Chapter Four - Come love, See my hands

"Treading Water"

Bella's POV

I woke up completely snuggled up to his chest. Both of us under a red fleece throw on the floor of his apartment, It was hard to keep from trying to go back to sleep, I was too at ease next to him. Too prepared for anything that came my way.

This was not helping me keep my promise to myself. At. All.

The second I went to remove myself his eyes blinked open slightly. They opened completely, and he pulled me back down toward him.

"Five more minutes." He mumbled groggily, I chuckled. I fell asleep again after that.

His hand on my hair, and a hushed voice are what woke me.

"Bella…" He pushed my hair away from my face, and I opened my eyes.

"If we don't show up at the coffee shop soon Alice will be suspicious." The second I heard coffee I grew fully attentive.

"Need coffee..." Was all I could muster, a second later I moved from his chest and sat up, rubbing my eyes. His smile was the first thing I focused in on.

"Agreed." He smirked, standing and then extending his hand to me. I remembered as I stood, why we had to go to the coffee shop. Alice had wanted us to stop by to help plan the wedding.

"I found your clothes hung over the towel rack to dry after you fell asleep, so I went ahead and washed them and threw them in the dryer." He handed me the clothes I'd worn for a couple of hours last night.

"Thank you." I said sincerely., smiling at his gesture. I walked to the bathroom to change and came out a few minutes later.

When I got out of the bathroom, Edward was in different clothing too, and he was standing by the door, cell phone at his ear.

"Yes, Mom. I'll be home." I heard a voice at the other end, the woman sounded worried.

"Mom, have you ever known me to miss any important holiday?" Edward sounded annoyed, but there was a tone in his voice that was gentle, even in his irritability. He signaled me to follow him, and we left the apartment, and walked into the elevator.

"Alright Mom, I'll see you next weekend. I love you, bye." He hung up, and looked at me. I realized then that next weekend was Thanksgiving. Not that it mattered much, I usually spent Thanksgiving with Mike's family, my Father wasn't much of a holiday person, and I usually only visited him on his Birthday or long weekends.

"My Mother isn't very at ease during the holiday season. She gets stressed about everything, right down to what kind of tablecloth to use. And then she makes a big deal out of what to get my sister's kids for Christmas." He laughed, an odd apologetic look in his eyes.

"You have a sister?" I asked, curious now.

"Kind of, it's complicated."

"I can keep up."

"We'll go for a walk after the coffee shop, alright?" He smiled.

"Sure." I said, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

We reached the lobby and made our way to Alice and Jasper's coffee shop, which was less than a block away from Edward's apartment.

We got to the coffee shop, and immediately I saw Alice's eyes grow suspicious of Edward and I. I waved at her nervously, and we joined her and Jasper at their corner table near a large picture window.

The meeting was a strange happening, and I didn't recollect much. Except that I was Alice's maid-of-honor, and that Edward was Jasper's best-man. The rest was all dress colors, bachelorette parties, and bridal registries, Jasper and Edward spent most of the time talking about the bachelor party and food. Edward had grown strangely quiet, even towards Jasper. And I could sense that something wasn't right. His body language threw me off, and I couldn't quite find my balance again.

"So," Alice started, ending the meeting. "Next meeting at 6:00 on Tuesday, be there." She said, and I assured her I wouldn't leave her hanging.

Edward and I began our walk, during which he casually held my hand. I stopped halfway down the street.

"So," I turned to him, trying to spark conversation. "Your sister…" I trailed. He looked straight ahead, his expression un-changing.

"My aunt wasn't exactly what someone would call 'parent material', if you know what I mean. She just didn't like the idea of being tied down with children." He paused, and in my own mind I had already began to fill in the blanks.

"So, after Emmett passed, and I graduated high school, my mother didn't think she had it in her to go through the whole 'empty nest' syndrome thing. So she kind of took Tanya in. She was pregnant at the time and only sixteen, but it kept my mom busy, after Tanya's mom kicked her out. After she graduated high school she married the father of her first baby, and they've had two more since then. Keep in mind this was almost 6 years ago. They're actually really happy - Tanya and her husband, I mean. And my parents love being around their grandchildren all the time. They bought them a house just down the street from their's as their wedding present." He explained it all, and I felt like I had a dumbfounded look on my face, so I quickly composed myself.

"That was really nice of them…" It was all I thought to say.

We reached his apartment building, and stopped next to my car.

"Well, class in the morning." I exhaled, and he nodded.

"Work in the morning." He smirked, handing me my keys that he still had in his pocket from last night. His hand moved from mine to a strand of hair in my face, which he pushed behind my ear. Then he placed a kiss on my forehead, slow and gentle, and the simplest thing I'd ever experienced in my life. So simple it just about caused me to collapse right there. I let my breathing catch up to me, and looked into his eyes, searching for something I didn't know whether or not existed.

"Well, I'll see you Tuesday. 6 o'clock." I said, and he nodded.

"Tuesday, six o'clock." A slight smile on his lips. I reached my vehicle, and began the drive home, still completely taken. I parked outside my building, and smiled the whole way up to my apartment.

Songs:

The Best Day of Your Life - Katie Herzig (playing while Edward and Bella discuss wedding details for Jasper and Alice's wedding)

Wish You Well - Katie Herzig (playing while Edward and Bella go for a walk, continues as they speak by her car.)

Author's note:

Sorry for the short chapter, it will be made up for in the next, PROMISE! I know I've been kind of disappointing lately, but hey, it's life. What can you do? I'll have another chapter done before the New Year also. Now I just have to make it good enough that you're all held over until possibly Spring Break…. Unless I can find a time during the week to make this a consistent bi-weekly thing.

Again, I apologize, just a little tie-over chapter to keep you thinking and on your feet.

Will write back soon,

Read and REVIEW, I neeeeeeed reviews. Only have 6. Don't want to waste my time if few people are going to read and review this, love writing, but I also loveeee hearing your opinions. No hate mail, please! Thanks, hope you all had a GREATTTT Christmas!