AN: Please see posting update below!
Chapter 20: Edward
Wednesday, October 31
Malibu, California
12 Weeks
My eyes traced over the same line three times before I set the script down, groaning. Jane had messengered over five different offers I'd received last week after Bella and I had been outed. Three of the projects were romantic comedies, wherein I was apparently supposed to play the bad boy, another had been an edgy psychological thriller that didn't look all that bad if I was honest, but this last one, fuck. It was one scene shy of being labeled as straight porn.
What the hell was Jane thinking?
I glanced at my watch, feeling a little anxious. Bella had gone out this morning to run some errands and though I'd have happily tagged along with her, I stayed home, trying to give her space. She hadn't expressly asked for it, but I figured if she wanted me with her, she would have asked me.
I glanced back at the scripts. I'd told Jane I was taking a break right now, but she was always thinking one to two years in the future. If I were to do any of these, it would be after Bella had our baby.
My heart skipped a beat at the thought. Our baby. Fuck. I was so fucking excited about Pip. I was still terrified out of my mind, but hearing that little heartbeat last week had just, ended me. I was a changed man, and I couldn't wait to meet our Pip.
Bella had gone to her girls night Saturday, and despite her suggestions, I'd stayed home by myself. Emmett was still in Vancouver filming, and I hadn't had it in me to try to force a friendship with Alec.
It had been a lonely fucking night, and though I missed Bella something fierce, knowing she was having a good time with her friends was too fucking important to me. She'd come home Sunday, happy and silly and easy going. It had been pretty eye opening, realizing what time with other people could do for her.
I shifted on the sofa, sitting up and rubbing my face with my palms. Despite how great things had been going with Bella the last few days, I couldn't help feel like I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. People had been receptive to our photos on social media, according to Chelsea. I'd gotten a few texts from some friends in Hollywood, congratulating me and wishing me luck; sentiments that they had apparently reflected on social media. I'd stayed away from reading the thousands of comments people had been leaving on the photo. I'd caught Bella reading through some of the comments on her phone the other night, and to my eternal relief, she'd been more amused than hurt at some of the nastier things people had to say.
Bella was made of much stronger stuff than I gave her credit for.
I knew that at some point, something someone said would get to Bella, and I feared that day. My girl was strong, but she wasn't immune to harsh words and cruelty. I hated that anyone who called themselves a fan of mine could hate on her, but that was the nature of my reality. Some fans were possessive of me, something I had absolutely no control over.
Two small hands landed on my shoulders, making me jump. I glanced up at Bella as she leaned over the back of the sofa, her hands slipping down my chest, outlining my muscles as she grinned and placed a kiss on my check. "Hey handsome," she purred. I smiled, trying to shake off my dark thoughts.
"Hey baby, when did you get back?"
She leaned over, kissing me more fully, though she was upside down. She smiled and placed a light kiss to my nose.
"Just now." She let go of me, and I turned to watch her walk around the sofa. She came and sat by me, moving the script I'd been reading. "What's this?" she asked, looking down at it. I groaned.
"A script Jane sent. It's a firm pass."
Bella's eyes skated over the page, reading the scene I'd just been struggling through. I watched her anxiously. Seeing a love scene in a script was a rough reminder of some of the more intimate aspects of my job.
To my surprise, Bella's eyes grew darker, and her tongue raced quickly across her bottom lip. I blinked at her in surprise. "What the hell sort of movie is this?" she asked, when her eyes landed on the bottom of the page. I shrugged, noncommittally. Bella turned the page, and her eyes grew wider.
"It doesn't matter, I'm turning it down."
Bella looked at me over the script. "Are you sure because," she paused, her eyes traveling back to the page. "Fuck, some of this is pretty hot."
I stared at her in disbelief.
"I'm not going to sign on for a movie where I spend most of the time naked."
She shot me a look, and I couldn't tell what the hell it was supposed to mean. "Don't stop on my account," she said shaking her head.
I stared at her. "You'd really be okay watching me with another woman?" I asked. Bella grunted.
"Well, no, but I know it's not real, and let's be honest babe, seeing you all naked and sexy on camera would be hot." I gaped at her and she giggled, tossing the script down. "Maybe," she purred, crawling toward me. "We can make our own private movie instead."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "Uh, yeah, um," I was incoherent, and Bella giggled, straddling my waist and kissing me deeply. Fuck, she was so amazing. I loved that I never knew how she was going to respond to shit. I leaned into her, wanting to get lost in her, but she pulled back, making me pout. She giggled, leaning forward to kiss my nose again.
"I want to show you what I got this morning," she said, climbing off my lap. I almost whimpered as she moved away from me. Fuck, I was so whipped for her.
She crawled across the sofa, bending over to pick up her bags. I groaned, watching her ass. She laughed, wiggling said ass, knowing exactly where my mind was.
"I know you said you weren't sure about going out tonight," she said, pulling the bag up and holding it to her chest. I stared at her warily. It was Halloween, and we'd been invited to a bunch of parties, but I just wanted to spend the night with her. "But Alice assured me the party she invited us to is by far the best option because it's a masquerade," she dug her hand into the bag, pulling out a furry mass. "Here, look what I found."
I took the object holding it up. I laughed, looking over the long fur of the lion mask. It would cover essentially the top half of my head, and the fur looked like it actually might blend in with my hair. I looked at Bella who was grinning at me. "What do you think? You'd basically be able to get away with wearing that and all black. It's a minimal effort costume." She looked so fucking proud of herself. I looked at her.
"What would you be wearing?" I asked, leaning toward the bag. Bella grinned, snatching it out of my line of sight.
"That is for me to know and you to find out, if of course, you want to go tonight."
Bella and I hadn't been out, not really, since that night we'd met, and honestly, a masked party was sort of the perfect place to venture out. People wouldn't be able to recognize me immediately, and maybe they'd leave Bella and I virtually alone.
"Alright," I conceded. Bella's eyes lit up.
"Yeah?"
I laughed. "Yeah, let's go out." This time next year, we'd have our Pip, and I didn't know what sort of partying life we'd be living, if at all. It was definitely time to take advantage of our free nights while we could.
Bella leaned over, giving me a smacking kiss. "I can't wait. I'm going to blow your mind tonight, babe."
…
"Can I see you yet?"
