Ch 20

EPOV

I sat at the table a little stunned. She ran again. And this time I just whispered in her ear. What had I done now? I started to get up when Emmet grabbed my arm.

"Sit down bro. Let her breath." I obeyed my cousin, this was after all his home.

"I'll go" Rose said and got up from the table and went after Bella.

I sat and contemplated what I had done and what I should do when Emmet spoke up.

"She'll come around. Give her time"

I sighed. "How am I supposed to do that? I got her dragged in my mess, the media knows she's everything to me. It's not like I can or even want to disappear again. If I talk to her she freaks out and runs!" I banged my head in the table "And I don't know how to be without her. Even if that is what she wanted I wouldn't know how to."

"Dude, calm the fuck down and stop thinking about it. Take a fucking step back and stop letting your emotions rule how you act. Give. Her. Space. Let her come to you."

"Emmet, I understand what you are saying but it obviously doesn't work."

"It will work you dork. Stop rushing it. It's been what three days?"

"Shit you're right, I know you're right. I'll try."

Emmet clapped my shoulder when Jasper came to sit down next to me.

He had a determined look on his face when he spoke to Emmet.

"Emmet. I think I'm in love with your sister and I would like your permission to take her out on a date tonight."

Both me and Emmet gaped at Jasper with our mouths open.

"Dude. What?" Emmet said.

"I would like your permission to…" Jasper started but was interrupted by Emmet " I heard damn well what you said, but why?"

Jasper looked a little shocked. "Emmet, I'm not like your ordinary Joe. I'm a very focused man. I am pretty sure that I'll marry your sister one day because she's just so goddamn special and I think I love her. And I want to do things the right way. Dating her is one thing and therefore I am asking your permission. When it comes to marriage, I'll one day have this conversation with your father."

I didn't even know what to say.

"Ok, you two need to stop doing the shit they do in Hollywood. Listen Jazz, you're a nice guy and my sister has always been a bit of a free spirit" I snorted at that. Alice was a free spirit alright.

Emmet continued "But she's a grown woman, she has taken her own decisions even in kinder garden so if she wants to date you, she'll date you with or without my permission. Since it seems to mean a lot to you I'll give you my permission. But understand this" Emmet pointed a finger at Jasper "If you hurt her, I'll do what I have always done. I will kick your ass. I'll kill you and hide the body. Even as kids she would fight her own battles but I always beat up the kid that hurt her. This will be no different. Hollywood actor or not. Do I make myself clear?"

Emmet is a really big guy, he could scare the shit out of the worst thug on the street. So when he threatens you, you get scared shitless. But not Jasper, he just smiled and looked pleased.

"Yes Emmet, my friend. We have a deal."

They shook hands and man hugged. It was a weird sight. At that Rose and Alice came out of the kitchen challenging us to a game of Wii. Everybody accepted and they started walking towards what I assumed was the basement.

Rose turned to me and stopped me in my tracks by putting a hand on my chest.

"You stay here. Bella wants to talk to you." She gave me a cryptic smile and left with the others.

I turned around toward the kitchen, curious about what she would want to talk about. Maybe she didn't want to see me again?

And in the doorway to the kitchen was Bella, my beautiful Bella. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest and looked all kinds of nervous.

"Hi" she said.

I stood a couple of feet from her "Hi." I said back. Staying in place, wanting to give her the space she needed.

"Could we…um…talk?" she asked.

"Of course. What do you need to talk about?" I asked in a quiet voice. Dreading her answer.

"I think… could you come with me?" she turned a little as if ready to lead the way.

"Sure." I didn't know where she wanted me to go but I would follow her anywhere.

She started climbing the stairs and I hesitantly followed her. At the end of the stairs she stood before a door and turned her head a little but didn't look at me.

"This is my room whenever I stay here." With that she opened the door and went inside. I sucked in a breath. She wanted me to follow her in to the bedroom?

I stepped inside the door, she was already sitting on the bed. "Close the door behind you" she said. I obeyed but stood with my back leaning against the door. As far away from her as possible.

"Edward." She gave me a small smile. "Why are you all the way over there?"

Now I was confused. I was doing what everyone told me to do. "I'm trying to give you some space."

"Edward." She said patiently "If I wanted some space would I lead you back to my bedroom?" she looked up at me from under her lashes and smiled.

"I don't know Bella. What do you want?"

