah, Mum. Obviously, I’m busy if I asked to call you back, but you ignored me. I- I-... ugh, Mum. Please? I really can’t talk,” I sputtered out desperately, tiring of the conversation. My head was pounding, and my buzz was all gone. I could have used three more mimosas and a joint. This was why I had anxiety.

“What are you doing?” 

“I’m shopping. Shoe shopping.”

“Oh!” She said excitedly. She loved to shop. It was her favorite hobby. It’s probably where I got it from. “Have you found yourself something nice for your birthday?”

“No. Not for me.” 

Bella finished putting the heels on and examined her feet before standing. Her eyes got big, and she glanced at me. “Oh, I’m almost tall.”

I smiled. She was the cutest thing on the planet. Her joy made me forget about my mother for just a minute. “No, darling, you’re not,” I replied with a wink, teasing her. She prettily scrunched up her nose. 

“What, sweetheart?” Mum asked in confusion. 

My eyes rolled hard, shaking my head. “I was talking to Bella. My girlfriend.” I would never call her ‘darling’ or any other pet name.

“I swear you’ve not told me about this person,” she mumbled in annoyance under her breath. “Where is she? Hm? What is she doing right now?” 

“Yes, I have,” I pointlessly repeated. I wasn’t certain why I bothered. “She’s trying on shoes.” I wasn’t sure why she asked, either. It wasn’t as if I would allow her to speak to her. Anyone else in my family, I would. My sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends would eat her up like candy, but my mother lacked a sweet tooth. I couldn’t do that to Bella. 

She huffed. “And are you going to be buying her these shoes?”

The questions were only getting worse. I wasn’t liking where this was heading. There was an insult just waiting under the surface. I frowned. “If she wants them,” I explained slowly. 

Obviously, she didn’t like that. She made several unpleasant, judgmental noises under her breath. “You should be careful with women who-”

I wouldn’t let her put Bella down, especially when she didn’t know her. “Actually. No, actually. She-”

My mother interrupted before I could get the words out. “Is she at least British? Or Australian?”

“Bella is American. She’s from Texas.”

“Ah,” she drawled as if something had left a bad taste in her mouth. “Texas. I see. Interesting. And what does she look like?”

“I’ll send you a picture later.” Nope, I would not. I had posted photos on my social media. If she wanted to get them, she could work for them. Honestly, the fact that she denied knowing about her was insulting. She knew how to use computers. We were friends on Facebook.

There was a second of quiet. “And does anyone else in the family know about this girlfriend you’ve gotten all of a sudden?” Mum asked sarcastically. “Has anyone met her?” 

“Nana’s spoken to her.”

“In person?” She questioned in shock. 

This woman was a judge. People spent time in prison because of her decisions. I knew she was smart, or at least could be. 

I blinked slowly. “No. Of course, on the phone, you daft koala.”

My girlfriend began to giggle. “You daft koala,” she said to herself under her breath. She was walking around, stretching her arms over her head before looking at me playfully. Her ass looked incredible with the heels, her tight blue jeans giving me pause. Glancing over her shoulder at me, she raised an eyebrow. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

God, I wanted her. “You’re not helping, first off. Second, the only woman I’m kissing with this mouth today is-”

“Anthony, did you say something?” She interrupted our flirting. 

“No, Mum.”

“Oh, your father just walked in. Would you like to speak to him?” She offered. 

The relief was palpable. 

“Yeah. Why don’t you put Dad on the phone, so I can say hello to him before you have to go?” Which I hoped was soon. I wished he would drop her off on the moon and leave her crazy ass there. 

Bella sat back down beside me to take off the heels. They were incredibly sexy. I put them into the basket with the rest of the things. They would look amazing with any of the thigh highs that we had already picked out. 

“Well, well, well!” My father started brightly, his accent thick. It always was when he first woke up. I used to make fun of him and say he sounded like a pirate. “There’s my only son!”

“Hi, Pops. How are you?” I smiled to myself. 

“I’m exceedingly well. Thank you! Happy to go out and about on a lovely little holiday.” 

“That’s good!”

