A/N-Hello everyone. We just need to thank a few people before we get into this chapter. Thanks to our beta SweetDulcinea and also to Keepingupwiththekids and dolphin62598 for being our second and third sets of eyes.
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Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I own an 85 lb Bulldog named Meatball.
*EPOV*
I was in the middle of a nice peaceful sleep when all of a sudden, I was jostled awake by someone jumping onto my bed. I didn't even need to open my eyes to know who it was.
"Alice, when I open my eyes and look at my clock you better pray that it is at least after ten o'clock," I said before opening one eye and glancing at the clock on my nightstand. Eight-thirty!…Grrrr!
"Oh chill out Edward, you'll live," she said as I pulled the pillow out from under my head and placed it over my face.
"Alice, today is my day off and I am slightly hung over from the Halloween Party. Can't you let me have one morning to just sleep in?"
"Of course I can't. You're lucky I didn't wake you up hours ago. I have hardly been able to sleep a wink since Bella told me about your date tonight. I'm so excited I could scream!"
I took a deep breath before finally removing the pillow over my face to look at my cousin who was sitting directly next to me on my bed.
"Well good news travels fast," I said with a sly smile since I knew Alice was just ready to explode with excitement.
Alice popped up on her knees, clapped and squealed so loud that she looked like a fucking humming bird.
"It is better than good news; it's fan-fucking-tabulous news if you ask me," she declared.
I ran my fingers through my hair and rolled my eyes at her.
"So?" she said.
"So…what?" I asked
"Where are you taking her? What are you guys going to do?"
"Geez Alice, I don't fucking know. I just woke up. I haven't gotten that far yet."
"Well, you better get the flipping ball rolling because it's tonight, and you have to make this special and romantic and epic."
How was it possible that I had only been awake for five fucking minutes and my head was already spinning? I guess that was one of Pixie's gifts, or curses…depending on who you asked.
"First of all, Alice, I do plan on making it special, but epic? Really?" I asked. "It's our first date, a first for both of us in a long time. Let me just take this slow. I wasn't even planning on this so please just allow me some time to wrap my head around all of it."
She looked down at me and cocked her head to the side. "Okay Edward. Slow, I get it. Still, there is so much to think about and plan before tonight, and we don't have a lot of time," she said as she jumped off my bed and headed towards the door. "Meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes so we can discuss. I'll make you breakfast," she shouted over her shoulder as she bounded down the hallway.
I groaned and turned onto my side. My eyes closed, and the events from the previous night replayed in my head.
The night had gone well, at first. I had been talking to Eric and Mike when I first saw Bella. She came over to us and she looked so fucking hot in her Princess Leia costume. When I saw the way Mike ogled her, I had two thoughts immediately. One was to throw a blanket over her to cover her up, and two, to knock Mike's teeth out of his head. It was obvious he had a thing for her. The way his greasy hands wound around her waist was proof of that, and that shit didn't sit well with me at all.
The cold, hard facts remained that I was jealous over Bella and drinking too much. Together these things were not a good combination. Therefore, I made a conscious decision to keep my distance from her all night. However, that didn't mean I wasn't going to keep an eye on her. While I knew most of the people at this party, there were also some random guys, and I would be damned if I was going to let anyone I didn't know get near her.
After my third beer or maybe it was my ninth - who's counting? - Emmett introduced me to a woman named Victoria. Apparently, she owned some hot club in town and had gotten us the liquor for the party at a good price. She was definitely outgoing, maybe I'd even describe her as being a little too forward by the way she was flirting with me. She was an attractive woman in that sex kitten kind of way, but not really my type.
Emmett, Jasper and I made conversation with Victoria for several minutes. Once talk died down, Emmett and Jasper left to find Rosalie and Alice. Victoria was flirting with me big time. She had weaved her arm through mine and asked me if I wanted to do a shot with her. I quickly looked around the room to see where Bella was, and when I saw her talking to Alice and Rose, I relaxed a little and agreed to have a shot with Victoria.
Seconds after we downed two shots of tequila, Victoria grabbed on to my arm again and said in what I am assuming was her best seduction voice, "So Edward, do you think I could get my own private tour of the firehouse? I've been dying to see a real life firehouse on the inside."
I didn't really want to leave the party, but she was practically dragging me towards the door that connected to the house. I was also feeling a bit drunk, and not using my head, so I conceded in silence and followed her lead.
We walked in and weren't twenty feet down the hallway before she attacked me. I wasn't shocked at her forwardness. I had read her signals loud and clear. I didn't really want to be kissing her, but at the same time, it had been so long since I had any type of physical intimacy with someone that I just sort of thought what the hell and went with it.
