Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
Author's Note: I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a fantastic holiday! I'm still pretty full from turkey, but am enjoying the four days off :)
I apologize, my dear readers, for so much heartbreak and angst in this story, but it isn't for nothing. It all leads to…something :) This chapter is much lighter and I hope you appreciate it. Thanks so much for the amazing support! If you have any questions about the story or just want to discuss it with me, visit the forums at twilighted! I try to check it every couple of days or so and I will be happy to talk to you guys about anything!
Who else saw New Moon and was the ONLY girl in the theatre who didn't scream till they died when Taylor Lautner took his shirt off. Just me???
Oh and I have started responding to reviews on here, but I may sometimes miss some because it gets difficult to remember which ones I already responded to, so I am doing my best. Just know I appreciate each and every one!
Enjoy this chapter!
Edward POV
I'm not sure how long I lay awake watching Bella sleep. It could have been minutes, possibly hours, but I couldn't look away.
She was laying there on her side, facing me, eyebrows furrowed tightly together, her mouth opened slightly as if she was having a bad dream. Maybe she was thinking about last night in the alley. I knew I couldn't get it out of my head.
I had followed her, too far away to get her attention, but not far enough to see those bastards touch her. Even thinking about it now made my jaw clench and my heart race. How could she be so stupid?
And how could she think I didn't care?
"What do you care anyways?" she had asked me.
I was taken aback—appalled really—that she would think I ever stopped caring about her. I would care about Bella for the rest of my life. I would protect her forever, even if she didn't want me around.
To say I was shocked by my own reaction would be an understatement. I was angry first—angry at her for being so careless…angry at those sick, repulsive excuses for human life who had touched her. But when it came right down to it—when she was standing there with her arms wrapped around me—I knew it wasn't just anger I was feeling. It was love.
I never stopped loving Bella, even though I had tried to. I tried pushing my feelings away to make it easier to let go, but I was weak. I couldn't let her go. I couldn't let her go without sorting out all of the shit we had been through first. Even if we didn't get back together. Even if it didn't change anything…at least we wouldn't leave things like this—both of us hating each other, harboring negative feelings toward one another.
I needed to talk to Bella. Really talk to her.
We needed to get everything out in the open. I knew there were things that needed to be said. I knew Bella was still hurt over everything that had happened—I was, too. The misunderstandings that had occurred between us…that had torn us apart…seemed almost laughable now. It was just one confusion after another, after another.
I needed her to realize that I never meant to hurt her.
I needed to tell her I understood what she meant now—why she was so upset. Why I shouldn't have let things with Tanya progress the way they had.
I needed her to know that I never meant to push her feelings aside. I never meant to make her think I didn't care.
I needed her to know that I loved her. That I would always love her. And that I never wanted anyone besides her.
And I needed her to know how much it hurt that she doubted me. How much it hurt that she didn't trust me. How much it fucking killed me to see her on our couch with Jacob Black.
She needed to know.
Even though it might not even change anything. Even though we would still get a divorce. At least things would be left on better terms. At least we wouldn't hate each other.
At least she wouldn't hate me.
I contemplated when the best time would be to bring something like this up. It seemed like everyday was a miracle if we got through it without fighting—like we were walking on eggshells around each other and any minute one of us would break.
I didn't want it to come to that. We were both mature adults. Emmett and Rosalie were right—enough was enough. We needed to figure shit out. We had left things unsaid long enough…ignored problems to no avail, but we couldn't do that anymore.
Last night changed things. It made me realize that my feelings for Bella were still very much present, even if I had been trying desperately to ignore them. I realized I still cared for her and respected her too much to leave things the way they were, which is why I knew it was time to talk.
I just hoped she felt the same way.
Still, the timing was an issue. I knew we would be spending the entire day together, thanks to Alice and Jasper, but there was so much we had to do that I wasn't sure there would be time for…'The Talk'…as I had now deemed it in my mind.
After we had arrived back in Seattle last night, Alice and Jasper asked Bella and I if we would do them a few favors. By few they meant a shit load.
As best man and maid of honor, Bella and I had a lot of business to attend to. We had to pick up their 'save the date' cards and mail them, place their orders for flower arrangements, and make sure their cake would be ready on the day of their wedding.
