(A.N. Ok everyone! I have a challenge for you. It was brought to my attention that my summary for this story sucks. Ok, the word 'sucks' wasn't used. This certain reviewer used a much kinder word to describe it, but lets be honest here, it really does suck. I was thinking that since I can't seem to get it right that I would have some of my readers help me out. I mean, who knows my story better than you guys? So, if you are interested in helping me out, take a quick visit to my authors page to get all the information. I will pick my favorite and give full credit to the author in the summary and a few other places. So, since I have that out, enjoy the next chapter and as I say every time, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!)
My days of late were filled with Edward. He insisted on me staying at his house as I recovered from my knock on the head Although I fought it at first, in all honesty, it wasn't something that really took a whole lot of coaxing on his part. 'He had me at hello.' I didn't even get annoyed with him over the last couple days of constantly being together. It actually felt natural. That alone, made me realize how much I truly liked Edward and his company. And though I was warming up to my rapidly growing feelings for him, they still scared me witless, but that fear is momentarily squelched by a new fear coming just above the horizon.
Tomorrow we leave for Forks to visit Edward's parents, and the thought of spending the weekend with the Cullen's, both scared me and made me anxious. I already knew Carlisle pretty well from practically living in the emergency room the few years that I lived in Forks, and I knew Esme not only through Carlisle, but also because in a town as small as Forks, it would have been extremely difficult to not know her. Both were amazing people, as far as I was concerned, but I had only met them as Chief Swan's clumsy daughter, never as their son's new girlfriend.
What if Esme is one of those moms who doesn't like anybody her son is with? I would hate it if she started not liking me. What if Carlisle didn't want someone so accident prone with his son? He is a doctor. What if he thought I was just trying to get free medical care? Not that, that thought hadn't crossed my mind since Edward and I started dating, but isn't that only a natural thought when your life is just one ER visit after another?
Edward has been reassuring me non stop that his parent's love for me will not diminish simply because we are dating, in fact, he said, it might make them like me more. As though that's possible. But I still can't help but worry.
Edward has been taking care of me ever since the whole bar incident without a single complaint. At least not from him. Though I appreciate his help and devotion to getting me better, I felt a lot of it was quite unnecessary. Throughout the last couple of days I began to realize he would use the concussion as an excuse to get me to let him do things for me. He thought he was being discreet. He said I was 'Absolutely absurd' when I revealed my knowledge for his little butler trick. Yeah, he said absurd. I can't imagine where he learned that calling someone absurd would get a good response. Well I gave him a response. I made fun of him the whole rest of that day for it, calling him 'Ye' Ole Edward.' He seemed pretty thrilled when I returned to calling him just plain Edward, thinking I had forgotten my new nickname for him in my sleep. Little did he know I was just storing it away until the right time and right amount of people were around to witness it.
We even, finally, got around to watching all those guy movies Edward found me so sexy for knowing and owning. Braveheart, Gladiator, Die Hard, and Top Gun were among the numerous titles we watched in our self proclaimed 'boy night.' All in all, the last couple of days have been amazing.
I shook my head to get myself back into present mind. I had a goal now, and zoning out wasn't going to help that. Work was so slow today, at least as high end coffee shops go. I was given a lot of leeway for my zoning due to my concussion, and though I tried to explain that it wasn't necessary to give me special treatment because of a bump on the head, right now I was thankful I wouldn't get a write up for not paying attention.
Mike had been sulking for the past couple of weeks, or is it months, since he saw Edward and I at that horrifying club Alice dragged us to on our first date. Today, though, he was nothing but helpful and quiet, if you can believe that. Yet another perk to having a concussion. Apparently Mike thought that the slightest noise would cause me to have a brain shattering migraine. I didn't bother telling him that wasn't the case.
I had another hour before I was able to go home and I was absolutely exhausted. Not from lack of sleep, because God knows I have gotten enough sleep to tide me over for a month over the last few days, but from the aftershock of getting my head bashed in. The number of comments I got on my damaged head from customers was enough to drive me mad. Apparently the 'Grinding Pot' customers are not very creative nor are they very knowledgeable in proper conversation etiquette. Or maybe they were and I was simply behind on the times. Either way, the number of people saying that it looks like I got my head bashed with a baseball bat made me want to pour steaming coffee down their shirts and lace their drinks with laxatives. Lets see if they notice my injured forehead when they are stuck in the restroom for a few hours. I guess when the doctor said that the concussion could cause me to become irritable, he wasn't just saying it in defense of his nurse staff.
"Bella?" Mike asked quietly as he waved his hand in front of my face. I looked at him confused. I wonder how long he has been standing there.
"Yeah?" I asked finally. He smiled at me halfheartedly before answering in his newly quiet voice.
