AN:
AN: Wow, I can't believe I got this one out so soon! I guess I just really love Bella's POV. Not as much as Edward's, though. Maybe not. I'm still deciding.
Mini-Recap: There was another man in Bella's apartment. Another man besides me in Bella's apartment. My Bella's apartment. By her invitation.
It was a minute before I realized I had sunk to the ground by the door.
My Bella.
Summary: AU. All human. Canon Pairings. In the beginning, he never thought anything like this would happen. He never knew things could flip completely upside down in those few little seconds. The few seconds it took to say those three magic words.
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Twilight; Stephenie Meyer does. I also do not own the Wombats, or their song, Little Miss Pipedream.
.:o0o:.
Chapter 6 – Mailbox Conversations
Bella
It was a normal as I walked down to my mailbox to check for mail. I was happy from yesterday, seeing Andrew again. It had been such a long time for us. But we had finally bumped into each other. He had left early this morning, sleeping here since he had reluctantly admitted that he didn't have a place to stay, seeing as he arrived here yesterday morning. I sighed. Typical Andrew.
Opening the rusty old box, I pulled out a few envelopes and another package. From anonymous, no doubt. Whom Edward liked to call my 'secret' admirer. I smiled, checking the envelopes and noticed they were only a few bills and junk mail. I turned to the package in my hand, wondering what it could be this time. But I didn't open it just yet. Opening these mysterious gifts was kind of a tradition between Edward and I.
No sooner had this thought crossed my mind when a figure hugged me from behind, and a familiar voice greeted my ears. It was accompanied by the also familiar tingling in my legs that left me paralyzed from the waist down.
"Guess who?"
"Mr. C, how could it be anybody else but you?" I loved when he gave me hugs from behind. They were the best. I leaned against him, fitting into place, and tilted my head upward expecting to see his crooked-smiling face. But his face wasn't smiling. His eyebrows were knit together, his eyes colored with a small bit of hurt.
"Oh, I dunno," Edward answered, "Just some strange guy leaving your apartment at five thirty this morning. A morning stroll does gain some insight to your neighbors, hmm?"
I blushed and then started giggling. Edward didn't seem to like my reaction for some reason. But then it dawned on me. Poor Edward.
"No, no, no, no, no, Edward," I told him, leaning back farther into his chest. "It's not like that. That was Andrew you saw. I bumped into him last night and we haven't seen each other in so long. He needed someplace to stay the night so I –"
"Uh huh, sure," he interrupted, looking disappointed and . . . jealous?
"Edward," I said sternly, "Let me finish." He nodded, disgruntled. "What I was about to say is that Andrew. Is. My. Brother."
That threw him. Edward stared at me in shock, disbelief decorating his perfect features. Another few emotions flew through his eyes until he finally burst out laughing. And then he looked at me in mock hurt, pouting. Ah, crap, I thought, he knows I can't resist that face.
"How come you never told me that you had a brother?" he asked.
"Well," I said, fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves as his arms were still wrapped around me. "He's technically my stepbrother. When my mom remarried, my stepfather already had a son. So stop worrying and being all protective. Geez."
"I can't help being protective," he replied with the crooked grin. "I don't want just any guy to whisk you away from me."
"Oh," I said, "So you plan on keeping me all to yourself then?"
"Most definitely." He buried his nose into my hair and I was sure I felt his lips press into my scalp, too. I shivered. It was fine by me if he held me hostage.
"Well, come on," I said eventually, after standing like that with him for God knows how long. "We've got another anonymous gift to open."
"Ah," he said, letting me go, save for my hand, which was clasped in his. "Another one to add to the collection? Maybe I should hunt this guy down before he whisks you away from me."
"Oh, stop it," I nudged him playfully. "You're just too protective for your own good, you know that?"
"I would think it's my duty as a knight in shining armor to defend the beautiful lady," Edward said, smirking.
"That was cheesy and you know it."
"Oh, I know," was his reply.
We walked up the two sets of stairs, holding the package in my right hand, my left clasped with his right, his left hand grasping the rest of my mail, and talking lightly. When we reached my door, he put the mail in his mouth, and picked me up into his arms. Surprised, I squeaked, but then giggled as he kicked the semi-open door and entered my apartment.
"Aren't you supposed to wait until we're married to carry me across the threshold?" I asked sarcastically.
"I guess," he answered after dropping the envelopes on the counter. "Will you marry me then, Izzy?"
"Why, Eddie, of course I will," I teased and rolled my eyes. He constantly asked me that, always calling me Izzy as he had finally found out my full name. Most of the time he was joking, but some of the other times, I wasn't so sure.
He set me down on the couch and then plopped down next to me himself. Putting the package down on my lap, I stared at it, turned it around, and stared at it some more. I picked it up, weighing it, set it back down and stared at it. Shook it and listened to the sound. Edward chuckled at the routine I went through every time I got one of these.