This was a normal conversation with a parent. “So, how are you doing?”

“I’m very well. Thank you.”

“By the way, happy birthday, my brilliant boy!. Having fun? What are you doing?” He excitedly inquired. We didn’t get to talk that much. Mum usually spoke over us, even on the phone. She must have left the room. 

“Oh, thank you! I am having a very good day. Me and my girl are out in Manhattan,” I informed him awkwardly. I couldn’t explain any of the ways we were really having fun.

‘Well, Pops, me and the missus went down to the ol’ toy store where I plan on spoiling her with a half a dozen vibrators at least. Mainly because I want to use them on her while we root around for bloody fucking hours. Should be legendary, mate.’ Nope, I couldn’t even say it to Jasper, and he would have found it brilliant. 

He chuckled. “That sounds delightful. Are you going to party tonight?”

“We’re probably going to spend the evening in. I need a break,” I added quickly. My cheeks heated as I lied just a little. 

“Well, nothing else matters as long as you’re having fun with your girl, right? Is she taking good care of you?”

I smiled to myself. “Yeah, she’s the best.”

“Good. Well, we need to head out soon. We have a drive ahead of us.”

“Alright, Dad.”

He lowered his voice some. “Do you want to talk to your Mum more?” She definitely wasn’t in the room, but she was somewhere close. 

“No, don’t give me back to her. She’s fucking nuts,” I replied with a chuckle, making him laugh, too. Poor bastard. I didn’t envy him. “I’ll talk to you later. I love you both. Bye.”

When I hung up the phone, I closed my eyes tightly and put both of my hands over them. My head throbbed so much. 

“Okay there, cowboy?” Bella asked teasingly as she put her thick black boots on. 

I looked at her, frustrated. “I swear to Christ, one day she’s going to make me insane. It’s like seven in the morning there, and she’s arguing with me like a bloody lunatic. I am so glad I am on another continent right now.” 

Her lips pursed with amusement. “She does have great timing.” 

“Right?!” I whined as I stood up before I offered her my hand. I was determined to forget about the conversation. “Okay. Let’s try this again, shall we?”


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1/22/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty-one: Kinda Awkward

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Episode Forty-one: Kinda Awkward


I woke up on the morning of my birthday with my beloved nude by my side. We had made love before dawn, and she had lost her nightgown and panties amongst the covers. Bella looked so beautiful and comfortable. Her arms were underneath her head with her wildly curly hair spilling all over her face and back. Before I got out of bed, I leaned down and kissed several of her tattoos slowly. She hummed softly but didn’t wake up. 

Going to the bathroom, I brought my phone with me to check my messages. I had sent dozens of pictures to my family and friends the day before to show off my first American Thanksgiving experience. 

I even shot a video with Bella in my lap as we ate our shared plate of desserts. She giggled as she told everyone, ‘Happy Thanksgiving from Brooklyn!’ cheerfully before taking a bite of pumpkin pie. It got a little whipped cream on her lips. It ended with me kissing it off of her sweet mouth. Her head tilted back with a smile as her eyes fluttered shut. We both looked so content.

I also put that one up on Twitter. It had gotten thousands of likes and retweets. I titled it, ‘Starting my birthday off early with the prettiest photographer in the world, and she’s feeding me some pie!’ 

‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ was repeated in all caps several times in my group chat with my sisters. My brothers-in-law, aunts and uncles, and a few cousins had also sent me texts or messages online. I had spoken to my Nana a little the evening before on the way to the hotel in the car. 

Jasper sent me a photo of a drawing he made that was elaborate and colorful, done in markers. The picture said ‘happy birthday, darling’ in elegant lettering. It had every cartoon or video character I had done around it. It made my heart flutter with joy. It was so beautiful, and it had to take him days.

“That’s stunning. I hope I’m actually getting it. I need it in my office.”

“You are. It’s already in the mail,” he answered within a few seconds. “Happy Birthday.”

After I washed my hands, I called him since he was awake, and my girl wasn’t. “Thank you.” I smiled when he picked up. 

“Having a good day so far?” He questioned in a lively tone. 

