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Rated T
Notes: continues scenario & characters established in "Palm Trees". not bet'd.
Prompts:
"Just do this for me," she pleaded.
Bella was a morning person.
There was nothing quite like dawn, watching the sky lighten slowly until it was the color of bruised peaches. Today was a day like that, soft and pink, two or three lazy stars lingering behind, sparkly stragglers that didn't want to leave the party.
Sighing, Bella looked over at Edward, who had just dozed off moments before. His efforts to stay awake had been valiant, but he'd finally given in, his eyelids fluttering shut right as the sun peeked over the horizon.
Bella eased off the bed, shivering a little in the early morning chill. True to their words, both her friends and his had given them their space, allowing them time together, and the room was still blissfully quiet. After using the bathroom, Bella fished around in her purse until she found the paper she'd scribbled her contact information on and laid it on the nightstand beside Edward. Part of her wanted to let him sleep, but she was desperate to say goodbye properly, to touch him and kiss him once before leaving.
Her eyes fell back to the paper, and she remembered that she'd wanted to leave a personal note on it as well. She knelt down and quickly jotted down her thoughts, letting him know how much fun she'd had, and how she sincerely hoped they'd see each other again. Bella wasn't naïve; she knew the success rate for these sorts of "relationships" was probably quite sad. Still, she was an optimist at heart.
She would rather give her all and know she tried than always wonder if she could have done more. At least this way she was being true to herself.
"Hey," Edward whispered, his voice husky with the need for more sleep.
"Hi," Bella said, folding the paper and setting it beneath his wallet. "It's time for me to go, but I left my number and stuff right there…"
"Weren't you going to wake me up?" he asked, smiling sleepily as he sat up.
She nodded, joining him on the bed again. "I was, actually, even though I shouldn't. You need rest."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," he joked, twisting around so his head was in her lap.
Bella ran her fingers through his hair. "I really do have to go; otherwise Alice will come down here and get me."
"I'll walk you up," Edward yawned, sliding off the bed and stretching.
"You don't have to," Bella said, hugging him. "It's better if I just go."
"Bella-"
"No," she said firmly, pushing him back on to the bed. "I would like a picture before I go though."
"You've got to be kidding. Now? Why not last night when we were all dressed up?" Edward laughed.
"We're still dressed up," she argued, pulling her little camera from its case and turning it on.
"We look like we've been rolling around in bed all night," Edward said, pulling Bella on to his lap.
"Just do this for me," she pleaded.
"Fine," he sighed dramatically. "Girls and their cameras."
Bella held the camera out and snapped two or three pictures. "I'll email them to you, promise."
"Mhm," Edward lifted her gently off his lap. "Where's your phone?"
Bella handed it to him and watched while he put his number into it. With a grin he handed it back to her, and she stood, jamming everything back into her purse.
At the door he gave her one more kiss; and it was the best kind, long and slow and warm. Bella hugged him hard and stepped away, her cheeks pink as usual.
Edward had a feeling he was going to miss that blush. "Call me when you get in, okay? Or text me."
"Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Just so I know…"
"Okay, I will. Bye," Bella turned and hurried down the hall, knowing their ridiculously drawn out goodbye had gone on long enough. She poked at the elevator button, willing it to hurry.
Edward stood at the end of the hall, watching until she disappeared with a little smile and a wave.
As soon as she returned to her room, Jasper and Emmett sprang to their feet. "So is everything cool? Can we go now?"
Alice stood, arms folded, but her expression was soft. "I was about to go fetch you myself, missy."
"I know," Bella chuckled. "And yeah, you guys can go, Edward's there."
"Well, we're all showered and ready to go. We can grab breakfast at the airport, if that's okay," Alice continued. She could see that Bella was looking a little fragile, and she didn't want to deal with any breakdowns until they were on the plane. That might sound callous, but Alice was a stickler for schedules. She could be compassionate when they were safely on their way home.
To Bella's relief, she did not cry in the shower, and she even managed to be cheerful as the girls checked out of the hotel. She, Rose and Alice shared stories in the back of the cab, and over coffee and bagels at the airport.
It wasn't until Rosalie grabbed Bella's camera to scroll through the pictures that Bella finally felt the urge to cry.
"These are so sweet," breathed Rose, gazing down at one of the three Bella had snapped hours before. "I have to admit…you look good together."
Alice kicked her leg beneath the table but it was too late. Bella quickly dabbed at her eyes with a napkin, feeling like an idiot.
"I am so sorry you guys. I don't know what's wrong with me; this is silly."
Alice reached over and patted her hand. "It's okay Bella. What about summer? Can't you see him then?"
Bella shrugged, unsure. They hadn't even gotten that far.