Imagining that the passion was coming from Bella instead of Victoria kept me lip locked with her. It was hard because Victoria was rough and ferocious, while I always imagined Bella to be soft and sensual, but Bella's face was in my head. Victoria hitched her leg up on to my hip, and I ran my hand down her thigh imagining Bella's legs. God, how I wished that it was Bella pressed up against me right now instead of Victoria.
All of a sudden, I heard a gasp and looked over to see none other than the face in my thoughts.
Bella.
Fuck fuckity fuck, fuck, fuck!
Shock filled my system as my mind raced for words. In my haze, I didn't realize Victoria said something to Bella and before I could form a sentence, she was out the door. I had never felt like a bigger piece of shit in my entire life. I pushed Victoria away and mumbled something about having to get back to the party before I bolted out the door, basically leaving her with her mouth hanging open and the male equivalent of blue balls. I didn't really care about how Victoria felt, and I know that is a dick thing to say, but I knew I had fucked up and hurt Bella in my alcohol induced state. I had to find her right away and fix it.
I rushed back out to the party and immediately started searching for Bella. After what felt like hours I found her, and my vision blurred with red as the anger flowed through my veins. She was dancing; or rather dry humping, Mike Newton while he had his hands all over her and his tongue down her throat. I knew there was a reason why I hated that little shit. I had a feeling she was doing this to get back at my stupid ass, and if she was trying to get me mad…it was working.
I acted on impulse, and I stormed straight through the crowd, pushing past people as they cursed at me to "watch it." I grabbed her, threw her over my shoulder, and hauled ass outside. All the while her tiny fists pounded against my back as she yelled profanities that would make a sailor blush.
When I finally set her down, I knew she was pissed, but I also knew this was the pivotal moment. I just acted like a jealous boyfriend on steroids, and there would be no going back to "just friends" at this point. I had fought so long and hard against being with this woman because I was afraid to get involved again. I knew that it would be impossible for me to stay away from her, and I obviously couldn't stand seeing her with other men. I sucked it up and took that frightening step across the line. I asked her out on a date.
She said yes.
Which brings me back to the here and now.
I sat up in bed and brought my legs over the side to rest on the floor. I leaned my elbows onto my thighs and put my head in my hands. Was I really ready for this? It didn't seem like I had much choice in the matter now. It wasn't that I didn't want to go out with Bella tonight, but I was nervous. I wasn't sure exactly why I was nervous. Was I nervous because it could be awkward for us if the night was a disaster and we had to face each other the next day? Or was I nervous that it could be an absolutely perfect success?
There was only one way to find out.
"Edward!" Alice screamed from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"
I got up, slipped sweat pants on over my boxers and a t-shirt over my head, as I walked out toward the kitchen.
I saw that Emmett and Jasper were sitting at the table stuffing their faces with pancakes that Alice had made.
"What are you two fools doing up this early?" I asked.
Emmett looked up at me with his mouth full of pancake and said, "The same reason you are up. Once Pixie here is up, no one sleeps."
"I poured you some orange juice, Edward," Alice stated as she slid into the seat across from where I was to sit.
"Well, it's the least you could do after waking me up at the butt crack of dawn," I said sarcastically.
Alice just rolled her eyes and ignored my obvious bad mood.
"So what's the game plan for this evening?" she inquired, and when I looked up, I had three sets of eyes fixed on me, waiting anxiously for my response.
"Come on! Not you guys too!" I said incredulously to Jasper and Emmett.
"Hey, we are just excited for the two of you, that's all," Jasper said in his usual calm demeanor.
With that, Alice reached behind her to where her purse was on the floor, pulled out a red folder-like book and handed it to me.
"What's this?" I asked as I opened it up and stared.
"It's a list of places and things that people can do on dates. I color coded each activity depending on what area in the city you want to go, what type of mood you are trying to set, and of course, weather condition permitting activities," she said.
YOU'VE. GOT. TO. BE. KIDDING. ME. This girl was crazier than I ever thought possible. How is it possible that we are related?
"Nuh-uh!" I said. "Absofuckinglutely not!" I snapped as I slammed the folder down on the table. "Look Alice, I know you are just trying to help, but this is not about you or anyone else. This is about Bella and me. I don't know what we will end up doing tonight, but whatever it is will be simple and laid back. I just want a quiet, relaxed night where we can talk and get to know each other on a different level. I don't need all the bells and whistles, and I certainly don't need your color coordinated date folder. When did you even do this?"
"I told you I wasn't able to sleep last night."
"You did this last night? There's like a hundred fucking pages in this thing! It's typed and even professionally bound," I observed as I picked it back up and flipped through the pages.
When I glanced up at her, she looked a little hurt, and then I felt bad. Before I could say a word, she busted out laughing with Jasper and Emmett joining in. I looked at them all before I started to laugh, too.
"There is a twenty-four hour Kinko's on the corner, Edward," she squeaked out between giggles. That just made the rest of us laugh harder until I finally had to force myself to stop because I pulled a muscle in my stomach.
