I do not own Twilight.
Chapter title belongs to Noel Coward ("Time and Again")
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Chapter 26: This Little Dream of Mine
BELLA
October brings the warm colours of fall, surprising us with a good amount of fragile, golden sun. We take walks in Central Park, strolling hand-in-hand or fooling around like teenagers.
Living with Edward is so easy. Not that I expected it to be exactly difficult, since he is generally a very relaxed person. It feels natural, and I already feel at home in his apartment. The concept that he owns this place still feels a bit foreign, but Edward never for one moment gives me the feeling that I am living at his house – it's our home, and everything I brought into it is equal to his possessions. My books are next to his on the shelves, Grandma Marie's armchair is by the fireplace, and he made lots of room in his closet for all my shoes.
I've never really lived with a man before, but when Jake and I used to spend four of five days together at his or my place, it always became a bit suffocating. With Edward, it's sheer bliss, and the most mundane domestic details seem lovely and important. Standing side by side in front of the sink when we brush our teeth, shopping for groceries and discussing dinner, or doing laundry, sorting his socks from mine – everything is a precious proof of our reality.
Right now, we're doing neither of those things. We're in the back of a taxi, on our way to Laurent Franklin's cocktail party, or should I say my agent's cocktail party? Edward's lawyer Mr. Jenks went through the contract and once he gave me the green light, I signed. After this afternoon's cocktail party, Edward and I will be going on to the opening of Seth's exhibition. We're two busy New Yorkers today.
Edward takes my hand. He looks devastatingly handsome in a navy suit with matching tie, and if I wouldn't already have had my way with him when he came out of the shower earlier, I'd want to do it now. Hell, I do, I always do, but I guess that will have to wait.
"You look beautiful," he says, and his eyes crinkle as he smiles.
I'm wearing a little black dress and the Jimmy Choos he gave me for my birthday. I've finally lost the pounds I gained over the summer, and though I still think I should be skinnier to further my chances as an actress, I feel okay again in my own skin.
Edward's breath is warm on my neck as he whispers, "Even though you're killing me with those shoes…"
I grin and kiss him, knowing we remember the same night.
"Can't wait to kill you some more later," I murmur against his lips, my fingers stroking the inside of his thigh. Edward lets out a tortured groan.
Fifteen minutes later, we're in the middle of Laurent's party. His apartment is huge but not as pretentious as I expected it to be, and the guests are refreshingly down-to-earth. I recognize a few faces, but it's not an it-crowd, and everyone is relaxed and laid back. I introduce Edward and Laurent and they chat for a few minutes. I can see they like each other.
"He seems nice," Edward says, handing me a glass of champagne. His arm is slung around my waist as we cross the room. Soon enough, we're woven into various conversations, and even though I don't know anybody yet, I'm having a good time. Across the room, I can see Edward by the window, talking to a red haired woman. He looks my way, and I can tell he is a little bored by the way he rumples his hair.
"Bella!" Suddenly, Laurent is next to me. He's hugging the guy I've been talking to, and then pulls me with him into a quieter corner. His thick black curls have streaks of grey in them, and his dark eyes are humorous and intelligent. He's not a big guy, maybe five foot eight, but he has a presence, and an authority that make him seem taller. He's impeccably dressed, casual but elegant, always wearing a white scarf. He has a couple of flashy rings on his fingers and a golden bracelet. His shoes are made of crocodile leather.
"Bella, I think I got you a job!" He gives me a white-toothed grin. "It's some shit on TV, and I know you're not too hot on doing TV, but we gotta get you back into business, right? Will probably be paying quite decent too."
"Are you kidding me? I'd read the telephone directory if people would pay to see that. I just need to work!"
"Audition's next week, I'll send you the text once I get it. The part has potential; it's a mother who's in an accident with her baby or some shit. How does that sound?"
"Great," I say, feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Don't worry about preparing, I'll do that with you."
He's bossy, but I trust him.
"I didn't know you were an acting coach as well," I smile.
He smiles back, again flashing a row of super-white veneers. "Used to be, Bella. Trust me. I know what casting directors want. And I can tell you," he lowers his voice, "that there may be coming up some very interesting stage parts for you to audition for, but I need a bit more time."
His eyes are funny and honest, and I like his no-nonsense approach.
