One Night Stands & fiancées
AN: so Bella is an experienced virgin and Edward is just plain experienced but not a man whore. Sorry my updates taken so long I've been helping out at my sister's job and literally come home, socialize, shower, eat then sleep. I will try and update twice this weekend but dunno if I will make it, I wanted to at least give an update to each story by Sunday but I'm not sure if it will happen so don't be too mad at me.
Chapter 26
When things seem too perfect
POV: Rose
"Is it really sad that I am so exhausted?" I asked Emmett as we stepped inside our house. It was weird calling it our house but since our new found true affections to one another the idea didn't seem to foreign. We'd spent the remainder of our time at the resort going through the motions until the last 4 days when things cleared up enough for us to return to our cabin. It had been amazing, we spent all our time indoors even though now we had the option of hitting the slopes again we found we'd rather not, and actually managed decent night's sleep without our neighbors the rabbits going at it every five minutes.
"No, because I am looking forward to the very comfortable bed not 100 feet away" Emmett chuckled letting his suit bag and duffle drop to the floor right beside the door.
I let out a groan, the bed was too far away and I was really tired and ready for some actual relaxation, it seemed like we hadn't really had much of that on our honeymoon but then again we chose a different kind of relaxation.
"Come on let's sleep" Emmett said picking me up bridal style and heading towards our room.
"Sleep sounds perfect" I sighed resting my head on his chest.
POV: Jasper
"Owe!" I yelped when Alice pinched my thigh under the table. We were currently having dinner with Edward, Bella, Carmen, Eli, and Ben and Angela. Oddly enough we'd all become closer while Rose and Emmett were away and though this dinner was apparently more of a gossip fest then an actual dinner it didn't bother me so long as the pixie beside me remained so. I chanced another glance at Edward and Bella, I knew they'd kissed, she'd told Alice, who told me and then quickly retracted it, saying she wasn't supposed to. Of course with the right persuasion Alice told me everything, even that Bella had a couple dreams starring Dr. Cullen, no not the blonde but the bronze haired one, really his hair color is a mystery to me, but Alice insists his hair is bronze so I say bronze.
"You ok?" Edward asked looking at me. I gave him a small smile before nodding my head.
"I'm sorry my feet have a mind of their own" Alice said looking at me apologetically though I knew she was simply being sarcastic.
"Just careful with the heels" I chided before the other at the table began laughing.
"So anyways, Edward what exactly did Emmett say?" Alice inquired leaning forward on her arm.
"Basically they are seeing one another for real now" Edward sounded uncomfortable and I couldn't really blame him, we were men not gossip queens.
"Which entails?" Alice motioned her hand for him to say more only for Eli to break out into a grin before Carmen elbowed him in the ribs.
"Sex?" Bella asked in a meek voice. Of all the people at this table I would never have pegged her for someone to state the obvious, well at least when it came to things of a sexual nature. Bella was shy and though she was bold enough to point out the obvious, when it came to sex she usually just sat and fidgeted in her seat. I couldn't help but wonder if Edward had picked up on the fact that she was a virgin yet?
Angela giggled before hiding her face in Ben's shoulder. I let a smirk slip onto my lips, Angela rivaled Bella in the sexual department, though I know Angela and Ben have had sex, Angela can't help but giggle at sexual innuendo or talk, but when she was still a virgin, like Bella she would simply blush and hope no one asked her to contribute to the conversation.
"Damn skippy" it was Eli who was now grinning and Carmen who was shaking her head. Yes Eli and Carmen, though it had escaped my attention before I had come to learn that Eli was Emmett's cousin, something I had never known, but then again the similarities between the two men were obvious though Eli seemed to have a little more, dare I say class?
"So you talked to him to?" Edward asked with his crooked smile, I noticed he had kept his left hand under the table and Bella had kept her right hand down as well, glancing from Edward, to Bella, to Angela who was stifling another giggle I knew exactly where Edward's hand was.
"So you two know and Carmen knows, come on tell me what the hell is going on." Alice demanded sounding giddy and irritated, it was amazing how she could put off so many emotions at one time. It irritated her to not know everything but it still excited her to know there was something new to learn.
"Basically Rose jumped him" I didn't think Eli's grin could get any bigger until I saw almost all of his teeth and then Carmen started to chuckle.
"Girl power" Alice exclaimed causing Angela, Bella and Carmen to laugh, of course Bella was blushing and Angela was looking a tad squirmy, two girls who likely never made the first move, this had to be uncomfortable for them to hear about.
