Chapter Twelve

~ Edward ~


The car ride home was the longest twenty minutes of my life. Every so often, I'd look over at Bella; she kept her eyes on her hands the whole way. I honestly hoped I was making the right decision in bringing her home to my place, but regardless, I knew I wasn't leaving her alone.

I pulled into my parking garage, and once the car was parked, I pulled Bella's bag from the back seat. By the time I got to the passenger side, she was getting out of the car. I didn't say anything to her, I just took her hand in mine and led her to the elevator.

Once we got inside, I closed the door behind us and placed her bag in the foyer. There was still silence and I knew it was up to me to break it.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her. She looked at me and shook her head no. "Okay, how about some hot tea?"

She didn't say anything and I didn't know what else to do. I blew out my breath and turned to walk in the kitchen.

"Do you have honey?" I heard her ask.

I turned back around and smiled. "Yeah, I have honey."

She followed me in the kitchen, and as I filled the tea kettle up with water, she sat down on one of the stools at my island. I got down two mugs from the cabinet and found the tea bags. I set a mug and the honey in front of her as we waited for the water to boil.

"Is it okay that I brought you here, Bella?" I asked her. "I'm sorry I didn't ask before we got here."

She looked up at me and wiped her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "I feel kind of numb, but... yes, it's okay. I feel safe with you."

"Good," I said.

"Edward, I'm sorry about the other day..."

I reached my hand over and shook my head, stopping her words. "It's okay, Bella, really."

She nodded and held my gaze; her eyes were so beautiful, but I could see there was so much pain inside them. As I moved my thumb back and forth on the back of her hand, the whistling of the tea kettle stilled my actions.

I poured the water and we both enjoyed our tea with a little bit of small talk. I wanted to know what happened at the club, I wanted to know what happened with her parents, I wanted to know it all, but I also knew I could not push her. I just hoped she would eventually talk to me.

"It's late," I said, looking at the clock. It was after midnight and I had to be at the hospital at seven a.m. "I didn't know if you'd be comfortable sleeping with me again, so the guestroom is made up."

She looked up at me and nodded.

"Oh, um yeah... the guestroom is fine," she agreed.

Silence took us over yet again and then she hopped off the stool and walked back to where I left her bag. I switched off the light in the kitchen and followed her. Before she could lift the bag, I grabbed it and swung it over my shoulder as she slightly smiled at me and walked down the hallway. She stopped suddenly outside of my bedroom but then continued on down the hall.

I opened the door to the guestroom and placed her bag on the floor. "The bathroom is across the hall if you want to shower and I know Alice left a bunch of shit in there, so feel free to use whatever you'd like."

She nodded.

"I, uh... have to be in work at seven a.m. I'll be home by seven-thirty tomorrow night. Please make yourself at home while I'm gone."

I turned to walk out of the room, but then I felt her hand in mine. I turned back around to look at her.

"Thank you, Edward, for everything."

"You're welcome, Bella," I said. "Good night."

"Night."

I wanted to stay with her. I wanted to take her in my arms and take her to my bed and hold her all night. There was nothing I wanted more, but I walked out of the guestroom.

I made my way back to my bedroom and only closed the door half way. I wanted her to know my door was open to her if she needed anything. I didn't turn any lights on as I made my way to my bathroom. I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the hot water. While in the shower, I thought back to the night she was here, the night she was attacked when I gave her a bath. She was so vulnerable but so beautiful. Her natural beauty was stunning and I wondered if she knew just how beautiful she really was.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. I brushed my teeth and put on a pair of sleep pants, leaving myself shirtless. I switched off the bathroom light and felt my way, in the dark, to my bed. Once my head hit the pillow I could hear the shower running from the hall bathroom. My mind wandered to the thought of Bella in the shower. I knew I should not be thinking of her in that way, but I couldn't help it. I knew she was young and had a lot of troubles, but God help me, I wanted her. I haven't felt this way about a girl in so long and the feeling gave me goose bumps, but I knew I had to take things very slowly. I had to be careful with Bella. I had to make her see that my caring for her was nothing to be afraid of.

~*yCa*~

The next morning, my alarm went off at 6:15 a.m. and I was out of bed quickly. I changed into my scrubs, messed around with my hair, and then walked out of my bedroom. I looked down the hall and noticed the guest bedroom door was slightly opened. I slowly walked down, peeked in, then pushed the door open further and quietly walked in.

