A/N: We're back! Did you miss us?
~*~Exciting news! Pauline and I were interviewed by the fabulous Coldplaywhore. She also wrote up a review of our other story, Beautiful Stranger. The interview and review goes up tomorrow! You can check it out on P.I.C's Fanfic Corner found here: www(dot)picffcorner(dot)blogspot(dot)com
~*~ Sorry for the long wait, but B x E had so much to say that we decided to make this chapter a split pov! It's our little gift to our wonderful readers ;) So, go grab a dirty martini, or wine, or whatever tickles your fancy and hold all your calls. It's time to sit back and find out what these crazy kids are doing…or remembering…or not remembering ;)
~*~ Stop by our Twilighted thread. We posted three teasers for this chapter over there. Remember all teasers will be posted there.
Thanks to SweetDulcinea for her mad beta skills. She has such patience and she's damn quick, too!
Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. We are just left wondering why the hell would she write a novella about Bree when there are other appealing vampires to choose from? Bree? Really???
*BPOV*
Sleep never came easy to me nowadays, especially since I didn't have the warmth of Edward's body draped around mine at night. Even though I had never felt so alone and lost before, my bed had actually become a sort of safe haven for me where I was free to truly express the plethora of emotions I was feeling. In the comfort of my bed, I was able to cry, get angry, or just listen to the music on my iPod to escape being me for a while.
I couldn't go too long without needing something, anything that reminded me of Edward and what we once shared, which is why I started to wear his fire academy shirt Christmas night, instead of what I had been doing after Edward's accident, which was sleeping with it as though it was a teddy bear.
I still couldn't believe that he kissed me that night. Not being able to bear it any longer watching my friends and their loved ones exchange gifts with one another, I had excused myself, citing that I had forgotten something down at my apartment. Okay, so it was a lie, which I am sure everyone there knew. The truth was I was feeling so suffocated that I couldn't even breathe properly. I was withholding the sobs that desperately wanted to be freed, and I didn't want to cause a scene. Maybe it was cowardly of me to leave, but there was only so much I could be strong for and take. A person can only take so much without wanting to scream and run for the hills.
Don't get me wrong, I was very happy for Alice and Rosalie, but it was only natural to feel a tad sorry for myself. I was sitting across the room from the man I loved who had no clue as to what exactly we were to each other and the significant depth to our relationship. Not being able to give a small token of our feelings for one another made me feel empty. I wasn't even able to sit near him for fuck's sake, which was equally frustrating. So, yeah…I ran. I bolted straight out of the damn building wanting to get some distance from Edward and not looking back. I figured the church was the safest place to enter and find some solace for a while.
I wanted a quiet place to reflect on all that had happened to me and Edward. I wanted a place where I was free to think about whatever was on my mind at the moment with no judgments or someone else's opinions cast upon me. I wanted peace. What I wanted most of all was for my Edward to return to me, memories intact, which was why I lit a candle, praying to any god who would listen. Someone up there had to have been hearing my prayers, right? I had to believe that all this shit was happening to us for a reason, and I only hoped we would come out stronger in the end…and hopefully together.
I had to say that I was extremely shocked when Edward placed a chaste kiss on my lips when we spoke back in my apartment. There was something so sweet and innocent about it, yet I still felt the electrical hum of desire travel throughout my body that I had always known with him. I was sure that he felt something as well, but I certainly wasn't going to push the matter with him. Edward had asked me to be patient with him, his voice pleading. He wanted to find his way back to me naturally, hoping the memories would come quicker. I was hopeful that he would recall everything we shared, but in the research I had done on the internet and from what the doctors had said, there was a chance he would never recover any memories. The closer to the accident they were, the higher the probability Edward wouldn't recall anything at all.
So where did that leave us? It was hard to tell, but I was going to be patient with Edward and try to do things his way. Then again, did I have any other choice? After all, he was the one with the memory loss, so he ultimately had to set the pace for our relationship so he wouldn't feel pressured. That still didn't mean I liked it, but I would follow Edward's lead if brought him back to me. I loved him and he owned me, body and soul…a fact that he was so blissfully unaware of. Hating the fact that I had no control over this situation, I chose to follow Edward's lead. Unfortunately, his pace was that of a damn snail, considering it was Monday and I hadn't had any type of contact with him in two days. I sure as hell wasn't about to pester him about hanging out. It took all the willpower I had stored just to keep my damn hands away from any phones to call him.
That thought woke me from my nearly successful slumber…that and the strong coffee smell that was currently permeating the air around me. Turning over onto my back, I stretched, raising my hands over my head and sighed. I was in the process of thinking what I was going to do today, since I was on my winter break, when my eyes fluttered open. It wasn't until my eyes decided to wander around my room when I noticed a pair of sock-laced feet crossed and resting by my knees on my bed.
Startled by my new discovery, I sat up quickly. "What the…," I said, to the person who was perched in my desk chair by my bedside.
It was Edward…I think. My mind was still in a haze of sleep.
"Oh, Jesus, now I am really going crazy," I said, looking at the ceiling and rubbing my eyes. "Now I'm imagining Edward is here in my room." I shook my head at my silliness. Yes, I dreamt of Edward every night, but seeing visions of him? I definitely had to go out today to get my mind off things for a while.
I turned toward the deep chuckling noise next to me. "You're not seeing things, Bella. I'm really here. I am sorry if I scared you."
"What are you doing here?" I blurted out, still a little shocked.
"I wanted to see you. Alice came up and told me you were still sleeping. I thought I would bring you some breakfast, so she gave me her keys and I let myself in." He looked so comfortable lounging the way he was, reading the newspaper like he hadn't a care in the world.
"What time is it?"
"Ten-thirty. You really like to sleep, don't you?" Edward gave me a panty dropping smirk. I bet he had no idea what that smirk did to me. I frowned at that thought.
"What's the matter? Are you angry that I'm here?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
I crossed my legs under my covers and faced him. "No, I'm not angry. Surprised is more like it, considering I haven't seen you. You've been MIA for a couple of days." I had to get that tiny dig in to make him aware that I had noticed his disappearance.
"Yeah, um…sorry about that. I spent some time with my parents before they flew back home. I also slept a lot, seeing as the holiday was draining." Edward dropped his feet to the floor and sat up.
Draining? I guess that was one way to put it. I knew that must have been the biggest reason why he was so tired. I too was mentally exhausted. "Oh," was all I had to offer.
"I'm sorry. That came out all wrong. What I meant to say was decorating the apartment, my parents visiting, and moving around too much is what made it physically draining. I've been in some pain and it's really frustrating considering I am a very active person."
"Your parents left? I would have liked to say goodbye to them. Had I known they were leaving, I would have stopped up to wish them a safe trip." I looked down, my fingers twisting together out of frustration. I couldn't look at him for fear he would know I was a little pissed.
"To tell you the truth, my parents did want to see you, but I said that maybe it was best if they left you alone. I wasn't thinking how you would have wanted to see them," Edward stated, pinching the bridge of his nose together with his thumb and forefinger. "God, I am such a jackass. I really am sorry, Bella." He shook his head. The look on his face was one of remorse, so I knew his words were true.
I shrugged my shoulders, feigning nonchalance. "Don't worry about it, Edward. Maybe I'll get the opportunity to visit with them again. Wait…I didn't mean…" I stammered, flustered that I basically implied that we would go to Chicago again to his parents' house.
