Chapter Ten

The remainder of Edward's weekend in Boston was very good. He loved indulging in home cooking and thought Bella was an excellent cook and her cake was the best he had ever eaten. He was smitten that she had gone through the trouble to make him his favorite foods. He was even surprised when she bought storage containers and a cooler for him to take left overs back to New York with him. She then promised to make some of his other favorite foods when he returned.

Before going to bed the last night of his visit, Edward asked if he could come and visit her the following weekend instead of her traveling to New York. He told her he felt like he was home with her. Bella said of course she would love to have him there.

They shared a tearful goodbye at six am Monday morning. Edward regretfully woke Bella up just as he was about to leave. He didn't want to disturb her from a restful slumber. She looked beautiful sleeping. Her mahogany hair was spread over her turquoise pillowcase. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful. He nudged her to wake her. They shared a brief conversation. He promised to text her once he was safe in New York. They both had tears in their eyes as they said good bye and Edward began his journey back to his work.

After two meetings, Bella was sitting at her desk at work later that afternoon. It was almost one and she was due to meet Rosalie at a restaurant near her office. Bella gathered her belongings as her office phone rang.

"Hello Isabella Cullen," she answered.

"Bella," James her assistant began to speak. "You have a phone call on line four. It is a Mr. Swan."

A smile lit her face. "Thank you James. Hey, did you have lunch yet?"

"No, would you like me to pick you up something?"

"No thank you. Why don't you take your lunch and have Lauren answer the phones for a while."

"Thanks Bella. I'll see you soon."

Bella hung the phone up then picked it up again, picking up line four. "Aw, Mr. Swan, you finally called."

Edward chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Sorry about that, I got stuck in traffic and I had to get into make up as soon as I got here to just sit and wait. I am having a delightful lunch though. I love homemade mac and cheese. I only wish I had good company to share it with."

"I know the feeling. I'm about to meet Rose to sign the papers for the house."

"Congratulations. We'll celebrate when I get back to you."

"Is that a promise Mr. Swan?"

"Why yes it is Ms. Cullen and I always keep my promises."

"Excellent. I hate to do this but I have ten minutes to meet Rose down the street. Can I talk to you later?"

"Of course. I'll call you later tonight, when I wrap up here. It probably won't be until about ten or so."

"That's fine. I'll talk to you before I get ready for bed."

"Sounds good. Hey Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Bella fell back in her chair. He spoken those three words before he left the house earlier that day, however, they seemed more real somehow. "I love you too. I'll talk to you-wait one second," Bella told him as there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

"Bella, you have a visitor here."

Bella nodded as she motioned for Lauren to send her guest in. "Hey, I have to go for real. Rose is here. Later then?"

"Yes, good bye love."

"Bye," she said as she hung up the phone. She reached on the floor to grab her purse. She placed it on her desk as she searched for her lip gloss. She looked up when she heard the knock. "Cone in."

The door opened slowly and she turned to see a blue Marie Belle bag. It was her favorite brand of chocolate. The store was located in So Ho. She was surprised when she looked up to see who was carrying the bag. "Jacob?" Bella asked in shock.

A large, bright white smile appeared on his mouth as he shook his head. "In the flesh. Aren't you going to come over here and give me a hug?"

Bella walked slowly over to him and wrapped her arms around his back. "I can't believe you're here. Wow, when did you get in? Why didn't you tell me you were coming? How long will you be staying? Where are you staying?"

Jacob laughed as his hands rested around her waist. "You are full of question, aren't you Bells? Well, I have been in Boston for almost two hours. I'm only here until the end of the day. I had a meeting in New York way too early this morning and decided to come to Boston. I wanted to check out the neighborhoods before I decided where I was going to look for houses. I also wanted to know if I could take you to lunch. I totally appreciate everything you did for me the other night when you. Before I forget, this is for you. I asked one of the employees go to So Ho to pick the chocolate up for you. There is also hot chocolate in there too. I remembered our trip to New York right before graduation."

Bella couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe you remember that! That was an interesting trip." Bella reflected for a few seconds in her own thoughts. She and Jacob had shared a bed that weekend and even though she had wanted something to happen with him, he remained a perfect gentleman he whole trip. He occasionally held her hand or linked her arm in his, but other than that, he didn't touch her.

"Yes, of course I remember! We went to a Yankees/Red Sox game in the Bronx. You were afraid that we were going to get shot because I proudly wore my Red Sox hat. Honestly, I thought the New York fans were a lot more accommodating than Boston fans."

"That is so true. After the game we back and walked around Times Square and all of the touristy places." Bella added.