I knew it was a little creepy, but I couldn't take my eyes off Bella as she slept. She looked so peaceful, and I knew right then, I could watch her sleep for an eternity. I noticed she was not all the way covered up and then my attention went to her long legs. They really did go on for days. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and gently covered her up. I looked back at her one last time before leaving the bedroom to go to the kitchen.

I grabbed my keys and phone before I headed out to my car. On the way to the hospital, my phone rang. It was Garrett.

"Hello," I said.

"Yo, man, where were you last night? I must have tried calling your ass six times."

I didn't even check my phone at all last night after I brought Bella home.

"Oh sorry, man, I got home from work and passed out," I lied, not wanting to go into details just yet about Bella.

"Well, since you're always working, I guess I have no choice but to tell you the good news over the phone."

Oh fuck, the baby, right; act surprised.

"Good news?" I asked. "What good news?"

"Well, it seems I knocked my wife up!" he shouted.

"What? No way!" I yelled back. Yeah, that was good enough.

"We just found out yesterday. Kate is ten weeks along. I'm going to be a father. Oh God, help me."

"That's really great news, Garrett. I'm happy for you and Kate. You're going to do just fine."

"I hope you're right, man," he said. "We have to go out and celebrate. And I promise, no strip clubs this time."

I fidgeted in my seat. "That would probably be a good thing," I agreed. "Okay, well, I have to get into work. Congratulations, old man, and I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, thanks," he said.

I hung up the phone and went into the hospital to start my twelve-hour shift. I was distracted all day, my mind on Bella. I hoped she was okay and felt safe.

~*yCa*~

My shift dragged on, but finally it was time to go home. Before I left, I had asked one of my colleagues if he could cover my shift tomorrow. I told him I had some family stuff to take care of and he agreed. I wanted to be around the house tomorrow.

I pulled into the parking garage and as I rode up on the elevator, my heart sank. What if Bella wasn't there, what if she left? I took a deep breath before opening the front door. The smell of food cooking nearly knocked me off my feet. I was not much of a cook, so my condo has never smelt this good...

… like, ever.

When I got to the kitchen, the sight in front of me made me gasp. Bella stood at the stove, stirring something, dressed in tight jeans and a black tank top with her feet bare.

I leaned up against the doorway and just watched her before I made my presence known.

"Hi," I said simply.

She whirled around and smiled when she saw me. "Hey," she said back.

"Something smells really good," I commented, placing my keys, wallet, and cell phone on the counter. "You didn't have to cook, Bella."

"I wanted to," she said. "It was the least I could do. I actually like to cook; I used to do it all the time when I was home, but..." she trailed off.

I walked over to her and gave her a small smile. "Considering I don't cook and can't remember if this kitchen was ever used for cooking, this is nice. Thank you."

She smiled at me and then turned towards the stove again. She dipped the wooden spoon back into what she was stirring and then brought the spoon back up.

"Taste?" she offered.

I leaned down and opened my mouth so she could place the spoon in. As soon as the sauce hit my tongue, I groaned.

"That is so good," I said, swallowing.

"Good, glad you like it," she said, and then she looked back at me, her eyes serious. "You have a little sauce on your... mouth."

Before I could lick it off, she reached her thumb up and wiped the corner of my mouth. Her touch sent shocks through my body and made my dick twitch in my scrubs. She let her thumb linger near my lips for a few more seconds before clearing her throat and pulling away.

I cleared my own throat and took a step back. "Do I have enough time to shower before dinner?" I asked.

"Yeah," she confirmed, moving her attention back to the pot.

I walked out of the kitchen and into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I leaned my body up against the door and let out a deep breath.

I didn't know what to do. The moment her thumb touched my mouth, I wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless. I wanted to lift her up on my island and stand between her legs, feeling them wrapped around me, but I knew that was impossible.

No matter how much I wanted her, I needed to be careful with her. She had been through so much and was so used to men just taking what they wanted from her. I needed to show her that she deserved more.

I pushed off the door and went into the bathroom to shower and take care of myself. I was hard as a rock and I needed to relieve the tension before I went back out there.

After my shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and lay down on my bed, trying to collect my thoughts. I turned my head on my pillow and could swear I smelled Bella's scent on my sheets. But that was impossible since my sheets had been washed since she was here that night. Now I was smelling her all around me; this was not good.

I sat up and went to my dresser to pull out some clean clothes. I dressed in jeans and a white shirt and headed back out to the kitchen to find Bella setting the table.

"How about some wine?" I suggested, and then she looked at me, both of us having the same thought that she was underage. "Fuck it, I won't tell if you don't," I laughed.

