Contest entry for the Naughty or Nice Twilight Christmas Contest
Title: I'll Be Home For Christmas
Pairing: Edward & Bella
Rating: M
Word Count: 7,005
Summary: Home from college, Edward misses the one thing that would make his holiday season brighter–his high school sweetheart. But before he gets the courage to speak up, will his chance for reconciliation slip through his fingers.
Disclaimer: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.
I'll Be Home For Christmas
The small baggage claim area was so overheated, crowded, and loud, you could barely hear the Christmas music over the noise. As I walked, I scanned the crowd trying to find my ride.
I heard my younger sister before I saw her.
"Edward…Edward, over here!" Alice shouted.
I spotted her several feet away, jumping up and down, waving her arms over her head. Behind her was Jasper, her boyfriend, looking as if he wanted to disappear into a hole in the floor as everyone in the surrounding area turned to stare.
I wondered if I could hide behind a column until she calmed down a bit.
There was no such luck. Within seconds, she pushed her way through the crowd and nearly tackled me. I quickly regained my balance before we both went tumbling to the ground.
"I've missed you so much, big brother." She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly.
"Alice, you just saw me at Thanksgiving—a month ago." I chuckled, ruffling her hair.
She pulled back and shot me a look as she tried to smooth it down. "Can you blame me—you're the best brother in the entire world."
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you want," I asked skeptically.
"Nothing," she claimed innocently—too innocently.
"Uh-huh. Did Emmett do something then?" I asked about our older brother.
"Emmett is my favorite other brother." She shrugged.
Before I could respond, she tugged my hand and pulled me to the door. She was surprisingly strong for someone so small. I stopped short when I caught a glimpse of long, wavy brown hair.
Could it be?
How did I miss her on the plane?
The girl turned around—it wasn't her.
"Edward, come on; it's hot and a madhouse in here, let's go. We have a busy next few days ahead of us, good thing you got an early flight," she said excitedly.
"Hold your horses, or perhaps I should say reindeers," I teased her. "I need to get my bags first unless you don't want your Christmas presents."
"What are you waiting for, go get them. This will be the best Christmas ever!" She bounced up and down.
I nodded humorously and headed for the luggage carrousel, Jasper fell into step with me.
"You let her have caffeine, didn't you?" I snickered.
"Not my fault, man, I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, she had a latte in each hand because she couldn't make up her mind between gingerbread and peppermint." He shook his head.
It took only a few minutes to grab my duffle and head back to my sister, who was vibrating in her spot.
"That's it?" She looked at my luggage with a perplexed look.
"Yes, I shipped the presents to Dad's office, so you couldn't get your grubby little fingers on them."
Jasper laughed as my sister scowled with her hands on her hips.
"You make it sound like I'm a sneak," she argued.
"You are; you've snooped every year since you were about two," I said good-naturally, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"I'm not that bad." She pouted.
"Alice, Bella found you in her father's closet last year," I reminded her.
"I wasn't looking for presents, I wanted to know if he owned anything besides his uniforms and flannels," she insisted.
"Uh-huh." I rolled my eyes.
We walked out the doors to the short-term parking lot. We just got to the car when Alice turned at looked at me suspiciously.
"Do you still talk to Bella?" she suddenly asked.
My good mood vanished at the same time as a cold gust of air hit me. Not surprisingly it was raining, which only soured my mood further. New Hampshire was covered in white fluffy snow when I left.
"Every once in awhile," I lied, getting into the backseat.
I didn't want to admit the truth—I talked or texted her, at least once a day. I didn't need the same comments from them I got from my roommate...that it was weird I talked to my gir…ex-girlfriend so much.
"You never told me why you two broke up," she pressed, turning around in her seat.
"I don't know," I answered.
"You don't know. How could you not know? Who broke up with who?" Alice wasn't letting this go.
"I don't know," I said honestly.
"Edward, that makes no sense, whatsoever," Alice said incredulously.
"Tell me about it," I muttered.
I turned and looked out the window, the Pacific Northwest was deary looking, with greens and browns. Hopefully, we'll get some snow this Christmas, and things might look brighter.
