A Getty Romance

Disclaimer: All Twilight related characters belong to S. Meyer.

Chapter 25

The next Friday, I found myself sitting on a warm, sun-heated bench in the gardens. I was lying on my back, in relative solitude, as visitors ambled about the lawns and the whispering bougainvilleas. I had a short shift today in order to allow me to prepare for the benefit on Saturday night. All of my worries about confronting Edward's family circled around my head like gnats. I couldn't shake them; I just tried to ignore them. They plagued me in my sleep, during work and even when I was with Edward. I just wanted the benefit to be over and I wanted it to go well.

I lifted my hand and rubbed my thumb and forefinger over my eyelids. I could be worrying about how my plain black dress would compare to Tanya's designer ensemble, but I wasn't. I knew that I could be wearing a potato sack and Edward would still find me beautiful.

The realization made me smile and let out a pleased little sigh.

Edward.

He had been such an enigma in my life for the past few months. First, he was a handsome mystery, then a secretive friend and now the most sincere lover I had ever known. Our situation, while not entirely unpleasant, was not ideal and yet we seemed to be flourishing. He made me feel special and important, which was something I hadn't had a lot of in the past few years, not since I'd been on my own in a big city. I had dated and fallen for a few men but nothing like this.

No one like Edward Cullen.

Mike had been sweet and funny enough and Eric had taken me to some cool concerts, but no one had made my stomach flip. Those other boys didn't smell like starched shirts and fine cologne. They didn't fiddle with their cufflinks or tug on their hair awkwardly when they were stressed.

I listed out all of the small things that I adored about Edward as I soaked in the sun. It all equated to the fact that I loved Edward more than I'd loved anyone before. I certainly loved him enough to stand by his side while he cleared up this ridiculous family drama.

Over the past week, I had leaned something new about Edward every day.

On Saturday, I learned that he was apparently immune to the common hangover. He made this abundantly clear to me in bed that morning and again in the shower.

On Sunday evening, I learned that Edward and Tanya were very skilled at bowling. This surprised me because I didn't assume that the wealthy bowled frequently. I lost spectacularly, which was probably a good thing, since Tanya told me Edward was terrible at losing. That didn't surprise me.

By midday Monday I had learned that Edward hated his pale gray suit because coffee stains were easily seen.

Emmett had nearly lost his job after that.

Tuesday afternoon, he taught me about the basement research room that was generally unoccupied and had a lock on the door. We were very, very thorough in our research.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday swapping stories and keeping our hands to ourselves. Edward told me that he had never attended public school. He had only told his parents about one girlfriend, and they scared her away the very same night. He owned at least fifty suits, no two alike, and loved fine leather shoes as much as any woman loved designer heels. Edward admitted that he had never cooked a meal in his life and had no desire to try.

In return, I told him that I'd had two boyfriends in high school, even though the first one only lasted a week. I listed my favorite foods to make and the dishes I had yet to attempt. I explained the story of my mother and father and how, as a result, I spent the bookends of my childhood on either side of the country.

As we continued to talk on Thursday, I realized that we were making plans. Trips to take, restaurants to try and movies to see. Our life had been hovering in limbo for these past few months and now I felt like were dangerously close to actually having a life together. The thought was thrilling.

The late summer air was warm as I took in a deep breath. It smelled like cut grass and had the faint hint of flowers. Everything would be okay. It had to. Edward and I deserved a real chance at happiness.

The warm light on my face was suddenly extinguished and I opened my eyes to find myself in Edward's shadow. He was standing over the bench smirking at me. His sunglasses masked his expression, but I could see the crinkles in the corners of his eyes.

"Comfortable?" he asked, bending down to kiss me soundly on the lips.

"Very."

"Mind if I join you?" His voice was a glorious rumble against the breeze of the afternoon.

"Please," I answered, starting to sit up. He held out a hand and motioned for me to stay where I was as he sat down beside me. He lifted my head to gently to rest in his lap and I grinned up at him. "This is a much nicer view."

Edward snorted and looked out at the Los Angeles skyline. "It's a beautiful day," he sighed, leaning back on his hands.

I let my eyes fall closed and nodded. "It really is."

"Are you all set for tomorrow?"

I arched a brow. "That depends. If you mean, have I found a plain black dress and pair of pumps, then yes. That isn't very hard to assemble. If you're asking whether I'm ready to confront your parents, the answer would be no, not really."

Edward was looking down at me now. He ran his finger along my hairline, soothing me slightly and making my stomach flip. He lifted his other hand to pull his sunglasses off his face. "What can I do?"

His simple question made me love him even more. "Don't desert me this time," I said quietly. My heart constricted at the thought.

"Never."

"You're not having second thoughts are you?" I asked, half-kidding.

Edward's eyebrows lowered. "Of course not. Have I given that impression?"

I shook my head. "No. Just wanted to hear you say it."

He let out a breath as though he'd been holding it. One of his lapels was flapping in the breeze. Charcoal, pinstripe. It was very distracting, as always. "Isabella, I don't think I've been more sure about anything."

"About ending your engage–"

"About you," he said firmly, locking my eyes with his. A smile tugged at his lips. "Don't lose faith in me now, of all times."

"I won't." I sat up and turned to face him on the bench. "I trust you, remember?"

Edward's eyes shifted down to my lips and my heart sped up a bit. "I remember," he nodded.

We were on full display to the entire museum but I didn't care. I kissed Edward in the full sunlight and soaked in the warmth from his skin.

A/N: *sprawls out on bench* Edward. Come over here! He's not listening. Anyway, here's a little calm before the storm for you guys. Just a quiet afternoon in the sunshine with Gettyward. The benefit is the big moment. What will happen? Will the Cullens be accepting? Will they freak out and cause a scene? Will Rose stir the pot? I'm not promising you'll find out on Sunday, but you'll find out soon :)

The response on Wednesday was OVERWHELMING and wonderful. I'm so happy we can all be friends with Tanya now. So so glad. She's fun to hang out with.

Thanks to Aussiegirl who was happy to lay out on the bench and wait for Edward too. He's taking forever...

xx