"Okay, Edward, you are right," she said as she started to breathe normally again. "You need to do this your way. I know Bella really well, and I think that simple and laid back would be what she would like. She is all sorts of nervous about tonight, so I'm sure whatever you plan for the two of you will be perfect."
I got up from my seat, walked around the table to where Alice was sitting, and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Thanks Pixie," I said. "I really do appreciate you wanting to help, but I think I need to do this my way this time."
"No problem," she said as she stood up and gave Jasper a kiss before walking to the front door. "What time should I tell Bella to expect you this evening?"
"Uh…Seven o'clock?"
"Seven is perfect. I'll let her know." With that, she fluttered out of the apartment.
"I got the dishes," I told Jasper and Emmett.
Jasper nodded and walked out of the kitchen toward his room. Emmett hung around and read the paper while I finished cleaning. Just as I finished putting the last dish away, I turned around to see Emmett walking out of the kitchen with the red folder under his arm.
"Uh hum," I cleared my throat while snickering.
Emmett turned around and looked at me before glancing down at the red folder under his arm.
"Hey…I got a girlfriend who can seriously kick my ass. I need all the help I can get."
He turned and skipped back to his bedroom obviously trying to be funny. For the second time that morning I was left laughing so hard I nearly broke a rib.
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At six forty-five, I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My room was a disaster since I had changed clothes so many times trying to find the right thing to wear. God when did I become such a fucking chick?
I finally decided on a pair of dark blue jeans, a black and tan sweater and black shoes. I wasn't even going to stress out over the fact that my hair was sticking out in every possible direction because according to Bella's "Build an Edward Order," she liked it. I sprayed some cologne, threw on my leather jacket, and walked out into the living room.
Emmett had already left to have dinner with Rose, and Jasper emerged from his room at the same time I did.
"So, you all set man?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah, I think so."
"It'll be fine, Edward. Just act like this is any other time you have hung out with Bella. Emmett is out for the night, and I'll be going back to Alice and Bella's apartment after our movie, so you shouldn't have any interruptions if you want to come back here afterwards," he said while wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
"Uh…yeah…okay. Thanks man," I said.
Jasper patted me on the back as he headed out the door to pick Alice up at the boutique for their date.
I had still been in the dark as to what to do on our date, but a flyer at the gym that afternoon had caught my eye and I thought it was perfect. I walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the flowers that I had put in there this afternoon. I didn't want to be cliché, but as I was walking home from the gym, I passed a flower shop and felt that I should do something special for Bella.
I had no idea what kind of flowers to buy, so I asked the florist for her suggestion. She said that sometimes picking a flower is more than just what they look like, but more about what they mean. She gave me a card that listed flowers and their meaning. I scanned the list and immediately decided on the White Violets. I didn't know what the hell they were going to look like, but their meaning was perfect.
When the florist handed me the flowers, I had to admit that they were actually pretty. I mean, if I were a chick, I would have liked them. They were unassuming, unlike roses which are all up in your face with insinuations, and I felt that they fit Bella perfectly.
I locked up my apartment, and made my way down to Bella's apartment. When I got to her door, I froze for a minute and took a deep breath before knocking. Seconds passed before the door swung open revealing Bella. She looked absolutely gorgeous.
I had called her earlier to let her know to dress warmly, so she wasn't dressed extremely revealing or sexy, but she looked fantastic. She was wearing dark boot cut jeans, black boots that had a low heal because I told her we were going to be walking a lot, and a cream-colored fitted sweater that had a slight v-neck to it. Over the top of that, she had a matching cream colored heavier sweater jacket that was tied closed with a belt made of the same material. Her hair was down except for the sides. They were pulled back loosely, held by a clip in the back. She wore just a hint of make-up.
Bella looked…perfect.
"Hey," she said.
"Hi. Bella, you look beautiful."
She looked down and blushed before looking back up at me. "Thanks, you don't look to shabby yourself."
I then remembered the flowers I was holding and I held them up to her. "These are for you. I hope you like them. The lady in the flower shop told me what they mean, and I thought they were fitting."
"Oh? They are really beautiful, thank you, Edward," she said as she placed them in a vase on the table. "What do they mea…"
"Hey, Bella," I cut her off, "are you going to be warm enough with just that sweater on, or do you need a jacket?"
"I should be okay with this. It's pretty heavy."
"Okay then. Let's get going." I held the door open for Bella, and she walked out ahead of me.
After she locked her door, we headed to the elevators. When the elevator door opened, I put my hand on the small of her back to lead her in before me. Once inside, Bella looked up at me shyly.
"Um, Edward?"
"Yes?" I said as I looked at her.
"What do those flowers mean?"