"I was just saying that you have about fifteen minutes before you get to leave." I looked at the clock accusingly. The little bugger snuck the time right by me. "Anyway, your ride is here already," I looked around then and spotted Edward sitting in the corner table smirking at me. Mike paused until I brought my full attention back to him. "and you don't seem to be feeling really well, so I was going to suggest that you take off early. I can cover you for fifteen minutes."
"Mike, I'm sorry." I said finally realizing what a pleasure I must have been through the day. "I have been zoning in and out all day. I have been no help at all."
"Don't worry, Bella, I had it covered. Besides it was a slow day anyway, not to mention your injured." He said motioning to my forehead. "Go ahead and head home. You have the weekend off to get better and then when you come back Monday then you can make today up to me."
"Thanks Mike." I said with a smile. "I'll see you on Monday then." I patted him on the arm and walked towards the back as I took off my apron.
Edward was waiting patiently outside the Employees only door when I came out. He smiled warmly at me before leaning in and giving me a kiss. He insisted on not letting me drive until I was completely better and showed no more signs of trauma. Blah. Trauma. So dramatic. It seems to me he has been insisting on a lot lately, but I gave in to almost everything he insisted upon, knowing that I could use it to get things going my way when need be.
"How was work?" He asked while we began walking down the street toward my place. Though he insisted upon picking me up, I insisted that he had to park at my place and walk to the coffee shop to do so. A little walking never hurt anyone. He moaned and grumbled about it, but I insisted on it, so he eventually gave in.
"I don't remember a lot of it. I was zoning in and out all day." He looked at me worried, and inspected my head again. I swatted his hand away. "Not because of that. I am just kind of nervous still." I admitted. He started trying to reassure me again but I cut him off before he got into his speech. "I appreciate that you are trying to make me feel better, but I don't think anything will until it is done and over with."
He cocked his eyebrow at me but nodded. "Alright. Lets go get you packed then." A huge smile spread across his face. "I know most guys aren't excited about meeting their girlfriend's dad, but I really am. If I get in Chief Swan's good graces maybe I won't get as many speeding tickets when I visit my parents in the small town of Forks."
"Fat chance. He will still give you a ticket or numerous tickets if need be." I said with a chuckle. "He has laws to uphold. He can't be giving anyone special treatment. He doesn't even let me get away with things like that. Not that I can actually speed in my truck."
"Damn! I was hoping he was a corrupt chief of police." Edward said shaking his head in mock disappointment. I smiled and grabbed his hand.
When we got to my place I headed straight for my room to start the packing process. It was only a two day trip so the packing shouldn't be to extensive, but I still wanted to be prepared. I needed to make sure I brought everything needed. No trips to the Forks supermarket to pick up something essential that was needed for everyday life. As I made my way back to my room I realized I only heard one set of foot falls and those were my own. I turned to see Edward sitting at the table awkwardly.
"What are you doing?" I asked with only a shrug for an answer. "You have to help me pack."
"Your ok with me helping?" Edward asked skeptically.
"Um, Yeah." I said not understanding. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Edward stood and walked up to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and looked down into my eyes. "Well, first of all, I have never actually been in your room. I figured you had some rule about letting me go in there." I buried my head into his chest as I giggled. He smoothed down my hair, letting out his own chuckle at his strange assumption and continued. "Second, packing usually consists of the handling of…delicates. I wasn't sure if you wanted me around when you packed those things."
"You are so weird." I gasped between my fits of giggles. I wiped a tear away and looked up at him as my giggles quieted down into quiet chuckles. "Edward I hereby give you permission to go into my room and I also will allow you to be in there while I pack my 'delicates' " I said air quoting the last word. He rolled his eyes at me and threw me over his shoulder. "EDWARD! PUT ME DOWN YOU BRUTE! YOU ARE GOING TO RATTLE MY BRAIN AND I WILL HAVE TO START THE HEALING PROCESS FROM MY CONCUSSION ALL OVER AGAIN!"
"We have a job to do, so quit being so dramatic. Besides your brain needs actual impact or a strong jolt to slosh it around. I am not causing even the slightest bit of damage." He said opening the door to my room. He paused, surveying the layout for a second before slowly walking around the room to inspect it closer and to keep me in the air longer. I huffed and rested my chin in my hand and my elbow on his back. "Not much for doing laundry, are we?" He asked teasingly. I started tickling his sides in an attempt to escape and, of course, as payback. "That won't…work…this time…BELLA…OK…OK!" He laughed and tried squirming out of my grasp. He quickly, but gently, placed me on the side of my bed and pinned my hands to my side. "That wasn't fair." He said with a smirk. I looked up at him defiantly. His hand then slowly ran up my arms, over my shoulders, and straight up to my face where his hands rested tenderly on my cheeks. He brought his face close to mine, our lips barely touching, then whispered, "Now where are all those delicates?"
