Hello, everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! The heat wave in the Great Northeast has forced me to stay inside, but on a positive note, I have been able to finish this chapter. Hope you like! Please review!
AN: I don't own Twilight, but I do own central air – Thank God!
Chapter 36
A Good Day
EPOV
"Uhhhh. This is torture. I want them and I want them now, Isabella." My eyes honed in on the yummy mounds of heaven in front of me.
"Edward, stop ogling my goodies. And no, you cannot have them." Bella was using her teacher voice making it all the harder to resist.
"But I want them."
"I said no. And don't even think about touching them."
"Bel-laaaa."
"Eddddwarrrd." She was fucking mocking me. Nice girlfriend, right. "You'll be able to enjoy them…later."
"Please, just a nibble?"
"Fine!" She said in a huff. "You may have one, but only one. The rest are for Alice."
"Yay!" I squealed like a little girl as I took the biggest chocolate chip cookie from the cooling rack and shoved it into my mouth. Yes, I said cookies. What did you think we were talking about? That's what I thought. Get your mind out of the gutter, you big pervs.
Bella rolled her eyes at my immaturity and went back to cleaning up the baking mess in the kitchen. I went over to the fridge and pulled out the carton of milk. It would be the perfect accompaniment to these fuck awesome Bella cookies.
I had woken up to an empty bed and the most amazing smell wafting from downstairs. Bella had been hard at work making cookies and putting lunch together. It was my last day here and she had suggested taking Alice for a short picnic near her house. She would be starting her intensive chemo tomorrow and who knows how long it would be before she was able to be outside again. Knowing that I wasn't going to be here to see Alice through this rough time did not sit with me well at all, but I knew it couldn't be helped. The movie premier was a little more than a month away and it was bad enough that I went MIA this weekend. I walked up behind Bella and put my arms around her waist. I rested my head on her back and sighed as she brought her hands up and stroked my arms.
"I hate that I can't be here for her." She turned around in my arms to face me.
"Oh, Edward. You need to stop beating yourself up about this. You were here for her on one of the most important nights of her thirteen year old life and you made it so, so special. That is worth more to her than anything you could do while she's in the hospital. She understands your responsibilities more than you know. Give her a little credit." I knew everything Bella was saying was true, but I wasn't ready for my personal pity party to be over just yet.
"I know, but I just can't help but think that while she's here struggling and suffering for her life, I'll be out promoting a stupid movie. It's so fucking trivial."
"Uh, don't let Alice hear you say that. You seem to forget she's in that trivial movie. She'll rip your nuts off if she hears you talking like that, and then where would that leave us? I'm kind of fond of your nuts, ya know." Bella waggled her eyebrows at me and I had never found her sexier. I squeezed her a little tighter.
"Well we can't let that happen, since you're you know, so fond of them." I started to nuzzle her neck and pepper it with little nibbles.
"Edddwarrd." Now it was her turn to wine.
"What? It's nothing to be embarrassed about, baby. They're quite fond of you too. The feeling is one-hundred percent mutual. Maybe this would be the time to show just how fond of them you are." I ignored her attempts to push me away and continued assaulting her neck. I was quickly breaking down her resolve and was looking forward to the idea that I was so going to get hot kitchen floor sex when I heard the front door open and close with a small slam.
"Bella, Edward? You guys awake yet?" Fucking Seth. He just had to pick this moment to come home. I groaned into Bella's neck as she pushed me away and straightened up her clothes. I readjusted myself silently apologizing to my man parts for shutting them down.
"Be nice." Bella warned as she shook out her hair. I scowled as she placed a chaste kiss on my pouting face. I was acting like a child who had their lollipop taken away.
Seriously, Masen? You were lucky enough to get it three times last night and even that doesn't include the teacher desk fuck. Insatiable bastard.
"In here, Seth." Bella called out to him as soon as we were both put back together. Seth literally skipped into the kitchen with what I could only describe as a permanent grin plastered across his face.
"Oh man, Bella. I could just kiss you." Bella squealed as he grabbed her away from me and started swinging her around.
"Yeah, that won't be happening, buddy." I said in a half joking half 'touch her and I'll beat your ass' kind of way.
"Oh give it a rest, Edward. We all know Bella only belongs to you blah, blah, blah. It just so happens that the love of your life has just introduced me to the love of my life. Charlotte is amazing. Thank you, Bella." He spun her around one more time to make his point and probably to piss me off. He continued to rattle on like a high school girl with a crush.