So many things to do…I didn't know if I could squeeze in a serious conversation in the middle. I also knew I had to ease Bella into it. I didn't want to get her upset or have her think that I was just trying to start up another heated argument. I also didn't want her to think it was my way of trying to get back with her. I knew we had been through too much for her to think about taking me back, so I had to make sure it was perfectly clear that my intentions were merely to leave us on good terms. As much as it killed me, and as much as I didn't want it, Bella and I would most likely have to let go. But at least this way, it wouldn't be a messy divorce like so many countless other couples had. Maybe we could even be…friends.
That word made my insides twist and my heart constrict. I knew I could never just be friends with Bella and I knew she could never just be friends with me. And that killed me the most. Either we were together…or we could be nothing at all.
Maybe if we talked…
…No.
I wasn't going to hope again. I knew if I hoped—and things turned out badly—it would make it harder.
No, right now I would settle for talking. A clean slate was something we both needed and we couldn't do that if we kept ignoring our problems. It also couldn't work if every time we discussed our problems, it led to fighting. I didn't want to fight anymore. I had no fight left.
Talking. That would have to do for now. That would have to be enough.
I just had to figure out when and where.
Bella stirred beside me and it immediately brought me back to the present. I glanced down at her and smiled slightly. Her eyes were still closed, but her face was flushed and her hair was sticking to her forehead. I knew she would be waking up soon, and because I didn't want to look like a crazy stalker, I slowly and quietly got out of bed and walked to the bedroom door. I closed it softly behind me after leaving and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Emmett and Jasper were both in the kitchen when I walked in. Jasper was sitting at the counter eating a bowl of cereal and reading the newspaper while Emmett was standing in front of the open fridge, probably scrounging around for his fourth meal of the day.
Jasper noticed me walk in and looked up at me, smiling brightly. "Morning, Edward. Coffee?" he offered, holding up his own mug.
"Yea, I'll get it," I said quietly, mumbling a 'good morning' to Emmett as I walked past him to pour myself a cup before going to sit on the bar stool beside Jasper. I noticed he was dressed a little more formally than usual. "Where are you off to?" I asked him.
He swallowed the last bite of his cereal before looking at me. "I have a meeting with one of my colleagues. He's a grad student like me and its his first year teaching so I'm helping him out."
I nodded as I took a sip of my coffee.
Jasper was a professor of psychology at Seattle University. He had been teaching there for the past three years while finishing his last couple years of grad school. It was a perfect profession for Jasper because not only was he good at reading people and deciphering their emotions, he was also a people person and loved working with others. He hadn't been working as much because it was summer, but apparently a teacher's work was never finished.
"Thanks again for helping Alice and I out by the way. She and Rosalie are managing the store today and everyone's at work," he said, going to the sink and rinsing his empty bowl and mug.
"Don't worry about it," I waved off. "It'll be nice to get out."
I nodded slightly at my own statement before looking at Emmett and seeing that he was wearing a suit and tie. He was smiling cheekily at me.
"You going to work, too?" I asked uninterestedly.
I was still pissed at Emmett and Rosalie—no, fucking livid was more like it. They were making mine and Bella's life hell and getting a huge kick out of it in the process. It was kind of sick.
He nodded, still smiling that same dimpled smile that always made my mother's heart melt when we were kids. "Yup. I got a meeting with corporate for this new ad we're putting out for the local hospital. It's a pretty big deal…brings in a lot of money," he said proudly.
I nodded curtly and gave him a grim smile. "Life's all about money, right?" I bit back sarcastically.
That made Emmett's smile fade instantly. "Don't go getting all philosophical on me, Eddie-boy," he quipped, patting me a little too roughly on the back as he grabbed his briefcase from the table and headed toward the front door. "Later, guys!" he called.
"Bye, Em," Jasper said absentmindedly as he continued reading the business section in the newspaper.
"Later," I mumbled, looking down at my coffee. "So Esme and Carlisle are at work, too?" I asked as I looked up at Jasper.
He nodded and looked up at me from the newspaper. "Yup." He gave me a devious smile. "You and Bella have the house all to yourselves. What are you going to do first? Defile the den or the living room?" he asked conspiratorially.
I practically choked on the sip of coffee I was currently taking in as I looked up and saw that Jasper was being completely serious.
"Uh…" I laughed nervously. "No…no defiling today. I'd hate to ruin Carlisle and Esme's lovely lake house," I mumbled uncomfortably.