"Top drawer." I said, daring him to walk over to them. He gave me a quick kiss and went over to dresser and opened the top drawer, letting out a low whistle when he opened it. He stood there silent for another couple of seconds, never once putting his hands anywhere near the inside of the drawer.
"You need to do this part." He said turning away from the drawer and quickly making his way back to the bed. He plopped down next to me and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs.
"What? Why?" I asked worried. "What's wrong?" I jumped up from my spot on the bed and ran over to the drawer. Nothing bad popped out at me when I looked inside of it. It looked like a normal underwear drawer except for a few of the pieces of lingerie Alice insisted upon buying for me over the years and of course the newest bra and panty sets she made me get last time we went to the mall, all of which still had their tags on them.
"I completely respect your plan for us not sleeping together until you're ready," I looked at him over my shoulder, confused by his sudden ramble. He looked a little flustered. "and helping you pack those kind of things will not help my resolve." When I realized what he was saying a smile spread fully across my face. I flashed him a wicked smirk. He was blushing. I looked back down at the drawer and lifted one of the more sultry get ups Alice bought for me, by its straps. I held it in front of me and turned towards Edward.
"Are you talking about something like this?" I asked trying to sound innocent. His jaw hit the floor.
"Yeah, yea…wow." He stuttered. I laughed quietly and turned back around and grabbed another one.
"How about this?" I turned again to see a flushed Edward wipe a hand over his face.
"Bella. Pease stop." He said weakly. "This really isn't fair."
"What's the matter Edward?" I asked feigning ignorance. He let out a exasperated sigh but never took his eyes away from the lacy baby doll. He put his head down suddenly and ran his hand through his messy hair, making it stick up in every different direction. "Alright." I said throwing the flimsy piece of lace haphazardly into the drawer and grabbed my normal, everyday intimates. I then opened the second drawer and pulled out two pairs of sweats and a tank top. "Can you grab the duffel bag in my closet please?" I asked with my back still facing him as I rummaged through my other drawers looking for anything that I might be interested in taking with me.
"Give me a sec." He responded with a muffled voice. I looked back towards him and he had his head buried in his hands.
"Edward? Are you ok?" He just nodded. My eyebrows knitted together. "I'm sorry Edward. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
His head shot up and he looked straight at me. "No. You didn't do anything wrong." He said. I looked at him confused.
"Then why…"
"Just give me a second before I have to stand." He said with a grimace. I looked at him dumbly for a whole two seconds before the light bulb switched on in my head.
"Oh." I said as I bit my bottom lip and nodded in understanding. I felt horrible that I had embarrassed him but was finding it really hard to not smile at the reaction I had gotten out of him without doing much of anything. I should have known by the way he was sitting, covering up his lap, what the problem was. Leave it to me to not get something like that. An uncomfortable giggle escaped my mouth. I quieted it quickly. "Sorry." Edward let out a huge laugh.
"Bella, it's fine." He said still chuckling as he stood. My eyes took on a life of their own as they roamed down his body. He let out another laugh, this time his head fell back, as my eyes landed on an inappropriate spot. Obviously there was no more problem. My cheeks burned and I turned quickly so I didn't have to make eye contact with him. "Where is the duffel bag?" He asked trying to change the subject.
"Th…the closet." I said stuttering at first. "Top shelf." A few seconds later I heard it thud on the bed. I turned, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground, and I made my way over towards the bed. I placed the different things in piles next to the bag trying to busy myself so I wouldn't have to turn and make eye contact when I felt two arms snake around my waist.
"Bella, are you ok?" He asked, right next to my ear. He sounded very amused. I shook my head.
"I am afraid my face is never going to return to its natural color." I explained resting a hand on my heated cheek. "I have never been so embarrassed in all my life." He let out a low chuckle and hugged me tighter to him.
"How are you more embarrassed than me right now?" He asked into the crook of my neck. He gave my neck a quick kiss before continuing. "How about we just forget about the last twenty minutes and pretend it never happened?" I nodded and turned around and wrapped my arms around him. He tightened his arms around me as I buried my head into his chest.
"I'm sorry for making you…uncomfortable." I said quietly.
"I don't know what your talking about." He said. I looked up at him to see him smiling down at me. He winked at me once and then motioned his head towards the bed. "Shall we get you packed."
The rest of the packing went by without anymore incidents. My cheeks finally returned back to their normal shade though I was still slightly embarrassed. Edward pretended as though nothing happened and I was eternally thankful for that. We decided to stay at Edward's for the night so he could finish packing and so we could leave first thing in the morning.
