Disclaimer: It all remains the same - Twilight is not mine now or ever.
A/N: Just when I think you guys can't get any better you give me more reviews than ever! I was nervous about these chapters too! I guess since last week's chapters got so deep and so emotional I was afraid getting to the lighter stuff would be less intriguing. Guess I was wrong. Thank you for that :)
You all are being very patient with the slow progression of ExB, which I appreciate. Clearly that is the ultimate goal but I cannot cheat the story out of all the details it holds. I was hoping when I set out that it's what would set it apart, and now I hope that I continue to display it properly in each scene, sentence, or word even.
Thank you to the review crew who was been here from the beginning! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions every day! And welcome to all the newbies! We love to have you here in IEWIS land! :)
Here is Chapter 21 - Carlisle and Esme's arrival! More fun, music, Emmett's eating habits, and of course Edward and Bella moments await you! Go!
Chapter 21 - On the Floor
Auditions for our final scenes were brutal. Not the auditions themselves, just the process. We were all very comfortable with each other and our teachers we were performing for so the small amount of time you actually got to be actively auditioning on stage was a mild miracle. That's because the rest of the time we were trapped on campus for about 5 hours waiting and waiting and waiting.
Each person probably got to go on stage about 2 times that day. 2 times in 5 hours for about 2 minutes each time. Most of the time everyone was hanging out in various locations around the biggest room on campus that was acting as our holding cell. Rosalie and I had staked out the far right corner of the room and we had scripts, iPods, a laptop, a blanket, our school bags, and ourselves spread out around us to claim our spot.
It was going to be like this all week. I started to fear that my love of my craft was fading, but I brushed it off as nothing more than my insane lack of interest in anything Edward wasn't a part of. I needed to learn to work past that and be semi normal.
We were finally set free around 5pm and everyone stepped outside and froze in place. It was raining! It had been chilly and overcast for a while now, it being fall in California and all, but it hadn't really rained yet this season. It wasn't a big hassle, we just weren't really expecting it.
We drove home quickly, talking excitedly the whole way about the arrival of Carlisle and Esme that evening.
We walked into our apartment and we were immediately hit with a wall of stink. Seriously, it smelt like dirty feet, spoiled milk and... mold.
Alice had ran inside first but she started shrieking and hopping around until she made her way out of the living room and onto the tile in the kitchen. Rose and I were stuck in the doorway watching her freak out, neither of us wanting to go further anymore.
"The floor is all wet!" Alice took off her socks and threw them right away. "It felt like I stepped in a giant puddle."
We examined the situation further and found that our patio drains were clogged so all the rain water falling into it had built up and seeped into our living room for the last 5 or 6 hours, soaking our carpet and no doubt creating mold underneath.
I was holding my nose the whole time we were in there not being able to handle the smell very well. We were all barefoot now with our pants rolled up to our knees as we slopped around the living room trying to salvage things from the wet floor. It was like a giant puddle, everywhere you took a step water would splash out of the carpet around your foot, that's how soaking wet it was.
The Love Sac was fine, it had a vinyl cover that kept it protected from water damage. It took both Rose and I all of our strength and the better half of 10 minutes to get it rolled into our room (the bedrooms had been discovered as dry zones). Alice was standing on a chair refusing to move. She was very "grossed out" by the idea of mold starting to form under our floor and didn't last more than 10 steps when we decided to clear the room before she shrieked again and took her place atop the chair which was the closed dry surface to her at the time. Now she was stuck there watching Rose and I do what we could.
We moved the bowl chair into Alice's room and Bertha on top of the table since she was fairly light. The rest of the stuff was ok for now and we retreated into the kitchen to figure out what to do next.
"Boys. That's our best solution until we can get a hold of the managers." Rosalie declared this as she shut her phone after failing to get a hold of our apartment managers for the 4th time.
"What if Carlisle and Esme are here? Should we bother them?"
"Bella parents are better at handling these things than boys are, so hopefully they are here and we do bother them!" She laughed and I smirked at her. "We have to work something out with them, we can't remain in the swamp." She held her hand towards our stinky, soaked living room and I nodded in agreement.
"Boys and parents- let's go." I pointed to the door and we started walking.
"Wait! What about me?" Alice whined from the chair, staring at us with worried eyes.
"Get off the chair and come with us." Rose said without turning to her.
"Ewe! No way. I'm not walking in the swamp ever again. I ruined a good pair of socks and now I feel like I have 17 different diseases all over my feet." She made a face and looked down at her feet sadly.
"Fine Alice, stay in your safe spot, we will send a rescue party." I laughed and left the door open to help air out the stench as we took off towards the boy's apartment.
We opened their door to find Jasper and Edward playing Halo. It looked like Edward was winning and they were so engrossed in the game they didn't seem to hear us enter.
"Jasper, I seriously just killed you about 36 times in a row. That's pretty sad brother." Edward started mocking Jasper calmly as he fired his last shot and ended the game. He looked pretty pleased with himself, but it wasn't unusual for him to win whenever he got a chance to play. It never stopped him from gloating though.
