AN: No excuse for taking so long. Just the busy craziness of life.
Thank you to Melee03 for pre-reading, 6dlb5 for pre-reading and being open and honest when things aren't working.
And thank you to jayhawkbb who not only keeps my grammar and punctuation in check, but also always challenges me to be better.
I had trouble with the formatting so there may be a few issues. All mistakes are mine.
~TIL~
Chapter 10:
Over the next couple of weeks, Edward and I saw about a dozen more homes. But it was hard to picture us in any of those places.
"I thought you wanted this, baby," Edward groaned after I rejected the most recent option.
"I do," I insisted. "I just . . ."
"It doesn't have to be perfect."
"I know."
"Then what's the problem? We've seen at least three that I know would work for us. That little red one with the back yard and the fireplace. I really liked that one."
"Yeah. But what if we pick the wrong one?"
Edward chuckled. "Then we sell it and buy a different one."
"Ugh," I groaned. "Stop being logical. I hate it when you're logical."
Edward kissed my nose. "You're kind of sexy when you're frustrated," he whispered. He opened the car door for me and I jumped up into the passenger's seat of his truck. After shutting the door, he made his way around to the driver's side. "Why don't we give it a break until after Christmas? Maybe something new will come on the market." He took my hand. "And don't stress about it. I'm not in any hurry. When the right house comes along, we'll be ready."
"I know," I agreed.
We rode back to the apartment in silence. My thoughts were all over the place. I was feeling very overwhelmed. On top of feeling like I was holding up the whole house hunting process with my inability to make a decision, I had a crapload of things to get done at work. And Christmas was approaching way too fast.
"We need to get a tree," I mentioned as we passed a grocery store with a huge Christmas tree lot. Edward didn't even look at me. He swerved to the left hand turn lane, made a U-turn and pulled into the parking lot.
There were so many gorgeous trees, but most of them were too big for our apartment. I stood in front of a smaller tree. It was about four feet and not quite as bushy as the others.
"What do you think about this one?" I asked.
"It's nice."
"Do you like it?"
"The important question is, do you?I leaned in, inhaled deeply, and nodded. It smelled so good. "Okay. This is this one then. I'll go pay for it."
"Yay!" I said happily.
As the attendant was tossing the tree into the back of the truck, I grinned and wrapped my fingers around Edward's bicep. "Thank you."
"I expect payment the second we get home," he teased. I laughed. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm wasn't . . . feeling bad. I just have a lot on my mind."
"Work?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Things are weird. People seem tense." I shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's just stressing me out. I'm fine though."
He looked down at me, probably so that he could read me better. "You sure?"
I lifted myself up on my toes and pressed my mouth against his softly. "I'm positive."
His lips were warm. His hand trailed up and down my side soothingly. I didn't want to stop kissing him, but we were outside a grocery store and the attendant was looking at us uncomfortably.
"Later," I whispered. Edward winked at me and opened up the passenger's side door.
We arrived at our building and I trailed behind, ogling my boyfriend's ass as he carried the tree.
"You want to stop staring at my butt and open the door?" he asked calmly when we got to apartment.
"Oh, yeah," I laughed, digging in my purse for my house keys. "Sure."
Once we were inside, Edward set the tree down. "Where do you want to put it?"
"Where do you want to put it?"
Edward turned his head slowly. I stuck out the tip of my tongue and slid it over my lower lip seductively.
"I have choices?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"A few."
"Fuck." He didn't even lean the tree against anything. I heard something crash as it hit the floor, but I didn't care. Edward's mouth was attached to mine. His hand was on my boob, the tip of his thumb circling around my nipple. "Take this off," he moaned, tugging at my coat.
"You take yours off."
We scrambled to undress right there in the living room. Edward was much more efficient than I was, and when he was buck naked and I was still struggling with my jeans, he practically knocked me to the ground and ripped them off of me.
"Ow, ow, ow," I yelped when he yanked my underwear too hard.
"Sorry. Sorry."
I lifted my butt off the floor so he could slide them down my legs. "You're not Superman, Edward. They're not gonna disintegrate on command."
He tossed my underwear across the room and shut me up by crawling on top of me, pressing his lips against mine firmly.
He didn't waste any time getting to it. He pushed inside of me. Gently at first and then more forcefully.
I raised my knees up so that they rested on either side of his rib cage. My feet pressed against his hips. Every time he thrusted, he went deeper. My body took him in. I loved being with him like this. Feeling him inside of me — feeling him everywhere. All the stress just seemed to melt away as he focused on making me feel good.
After a couple of minutes, he pulled out and leaned back on his heels.
"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.
He took the head of his dick and rolled it around my clit. I could see the tip, dripping and swollen. He was ready to go, but he wanted to make it last. I watched him tease my pussy, sliding down between the lips and then back up.