I still didn't understand it myself, how Bella and I broke up that night. One minute, we were happy and together, and the next we weren't. We hadn't fought or even had a disagreement. We were still on good terms.
All I remember was talking about how Eric and Angela had broken up instead of trying a long distance relationship. They weren't too different from Bella and me. They had been together since Freshman year and never fought. Unlike Jessica and Mike, who seemed to break up every other week and got back together.
Being back in Forks was going to be difficult without Bella. Usually, my family went skiing or to some tropical island; but this year my father thought it was only fair for him to work at the hospital since we were all now older. Bella would be at her mother's in Florida. I missed her like crazy, and I never stopped loving her. I didn't last a week at college before I texted her.
This situation was ridiculous; we weren't even that far apart in reality. She was attending Lesley College, which was only two hours south of Dartmouth. Come the new year, I was going to fly into Boston and go to her school on my way back. I'd convince her we made a mistake, and we'd make it work.
A large squeal from Alice made me turn my head.
"Oh a Starbucks, Jazzy, please stop." She bounced in her seat.
"Oh, no…it's an hour back to Forks, we don't need you bouncing around the car like a pinball." Jasper sped up, passing the store quickly.
"Hmph…you guys are overreacting." She didn't pout for long and soon turned up the music and sang along with a fast-paced Jingle Bells song.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned it on. It immediately buzzed, alerting me to a text.
4 As and a B
I typed something back. You got a B. I'm so disappointed in you.
I got a response almost immediately.
Haha, Thank you for helping me study over the phone. I'm sure you had better things to do.
I smiled and shook my head. I spent over two hours with Bella on the phone helping her study for her World History final. Where I was good with dates, she was good with names. Between the two of us, we should have had it all covered.
I was happy to help.
Getting on a plane. Talk to you soon.
Have a safe trip
"Who are you texting?" Alice asked, suspiciously.
"Santa, nosy. He's asking If you have been bad or good." I smirked at her, slipping my phone back into my pocket.
Jasper started laughing so hard he swerved a little. Alice stuck her tongue out at me childishly.
"You're so funny," she said sarcastically. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked skeptically.
"No, no girlfriend." I forced a smile.
I tried dating twice, the first girl was Bella's polar opposite. The night was horrible—all she talked about was herself, and she was way too interested in what type of doctor I wanted to be.
When the night was over, I had to get out of there as quickly as possible. Rachael had other ideas. The kiss was sloppy and turned my stomach. The scent of her perfume hurt my nose. I excused myself quickly and left without telling her I would call her. No need to give her false hopes.
The second girl got tired of me talking about Bella all night and left mid-date. And to tell the truth, I wasn't even that upset about it.
"Jasper, don't forget to stop at Newton's." Alice turned down the radio and reminded him.
"Why are we stopping there?" I asked, pulling myself out of my thoughts.
"A Christmas tree, silly. We waited for you. Emmett and Rose are going to meet us there," Alice said.
"You didn't have to wait for me." I was shocked they had.
Usually, Alice insisted that the tree needed to be up by December first. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and she always went overboard.
"I wanted to, it wouldn't have been the same. I just wish…" she trailed off.
"What do you wish?" Jasper glanced at her.
"Never mind, it's not important, I'm just being sentimental." Alice shrugged.
A half-hour later we pulled into the dirt parking lot, most of it was taken up by trees. The area was sectioned off with large, old fashion Christmas lights. I saw a familiar red vehicle pull in after us.
Perhaps I didn't have to wait after all.
I was out of the car before it came to a full stop and ran over to the truck. My heart sank as the door opened and Mike Newton stepped out. He looked as surprised to see me as I did him.
"Hey, Cullen, Merry Christmas. How's life in the Ivy leagues," he greeted me.
"So far so good. Why do you have Bella's truck?" I asked bluntly.
"Chief lent it to us to help make tree deliveries since she wasn't using it." He gave me a weird look.
"Oh, right…happy holidays." I nodded and headed back to the car sheepishly.
Emmett and Rose had joined the other two, and everyone was looking at me oddly.
"Bro, you ran right by me to say hi to Mike Newton? I'm hurt." Emmett placed a hand over his chest.
"Not Mike, the truck," I said sheepishly.
