I own nothing…this fabulous world and everything in it belongs to the very talented Stephenie Meyer…I do however, own this particular story…whatever that means!
Author's Note: First and foremost, I must thank all of you for your overwhelming response and encouragement. I have, at times, considered dropping this story, as the chapters have become harder and more difficult to write. But, I'm doing it...so hang in there with me. Also, I apologize for not updating sooner...I know that most of you are used to two updates per week, but for now, I'm focusing on one update per week, to keep the chapters at the best level of quality.
I also need to throw myself on your mercy in regards to responses with reviews...the last couple of weeks have been hellish and I have had to abandon replying to those reviews...with this chapters, I'm starting a fresh slate and I will do my best to respond to every review...my apologies!
As always, thank you to my wonderful beta and those friends that help me springboard ideas and plot development...I couldn't do it without them! They are the best!
Enjoy!
Chapter 34: Friday Night with the Cullens
Thursday came and went with the same restlessness. I went through the motions of my job, working with children by day and adults by night, my mind barely focused. I looked forward, with more anticipation than I was willing to admit, to Friday night.
I had no idea what I was walking into, but I was certain that the agonizing wait would be worth it. The idea of being with others like me was enticing, and I wasn't sure if I could contain the enthusiasm that was threatening to erupt.
I drove to work in Edward's Volvo, my mind drifting back to much better times. We had spent so much time in his car…he loved to drive, and now I was driving it, because of his insistence. I gently caressed the steering wheel, upholstery, and the gear shift, my mind remembering the lesson he has given me only the day before.
I filled my lungs with his divine scent. Even after all these years, he smelled exactly the same to me, if not more so. That wonderful scent that calmed me, exhilarated me, drew me toward him inexplicably…it was all around me as I sat in his driver's seat, soaking into my clothing and skin, which brought an involuntary smile to my face.
I forced my thoughts to the work day. Fridays…ugh! A staff meeting every Friday morning…when most people were forward to the last day of the work week, I dreaded them. Those morning meetings were always terribly boring and I fought the urge to roll my eyes in disgust every time Gerry would look in my direction blatantly attempting to flirt with me while others would do their best to ignore his inappropriate actions. My best defense was to scribble away furiously on my legal pad, never looking up, unless I was directly addressed, which was rare.
I intended to use that same plan of attack for the meeting this morning as well when I entered the staff parking lot located to the east of the entrance of the school. Gerry had pulled in right before me and when he exited his vehicle, he turned to look in my direction.
I pulled into my assigned spot and the look on his face became one of confusion when he realized it was me behind the wheel of a car he most definitely recognized. I put the car into park, and exited Edward's Volvo, greeting him with a professional, "Good morning, Gerry."
The look of disappointment mingled with anger returned to his features, the same exact one he had displayed at the house two nights earlier. He raised his eyebrows before responding, "Beth."
"Nice morning, isn't it?" Edward's scent still on my hair helped my jovial mood.
He didn't answer immediately, as his overly inquisitive eyes took in every line of the Volvo before returning to me. "Isn't this your friend's car?" His tone told me he was less than pleased with my choice of vehicle.
Like it's any of your business…
I fixed one of those small, professional smiles on my face. "Yes. My friend was kind enough to lend me his vehicle to save me the cost of renting one." I tried to keep my tone light, while I attempted to move toward the front entrance of the building, anxious to escape the interrogation that I knew was coming.
"You know, Beth, I don't trust your friend, that Ed guy He seems pushy and a bit possessive, if you ask me. I'm not sure he has your best interests at heart," he delivered his pathetic reasoning, as he took a step in front of me, to force me to stop and talk to him.
You have no idea what you're talking about! Edward possessive about ME? I wish… "His name is Edward, and you don't even know him. He might say the same thing about you, but since he barely knows you, he's enough of a gentleman to save that type of judgment for a later time. Maybe you could do the same," I finished, my tone stern, as I attempted to walk around him and move forward with my day.
