Chapter Ten

Edward helped me into the house.

"Thanks for just being so," I paused looking for the right word, "good tonight." I'm tired and we had been at the hospital for three hours and I had been loaded with drugs in that time, my vocabulary is suffering.

He walked me to my bedroom door and I turned the handle. I frowned. Why won't it turn?

"Edward I know I'm a bit off my face at the moment but the door handle is not turning at the moment, right?" Edward tried and it didn't turn. Who's in my bed? I tried to scream but the best my throat managed was a raspy whisper. Edward was still trying to jiggle the doorhandle. "Edward, don't worry about it's probably just," I didn't know who it could be. Everyone I know has their own apartments or beds, "someone." I finished lamely for Edward.

"Where will you sleep?" He asked.

"Couch?" He moved to the couch and then dragged it effortlessly across the floor and began taking off the seat cushions and the back cushions and laying them on the floor.

"Edward you don't have to-"

He looked up but didn't stop his motions and smiled, "don't worry about it Bella and besides you wouldn't know two plus two now if I asked you." He chuckled under his breath.

Was that an insult? I tried to be insulted but I couldn't find it in me. "I'm an English major, Edward. We don't do math."

He ignored the whole thing and asked, "sleeping bag?"

"Hall cupboard." He left and I followed slowly making my way to the laundry. I had a walking boot on so it was a slow process. I was looking for something more comfortable to sleep in. I was in luck. I found a pair of Rose's leggings and a t-shirt of mine. I pulled the clothes on, the leggings over the boot was an awkward process but I managed and made my way back to the living room. Edward had laid out a sleeping couch and put a folded blanket on the bare couch. He looked adorably awkward just standing there

"Will you stay with me?" I asked. I hadn't meant to it just slipped out. I ducked my head hoping he couldn't see my blush in the dark room. I dropped down onto the makeshift bed and started to take off my walking boot, I had a night splint to sleep in.

"Uh, are you sure?" I looked up quickly actually quite shocked. I had expected a refusal especially after our last conversation.

I nodded, "yes." Edward began to slip off his shoes. "I won't do anything to you, I swear," I held up my hand in a 'scouts honour' sign.

"Promise?" He joked and took off his shirt. Why do the lights have to be off! I suppose there is morning. I crawled into the sleeping bag and he lay alongside me. He pulled the blanket off the couch and we lay on our sides grinning at each other. Edward still had his jeans on.

"You can take your jeans off if you'd prefer. I wouldn't," I yawned, "mind."

"Actually I might keep them on."

"Don't worry about Rose or Alice, they probably wouldn't even notice if you didn't have pants on."

"It's not them I'm worried about."

"The mystery room stealer?"

"No."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"No Bella, it's not like that-"

"No, I understand."

"Bella, I just don't want to be here just lying in my socks. I'm sure your roommates would notice that."

What did he just say? In his socks?

I giggled, "Edward, are you going commando?"

Silence. I resisted the urge to tug down his zipper and see for myself.

"Do you always go commando?"

Silence again.

"Are you asleep?"

Silence. His eyes were closed. I plugged his nose. His mouth dropped open. I leaned in and kissed him running my tongue along his limp one. I felt his hands make their way slowly up my back as his mouth began to move faster with mine.

He pulled back panting, "Bella, don't start something you can't finish."

"Why did you play dead on me?" He just shrugged, "it's not something to be embarrassed about. I go commando sometimes too." I rolled over, I felt Edward move so his lips were just above my ear. I was blushing.

"Really Bella?" His voice was husky.

"Yes." I said curtly, "goodnight Edward."

"Goodnight Bella."

...

"What do we have here?"

"Sush, Emmett," someone said following it by a loud slapping sound.

"Oh my god."

"Whoa, the Bee found her honey."

I wriggled in my entirely too comfortable, yet uncomfortable bed. What the hell are all those people doing? I'm trying to sleep here!

My shifting had made me flush with the solid form behind me. I felt something on under my thigh. My eyes flickered open, fully awake now. I glanced behind me. Edward was coming to now. His eyes met a mine. They were shocked. I smiled at him to let him know I wasn't offended, actually I felt a happy dance coming on. There was too much pain in my foot for that to happen though. The previous night came rushing back at me. Ah, so that's why I'm feeling Edward's morning-

"Alice," her bouncing form distracted me. "What are you doing?" I rolled onto my back, "we were trying to sleep."