"You like that?"
"Yes." I whimpered.
He slid downwards again. This time he didn't stop. I tensed for a second when I realized what he was doing, but only because I'd never done it before and wasn't sure if he was just going to go for it. I'd practically offered it up on a silver platter, hadn't I? I trusted him, though.
"How about that?" He was putting pressure on my back entrance. Not too much — just enough. I answered him by lifting my hips. He pushed in a little. Sensations of pleasure and slightly of pain shot through me. I had to catch my breath, So did Edward. "Mother of God," he hissed.
Sliding my hand down, I touched myself, causing an immediate climax.
"Bella!" Edward cried out. He pulled out, quirting hot streams of come all over me. I slipped my fingers inside, holding on to my own orgasm for dear life.
When the pulsating stopped, I slapped my hands against the ground, impressed by the intensity of the whole experience. "Holy cow," I gasped.
Edward let out a long breath and handed me his shirt. His cheeks were pink and his eyes bright. "Sorry. I didn't want to . . . ya know."
"You could have," I said. "Next time." He stared at me for a minute, probably trying to figure out if I meant it. I loved the look of shocked lust on his face. His dick twitched. I giggled, but I was dead serious. That was something I wouldn't mind doing again every now and then.
He picked up his boxers and cleaned himself off. "Shit! What did I break?"
"I don't know," I said, shaking my head and standing up. "Hopefully nothing important. I'm going to go take a shower."
Edward scrambled to his feet. "I need one too." He slapped me on my bare ass.
"At this rate, we're never going to get that tree decorated."
He pressed his lips against my shoulder and slid his hands between my legs. "Ask me if I care."
~TIL~
"Next year I want a big tree. Like ten feet tall," I said when we finally got around to decorating it the next day. We sat on the floor across from each other, untangling strands of lights that had been carelessly shoved into a box the year before.
"We'll have to have really tall ceilings."
"Obviously."
"So, we're looking for a house with vaulted ceilings?"
I thought about it for a minute and smiled. "Yes."
"Okay. Good." He paused. "Have you talked to your mom about plans for Christmas?"
"Not yet. Why?"
"I was thinking that maybe we'd spend Christmas Eve and morning here. Then head home for dinner."
"Okay. Have you talked to your mom about that, Mama's boy?" I laughed.
Edward grabbed my leg and pulled me towards him. My butt slid across the rug and I flailed embarrassingly.
"Hey!" I pretended to protest. But I couldn't keep a straight face, because then I was underneath him and his sexy, goofy, smile-smirk was working its magic on me. "I like that idea."
"Good," he grinned. "It means we can open presents naked." I snorted and then squealed when he buried his face between my boobs.
"You didn't answer my question. Have you talked to your mom about it?"
"Yeah," he answered. "Sort of. I told her it was a possibility. Can we stop talking about my mom when I'm on top of you? Please?"
I giggled. "Yeah. I gotta pee, though, so get up."
Edward feigned being annoyed, rolling over onto his back. "Fine. What's Rose doing for Christmas?"
"Emmett's taking her to Barbados," I said, standing up.
"Oh. That must suck."
"Terribly," I deadpanned. "We went shopping the other day. I bought a new coat, some boots and a pair of fuzzy socks. She bought a string bikini and expensive sunscreen."
"You didn't need to buy all that. We're having a naked Christmas."
"Shut up," I laughed. "I'm going to go pee and then let's finish up decorating this tree. I'm getting hungry."
"You're always hungry."
"And you're always horny."
"Yeah," he said, grinning. "I am."
~TIL~
"What the fuck are you staring at?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit." Rose looked around trying to figure out what was agitating me. We hadn't been at the pub very long before I'd spotted the object of my attention. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out why she looked so familiar, but when I did, I frowned.
"You see that chick over there? The redhead?"
"Yeah."
"Edward slept with her."
"When?" she barked. "Like recently?"
"No." I shook my head. "A few years ago. Don't you remember her?"
"No. So what?"
I shrugged. "I didn't think about having to run into his past girlfriends."
"Oh, wait! I do remember her. Oh, my God. He fucked her, Bella. Once, maybe twice. Emmett's been with like fifty chicks, including a few that he works with. There's a reason he's with me and not them. And if Edward wanted to be with them, he would be. He would have given up on your ass a long time ago. But he loves you. Deal with it." She turned to face the bartender, flashing him a flirty smile. "My friend needs a really strong drink. What you got?"
Rose was right. Edward and I were a strong couple. I didn't doubt his love for me and I wasn't worried about him ever cheating on me. I looked away and took the drink Rose handed me.
"What is this?" I asked, taking a sip.
"Zombie Cocktail." She lifted hers up and grinned. "Cheers!"
I took a sip and nearly choked. "Holy shit this is strong. Do I even want to know what's in here?"