"We just clicked. We have so much in common. I feel like I've known her all my life." Seth grabbed a cookie off the rack and shoveled it into his mouth in one bite. "God, Bella, these are awesome." Before I could tell him they weren't for him Bella responded.
"I'm glad you like them. Go ahead, take another."
What. The Hell?
"He gets two and I have to beg for one. What's up with that?" I could hear the wining in my voice but I couldn't stop it. First he cockblocked hot kitchen floor sex and now he's eating my Bella's cookies.
"You get to have more later, he doesn't." Bella gave me that 'you better relax' look. She was right, I was fucking acting like an imbecile. I needed to bring it down a notch or two.
"So, you and Charlotte. That's great, really Seth." I willed the rational side of my brain to start functioning.
"Thanks, dude. I gotta get going though. Charlotte's picking me up in an hour. We're going to go hiking. I just came home to shower and change. By the way, Edward?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think you could get me an extra ticket to the movie premier? I want to ask Charlotte if she'll be my date."
"Sure, no problem, man."
"Great, thanks. See you kids later." He started to saunter out of the room.
"Be back around five. That should give us time to make our flight." Seth didn't turn around but gave me a thumbs up to let me know that he had heard. With that acknowledgement I looked over to Bella to see that her head was down and she was…crying?
What the fuck?
"Bella, baby, what's wrong?" I was over to her in a flash and put my arms around her. She made no attempt to hug me in return and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what had changed in three minutes. "Bella, sweetie, you can tell me." She looked up at me with her big brown doe eyes and I brushed her hair away from her face.
"It's…it's nothing." She tried to lower her head but I wouldn't let her.
"Clearly, it's not nothing. Tell me baby. I want to make it better."
"I…I just d-didn't realize that the p-premier was something you bring a…a date to." Then it dawned on me that I had never asked Bella to be my date to the premier. I just assumed she already knew I was planning on it, but with the dance and everything, I never got around to saying the words. She didn't think I wanted her there.
Fuuuuuck!
"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry Bella. I was planning on asking you, really. With everything going on I guess I just forgot. Will you go with me?" It didn't make her smile like I thought it would. Instead she just stood there and looked at the floor.
"Don't you think that maybe you go and be seen with someone that's a little more…um…more glamorous? I'm hardly red carpet material. It wouldn't be good for your image."
What the fuck was this? I couldn't believe she was implying that she wasn't good enough for me, again. One little slip up on my part and we're back to square one? I couldn't contain the anger and frustration one more second.
"Dammit, Bella. I don't want fucking glamorous, I want you." Her head snapped up and all I could see was hurt consume her face. That did not come out right. In that one statement I confirmed what she thought was true, that she wasn't glamorous at all. God, I am a fucking idiot. I brought my voice down lower so that it was gentle and tender.
"What I mean is that in my world glamorous is just another word for fake. All those people you see on television seem like they have it all, but they don't. They may be beautiful on the outside, but that's only their shell. They're shallow and conceited on the inside. I've been in that world, Bella, and I hated it. It tortured me and slowly tried to kill me. You are the opposite of that. When I look at you I see natural beauty, inside and out. When I smell you, I smell sunshine and fresh air. When I touch you, I feel warmth and electricity. And when I make love to you I can see us, twenty maybe thirty years into the future being so happy with each other and our growing family. It overwhelms me Bella, because it's real and it reminds me that I'm alive. Whenever the bullshit of my career threatens to take me under, I can push it all aside and stay the course because I know that the happily ever after for me is locked inside of you." I
"But the last time I was in Hollywood all the press could focus on was me and who I was to you. I don't want to be that kind of distraction, not on your big night." God, this woman was going to be the death of me.
"Bella, if you don't want to go because the press makes you feel uncomfortable, I'll respect that. But don't think I'm going to use it as an opportunity to take someone else. I'll go alone and the whole time I'll be wondering what you are doing and how long it will be until I'm with you again. You seem to forget that I am irrevocably in love with you and that's not going to change. You're stuck with me." I stroked her back and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry. You're right. I really haven't felt insecure about our relationship in a long time. I don't know, I guess the thought that you didn't want me with you at the premier made me have a momentary lapse in judgment. I know you love me and I love you."
"So, you'll go with me, be my date? I really, really want you there next to me." She smiled and nodded emphatically. "Excellent. If Charlotte agrees to go you guys can travel together. But just so you know, you are staying with me."