"But they are… ok either way they are a couple now, honest to god" Edward interjected halting Carmen and Alice's giggles.
"So are we supposed to know?" Ben asked glancing between Edward and Eli.
"Not a fucking clue" Eli sighed leaning back in his chair.
"I mean they didn't say don't say anything" Edward shrugged.
"Oo, so why did Rose get pissy with you?" Carmen asked leaning forward and looking intently at Edward who suddenly looked uncomfortable and shifted in his seat before clearing his throat.
"A pixie told her about what happened at the bar with Bella and James and well… apparently, Ben, myself or even Angela was supposed to kick his ass, actually Rose suggested I murder him" That was surprising, so Rose was team Edward, who would have thought? I figured Rose wouldn't have noticed Edward's feelings for Bella or hers for him, I love my cousin but she is very self-centered and though she and Bella are good friends, she usually doesn't care about Bella's love life unless of course the guy chose Bella over her, which had only happened once.
"What?" Bella asked looking intently at Edward. Ok I can see how this would look bad, knowing about the kiss and all, it could be construed as his reason for kissing her.
"Well apparently Rose didn't form a favorable opinion of James from what she heard from Alice and since I was talking to Emmett she decided to take out her discord of James on me, of course I didn't have to do anything since you had already dumped him" Edward seemed uneasy. Oh please don't tell me he kissed her because of my cousin's threats.
"Oh" Bella seemed almost upset with this, she went from a little confused to bummed in a second and I noticed her right hand reach for her drink. Edward's hand was still down but the shift in Bella's body told me she'd shrugged him off. He looked wounded.
"You dumped him, good for you!" Ben cheered raising his glass. "He accused me of taking advantage of you in the bathroom" I could see where Ben was coming from, he was timid, about as timid as Angela and I would never understand how anyone could think he would do anything like that, especially when, from what I heard Ben had the whole deer in headlights look on when he approached Angela and Edward.
"I heard" Bella muttered. "Sorry Ben" she sounded upset, like she was going to cry.
"He was drunk, and besides Edward got the brunt of it" Angela soothed reaching across Edward's lap to take Bella's hand.
"I thought he accused Edward of wanting to take her home to take advantage of her, how is that the brunt?" Alice asked, now she was confused and if Edward had been uncomfortable before he sure as hell looked worse now, not to mention Ben was hiding a frown in his drink and Angela flinched. Bella glanced at Edward who bowed his head slightly before shaking his head.
"Random drunken behavior, no biggie, in one ear and out the other" he was hiding something. Now I wanted to know what James said.
"What did he say?" thank you Bella, you have saved me some breath.
Edward wouldn't look at her. She tried again and I was sure if she had touched him he would have caved but instead she turned to Angela and Ben who were both now looking between Bella and Edward as if they were worried.
"What the hell did he say?" I didn't expect to speak but when I realized it was indeed me who had all but shouted for an answer I let my eyes fall on the three who knew, well the three who remembered.
"I told him I was a doctor and went on about her recent injuries and that she had overworked herself and he just sort of threw some low blows that were completely unfounded" Edward sighed.
"He insinuated Edward was some pervert who took advantage of his female patients and told Edward to stay away from his girlfriend, that he knew better and he tried to take Bella from Ben's arms so Edward told him to sleep it off, James pushed him and he knocked into Ben who fell back, which is how Bella got a lot of her bruising so Edward rushed to help Bella and Ben, Bella was clutching her left hip which hit the hard floor and James flipped out when Edward went to help her up, claiming Edward was abusive and had knocked her to the floor, basically told him it was his fault she fell, that he was an unfit doctor hurting a patient like that after lecturing him and by him I mean James about Bella's injuries" Angela paused and glanced at Edward. She really seemed upset and it was almost like she was asking Edward for permission.
"Angela intervened hoping a girl amongst Ben and I would mean Bella wasn't going to be molested and he continued to get angry and going off about what Angela just explained all over again, drunken babble he was talking in circles. I picked up Bella and James pushed me again trying to take her out of my arms while the entire time Bella was whimpering and complaining about her hip" Edward seemed to finish off there.
"I don't remember Ben and I falling" Bella said softly.
"Because you were almost passed out from the pain and alcohol" Edward explained looking at her hoping she'd forgive him. Wow I was watching a soap opera, I half expected James and Edward to have had a throw down and just now be revealing it to us.
"Oh" she blushed now. Of course being Bella she was still embarrassed about the whole situation even though it happened about a week ago.
