AN: That wasn't too bad of a wait, was it? It probably was, but I'm sorry. Hopefully this will be worth the wait. I had a paper due last week (I got an A!!) and it was the last week of classes. So naturally my professors decided it would be a good idea to give us more work. Nice of them, right? But now I'm on my two day break between finals and I'm going home on Saturday. And (if you've checked my profile - I really do put updates there) my goal is to have the next chapter out before Christmas. And maybe one around the New Year, but don't hold me to that one. As always, thanks to my beta, SwallowedxInxThexSea, for reading over my chapters.
Disclaimer: My name is nothing close to Stephenie Meyer. I don't own Twilight or the characters. I just made Jake (and half the Wolf Pack) gay.
Chapter 10 – The Reaction
EPOV
Bella fell asleep fairly quickly once the popcorn supply was depleted. I stayed there with her for a while, content to just have her with me. Her legs were thrown over my lap as she snuggled into one of my pillows. I smiled and watched her innocently peaceful expression.
I must have dozed off because the chiming of the clock knocked me back into consciousness. I quickly flipped off the TV and decided that I couldn't leave Bella on the couch for the night when I had two perfectly good beds in the bedrooms.
She curled into me as I picked her up, her hands lightly gripping my shirt, and I knew I couldn't put her in the guest room. I went straight to my room and set her on top of my bed.
Before I could even begin to decide where I was going to sleep, my decision was made for me. As I pulled back from setting Bella down, her hands tightened their grip on my shirt and preventing me from going anywhere. She said something in a small voice, but I couldn't understand her.
I leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "What was that?"
"Stay." She tugged me closer to further get her point across.
I wouldn't have denied her anyway. I smiled down at her, even though she had her eyes closed.
"Okay. Just let me get ready," I told her. Her little hands were still clutching my shirt so I had to gently pry them off.
I grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt before heading into the bathroom.
The realization that I was going to be sleeping in the same bed as Bella hit me over the head like a ton of bricks as I was getting ready. I practically fell into the countertop as I tried to get a hold of myself. It took a minute for my breathing to settle down, but the erection that had sprung up refused to abate.
Simply the thought of Bella being in my bed, waiting for me to go lie next to her, was alluring. She wanted me there. She wanted to share a bed with me.
Smiling, I finished getting ready and lay down on the other side of the bed. My erection was still very prominent, and as much as I wanted to wrap myself around Bella, I knew my cock had been pressed against her enough for one night.
Bella had other plans though. As soon as I was settled, she scooted over and rested her head on my chest, curling into my side. I happily wrapped my arm around her, glad that I would have her close to me for the whole night.
I fell asleep to the soothing sound of her breathing merging with my own.
I woke up to a different sensation altogether. Bella was kicking my legs and pushing herself out of my embrace, a low keening coming from her.
"Bella?" I asked quietly, not sure what was going on.
She didn't answer. I sat up and looked over to see that her eyes were closed. She was having a nightmare. I tried to touch her to wake her up, but her flailing limbs were making that difficult.
She was still mumbling, but I could make out some of the words.
"Don't," she said. "Edward… where…? No, don't…"
It was heartbreaking to see her like that, but I couldn't do anything. I called her name a few more times and it was like I hadn't said a thing. All I could do was wait it out.
After another minute or two, she let out a short scream and bolted upright. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were open. She'd finally woken up.
"Bella? Bella!" I said. "What's wrong?" I couldn't keep the panic out of my voice.
Her head whipped over in my direction and I saw the crazed terror in her eyes. When she realized that it was me, she fell into me and burst into tears.
I rubbed her back, trying to calm her down, but she didn't even seem to notice. She was more concerned with holding onto me than trying to relax.
"I can't do it, Edward. I can't do it anymore," she sobbed.
My brow furrowed as I looked down at her and my hand stilled on her back, but the concern never left. "What do you mean?" I questioned. "What are you talking about, Bella? What's wrong?"
