A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I appreciate each one of them so much! Now, this chapter is the longest one yet, and we see some progress being made, so I'll let you get on with it. Thanks to Heather for being an awesome beta!
"Merry Christmas!" I hollered as I came down the stairs and made my way into the kitchen where I would begin making chocolate chip pancakes. It had become tradition since I was about eleven, and I'd first learned to cook. Every Christmas morning since, I'd holler Merry Christmas and make breakfast while Mom and Dad stumbled out of their room, wrapped up in robes with slippers on their feet.
I got a pot of coffee started and began to mix the batter. A few minutes later, Dad came into the kitchen in a tattered bathrobe that was older than I was. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Merry Christmas, kiddo," he said in a sleepy voice.
A few minutes later, Mom came in wearing an equally ancient robe and a pair of ugly house slippers, and I mean ugly. Good thing I'd gotten her new ones for Christmas because the ones on her feet had to go.
After a delicious breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice, we went into the living room to gather around the Christmas tree. Dad played Santa every year, donning a bright red Santa hat and dolling out gifts. Minutes later, I had a small pile gathered at my feet from Mom and Dad as well as from my friends. I couldn't wait to tear into them, and I did so with glee. I loved opening presents. Maybe it was the anticipation of what was inside, or perhaps, it was the sound of paper ripping. Whatever it was, I freaking loved it.
"Holy sh—smokes!" I yelped when I stared at the box in front of me. There was no way Mom and Dad could have afforded to get me this, not after getting me a car.
"We weren't sure what kind to get you, but the guy at the store said that one was the best, and you'd said your old laptop was starting to die," Dad said as I continued to stare at the box that contained a MacBook Pro.
"I—" I couldn't even get any words out because I was so gob Smacked. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
I got up from the couch and threw myself at Dad, hugging him hard before moving on to Mom. I stammered my thanks over and over, because I truly was in shock.
"You're quite welcome, sweetie," Mom said.
Since I'd gotten such a huge gift from them, I only got two other things from Mom and Dad: an Amazon gift card and a beautiful sweater. Dad loved his fishing pole, and Mom loved her new slippers and books that I'd gotten her. The only gifts I had left to open were from the Cullens and the Whitlocks. I decided to save Edward's gift for last and opened Alice's first. She'd given me a really cute pair of jeans and a cute blouse to go with it. I wasn't surprised at all that she'd chosen to get me clothes. Emmett and Rose had combined their gift and got me a hundred dollar gift card to use anywhere at the mall, and Jasper had gotten me an iTunes gift card. Pleased with all of my gifts, I turned to the box that was left.
Slowly, I unwrapped the paper and opened the box. Nestled inside the box was a smaller box. Reaching in, I took the smaller box out, my stomach nervous as I did so. The small box was thin and rectangular, and I gasped when I opened it. Inside the box was a necklace with a gorgeous dragonfly attached to it. In one of our many talks, I'd mentioned to Edward how much I loved dragonflies, but I hadn't realized he was paying so much attention.
"What is it?" Mom asked at my gasp.
Slowly and carefully, I took the necklace out of the box. It was sterling silver and the body of the dragonfly was a sapphire. It was way too much, and I'd be scolding Edward later, but I loved it.
"Oh, that's beautiful," she cooed as she took it from me. Mom helped me put it on, and I couldn't stop touching it.
Excusing myself, I headed upstairs to my room to send Edward a picture of me wearing the necklace and to thank him.
Merry Christmas! Thanks so much for the necklace! I texted.
A few seconds later, I got a response back.
Merry Christmas to you too. Glad you liked it.
I love it. It's too much, but I love it.
A minute after I'd texted him, my phone rang, and it was him calling. I quickly answered it, smiling when I heard his velvet voice.
"I knew you'd think it was too much, but I really hoped you'd like it," he said.
"It is too much, but like I said, I love it. It's beautiful. I don't think anyone's ever given me such a nice jewelry before."
"You're quite welcome. Thank you for the wonderful journal."
I smiled, glad that he'd liked it. I'd discovered one day when I was perusing his bookshelf that Edward kept journals. Lots and lots of journals. So, I'd gotten him a custom handmade leather journal with his name engraved on the front.
We spent the next two hours talking about Christmas, our gifts, and everything in between. At one point, Alice butted in and demanded to talk to me. Reluctantly, Edward handed his phone over, telling me he'd be back to save me from Alice's chattering.
