Better The Devil You Know.
“Do we get across by the stepping stones?” She asks in a tone filled with hesitancy.
Edward laughs softly and pats Bella on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Belle.”
"You’ve met me, right?" She deadpans, her eyes widening with horror. "I’m accident prone. I will fall right on my ass and my poor camera will end up in the water!"
"I’m highly amused you care more about your camera than yourself," He snorts.
Bella points her finger at Edward. “How dare you!” She accuses with mock outrage. “This is my baby.”
Edward laughs and Bella narrows her eyes in response. “Don’t laugh at me! If I drop my camera, I’m throwing your guitar in the river!”
Edwards eyes shine with amusement, his brows lifting in surprise as he brings his guitar around to the front of his body. “She didn’t mean it, baby.” He whispers, petting it lightly.
"Oh yes, she did." Bella scoffs, her lips pulling back into an evil grin.
"Don’t listen to the mean lady," he grins, pulling the strap on his shoulder, slinging his guitar around to his back as he closes the distance between him and Bella. "Come on, you’ll be fine," he says, slipping his hand into hers and tugging her along. "I won’t let go, I promise."
Bella links their fingers together, tightening her hold on his hand and clutching her camera to her chest in protection with her other hand. “You’d better not.”
They’re halfway across the stepping stones when Edward says, “Now don’t panic, but I have to let go to get to the next four stones.”
Bella’s eyes widen in horror. “What?”
"They’re too far apart." He explains. "You’ll have to jump a little to get to them."
"You promised you wouldn’t let go!" Bella tightens her hand around Edward’s.
"They weren’t like this last time I was here!" He defends. "We can’t be holding hands or we’ll both end up in the water."
"Oh my god." Bella closes her eyes, swallowing nervously as Edward extracts his hand from hers.
"I’m right here, Bella." He assures. "You’ll be fine."
Everything is going smoothly until Bella’s footing slips on the second stone. It all happens so fast, she thinks she had to have imagined it. One minute, she’s screaming and Edward is three stones away, then he’s right behind her and her voice is being cut off by the feel of his arm snaking around her stomach, saving her and her camera from going head first into the water.