"Lots of love," she took another drink. "And rum. Fuckloads of rum."
I laughed. "Oh, good."
I was a few drinks when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see the red-head.
"Hey!" she said, putting her hand on her hip. "You're Edward's roommate, right?" She didn't give me a chance to respond before she was talking again. "I was actually thinking about him the other day." She bit her lip, like she was having a particularly dirty thought. "How is he?"
"Fine," I answered flatly.
"You need to stop thinking about him," Rose sneered from beside me. "They're together."
The redhead scowled. She was definitely disappointed, but she covered it quickly and cackled loudly. "I'm not surprised. Edward never was one to work for pussy."
Normally I would have blown her off, but I was slightly drunk and the fact that she was talking like she'd known him for more than five minutes pissed me off. I wanted to slap her stupid little face. Rose beat me to it.
"Look, you little cunt," she snarled. I wasn't about to let Rose fight my battle . . . or whatever this was, though. I stepped in front of her.
"Maybe he didn't need to you with a cheap little slut like you. But with me he works for it, on it, and in it, every night." I lifted my glass. "Enjoy your evening."
As we walked away, Rose yelled over the music. "You should have let me rip her a new asshole,"
I smiled and grabbed her hand to pull her towards the dance floor. "But then I would have had to bail you out of jail which seriously would have put a damper on our girls night."
"True," Rose laughed. "Thanks for looking out for me."
"Alway, Ro. Always."
~TIL~
"Hiiiiii, Emmmmmettt," I slurred as Rose's boyfriend pulled me out of his fancy car.
"Hi, Bella. Can you walk?"
"Yep," I said, stumbling. He caught me before I hit the ground and tried to steady me, but my vision was all wonky and the pavement didn't look even.
"Yeah. Okay. Um, I'm just gonna pick you up. That'll work better, okay?"
"I can walk."
"Uh huh." He swung me up into his arms. I didn't fight it. His arms were big. And warm. I snuggled into his chest. I could feel it vibrate with laughter. A few minutes later, I heard him knock on my apartment door.
"What did you do to my girlfriend?" I heard Edward chuckled as Emmett slid me into his arms.
"Don't look at me. Mine's almost as bad."
"Hey, baby," I said, forcing my eyes open to look at Edward."Bye, Emmmmmett."
"See ya, Bella."
"Thanks. Let's catch a beer soon?"
"Yeah. Just give a me a call. Good luck."
I closed my eyes again as Edward carried me back to our bedroom. I didn't open them when he stripped me down to my underwear.
"Shit. How much did you drink, baby girl?"
"A lot."
"Really?"
"Hmm mmm," I hummed, smiling. I heard movement around me and felt Edward climb into the bed. I rolled over and reached for his cock.
"No way," he chuckled, grabbing my wrist before I could even get a good grip.
"Why?" I whined.
"Because you're fucking wasted."
"Yeah, I am." I flopped back over and yawned. I was so tired. "I saw that redhead you dated," I mumbled. "Rose called her a cunt."
"What?"
I laughed lightly. And promptly fell asleep.
When I woke up in the morning, my head really hurt. Those zombie drinks Rose had served me were no joke. Groaning, I got up, stumbled to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. It took me a long time to wash off the bar stink and get dressed, but when I finally managed to drag myself into the kitchen, Edward was waiting with a cup of coffee.
"Feeling better?" he asked, offering me the cup along with a kiss.
"Sort of. I'm trying to decide if I'm hungry or not."
"I can make you pancakes."
On cue, stomach growled. "Okay. Thank you."
I drank my coffee and watched my shirtless boyfriend cook for me. That was definitely making my morning better. I studied the muscles in his back as he moved around. I thought about how lucky I was and wondered how many other women woke up to such an amazing person every morning.
"So, what was that about a redhead and a cunt?" Edward said, turning towards me and smiling."I'm not sure I've ever heard you use the word cunt before."
"It was Rose's word," I defended. "I was just repeating it."
"That makes more sense."
"Uh, that redheaded chick you hooked up with a while back was at the bar. She said some things. Rose called her a cunt. It was no big deal."
"What did she say?"
"I don't remember. Something about you choosing me so you didn't have to work for pussy." I took a drink of my coffee. Edward frowned at me. "What?"
"Are you kidding me?"
I shrugged. "No."
"What a fucking bitch." He flipped the pancake that was on the stove. "You don't actually buy that?"
"No, I don't." I said, shaking my head. "I was wondering, though," I hesitated, unsure if I should ask the question. I'd asked it before in jest, but now I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know. The part of me that did want to know was stronger. "Are there many other girls who may confront me like that in public?"
Edward sighed. He placed the pancake onto the plate, grabbed the syrup and set everything down in front of me before sitting down.