"Yes sir." Bella said in her best man voice while giving a salute with her hand. I decided to take the opportunity to see what else I could get while she was being so agreeable.
"And I'm having another cookie." She started to protest but I just smirked at her as I picked one up and popped it in my mouth.
~o~o~O~o~o~
The picnic was such a great idea. Alice was happier than I had ever seen her. She led Bella and me to a small meadow on her family's property that was peppered in different colored wildflowers. The sun was shining and the summer day was pleasantly warm.
We had eaten our sandwiches and were settling down to enjoy Bella's awesome cookies. Alice was enthusiastically giving us all the details on the previous night. After the dance, she and Jasper went to a parent chaperoned party at Jessica's. There was food and dancing and they even played a little truth or dare, much to my dismay. I just about choked on my soda when she told us that she was dared to French kiss Jasper but it hadn't been a big deal because they had already done that 'tons of times.' Bella had laughed at me and whispered that this was the norm for kids her age. My shocked facial reaction encouraged another chuckle along with the sentiment that I should 'stop being a big prude.'
And that would be Alice's statement.
Bella and Alice roared into a fit of giggles at my expense. "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of role model or something? You shouldn't be encouraging her." I glared at Bella.
"Oh, please Edward. It's just kissing. It's not like we're having sex or anything."
Oh my fucking Christ.
"No, no, no, I'm not hearing that. Lalalalalalalala!" I put my hands on my ears and started singing loudly which only made Bella and Alice laugh harder.
I declared that this was all just a little too much information for me and begged the girls to move on to the next topic. Thankfully they put me out of my misery.
"So, Bella, I hear you're going to be Edward's date for the movie premier." Alice said once she had her laugher under control.
"Really? And how did you hear that?"
"Edward called me as soon as you accepted. I think he's a little excited."
"You think?" Bella scrunched up her nose.
"Yeah, he was practically salivating over the phone. He's whipped." I suddenly felt I was not part of this conversation.
"He's right here, ya know." I put my hands on my hips and pouted.
"Awww, are you feeling a little left out, Eddie-weddie? Bella, I think he needs some attention." And with that they evilly smirked at each other before closing in on me.
"What are you guys doing?" Neither of them said anything, they just continued stalking over to me. I was a little…no, a lot nervous when they finally reached me. I put my hands up in a defensive move. Bella and Alice looked at each other.
"Get him." Alice screamed and then they were everywhere, tickling the ever-loving shit out of me.
"No, stop! Fuck, get off me!" I was about to piss my pants.
"Ooooohhhh, Edward, you said a bad word. Who's the role model now?" Bella said as she drove her hand underneath my clenched arm and struggled to get to my armpit. I was losing, miserably. My only chance was to take them both at the same time. Letting go of my protective stance, I bear hugged them, one in each arm. Then I started using my fingers to tickle their sides. The frantically tried to get out of my grasp, but I was too strong.
King Edward. I'm in control now. Take that you little heathens.
"Okay, uncle, uncle." Alice squealed and I finally released my grip knowing that I had won the war. All three of us collapsed next to each other on the grass, breathing heavy from all the exertion. After several minutes of silence, Alice spoke up.
"Bella?"
"Yes, sweetie."
"Thank you."
"For what."
"For going with Edward to the premier. If I can't go, I'm glad to know that you'll be there, sort of representing me." Bella was quiet for a moment. The reality of the upcoming future came crashing down like a heavy weight upon us. Alice deserved to be at this premier more than anyone and yet, it was impossible.
"I'd be honored, Alice. I'm sorry you can't be there." Bella said quietly. There was another stretch of silence before Alice decided that she had enough with the brooding.
"Hey, it's only one premier. I'll go to the next one, and the next one, and the one after that." We knew what she was saying. She didn't feel that bad she was missing it because what she was doing would hopefully save her life and give her the chance to go to many premiers in the future.
So fucking grown up.
"But you better give me play by play details when you get back. Take notes if you have to. I don't want you to leave anything out."
"Of course, Alice."
"Great, now hand me that container of cookies, please. I'd like another one." I looked to see that there was only one left. I snatched it before Bella could pass it to Alice.
"You're going to have to fight me for it, squirt." The sparkle in Alice's eye that was there before the conversation went heavy was back.
"I was wondering when you'd be ready for round two. You're not going to win this time, especially when cookies are involved." And with that Alice attacked me and started tickling me again. Bella jumped in to help her.
It had been a good day. A real good day.
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