Chapter Two
The Introduction
BPOV
"Edward," I mumbled, sitting beside him on the bed, sipping a mug of coffee.
He was still fast asleep. He was a pretty boy when he slept. All manly, masculine and growling and dominant when he was awake, unconscious he was a sleeping beauty. And dead to the world.
"Edward," I said again, nudging his shoulder.
Still he slept on.
I sighed, placing the coffee on the nightstand before standing, stepping up onto the bed, my feet planted on either side of him. And then I started to jump.
"Wake. Up. You Good for nothing. Layabout. Some. People. Have to. Go to. Work. Today!"
He grumbled, groaning, burying his head under the pillow. "Stop." He whinged.
I grabbed the pillow from his hands and hit him with it. "Stop smothering yourself in my linen and get your ass out of my bed."
"I don't wanna," he whined, turning so he was lying on his back facing me.
"Well you have to."
"Why?"
"Because I gotta go to work."
"That don't mean I have to."
"No, but if I leave you in my bed, I'll come back this afternoon and you'll still be in my bed."
He frowned, "Don't be a jerk. It's Saturday, let me sleep."
I arched an eyebrow, "Me be a jerk?" I sat down next to him and hit him once, again, over the head with the pillow. "You're the jerk you jerk!"
"Am not."
"Are too," I grumbled. "If I recall correctly, you were the jerk who insisted on giving me an orgasm in the back of a cab last night."
He smirked that crooked cocky grin though his eyes were still closed, his voice husky with sleep, "And if I recall correctly, you rather enjoyed it."
"He could have seen." I groused, crossing my arms.
"I would have never let him see."
"Well he definitely could have heard me."
"I took care of that, too."
I huffed. "You're a pain in my ass, Cullen."
He scoffed incredulously, "If I'm the jerk you're definitely the pain. It's…" he leaned up on his elbows looking around before returning his eyes back to me, "seven a.m. on a Saturday morning and you're jumping up and down on top of my ass. That makes you the pain in it!"
I smiled sweetly, "But I brought you coffee." I reached over and handed him the mug I had set on the nightstand.
He glared but I knew he couldn't resist. He had been awake ten minutes and he needed his caffeine fix within the next five minutes or he was gonna be a grumpy ass all day.
He took a sip, muttering, "I hate you."
I stuck my tongue out at him in response before getting off the bed and moving to my closet, looking for something to wear today.
"Why are you going to work on a Saturday, anyway?" He wondered, scratching his bed head with a yawn.
"Jane wants my article in today, said she wants to read it before she approves." I murmured, deciding on my jersey black pencil skirt and blazer with my ruffled polka-dot blouse. Not a normal days wear but when meeting with the boss I tried to dress nice.
"Your boss is a witch."
I laughed, he wasn't wrong. "Why?"
"Because she makes you wake me up at seven a.m. on a Saturday."
"Would you please change the record?" I asked, stripping off my underwear and pulling on a fresh pair of panties.
Edward eyed me with a grin and I rolled my eyes.
"You ain't gettin' any this morning." I told him.
He sighed sadly, "I know. You get me up at the crack of dawn and then leave me with a hard on you refuse to help me out with. What kinda friend are you?"
I laughed, "Your best friend."
"Sometimes I wonder why."
"Get over it. Besides, you're always up early anyway, what's your problem?" I knew for a fact he was always up early for a run to start the day. I often joined him…if it wasn't raining. Which it usually was. Today, however, the sun was shining through the window. Lucky, too, or else Alice would have thrown a fit - but she was usually right in her predictions about the weather and such so I shouldn't have been surprised.
"Yeah, but not after a night out." Edward complained.
"Lightweight." I muttered playfully.
"Who are you calling a lightweight? I had one drink."
"Exactly."
Edward huffed before muttering into his mug, "You're mean at seven a.m. on a Saturday."
"Oh my god." I murmured under my breath as I slipped on my heels before grabbing my purse and searching it for my keys.
"You'll be at Alice's tonight, right?" He asked as he watched me tap a quick text to my colleague.
"And have her try to set me up with another one of her work buddies as punishment if I don't turn up? Are you insane? Of course, I'll be there."
The corners of Edward's eyes crinkled as he grinned widely, "Poor Eric thought he was in for a treat."
I glared at his reflection as I applied some mascara at my dressing table, "I can't believe I told you that. I knew you'd never let me live it down."