“It hasn’t started yet,” I chuckled at his enthusiasm. He had more energy than me. “I just woke up, and Bella’s still out like a light. She worked so hard yesterday and deserves a little extra rest.”

“What do you have planned?” He eagerly asked next. “In New York City, you could do literally anything. It sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait to visit someday.”

I laughed. We could do anything, that was true. But that wasn’t what was going to happen. “And what I’m going to do is Bella, after we go to the sex shop. At her suggestion, mind you.”

Jasper chuckled softly before clicking his tongue. “Well, good for you. I mean, that seems like the perfect way to spend any day. I’m even more jealous now.”

Sighing, I smiled to myself. “It really is. I miss you, though. I wish I could spend some time with you, too.”

“Oh, kinky,” he said dryly. “A birthday threesome? It might be awkward, but I’m down.”

I barked out a loud laugh, shaking my head as I flushed. I was grateful that I was alone. It turned me on a little, but I wouldn’t tell him that. If they were half as fun as some of my dreams, I would have been all for it. “Oh, well, you know… I think that’s something Bella might be down for, too. Apparently, she was wild in uni,” I said to deflect. “Oh!” I remembered something I hadn’t told him yet, getting distracted. “She’s pansexual, by the way. She confirmed it yesterday.”

There was a long moment of silence. Jasper swallowed before clearing his throat roughly. “Really?”

“I’m just going to assume you know what that is because I googled it to be sure when she wasn’t looking.”

“I do,” he blurted out. “She doesn’t care about gender, basically. I wonder if she’s ever dated anyone trans,” he mumbled to himself.

Shrugging, I shook my head. There were so many things I didn’t know about my sweet little girlfriend yet. It delighted me to learn them all. “Mm, I don’t know. Maybe one day we’ll discuss it. Not today, though. I also discovered that Bella used to fuck her best friend. A lot apparently. And she is a knockout, too.” I blew out a breath.

Jasper snickered again, then hummed. “Got a picture?”

“I’ll send you some later. I’ve told you about her. To be honest, I feel a little guilty,” I confessed, turning away from my reflection in the mirror.

“Man, they’re the ones who had sex, don’t feel guilty about thinking-”

“No,” I chuckled, interrupting him. “I feel bad because Alice… She’s still in love with Bella and has been for fucking years. Years. Since they were teenagers. And she’s honestly a great person, and I know that Bella cares about her, too. Loves her. She told me they dated when they were kids, but she was miserable because Alice isn’t affectionate enough.”

“That’s not a problem you have,” he replied in an almost monotone voice. 

“No,” I agreed quickly. “And Alice broke up with her. Now, I wonder if Bella would have dated her if she asked again after Aiden died.”

He grunted. “Does it matter?” 

The question lingered for a moment. He had a point. “I guess not, no. If Bella wanted her, she could have gone after her. She’s aggressive when she wants to be. Honestly, the only thing missing from their relationship is sex.”

“I understand how she feels,” he grumbled as if it annoyed him. It confused me.

“What?”

“Our relationship when we were living together. It was everything but fucking.”

Snorting quietly, I shook my head again. “You never cuddled with me. Apparently, they snuggle. They hug and kiss a lot, too. It’s adorable.”

“Well, big boy, I didn’t know you wanted them,” he barked back sarcastically, making me laugh in shock at his tone and pitch. “Come here, darling.” He made several smooching noises. 

“You’re a dumbass.” I grinned a little. My cheeks were on fire, thinking about holding him. We enjoyed wrestling around, but that’s not something we had ever done. I wouldn’t have hated it. “I miss you loads.”

He sighed heavily. “I do, too. This is the first birthday of yours that we haven’t spent together in over a decade.”

“I know. It’s weird.” 

“It’s okay, though! You’re about to have a fabulous day with your future bride,” Jasper joked more vigorously, his voice bright. “Your first birthday with her.”

“Yes. You’re right. One of many. But the next one, you will be with us, too. I promise. Even if we have to go to you.” I would figure out a way to make it happen.

