Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
EPOV
"Well, dear, it was lovely meeting you," my mother said. "I hope we see you again very soon. Perhaps you and Edward could come over for dinner?"
Bella smiled as my mother took her into another hug. "I'd like that very much, Esme. Thank you."
"Then we'll have to make plans soon," she said, giving Bella a little squeeze before letting go.
I gave my mother a quick kiss and as I pulled away she whispered, "If you don't marry her, I'll disown you."
I laughed at her teasing, but was overcome with a great sense of relief at my mother's approval. Even if she didn't like Bella there was no way I would let her go, but luckily I didn't have to worry about that now. I just didn't know if Bella would want to keep me. I was the only here who realized the obstacles - or obstacle - we would need to overcome for this relationship to move forward.
After bidding our goodbyes to Carlisle, we were on our way to my place for a fun-filled day of unpacking. Oh, joy!
We both remained silent for most of the ride, Bella gazing out the window, and me frantically trying to come up with a way out of this mess so no one gets hurt. I honestly didn't know how Bella was going to handle this new development. I understood that there was more than a good chance she would leave me after finding out. I mean, who would want to stay in a relationship that was a constant reminder of the destruction of their first marriage? I can't say I would blame her for wanting out.
In my self-induced haze, I was only vaguely aware of Bella grabbing my hand from the gearshift and lacing her fingers through mine. She began stroking the back of my hand soothingly, and I turned to her with a content smile.
"Your parents are wonderful, Edward," she said softly, smiling warmly at me.
I nodded. "They're the best parents anyone could have asked for," I said sincerely as I pulled into my parking garage.
Riding the elevator up to my floor Bella asked, "Are you alright? You've seemed distant all day." I could see that she was concerned but it was nothing she needed to worry herself about just yet.
I leaned against the wall and pulled her to me. "I'm fine, just tired," I lied, holding her close. I leaned down and captured her lips with mine. A bit caught off guard, Bella hesitated before deepening the kiss.
So wrapped up were we in each other that neither of us heard the elevator door open. We only ended the kiss when we heard soft giggling. We broke apart and looked up to see an elderly couple holding hands in the hall, both wearing matching, knowing looks. The man was holding the door open, both of them waiting to get in.
I cleared my throat nervously and Bella's face flushed beet red. "Sorry," Bella squeaked out. She shifted to my side, grabbing my hand.
"Ah, young love. I remember when you used to kiss me like that, Sam," the woman said to her husband, poking him playfully.
The man smiled wickedly and planted a kiss on her cheek. "What are you talking about, Betty, I still kiss you like that. Don't make me prove it here in front of this nice young couple."
She laughed at her husband and swatted him playfully. "Oh, Sam, quit teasing."
"Who's teasing?" he demanded. She just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to us.
"Are you two new in the building? We haven't seen you around before."
"Actually, Edward is," Bella said, nudging me with her elbow.
I held out my hand, which Sam took without hesitation. "Edward Masen, I just moved in last week."
"Sam and Betty March. You must be the new guy in 4-B. Been wondering where you've been." His voice was deep and rough with age.
"Well, that would be me," I said. "This is my girlfriend, Bella."
Bella smiled shyly and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"You're a pretty little thing," Betty said, as she took Bella's hand. Bella's blush deepened with the compliment and I saw her tilt her head down in her embarrassment, biting her lip.
Looking at me, Betty said, "Don't let this one get away. You'd be a fool if you did."
I smiled crookedly, grabbing Bella by the waist. "Don't worry, I won't," I promised.
"Well, Sam, we better get going if we're going to make the movie." And, wagging a finger at him, she said, "Don't forget, you promised me popcorn."
"How could I forget, sweetheart. You've reminded me five times today," he teased.
She smiled and patted him on the cheek. "Well, you've become very forgetful in your old age, darling."
Bella and I exited the elevator, as Sam and Betty entered, the pair bickering playfully with each other. "Hope to see you two around more often," Betty said kindly, waving at us.
"Likewise. Enjoy the movie," Bella called as the elevator doors shut.