"Who knew anybody that shy could be so kinky?" He sniggered.
"Shut your face," I grumbled, dabbing some gloss to my lips. "You know how traumatised I was."
Edward fell backwards, laughing.
"And I wouldn't exactly call him shy." I turned to face him, my hands on my hips. "He whipped his dick out in the middle of a restaurant."
"Hey," Edward chastised, leaning back up on his elbows, "you're a bit of an exhibitionist, now, too. Don't be a hypocrite."
"I'd say there's a bit of a difference between having someone's hand up your dress , discreetly I might add, in the back of taxi and stripping in the middle of a restaurant in broad daylight."
"So you admit he wouldn't have seen anything?" Edward raised his eyebrows in an I-told-you-so gesture and I flipped him off. "So grumpy this morning." He chuckled.
"That's the last time I wake you up with a cup of coffee. Next time you can make your own."
"Oh, don't be like that, I just say these things to mould you into a better person."
"A better person?" I spun round on the stool of my dressing table to face him completely, intrigued how this conversation was going to turn out.
"Mmhmm." He affirmed with a smile. "This is why you carefully selected me to be your best friend, because my mere presence does wonders for your likelihood of getting into heaven."
"Huh," I pondered mockingly.
"What?" Edward asked.
"Well, I'm the writer and yet it appears you are the one full of bullshit."
"Don't hate the player, baby." He spread his arms wide, gesturing to himself with a look that clearly said "how could you fault this?". Truth was I couldn't, he was gorgeous first thing in the morning, all bleary eyed, bed headed and naked under the sheets.
"What are you even talking about?"
"I don't know, Bella." He sighed heavily before his voice rose with each word until he was shouting, "I don't have a clue what I'm talking about because it's seven a.m. on a Saturday morning!"
I rolled my eyes, "Coffee not working it's magic this morning, I take it?"
Edward shook his head, "Nope, you made it wrong." But he took another sip. He was a liar, he loved my coffee.
"I never make it wrong. And you could show a little more gratitude, I don't even drink coffee and yet I still buy it because you're here all the freaking time."
"You're apartment is better than mine."
"And why is that?" I humoured him, turning back around to fix my hair.
He thought for a moment then grinned widely before pouting his lips, arching his eyebrows and looking up at me in the mirror from beneath his lashes. When he spoke his voice was smooth as silk, "Because you're here, Bella."
I twisted a little so he could gage the full effect as I shoved my fingers down my throat and pretended to gag.
He laughed loudly.
"I was nice to you," I muttered, "I brought you coffee because I know you can't function this early in the morning without it, and yet you insist on shoving sappy crap down my throat at seven a.m. on a Saturday morning!"
"Alright, alright, no need to shout." He leaned over to place the mug on the nightstand, "Oh, and it's seven thirty a.m. on a Saturday morning so you might wanna get moving."
"Crap," I jumped up from the dressing table, resigning to the whole half up half down do thing and grabbed my bag, throwing in my phone so I wouldn't lose it. "Okay. I'm off. See you at Alice's."
I wasn't two steps out my bedroom door before Edward called out. "Forgetting something?"
I frowned, turning to see him holding my article above his head. I ran back to grab it, kissing him on the head as I did. "And this is why you're my best friend."
He chuckled, watching me run back out the room.
"Knock 'em dead." He called.
"Always do."
"And tell that girl Jasmine to stop calling me!" He shouted after me as I reached the front door.
I scoffed, yeah, like I could stop the rain from falling and the sun from rising. "It's Jesscia." I corrected.
"Same difference." I heard him grumble.
With a laugh, I shut the door behind me.
*FFAS*
Jane Volturi was a very childlike looking woman. She was smaller than me, which was saying something because I was a short 5'2, and though I liked to say the best things come in small packages, my boss refuted the little saying terrifically.
She was most definitely not a sweet little treat.
At the age of thirty she was a cold, emotionless woman who, I was almost certain, had the ability to cause actual physical pain if you shared eye contact with her for too long. She was critical and strict, it took a lot to impress her and if you stepped out of line she would be there to make sure the door hit you in the ass on your way out. But Jane was never angry. She had too high an influence and control to ever need to be angry – her dismissive disappointment was enough. But she was the Chief Editor of the most popular and bestselling magazine in the country – Twilight. She had accomplished a lot to be where she was today, sat behind that desk, glaring at my article. She had connections I could only dream of which the main reason why I was still here working for her – beside the decent money and how good it would look on my résumé.
