500reviews holy moly!
I have been busy with work – cray cray!
Plus I wasn't sure about this Chapter…so let me know what you think eh?
Authors used in order listed:
Ian McEwan
Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami
Chapter 27
"So" Edward holds Flora up in his arms. "What do you think of dinner, just the girls"
"What girls?" Flora questions.
"My mom, my sisters, you"
"What about mommy?" Her arm rests on her father's shoulder as she rests her fist on her chin looking at him.
"Well, I was thinking about your mommy and myself going out to dinner, together"
"Just you two?"
"Yeah, probably" He treads carefully.
"Sounds alright" She thinks. "What about Pop Pop?"
"I think Grampy would like to take him out with Big Guy"
Flora covers her mouth and giggles. "I really love Big Guy"
"I think he feels the same Flora" Edward kisses her cheek. Bella is out by the pool with his mother and sister. Rose is at work as is Emmett. Carlisle is also at work. Charlie is watching the game on TV. They went out today, the girls. Shopping. Charlie stayed around the hotel area, and Edward hung out at his place. It is Wednesday and the days they have together are dwindling. He and Bella parted last night on great terms, he wants to push her a bit to explore them. Ask her out, start again. The only hope he has, they have it to start again. This time with nothing but themselves keeping them apart. He loves her very much and wants so much to be with her.
She looks up. "Hey, where is Flora?"
"She fell asleep in the guest room" He tells her.
"Oh, is she alright?" Bella questions.
"Yes"
Bella fidgets under his gaze. "What?" She whispers, his mother and sister are nearby talking and looking through a magazine. She was resting her eyes for a moment. She hasn't had a real vacation in…ever. His parents house is really nice. It is Wednesday and she and Flora have yet to see his place. She understands his family is a big part of him and they are here, so is he, so she and Flora are as well.
"I would like to take you out to dinner tonight"
Esme looks over at her son and Bella. Bree next to her feels her breath hitch.
"What?" Bella says softly.
He looks at her, then bends next to the chair she is sitting in, her feet are up. "I would like for you to join me, for dinner, at a restaurant, tonight"
"Flora" Bella stares and mumbles her heart racing. She feels like a school girl.
"The girls want to take her out, maybe she can sleep over here"
"I'm not ready for sex" Bella blurts out.
Smiling Edward shakes his head. "You will be going back to the hotel or I can bring you back here and you can share the guest room with Flora, so she wakes up next to you"
"Charlie, my dad?"
"I think" Edward reaches out to stroke his fingers over the top of her hand that is gripping the chair. "Carlisle and Emmett want to take him out"
"Oh, you have thought of everything?" It is almost a question.
"I haven't thought of what I will do if you say no" His voice is very soft, his eyes are on her hand they lift back to hers after he finishes speaking. "Please, don't say no"
'A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended.'
"I pray you have not been completely torn" Edward says, his eyes pled once again with hers. He knows she owes him nothing, he owes her everything. He wants a chance to give her what he owes on top of what she deserves mixed with what she wants.
Bella leans her head into his, it sinks, bows and she sighs. 'What happens when people open their hearts?'...
Edward leans in a rests his forehead near her bowed head and breathes her in. 'They get better.' He whispers.
Charlie comes into her half of the hotel suite. He stands in the doorway of the bathroom. Flora is at the Cullen home. He will go over with Bella and Edward to meet Carlisle and Emmett. He is not entirely sure going out with the man that is the father of the man that knocked up his daughter is the best idea. But he sees Bella struggling and he will make an effort for her. He sees Flora happy and he will make an effort for her as well.
Bella shifts her eyes in the mirror as she brushes her hair. "You don't approve"
"I never said that, I never said anything"
Turning she leans against the bathroom counter and looks at her father.
"You are too good for him" Charlie says.
She smiles and shrugs one shoulder. "He is a good man"
"We are going to have to disagree here Bells. I'm not going to stop you, you are a grown woman, but know I make no promises when it comes to that man and my girls hearts"
"Thanks dad"
"You bet kid"
"You look great" Edward smiles when she opens the door; he lifts the bouquet towards her.
"Thank you, and" She takes the arrangement. "Thank you" Bella brings them to her nose and inhales the scent. "They are lovely"
He smiles. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, let me get my dad" She grabs her bag and moves to knock twice on the joining door.
