Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The original plot and storyline of Never Enough, however, belong to me. Please be nice and don't copy or translate without permission. Thank you!
Okay, the response to the last chapter surprised me - and pleased me immensely. Seriously, I had tears in my eyes as I read the comments. Thank you all so much for your support and understanding as these characters progress on their journey.
As always, many, many thanks, hugs, kisses, etc. to my pre-readers, Cullen_Crazy01 and iadorepugs. You are the best, simply the best. Love you both bunches!
Chapter 9
"How many more, Alice?" I groaned as she pulled into yet another coffee house in Seattle. We had been at our market research for four straight hours, and my head was spinning as I tried to keep everything straight.
Alice was a master planner, I had to give her that. She had arrived on my doorstop at five minutes to the crack of dawn with a large flavored coffee in one hand and a folder in the other. I was ushered to the car in the pre-dawn darkness, stumbling and yawning from my largely sleepless night. I was met with the equally sleepy visages of Rosalie and Angela, both nursing large coffees and bearing identical folders as they huddled together in the back seat to ward off the early morning chill.
Alice had instructed us to open the folders when we hit the main roadway and the sun had risen enough to see. I had laughed out loud when I saw the contents. The folder was filled with maps, website printouts, menus, and a neatly typed schedule that even included bathroom breaks. Alice ignored my laughter and Rosalie's teasing, telling us that we were starting in West Seattle and working our way East, specifically visiting non-franchised bookstores and coffee shops. She had included a journal and pen for each of us to record our thoughts and ideas, and she explained she not only had her digital camera, but an extra memory card, 'just in case.'
"Has she always been like this?" I looked to Rosalie for an answer when Alice ignored my question. I studied the detailed map and list of destinations with equal parts awe and amused disgust. We had run through approximately half of our itinerary, and were scheduled now for a longer break for lunch at one of the larger coffee houses. My stomach growled in appreciation as we approached the store, the tantalizing aromas wafting from the building fueling my appetite.
Rose, Angela and I paused outside the coffee shop, and Alice snapped a photo that included the name of the establishment. Alice had explained, when I protested just such a picture at our first stop, that this was how we would categorize the pictures on the camera. First a shot with the store name, then pictures of interesting elements from that store. I had to admit that her plans, however over-the-top they seemed, made a lot of sense when put into practice. It was easy to see how she ran such a successful business.
"You should try living with her," Rosalie laughed in answer to my question. "She had me organized and accessorized to the last detail in college. I had to check with her before I blew my nose, lest it throw her off schedule."
Alice shot Rosalie a dirty look. "And the moment she moved in with Emmett, she started being fifteen minutes late for everything!" Alice sighed, rolling her eyes. "Without me there to keep her on the straight and narrow, her schedule simply fell apart."
"Hardly!" snorted Rosalie. "After four years of only seeing each other on weekends and school holidays, Emmett and I were too busy catching up to be bothered with schedules." I knew well enough not to ask what they were 'catching up' on.
Angela had her journal out, scribbling furiously as she reviewed the cafe menu. I was simply glad to have a stop which promised to be more than fifteen whirlwind minutes. We placed our orders, each one of us choosing something different on Angela's command. Once we had our drinks, Angela picked up the conversation. "So you and Emmett dated in college, Rose?"
Rosalie smiled, and I could see all the love and adoration for her husband in her expression. "And a long time before that. We were high school sweethearts, although if anyone had told me at our first meeting that would be the case, I wouldn't have believed them."
She definitely had Angela's attention now. "Why is that?"
Rosalie sat back in her chair, her eyes sparkling as she related the tale to us. "I actually met Edward first. We were both in eighth grade, and Emmett was in ninth, when the Cullens moved to my hometown. I saw Edward as I was leaving school – his bike chain had broken and I fixed it for him. I was a bit of a tomboy in those days," she said, winking at my astounded expression. "Edward went home and told his brother about the girl that had fixed his bike, and Emmett wouldn't believe him. He demanded that Edward introduce him to me, because 'girls can't do stuff like that.' Which was ridiculous, if you knew their mom, Esme. She would have kicked Emmett's butt for even thinking such a thing, never mind saying it out loud.
