Chapter Twenty-Five

Need a Moment?

Bella's Point of View

"Angela, get out here!" Alice called, and Angela ran out from her hiding spot, a devious smile on her face. She gave Rose a high five and collapsed onto the floor beside us.

"That was amazing, Rose. Where'd you learn to act like that?" Angela asked.

"I picked it up here and there. It's fun messing with Em," Rose said simply, and we all laughed lightly.

"How did you guys know that Emmett would even come?" Angela asked, as she hadn't been here for Alice's evil planning.

"Oh, that was the easy part," Alice remarked. "I called Jasper and blew Bella being sick totally out of proportions. I knew that whatever I told Jasper, he would repeat to Emmett. Those two gossip like old ladies." This caused us all to laugh, picturing them both in flowered dresses, sitting on the front porch in faded wooden rocking chairs with a glass of iced tea in their old wrinkled hands.

"So…" Rose began dramatically.

"Bachelorette party," Alice continued, whispering suggestively.

Angela and I looked at each other and gulped, worried about what these two would plan if given free rein. "Uh, Alice, Rose, please remember that three out of the four of us will be married while attending this party," I begged.

"And nothing like Bella's party, please," Angela chimed in, and I agreed with her wholeheartedly. None of us needed to go there again.

"Oh, but why not?" Alice asked. "That was a ton of fun, wasn't it Rose?"

"Yeah, Bella. I don't see why you didn't like it," Rose agreed. "I mean, other than the fact that one of the dancers turned out to be a girl…"

Angela and I shuddered at the memory, and Alice just laughed. "It wasn't that bad, Bella. We figured it out almost right away."

"Right," I said. "After a few mentally scarring experiences, maybe."

"It wasn't that bad, Bella," Rose countered. "Really, it wasn't."

"Coming from you guys, it doesn't mean much," Angela said. "Bella was the one who had this girl…" she faded out, mimicking my shudder at the memory.

"Change of subject," I burst out suddenly. "I finally managed to suppress those memories; I don't need them back now."

Alice and Rose laughed at my sudden outbreak, but listened to me and brought the subject back to where it had originally started. "Okay, so no exotic dancers I guess," Alice said, sounding slightly defeated.

"What is this I hear about exotic dancers?" I heard an oh-so-familiar velvet voice ask, walking up behind me and crouching to the floor to wrap his arms around my neck. "Hello, love," he added.

"Uh, hi, Edward," I said. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear some very interesting things about your bachelorette party," Edward answered, with quiet laughter in his voice.

"Oh, great," I said, mostly to myself, watching Alice smirk at Rose. It took me a few seconds, but then I turned on them. "You knew he was there!" I accused.

"So," Alice retorted. "Edward didn't react the way I thought he would, anyways, so it doesn't matter."

"How did you expect that I would react?" Edward asked, turning towards his sister.

"Um, something with either throwing us out of your apartment, or finding it incredibly sexy and dragging Bella away from us to…well you can use your imagination here. Whatever fits," Alice joked sweetly, ignoring my death glares.

"Well…as much as I would like to, I was just checking in to make sure that Bella was feeling better," Edward said, a glint in his eye as he kissed my neck. "Which, obviously, she is, if she's able to put up with your plotting."

"Edward, please tell them no dancers or strippers," I begged in his ear, whispering loud enough for only him to hear. "Please, I don't want to relive my bachelorette party. You've got to rein her in, she won't listen to any of us."

"Alright, love," Edward whispered back, his breath hot on my neck. He kissed me once more before turning his attention towards Alice and Rose. "Alright," he said, putting on his sweet voice, the voice that was impossible to resist. "No strippers or dancers. Male, female or of any other sort in between. And you two had better pray that I don't tell Em or Jasper what you guys were up to at Bella's party. Or even worse, Carlisle."

"You wouldn't," Alice and Rose said at the same moment, their voices a threat.

"Oh, I would," Edward answered, and I snickered at the total cliché in this conversation. They all turned away from the sibling rivalry and looked at me, each wearing an identical face- an eyebrow raised and their eyes curious.

"Do you realize how cliché you all sound right now?" I asked, and watched their faces fall and then their lips turn up simultaneously in matching smiles. "'You wouldn't,'" I quoted, my voice full of feigned shock. "'Oh, I would," I said, making my voice lower in a pathetic attempt to sound like Edward.

Of course, this caused everyone, including myself, to burst out laughing. Alice and Rose looked like they were about to pass out, their faces red and tears streaming from their eyes. Angela was gasping for breath, clutching her sides in pain, and Edward was laughing musically, his soft eyes trained on me and a brilliant smile tracing his lips. There was such a look of pure love in his eyes, so true that I could feel it. It ceased my laughter and made my breath catch in my chest. We both looked deep into each others' eyes, oblivious to the dying laughter around us. It was only Edward and me, lost in this single moment.

"Um, you two need a moment over there?" Alice asked, a smile in her voice. "I mean, no one's going to stop you if you want to uh…carry her off to your bedroom, Edward."

Edward and I blushed slightly, but laughed at Alice's comment. "As much as I wish I could, I have class again in…" There was a pause as Edward looked at his watch. "In twenty minutes."

"Aw, you guys have plenty of time," Rose stressed. "I mean, Emmett and I have…"

"Rose!" Alice and I said simultaneously. We laughed slightly before Alice continued. "Rose, we all know what you and Emmett do, on all surfaces of your apartment. We have had too many experiences walking in on you two and don't exactly need a recap."

Rose laughed slightly, unashamed. A smile graced her beautiful face, before shifting into a demonic smirk and an evil glint appeared in her eyes. "I just had the perfect idea for Angela's party. Absolutely perfect."

A/N: Another chapter! Sorry that I didn't post more this weekend; I was at my dad's and can't write as well there. But I hope you like this chapter and please review!