Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plane ticket that got me to school. What a waste of money…
Dirty Pretty Things
Chapter Six- Edward's Point of View
The ride to Gilbert's was filled with comfortable silence between Bella and me.
After she was finished changing, I suggested we go out for a late breakfast and maybe the beach. It was a free day for both of us and the idea of just spending it together was the only thing on my mind.
Gilbert's was a small restaurant on Melrose Avenue and one of Alice's favorites. I knew there was the small chance that it might be crowded with photographers, but since it was still relatively early, I hoped that we would avoid them. When I had told Bella that I usually didn't go to breakfast and had to ask Alice for an ideal restaurant, Bella had admitted that she rarely went out to eat and didn't have any preference.
There was something so easy about being with her; she didn't care about going to hotspot where she could be photographed. Instead, she just cared about us being together. I smiled at the thought.
"What's so funny?" Bella questioned suspiciously, smiling.
She was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a tank top and I was dressed similarly in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a black t-shirt.
"Just thinking about you." I admitted, reaching to hold her hand. She allowed it and our joined hands rested easily on her lap.
She laughed lightly. "Thinking about me makes you laugh? Is that a good thing?" she joked. I laughed as well, squeezing her hand slightly.
"I was thinking about how you don't care about where we go for breakfast, how it doesn't matter if you get seen or not. Rosalie used to drag Emmett around every weekend in hopes of getting spotted by photographers." I explained.
She looked down at our intertwined hands before looking back at me again.
"Do you wish I was more like that? That I care about wanting to get my picture in a magazine with the 'fan favorite, Edward Cullen'?" she asked, quoting what the host from The View had said at the interview.
I looked at her and shook my head. "I'm… relieved. That's one of the many things that I like about you. It's easy to be with you, Bella. I don't have to go out of my way to please you, which I would be more than happy to do."
"Well, maybe I should be more demanding." She joked, leaning over and kissing me softly on the jaw.
I smiled and I turned my head to kiss her but she pulled away.
"Shouldn't you be driving?" she laughed.
I groaned and turned my attention back to the road.
Three minutes later, as I parallel parked on the street, my frustration was boiling over. It only took ten seconds for me to turn the car off and reach across to pull Bella into a kiss. She giggled and lifted her head to me as we kissed, her hands going to the front of my shirt. I held her face as we kissed furiously.
"Edward." She whispered, pushing against my chest.
I took it as a call to continue, but she pushed more away, this time more roughly. I pulled back and looked at her, confused and hurt. She was shielding her face with her hand.
"What's wrong?" I asked softly, reaching for her hands. She nudged her head in the direction of the windshield.
I looked out and found several photographers with their large cameras taking picture after picture of us. I groaned and leaned back against my seat. Looking at Bella, I could see that she was a little embarrassed and maybe even scared.
"Why don't we just head inside?" I suggested.
She nodded and reached for the door, but I stopped her.
"Wait for me to come over and get you. I don't want them pushing you around. They can get a little vicious." I warned.
She smiled at my protectiveness and stayed where she was.
I got out quickly and pushed my way through the photographers.
"How long have you been together, Edward? Is she pregnant?" shouted a photographer.
I clenched my jaw but ignored him. I couldn't stand the paparazzi that thought I'd tell them anything if they were persistent enough. I couldn't even count how many there were. More questions were thrown at me and I seriously considered just getting in the car and driving away. I shook my head, refusing to let them win and scare me into leaving.
I helped Bella out of the car and she instantly grabbed my hand, staying as close to my side as possible. I smiled down at her reassuringly, but I couldn't ignore how scared she looked even though she was trying to hide it by smiling. I lead the way to the restaurant and photographers clicked away, shouting out inappropriate questions. For the most part they gave us space, but as we neared the restaurant, they began jostling for the closest shot.
"You'd think they've never seen anyone go to breakfast before." Bella remarked, smirking.
I opened my mouth to reply but was silenced by what came next.