Bella didn't answer right away. She struggled to get her breathing under control before she looked up at me. She looked right in my eyes before she spoke in a perfectly level voice.
"I love you, Edward. I'm sick of denying it. I love you and I want to be with you."
I froze. Had I heard her right? Did she just finally admit to loving me? Was I still asleep and just dreaming?
The expression on her face morphed into one of fear again and I didn't like being the reason for it. I just needed to process what she'd said.
"Edward? Say something, please," she begged.
"Say it again," I whispered.
"What?"
"I need to hear you say it again," I repeated. "Please."
A small smile crept across her face. "I love you," she said.
I let out a breath that I hadn't even realized I'd been holding as I returned her smile. "Bella, I love you. So much," I answered. I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my lips to the top of her head, content to never move from that spot for the rest of my life.
Eventually she started squirming and I realized that it might not be comfortable for her. We repositioned ourselves so that I was leaning back against the headboard and Bella was lying with her head resting in the crook of my neck. Before she settled in completely, she stretched up and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. I squeezed her gently and I put my arm around her to show my approval.
"Bella, are you okay?" I asked after a few minutes of blissful silence. "You were having a pretty bad nightmare…. I couldn't wake you up." She turned her face into my chest and tried to avoid answering. "Bella, you know you can tell me anything. It will only get worse if you don't tell me."
"You'll just get mad now," she mumbled.
"Why will it make me mad?"
She pulled away from me and sat at the edge of the bed, facing away from me with her knees pulled up to her chest. "You'll think I lied to you when I said I love you."
I put my hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away from me. I pulled my hand back sadly, only because I knew she would need to be comfortable if I wanted to get this information out of her.
"I do believe you, Bella," I said, willing her to believe me in return. "If I don't have reason to believe it then you better tell me right now, because that was the best fucking thing I've ever heard in my entire life."
"Edward, I- I'm sorry, I can't," she whispered. "It just…. God, I don't even know what that dream was. So how can I tell you?"
I got off the bed and moved in front of her, careful not to touch her. I wouldn't be able to deal with the rejection of her flinching away again.
"Just tell me what you remember," I pleaded.
She took a deep breath and hid her face in her knees. "We were getting married," she said.
I tensed. "Who? You and James?"
"No. Me and you, Edward."
"Then… why were you so scared? Bella, you wouldn't wake up. You kept saying 'don't' like someone was hurting you," I said, my voice breaking. "You need to tell me, love."
"You morphed into him," she yelled as she lifted her head. As soon as she was looking at me, it was like a floodgate opened. Her eyes were almost shaking and she spoke as if she was losing control of herself. She was terrified even remembering it. "It was his voice that came out of your mouth. It was him that scared me into falling down the freakin' hole in the church aisle. It was him in the alley…. Edward, I can't do this. I can't keep pretending like everything will be fine if I marry him. He isn't who my parents think he is and it won't be good and-"
I put my finger against her lips to get her to stop talking. Tears were starting to form in her eyes again. She was so scared and I needed to fix that.
"You are not going to marry him, Bella," I said firmly. "You're not. I promise."
"How can you know?" she asked around my finger.
"I'll tell you if you promise to come back to bed and let me hold you," I coaxed. "You're shaking like a leaf, love."
Bella nodded and slowly unfolded herself. She moved to lie across the bed and I wrapped myself around her like I'd wanted to do before. As my hand ghosted over her abdomen, she grabbed it and held it between her own up by her face. My other arm acted as her pillow, but I also wrapped it around her shoulders to try to calm her shaking.
"Are you okay now?" I whispered.
"A little," she admitted. "But I'm still scared. What will he do if I go home and tell him it's over? What if he finds out about you? He has connections, Edward. He can get rid of you."
I kissed her temple, pressing my lips against her skin until I could feel her breathing start to slow again. "You know that plan that I have?" She nodded against my chest. "Well, it mostly involves some cases filed against him in the past few years that have all been dropped."