"Well, my parents had mentioned something about you and everyone visiting once the weather gets warmer. Chicago is a sight in the springtime. I would love to take you to Millennium Park when the sun is shining and there's no snow on the ground." Edward smiled genuinely and my heart melted. God, how I have missed that smile. My stomach did flips just thinking at the prospect of Edward really wanting to take me back to Chicago even when our future was uncertain. This gave me a shred of hope that Edward was trying to reestablish our relationship and create new memories with me.
"I'd like that very much, Edward," I replied softly, my own smile creeping on my face, the anger sliding off my back.
There was a slight lull in conversation, a thin layer of tension coating the air around us as we both looked away from one another. It was obvious that we were dancing around one another, basically walking on eggshells.
Edward stood up and leaned in toward me, staring intently into my eyes. I froze in my spot in anticipation, giving him the same look he was gracing me with. Was he going to try something out and kiss me again? Oh, god…I still had morning breath!
He placed a hand on my bed next to my thigh as the other one reached over me to take hold of the stuffed animal wolf that had been taking up residence on the pillow next to me for a few months. I had to admit that I stole a little whiff of Edward while he was in such close proximity to me. I couldn't help it; his clean laundry smell got to me every time I was close to him. My need for Edward was rapidly growing, and if he stayed any longer hovering over me the way he was, I wasn't going to be held responsible for my actions, which consisted of pulling him down on top of me by his shirt collar and wrapping my legs around his waist.
Edward ripped me from my musings when he stunned me with the words that casually flowed from his mouth. "I can't believe you still have this thing. I knew you were eyeing this the moment I stepped up to the booth. I would have paid the guy behind the counter a hundred bucks and not have played that silly game just to see the smile that lit up your face when I handed this ratty thing to you." He lightly laughed at his memory, tossing the wolf in my lap as he turned and limped slightly for the door. Before leaving the room, he stole a glance at me over his shoulder and said, "Come on sleepy head, I made you some coffee and I brought you a bagel."
Holy fuck! Edward just had a memory…and it was of me and him. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. My emotions scattered, causing my heart to beat rapidly. I could feel my face scrunching up as I thought how I was going to bring up the fact that he just recalled a significant memory of the beginning of our relationship. I knew I had to tread lightly because Edward hadn't realized yet what he just remembered. If he had realized, he would have been happy…I think. Instead, he was very nonchalant about it, which alerted me to the fact that he hadn't made the connection. I didn't want to get overly excited, even though my subconscious was fist pumping the air, doing a little jig. Once he left the room, I shot out of bed, eager to be by Edward's side, just in case he was going to spill more memories.
*~*~*
"He did what?" Alice shouted, dropping her clipboard she was doing inventory on to the floor.
It was Wednesday and Rose and I came by Alice's boutique to try on some dresses she selected for us as a possible outfit for New Year's Eve. Club Eclipse was going to hold their first annual New Year's Eve bash. Some of the guys from the firehouse, including Mike and Tyler, thought it would be a great idea to let loose and spend the evening drinking and dancing together. Knowing how much weight from Emmett and Edward's accident was still crushing us all, between taking the guys to their physical therapy appointments and the strained relationship between Edward and myself, we collectively agreed that a night out was well deserved.
"I said Edward remembered winning me that wolf from the festival he took me to on our first date," I repeated, shrugging my shoulders.
"Bella, this is huge. Why aren't you happy about this new development?" Rose asked tentatively, gripping my hand that was resting on my knee and giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Truthfully, I am so afraid of making a big deal of it to Edward because I don't want him to back away any further than he has from me since this whole damn mess occurred. If I make a fuss and scream excitedly that he pieced together something important about us, he'll probably think I am trying to rush us back in the way things were between us," I sighed.
"Well, did he say anything else after that?" Alice inquired in her high pitched voice, a telltale sign that she was getting excited.
"Nope. That's what's so crazy. He acted like nothing had just transpired and he left my room to get me some breakfast. It was the oddest thing…even stranger than when he kissed me on Christmas night."
"Holy shit! He kissed you! What the hell is wrong with you, Bella? Why are we just hearing about this now?" Alice shrilled, leering at me.
"Alice, please. This is exactly why I didn't tell anyone," I started, waving my finger in her direction. "You are way too amped up over this and that will set too many warning bells off with Edward. It was just a simple, chaste kiss. He initiated it because he wanted to try something out. What that was, I have no idea, but I was just happy to feel his lips on me once again. It was a very lovely moment, and I didn't want it to be clouded with people's opinions and comments. And just so you know, I am not sorry for not telling anyone. It was a sweet and private moment between me and Edward."
Alice shot me a pointed glance, but then she walked over and fell to her knees so she was eye level with me and placed her hands on my knees. "I understand, Bella. I learned my lesson last week not to meddle so much. It's just that I can feel that a monumental change is coming…like something is shifting in the universe and we are all about to be affected by it."
"Yeah, something's shifting alright. It's called my fiancée is coming here in a half an hour expecting me to be ready to eat some lunch after his physical therapy appointment, and if I keep him waiting, all hell will break lose. There's your big cosmic shift, Alice." Rosalie laughed and stood up from the bench by the window we were sitting on and headed toward the dressing rooms. "And for the love of God, Alice, please leave Bella be. Hasn't she been through enough to have to worry about every little reaction you are going to make when she does or does not tell you something related to Edward's memory recovery?" she lectured, turning her head in my direction, giving me a sly smile and a wink.
I could always count on Rose to do the talking for me, especially with Alice. Rosalie knew how to shut Alice up.
Forty-five minutes later, Alice had called us out of our dressing rooms for the last time. I was hoping that I would hit the jackpot with this last dress because I was tired and I just wanted to go home. Of course, Rosalie had found her perfect dress within the first ten minutes of trying on Alice's suggestions. When I stepped out of the dressing room, I heard my friends gasp.
"What? Geez, don't tell me I have to find another dress," I huffed crossing my arms.
"No, certainly not! Bella, you look so hot. Any guy who sees you at the club is going to drool over you," Alice complimented, standing up and fiddling with my hair. "Maybe you should wear your hair up a little and show some neck. It's sexy," Alice purred, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Well, I don't want just any guy drooling over me. I would prefer it if it were a bronze-haired fireman," I quipped, turning to the mirror to inspect myself. I had to admit, I didn't look half bad. With the right shoes and accessories, maybe I could make Edward fall to his knees.
My dress was stunning, as usual, considering Alice designed it. It was a navy blue silk halter top- the front coming to a 'v' between my breasts. The halter top was adorned with sparking silver and blue sequins. The rest of the dress flowed to the top of my knees. I loved it because it was just my style…comfortable.
Rose came over to the mirror between Alice and me and snaked her arms around our shoulders. "Ladies, I must say that we are some fine lookin' sexy bitches."
"Damn straight, baby!" Emmett bellowed, charging towards us, pimp cane in hand. Truthfully, he probably would have been walking around with that god awful thing even if he had never been injured. He grabbed Rose by the hand, pulled her toward him, and planted a loud, sloppy kiss on her lips.
"Emmett! Watch my lipstick, you ass. Let go of the dress, baby. I have to go and change before we can go eat," Rose chided, playfully smacking him on his arm. Secretly, Rose loved the attention Emmett constantly showered on her. She was all about playing hard to get to keep the romance alive, so to speak.
Just then, Edward and Jasper walked through the door deep in conversation. Edward led the way, but his head was turned toward Jasper.
"Seriously, dude. That was a bad call on the ref's part. The coach should have challenged it. That's why I think the Seahawks…" Edward's words abruptly stopped as he turned to face us. His attention, however, was on me as his eyes raked over my appearance. Time seemed to have stood still as I was glued to my spot, hypnotized by his intense stare.