"I guess we never had this discussion, did we?"
"If you don't want to tell me," I started.
"No, it's okay. But first of all, I haven't seen that girl in freaking forever. The fact that she even put that shit out there tells you how pathetic she is."
"I know," I answered. "Like I said, if you don't want to . . ."
"There have only been nine girls, Bella," he interrupted. "Nine. You're number ten. But none of them ever knew me like you know me. They didn't know where I grew up or that I was a serious dork for most of my life. I never told them what my father did for a living and I certainly didn't tell them my hopes, my dreams, my desires. When I was with them, I imagined I was with you. Every. Single. Time. You wondered why it never worked out? Well that's why. Even the one time I thought I could fall in love, I couldn't get you out of my head. It has ALWAYS been you."
I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.
"Only nine?" I questioned playfully, looking up at him.
"Yeah," he chuckled. "Why? How many did you think there were?"
I shrugged. "Twenty?"
"Twenty?" he gasped.
"I overestimated."
"You think? Where the hell did you get twenty?"
"I just figured on every girl you ever went out with."
He frowned. "I've only been out with twenty girls? That number seems low. Are you sure?" He started counting on his fingers.
"Edward!" I slapped at his arm when he laughed. He grabbed my wrist in mid air and kissed the inside of it.
"How are the pancakes?"
I took a bite. "Amazing," I moaned. What did you do?"
"Cinnamon and vanilla."
"Maybe I should let you cook from now on."
Edward's expression was unamused. "Seriously, Bella. There are some things you just don't joke about."
I smiled and tilted my head. "I love you."
"I love you, too.
~TIL~
"Do you regret not going home?"
"No."
"Really?"
The room was dark. The television was off. The lights on the tree twinkled. Edward and I sat, snuggling on the couch under a heavy fleece blanket. A nearly empty bottle of red wine sat on the coffee table next to two empty glasses. Christmas music played softly from my phone.
"If we were at home, do you think we'd be doing this?"
"No. Probably not."
"We can go home tomorrow night." I turned in Edward's arms and planted a kiss on his jaw. His arms tightened around me.
"I think this has been my favorite Christmas."
"It's not even Christmas yet."
"Yes, it is," Edward whispered, pointing up at the clock on the wall. I shifted to look. It had just turned midnight. "Bella?" I turned my head back around and nearly fell backward off the couch. In his hand, Edward held a little black box. I stared at it, glanced at him, stared at the box some more. Everything stopped. As if by some design, the music stopped, my phone growing silent. All I could hear was my heart pounding furiously in my chest. "I have a ring."
"You have a ring," I breathed.
"You said I had to have a ring."
xxx
He dropped to his knees and crossed the floor. I started laughing. "Get up, you nut job."
"Isabella Marie Swan. You are an amazing woman, a fantastic cook and your body is slammin'. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and your beef stew. Please marry me."
"Get the fuck up, Edward."
"Not until you agree to marry me."
"Where's my ring?"
Edward frowned. "You gotta give me a little break here, baby. This was kind of a spur of the moment thing. Say yes and I'll buy you a ring."
"How romantic," I said pushing his forehead with my index finger. "Buy me a ring and I'll say yes."
xxx
I laughed lightly, remembering. "I did."
"I know we haven't been together all that long. But I've been waiting for you almost all my life. I don't want to wait anymore." I sat up a little. He flicked open the lid. Inside sat the most gorgeous diamond engagement band I had ever seen. A princess cut solitaire in a white gold band with small diamonds surrounding it. Edward tried to get up, but I didn't want him to move. "I gotta get up so I can get down on one knee," he laughed.
"You don't have to get down on one knee," I rasped.
"Um. Okay," he said softly. Glancing over at his worried face, I smiled reassuringly at him.
"Yes!"
"I haven't asked you anything yet."
"Well, hurry up," I cried, both nervous and excited.
He huffed. "Now I'm not so sure."
"Edward," I whined.
Laughing, he pulled the ring from the box. I put my left hand up so that he could slide it onto my ring finger. "I've been doodling the name Isabella Marie Cullen in my notebooks for seven years. Will you please do me the honor of making it official and becoming my wife?"
I looked down at my hand. "But I've been doodling the name Edward Anthony Swan." Edward burst out laughing. "Yes," I said nodding. "Yes, I will marry you."
The grin appeared. The half goofy, half sexy grin. The one I'd fallen in love with when I was fifteen. The one I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I leaned in, pressing my lips against his. The kiss was slow and passionate. Everything that night was slow and passionate. There was no hurrying or rush to the finish. There was no screaming or crazy antics. We worshipped each other — kissed every inch of skin. Made every moment last forever.