I was confident in my place of work, I knew I was good at what I did, but that didn't stop my palms from sweating whenever I was called into her office.
I swallowed nervously as she pursed her lips whilst reading. It was silent aside from her annoying Newton's cradle she insisted on having ticking away whenever she was reading. She said it made her think, claimed it was the source of her achievements. I said it was the source of the self-inflicted stabbing of pencils into my eyeballs. Edward had said he'd pay to see that. I'd said it would have been a waste of money on his part as he wouldn't be able to see because I would have done the same to him if he hadn't stopped talking.
Funnily enough I didn't win that one, of many banter filled arguments. He had proceeded to tell me he didn't need to talk to tease me and then went on to tease me in an altogether more pleasurable way.
Weirdly, I found it a lot more fun to have sex with my best friend than what it was to have sex with anyone else. Neither of us were insecure around each other…okay, I wasn't insecure around him, because let's face it, what in God's name did that man have to be insecure about? But whatever, the lack of insecurity, on my part, made everything much better. We were best friends, we were more comfortable around each other than we were around anyone else, we knew everything about each other so we both felt a lot freer and felt no shame in talking about what we wanted in bed.
Don't get me wrong the first time was incredibly awkward. It wasn't discussed or planned, we'd both just been really drunk and really horny and one thing led to another. We woke up the next morning with horrific hangovers and the blinding fear that we were about to lose our best friend.
But after a much needed coffee – on his part – and a much needed doughnut – my own hangover cure – it was established that, thankfully, neither of us felt that way towards one another and it was just a huge, drunken mistake. One we'd learn to look back on and laugh.
Except there was no laughing, and we had both secretly wanted to do it again.
I sighed internally. It was a shame neither of us were interested in pursuing a more serious relationship with one another, because I'd die a happy woman if I could have sex with Edward every day for the rest of my life.
The sound of a throat clearing had me snapping my eyes away from the Newton's cradle and looking up at my boss, who was staring at me with an expressionless face.
Shit. Expressionless wasn't good.
Though Jane was highly critical, and sometimes cruel, I had never been on the receiving end of her disappointment. I knew I had always been, if not somebody she liked – because, well, Jane Volturi didn't like anybody – somebody she could always consider reliable.
I didn't know what she looked like before she unleashed her wrath, and by wrath I mean sincere look of heavy dissatisfaction, so I had no idea what to expect from the blank face.
"Isabella," her voice was soft and quiet. Jane Volturi didn't need to shout, she didn't need to raise her voice above a whisper, she had everybody on their knees, kissing her feet and waiting for command at the slightest sniff. "Despite the fact you may be young and naïve, barely out of education-" This did not sound good. This did not. Sound. Good. I was going to have a heart attack. I was young and naïve, only twenty-three, I was too young to have a heart attack! She continued, clueless to the war raging in my head. I felt sick, I was going to be sick, or did I need to pee? It was really hot in here. But I could feel the AC, and the fan was whirring above me. Maybe I was cold. Shit, I didn't know! "-it is safe to say you are the least dim-witted of all those who that work for me." Fuck, what was she saying? I couldn't hear. That stupid cradle was too loud, it was…it was…wait…what? "You are an asset, not only to me and this company, but also to our readers."
What?!
Okay. Calm down. Breathe. This…this sounded good. This sounded really, really good. Jane Volturi just called me an asset. Ha!
Okay, Swan, just don't blow it by screaming out loud in hysterical excitement.
"Th-thank you, Jane." My voice sounded strangled, but I hadn't screamed, so pat on the back.
She responded with an emotionless stare. I blinked.
"Your work is always reliable." There was that word, reliable. But hey, she had just called me an asset, coming from Jane that was like dubbing me the Queen of England, I could deal with the "reliable".
Hell, before she called me an asset, reliable was the highest of praises I was sure she had ever offered anyone.
"Keep it that way, and I have no doubt, you will go far."
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah!
She moved my article, from where it rested in the centre of her desk, off to the side. Then she swivelled her chair a little so she was no longer facing outright but focussed on her computer.
I knew it was a dismissal.
I stood to leave but when I reached the door she said, "Isabella."
I turned to face her, "Yes, Jane?" Her eyes were on her computer.
