Prompt: mariesathemist
"C'mon, Bells. What do you do on that computer all day?"
My face flushed. "It's none of your business, Emmett." He and Rosalie exchanged a look and I glowered at them. "My house, my business."
He raised his hands in surrender, seeing I was at my limit.
"What's for dinner, Bells?" I sighed in relief and answered his much simpler question by putting the lasagna in the oven.
"So, you're moving in with Rosalie and her brother, huh?"
"Yeah. Figured I overstayed my welcome here," Emmett lied.
I snorted. "You just want to be able to have sex with her without worrying about when I'm getting home."
He laughed. "Guilty."
"Are you ever going to get a job?"
"Nah... not like I'm using her or anything, but Rose's got a lot of money."
"Yes... you know, if anything happens, I'll always be here, okay? Come stay anytime you need."
"Thanks, Bells." He gave me a big bear hug.
We were interrupted when Alice called me.
"Bella, I need your help!"
"What's wrong, Alice?" I asked, immediately heading for the door. Images of flipped vehicles, stuck on the side of Forks' windy, ice-covered roads filled my head, and I was glad my dad had put chains on my tires.
"All the grocery stores are closed!" she exclaimed.
"Oh," I sighed in relief. "Of course they are, Alice, it's New Year's in Forks."
"But I invited Edward and Jasper over for dinner! What am I gonna do?"
"You did this on purpose," I grumbled.
"Is that a no?" she asked innocently.
"It's a get your asses over here for dinner, but you owe me one."
"Thanks, Bella!"
I grimaced and started making the beans. Alice was lucky I'd already planned on feeding a crowd. Maybe lucky wasn't the right word. She planned this.
Edward and I had dated briefly. He was arrogant, beautiful, and selfish. Not my type at all, I told myself. Still, Alice was obsessed with the idea of getting Edward and I together. I had just put the beans in the oven next to the lasagna when they arrived.
"Hi Alice," I said, greeting her with a hug despite my irritation.
"Hi Edward," I said as steadily as I could, shaking his hand.
"Hi, Bella," he said with a nod. "Thank you for having us for dinner."
"It's no trouble at all," I said. After all, it wasn't his fault Alice was doing this to us.
"Hi Jasper."
"Hello, Bella. Sorry about this." He knew about Alice's schemes. I shook my head.
Emmett and Rosalie emerged from the living room to greet everyone and I went back into the kitchen to avoid conversation.
Eventually I'd finished the lasagna, the beans, and a jello dish, and I realized I had no excuse to stay in the kitchen any longer. I set the table, and everyone was seated within a matter of minutes.
"So what do you do for a living, Edward?" Emmett asked, having noticed Edward's clearly expensive wardrobe.
"I own a record company."
"How's your business?"
"It's doing very well... but there's someone I've been trying to get to record for me, but she won't do it... have you heard of Mysteria?"
I choked on my water and Edward stood up to help me but I shoved him away.
"Bella? Are you okay?"
"Mysteria... what a dumb stage name," I muttered, trying to hide my anxiety.
He looked a little amused. "Are you... jealous?"
"Hell no."
"I've never even met the girl, Bella. You have nothing to worry about. In my mind, she's just a... voice. A good voice that will help my company."
"Maybe she doesn't want to work with you because you're an insensitive bastard," I said with a laugh despite myself.
I realized everyone at the table was watching our familiar banter with interest, and I blushed, almost burying myself in my dinner.
"Maybe," he said, lightly. "Wouldn't be the first time."
I couldn't help but look up at him, and it suddenly struck me how lonely he looked. There was an element of real sadness in his wry smile. You're imagining things. He doesn't need you, and he never will.
The whole table was silent until Emmett cleared his throat. "Great cooking, Bells."
"Yes, Bella, thank you for dinner," Rosalie agreed.
"Thank you," Jasper said simply.
"Thank you, Bella," Edward said.
"Um- you're welcome guys. Why don't you all put the TV on? Watch something?"
Emmett and Rosalie got up to do that, and then Jasper left, Alice following with a wink. Edward was standing with his plate.
"Let me help you clean up, Bella."
"I'm really alright," I protested.
"Please."
"O...kay."
I shook my head, picking up a few dishes. I couldn't believe I still let him dazzle me like that.
He was already at the sink rinsing before I got into the kitchen.
"You used to sing when you cleaned up," Edward said, so quietly I could barely hear him over the sink. "I miss that."
"Edward…" I said, and tried not to tear up. I was not going to let him make me feel guilty. He was the one who put his work before me. Standing me up when he thought he had the chance to make a contract with a young artist in Seattle.
"I never really apologized for that night, Bella." So he was thinking of it, too.
The wetness on my cheeks was definitely not tears.
"It's over, Edward. You don't need to apologize." I had a sudden flashback to high school, how the boys always called me ice-bitch. I hadn't broken Edward's heart. He'd never given it to me in the first place. And I'd never given him mine.
"Yes, I do," he said, approaching me. "I'm sorry, Bella."
He came in for a hug and I backed away, when suddenly my butt hit the table and knocked my laptop to the floor.
"No!" I yelled, picking it up and pressing the power button. The screen turned on with stripes of green and purple. "Oh, no." I moaned. All my music was on there!
"Shit, Bella, I'm sorry!" Edward said.
"Stop apologizing," I snipped.
"I can help you get your files onto a flash drive if you need me to."
I grimaced, but I knew I had to accept his offer. "Will it save them as MIDI files?"
He blinked, surprised, but only for a moment. "Yeah."
"Please save my files," I said in defeat.
He got his laptop and some cables out of a case from his car, and began a process I didn't recognize. I cringed as I saw the names of the files come up on his screen, but he kept a remarkably straight face, considering my cover was blown.
"You may have to readjust the time signature, but the file should be unchanged," he said, handing me a flash drive.
"Thank you, Edward," I almost cried in relief.
I could tell he wanted to say something about Mysteria, but he restrained himself instead for a "You're welcome."
We sat at my table in silence for what felt like hours, until he spoke up.
"It's almost midnight," he said.
"Is it?"
"Bella, if you'd give me another chance, I'd like to do things right by you."
"Edward…"
"I can't promise I won't make mistakes, but I promise I will learn from them. What I did to you was not okay, and I know that. And if you want to keep your music to yourself, that's your decision. I'm never going to put my work between us again."
Fuck, I was crying again.
"It's almost midnight, Bella. Do you want to start this new year with me?"
I could barely bring myself to nod.
Cheering erupted from the living room as the ball dropped and Edward softly kissed me.
A/N: Well, I disappeared for a long time, but I'm back for Christmas break at least. Consider me inspired by my own uninteresting New Year. Hope you guys liked the one-shot! (God knows you've waited long enough for it).