POV: Bella
He was hiding something from me, they all three were, and I knew whatever it was it wasn't pleasant otherwise Angela would have told me. Edward's hand was hanging limply by his chair and I missed it resting on my thigh. We hadn't gone public but I could tell Jasper knew, and I had told Alice and Angela so it was possible Ben knew too but then again I didn't even really know where Edward and I stood. We'd kissed once and he'd called me the next day after he got off his shift and then this afternoon after he'd gotten off his shift again but we really hadn't acted any different, except when he had been resting his hand on my thigh throughout dinner and I had timidly rested mine atop his before he removed it only to place his atop mine on my thigh, of course I'd withdrawn it as soon as I realized he only kissed me to keep Rose from throttling him.
What was I thinking, of course he didn't want me, he was a doctor and I was a measly cook at an Inn, right now I barely even had that going for me with having to rest so much. Looking at him again I saw he was staring intently at his wine glass, playing with the stem.
Conversation continued but I didn't involve myself in it, neither did Edward, we both just sat there and though I knew the others had noticed our lack on involvement no one pushed for us to contribute. Finally as we all left the restaurant I noticed Edward talking to Jasper who simply nodded and walked away with Alice who glanced at me and waved before curling into Jasper. So I lost my ride.
"We need to talk… obviously" Edward was standing before me looking almost scared.
"So what is it you guys refused to tell me at dinner?" I asked crossing my arms. The heels Alice forced me to wear were uncomfortable and though I hadn't been standing long I could already feel the soreness in my leg and hips.
"Let's talk about it in the car" Edward said holding out his hand to me. I glanced at it and after a moment he pulled it back and placed a hand on the small off my back, leading me to his car. I could feel the heat from his hand and though I was upset I was about to get the whole truth and let him open his Volvo door for me.
"We're in the car so start talking" I said staring at his dashboard when he closed his door. Buckling his seat belt he sighed and turned the car on before pulling out onto the street in silence.
"Edward?" I tried getting scared, had James said something horrible? I mean more horrible then I'd been told.
"We didn't say anything with the others around because we didn't want you to find out that way, but…" he paused and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What?!" I shouted at him, finally I was looking at him; he turned his head to me and then turned back to the road.
"Do you want the condensed version or verbatim?" he asked pulling onto the highway, I didn't know where we were headed but I figured he was taking the long way since I was finally back in my own apartment and Jasper though his clothes were still in my apartment closet he had yet to spend a night there, not that I blamed him, my sofa was lumpy and though comfortable to a point it was too short for him to sleep on.
"Everything, I want to know everything?" I said through my teeth.
"Ok" Edward seemed reluctant.
Flashback (This is what happened instead of James repeating what Angela explained, James continued to verbally attack Edward and instead of confusing everyone I'm gonna tell this from an all knowing POV so I don't have to explain it again)
Edward was now cradling Bella in his arms, Ben was dusting off his jeans and Angela quickly scurried towards the small crowd that had formed.
"Get your hands off her, she is mine and no Dr. Pervert is going to touch my property" James spat gripping Bella and pulling her while Edward kept his hold.
"She needs to go home and you are in no condition to drive" Edward spoke through gritted teeth, he was obviously trying hard not to hit James and having Bella semi-conscious in his arms was the only thing keeping him from doing so.
"And you are! Listen fucker there is not a chance in hell you are going to fuck my girlfriend she is mine" James kept repeating that Bella was his like he owned her and that irritated Edward beyond belief but Angela intervened.
"That's not what is happening or going to happen, I am sober and I will be the one tucking her in so back off" it was very assertive of Angela but then again the man before her had just shoved her boyfriend and best friend to the ground and was now badgering Edward who only wanted to get Bella home so he could make sure she was ok.
"Some friend you are letting two men man handle my passed out girlfriend, out of my way geek" he said pushing Angela who was swiftly caught by Ben though she barely lost her balance her glasses were knocked off her face.
"Look back the fuck off! Nobody is trying to get in Bella's pants right now or tonight, we just want to get her home, assess her injuries and then go home ourselves, and don't you ever push a woman again or so help me…" Edward was seething and Ben looked about as mad as anyone had ever seen him.
"Assess the damage? You sick fuck you have the balls to tell me you don't want in her pants, yet your hand is on her fucking ass" James was once more grabbing for Bella but Ben stepped in and shoved him back.
"Don't touch my girlfriend and don't touch my friends you got that!" Ben was seething and it seemed since Edward couldn't get in James's face that Ben was happy to oblige after James had shoved Angela.