"I'm looking for a new assistant." Holy fucking shit. She looked at me over her glasses perched on the end of her nose. "Bear that in mind." And then she turned back, clicking away at the mouse.
I calmly closed the door behind me and made my way down the hall. I was quiet and composed as I took the stairs down one level to my cubicle to find my phone. I gave a warm smile to Rosalie's questioning gaze as I passed her cubicle, knowing she would follow me into the bathroom. I made sure Angela was the only one in there, washing her hands, before locking the door. I turned to face them both, calm and collected.
"YES!" I shouted, squealing like a little girl who had got a pony. Jumping up and down like a crack head who found a fix. Dancing a little jig that Edward would give me hell for. "She loves me, she loves me, she looooves me!" I sing-songed.
"Bella," Rose laughed, "what the hell happened? I thought you were just handing in your article."
"I was." I grinned.
"So why the crazy chicken dance?" Angela laughed.
"Oh, that wasn't a chicken dance," I beamed, "that was a Jane's-putting-me-up-for-a-promotion dance!"
"WHAT?" The girls shrieked, before pulling me into a three-man hug, bouncing us around in a circle, all but screaming.
"That's amazing!" Rose cried, pulling away.
"What's the job?" Angela asked.
"Her assistant."
"What about Tiffany?" Rose wondered, with a frown.
"Didn't you hear?" gasped Angela, sitting herself up onto the counter beside the sinks. "She was fired."
"For what?"
"Who cares?" I laughed, "I'm up for her job so good riddance, I say." I typed a quick text to Edward.
Have news. U better be out of my bed if u wanna hear it
"We have to celebrate tonight!" Rose insisted.
I shook my head, "No can do, family thing."
The girls frowned at me.
"Sorry," I offered with a shrug.
"Well," Rose hooked her arm around mine before unlocking the door, Angela followed. "We have to go out for dinner, soon, tomorrow, maybe."
"We shouldn't celebrate." I said.
"And why the hell not?"
"Because I haven't got it yet, I'm just being put up for promotion, it doesn't mean I have the job."
My phone chimed and I looked down to see that Edward had sent me a picture along with his message. He was making food.
Not in ur bed, in ur kitchen :)
"Bella, please. This gives us an excuse to go out." Angela pleaded as we headed for our cubicles, all right next to each other.
"You want to go out on a Sunday night?" I arched an eyebrow.
"Okay, maybe not tomorrow but sometime soon. Next weekend?"
"I don't wanna jinx it." I told them, sitting down at my desk and answering Edward.
U hog my bed then raid my cupboards, I am so not telling u my news!
"Fine," Rose huffed, leaning against my desk and crossing her arms. "Deny us the chance to get drunk."
I rolled my eyes, "Please, you don't need me to get drunk."
"Who's getting drunk?" Jessica popped her head around my cubicle, looking at us curiously.
"No one, apparently." Rose grumbled.
"Oh. Well, speaking of drunk, I am drunk, in love!" Jess squealed.
Angela rolled her eyes at me behind Jessica's back and I looked down to hide my smirk.
"Who is it this time?" Rose asked, more out of force of habit than actual interest.
Jess looked straight at me.
"Oh, come on." I laughed, "you and Edward went on one date. A year ago!"
"I don't care," she said simply. "You can't chose who you fall in love with, Bella."
"You don't love him, you love his hair." Rosalie scoffed.
Jess ignored her. "Do you know why he isn't returning my calls?"
I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth…at least not all of it. "He just isn't interested in dating anyone at the moment."
Edward wasn't returning her calls because Edward was, ninety percent of the time, a very good judge of character. He hadn't asked her out again after that one time because she was, and I quote, "a self-centred, two-faced cow who was more interested in being seen with a man than in the man himself". Oh, and that she was a wannabe blonde but most definitely bimbo. "She's halfway there," He'd said.
"Please," Jessica said, "a man like that is always interested in dating." She waggled her pencilled eyebrows, and I didn't like what she was insinuating.
Despite the whole friends with benefits thing we had going on, Edward wasn't some man whore. He was actually a real gentleman when it came to women. And I didn't appreciate her dragging my best friends' name through the mud after one measly date because he had no desire to go out with her again.
"Yeah," I said sweetly, "just apparently not interested in dating you."
Angela tried to hide her smile while Rose outright laughed.
I looked at my phone when it pinged, ignoring Jessica as she glared at me before stomping off in a strop.