"Hi Mommy" Flora says from her place on the kitchen counter when she spots her mother, father and Pop Pop. "Hi Daddy, hi Pop Pop"
"Hey you" Bella smiles. "Who put you up there?" Bella wonders. She left to get ready for her dinner with Edward after Flora woke up, so that she wouldn't be scared.
"Granny Es" Flora announces, she gets kissed on the head by her Pop Pop and then her Daddy. Flora smile brightly. "We waiting for the cookies" She tells her mother.
"Are waiting, did you make cookies?" Bella smiles stroking her daughters head with one hand, so pleased she feels comfortable. But Flora is a child, all the headaches and heartaches of being an adult are hers to bear.
"Yup, for dessert, after our girl's dinner we will have them"
Bella smiles. She is glad Flora is into this and not worried about being left tonight while she and Edward head out for a few hours.
"Who got you them?" Flora points.
"Let me get some water for those" Esme bustles around the kitchen to fetch a vase. Charlie has been whisk off by Emmett.
"Your dad" Bella smiles a thank you to Esme.
"Daddy you mean?" Flora looks at her father. "But why?"
"Flora" Edward comes to stand next to Bella in front of Flora and he cups her tiny face with both hands. "When a boy likes you, when you get really old, really old" He smiles to himself. "He will bring you flowers"
"Do you like Mommy then?"
"Very much" He kisses her forehead before pulling back. He leans in again to whisper into her ear, but not whisper. "I love Mommy"
Esme is staring at her son and her granddaughter, her eyes drift to Bella's form. She is like a statue next to them two.
"Daddy loves you Mommy" Flora says with a smile and slightly wicked grin.
Bella smiles a bit.
"Thank you" She slips into the car. Bella watches him jog around to the driver's side and get in. She fidgets nervously.
"Are you nervous?" He questions buckling his belt.
"No" She lies turning her eyes ahead. She sits back against the seat and gazes in front of her. "Where are we going?"
"There is this great little place I want to take you too; I think you'll love it" He glances at her with a smile.
"Do you think Flora will be fine tonight?"
"I think she will be just fine" Edward assures her.
Her eyes haven't left the road before her. She is scared to look at him, into his eyes.
"Listen Bella, if you don't want to" He pauses and licks his lips. "If you feel completely uncomfortable, I can take you back to my parents. We can get Flora and I'll take you both to the hotel, just tell me"
Bella turns her head to look at him. His profile is breathtaking. "I don't want that, I want to go"
Edward glances at her and then the road, then her again. "Really?" He smiles a bit.
"Yeah, I want to go with you, I'm just" She shifts her eyes forward again. "It is a little overwhelming still" She runs her fingers into her loose hair.
"I understand" He reaches over blindly and grabs her hand in his. "For me too, but in a good way" He gives her hand a squeeze. "I've wanted to take you here for a long time" He says softly.
Bella gets out of the car after he opens her door. She looks up at the building. "A library?"
"Not really, no, but…come on" It is only 6, pretty early for the Boston nightlife. He grabs her hand without thinking and pulls her towards the entrance.
"Good Evening welcome"
"Cullen, two" Edward says he is still holding her hand in his own. He turns and sees her eyes wide with a smile on her lips.
The lighting in dim, dark to be honest. Warm, lamps are the only lights. The walks a heavy with shelves, and drapes, thick burgundy drapes.
Bella sees books on the shelves. She whips her head to Edward as he pulls her along. "We are eating in here?" It is the smell of books and food, sweetly scented food.
"Yes" He whispers.
She walks along with him, she is in an old library, she thinks, now a restaurant that was an old library.
"You requested the 'fiction' section sir?"
"I did" Edward nods. He moves to pull Bella's chair out.
Bella looks as she plops down; the Austen, Christie, Shakespeare; Tolkien quotes and book covers coat the wall. She barely feels the maître d placing her napkin in her lap.
Edward stares at her, she is a vision. So enthralled in her surroundings, and only her surroundings. He bets there could be an earthquake and Bella wouldn't notice.
"Bella, Bella?"