The next morning came much to quickly and even though we went to bed early I still was finding waking up before eight slightly offensive. Edward let me sleep in as he took a shower but not a minute longer, not that I could have. I opened my eyes as Edward came out of the bathroom from taking his shower in just a towel. There was no closing them after that. Edward was officially perfect and his body was, well, incredible. The way his towel hung loosely from his hips, and the way his hair hung down loosely when it was damp was almost more than I could bear to look at. Key word, almost. I stared shamelessly, not even caring when I caught him chuckling at my blatant gawking. After he went back into the bathroom to change, my eyes became tired again. But trying to sneak in even a few more minutes of sleep was futile. Edward is merciless when waking me up. Damn morning people. When I finally complied it was eight thirty, making it more than an hour that Edward had been up, and about forty minutes of Edward trying to wake me. The floor and I almost went at it again but Edward intervened before it got physical and then, after a quick shower and some breakfast, we were heading out the door.
"Did we get any snacks for this trip?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes. Edward reached behind my seat and set a bag on my lap. I sat up straighter in my seat and smiled widely. I opened the bag to find an eclectic mix of sweet and savory treats and two giant sodas. I looked over to Edward, who was smirking proudly as he watched the road, and smiled sweetly at him. "You're my hero. You should walk around in a leotard with a giant E on it so everyone knows."
"I don't ever see that happening." He said seriously. "Never."
"Fine, than I will have to come up with something else to call you. How about savior." He grunted his distaste for them name. "Your right. That sounds too formal."
"How about Edward or your Edward if you want to make it more of a title than a name." He said looking over at me hopefully.
"That's not very original at all, but I suppose it will do." I sighed. "You wouldn't have to buy a new wardrobe that way either." I was still digging through the bag of goodies looking at all the different things Edward bought. "You are a master snack picker." I said as I took a bite of my candy bar. "You even got us each an enormous Mountain Dew. I could kiss you."
"If you must." He said, acting very put out by the thought, then puckered out his lips dramatically.
"Nope. I don't want to distract the driver." I said.
"You wont be distracting me." He said than thought better of it. "Fine. But whenever we stop, you owe me a kiss."
"Edward the candy picker." Edward frowned as I went back to my nickname game and shook his head. "Yeah your right. Sounds kind of…well it sounds like you want to wear a leotard. I suppose that won't due either."
"Why don't we just stick to Edward." He grunted.
"We could, but it's so unoriginal." I complained. Then I threw my finger in the air. "EUREKA! I've got one!" I exclaimed making Edward jump slightly. "Edward the non leotard wearing Cullen."
"That wont work." He said matter of factly.
"And why is that?" I asked defiantly.
"Well, first of all, it makes it sound like the rest of my family prances around in leotards all day long. Could you imagine Emmett in a leotard. Not a pretty picture. Not really something I want to think about every time you address me formally. And second, I just don't like it. It's way to long and…just no."
"Ok. Fine." I sighed. "We can stick with plain old Edward."
"I like it." He said happily. "It sounds very sophisticated." I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, Edward." I sighed in defeat.
"Do you want to listen to music?" He asked, trying to quickly change the subject.
"I don't know. Do you have anything good?"
"Well, no boy bands or anything but I have a selection at least." I let out a sarcastic laugh while he handed me a giant CD holder.
We switched between who got to pick the music as the trip wore on. We were making excellent time due to Edward's insane driving, but I felt pretty relaxed the whole way. I always felt safe when I was with Edward.
We made it to Forks in two and a half hours. It should have taken three and a half. I didn't mention that fact to Edward. No need to boost his speed demon ego any more than necessary. As soon as we hit the Forks City Limit I started getting nervous. Our first stop was going to be Edward's parents house, and though they knew he was bringing his new girlfriend, they didn't know his new girlfriend was someone they already knew. My palms were sweaty and I was getting restless. Edward noticed and placed a reassuring hand on my leg.
"It will be fine Bella." He said as he turned down the long drive toward his house. "Are you going to be ok. You look like your going to be sick."
"I do not!" I exclaimed. "I am just nervous. Keep driving."
When we pulled up to the house it was just as huge as I remembered it. I had only been there a few times in the past when Charlie and I would attend the Cullen BBQ's or when Carlisle wanted me to come by and visit when I hadn't had any injuries in awhile. I sat there staring up at the huge white house as Edward ran around and opened my door for me. When I didn't respond to the open door he put his hand out. Edward blocked my view from the front door, so when I heard that familiar sweet voice I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Edward! You're early." Esme said excitedly from the door way. "Did you bring your new girlfriend with you?"
Edward gave me a reassuring smile as he answered, still not turned. "Yeah, Mom, I did."
"Well then get up here and give me a hug. I don't have shoes on otherwise I would come to you." She said getting impatient. "I want to meet this girl you have been talking about so much."
Edward turned and pulled me up the steps behind him, just so Esme and I couldn't quite see each other. I stepped out from behind him to stand next to him. "I believe you have already met her."