"Anyway, Emmett was waiting with Edward by the bike rack the next day, and he immediately pissed me off. We ended up in a shouting match right there in front of the school about what girls and boys could and couldn't do. He made me so mad that I punched him – one of the things he said a girl couldn't do was throw a proper punch, and I wasn't going to let that slide," she grinned. "I broke his nose and gave him a black eye, and was suspended for a week. Emmett came to see me every day – his mom made him bring me my homework as his punishment for what he had said. By the time my sentence was complete, I returned to school as Emmett Cullen's girlfriend."
She looked down at her left hand, absently fingering the rather unassuming wedding band that rested next to a modest diamond in a very simple setting. I had thought it odd when I first met her – glamorous Rosalie seemed better suited to big, glitzy, multiple-carat jewelry, but as I got to know her, I understood that how she looked was only the smallest part of who she was. "We've been together ever since. We went to different colleges, which was the hardest thing we've ever done, and we were married one week to the day after my college graduation."
Angela sighed dreamily as Rosalie concluded her tale. "That's so beautiful, Rosalie." She turned to Alice. "I'll bet you and Jasper have the same kind of childhood sweetheart history, don't you?"
Rosalie laughed loudly, and Alice shot her another dirty look. "My love story with Jasper is a beautiful thing!" she said hotly, high spots of red coloring her cheeks.
Alice's reaction made me giggle. "Blushing, Alice? Well now you definitely need to spill! Tell us how you and Jasper met."
"I met Jasper at Rosalie's bachelorette party," Alice confessed, and I gasped. "No, no! He wasn't a stripper!" she said quickly, and I laughed. Obviously that assumption had been made before.
She continued on with the story. "About three weeks before Rose's wedding, the two of us and three of our college friends, Rose's bridesmaids, flew to Vegas for the weekend. We were there to gamble, drink, dance, and celebrate our singleness while mourning the passing of Rosalie's."
"Before she continues," Rosalie interjected, "What you need to know is that Alice was a dedicated career woman. She dated in college, but made it very clear that she was going to stay single so that she could travel the world and study design anywhere she wanted – London, Paris, Italy, the far East. She left quite a trail of broken hearts on our sorority doorstep." She smiled at Alice's dark look. "Okay, Alice, please continue," Rose said airily, waving her hand.
Angela and I exchanged a smile. They reminded me of how Angela and I had always been, adding to, embellishing and finishing each other's stories.
Alice's eyes grew warm with remembrance. "We walked into the hotel lobby to register, and there was Jasper; he was attending a contractor's conference. We introduced ourselves that afternoon, and..."
Rosalie cut her off again. "Introduced yourselves? Alice, you walked straight up to him and, in front of a dozen of his colleagues, said, 'You've kept me waiting a long time'."
I couldn't contain my laughter. That definitely sounded like the Alice I was coming to know. "Really, Alice? What did Jasper do?"
Alice smiled. "He took my hand, said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am,' and walked away with me right then."
"And I went on to have a bachelorette weekend without my maid-of-honor, who became my matron-of-honor before the weekend was through!" Rosalie finished with a laugh. It was obvious that they had told the story together before, as the disclosure of Alice's impulsive marriage was presented with the most shock value possible.
"You married him after less than forty-eight hours?" Angela asked, her eyes wide.
"Of course not!" Alice exclaimed, grinning widely. "I married him after less than twenty-four hours. We needed time for a honeymoon," she giggled, and we all laughed.
I felt the familiar twinge of jealousy that made itself known when I heard how-we-met-and-fell-in-love stories. Even though logically…and cynically… I understood that approximately one half of all marriages failed, I was surrounded by nothing but love sick couples. I felt a sense of loss, of failure that Jacob and had never been able to turn our friendship into a great love story of our own. The foundation had been there, but the feelings were wrong, not enough. Never enough.
Alice was still grinning like a mad fool as she concluded her tale. "Now it's been twelve years of bliss, and we've got two great kids…who love your daughter, by the way!" she told me, turning to me with an even wider grin. "I have never heard my kids rave about a babysitter like that before. Jackson cried when Jasper took Sarah home last night. I think he has a little crush, to be honest."
I was surprised that the kids had been up when they got home. "Didn't you guys stay at Maria's after I left?" I asked.
Rosalie shook her head. "After Edward brought the room down with his song choice last night, I wasn't in the mood for the band any more. We left about ten minutes after you did."
"I thought his song was beautiful. Very sad, but beautiful," Angela commented.
"Yeah, he tends to sing whatever he's feeling in the moment. I know he was planning something much more upbeat, until he got the call from her." Rosalie's lip curled in disgust.
"Who's her?" I asked before I could stop the words from leaving my mouth.