She'd been gone all fucking day. We'd hung out and had lunch together after she'd gotten back from shopping, but after lunch, she'd disappeared, slipping downstairs and locking herself away in the bathroom. Every time I'd tried to come down to sneak a peek at her, she'd promptly turned my ass around.
I'd showered in a spare bathroom before getting dressed in all black, per Bella's recommendation. I'd kept it fairly casual, pulling on some black jeans and a black t-shirt. I had a leather jacket I hardly wore that I would be slipping over the shirt to keep myself warm.
Bella had cracked the door open enough to tell me to leave the room so she could get ready. I'd been tempted to stay, but in the end, I'd left and headed upstairs, positioning myself on the sofa so my eyes were focused on the landing. I'd been calling down to her impatiently, but she'd been ignoring my sorry ass.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I shifted, pulling it out. I smiled when I saw the text was from Rose. After our talk last week, I'd felt a lot better about what had happened between her and Bella. Bella herself had come home from her girl's night telling me that she and Rose had talked. I didn't press for details, though I'd been dying to, and Bella didn't supply any. All I knew was that they were trying to get along now.
My manager just went apeshit when I told him you were willing to work with me on a track or two.
I smiled, responding immediately.
That's awesome. Hopefully I'm not an embarrassment to your music.
Rose's text came back almost instantly.
Pfft. Hardly, Ed.
I smiled.
Bella and I are meeting Alice and Jasper for a Halloween party. I know Em is in Vancouver still, but would you be up for joining us?
In response to my text, Rose sent me a GIF of a little kid laughing so hard they were falling over.
You're going to a Halloween party? Fuck, Bella is better than I thought!
I laughed and shook my head. She sure was.
Thanks for the invite, but I'm actually in the studio tonight. I'll probably be late, so you guys have fun and I'll catch the next party.
I smiled.
Alright. Text me if you change your mind. Have fun.
I heard a noise, and I looked up from my phone, nearly swallowing my tongue. Holy shit.
Bella was standing at the top of the stairs, looking, well, fuck me, she looked incredible. She was dressed as a lion tamer and was wearing a black corseted one piece that did the most phenomenal things to her tits. She was wearing a long red coat complete with tassels on the shoulders. She wasn't wearing any shorts or anything, and that corset was cut really fucking high on her. Her long legs were encased in fishnet tights and ended in some lethal looking black leather boots. On her head sat a black top hat. Her hair was perfectly teased out around her head, and behind her glittering gold mask, her eyes were rimmed in dark black.
"What do you think?" she asked, strutting toward me. What the fuck did I think? I couldn't think. I reached out to her, wanting to touch her. She giggled and stepped away from me. "Oh no you don't. It took me forever to get ready and that look you've got in your eyes means we won't be leaving for days," she groaned. I smirked up at her.
"Baby, you look," I shook my head, too stunned to form more words. Her hands on her hips shifted and my eyes zeroed in on her right hand. "Is that a whip?" My voice was about an octave higher than normal, and Bella giggled.
"You bet your sweet ass it is." She pulled the whip into both of her hands, her hands skating over the long leather chord. That was an honest to god whip and I couldn't even fathom where the fuck she found something like that. "You ready?"
I stared at her dumbly. "Huh?"
She giggled, rolling up the whip and sliding it into her tall boot. She secured it there like she'd been doing it her whole life. Her hands reached out to me, and she took my hands, yanking me to my feet. "Come on, Hollywood, it's time to show me a good time."
…
The party Alice had invited us to was in Hollywood, a place I didn't actually end up spending a whole lot of time in. It was exclusive as fuck, but a quick flash of my face under the mask and the rope was being moved aside to let us in. Every fucker in the vicinity was staring at Bella, and I had to stop myself from grabbing at her possessively. For her part, she ignored everyone around her, strutting forward, head high, confidence pouring out of her.
Fuck, she was incredible.
The interior of the building was decorated to perfection, but my eyes could hardly take it in. They kept landing back on Bella. She looked back at me, her wicked eyes gleaming behind her mask. She grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowd. Her costume was drawing so much attention, people actually fucking parted for us.
Bella led us deeper into the crowd, and I wondered where we were going. Hopefully some dark corner.
"Bella!" A tiny black and white stripped body was pouncing on Bella, and I moved to Bella protectively. "You made it! Look at you, you look incredible!"
I relaxed when I realized it was Alice. She was dressed in a tiny black and white stripped dress, with a matching hat and mask.
Bella laughed, looking at her. "You too! Where's Jasper?"
Alice giggled, nodding over her shoulder. I wouldn't have recognized him if she hadn't pointed him out. He was dressed like a cop, glasses serving as his mask. I smiled at him and he nodded in my direction, looking slightly nervous still.
"You guys look great!" Bella called over the loud music. Alice beamed at her.
"You too! Do you guys want anything to drink? We were just heading that way!"
I shook my head, glancing at Bella who turned to me. "I think we're going to dance," she said, turning back to Alice. Alice beamed.
"We'll catch up later!"
Bella turned to me, slinking closer to me with a wicked smile on her face. "Dance with me?" she asked. I let out a breath.
"Absolutely."
I would take any and all excuses to get Bella's body as close to mine. She led me out to the dance floor, winding her arms around my neck. I yanked her close to me as we started swaying and grinding to the music. "You're fucking blowing my mind," I said, looking at her. The gold of her mask was bringing out gold tones in her eyes, and the naughty smile on her face was just killing me. Bella pulled closer to me, and I groaned at the feel of her body pressed perfectly into mine. We'd been here less than five minutes and I wanted to turn the fuck around and take her home, right now.
Bella leaned up, her bright red lips ghosting over the shell of my ear. "I know you think you're turned on now," she whispered, "But just fucking wait babe. We're not even going to make it home before one of us snaps." Her breath was hot and her words hotter. I felt a shiver run over my body, and my dick turned into steel. Bella giggled, pressing a kiss to my throat as I struggled to fucking breathe, let alone respond.
Bella and I danced together, getting utterly lost in one another. The mask I was wearing was hot, but it kept people from gawking at us—at least, they weren't gawking because I was a celebrity. All eyes were on us for one fucking reason—Bella.
She was fucking magnificent when she was dancing. Bella was always a little wild and incredibly sexy, but dancing, she just unleashed.
After several songs, I was in actual pain because I was so turned on by her.
