Chapter 25: Hot Fudge Sundaes

Edward POV

We have been driving to my place for the last fifteen minutes and Hermione hasn't said one word. I don't even think she thanked Jacob for getting the door. I wasn't sure how to approach her like this and I wondered if I should even approach her at all. I couldn't understand when things changed but clearly they had.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have ice cream?"

"I do. Not sure what flavors are left but I know there's always at least one carton of vanilla."

"Vanilla? Do you have toppings for it?"

"Sometimes I have chocolate syrup on it. If I want too many toppings I'll just choose another flavor. Sometimes vanilla is perfection."

Hermione's eyebrows pop up and she turns towards me. She looks tired, but no matter how red or puffy her eyes may get, she will always be beautiful.

"You may be the only person I've met who likes plain vanilla."

"What can I say other than I like it. A good vanilla doesn't need bells and whistles. It tastes good enough on its own."

Hermione thinks a little about this.

"Maybe I will try vanilla too. I was boring like vanilla once."

"Vanilla is not boring. It's sophisticated and it never goes out of style."

Hermione smiles.

"You know if you want to talk about anything I'm here."

"What? My pompous ex, or my best mate who is about to be a dad? Or the fact that I ran into a high school bully tonight? All of that? No. Can't say that I do want to talk about it."

I can't read her. She's all over the place and I wonder how we got here after last night.

"If you do want to talk about it we can. Just let me know."

"Look Edward, I thank you for supporting me, for always wanting to help; but I learned a long time ago some things can't be mended or fixed. Some things you can't come back from."

"I'm confused. Which situation are you wanting to mend?"

"I didn't say I wanted to mend anything."

I know I've said too much. I should just drop this and leave it alone. I should have just beat her ex the moment I laid eyes on him.

"What?"

Hermione is looking at me, waiting on me to explain something and I haven't a clue what it is.

"Hermione, let's just drop it."

"That's what I just said!"

I can't say that Hermione has ever truly yelled at me before. Her behavior reminds me of the night we met. She was hurt and I made it worse then. I could be myself and ruin this completely or I could try to dodge whatever has hurt her. Was it seeing the ex? Did she still have feelings for him? Was it the fact that someone else she trusted is pregnant and she had to find out from her ex? Well I guess there are many reasons she could be hurt.

Hermione is staring out of the window and though she thinks I can't tell, she's fighting tears.

"What flavor were you hoping I would have in the freezer?"

"There really is no such thing as bad ice cream."

Hermione looks at her fingernails. Perhaps this is progress; at least she isn't staring out the window anymore.

"But you think vanilla is boring?"

"No! I said I was called vanilla. As in I was the boring one. Always reading, studying, trying to figure out everything, plan every single damn day, every hour. Apparently planning life out is a waste of time, because you won't be anywhere you think you will when it's all said and done."

"I suppose not."

Hermione looks at me then. Really looks at me. She's furious and her cheeks are tinged red. Her eyes are cloudy and her smile is completely gone. She's frantic and I have no clue what to do or say. I feel clueless.

The car stops and she isn't even waiting on Jacob before she's exiting the vehicle. I spot a paparazzi guy in the corner of an alley but I'm scared if I point him out Hermione will run away from me or she will break his camera. It's a coin toss as to which she would actually do.

I grab the bags from Jacob and walk two steps behind her. I know she's hurt but after Ron left she joked around with me. It wasn't until we were riding the elevator down in her building that she flipped this switch. I could tell the moment it happened, she dropped my hand and put her hands in her pockets.

The doorman opens the door for us and not a polite word is spoken. I should make an effort, but right now I am so damn confused I'm not even sure what to say to anyone.

The silence continues throughout the elevator ride and as I turn the key to the door I'm not even sure why we are trying this. Why are we even here when clearly she has feelings she needs to sort through. But then again, I want to be the one she confides in. The problem is getting her to let me in again.

I open the door to the penthouse and think about the last time we were here and wish we could go back to this morning looking through websites talking about how happy we were.

Hermione is looking through the freezer. I decide that it's now or never. I walk up behind her and she tenses up. What in the hell happened to my Hermione?

"You have triple chocolate?!"

Hermione's back to smiling again. Run with it.

"Yeah. Want some?"

"Do you have peanut butter?"

"I'm a guy. I think we have peanut butter and bacon as staples before we stock salt and pepper."

Hermione laughs a little. It isn't her normal head thrown back laugh that I adore, but this is progress. Before I can ask her anything else she is looking through cabinets.

"You have a lot of nice cooking utensils."

"That's one I can honestly say I've never heard before. Does this mean I get brownie points?"

Hermione smiles as she holds up a red sauce pan.

"It may mean you get brownies one day. Are you going to take a shower?"

"Do I smell that bad?"

Laugh. Almost a full laugh. Progress.

"No. But if you want to take one this should be ready by the time you are out."

"What are you making me?"

"You'll see! Go!"

I laugh a little before turning around and walking to the bedroom. I think I may have whiplash from her mood swings. Something tells me whatever she is cooking will be worth it.

%%

After a long shower I put on pajama pants and a white tshirt on. As I come out of the bathroom I notice Hermione's bag is on the lounger in the corner. My heart skips a few beats thinking of her in my bedroom. In my life.

I walk into the kitchen and see Hermione turning to face me with spoons in one of her hand.

"Yay! We can eat!"

"What are we eating?"

Hermione grins and shakes her head no.

"Close your eyes."

"Miss Granger if you want to get kinky I can…"

"Edward! Stop it!"

I laugh before closing my eyes.

"Don't ruin it. Keep them closed."

"Yes ma'am."

Hermione laughs then. A full laugh. One I have missed. She should always be laughing.