U love it when I hog ur bed because when im in ur bed it means u have been satisfied ;) and u kno u will tell me
And he was right. On both accounts.
I was about to reply when he sent another text.
U bringing Rose tonight? Em wont shut up
I grinned, "What are you doing tonight, Rosalie?"
She popped her head over the partition between our cubicles, the girls had gone back to work. "Nothing, seeing as you won't come drinking with me."
"Wanna come to Alice's barbeque?" I asked, knowing I would be answered with one question and one question only.
"Will her sexy ass cousin be there?"
"Yep."
"Then do you even have to ask?"
I laughed, "Apparently not."
EPOV
Why I ever agreed to go on a date with that Jasmine, or Julie, or whatever her name was, was beyond me. Bella had warned me she was a bit keen and I, like an idiot, had told her I could handle it.
I had taken her to a restaurant in the city and the entire time she eyed up other girls with this little smirk while keeping her hand wrapped around my arm. She was showing me off and it pissed me off, because she didn't even know me. She then proceeded to bitch about all the people she worked with, including Bella, and that made me angry.
Sure, Bella had told me Julie was a little eager and implied she was the sort of woman who ate guys like me for breakfast, but Bella had said nothing horrible about the girl. As far as I was aware Bella thought of her as a friend and respected her as a colleague. And yet there she was, sitting across the table from me, giving me what she thought to be seductive looks, sucking on her spoon, while chatting shit about my best friend.
I didn't stand for that. I put the girl straight, paid for dinner, took her home and politely walked her to her door with a friendly, "It was nice to meet you," and then went to visit Bella to tell her how awful the date was before moving on with my life.
Jessica, however, hadn't moved on, and now a year later she was still calling me.
I really needed to change my number or at least get her number blocked. The woman was clogging up my voicemail.
I stretched languidly with a groan before deciding I should get up, if I didn't now Bella would come home and find me still here.
I pulled on some sweats I had left here the other day and then headed to the kitchen, searching for some food. I decided on a toastie when Bella sent me a text.
I grinned, taking a picture of my spectacular cooking skills, proof that I was no longer lazing in her bed.
I answered it when it rang, my cousin's name flashing on the screen.
"Hey, Emmett."
"What's up? Hey, listen, you're coming to Alice's tonight, right?" He asked.
"Yep." I confirmed.
"Is Bella?"
"Yep."
"Is Bella's hot friend?"
I snorted, "Bella's hot friend has a name."
"Man, don't call her hot, you got your own ass don't be hittin' on mine."
I laughed, "I don't know if she's coming."
"Why the hell not?"
I rolled my eyes, "Why should I know?"
"Because she's Bella's friend." He said as though it what he was trying to imply was obvious.
"And?"
"And you're Bella's best friend, and you're banging her."
I sighed, sitting down on the couch, taking a bite of the toastie. "I don't know if Rosalie is coming, Em."
"She will be when I'm done with her." I could almost hear him waggling his eyebrows. "Come on, man, is she coming or not?"
"For the love of…Emmett, I don't know!"
"Well find out!"
"Ask her yourself, you have her number."
"And look like a little pussy? Dude, you're supposed to be my wing man. Help a brother out, will you?"
"Fine," I muttered, pulling the phone away from my ear, making sure it was on loud speaker.
"What the hell you doin' to your phone?" Emmett asked, clearly hearing my thumb tapping against the screen.
"Texting Bella."
"Are you asking her if Rosalie is coming?"
"No."
"Why not? What are you doing?"
"I'm responding to her text, we were having a conversation before you butted in."
"Man, just ask her!" He whined.
I rolled my eyes, "You're a pussy for not asking Rose yourself. This is so lame, I feel like I'm in middle school."
"I'm the pussy? At least I haven't been pining over her for years like you have! When are you gonna ask Bella out?"
I groaned, "I'm not!" I hated having this conversation with people. Why couldn't anybody understand that Bella and I didn't like each other that way? She was my best friend. I loved her more than anything but I wasn't in love with her.
"You're a fucking liar. Nobody does the whole friends with benefits thing without suffering the consequences."
I smirked, "You're just jealous because it works for me and not for you."
Emmett laughed and muttered something under his breath. "You're an idiot, dude."
"See, pure jealousy."
"If you don't like Bella that way then why don't you date?"
"I do."
"Not, in like, nine months."