"Thanks so much for the clothes," I told her.
"Did you like them? I saw them and thought they screamed Bella, so I had to get them for you. By the way, thank you so much for the gift card."
I hated giving gift cards because they always felt so impersonal, yet at the same time, if you got the card for some place they loved, it seemed like a good gift. The gift card I'd give Alice was to a fabric store where she spent a lot of money buying fabrics and sewing stuff. She made a lot of her own clothes since she was studying fashion design.
"It's really a great gift. Mom and Dad got me a new sewing machine like the ones on Project Runway. It's so freaking awesome, and it's totally coming back with me."
I had no idea where she was going to put the sewing machine since our room was filled to capacity as it was, but I knew she'd find a way. Eventually, Alice handed the phone back to Edward, and he and I talked for a while longer until Mom called my name.
"Sorry, Edward. I've gotta go. Talk tomorrow?"
"You bet. Have a good night."
I shoved my phone in my pocket and headed downstairs to see what Mom wanted. Turned out, she wanted to help me make Christmas dinner. Mom didn't ask a lot of me, and I found that I couldn't say no. So with a bit of trepidation and an apologetic look aimed my father's way, I agreed. Christmas dinner was going to consist of a ham, green bean casserole, rolls, mashed potatoes, and a pumpkin pie. I got Mom started on peeling the potatoes. I figured she couldn't really mess that up.
"Nice job on the potatoes, Rennie," Dad said several hours later over dinner. Mom had successfully made homemade mashed potatoes, and she hadn't screwed it up. Oh, she'd wanted to get creative by adding things into it, but I'd put my foot down.
"I did good, didn't I?" she preened, and Dad nodded as he leaned over and picked up her hand, giving it a smooch.
"So, now you can make mashed potatoes. Next year we'll work on green bean casserole," I told her.
After dinner was over, I headed up to my room. I was exhausted after the long day, and I woke up at around three am to find myself still dressed and on top of the covers. Getting up, I used the bathroom before changing into my pajamas and getting into bed.
The next week dragged on and on, and it felt that it would never end. Mom and Dad were going to some New Year's Eve party, but I'd begged off. I preferred to stay at home and talk to Edward on the phone, and my parents were cool with that. Actually, I think Dad was thrilled he wouldn't have to worry about me being out on the roads with all the drunks and party goers. I didn't want to have to deal with them either, so staying home was perfectly fine with me.
A little after nine, my phone rang, and I grinned seeing it was Edward. He asked me if I wanted to Skype so we could see each other, and I agreed. Of course, he had to stay on the phone with me as I set up the program and figured out how to use my Mac. It took longer than expected, but I didn't really care. I was spending time with Edward and, that was all that was important.
"Okay. You should be all set. I'm going to call you, and all you have to do is accept the call," he said before hanging up his phone.
I stared at the screen, and a few seconds later, it told me I had an incoming call and asked if I wanted to accept it. Eagerly, I hit the button, and seconds later, Edward's beautiful face filled the screen.
"Hey, you!" he said with a grin, and I grinned back, giving him a little wave.
"Hi, yourself! How are you?" I asked him.
"I'm good. Better now that I can see your face," he said, shooting a wink my way.
I rolled my eyes at him. He was so goofy sometimes. "Are you all staying home tonight?"
He shook his head as he told me that Alice and Emmett were going to some huge New Year's Eve party.
"You're not going?"
"Nah. I'd rather stay here and talk to you than have to ward off unwanted advances or deal with drunken idiots."
"Understandable," I said. "Mom and Dad have gone off to a party at a friend's house, but I declined to tag along with them. My friend, Angela, is going to your cousin's party, but I'm not about to set foot in Jessica's house. Besides, chances are good that my dad will get called in by his deputies to break up her party later tonight."
Edward let out a laugh at that. "Does that happen a lot? I can't imagine Forks is a real party hub."
"You'd be surprised," I told him. "Small town kids don't have a lot to do here, so there are more than a few parties. Most of them are hosted by Jessica, and I'm fairly certain that Dad has broken up every single one. I know he's threatened to arrest her parents for contributing alcohol to minors."
"Uncle Martin and Aunt Shelby don't care what Jessica does. They pretty much let her run wild," he commented dryly. "Mom and Aunt Shelby have argued about it before. They're half-sisters, but they don't really get along well."