"Sorry, wh-yes?" She blinks, pulling her eyes away from this beautiful and amazing place and looking across the small circle table at Edward. He looks delighted. She smiles. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Water" Bella orders unsure. She can't drink, she has had a glass of wine, had a beer. But she doesn't drink anyway.
Edward eyes her. "I'll have a sparkling water, lime"
"Very good sir" He nods before leaving.
"I'm sorry" Bella shakes her head. "I'm completely blown away, how long has this place been here?"
"A longer time than it has been a restaurant" Edward says looking around. They are surrounded by shelves full of fiction stories. Stories that he knows Bella loves, ones, many that she has already read.
Bella looks around over and over. "Are we allowed to touch them?" She makes a fist to keep from touching.
Edward smiles. "Yes" He watches her out of her seat in a second. Moving he pushes out and stand, moving towards her gazing over the shelves. He watches her index finger stroke the spines of the books.
"This place is like a dream"
"What food and books?"
"What more could a girl want" She jokes lightly. She feels his breath on her neck, his body heat behind her. Pausing she sighs and turns to face him. "Thank you for bringing me here" She stares up at him.
"Thank you for joining me for dinner"
'Sometimes when I look at you, I feel I'm gazing at a distant star. It's dazzling, but the light is from tens of thousands of years ago. Maybe the star doesn't even exist any more. Yet sometimes that light seems more real to me than anything.' Bella says softly.
"It is very real" He answers her. His hand comes to cup her cheek. "I won't rush you. I told you before; this between us is going to happen"
She stares up at him and her head nods slowly.
"Shall we order?" He whispers pressing a kiss to the side of her mouth.
She shudders at the feel of his warm lips against her skin. It warms her whole body.
Conversation through dinner is easy, really easy, and surprisingly easy.
"I wanted to put something on the table here Bella"
She stops mid spoon to brownie and lifts her eyes at him across the table.
"When I graduate with my doctorate, I was planning on moving to Forks"
"I know and Edward I just think" She makes a face and shakes her head a bit. She doesn't know, but it doesn't sound like a sound plan.
"I love Boston, I do, I'm not going to pretend I don't"
"You should stay where you love" She says lightly, her spoon down against the dessert dish. Her lower lip is trapped by her teeth unsure.
"I love you and Flora more"
"Edward"
"I know, you didn't get the chance to go to school, one, ah one that would have" He stops not sure how to put it.
"The community college is just fine" She defends.
"I think so, but there are a lot of schools out here in Boston, you are so smart Bella, I can help you"
Her eyes widen.
"Bella" He says hoping he hasn't gone too far and by the look on her face he knows he has.
"Just stop, what, you want Flora and I to move out here, and be taken care of by you, you can show Flora how much better life is and how her mother did a piss poor job of giving her things"
"Christ Bella" He stares at her and hisses. "No, god damn, no that is not what I was saying"
She huffs, her chest is moving at a rapid pace, she feels like he is attacking her and she wants to go. "I want to go"
"No"
Bella looks over at him. She didn't mean any of that.
"No, I would love for you to move here and go to an amazing university, and have Flora near me all the time. That is what I was saying, and yes, yes" He growls. "I would help you do whatever you wanted; I would help not help you if you wanted that"
Bella's face softens listening to him.
"But if you don't want to have anything to do with that idea, then okay, I just wanted you to know, I'm here, for you, for Flora, and you have more options" He says so she doesn't think she didn't have any before, she did. But now she has more, different ones.
Bella nods a bit, her shoulders still square. "I'm sorry" She sighs and drops her head.
"You have nothing to apologize for" He tells her. "Nothing, I have to earn your trust. You gave it so freely before. And I" He stops, his eyes drift to the table between them. "-I stole it, and crushed you, I know we need to build that up again, I know"
Bella turns her head. "Do you want to take a walk?" She whispers.
We are making major progress, hope the flow is natural.
Up Next:
The trip comes to an end *sad face*
Bella and Charlie have a heart to heart
Then what next? *not a clue just an FYI*
EXTRA offer:
I have their 'Walk' as an extra. Review if you want it! Sorry 'guests' It is not important, if you miss it, you won't miss it. If you get me!
Also I'm going to bed now, the extra is all done, I'll PM it tomorrow when I get up though.