He just shrugged indifferently. "Either way…if you're thinking about it…try the bookshelf in the den. Bella's just a tad bit taller than Alice, but I'm sure if you angled it just right…"
"Okay! Jazz!" I held up my hand, stopping him from delving further into his sex-capades with my sister. There were just some things that a brother absolutely did not need to know.
Jasper laughed loudly, tears practically spilling from his eyes as he grabbed a piece of stationary paper by the telephone and handed it to me.
"Alice left a list of all the things she wanted you and Bella to do, just so you don't forget," he explained, random spurts of laughter still tumbling out of his mouth. "If you guys have any questions, just call one of our cells. All good?"
I glared at him since his mouth was pressed together in a tight line, trying to keep his laughter from bubbling over. I nodded curtly and sighed as I walked him to the front door and watched as he got into his car. He rolled down the passenger side window as I stood at the doorway and waited for him to leave.
"Oh, by the way, the breakfast counter in the kitchen? Offers brilliant leverage," he called as I quickly slammed the front door, stopping him from going any further.
I heard his laughter as it faded away once he started driving down the long, dirt driveway that led to the main street.
I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair as I walked back into the kitchen and tried pushing away the thoughts of Alice and Jasper on the bookshelf…or on the kitchen counter…or any place else for that matter.
I walked into the den and sat on the couch, staring at the plasma television in front of me with no interest in turning it on. I gazed at the bookshelf Jasper was talking about and shook my head.
He was right, though. It was perfect leverage for Bella. I could see myself taking her up against the books, some of them falling haphazardly to the ground with the force of my pounding into her. And she'd be screaming my name over…and over…and…
"Edward?"
I jumped violently in my seat and looked at the doorway where Bella was standing, cup of coffee in hand, looking at me nervously.
"H-Hey," I stammered, trying to get rid of all the naughty thoughts now plaguing my mind. "Sleep well?" I all but choked out.
"Yea," she answered quietly, looking down at her mug and playing with the handle. "You?" she asked without looking up.
"Alright, I guess," I shrugged.
"Oh." She nodded and continued gazing down at her drink like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
It was getting a little awkward and I wondered if now was a good time to bring up 'The Talk.' But because I didn't want that to be the first thing she woke up to in the morning, I decided to steer the conversation toward something a little lighter.
"Uh, Alice left us a list of everything to do today," I started quietly. "Basically everything she told us last night so…whenever you're ready."
Bella looked up at me and nodded, smiling slightly. It actually seemed genuine.
"Okay, um, I'm just going to shower and get dressed. So…maybe a half an hour? Is that okay?" she asked.
"Yea, that's perfect. I'm going to shower down here so we can leave as soon as we're done," I said, getting up and walking over to her.
I don't think she realized that she was standing in the doorway because she just nodded and looked back down at her mug, not moving.
"So…" I started conversationally, standing about two feet away from her.
"So…" she nodded, looking up at me again. "Oh!" she gasped, realizing she was blocking my exit. She quickly moved out of the way and laughed quietly. "Wow, sorry. I'm kind of…flustered in the morning."
I chuckled and walked out before looking at her and nodding. "I know."
Her smile slowly faltered as we both realized how my comment brought back many memories of the two of us together. She cleared her throat uncomfortably before glancing at the staircase.
"So, I'm going to go shower now…" she trailed off.
I nodded. "Me too."
She nodded as well and we just stood there awkwardly, both of us shifting our weight from one foot to the other. After a couple of minutes, we both all but bolted in opposite directions to go shower and get ready for the day.
As the hot spray worked its way down my body, I imagined Bella upstairs, lathering herself up all alone. It was making it a little harder to concentrate when I knew that Bella's naked body was so close…and so wet…and so…
Okay, Cullen, now you have a hard-on. Good job.
I sighed heavily and finished my shower quickly before jumping out and getting dressed. I walked into the kitchen and saw Bella sitting at the counter eating a muffin. Suddenly, Jasper's words from this morning sprung into my mind and I immediately saw myself walking up behind Bella, throwing the muffin out of her hand, and taking her from behind without any warning as she bent over the kitchen counter.
I shook my head to dispel the intruding thoughts before knocking softly on the wall in the entryway. Bella quickly looked up at me and smiled slightly before finishing the rest of her muffin and hopping off the stool, grabbing her purse and following me out to the car.
