Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
A/N: So I am not dead! I am just a horrible, horrible updater. Clearly. I'm going to attempt to update a hell of a lot faster this time because I realize that it took me FOREVER to update. I'm not even going to give excuses because they all suck. So I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I hope to get the next one up by (dare I say it) next weekend? I hope so. I literally love you guys so much for sticking with this story. Enjoy!
BPOV
"Bella. Bella, wake up." I sighed and snuggled closer to the warm mass next to me, wrapping my arms more snugly around it. It was so soft, so smooth, and it smelled so good. I didn't want to wake up. "Come on Bella, my mom will flip her shit if she wakes up and you're in my bed." My sleep-addled brain tried to work out where I was and what was happening as I slowly began to wake up. I recognized the voice—a male voice. I shot up, hitting something hard with the top of my head.
"Ow!" I yelled, clapping my hand over the spot I had hit. Edward, next to me, was rubbing his chin, a grimace on his face.
"Good morning to you too," he grumbled. I stared at him for a moment, trying to remember how I ended up in his bed. I couldn't help but notice how his hair stuck up at every angle, and how his chin was stubbly. And not to mention the way he looked without his shirt. I couldn't help but smile, and his lopsided grin greeted mine.
"Why am I in your bed?" I asked.
"You fell asleep listening to me play, so I thought it was better to just let you sleep here then to interrupt Alice and Jasper," he explained and I nodded. I leaned back against the wall and stared up at Edward. An awkward silence filled the air as I thought of something to say. Edward and I were still working on friends—and sleeping together was something we did when we were dating. It muddled the already confusing lines between our new friendship and our old relationship.
"You talked in your sleep," Edward said after a moment. "I forgot how much you talk at night."
My face instantly flamed red. I couldn't remember my dream from the night before but I was sure, due to Edward's scent and warmth being all around me, it had been about him. "What did I say?" I asked.
"Not much," he said softly. "You mentioned Alice and Jasper. And Jacob." His voice turned venomous as he spoke Jacob's name. "And me." His voice became soft, and a small smile graced his face.
"I'm sorry," I apologized instantly.
"Don't be. I liked it. I missed hearing you say my name like that…" He trailed off, and another awkward silence filled the room. I remembered the countless nights Edward and I had spent like this and I was sure he was remembering the same.
"Um, I should probably go back to Alice's room," I said, pushing the blankets off my body. My cheeks were turning red quickly, and I was desperately trying to escape the awkwardness of the situation. I felt like Edward and I kept blurring the lines between our friendship. Sometimes it was easy to forget that we had broken up, that we weren't a couple anymore. We would slip up—he would call me love or I would reach for his hand before realizing our mistakes.
"Yeah," Edward agreed, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. I tried to think of something to say as I climbed out of his bed. I wanted to thank him for taking care of me during the night, for letting me sleep next to him. But then again, I wanted to hit him for making everything even more confusing. It was too hard for me to figure out, so I just gave him a weak smile and left, tip-toeing back to Alice's room and trying to sneak in without waking her.
But luck wasn't on my side—Alice was sitting up, wide-awake, a smirk on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. I gave her a sheepish smile. "Hi," I said, praying she wouldn't say anything, but knowing she would.
"Where'd you sleep last night, missy?" she demanded, but I could tell from her smile she already knew the answer.
"Edward's room," I mumbled quietly.
"Where?" Alice asked, her smile growing wider. I glared at her. I knew she heard me; she just liked making me say it.
"Edward's room," I repeated louder.
"And what, may I ask, where you doing in Edward's room?"
"Sleeping."
"And?" Alice demanded.
"And nothing." I was determined to quell her questions, but Alice was unstoppable. I pulled my sweatshirt on from the night before, and Alice patted the bed next to her. I sat down, pulling a pillow into my lap and fiddling with a loose thread on her blanket.
"How did you end up in Edward's room in the first place?" she asked once I was settled.
"I heard him playing when I left here," I admitted. "So I went to listen. And he caught me watching, so I went in, and he played for me and I fell asleep. So he just let me sleep in his room so we wouldn't bother you and Jasper."
"Aw," Alice cooed, placing a hand over her heart like it was the sweetest thing. I rolled my eyes, my cheeks flaming red. "So you guys cuddled all night? That's so cute!"
"It didn't mean anything," I murmured, but I knew that wasn't true. Of course it meant something. With me and Edward, it always did.
"Sure it didn't," Alice said sarcastically, clearly not believing a word I said. "Did you guys kiss?" She sang the word.
"No." I didn't tell her that I kissed his nose—after all I had been groggy with sleep and he had looked so peaceful. Alice pouted.
"But you were cuddling? Like arms and legs tangled type of cuddling right? And facing each other?" she demanded.
"Right." My whole face was red now, and I placed my cold hands on my cheeks to try and cool it down.
