Author's Note: Thanks again to moosals for pre-reading. Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.
All right, we're finally going to get to the last half of Bella's Chapter 24.
Edward isn't getting a lot of sympathy from you all. One reader wants Bella to beat him with a gourmet skillet, while another says, "Perhaps we should put him out on a sidewalk, naked except for a diaper and baby bonnet, with a sign that reads, "I'm going to be a daddy, but I'm too much of a baby to man up and be one." stapled to his chest. Too much?" I'd reply but you have PMs turned off!
Monday, December 31, 2012
With my mind settled, I sleep like, well, like a baby — which is to say I wake up every two hours — finally opening my eyes for good around 9:30. I shower quickly then grab a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Downstairs, I find a note from Mom taped to the fridge letting me know that she's going to work today, but I can call her if I need anything.
I heat up the last piece of breakfast casserole then plant myself in front of the TV in the family room. Luckily, I can find another ridiculously named bowl game to watch instead of fucking daytime TV. I try hard not to think about what I'm going to do later today.
I was wrong to not let Mom call Bella if I wasn't ready to go see her, I admit that. Bella has every right to be pissed at me for taking so long to contact her. If she wants to string me up by the balls, well, I wouldn't blame her.
But when I think about what my dad said last night, that she probably thinks I don't want her or the baby… could he be right? I mean, Bella knows how I feel about her, doesn't she? When I told her not to come visit me in prison anymore, I told her that I was doing it for her. And wasn't the fact that I wanted her nonstop enough of a clue? Even if I didn't know myself that I was in love with her then, I fucking told her how different she was from other girls. Surely she understands that I just needed time to process everything?
But what if she doesn't? What if I really… hurt her? Hurt the woman I love. Does that just prove that I'm not good enough for her, that I don't deserve her? Fuck.
When my stomach growls, I get up and dig around in the fridge again, eventually finding some leftover meatloaf that I can heat up for lunch.
After I've eaten, I give Mom a quick call, since I can't find the paper where she wrote down Bella's address for me even though I had it last night. I scribble it on a Post-It Note then stick the paper in my back pocket.
I spend the afternoon watching college football, and as evening creeps closer, I start feeling the butterflies in my stomach again. I don't know what time Bella gets off work; I should've asked Mom when I talked to her earlier.
Just before 6pm, the doorbell rings. My first thought is that Mom just forgot her house key or something, but I open the door to my buddies Garrett and Peter.
"Edward, man!" Garrett yells, slapping me on the back as he grabs me in a one-armed hug. "We saw the story in the newspaper yesterday. What the fuck, man? You've been out of prison since Thursday and haven't called your old friends?"
"I've been busy," I protest.
"Well, come on, you need to go out and celebrate! A group of us are heading out to a sports bar to watch tonight's games before hitting the bars."
"I can't, sorry. There's someplace I need to go tonight."
"So go after dinner! Come on!" Peter yells.
Well, I've waited this long to see Bella — couldn't hurt to wait a couple more hours, right? Let her have a chance to eat dinner first. Grabbing my leather jacket and keys, I follow the guys out to Garrett's beat-up Volkswagen Rabbit.
"So what was it like in prison, dude?" Peter asks, turning around to talk to me where I sit in the backseat.
"Boring as all fuck… food that tastes like ass, you know."
"I can't believe you haven't called, man. We had to find out from the newspaper that you're out?" Peter complains, shaking his head.
"I know, sorry… told you I've been busy, giving statements to the police and shit like that."
Garrett buys me a beer when we reach the sports bar where the rest of the gang is already waiting for us. I enjoy the chicken wings and some other fried appetizers before ordering fish and chips for my meal. Of course, that makes me think of the night I took Bella to Olympia. Soon, baby.
"I'm going out for a smoke," Garrett says as I'm finishing up my second beer. "You comin', Ed?"
"Oh, no, I—I quit smoking," I reply with a shrug. I was mostly past any physical addiction already by the time I got to Bella's, and I just never started again at Stafford Creek, knowing she wouldn't like it. Garrett raises an eyebrow, but leaves me alone. I start pulling my jacket on to leave, but then Peter orders another round of drinks for the table.
"Listen, guys, really there's somewhere I gotta be," I announce, standing up once I'm through with my third beer.
"You can't leave now, Cullen!" Jared complains. "It's fucking New Year's Eve. The bars are gonna be crawling with pussy tonight. You've been locked up since August, so I know you've gotta be more than up for pussy."
"Really, I—"
"You're coming with us," Garrett insists. "It's not every day a guy gets sprung from the Big House."
Sighing, I nod, letting him drag me out to the car. We reach the next bar and the loud music hits me the moment I walk inside. Jared gets me a beer and I stand along the wall drinking it as I watch the crowd out on the dance floor.
