A/N: Hey here is the second half of the Valentine's date. Hope you enjoy it. I want thank all the people who leave me reviews and put me and AST on alert y'all rock my world, seriously. And thanks to anyone who voted for AST in the Indie Awards, they announce on Sunday who made the final list.
lexiecullen17 is a kick ass beta and friend whom I love like no other...smoochies slore.
I want to send my sympathies to LAMSKE and 4lttrwrd's families and friends. They both passed away this week. My prayers are with y'all.
Lastly, SM owns it all!
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BPOV
I love him...I. Love. Him. Those three words had been circling through my train of thought since we had landed on top of one another in the shower last night. But now they were forefront and screaming at the top of their little emotional lungs. Edward knew me well enough to know that poetry slam tickets were the perfect gift, and adding a charm to the bracelet he gave me on our first real date was exquisite.
And that was excluding the luxurious breakfast and gorgeous flowers--which happened to be my favorite types of blooms. As we all filed out of the perfect bistro and into the stretch car that Edward's parents had gifted, I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
Emmett and Rosalie decided to go ahead and take their car home after we found out what the next activity was. Emmett was a starting lineman on the college's football team, and lo and behold, they had a game today. He had gotten all of us seats right behind home team's benches.
Only problem was that Peter had not been included and ended up having to buy his ticket to join us. Serves him right, pompous ass. Maybe I could give him a break since he was here. Nope, he's still an ass. We'd see Emmett play the game, and Rose, who was like an elusive unicorn--never being seen, would meet us there.
Only, by halftime, Rose still hadn't arrived. Edward received a text from a private number saying it was Rose, and she'd left her cell at the bistro and was going to pick up her car. So, placated, we carried on the Emmett cheering in her absence. Edward was enjoying himself. The green in his eyes shone brightly, and the creases at the edge marked his wide smile.
Sometime during the third quarter, Peter excused himself to get some drinks, offering to bring some beers back. Yet when he returned, the front of his shirt was soaked, and he smelled like a brewery. Unfortunately, Charlotte caught the after affects of whatever had happened. He snapped at her when she asked what had occurred and then again when she asked why he was angry with her.
I wanted to say something, but she gave me a look that she could handle it, so I settled in next to Edward, grumbling. Maybe, when Char had been in Texas and right where he could keep tabs on her, he had been sweet and nice--like she described him. This distance thing had obviously changed him and brought out the worst in him. Or at least, I hoped this was the worst in him.
Turning towards Char, I leaned over Edward to catch her attention. "What's the matter?" I mouthed.
"Says some guy ran into him up there and wasted beer all over him." She shrugged and turned back to watch the game. When I copied her move, I noticed that my half-full glass of beer was gone, and there was a puddle down by feet. Crap, must've been someone passing by. Wasted beer...damn alcohol abusers.
Edward saw my dilemma and stood up. "I'll get you another, and do you want a hot dog?" I nodded and tucked my knees to my chest for him to get by. But Emmett, being Emmett, had thought of everything. Alice giggled and started passing little trays with a beer and two hot dogs on each.
One of the team's towel boys--or equipment managers--had been 'asked' to deliver our lunch as per the defensive team captain's wishes. We watched in awe as each of us had our own tray, and then again as Peter reached over and tried to nab one of Char's dogs. Thankfully, my snarky love came to life and smacked his hand.
I rolled my eyes at Alice, and she gave Char a pointed stare. I had no idea what it was about, but with those two, there was no telling. Peter stumbled for words, trying to explain that he was just joking around, but he became quickly flustered under the gaze of our group--the group that he had made himself an outsider of after his last visit. We could all see that he loved Char, and she him, but man, did he ever need to tone down his testosterone levels.
Ignoring them, I focused on my Edward. Oh my...my Edward. Doesn't that sound nice? Reaching into my larger than life purse, I pulled out his first gift--a leather bound book of sheet music with a pen, and a pack of guitar pics taped to the front. When he opened the front cover, he blinked rapidly.