She laughed back and it was a nice sound. She needed to laugh more often. I grabbed a bottle of red from my wine rack and popped the cork. I poured two glasses and set them on the table.

I sat down at the table and Bella placed a plate of pasta in front of me. I sipped my wine as I watched her prepare her own plate and then sit down next to me at the square shaped table.

"This looks so amazing," I said, taking my glass again. "Thanks for cooking."

She took her glass and tapped mine. "You're welcome again." She smiled.

"Where did you learned to cook?" I asked, taking another bite.

"Self-taught," she answered after swallowing a sip of wine. "Growing up in my house, I pretty much had to fend for myself where dinner was concerned. So I messed around with a lot of different things, and before I knew it, I could cook a whole meal. I like cooking; it's a nice distraction from... everything."

I looked at her in silence and then spoke. "Well, distraction or not, this is the best home-cooked meal I have had in a long time. My mom is a good cook, so when I go home to visit, she cooks up a storm; makes it hard to come back, knowing I'll be subjected to takeout. That can get old fast."

After eating in silence for a while more, I decide to break it.

"I took the day off tomorrow," I announced. "I thought maybe we could go out to lunch and do whatever."

"Edward, that's really nice, but I have to find a job," she argued. "I can't stay here much longer, and I owe James three hundred dollars; he'll be looking for me."

"Okay, first of all, slow down, Bella," I said. "I would not have brought you here if I didn't want to you stay; you can stay as long as you need... or want."

"Edward, I can't stay here if I don't have a job. I won't be able to pay my way."

"You can look for a job when you feel up to it, or go back to school, whatever you want when you're ready, and as for money, you don't have to worry about it."

"Don't have to worry about it?" she asked incredulously. "I owe James..."

"I paid James off last night," I admitted.

"You did what?"

"When he told me you quit, he told me you owed him money for running out on a customer, so I paid him. I didn't want him bothering you anymore."

"Edward, you can't keep doing this!" She tossed her napkin and pushed her chair out. I watched as she got up from the table and walked back to the stove with her back to me.

"Doing what?" I asked, getting up from the table and standing across from her.

"Rescuing me," she clarified, turning around. "Paying off my debts, allowing me to stay here rent free. I mean, I can't give you anything back... well, one thing, I guess."

"Whoa, Bella," I interrupted, moving closer to her, "I don't want anything in return." Then her statement hit me. "Just because I paid off your sleaze of a boss and brought you here, does not mean I want something from you. I don't want you to think I want sex from you as payment."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just not used to people—men—doing nice things for me and not wanting that in return."

"Bella... if we're ever going to be that way together, it would not be because I did something for you and wanted payback; it would be for no other reason than we wanted to," I insisted, moving a little closer. "And I do not want you to think I'm expecting that from you, because I'm not. I don't expect anything from you but your company. It was nice to come home tonight and not have to eat takeout again, alone."

"This was nice," she admitted, making me smile at her.

"I want you take the time you need to get your thoughts together on what you want to do; there is no rush and no pressure," I said. "I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk about anything... I'm here to listen." I moved closer again and gently cupped her face in my hand. I was pleased when she leaned into me.

"Thank you," she said.

I nodded and then turned back to the table to start clearing the dishes. I told Bella since she cooked that I would load the dishwasher.

As I turned out the light in the kitchen, I saw Bella in the living room, looking at my pictures that were on the mantel.

"Is this your family?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Those are my parents, Carlisle and Esme. And that's my little sister, Alice. Well, she's not really that little, she's 24."

"Do they live in Washington?"

"No, my parents live in Chicago, where I was born and raised. They still live in the house I grew up in, and Alice is studying fashion design in Paris."

"So you came out here alone?"

"For school, yeah, and then after I graduated medical school, I started working at UWMC."

"Do you see your family often?"

"As much as I can," I answered. "Work has been crazy. I have a few months left of my residency, and then when I pass my boards, I'll be an attending doctor and my schedule will open up significantly."

"I'm sure your parents are very proud of you," she said, and then she walked away from the mantel.

"Bella..." I started.

"I think I am going to go to bed," she interrupted. "I'm pretty tired. I'll see you in the morning, Edward."

And before I could say anything else, she was down the hall and I heard the door close to the guest bedroom.

I walked down the hall and stood outside the door. I placed my hand on the door and then lowered it to my side.

My heart ached for Bella, but she would need to open up and come to me on her own time.

Until then, I'd be waiting.


A/N: Hope you all liked it... if so tell me!

Thanks again and always to Chandrankta for thhae Beta assist.

See you all in a day or so for Bella's turn.

XOXO