"The truck? Well, I guess that's better than Newton…wait, I thought you hated Bella's truck?" Emmett looked confused.
"I think it's unreliable. How's U-Dub?" I changed the subject.
"No complaints." Emmett shrugged.
"Rose, good to see you again." I hugged her.
"Edward, you too." She was still looking at me strangely, she and Alice exchanged a look.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," they said in unison.
"Let's get a tree. Hopefully, some good ones are left. Mike can drop it off at the house later, and we can decorate it tonight. How tall should we get it? Six or seven feet? I'm thinking seven, it looks weird when Emmett is taller than the tree," Alice rambled and started towards the selection, arm in arm with Rose.
"Who gave her caffeine?" Emmett smirked.
"Don't look at me. She was like that when I got off the plane." I pointed to Jasper, who shrugged sheepishly.
"By the way, she says I'm her favorite," I boasted.
"We will see about that." Emmett scoffed and headed to the girls.
Jasper remained standing behind, staring at me.
"What?" I held out my arms.
"I didn't say anything. However…"
"Jasper and Edward, come on. I think I found it," Alice yelled from somewhere in the trees.
"Later." Jasper hurried off to join them.
The following night, we went to the diner for dinner. Mom had a hospital charity event with Dad, so they weren't going to be home, and none of us really knew how to cook. The place was packed, and I noticed a lot of students, both past, and present, hanging out.
"Maybe we should take our food to go?" I suggested.
"No…this will be fun, I promise. Next year I'll be off to college, who knows how many more times we'll all be able to get together as a family. Please, stay," Alice begged.
"Okay, if it means that much to you," I agreed.
Alice balanced on her toes next to me, trying to look for Jasper and Rose. "There they are." Alice started waving her arms.
"Finally, I'm getting hungry." Emmett rubbed his stomach.
I snickered and slapped him on the back. "You're always hungry."
"Your point?" He shrugged then scowled. "And…Tanya is with them...super"
"Who is Tanya?" I asked.
"She's Jasper and Rose's cousin from Alaska, she goes to U-Dub. She's spending Christmas with the Hales instead of going back there. And she's not that bad," Alice explained with a smile.
Emmett made a strange face, and his smile seemed forced, which seemed odd since Emmett liked everyone. The trio reached us, and I got a better look at Tanya. She looked a lot like Rose, only slightly taller and bustier. Or at least, it appeared that way with how her low cut sweater hugged her chest.
"Nice to see you again, Tanya. This is our brother, Edward." Alice introduced us.
"Hi, Edward. Everyone has told me so much about you; you're studying to be a doctor, right?" She came up so close until it felt as though she was on top of me. She giggled and tossed her hair then pushed out her chest.
Maybe some guys liked that sort of thing, but it turned me off. I took a large step back and shoved my hands into my pockets. Her smiled waned a bit, but then she fluttered her eyes at me. I fought the urge to roll mine and glanced at Emmett. He gave a sympathetic smile and a half shrug.
"So, Edward, you must work out." She touched my arm.
How she could tell what was under my winter jacket was beyond me.
"Not really, I just run occasionally."
"Well, it shows."
Again, with the eyelashes. This was going to be a long night.
"Thanks," I muttered.
"What shall we do first?" She tried to take my arm one more time.
"We're here to eat dinner." I turned and found the others had found a booth.
If this was a setup, then Alice was going to find a shit load of coal in her stocking on Christmas.
"We don't need them. Why don't we find our own table so we can get to know each other better," Tanya cooed.
"Uh…"
Then like magic, the crowd parted when the door of the diner opened. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders in waves, the snowflakes caught in it sparkled. Her cheeks were tinted pink from the cold.
"Excuse me." I shook Tanya off and took long strides towards Bella.
I reached her just as she turned my way. Her eyes widened when they found me and her mouth formed a small o.
Without saying anything, I pulled her to me and pressed my lips against hers. The months of longing and desperation I had been feeling were all poured into the kiss. Within seconds, she was returning it. I felt her jump up and wrap her legs around my waist.
Suddenly I felt something soft hit the back of my head. "Get a room," someone bellowed. I pulled back and stared into her deep brown eyes. She was flushed and had a wide grin on her beautiful face.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi." She laughed. "That was quite a welcome home."