Bella shifted in my arms and I loosened my grip so that she could turn to face me. Her fingers played with the seams of my shirt as she looked up at me, one of my arms still acting as her pillow.
"How do you know about them if they were all dropped?" she asked, clearly confused.
"I have connections, too," I answered simply. She cocked an eyebrow at me, not accepting my answers. I chuckled and said, "One of my regulars knows a guy. That's all I can say, I'm sorry."
"Fine. You know a guy who knows a guy," she said. "But how will dropped case files help?"
I explained my meeting with Victoria and Riley from a few days before. I noticed Bella's expression soften when I mentioned Riley. I kept talking, but my mind wandered a bit as the story continued.
Could Bella want a family some day? Would she want a family with me?
A distant memory popped into my head.
My mother was walking with me in the mall and I spotted the pet store. I pulled her along with the minimal strength of an eight year old.
Inside, I gravitated toward the golden retriever puppies.
"Can we get one, Momma?" I asked hopefully.
She sighed and looked between me and the puppy, who by this point had come to try to sniff me through the glass. I could tell that she was trying not to laugh when the puppy and I tried to pretend like the glass wasn't there.
"How about you just play with one today?" she suggested. I nodded like mad and she made her way over to one of the employees to get a key to one of the visiting rooms.
The man came over and knelt down to ask me which one I wanted to play with. I quickly pointed at the one I'd been looking at. The man laughed and told me to go wait in one of the viewing rooms.
I grabbed my mother's hand again and we both sat in the viewing room. I was practically bouncing.
As soon as the man set the puppy down, it ran over to me, nearly knocking me over as he tried to lick me from head to toe.
"He likes me, Momma!" I exclaimed.
She laughed and smiled at me while she watched me play with the puppy. Pretty soon, both the puppy and I were starting to get tired. The man took the puppy and my mom hefted me into her arms.
I snuggled in and started to doze off in her embrace.
"One day, Edward, you'll have your own little boy who wants a puppy," she said quietly. "I hope he gets just as tuckered out for you."
I found myself wanting that for myself. But I wanted Bella by my side, a ring on her finger, a matching one on mine, and her belly swelling with a second child.
"Edward?" her voice called, knocking me out of my thoughts. "Where'd you go?"
"Sorry, love," I said. "I was just thinking about something."
"What kind of something?"
"A happy something," I said, taking her explanation from earlier in the night.
Bella recognized it and laughed. "Care to share?"
I shook my head. "Nope," I answered in a cheerful tone. "Not going to jinx it."
"Oh, it must be very good then," she said. At that moment, she got a mischievous grin on her face. I should have been scared, but I could only focus on the fact that I was sitting with her in my bed, my arms wrapped around her. It didn't matter that she was going to try to trick me into giving up information. "Now, how could I get it out of you? Maybe if I do this…"
She pressed her lips gently to the side of my neck, kissing higher and higher until she reached my ear. I bit my lip and tried to keep my breathing under control.
"Will you tell me now, Edward?" Her voice had a lower pitch now, husky and sensual. She knew exactly what she was doing to me.
"N-nope," I stumbled over my words.
"Hmm, looks like I need to try harder, then," she said with a tiny giggle.
I knew it would be bad before she even moved.
Bella turned to face me, her legs resting on either side of mine. Thankfully, her ass was closer to my knees than my hips, so she couldn't feel exactly how much her teasing was affecting me. Her eyes were shining with happiness, lust, and hesitation. We could deal with the latter two later.
She leaned over and paused for a second before her lips touched mine. She seemed to be debating with herself over something before she finally kissed me.
This kiss was definitely not sticking to the guideline of kisses that wouldn't lead to anything more. This kiss definitely meant more.
I twined my fingers into Bella's hair, needing to pull her closer. Her hands ran up my chest and rested on my shoulders as she tried to put as much force behind her kiss as possible.
Her tongue was the first to seek action. She gently touched it to my bottom lip, lightly but persistently seeking entrance. I granted her access and let her have a few moments of dominance before my tongue met hers.