"Bella please, I come out of my room this morning to find you and Edward sleeping on the floor when you were supposed to be at his house last night sed-"

"Alice!" Edward chuckled and I flushed red. "Who was in my room last night?"

"Oh, Jacob and Seth."

Seth? "Who's Seth?"

She squirmed a little with excitement. "Seth is Jacob's boyfriend!"

"Oh Jim." Oh out loud Bella, nice work.

"Who's Jim?" Alice asked.

"Jim is Seth." Edward chimed in grinning.

"Why do you call him Jim?" Persistent little pixie.

I said, "No reason," at the same time Edward decided to add his two cents

"Because we were talking," I swung my arm back intending to clamp his mouth shut but instead whacking him straight in the eye. "Ow" he said rubbing his eye.

"Sorry."

Alice giggled "I'll leave you two alone." She fluttered off into the kitchen and Edward and I were left in our makeshift bed. A lone thought crept its way to the front of my brain and I began to giggle.

I slept with Edward last night.

I sighed, "I 'spose we should get up." Edward raised his eyebrow in question implying sex.

"I guess you're right." I sat up and Edward pulled his shirt back on. I inwardly cried no! and savoured the last moments of Edward. I swung my foot out of the sleeping bed and put my walking boot on my foot. Edward came over to help me up. "Breakfast?" He asked me and we hobbled over to the kitchen. I was still getting used to the boot.

We came into view and the animated kitchen fell silent as they stared at my foot. "Fall down again, Bella?" Emmett asked.

"Yes actually." I replied and surprisingly no come back. Ha ha! Suckers, that's right you feel your guilt for waking broken Bella and stealing Bella's bed. I glared at Jacob. He didn't know why I was glaring at him but at least he had the curtsy to look appalled.

I snapped out of my gaze when I spotted Ji- uh Seth. I was going to take a while to get used to that. Edward relaxed and I placed a little more weight. I grimaced a little and Edward noticed, kissed me on the temple and went sifting through my purse. I ignored that he was doing that. I saw him smirk. It was only a small clutch, so what was in there was basically the drugs Edward was digging for, my credit card, phone, chap stick and the condoms. Yes, that's a bit awkward, three of them.

I busied myself with Seth. "Hi, I'm Bella."

"Seth." He pulled me into a quick hug. It was a bit unexpected but I wrapped my arms around him the best I could. He reminded me of Jacob. I could see that this was going to be a beautiful friendship in the making. "Thanks for letting us use your bed last night." He said.

"Yeah, what was up with that?"

"Oh, the apartment upstairs plumbing decided to merge with my bed." Jacob grimaced, "So we thought we'd crash here."

I unintentionally cringed and said, "I don't need to burn it do I?" My jaw dropped at my own words and I quickly rebuffed, "Oh shit, that's information I don't need to know. Don't worry I'll burn it anyway." Jacob blushed and so did I, "sorry, this is awkward." I said to Seth.

Seth was a good sport though, "Bella, Jacob and I would never have sex in your bed, so no worries."

"Thanks." I said to Seth. Edward returned with my pills and a glass of water, "thanks" I told him.

"Bella, what the hell happened last night?" Rose asked.

"I, uh, just kind of fell and chipped off some bone, no biggie. Dr C says it can come off in 4 weeks because it's a minor fracture." I explained to them all. Emmett laughed and Jacob shook his head in mocking sympathy. Alice and Rose just shrugged it off. Injury is nothing new.

I downed the pills and made my way into the kitchen to grab a bowl for Edward and I. Cereal and juice was going down today, seeing as the only one in this house with the ability to produce non-life threatening food was late getting up and injured. Edward poured himself and me some OJ and Alice stood up for me to sit. Man, I could get used to this whole injured thing, people just seemed to clear the path.

The household was pretty content to just sit in silence, eating or reading the comic section of the newspaper. There we were just sitting there all quiet and chill when BANG! Everyone started moving.

Well, I suppose it was more like a

Bzzzz, a

Beep-beep beep-beep, and a

Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive

"The Bee Gees?" I asked Edward as he pulled the singing phone out of his pocket. He cringed and I think his ears might have just changed colour.

"It's my mother." I laughed, "She picked it not me!" He defended,

"You let your mom chose her own ringtone?" I giggled.

He just looked at me embarrassed before sighing and excusing himself. He left the room to answer the call.

