Chapter 7- Lights set to music
In only a few short days I had grown accustomed to waking up in Edwards's arms so I was surprised, when I reached for him on Sunday morning, to find the other half of my bed cold.
"Edward?" I called out, hoping that he was only in the kitchen. When I received no answer I started to get worried. He was usually so attentive, he wouldn't just leave without telling me, something had to be wrong.
I was searching for my cell phone when I heard the front door open; I rushed to the living room, anxious for an explanation. He was standing at the counter with his back to me, pulling some take out containers from a bag. He had obviously only left to get us some breakfast, I felt a little foolish for jumping to conclusions.
He must have heard me because he whirled around, "I was hoping to get back before you woke up."
I crossed to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and laying my head on his chest. I seemed to breath easier when I was in his arms. "I woke up, because I missed you."
"I only went to get some breakfast. I wouldn't leave without telling you."
Pulling away from him to see what he had gotten, I was stunned by the amount of food sitting there. "What… are we expecting company?" I asked him with a chuckle.
He ran his hands through his hair, something I noticed he did when he was nervous, before looking up at me sheepishly. "Well, the thing is… I ran into an old friend of mine the other day. I had no idea that him and his wife lived here. I promised to have breakfast with them today, and he eats enough food for three people. I was going to mention it, but with everything that went on yesterday it sorta slipped my mind. So I called him this morning and they're going to meet us here. You don't mind do you?"
This seemed like a huge step in our… relationship? Is that what we had? I guess it was as good a word as any. Meeting each other's friends, were we ready for that? He had met Alice of course, but she was dating his brother. I thought about it, it was a big step, but I hoped this meant that he wanted to continue to see me after our twelve days were up.
"I guess it's no problem. When are they going to be here?" I asked, studying myself in the mirror, I definitely didn't want to meet them looking like this. My hair was sticking in all different directions, having had Edward's fingers buried in it last night. I was only wearing a thin tank top and boy shorts, the outfit left little to the imagination.
"In about a half hour?" It came out sounding more like a question, appearing uncertain.
I squeaked and took off running towards the bathroom. I wasn't normally a girly girl who cared what other people thought, but I didn't want to look like some hooker dragged in off the street.
I hurried through my shower and grooming, before pulling on the first decent thing I found in my wardrobe.
I could hear voices murmuring when I stepped into the hallway. I took a deep breath and straightened my back before walking to the living room, my head held high.
I found everyone sitting around the dining table, chatting easily, no one seemed to notice my entrance so I took a minute to observe the two strangers in front of me. The man was built like the hulk; I don't think I've ever seen someone so big before. He had dark curly hair and dimples that made him look more approachable.
The woman was simply gorgeous; she looked like she could have easily been a model. Her long flowing blond hair was perfectly groomed, and her clothes were obviously of higher quality than mine.
I felt severely underdressed and debated going to change before they spotted me. I guess luck wasn't on my side since Edward chose that moment to look up. He smiled at me before rising to take my hand.
"Emmett, Rosalie, this is my Bella." I looked at him questionably. Did I hear that right? Did he just say my Bella? "Bella, this is Rosalie and Emmett. I grew up with Emmett in Chicago, before he moved away."
I stepped forward to shake their hands, but instead found myself engulfed in a huge hug. It felt like a boa constrictor was wrapped around me, cutting off my air supply. Before I could utter my complaint, I heard a smack followed by Rose speaking. "Emmett, you're going to squeeze the life right outta her, give the girl some room to breath."
Releasing me, he stepped back looking chagrined. "Sorry about that, I get a little carried away sometimes."
I laughed his apology off, assuring him that it wasn't necessary, before we all sat down to eat. I learned that while Rose, as she asked me to call her, looked like a model, she actually owned her own car garage.
They had relocated to Seattle a couple of years ago for work. Emmett, who turned out to be a big teddy bear, was a sports reporter. I laughed when he joked that everyone was always surprised when he told them his profession, they just assumed he was a dumb jock most of the time. Instead, he interviewed dumb jocks for a living.
By the time we had finished our food I felt like I had known them for a long time. I couldn't believe I had been afraid of meeting them.
While they were putting on their jackets to leave Rose turned towards us, "Hey what are you guys doing tonight?"
"It's kinda up in the air right now, but it has to be something Christmas related, why?" Edward asked.
"We always go on this Christmas lights tour." Emmett piped up. "It's really cool, you ride around on this bus and they take you past all of the best displays. You two should come with us."
Edward nodded, "Yeah, that sounds perfect. Would you care if we invited Jasper and his girlfriend Alice to come? She's also Bella's roommate, I think you'll like her."
I understood why Edward had agreed to go without consulting me; it was part of our deal after all. I was excited by the prospect of Alice and Jasper coming along, I felt like I hadn't gotten a chance to hang out with her much lately.
"The more the merrier." Emmett laughed, slapping Edward on the back.
We spent the rest of the afternoon just doing normal couple things. We went grocery shopping and did some laundry. I normally hated doing these things, but with Edward, they somehow seemed less like chores.
Edward had texted Jasper earlier in the day, extending the invitation for tonight. After checking with Alice, they agreed to show up a little early so we could all ride together.
Traffic was heavier the closer we got to the bus depot, this was obviously a popular event. There were several busses that departed around the same time, each one taking a different route. All the same houses were shown, but this prevented congestion in the neighborhoods.
We met up with Rose and Emmett, making sure everyone knew each other before purchasing our tickets. Once we were all loaded on the bus we waited anxiously, talking quietly amongst ourselves. After about ten minutes, the bus driver and tour guide boarded and we headed out.
Larry, our guide, kept us entertained and laughing with his witty commentary. Some of the houses that we passed were simple and elegant, while others looked like the North Pole had thrown up on their lawns.
"For our final house we're going to stop and get out. Please don't enter the yard… remember these people don't get paid for this, they do it out of love for the season." Larry explained over the PA system. "The show will start in a few minutes, enjoy."
It was dark where we stood, the only light from the clear sky above. I was beginning to get impatient, when suddenly music blared out of hidden speakers. Some of the lights blinked on only to turn off just as suddenly, replaced with a different set. There were lights everywhere, but you could only see sections at a time, each synchronized with the music.
I watched transfixed as they seemed to dance in unison, each light playing an integral part. I had been so focused on the lights that I hadn't paid much attention to the music. I recognized it as something from Trans Siberian Orchestra, but couldn't place the exact tune. I made a mental note to Google it when I had a chance.
I could feel the climax building, the lights blinking faster and faster. At the culmination, every light was lit making it almost as bright as day outside before plunging us into darkness.
It was silent for several seconds before the applause began. I could here people cheering and whistling, wanting to show their appreciation, our group no different. It was by far the best light show I had ever seen; I could see why this tour was so popular.
It was well after midnight when we stumbled back home. Alice and Jasper deciding to stay at the apartment instead of heading back to his place.
I was too tired to do more than throw my pajamas on and snuggle in next to Edward. Counting all the blessing I had received this year, I fell asleep.