"Good. It's a step at least. How was waking up this morning?" she continued.
"Awkward."
"It'll get easier," she promised.
"This isn't going to become a regular thing, Alice," I told her. "It just happened."
Alice pouted again. "Just tell me one more thing Bella," she began, a smile appearing on her face. "Did you like it?"
I thought of the way I felt wrapped in Edward's arm, the wonderful sleep I had gotten, the feel of his skin on mine and the delicious way he smelled. It was so familiar and so new at the same time. "Yes," I finally said, a small smile creeping onto my own face.
"That's all I need to know." Alice grinned widely, and I could tell she was enthused by my answer. "Now let's go get some breakfast!"
I laughed at her enthusiasm and followed her out of her bedroom and downstairs, where Esme was making breakfast. Everyone else was already downstairs. Carlisle was sitting at the table reading the newspaper and Emmett was standing by the counter, stealing bites of food when Esme wasn't looking. Rosalie and Jasper were sitting at the kitchen island in high stools, drinking juice. Edward was the only one at the table with Carlisle, and he seemed lost in thought.
"Hi everyone!" Alice chirped, announcing our entrance. Various greetings were yelled back as Alice went to lean on the kitchen island next to Jasper, kissing his cheek lightly. It took everyone a moment to notice I was there, since I followed behind Alice silently and tentatively. Emmett was the first to notice.
"Bella? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked through a mouthful of bacon that he had just stolen off the counter.
"I slept over," I answered, giggling. He chewed and swallowed before giving me a huge grin and running over to give me a big bear hug.
"Nice to see you here again," he boomed, and I gasped for breath, pushing him away until he finally put me back down, letting me breathe. Everyone had turned towards us during this exchange. Rosalie was glaring, Esme waved, Carlisle grinned and Edward just stared.
"Good morning Bella," Carlisle said kindly from behind his newspaper. "Help yourself to anything."
"Thanks." I grabbed a glass and some orange juice from the counter, where Esme had laid them out. I knew breakfasts weren't always like this for the Cullens—normally they ate cereal or grabbed something quick before school—but Sunday morning breakfasts were always a big deal. Esme always cooked pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, toast and sausage and served them up to her family. I used to come over every Sunday when Edward and I were dating.
I glanced around trying to find a place to sit. Emmett was already back to scavenging for food, and Rosalie was giving me a death glare that plainly told me not to sit anywhere near the kitchen island. So I ended up taking a seat beside Edward at the table. He gave me a knowing half smile, like we were sharing a little secret, and I returned it, even though it was still somewhat awkward.
"Emmett, save some for the rest of the family," Esme scolded, finally catching Emmett as he stole a pancake off the stack and tried to shove it into his mouth whole. Everyone laughed as Emmett nearly choked, and Rosalie smacked him on the back to help it go down. He chuckled along with the rest of us once his airway was clean.
"Sorry, Esme." He stood next to Rosalie, wrapping an arm around her and watching Esme prepare the rest of the food.
"Did you sleep well, Bella?" Carlisle asked, folding his newspaper up and placing it on the table. I tried to stop the blush that was threatening to climb up my face.
"Very well, thanks," I said after a moment, unable to stop my eyes from peeking sideways at Edward. He was smirking in a satisfied way. I pinched his leg under the table, and he jumped, giving me a dirty look. I just giggled and shook my head slightly, trying to tell him not to give us away.
"That's good," Carlisle said in a bemused sort of way, and I knew he had caught our little exchange. He hid his face by picking up the newspaper again, but not before I saw him smile.
"Breakfast's ready!" Esme announced, and everyone ran to the table. Alice sat next to me, and Esme sat on the end next to her. Jasper was to Esme's left and Emmett and Rosalie were next to him. Everyone was seated by couple, and it felt like nothing had really changed.
The plates of food were passed around the table, and everyone helped themselves. Everything looked delicious and I stood slightly, reaching for a pitcher of juice, when suddenly my legs were on fire. I let out a yelp and looked down to see a coffee pot overturned on my legs. I stood straight, and it fell to the floor with a clatter.
"Oops," Rosalie said, and I realized she had been the one reaching for it. I could tell by the look in her eyes she had done it on purpose, and at that moment I hated her more than anything.
"Bella!" Edward gasped, jumping up. His face was filled with an intense concern I hadn't seen in months. I was whimpering as the hot coffee burnt my thighs.
"Get her to my office, Edward," Carlisle instructed, and he jumped out of his chair as well. I started to walk, but it rubbed the hot fabric further against my skin. I let out a gasp of pain. Edward reached over, muttering a swear, and scooped me easily into his arms. My next gasp was one of surprise as the ground was suddenly gone, and I wrapped my arms around his neck for balance.