Seth owned the bzzzz and checked his phone. "I've got to go babe." Seth told Jacob and kissed his cheek. "Bye everyone." He called and there was a collective call of 'Bye Seth's' thrown out.

Jacob blushed as the door closed and us girls began out attack.

"Aw, Jacob that was so sweet."

"Jacob, Seth is hot."

"How long have you two been going out?"

"Girls!" Emmett groaned. "Just leave the poor man alone."

"Fine, Emmett, can you pass me my phone, it's in my purse." He made his way over to my clutch and hesitated before dipping his hand inside to pull out my phone. He didn't look, so thankfully he didn't see the condoms. I knew the beep-beep beep-beep earlier had been my phone receiving a text.

I flipped open my phone. It was from Renee.

Bella, I hear you have a boyfriend! Ring me now.

Uh, no thanks Renee, I'll ring you later. How did she even find out!

Edward entered the room later with a strange look on his face, I think it was shock.

"Edward, are you ok?" I got up and went to him.

"Yes, that was my mom." He looked at me quickly before wrapping his arms around me and burying his face into my neck. "She knows I have a girlfriend and demanded to meet you." I tensed and Edward felt it. "Don't worry, I won't force you into meeting them."

"No, it's not that, it's just," meeting a boy's mother is a frightening thing. The fathers were fine, mother's on the other hand... "Meeting your parents is a big step."

"I know."

"Somehow Renee found out about you."

"Oh, how?"

"I don't know, I received a text." I laughed humourlessly, "I suppose she'll want to meet you too." I then felt Edward stiffen, I laughed at him, "See it's intimidating, isn't it?"

"Sorry." I slapped him in the chest. "What?"

"Edward, don't apologise, that's ridiculous." I bent my head back to look at him.

"At least you've already met my father."

"I still have to meet your mother."

"Yeeees, but I'll have to meet your mother and father."

"And my father's a cop."

"Which will mean he'll have a gun, maybe loaded." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "And he'll probably ask you about your intentions with me." I was teasing him now. "Lucky he doesn't know yet." Edward relaxed a little, "but Renee has probably told him so,"

Edward couldn't take it, "so, what?"

"I don't know, Charlie's never been that into my life in terms of boyfriends." I sighed, "But no rush right."

He laughed nervously, "yes, no rush." We pulled apart from each other and he ran his hand through his hair while he chuckled a little to himself, "but you must know, Esme's extremely persistent."

I folded my arms. "How about we do the whole meet and greet during summer vacation?" That gave me two weeks to prepare.

He held up his hands, submitting, "Fine, fine," he chuckled, "anyway, no rush, remember?"

"Damn straight." I held up my hand and he high fived it with one of his already raised ones.

We both laughed, "That was kind of lame." Edward said.

I shrugged, "will you help me change the sheets on my bed?"

He gave me a bewildered look, "no." I slapped him on the arm. I've obviously been hanging around Emmett and Roseway too much. "Fine I'll help."

"Wow Edward, don't sound so enthusiastic." I grabbed his hand and tugged me into my bedroom. We both stripped the bed touching as little as possible. We dropped each layer in a pile on the bedroom floor and then stared at them.

"Shot not." Edward called.

I scoffed at him, "Edward, don't be so immature."

"Bella, I called it. Pick up the sheets." I pouted at him. I begged with my eyes, please don't make me touch the Jacob sheets, I'm pretty sure he sleeps naked. Edward didn't budge, just stood there shaking his head with his arms crossed.

Fine, if he wanted to play this way then we'll play. "Technically Edward, I didn't know we could call it, so your call is void." He tried to speak but I cut him off, "the only fair way now is a rock off."

He quirked a brow, "scissors, paper, rock?" I nodded, "alright." We held out our fists and looked each other in the eyes.

"Scissors, paper, rock!" We chanted and then made our choice. Rock don't fail me now. I looked down and so did Edward. He groaned, I grinned. He was holding out scissors.

"Looks like you get the ass sheets." I grinned. He groaned and picked them up. I followed him out to get some nice clean sheets.

I heard Edward washing his hands as I made my way back to my room. I let out an evil chuckle. My phone let out its pre-ring vibrate and I snatched it up without even looking at the caller ID.

Big mistake.

Rule number one: always check caller ID.