"Gee," he chuckles. "There's that man of yours. Goodness gracious, Bella, he is some piece of hot –"
He trails off as Edward comes to stand with us, wrapping his arm round my shoulder. I bite my lip to hide my amusement.
"Edward! Sure you don't wanna get into acting? I'm sure I could arrange something… Do you know that Clooney only got his break with E.R. when he was already in his thirties?"
"That's very flattering, Laurent," Edward replies, "but I'm actually quite happy doing what I do."
"Well, what do you do?" Laurent raises his eyebrows.
"I'm a doctor," Edward says, running a hand through his hair. I can see he's close to laughing as well.
Laurent does. "Good for you, boy. And if you ever wanna switch… doing what you do…" At that, he raises a single eyebrow and looks me up and down, "Or whom you do, give me a call."
He gives both of us another pointed look.
I'm still laughing by the time we're in the back of a cab.
"I cannot believe that my new agent is fancying my boyfriend!"
Edward shakes his head and smiles. "I'll never live this one down, am I right?"
I kiss him and giggle.
Seth's opening is much grander than I expected, lots of loaded art collectors, gallery owners and artists cramming the space. Seth looks exquisitely happy and I'm almost bursting with pride.
"God, Bells," he whispers as we get a moment to speak alone. "People want to buy my stuff like, big time! And I got about fifty requests for photo shoots, and one of them is from…" He lowers his voice and wrings his hands. "Vogue!"
"Oh my God, I'm so proud of you, Sethy! That's great!"
"Have you seen the shot of yourself and Edward yet?"
"No," I reply, "I sort of wanted to wait for you to show us."
"Okay!" Seth's smile literally reaches from ear to ear as he pulls me through the crowd, collecting Edward and Collin on our way. Seth leads us around a couple of corners, and there, in a rather secluded corner of the gallery, hangs our photo, entitled, Zeus and Hera.
I gasp. It's absolutely enchanting. We look modern and sexy, yet somehow elusive and otherworldly. Edward is staring directly into the camera, and it seems as if he is looking directly at me from behind the glass. His expression is enigmatic, neither friendly nor hostile, his green eyes two bright magnets that draw you in. I'm curled into his arm, looking up at him in wonder. Somehow, it is an adequate vision of how I feel for him.
"Look!" Seth squeals. "There's a dot! Oh my God, guys, this thing has been sold, too! I made two thousand dollars with that! You're so getting a crate of champagne!"
"Amazing," says Edward. "And that is considering I behaved like a moron when you took the pictures."
"Nah," Seth says. "You were just a bit shy. Yeah, it turned out well. I need to find out who bought it!"
"I'm so proud," I say again, hugging Seth and kissing his cheek.
The next day, a Sunday, is rainy and we spend it in bed. We read, nap, cuddle, talk and watch TV. Around six, Edward makes grilled cheese sandwiches and we play a game of Scrabble which he wins. We end the day on the sofa, watching Hitchcock's Rebecca, which is one of my Laurence Olivier favourites. Somehow, Edward's mood has shifted. The change is minute, but I can tell something is bothering him by the way he frowns sometimes and pulls at his hair. I kiss his fingers, which are on my shoulder, and he acknowledges it by nuzzling my ear with his nose.
"Hey," I murmur, turning to him. "Are you okay?"
On screen, Maxim is telling Mrs. De Winter about his marriage with Rebecca, and how it was nothing but a huge farce. He runs a hand through his hair.
I swallow, for suddenly I guess I know what's bothering him. I could kick my ass for being so insensitive as to suggest this movie - a movie about a man whose life is overshadowed by the memories of a terrible marriage. The mediation that Edward's lawyer suggested is coming up, and I know it's on Edward's mind a lot of the time.
"Yeah." Edward kisses my neck.
"Are you worried… about meeting her?" I don't look at him, toying with the little anchor on my necklace.
"A bit," he says, his voice muffled by my hair.
"I'm sorry," I whisper.
Edward raises his head. "What for?"
I gesture in the direction of the TV.
"Oh baby." He kisses me softly. "You're so sweet. It's not the movie."
"No?"
"No." He pulls me a little closer and buries his face in my hair once again. "You smell so good… Like spring, and strawberries…"
I close my eyes and my heart speeds up at the sensation of his touch. His lips go lower, to my neck, caressing me softly, and those lips tell me that I'm his, and he is mine.