"You sound a lot like Bella the one time she beat me. That's kind of weird how you guys do that." Jasper just looked back at his brother and gave him a concerned look.
"Bella beat you? When? How bad?" Edward looked pleased which made me pleased.
"Really bad, believe me. I think Jasper even cried a little," I said smugly making mine and Rose's presence finally known.
Rose laughed as the boys jumped at my voice. Edward smiled and Jasper rolled his eyes playfully as they stood up then took in our appearance.
"Are you making wine over there ladies?" Jasper asked as they both gazed down at our bare feet and rolled up jeans.
"No we were clearing out the swamp." I said as I leaned against the counter making Rose chuckle and then groan.
"What?" Jasper asked as turned off the TV.
Rose took over then. "Our patio drains were clogged, apparently, and the rain caused a slight flood that put our living room in a very swamp like state. The bedrooms are fine in terms of dryness, but the smell is unbearable everywhere in there."
"Well you girls are more than welcome to stay here until it gets fixed, you can't live in that mess." Edward offered and smiled at both of us as they moved into the kitchen area with us.
"What about your parents?" I asked. "Aren't they staying here too? That would make it pretty crowded."
Jasper shrugged a little and explained. "Not really. Emmett and Rose share his bed all the time though sleeping in it may be new to them," he smiled slyly when he said that and Rose kicked him in the shin making him pause and throw her a "well it's true" look, "and Alice and I can certainly fit on my bed... um, if you two can figure something out we should be fine." The last part came out awkwardly as Jasper remembered mine and Edward's not so official situation and looked over at both of us.
"Oh it's fine, I can just get a fan and stay in our room," I gestured towards Rose and grimaced quickly at the thought of sleeping in the stench. I didn't want to make things crowded or awkward though, so I would just suck it up.
"No that won't be necessary." Edward chimed in and gave me a scolding look like I had said I would sleep on the streets. "Our parents are taking my room since it has the only real bed and I was going to take the couch. You can have it instead and I will reunite with my comfy piece of floor." He smiled reassuringly at me but I made a face at him back.
"You know I don't like that arrangement Edward." I gave him a stern look.
"You know I will win in the end Bella." He smirked at me and matched my tone.
"So there's really no point in arguing because it's all figured out." He was pleased with himself and if he wasn't so good at dazzling me I would have fought back harder, but he usually did win in the end.
"We'll discuss it more later." I finished, but he wasn't even going to acknowledge my statement.
"Hey where are your parents anyway?" Rose asked suddenly reminding me as well. "And Emmett?"
"Emmett's picking them up from the airport as we speak actually." Jasper answered with a smile. "I was going to head over to your place to give Alice a briefing on pacing herself with my mother on the shopping spree tomorrow, but Edward distracted me with a Halo challenge." He smiled and a thought hit me.
"Alice! We left her stranded on the chair!" Rose and I laughed quickly with each other as Jasper asked, "What?"
Rose grabbed his arm and drug him out the door, Edward and I following behind them.
"Alice refuses to walk on the carpet because she can't stand the thought of mold. She had this epiphany of her disgust half way across the room, however, so she climbed up on a chair and now has no way off since we refuse to encourage her ridiculousness. We promised we'd send a rescue team."
Jasper rolled his eyes as Rose spoke but didn't look surprised at all.
We turned the corner in the hallway towards our door and the wall of stench that hit us was strong enough to stagger all 4 of us. It was just lingering in the hallway now, a good 8 feet from our door.
Edward kept one hand over his nose and protectively threw his other arm around me and brought me close to him. "There's no way I am allowing you to stay here tonight you silly stubborn girl." He looked down at me and shook his head and I had to laugh a little as he went into protection mode again for no real reason.
We got to the door and Alice was sitting crossed legged on the table with her hand over her mouth and nose. When she saw Jasper walk in she jumped up immediately.
"Jasper come save me!" She reached out her arms to him and started bouncing up and down.
We had stepped into the kitchen where it was safe and Jasper was rolling up his pants to go save little Alice from her island in the swamp.
He got over to her and she jumped on his back, giggling the whole way and giving the side of his face grateful little kisses until he made it to the kitchen with her and set her down.
"Thank you for rescuing me, you are the only one who loves me enough to do so!" She turned and stuck her tongue out to Rose and I and we just scoffed at her.
"Any time ma'am." Jasper joked and pretended to tip and invisible hat to her, making her giggle again.
Just then we heard "What the hell died in here?" And then a very pleasant voice scold, "Emmett Cullen watch your mouth around your mother," coming from the hall.
Edward and Jasper's eyes both lit up and we followed them out into the hallway to find Emmett leading his parents into our horrible smelling vicinity of the apartment building.
We watched as Edward and Jasper greeted their parents and then waited to be introduced.
They were even more beautiful in person if that was possible. This family was seriously blessed with the stunningly good looks gene. I felt inferior immediately because I was so plain compared to all of the people I was standing with.