It was even better than the kiss we'd shared at the Jasmine Dragon. There was no holding back. Bella's moans and whines of pleasure spurred me on as I pulled her impossibly closer.
Eventually though, we needed air. I pulled out of it first, trailing kisses up to her forehead before I pulled back and looked into her eyes.
She was radiant. Her smile seemed even more beautiful with slightly swollen lips and smeared lip gloss.
"You look beautiful," I whispered, needing to tell her and remind her just how wonderful she was. I reached my hand up to cup her cheek and she leaned into it.
"Will you tell me now?" she said.
"Tell you what?" I'd honestly forgotten that she had a ploy to get me to fess up.
"About your happy stuff," she huffed.
"Oh, right." I paused, letting her stew. "Nope."
"You're evil, Edward," she tried to say through a loud yawn.
I chuckled and pulled her back towards me, no longer caring if she noticed my erection or not. It had gone down some and I was tired enough not to care. Judging by her yawn, I figured she was too.
"Come on, love," I said. "Let's get some sleep."
She blushed. "Stop calling me that," she mumbled.
"Calling you what? Love?" I moved some hair out of her face so that I could look her in the eyes. I smiled at her gently before pressing my lips softly against hers. "But that's what you are, Bella. You are my love."
"I love you too," she whispered.
It didn't take long for Bella to fall asleep once she settled back down. I stayed up long enough to make sure that she wouldn't have another nightmare before I allowed myself to fall into a blissful slumber, my arms wrapped around the woman of my dreams.
I woke up to yet another different sensation. Every few seconds there was a gentle pressure on various parts of my body: my chest, my neck, my cheeks…. I opened my eyes to see a head of wavy brown hair hovering by my neck.
Bella's lips connected with my neck again and I felt my own lips split into a huge smile.
"Best way in the world to wake up," I muttered.
Her head shot up and she met my gaze. She looked happy, but she was biting her lip like she usually does when she's nervous. She must not have known how I would react to it.
My smile grew. I gently pushed a lock of hair out of her face. I leaned up and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"I mean it, love," I said. "I can't imagine a better way to wake up the morning after you told me you love me."
She smiled shyly back at me and answered my peck on the lips with one of her own.
"I love you, Edward," she whispered back. I went to kiss her more, but she turned away. She kissed my cheek and bolted out of the bed, heading right for the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.
I laughed as I heard her rummaging through her bag. "Bella," I called. "Please tell me you did not just get out of this bed so that you could brush your teeth."
The door shot open and Bella stuck her head out to glare at me. "I certainly did not, Edward Masen," she snapped. "For your information, I came in here so that I could br…" She trailed off and blushed.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked, smirking at her as I sat up. She glared at me, but didn't say anything. "Well, if you're not doing anything in there, you won't mind me stealing the space to take a quick shower."
I started to get up but Bella finally resented.
"No, don't!" she shouted, then sighed. She stared at one particular spot on the floor as she finally explained her actions. "I didn't want you to see me looking like a mess. I'm always a mess when I first wake up."
I cocked an eyebrow at her as she peeked at me, trying to gauge my reaction. "You don't look like a mess," I said simply. "But, if you really feel like you need to do this, fine." She smiled in relief, but blanched at my next words.
"But next time, you're mine."
"N-next time?" she stammered.
"Of course, Bella," I said happily. I got up and stopped in front of the bathroom door. She shut it a little more, effectively hiding her entire body except for her face and the very top of her neck. "Now, take as much time as you need. I'll make you some breakfast and then we'll spend some time together, just the two of us. How does that sound?"
She smiled brightly up at me. "That sounds perfect. Any idea what you'll be making?"
"Well, I haven't gone shopping in a while, so I think your options are obnoxiously sugary cereal or scrambled eggs," I admitted sheepishly.
"I've had enough fancy breakfasts to last a lifetime," she groaned. "A bowl of cereal sounds perfect."