"Edward" Bella whimpered causing James to growl and shove past Ben. "I wanna go home"
"See she knows him" Angela was trying to stop things from going any further but instead the short brunette in James's group stepped forward and spoke.
"Let him take the whore, you can do so much better than that little bitch" she said looking disgusted towards Bella before touching James's cheek.
James moved away from her fast and got in Edward's face. "That pussy is mine" James growled thrusting his hand roughly up to cup Bella's panties before Edward dropped her legs and in one swift motion punched James in the jaw while holding Bella tightly to his side, she was clutching at his leather jacket still unaware of what was going on.
"Don't ever fucking touch her again!" Edward was beyond pissed, his face was red as he stared down at James trying to stand from the floor grasping his nose and lip which were both pouring blood.
"Get him out of here" it was the bartender, Edward, Angela and Ben found it interesting he didn't intervene until James finally violated an unconscious woman.
"Yes they were the ones trying to violate her while unconscious as you fucking grab her!" Angela was angry and as the bartenders ushered James towards the back exit Ben pulled Angela out the front while Edward picked Bella back up and walked out of the bar with one of the servers fussing over them, apologizing profusely for who knows what.
End Flashback
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I asked with tears in my eyes, at least that explained why my privates had hurt, and where my bruises had really come from, I'd only been guessing before.
"Because Bella we wish we could forget it, he assaulted every one of us" Edward seemed pained.
"Pull over" I was shaking.
"Are you ok?" Edward asked.
"Please pull over" I was hyperventilating, I could hardly breath, oh god I had been assaulted, the bastard had assaulted my friends, he'd brought out sides of Angela and Ben I'd never seen before. I felt stupid and embarrassed that I had brought this onto my friends. I didn't even realize Edward had pulled over until my door was swung open and he was pushing my head down between my knees instructing me to breath slowly, the tears were slipping down my face as I tried to stifle the sobs.
"Just calm down please Bella" he said sounding freaked out but hell I was freaked out. I finally managed to get my breathing under a little more control and managed to look at Edward and see just how worried I had made him. Oh god I am so stupid, making him put up with all this when it wasn't his place.
"I'm sorry" I choked out before sobbing again. I felt his arms wrap around me and his mouth against my hair.
"You have no reason to apologize so please just calm down" he sounded so sincere but I did need to apologize I'd drunkenly left my friends in a messy situation and I couldn't even think of a way to make it up to them.
"I'm so stupid" I whispered sniffling as I wiped the tears from my cheeks, I saw the black and cursed Alice for insisting I wear eyeliner, I hated the stuff and I rarely ever wore it unless Rosalie insisted and now Alice.
"Stop that!" Edward looked a little mad now; ok maybe a little bit more than mad and I tried my hardest to keep the tears from resurfacing.
"But…"
"Why are you apologizing? I mean Jasper told me you liked to shoulder the blame for things most the time but I just don't get why you are apologizing for something that happened a while ago much less something you couldn't have stopped" he was pleading with me, cradling my face, ok maybe not pleading but he was making eye contact and didn't look as mad more annoyed than anything.
"Because I wasn't a better judge of character, I brought him into your lives and he hurt everyone trying to help" I was fighting to get through my sentence but kept interrupting myself with sniffles and slight sobs.
"Look no harm no foul, trust me if he'd really have hurt Angela, Ben, or myself further he would be in the hospital right now, he deserved a lot more than one punch" Edward smirked and I couldn't help but chuckle, at least now I knew why James' lip was busted. "There's a laugh at least" he added, his smile was genuine and for some reason it warmed my heart and I didn't want to cry so much anymore.
"I was just thinking about his busted lip and swollen nose" I giggled watching Edward's smile grow more crooked and a slight tint of color come to his face.
"I had to make it count for all of us" he looked away and I knew it was to hide his blush.
"Job well done" I giggled again.
"Alright let's get you home" he said standing up to shut my door before jogging around the front of the car to get back in.
AN: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW btw I was torn in the beginning of who I wanted to be Emmett's cousin (the one he told Rose he told about them having sex on the ship) anyways so it was a tossup between Edward/Eleazor so I finally decided on Eleazor and most people don't really think about it so that's why Jasper is thinking about it. BTW I see Eleazor as Tom Welling. Alright so Edward and Bella are a sure thing but story wise they are still on edge. No worries though the will be a definite, no questions asked couple in the next chapter (that they'll be in, Rose and Emmett are next with a development in the Royce scheme of things) Sorry I didn't get this up sooner guys.