"I need water," Bella shouted into my ear, just as I was about to tell her I needed a break from dancing. I wanted to dance with her all night, but my dick was throbbing and I needed to take a moment to just catch my breath. I nodded to her and she took my hand, pulling me through the crowd. A few people stopped her, complimenting her costume. I didn't recognize any of them beyond their masks, but I couldn't help possessively grabbing at her whenever people checked her out. By the time we got to the bar, my possessiveness and jealousy was just, overwhelming. I grabbed at Bella, literally unable to stop myself from winding my arms around her, wrapping my body around her from behind as I just, grabbed at her. Her ass ground against me and I groaned, panting against her shoulder.
I heard Bella order drinks, and I practically growled when she pulled out of my arms to lean across the bar and grab them. She turned to me, holding out a bottle of water to me. "Drink," she ordered. Reluctantly, I let go of her to take the water. It was cold and cleared my head considerably. Fuck, I'd been thirsty.
Bella downed her own water bottle, her eyes not leaving me. "I want a picture of us," she said capping her bottle. I squeezed the last drops of water out of the bottle and nodded numbly. My face was sweating under the mask, but I didn't dare take it off. Bella and I were getting a lot of attention, and the last thing I wanted was people being able to identify us.
Bella took my hand in hers, leaning in to kiss me quickly. I was absolutely drunk on her, and she knew it. She pulled back from me, giggling before tugging on my hand and leading me through the venue. I didn't know where we were going, but fuck, I'd follow her anywhere.
We cleared the main dance floor, and to my surprise, we were heading back toward a lounge area. I literally hadn't been able to tear my eyes away from Bella long enough to even know what the building looked like.
There was a flash across the room, and I looked up, surprised to see there was a large photo booth set up. The press wasn't aloud in the party, but there had been a massive crowd of them outside, trying to capture pictures of the costumes as we came in. Bella looked at me. "Up for it?" she asked, nodding to the photo booth. I stared at her.
"Are you?" I asked, surprised. She shrugged and tugged me over. It wasn't actually a booth; there was a massive drop cloth set up with a professional cameraman and a massive table of props. "They're going to keep records of the photos," I told Bella as we got closer. She nodded.
"I know, but we'll have copies too," she said glancing back at me. "And honestly, if photos of us like this get out, I want them to be photos that I pick," she said firmly. I shrugged, shifting my dick yet again.
"Baby, I'm not sure I'm fit to be photographed at the moment," I said, grunting. Bella stopped walking, and looked at me, her hot eyes flying down to my dick before traveling back up to my eyes. She grinned.
"I'll take care of it."
Well, that sounded fucking promising. I stared at her, unsure of how to exactly respond, when she grinned and tugged me to the photographer. Bella set me against the backdrop as she went to the photographer. I stood there, trying to make it less obvious how hard I was, but I mean, there was only so much I could really do to hide that shit. Bella came back over to me, smiling.
"Alright, stand like that and I'm going to stand in front of you," she directed. I stood still while Bella stepped up to me. She pulled the whip out of her boot and I groaned. I'd never been into whips and chains before, but fuck me, I wouldn't turn them away, not if Bella was dressed like that. She smirked at me, reaching out with her right hand to bring my hand to her waist. She settled it on her hip, and I couldn't help squeezing her. She smiled, holding her whip in her left hand and turning her head slightly. The camera could see her profile and I dropped my head to be closer to her. The flash of the camera told me a few photos had been taken, but I couldn't even focus on those. Bella turned around, facing the camera but standing in front of me still. Both my hands dropped to her hips, and I pulled her closer to me, as the camera flashed again. I had no idea how the photos were turning out, and I honestly didn't care. I was utterly consumed by her.
Bella pulled away from me, going to look at the photos, and I shifted again. If we didn't get out of here soon, I was going to pass out. I'd never been this turned on in my life.
Bella nodded to the photographer, pulling her phone out of god knows where. There was no way that tiny outfit she was barely wearing had pockets. She tapped a few things on her screen before nodding and coming back to me.
She looked at my face and smiled. "Come on, are you up for dancing a little more?"
I let out a grunt. "Baby, I'm about to rip those clothes off you and have you right here, in the middle of the fucking room."
She blinked surprised, before a smile crept up her face. "I wish you would," she said, moving closer to me, her hands snaking up my chest. I groaned.
"Bella," I growled. She grinned up at me, that fucking minx. She leaned up, pressing a hot kiss to my mouth. I groaned, yanking her as close to me as possible. She bit at my bottom lip, and I just fucking lost it. I needed her, now, and I didn't fucking care where we were.
Bella pulled away from me, gasping for air. Her eyes were wild, and I was relieved to see they were as desperate as my own. "Bathroom, now," she hissed.
I looked up, seeing that bathrooms weren't far from us. I tugged on her hand and she giggled as I practically sprinted to the bathrooms.
There were large bathrooms, but they were too crowded. I spotted a handicap bathroom and yanked the door open, relieved when it was empty. I dragged Bella inside and she giggled. The moment the door was closed, I had her pinned against it. Bella's legs crept up and I picked her up, so her legs could wrap around my waist.
"Fuck, Bella," I groaned against her mouth as her body writhed in perfect waves against me. "I can't, fuck, I need you right now."
Bella's head thumped back against the door, her chest heaving so hard I thought her breasts would fly out of the corseted top she was wearing.
"You have to put me down," she groaned. I growled and she shook her head. "I have to unhook this outfit," she moaned as I ground into the cradle of her thighs. Her legs were shaking, as her fingers tangled in my hair. "Oh, god, do that again," she moaned. I ground into her agin, my zipper and dick aligning with her. She cried out, her eyes fluttering shut. "Shit, babe, I," she shook her head, incoherent.
"How do I get you out of this thing," I growled. Bella's eyes opened enough to look at me.
"Huh?"
I searched her outfit, trying to figure out how to get her out of it without completely undressing her. Bella reached up, her fingers slipping across her stomach as she slipped under a layer of the corset and unhooked the bottoms.
"Alice thought I'd need easy access," she groaned, pulling the panel away from her torso. I pulled away from her enough to move it out of the way, groaning when I saw that under the fishnets, it was nothing but beautifully, gloriously, naked Bella. She wasn't wearing anything else and had I known that, I would have probably not made it out of the house. I took a minute to admire the view of her, but Bella grunted.