After names were exchanged Carlisle suggested we move the greeting party to a better location, so we migrated very quickly down the hall and into the boys' apartment.
After Emmett settled all of their luggage into Edward's room where they would be staying we all took places around the living room and Rose explained our situation to Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme so we could figure out a game plan. It was decided that we would get all the fans we had available to us and spread them around the living room to keep the air moving and not let the stench settle and that would have to work until the managers decided to be helpful.
"Obviously you need to spend as little time in the swamp as possible," Carlisle smiled an older version of a stunning Cullen smile as he referred to our disastrous apartment by it's new name. He was lecturing us all on how to proceed since mold was involved,"only go in to grab clothes or things you need for school, but nothing more. There are many airborne diseases that come with mold so until the carpet gets pulled up and cleaned properly I don't want anyone in there longer than possible."
Carlisle was in full Doctor Dad mode as he looked around and all of us girls and gave us the protocol on Operation Clean Out the Swamp.
"The boys and I will go set up the fans and get the patio cleared out so if it rains again the situation doesn't get worse, then we can go grab something to eat and come back to figure out sleeping arrangements."
"We already have sleeping arrangements figured out actually." Edward answered his father with a very slight smirk in my direction. I folded my arms and looked away from him which made it turn into a full blown grin.
We followed them over to the apartment and hung out outside our patio wall on the courtyard side as the boys went to work.
Jasper, Edward and Carlisle were inside setting up fans and moving a few more things into the dry zones for us and Emmett was on the patio with a large broom. He cleared out the drains with the end of it then proceeded to direct all of the water into them as it slowly drained out.
I had grabbed Edward's longboard and was practicing in the small courtyard where I couldn't do too much damage and Alice was taking turns on it as well as I held her hand since it was her first time. I caught Edward glancing at me proudly now and then.
Rose was holding strong to her no longboarding rule and she was leaning against the patio wall with Esme asking about their flight and such. Emmett suddenly started singing "Chim Chim Cheree", the chimney sweep song from Marry Poppins, and he was dancing around our patio as he swept, flinging the broom and water everywhere.
Esme and Rose both screamed as they got splashed with water during one of his more exuberant dance moves, and at the exact same time, in the exact same tone they both yelled, "Emmett Cullen!"
They looked at each other and laughed as everyone in the apartment and out joined in. Emmett mumbled a, "Sorry mom, sorry Rose," and went back to sweeping silently.
We got back to the boys' apartment and took turns showering and changing into clothes that had not been worn while traipsing through the swamp before deciding where to go for dinner.
Emmett and I quickly convinced everyone that Baja Fresh was the ideal dining choice, and soon we were on our way, taking the stairs instead of the elevator so we didn't have to cross by the horrid smelling hallway.
Our night out was fun. We walked there since it was only a few blocks away and Esme and Carlisle insisted on paying for everyone. It really felt like a huge family dinner. It was huge to me at least, being an only child.
Emmett ordered about 3 full meals for himself and made us all laugh when he started eating a whole tomato like it was an apple.
"Emmett is that the tomato that was part of the display on the counter with all the salsa? You know those are for looks only, it's not like a buffett." Jasper asked his brother as he took his first bite.
"Mmm-hmm." Emmet replied with a smile as tomato juice started dripping down his chin. Again everyone started laughing when Rose on his left side and Emse on his right both handed him a napkin to wipe his face with at the same time.
They looked at each other and Esme said, "Go ahead Rose. It's very nice to know I can pass the torch off to someone who knows what they are doing."
I saw warmth take over Rosalie's face and in her eyes as she smiled back and looked up at Emmett who was immersed in his tomato still. I could tell she was very appreciative of Esme's vocal approval of her and I had never seen a happier look on her face.
Edward and I were practically sharing our meal since once we sat down next to each other and saw what the other ordered we started picking at each other's plates. Edward finally said "Wait" and pushed my hand away then put my burrito and his nachos on one plate and set it between us then handed me a fork and smiled at me.
I smiled back and let my inner 12 year old relish the fact that this was my life's equivalent of the classic Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene.
We finished the meal after all of us girls got a chance to tell all about our lives and families at home, and our school and how we all got to where we were. We described the way we met each other and the boys and there was a lot of laughing form everyone as we all remembered the elaborate game of tag, and the roof party, and the very fun beginnings of our relationships with each other.
Esme and Carlisle found our stories amusing though Carlisle was the most impressed with how they had won tag.
"Who's idea was it?" He asked proudly gazing around at all his sons faces and settling on Jasper for some reason.
"It was all Edward." Jasper said as he raised both his hands in "search me" mode.
"Edward Anthony! You came up with the idea of sneaking into and vandalizing these sweet girls' apartment?" Esme was being over dramatic with her schocked tone for comedic effect but Carlisle looked surprised too.
"I hadn't met them yet, I didn't know they were sweet! Plus they started the vandalizing." He defended himself but he only looked straight at me and I gave him an innocent look back.
"I don't know what you are talking about or why you are looking at me." I kept up the act.