I gently kissed her forehead before heading out to the kitchen to fix us both some cereal. The painted walls and scattered cooking supplies really did make a difference. The room seemed so much brighter, homier. I smiled as I pulled out the box of Cap'n Crunch and two bowls. I set them on the counter and started a pot of coffee.
Bella came in a few minutes later with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a fitted v-neck tee and a simple pair of lounge pants. She looked just as marvelous as she had the night before in the corset top and mini skirt.
"Mmm, it looks wonderful," she teased as she poured some milk into her bowl.
"Years of practice," I joked.
We sat at the small counter while we ate our sugar-coated breakfast. Neither of us spoke for a long time, not feeling the least bit awkward with each other. Bella finally looked over at me as she put her spoon down in her empty bowl.
"So, now what?"
"Well, it's just after one now. We slept pretty late. We can put in a movie and just hang out if your want, or I think there's a game on," I suggested. "Or we can just talk if you'd rather."
"You know, for living in the city so long, I've never had a chance to get involved in the sports," she said. "The game sounds like a good plan. Baseball, right?"
I laughed. "Yes, baseball."
We moved to the living room and I switched on the TV before we got settled on the couch. The game hadn't started yet, so Bella took the opportunity to ask me a few questions about the sport so that she wouldn't be confused. I answered everything as well as I could, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was more focused on her.
Bella was very comfortably resting against me, her head perched on my shoulder. It was amazing that we could transition so easily from friends to something more. We'd always been affectionate with one another, but she'd never allowed herself to get too close. She was finally letting go around me and I couldn't have been happier.
That bubble of bliss just had to be interrupted.
"Sorry I'm late, man," Emmett boomed as he stormed in. Bella flinched against me at the noise, but didn't move away. "Hangovers are not as easily dealt with anymore and—"
He broke off as he finally looked over at me and Bella cuddling on the couch.
"Hey Emmett," she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Holy… Rose!" he called back into the hallway.
"What are you yelling about? People in Russia can hear you right now. Nothing can be that import… Oh, hey Bella," Rose said as she took in the sight before her. "I take it you didn't go back with Alice and Jasper last night then?" Bella shook her head. "Well, come on. You've got some explaining to do, missy." Rose flew over to the couch and grabbed Bella's arm, dragging her off to the guest room.
I stayed on the couch, trying to be as calm as possible. I knew Emmett would have questions for me too and there was no way I could put them off for very long.
My cousin hastily put his few bottles of beer in the fridge before joining me in front of the TV.
"So, you and Bella," he started suggestively. "What the fuck happened last night?"
"Nothing," I answered, not looking him in the eye. If I met his gaze, I would end up spilling my guts to him. I needed to keep some shred of privacy.
"I think there was a little more than nothing going on over here," he said.
"We talked for a little while and then went to bed. We got up, had breakfast, and then decided to watch the game. End of story."
"So the snuggling on the couch just happened randomly?"
I sighed and raked my fingers through my hair. "Can you just drop it, Em? I'm sure Rose will tell you everything later."
"Can you just tell me one thing first?"
"Okay…"
"Are you or are you not together? Like together together," he asked.
"I really have no idea," I answered honestly.
Bella and I hadn't really gotten to the point of talking about what had happened the night before. If Emmett and Rose hadn't shown up for the game, we probably would have started talking by the third inning. Now if would just be awkward to try and have that conversation with my cousin and his girlfriend watching our every move. I supposed we would do it after the game when we were alone again.
"Well, that is just beyond unhelpful."
The two of us sat and watched the game while the girls talked. The Sox were up 2-1 in the bottom of the second when Rose dragged a tomato-red Bella back into the living room. Rosalie had obviously done something to embarrass her and I had a feeling it had to do with me. My sweet girl detached herself from Rose and ran back to me.
I put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head to let her know that she was safe.
"Don't let her take me again," she pleaded quietly into my shirt.
"I won't you out of my sight," I promised her.
"What did she tell you, Rosie?" Emmett asked excitedly.
Bella groaned and burrowed further into my side in her embarrassment. I just shook my head at my cousin's blunt nature.