The idea of Bella coming to Australia with me to meet not only him but my family popped into my head. I wanted it so badly, but it scared me because it was too soon to even propose it. She had just agreed to travel with me for several occasions, and I didn’t know how much I could push it.

“Well, I’ll go ahead and take the day off then,” he quipped.

“Yeah, you do that.” I glanced at the clock. My stomach was talking to me, and it was getting later in the morning. “Hm… I think it’s about time to wake Isabella up. I’m starving. Have a good day, lovey.” I sarcastically blew him a kiss. 

“Alright, darling. Have fun and misbehave for me.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice.

Crawling into bed, I kissed up the back of Bella’s bare thighs and over her ass. She giggled quietly, reaching behind her to scratch her nails through my hair. Moving up her spine, she squeaked softly when my half erection poked her in between the cheeks. 

“Good morning, birthday boy,” she murmured sleepily. “How are you?”

“Hungry,” I growled in her ear. 

She arched her back some, rubbing against me purposefully. Bella wiggled her ass before glancing over her shoulder for a moment. “What would you like to eat?”

“Room service?” I began to suck on the nape of her neck. 

Nodding her head, she sighed at my touch. Bella turned her face to the side and kissed my jaw. I adjusted a little so that she could roll over underneath me. “Champagne and weed while we wait?” She asked with an impish smile, running her fingers over my lips. I nodded too. “I think there was orange juice in the minibar.” 

I pecked at her fingertips. “Perfect.”

I got the menu as she put on a silk robe. Bella made us each a flute, bringing mine before crawling back into bed with her own. Curling at my side, she was obviously very relaxed and happy. It seemed to rub off on me, making me feel cozy, too.  

“Everything sounds good,” she murmured, caressing her nails over my stomach lightly. “I don’t know what I want.” There was an easy way to inspire her. I reached over and grabbed the bag of vape pens to let her pick. She giggled, taking one. I had only taken that one hit and hadn’t needed them. It surprised me. I usually slept for shite when I traveled. 

I took smaller drags, but it still made me cough. By the time we were walking to the adult toy store, my brain was buzzing loudly, but I couldn’t focus on that. It was cold as fuck, and it felt as if I was being stabbed through my clothes. Bella tried to reassure me I only needed better attire, but I wasn’t sure that I believed her. I would go the following day while she was preparing for the show to get said warmer clothing. It was worth a shot.

Once we were in the shop, I was happy just not to be in the cold anymore. I took one of the little baskets with a big grin, swinging it around playfully to make her giggle. 

She took my hand, leaning against me as we walked to the racks. “I’ve never known what to get. Vibrator wise.” She began to look through the corsets before glancing up at me. “What’s your favorite color?”

I shrugged. It depended on the day of the week. “Blue. Or red. Purple.” I started to scan through the underwear selection, too. I brought something up that looked like a torture device. “Wow. That looks painful.” 

She sexily smirked. “It’s not supposed to be on long.”

“Yes, true.”

“Do you see something you like?” She asked from underneath her eyelashes, her lips ever so slightly parted. She was the most sensual woman that I had ever seen. I swallowed heavily as heat crawled up my neck to my ears. 
“I’m feeling very shy suddenly.”

Biting her lip for a moment, she lowered her voice. “I want you to pick something for me. Anything. Really. I just want to see. Costumes, kinky, weird. Basic as fuck. I don’t care.”

“I don’t know where to start.”

Bella grinned. “Look around. We have all day. It doesn’t have to be any of this. It can be stockings or shoes. A collar. A funny hat, perhaps?”

I laughed a bit at her attempt to make me more comfortable. “No. No hats, I think.”

Holding my hand, she led me over to a different part of the store with all the hosiery. She tapped her lip for a moment before taking a pair of thigh highs with a tiny bow on the back and put it into the basket. Then she glanced at me expectantly.

My girlfriend wanted me to pick something sexy out for her and didn’t care what. I had the money to buy whatever she or I desired. Frankly, I was acting like an idiot. I got some simple white ones with thick lace at the top. She giggled quietly, smiling at my choice. 