"Oh really?" He smiled and leaned closer to me. "If I recall correctly you are the one that put my personal property in jeopardy when you 3 snuck over and tagged our sliding glass door at 1 in the morning. And I do believe hearing afterward that it was all your idea." He was very close to me now and I was smiling mischievously back at him. " I never did punish you for that."
The moment got a little intense and I could see fire start to errupt in his eyes as I felt mine start to burn too. Looking at him for any amount of time was always risky for me and now was no exception. I was about to throw something witty back at him but I didn't get the chance.
"I hope the rest of you know what they are talking about." Carlisle broke our little stare down with an amused tone and I looked around to see Rose and Alice engulfed in silent giggles and Jasper and Emmett close to doing the same.
I blushed right away because we had gone into our own little world again with everyone around the table watching. It wasn't a big deal normally but with his parents there I didn't know how to feel. Esme looked amused as well and she smiled slightly at me then threw Edward a look I couldn't quite grasp the meaning of. Carlisle was laughing because Jasper was now telling him the story of our sliding glass door tag.
"And don't worry about them, dad, they do that all the time. The thing where they go into their own conversation and forget other people are in the room." Jasper gave us a sly glance and made everyone laugh as he explained what had just happened with Edward and I to his father.
Esme decided it was time to head home then and I wanted to hug her for diverting the attention away from us because my blush was only getting worse with every look.
I glanced over at Edward and he wasn't looking at me but he did look quite pleased with himself.
We started walking back to the apartment but we were taking our time since Baja Fresh was on Hollywood Blvd right across from the Kodak Theatre shopping center and it is an area that is always buzzing with the beginnings of Hollywood nightlife around dinner time.
We stopped about 3 stores down from Baja Fresh were a guy was outside playing a guitar that Jasper was gawking at. The guy was clean cut and was definitely just a street performer, maybe even a student from the Musician's Institue that was just down the street.
Jasper started helping the guy tune the guitar for the song he wanted to play and eventually Jasper had it strapped to himself and was playing as the guy it belonged to stood next to him smiling and singing along. He was playing Jet's song "Are You Gunna Be My Girl" and the street guy sang it surprisingly well. He eventually pulled a tambourine out and handed that to Alice who started dancing around with it.
Carlisle took Esme's hand suddenly and began dancing with her right there in the middle of the sidewalk. It was amazingly sweet and I noticed how evident it was they were very much in love. They resembled newly weds as they embraced and smiled at each other, they still had that young love air about them, but it also felt deeper than that at the same time. The connection they had was pouring out in every touch and every look and every smile.
I couldn't control the smile that came over me as I watched them laughing and dancing and singing together as Alice began to twirl around them. Emmett literally picked up Rose and swung her around causing her to squeal in delight and wrap her arms around him.
I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and smiled when the faint sweetness hit my senses as I inhaled.
"Do you like them?" Edward asked softly in my ear as he watched his parents with me.
"Of course! I love them! They are even better in person than they are on the phone or in pictures." I smiled up at him and a soft chuckle escaped his mouth.
We just stood there watching everyone dance for a second when I realized something.
"Your middle name is Anthony?" I looked up at him and he turned his face towards me.
"Yes it is. Have I never told you?" We both looked at each other in a very confused way because that's how we both felt.
"No I don't think you have." It was odd. Such a simple detail we had never covered. We both shrugged and he pulled me in to him further very slightly, but enough for me to notice. "It's nice." I told him and I smiled when I thought about it more.
He chuckled then said, "Thanks?" And I laughed too, because what do you say to someone who compliments your middle name?
He leaned his head down to me again, but closer this time and I could feel his breath on my ear and cheek. "It's funny how we can know so many intimate details about each other but skip over simple things like middle names." He sounded serious and in thought but we both laughed at his realization. "That's what I love about us though, Bella. No matter how much I think we know each other you surprise me every day with little things I never knew before. I love that. I don't ever want that to end."
It was so sweet I thought I was either going to jump him, cry, or faint. Maybe all 3 at once.
I collected myself for a second then focused on remaining sane, tear free, and upright, as I looked at him and simply said, "Me either Edward."
We got lost in one of our moments again and Alice must have noticed because she quickly came over and pulled us both onto the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the sidewalk with her and the tambourine.
Esme and Rose were dancing together now and Alice pulled me over to them as Edward drifted over to where the guy who owned the guitar had bongo drums set up. Emmett was already there banging away on the largest one and Edward only added another rhythm over his that matched perfectly. I bet he could figure out any instrument you set in front of him if he tried.
We finished the song that way, laughing and playing and dancing and singing altother, then we all bowed and curtsied when it ended and we noticed a small crowd had gathered around us and were applauding our performance.
All 8 of us laughed all the way home as Alice and Emmett kept singing the song, keeping it alive in everyone. We congo lined half the way home and watched Emmett twirl Alice around with no effort at all the other half.
When we got back to the apartments we ran into our rooms and got pajamas then ran back out and down the hall away from the awful smell.