Alice and Rosalie had taken Rosalie's red BMW to work today so Alice was letting us borrow her yellow Porsche. I didn't even try to hide my excitement when she had told me last night that I could drive it, but not before promising to offer the keys to Bella first.
"Do you want to drive?" I asked Bella as we walked into the enormous garage.
She looked at me and laughed. It was the first time I had been around Bella and heard her offer a real laugh in a long time. I wanted to hear it more often.
"Are you kidding?" she asked between gasps. "Edward, you've probably been dreaming about driving this car all night. I would not take that away from you."
She shook her head and continued smiling as she got into the passenger seat. I smiled to myself and got into the driver's side, my smile only growing wider when I turned the ignition and heard the beautiful purr of the engine as it came to life.
Bella laughed at my excitement and I ignored her as I backed out of the garage and headed toward town. Surprisingly, the silence in the car didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable like I thought it would, especially after last night.
After holding Bella for a while longer outside of the club last night, we had gone inside and didn't bring up anything that had happened to anyone—even each other. And then later that night, I lay in bed waiting for sleep to overtake me as Bella sat beside me and read her book. It was like nothing had ever happened and I wondered if maybe I should bring it up. It could even possibly serve as a leeway for 'The Talk' that we would need to have sooner or later.
"So," I started after a cloud of silence had taken over the car as we headed onto the main street. "How are you doing? After last night, I mean," I asked quietly, glancing at her to gauge her expression.
Her face remained relatively composed as she gazed out the window. After a few seconds had passed, she let out a small breath. "I'm okay," she shrugged. "Like you said…it could have been worse."
I nodded and threw her words around in my head for a bit. I wasn't sure if she was keeping things to a minimal because she didn't want to talk about it, or if it was because she wanted me to say something.
"Yea…" I cleared my throat, unsure where I was heading with this.
Maybe bringing it up was a dumbass idea.
"I really am sorry, Edward," she said quietly before I had the chance to say anything else.
I looked over at her confused as we stopped at a red light. "For what, Bella?"
She looked away from me and out her window. "For…being careless and making you worry," she mumbled quietly. "And for yelling at you…" she trailed off.
I knew she probably didn't want to bring up the whole caring issue again, but I wanted to make sure she knew that I had meant what I said.
"I care about you, Bella," I said firmly. "I never stopped."
She looked at me again and offered a half-hearted smile. "Thanks," she whispered, and I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion because I had no idea what the hell she was thanking me for.
She averted her gaze to her lap and opened her mouth again. I waited because it seemed like she wanted to say more.
"I care about you, too," she murmured softly—so softly that if I hadn't been focusing my entire attention on her, I would have missed it.
The impact of her words surprised me. It made my heart feel like it restarted somehow. Those five little words did something extraordinary to me and I suddenly understood what she was thanking me for. This feeling was something I hadn't experienced since the day we had been separated, but it was the most amazing feeling in the world.
"Thank you," I replied quietly.
She looked up at me and smiled before letting out a gust of air and clearing her throat, looking thoroughly refreshed, like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. I felt the same way.
"Okay, where to first?" she asked, her tone taking on a much lighter quality than what I had been used to these last couple of weeks.
I looked down at Alice's list just as the light turned green. "Flower arrangements. Sounds girly," I grimaced, and handed Bella the list as she laughed quietly.
We drove the rest of the way to the flower shop in silence. Only Alice would pick the largest flower shop in all of Seattle, and as Bella and I walked into the shop, we were hit with a plethora of different aromas from all directions.
"Oh my, my, my!" the woman behind the counter gasped as she walked over to Bella and me.
She looked to be in about her late fifties or early sixties with white hair that was cut extremely short—shorter than Alice's. She dressed young for her age, but not in a creepy, overdone cougar type of way. Her smile was extremely friendly and she seemed very warm and approachable.
"How can I help you two?" she asked sweetly as she came over to stand in front of us.
"We're here to place an order for a wedding?" Bella replied quietly, making the statement come out like a question.
"Oh, how lovely! A wedding!" the woman cried in delight as she walked back behind the counter and opened a large book. "When are you two lovelies tying the knot?" she asked as she flipped through a few pages.
Bella and I looked at each other awkwardly, wondering which of us was going to be the first to correct the woman. I finally looked back at the store owner and smiled warmly.