Alice was still standing next to me fussing with my hair, but when she noticed how Edward was checking me out, she immediately stopped, letting my hair break free from her clutches. I felt as though I was having a supreme supermodel moment as my hair effortlessly swooshed along my shoulders from Alice's movements.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Alice lean in at my ear. "See, I told you that this dress looked hot on you. Commence Operation Drool," she whispered, nudging my side with her elbow. She then flitted her way toward Jasper, giving him a kiss hello. Rose and Emmett went to go sit on one of the plush benches that were outside the dressing area. It was safe to say my friends were going to give me and Edward a "moment."
Edward crept slowly toward me, his eyes never leaving my face. I tried to control my breathing as best I could. I had seen that look on Edward's face before - it was one of desire. He wanted me. That was just about the only thing I was sure of. I bit the inside of my cheek so my mouth wouldn't break out in some cheesy victory smile. Finally, Edward was evoking an emotion that I had been waiting weeks for. God, I wanted him so badly, but I had to play it cool.
"Hey," he started in a familiar husky voice, one he saved for me when he was horny. He cleared his throat. "Is that…uh, is that the dress you are wearing tomorrow night?" He reached his pointer finger out to touch the sequins along the halter top of my dress.
"Yes," I breathed, briefly closing my eyes to soak in the feeling on Edward's one finger touching me. It was pathetic how much I ached for this man.
As his finger left me, I opened my eyes and smiled slightly.
"It looks really pretty on you, Bella," he said. "All the guys are going to fight for your attention," he quipped, winking at me. So fucking adorable.
"Well, there's only one man whose attention I want. I don't care about the others," I boldly said, looking at him square in the eyes. His eyes widened a little when I said that, and he gave me a small lopsided smirk. Hey, I was taking his lead, and at that moment, Edward was being playful, flirtatious. Who was I to stand in his way? I loved it.
Emmett decided to break our little bubble of sexual tension by clearing his throat and standing up. "Alright, enough of that, you two. Bella, you look slammin', but I am a very hungry man. So let's move it, sister."
"Emmett," Edward said in a warning tone before he peered in my direction. "Take your time, Beautiful, we'll all wait for you," he finished, glaring at Emmett at that last part.
Oh. My. God! He did it again! Edward had always called me Beautiful rather than my own name. Hearing him use that term of endearment after going so long, too long, without him saying it was indescribable. A shiver surged down my spine and my head was clouded with thoughts of uncertainty. Did I point out to him what he just called me or did I let the chips fall where they may? At that moment, I chose to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn't help but think that this was twice in a couple of days where he had blurted out something extremely significant to us. I was reeling inside, while everyone just stared at us, as though waiting for Edward to shout, "I'm back!"
"What?" Edward questioned, looking between all of us, expecting some sort of answer from someone.
"N-nothing. Come on, let's wait for Rose and Bella in the car," Alice said quickly, pulling Edward by his good arm and leading him out the door. Jasper and Emmett followed suit, but not without shooting me a shocked glance at what they just heard Edward say. Everyone knew Edward called me Beautiful.
Rose followed me into the dressing room. "Did he just call…?"
"Yes," I interrupted, knowing what she was going to say. "See what I mean? It didn't even register that he called me that, like it just came naturally to him. I don't know what to make of it and I am scared to get excited, Rose. I'm so scared to get my hopes up," I sighed, even though I was elated he called me Beautiful, I knew the feeling would be short lived.
"Oh honey, let's just take it one memory at a time," Rosalie comforted, giving me a sideways hug. "I think it's a great sign that Edward is beginning to remember things about you, even if he doesn't realize it yet. It's only a matter of time. Hang in there and know that you have the rest of us as a support system."
*~*~*
Later that night, Seth, Tyler, and Mike decided to stop by the guy's apartment. What was supposed to be a short visit turned into a men's poker night, filled with cigars, beer, and pizza. Rose and I decided to have an impromptu girl's sleepover at my place. Alice and Japer were spending some quality time together, so they were out for the night.
We were channeling our inner youth by wearing our pajamas early, throwing our hair up in pony tails, and watching Grease. It was one of our favorite movies we loved watching in college. We were having a blast singing along to all the songs at full volume. I was sure we were going to get a noise complaint, but we didn't care. It felt so damn great to get my mind off the serious stuff for a while. Rose was always good for distracting your thoughts. However, I knew that if I wanted to sit and talk about Edward, she would listen wholeheartedly and give advice when needed. She never pried for information like Alice.
A knock on the door, or bang I should say, interrupted our last routine at the end of the movie. We didn't bother to lower the sound as You're the One That I Want blasted throughout the place. I jumped off the couch to answer the door, as Rose was still singing and dancing on the cushions.
Before I could get a word in when I opened the door, I was immediately scooped up and thrown over Tyler's shoulder. He was dancing and spinning me around headed for the couch.
"Tyler! Put me down!" I playfully screamed, laughing the whole time while slapping his lower back and kicking my legs.
"Never, Swan. You're mine now," he chuckled darkly, holding me tighter to him.
I lifted my head up to see Rose fly off the couch and bolt toward Emmett who was leaning on the kitchen counter, next to Edward, who happened to have the oddest look splashed on his face. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his forehead was creased so much that I had never seen so many lines on his face. He was looking at me and Tyler's interaction.
I tried to further lift my head so I could make eye contact with Edward, but I couldn't. He was pissed. Could it be that he was jealous that Tyler and I were joking around? Was it evil of me to sort of hope he was jealous and that I secretly liked the fact that he was?
I was about to ask Tyler again to put me down when he started to tickle me behind my knees. It wasn't meant to be in an intimate manner or anything like that. Tyler and I happened to be good friends. We used to double date when I was with Jacob and he was with his ex-girlfriend. I'm sure Edward didn't know that though.
"Shit…Tyler…stop that…you know I am…ticklish!" I said between fits of laughter.
Tyler stopped his assault on my knees when Mike went to the TV and lowered the volume and stepped toward where Tyler was standing.
"Um, dude? I think you should let Bella down and stop touching her like that. Cullen looks like some freaky stone statue the way he's boring a hole in the back of your head. He may be contemplating kicking your ass right now," Mike said in a low voice, his face drenched with fear that Edward was about to go ape shit on his buddy.
"Shit," Tyler whispered as he set me back on my feet. "Man, I'm sorry, Cullen. I meant no disrespect or anything. It's just that Bella and I go way back, and maybe you don't remember that," he nervously explained.
Edward simply stood there, never once glancing my way.
Emmett howled in laughter. "Keep on digging that grave of yours, Ty. You and Bella go way back? Now how does that sound to our dear Edward here?" He patted Edward's shoulder and shook his head. "I mean, for Christ's sake, she's wearing his shirt and it clearly says 'Cullen' on the back…not 'Crowley.' Emmett was joking around, but I felt bad for Tyler. He was a good guy and I knew that Tyler didn't want Edward to think he was massively flirting with me.
"Oh, leave him alone, Emmett," I intervened, walking toward Edward. "Tyler's a good friend and nothing else, and stop trying to make Edward think otherwise because he can't recall how well I know you and the other guys at the fire house," I explained to Edward, who showed no signs of returning to his normal relaxed stance.
Rose broke the tension by suggesting we all go upstairs to have a beer together. She also wanted in on that poker game and a chance to smoke a cigar.
I felt a hand pull me back by my arm when I tried to exit.
"Wait a second," Edward commanded. I thought he was still a little upset. Instead of feeling nervous, I had to stifle my laughs that were threatening to spill from me. He was jealous and I loved every minute of it. I am a woman after all, and sometimes we do need to feel desired.