I looked down at the floor, ran my fingers threw my hair, and took a deep breath before meeting Bella's eyes.
I reached out, and held Bella's hand in mine, and said, "They mean 'let's take a chance.'"
***************************************************************************
After driving for about fifteen minutes, I found a spot on the street and parked. I got out quickly and ran to the other side of the car to open Bella's door for her. I offered my hand and she took it as she got out of the car.
"So what is it that we are doing?" she asked enthusiastically.
"We are going to the Italian Festival. Is that cool with you?"
"Oh, the big street festival? I love that! Alice and I used to go but we haven't been in a few years. I'm so excited!"
Thank goodness, she was down with this idea. I had been stressing in the car that maybe it was too cold, too much walking, too many people, and she wouldn't have a good time. It was a relief to hear her excitement.
We walked up the street and turned down the block that had been barricaded off for the festival. There was a sea of people, and we were immediately hit with the aromas of all the food vendors. There were lights strung between the vendor tents, and music was playing.
We decided to walk the entire length of the festival block before we committed to where we wanted to eat since there was so much to choose from.
"Everything smells so good. I don't know how we are going to decide," Bella shouted to me over the music and crowd.
"I know," I yelled back. We were weaving through such a thick crowd of people I was afraid I was going to lose her. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand but I was afraid she would find that too forward, and to be honest I was feeling nervous about it. I was never nervous about making the first move in any sense of the term, but this girl turned my stomach upside down.
After walking, talking, and looking at all the crafts that vendors were selling, I suggested to her that maybe we should go into one of the restaurants to eat rather than to one of the street vendors so we could have a little quiet time. She agreed.
"I actually know the best little Italian restaurant on this block. Its family run and the food is incredible," she said to me.
"Lead the way," I said as I followed close behind her.
When we got to the restaurant, Bella gave our name and we were told there would just be a brief wait while they cleared a table for us. While we were standing there waiting by the Maître d', a group of people were leaving. As I stood behind her, I placed my hands on her hips to gently move us out of their way. Immediately, Bella melted back into my chest, so I wrapped my arms around her, settling them against her stomach as I rested my chin on the top of her head. She brought her hands up to cover mine and I heard her sigh out, "This is nice."
I had to agree…it was.
We were seated shortly after and immediately ordered an appetizer called Mozzarella en Carozza, which was Mozzarella between bread, egg battered and deep fried, and served with a spicy tomato sauce…I know, healthy right? But so fucking good.
For our entrees, we were both looking at getting the same thing, but we decided to each order something different so we could share. Bella ordered the Mushroom Ravioli and I ordered the Filet Mignon and Shrimp Scampi combo. I also ordered us a bottle of Pinot Noir.
After our wine was served, Bella took a sip and looked up at me.
"I'm having a really nice time, Edward. I have to say I am really glad that you asked me out tonight," she said as she blushed slightly and then looked back down at her wine glass.
I reached across the table, placed my finger under her chin, and tilted her head up so her eyes met mine.
"And I'm really glad you said yes."
Our eyes stayed locked as she smiled and I couldn't help but smile in return.
The conversation during dinner flowed so easily. I couldn't believe how comfortable we were around each other. All those tense, awkward moments we had in the past seemed to fly right out the window. I guess once you break down the wall and start accepting the attraction you feel towards another person instead of fighting against it, you have no reason to feel any tension.
We each told stories to about our childhood. That led to several rounds of laughter from both of us. We even told each other war stories from our experiences living with Alice…those definitely merited the most laughs of the evening.
By the time I paid the bill and we got up to leave, my feelings for Bella had intensified to a whole new level. I was still a little nervous about feeling so much for a girl who wasn't Tanya, but at the same time it just felt right. For the past year, I had been breathing nothing but dirty, stagnant air. Bella was definitely the breath of fresh air that I so horribly needed.
When we walked out of the restaurant I grabbed Bella's hand, brought it up to my lips, and kissed it.
She looked at me sweetly and smiled. "What was that for?"
"For making me smile for the first time in a long time and actually meaning it," I said.
"Well in that case," she said as she reached down, grabbed my hand, brought it up to her lips, and kissed it. "Same goes for me."
We let our hands fall between us, still joined as we walked back down the street.
"Hey Bella, how about I win you a prize?" I offered as we came upon a game booth.
I pulled her over in the direction of the game. I handed the guy some money in exchange for three softballs. It was one of those games where you have to knock down all of the stacked items. I knew the bottom ones were rigged with weights so they were nearly impossible to knock down, but I was determined to win something for her. I was the pitcher on my high school varsity baseball team, and the firehouse had a league that I played on, so this was a piece of cake.
I threw the first ball and knocked them all down no problem.