"The next day we explored So Ho when we stumbled upon Marie Bella. I remember how much you enjoyed the hot chocolate, even though it was the beginning of May."

Bella nodded with a grin plastered to her face. "That's right. I remember that too."

"Then the day concluded with you dragging me to go see Miss Saigon on Broadway." Jacob laughed.

Bella smiled as she raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute, I dragged you? If I remember correctly you were the one who bawled like an infant at the end of the show. Seriously, I think you cried more than me!"

"Guilty as charged. It was so emotional! I have some of the music on my Ipod and to this day, I think of you when I hear the songs." Jacob paused before he smiled again. "I thought I was the only one who remembered those things."

"Afraid not my friend, I am afraid not." Bella said as she looked down at the clock. "Shit, I have to meet Rose in five minutes. Would you like to join us? I'm meeting with my realtor."

"Emmett's fiancée, right?"

"Yes, you remembered. I can introduce you two."

"Sure, lead the way," Jacob said holding the door open for Bella. She walked in front of him and began to walk out of the office. She stopped when she got to Lauren's desk.

"Lauren, most likely I'll be out of the office for about two hours. Please just answer the phones until James gets back. I'm sure he'll have work for you to do when he gets back."

Lauren looked up and nearly had drool hanging from her lip. Her eyes opened wide at the site of Jacob. "Yes Bella Ms, I mean Mrs. Cullen, I mean Bella."

"Thank you Lauren," Bella said as she and Jacob walked away towards the elevator. "I think you left a lasting effect on my young intern."

"Yep, I seem to have that effect on women. Well, most of them, just not my ex fiancée," and you he thought.

Bella bit her bottom lip before continuing. "About that, what ended up happening?"

As they began to walk towards the restaurant, Jacob shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. "I agreed not to press charges as long as she paid for the cleanup and the paint job. Any of my personal items that she broke she will have to replace. After all that is done, the condo is going on the market. I'm done with Chicago."

"When are you looking to move here?"

Jacob let out a sigh. "As soon as possible. I told my work and they actually don't want to lose me within the company, so they are creating a position tailored just to me. Basically, I'll be doing what I am doing now, but I won't have to travel that often. I will still have time for my passions, like painting, so we'll see."

"Does Billy know you're moving home yet? What does he think about the whole Leah thing?"

"Yes and he's excited about me being closer. It'll be easier for me to visit him than he to visit me. About Leah, he never liked her. Dad, as you know, is very opinionated. He sold the farm."

"He sold all of the horse?"

Jacob nodded. "It was too much for him to keep up with. Ever since his accident he hadn't enjoyed living on the farm, so he sold it. He's living in Lexington. He has help and he has a dog, but the farm is gone." Jacob explained about his father. Billy had been hit by a drunk driver and almost died. When he woke up from a coma, the doctors told him he'd never walk again and he was paralyzed from the waist down. Jacob helped his dad out whenever he could when they were in college.

When Jacob had finished talking, he looked up to find himself in a familiar area. He smiled at Bella and asked, "Are we going to Bertucci's?"

Nodding, Bella answered. "Yes."

"Oh my god, that's my favorite…"

Bella finished his sentence before he had the chance to. "Chain restaurant! I remember that now." Bella quickly reflected on the many times during their time in college they had spent time at the restaurant near Quincy Market Place.

"See, this place is all ready starting to feel like home again," Jacob said as he held the door open for her. "I haven't been here since college!"

Bella smiled as she scanned the room for Rose. When she found her she walked towards the table. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

"Bella, you should have just called. I would have completely understood if you had to…" Rose was stopped in her tracks as she looked up and saw Jacob. Her pale skin blushed. "Who is your friend?"

"Rosalie, this is my friend Jake from college. He is relocating to the area. I was going to email you to see if you could assist him in looking for a home."

"Of course. It's nice to meet you Jake." Rose said standing up to shake his hand.

The three sat dawn as Rose asked Jacob about where he'd like to live and what he was looking for in a house. After answering all of her questions, Rose told Jacob that there were a few homes she could show him after lunch.

"That would be great. Thank you so much."

"It isn't a problem. Any friend of Bella's is a friend of mine," Rose smiled as she looked at Bella. Bella dug her nose deeper into the pile of paper work she had to sign for the house.

Before another word could be spoken, Jacob's phone rang. "I'm sorry, this is my job. Excuse me for just a few moments." Jacob told the ladies at the table as he stood up and walked outside.