"It's actually for my sister. Alice Cullen?" I said as I put my hand on the small of Bella's back and led her to the counter to stand across from the woman.
She looked up at us and smiled wider—if that was even possible.
"Oh, yes! Alice Cullen! Her fiancé is quite the catch," she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Bella laughed and blushed a little before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and nodding as the woman eyed mine and Bella's proximity curiously.
"Oh! You're her brother Edward!" she suddenly said in excitement, looking at me. "Yes, little Alice told me you would be here today." She looked at Bella and her smile turned even sweeter. "And you must be the lovely Mrs. Cullen. Oh, you are so beautiful," she breathed wistfully, a faraway look in her eyes as she started writing some things down in her notebook. "My first husband…oh, let me tell you…my first husband was a liar and a cheat!" she said with an edge to her voice. It was strange seeing such a happy and exuberant woman show such negative emotions. Suddenly her face turned warm again. "But my second husband…oh…" she trailed off, looking out the window, shaking her head in thought and smiling softly. "He is the greatest thing…that has ever happened to me."
She looked at Bella again and pushed a piece of paper across the counter toward her. "You're the maid of honor?" she asked politely. Bella nodded. "Would you just fill this out, dear? Alice already told me which arrangements she wants and I've tripled checked that they are available," she said cheerfully.
Bella smiled at the woman and took the pen from her, getting to work on filling out the form.
"I'm Margaret, by the way," the woman said, still smiling.
Bella looked up and smiled sincerely. "Bella," she introduced herself.
"Beautiful," Margaret murmured to herself, looking at Bella adoringly.
Bella blushed and smiled before turning her attention back to the form. I hadn't realized I had been watching Bella so intensely until Margaret broke me out of my daze.
"Don't let this one go," Margaret warned playfully.
My head snapped up in her direction as Bella shifted slightly beside me.
"She's a keeper," Margaret said quietly, then winked.
I couldn't contain the signature crooked smile that broke out on my face, and as I looked down at Bella who was pushing the now completed form back toward Margaret, I saw that she was about ten shades of red.
"Alright, so everything is set. You tell Alice I say hi!" Margaret said happily
We nodded and smiled at her as we thanked her and started walking toward the door.
"Mmm…oh, and Bella?" Margaret called one last time.
Bella and I both stopped at the front entrance and turned to look at her. Margaret was looking at me appraisingly.
"Very…yummy choice in male selection," she said in a suggestible tone as Bella stammered out a quick 'thanks' and blushed some more.
I smirked at Margaret and followed Bella out. We walked out onto the side walk and started walking down to the shop where Alice ordered her 'save the date' cards since it was just around the corner.
"Well, that was awkward," Bella mumbled after a few moments of silence.
"Hey, you weren't the one being checked out by somebody old enough to be your grandmother!" I defended, laughing lightly at the memory. "She was sweet, though," I added softly, looking down at the ground as we walk silently side by side.
"Yea, she was," Bella agreed.
"And spot on about what she said," I said seriously as I opened the door to the shop for her.
She stopped and looked at me, searching my eyes as she tried deciphering the meaning of my words.
My face broke out into a smile. "I really am yummy," I teased smugly.
Her mouth dropped open and she smacked me lightly on the arm before shaking her head and walking into the shop, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Conceited," I heard her mumble as she approached the sales lady and gave her Alice's information.
As the woman at the counter went to the back to retrieve the cards, I looked over at the other side of the store and noticed a couple of girls about my and Bella's age watching me with a small smile on their faces. I smiled politely and nodded in acknowledgement before looking back at Bella, only to see her watching them before glancing at me. Her eyes locked with mine for a moment and I could have sworn a flash of pain flew across them.
She couldn't possibly think I was looking at them because I was interested?
Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something—anything—a man walked into the shop and stood beside Bella at the counter, looking at the other saleswoman who was smiling at him. He looked to be a few years older than us with cropped blond hair and a boyish face.
"Hi, I'm picking up invitations for my mother's wedding?" he asked the saleslady softly. He was obviously coming onto her and it made the girl swoon before she nodded and walked to the back.
The man noticed us standing there and immediately looked down at Bella.
"Oh, please don't tell me," he warned seriously, looking at Bella as if they were old friends.
Bella looked up at him—having not noticed he walk in—and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?" she asked hesitantly.