"Just because I don't go actively looking for girls doesn't mean I'm unwilling to date."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Then why wouldn't you go out with that girl you met at the bar the other night."
I sighed, "I like what I have going on with Bella. I'm not looking to get into a relationship right now." Bella and I had an agreement, if either of us wanted to start dating then we'd stop the whole sex thing. And sex with Bella was awesome. It wasn't something I wanted to end right now just so I could call some woman my girlfriend.
Emmett chuckled again, "You don't even hear yourself."
"Whatever, man. Do you wanna know if Rose is gonna be there, or not?"
"Why? Did you text, Bella? Do you know? What did she say? Is she coming?"
"You sound like a thirteen year old girl."
"Shut the fuck up."
"Rosalie will be there."
"Yes!" He shouted in my ear.
I rolled my eyes. "What time you gonna be at Alice's?"
"Leaving in about an hour, why, want a ride?"
"Nah, I'm at Bella's, still gotta go home and get ready and shit."
Emmett laughed again, I didn't know why but I was sure I didn't want to know the reason. "I'm gonna go," he said, "you're boring me with your pussying around."
"Whatever, dude."
"Later."
I sighed, glaring at the blank T.V. Emmett had no idea what he was talking about. Bella had been my best friend since forever, there was no way I felt anything like that towards her.
Bella had always been around. Okay, that was a lie but it felt like I had known her my entire life, when really we had met just over four years ago.
My adoptive sister, Alice, two years my elder, had started dating this guy her last year of college. Jasper was pretty cool, I hung out with them a lot and heard a lot about his little sister, Bella, though I had never met her. Alice insisted she was great, my age, said we had a lot in common. I think she was trying to set us up from the very beginning, before we had even met.
Alice and Jasper had been dating a while, things were looking pretty serious, when they found out Alice was pregnant. My sister, the girl who planned every tiny little detail in advance, who was always safe and careful, who had always told me to "wrap it before I tapped it", had gotten knocked up.
And so began Alice's family barbeque tradition. She had wanted myself and my adoptive parents to meet Jasper's only living family.
Alice explained Jasper and Bella were half siblings, shared the same dad but different moms. Jasper's mom had succumbed to cancer before he was even three years old. Charlie Swan had remarried and Bella came along. Alice said Jasper and his sister were close but had been even closer ever since the death of Charlie and Renee a little over a year ago.
When I had met Bella that evening at Alice's first barbeque, to celebrate her pregnancy, she had been polite and friendly and really shy. A stark contrast to the Bella I knew now.
"Bella, right?" I asked, sitting next to the brunette as she gazed at Jasper and Alice, sitting by my parents' pool.
Bella nodded with a smile.
"Heard a lot about you." I told her.
She blushed, "All good, I hope?"
I chuckled, "Of course. Alice loves you."
Bella looked surprised, "Really?"
"Are you kidding?" I laughed, "You're all she talks about, besides shopping and Jasper."
Bella laughed too, it was a pretty sound. "Oh, yeah, I've heard a lot about shopping."
"It's going to be even worse now that she's pregnant."
"She's convinced me I desperately need to help her shop for the baby. I don't know why, I'm pretty sure Alice is certain about what she wants."
It was because Alice didn't want her to feel left out.
"You have a beautiful family." She murmured, softly. And I looked up to see her watching everyone, her eyes moving from my dad, Carlisle, my Uncle Garrett and his son Emmett, all stood by the barbeque, to my mom Esme and Aunt Kate, watching Alice and Jasper and gossiping with big grins.
"It's your family, too." I told her.
Bella glanced at me and I could see her big brown eyes, glistening slightly. "I'm really grateful." She said. "When Jasper told me Alice was pregnant…I was happy for them, I really was. But I was terrified, too." I watched her carefully as her eyes glanced back towards her brother, who had his arm wrapped around Alice and was gazing at her while she chatted to him. "He's all I have left, you know. I wanted him to have this, I wanted him to be happy and I would never begrudge him the family he's found in all of you." She shook her head adamantly and I was positive she was the most selfless person I had ever met. "But I thought I was going to lose him. I thought he was going to leave me behind, what with the baby and Alice to focus on. But Alice made sure I wasn't." She gave a little chuckle though it sounded a little strained as though she was fighting a lump in her throat. "She wasn't having any of it. I hadn't even said anything to her but she's still made sure I've been there, asking me what I think of names, if I'd like a niece or nephew, introduced me to your family. I'm so grateful. To her, to all of you."