I'd wondered how the Cullens were related to Jessica. Seeing as how kind they were, I couldn't imagine how they could possibly be related to the nastiness that was Jessica. I'd also had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Stanley. They considered themselves Forks royalty, which wasn't saying much considering the size and wealth of this town.
"Yeah, it's obvious they allow Jessica to do whatever she wants," I agreed. "She gets whatever she wants and always acted like she was the queen of the school."
"Enough about her," Edward said. "Tell me something about yourself that I don't know."
"Um …," I had to think for a moment. "I hate apples unless they're in an apple pie."
He let out a laugh. "There you go again with your weird food issues," he teased.
"Oh, shut up," I muttered. "So, tell me something that I don't know about you."
"Alice and I are adopted," he told me. "Mom had complications after Emmett as born, and she had to have a hysterectomy. Well, Mom and Dad wanted more kids, so they looked into adopting, and that's how they met our biological mother. She was sixteen and alone and wasn't in a good place to raise us. Mom and Dad adopted us when we were four days old."
"Oh, wow," I said softly. "I kind of feel lame for telling you about my dislike of apples. I'll make it up to you. My parents divorced when I was seven, but they got remarried each other when I was nine."
"Hold on. Your parents divorced and then remarried each other?"
I nodded. "Yep. They'd divorced because Mom hated Dad being a cop. At the time, we were living in Phoenix, and he was part of the Gang Taskforce Unit. Mom was afraid he'd end up getting killed. Eventually, their arguments led to a divorce. It wasn't that they didn't love each other anymore; they did, but Mom had issues with Dad's job."
"So, how did they get back together?"
Well, it took a few things happening to make them see reality. Mom got remarried to this guy named Phil when I was eight. He was a nice enough guy who wanted to be a professional baseball player, but in the end, he left her. I don't think she really loved him; not the way she loved my dad. At any rate, Mom and Dad were still really friendly and still did things together with me, and when I was almost nine, Dad moved back into the house. He quit the taskforce and joined the homicide department, and then when my grandmother died, we moved up here, and Dad became a small town cop. He loves it as does Mom."
"Anything else I should know?" Edward asked a few minutes later.
"I'm a sleep talker. I'd be surprised if Alice hasn't mentioned something about it, but then again, she sleeps like the dead."
We talked for hours, and before I knew it, the TV that I'd turned on for background noise was counting down to the New Year. Edward and I looked at each other and counted down the last five seconds before shouting, "Happy New Year!" at each other. At that moment, I wished more than anything that he was there in person with me so I could get a midnight kiss.
We talked for about a half hour more before my yawns interrupted us, and we said goodnight. I slept great that night and could hardly believe that my vacation was almost over. Actually, I was glad break was almost over. Five weeks was a long time, and it wasn't that I hadn't enjoyed my time off; I had. But, I was ready to get back into the swing of things and to be with my friends and Edward. I'd caught up with Alice, Edward, and Emmett twice over the break, and we'd had a great time hanging out. Unfortunately, Rose and Jasper had ended up spending the whole break in Texas much to Alice and Emmett's disappointment. Alice had said there'd been a problem on the horse ranch, and the two hadn't been able to leave early.
I let out a groan as I hauled all of my crap up the stairs to my room. I swore I didn't remember taking this much stuff home, and the only thing new I'd brought back with me was my MacBook. I was halfway up the stairs to my room when I ran across Lauren's friend, Bree. She shot me a nasty look and purposely bumped into me, almost knocking me down the stairs. Only the fact that I had my hand on the railing kept me from falling. I understood that she was friends with Lauren and was pissed on her behalf, and I got that, but taking it out on me wasn't right nor was fair.
"What the hell is your problem?" I snapped at her.
"Excuse me?" she shot back.
"Oh, don't act all innocent. You almost knocked me down the stairs just now, and you've been whispering about me and shooting me dirty looks every chance you get. I didn't break Edward and Lauren up, so get over it. Geez, you'd almost think Edward broke up with you the way you're acting," I snarled at her.
She appeared taken back by my words but then shot me one more dirty look before tossing her hair over her shoulders and stalking off down the stairs. What a bitch.
Gritting my teeth, I continued my way up the stairs and sighed when I reached my room. I unlocked the door and dragged my bag in behind me, leaving it in the middle of the room. Alice wasn't back yet, and I knew it would be a few hours before I saw her. She, along with her brothers, were going to be picking Rose and Jasper up from the airport and then coming back here.