"You can stop now and take a small prize or go for all three. If you make all three you get a top shelf item. If you miss any of the next two throws, you win nothing. You want to risk it? Just take the small prize," the pimply teenager informed me through the microphone headset he was wearing. I mean really? I was standing right there and no one else was playing. Did he really need to talk through a microphone?
I didn't even answer him. I took my next two shots consecutively, knocking down every last bottle. I looked up at the kid and said, "Does that answer your question?"
"Which one do you want?" he asked as he rolled his eyes at me.
I looked at Bella, "Go ahead and pick whichever one you want."
She looked up at the stuffed animals that were hanging towards the top of the trailer, deliberating which one she was going to pick.
"I'll take that one," she said as she pointed.
"The wolf?" I asked kind of surprised because it wasn't really the cutest one. If I were a chick I would have probably picked the pink Teddy Bear or something. What? Shut up!
"I come from a small town on the Olympic Peninsula and we have wolves around. I guess it just sort of reminds me of home."
I shrugged. "You heard the lady. Give her the wolf."
After the kid handed Bella her wolf, we started making our way back down the street towards where we had entered. I stopped briefly to buy us a bag full of Zeppoli to share. They are little fried balls of dough that are sprinkled with powdered sugar. You cannot go to an Italian Festival and not get them. They are the fucking bomb diggity!
As we got closer to the car, I looked over at Bella and laughed.
"What?" she asked almost defensively to me.
"Nothing, it's just that you have powdered sugar all around your mouth," I said in between chuckles.
She tried rubbing it but only got a little off in the process.
"Good?" she said looking at me.
"No, wait come here, let me do it."
I faced Bella on the street right beside my car and put one hand on her cheek. With the other hand I rubbed my thumb around her mouth to get the powder off. After some time, I realized that I was still rubbing her lips long after all the powder had been removed. Bella hadn't said anything to stop me.
We were standing there gazing at each other as my thumb traced over her lips. Then Bella closed her eyes and started to lean in toward me. I was just about to move in when a police cruiser sped by with its sirens blasting.
"Shit!" We both said as we jumped away from each other, startled.
My hand slowly dropped from her face, and I reached for the handle of the passenger side door and opened it for Bella. She gave me one last look, took a deep breath, and got in the car. I shut the door and walked back around to the driver's side, started the car, and made my way back toward home.
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I pulled into the parking lot of our apartment building and parked. After opening Bella's door we made our way inside and to the elevator. When we got into the elevator, I pressed the button to my floor and stepped back. Bella seemed to hesitate and then stepped forward with her finger pointed to hit the button for her floor. I reached out and grabbed her wrist before she had a chance. I leaned into her and spoke softly into her ear.
"Don't," I said. "It's still early. Why don't you come back to my place and have a drink?"
Her posture seemed to straighten and she froze for a minute. Then she relaxed and without looking up at me she whispered, "Okay."
We walked out of the elevator and toward my apartment. I unlocked the door and held it open for Bella as she walked in before me. I closed the door and then took Bella's heavy sweater from her.
"Have a seat. What can I get you to drink?"
She bit her lip and thought aloud. "Uh…you got beer?" she asked.
I chuckled. "Bella, three dudes live here. Of course we have beer." I walked into the kitchen to grab two out of the fridge.
"It's funny," she called out. "I've been in this apartment a million times before, heck I even have a key for it, but this is the first time I've really felt like a guest here. It feels a little formal because we are on a date."
I walked back into the room and handed Bella her beer. "Please don't feel formal just because you are here with me. I want you to be as comfortable here as you always are."
I nodded toward the couch and motioned for Bella to have a seat. We both sat down and took sips from our beer.
"I hope you had a good time tonight," I said before taking another swig of my beer.
"I did, I really did, Edward. Thank you so much for dinner and the stuffed wolf you won for me. Mostly, thank you for the wonderful company."
I smiled at her.
"Do they have festivals like that in Chicago?"
"Oh yeah! Of course they do. That's what made me think it would be a fun thing for us to do tonight when I saw the flyer for it. My parents used to take Alice and me to them all the time when we were growing up. There was a really good Polish Festival that I used to go to all the time with Tan...with friends."
I quickly looked down at my beer bottle and started peeling the label off the front. As if sensing my unease, Bella put her hand on my knee.
"Hey Edward," she said softly. "I don't mean to pry. I don't know too much about your life in Chicago, but I have heard a little here and there about you from Alice over the years. I know there was a major reason why you moved out here to Seattle, although even Alice has always been reluctant to talk about it." She then took a deep breath before continuing. "Edward, what happened between you and Tanya?"
My heart ached at the mere sound of her name being spoken. I froze in place as I continued looking down at the beer bottle in my lap. Well there it was…the million-dollar question. The one I had been dreading being brought up here. I didn't really have to talk about it back in Chicago because everyone who knew me already knew the whole story, but I knew it was only a matter of time before people in Seattle started asking me questions about my past and it would eventually come up sooner or later.