On the first line of a 'Note' page, I wrote. "To Edward, you filled my life with music again. Time to record it for all time."
He wrapped his free arm around my shoulders and pulled me flush to him, squeezing me into his chest and kissing my forehead. Now, I knew that mouth to mouth kisses are all sorts of awesome, but the single kiss on your forehead from a lover was the best ever. There was no lust behind it, only affection.
Emmett made several huge blocks during the game, sending Char into football fanatic hysterics, and UW won the game 21-13. We stayed in our seats as everyone around us filed out. The crowd thinned to almost nothing while we waited for our giant star to change and meet us in the stands.
Emmett called to us from the ground exit of the stadium. He seemed to be searching around us, and I knew that he must have been looking for Rose. "Where's my Rosie? I made that last block for her."
Edward looked confused and spoke up. "What are you talking about, Em? I thought she told you. She went to pick up her car."
"No, no, no. That can't be right." He sounded panicky. "The mechanic said the part wouldn't be in until Monday, and besides, she never misses a game...ever." He pulled out his phone and dialed. "She's not answering."
"Well, she texted me from an unknown number saying she left her phone at the bistro," Edward added calmly. Emmett didn't seem soothed. Instead, he seemed even more upset.
"I'm heading home. I'll meet everyone for dinner later," Emmett said brusquely before leaving. His temperament wasn't the only grumpy one...Char and Peter looked about ready to face off on the fifty-yard line themselves.
"Peter needs to go back to his hotel and pretty up," Char sniped in his direction. "I'll get ready at the apartment and meet y'all for dinner, as well. Peter will join us when he's in a better mood...or he won't be joining us at all." She walked over and kissed me and Ali on the cheek and whispered, "I put your changes of clothes in the trunk of the car, along with accessories and evening make up. Have fun at your next gift...Peter and I need to talk."
"Love you, and Happy Valentine's Day." I replied lamely but received another kiss on my cheek with a fierce hug.
"This, Bella Swan, is why I adore you. You always say the best things to me."
Alice and I discovered that this part of the date had been preplanned by Jasper and Edward. Emmett and Rose opted out, originally, to get changed after the game. And Charlotte had said that the boys had done enough for her on the date--before Peter showed up unannounced--that she wanted to go home and primp, after spending hours in the sun at the stadium.
We ended up at a tiny spa. It was a locals place--quiet and very serene. The guys had scheduled us to have a mani/pedi while they waited, then we were gonna to split up and do a couple's massage. Mmm, Edward and hot oil. Yeah, I didn't think we were rubbing each other...just getting rubbed at the same time. *Snort*--rubbed.
Turned out my internal gibberish was so wrong. The woman came in and instructed us on ways to rub the oil in to each other's skin. We were quickly taught different strokes and muscle groups to give attention to before she left us to our own devices...stupidly.
As soon as she'd closed the door, I saw Edward pouring some of the oil into his palm. "Get naked Bella, let me moisturize you," he said, even adding a cheesy wink at the end.
"Mind if I stroke you up...mind if I stroke you down," I said in a sing-song voice, imitating Changing Faces' "Stroke You Up." As I sang, I might have also mimicked "killing kittens" for him, causing Edward to seriously growl at me. Then, as he stood, open-mouthed and practically drooling, I dropped my pants to the floor and added my ridiculous themed shirt to the pile with a thud.
Ever so slowly, I wrapped one of the gigantic white terrycloth towels around me. Blinking, Edward stepped over to the masseurs table and waited. Fortunately for him, I was in a giving mood. I pretended to move myself to hop up onto the table, but as he tried to help me up--so sweetly--I slipped my hands down the front of his pants.
His elbows fell back on the table, letting his head roll back--along with his eyes. He was a gorgeous, arched, toned, sex-haired, pretty-lipped bastard, and I couldn't wait to control his erection and orgasm with my fingers.