"I've really missed you," I told her.
Her smile waned. "I've really missed you, too."
"Bella, why did..."
"Edward, who is this?" Tanya was suddenly next to us.
She glared at Bella and tried to take my arm, which was difficult since I was still wrapped around Bella, holding her tightly. Bella wiggled down, but I refused to let her go. I grabbed her hand and linked my fingers through hers.
"Tanya, this Bella. Bella, this is Tanya, she's Jasper and Rosalie's cousin who's visiting them this Christmas," I explained.
"And Edward's date." Tanya glared at Bella, infuriating me.
"Um…no…no, you're not. I never asked you out. I only met you five minutes ago." I didn't want Bella to get the wrong idea.
"Uh-duh…blind date," Tanya hinted.
"Sorry, Tanya, but Edward and I are here on a date." Bella gave her apologetic look, coming to my rescue.
Tanya looked both confused and upset, and I was concerned she was about to cause a scene.
"Please, don't be offended, Tanya, but I didn't even know you existed before tonight. I have a date, but it's with my girlfriend, Bella." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into me.
Tanya's eyes shot to her. "You have a girlfriend? Then why was I told…where's Rose." She turned around, looking embarrassed.
"I have no idea, but I'm sorry you were misled," I apologized.
"You and me both," Tanya huffed. "Well, judging by that kiss, I think I'll make myself scarce and make my cousin's night a living hell."
She stormed away, disappearing into the small crowd.
"Well, that was interesting," Bella commented.
"Tell me about it. Alice has some explaining to do," I said irritably, kicking a napkin on the ground.
"Alice?" Bella's smile left her face.
"I knew she was up to something," I complained.
The silence between us was awkward. It didn't help that people kept turning to look at us. Nosy small town people. Every time I caught Bella's eyes, she would duck her head and blush.
I suddenly realized what was I waiting for? We were both here and the time was perfect, just not the place. "Would you like to get out of here? I need to talk with you, but I'd prefer we weren't in a fish bowl when we did it."
Bella gave the room a small glance and nodded. "Yeah."
The December night was cold and filled with flurries, the type that seemed to just hang in the air. We stopped in the middle of the parking lot.
"Whose car?" Bella asked.
"Yours if you drove, otherwise, I can go back in and try to convince Emmett to hand over his keys," I said.
"I have my truck, but it smells like Christmas trees," she warned me.
"That's fine." I took her hand and led the way.
We decided to head to Charlie's house since he was working and I knew my parents were home. I wanted our conversation to be just between us. The only sound in the cab was the radio, playing soft Christmas music as Bella hummed along absentmindedly.
"So…no Renée's this year?" I finally broke the silence.
She glanced at me. "Phil surprised her with a trip to Paris for Christmas. She felt guilty about not being there, but I convinced her to go. I know it has always been her dream. I'll see her for Spring break," she explained. "What about you? I thought you guys always went skiing somewhere."
"Not this year, Dad's working," I told her.
We pulled up to the house, it was the only one on the street without Christmas lights. There was a tree leaning up against the porch that looked lonely and slightly depressing.
She saw me looking at and gave me a sheepish smile. "My dad doesn't usually decorate, he claims it seems silly to do it just for him. He didn't know I was coming until last minute. He thinks he has stuff somewhere in the attic. Mike brought a tree as a thank you when he dropped off the truck, but we haven't had time to put it up before he left for his shift."
"I can help get things out for you if you want," I offered, stalling for time.
Her face lit up happily. "Really? That would be awesome."
She unlocked the front door and gave it a small shove to get it open. I followed her in and hung my jacket next to hers on the hook. I stomped my feet as she shook her hair sending bits of snow falling to the floor.
"There's isn't much in the house, but I can offer you hot cocoa and grilled cheese sandwiches." She looked at me expectantly.
"That would be great." I nodded.
She headed to the kitchen, and I called out to her
"Bella…"
She turned, and I lost my nerve.
"Do you have a flashlight? I could look for things in the attic," I asked, rubbing the back of my neck.