I flopped down on my bed, not really wanting to unpack anything at the moment, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. I was awoken by the beeping of my phone. A quick glance at it told me the gang was on their way back from the airport and would be arriving soon. Yawning and stretching, I got up from my bed and began to unpack my stuff. My new laptop was put on my desk while the old one was stored in the closet. Once my clothes and shoes were put away, I ran a brush through my hair and dabbed on some lip gloss. I was wearing the necklace Edward had given me—I only took it off in the shower or when I was sleeping—and a cute sweater with a pair of corduroys. I looked decent enough, and I decided to run down to the parking lot to meet them and help them haul their stuff upstairs.
I hung around in the common area until I saw Emmett's Hummer followed by Edward's Volvo. Cursing myself for not grabbing my coat, I dashed outside into the cold, brisk air and quickly made my way toward them.
Jasper grabbed me up in a hug the second he saw me and planted a loud kiss to the top of my head. Rose and I exchanged hugs as well before Alice flung herself at me. Laughing, I caught her and hugged her too although I'd just seen her not that long ago.
"Well, hello to you, too. I take it you missed me," I teased her, and she responded by sticking her tongue out at me.
"I missed you more," Edward said from behind her, opening up his arms for a hug. I untangled myself from Alice, doing my best to ignore the smirks the others were wearing, and gave Edward a huge hug.
"I missed you as well even though I just talked to you yesterday," I said with a teasing smile.
"That's a pretty necklace," Rose said as we began to make our way inside.
"Thank you," I told her. "Edward gave it to me for Christmas."
Rose let out a whistle as she applauded Edward on his great taste in jewelry.
"Now, if only you could pass it on to Emmett. His idea of fine jewelry is a plastic ring out of the vending machine at the grocery store."
I let out a snort because I could totally see Emmett doing that.
"It was from the bottom of a Cracker Jack box, Rosie. Geez."
I about died trying to hold my laughter in because he looked so sincere. Emmett was such a loveable goof, and he was like the big brother I never had.
Once everyone was unpacked, we all convened in Edward and Jasper's room to watch movies, eat pizza, and catch up. Rose and Jasper filled us in on why they hadn't been able to come back early. Apparently, someone had been cutting the fences and allowing the horses to get out and roam wild.
"Daddy finally found out who it was and had them arrested, but it caused a lot of extra work around the ranch," said Rose. "I don't think I've had to chase down so many horses or fix so many fences in my life. It was nuts."
"Add in the fact that Mama wasn't feeling well, and there was just no way we could leave early," Jasper added.
"Is your mom okay?" I asked.
Rose and Jasper exchanged looks before Rose answered me.
"Mama's fine. She's … well, she's pregnant."
Judging from the stunned looks on the Cullen's faces they hadn't known that either. I couldn't imagine my parents having another kid this late in the game, but I suppose they could. They were still young enough. I mean, my folks were only thirty-nine and forty.
"Wow. Are you okay with it?" Edward asked them.
They both shrugged.
"It's gonna be weird having a sibling who's so much younger than we are," Jasper said in a quiet voice.
"I'm more worried about Mama than anything," Rose answered. "She's forty-six, and I know that celebrities and shit have babies later in life, but I'm still a little worried."
"So, how was your Christmas?" Jasper asked me, changing the subject.
"It was nice. Quiet since there are only three of us, but it was good. I got some nice gifts," I told him.
The six of us hung out until ten before heading our separate ways. We all had classes first thing in the morning. Well, not all of us. Alice never took a class before nine. She said it was uncivilized. Personally, I preferred to get all my classes done and out of the way so I could relax in the afternoons. However, this semester I was taking a night class. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it was a requirement and was only offered every other semester. And, I'd finally settled on a major: counseling.
Alice and I said goodnight to everyone and walked back downstairs to our room. The second the door was closed behind us, she jumped on her bed and stared at me. It was a bit unnerving.
"What?" I finally asked.
"Has he asked you out a real date yet?" she demanded to know.
I shook my head. "Not yet, but he said he was going to, and that he hoped I'd say yes when he did, and I will."
She bounced up and down on her bed, and I was afraid she was going to break it. I'd never seen her so giddy before. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She was a naturally giddy person, but I'd never seen her bouncing around like this.
"Yay! I can't wait!" she squealed, clapping her hands.