I couldn't stop smiling. As Edward and I opened our gifts, I tried to focus on each one, but it was hard because I couldn't stop thinking about the ring on my finger — what it meant. Edward and I were getting married. I would be Mrs. Edward Cullen. Isabella Cullen.
"Do you like it?" Edward asked watching me delicately untangle the ring from the sleeve of a sweater I was trying on.
"It's absolutely stunning." I grinned at him. "Did you design this yourself?"
"Yes. Sort of. Emmett helped."
I looked up. "Emmett? Does that mean Rose knows?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. He swore he wouldn't tell her."
I hummed, a little worried. "She's good at extracting information from men."
"She would have already called by now if she knew, don't you think?"
On cue, the phone rang. I gave Edward an "I told you so" glance and picked it up.
"Oh, hi, Mom," I said, glaring at Edward as he mocked my expression. "No, we'll be there for dinner. Yes. Okay. I will. I said I will." I sighed. "My mom wants me to tell you that she loves you."
"Love you, too, Renee!" Edward called out. My mom kept chatting on about something or other, obviously missing having us there on Christmas morning. She wanted my input on whether she should braise the meat something, something, something. I was too busy watching Edward fiddle with the drone helicopter I'd bought him. The look on his face when everything connected and he managed to get it to fly was hysterical. He was like a little kid.
"This is cool!" he said, standing up.
"Mom! Do whatever is easiest. We'll bring the pies. Okay, we love you, too. Bye." I hung up. "That woman. You know, if we have kids, we're never going to have a Christmas on our own again."
Edward paused and made his drone sit back down on the table. "If we have kids?"
"Yeah. If." I shrugged. "I didn't want to assume."
"Do you want kids?"
"Do you?"
"I asked you first. And you know I do."
I nodded. "Yes, I do. Eventually."
"Not in say . . . nine months then? 'Cause we could go try." He waggled his eyebrows at me.
I shook my head, chuckling. "I'm going to go make pies."
"Wait! Wait!"
"What?"
Edward tossed me a red, see-through, Santa apron he'd bought me as a gag. I caught it with one hand. "I don't want you to burn your boobies."
"Naked Christmas." I mumbled, walking away.
~TIL~
It took my mother and Esme three point two seconds to spot the ring on my finger.
"OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD!" they screamed in unison. They hugged each other and jumped up and down. Then they remembered we were there and hugged us and jumped up and down some more.
Edward managed to escape, but I was enveloped into a mother and future mother-in-law sandwich as they demanded to know the details.
"I'm sorry," he mouthed, with a smart ass smirk on his face. Ass.
"Do you have a date?" my mom asked, hugging my arm.
"Uh, no. He just asked last night. I don't think we're in a hurry, though."
"June is such a lovely month. Do you think we can plan a wedding in six months?" She wasn't asking me. She was asking Esme.
"I don't know. It depends on where we want to have it. Here in Forks would be nice, but Seattle has so many more venues."
Two hours later, I was pretty sure I wanted to elope. While Edward's interrogation consisted of back slaps, man-hugs, and whiskey, mine was non-stop planning over mashing potatoes and baking bread rolls. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk about it, but everything was so new and I wanted to take my time. I wanted to tell Rose and be all giddy over bridal magazines with her, too. If my mom and Esme kept going at the pace they were, the entire wedding would be planned by the end of dinner.
"I'm gonna kill you," I teased when I slipped off to the bathroom for some peace and he followed. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
"They're just excited."
"Maybe we should run away to Vegas."
Edward laughed and then stopped abruptly. "Yeah. No. They will blame me for that and I don't think I can survive the wrath of one mom, much less two." He offered me the snifter that was in his hand. "Want some? It'll take the edge off." I snatched the glass from him and downed it. "Uh, okay. Feel better?"
I made a face. "That stuff does not get better with age."
"I think they mean the age of the bottle, babe. Not the age of the person."
"Either way." I chuckled softly and kissed him. "I should get back before they send out a search party."
With a few drinks under my belt, the rest of Christmas was much more relaxed. My mom and Esme let up on the wedding talk. Instead, I got to hear all the gossip about the locals. Edward, Carlisle and Dad talked about Edward's new position. He was set to take over Seattle operations at the start of the new year. He was going to be much busier. I bit my lip as I listened to them discuss the trips he was already scheduled to take. I didn't like Edward being away. Even before we started dating, I always felt the distance. I suppose that should have been my first cue that I was in love with him.
Edward looked over and winked. I'm not sure if he was trying to reassure me or if it was just a well-timed interaction, but it worked.
Later that night, after the boys had cleaned up and Carlisle and Esme had left, Edward and I stood at the front door.
"I don't want to sleep without you," he whispered, pressing his forehead against mine.
"You'll be okay," I murmured, running my hands through his hair. "It's only one night."
"I know. He said, kissing me softly. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
When he'd gone, I walked back towards the kitchen to find my dad sitting at the island.