She looked at me and bit her lip as if she was thinking hard. She moved to the small table near the door and pulled out the drawer. She grabbed a flashlight and tested it before handing it over.
"I think there's an electric lantern in the closet next to the bathroom. I haven't been here for Christmas since I can remember, but Charlie is fairly organized so it all should be labeled."
"On it." I nodded and headed up the stairs.
What was wrong with me? This was Bella...since when have I been nervous talking to her?
I found the lantern and then pulled opened the ceiling hatch to the attic. It was musty and cold, and luckily not too full. I found two big boxes in a corner marked 'Christmas' and next to it an old metal tree stand.
By the time I got everything into the living room and the tree into the stand, Bella brought the food out on a tray and set it on the coffee table.
"This is all I could find up there, sweetheart, I'm afraid most of it has seen better days."
She lifted the first lid and peered into the box. She pulled out a strand of garland that looked ragged and even bare in spots. She wrinkled her nose and dropped it back in. She then inspected some glass ornaments that had to be her grandparents, they looked so old.
"These are faded, but they should work. Do you think the lights work?" She gestured to two tightly wound balls of wire, each bulb looked like a flower.
"One way to find out." I found the nearest plug; thankfully they all lit. "I don't suppose we can put it on the tree like this?" I held it up for inspection.
"Yeah…no…." She shook her head and started laughing. "Here I'll work on it."
She sat on the couch and worked on detangling it; I checked the second strand then joined her. We worked and ate quietly at first.
"So, have you been skiing yet," she asked.
"A few times, you should come up some weekend and join me." I saw this as my opportunity.
"Me on skis? You are kidding, right?" She made fun of her lack of grace.
"There's tubing. Some mountains even have lifts to bring you and the tube back up to the top," I suggested.
"That sounds like it could be fun. You should come visit me in Boston too." She laid the strand out across Charlie's chair and moved to the second box. "Where is the angel…"
"I will definitely make a trip. Bella, I've been meaning to ask…"
"Oh no…" she cried out in alarm.
"What's wrong?" I got up quickly, afraid she had hurt herself.
She held up a delicate angel in a golden dress, the wings in one hand and the rest in the other. "I remember this being on my grandmother's tree, it was her mother's. The wings fell off."
"May I see." I reached out for it, and she handed it over gently. I examined it over and gave her a small grin. "It looks like a clean break, I bet I can fix this with some Super Glue."
She gave a relieved smile. "Really? That would be great. It's been in the family for a long time."
I set it carefully on the table away from getting bumped. I picked up the strand I was working on, Bella apparently had more nimble fingers than me when it came to this task.
"I'm sorry, I interrupted you. What were you going to ask?" Bella stood in front of me.
I placed the lights on the arm of the couch and pulled her down, so she was sitting next to me. I kept her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. She smiled at me and returned a small one back.
"Why did we break up?" I asked.
The smile left her face. "I'm not sure. Don't you know?" She looked perplexed.
I shook my head. "No…I keep replaying that day over and over in my head. And to be honest, it doesn't make any sense."
She kept her eyes on our joined hands and chewed on her lower lip. "I remember talking about Angie and Eric and how long distance and not seeing each other every day would be hard for then…I don't know. I didn't want to break up but…"
I brushed her face with my free hand and lifted it so I could stare into her eyes. "I didn't want to break up either. I tried going on two dates my roommate practically forced me on, but they weren't you. In fact, the second one complained about hearing about you all night."
"I went on one date. I ended up crying when the guy kissed me—he wasn't you." Tears brimmed in her eyes.
"I've missed you so much, sweetheart. Let's be honest, we get along and talk to each other more than any other couple who has called it quits. In a way, except for not seeing each other in person in about four months, it doesn't seem like we're not together." I leaned closer to her.
She looked up through her eyelashes. "I miss you too. Your calls and texts are the highlights of my day. I was afraid to say anything because I didn't want them to stop."
"Bella, I still love you very much. We may be young, but if anything, this time apart has only convinced me of one thing...you are my one. Will you take me back? I promise we'll figure out the distance thing," I asked her.
"I love you too, of course, I will. Boston and Dartmouth are only something like two hours apart, it's more than doable." She smiled through her tears.