"Get her something else to wear, Alice," Edward demanded, already running for the stairs. He brought me into Carlisle's office and sat me on his desk, where Carlisle had cleared a space for me. Edward laced his fingers through mine, that burning look still on his face. It was a look of concern and care—one I always used to associate with love. But it wasn't love anymore. He was only worried.
"Edward, why don't you wait outside," Carlisle said, and Edward seemed to realize what he was doing. He dropped my hand and muttered an apology. The burning look left his eyes and he left, his cheeks flushed with color, something that rarely happened to him.
Once Edward was safely outside, Carlisle peeled off the sticky sweatpants. I was glad I was wearing plain boy short underwear, and nothing sexy. It was embarrassing enough that Carlisle had to see me in my underwear, it would be much worse if I was wearing something lacy and revealing. He tsk-ed as he examined my legs.
"It's not bad, just some mild burns," he informed me with a smile. "Some aloe and ice should help. It'll be gone in a few days."
"Thanks, Carlisle," I sighed as he handed me a bottle of aloe. I squeezed some out and rubbed it onto the burns.
"No problem Bella."
"How's it been Carlisle?" I asked after a moment of silence. We were waiting for Alice to bring me something new to wear. "Since we broke up, I mean. How's he been?" I didn't know what made me ask it. But for some reason, I knew Carlisle would be truly honest with me. He looked up at me with mild interest for a moment before sighing.
"Not bad recently. It was…hard for him at first. We could see him slipping into his old habits and we didn't know what to do," Carlisle explained, sitting down behind his desk. He was staring at the wall, obviously lost in thought. "But it's been better since you two have become friends again. He skips less, he comes home earlier, and he doesn't reek of alcohol when he does. I think we all took for granted how good you were for him Bella. Even him."
I stared at Carlisle, silent, willing myself not to cry. I knew Edward had been skipping school but I didn't realize he had gone back to his partying ways. I had thought he might, but hearing it from Carlisle confirmed my fears. "I'm sorry," I apologized after a minute.
Carlisle smiled up at me. "It's not your fault. Edward's a good kid, he really is. And I think he sees now that he can't party forever. You've helped him see that Bella, and I'll always be grateful for that. No matter what may happen between the two of you, I think you've made him a better person."
Carlisle's praise brought unexpected tears to my eyes. "Thank you," I murmured.
Alice came in then with a pair of Edward's shorts in her hands. "I figured these would hurt the least, since they won't rub up against the burns."
"Thanks Alice," I said gratefully, hurrying to pull them on. They were too big, so I had to roll them a few times, but they didn't brush up against the burns much. And they smelled like Edward. "You're the greatest."
"I sure am!" Alice giggled. "By the way, I'll beat Rose up later for that. It was so on purpose. But I don't care because Edward got to be your knight in shining armor and save the day and all. So it worked out in the end."
I rolled my eyes at Alice as Carlisle's laughter joined hers and we all left the office together. To my surprise, Edward was still waiting outside. I blushed red, wondering if he had heard my conversations with Carlisle and Alice.
"Hey," he said softly, and I noticed Alice and Carlisle keep walking, leaving the two of us alone.
"Hi," I answered.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine. They're not serious," I told him, touched by his concern.
"Okay, good. I'm glad you're okay," he said, smiling my favorite crooked smile. "And I see you stole my shorts," he teased lightly.
"Alice stole your shorts actually. I'm just wearing them. I'll bring them back."
"I don't mind." We stood together, kind of awkwardly. Edward was watching me, his eyes boring into mine, and I could feel a spark of our old electricity filling the air. I shivered lightly, and I noticed Edward take half a step closer.
"I'd better go home," I burst suddenly, taking a step backwards. Edward blinked twice, and shook his head.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Bella." He smiled, but it wasn't my smile. It was a half, kind of sad, smile.
"Bye." We locked eyes for a moment, but I turned and left before I could get caught in his trance. I said my goodbyes to the Cullens and drove home, my mind on a million things. Charlie was sitting in the kitchen eating scrambled eggs when I walked in.
"Hey Bells," he greeted when I walked in.
"Hey," I answered, walking into the kitchen and pouring myself a glass of water and grabbing an ice pack for my burns.
"What are you wearing?" he demanded, and I realized how I must have looked in Edward's shorts. I bit back a smile.
"I kind of spilled coffee on my sweatpants. I burnt my legs so Alice got me these so they wouldn't brush on the burns," I informed him and he rolled his eyes, used to my clumsiness.
"Well, did you have a good time other than that?" he asked. I thought of the piano, sleeping in Edward's room, the burning look on his face when he saw I was hurt. The way he cared. I smiled, unable to hold it back this time.
"Yeah," I said quietly after a moment. "Yeah I did."
A/N: So review please, I hope you liked it, because I just banged it out in like an hour because I finally felt like writing fanfics again. So hopefully this mood will stick and I'll be able to keep writing :) Thanks for the amazing support, REVIEW!