"Edward, please don't be angry. Tyler is a good guy and I know he feels awful now. He wasn't flirting with me at all," I said softly, placing my hand on his shoulder. God, it felt so good to touch him.
"I'm not upset that he picked you up…well, yes I am. But I was more pissed at the fact he was tickling you and knew right away where to garner a reaction from you. I should be the one knowing where you like to be touched," he said, a little forlornly.
"We have all the time in the world to find out exactly where I liked to be touched," I whispered shakily, suddenly feeling extremely aroused, the ache for him to touch me in all the right places boring a hole in my stomach. "I'm not going anywhere, Edward. After all, it does say 'Cullen' on my shirt, does it not?" I said playfully, wanting to diffuse his foul mood.
"Yes it does," he said, a smile finally breaking free. His fingers circled his name that was written above the swell of my right breast. I shivered slightly, reveling in Edward's feather light touch. This felt different from our kiss a few nights ago. This was a moment of exploration, of marking his territory in a way since he was testing the waters circling a very sexual area…my breast. My nipples puckered, giving Edward a wave hello. They too have missed him.
"I fucking love that you wear my shirt. I think it's sexy."
Jesus, if he didn't stop the sultry movements that were barely taking place on my boob and the way he was talking to me, I was going to pool right at his feet. He had to have known what he was doing to me, right? The old Edward would be doing this on purpose to turn me on, but this new Edward seemed just as determined to set me on fire. Perhaps he really wanted to be with me just as much as I never wanted to let him go. I would take this happy medium between old and new Edward. I still loved him all the same.
"I wear it every night," I admitted, gazing into his gorgeous green eyes.
"Good," was his response as he bent down to place a soft kiss on my cheek.
Yup, New Year's Eve is going to be very interesting, I thought to myself as we left my apartment to join our friends upstairs.
*EPOV*
I sat in my living room watching an episode of Maury Povich. I couldn't help but laugh at the reaction of the guy on TV when Maury read the results of the paternity test confirming that he was the 'baby daddy.' I wondered to myself how much they paid these idiots to appear on the show because I couldn't imagine that anyone with any dignity would allow themselves to be humiliated like this on national television…unless they were being paid.
I glanced at the clock and decided that I'd better get showered because I had an appointment with my orthopedist this afternoon to make sure all my bones were healing correctly. I grabbed the remote and shut off the TV. I slowly got up and made my way over to the phone to call Alice. I still needed help showering and she had been helping me out over the past week since my parents had left. Now…don't be getting all disgusted. I wore a bathing suit in the bath or shower. I didn't need my cousin seeing my junk. That would be wrong on so many levels.
I picked up the phone and dialed Alice's cell phone. After several rings she answered.
"Hey Pix, do you think you can come up and help me get ready for my doctor's appointment?"
"Shit!" she yelled into the phone. "I totally forgot that was today. Look Edward, I'm at work and we are completely swamped. I thought we were busy before Christmas, but boy was I wrong. We have been mobbed all day. I think a lot of people are looking for something to wear for New Years."
"Oooo-kay," I said. "So I take it you can't drive me to the doctor today, huh?"
"I'm really sorry, Edward. I totally would, but I can't leave my staff here shorthanded."
"That's okay," I told her feeling guilty that I had to rely on people so much for the most basic stuff. "I can just call a cab, it really isn't a problem."
"Hey, I just had an idea," Alice said. "Bella is off from school this whole week. Why don't you call her and ask her to drive you? She doesn't have a car but she can drive yours."
"Uh, yeah, I guess I can do that," I responded, sounding a little apprehensive.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You are lying," she scolded. "Oooooh…you need help getting showered, don't you?" she said, snickering under her breath. "Well, I'm sure Bella would be more than happy to…"
"It's okay, Alice," I said cutting her off. "I'll just take a bath. That way I can sit down in the tub. Plus I have to learn to be more self-sufficient. I can't rely on everyone all the time."
"Suit yourself," she said. "Go start getting ready and I will call Bella and ask her to drive you to the doctor. Your appointment is at two o'clock, right?"
"Yes," I responded.
"Okay, she'll be there to take you," she said to me before I heard her start to break up a fight between two women who were arguing over a dress and hung up.
I put down the phone and laughed. God, women were passionate over their clothes.
I limped down the hall toward the bathroom and turned on the water to let the tub fill up. While I waited, I went into my room and checked my email quickly. I responded to my mother letting her know that I was okay and I would call her tonight to let her know what the doctor said about my progress. I then shed my clothes, throwing them into the hamper in the corner. I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed back into the bathroom. I felt the water and shut off the faucet. Just as I did, I heard someone call out.
"Hello? Edward?"
It was Bella. I looked out the door of the bathroom into Jasper's room, which was directly across the hall, where I could see the clock on his nightstand. It was only twelve-fifteen. Had Alice given her the wrong time for my appointment?
"I'm here," I called to her. I stepped out of the bathroom and found Bella walking down the hall toward me. When she saw me she stopped short, taking in my appearance as I was only wearing a towel and nothing else. Her eyes raked over my body from head to toe and when they finally traveled back up and met my eyes, she blushed a bright shade of crimson. A huge smirk broke out across my face. She immediately looked at anything but me. All of a sudden something on her nails became fascinating. I had to laugh.
I briefly allowed my eyes to trail down her body. Of course I thought she was beautiful but man…her body was hot! Imagining her standing before me in just a towel made me almost lightheaded. It seems that all the blood in my head was currently flowing down stream towards my other head. I needed to stop this line of thinking because I didn't think the thin barrier of terry cloth wrapped around my waist was going to conceal my secret.
Down Boy!
"Uh…Alice called and said you needed a ride to your doctor's appointment and help getting showered," she said softly while continuing to study her finger nails.
"Well, I told her not to bother you. I decided I would take a bath instead of a shower so I could try to do it myself," I responded.
"Oh…I'm sorry. I'll just leave and come back to get you in a little while," she said as she turned around to make her way back to the door.
"Bella, wait," I called to her, effectively making her turn back around to face me. "Actually…if you didn't mind…I…I…" I was stuttering, feeling like a mumbling idiot. "I may still need some help washing my hair. I can't get my cast wet and it is kind of hard to wash it with one hand."
"Okay," she said softly. "I would be more than happy to help you out."
She started to walk toward the bathroom door as I hesitated slightly and turned to walk back to my bedroom.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I was…uh…I figured you would rather I…put on a bathing suit. That's what I do when Alice helps me."
She let out a small chuckle. "Uh…I don't think a bathing suit will be necessary. It's not like I haven't seen it…" she waved her hand out in front of me…well, towards my package to be exact, "before."
I just looked at her, stunned. I wanted to crack up.
"But if you would feel more comfortable, I can turn around until you get into the tub," she said.
I let a sly, cocky grin spread across my face. I was in a playful mood and wanted to get a rise out of her. "Bella, if you're okay with it, then I'm okay with it," I said in a slightly smug, mischievous manner, and with that I dropped the towel I had around my waist to the floor and walked past her into the bathroom.
I tried so hard to stifle my laugh as I stepped into the tub. The sight of her eyes bugging out of her head made it really hard to stay composed.
I stood in the tub, thinking of the best way to sit down since I couldn't put all my weight on my one foot and I couldn't support any weight on my one wrist. "Uh, Bella," I called out. She was still standing stunned outside the bathroom. I saw her shake her head to regain her composure and slowly turn to face me in the doorway.
I continued to have to stifle the laugh that was begging to be released when I noticed she was doing everything she could to just stare at my face and nothing else.
