Dropping some bombs ;)
The two weeks following me leaving the hospital, every day looked like the day before. I got up, showered and got dressed, ate and let someone drive me over to physical therapy. The guy helping me get back on my feet was Stefan. He was kind but very hard on me and was big on pushing my limits so I'd be back to my normal self in no time.
The days went on and somewhere between week one and two I called my parents to tell them about what happened. I wasn't one to make my folk worry, so I waited until I felt a little better. My mom almost threatened to drag me home so she could care for me, and my father insisted I drove over as soon as I felt up for the task so they could spoil me with dinner. The one conversation I dreaded came up as they had talked to Alice some time ago. They waited until I talked about it first, giving me time and space to heal from my marital battle wounds. Mom was glad to see Tanya go, as much as Alice was. They never really got along, but my mom managed to keep up pretenses, since she thought I found the one in Tanya. My dad didn't really understand why his son stayed married to a cheating, lying bitch any more than mom did, but he was much more vocal about it.
Alice came over most days, cooking dinner for me as Jasper worked long hours. We bonded again, talked and talked until she found my interest for my phone and the repeated text message quite unusual. She made me confess everything about my Butterfly, and I actually felt relieved when I told her. Alice thought it was great that I had so many new and exciting people around to care for me, and she absolutely insisted on meeting Rosalie, Emmett and Bella, to thank them for everything they did for me.
I just smiled and told her nothing happened between us, except for the one kiss we shared in the private dancing room. Alice never was one to judge people, so the fact that Bella was a dancer didn't really bother her. She didn't even linger on the fact, except for asking me if Bella would maybe teach a class of pole fitness to upgrade her body. I cringed and told her she would have to ask Bella in person —if it ever came to that.
By the end of week two, my realtor called to tell me that the condo had sold. There was one minor detail she told me at the end of the phone call. The new owner wanted to move in by the first of next month. Which was a week from today.
I panicked and called Alice and my parents, who —of course agreed to help me with moving and Alice took off work to help me pack like a pro. She came rushing in with rolls of tape, markers and a stack of boxes. I thought she would topple over, but she seemed to be doing just fine.
Emmett had some days off as well, and even Rose and Bella jumped in to help in the afternoon. Which meant the inevitable was coming: Alice meeting Bella. Alice meeting the Butterfly. Alice meeting the object of my thoughts and dreams. Isabella Swan.
Bella was packing away stuff from my bathroom as I assisted her by taking everything she handed me and wrapping it in newspapers and bubble wrap when necessary. Music blasted through the bluetooth speaker she brought, and I caught the occasional roll of her hips, making me look away quickly but she always noticed.
"You know I like it when you watch me, Good Guy?" She blurted out. I swear to all that's holy: no woman ever looked hotter carrying a dangerously large amount of men's shower gel bottles, her hair a mess on top of her head. It didn't help that she was wearing a pair of high-waisted pair of yoga pants that did nothing to conceal the fact that she was wearing a thong. She paired the poor excuse for trousers with a cropped hoodie, which showed slightly too much of her midriff for me to be comfortable with. And yet, we were alone since Rose and Emmett went to get some food and nothing happened. I was beginning to wonder if she thought of me more as a friend. Had I been friendzoned? But then again, friends wouldn't say suggestive stuff like that, would they?
"Stop being so fucking cute, Edward." She muttered under her breath.
"What?" I wondered and stood up from the chair she'd set in the bathroom.
"I'm not even doing anything," I shook my head and scratched the back of my neck nervously.
"That's the point, Good Guy. You're being too good again." I felt myself blush.
"Can I please ask you something?" Her smile dropped instantly and I wanted to reach out and comfort her. I didn't.
"Did I do anything to throw you off?" I couldn't believe she was thinking that.
"What, why would you think you did anything wrong?"
"Well, you haven't asked me out on that date yet." The floor seemed extremely interesting to my little Butterfly and I saw her biting her lip.
Was she insecure right now?
"Oh," I sighed.
"Really? Butterfly, I just learned how to walk like a normal person again and I thought you didn't want to anymore after what went down at the hospital." I confessed.
"You know, I have not been dated in a while," Bella joked and shuffled closer again, twirling a lock of my hair between her fingers. "I consider a movie with a bag of crisps on the couch a date, if it's with the right person."
I smiled into her touch and looked at her. I knew she'd gotten up early for her doing to come help me out and that she and Rose would have to head out to go work in about an hour.
"Would you like to help me look for a place to live tomorrow? I have zero time left and I don't know what to do with all my crap." I chuckled.
"I'd love to. I can ask around if the girls know anything," she said softly.
"Bella, as soon as I found a place, I want to take you up on that movie offer. I just want to do this right, if you don't mind."
Bella nodded and smiled like a maniac at my statement.
"Of course!" She beamed.
"By the way, didn't you tell me you could crash at your parent's place until you found something?" Bella wondered. She was right, my mom did ask me if I wanted that, but I didn't want to leech off of my parents. Their house was big enough, sure, and they had a massive garage where I could store my stuff. I was keeping it as a last resort.
"Yeah, but I want a place for myself. Try and wind down, you know." I shrugged.
"I get it, sometimes I hate having a roommate, but on the times Rose is gone to stay with Emmett, I have to admit that I do feel a little lonely." Bella said.
"Hey, guys! Dinner!" Emmett's voice echoed through the condo, whipping us out of our little bubble.
We sat down around the table, all of us looking out of place in Tanya's beige little world. I couldn't wait to get out of here. It was just my luck that the new owners loved the entire interior.
"I ah- wanted to wait to drop the bomb." Rose beamed and we all looked at her.
"Oh, what happened?" Bella jumped in.
"He's going to make an honest woman out of me, after all." Rose squealed and got her hand from under the table, flashing us the ring that Emmett had put there.
"Oh my fucking God!" Bella stood up to hug her best friend and I did the same for Emmett.
"Congrats guys," I told them.
"I know marriage left a sour taste in your mouth, and we wanted to wait to tell you, but I just want to wear this ring and flaunt it." Rosalie said, embracing me into a bone crushing hug.
"It's totally fine, Rose. I'm happy for you! I'm sure you guys will be extremely happy, as you are today." I smiled.
"Which leads us to the next subject of conversation," Emmett chuckled.
"You might have found yourself a place to live." He said cryptically.
"What do you mean?" Bella asked.
"You could take my room at the flat, I agreed to move in with Em and Bella needs the roommate to make rent." She mentioned.
Bella looked at me, wide-eyed and as surprised as I was.
"You could've talked to me about that first before dropping this into Edward's lap! You practically force the guy to move into the apartment, Ro!" It seemed like my little Butterfly was mad, or agitated in the least.
"I know, but I just.." Rosalie sighed. "I was enthusiastic and I mean, it's not like Edward can be picky in this case. He needs a place to stay, at least consider it temporarily, so you can look for a suitable apartment in the meantime and not feel rushed." She explained further.
I sighed and pondered the thought. Rosalie was right though.
I looked at Bella and smiled.
"I'm down if you are," I smiled.