After everyone was changed into sleep clothes we sat around the living room listening to Carlisle tell us stories about when he was younger and lived in Italy for a while. I've always wanted to travel and see beautiful countries and cities exactly like what he was describing to us. I was caught up in everything he was saying as if it was just another book I couldn't put down.
We decided, in classic "us" fashion, to watch a movie and the boys let Esme pick what we watched. She chose Behind Enemy Lines which both her and I had never seen, but were assured we would love. We could have watched "Seasame Street the Movie" for all I cared, I was so happy to be with the other 7 people I was with I was sure anything would have been fun.
Since we had decided on movie night Edward was quick to point out we needed a movie snack. Emmett requested brownies and Emse ended up in the kitchen with Edward helping him make them since apparently she was the one who taught him the recepie when he was little. Since we were in a transition mode Alice turned on some music and a dance party broke out. It had been a while since we'd had on with everyone present.
When "Dancing Queen" by ABBA came on no one could control thier laughter as Emmett started singing every single word in a falsetto voice as loud as he could. He definitely was attempting to be dancing queen and he even attempted to throw the shimmy at me a few times, only to be shown up by his father and Jasper who mastered it right away. It was a sight I will never forget.
I couldn't help but turn most of my attention to Edward and Esme in the kitchen together as we danced though. It was adorable how Edward was so close with his family and seeing him with his mother was irresistible in a way. I laughed inside as I realized how much of a "girl thing" it is to be so taken by seeing a boy have a good relationship with his mother. They were mixing and pouring to the rhythm, and every so often he could grab her hand and spin her around while he sang to her.
They eventually put the brownies in the oven and all we had left to do was wait and catch our breath from singing and dancing with all of our energy. We were quite the musical dance troupe tonight.
I noticed Esme lean into Edward and say something quietly to him. He nodded slightly when she pulled away and then he followed her into his bedroom where and they shut the door.
Clearly my world didn't change like last time I watched Edward walk into his bedroom and shut the door with a female, but it was kind of odd since about 2 minutes ago they had been dancing and baking in the kitchen.
They didn't come back out until the oven buzzed loudly announcing that the brownies were ready. Emmett immediately jumped up from where he and Rose were sitting on the floor and ran over to the oven with a loud call of "Brownies!" that sounded a lot more like a yell of "Victory!".
Edward's door opened then and Esme rushed out and into the kitchen. She smiled down at me as she walked past me in my normal spot on the couch and it held more than just a sweet gesture. I couldn't tell what else it was though...she had flashed it at me too quickly.
"Emmett Cullen step away from the brownies!" She reached him and swatted his hands away from the oven door. "You do not get to devour them all until everyone has had a fair share."
We all laughed quietly because she knew her son so well. Emmett made an annoyed scoffing noise and remained in the kitchen right behind his mother as she pulled them out of the oven and set them on the counter.
It wasn't until then Edward emerged from his room and something was slightly off. His eyes.
It wasn't the emotion in them that was off like before though. I would have screamed if that would have been the issue. The emeralds that were usually sparkling were just clouded a bit. And ever so slightly pink...
He had been crying! I was fairly sure that I was the only one that could tell because I studied him so closely all the time and the difference was so faint. Well, me and of course Esme who I knew would have picked it up too, even if she hadn't been in the room with him when it happened.
He looked down at me and smiled. I admit I was worried when I made my realization about his crying but a little of the worry lifted when he gave me the crooked smile he had recently created for me. It was extra comforting because I was so afraid of losing him again, even in the slightest way possible. But seeing my smile on his face despite his almost hidden sorrow I was reassured he wouldn't leave like that again.
I reached out and put my hand on his arm and cocked my head to the side and mouthed "Are you ok?"
He nodded and leaned into me and whispered, "I'll tell you about it later." He moved his arm that I was touching so that his hand met mine and he gave it a quick squeeze then got up and joined his mother in the kitchen where he helped her keep Emmett at a safe distance.
"I just want to taste one first to make sure they are acceptable for all of you!" Emmett pleaded with his goofy grin.
Rose scoffed, Carlisle out right laughed, I smiled, and Esme and Edward surprised me by wearing identical expressions at his request. It was amazing how this family could look so unique as individuals, but one moment later you would see 2 of them together and the resemblance was astounding.
"Yeah right. One brownie Emmett?" Edward scoffed.
"Who do you think we are?" Esme asked with a laugh of her own. "Out Emmett. You wait like everyone else." She flashed him a gorgeous smile and pointed toward the living room.
Emmett finally sighed in defeat and walked back to Rose and flopped down next to her.
They cut the brownies up and Esme scolded her sons when she looked in the fridge for milk and found none. Bad nutritional habits and all that.
"They usually just come take ours." Rose explained turning to face Esme in the kitchen. "Which pretty much just hinders our nutritional habits because we never get any of it!"
We all laughed and Esme scolded the boys once again, now for taking advantage of our milk. Edward laughed and joked along with everyone and his eyes finally cleared up so I felt almost completely better but continued to watch him closely.