"Isabella, why have you not rung me back yet? I've been sitting by the phone all morning waiting for your call. I'm just dying with curiosity about your boy!" Renee started talking down the phone before I even said hello.

"Oh, hello to you to mom. I'm fine school is well, I broke my foot yesterday. How is your life?" I spoke to her sarcastically.

"Bella, now is not the time to play with me. I almost rung the airport for a ticket this morning, you should be thankful Phil was here to stop me." That comment made me freeze as I made my way back into my room. Edward was already in there and he took the pile of sheets off of me and quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Renee," I mouthed. He nodded and began stuffing my pillows into the new cases.

"Bella, are you listening to me? Oh my god he's there now isn't he?" I nodded but I knew she couldn't see that. Renee didn't seek confirmation she just kept going with her rambling.

"I bet he's tall and muscular. Is he a bad boy? I could just see you falling for a bad boy. I always did. Until I met Charlie, he was the opposite of bad wanting to be a policeman and all. I think that's why we never worked. I was always looking for the danger and Charlie was always there getting rid of it before I could meet it. Now, Phil he is definition bad boy. I could tell you stories about the places we've been caught ha-"

"Mom!" I knew she was going to say sex and I really didn't need those mental pictures.

"Did you say you broke your foot?" Renee could change the subject quicker than the wind.

"Uh yeah..."

"Was it during sex? Because bad boys always,"

"Mom, I fell. Please don't make me hang up on you!"

"Just tell me you and Edward are being safe." I was about to hit end when she caught my attention.

"Uh, we haven't, how do you know Edward's name? Actually how do you know at all?"

"Oh you know, just through the grapevine. Honestly I'm thankful for it otherwise I'm not sure whether I would've found out at all."

"I would've told you mom."

"I know, I know."

"So who's in this grapevine of yours?"

"Well I heard it from Lillian on Facebook."

"Lillian, Rose's mom, wait Facebook!" Renee just keeps surprising me with her technology. Gone are the days of her power cord 'running away'.

"Yes, Phil turned me onto it."

"Wow." I was in awe.

"I know, I'll add you!" Uh oh. She sounded excited. No kid wants a parent snooping around their Facebook, but Renee, who knows what sort of pictures she posts. I shivered.

"No, that's alright."

She laughed, "Yes I guess there are just some things I don't want you to see." I felt sorry for all her friends.

"Anyway Lillian?" I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"Oh! She heard it from Esme who heard it from Carlisle who was your doctor I'm assuming, but also the father of your boy." My jaw was dropped wide. "Lillian also told me that Esme told her that Emmett's proposing soon!" She squealed.

"Is nothing sacred anymore? Can't you gossips keep secrets?" I really didn't want the surprise ruined for Rose.

"Please Bella, all I've got is sex and gossiping wh-"

"Goodbye mom." I hung up. I drew the line at her mentioning sex more than once. I threw my phone down on the bed looking at it like it could kill me with the things it passes onto my ears.

"Bad conversation?" Edward asked picking up my phone and placing it on the bedside table so he could throw the sheet on the bed.

"I don't think so, well no in Renee terms, Bella terms, yes. She kept talking about sex and if we were being safe." Edward just laughed, "Thanks for being supportive Edward."

"No problems," he flashed me his dazzling smile, "you can also assure Renee that when we do have sex we'll be safe."

"That's good, she'll be ecstatic upon." I let the sarcasm come through clear and rolled my eyes at his smirking, proud face. I then said the next part with my eyes dropped and in a slight whisper, "and besides I'm on birth control." I looked up at Edward who was smiling supportively.

He then added, "And Wal-Mart has a wonderful array of condoms."

I blushed, "Edward!"

He laughed and kept going, "And so does your purse." I threw a pillow at him it hit him mildly in the stomach. He fell forward onto the bed acting like he was shot or something. I flopped down next to him and grinned at him.

"Oh, shut up Edward, I obviously wasn't the only one rooting for action last night. Commando Cullen." I saluted him.

He rolled over onto his stomach, hiding his face in my covers. "Shut up Bella." He pulled me into his side and bent up his head to look at me. His cheeks were slightly tinged pink and I giggled at his embarrassment.

He kissed me briefly before Alice burst in. Grinning.


A/N Hello, how are you and did you enjoy this chapter? Favourite parts? I'd be interested in how many of you would like a lemon, I've never done one before, so it could be interesting, tell me your thoughts.
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