"Hey, Daddy."
"Hi, sweetheart. Congratulations."
"You knew, didn't you?" I said, already knowing the answer.
He smiled wryly and nodded. "He asked me if it was okay a couple of weeks ago."
"And you kept it from mom?"
"Not my news to tell." He shrugged.
"She's going to be mad at you."
"Why do you think I'm in here," he chuckled. "She'll get over it."
"Do you think we're moving too fast?"
He sighed heavily. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about this since I found out the two of you were dating. If it were anyone else, I would say yes. But it's not anyone else. So, no, I don't."
I reached for my dad, and wrapped my arms around his waist. I felt his heavy hand press against my head, reminding me of when I was a little girl.
"Thank you, Daddy," I said quietly. And then after a second. "Did you threaten him if he hurt me?"
I felt my dad's chest vibrate with laughter. "Absolutely."
~TIL~
"You did what?" I practically screamed, choking on my scalding hot coffee.
"We, uh, got married."
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"No."
I stared at my best friend. "Did you know that you were going to get married?"
"No."
I put my hands on my hips. "Explain. Preferably in more than one word at a time." I wasn't trying to be bitchy, but . . . yes, I was. I was a little mad. Rose and Emmett had gone away for Christmas and the bitch came back with a golden brown tan and a wedding ring the size of Mt. Vesuvius. And I wasn't even invited.
"We were on the beach. There was a couple getting married. Emmett thought it was beautiful. It was beautiful."
"So . . . you just decided you'd do it, too?"
She smirked. "Yeah."
"Bitch!"
"Oh, come on." She grabbed my hand. "You did it, too."
"I got engaged. To someone I've known for a really long time."
"Not my fault you took so long," she laughed. "I know what I want."
"I guess so."
She sighed and entwined our hands. "Are you mad I beat you to it?"
"No," I said softly. "I'm sad you didn't tell me."
Rose sighed. "Fuck, B. It was so spontaneous. We were humping like ninety-five percent of the time and then he asked me. I sat there and realized, this man is everything I've ever wanted. He's amazing and kind and sexy as all hell. I was selfish, I'll admit it. I didn't want to wait."
"You could have Skyped me."
"While we were humping?" she teased.
"No, dumbass. While you were getting married."
"You wanted me to hold a phone with your face on it while I said "I do"?
"You could have set me off to the side." We stared at each other. And then laughed. "Okay, that would have been a little weird, but you got married. And I wasn't there."
"Neither was his mother. And do you know the wrath we endured for that? Two hours of non-stop swearing in French. And then another two hours of crying." She smiled lightly. "I'm not trying to minimize your feelings, Bella. I'm sorry."
I sniffed. Probably a little more dramatically than I needed to. "It's okay."
"We'll just have to make yours that much bigger and better."
I blew air across my cup, trying to cool the hot liquid down before I attempted another drink. "Was it nice?"
Rose shrugged. "Yeah. We were standing there watching the couple and Emmett just asked me if I wanted to get married while we were there. I thought he was joking, but he was dead fucking serious." I smiled at her. "We went to the swanky jewelry store in the resort and picked out rings. We talked to the concierge that afternoon, and at sunrise the next morning we said I do. He wore khakis and a white button down. I wore that light blue maxi dress I bought in Cali last summer."
"No stress."
She shook her head. "Nope. It was easy. I mean, other than the really pissed off mother-in-law."
"That sounds nice. Other than." I snorted.
"Yours will be nice, too. Your boy in a tux is something to behold."
"Yeah," I agreed. "He is."
"And you in a wedding dress. . . Can I help you pick it out?"
"You can help me do everything. I'm scared," I joked.
Rose gave me a satisfied grin. "Good." We sat in silence, watching the people outside of the coffee shop rush past us all bundled up against the freezing rain. "You were the only one I really missed," she said quietly. I looked back at her. Her eyes were a little glassy. "You're my best friend, B. My sister. You were the only one I worried about hurting."
"I'm okay, honey," I comforted. "Edward, on the other hand."
"What?" She wrinkled her nose in confusion.
"I think somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still hoping for that threesome."
Rose busted out laughing. "Well, Em's pretty freaky."
"Nooooo," I groaned. "Let's just leave this little conversation right here. Do you have pictures? Of the wedding?"
Rose smiled and pulled out her phone. "A few."
~TIL~
"Are you sure this is the one?"
"I'm sure."
"Are you sure you're sure?"
"Edward."
"I'm just making sure." His sexy smirk appeared as we stood in the kitchen of THE house. I knew it right away. From the moment we pulled up to the three bedroom, two bath bi-level Tudor style home. It needed work, sure. It had been owned by the same couple for thirty years and their choice in wallpaper was definitely questionable. But it was exactly what I had dreamed of. Or it would be. Someday.