"Hey there, handsome," a female voice purrs. I look down to see the redhead who blew me just before my trial. Beats the fuck out of me what her name is. "Good to see you back." She lifts her hand to rub along my arm, and I try to twist away, but I can't go anywhere with the wall behind me.
"Where have you been?" she asks. "I haven't seen you in months." Seriously? Does this bitch not read the papers?
"Around," I shrug.
"Why don't you buy me a drink and then maybe we can go somewhere private?" she asks coyly.
"Sorry, I'm not interested. Excuse me," I say, pushing past her.
"Cullen!" Peter yells, waving me over to where the guys have grabbed a table. "Garrett's getting tequila shots for everyone."
Fuck, yeah. I quickly down my shot, feeling the burn as the alcohol runs through me. I really did need a night out like this. One last hurrah before I have to become a responsible adult. Fuck.
"Cullen, my man!"
"Hey, Aro!" I stand up and we man-hug then shake hands. "Good to see you, man."
"Congratulations on finally getting your conviction overturned," he says with a smile.
"Thanks, man. All it took was a little luck in the end," I reply. "Hey, so, now that I'm out, I'm gonna be needing a job. Your parents got anything open?" Aro's parents own the Italian restaurant where I worked at the time I was convicted.
"Nah, I'm sorry, dude. They had to replace you. Nothing's available right now."
"That's all right," I reply with a shrug. "I figured as much, but I had to ask." I'm sure I'll find something eventually. No rush.
Over the next several hours, over a dozen women come up to proposition me. Some of them know who I am, some don't. Every last one of them makes my skin crawl when they try to touch me.
By 11:30, I'm completely buzzed. My buddies have been buying me drinks all night. Fuck, so have a few women, thinking a drink was the way to get in my pants. Little do they know, it's pointless.
The more drunk I get, the more horny I get. But not one of the women in this bar holds any interest to me. I can't believe these cheap sluts were what I used to go for. Not one of them can hold a candle to my Bella.
At midnight, the entire bar toasts the New Year. I down the rest of my beer, ready to go claim my woman.
"Ed, man, you can't be leaving already," Peter calls. "The night is young, man. Seriously, I need your help. See that brunette over there? I need you to keep her blonde friend occupied so I can work my magic with her."
"Sorry, man. I can't. I've got a girl." Well, I hope I do.
"No shit? You're settling down with one woman? Must be some pussy."
"Shut your fucking mouth, ok? It's not… it's not like that. She's everything. Get Garrett to be your wingman."
"Garrett's busy with some redhead. You don't have to fuck her, Ed. Just talk to her!"
Rolling my eyes, I nod my agreement, following Peter over to where the two scantily dressed chicks stand by the bar. I chat up whatever-the-fuck-her-name-is until Peter convinces the brunette to dance with him, then excuse myself to the men's room.
When I come back out, Aro buys me another beer before he has to take off and go home. I'm standing by the bar drinking it when I feel someone's hand on my junk.
"What the fuck?" I yell at the blonde.
"Don't you remember me, Eddie?" she coos, trailing her long fingernails up my stomach. "I made you see stars a few times."
Fuck… Lauren. I do remember her — she was my almost-alibi for the murder.
"Hi, Lauren," I reluctantly greet her, then grab her hand, pulling it off my chest. "Sorry, I'm not up for a repeat tonight. I'm with someone."
She actually has the audacity to laugh out loud. "I've never known you to actually be in a relationship with someone, Eddie!"
"Yeah, well, people change."
"If you're with someone, then where is she? What are you doing here alone?" she asks.
And that's a very good fucking question. What am I doing here?
"You're right," I tell Lauren. "I should be with her." I slam the rest of my beer, then set the empty bottle down on the bar and grab my jacket.
"Adios, amigos," I call to my friends, ignoring their protests as I head to the entrance of the bar.
Outside, it's not hard to hail a cab — at least a dozen of them are parked along the street waiting to take drunk partiers home. I slip into the backseat, then pull the Post-It with Bella's address out of my back pocket, handing it to the cabbie.
I'm too wasted to be nervous anymore, but my knee is still bouncing up and down. Every cell in my body is on high alert. In just minutes, I'm going to see Bella, touch Bella.
"Here we are," the driver announces. I quickly pull my wallet out, tossing a few bills at him. I climb out of the cab and stare up at the ranch-style home at the end of a cul-de-sac. Bella did really well for herself.
I quickly walk up the front sidewalk onto the porch and knock on the door. Seconds pass with no sound from inside the house, no lights coming on. Taking a deep breath, I knock again, louder.
She's probably in bed asleep. I wait a few seconds then ring the doorbell. I wait another 10 or 15 seconds before impatiently knocking again. Come on, Bella, it's fucking cold out here!
I'm startled when the porch light suddenly comes on. She's here!
The front door opens and my Bella is standing there wearing ridiculous pajamas with cats on them, staring at me as if she can't believe what she's seeing.