"So, what's your evaluation this time, love?" he asked me as I carefully picked at the end of the tape closing it shut.
"I'm not sure. It's relatively small. Doesn't rattle at all and weighs not much," I rambled. "All in all, I have no clue."
"Open it, then," he told me, handing me a pair of scissors. I slid them through the tape and set them down, opening the flaps of the box. Hesitating, I looked up at Edward, who had the same look as he always did when we did this. Curiosity mixed with apprehension. But he gave me a nod and a smile for encouragement.
I looked in the box and saw only a million tiny packing peanuts. Digging through them, my hands found another cube. Pulling the box out, I hastily cut the tape with the scissors again and opened it to more peanuts. Frowning, I repeated the process again and again until the next box I uncovered was four times smaller than the first box. At this point I was grumbling loudly and Edward was chuckling in my ear. Two more boxes and a thousand more peanuts later, I held a small jewelry box in my hand.
"Think this is the last one?" I asked Edward, looking up at him.
"I'm positive," he smiled at me.
Closing my eyes, I pinched open the box slowly. When it squeaked into place, fully open, I opened my eyes, gazing straight into Edward's. Smiling, I looked down at the box and let out a small gasp.
It was a ring. A sky blue rose attached to a silver band. And I actually really liked it. Picking it up between my index finger and thumb, I slid it onto each finger, seeing which one it would fit best on. It ended up on my left pointer finger, a perfect fit. I smiled and looked up at Edward, who was grinning and smiling down at me.
"Look at the return address," he whispered in my ear. Complying, I picked up the first box that lie at my feet and found the address.
Edward Cullen
Fort Canby Park Road
Bluebell Cottage Apartment 3B
Cape Disappointment, WA
"From you?" I whispered.
"I thought you would like it," he said, pulling me back into his arms. "Alice helped me pick it out, because she thought it would go nicely with your dress for the convention tonight."
"Ugh," I groaned as he reminded me of the banquet thing he and Alice were pulling Elza and I along to. He frowned, so I quickly added, "I do like it. I love it, actually. I just really don't want to go to that. Why do I have to again?"
"Because if I have to suffer, then you do, too."
"Oh, thanks," I shot back, sighing. His father, as a doctor, was having some sort of charity convention or something. Even though it was for charity, I really did not want to go. I hated dancing. And I knew Edward would make me. But both he and Alice put on their puppy dog faces and begged me to go. I couldn't resist that. "Well," I said, "I guess Alice will be here soon, then, with Elza and Rose, maybe, to torture me, right? And I think that Andrew might –"
The door banging open cut me off and Andrew burst through the door. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"- be here," I concluded. Edward gripped me tighter as he glared at Andrew. I reached up to him and whispered in his ear, "Brother," and proceeded with a quick kiss on his cheek before getting up and walking into the kitchen.
"So, what do you want to eat?" I asked my brother, who was lounging in one of the kitchen table chairs. I heard Edward walk in and lean against the doorway. I turned around to look at him and beamed at the bronze-haired man.
"Did someone mention food?" Edward asked.
"Well, mister, would you like –"
"Who's this?" Andrew exclaimed, a delayed reaction, as he jumped up from his chair looking back and forth between my next-door neighbor slash best friend and me.
"Relax, Andrew, my God," I told him, rolling my eyes. "This is Edward, who I was telling you about last night, remember?"
"What? Your boyfriend?" he asked, staring at me while his eyes flicked back to Edward a few times. Glancing at Edward myself, I saw his eyes light up at what Andrew said, but brushed it off as my imagination.
"No, silly," I said, rolling my eyes again, and seeing Edward's face droop a little. I sighed. "Weren't you even listening to me? He's my best friend. And lives across the hall."
"Oh, him," Andrew replied, sitting back down, and mumbled to himself, "Your lover boy."
"Nice to meet you," Edward said, sitting down opposite my brother and offering his hand. Andrew shook it, eyeing Edward warily. Protective older brother is almost worse than Edward, I thought to myself.
"So," I said again, "What do you guys want to eat?"
"Fruity Pebbles," Andrew grunted, turning to me.
"How about some of your famous BLTs?" Edward asked.
"Exactly what I was thinking," Andrew said, tapping his fingers on the table and looking out into oblivion.
"Coming right up."
A little over ten minutes later, I had three sandwiches laid out before the three of us. Throughout lunch, light conversation followed and the two boys on either side of me grew somewhat friendly towards each other. I'm sure when I went to clean the dishes, Andrew gave Edward the talking to about me. Typical Andrew, I repeated my thought from this morning.
A few hours later, Andrew left again, planning to go see Mom and Phil – Dad to him – leaning Edward and I alone again. But before too long, Alice, Elza, and Rose came barging in. After demanding Edward to leave, they began the torture. Or what they liked to call getting ready.