"That makes two of us," I told her with a smile before grabbing my pajamas and toiletry kit and making my way to the bathroom.
I changed clothes, brushed my teeth, and washed my face before heading back into the room. Alice had changed while I was gone, and she dashed out of the room as soon as I opened the door, saying something about being a small person with a small bladder.
I giggled at her as I climbed into bed, and despite my nap earlier, I was asleep within minutes. I woke up to the sound of my alarm as well as a grumbling Alice and quickly shut the thing off. The alarm, not Alice. Getting up, I dressed quickly and headed out to my first class of the day, Introduction to Art. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I could doodle with the best of them. You know: random squiggles, hearts with names in them, and even the occasional stick person.
I walked into the classroom, balking when I saw Lauren was in the class with me. She had commandeered an easel in the back, so I made sure to choose one right up front and close to the professor's desk. The last thing I wanted was a confrontation with her or to have her throw paint or some other artistic crap on me. Thankfully, she ignored me, and as class went on, I forgot she was even there. I was too busy focusing on my attempt to sketch an apple in a bowl. Why did people always draw fruit in bowls?
"Your apple needs a little work," Dr. Roberts said to me as he assessed my work before moving on.
"Yeah, well apples suck," I muttered under my breath as I attempted to make the stupid apple on my canvas look better. It was a lost cause, and I finally just gave up.
As soon as class was over, I booked it out of the room and headed toward my second class of the day. I was a bit surprised to see Rose in my class but thrilled at the same time. It made it easier when there was someone I knew in class although class with Edward proved to be a bit of a distraction for me.
My Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule was the same as it had been last semester, so I was done with classes by noon. I was on my way to the cafeteria when someone tugged playfully on my ponytail. I turned around and saw a gorgeous looking Edward grinning at me.
"Hey!" I beamed, thrilled to see him. I was sad I didn't have any classes with him this semester, so I'd take any chance I could to see him.
"Hey, yourself. Where are you off to?" he asked.
"The cafeteria. I'm done with classes for the day. What about you?"
"I think I'll join you for lunch if you don't mind. I've got a break right now and then a class at one."
Tossing an arm around my shoulders, he walked us into the student center and up the stairs to the cafeteria. We got in line, got our food, and stopped short when we saw people sitting at our table.
"Looks like we have to find a new place to sit," he said with a sigh, his gaze scanning the cafeteria. "Follow me."
Edward weaved his way around people, tables, and chairs until he reached the far end of the cafeteria and sat down at a small table tucked into a corner next to a window. I set my tray down across from his and took a seat, taking a quick glance around the room. I noticed that Bree was staring daggers at us from across the way, and I shook my head.
"Do you not want to sit here?" Edward asked, seeing me shake my head.
"What? No! This is fine. I'm sorry. I noticed Bree giving us the death glare, and I can't figure out what her problem is. She got in my face yesterday when I came back as well."
Edward sat down across from me at the small table for two and shook his head as well.
"She's weird," he said. "And not in a good way. I seriously think she's a few fries short of a happy meal."
"It seems to me as though she's taking your breakup with Lauren far worse than she should be," I told him.
"Yeah, I know. It's kind of creepy. I'd talk to Lauren about it, but I'm not sure that's a good idea," he said in between bites of lasagna.
"I have a class with her. I could always broach the subject. I doubt she'd attack me in a classroom full of people," I suggested.
"Nah. Let's not worry about it. Let's just chalk it up to the fact that Bree is crazy and leave it at that. So, how were your classes?" he asked, changing the subject.
Over lunch, we talked about our morning classes and whether we thought we'd like them or not. We talked about what classes we were looking forward to, and then Edward leaned across the table and took one of my hands in his. I froze for a moment before looking at him.
"Would you like to go on a date with me this week?"
"You know I would," I told him with a smile and a blush. "I can't do Tuesday or Thursday because of my night class, but any other night works for me."
"How about Wednesday night at seven?"
"That sounds great," I said with a big smile.
"Excellent," he said with a grin, giving my hand a squeeze.
I was sure I had the world's largest smile on my face, and I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. Edward Cullen had asked me out! Sure, he'd said he would, but knowing it and having him actually do it were two separate things.
We put away our trays after dumping our trash and made our way out of the cafeteria. I swore I floated down the stairs; I was so giddy. I actually pinched myself at one point to make sure it was real and not a dream.