He roughly grabbed my forearm and I turned to look him in the eye, my forced friendly gaze replaced with one that was quickly turning to anger. How dare he grab me! "Gerry, this conversation is over. I have things to do and you do too, I assume."
He loosened his grip, but didn't let go. If anything, he attempted to pull me closer to him, but I refused to budge. His secure smirk lost all confidence, his expression showing surprise at my level of strength, which made me smile internally, knowing that I wasn't exerting the effort I could have or he'd be screaming from the broken wrist I would have given him.
He released his hand, knowing that he had lost this round, but not before he had the final word. "Beth, I won't tolerate anyone that attempts to…interfere with you. As long as you understand that," he said to me, frighteningly possessively as he stepped aside, his tone dark and his face twisted with an expression that made me uncomfortable.
I turned from him, and hurried in through the front door. I reached my room and sat at my desk trying to calm my nerves. I knew that Gerry couldn't hurt me, that I could defend myself easily if it came to it, but the way he spoke to me just now made my stomach clench and I started to wonder if possibly I had underestimated how dark his true feelings toward me were. My unease continued to grow and my mind brought back a memory of a day that reminded me of a similar clench in my stomach. IT was in Port Angeles and I had gotten lost. Then suddenly, I was being herded by ruthless men. Edward saved me that day, but I didn't need a savior now. I could take care of myself. I would have to handle this myself, before it got out of hand.
I pushed the uneasy feelings aside and gathered my things for the morning meeting. I glanced at the clock and knew that I had mere minutes before the start time and fleetingly considered skipping it altogether. I could feign some excuse of a phone conversation with a parent, but knew that if I didn't show, Gerry would take that as a show of weakness and I couldn't allow that. I collected my legal pad and files and walked toward the library, where the staff met every week.
I entered the doors and took a seat near the back, busying myself with the papers I had brought to avoid any type of interaction with anyone. No one ever glanced in my direction and today was no different. Gerry brought the meeting to order, but I refused to look up at him and hoped upon hope that I wouldn't be called on during the duration.
The meeting progressed and when it finally ended, I grabbed my things and made a hasty exit, heading directly back to my own classroom. I could smell him while he followed me and forced myself to walk normally, at a human pace, though the idea of having to speak to him again was repulsive. I made it to my door when he called to me.
"Beth, a minute please," he began, his tone professional.
I suppressed a sigh and turned to face him, hoping that my non-poker face didn't betray the uneasiness I felt. "Yes." My voice sounded hard, which wasn't at all surprising.
His eyes were still hard and it looked like he struggled to find the right words. "Beth, I apologize if I stepped over the line outside. I just hope that you…understand that I'm concerned about you, and wouldn't want to see you get hurt."
His tone and facial expression betrayed him. He didn't care about me, but rather what he thought he might lose if he didn't get his way. I suppressed a disgusted shudder and then I relaxed a little, knowing that he would never get the chance.
"Well, thank you for your concern, but I can assure you – Edward Cullen is no threat to me," I said in a tone that signaled I no longer wanted to discuss the topic.
"I'm glad that's settled. I'll let you get ready for the day," he finished, when he saw Mandy enter the room.
"Good morning, Elizabeth…Gerry…TGIF!" She exclaimed and it was hard to not smile at her enthusiasm as well as know that she had inadvertently broken up the conversation that I wanted no part of.
Gerry turned and left and Mandy and I got the classroom ready for our soon to be arriving students.
The day progressed and ended with the same routine as every Friday. Mandy readied herself to leave and I wished her a good weekend.
I had planned on staying and working in my classroom and quickly decided against it, in an effort to not give Gerry another excuse to talk to me.
"Mandy, wait just a minute."
"Sure…what's up?"
"I'll leave with you. Just give me a second and we can walk out together."