"Nothing too useful," Rose grumbled as she sat on his lap. "They kept their clothes on the entire fucking night."
"You've got to be kidding me, Eddie!" he yelled. "You need to get laid, man."
Bella finally came out of her shell and glared at him. I had opened my mouth to answer him, but I let her take the lead.
"Emmett! Did you even take into account that maybe he's the one that said no?" she asked. He stared at her for a second, dumbfounded, before shaking his head. "No, you didn't. You probably also didn't consider the fact that maybe I'm not ready. Or a plethora of other reasons, the most applicable of which being that we just got together last night. Neither of us are the kind of people to just jump into sex. So stop making assumptions and let us dictate our own fucking relationship."
Now we were all staring at her a little stunned, but I had a huge grin on my face. Bella was starting to stand up for herself. She was thinking for herself. I couldn't help but be proud of her.
It took a second for what happened to sink in. She looked over at me with wide eyes as if she was afraid that she'd done something wrong.
"Did I just yell at Emmett?" she whispered. I nodded, still smiling. "Did I just swear at him?" This time there was a chuckle accompanying my nod. "Oh, no. He's going to hate me," she said.
Emmett, oblivious to Bella's embarrassment, finally recovered. "Holy shit, Baby Bell," he said. "That was awesome! I didn't know you had it in you!" I groaned and looked to Rose for help. She nodded and smacked her boyfriend for me. "Jeez, baby. You didn't have to do it so hard," he complained, rubbing the spot where her hand had hit.
The four of us spent the rest of the afternoon watching the game and yelling at the TV until Papelbon pitched three home runs in the ninth and blew the lead. It was nice to have Bella with me and I had trouble keeping the smile off my face.
Bella caught me staring at her a few times and she blushed, but smiled in return. I would kiss her forehead before turning back to the TV, amazed that she was still in my arms.
I was sure that she would run away at any second and revert back to her previous comfort zone, to what she was used to, but then she would do something like randomly kiss the side of my neck or hurry back to me after a quick trip to the kitchen or to the bathroom and all my doubts would disappear. It was more than I could have ever hoped for and I was going to do anything I could to have it happen again and again.
Rose and Emmett left after the game, both of them giving me a wink and a smile as they walked out the door. Emmett reminded me that Esme had decided on our dinner being Wednesday night. Rose whispered something in Bella's ear as well, but Bella blushed and refused to tell me when I asked her about it.
She was saved from any devious plans that I could concoct in order to get the information out of her by her phone ringing, blaring the theme song from Friends.
"Hey Ali," she said as she picked up.
I sat on the couch somewhat impatiently. I didn't want any more of my time with Bella to be interrupted by the rest of the world, even if it was by her best friend. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait too long to figure out what the phone call was about. Unfortunately, however, that brought bad news.
"Hey, Edward?" Bella asked as she sat back down next to me. She didn't cuddle into me this time, choosing instead to sit cross-legged and face me. That alerted me to the fact that something was wrong.
"What's wrong?"
She sighed and played with her ring. Her fucking engagement ring.
I'd done so well forgetting that her family still believed she was getting married to that bastard and now it came crashing back to me, full force. I needed to get more evidence about James to get Bella out of that marriage, but she needed to bring it up to her parents too.
"I can't stay tonight," she finally said.
"Oh," I replied lamely.
"Look, it's not because I don't want because I do more than anything, but my mom called Alice and told her she'd booked some cake tasting or something that I have to be there for and it's tomorrow morning and-"
She stopped abruptly as her voice broke. The need to reassure her suppressed the irrational abandonment I felt creeping up.
I took her hand in mine and quickly raised it to my face. My lips pressed against her palm as my eyes kept contact with hers. This helped her get her breathing back in check, but she still had tears streaming down her face when she finally allowed me to wrap my arms around her.
"I don't blame you for having to leave, Bella," I told her. "I'll never blame you for that. You're loyal to your family and I respect that. If you need to go home, then you need to go home."