"Y…y…yes," she stuttered.
"Could you come give me a hand sitting down?"
She shook her head and mumbled something low under her breath that sounded something like, 'get yourself together, you can do this,' before she looked back at me. "Of course, Edward." She walked over to the tub and grabbed a hold of my good hand while wrapping her other arm around my waist, holding as much of my weight as she could, while I lowered myself into the water.
I looked up at her as she took a seat on the edge of the tub. "Thanks," I said, all joking aside.
She smiled down at me, staring into my eyes intensely. "It's my pleasure, Edward," she whispered. "I've wanted nothing more than to help you in any way I could this whole time. I'm just glad that you are finally allowing me to."
I reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I held the gaze of our eyes, trying to relay an unspoken message to her that I was done trying to lock her out. If there was any way we were going to get through this, we had to do it together. I hoped to God that I would remember our past, but if I couldn't I knew there was enough between us that we could make new memories together.
She reluctantly let go of my hand and reached across me to grab the bottle of body wash from the ledge. When she picked up the pink body puff sponge, a smile spread across her face and she looked down, cocking an eyebrow at me.
"Are you a fan of body wash and pink sponges from Bath and Body Works?" she asked while trying her damndest not to break out into fits of laughter.
"Give me that!" I said, trying hard to not laugh myself, as I grabbed the sponge and bottle of soap out of her hands. "Alice brought it over when she started helping me bathe. But don't laugh at me. Emmett and Jasper have both smelled awfully floral the last few days, and I even caught Jasper trying to sneak in the other day with a bag from that same store. When I swiped it out of his hands I found that he had the matching lotion and body spray. He said it was for Alice, but I don't believe him."
Bella lost it. She started laughing so hard that I thought she was going to fall off the side of the tub and into the water. Not that I would have minded at all. Hmmm…
"Okay, Edward," she said as she controlled herself again, "your secret is safe with me."
I opened the soap and poured a little onto the puffy sponge. I started to wash my arm, avoiding my cast as well as I could. When I went to switch hands so I could get my other arm, I realized that it would get my cast all wet.
"Give it here," she said as she reached and grabbed the sponge from my hand.
"Yes ma'am," I responded.
She dipped it into the water, grazing her hand slightly on my outer thigh. I looked up at her and again we locked eyes. She brought the sponge up and began to wash my other arm. Her movements were soft and soothing. She gently ran the sponge up and down, leaving an icy hot trail along my skin. She scooted herself over on the ledge a bit so she was slightly behind me. I heard her dip the sponge back into the water and then she started to clean my back. My head dropped forward and it took all I had to not moan. I was glad that I had filled the tub up pretty high, and there was now a slight layer of bubbles along the top from the soap, because just below the surface of the water I was sporting some major wood.
I heard the sponge dip back into the water behind me and then Bella squeezed it over my shoulders so that water ran down over my chest.
"Back up a little, Edward," Bella said softly. I scooted backwards a bit and all of a sudden Bella's hands, with the sponge still in one, ran over my shoulders, down my chest, over my stomach and back up again. I froze. This felt like much more than just a good cleaning. It felt highly erotic, and I liked it…a lot! But aside from the obvious physical effect it was having on my body, I couldn't help but realize how familiar this all felt. I wasn't sure if it was her touch that was familiar to me…or had we bathed together before? I wasn't sure.
"Uh…Edward?"
"Yes," I responded, still dazed in thought.
"Ummm…my hand," she said.
"Huh?" I said, before looking down and realizing that I had placed my hand over hers and was holding it firmly against my chest. I dropped my hand quickly, causing it to splash water up into my face, making Bella laugh.
"Sorry," I mumbled embarrassingly.
"Don't ever be sorry for holding me close to you," she said in a whisper.
I looked back at her and smiled. I could hear her genuine affection in those words and honestly, I felt them too. I wanted to hold her close to me. I was just afraid that if I responded to the pull I felt when I was around her, I would give her false hope at the progress my mind was making. Yet, it's funny, when I didn't over think things, and just let my body lead the way, I always seemed to do just what she wanted…needed.
"Okay, lean your head back so I can wet your hair."
I did as she told me and closed my eyes, basking in the feeling of her fingers rubbing through my hair as she lathered it up in shampoo. There is something so sensual about someone washing your hair…and even more so having Bella being the one washing it. This was clearly not helping out my boner situation but in the moment, I failed to give a shit. It felt extremely intimate, and fucking amazing.
Once she rinsed the last of the shampoo out of my hair she announced that she was finished.
"I'm sorry I took so long," she laughed out at me. "You are a prune right now."
I looked down at my wrinkled hand and smiled. "It was worth it," I told her, giving her a wink that made her blush.
"Okay, let's get you out of there so you can get dressed and we can make it to your doctor's appointment on time." She reached her hands under my arms and slowly started to pull in order to get me out.
All of a sudden I panicked. "Shit!" I said aloud.
"What?" she yelped in shock, letting go of me and I plopped back into the water.
I moaned in frustration. "Damn Bella…you've just been rubbing me, running your hands over me, and well…I'm a guy…that shit does stuff to us." I dropped my face into my hand.
"Oh…ooooh," she said in realization before breaking out in laughter. She quickly cleared her throat. "Again, Edward…nothing I haven't seen before. And like you said before…if it doesn't make me uncomfortable then it shouldn't make you uncomfortable either."
I looked at her and she was smiling at me. So I smiled back and lifted my arms out so she could put her hands back where they were to help me out. "Okay."
As soon as I was far enough up so that I was completely exposed I heard her gasp. I decided that this could either be extremely awkward or I could just make light of it and bust her chops.
"I know it's impressive, but just promise me you won't drop me again." When I looked at her I saw her face go bright red.
She pulled me the rest of the way up so that I was now standing. Without saying anything she turned to grab a towel and I was afraid that maybe I had offended her.
When she turned back towards me she handed me the towel. "Believe me, I haven't forgotten how impressive you are. Now dry yourself off," she demanded in a sexy tone. She gently placed her hands on my chest and leaned in close so that her lips were right by my ear. "And when you're done I think you can find something to hang it on to dry," she whispered seductively, giving me a wink, and turned to walk out of the bathroom.
I stood there with my mouth hanging open. This girl had quick wit. Not only was she beautiful, but she could give it just as much as I could. I have to say that this realization was doing nothing to help my southern situation, but it made me smile.
I walked out of the bathroom and saw Bella leaning against the wall.
"I'm just going to get changed real quick and then I'll be ready to go," I told her.
"Okay, I'll just go and wait in the living room."
She pushed off against the wall to walk down the hall when I caught wind of her scent. "That's pretty, whatever it is you are wearing. It smells like the one you used to wear before Alice picked out that new one for you in Chicago. I think I like it better." I turned and walked into my room. When I turned around to close my door, I saw that Bella was standing at the end of the hallway with her back to me, as still as a statue. It was as if she had seen a ghost. I was about to ask her if she was okay, but she shook her head and walked slowly off into the living room. I shrugged my shoulders to myself and closed the door to get dressed.
~*~
My doctor's appointment had gone well. They had taken some x-rays and my doctor told me everything looked like it was healing well. He informed me that I would probably be able to get the cast off my wrist in another month. I asked him when he thought I would be able to go back to work. He told me that although I was healing well I couldn't rush these things, especially in the line of work I did, although he didn't see any reason why I couldn't return soon to man the phones.
This was not what I wanted to hear, but anything was better than being stuck in the apartment all day long.
I met Bella in the waiting room where she greeted me with a big smile.
"How'd it go?" she asked as we walked out of the office and through the parking lot toward my car.