She smiled at me, as she smoothed her silky empire waist top, which today was in a beautiful blue and black abstract print, which brought out the color in her eyes. "Absolutely. You're not going to work this afternoon? Geezums…I think hell has officially frozen over!" She giggled.
"Very funny…actually, I was going to take my work home tonight before I got a start on my weekend."
I gathered my things, and she lingered near the door to our room, looking at the flower arrangement that was still on my desk. "Am I ever going to meet these 'friends' of yours?" She inquired gently yet curiously.
I stopped in my tracks. I steadied my shaking hands, before I could respond, "I…I don't know. Maybe…" I had no idea what else to say to that statement.
"Well, any friend of yours is definitely a friend of mine. What are your weekend plans?" she asked casually, as I finished putting my things in my bag.
Without thinking, I blurted out, "I'm going to the Cullens in a few hours." Did I just say that out loud? Oh crap…
She looked at me curiously, as she bent her head to the side, "The Cullens? The family that sent you these? Wow," she responded.
"Wow?" What did she mean by that?
"Elizabeth, don't take the wrong way, but you don't usually go visiting anyone. In all reality, I'm thrilled that you have plans tonight. You'll have to fill me in on Monday morning…I want all the juicy details," she said, as she smiled sweetly at me. Damn, she had one of those knowing looks in her eyes.
I rolled my eyes, unable to stifle the laugh that erupted from my throat. "Mandy, if there are any truly juicy details, you will be the first to know…deal?" I tried to suppress the hope that sprung up in my heart. I couldn't let anyone know how desperately I would like there to be a juicy detail.
"Deal!" Her soft Southern accent calmed my elevating level of stress and I again thanked my few lucky stars for her.
We walked out together and bid each other a good weekend, before I stepped into the Volvo and drove back toward the house. I walked in quickly, heading straight up to my office and finishing the work that I had brought home with me. I logged on to my school emails and finished responding to questions and graded what papers were waiting for me. The butterflies in my stomach refused to settle as I anxiously glanced at the clock. Only another half hour and I could leave for the Cullens…but then what? What on earth would we do with our evening?
I put my things away and headed toward my bedroom, knowing that I should change into something more casual before heading out for the evening. I looked at every article in my closet, which wasn't many, and my thoughts drifted back to my human days, when I was in high school and still had Edward in my life. I used to agonize over clothing then…Would he like this on me? Would he think this shade of blue looks good with my skin?
I never wore dark blue now. For some reason, I had instinctively shied away from it, and it never entered my wardrobe again.
I shook my head and fought my way back to the present, as I chose a simple black blouse and a pair of slim, cropped khaki slacks. I changed quickly and put my hair into a high ponytail before slipping on a pair of comfortable black ballerina flats. I was putting my clothes in the hamper when I heard a soft knock on the door. The butterflies instantly quadrupled in my stomach.
Who could that be? I grabbed my purse and headed down the stairs to the front door. I didn't bother to ask who it was or look out the windows that flanked the front entryway to my house, as I undid the lock and yanked the door open.
Standing in front of me was the one person I never consciously expected. "Hello." Edward was standing there looking so handsome it made my knees weak, with that beautiful crooked grin that never ceased to take my breath away. I stood there, my mouth agape, unable to respond, as his grin grew wider. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs that had taken residence in my brain. "Oh, of course -- I'm sorry…come in." I forced a light laugh. Will I ever be able to act normal around him?
"How was your day?" he inquired, stepping through the front door, his intense honey colored eyes bore into mine, before I could tear my gaze away from him and walk into the living room.
"Fine. But before I ask about yours, may I first inquire what you're doing here? I was just on my way to your house, or did I miss something?" I had turned to face him, but fought to keep the level of my voice calm, hoping that my face did the same. The legions of butterflies now occupying my stomach cavity were wreaking havoc with my composure.
"Well, to answer your first question, I'm here to bring you to the house. We weren't sure if you could find your way back, and Jasper realized that he hadn't given you our actual address. To answer your unasked, second question, my day was fine. We've all been eagerly awaiting your arrival, especially Alice. It took all of Jasper's skill today to keep her from racing to the school and kidnapping you early. She wanted to come with me, but we all thought she might scare you away with her enthusiasm."