"Well, now that you mention it." Our real estate agent looked mortified. He didn't understand Edward's and my sense of humor. I grinned and signed my name on the contract before sliding it towards my fiancé.
"Now, you understand that they may not accept this first offer. They've priced the house to sell so they may have multiple offers."
"You do what you have to do," Edward said in all seriousness. "She wants this house."
He nodded and smiled. "Okay. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something."
"Did we just buy a house?" I asked as we got into Edward's truck.
"No. But hopefully I can give you a different answer soon."
I took another look at the house as we drove away. "Yeah. I hope so."
Our agent was right. There were multiple offers. Despite the fact that the place needed a total renovation, we weren't the only ones who saw the potential. But in the end, we were the ones whose offer was accepted.
"Thank God," Edward sighed when we got the news. "If I'd had to see one more fucking house I was going to go batshit."
"Really?"
"No. I would have kept looking as long as you needed me to."
"I'm sorry," I chuckled, leaning into him on the couch. "I just wanted the right one."
"Well, I'm glad you got it then."
"Did you like it, too?" I asked, suddenly worried that he'd only agreed because I'd liked it. "We can still back out." He kissed the top of my head.
"Absolutely fucking not. We are not backing out. And yes, I did like it. And I'll like it even more when we can rip that nasty-ass wallpaper off the walls and tear out that orange counter-top. I'm sorry I couldn't get you a fancy penthouse."
"I don't want a fancy penthouse. Can you imagine what that place will look like when they have kids?"
Edward laughed. "I can't picture Rose with kids."
"Beautiful, foul-mouthed, little geniuses. It will be fantastic."
"I still can't believe they got married. But I like Emmett. I'm gonna invite him to poker night at Jasper's next week."
"Awww," I teased. "That's nice of you. Maybe I'll have Alice and Rose over for girls night. The six of us can become like a clique; inseparable. We can go places and do things all together all the time."
Edward snorted. "Smartass." He glanced down at me. I knew that look. I slid my hand down his thigh and back up again, feeling him harden. He smiled. "Hi there."
"Hi." I ran my hand back down towards his knee and then stood up.
"Not here?"
"I need to take a shower," I shrugged. "I'm dirty."
He jumped up. "Oh, me too. I'm very, very dirty."
I laughed. Edward had only gotten back from the gym an hour before and it was obvious that he'd showered already. He kissed the back of my neck, causing me to break out in goosebumps.
"You promise?"
~TIL~
"Bella. Here's the deal," my big boss Marcus said, folding his hands in front of him on his desk. "I'm not going to be able to keep you on here."
I frowned. "What . . .? What do you mean? I just started."
"I know. And you've been doing a great job, but we've had some budget cuts."
I felt that heaviness in my chest when you know something big is happening. I was getting fired.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No! Not at all. You're not the only one. I have to give priority to those who are more senior. I'm sorry." I glanced down and swallowed dryly before meeting his gaze again. He looked at me sympathetically. "I have a colleague at the Albuquerque Journal who has an assistant editor position open. I've already talked to him, gave him a great referral. He's interviewed several candidates without success. He wants you to interview."
"Albuquerque. As in New Mexico?" I asked stupidly.
"Yes. That's the one."
"As in Breaking Bad New Mexico?" Marcus made a face. I knew he was trying not to laugh at my idiocy, but in my defense, I was completely shell-shocked.
"It's a great place for an up-and-coming editor."
"Um." I had only been working for the paper for six months. Edward and I were about to sign the papers on our house. THE house. He had just taken over Seattle operations of Cullen & Associates. We were getting married. "Can I think about it?"
"Sure." Marcus nodded. "But he needs to hire someone soon so don't take too long."
"Okay. How long do I have? I mean, is this my notice?"
I sat as Marcus explained the terms of my release of employment. I only really heard every other word, but the bottom line was clear. I'd just finished an assignment and it was time to clear out my desk. No wonder I hadn't been given anything new to work on. I nodded when I was supposed to and left his office when he was done talking. HR would deal with everything. I would get a month's severance.
I sat down at my desk, looking around. I knew I should call Edward, but the sooner I told him I'd lost my job, the more realistic the fact would be. I needed a few hours to process everything.
It didn't take me long to pack up my things. As I walked out with a box in my hands, I saw Ariel crying in her office. A similar box was sitting on her desk. I wondered if Marcus had set up an interview with the Albuquerque Journal for her, too.
~TIL~
"You got fired?"
"Laid off. I guess."
"Are you serious? Why?"
"I'm one of seven. Almost all of us have been there for under two years."
Edward looked down at his dinner. After I'd left work, I spent a ridiculous amount of time at the grocery store and then came home. I finally tried calling Edward, but he was in a meeting. By the time he got home, I had a four course meal waiting for him. I'd needed to keep busy to make sure I didn't think too hard about losing my job right as we were about to make two of the biggest commitments of our lives.