"Two hours and six minutes according to Google, but who's counting," I smirked.
She tilted her head back and giggled. I leaned in and kissed her gently, her mouth tasted like chocolate from the cocoa. She melted into me, her lips parted, and I slipped my tongue in with a soft moan.
She wiggled closer until she was on my lap, her arms wrapped around my shoulders, holding me close. My hand slipped under her sweater, her skin was smooth like satin. I cupped her breast and rubbed my thumb against her pebbled nipple. She made a sound of contentment and thrust her hips.
My self-control was starting to thin with every second; I had to stop this before we had sex on Charlie's couch. I reluctantly pulled my lips from hers and brushed the tip of my nose along her neck.
"Sweetheart, we need to stop," I whispered huskily against her skin. She shuddered slightly.
"Why?" she moaned.
"We're on your dad's couch," I groaned as she unintentionally rubbed against my straining erection.
She pulled back sharply and looked dazed; she shook her head and rapidly, blinking her eyes. She ran her hand through her hair as she glanced at the clock over the mantle. She got up and pulled my hand, trying to tug me to my feet.
"He won't be home until six in the morning. Want to go upstairs?" she asked shyly.
"Like you have to ask." I stood and scooped her into my arms in one smooth motion.
I carried her up the stairs and down the short hallway to her room, straight to her bed. I laid her down gently, and she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, pulling me on top of her.
We reassumed making out heavily. We tugged on each other shirts, and they ended up somewhere in her room. I felt her hand start to play with my zipper.
"Sweetheart, don't tease, if you unzip that, I won't be able to stop myself from making love to you," I warned her breathlessly.
She smirked coyishly and started to tug little by little until I was freed. "Merry Christmas to me then."
"A very Merry Christmas, indeed," I agreed, pushing her pants off her hips then sliding into her, joining our bodies.
We made love slowly, taking our time to savor it after being apart for so long. When she climaxed and collapsed against the pillows, I rolled off her and held her close as I recovered, knowing I would have to leave her soon and head back to my parents. I closed my eyes, relishing my last few moments with her.
When I opened my eyes, the morning light was filtering through the curtains. It took less than a second to realize Bella's head was on my chest and our legs were entwined together—we were also very naked. I glanced at the clock and realized it was after seven.
"Shit…sweetheart, wake up; we fell asleep." I shook her gently.
"No…I'm enjoying the dream too much," she mumbled sleepily.
"Bella, it's after seven. Your dad is probably home. And my parents are probably wondering where I was last night," I told her, glancing at her door.
I grimaced when I noticed it was wide open. In our haste last night we never closed it. Bella shot up in bed and looked around frantically. When she realizedshe was naked, she clutched the sheet to her chest.
"Oh God, do you think he knows?" She looked at the doorway nervously.
"Judging that I'm still alive, probably not. But I should go." I got out of bed and started to get dressed.
"Hold on, I have to drive, remember?" She grabbed a sweatshirt and tugged it over her head.
"Right." I waited until she was ready.
We made our way down the hallway quietly. Charlie's door was closed, and I couldn't remember if it was last night or not. When we got to the landing, we put on our shoes and jackets.
"I need to get the angel," I reminded her.
I went into the living room and stopped short. Charlie was in his chair, reading the newspaper. For a split second, I wondered if I could grab the angel and run without him noticing.
"Morning, Bells…Edward," he said without looking up from the paper.
"Morning, Daddy," Bella said sweetly.
"Good morning, Chief, how have you been?" I said nervously.
I sure hope he didn't have his gun on him.
"Mmmm…I've been better. I know you two are adults, but do an old man a favor. If you two are up to monkey business, close the door next time. No father wants to see…" He cleared his throat and jostled the paper sharply.
"Sorry, Dad, it won't happen again," Bella promised, blushing bright red.
"Mmmhmm, I also don't want to be a grandfather for another five years so…" he trailed off.
"Yes, sir, I'm sorry we weren't considerate. I promise I have the utmost respect for you and your daughter and will be more mindful in the future. We got carried…"
Charlie waved his hand, warning me to stop. He stood and placed the paper on the table. "I'm going to bed. Bells, Mike was hoping to borrow the truck, let him know if he can't."