Bella laughed lightly at the encounter, and I smiled thinking about the nice couple. I wondered briefly if Bella and I would still be that much in love in the years to come. I loved the idea of growing old with her. The thought of watching the years pass with the love of my life by my side brought a smile to my face. But the more I thought about the future with Bella, the more I realized that it might not happen.
I sighed as I unlocked my door, Bella giving me a quizzical look. I pretended not to see it, as I didn't want to have to explain anything just yet. I was hoping to put it off as long as possible. I opened the door and she walked in ahead of me.
"Alright," she exclaimed, once inside the apartment, "This is going to take us all day."
I threw my keys on the hall table and breathed in deeply, ridding myself of any worries for the time being. "You really don't have to do this. I can do it later this week," I called over my shoulder as I walked by her and into the kitchen.
I heard her scoff in disbelief in the next room as she rummaged through my stuff. "Yeah, I can really see you getting this done on your own."
"Hey," I said, leaning over the counter that divided the two rooms. "I'm offended at your lack of faith in me."
She took her cardigan off, tossing it over the arm of the sofa, and brushed a hand through her hair. "Can you really blame me?" she asked, opening her arms to gesture toward the mess.
"No, but I'm still offended," I pouted. "It hurts, right here." And I pointed to my heart, a frown on my face.
She giggled and rolled her eyes, as she began shifting some things around on the floor, trying to make room to walk. "I'm sure you'll live," she said.
I watched her as she began perusing a random book from one of the many boxes on the floor. "You want something to drink?" I asked.
"A beer if you got it," she said distantly. And I fell in love with her even more. You got to love a woman who could knock back a beer.
"Do you have something I can change into?" she called to me as I opened the fridge. "I don't want to get my clothes all dirty."
I smiled just thinking about her in a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt. I did a quick mental check to make sure I didn't have anything lying around that I didn't want her to see, before sending her into my room. Satisfied that I was safe, I said, "Yeah, in my room. The door straight ahead at the end of the hall."
I heard her footsteps fade down the hall as I continued scanning my sparse refrigerator. It was the first time I noticed how pathetically stocked it was. Fortunately, I still had a few beers left in the back behind the baking soda.
I grabbed the beers, setting them down on the counter as I looked through the cabinets for something to eat. I hadn't exactly eaten all my lunch this afternoon. I was so sick over the possibility of losing Bella that all I could do was pick at my sandwich. Between my mom and Bella, I was surprised when they didn't push me on my lack of eating. But they eyed me like hawks suspiciously the entire afternoon.
By some miracle, I managed to find a half eaten bag of pretzels. Throwing a few into my mouth, I tucked the bag under my arm and grabbed the bottles. What I saw when I walked into the living room nearly made me choke on my food. I swallowed hard and took a swig of beer.
There was Bella, setting my medical books on the empty bookcase in nothing but a pair of my black boxer briefs and wife beater. My God, she's wearing my underwear.
Her hair was thrown up into a messy bun, as the shirt bunched up above her hips, the briefs rolled down to better fit her curves. It was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. She leaned up on her bare feet to place another book on the top shelf and I nearly groaned at the image before me.
"It's not polite to stare, Edward," she said, without even sparing me a glance. I could hear the smile in her voice. She was teasing me.
I cleared my throat and set the drinks and bag down on the coffee table. Walking up behind her I placed both my arms on either side of her, caging her against the bookcase. This position reminded me of the first day we met, and I smiled thinking back on the afternoon.
"Are you trying to kill me?" I breathed in her ear. I felt her tremble against my body, but otherwise she ignored me.
"I told you I'd make this fun," she said smoothly, still arranging my books as if I wasn't even there.
"This isn't fun. It's going to be torture having to watch you bend and move and prance around in this outfit."
I slid my hand under the hem of the shirt and smoothed it out across her flat stomach. I heard her breath hitch and I smiled as I began kissing her shoulder, loving that I caused these kinds of reactions.
"Edward," she moaned. She slid her hand behind her and into my hair, unconsciously pulling me closer. This only proved to egg me on, as I groaned and pulled her against me, devouring her neck with my lips.
"We really need to get this done," she said breathlessly.
I smiled against her skin. "I'd rather not. We started something earlier that I'd really like to finish," I mumbled, as I pulled her earlobe between my teeth, biting down gently.