She exhaled a shuddering breath and looked down at her lap.

"I wanted to talk to you. I had a talk with Rose and she helped me realize a couple of things." She paused for a while. I wanted her to continue at the same time I was terrified of what she was going to say.

"What did you realize?"

She looked at me again "She helped me realize that I am fighting the inevitable."

"As in?" I whispered. My heart stopped beating.

"Us." She whispered back.

I blinked and tried to focus. "How do you mean?" she gave me a small smile and stood from the bed. She took a step closer to me.

"I mean Edward…. How did you put it. When you know, you just know?"

"Jesus Bella know what?" She was talking in riddles and I was starting to get frustrated, if she wanted nothing to do with me she would have to be more specific.

She sighed and smiled as she came to stand right in front of me. I stood with my back pressing against the door as if I was a cornered animal. Her proximity was unsettling, I wanted to attack her, kiss her senseless and make her mine again.

Suddenly she was pressing herself against me and whispered "Know what I want." And then she kissed me. Her soft lips were sucking on mine and first I couldn't react, I was afraid that I was hallucinating. But when she kept up her nibbling I nibbled back, and then I put my hand on her hip and squeezed. The other hand I put behind her neck and caressed her with my thumb. This was surreal. Bella was in my arms again. After all these years. And she said…. Wait what did she say?

I pulled back a little and kissed her check and started to make a path down to her ear and neck "What do you want Bella?"

She moaned softly before saying "You. I want you."

"Jesus Christ." I kissed her again with all the force I had. I literally attacked the girl, pressing her back against me and holding her neck in a tight grip. I went down her throat and said "You have to know this. If we do this, if we start this right now. There is no going back. I'll never let you go. I'll never stop."

"Don't stop Edward…" she moaned. I wasn't satisfied with that answer. She needed to know what she was getting herself in to.

"No Bella. I'm not talking about making love. I'm talking about a life together. I want you." I kissed her throat "To be mine" and her ear "Forever." I stopped and looked her in the eyes. She sighed and pulled back.

Shit! This was just sexual for her. I was just a release.

"Edward come sit with me." She patted the bed next to her.

I took a deep breath trying to get my raging hormones under control and sat down next to her.

"I think you're right, we need to talk." She took my hand in hers and I just reveled in the energy coming from our joint hands.

"I think I have been afraid of letting go of the past but Rose helped me realize that I was pushing you away not because I needed to appraise the situation but because I was terrified of you leaving me again. She told me I needed to let go and just go with it. Why waste time?"

"So what this means is that..?"

"This means I think we should start over. If the magazines are going to gossip, let them gossip. But I want to try again with you. I know we were both young and stupid but there is something there that I have never felt before and I doubt I will ever feel with anybody else."

"So you…you'll be mine? You'll have a relationship with me?"

"I'd like to try" she whispered as she looked me in the eyes.

"Jesus Bella" I crushed her to me in a hug so fierce I thought I may have broken her. She laughed and said "But let's make some groundrules."

I took her hand and kissed her knuckles "Anything you want is yours."

"I don't want you to talk about me to the press and I want us to keep a low profile for now." I started to nibble on her wrist and the inside of her elbow.

"As you wish. But if people notice how deliriously happy I am then I can't stop them from making assumptions." She laughed at that

"Fine but please try to keep my name out of it."

"I'll see what I can do." I kept on nibbling her arm and got up to her throat "Now as much as I would like to have sex with you right now, right here, I don't think this is the right place."

"I agree." She moaned

I pulled back but gave her a kiss on the mouth and said "So what's our story?"

"Our story?" She looked confused.

"Yes, what do we tell the press? I don't know if I'm comfortable denying us."

"Uuum. How about no comments?"

"It's not going to work if we keep seeing each other." I said "And then we have to talk about security. I want you to have a body guard to and from work and whenever you go out. I have a guy that I trust."

"Edward. I'm going to keep on living like I always have."

"And I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just saying that the rats can get upclose and personal and I want you to be protected."

"Fine, I want Emmet." She huffed.

"Deal." I grinned. "Was this our first compromise as a couple?"

She grinned back "I guess it was."

"I think this calls for a celebratory kiss!" I attacked her face while she laughed and we tumbled around in bed for an hour just kissing and laughing. It was pure bliss. Not even like coming home but like going to heaven.

AN: AAAAAAW, finally huh?