I tuned them out for the most part, thinking of Edward, mostly. When I told them this, as usual, they rolled their eyes and muttered together something along the lines of, "You know you like him," which I usually denied. He was my best friend.
Staring in the mirror as they finished with me and went to get ready themselves, I smiled, always happy with the end result, no matter how much I hated the process. My chocolate hair was curled, not naturally like usual, but in ringlets that framed my face. The makeup was light, except for the tiniest bit of blue eyeliner Rosalie forced on me. And then there was my dress.
It was cobalt blue, a royal blue, and flowed down to the floor. Even though I usually disliked halter-tops, this one was bearable, soft and loose. The entire dress was pleated like an accordion. The fabric twisted between the breasts and flared out from there, billowing out whenever I moved. I have to admit, I really liked it, even though I was sure it cost a whole lot.
My shoes were reasonable, for once. With barely an inch of heel, they were silver and simple. I smiled, grateful that they had not forced me into any death traps as they often tried.
The rest of the girls soon came out, looking gorgeous as only they could. Elza had her hair pulled to the back of her head with bobby pins, adorned with white roses. She wore and elegant white dress with black lace around the bodice and also below. On her feet were silver shoes that here held on by a black ribbon. I blanched as I imagined wearing them. At least my sister had no trouble with her balance. Rosalie was wearing a red dress that fit her curves perfectly, with red heels on her feet. Her makeup was subtle but loud, and her curled blonde locks fell down to her lower back. Alice was sporting a long and sleek pink dress, which no doubt covered her extra tall high heels. Her pixie-like hair was spiked out this way and that, but looked stunning all the same, along with her smoky eyes and bright red lips.
I smiled at them, and we all exchanged compliments on our appearance, though we all knew we'd say we looked beautiful even if we were dressed in pillowcases and garbage bags. I don't think that the three girls before me couldn't look extraordinary in anything, though.
Minutes later, I opened the door to a very handsome Edward, dressed in a tux. Resisting the urge to ogle at my boyfriend – I mean, best friend. Where the hell did that come from? I wondered, shaking my head – I took his hand and Alice, Rose, and Elza followed us out, down to his and Alice's cars. The three girls took Alice's Porsche, leaving me with Edward.
"Might I say you look beautiful tonight?" he asked, as he held the car door open for me.
"You tell me that everyday, Edward," I told him dully, taking his outstretched hand.
"Well, you look extra gorgeous today, m'dear," he said, bringing my hand up to his mouth and kissing it lightly. I blushed, of course, and he helped me into the car – not that I needed help, but every time I complained, he shut me right up – and closed the door.
"Well," I said, as Edward started to drive away from the B.C., "You look quite handsome yourself, sir."
"I try," he said, smiling at me.
"Why try at something you already succeed in?" I asked him.
"It's a talent," he replied and looked at me as I rolled my eyes yet again, to which he stuck his tongue out at me. Instead of laughing like I generally did at the childish act coming from him, I suppressed the impulse to kiss him right then and there. I shook my head again. Where was this coming from? I asked myself. I should not be thinking things like that about my best friend. I blinked, looking at him again, as he tried to reassure me that as long as he lead the dancing, I would not fall. But I wasn't listening to him. My eyes were concentrating on his lips, how soft they looked, the natural pink hue of them, the way they formed perfectly around each word, his tongue helping him shape the sounds. And I couldn't get the want to kiss him, kiss those lips, out of my head, not matter how hard I tried. Maybe if I got drunk enough, he would pass a little kiss off as nothing . . .
"Bella!" he shouted, gently shaking me out of my reverie.
"Huh?" I asked tiredly, blinking rapidly and taking in a large gulp of air.
"We're here, Bella," his lips said quietly. Again with the lips! "You've been staring at me for about ten minutes without answering. Are you okay?"
"Oh, sorry," I said, blushing, " I was just, uh, thinking about something . . ."
"Okay," he said, though it came out as a question, perhaps for my sanity. He then hopped out and walked around the car. I scrunched my eyes closed, trying fervently to banish the thoughts of kissing my best friend from my mind, but utterly failing. Edward opened the door and held his hand out again. I took it, ignoring the electric current it sent through my body, vibrating in my toes all the way up to my navel. I stood up beside him and shivered from being so close to him. His arm snaked its way around my waist as he planted a kiss on my cheek. I froze, keeping my thoughts at bay, and looked up into his smoldering emerald eyes, my own eyes widening too large. He grinned crookedly down at me and held my body closer to his.
I shivered again, trying my best to keep the pounding of my heart to a minimum, and leaned into the man I knew, deep down, I wanted more than anything else.
.:o0o:.
AN: Hope you liked it! You were probably really worried about Andrew, huh? Anyways, the dresses from this chapter and chapter three – the apartment party – are in a link on my profile. But I don't think the link works, and I don't know why. Any help? Or suggestions/ideas. I could use some of those. Sorry, no sneak peek.
Loves to all of you!
Laura.