"Well, shit," he mumbled. "Okay. Well, you can get a new job, right?" I nodded, but didn't say anything. Instead, I pushed the food around on my plate. Edward knew me better than that. "What?"
I took a deep breath and lifted my gaze to meet his. "Marcus has a friend at the Albuquerque Journal who wants me to interview."
"Albuquerque?"
I nodded. "New Mexico."
"I got that. You told him no thanks, right?"
"I told him I needed to think about it."
"What's there to think about? We're not moving to New Mexico. I'm sure there's plenty of jobs here in Seattle."
I frowned. "I've looked. There aren't that many."
"Then Tacoma. Bella, come on. There's got to be something local. I'll ask my dad."
"No! Please don't."
Edward looked confused. "Why not?"
"Because." He tilted his head, waiting for me to elaborate. "Because I want to prove to myself that I can get a job based on my skills and qualifications. Not who I know."
"Why does it matter? I got my job based on who I know."
"It's not the same," I said softly.
"I know it's not." He sighed. "Do you really want to interview in Albuquerque?"
I shook my head. "No. Not really. But I think I should."
"And what happens when they offer you the job?"
"You mean if."
"No," he reached for my hand. "I mean when. You are great at your job, B. I have no doubt that you will impress whomever you interview with."
I smiled at him. "If they offer me the job . . ."
"When."
"Shut up," I laughed. "I can't even think that far ahead. I'm still trying to process the fact that I was fired from my first real job."
Edward took a bite of the steak I'd prepared. "Jesus," he moaned. "Maybe you should go to culinary school."
"So I can interview?"
"You don't have to ask my permission. But yes, if you want to — if you feel like you need to, then I think you should do it."
I let out a breath, relieved. Finally relaxed enough to be able to eat, I took a bite of my dinner. "Oh, my God, you're right," I snorted. "This is amazing."
~TIL~
"I can't fucking believe you're doing this."
"Why?"
"Because you're not fucking moving to fucking Albuquerque."
"Rose."
"You're not. Look for a job here. You know Edward can't move. Cullen & Associates is here, Bella. He just got promoted. You want him to give up his job so that you can take a position twelve hundred miles away? That's fucked up and you know it."
"I don't expect him to move."
"Then why are you fucking doing this?"
"Because I need to know that I can get a job on my own."
"Of course you fucking can."
"Why are you swearing at me so much?"
"Because I'm fucking pissed!"
We were sitting in the car at the airport drop off. Rose had driven me because Edward had a meeting he couldn't miss.
"Look. I know you. I know you are doing this because you feel like you have something to prove. What are you going to do if they offer you the job?"
"I don't know," I said quietly. "Like I told Edward, I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Well, I'll do it for you then. You go ahead and interview. You show them how amazing you are. You turn down their offer when you get it. And you come home to Edward, to me, and to your future job as a kick ass journalist slash editor." I laughed with tears in my eyes and leaned over to hug her. "I'm serious, B."
"I know."
"Good. Now get your ass out of my car. My horny husband has been texting me for the last twenty minutes asking if I can 'meet' him for lunch." She rolled her eyes, but I could see the giddy amusement. I got out of the car and grabbed my bag from the backseat.
"I love you!" I called. "Don't get pregnant while I'm away!"
"I love you, too. I won't," she laughed.
~TIL~
"Hi."
"Hi. Do you have everything?"
"Yeah."
"Did you have a good trip?"
"Yeah."
Edward rocked back on his heels, his hands in his pockets. He was chewing on a piece of cinnamon gum. We stood for a second before he took my bag from me. He reached for me with his free hand and I slipped my fingers in between his as we walked back to his truck.
"Are you hungry?" he asked as we were pulling out of the parking garage.
"A little."
"We could go get some dinner. Talk."
I nodded. "Yeah. That sounds good."
We ended up going to a little French place not too far from our apartment. It was dark and quiet. They gave us a little booth in the back corner and we ordered a bottle of red wine.
"So," Edward said, taking a sip from his wine glass.
"So."
"How did it go?"
I smiled softly. "I'm not moving to Albuquerque."
He breathed out a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. "I'm sorry. I really did think you were going to get the job."
I took his hand, lifting it up to my mouth and kissing his knuckles.
"I did get the job, Edward."
He narrowed his eyes. "Then . . ."
"I turned it down. My life is here — with you. Always."
~TIL~
AN: I set out a year ago to continue the one shot I wrote way back in 2011. This was supposed to be a short, sweet story. I never expected it to take me so long. But it's definitely time to wrap things up. One more chapter left. I will do my best to get it out ASAP. Thank you for reading. xxxx