I couldn't help but smile, imagining Alice pacing the house all day and repeatedly glancing at the clock, her frown in place, disappointed when the second hand hadn't moved. If there was one thing that Alice had difficulty with, it was patience. I remembered that all too well.
"Well, we better not keep her waiting, or she'll have both our heads," I laughed.
We left through the front door and I locked it behind us, making our way toward the vehicles in my drive. I headed toward the Volvo, when I felt his long fingers touch me in exactly the same place that Gerry had early that day. The feeling was entirely different, but I couldn't help but flinch. Edward caught my expression and he stopped both of us, his eyes full of concern. "Bella, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," I lied. Crap, he knows what a terrible liar I am.
He stepped closer to me and let go of my arm, as the intense current of electricity stopped short. "I touched you and you flinched. I saw that in your eyes. Did I hurt you?"
I looked up into his eyes and had I been not so acutely aware of his true feelings, I could have sworn they were full of affection for me. "No. You didn't hurt me. Everything's fine. We should get going…"
"Bella, what's the matter? You don't just react like that without reason. What happened?"
I bit my bottom lip, trying to come up with some way of changing the subject and hoping he would take the hint, but he'd already proven that would be difficult, if not impossible. I turned my head to the side and looked down at the ground before I spoke, "Can I tell you on the way? I don't want your family to be waiting on us all night."
"Bella, they can wait. What aren't you telling me?" I could tell from his tone that he wouldn't let this go, so I decided to just get it over with. Besides, if he kept looking at me that intently, I would melt.
"If I tell you, will you let it go?" I looked up at him, my eyes locking onto his. I wished once more that I still had his heart. What I was about to tell him would be much easier that way and I would be able to control the overreaction I knew was coming. Fortunately, there were no doors to rip off in the immediate vicinity.
"Fine. I promise. But I can't promise that I'll be happy about it," he countered.
I took a deep breath before I began. "This morning, before work, Gerry…" I looked for the best word that wouldn't set off a chain reaction, "stopped me in the parking lot at school, and I was just reminded of it. No harm done. Now, can we get going please?"
Just as I expected, Edward's eyes darkened and his mouth tightened into a straight line, as he fought a growl low in his chest.
I knew he wouldn't take this well! "Edward, it's fine. And why are you so upset? What difference does it make?" Now I was annoyed. I knew he didn't care about me that way anymore, but did he have to constantly make it seem like he did? Did my poor heart have to continually hope, only to have that hope shattered when I came back down to reality?
His eyes were still hard, while he tried to calm down. "Bella, how can you think it doesn't matter to me…to any of us?"
What is he talking about? Ah…he said "us". See heart, it's nothing personal, I'is a general group worry.
He rushed on, his words coming out so quickly I had trouble keeping up. "And your explanation doesn't explain the flinch. What else happened? What else aren't you telling me?"
"You said if I told you, you'd let it go. You aren't keeping your promise," I retorted.
He closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath before he continued, "You're editing. You haven't told me everything. We're not leaving until you tell me the rest."
Oh really…so he wants to think he's in control…watch this! "Fine. I'll just go inside, and you can explain to your parents and siblings why I couldn't keep my appointment to see them tonight. How's that?" I turned on my heel and started back toward the house, my hair swishing with my quick steps, but I could hear him right behind me.
"Bella, I'm sorry." His tone softened, and I could tell by the rumble of his voice that he was very close. "How's this? We'll drive over together, you can explain what you're comfortable with and I'll drop it…I'll keep my promise. Deal?"
Promise? I didn't even want to go there, but I stopped in my tracks, still facing the house with my back to Edward. I was aggravated, but I so needed a night with others. I couldn't face another night completely alone. I slowly turned to face him and simply nodded. He was too close for me to trust my voice.