"Don't fucking slow down now," she growled, reaching down and undoing my jeans. My dick was out in seconds and she reached up, yanking down her tights. I wanted to rip them off her, but her costume was so fucking tiny that a hole would be obvious when we walked out of here. I helped her pull the tights down, and then I was slamming into her. Bella cried out, her back flying against the door as her legs squeezed me tighter. "Fuck, just like that," she cried, squeezing me with her whole body. I drew out of her before slamming back in.
I set an aggressive pace, and Bella met me, thrust for thrust, her body rolling and writhing against the door. I swiveled my hips and Bella let out a cry. "Again, babe, just like that!" I did it again, hitting her in just the right spot that had her shattering in my arms. She constricted around me so tight, it drew out my own release, and I grunted, burying myself in her as I came.
We stood against the door a minute, but of us trying to get our breath. I'd come so hard, I thought I was going to go blind, and I blinked a few times, my head shaking as I tried to clear my vision.
Finally, I pulled away from Bella, pulling out of her and helping her stand on her own legs. She was wobbly, and I reached out to help her. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Just trying to come back into my body," she said chuckling. I laughed, grabbing her a towel. We cleaned up and righted our clothes.
"You seriously look amazing," I told her. She grinned at me.
"My whole goal tonight was to drive you crazy," she teased. I huffed a laugh.
"Well, it fucking worked," I agreed. Bella laughed.
"Yeah, no kidding. If I hadn't been pregnant before, that probably would have done it."
I barked out a laugh and Bella smirked, shaking her head. She didn't talk about being pregnant all that much, and it was always a little surprising when she did. I reached out to her.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked, realizing I'd been so wound up I couldn't even focus on her comfort. She rolled her eyes at me.
"Hardly, babe." I nodded, relieved. She looked at me. "Do you want to dance again?"
I laughed. "I'm not sure how long I'll last, but yeah, lets go dance."
Bella looked up at me, winding her arms around my waist. "Thank you, for coming out with me tonight. You've been a good sport about it all."
I shook my head, my arms winding around her. "You were right, it's good for us to go out and enjoy life. Thank you for pushing me."
She smiled, reaching up to kiss me sweetly. "Come on, babe. Let's go see how long we can last before round two."
I laughed and followed her as she headed out of the bathroom. I wasn't going to last long at all.
...
Friday, November 2
Malibu, California
12 Weeks
"Tanya says our photo broke the internet."
I looked up at Bella, frowning. "What?"
She glanced at me from across the sofa. We'd spent all day yesterday recovering from the party on Halloween. Last night, Bella had posted a photo of us from the party. It had been one of the professional ones, and though I'd not been too interested in the photo at the moment, I was glad in hindsight she'd gotten it. She'd posted two photos, the first one with her back to the camera. Her legs were spread, her killer boots making her legs look miles long. You couldn't see how little she was wearing because her jacket covered her ass, but the fishnet legs and the whip in her hand while the camera caught a half smirk had been so fucking sexy. As for me, I'd been completely consumed by her in the photo, and it showed. The second photo she'd posted was when she'd faced forward. She was standing with her legs wide, but this time, you could see that corseted outfit she was barely wearing, and she was staring down the camera full tilt, the smirk on her face and in her eyes fucking deadly. She'd posted the photos together and the only caption she'd included was a fucking whip emoji.
"Tanya said people are falling all over themselves about it," she looked at her phone and smiled. "Apparently, we're fucking legendary now."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Whatever that means," I said smirking. Bella nodded.
"Tanya said Buzzfeed named us the best costume this year or something? I don't know who Buzzfeed is, but they were certainly happy with us."
I looked up from my laptop and shrugged. I'd made quite a few Buzzfeed lists in my day, but I'd never paid them much attention. Usually, it made me uncomfortable because the lists were usually raving about my looks or some shit like that.
"Did Chelsea say anything?" I asked her. Chelsea had been texting Bella directly, helping her on how to start building up more of a social media presence. Bella was trying, though most of the time it irritated her to spend so much time on her phone.
"She loved it," she said giggling. "She said it was fuck hot."
I laughed. "Well, coming from Chelsea, she was probably talking about you."
Bella looked up at me, slightly surprised. "Really?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, it's a hunch," I said shrugging again.
Bella hummed, looking back at her phone. "I thought I picked up on some chemistry," she murmured. I blinked at her.
"Between you two?" I asked. I didn't know how to feel about that. Bella looked up at me again and laughed.
"You look so turned on and jealous and confused right now," she snickered. I huffed and she laughed. "No, not between us. Between her and Tanya."
I blinked in surprise. "Tanya?"
Bella shrugged. "Tanya likes beautiful people; it doesn't matter what their gender is."
I nodded. I'd never flat out asked Bella about her sexuality. Partly because it didn't matter to me. I didn't care if she was attracted to everyone, as long as she kept coming back to me.
I guess I was quiet long enough because Bella looked back up at me. "What?"
I shook my head. "What about you?"
Bella blinked, before one of her eyebrows arched. "Are you asking if I've been with a woman?" I shifted on the sofa at the thought and Bella's eyes turned wicked. "You're turned on, aren't you?" she snickered. I huffed but didn't answer her. Bella sighed. "I have been with a couple of women. Nothing long term, and I didn't go seeking them out. They were interesting people and it was fun. I usually prefer men, though, for the record." She said looking me over. She'd been with women? Fuck me.
Bella laughed at my horny ass. "Before it even crosses your mind, I'm not interested in being with anyone but you," she said shaking her head. "So any kinky threesome ideas you have can just stay in your imagination."
Yeah, they'd definitely be up there. I laughed, shaking my head. "Sorry, no, I'm just trying to process. I mean, yeah, the thought crossed my mind, I'm a guy. But I don't want to share you with anyone, even a woman."
Bella shot me a smirk, looking at me patiently. "Well?" she said after a minute. I frowned.
"Me?" I asked. She nodded. "I'm only attracted to one gender," I said shaking my head. "I'm old fashioned that way I guess." I teased. She rolled her eyes at me. "In all seriousness, thank you for sharing that with me," I said softly. Bella frowned. "I just, I appreciate anything you tell me about yourself."
Bella nodded, smiling softly. She turned back to her phone and I stared at her over my laptop. "Have you and Tanya," a pillow was flying into my face before I could finish the thought. Bella was laughing at my ass.
"Perv," she sniffed. I snickered.