I felt her knees buckle and I swiftly caught her in my arms before she hit the floor. Holding her bridal style, I carried her to the couch. She kissed me hungrily as I lowered her onto the cushions, hovering my body just above hers. I placed my knees in between her as both her legs wrapped around me, pulling me down. I nipped and sucked at the spot just below her ear, causing soft whimpers to escape her sweet lips.
"Edward, seriously." She was trying to sound stern, but I could hear the want in her voice. "We need to clean your apartment." She seemed to lose her determination as her voice faded to a soft whisper, and she leaned her head back, urging me on.
I sucked tenderly on her neck before lifting up to look at her. With a sly grin, I said, "You shouldn't wear this if you can't deal with the consequences. It's nobody's fault but your own."
"You said I could borrow something," she breathed, as I continued my torture on her neck and collarbone.
"Yes, but in hindsight it was a bad idea. You look too sexy in my underwear," I said into her skin. "Of course," I continued, pulling back to look at her, "You'd look even better out of them."
"So would you," she said huskily, her eyes heavy with lust. She kissed me earnestly, raking her nails over my back and then under my shirt. I hissed at the sensation and leaned up, allowing her to pull my shirt from my body.
She sat up abruptly, causing me to lean back on my knees. She stared hungrily at my bare chest and began to lightly trace the contours of my stomach. I closed my eyes at the feel of her delicate fingers tickling my skin, and I gasped when I felt her lips join her hands on their exploration of my body. Roughly, she pulled me down by the neck and kissed me forcefully. I groaned, pushing her back against the cushions and thrusting my hips into hers. The friction caused us both to moan loudly.
I broke the kiss for only a fraction of a second to remove her shirt, casting it aside somewhere over the back of the sofa. I kissed the swells of her breasts as her fingers tugged on my hair, and I grabbed her backside, pulling her hard against me.
"Edward," she panted. I loved when my name fell from her lips like that.
Her nimble fingers deftly undid the buttons of my jeans and I slid my hand up from her bottom to the clasp of her bra, delicately grazing the skin right below it. Just as I was about to unhook the offending garment, my phone rang, interrupting the moment.
"Damnit, perfect timing," I growled, resting my head in the crook of her neck.
I felt the teeth of my zipper retract as Bella slowly brought it down. "Ignore it," she whispered in my ear.
I smiled wickedly at her and without having to be told twice unhooked her bra. I brought my left hand up her arm and gently began sliding the strap off her shoulder, just as my sister's voice rang through the air from my answering machine.
"Edward, it's Alice," her tiny voice chirped. "We really need to talk about what-"
But before she could go any further, I reached over Bella and grabbed the phone from the end table. "What, Alice?" I asked gruffly, watching Bella intently. She rolled her eyes at my short fuse, thinking it was all due to being interrupted. I wished that were the only reason.
"Oh, you're home," Alice said. "I was going to leave a message."
"Yes, Alice, we're home." I emphasized the we're part, letting her know how close she came to saying something in front of Bella that I wasn't ready for her to hear yet.
"Oh, Bella's there?" she asked warily.
I sat up quickly, shifting off of Bella. "Yes," I said stiffly, raking a hand through my hair. "Can we talk on Monday?"
Bella began clasping her bra as she too sat up. I pouted and made a swipe to grab her, but she got up, stepping out of my reach, smiling playfully at me. Finding her shirt, she threw it back on, and placed a kiss on my cheek before walking back over to the bookshelf, resuming the task that had most recently been abandoned.
"But, Edward, we really need to talk about this. We-"
"Hold on, Alice," I said quickly, cutting her off. I motioned to Bella that I needed some privacy and went straight to my room, shutting the door behind me.
"Look, I don't feel like talking about this right now." I crossed my room and sat on the edge of the bed.
"You can't put this off forever."
"Obviously," I snapped and instantly regretted it, as she was suddenly quiet on the other end. I closed my eyes and wiped a hand over my face, hoping desperately that this would just all go away. "Listen, have you told Jasper yet?"
"No." Her voice was soft and sullen. "He's not home yet."
"How do you think he'll take it?" I could care less if he would be upset about Bella and I dating, but I was still curious as to his reaction.