When they served everyone their movie snack (Emmett was served 2 ,but he had to wait until everyone else had theirs) Esme joined Carlisle on the sleeping bag the boys had set up on the floor and Edward took his place next to me on the couch.
I lifted the blanket I was under so he could sit and take his share of it like usual. When he got settled next to me he sat cross legged and set his brownie down in his lap and started picking at it. As the movie began he looked over at me and smiled my special smile again which made me happy.
He was sitting more stiffly than he usually did though. Again, it wasn't anything very obvious at all. I just knew too well how he naturally was. Nothing in his eyes or his smile or speech betrayed whatever was effecting him, but something was wrong. If not wrong, different. I wasn't scared at all, just curious. I turned back to the movie and decided not to worry about it because he said he would tell me later. Probably after we weren't around the rest of the family.
It didn't take long for things to progress as they normally did.
"Do you like it?" Edward asked me quietly as he leaned over and nodded at my brownie in my hands.
"Just as good as last time." I smiled back at him.
"Hm. I always think they taste better when my mother helps me." He shrugged and smiled with a closed mouth after popping a huge piece brownie in, making his cheeks poof out and making me laugh at his silliness.
I couldn't resist. As fast as I could I reached up and pushed his full cheeks together from either side. His eyes went wide and he grabbed my wrists, but he was too late.
His moth popped open and pieces of brownie flew out and landed on me as I just sat there laughing at him. I stopped abruptly when I got hit in the face with one of the pieces though, and realized how my funny plan had backfired.
He never let go of my wrists but took over my laughter. "Didn't think very hard about that one, did you?" He said over his chuckling.
I shook my head in shame and gave a small pout at how I had failed.
He laughed more and started wiping my cheek with his own napkin where the piece of food had hit me.
"What did you think would happen?" He was still laughing and wiping off my face as he looked at me with a judgmental and pity filled look.
"I don't know, you just looked so funny..." I started laughing at the memory of his puffy cheeks.
He smirked as he said, "Oh you think I looked funny? I'm not the one that ended up with brownie smudged on their face."
"Thanks to you!" As I said that I pulled of a piece of my remaining square and smashed it on his face with my whole hand, causing laughter to erupt from me.
"Now we match!" I leaned away from him in laughter as he glared at me with small pieces of brownie now stuck to his cheek. As he sat there still as stone one of the larger pieces fell off his face and onto his arm resting in his lap. The timing of it was comedic in itself and I was still lost in laughter when he went into action.
He picked up the whole 1/2 a brownie he had left and leaned all the way over me trying to get it on my face as I leaned away, both of us laughing the whole time and me squealing for him to stop.
He finally got it smeared all the way across my face and only then was he satisfied and relented his attack. We sat back up, breathing hard as we recovered from laughter and wiping our hands and faces off with napkins.
Once Edward's charming laugh faded beside me I realized how very quite it was. I was looking down at my hands as I cleaned them but I stopped mid wipe and looked up to see the movie paused on the TV and the 6 other people in the room just staring at us.
Alice and Jasper were holding their hands over their mouths and were actually glancing back and forth between Carlisle and Esme and Edward and I.
Rose was staring at me with an almost proud grin and Emmett'd stare was blank but was pulling pieces off of Rose's brownie and putting them in his mouth, his empty plate sitting on the other side of him.
Lastly I noticed Carlisle and Esme.
Carlisle looked like he was trying not to laugh and was only about 2 seconds away from having to cover his mouth like Jasper and Alice. Esme looked like a mother. That's the best way to describe it. She was smiling and shaking her head in astonishment but her eyes had a look of concern in them. Not in a judgmental way, but a motherly way. A "why are 2 children disrupting the rest of the family" way.
I took all this in rather quickly and I could feel Edward beside me still working on cleaning his hands off, having not yet looked up. I nudged him with my elbow and when he turned to me I nodded my head towards the others, pressing my lips together to suppress my smile.
He looked around at everyone as quickly as I did then the crooked smile spread across his face, still looking brilliant even under all the chocolate smears, and he just said "What?" casually as if they were staring at us for no apparent reason.
After he broke the silence Alice lost it with a big, "Pffffttttt" noise from her laugh trying to break free of her small hand holding it in.
Jasper turned to his parents and said, "I told you! They do this to us all the time, go into their own little conversations or games when the rest of us are clearly in the middle of something else!" He shook his head at us and we both just shrugged, not knowing what to say. It was true and it probably wasn't going to stop any time soon. It's not like we did it on purpose.
The room filled with laughs and Edward and I turned to each other and started laughing even harder after taking in our chocolate filled faces that we hadn't stopped to really look at.
Edward reached over with his napkin again while continuing to laugh at me and began to wipe one of my cheeks off.
Esme stood up suddenly and said, "Wait!" then disappeared in Edward's room, only to reappear again with a camera.