"But I want to stay," she said as she looked into my eyes.
I smiled and slid my fingers into her hair before gently kissing her.
"I want you to stay too, love, but we can't. Unfortunately, you're still engaged and your parents believe that you're happy with that."
She sighed and rested her forehead against mine. "I want to just end it," she said. "I can't deal with him anymore and this ring is just a constant torment. I hate it, Edward."
"I know, love," I said. "But your parents don't understand that. You need to tell them soon."
"I know. I'll try," she assured me. "I promise I'll try."
We decided to go out for dinner since I really needed to go grocery shopping, but I didn't want to subject Bella to that. I could do it after work the next day. Plus, I didn't want to waste any more of our limited time together.
I smiled when I heard where Bella wanted to go. There was no way I could deny her that request. She quickly changed into something a little more appropriate for going out while I threw on a button-down shirt over my t-shirt.
It didn't take us long to get to New Moon Pizza. Bella stopped me outside the door at a point where no one inside could see us. She gave me a quick kiss before pulling back.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" I asked with a smile.
"Well, I have a feeling that Jake is going to be even worse about this than Rose was," she explained. "And the rest of the guys will probably swoop down on you while Jake is getting the scoop from me. I just wanted to give you something to remember me by in case I don't make it out of there alive."
"In that case, I think I deserve a little more," I teased.
I wrapped my arms around her and brought her right up against my chest. She squeaked in surprise, but my mouth quickly silenced her.
Bella responded eagerly to my kiss, her hands tangling in my hair and pulling my face even closer to hers. I was thankful that there didn't seem to be too many people walking along the street that night.
We were both panting when I finally pulled back.
"I think that might've done the trick," Bella said dazedly.
I didn't want to let the moment pass quite yet, so I dragged my nose lightly across her jaw-line until I reached her ear. I kissed the skin just behind it. "I certainly hope that we both get out of there unscathed so that I can do that again," I said in a low voice.
She shivered and I smiled at my small victory. It was nice to feel her finally reacting to me like that. She took a few deep breaths before removing herself from my arms. Before we went inside though, she took my hand in hers and entwined our fingers. I knew there had to be a goofy, triumphant smile across my face.
Jake was standing at the host podium looking completely and utterly bored. I felt badly for him until I remembered that it his night was about to get a bit more interesting.
He looked up when he heard the bells from the door and smiled when he saw the two of us.
"Thank god," he said. "I was afraid we were never going to get anyone in here. But since when do you two come in together? It's usually Edward sitting for like twenty minutes before Bella shows up and – Holy shit, Embry!"
He'd caught sight of our entwined hands and called for his boyfriend. Jake rushed over to us and started bombarding us with questions until Embry finally came out front and reined him in.
"What's going on out here?" he asked with a laugh.
"They're together," Jake said pointedly. "Like as a couple."
"Did they say that they're together?"
"No, but look at them. Check out the manic grin on Mr. Emo over there."
"Hey," I protested. "I'm not that bad."
"Obviously not anymore," Jake muttered.
Embry took his turn to scrutinize Bella and me. She started squirming under their watch and I instinctively put my arm around her waist. She calmed down instantly.
"Oh, yeah. They're definitely together," Embry laughed.
"Took you long enough to believe me," Jake huffed. Embry calmed him down with a quick kiss. "Well, this calls for some private talk. Come on, Bella."
She groaned as he pulled her to the back of the restaurant and away from me. I tried to hide my disappointment, but Embry caught it.
"You've got it bad," he teased.
"Yeah, well," I said sheepishly. "I love her."
"Remember that," he advised me. "Because the guys will probably want to rip you to shreds when they hear that you're with Bella."
"Great," I groaned.
I was surrounded by seven ridiculously jacked guys in under two minutes. Every single one of them looked like they wanted to rip my throat out. I always knew there had to be a catch to getting the one thing I wanted most in life, and that seemed to be the staff at New Moon Pizza. Apparently I could only have her for one day.