My strokes were short and clumsy for a few seconds while my free hand worked the button and zipper of his jeans. The moment the denim fabric caught on the bend of his knee, I pulled my hand up and cupped the head of his glorious cock. I wanted to bend over the table and let him ravage me so much, but we didn't have that type of privacy...or a locked door, for that matter. So, with my back angled toward the door, my hand glided over the taut silky skin in long, even strokes from base to tip.
As I worked, I noticed the oil from Edward's palms was dripping, drop by slick drop onto the floor. Within seconds, my mind was filled with images of his glistening head, freely leaking pre-cum. His natural lubricant wasn't enough for the size of him, so I took the bottle of oil off the table, turning it just enough that I could watch the drops form at the opening and fall onto his dick.
I was about ninety percent positive that Edward's cock got more attention from the warmed oil than any other part of his body. He moaned incoherently, sounding as if he were speaking in tongues, the closer he came to climaxing. The thick veins that ran along his length became engorged and pulsed under my hand's work, and I knew it wouldn't be long at all.
Sensing he was too close, he ripped the towel from my body and exploded into the expensive, soft folds, leaving me naked and him panting. "Sweet....Jesus....fuck me," he stammered, and I nearly laughed, realizing they were the first words that had been spoken since our masseuse had left us alone.
"I don't think that he's into that stuff, Edward. I mean, how many sins is that? Geesh." I giggled as he fumbled with where to put the desecrated towel. We both dressed at lightening speed when we heard footsteps falling in the hall. We wanted to tell the instructor we enjoyed our time without having her catch us red...errr...I mean, slick-handed.
We finished buttoning and tucking just as the knock sounded at the door, and she poked her cherub round face in. "Mr Cullen, Mr Whitlock is going to meet you in the sauna while the ladies finish their treatment."
Edward leaned in and kissed me on my cheek, lingering long enough to whisper in my ear, "Don't be long. I don't wanna be away from you today."
His words...wow...just, his words.
"Treatments?" I whisper-yelled at Alice, trying to turn and look at her face, which I knew would be suppressing giggles. "Treatments my ass...more like torture." I had to squeeze the last words out through clenched teeth as the technician turned my face by my chin and applied the hot wax along my brows.
Waxing my eyebrows had never been a concern, I liked them the way they were. But, noooooo, Alice and her beauty musts. I mean, the girl had seriously asked me if she could see what type of maintenance I had down south after I refused to tell her.
The skin ripping pain lasted only a few seconds before she coated my eyebrows with something on a cotton ball, and I said something because my eyes were too teary to focus on that shit.
"Alice, I don't care if I look like that kid from The Munsters...never again," I grumbled out in complaint. "Do you hear me? Never. Again."
A low, resounding whistle echoed off the entryway walls of the spa. "Well hello ladies." Jasper's drawl was heavy today. He was too enamored by Alice to pay attention. "Don't you two look prettier than a Texas sunset on a hot summer's evening."
Edward grinned, all content and serene, and just nodded his agreement with Jasper's comparison. Alice had on a tiny black dress, almost painted on, adorned with red and white Swarovski crystals along the sweetheart neckline. She looked ten ways amazing, and everyone could see it...everyone but my Edward, whose eyes never left my face as I walked the last steps separating us.
The clicking of my crimson stilettos brought all eyes toward me in the otherwise quiet place. My legs were bare, and I'd insisted that I'd freeze. Ali's response was to put on those hose she had brought. Of course, me being me, I ripped my thumbs right through the stockings as I was attempting to ungracefully pull them on.
The hem of my dress fell about three inches above my knee. It was sequined black corset strapless dress with a blood red shimmering stripe curving from under my breast and around to my hip, like a lover's embrace, I had thought when I looked at it in the mirror.
My hair had been coiffed and pinned, circa a forties pin-up girl with two rolls on the side and flowing barrel curls down my back. My charcoal black eye liner and red stained lips completed the look. Edward had always found Betty and Eva interesting, and by the look on his face, he appreciated the gift.