Later, when I'm snuggled to his chest, already dozing off, he kisses my temple.
"Only you, Isabella," he murmurs, and I can feel the steady beat of his heart. "Only you."
EDWARD
This mediation thing is bothering me more than I'd like to admit. The point is: Tanya is unpredictable. For all I know, she might do anything – freak out, throw a tantrum, or come up with a bunch of made-up stories. I called Kate a few days ago, just to get a picture of Tanya's general state, and what she had to say was not very encouraging. Tanya's not in a good frame of mind, she said, working hard and partying even harder.
"She's not used to hearing the word no," Kate said, "and she's obsessed with this idea of you two getting back together."
I'm not looking forward to meeting her.
The week prior to the mediation is drab and rainy, but there are things to divert me from brooding too much. Aro is coming to New York, and Bella will be auditioning for the TV part Laurent told her about. She's nervous the night before, going through her lines for the thousandth' time, eating hardly anything at dinner. We go to bed early and I'm out like a light after a fourteen-hour day at work.
I wake once during the night, sleep muddling my brain. At first, I think that Bella is awake, but I realize she's dreaming, talking in her sleep.
"No," she mumbles. "Just him… don't…" She sighs softly. "Yes… safe…" With that, she turns around and snuggles up to me, sighing again. Her breathing gets low and quiet and I soon go back to sleep as well.
I leave her a little note the next morning, telling her good luck and that I love her. I put it on the kitchen island and place the little talisman I bought her on top. It's a Steiff toy swan from the sixties, which I stumbled across in an antiques shop in the Village a couple of months ago. It's small and cute and fuzzy, looking a bit geekish, rather like a drunk duck than a swan, but I think Bella will love it.
Edward, her text message reads three hours later, have I told you lately that you are the sweetest man on earth and that I have done nothing to ever deserve you?
I love you with all my heart & soul.
Always yours
B.
I smile throughout the day and by the time I am locking my office she has informed me that everything went well and the casting director told her that her chances are good and that they'll call her within the week.
When we make love that night, the little swan watches from her bedside table.
Two days later, the picture Seth took of us, and that I bought without either his or Bella's knowledge arrives and she almost freaks out, kissing me all over. I couldn't bear the thought of it hanging in some stranger's house.
By Friday, Aro has arrived in New York, as always residing at the Four Seasons. My parents have decided to throw a family dinner, which surprises me considering the difficult relationship between him and Carlisle. I believe that Mom is behind that enterprise, always wanting peace and harmony.
I have some trepidation as Bella and I arrive at my parents' house, but she keeps telling me that everything will be fine, and I want to believe her.
"Relax, Baby." She squeezes my hand as we walk up to the front door.
My heart constricts as I look at her. She's so beautiful, with her cheeks pink from the brisk autumn breeze, her large eyes shining in the glow of the porch lights.
The door opens.
"Edward! Bella!"
Mom hugs and kisses me, rumpling my hair. Her scent is the one I've known all my life, smelling of lavender, and home. She greets Bella with equal exuberance and once we've hung our coats, we follow her to the living room.
"Edwaaaaard!" Squealing, Lily hugs my right leg and I lift her up while everyone says hello. Aro is already there, looking his usual boisterous self. When he greets Bella, it is with an extra-friendly kiss, and for a second, I'm jealous of my sixty-nine year old uncle.
Dinner goes surprisingly well, maybe because everyone is super careful and on their best behaviour. Conversation flows easily, and it's like a well-balanced composition with everybody adding his or her own special tune. Bella and Jasper talk about a play he and Alice have seen, Rose and Dad go on about the economy, and Emmett and Alice are thinking up party mottos for Halloween. Mom and I are chatting with Aro. For the past five minutes, he has been enthusing about my girlfriend, who, just now, is putting her chin on my shoulder. We've eaten dessert and I'm pleasantly full after two helpings of Esme's legendary cranberry pork.
"Aro," Bella smiles, "I've been hearing my name one time too often now! What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, sweetness," Aro's full baritone resounds. "Just telling this little f…" He remembers Mom's presence. "… fluff head to take good care of you!"
"Oh he is," Bella says sweetly and kisses my cheek. Her hand is on my thigh, which makes me want to take her home soon.
Home.