"We have to get this on film. Evidence that my full grown children are still nothing but just that, children." She smiled and I wrapped my arms around Edward's neck, bringing our chocolaty faces close together. He looked at me with his emeralds alive and inticed as our faces came closer and closer together, and my breath stuck in my throat until he turned his cheek to mine at the very last second. He reached up one hand and put it on the opposite side of my face, holding our cheeks together. We both grinned as widely as we could, just like 5 year olds.
"Now clean up before you get the couch messy!" Esme fake scolded us with a finger wag. She turned and snapped some pictures of the others and their various reactions to our child-like antics.
"Oh that was nothing mom, you should have seen the cake fight they had once!" Emmett boomed out from the kitchen where he was getting yet another brownie, having finished off Rosalie's already.
"We don't want to know." Carlisle said as he raised up his hand.
Edward got up and got us more napkins to fully clean ourselves with. After we were clean and made promises not to disrupt the group further the movie started again.
We kept true to our word because Edward kept true to his tradition of falling asleep half way through.
He was leaning away from me as he slept but his feet were up against my leg because he had placed them therebefore he had fallen asleep since my flannel pajama pants provided warmth or them.
When the movie ended everyone said goodnight and went into their rooms. Esme and Carlisle made sure I had my situation handled before they left the room then they both hugged me good night, which was really sweet.
I just watched Edward sleep for about 5 minutes. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and his deviant hair still standing in every direction. I couldn't help it. I reached over and began running my fingers through his hair and I said his name softly at first, then a bit louder, trying to bring him back to consciousness.
"Edward...Edward?" I smiled as he reached his hand up and rubbed one of his shut eyes and remained in the same position but made a soft sound in his throat, probably at the recognition of his name and my hand in his hair.
"Edward Anthony." I said it a little louder and more stern but with a bigger smile. He grunted this time, becoming more conscious.
"Can you wake up for a second?" I asked sweetly knowing he could hear me now because his head was turning to me a little.
"Why?" He said it softly and almost with a whine as he turned his head back into the couch.
He was being difficult and cute at the same time. That's fine, I guess he could stay on the couch and I will just take the floor. That's preferable actually, why hadn't I thought of that earlier? If he stays asleep he gets the couch and I win!
"Nevermind Edward, stay asleep. I'll see you in the morning." I said it quietly to him trying to keep him in the same out-of-it state he had been in. But when I withdrew my hand from his hair he surprised me by shooting his arm up and an inhuman speed and catching my wrist.
I gasped at the fast motion of my seemingly groggy best friend. I watched a beautiful smug smile take over his face though he still kept his eyes shut.
"Where do you think you are going Bella?"
"I'm letting you sleep since you are so reluctant to wake up." I accused, now knowing he had been more awake than he led on to.
"You weren't going to the floor by any chance were you?" He opened his eyes now and turned them on me, looking at me like I was committing a crime.
"What if I was? You certainly weren't going to move." I sassed him right back.
"Of course I was, don't be silly. I was just trying to see how long I could get you to keep playing with my hair. It's really soft again, isn't it?" He looked very proud and nodded a little trying to encourage me to nod along.
"It's silky smooth as always." I reassured him with a monotone and straight face. He is so funny about the varrying softness of his hair. It always feels perfect to me.
It pleased him enough though, and he released my wrist then got up quickly and grabbed the sleeping bag his parents had been on. He set it up right next to the couch, the exact same place he had slept when our fort had taken over the living room.
He looked at me in my still upright position with my still straight faced expression.
"Sleep Isabella." He commanded and pointed at the part of the couch I was not laying down on.
We had a stare down for about a minute until I realized I was so tired I couldn't fight it any longer. I sighed and laid down, giving him his victory he already knew he would have.
"Thank you." He said smugly in a mocking tone.
"You're welcome." I said back in a horrible deep voice that was mocking him right back.
He started to chuckle which made me laugh at us too.
"We really are children sometimes." He sighed and I saw him run one of his hands through is hair where he was laying. I was almost jealous of it.
"Yes we are. I hope your parents don't care about me reverting you to childhood." I laughed but the concern stuck a little in the back of my head when I said it.
"Not at all, they love you Bella. They love all of you already. They can tell when we are truly happy." That response made me smile but it also reminded me that Edward hadn't been truly happy all night.
"Edward, what was wrong earlier? You said you'd tell me."
I heard him sigh. "It's nothing really. I don't want you to worry, but I do want you to know."
Too late, I am worrying. The seriousness in his silky voice was very worrisome.
He paused long enough for a lump to rise in my throat then continued.
"My mother took me into my room tonight to give me something in private. It was a letter from Tanya."
The lump turned into a boulder and I stopped breathing. The only thing that kept me from spiraling back into despair out of habit of that name was the fact that I had seen the look in his eyes and the emotions in his smiles after he had read the letter, and they were the ones he reserved only for me. He had stayed my Edward despite anything related to Tanya coming back into his life.
"Bella, it's ok. You can breathe." He almost sounded like he was going to laugh and I realized I must have taken in a huge gasp of breath and not yet let it out.
He sat up and leaned over to where I was laying down.