I was having such a great time with Bella that I really didn't want to ruin the rest of our date, for me or for her, by getting into all this now.
I probably waited too long not saying anything because the next thing I knew Bella buried her face in her hands.
"God, I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have asked you about this. It's obviously not something you want to talk about, and I should learn to just mind my own damn business. I'm stupid, stupid, stupid!"
God…I couldn't let Bella think that she had done something wrong by asking me a question.
I turned toward her and reached both hands out to grab her hands away from her face. I rested our joined hands gently down into her lap.
"Bella, you are not stupid and you did nothing wrong. I want you to feel free to ask me anything, whenever you want to. I owe you an answer to that question. You trusted me enough and were honest with me when you told me about your whole Jacob situation. I promise you Bella, I will tell you the whole story…just not right now, okay? I left Chicago trying to escape everything and I am just not ready to open that can of worms yet. Can you please give me a little time?"
Her eyes softened and she squeezed my hands a little tighter. "Of course, Edward, I completely understand. It's really hard for me to talk about the Jacob situation, and I still find myself not able to do it when my co-workers bring it up. There was even a time over the summer when I contemplated the idea of moving away from Seattle because I can't imagine what the day will be like if and when I ever run into him and that girl. I will wait as long as you need, and when you are ready to tell me I'll be here."
I squeezed her hands and gave her a smile that I hope conveyed to her how much what she just said meant to me.
Just then, my cell phone beeped, indicating that my battery was dying. "I'll be right back Bella, I'm just going to throw my phone on the charger," I said as I stood up and walked toward my room.
I walked over to my nightstand and plugged my phone in before setting it down. I stood there for a moment trying to collect my thoughts. I didn't want the conversation I just had with Bella to mess with my head and spoil the remainder of the evening. I was having such a good night with Bella that I didn't want my own issues to ruin our time together.
When I felt myself relax again, I turned on my heel and took a step forward before stopping short. There in my doorway, leaning against the frame was Bella. It didn't escape my attention that she had removed the clip from her hair letting the curls fall softly around her shoulders.
"Hi," she said in a small voice while a sweet smile spread across her face.
My mouth crept up into my famous crooked smile. "Hey," I said back.
We stood there just staring at each other. I debated what I should do. I knew what I wanted to do, but were we really ready for this? I knew we had almost kissed before when we were standing outside my car, but now we were in my bedroom. I spent the last couple of months fighting every thought and urge I had for this woman, and it had always been the wrong choice. The only thing that I found that felt right was when I followed my instinct with her.
Without another thought, I took three steps across the room and stood in front of her. I put my hands on her shoulders and she immediately stood straight up, no longer leaning on the frame. I pulled her in a few steps and then moved her over so she was now leaning up against the wall to the right of my door. My eyes never left hers as I kept my right hand on her shoulder while my left hand reached out, closed the door, and locked it. I flattened my palms against the wall on either side of her head.
Bella was looking into my eyes and chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
I reached down and brushed my thumb over her lips to stop her.
"Don't," I said. "Those lips are far too pretty for you to be chewing on them."
I then moved my hand up along her jaw to cradle her cheek. We were both breathing shallowly by now. I looked at her for one last moment before I finally leaned in and our lips met.
I had been right about Bella. Her lips and her kisses were so soft and sensual. We kissed slowly and chastely at first, but then she parted her lips slightly and I slid my tongue into her mouth. She met my tongue with her own and we just let them gently become acquainted with each other.
The next thing I knew, Bella's hands lifted up from where they were hanging at her sides and snaked around my waist. She held them there for a moment before gliding them around my back. She pressed her body closer to mine as she hugged me and our kiss became more intense. Our tongues started battling for dominance. My hands ran up from her face and into her hair. My hands roamed down her neck and back, ending just above the swell of her ass.
All of a sudden I felt her little body push into mine, trying to move me backwards toward the bed.
I pulled my face back from her lips. "Bella, are you sure?" I didn't want to push her into anything she wasn't ready for, and as much as I wanted to be with her, I didn't know if I was ready yet either. Empty sex is one thing, but I knew it would never just be sex with her. With Bella, it would be making love, and I didn't know if I was mentally ready for that.
"Edward, I know we are going to take things slow. I just want to be close to you right now. We can be intimate right now without having sex."
I immediately crashed my lips back to hers and spun her around so I was now the one facing my bed. I walked slowly and when the back of her knees hit my mattress, I slowly lowered her onto the bed with my hand never leaving the back of her head until it was gently placed on my pillow.