"Wow, Bella. You look amazing, beautiful, just perfect. You're fucking perfect." Stumble much, lover? Ssh, you inner harlot...let me bask in the glow of my astounded boyfriend'a praise.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Cullen. I'm assuming you like your gift?" Bobble head nod as an answer--check. Lust-filled, hooded eyes--check. Crotchless panties, bare pussy and getting wet just from your boyfriend's stare--priceless.
I laced my arm through his offered one and snuggled in close as we went into the night air, heading to dinner . I prayed like hell that Char showed up and that the weirdness being experienced by Emmett and Rose would subside for at least one meal. The car ride over was relatively peaceful. The driver had the partition up, and Alice and Jasper were off to the side, whispering to one another affectionately.
The only break in their and our whispered conversations came when Alice would say something to me--over her shoulder but not turning to look at me--like "I can't wait to see where we're eating, right Bells?" or "Do you think they'll have a spectacular chocolate dessert? You know, because it's Valentine's Day?"
The car slowed, and I could literally see Alice bouncing in her seat like a child. The door opened, and I turned my attention to Edward, who was holding his hand out for me to follow. As soon as the cool air hit me, I focused on the place we were having dinner.
Giggles burst out of my mouth, and Alice shot me a confused look as she exited the car. "What, Bella? What's the joke?"
"O-on-only Jasper would pick a place called...Down South Steakhouse," I stuttered through my laughter. "And did you see the store across the street? The Hemp House. Classic. Just classic."
Edward's started laughing next to me, and soon, Alice and Jasper were in on it. "Told you they would think it was funny." Edward pointed at Jasper accusingly.
"Whatever." Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "This place has the best steaks north of Oklahoma," he said, bringing our laughter back as we made our way inside.
We stepped through front door one after the other, and I was surprised to see Charlotte at the hostess stand...with Peter nowhere in sight. Our raucous entrance got her attention because she spun around and eyeballed Jas hard.
"Hippie cowboy, this had better not be a joke. The hostess says they bring their meat up from Texas." Jasper nodded and grinned, looking happy that someone appreciated his dinner choice.
Our table had been reserved and was waiting for us. The waitress was a perky young girl in her late teens, and the horrific southern accent she used made both our Texans cringe--to the point where I thought Char was gonna stab her with her salad fork.
Just as bread and butter were set in front of us, I saw Rose being led to our table. "Where the hell is Emmett?" she spoke quietly as she took a seat next to Alice.
"He went looking for you after his game," Alice whispered back. "He was worried because you never miss a game, and he thought the auto shop said your car wouldn't be ready until Monday."
"What are you talking about, Ali?" Worry and fear took residence on Rose's face. "I got a call, as I was leaving the house. The guy said he worked with the football team and that Em had been injured and taken to the emergency room. That's why I wasn't there. I went to three different hospitals looking for him."
"Something is wrong about all of this," Jasper spoke directly to Edward. A creased brow was all that Edward gave in response before he picked up his cell, not waiting a second more.
"Emmett?" His voice sounded relieved. "Rose is here. Someone prank called her and said you'd been hurt. No, she's fine. No, her car is still at the shop. Yes, exactly. She went to three hospitals looking for you before coming here. Okay." Edward closed his phone and saw that Rose was burning holes in him with her stare as she waited. "Rose, he's on the way. We'll figure this out."
"I feel sorry for the bastard who thought this joke was a funny one," Jasper said, but before we could linger on the weirdness factor, the waitress came over.
She reminded me of a cheerleader, who was high on happy pills. Yup, she was that happy. Her hands came from behind her back, and she held out a small box to Charlotte. "I was asked to bring this to you," she said before scampering off.
Char looked at the small tag, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Peter," she exhaled and opened the box with a squeak. Lying inside was a beautiful pendant necklace, the stone a shimmering ruby--or some other red gem. Strong hands covered hers from behind, taking the chain from the box. She never turned to see who it was because she knew who it was already...the same way I knew when Edward walked into a room or woke next to me.