And she's never been more beautiful.
I step inside the warm house, slamming the door behind me before claiming her lips. Oh fuck, I have missed this. My tongue seeks out hers — a chaste kiss is just not gonna be enough right now. I feel Bella return my kiss and all is right in my world.
Bella wraps her arms around my neck, but I need her closer. I grasp her ass then lift her up off the floor, her legs encircling my waist as she clings to me.
Oh God, I need this.
I could fuck her right here in the entryway but that tiny, annoying part of my brain recognizes that she deserves more than that. Reluctantly I pull away from her mouth, my lips never leaving her skin. "Bedroom," I mumble against her neck.
Bella unwinds one arm, pointing to a hallway, and I start moving, carrying Bella close to my body. I spy an open door and step inside what looks to be the master bedroom.
I set Bella down gently on the edge of the bed and immediately reach for the hem of her pajama top, pulling it up and over her head. She scoots into the middle of the bed and lies back as I yank her pants down.
Wasting no time, I strip down to my boxers and climb on top of her, moaning as I claim her mouth once again. Bella runs her fingers through my hair, as I slide a hand down from her face until I'm massaging her left tit — which feels fucking amazing in my hand.
I drag my lips away from hers, closing them gently over one of her nipples. "Oh my God," she groans — the first words she's spoken. I switch sides, sucking and licking until both of her nipples form hard little peaks. Holding one of her tits in each hand, I brush my thumbs lightly over the nipples.
"Fuck, they're bigger!" I exclaim.
"Edward… we really need to talk," Bella says, interrupting my inspection.
"Later," I growl, kissing each nipple one more time before I begin trailing my lips down her torso. My tongue circles her navel and she cries out.
And then I reach the small bump below her waist — the baby. Our baby. I place a lingering kiss on her skin before looking up at her. "Is it ok?" I whisper.
"The baby's fine."
"Is it ok to… have sex?" I whisper. Fuck, what if she's off limits until the baby is born?
"Yes," she nods. "You can't hurt the baby." Thank fuck.
I want to ravage her, but I remind myself yet again that she deserves more. Very slowly, I begin peeling her panties down her legs, tossing them to the floor. I quickly remove my own boxers before I kiss my way up her inner thighs toward the promised land.
"Edward," she moans, "I need you inside me."
Well, all right then, who am I to refuse a lady?
Moving quickly, I crawl back over her body so I can whisper in her ear. "I love it when you beg for my cock." With my left hand, I reach down, stroking gently between her legs. Fuck, she is wet, hot damn.
"Please tell me you're not going to make me wear a condom." Please, oh please.
Bella giggles. "I think it's a little late for that." Thank you, lord.
I kiss her again as I reach down, coating my needy cock in her wetness before sliding inside until I'm buried to the hilt. "Oh fuck, I forgot how tight you are," I mumble. I feel like I could come without even moving, she feels so fucking good.
I curl my arms under her shoulders, holding her tightly as I begin to move steadily. Bella wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me in closer while she rubs her soft hands up and down my back.
My mouth can't decide what part of her it wants, as I move between her lips, her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts. As Bella lifts her hips to meet my thrusts, the pleasure almost overwhelms me, and I know I'm not going to be able to hold on much longer.
My movements speed up and my kisses turn into pants as I'm teetering right on the edge. Needing her to get there with me, I reach down, rubbing tight circles around her clit until she's screaming out her orgasm.
"Oh God!"
"It's Edward, baby, not God," I growl as I thrust erratically three more times before I still, spilling inside her with a long groan. I immediately collapse, burying my face in her neck and breathing in her scent. I try not to crush her small body beneath me, but she's still hugging me tightly and I'm so fucking exhausted.
As our breathing slows, Bella begins stroking through my hair again and it feels so fucking good.
"Edward." She pokes me in the shoulder. "I need to go clean up."
"Mmmm…" I mumble, really not wanting to ever fucking move again. I slowly roll to my side, feeling my softened cock slip out of heaven. "Sorry it wasn't my best work," I tell her sleepily. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
Bella chuckles as she sits up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. No, please don't leave me!
"Don't go," I protest, holding on to her wrist.
"I'll be right back," she promises.
The moment she's gone, it feels as if part of me is missing. How the fuck did I stay away from her for over four days when I'm not sure I can even last four minutes now? I was a fucking idiot to wait so long.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I feel Bella crawl back into bed. My arm slides around her waist and I pull her back into my chest as soon as she's underneath the covers, cursing the fact that she's put her pajamas back on. But she's in my arms, and I am never, ever letting her go again.
A/N: After a few more distractions along the way, he finally made it to Bella's! And she didn't beat him, or string him up by the balls.
I'm looking for a lawyer or someone familiar with courtrooms to pre-read an upcoming chapter. Let me know if you can help!