We headed back to the Mercedes that he had driven and he opened the door for me and I stepped inside. In a flash, he was in the driver's seat, and we were pulling out of the drive. We were safely on our way, when I knew I couldn't delay any longer. I could tell he was exerting all his energy toward remaining calm and patient. I knew I couldn't make him suffer any longer. "It was nothing, Edward. He just caught me unaware for a moment. It's really not a big deal." I was so hoping that he would let it go, but that hope was quickly dashed.
"Bella, for you to react like that tells me that it is a big deal. Please just tell me what happened."
I shifted myself in the passenger seat so that I was staring out the side window. "He approached me this morning in the parking lot and said that he didn't trust you."
"He shouldn't."
I rolled my eyes and went on. "I basically told him to mind his own business. He put out his hand to stop me." I said the last part no louder than a whisper, hoping to soften the blow.
"What are you telling me? That he grabbed you? That son of a…I'll kill him."
Why would he react like this? That was easy to decipher. Edward was a gentleman, brought up in a time when defending a woman, any woman, was the rule. It didn't matter if he had feelings for me or not, he was just doing what came naturally to him, what was part of his social upbringing and basic DNA. That thought brought up the fact to me again, painfully, that he would feel this way about any female and the fact that it was me was irrelevant in his decision.
"Edward, I'm fine. I think we had this conversation earlier. Had I wanted to, I could have snapped his neck myself." I smiled a little at the thought, which immediately made me feel repulsed that I had allowed myself to take an ounce of humor in the situation. The thought of killing another, especially a human was inexcusable.
"I can't believe that you're taking this so lightly, Bella. For him to even assume that he could handle you that way, for him to try to force himself on you…"
I cut him off, "You gave me your word. I told you what happened and now I need you to let it go."
He breathed out hard through his nostrils, his hands gripping the steering wheel before he spoke, "Fine. But if he ever does that while I'm around, I won't be responsible for my actions." I could, again, hear the beginnings of a growl, low in his chest.
I'll never let them be in the same room, that's a certainty. "Fine. Can we drop it now?"
He loosened his grip, and let out another long breath. "Fine. What would you like to talk about?" His tone was tight, with little warmth.
I sat there, realization hitting me for the first time that we were alone in the car. What had been uncomfortable, sitting there talking about what had happened earlier in the day now became a panic-stricken state of being…How long had we been driving and when could I get out of such close proximity with him? I desperately looked for something to talk about, to change the subject. "What did you do with your day?"
I glanced over at him, his eyes staring at the road ahead of us, as we exited unto the highway, heading in the direction of his family home. "Class work." His voice was tense and I could see he was struggling to remain calm. It wasn't working.
I thought I would try a different approach. "Really? Anything I would be interested in grading?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood and hoping to lift the dark mood that permeated the car.
He turned to look at me, his gaze still a bit tight. "Bella, you remember what Carlisle said to you earlier in the week, don't you? That if you needed anything, you should let us know. Do you remember that?"
I should have known he would be completely unable to let this go. I looked at him, as he continued to watch me, his eyes clearly not on the road. I knew he could multi-task, but it still made me nervous. As if he could finally read my mind, he returned his eyes to the road ahead of us, which was full of Friday night commuters. I searched inwardly for the right words to put this conversation to rest. "Edward, if I need anything, anything at all, I promise to let you guys know. But, I can take care of myself. I've been doing it long enough…"
"That's the problem. You don't know when to ask for help. It shouldn't be that way. We're here for you and we want help you in any way we can. Bella, I… we care about you. Can you try to remember that next time?" He interrupted me abruptly. I couldn't understand his tone. It sounded almost pleading.
I looked out the passenger window, unable to suppress the sigh. "Edward, if I need anything, anything at all, I'll let you and your family know. But don't hold your breath. I can handle myself."