I crawled onto the bed, my knees straddling her hips, and hovered over her. She slid her hands up my chest, over my shoulders, up the back of my neck and then into my hair before pushing my head down so I could meet her lips again. Immediately, our kiss was intense. Our tongues met again and she tasted phenomenal. She kept her hands in my hair and was running her fingers through it roughly. I was trying not to rest all my weight on her, so I leaned on my left elbow. My right hand started to run up and down her side. I ran it from the side swell of her tit, down the side of her ribcage, onto her hip and then her upper thigh, and back up again. I made this sweep with my hand several times when on my last journey back up I slipped my hand under her shirt.
The backs of my fingertips grazed up the soft skin of her stomach causing her to shiver from the sensation. I inched slowly up her torso until I felt the satiny fabric of her bra. I turned my hand over so that it was flat on her ribs and ran it up and over her swell. I rubbed a few times over her bra before I pushed the fabric up and out of the way. I ran my hand back over her exposed tits and pinched her nipple.
Bella gasped and then moaned into my mouth. It was the single most erotic sound I had ever heard. Her lips attacked mine as she reached out and grabbed the hand supporting my weight causing me to lower my body on hers completely. She started grinding her hips into mine and it was my turn to moan into her mouth. She pulled her hand out of mine, wrapped it around me, and grabbed my ass. She then hitched one of her legs around my waist and continued moving her hips.
I started matching her movements with my hips while continuing to rub her tits.
After a few minutes of this, I felt Bella shift and the next thing I knew her hands were snaking in between us trying to unbutton my jeans.
I jerked my head back. "Bella, what are you doing?"
"Edward, just because we aren't going to have sex doesn't mean we can't do other stuff," she said through hooded eyes. "So just shut up and kiss me."
Yes ma'am!
We started kissing again and Bella unbuttoned my jeans and slowly pulled the zipper down. I wrapped my arm around her waist and rolled us over on to our sides. She grazed her hand up and down my stomach before stopping at the top of my boxer shorts. She boldly slid her hands behind the elastic and down inside. When she finally reached my dick, she wrapped her little hand around it and then gasped.
I then, felt her smile against my mouth. "God, Edward, if I had only known, I would have aimed even higher in my McBuild-An-Edward," she giggled again.
I mentally high fived myself.
I looked down at her, smiled, and just shook my head. "Never underestimate a Cullen," I said feeling all sorts of cocky…pun intended!
"Who knew nine inches would be an underestimation," she said in a sultry voice before kissing me again.
She took her thumb and rubbed it over the tip, gathering the moisture pooled there before descending down my shaft. She began to run her hand slowly up and down my cock; almost painfully slow. It felt so fucking good that I was scared I was going to bust a nut right then and there.
I had to concentrate on something else so I wouldn't be solely focusing on the way this beautiful woman was working my hard on skillfully.
I knew just the perfect distraction.
I thought about removing her shirt at first, but I was afraid that once clothing started being removed, neither one of us would have the resolve to not start humping like fucking bunnies.
So clothes had to stay on…this time.
I ran my hand down her sides to her waist and then across her stomach until I found the button of her jeans. In one swift flick the button was undone and the zipper was down.
Bella laughed. "Had much practice doing that?" she joked.
I gave her a cocky smile and said, "Shut up and kiss me."
Boy did she ever.
I slid my hands down into her panties. I almost came again when I felt that Bella was completely bare! Could this girl get any fucking hotter?
I rubbed her outside at first, just giving her some friction before slipping my finger in between her folds over her swollen clit. Bella gasped and bucked herself into me. She then started stroking my dick faster, so I knew I hit the sweet spot. She was soaking wet and that just made my already rock hard dick get even harder knowing that I had made her this way.
I continued to rub her clit with my thumb while plunging two fingers into her. I started pumping my fingers inside her. She moaned and then tightened her grip slightly on my cock and worked it a little bit faster. We were matching each other move for move. If she slowed down, I slowed down a bit. If she sped up, I sped up.
I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer, and from the sounds Bella was making I didn't think she would be able to either.
I finally plunged a third finger into her, and after a few more pumps, I felt Bella contract around my finger and moan out my name.
"Oh God… Edward…mmm."
Scratch what I said before. This was the single most erotic sound I had ever heard!
She had stopped moving her hand on my dick momentarily, but as soon as she rode out her last wave and caught her breath, she roughly pushed me onto my back and pulled my dick completely out of my pants. She continued to work me while she leaned over me from the side and kissed me deeply and passionately. She grabbed my hand, slid it under her shirt, and placed it over her tit.
Seeing Bella take such control totally turned me on even more and after a few more pumps of her fist I warned her that I was going to come.
She reached down with her free hand and pulled my shirt up so that I wouldn't shoot all over my clothes, and then I came…HARD.
"God, Bella… Feels. So. Fucking. Good."
When my own personal fire hose finally shut off, I threw one arm over my eyes to calm my breathing and took my other arm that was closest to Bella and I wrapped it around her and pulled her in close to my side. I felt her rest her head on my chest and we both lay there breathing heavily.