She loved him...just like I loved Edward.
I turned to stare at him, wanting to make sure that I hadn't said the words out loud. But, why shouldn't I? I'd promised myself that I was not going to be someone's victim again. That someone could be fear. No, I wouldn't be a victim to my fear either.
"Bella, you look so beautiful tonight," Edward spoke in hushed tones in my ear. "I don't think I can help myself tonight. I can't hold back."
"Edward," I gasped, the heat rising in the air around us. I felt like we were in a sauna, the steam hiding everyone else away.
"I love you."
"I love you."
Our delcarations were spoken in unison, and both our breathing stopped as we absorbed what the other had said. He closed the distance to my mouth, but just as his lips were about to press into mine, a loud obnoxious voice spoke out.
"'Bout damned time, little brother." Emmett had finally showed up and just in the nick of kiss-interrupting time.
Applause came from all sides of our table as our friends cheered the fact that we had given into our feelings and spoken them not only to one another but for the whole place to hear.
Emmett made quick work of asking Rose about the phone call before telling her that they would handle it tomorrow. He wanted to just have a normal, crazy-free dinner. The waitress brought all the food out together after she spoke to the chef about adding Em's order.
The small private words that each couple was exchanging added to the pace everyone was eating. The slow, relaxing romantic dinner almost looked like a pie eating contest at a county fair. Rose ran her napkin over her mouth before elbowing Em to do the same. I barely picked at my food, however. I wanted nothing more than to go home with Edward. All I wanted was to be in our bed, hearing him moan "I love you," while he fucked me to the point of being unable to walk tomorrow.
Jasper, likewise, had barely touched his food and looked a pale shade of white. He fidgeted in his chair and toyed with the tablecloth under his fingers. Thank baby cupid, the waitress brought our check just as Charlotte, Peter, and Emmett's forks fell to their plates.
"I packed up eight of the speciality desserts...to go." She giggled and winked at as collectively.
"What the hell?" Jasper said astounded, the bill in his hands. "Ma'am, I don't understand." He waved the server back towards the table.
"Oh, that. I forgot to tell you. A Mr. & Mrs. Cullen said to enjoy the rest of your night and told me to say 'do it right.' Whatever that means," she spouted and then grabbed the empty black folder that should have had a bill inside. I swear, everyone at the table laughed--except for Jas, who turned into a cameleon on me, changing from stark white to a deep crimson blush.
Edward leaned over to me and whispered conspiratorially in my ear. "Remember what Jas told us he wanted to do for Ali at the bar the other night?" I gasped, and all eyes fell on me. I waved them off and nodded at Edward. "He asked our parents permission the other day, hence the 'do it right' comment."
With everything else that had been going on, it had slipped my mind. The proposal.
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We filed out of the Down South Steakhouse much in the way we had entered, well, except now there were more of us. I took a right step away from Edward toward Alice and started chatting about how nice her dress looked and how much I loved her. I thought I should remind her that the Valentine's love can be spread past our opposite sex counterparts.
Behind me, I could hear Jasper telling Edward it was time and then distinctly heard the word 'ring.' That was when I did something brave. I asked Alice to tell me about whoever had designed my dress and if she would take me to look for another dress soon. Little did she know, it would be her wedding dress we would be shopping for.
Emmett and Rose must have been in on the upcoming moment and informed Charlotte and Peter. The four of them had kind of formed a semi-circle next to Alice and me, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
But what I heard next was not what I was expecting. A frantic, shrieking voice screamed out at us.
"Nooo! You can't marry her! Not. Going. To. Happen." I turned just as Edward yelled my name.
I couldn't see my Edward, though, because all I saw was Officer Nichols running straight at me, arms thrown forward in a tackle motion.
A/N: so what did you think?
I hope y'all liked it 3