Rosalie's eyes darkened. "Heidi, his ex wife. He didn't say that's who he was talking to, but he's always upset like that after they speak. I thought things were getting better, but apparently she can still push his buttons. He hasn't been that emo in a while."
"How long have they been divorced?" I heard myself ask. My inner voice had apparently taken over, both of us desperate for information.
"It was finalized about nine months ago. Very ugly." Rosalie sighed heavily. "I can't go into details – it's Edward's story to share if he wants to – but I just want you to know he's not always like he was last night. The man you met a few weeks ago, and the businessman you've been dealing with, that's the real Edward. She just brings out the worst in him, and everyone she's around."
Nine months was not a terribly long time, and my heart ached anew for Edward's pain. My curiosity was piqued by Rose's words, but I also caught the words 'Can't talk about it,' which gave me the impression that she had been involved in his divorce as well. I buried my curiosity down deep as our food arrived.
I was returned to my home well after dark, my feet aching and my legs sore from all the walking. My folder and journal were filled with enough notes and comments to keep me busy for months. After a warm shower to ease the aching muscles, I fixed myself a cup of tea and logged into my computer to record my thoughts while they were still fresh.
I opened my email and Facebook accounts in case the kids were online and wanted to chat. I had a new notification, a friend request from Edward Cullen.
Moments after hitting the accept button, a chat window popped up on my screen. My heart fluttered when I saw that Edward was online, and sending me a message.
EC: Thanks for "friending" me. How was Seattle?
BB: Filled with more bookstores and coffee houses than I ever imagined possible! I don't think my feet are speaking to me right now.
Seriously. I needed to pop a couple more Tylenol before I went to bed. And make a note to avoid all Alice-planned trips in the future.
EC: LOL. Any changes to the bookstore plans? Angela's already emailed a couple of tweaks she wants for the cafe.
BB: Nope, I like your design. I got some great ideas for display and programs, but I'm sticking with your original plan. Can't improve upon perfection.
EC: It's only perfect because it's your vision, Bella. :)
And cue the blush – thank goodness we weren't on Skype.
BB: Thanks, Edward, but don't discount your contribution. I couldn't do this without you.
EC: I'm unreasonably glad that's the case.
'Blush' no longer covered it. I was now warm and tingly all over.
BB: You say that now – wait until you find out how needy I actually am.
Oh shit, did I actually say that? Too late for the delete key!
EC: I'm more than happy to fulfill your needs.
Oh shit, did he actually say that? My fingers stalled over the keyboard, uncertain what to type in response.
EC: Sorry, that didn't come out quite the way I intended...
Damn. I had to shake my head to remind myself of what had transpired last night at Maria's, and what Rosalie had disclosed today. Rein it in, hormones!
BB: No worries – I knew what you meant. What did you do with your day today?
EC: Well, some of us got to sleep in. *grin*
BB: Yeah, you go ahead and rub that in why don't you?
Instantly my brain tried to roll back into the gutter with the thought of rubbing and Edward at the same time.
EC: Sorry – I've been "planned" by Alice before, so I know what you went through today. So after sleeping VERRRRRRYYYYY late…
BB: Jerk. ;)
EC: ...I worked.
BB: Seriously? That's it? You worked?
EC: Seriously. That's it. I worked.
Huh. Apparently his life was as boring as mine. Poor guy.
BB: Wow, you need a life.
EC: Tell me about it!
BB: It's the weekend, you should go have some fun!
EC: Any suggestions?
BB: Round of golf? Trip to a museum? Heck, even coffee with a pretty girl might spice things up.
EC: All excellent suggestions. I'll go with door number three. Wanna have a coffee with me, pretty girl? ;)
My heart raced wildly at the words on the screen, and my inner voice gave a loud squeeeeeeee! Apparently the flirting was back on. Did I want that? Definitely. Was I ready for it, or was he? Well, that remained to be seen.
BB: It's eleven o'clock at night, Edward.
EC: I was thinking more like tomorrow, Bella. Tomorrow's still the weekend, right?
Again, I was unsure what to type, and my fingers hovered indecisively over the keys. Type yes, you idiot! My inner voice screamed at me.
EC: I'm sorry, I'm being obnoxious. Forget it, okay?
BB: No, I'm just trying to think of what's on my schedule tomorrow.