The man shook his head and looked away. "All the good ones are taken," he said softly, shaking his head before looking at her and flashing her a bright smile. "I only say that because I am assuming you are picking up invitations for your wedding."
Bella seemed taken aback before she shook her head. "Um…n-no. For my friend, actually."
This made the man smile wider. I stood there watching their exchange uncomfortably, suppressing the urge to punch the guy in the fucking face and make a scene.
Bella finally looked away from the man and up at me. "This is my husband, Edward," she said politely. She looked back at him and smiled slightly. "I'm Bella."
His smile instantly faded and I smirked as I held my hand out for him to shake.
"Nice to meet you," I managed as civilly as I possibly could.
"You, too," he answered, although his politeness seemed extremely forced now. "James Warner. It's a…pleasure."
I let go of his hand and nodded as the woman brought his invitations back first and handed them to him. He took them before smiling weakly at Bella and I and walking out of the store. I had to stop myself from going after him and ripping his eyes out for flirting with my wife.
This was the second time in a week that I felt this sort of…jealousy when it came to Bella. First toward Mike Newton when he eyed Bella at the park—despite being in a committed relationship—and now with a complete stranger.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn't the first time I felt this way. It happened whenever random guys looked at Bella a certain way or came onto her.
I briefly considered if it was the same thing when girls would come onto me, but I noticed that it had never led to an issue between Bella and I. Even though it pissed me off sometimes, I never let those guys bother me.
Then I realized the difference was that Bella didn't seem to even notice when men would gawk at her, so I would just mad-dog the hell out of them and they would be on their way.
But couldn't it work both ways? I didn't notice woman who openly wanted to flirt with me—I mean, okay, yea I noticed them doing it, but I didn't give a shit about them. Bella had to notice men gape at her. Why could she just brush them off without a care and I couldn't?
I knew she had insecurity issues and I was trying my best to understand where they had stemmed from and how best to work through them. And I also knew that I never brought up any of those men who would stare at her—mainly because I realized she was never looking at them…so I tried not to notice them either. It was easy to do when I had someone like Bella in my arms.
But because Bella brought up those girls…because she had genuine concerns about them…I should have listened instead of remaining completely ignorant. If I had gone to her and told her I didn't like certain guys she spent time with because they seemed attracted to her, and she just laughed it off and told me not to worry, I would have been fucking pissed…and hurt as hell.
Shit. I'm an asshole.
"Edward?" Bella snapped her fingers in my face and I was immediately brought out of my stupor. I looked into her deep, chocolate brown eyes as she gazed at me concerned, probably thinking I had gone mental or something.
"Yea, sorry." I shook my head to rid myself of the whirlwind of thoughts running through my mind—I definitely stored them away to bring up during 'The Talk.'
I looked down in her arms and saw the package with the cards in them.
"Ready?" I asked.
She nodded and I walked behind her toward the exit. The two girls that had been staring at me were now closer to us and were giggling and smiling in what I'm sure they thought was a seductive manner. I held the door open for Bella as I tried my best to ignore them.
She walked past me and mumbled, "Looks like you've got a fan club."
I stepped outside and looked at her. She was standing there, package in hand, shifting from one foot to the other as she looked at me apprehensively.
I smirked. "You didn't do so bad yourself," I quipped playfully. She looked at me confused, so I clarified, "James seemed to take quite a liking to you."
This seemed to catch her off guard. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she stared at me incredulously.
"He probably hits on every girl within a three mile radius," she defended, chuckling darkly. "The guy just reeked of sex."
I chuckled and nodded. "Yea…well…just don't forget, Bella, it works both ways," I hinted as I took the packages from her and started on my way toward the post office.
She stood where she was for a few minutes, probably trying to make sense of my ambiguity. She finally caught up with me, however, and walked directly into the post office without waiting for me. I smiled to myself—hopefully she had understood what I meant.
We mailed the invitations and went directly to the bakery to finalize Alice and Jasper's wedding cake order. Bella was being extremely quiet and I wondered if maybe I had gone too far. I was trying to make light of a serious situation—maybe ease her into 'The Talk' a little sooner than was necessary—and now it seemed to have blown up in my face.
I didn't mean anything by the comment. I knew it was different for her because she had to actually deal with years of me putting off her concerns…all of it leading to that one fateful night.