Bella looked up from the paper work and looked at him out the window. He was in depth in conversation as he placed his free hand into his pants pocket. He looked like he was slowly explaining something to the person on the other end of the line.

"So this is Jacob, Jacob? The famous Jacob who you loved in college?"

"The one in the same," Bella replied not looking up from her paper work.

"How long has he been here?"

"He arrived at my office just a few minutes before I left. I actually thought he was you."

Rose nodded. She loved her soon to be sister in law like she was her own younger sister. She wanted her to be happy. "Is there anything…."

Bella looked up and shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. He found me on Facebook and we started talking again. He just went through a rough break up with his fiancée. He's just a friend."

Rose smiled. "Just a friend who seems to adore you! I saw the way he was looking at you Bella. He looked like a lost puppy."

"Rose, please. College was a long time ago. We are both different people than we were six years ago. He most definitely isn't interested in me like that. We were always friends. We are trying to recapture that relationship, if any."

Rose nodded. "We'll see. Speaking of which, why haven't I seen you? You have cancelled on everything we had planned. I'm actually surprised that you finally went to a dress fitting. Emmett is worried about you."

"There is no reason to worry about me. I've been busy."

Rose nodded. "I understand that, but you know how your brother is. What have you been doing?"

Bella took a deep breath as she continued to watch Jacob. "Listen, I don't want to get into it now, but why don't you come over Wednesday night. Alice is going to be at my house anyway and we can have a much needed girls night and we'll talk and catch up."

"I would love that Bella. I really miss you."

"I miss you too. I'll catch you up, I promise. Rose there is one thing. Please don't find Jacob a house in my neighborhood." Bella waited for Rose to nod in agreement before she continued. "Also Rose, now that I have a house of my own, I'd like to have Thanksgiving at my new house. Would you and Em like to come over?"

"I would love too. After you're done signing your life away, I can give you the keys and we can move in as soon as you get them." Rose explained.

Bella hugged her dear friend. "Thank you so much Rose!"

As Bella got comfortable and sat down again, she continued to look through the paper work and sign or initial at the appropriate spots. Rose shook her head and reached for Bella's hand to get her attention. "Bella, are you sure you're all right? You seem so distant, and I'm not just talking about the missed dates we've had, or haven't had."

Bella looked up. "Thanks for being concerned, but I am fine, actually I'm better than fine. I am great and probably the happiest I have been in my entire life. I'll explain it all to you on Wednesday, I promise."

Satisfied with her answer, Rose nodded her head and sat back down. Before she could respond, Jacob returned. The rest of lunch was focused on where Rose would bring Jacob to look for his house.

"So wait a minute, let me get this straight. Alice took you to a bar, where you met the hottest actor in Hollywood right now. You went back to his hotel room, having no idea who the hell he was and you just talked all night."

"Yes," Bella answered Rosalie as she took a big gulp of her wine.

"Please let me continue. He contacts you and wants to get together with you. You break all of the plans you had that weekend and take off to go to New York, where you also meet your former crush. He flirts with you and buys you dinner. Hours later, your current crush surprises you with flowers and falls asleep in your hotel room. You have the best weekend of your life with him, no sex of course so how good could it really have been? Anyway, you talk for hours and email back and forth, he shows up a day early on your door step and you then have the second best weekend of your life, of course it's better than the first because you have sex not once, but two more times? Oh, and you told off your mother. Am I missing anything?" Rose asked now sipping her wine. Alice sat back in the chair and laughed as all eyes went to Bella.

"We might have exchanged I love yous and he might be moving in with me," Bella said inhaling the rest of her wine. She closed her eyes and waited for the comments. Alice hadn't even known about the moving in part or the I love yous.

"He's moving in with you?" Alice yelled.

"You love him?" Rose added.

"Ummm, yes and yes."

"You have known him for like two seconds." Rose said as she reached for the bottle of wine. As she poured herself a drink, she began to laugh. "I wonder what mother will say about this."

Bella sighed. "I was going to tell her after I moved. I was going to have her and dad over for dinner and just be up front about it. I know they'll hate it. My mother all ready hates him."

"Esme has all ready met him?" Rose inquired.

Bella nodded. "She might have called while we were making out on the couch like a couple of horny high school kids. She was five minutes away and we had to make ourselves decent. It was actually funny. I threw all of his stuff into the guest room and unmade the bed. I threw his clothes around. Anyway, thenI introduced them and she hated him. Before she left she asked me about Jacob."

Alice laughed. "Speaking of which, how is he?"

"He's good. He loves the second house in Newton you saw with him Rose."