Oh yes, so much to do! Laundry...vacuuming…dusting…ooh, and alphabetizing my spices! Allspice, bay leaf, cardamom…
EC: It's okay, Bella, you're not responsible for my social life, or lack thereof.
BB: I'd love to have a cup of coffee with you tomorrow. When and where?
EC: It's okay. I'm sure you have a million other things to do.
Nope, he wasn't getting out of this that easily. If I could take a leap of faith and agree to meet him, he wasn't allowed to back out.
BB: When and where?
EC: Really, it's fine, don't worry about it.
BB: Are you reneging on your invitation, Edward?
The chat box was silent for almost an entire minute – I'd see the typing icon, then it would disappear, then it would reappear again. I could almost picture him running his fingers through his hair and then pinching the bridge of his nose, thinking as he formulated his response. It was surprisingly brief when it came.
EC: Are you sure, Bella?
BB: It's just coffee, Edward.
I doubted that he needed the reminder, but I sure did.
~*~*~*~
Despite the fact that it was 'just coffee,' I changed my outfit no less than four times before leaving the house, completely disgusted with myself for making such a big deal out of this. I opted for my favorite worn jeans, my U of W hoodie to ward off the crisp fall chill, and my well worn converse sneakers. If it really was 'just coffee' there was no need to dress up, right? My hair was in a ponytail, and my makeup was minimal, just enough to cover the circles beneath my eyes and give my cheeks a little color. Knowing me, I wouldn't need the artificial enhancement - I was sure to be blushing before he sat down. Given the butterflies that had taken up residence in my stomach, it was going to be a miracle if I could swallow at all. I really needed to get a grip on myself. We agreed after all it was 'just coffee.' Maybe if I kept telling myself that I might actually believe it.
I parked behind the same coffeehouse that I had been to with Rosalie, and more recently with Alice as well. I was early, largely due to nerves that refused to let me sleep in at all this morning. Ironically, to fill the time I had begun the list of chores that ran through my mind when we were messaging last night – laundry, vacuuming, dusting. I left the spice organization to another day. Rather than wait in the car, I headed inside to stake out a decent table to watch for his arrival. I felt the warm blush climb my cheeks when I walked through the door to find him standing half-facing the counter as he placed his order, the pretty young barista smiling flirtatiously up at him.
He had dressed down for 'just coffee' as well. His button fly jeans were as faded as mine, and even more worn, with a tear at one knee, and they molded perfectly to his backside. He wore a faded gray tee shirt under a plaid flannel shirt, topped off with a New York Yankees bill cap that had seen better days. It appeared as though he probably hadn't shaved since Friday, and his chin and cheeks were shadowed with an appealing reddish-brown scruff. The grunge look of the nineties had never looked as good as it did on Edward Cullen at this moment. Just coffee, Bella!
He turned away from the counter for a moment and saw me standing in the doorway. His dazzling crooked grin made my heart race, and I couldn't help but smile in response as I walked forward.
"Good morning, Bella. Did you get to sleep in today?" he teased with a wink.
"Anything is sleeping in after the day I had yesterday," I laughed. "I felt like a lazy bum when I rolled out of bed at seven."
"Seven," he scoffed, rolling his eyes playfully. "That's not sleeping in! You should have slept in until at least eleven."
"Edward, it's ten o'clock. Would you rather I was in bed right now?" My eyes popped wide and the blush climbed my cheeks rapidly as I processed the words that had actually left my mouth.
He bit his bottom lip, his eyes sparkling with humor. "No comment," he said, and I could tell that he was barely able to contain his laughter.
An annoyed sigh interrupted my blushing humiliation, and we both turned to find the barista staring, a frown on her face. "Were you going to order or not, ma'am?" she asked me, her tone irritated. Was I imagining her emphasis on ma'am?
"Of course she is. What do you want, Bella? My treat," Edward said, and I caught the look of fawning admiration the barista sent his way. That explained her irritation, but didn't excuse her attitude.
I stared up at the menu, ignoring the rude young woman as she shifted impatiently from foot to foot. I was tempted to order the most complicated drink I could, just to make her work, but with my luck, she'd decide to sabotage it. "I'll take a large black coffee and a cranberry orange scone, please," I said, pulling my wallet out of my purse and waving off Edward's protest. He allowed me to pay for my own order with a grumble, and I followed him to a table in the sunshine facing the street.