“I like the red and white striped for Christmas,” she said with a bit of a chuckle in her voice. Without a thought, I seized it. Laughing louder, she put her hand up. “Wait! You don’t have to grab everything I point out.”

“No, I like them, too,” I assured her. 

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Then, at least get the right size!”

I hadn’t even looked at that. I was a bigger moron than I realized. “Oh, right. Sorry.” I laughed nervously and got the correct size. I leaned in so that I could whisper in her ear. “I might like taking pictures of you in these.” I enjoyed snapping photos of her in anything, but nothing but a pair of those would be the best. 

Her skin got pinker as she peeked up at me. “We should look for stuff to match. Maybe silky green, like the bow. It’s very Christmassy.”

“Yes, I like that idea.”
She pointed to the circular racks again. I put my hand on the small of her back as she moved in that direction. My confidence was building, or maybe my horniness, and I was ready to search more seriously. 

Annoyingly, my phone began to ring, and I knew right away who it was without having to look. Dread immediately filled my body. 


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1/15/2020

Perfect Snapshots: Episode Forty: Boob

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Episode Forty: Boob


It was late by the time the party wound down. People started saying goodbye, hugging, and whispering things in ears about how much they loved and missed each other. Rosalie, Alice’s sister, began to sniffle as she embraced Bella. Her eyes turned a little red, but she held it in.

“I hate that you won’t be at Christmas,” she complained when she pulled away. 

“I just can’t spend that much time in Texas. It feels…” She shook her head, then frowned. “I don’t want to put myself through that right now.”

“I understand,” Emmett said, making his eyes wider behind his wife. I stood behind Bella, rubbing her shoulders as they spoke. Rose glanced back, and he shrugged at her. “It’s hard for me to go home, too.”

Bella smiled at them, leaning back into me. “I have better plans now, anyway.”

“Jealous,” he mumbled under his breath before moving down to kiss her cheek. “Have fun in LA. Hey, maybe you can go to the Rose parade?”

I had no idea what that was, but I would look it up to see if it was something that would interest Bella. I knew she loved flowers.  

She giggled and shrugged. “I don’t know what we’ve got planned, but I’m not getting up at the crack of dawn on New Year’s. If I’m awake, it better be because we didn’t go to sleep,” she purred as she looked at me, running her fingers under my jaw for just a second. 

Oh, that sounded like more fun than flowers any day of the week.

Alice took the laundry basket they brought with them and stuffed it with leftovers. She would eat well for a while. Or at least through the weekend. She stood beside her sister. “I’ll walk out with you. Bella, are you going to stay at the apartment or the hotel?”

“Mm, hotel,” she replied as she took my hand. “Do you want to go see the Brooklyn Bridge first? I’m a little wound up, and I think I need to walk off some of this food.”

“I’d love to,” I smiled eagerly. 

Demetri gave her a big hug. He was drunk on eggnog, as was his husband. They were lying sleepily on the couch, laughing at old cartoons from the nineties. 

“Wait! Let me redo your lips first!” He mumbled, rushing over to his kit that was still set up because he spent some time doing other girl’s hair and makeup. Bella just rolled her eyes and followed him with a smile. It only took a minute. “Pretty, pretty, pretty,” he said when he was done, booping her on the nose with the tube. 

“Go to bed before you pass out on the sofa,” she teased them as we left, her arm wrapped around mine.

It was stupidly cold, and I hated it, but I wouldn’t let her see it if I could help it. I focused my mind on other things as we made our way to the park by the bridge. My thoughts went to her spending time in Los Angeles. She stated that she had better plans, but I wanted it to be more than ‘better.’ I wished for it to be a trip that she would never forget. It would be a memory to share with our grandchildren and, hopefully, our great-grandchildren.  

“Where shall we go on our snow trip?” I began lightly, gazing at her with a smile.

Bella bit her lip before shrugging, looking back after a moment. She scrunched up her nose in worry. “I don’t know. I don’t really want to ski. It scares me, to be honest. You can if you want to. I’d love to take pictures of the mountains, though. Maybe we could go hike.” Bella swiftly shook her head. “I don’t know. I mainly want to be with you. Why don’t you just surprise me?” She jested with a giggle.