It happened quickly and I wasn't entirely sure how, but Bella was knocked away from me and sent falling backward by a photographer. I caught her easily and made sure she was upright before turning my anger to the man that ran into her. He had been fighting for position and been pushed into Bella, but his face was smiling.
"What the hell is your problem? You could've hurt her." I growled, making a move towards him.
The photographer sensed just how livid I was and back away, all while taking pictures.
Son of a bitch, I thought, fully prepared to punch him for going near Bella.
"It's OK. I'm fine. Let's just get inside." Bella whispered from behind me.
She reached out and grabbed my hand, steering me towards the restaurant doors. I made sure she stayed close to me, shielding her as much as possible with my body. Once we were safely inside, with the doors shut and the photographers locked out, I turned to her completely.
"Are you alright?" I asked, reaching up with my free hand to push her hair behind her ear.
She looked shaken, but smiled. "I'm fine." She insisted, leaning her head into my hand.
"I should've held onto you tighter. I'm so sorry." I told her, beginning to regret coming here at all.
"It's not your fault, Edward. I'm fine. Really. I have my own knight in shining armor around to protect me." She said smiling, leading me as the waiter took us to our table in the center of the crowded room. I requested something more private and he led us to a small booth in the back.
Gilbert's was filled with several famous actors, eating breakfast with their agents or significant others. Mixed in with them were businessmen and even a few families.
I slid into the bench across from Bella, watching her as her eyes drifted around the room. With its bright yellow walls and huge windows that overlooked the restaurant's patio, it was just the happy environment I wanted to be in after everything that had happened outside.
"Thank you for bringing me here." Bella said softly, reaching across the table to hold my hand.
"Not a problem. Any time I have the chance to show you off, I will." I quipped.
She shook her head, laughing. "I can she why Alice likes this place." She remarked. "It's so light and open. I'd much rather be here than the set."
I nodded.
"Six a.m. call times? Laurent's constant screaming? There are a few things I definitely don't miss about work." I admitted.
"Yeah, but I'm looking forward to some of the changes that are being made. You know, people coming back…" she said, her voice trailing off.
She was right, that was a major plus. I was having a hard time imagining work to be the same now that I'd have Bella there with me.
"I don't know if I'll be able to remember any of my lines. Someone might distract me."
"Oh really? Maybe you should avoid that person. Don't let them interfere with your work." She said in mock seriousness.
I glared at her. "No way."
The waiter brought us water and took our orders. I ordered an omelet while Bella, without even looking at the menu, ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato.
"Grilled cheese?" I asked, confused.
"Oh not you, too! I swear, people and their breakfast. Why shouldn't grilled cheese be allowed for breakfast? It's my favorite food!"
"In that case, I'll have to make you one, sometime. How about for dinner?" I teased.
"I probably would eat it. At the nasty diner I used to work at, the only thing I trusted them to cook right was grilled cheese. I never got sick of it either. It's too good." She said earnestly.
Of course she'd like the easiest meal in the world.
"Well, in that case, eat all the grilled cheese you want." I told her, trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh, come on. There has to be one food that you could eat over and over again. Something you could never have too much of?" Bella insisted.
I thought about it.
"Hot dogs." I said.
"Seriously?" she asked, skeptically.
I nodded. "In New York, Alice, Emmett and I used to get hot dogs from street carts. They'd been sitting out for hours in that cart, but that only added to the flavor. Besides, when your parents have a knack for hiring cooks that only made the strangest foods, hot dogs were the obvious choice."
"That's disgusting." She said, laughing.
"This coming from the girl that lived off of grilled cheese from a dirty diner?"
She rolled her eyes. "It wasn't by choice, trust me. You just have to make the best out of what you've got, you know?"
I nodded. I knew that I had lived a privileged life, but now that I thought about it, I really hoped I took advantage of everything I did have. My parents hadn't spoiled me, but at the same time it was hard to imagine struggling to pay the bills or working in a dirty diner.
"What was it like, growing up like that?" I asked, wanting to know more about Bella.
I knew that her and Alice had talked, but I wanted to find out as much as I could about her on my own.
"I didn't grow up poor. Up until two years ago, I didn't even have to carry a job." She admitted, looking uncomfortable.