"Sorry, baby, I won't pry."
Bella rolled her eyes and leaned back on the sofa, her phone her focus again. I huffed, shaking my head and smiling at her.
After a few minutes, I turned my attention back to my laptop. I was actually trying to do something important.
I got back to work, focusing on filling out our information. I was trying to finalize our flights to Australia next week. Since we'd decided to go, we'd been trying to plan and coordinate schedules. We'd finally settled on an rough itinerary.
"Okay," I said glancing up from my laptop. "We're booked."
Bella looked at me, her grin wide.
"I can't wait to take you to Australia. It's going to be such a blast. And you'll love Jess, well," she paused and giggled to herself. "She'll definitely love you. She's a crack up though, you'll love her," she assured me. I smiled at her over my laptop, wondering briefly if Jess was one of the girls she'd been with.
"And this guy she's marrying?" I asked, shutting the computer and trying to push the thought aside. There was still more to book and plan, but I knew Bella wanted to do most of that, so I was trusting her with it. I had insisted on buying the flights though. I wanted to treat Bella to a first-class experience.
"Tyler? He's a friend of mine too," she said nodding. She paused and winced. "Well, I say friend, but we sort of had about a weekend together. But he's great, you'll like him."
I tried not to wince. I'd told Bella that I was okay hearing about her past, and for the most part, I was, but I still couldn't help the fissure of jealousy that came over me at the thought with anyone but me with her. Even the thought of her being with Jess made me jealous, though it turned me on as well. I was a fucking mess.
Bella stared at her phone while she reached down to the bowl of almonds in her lap. She popped one in her mouth and I sighed. For our sake, I'd work on my jealousy in private and keep that shit to myself.
"What do you think about popping over to Tasmania while we're down in Melbourne?" she asked, looking up at me. I frowned.
"Will we have time?"
Bella and I had talked about it, and we decided we wanted to make a trip of it. I'd only ever been in Australia for work, and Bella was dying to take me there for fun. We were going for three weeks, and for the most part, I let Bella guide the trip.
"We could have time," she said nodding. I smirked.
"Okay, I trust you."
Bella looked up at me then, her brown eyes wide as she stared at me. A softness came over her features and she got up, crawling across the sofa to sit in my lap. I accepted her with open arms, and she leaned down, wrapping her arms around me.
"You have no idea how much that means to me," she whispered, her face buried in my neck. I brought a hand up to rub her back.
"I know baby."
She sniffed, and I suspected she was crying a little. She placed a kiss on my throat, shifting to kiss my lips. "Thank you," she whispered, her hands coming up to cup my face. I smiled at her.
"I love you, Bella."
She leaned down and pressed her forehead to mine, shutting her eyes. She took a deep breath while my hands gently rubbed her back.
Eventually, she shifted her weight and leaned back from me. Her eyes were watery, but no tears had broken over.
She opened her mouth to say something when her phone rang on the sofa. She sighed, looking up at it. She crawled off my lap, reaching out to her phone and bringing it to her ear. "Hey, dad."
I looked at her curiously. Bella had told me a few things about her dad, but I'd never spoken to the man. It made me a little nervous to think about meeting him one day. Not because I didn't think he'd like me or anything, but his opinion meant so much to Bella, and if I didn't live up to his expectations, I worried that Bella would pick up on that. Bella laughed, shaking her head. "No, things have been fine. We spend most of our time at home so," she paused, a small blush brushing her cheeks. "Oh yeah? Sue showed you?" she glanced at me, looking a little nervous, but smiled when I frowned at her. "Yeah, we uh, figured we'd take advantage of a party where we got to be masked," she paused again, her face scrunching a little. "Yeah dad, it was fun." I could hear Charlie mumble something and she rolled her eyes. "You can't tell there, but yeah, I have a bump. Edward says it's not big yet, but well, he's wrong." I rolled my eyes at her. Her bump wasn't big, and it had been expertly hidden in her costume. Bella laughed. "No, we actually are going to Australia." She paused; her eyes bright as she listened to him. It was abundantly clear that Bella adored her father. She laughed. "No, sorry. Maybe I'll poison you next year with turkey." There was a laugh on the line, and she grinned. "Yeah, Jess," she paused, smiling. "I'll talk to Edward about it." Bella stopped and snorted. "Yeah, right. Your world would never settle again," she giggled. "I'll talk to him about it and I'll let you know." She was quiet a moment. "Dad, that sounds incredible. Yeah of course I'll help you. Who knew you could be so romantic?" There was a grumble on the line and Bella snickered. "Okay dad. That sounds good. I'll talk to him and let you know." She smiled. "Love you too."
She hung up, a warm smile across her face.
"Everything alright?" I asked.
Bella looked up at me. "Yeah, dad wanted to know what our plans for Thanksgiving are. I told him we would be in Australia, but maybe we can have them come down for Christmas?"
I looked at her. She looked a little nervous. "I'd love to meet them."
"Dad's proposing to Sue tomorrow night," she said smiling. "He wants to try to surprise her with a wedding over Christmas. Maybe somewhere down here. I told him I'd help him plan something small."
I smiled at her. "That sounds incredible," I said honestly. Bella sighed happily.
"I'm so glad he has Sue. I was worried leaving him alone. I mean, he's a grown man, but he's my dad and I just, I worry."
I looked at her and though her gaze was out the window, one of her hands was on her stomach. I smiled, pulling my laptop back onto my lap. Despite Bella's concerns, I knew she had tremendous capacity for love and compassion.
"Let me know when. I'd love to fly them down," I said pulling the laptop open. She frowned, looking at me.
"Edward, that's three, possibly seven people if Leah comes with them, though she probably won't. She hates me." Bella rolled her eyes. I shook my head.
"Please, I'd love to be able to help in that way. They've never been down here, and they deserve to have a good time of it."
Bella bit her lip and climbed back across the sofa, stretching out in my lap.
"That's so generous. Thank you," she said softly. I smiled at her.
"It feels like the least I can do," I told her honestly. She hummed, rubbing my arm. "Look, I'll pull up flights now, look them over and talk to your dad. Just let me know when you are ready to book."
Bella leaned over, kissing the inside of my arm as she leaned against my chest. "You're incredible," she sighed. I leaned down to kiss the top of her head. She was truly the incredible one.