"Good. Doc said I can go back to work soon."
Bella stopped dead in her tracks. "What?" she yelled.
I stopped to face her, somewhat confused by her reaction. "I can only do desk work for a while until my bones completely heal," I told her.
She turned away from me, walked to the driver's side, and got in. She seemed mad for some reason and I had no idea why.
I walked slowly over to the passenger side door and slid into my seat. She started the car without looking at me and backed out of the spot.
"Bella, is something wrong?"
"No, Edward. I'm fine," she snapped.
"Oooo-kay," I replied. How had her mood just flipped like that? She was all smiles when I first walked out into the waiting room, and now she seemed really pissed. I had no idea why my telling her I could go back to work would get her so angry. Didn't she understand I was going stir crazy sitting in my apartment all day long?
We drove in complete silence back to the apartment. I was unsure of what to do or say because I had no idea what was wrong.
When we pulled into the parking garage of our apartment building, Bella parked in my spot and shut off the car. I noticed her posture relax a bit before she turned to look at me. "I'm sorry I overreacted back there, Edward."
"What were you overreacting about?" I asked.
Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she lowered her head so I couldn't see her face.
"Hey, hey, hey," I said softly as I reached out and put my fingers under her chin to lift her head up so I could see her. "Tell me what's wrong."
She reached up and wiped away the few tears that had fallen down her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm just scared for you to go back to work. Every day when I wake up and think that all of this is too hard to handle, I remind myself that it would've been a lot harder if I had lost you." She paused for a moment, looking past me out the window. It seemed as if she was imagining if her words had been true; if I had died. Her body started trembling. She brought her eyes slowly back to meet mine. "That is the one thing that keeps me going, that keeps me from falling completely apart. All this waiting around for you to come back to me is torture, but I know it is nothing compared to what it would have been like for me if you hadn't survived. So knowing that you are going back to work…that you want to go back to work…it's just really hard."
Wow. How the hell was I supposed to respond to that? I felt so guilty. I had no idea, even though I should have, that she would be feeling this way.
I reached out and took her hands, trying to offer her some comfort. "I'm sorry. I should have been more sensitive to your feelings regarding the situation. It's just that…well…it is the only thing I have ever wanted to do with my life. It's the only thing I know, Bella."
She gave me a sad smile and squeezed my hands. "It's okay, Edward. We should get upstairs. It's almost four o'clock and we have to start getting ready for tonight. It's New Year's Eve after all. So much to celebrate," she said softly, but with a clear hint of sadness that wasn't hard to miss.
She pulled her hands from my grasp and opened the door to get out of the car. I got out and followed her to the elevator. We were silent again during the ride up but as the door opened at her floor, I reached out to stop her before she stepped out.
"I just wanted to thank you for…well…everything you did for me today. It was nice to spend time with you alone."
I wanted to lighten the mood. I didn't want her going back to her apartment sad. "I especially liked the bath," I said, stepping close to her. "I don't think I can ever go back to showering in my bathing suit again while my cousin washes my hair."
Bella looked up at me through her long lashes and just when I thought she might deck me she burst out into laughter.
"I have to say…thank God I know you are wearing your bathing suit. That would just be…well weird otherwise," she said through her laughter.
"Yeah, tell me about it," I said joining in with her laughter.
The elevator started to beep because I had held it open too long. I stepped back inside as Bella stepped out.
"I'll see you later tonight when we all head over to Eclipse," I said to her.
"Sounds good," she told me.
"You're still wearing that little blue number from Alice's store, right?" I asked as the elevator dinged alerting us that the doors were about to close.
"Yes," she answered as the doors started to shut.
"Well then you see, Bella, I do have a lot to celebrate tonight."
And right before the doors shut completely I caught her smile and blush.
Fuck the dress, I thought. That smile alone was enough to make me want to celebrate.
I finished getting dressed by nine-thirty since we were supposed to get to Eclipse by ten. Alice had laid out the outfit she saw fit for tonight since we were supposed to get dressed up. I was wearing black dress pants, a dark blue button down shirt and a black tie. Pixie thought she was slick, but it didn't go without notice that the blue shirt I was wearing was exactly the same shade of blue as the dress that Bella was going to be wearing.
When I walked out into the living room, I found Emmett and Jasper sitting around drinking a beer. I had to laugh because Emmett was holding onto a brand new pimp cane that was covered in rhinestones at the top.
"What are you laughing at, butthole?" he asked.
"Probably the fact that your cane looks like it has a disco ball on the top of it," Jasper piped in.
Emmett looked over at Jasper. "That's the point," he told him in complete seriousness.
Jasper and I just doubled over in laughter.
"Hey! Rosie said it makes me look sexy. That and it matches her shoes."
Jasper and I laughed even harder.
"Damn man, you're whipped," Jasper managed to choke out in between his laughs.
"Yeah? Well at least Rose didn't make me wear custom made boxer shorts that say 'Jasper loves Alice,'" Emmett retorted.
Jasper immediately stopped laughing, looking mortified.
"Yeah, you didn't think I saw that shit when you were carrying your clothes into the bathroom before you showered," Emmett said, now in between his own fits of laughter.
I looked over at Jasper with my mouth hanging open.
"Don't ask," he said to me while shaking his head.
Emmett stood up and grabbed his pimp cane; he then threw me a can of beer. "Here…you can drink this on the way down to the girls' place."
When we got to Alice and Bella's apartment, Emmett just busted in the door like he owned the place and boomed out in his big voice, "Hey Rosalie, come here woman and give me some lovin'."
"You call me woman one more time and you are going to be permanently limping on that damn cane of yours after I sweep your leg Karate Kid style," Rosalie yelled out from whatever room she was currently in.
Emmett turned to me. "See what I mean? Now do you understand why I took that date book that Alice made for you right before your first date with Bella? Rosalie can seriously kick my ass. I need all the help I can get."
"Oh yeah," I laughed, "I totally forgot that you took that. Did you get any use out of it yet?"
Emmett was about to open his mouth to answer when Jasper cut in. "Wait, Edward, you remember Alice making that book?"
"Yeah, of course I do. We were hysterical when she gave it to me because she had stayed up all night making it and even ran out in the middle of the night to have it professionally bound." I continued to laugh over the memory.
I looked up and Jasper and Emmett were gaping at me, their mouths hanging open.
"What?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden at their stares.
"Edward, don't you see? You remember something having to do with your relationship with Bella. That happened the day you guys went on your first date. Do you remember anything else from that day?" Jasper asked.
Holy shit! I hadn't even realized that I was having some sort of memory about something that just a week ago I wouldn't have remembered.
"Well?" Jasper pushed.
"Hang on a second, man. Give me a second to think."
I wracked my brain trying to remember something about our date.
"I…I can't remember. It's weird, if you hadn't brought up the book I probably wouldn't have recalled it on my own, but once you said it I did."
"Hey, Edward, do you remember the other day when we were at Alice's shop?" Jasper asked.
"Yes."
"You called Bella, Beautiful. Do you recall that?"
"Ummm…yeah, I guess so. I mean, she did look beautiful in that dress," I answered honestly.
"Well, I can't be sure if that is how you meant it or not but that was sort of your nickname for her."
"Really?" I responded.
"Yeah. Like I said, it's hard to say if you were just saying it because she looked beautiful or if it was because subconsciously that is what you always called her," Jasper tried to explain.
"Wow…I don't know, but thanks for mentioning it. I need to be more aware of what is coming out of my mouth I guess."
"Man this shit is huge!" Emmett boomed out.
"Shhh," I told him. "I don't need the girls to hear."