When my breathing steadied, I took my arm off my eyes and I peered down at her, seeing just the top of her head.
"Hey," I said to her in a quiet voice.
She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and smiled, and I leaned down and kissed her on the tip of her nose.
She rolled on to her stomach and propped herself up on her forearms across my chest. "That is the hottest thing I have done with all my clothes on in a long time," she chuckled.
"Yeah, well just wait and see how hot it will be when all our clothes are off," I said to her as I quirked my eyebrow.
She starting biting her lip again and stared at me lustfully.
Suddenly, Bella sat up and scooted off the bed.
"Where do you think you're going?" I asked as I reached out to grab her playfully, but missed.
"I'm just going to get something to clean you up with," she retorted as she grabbed the towel I had used when I showered earlier off the back of my desk chair. She walked back over, sat down on the bed next to me, and wiped my stomach clean.
"Next time I have a feeling that there will be no reason to have to clean up your stomach afterwards," she said as color filled her cheeks.
I looked at her in shock, my mouth just hanging open in awe. How could this girl say and do the things she did and then still blush and be shy about it? What a fucking turn on it was. She was remarkable.
Bella peeked up at me and then said, "I should probably go home now."
I tried to convey through my gaze that she didn't have to leave if she didn't want to. I was not the kind of guy to be intimate with a girl and then send her packing. Especially not with Bella, she was special.
She definitely seemed to understand what I was trying to express because she put her hand up to my face and cupped my cheek. "I would love nothing more than to stay here and sleep in your arms tonight, Edward, but I think that for tonight it is best if I go home."
I nodded in understanding and got out of bed. I fixed my pants, as did Bella, and I bent down to put on the shoes that I hadn't even realized that I kicked off.
"Why are you putting your shoes back on?" Bella asked me.
"I'm walking you home."
"Edward, that's silly. I live in the same building. I just have to go down the elevator a few floors."
"Bella, when I take a woman out on a date, I pick her up and drop her back off. Door to door service, my dear. My momma raised me well."
Bella giggled and then took my hand. We walked out of my room, through the apartment and out the front door to the elevator. When the elevator door opened, we both stepped in and I pulled Bella into my chest, wrapping my arms around her.
She wound her arms around my waist and rested her head into my chest while I rested my chin on the top of her head. We stood that way without saying a word the entire elevator ride down to her floor.
When the bell chimed and the door opened, we both let out a little sigh of annoyance.
We reluctantly let go of each other and walked out of the elevator hand in hand.
When we got to her door, she turned to face me.
"Edward, I had such an amazing time tonight. I couldn't imagine a more perfect first date."
She dropped her eyes toward the floor and when she looked back up at me, a single tear ran down her cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I took both of my hands and cradled her face. I stared down into her eyes as I used my thumb to wipe the tear from her cheek.
"No, thank you, Bella," I said back to her.
I knew that Bella wasn't just thanking me for the date. She was thanking me for the same reason I was thanking her. It was for helping to chip away some of the pain that we had both been carrying around for way too long now. It was for showing each other that there was a light at the end of the tunnel we had been walking in for so long. It was for making each other smile and laugh so much tonight and not having to fake it. Most importantly, it was for showing each other that it was possible to find happiness in another person no matter how much we still had issues with our pasts.
I leaned down and gave Bella a very soft, chaste kiss to her lips. I held still for a moment before breaking it and pulling back.
"Good night, Bella."
"Good night, Edward."
I waited in the hallway until Bella was inside her apartment and I heard the lock click.
I turned and headed back towards the elevator and got on, hitting the button for my floor.
I replayed the events of the evening in my head, and I knew that I had been so wrong all these months when I tried to stay just friends with Bella. I realized I had my issues to work through. I still loved Tanya, but Bella was finally helping me to see that I really could start over. I thought that moving to Seattle was a cop out; that I was really just running away from my problems and putting a Band-Aid over the issue instead of dealing with it. I was now beginning to understand why Alice had pushed for so long to have me come out here.
I wasn't running away from my old life, I was just allowing myself to start a new one.
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A/N – We hope you enjoyed their first date. Please go over to our profile page and click on the link to join The Sandbox.
FYI-I did indeed find on a website that said White Violets mean "Let's Take a Chance" so please don't tell me that I made that shit up because you looked it up somewhere and it gave a different meaning. I am sure you could find numerous meanings for it, but I am going with what I found...LOL!
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Holly and I also like to pimp out stories that we are reading that we enjoy. Check out Bitter Sweet Symphonies by I'mwiththevampires08. It's a very sexy story and a lot of fun to read. http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/4524712/1/
I just needed to give a fist pump right now for the NY Yankees. They just won the playoffs and they are going to the World Series!!!
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