"Why don't you show me what you were thinking for our trip?" I requested. Bella nodded, taking the laptop and balancing it in front of us. She pulled up a few sites. One, I was surprised, looked like a blog. "You have a blog?" I asked. Bella looked up at me.
"Yeah, I've had it for years. Didn't I tell you about it?"
I shook my head, my eyes scanning over the page. I'd read some of her articles, and they had all been amazing. I'd been curious about reading more of her work, but I hadn't wanted to pry. "I'd love to read more of your writing." I said softly.
Bella looked up at me. "Yeah?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I loved the stuff you wrote for that magazine." When Bella's eyebrows rose, I smiled. "My mom seriously loves your writing. She had like every magazine you'd ever written for."
Bella smiled softly, looking back at the computer. "I read a few of her papers too," she said softly. I blinked, surprised. I hadn't even read those.
"You did?" I asked. Bella glanced up at me.
"Yeah, I mean, your mom is like crazy smart. She had some amazing insights on burial practices in Northern Europe. I'm not an expert or anything, but she definitely had my attention."
I smiled even though Bella wasn't looking at me anymore. I didn't know what I expected of the relationship between my mom and Bella to be, but somehow, I hadn't pictured them getting along on this level. It was surprisingly exciting to think about them being able to talk about my mom's work.
"Mom will go ape shit to talk to you about it. Dad and I can't keep up with her and almost always we lose focus when she's talking about her research," I said guiltily. Bella looked up at me again and smirked.
"Slacker. Didn't college give you any discipline?" she smirked.
"I didn't go to college," I reminded her. She hummed.
"I guess one thing we have in common," she said quietly. "Do you ever feel like you missed out?"
I looked at her. "Not going?" I asked. She nodded. "Not really. I mean, I think about what course my life would have taken if I hadn't gotten into acting. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut, and then when I was older I was really into robots for a time, but I didn't have the smarts for engineering." I frowned. "I don't know, online college courses are available, and it's possible I'll try to get a degree at some point. There just hasn't been anything that I felt drove me to it. Not yet at least." I looked at her. "How about you?"
Bella sighed. "I feel like I should have done college, but my gap year just kept getting extended," she said smirking. "I wanted to go to school to get a degree in history or anthropology or something." She frowned. "I had considered political science, because I for a time I wanted to be a diplomat, but when I realized there were easier ways to travel the world, I changed my mind." She snickered. "I would have been the worst diplomat." I smirked and she giggled. "I don't know, maybe one day I'll do the degree thing. I guess like you, I'm waiting for it to feel important." She looked at me again. "Maybe we can do it together."
I smiled leaning down to kiss her. "Sounds fun, I'm in."
She grinned, looking back down at the computer.
"Okay, stop getting distracted, I want to show you what our itinerary is," she said shifting in my lap. I nodded, my eyes focusing on the laptop. She went through a few points, showing me a drafted document with our travel plans. It was shockingly organized.
As she was speaking, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I frowned, shifting to pull it out. "It's my mom," I said frowning. Bella nodded. I answered the call. "Hey, mom, Bella and I were just talking about you."
Mom hummed. "Well don't tell me, I'd rather keep my good mood," she said playfully. I smiled.
"What's up?"
"I wanted to invite you and Bella to dinner. Either tonight or perhaps tomorrow night if tonight is too soon?" she asked. I blinked. Bella hadn't seen my parents since that first time, and since that had been sort of the inciting incident to send her running, I wasn't exactly pushing to get them back together.
"Oh, uh, let me talk to Bella."
Mom huffed. "Darling, I hear you trying to come up with excuses to get out of it. I promise to be on my best behavior. I just have some news and I wanted to share it with you."
I frowned. "With both of us?"
"Well, yes of course, unless you and Bella are no longer together?"
"No, we are. Okay, hold on." I pulled the phone to my chest looking at Bella. "Mom is inviting us to dinner. Tonight, or tomorrow."
Bella blinked; her face surprised. "Oh, okay. Sure."
I eyed her, trying to read her expression. "Mom?" I asked pulling the phone back to my ear. "We're in."
"Wonderful. Come by tonight. Six o'clock."
"Okay, mom, we'll see you then."
Mom hummed and hung up. I frowned, looking at Bella. "You okay?"
She looked up at me. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm excited to see your mom because I have a lot to talk to her about now, but, yeah. I'm still a little anxious."
I nodded, understanding her completely.
"I am too," I admitted. Bella looked at me in surprise. "I mean, my mom can be a bit intense. I don't want her to be too much for you."
Bella shrugged, looking back at the laptop. She didn't say anything, and I felt my anxiety rise. There had to be some sort of way to keep Bella from talking to my mom tonight, right?
I wound my arms around Bella's stomach, rubbing her bump gently. Lately, the bump had been growing. It was still easy to hide under her shirt, but I knew soon she'd need a maternity shirt. I wondered how she would react to that.
Her hands landed on top of mine and she let out a long breath. "Do you think there will be paparazzi following us in Australia?" she asked.
I sighed. "It's a possibility," I said slowly.
"So, no bikinis for me," she said sounding put out at it. I knew it was going to be summer and Bella was looking forward to getting some sun. I rubbed her stomach gently.
"Wear what you want, baby. We'll have Jane and Chelsea on standby with a press release just in case. Who knows, we might get lucky and no one will notice."
Bella scoffed. "I'm going to be 14-16 weeks while we're there. If they don't notice, they are morons." She said shaking her head. I smirked.
"We'll figure it out," I assured her.
Bella hummed but didn't say anything else. I would have given anything to be able to hear her thoughts. "How many days do you think you'll be filming next week?" she asked. I looked at her, surprised at the change of subject. Months ago, I'd signed a contract to appear as a guest star on a sitcom. I'd not been back to TV since early in my career, and at the time it had felt like a step backwards. Now, I was relieved that even though I'd have to work, I wouldn't have to leave LA.
"It'll be through Thursday," I said softly. Bella nodded. "Why?"
I could see Bella biting her lip and I waited patiently for her to say what was on her mind. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way," she said, her fingers tracing a pattern over the back of my hand. I frowned. "I just, I think it'll be good for us to spend some time apart next week. Especially since we'll be in Australia for three weeks and together non-stop."
I took a careful breath, trying to understand what exactly it was she was saying. She looked up at me and huffed. "You look like a cartoon whose head is about to explode," she said shaking her head. She pulled out of my arms, sitting up and turning to face me.