Embry stepped in front of me with a laugh. "Guys, you're gonna scare the crap out of him. Back the fuck up."
A few of them broke the façade and congratulated me, but Sam, Jared, and Seth were still looking at me like I was the spawn of Satan.
"Dude, she was smiling," Embry told them. "Not even faking it. We don't need to rip out his intestines."
"How do we know she's not just a better actress than she used to be?" Sam questioned.
"Are we talking about the same Bella? She can't even lie about what she had for breakfast," I replied without thinking. That earned me a sharp glare.
"Fine. Then how do we know you're not just using her for money?" Jared quipped.
"I have the inheritance from my parents sitting in the bank," I informed them. "Enough to live off for a few years, but I haven't touched it. I don't need to. I'm fine with what I earn."
That mollified Seth. He shrugged and moved back with the others, but Jared and Sam still didn't seem satisfied.
"What about James? Are you just here until she can get out of the marriage? Then you'll see that the catch isn't as much fun as the chase?"
"Of course not," I snapped. "I love her. I've loved her for three years and that's not about to change any time soon."
They were really starting to piss me off. I'd expected something like this, but they were going overboard with the interrogation. They'd seen me in here for years; how could they not believe that I loved her?
"Seriously, guys. Go see Bella. Get the story from her," Embry said, crossing his arms over his chest. I'd never seen him take charge like that, but they were all listening to him. "Both of you would have been laughing and joking with him if he'd come in alone. Nothing has changed. Just ask Bella."
Jared and Sam reluctantly went back to talk with Bella and Jake. Embry sighed and gave me an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about that," he said. "They've always been protective of her, but they tend to take it a little overboard sometimes."
I shrugged it off, but I had a feeling that they wouldn't truly let it go until I'd proven myself. I had no way of knowing how to do that, though.
Jake finally let Bella go after about twenty minutes. She smiled as soon as she saw me and wrapped her arms around my middle when she got close enough.
"You survived," she said happily. She looked up at me and her eyes were shining. I couldn't remember a time when I'd seen her look happier.
"Of course I did," I said with a cocky smirk. I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "That kiss was just too good. If I'm not going to see you for a while, I need that again before I let you go tonight."
I felt her smile and she kissed my cheek before I straightened up.
"What are you doing on Tuesday?" she asked suddenly.
"Working. Why?" I questioned. She bit her lip and fiddled with the buttons on my shirt as she thought some more. "Bella, what are you thinking?"
"Well, I was thinking if you were free, then we could try and do something," she said. "My mom always goes to one of my grandmother's functions and my dad made Tuesday his poker night, so I have a lot of free time on Tuesday nights."
"Well, why didn't you mention that before? You've been holding out on me, Miss Swan," I teased. "Since you happen to have so much time on your hands, would you be partial to joining a lonely ol' tattoo artist for a night on the town?"
Bella raised her eyebrows at my horrible attempt at a Southern accent before she burst out laughing. She tried to muffle it in my shirt, but failed miserably.
I rolled my eyes and squeezed her gently to get her attention. "So, what do you say?"
"I thought you said you had to work," she said.
I shrugged, "I'll have Rose cover for me so I can leave early. Then I'll close the rest of the week. It's not a big deal. I'd much rather spend time with you anyway."
She nodded and smiled up at me and I couldn't help but smile in return.
"I love you," I whispered happily.
"I love you too, Edward," she said before resting her head on my chest.
AN: Now you know how Edward reacted. Finally. After a month of waiting.... So leave a review! I would love to know what everyone thinks! Seeing the alerts and favorites are great, and you guys have given me almost 10,000 hits, but reviews are better. :)
Next Chapter: The end of Bella and Edward's first day together, the cake tasting, and the first actual date!
Remember, the goal is before Christmas. If I don't make it, feel free to pummel my inbox with threatening messages. Maybe it will help me write faster. Feel free to PM me with any questions, comments, concerns, hopes, dreams, probing questions.... You get the picture.
-Kaylee