"Why not?" Jasper asked.
"Because it's only a couple of things, and one I am not even sure of. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up just yet. It's New Year's Eve and I want everyone to enjoy themselves without having to think about me and my fucked up brain."
They both nodded in agreement, promising to keep it to themselves for now.
The girls finally walked out all dressed and ready to go. When I saw Bella I almost busted a nut. She looked stunning. She was wearing the dress I had seen her in at Alice's boutique. She had paired it with an extremely sexy pair of blue stiletto high heels that had a little bit of sparkle on them. Her hair was pulled all up, piled loosely on the top of her head, with a few stray pieces hanging down. I never thought that seeing someone's neck and shoulders could be so sexy, but they were quickly becoming two of my favorite features on Bella's body. My dick raised his hand in complete agreement. I shifted slightly to try and hide him.
Jasper and Emmett stood and walked over to help Alice and Rosalie into their coats. I watched as Bella came over towards the couch I was sitting on to gather her coat that was draped over the back. I stood as quickly as I could and grabbed it before she did.
"Please, allow me," I said.
Bella smiled and turned so I could help her into it. "Thanks," she said while looking at me over her shoulder.
We all made our way out of the building and Jasper ran out to the road to hail two cabs. We weren't that far from the club, but between the girls and their heels and Emmett and I not being able to walk too far, we figured a cab would be the wisest choice.
After we all piled into the cabs, we made our way over to Eclipse.
When we got to the club, there was a huge line around the block. I was about to tell them that I was going back home because there was no way in hell I was standing in that line. It was too damn cold outside and I was in no position to be standing for too long. But apparently they all knew the owner…a woman named Victoria I was told, so we walked right in and were showed to a private section towards the side of the dance floor.
A redhead walked over to our table to greet us. I found out that this was Victoria. She kept staring at me but quickly excused herself, wishing us a good night, after I noticed Bella shooting daggers at her with her eyes.
"For once I'm glad that he doesn't remember something," I heard Bella mumble to Rosalie.
Hmmm…had something happened between Victoria and me? I made a mental note to ask Alice about that another time.
Complimentary bottles of liquor, juice, soda and champagne were brought over to our table by a waitress. We all made ourselves drinks and Emmett poured us each shots. We all held up our shot glasses and toasted before we downed them.
After everyone was feeling good, the girls got up and started dancing. Jasper, Emmett and I did a few more shots before the two of them made their way out onto the dance floor to claim their women.
I checked my watch and saw that it was eleven-thirty. I decided that I should use the bathroom now so that I would be back before midnight.
I made my way through the club and headed back toward the restroom. I laughed as I passed the huge ass line for the woman's room. I walked into the men's room, did my business, washed my hands and headed back out towards our table.
When I got halfway there, I saw Bella dancing with Mike Newton. I immediately saw red. It wasn't that I minded she was dancing with someone -okay maybe that was a lie - but something about him in particular didn't sit well with me. I knew that I was unable to dance because of my ankle, and I wanted her to have fun tonight, but what made my blood boil was the way his hands were gradually getting lower and lower down her back until they finally rested on the swell of her ass.
I stormed forward toward them. Right before I reached them, I saw Bella take a step back, telling Mike that he was drunk and being a little too touchy for her liking. He was about to say something back when I stepped in between them and got up in Mike's face.
"I suggest you keep your fucking hands to yourself unless you want to leave this bar in a much worse condition than I am in!"
"Edward!" Bella yelled. "It's okay! I have already handled the situation. There is no need to start a fight," she screamed at me.
I turned to her. "Oh yeah? This is the same asshole who told Tyler that it wasn't a good idea that he touch you the other night at your apartment, and yet here he is grabbing your ass on the dance floor right in front of my fucking face!" I spat out.
"He wasn't grabbing my ass, Edward."
"Well he was about to," I growled to her, looking to the side, watching Mike scurry away.
"Well at least someone wants to grab my ass!" she spat at me.
My head snapped back towards her. "And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
She was about to yell something back at me when she stopped herself. She shook her head and looked sadly down at the floor. "Nothing, Edward. It meant nothing," she said before walking slowly away.
I was now standing in the middle of the dance floor with everyone who was around us staring at me. I walked over to the bar and ordered a beer. After I paid the bartender, I took a swig and looked over toward our table and saw Bella sitting there all alone. I felt like the biggest dick. I had ruined her Christmas and now I was ruining her New Year's Eve.
"Attention everyone! We have five more minutes until midnight. Get yourselves ready to party!" the DJ announced.
I made my way through the crowd back to our table and sat down next to Bella.
"Hey," I said while nudging her with my shoulder.
She looked over and gave me a slight smile. "Hey."
"Bella, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to act like a raging, jealous boyfriend. There is just something about that guy that doesn't sit well with me when it comes to you."
She looked up at me but didn't say anything.
"I imagine my reaction was similar to yours when you were killing Victoria with your eyes earlier when she came over and was looking at me."
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Yeah, I saw that," I said with a smile. "I don't know what that is all about, but part of me doesn't even want to know."
Her lips finally lifted into a smile. "Yeah, you don't need to hear about that," she replied.
"Look…can we just forget about all that and try to have a good night?" I asked her.
Before she could answer, the DJ came on again announcing that there was one minute left before midnight. Bella stood up and reached her hand out to me.
"Come on, Edward. Let's go join our friends out on the dance floor."
I grabbed her hand and let her lead me to where Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie were.
We all huddled around each other and started counting down with the crowd. We all screamed "three, two, one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Confetti and balloons dropped from the ceiling and everyone started to cheer.
Emmett grabbed Rosalie and dipped her back before planting a big old kiss on her. Jasper put his hands on either side of Alice's face and mouthed "I love you," before leaning in and kissing her deeply.
I looked down at Bella and watched as she looked up at the ceiling, smiling, and holding her hands out as she watched all the confetti fall. She looked over at me and noticed that I was staring at her.
"Come here," I said grabbing her and pulling her to me. I wrapped her hands around my back before I circled mine around her. "Happy New Year, Bella," I said as I gazed down at her.
"Happy New Year, Edward."
I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.
As soon as our lips touched I felt a jolt of electricity pulse through my body. Bella must have felt it too because I felt her knees give out slightly and I tightened my grip on her just to make sure she didn't fall. When we pulled back we just stared at each other. Neither of us seemed too sure of what to do next so I reached up and tucked a piece of her hair that had fallen loose behind her ear, and kissed the tip of her nose. Just as the New Years anthem, Auld Lang Syne, ended, the DJ came on over the loud speaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would just like to wish all of you a Happy New Year on behalf of me and the entire staff of Eclipse. Now if I can have all you couples on the floor, we are about to slow things down with a very special song request. This song goes out to Edward and Isabella from your friends. They hope that this next year is filled with beautiful memories."
The music started and Bella and I both looked at each other completely confused. We glanced over at where Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were dancing. They were all looking over at us smiling.
I glanced back at Bella. "Would you like to dance?"
"I thought you'd never ask," she said.
Bella and I moved slowly with the music. It was so nice to have her close to me. Her body felt so familiar, like it was meant to be wrapped in my arms. All of a sudden, I realized that I didn't need to rely on my brain to explain things to me. My body, my heart, had been telling me this whole time that I was falling in love with this woman. I had just been too wrapped up in everything that I hadn't let myself realize it. I squeezed her tightly to me, allowing my hands to rub her back.
I wasn't familiar with the song, but if I had to guess who it was I would say Leeann Rimes. It certainly sounded like her. I started paying attention to the lyrics and I really started to get choked up.