We arrived at the house, pulling up the ridiculously long stone drive, and Edward finally parked Carlisle's Mercedes off to the side near one of the obvious garages. I went to open my car door, but he beat me to the punch, pulling it open gracefully and offered me his hand to help me out.
I smiled up at him, while I grabbed my purse and exited the car. The familiar zing of electricity zapped my hand pleasantly. I started toward the house, but he retook my hand gently and steered me toward the garage. "Edward, where are we going?"
He turned to look at me with that beautiful smile that made my breath catch in my throat. "I thought you might like to see what progress we've made on your car. Are you interested?"
I couldn't help but smile back at him. He looked so eager to show me, so I simply nodded, once again unable to trust my voice in such close proximity.
He led me toward the side of the garage and pushed a code into a hidden panel activating the door to the front of the building as it lifted in place, revealing what was inside. There was my car, the broken glass from all the windows gone, the front end now no longer mangled, and the bare steel of the body showing. It apparently had been sanded, as Edward and Rosalie had discussed earlier in the week. I stepped toward my unrecognizable car, when Rosalie stepped in through the open door of the building.
"Hey, Bella," she greeted me, her tone warm, which I still wasn't used to.
"Hi, Rosalie. Looks good?" My last statement came out more like a question, which wasn't intentional. I just had no idea what else to say.
She laughed, her tone one of obvious pleasure. "We're making progress. I've got the windows ordered. And the new paint and door," she glanced in Edward's direction and rolled her eyes, "are on their way. Shouldn't be more than a couple more days. How's Edward's car treating you?"
"Oh, it's fine...fun to drive actually." Was I actually having a normal conversation with Rosalie?
"Edward told us about your near mishap with the Volvo." She laughed, and flipped her golden hair over her shoulder, reinforcing how beautiful she was, tall, willowy and dressed in a tight, black cashmere t-shirt and dark jeans, looking like she had just stepped off the pages of Vogue magazine.
I looked to Edward, who looked anywhere but in my direction, his eyes feigning embarrassment, while he whistled a tune, trying to play up the humor in the situation. On instinct, I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow. Oh…my…gosh…did I just do that?
Edward gasped, his breath running out of his lungs in a quick gust. "Emmett wasn't kidding. You should warn a guy first," he practically yelped, as he rubbed his side.
"Sorry. I'm not sure what came over me." I could have fainted with embarrassment as Rosalie roared with laughter. Don't flirt! What is wrong with you?
"I think you've met your match, Edward. Better be careful around her. She's got the strength to take you down," she teased.
"Rosalie, I think you're right. I have met my match," he responded. This time his gaze focusing on my face, so intently, that I forced myself to take a step back and refocus on the car. Don't get your hopes up! He is NOT flirting back!
"So, you think just a few more days then?" I asked, trying to shift the direction of the conversation.
Thank goodness, Rosalie took the hint. "I think we'll have you up and running by early next week. The door should arrive tomorrow, and then all we have left is paint, interior cleanup and windows. I took the liberty of ordering you window replacements with a darker tint, as well as topping off your fluids, changing your oil and giving the engine a once-over. I hope that's alright," she replied, looking a bit sheepishly in my direction.
"Oh Rosalie, that's wonderful. Thank you so much for doing that, but you didn't need to go to so much trouble," I started, before she waved a graceful hand in my direction.
"No trouble at all, Bella. Come on…Esme is waiting for you inside, and I think Alice will have an aneurysm if she doesn't see you soon." She wrapped an arm around me and leading me toward the house, Edward following a safe distance behind.
We reached the porch when the front door swung open with a loud smack, as the door made contact with the exterior wall. A very beautiful but angry looking pixie was staring at us, her eyes narrowed, her mouth in a tight line, while her arms were pinned across her chest, her legs spread apart, giving the impression that she was about to have a hissy fit. "Well, it's about time. It's what, 7:04? What took so long?" Alice spat at Edward.