"I've got to get to class," Edward said as we reached the bottom of the stairs that led down from the cafeteria.
"See you later?" I asked.
"Definitely," he said with a grin before placing a kiss on my cheek and giving my shoulder a squeeze. I stood there for a few minutes, watching as he walked out the door. Realizing that I was in the way of traffic, I headed into the student center and took a seat on one of the couches in the main area. I needed a moment to focus and calm down. Taking a few deep breaths, I pulled my phone out and sent Angela a text. I knew she wouldn't get it right away, but I had to let someone know. I thought about texting Alice, but she was in class, and I'd be seeing her in a few hours. Besides, she probably already knew that he was going to ask me out.
I sat down there for about twenty minutes, watching some kids play ping pong and pool before deciding to go for a walk. I was in such a great mood that I didn't want to spend it cooped up in my room. It was cold outside, but I had my coat on, so I began to walk to the small park that was a block from campus.
I got to the park and found it empty, so I took a seat on one of the swings. Making sure my phone was securely tucked away in my pocket, I pushed myself with my feet, and soon, I was swinging and laughing like a little kid. I felt so carefree and light, and I loved every minute of it.
Finally, I slowed down and jumped off the swing, grinning like a loon when I landed on my feet. I checked the time on my phone, and seeing that it was a little after two, I decided to head back to campus. As I walked back, a weird feeling came over me, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Clenching my keys in my fist and making sure I had the pepper spray ready, I whirled around but saw no one. I really felt like someone was watching me, and I began to walk faster. Thankfully, I was back on campus in a matter of minutes, but I was left feeling nervous and uneasy. Someone had definitely been watching me. I just knew it. I hurried toward my dorm and sighed with relief once I was safely inside.
I made my way up to my room, unlocked the door, and went inside, tossing my bag onto my desk chair. I looked down at my hands and noticed for the first time how badly they were shaking. I told myself that I was just overreacting, but I wasn't. I knew I wasn't.
"Hey, roommie!" Alice shouted as she came into the room fifteen minutes later. "I feel like I haven't seen you all day. Oh, wait. I haven't."
I gave her a small smile, and immediately, she knew something was up. Without her even having to ask, I told her about my feelings of being watched as I walked back from the park.
"Please don't go back there alone," she pleaded, and I agreed.
"On a positive note, Edward asked me out on a date for Wednesday," I said in an oh so casual voice.
She stared at me before throwing herself into my arms and squealing loudly in my ear. I was pretty sure I was going to be deaf in that ear from then on.
"I knew it!" she screamed after she let me go. "I just knew it. He's been acting all secretive today."
Calming down, she asked me where he was taking me, and I told her I didn't have a clue. He hadn't said where we were going or how I was supposed to dress. All he'd given me was a time.
"Hmph. Well, that's no good. I'll need more info than that so I can properly dress you," she said with a frown, hands on her hips. "Is he back from class yet?"
I shrugged. "He should be."
She stalked over to the door and threw it open only to find Edward standing on the other side with his hand posed to knock on the door.
"Good. Just the person I needed to talk to," Alice said, dragging him into the room. He shot me a look, and I mouthed an apology before nodding at Alice.
"Where are you taking Bella?"
"It's a surprise," he told her, grinning smugly when she frowned at him.
"Is it casual, fancy, or what?"
Edward thought about it for a moment. "Semi-fancy."
Alice rolled her eyes at him before opening the closet doors to contemplate what I owned that would be semi-fancy. I honestly didn't own many fancy clothes at all. I had a total of two dresses and one skirt in my possession. I was more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.
"Well, I just came to see if you wanted to chill for a while. Maybe watch a movie or something," he said to me, and I eagerly agreed.
We left Alice to contemplate the contents of my wardrobe, which was sadly lacking, and headed upstairs. Jasper was in their room, sitting on his bed reading a book, and he offered to give us some alone time.
"You can stay," Edward told him. "We're just going to watch a movie. If you don't want to stay, you can always help Alice look through Bella's closet?"
A look of horror washed over Jasper's face, and he decided to stay after all. As we watched IT, I realized I'd never watched so many movies before in my life. I swear that was all we did. We went to class, ate, slept, and watched movies. We led sort of sad lives, but at least we weren't out partying and getting drunk or high every night, so it could be worse.
a/n: Whoohoo! They've got a date coming up! Yay! As always, let me know your thoughts on the chapter!