She wasn’t serious, but I could accomplish that. “I could do that. That could be fun. Yeah. Okay. I can plan the perfect romantic weekend away for us.” 

Gasping in a soft breath, she looked at me in shock. “I don’t mean for you to do all the work. I was joking.”

I shook my head in return. It was perfect. I could go all out. “No, it’s not working. It gives me something nice to plan out. It’ll give me something to look forward to when I have to be away from you again.”

I dragged my fingers across her cheek, and she leaned into them with a smile as her eyes sank closed for a moment. When she opened them again, she said, “I’d want to put money towards that.”

Nope, not going to happen. I was going overboard in the biggest way ever, and I wouldn’t look at the cost for even a second. I had all the money that I could ever want, and I would spend it on spoiling her as she deserved. 

“No. I got it.”

She instantly began to pout. “That’s not fair.”

Who fucking cared about that? Life was unfair. I was okay with that. I wanted to treat her so that I could make the time as special as possible. For a moment, I searched my brain for a solution that would make us both happy. 

“Alright. Then you can pay for the next weekend trip. You plan it out and make it a surprise. Then it’ll be fair.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she declared seriously. It made me so excited for our future together. 

“Good. I hope you do. What do you think? Again in January or shall we have a quick trip before I go to Sydney in mid-February? Spring seems like such a long time to wait for another little trip.” I wanted her to just stay with me forever, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. Not yet, anyway. 

She sighed softly, her head leaning against my shoulder as we continued to walk on the concrete path. “We’ll have to look at your schedule.”

“How about you figure out a date, and I’ll make the time.” Bella was more important, and it was far enough away to rearrange anything with no consequences. 

Finally, she pulled back with a grin. “Alright. Let me do some research then, on what I want to do exactly. I want to make it a good trip.”

My girl was a cute little nerd. I loved how excited she got about it. It was another weird thing we had in common. 

“Research? Sounds exciting,” I teased lightly. “I want you to know I’m going to take out all the stops. And bring your passport, just in case.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, Canada could be fun. You know if you bought yours, we could go to the Falls. You could probably make a video about it.”

I didn’t want to think about work, but I loved that she thought about those sorts of things. “That is something to consider.” We went around a curve, and the Brooklyn Bridge came into sight. A carousel in a building made of glass was lit up in the darkness in front of it. Manhattan glowed just beyond the shimmering black water that was choppy with the wind. It took my breath away. “This view is stunning.”

“I like taking pictures here.”

“I’ve never gotten to do much in New York besides work,” I admitted. “I’m glad I can explore with you. I feel I might have the best guide. I want you to show me all your favorite spots.”

Bella made a face. “I’m not sure how much you’d enjoy that. Some are kind of out there. And so weird. It’s not the normal tourist stuff.”

As if I expected anything less. I embraced her tightly, my arms around her waist as I pulled her towards me. “Good.”

“Sunday then. Why don’t I take you to a couple of places that I really like? We’ll have to rent a car. It’s just easier that way.”

“Sounds great.”

She bit her plush bottom lip for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she peered up at me almost innocently. “What do you want to do tomorrow? You really haven’t said anything. I want your birthday to be perfect.”

“I really, really, really just want to stay in bed with you. Like, for reals, though. All-day,” I said in a tiny voice before lightly pecking the tip of her nose twice. “And be naughty.” 

“There is one place we could go then,” she giggled. 

“Where?”

She smirked a little. “A toy store.”

“A toy store on Black Friday? Why? Wouldn’t it be very busy?” I blurted out before I had any time to consider it. I had heard horror stories about the day in America and wasn’t interested in getting crushed by a crowd for a cheap toy.

My girlfriend looked at me like I was just… dumb. “Stop and think for a moment,” she spoke slowly. 

The only toys that would be helpful in my plans would be the kind used to get her off more. I really hated myself sometimes. “Oh. Right. Adult. An adult toy store. I am a naïve boob. Wait, do you mean it?” I asked, gaping at her in surprise. 

Her ‘wow, you’re stupid,’ look remained. “Why wouldn’t I?”