She seemed to clam up when talking about herself or her past and I was anxious to know why.
"What happened?" I asked softly, moving my thumb in small circles around the top of her hand.
"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, skeptical at the thought of someone wanting to know about her life.
I nodded, encouraging her to continue. She tried to smile, but I could tell whatever she was going to say was hard.
"When I was seventeen, my parents were killed in a car crash. The other driver had run a red light, speeding. He died, too." She said slowly, looking down at the tabletop.
She reached for her water, taking a small sip before setting it down again. A wave of sadness washed over me. She looked so sad and I couldn't even begin to think of what I would do if I lost my parents.
"Bella…"
"Don't say you're sorry. Please. I'm OK. The first year was really hard, but it's gotten, well, I don't know if I'd say easier, but more bearable."
I reached across the table and lifted her chin so that she was looking me in the eyes.
"You know, Jacob lost his parents and brother in a car crash when he was younger. He used to tell me about how it was difficult to open up to people." I told her.
"Yeah. I know what he means. It's like- no one understands how you're feeling. I remember after it happened, I'd have such a hard time trying to fall asleep at night. Eventually I couldn't, and the only time I managed to sleep was when I passed out from exhaustion. It still gets hard every year, when it's a holiday or near the time that they died. I want to be able to say that I've moved on, but I know I can't. I couldn't afford to keep the house we lived in and had to sell most of their things to pay for the funeral. I just hate to open up and talk about it. I don't like to even think about it." Bella admitted, staring into my eyes.
It all made sense now; her tendency to tense up in unfamiliar situations or shut herself off when the past was brought up.
"Bella, I can't even imagine what it was like for you, but I don't want you to ever shut me out. I want to, no, I need to be there for you. I can't have it any other way." I told her, stroking her cheek.
She smiled and nodded her head. "I'm not used to having someone there for me. It may be hard at first, but I promise not to shut you out." She vowed.
The waiter came with our food and Bella's eyes lit up at the sight of her sandwich. It was only then that we stopped holding hands so that we could eat.
"This is so good." She remarked, looking perfectly content.
She held the sandwich out to me and I took a bite, grimacing.
"Oh, shut up." She said, annoyed.
I laughed, digging into my omelet.
"Want some?" I offered.
"No way. Eggs don't go with grilled cheese."
"Come on. I tried your food, you have to try mine." I told her.
She rolled her eyes and ate the forkful of omelet I gave her.
She shook her head. "It's edible, but it's not a grilled cheese."
I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off by my cell phone ringing. I went to silence it until I saw the caller ID.
"It's Jacob." I said, putting it back in my pocket. I didn't want to interrupt our time together.
"Edward, answer it. Make sure he's alright." Bella insisted.
I pulled the phone back out and hit the answer button. "Hey Jacob."
"Hey, Angela just dropped me off at the club to get my bike. I wanted to let you know that we did what you told us to and talked." Jacob said, his voice sounding gruff and slightly hung over.
"How'd it go?" I asked wearily, hoping for a good answer, but if Jacob had already left Angela, I probably wasn't going to get one.
"I'm fine. Angela isn't. She just doesn't get it. We've been broken up for over a month now. I need to be able to be around her without her freaking out all the time. Anyways, what'd I end up missing last night?" Jacob asked, yawning.
"Well…" I said, looking at Bella. She looked concerned.
"I'm with Bella at Gilbert's right now. I know she wants to check on Angela. Maybe you can come by the house and I'll fill you in?" I offered.
I heard Jacob laugh. "Breakfast with Bella, huh? You work fast."
"It's not like that." I insisted.
"Uh-huh. Whatever you say. Is one too early for me to come by, or will you and Bella be done by than?" he asked.
"That's fine. I'll see you then." I said, hanging out.
"Everything OK?" Bella asked nervously, clearly hoping Angela and Jacob had reconciled.
"Jacob said Angela's upset. I figured you'd might want to go over there?"
Bella nodded. "Of course. Could you drop me off at the studio? I left my car there when Angela was dragging me around yesterday."