"I'm just trying to understand what you're saying," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. Had I been smothering her? Was she unhappy and unable to tell me?
Bella reached out and took my face in her hands. "Stop," she said laughing. "Look, I love you and I love spending time with you, I really do. But it'll be nice for me to be able to spend time on my own without feeling guilty, like I'm abandoning you or something."
I nodded, licking my lips. "I'm sorry," I said shaking my head. "I totally monopolize your time."
Bella climbed closer to me. "No, don't apologize. I'm still trying to work on telling you when I feel like I need alone time."
I let out a breath. "Okay," I said kissing her palm. "You're right. You need time and space to live your own life. I'll try not to be so needy."
Bella let out a breath, smiling at me. She curled herself on my lap, her head coming to rest on my shoulder. I brought my arms around her, rubbing her back. She kissed my neck, breathing out contently. We sat like that a few minutes, in silence.
After a while, Bella shifted, pulling away from me. "If we are going to your parents house tonight, I should get some work done," she said wincing. I nodded, letting my arms drop from around her. She leaned down, kissing me gently before she stood. She scooped up her phone and her empty snack bowl. She reached out to my shoulder, her hand rubbing my arm as she passed me. I heard her head to the kitchen and put the bowl in the dish washer before she headed upstairs. I smiled to myself, pulling my laptop back into my lap. Bella might have been guiding our trip in Australia, but there were still some things I wanted to surprise her with.
I spent time doing some research, feeling content that though she wasn't in the room, Bella was nearby.
…
"You ready?"
Bella looked at me, her eyes wide. "Mhmm." She hummed. I smirked, climbing out of my car. I came around and met her on her side as she climbed out. She was wearing a tight green knit dress that actually showed her tiny bump. If you didn't know she was pregnant, you could probably pass the bump off, but to me, it was everything. She reached up, touching her hair anxiously. She had it pulled up out of her face in a ponytail, and out of nerves, she'd even put on some make up. I smiled at her. "You look beautiful." I assured her. She huffed, some of her feistiness snapping in her eyes.
"I know," she said shaking her head. "Looking hot is my forte. Looking respectable is a whole other deal."
I barked out a laugh and she smiled up at me. I took her hand, guiding her up to the front door. It was unlocked, and I opened the door, leading her inside. "Mom? Dad?" I called. Mom appeared a moment later, smiling.
"Darling," she said, coming over to kiss my cheek. She pulled away and looked at Bella. "Hello, Bella dear. It's nice to see you again." To my surprise, mom pulled Bella into a gentle hug. Bella smiled at her.
"You too, Esme. Your house is spectacular."
Mom smiled at her. "Thank you. It took us rather a while, but Carlisle and I finally have our dream home. Please, come in." She motioned for us to follow her and I looked at Bella in surprise. Bella smiled at me.
"I hope it wasn't too last minute to invite you for dinner," mom said looking back at us.
"No, not at all, we were happy to get the call." Bella insisted. I frowned. Was I missing something? When had my mom and Bella gotten on such good terms?
Mom smiled, leading us into the siting room. Dad was there, mixing a drink.
"Edward, Bella, so good to see you two," he said smiling at us. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'll take a sparkling water," Bella said, sitting. I looked at her, feeling like I'd missed a step. She settled, looking comfortable in my parents living room.
"Darling, are you going to stand there all night?" mom asked, sitting across from us. I sat down, frowning. "I was able to read over that chapter you sent me," mom said, looking at Bella. Bella nodded, leaning forward eagerly. "I think you've captured it perfectly. I've included a couple of notes about a few facts, but otherwise it was perfect."
Bella smiled. "I'm so glad. I've spent some time there of course, but I wanted a more authentic experience to look over it and make sure I was doing the area justice."
"Wait," I said interrupting them. "What is going on?"
Mom looked at me, frowning. "Darling, that was a bit rude," she chided. I stared at her. I wasn't fucking five anymore. "Bella sent me a chapter of her book. Since it covered some Scandinavian history, she asked if I would read it over." Mom looked at Bella. "I cannot wait to read the rest of the book."
Bella smiled and I looked at her. Was she ever going to tell me she and my mom had become secret friends?
Dad moved in front of me, offering me a drink I stared at the whiskey and took it appreciatively. He smirked, handing Bella her water. He picked up his own drink and moms and sat next to her.
"I read your latest paper," Bella said, sipping her water. Mom nodded, intrigued. "I thought it was brilliant. I mean, I'm not an expert or anything, but it was so fascinating. It made me want to do more reading on the subject."
Mom beamed. "Oh, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it!" she set her wine glass down on the coffee table. "I've got so much material in my study. If you ever want to borrow something, let me know."
Bella nodded, sitting forward. "I'm actually looking for a new book to read."
Mom stood. "Excellent, let me show you my collection and we'll find you something fun to read." Mom said, motioning Bella to follow her. They left the room without another glance back. I looked at dad, dumbfounded. He shrugged.
"When the fuck did that happen?" I asked him. Dad chuckled, scratching his chin.
"I think Bella reached out a few weeks ago about the chapter. I don't think they really warmed up to each other until recently though." Dad sipped his whiskey. "She didn't tell you?"
I shook my head. "No. I was literally trying to keep them apart because I thought they might hate each other."
Dad laughed. "You were right when you told us Bella is fearless. You should see the email she wrote your mother. I've never seen your mom more gob smacked."
I stared at him in disbelief. He laughed again, sipping his drink. "It took her a few days to respond, but I've never seen your mom so excited to talk to someone. She loves that Bella has an interest in her work. It's done a lot to bridge the gap between them."
On the one hand, I was thrilled to hear that Bella had taken the initiative to talk to my parents. I knew they would love her if they got the chance to know her. I wasn't sure how I felt about her doing it behind my back though. Why wouldn't she tell me? Dad hummed and shook his glass. "How are you?"
I leaned back, taking a long sip of my whiskey. It burned my throat and settled my thoughts almost immediately. "Well, I was doing great before I got a little blindsided," I said shaking my head. Dad laughed. "I'm working next week, and then Bella and I are going to Australia."
Dad blinked, looking surprised. "That's quite a trip. How long?"
"Three weeks. We'll be gone for Thanksgiving," I said feeling slightly guilty. Dad waved me off.