"So tell me about Seattle," Edward invited, pulling out my chair for me as he had done several times on Friday. Years with the guys at the garage had convinced me that chivalry was dead. A girl could get used to this kind of gentlemanly treatment. Edward took the chair next to me, his back to the counter, and the jealous witch in me enjoyed the barista's disappointment immensely.
I had just started to tell Edward about Alice's folder of unending information, when a familiar voice caught my attention coming through the door of the coffee shop. I looked up, and immediately shrunk down in my seat, desperate in that moment to be completely invisible. "Oh God," I grumbled into my coffee cup, slinking down lower into my chair as I wondered frantically if I could make it to the bathroom and lock myself in before he spotted me.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked, his eyes dark with concern as I slumped in my seat, trying to unobtrusively disappear before…
Too late! "BELLS! What the hell are you doing up, dressed and out so early on a Sunday?" Seth bellowed from ten feet away at the counter, reminding me that he never really had an indoor voice. He abandoned his position in line and tromped toward the table, his heavy shoes striking loudly against the tiled floor. He bent over and literally pulled me up from my chair, squeezing me in a tremendous bear hug that rivaled any I had received recently from Emmett. I was quite literally gasping for breath by the time he set me back on my feet.
I turned back to the table to find Edward half standing next to his chair as he watched us with a shocked look on his face. I couldn't help but giggle. Seth noticed for the first time that I wasn't alone, and a wicked grin spread across his face. I opened my mouth to protest, knowing that he was going to send a bullshit storm Edward's way, but Seth's voice overpowered mine.
"Damn, Bells. I can't believe that you're cheating on me with this dude! Who the hell wears a Yankee's cap in Washington, anyway – ever heard of the Mariners? Dump this loser and come back to me, baby. You know the kids and I need you!" Seth cried melodramatically, pulling me back into his arms again.
Edward's eyes narrowed, and his jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth. The vein on his forehead pulsed once as he straightened up to his full height, and I could tell he was trying to decide what to do. I struggled against Seth's grip, but it was futile, his arms strong steel bands around me. I reached down and pinched Seth's forearm as hard as I could, twisting the skin between my forefinger and thumb until he released me with a yelp.
"Jesus, Isabella, that hurt, I think you even left a mark," Seth whined, holding his arm up in front of me.
"Why don't you go cry to your mom, you big baby? Maybe next time you'll keep your stupid hands to yourself," I growled at him. Even at thirty five, I missed being an only child. Seth was the personification of the annoying little brother.
He quirked an eyebrow at me, amused with my behavior. "Like that would help. Mom would tell Charlie, who would defend you, and I'd get in trouble with the Chief. So who the hell is the Yankee's fan anyway?" Seth asked, jerking a thumb toward Edward, whose dominant emotion now appeared to be confusion.
"Be nice," I hissed. "Seth, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, please meet my idiot brother, Seth Clearwater."
"Brother?" Edward blurted out, his eyes going from me, to Seth, and back again.
"Yep, we're twins," Seth joked, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
"Obviously," Edward said dryly, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Identical, undoubtedly," he commented further, studying us and noting the dramatic differences in our appearances. Where I was short, Seth stood over six-foot-three. Seth's skin was a deep russet brown, while I was so pale I was nearly transparent. I was slight, and Seth had a muscular build. The only possible resemblance we could claim is that we both had brown eyes, although Seth's bordered on black, and were always twinkling with mischief. Mine were usually filled with exasperation when he was around.
"Dude, he just called you a dude!" Seth chortled, and I saw a touch of pink color Edward's cheeks.
"Wait, you're not a girl, Seth?" Edward replied smoothly, covering his embarrassment well. I laughed at the stunned look on Seth's face.
Seth grinned and stuck his hand out to shake Edward's. "I think I like this one, Bells. You gonna keep him?"
"Seth, it's not like…" I started to say.
Seth cut me off. "Wait a minute, are you sleeping with my sister? Are you compromising her virtue?" He glared menacingly at Edward and then threw me a reproving look. "Bells, really? What the hell do you know about this guy? I mean, you've only been divorced for a month, and now you're shacking up with some dude. Now I'm not here to judge you, but it's my brotherly duty to…"
I cut him off with a well-placed elbow to his midsection. "It's your brotherly duty to shut the hell up, Seth," I growled again. "Edward is just a friend. He's an architect with CWC, the company Angela and I are working with on the bookstore."
"That's cool," Seth said, his carefree grin making me smile despite my irritation. He turned to Edward. "I'm just messing with you, man. No hard feelings, 'kay?"