It's our home now. The feeling that spreads from my stomach to my chest is warm and light, and once more, I realize how different this relationship is from any earlier ones I had. Before Tanya, I had three serious relationships, the longest of which lasted for five years and was with Julia during my residency. There were other girlfriends and I had a wild phase in college. I also fucked around a little too much right before I met Tanya, but none of that comes anywhere near to how I feel for Bella. She's the kindest, gentlest person I've ever known, and she gives me things I didn't even know I wanted, or needed. She makes me feel complete.
She sees me.
"Edward?" Bella squeezes my thigh, startling me out of my little time travel.
"Sorry. What did you say?"
"Nothing, you dickhead!" Aro laughs throatily. "Just telling your girl she can visit me whenever!"
Bella shakes her head and smiles. "Sorry, Aro. I have no reason whatsoever to part with my man."
I quickly peck her lips, because hearing her say that makes me deliriously happy.
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Soft, soft lips on my shoulder. A soft, small hand passing down my body.
I have no idea what the time is. It's still dark outside.
She's fondling my belly, slowly going lower, and kissing my back. I shudder with pleasure when her hand enwraps me. I'm still half asleep, but, as always, my body reacts to her touch.
"Bella…"
"Yes…"
More kisses, warm and tender. She starts moving her hand, softly biting my shoulder when I grow harder under her fingers. I can feel her hot breath on my back.
"I love you, Edward… So, so much…"
"Mmm…"
She kisses the nape of my neck, hooking one leg around my thigh.
"Baby," I mumble, "let me… let me turn round…"
She pulls away and I turn towards her. It's dark in the bedroom, but the faint light of the moon illuminates her eyes, making them shine as we whisper and kiss.
"I love you so much, Edward," she repeats. "I want… I want to be with you… always…"
My heart brims over with love as I kiss her, her lips, her cheeks, and her eyelids.
"I love you, Bella. Always…"
Our lovemaking is slow and tender, and I feel so, so close to her.
I'm woken way to early the next day considering it's a Saturday. Our nightly antics left us with little sleep, because after that first time, there was a repeat performance.
"What the fuck," I mutter into the pillow. Bella's phone won't stop ringing. Then she answers it, her voice rough from sleep.
"Oh, hey," she says and I grumble, needing to go back to sleep. Seconds later, she softly closes the bedroom door behind her and I fall back into deep, satisfying nothingness.
"Edward…" She's climbing back into bed on my side of it. Her voice sounds tiny. I open my eyes. Bella is kneeling next to me, wearing my shirt from last night. Her hair looks wild and her eyes are huge. For a moment I can't decipher whether she's happy or not, anyway, I'm still so sleepy.
"What is it, love?" I rub my eyes.
Bella's lower lip quivers as she looks at me.
"Edward… I have the part! The TV thing with the mother and the baby and the airplane and… oh, God!"
A smile as luminous as the sun spreads over her face, and I think my expression must be mirroring hers.
"Bella…" I pull her close and she tumbles against me, beaming.
"It was Laurent. Shooting begins in a few weeks!" She kisses me. "I'm so excited!"
"God, baby, I'm so proud of you. This is… wow, this is incredible!"
"They're sending the script later today. I'm going to have eight days of shooting… Edward… I'm so happy!"
"So am I, my love…"
We kiss for a long, long time before we make love again.
Later, after we've showered together, I'm in the kitchen making coffee and omelettes when the house phone rings.
"I'll get it," Bella calls softly from the hall, and my heart lurches a little. It's our home. Not that I would have minded Bella answering my phone before, but the fact that it's so natural feels good. The fact that the plate beneath the doorbell reads Swan/Cullen makes me happy every time I see it.
I return to my omelettes, adding a sliced tomato and feta cheese because I know that's Bella's favourite. She comes into the kitchen a moment later, looking delicious enough to eat in one of my sweaters that reaches down to her thighs, and grey woollen socks, which I believe to be mine as well. There's a frown on her face, though, and I cock my head in a silent question.
She shrugs.
"Wrong number, I guess. The other person just hung up."
Except for the fact that it's the third time in two weeks that this has happened.
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Sorry for the cliffy… I guess I'll make myself a nice salad from all the tomatoes you'll be throwing at me
Next chapter, Edward will meet his still-to-be-divorced wife.
As you know, reviews make me type faster…
Thank you for reading!