"I just need to drop off Edward, and then I'll bring it by Newton's," she promised.
"I can give you a ride home afterward," I told her. "Maybe we can hang out together." I didn't want to be apart from her.
"Okay, I'll be home in the afternoon so we can finish decorating the tree," Bella told her father.
He pulled out his wallet and handed her several bills, "That's fine. If you're going out might as well as pick up some new decorations. I think a mouse got to the stockings."
"Can I get one of those blow-up decorations for the front of the house." Bella's face lit up.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Fine but nothing too tacky. Whatever you get will become yours someday."
"Thank you, Dad." She kissed his cheek.
I picked up the angel and grabbed her hand to lead her out. When we got outside, Bella started laughing.
"Well, that was embarrassing," I groaned.
"It could've been worse," she pointed out.
"True, I could resemble Swiss cheese." I snorted.
We entered my house quietly in case anyone was still asleep. Bella followed behind me into the kitchen. My parents were at the table drinking their morning coffee. They looked up when we entered, Mom smiled; however, Dad frowned.
"Son, we understand you're in college, and you're on your own, but we would appreciate a small heads up, even by text, if you don't plan on not coming home at night, so your mother doesn't worry," he scolded lightly.
"Sorry, I got distracted last night. I didn't mean to fall asleep," I apologized.
Bella stepped out from beside me. "I'm sorry, Dr. C, it's partially my fault."
My mother squealed and nearly ran across the room to hug her. "Bella, sweetie, it's good to see you. Edward didn't tell us you were home for Christmas. Look at you…just look at her Carlisle. Isn't she even prettier than when we last saw her? You've cut your hair, it looks stunning—more grown up."
"It was just a few inches." Bella blushed. "It's good to see you, Mrs. Cullen."
"What is this Mrs. Cullen thing. You can call me, Esme. Or even…Mom if you like," my mother gushed.
"Dear, you might want to dial it back before you send the poor girl running." My father chuckled.
She looked over her shoulder and glared at him. "I'm not that bad."
Bella bit her lip to keep from laughing, and I winked at her. Mom turned back and glanced at the angel I had cradled in my arms.
"What is that, dear?" she asked.
"It's Bella's great grandmother's angel, I was hoping we might have some glue so I could fix the wings for her," I explained.
"We should have some in the junk drawer." She pointed to the corner of the room.
I let go of Bella's hand and crossed the room. I dug through the drawer and found the small bottle buried under a pile of paperclips and rubber bands. I fixed the angel and left it in a safe spot to dry.
"Do you have time for a cup of coffee? We need to catch up," Mom asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, I can't. have to bring my truck to Newton's. Perhaps some other time." Bella looked apologetic.
"What are you and your father doing for Christmas dinner? I'll have more than enough for you to join us," Mom suggested.
"I'll check with him, but dinner sounds great. I don't think we have plans." Bella smiled.
"Wonderful." Mom clapped her hands.
"May I use your bathroom?" Bella asked.
"You don't have to ask, go." Mom waved her arms.
"Sweetheart, I'll meet you at the door," I told her.
Once she was out of the room, my mother turned on me.
"Sweetheart? Are you two back together?" She grinned.
"The term sweetheart is was what clued you in? Not the fact that they obviously spent the night together," Dad said dryly.
"No one asked you." She scowled at him.
"Yes, we're back together. May I borrow the car today to finish some shopping," I asked.
"Of course, baby, my keys are on the hook," my mom said happily.
Alice appeared on the kitchen stairs looking half asleep until she saw me. Suddenly, she became wide awake, and she put her hands on her hips.
"Where did you go? We were supposed to spend last night together, and you disappeared on us?" she demanded.
I felt a flare of annoyance at suddenly remembering the redhead. "I didn't appreciate you trying to set me up last night, so I left."
"But you've been so lonely and so has she. I thought all the two of you needed was a push in the right direction. You're perfect for each other." Alice looked crestfallen.
Our parents' eyes volleyed back and for the between us, but they stayed out of it.
"That wasn't for you to decide," I snapped.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted the two of you to be happy," Alice apologized.
"You and Rose need to stay out of my love life." I was pissed they could've ruined things for me with their meddling.