Alice sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. He's never fully forgiven himself for how things ended with them. A part of him still loves her, I guess, but I'm just not sure how big a part."
"Alice," I growled. "Are you trying to piss me off?" I clutched the phone tighter in my hand with my rage and heard a small snap as I did so. How could she be okay with her husband still being in love with his ex-wife? And if he was still in love with Bella, what the hell was he doing with Alice?
"Edward, you have to understand, they grew up together. They've known each other their whole lives. That's not something that just goes away." I heard her sigh again before continuing. "Look, he cares about her. Always has, always will, but he's not in love with her," she assured me.
Still, the bastard didn't have a right to even think about her, let alone care about her, after what he did. But I wasn't going to voice my thoughts aloud to Alice.
I plopped myself back on the bed, throwing my arm over my eyes. "Can we not talk about this now?" I asked curtly.
"Fine, but you can't avoid this," she said gently.
"I just want to enjoy the rest of the weekend with Bella before I lose her," I said quietly.
It was silent on the other end for a few heartbeats. "You don't know that you're going to lose her, Edward." Her words were meant to be comforting, but I knew that she wasn't so sure either.
I could feel my eyes begin to water with the sudden rush of emotions. The thought of losing Bella tore my heart in half. I just couldn't picture my life without her now that she was in it. I honestly didn't know what I would do if I ever lost her.
"And you don't know that I won't, Alice," I croaked, my voice breaking at the end.
My sister's voice was small when she finally spoke again. "I'm sorry, Edward. I don't know what else to s-"
"I have to go, Alice." I cut her off, and hung up without saying goodbye, fearing that I'd breakdown if I stayed on the phone.
I stared up at the ceiling for a good five minutes before sitting back up. I glanced down at the phone, noticing the small crack in the base. I swore under my breath, and out of the corner of my eye, caught sight of Bella's clothes neatly folded on my bed. I reached out and touched them, the material of her top soft against my skin. Seeing them in my room brought on a rush of images of Bella moving in with me.
I allowed myself to think about what it would be like to live with Bella. I imagined waking up next to her every morning, and coming home to her every night. I could see us going to the bookstore on Saturdays before we took a stroll through the park, and eating breakfast together on Sundays before snuggling up on the couch to waste the day watching mindless TV. I took a shuddering breath and felt a tear fall from my eye. I quickly wiped it away, but another one just followed its path. I couldn't help but think that it was never going to happen.
There was a light knock on the door and I frantically wiped at my eyes, ridding myself of any traces of crying.
"Come in," I called, once I had composed myself.
The door slowly opened. "Everything okay?" my angel asked. She wore a radiant smile - blissfully unaware of anything that was going on. How I wished she didn't have to know about any of this.
I stared at her, not really knowing what to say. Everything wasn't okay, but I couldn't tell her that. Instead I lifted the phone. "I need a new phone."
She frowned, sitting down beside me. "What happened?" she asked, taking the phone from my hand and inspecting it.
"Don't know," I lied. "Guess it's an old phone, not very durable."
She gave me a skeptical look. "It looks new to me."
I shrugged. "Cheap phone then." And before she could ask any more questions I grabbed the phone out of her hand and stood, throwing her over my shoulder. She squealed, kicking her feet and lightly pounding me on the back with her tiny fists.
"Come on, we better get started. I have big plans for you later tonight and I don't want any more interruptions," I said, giving her a light smack on the ass.
I don't know if this was one of my best. It was more of a filler chapter. Bella will find out soon, I promise. Maybe in the next two chapters or so. I really want Edward to meet Charlie, as Charlie will play a pivotal part in the end.
I know all of you are probably thinking, "What the hell, how does Bella not realize yet who Alice is?" AND "Why hasn't anybody mentioned Alice's husband's name?" OR "Why hasn't Bella asked about his name?" I know it seems ridiculous that none of these things have happened yet, but in order for my story to work, Bella needs to be slightly naive about what is going on around her. She'll find out soon enough, and she'll feel like an idiot for not putting it together sooner. But in all fairness, why should she even think Alice is THE Alice? :D
Thanks to all my fans for continuing to stick with me. I hope I don't let you down with the story. Drop some reviews to let me know what you think. Thanks again. : )