Time, sometimes the time just slips away
And your left with yesterday
Left with the memories
I, I'll always think of you and smile
And be happy for the time
I had you with me
Though we go our separate ways
I won't forget so don't forget
the memories we've made
Please remember, please remember
I was there for you
and you were there for me
Please remember, our time together
The time was yours and mine
And we were wild and free
Please remember, please remember me
Goodbye, there's just no sadder word to say
And it's sad to walk away
with just the memories
Who's to know what might have been
We'll leave behind a life and time
We'll never know again
Please remember, please remember
I was there for you
and you were there for me
And remember, Please remember me
Please remember, please remember
I was there for you
And you were there for me
Please remember, our time together
The time was yours and mine
And we were wild and free
Then remember, please remember me
And how we laughed and how we smiled
And how this world was yours and mine
and how no dream was out of reach
I stood by you, you stood by me
We took each day and made it shine
We wrote our names across the sky
We ran so fast, we ran so free
I had you and you had me
Please remember, please remember
I looked down and saw Bella's cheek pressed into my chest. I could tell she was crying, so I ran my hand up from her back and into her hair, massaging lightly to comfort her.
I rested my chin on top of her head as we continued dancing. All of a sudden, something in front of me caught my eye. A guy that was dancing with a girl had a metallic outline of a wolf on the back of his shirt.
Holy shit! A vision of the other day when I was in Bella's bedroom flashed into my head. The stuffed wolf on her bed…I had won that for her on our first date. My mind began to race and I started getting flashes of different things over the past few days that I had said, completely unaware that I was even saying them, which were clear indications that my memory was coming back. I remembered the book Alice had given me the morning of our first date, and…damn…even this afternoon I had made a comment to Bella regarding her perfume, saying that I preferred the one she wore before Alice got her a new one while we were in Chicago. I remembered her perfume!
And Chicago…my god…I remembered back to that picture Alice had given to Bella for Christmas. We were definitely in Millennium Park, I knew that just from seeing the picture, but now that I thought about it, I definitely remembered asking Bella to be my girlfriend there.
Things were still fuzzy, but I was definitely remembering.
I pulled away from Bella and cupped my hands around her face excitedly, brushing the tears off her cheek. "Bella…I remember!"
"Actually, it's called Please Remember. I have this song on my iPod," she said.
"No…no…you're not understanding me. I'm not referring to the song." Before she could really process what I was saying, I grabbed her hand and raced us through the crowd, towards the front exit.
I looked back at her to make sure I wasn't pulling her too quickly because I knew she was wearing high heels. Her face had a look of pure confusion but she wasn't fighting me. She followed my lead with complete trust.
When we got outside, I turned to face her. "Bella, the other day in your room I mentioned something about the stuffed wolf on your bed. I said how I couldn't believe you still had it, but I definitely remember saying how I had won it for you on our first date. Did you not pick up on that, because I sure as hell didn't?"
Bella bit her lip and looked up at me. "I did notice."
"So why didn't you say anything?"
"I was afraid to get my hopes up…or yours. You didn't seem to notice that you said it, so I figured that maybe it was a fluke. I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that."
"No, I completely understand. I did the same thing tonight when I remembered the book Alice made me before our first date to help me pick out something for us to do. I hadn't realized that I was remembering something until Jasper and Emmett pointed it out to me, but I told them not to say anything because, just like you, I thought it might be a fluke and I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up too high.
"I also remember saying something about your perfume today. I remembered that you were wearing the scent you used to wear when I first met you. Now that I think about it…is that why you stopped short and froze in the hallway?"
She looked down at her feet as if she were feeling guilty. "Yes, Edward, I noticed. Now I feel like such an ass for not saying anything."
I tilted her head up by her chin. "Bella…no sad faces. I don't blame you for being cautious, but Baby, I'm remembering things. I'm still fuzzy on specific details, but it is definitely coming back to me."
All of a sudden, Bella threw her arms around my shoulders. I knew she was holding back from squeezing me as tight as she really wanted too but she was being mindful of my broken ribs. She buried her face into my neck and started to cry.
"Oh god, Edward, you have no idea how happy this makes me. I have waited and waited for those words to leave your mouth. I knew you wanted to give it a go with me regardless of if you remembered things from our past, but it was just so hard for me to try and pack those memories away into a box in the attic of my mind. Every moment I have spent with you since the day we met is cherished, and it broke my heart to think that I had to be the sole owner of them since you could no longer share them with me."
I gently unwrapped Bella's arms from behind my neck and held them in my hands in between us. I rubbed my thumbs over her skin as I spoke.
"I am not going to lie to you…I don't know how long it will take me to remember everything, and there may even be some things that I never remember again; I just don't know for sure. But what I do know is that I will spend every day of the rest of my life, if necessary, working to get back as many of our memories as I can because I cherish them as well."
Not realizing it I had walked forward a few steps, and Bella was now leaning against the brick wall of the building.
"Bella," I said as I placed my hands on either side of her head. "I think I owe you a proper New Years Eve kiss."
Her breathing quickened as I stepped in closer, pressing my body flush with hers. I leaned in and crashed my lips to hers. It took no time at all for her mouth and body to respond. My tongue slipped into her mouth and she met mine with hers. Her hands ran up my chest before making their way into my hair where she griped it tightly.
After several minutes of kissing like caged animals who were finally set free from their captivity, we pulled out of the kiss, both of us panting heavily as our foreheads rested against each other.
After our bodies relaxed, I stepped back and held out my hand, which she accepted immediately.
"Would you like to get out of here?" I asked.
"Sure, but don't you think we should go back in and tell everyone that we are leaving? We also need to get our jackets," she reminded me.
"You are right," I told her. You go and say goodbye to everyone and I will go to coat check and get our coats. I will meet you back out here."
Ten minutes later, as I was leaning against the wall outside, Bella walked out to meet me. I held her coat up for her so she could put it on.
"What did you tell everyone?" I asked.
"I just told them that we both wanted to get out of here and I would talk to them all tomorrow. Short and sweet," she said with a smile. "So, where did you want to go?" she asked shyly as she looked up at me through her lashes.
I pulled her into me again and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "We are going home. I think it is high time that you and I become reacquainted."
Bella looked up at me with lust and desire in her eyes.
"Come on, Beautiful," I said to her, grabbing her hand and making my way over to the doorman, asking him if he could get us a cab. "I've missed you."
~*~ So, was this chapter all you've hoped for? We hope so. We left you with a very good cliffie. We don't think you need to have it spelled out what will definitely be happening in the next chapter ;)
~*~ Please let us know what your thoughts. If you don't have a Twilighted account and would like to have a teaser sent to you, send us a PM and we will gladly give it to you. For everyone else, please come and chat with us on the WTS Twilighted thread.
~*~ We also want to thank our reader strippedfan. She posted the video for the song we used in this chapter, "Please Remember" by Leeann Rimes, on the WTS thread. She was our inspiration to use that song in this chapter. So thanks doll...muah! You can watch the youtube video using this link http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=_SYxRhc0pZ0&feature=player_embedded
~*~ Fic Recs~*~ (Tell them we sent you)
Pauline: I am really loving, Mens Rea: A Guilty Mind by: forbidden-fruit81. It's different than anything else I've read. It's a murder mystery that's so well written from a legal standpoint.
Holly: The Delicate Dance of Marriage by: funkydiva1978. I found this little treasure of a story a few days ago and I am gobbling it up. Edward and Bella are an estranged married couple separated by a misunderstanding…or did something really happen? This story has me thinking of so many crazy conspiracy theories as to who is trying to keep B x E apart and why?