"Done. I am sorry." Alice's lower lip wobbled.
"Thank you. I'll see you guys later." I grabbed the keys and left the room.
Bella was waiting by the door, fixing her scarf. "Is everything okay? I heard raised voices."
"Everything is great." I kissed her lightly on the lips. "How about breakfast at the diner, my treat?"
"Sounds good," she agreed.
We were settled in a booth with the menus opened in front of us. I was having a hard time concentrating on reading it since Bella's foot rubbing against my leg was distracting.
"Edward, right?"
I looked up to see the redhead from last night, standing in front of the table. A few feet behind her was an old high school friend of Emmett's.
"Yeah. Tanya right?" I said suspiciously.
"Yup, that's me. I owe you and your girlfriend an apology. I had a bit of an airhead moment. See…Rose had set me up, but with Embry here. I got the two of you confused in my head. I'm sorry if I caused any problems last night." She glanced at us nervously.
"Oh…" I was stunned by this new admission.
"No harm done, Tanya," Bella said sweetly.
"Oh good." Tanya looked relieved. "Have a good Christmas if I don't see you."
"You too," Bella answered and gave me a small kick when I didn't respond.
"Merry Christmas, Tanya," I said robotically.
Once they were gone, Bella gave me another small kick. "Earth to Edward, come in, Edward."
"I messed up. I thought Alice and Rose tried to set Tanya up with me. They were both acting funny. I kinda yelled at Alice this morning for meddling in my love life. But the thing is, she all but admitted she was guilty. So if it wasn't Tanya then who?"
Bella looked at me thoughtfully. "Alice is the one who invited me last night. But I didn't know you were going to be there. I thought I was getting together with her before she left for your family vacation. I had been talking with her while at college, and she knew that I was missing you. Maybe…"
"Maybe she was trying to get us back together," I concluded. "I'm going to owe her a big apology."
Later that night when I got home I found Alice in her room, wrapping presents.
"Can I come in?" I asked.
She looked up at me in surprise. "Sure."
"I brought you a peace offering." I handed over a bag filled with chocolate covered coffee beans.
"I thought you were mad at me." She took the bag from me.
"No. In fact, I owe you an apology. I thought you had tried to set me up with Tanya. That's why I was mad."
She wrinkled her nose. "I don't blame you then. That girl is way too high maintenance and shallow for you. Turns out it may have not worked out anyways, the real reason I wanted you there never showed up."
"You mean Bella? She came, and I left with her." I smirked.
"You left with Bella?" Alice looked relieved. "Tanya called her Becky. I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out who she was talking about since I don't know anyone named Becky."
Alice paused then her eyes lit up. "Wait, does this mean the two of you are back together?"
I couldn't help smiling in return. "Yes. And apparently, we have you to thank. Which is why I feel like an ass for yelling at you this morning."
"Well technically, I was meddling. I could tell the two of you still were in love and I thought if I got you two in the same place at the same time things would fall into place," Alice explained.
"You were right. Thank you." I kissed her forehead.
"You're welcome. I'm happy it just worked out for the best." She gave me a hug.
Christmas Day night, I was snuggled with Bella on my lap on her father's couch. We just gazed at the tree quietly. Her great-grandmother's angel graced the top. I had been able to reattach the wings.
"Do you think your dad would let us put that angel on our tree one day," I asked.
"I can't see why not." She rested her head on my shoulder.
"Bella, I've been thinking about the whole distance thing again. And I decided it's too much," I told her.
"What?" She raised her head and met my eyes, looking upset.
"That's why I've decided to look into transferring to a school in Boston next year. Maybe we can get an apartment together," I suggested.
"You don't have to do that. I know you like Dartmouth," she said.
"I like Dartmouth, but I love you. There will be more options for me to move down there than for you to come my way. Plus, I know you need that scholarship; I have more flexibility." I leaned my forehead against hers.
"I love you too. You've given this some thought haven't you?" She closed her eyes briefly. "I'd love to share an apartment with you. I can't think of a better roommate."
"Then it is settled." I kissed her lightly. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart, and hopefully many more to come,"
"Merry Christmas, Edward." Her eyes sparkled with joy.
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