"No hard feelings," Edward agreed.
"Okay, now that I've managed to make Bella's morning, I gotta grab my coffee and go. I'm meeting Embry, Paul and Jared for some basketball," Seth said, winking as I rolled my eyes.
"Tell the guys I say hi," I told him.
"Will do. See ya soon!" he said, hugging me hard again. "Good to meet you, Edward."
"You too, Seth." Edward held my chair for me again, and we sat in companionable silence as we waited for Seth to depart, just enjoying our coffee and occasionally sneaking a glace at one another.
Edward waited until Seth had left the store, walking by the window and waving madly at us as he went. As Seth disappeared down the street, Edward turned to me with one raised eyebrow. "Brother?"
"Step-brother, obviously. His mom married my dad when I was eighteen. He makes up for those years without a sibling by being doubly annoying." I smiled fondly, and Edward grinned.
"I can relate. Imagine growing up with Emmett. I never had any only-child years," he said, and the thought did make me grin.
"And I bet growing up with Emmett felt like growing up with several brothers," I laughed.
"Very similar, yes. My mother has commented often that raising Emmett was like having twins. Of course, she may have just been talking about the grocery bill," Edward joked.
"Yeah, I've got a little experience with that," I said, thinking about how much food Will could put away in one sitting.
"That's right, your kids are teenagers," Edward said, his long fingers slowly pulverizing the bagel he had ordered. "How is that possible again?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "You know the story – high school sweethearts, married young, kids right away. The typical recipe for disaster, although we logged in more years than most."
Edward's eyes met mine. "I waited quite a while, but my marriage wasn't any more successful than yours," he confided quietly. I felt honored that he was willing to talk to me. "Heidi and I were only married for five years, though. Our divorce was final the beginning of this year."
"I'm sorry, Edward," I told him sincerely, recognizing the pain that darkened his eyes. "Five years or fifteen, it sucks regardless. If you ever want to talk about it..."
Edward gently but firmly cut me off. "Thanks, but there's nothing to talk about. All water under the bridge now."
Based on his reaction to the phone call last night I doubted that, but pushing him when we were just becoming comfortable with one another wasn't going to work. I simply smiled and nodded, then changed the subject.
For the next hour, we traded questions back and forth. We discussed college, and favorite books, movies, and music. We talked about silly things like our favorite colors, nicknames, and first pets, and we laughed a lot. Things were much more comfortable than they had been last night. At eleven thirty, when the cafe was changing their chalkboard to lunch specials, I realized I needed to get home. The kids would be back this evening, and being gone all day yesterday had skewed my schedule.
Edward saw me check my watch. "Time to go?" he asked, and I nodded reluctantly. "I've got some work to do today, too. I'll walk out with you." He held the door for me, then walked beside me to my car as he had the other night.
"Thanks for having coffee with me today, pretty girl," Edward said, his crooked grin as dazzling as ever.
"Thank you for inviting me, and not running away when you met Seth," I teased him in return, leaning back against my driver's door and squinting up at him in the sunlight. He laughed, and I loved watching his eyes crinkle as humor lit them. Dammmmmn, girl, we've got it bad! My inner voice put in her two cents. I sighed mentally, agreeing that we indeed had a full-blown crush.
Edward hesitated for a moment before he extended his hand to me. When I placed my fingers in his, he pulled me forward and folded me into his arms for a brief hug. I felt him lay his cheek against the top of my head for a moment, and he sighed quietly as he released me.
"We've got a lot of work ahead of us this week, finalizing the plans and pulling the paperwork together. You'll call me if you think of any changes you want?" he asked.
"Of course, but I told you already, I like things just the way they are," I reminded him.
"You know, most women change their mind several times, especially at the last minute," Edward teased me.
I rolled my eyes at him. "I think you will find, Edward, that I'm not like most women."
Edward regarded me with a little hint of his crooked smile, his eyes warm. "Oh, I've already figured that out. But you never know when you'll be ready for a change, Bella. I want to make sure that I'm here when you are." As the words sunk in, there was a part of me couldn't help but hope that he meant it on a personal level as well as a professional one.
Thanks so much to all who have read, favorited, reviewed, and recommended my story to others. It humbles me that you are enjoying my words. I, in turn, treasure each and every word for each of you! If anything in this chapter made you smile, laugh, sigh, or even growl in frustration, please consider leaving me some feedback. I love reading your comments, and I make it a point to respond to each and every one!