My issues didn't seem to go as deep as hers. One glare at the guys who would hit on her, and they practically shit their pants.
Fuck. It was similar, but nowhere near the same thing. I shouldn't have even said anything.
"Bella?" I asked hesitantly as we started walking back to the car.
It had gotten a little darker since we had been out for a while now doing Alice and Jasper's errands.
Bella stopped by the passenger side door and looked at me. Her face hinted at no particular emotion and I took that as a good sign.
"Do you want…to get some ice cream?" I asked uncertainly.
I wasn't sure where that question had come from, but I wanted more time with her. I didn't want to go back home and have to fake our marriage for the sake of our family. I liked it out here. We could be honest—no pretending.
She eyed me warily before her face broke out into a tiny smile. "Sure," she shrugged, walking back over to me.
I smiled down at her and wondered if maybe she hadn't understood the full meaning of my previous comment. I decided I wouldn't push it now and would just leave that for 'The Talk.'
Damn, I felt like I needed to come up with a better name for the infamous talk we would eventually have to have. 'The Talk' just made it sound so negative—it was a bad precedence. I didn't want to think of it as a bad thing. I wanted it to be thought of as a good thing, something that would help us.
I needed a new name.
'The Day the Earth Stands Still' seemed a bit more dramatic of a name than 'The Talk,' so I quickly moved on.
'Happy Days' didn't quite capture the essence of the situation so I continued my pursuit for the perfect name as Bella and I walked down to the local ice cream parlor.
I opened the door for her and then followed her inside. It wasn't relatively busy inside except for a few young boys wearing baseball uniforms and someone who could only be their coach sitting with them.
"What can I get for you two?" the man at the counter asked politely.
Bella looked at me, silently telling me to order first, so I looked back at the man and smiled courteously.
"I'll have a scoop of chocolate in a sugar cone, please, and she'll have a regular cone, half vanilla, half strawberry," I said politely.
The man nodded and went to work on scooping the ice cream. I glanced at Bella in passing as I took my wallet out and saw that she was slightly gaping at me.
"Oh, shit," I said, realizing what I had just done. "I'm sorry," I mumbled turning to get the man's attention to change the order.
"No, Edward, it's fine," Bella said quietly, grabbing my arm to pull me back from saying anything.
I looked at her and shook my head. "I shouldn't have done that. I just got used to it after a while. Tell me what you want. I'll just change it." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion when I saw that she was smiling slightly and shaking her head at me through out my babbling speech.
"That's what I was going to order," she said softly, almost shyly. "It was just…weird that you knew."
"It's second nature," I blurted out without thinking.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it and looked down, shaking her head a little. I was about to ask her what that was about, but our ice cream was ready.
I handed her hers and smiled softly at her, thankful when she smiled back tentatively. I took my own and paid the man at the register.
As I went to hold the door open for Bella, I couldn't help but overhear parts of the conversation going on between the kids on the baseball team and their coach.
"Alright, guys, the big events this weekend. It's going to be scary…it's going to teach us all something…and it's definitely going to put everything we've worked for to the test. It's the moment of truth. You guys ready for it?" the coach asked them enthusiastically as the table erupted into cheers.
"Edward? You coming?" Bella asked me confused as I just stood there.
I broke out of my haze and looked up at her, nodding absentmindedly as I stepped out.
"You…okay?" she asked me when I continued looking down.
"Yea," I said quietly, a million thoughts running through my head. I finally looked up at her and smiled. "Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked hopefully.
She sighed and nodded carefully, probably wondering why I was acting so weird today.
We walked side by side in silence, enjoying our ice cream and just wandering the streets. Not much was said because the majority of my thoughts was focused on what that coach had been telling his team.
Mine and Bella's talk was going to be the moment of truth for us. It was definitely going to teach Bella and me something while at the same time putting everything we had worked for to the test.
And it was definitely—without a doubt—going to be scary as hell.
It fit so perfectly. It wasn't merely a talk that Bella and I were going to have—it was going to be a heartbreaking…eye-opening…life-changing moment.
And it was—from this moment on—going to be deemed… 'The Event.'
And Bella didn't even have a clue that it was going to happen yet.
And could I have come up with a more creepy ass name?
Author's Note:This chapter was really fun to write, which is a nice change from all the angst! I hope you all liked it :)