Rosalie, Edward and I burst out laughing, and I stepped toward my friend and embraced her tightly. "Alice, we were just looking at my car, and Rosalie was explaining everything. So sorry to keep you waiting," I replied, while I tried to reign in the laughter. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward relax a bit and looked relieved that I had averted an Alice moment.
Alice was still displeased, but returned my hug and grabbed my hand, running with me to the stairs, right past Esme and the others, as I attempted a smile and greeting in their direction. I wasn't used to the speed and had to force my legs to keep up. We landed directly in front of the door to her room. She turned to me and smiled wickedly as the hair on the back of my neck stood up. She looked almost menacing and I was momentarily frightened of my small friend.
Alice pushed the door to her room open and entered, just before she grabbed me by the hand and pulled me in with her, my feet no longer making contact with the floor. I felt like I was flying, before she steadied me. In just five short days, her room had changed completely. Gone were the books, drawings, and other papers that had been scattered and pinned to every square inch of wall space and countertop. I wasn't quite sure what to make of what was staring me in the face.
Placed around the room in intervals, around the massive king-size bed, were several story boards, similar to those tri-fold boards that children purchase at craft stores to do science fair projects and presentations, all on identical easels.
Each board was a different color and had several small photos, drawings, color swatches and other word-processed documents attached. I took a step closer to one and studied it, unsure of what to make of them. Whatever they were, Alice had taken an inordinate amount of time with them.
Alice stepped next to me, as her miniscule hand took mine and led me toward the closest display. "Alice, what are these? What have you been doing?" I asked her, as I glanced at my tiny friend.
"Planning." Her face was glowing with excitement. She looked over her work, and started pointing out things: colors, menus, themes; it hit me just then that she had gone ahead and planned the entire university event, with several options just waiting to be selected.
The themes! Oh my goodness! Alice had definitely missed her calling. It was all there…Roaring Twenties, Antebellum, Renaissance, even disco…the list went on. Of course, considering that every member of the family had lived through one of these times in history, it was no wonder why each plan was precision perfect and every detail was accounted for.
"Alice, when did you do this?" I asked, as my mouth stood open, my shock still registering.
Alice bounced up and down, unable to reign herself in. "Well silly, I had some help. Jasper and Rosalie, and of course, Edward gave me their input. When you don't sleep, you have lots of time to accomplish things. When I wasn't in class with you, I worked on this. Well, even when I was in class with you, I was jotting down notes for this. Did you get a date yet?" she finished, impatiently waiting for my answer.
I rolled my eyes while I smiled at her. "Yes. Eight weeks from tomorrow night, so those invitations need to go out in the next two weeks or so. I still can't get over this. And what happened to the rest of your room?" I questioned, as my hand waved toward the rest of the space.
"Well, I've been working on things for awhile, collecting things that made no sense at the time. When the party came up, things just fell into place. Jazz was beyond happy that we got the room back. It's odd…like I knew something was coming and I needed to prepare, but I didn't necessarily have a vision or anything," she answered, just as an odd look crossed her face.
Did she look sad or utterly confused? Or was she seeing something… "Well, whatever it was, you did an outstanding job. Now all we have to do is pick one, and start visiting the vendors. Think you're up to helping me with that as well?" I asked, my eyes cringing while I braced myself for impact.
"YES!" She lunged at me and wrapped herself around my torso, bouncing up and down as she hugged my person.
I hugged her back, grinning like an idiot from ear to ear. I had missed Alice so much and my memories of her scarcely did her justice. She was like a sister to me. A sister and best friend all rolled into one. Just then, I heard the snickering coming from the doorway to her room and looked up as every member of the family stood, watching us.
"So," Jasper walked in, kissing his wife on the top of her head as he snaked his hand around her slender waist, "do you like what my Alice came up with?"
"Very much so. And it saved me a whole mess of work. Now, which one to pick…" I finished, as I returned my focus to all the hard work that Alice and her siblings had put together, as I weighed each option carefully, looking for just the right one.