"Bella, honestly, it's fine. I promised I wouldn't hurt you again, and I wasn't lying. I'm telling you this for a reason even though I knew initially it was going to be weird for you to hear it. But I need you to be breathing as I tell you." The faintest musical chuckle escaped him then and he reached up to push hair out of my face.
His brief touch did the trick and I was able to get another breath in, then out, then in again. He smiled and then continued when I visibly calmed.
"Tanya wrote me a letter of apology when she found out my mother and father were coming to visit. She asked my mother to bring it to me and she said yes. She knew the real Tanya and watched her grow up with all of us, so I know why she was so kind to her even after everything that occurred. Plus, everyone should get the chance to apologize. I know I'm glad I did." He threw me my smile and I know he was purposefully keeping our relationship a part of the conversation so I wouldn't let my breath stop due to what he was saying.
I smiled meekly back but just wanted to hear more.
"I opened it and asked my mom to stay with me as I read the letter. I knew it was going to be hard." He looked away briefly and ran his hand through his hair again.
"She apologized profusely and I know she means it, though I'm not positive she's changed back to her old self. I don't think she can ever go back completely. Anyway, it was hard for me to read because she was very forward about how alone she felt when I moved and how hearing about... you..." he hesitated right before he said "you" and I knew the guilt was threatening him again. He decided to go in a slightly different direction,"...well she basically poured her heart out about knowing things were going to end between us before they did. It was hard to read because she detailed the pain that us growing apart caused her. It really got to me Bella. I cried."
He was looking a little past me now, lost in his thoughts. I knew he wasn't talking to the Bella he had confessed feelings for, he was talking to Bella the best friend. They are not exactly the same thing for him yet, and in this moment I understood completely why he had asked me for time.
This was a moment I had to listen to him as best friend Bella and nothing more. It didn't hurt at all for him to keep those parts of our relationship a bit separated because he had made this need clear. Had he dove right in and let us progress to the next level this night would have been hell for both of us because there were still old emotions left to be dissolved. He still needed time to let go of the loss of that relationship.
As it was I could be Bella the best friend and know that the other Bella, the one he felt for, still existed and was still important to him. I pushed her aside and knew I would keep best friend Bella in the forefront for as long as he needed. Our friendship was the most beautiful thing about every other part of our relationship anyway.
"I know you cried Edward, I could tell." I reached out and took his hand lightly, as nothing more than his best friend.
He looked close to tears again for a very small moment. But when our hands connected he looked down at them and smiled.
"Of course you did." He said softly, still gazing at our connection.
He looked back up to me and I could see the emotions in his eyes looking at me, his Bella. The one waiting for him.
Well that didn't take as long as I thought it would!
I smiled back and said, "Are you ok?"
My Edward stared back at me and flashed one of his classic smiles. "Yes I'm fine now. It just caught me off guard. It's so easy to get caught up in our little world here in Hollywood... you almost forget about life outside of it. Luckily I have you here to keep me wrapped up in it." I smiled at his compliment, happy that best friend Bella had been dismissed so quickly.
I nodded that I understood. It was completely true. All 6 of us were guilty of getting lost in our bubble world. Rose and Alice and I talked about it often actually. What do you need past your family though? Nothing. That was the conclusion we always came to.
"Well, let me know if you need anything." I said sincerely.
He changed a bit then, his hand clamped the slightest bit tighter to mine and it was hard to tell in the dark but I was fairly sure I saw his eyes darken a bit like they sometimes seemed to.
He leaned closer to me and said in his charming lower-than-normal voice, "I promise you will be the first to know."
A different lump took over now and I just stared at him. He chuckled so very softly, still in the deeper tone, not helping me at all.
He pulled a safe distance away from me again and said, "Breathe Bella, remember?"
I rolled my eyes at him and felt a small blush take over. At least he couldn't see it to ask me about it in the dark.
"Can we sleep now, geeze Chatty Cathy, I have school tomorrow." I gave him an annoyed look and he laughed at me.
"So sorry to keep you up." Sarcasm littered his tone but he smiled and laid back down. He brought our still connected hands up to his hair, which was right where my arm naturally hung if I let it fall off the couch.
I peered down at him and he gave me a pout that would knock even Alice out of the park. His eyes were big and pleading and he said, "Please?" in the most adorable way you can twist velvet.
"Like you even have to ask." I scoffed and started my familiar motion with my fingers.
He sighed in satisfaction and turned towards the couch and closed his eyes.
"Good night my Bella."
"Good night Edward Anthony."
Hit or miss? Hit or miss? I'm still paranoid, yes.
I'm having fun detailing days again so I hope it's lovely for you guys as well.
With Breaking Dawn so very close I'm not sure what the next 2 days are going to be like in IEWIS land.
I believe I will update tomorrow and then definitely do EPOV Saturday, but probably not until late since I will be locked in my room reading all day. Maybe I will do it early actually, but I'm not expecting many people to be hanging out on fanfic waiting for IEWIS updates if BD is in their hands!
We shall see.
Hopefully more tomorrow :)
LOVE YOUS and all the comes with you!!