"Okay, open them."

I open my eyes and see my chocolate ice cream covered in sauce.

"Peanut butter?"

"Yes!"

"Where's yours?"

Hermione laughs and grabs the seat beside mine at the bar. I turn to her and see my happy woman back.

I waste no more time before digging in to the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had.

"This Is better than a Reese's cup."

Hermione laughs again as she eats her ice cream.

"I love this sauce. I got it out of one of Martha's earlier recipe books."

"I bet Martha couldn't make it taste this good."

"Edward, I'm sure she can. It's her recipe."

"Fine, but she was never this gorgeous eating it."

Hermione rolls her eyes in an exaggerated manner.

"Smooth."

I laugh and look back to find Hermione looking at me. Her eyes are still puffy but the light is back.

"Smooth like peanut butter!"

Hermione's head falls back as she laughs. Good job Edward!

"Are you okay over there Hermione? You sound like you may have some sort of attack from laughing so hard."

Hermione just continues to laugh harder.

"That had to be the lamest line ever."

"But it made you laugh. Mission accomplished."

Hermione's eyes find mine again.

"So you wanted me to laugh?"

"That's my new mission in life."

Shit. Was that too serious? Hermione's face fell a little when I said it.

"Edward, don't say things like that unless you mean them."

Hermione looks back down at her ice cream dish that is almost empty. I place my arm on the back of her chair waiting for her to turn towards me. When she does she doesn't look up. I take my hand and gently tilt her chin up. There's so much question in her eyes that makes me think of our first night alone in her apartment when she couldn't trust anyone.

"Is that what the mood shift was about? You're scared I'll be a douche too?"

Hermione smiles at the immature name calling but I know she wants to tell me that I am right.

"How old were you when you met Ron?"

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"We don't. But I'm about to say some things and I want you to really listen and accept them for what they are; which is the truth."

Hermione's gaze softens as she meets mine. I place my right hand over hers that are balled up and fidgeting with one another.

"I'm not some kid who is looking for someone to help make me popular. I'm sure not some guy looking for a one night stand. I'm not a teenager. I chose you and I want you because for all of my faults I know when something is amazing. You're out of my league. I know this. But you also have to know I'm not in this for a week or a month. I'm too old to play games. It's not who I want to be. Before you I didn't see myself with anyone at all and then when I couldn't stop thinking about you I knew I had to try. This is me trying. One day you will let me in. I'll be here when you're ready."

"I'm ready. It's just.."

Hermione trails off and looks down.

"What are you afraid of?"

"I was kind of a loser. I felt like a loser at times. I didn't fit in. If you see me the way people from my past do then maybe your opinion will change."

Out of all the things she could have confessed, I never ever thought it would be that. I'm almost angry.

"Do you have such little faith in me? Is that what you truly think of me?"

"No! It's just what has always happened. Our relationship was different. It had nothing to do with my past or Hogwarts and now it's like all these people are just here. I don't necessarily like who I was to them."

"Hermione. There is nothing that they could say that I would care about. I know you. Correct?"

Hermione nods her head yes.

"Then why would I care about the opinion of people who clearly had bad judgement in the past? You don't see yourself the way I do. I can tell you now they were intimidated by you or perhaps they realized a little too late that you are irreplaceable. I see these people as more of a threat than you could. What if your history with Ron is more than I can compete with?"

"That's preposterous. He cheated on me."

"Yet you are upset seeing him and doubt me after seeing him."

"It' just.."

"It's just what?"

"I'm hurt okay!?"

Her eyes are now filled with tears. I pull her hands a little closer to me and lean in to wipe away a tear with my free hand.

"Harry and Ginny are having a baby and I know that they aren't in my current life but it hurts when someone completely shuts you out. And even though my ringer is off and I severed ties with them, it just hurt to hear Ron spill the dreams of the past. Marriage and children and all of that. At one time I wanted that. I still do. I just didn't like hearing it from him."

"Hermione. Do you still love him?"

"No. He's an ass hole."

"Do you want to have children?"

Hermione shifts in her seat.

"Someday."

"Do you think we are wasting time here?"

"What?"

"Do you think this is an intentional flash in the pan relationship? A rebound? Because it isn't but I don't want to be the only one alone on the love boat. If you don't have feelings for me you have to tell me."

Hermione's eyes are large and round. She looks as though she finally gets it.

"I have baggage. I'm moody. I have a past. I'm a little damaged. I'm a lot like vanilla."

"Sophisticated?"

"No. Boring. Predictable."

"Says who?"

"it was implied I was boring in bed as well."

This time I know she caught the eye roll. I couldn't help it.

"Now who is being preposterous?"

"Edward, you kind of have a reputation. I'm kind of that good girl."

"The good girl always throws the bad boys world off its axis. And she gets him in the end."

Hermione smiles for a moment.

"If you believe everything in the press about me we are in trouble. I'm no saint but I'm no Christian Grey either."

I lean in until our foreheads touch. I look directly into her eyes.

"Hermione, I promise you that I can handle you. I worry you won't want to handle me. But I can also commit tonight that there is no one else I want and I don't know how anyone could ever replace who you are to me. Stop trying to talk yourself out of this."

Hermione shakes her head.

"Self-sabotage."

"I'm not them. I'm not him. Just let me show you that."

Hermione looks into my eyes without saying a word. She catches me off guard as her lips find mine. It's nothing more than a light kiss at first, but as soon as she pulls away my hand pulls her lips back to mine. I could kill Ron Weasley. I also feel like I should send him flowers as a thank you for freeing Hermione so that I could have her.

As if she senses my thoughts Hermione bites my bottom lip. I open it for her and as tongues collide the world is forgotten.