She had a point. She just caught me off guard, and my inexperience was shining through. Vicky would have never stepped foot in a sex shop. Either I went by myself, or I ordered it. 

“I don’t know. I just said I was a naïve boob, Bella.”

Her grin grew mischievous. “I guess if you don’t want to, we could always order stuff online and have it shipped, but we wouldn’t get to play with it tomorrow.” She shrugged and pouted a bit. A little shiver ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.  

“What would you like to get?”

“Anything you’d like. I don’t have anything right now. And tomorrow we can do whatever you want with it,” Bella promised seductively as she ran her hands up my chest, her large eyes batting at me. 

“Whatever, eh?”

“Whatever you want,” she repeated. 

A million happy and dirty thoughts came to mind at once. “Ooo… That feels dangerous. I don’t even know where to begin.”

She pressed herself closer to me. “Do you need some ideas?”

Oh, I had plenty of those. I brought my hand up to her cheek so that I could rub my thumb over her temple. “I just don’t want to do something you don’t like.”

Smirking, she turned her eyes towards me. I knew that she was about to tease me. “Alice once printed out this fun, crazy long BDSM list of things that you could put if you were into it or not. Yes, no. Maybe. Done it, hadn’t done it. Everything from kissing to extreme fetishes. I feel like I need to just fill that out and give it to you for some light reading.”

Frankly, I didn’t give a flying fuck if she was joking. I needed it. “Yes, please. That would be very handy. I’ll take any printed manuals I can get.” She instantly giggled. 

“Why don’t we do something you’ve never done before? Is there anything you’ve wanted to do? Any position? Any toys? Anything you want me to wear? We can do those pictures we were talking about.”

She was so indulgent, but I wasn’t sure how far she would let me go. “I think I’d like to think about that for a little while before I answer. But I would like to go to the store with you. We should, at the very least, find something to keep you company while we’re not together,” I responded before giving her a kiss. 

“I haven’t had anything like that in a while. I don’t even know what I’d want.”

“We could get a few different options and test which one is the best.” Nothing was that expensive. I was sure we could find something that she would enjoy if we got a bunch of different things. 

Her cheeks began to glow as her smile grew again. “These rating videos are getting out of control.”

I wanted to giggle, but I stopped myself. “We’ve done the lube. Now the vibrators. Whatever will we do next?” I played along with her a bit too loudly. She enjoyed it, laughing as my arm went over her shoulder. 

“Ready to get out of the cold?” She asked, bumping her hip into mine. 

“Yes, please.”

When we got to her place, Alice was asleep on her stomach in a pair of Llama pajamas. Bella went to check on her, biting her lip as she smiled to herself. She kept the door open a crack for Patty cat so that she could come and go as she pleased. 

The kitty followed us back to her room. Swishing around my legs, she was hoping to get attention. My girl shooed her away before shutting the door. The things that I had brought with me were already organized in my backpack. It only took her a minute to shove stuff into her bag. I noticed that she put my gifts at the very bottom. It made me smile.

“Oh, wait,” she said right before we were about to leave. “I forgot something.” Bella turned and hurried towards the kitchen. Quickly, she packed a bag of her chocolate chip cookies and passed them to me. “For when you can eat again.”

I took one out and put the rest in my pocket. She giggled, taking my offered hand as we went to wait for the car.

As I ate the lovely dessert in the lobby, she smirked at me a little. She leaned up on her toes and kissed my mouth lightly. “Mm, I like it when you taste like chocolate.”

My other arm went around her waist, pulling her to my side. I realized then that this was how Bella was telling me that she loved me. With food, with her touches, and her gentle smiles. She wasn’t ready to say it out loud yet, and that was okay. I would give her time. I would make every moment of ours together as special as possible for her. If she didn’t have enough to rebuild, I could give her everything she needed. I knew that Rome was not built in a day. 

I decided that I would tell her at Christmas that I was in love with her, before whatever insane trip that I was planning. And hopefully, she would give me the gift of her words in return, while awake, anyway.  


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This Episode goes with Episode Thirty of Imperfect Pictures!

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