"I know. He's all ready put an offer in it. He is the only one I have shown that house to who fell in love with it. He said he could see himself being a handyman and repainting and such." Rose paused as she played with her wine glass. She looked up at Bella. "Are you sure there is nothing between you two?'

"Absolutely. I have a boyfriend, who in the span of two months I have fallen in love with, hardcore."

Alice spoke up. "I just want to the record to show that I was right and I will refrain from doing an I told you so dance."

Bella and Rose laughed. "Well, I guess as long as you are happy, I am happy, just as long as you promise not to blow me off any more."

Bella nodded as she sipped her final sip of wine. "I promise. This weekend I'm going to be busy packing, but maybe once I'm settled you can come over with Em and meet him. Although, truth be told, I'm a little nervous about Emmett. He'll tell our mother. I just don't want to deal with her and that subject yet."

"I don't mean to break up this topic, but I really think that Jacob is attracted to you." Rose point blankly told Bella.

"I thought we were done with this subject. I know I was." Bella replied. Rolling her eyes, Bella asked, "What did he say to you?"

Rose shook her head. "He said that he is happy to be getting reacquainted with you. He asked if you were seeing anyone."

"I knew it! I knew from the moment he contacted you that he liked you!" Alice said as she too finished her drink.

Bella sighed. "We are just friends. When I met him for dinner in New York, he had asked me if I was married. I laughed and told him about Michael. He was just asking to see if I was okay."

"Or because he wants to be more than friends with you."

"Finally, I'd do something to make Esme Elizabeth Cullen happy." Bella said shaking her head. "As I said before, nothing between Jake and I can happen. I am happily involved in a relationship."

"Then you need to tell him that Bella," Alice told her.

"The fairy is right. You have to tell him about Edward and how he is moving in with you, just don't tell him how quickly your relationship is picking up because he's going to think that you are insane, like I do." Rose smiled. "But when you are in love, that whole common sense trait kind of flies out the window."

"I'll tell him when the time is right. We don't really talk relationship stuff. I don't want to bring it up yet. He is still hurting from things with Leah. I'll tell him, but just not yet."

"I think you're making a mistake Bella," Rose told her.

Alice nodded. "I agree with blondie. Right now he thinks he has a shot with you and you aren't even available. I bet you haven't changed your status on line yet to being in a relationship, have you?"

"First of all Allie, my life doesn't revolve around Facebook. Second of all, with Edward, things aren't going to be that simple. Before we went out in New York, he kind of gave me a rundown of how the paparazzi chase him and hound him. I can't just change my status to in a relationship with mega hot superstar Edward Masen. I don't want to be hounded and I surly don't want him to be hounded. That's why neither one of you can say anything to anyone, especially you Rose. You cannot tell Emmett until I am ready. He has a big mouth and would post something or worse yet, tell my mother."

Both Alice and Rosalie nodded. Rose squeezed Bella's hand. "Yah, yeah, yeah. Of course. You just have to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"You will introduce me to Mr. Hottie!"

Bella laughed. "It isn't like that. I mean, he is gorgeous and I wonder how someone like him could even want to be with someone like me?"

"Bella, you are equally as attractive." Alice added.

Bella shook her head. "Thanks, but anyway, he is hot and everything, but he is so kind and just nice. He's sweet. When I came home on Monday, there were flowers on my porch waiting for me from him. He told me that being with me felt like he was home."

Rose finished her red wine and set it on the coaster. "Okay, thank you, I officially believe that I am going to vomit. That is like sickening sweet Bella."

"Oh Rose, stop, it's romantic," Alice rebutted. "Tell her the other thing too, you know, about the calls."

A smile crept onto Bella's mouth. "He calls me every night as I'm getting ready for bed. We talk about our days and at the end of the conversation he sings to me."

"What?" Rose asked in disbelief.

Bella nodded. "Yes. It's different each time. Monday it was a song he made up on the spot, last night he sang a few verses of 'Leaving on a Jet Plane'"

Rose shook her head. "I wonder what tonight will hold."

"I can't wait to find out."

"So there is no way anything between you and Jacob will happen?"

"No, unless he wants to rekindle our friendship, which I thought, we were doing."

Alice nodded. "You just need to tell him that."

"I will, I always follow through on my word, don't I?"

"Yes, but still. He's been hurt enough Bella, you don't want him to hurt any more, do you?"

"I don't think it's like that at all. I think I am lucky enough to be rebound girl. If anything did happen between us, I think Jacob would feel so bad and apologize profusely and get embarrassed, even still I promise I'll talk to him about it. Just to make it clear though, we are just what we always have been, friends."