We were quiet for a moment and she seemed to realise what she'd just said, like she couldn't believe she'd let that all come out of her mouth. I could see she was looking a little uncomfortable so I spoke up before she could unnecessarily apologise.
"Did you know I'm adopted?" I asked her.
Her eyes widened with surprise as she shook her head. "I had no idea. Alice never mentioned…" she trailed off and I smiled.
"Yeah, Alice never would. She's always known me as Edward her little brother, nothing less nothing more. It never phased her that I was adopted."
"Did…did you always know?" She asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "When were you told?" She caught herself, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"
I shook my head, "It's okay. I wouldn't have brought it up if I were uncomfortable talking about it." I assured her. "I've always known, from a young age, that I was adopted. I knew Alice was grown in momma's tummy but because momma's tummy wasn't able to grow another baby I was specially picked." I chuckled and Bella smiled. "I remember thinking I was picked like a toy would have been picked, off the shelf and paid for."
Bella giggled and it made me smile.
"I never felt out of place. But, there was one time when I was ten. I don't remember the details of it but Alice was hurt and the doctor's asked Carlisle if I'd give blood because usually siblings are a good match. Carlisle explained I was adopted. I didn't understand that I couldn't help her because we had different blood types not really because we weren't related. For a while afterwards I was angry, and I didn't even know why, I just felt like I didn't belong. I was upset I couldn't help my sister and felt like I was intruding, that I wasn't supposed to be with these people." I hadn't told anyone this and yet here I was talking to this girl, practically a stranger, and I felt like I'd known her my whole life. "For weeks Carlisle and Esme couldn't figure out what was wrong. I wouldn't talk to them about it, afraid they were disappointed I couldn't help Alice. I stayed in my room whenever I was home and only really spent time with any of them during meals. And then Alice walked into my bedroom one night and found me packing a bag." I snorted, "A bag full of Goosebump books, Cheetos and all of my savings, a whole thirty-two dollars and fifteen cents."
Bella grinned.
"I told her she didn't need me to stay and that I was running away. She got mad," I laughed, "Real mad. She told me that real brothers weren't there for blood, she said blood didn't matter. She said what made a brother was whether they were there when you needed them, and apparently because I was running away I couldn't be her real brother. Then she stomped out of my room and didn't come out the rest of the night."
"And so you stayed." Bella murmured.
"And so I stayed." I nodded. "Alice has a way of making you feel part of the family, whether you're related by blood or not. And just a warning, once she deems you one of the family, you're in it for the rest of your life, there's no going back."
Bella smiled, "Good to know."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while before she said with a grin, "The Goosebump books were awesome."
"I know!" I exclaimed.
"I can totally understand why you thought you could live off of just them and Cheetos."
"Don't forget the thirty-two dollars."
"And fifteen cents."
This girl was pretty cool.
"If I ever write something half as good as those books I'd die ridiculously happy."
"You wanna be a writer?" I asked. She nodded. "Is that what you're doing at college?"
"Yep. How about you? Alice said something about music."
"I want to teach music."
"What do you play?" Bella wondered.
"Guitar and piano."
"I always wanted to play the piano, I just didn't have the patience for it. I wanted to be Yiruma right away, you know? It was a lot harder than what I thought it was going to be."
My eyebrows rose, "You know Yiruma?"
She nodded, "Mmhmm. Helps me write."
"What's your favourite?"
"Hmm…" She thought about it, "Probably 'If I Could See You Again'."
I nodded, "That's a good one."
"Can you play it?"
I nodded again.
"Oh my god, that's amazing!"
I laughed.
"What can you play on the guitar?"
I shrugged, "Anything, really. For the guitar I can mostly play by ear."
Her eyebrows rose. "Wow. Can you sing?"
"A little."
"Are you being modest?"
I laughed, "I don't do modest."
"Oh really?" From her arched eyebrow I'd say she wasn't impressed.
"Really. If I'm amazing, I'll let you know."
"So what you're trying to say is, you suck at singing."
"Well…I didn't say that."
"No, no, it's alright. We can't all be good at everything."
"I can." I smirked.
"You're a cocky bastard." She shook her head with a disbelieving grin.
"Only because I have a right to be."
She laughed. "You're something else."
"Thank you, kindly."
"That wasn't necessarily a compliment." She pointed out.
"I'll take it as one."
Yeah. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
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