I said yes and signaled the waiter for the check.
I reached across the table to grab her hand. "Maybe we could plan something for tonight? After were done with Angela and Jacob?" I asked, already thinking of ways to spend time with her.
Bella smiled and nodded. "Dinner? Some place without the paparazzi?"
I instantly had an idea. "My place? I'll cook. Is seven good for you?"
"It's perfect." She said, leaning across the table to kiss me softly.
It was a quick kiss, Bella didn't seem like a huge fan of PDA, but it still turned me on. It took all my strength not to cancel on Jacob and just take Bella home with me.
By the time I got to my house it was already a little after one. We had managed to get out of the restaurant and to the car without any more run ins with the paparazzi. Jacob's motorcycle was parked in the driveway and was no doubt waiting inside. As I parked and made my way inside, I wondered how I'd be able to explain myself.
Jacob knew me better than almost anyone. However, he was very much aware of my past. I was not the type to be in a relationship and explaining just how much I cared about Bella might not even seem real to him.
I found Jacob sitting in the living room with Rosalie, watching SportsCenter on the TV.
The living room was sunken and had a large beige L-shaped couch. The coffee table in the center of the room was glass, as was the entertainment center that held the flat screen TV and various electronics. A black fireplace filled with wood was off to the side and the carpet was a darker shade of beige than the couch. Attached to the living room was the kitchen, where Emmett was grabbing a bowl of cereal.
It looked like he and Rosalie had just woken up. He gave a nod when he saw me and went to sit next to Rosalie, who was holding onto a mug of coffee and looking more than a little hung over.
"Where's Alice and Jasper?" I asked, noticing their absence.
"Alice had to get some stuff finished at work for some event tonight and Jasper went to run errands." Emmett said, sounding exhausted. He hadn't been drinking last night, but with his busy off-season training schedule, he was always tired.
"Jacob said you were going to tell him all about you and Bella dating. Really, Edward?" Rosalie asked, as if the idea of Bella and me dating was just some kind of joke.
I ignored her.
"We're together. As of last night." I told Jacob, going to sit on the matching recliner that sat opposite of the couch.
"What brought all this on?" Jacob asked, eyeing me a little suspiciously.
I sighed. I really didn't want to get into it with Rosalie around. She was real bitch when she wanted to be.
"I really like Bella. The studio would send over footage of the show when I was in talks to come back. I saw her and wanted to meet her. Now that I have, we both want to be together."
"A little fast, don't you think, Edward?" Rosalie remarked, sipping her coffee.
She was glaring at me and I fought the urge to snap at her.
"It's fast, how we got together and everything, but we want to take our time with this. She'll be coming over for dinner." I told them.
"I'm happy for you, Edward. It's about time you found a good girl." Emmett remarked, no doubt referring to past habit of flings.
In the past it wasn't about being with as many girls as I could, I just could never manage to put up with one for more than a couple of weeks. Most of the time they only wanted to be seen with me rather than date me anyways. They didn't see me as Edward; they saw me as Greg Manning, bad boy of Dirty Pretty Things.
"I'll second that. Bella is nice, not to mention she's about to be as famous as you. She'll be able to understand what you're going through, unlike the other chicks you've dated." Jacob added, looking genuinely happy for me.
What about you, Jacob? I know there's a certain girl in your life that'd be able to be there for you." I said, trying to shift the conversation to Angela.
Jacob's eyes darkened and he shook his head. "We're through. When we went to talk I had no intention of getting back together with her and I still don't. I love her, I always will, but some things you can't forget."
"Jacob, whatever happened, it's clear that Angela didn't mean…"
"I forgive her, Edward." Jacob interrupted and I could tell that he meant it. "Forgetting is another story."
So that took a while to post. Sorry for the wait, the first few days back at school are always a little hectic. I have the next couple chapters outlined, and the next chapter is in the process of being written. Feedback is, as always, welcome and wanted. I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to Edward and Bella's intimate dinner. I know they got together fast, but it isn't smooth sailing from here.
Always,
Eden