"Don't feel guilty. We were actually thinking of heading to Oxford that week, so don't worry, you haven't ruined any plans."
I nodded, relieved. My mom wasn't big on Thanksgiving—being raised in England she'd never celebrated it until she met my dad—but she was usually a pretty strong advocate for family time. She'd usually take any holiday she could get as an excuse to get us together.
"So, what's taking you to Australia?" dad asked.
"Bella's friend is getting married. We decided to just make a trip of it." I explained. Dad nodded.
"That sounds fun. You've been down there before, haven't you?"
I nodded. "Only for work. I've never had the chance to have fun or do anything remotely touristy. I'm looking forward to it. Bella's been there a few times and she can't wait to show me around."
Dad smiled. "It sounds like you two will have a good time."
I nodded, sipping my drink. "I'm looking forward to it."
Dad looked like he was going to ask me something, but before he could, mom and Bella were coming back into the room. Bella had a book in her hands, and mom was beaming.
"I can't wait to read this, thank you again," Bella said, holding up the book. Mom smiled.
"Please, I'm just happy someone wants to."
Bella grinned, slipping the book into her purse. She sat next to me, the smile on her face radiant. I couldn't be mad at her, not when she was so clearly happy.
"Edward was just telling me about their upcoming trip to Australia," dad said as mom sat.
"Oh? How fun. Where will you be staying?"
Bella sipped her water and smiled. "I've got us a bit all over the East Coast. We're starting up in Cairns and we're going to travel south through Sydney and Canberra to Melbourne. We're also going to hop over to Tasmania for a bit." Bella looked at me, reaching out and resting a hand on my thigh. "He's put a tremendous amount of faith in me to plan the trip." Though her tone was teasing and light, I knew she appreciated the trust I'd placed in her, and I smiled at her, grabbing her hand in mine and kissing it gently. Mom grinned.
"Oh, what a lovely trip. You will have a marvelous time." There was a soft chime somewhere and mom looked up. "That will be dinner. My love, will you help me?" she asked, reaching out to dad. He nodded and they stood, heading to the kitchen. I turned to Bella.
"Were you going to tell me you and my mom are best friends now?"
Bella sighed. "I wanted to tell you, but I just wasn't sure how she felt about me, not until this week. I mean, I reached out to her on a professional level, I wasn't expecting her to be so friendly."
I frowned. "You still could have mentioned it."
Bella looked contrite. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it from your perspective. You're right," she shook her head and I reached out to her.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you guys are getting along," I said shaking my head. "It would have just been nice, hearing it from you."
Bella reached out and took my hand in hers. "I'm sorry."
I brought her hand up, kissing it again, letting her know she was forgiven.
"Dinner is ready," mom said, coming back into the living room. We got up, following her to the dining room.
When they'd been building the house, mom had insisted on a dining room that felt both indoors and outdoors. They had added on a glass room off the kitchen that had wide windows that could lead out to the patio or could be kept shut in the winter without removing you from the nature in the garden. Bella saw the dining room and gasped. "I love this room," she said, her eyes skating over it. Mom smiled.
"It's one of my favorites," she agreed. She motioned for us to sit across from her and my dad. "I hope your morning sickness has subsided?" mom asked, looking slightly anxious. Bella nodded.
"It's mostly gone. I'm good to eat just about anything again," she said, smiling. Mom nodded.
"Excellent. I hope you like Cornish hen." Mom removed the lid from a dish, and immediately the scent of rosemary and garlic filled the room. Bella nodded eagerly. We all loaded our plates, taking sides of roasted potatoes and green beans, and salad as well as the amazing entree mom had prepared. When everyone was served, mom nodded. "Please, dig in."
Bella wasted no time, slicing into her hen and stuffing it into her mouth. She groaned, and it was a little too close to one of her sexy noises for my comfort. "Esme, this is delicious."
Mom grinned at her. "Thank you, dear. Cooking has always been a hobby of mine. I've enjoyed it tremendously over the years."
Bella nodded, taking another bite. She hummed, and the sound shot through me. Christ. She sounded like she was making her own porno over there.
I could see mom smiling as she brought a bite up to her mouth. Dad was sipping his drink to keep from laughing. I reached out to Bella, and my parents had the decency to talk between them while I leaned over to her. "Baby, you sound like you're about to come at the table," I whispered. She swallowed her bite.
"I think I am. This is fucking amazing food," she grunted. I choked on a laugh.
"You're going to make my parents blush if you keep making those noises."
Bella laughed and leaned over, kissing the tip of my nose. I sat up and watched her as she took another bite. She didn't make a noise, but I could see her eyes roll back into her head. Fuck, she was incredible.
Dad cleared his throat lightly, and I looked over at him. He looked like it was taking everything in him not to laugh.
Mom brought her napkin to her mouth, wiping it delicately before smiling. "So, as you know, I had some news to share with you," she said, delicately skipping over Bella having a moment over the food. I nodded, biting into my own food. Fuck, it was good. Mom looked at dad before looking back at us. "I've just been invited to lecture in the UK. The university will be paying for me to spend the next year out there, guest lecturing at several different universities in order to help them build up their departments."
I gaped at her.
"Esme, that's tremendous news! Congratulations." Bella said, setting her fork down.
Mom grinned. "It's a dream come true. It's a massive step for me. My goal is to be running our department here one day, and if I can help get these other departments further along, it'll be a tremendous step in that direction."
I smiled at her. "So, will you be gone the whole year?" I asked, not sure what this meant for my parents. Mom looked at dad.
"Yes. The university has extended an invitation to your father to spend the year focusing on research if he should so choose. He's able to either come with me or work here."
I blinked, stunned. "So, you'll be gone, all next year."
Mom nodded. "Mostly. It's a dream come true for me. I'll be guest lecturing in Oxford and Cambridge, York, and even up in Aberdeen. Some programs are established well, but some need help. It's a wonderful opportunity for me."
I smiled, overwhelmed. "That's great," I told her. I meant it, even though what she was saying was too much for me to process yet.
"Well, darling, I was thinking. I know you've got lots going on here and you're not sure exactly what your film schedule will be, and Bella has her own career to keep focusing on. Plus, by then you'll have the baby," mom paused, smiling at Bella. Bella gave her a little nervous smile back. "But, I wanted to extend an invitation for you two to come out there with us. Of course, I understand if you did, it would likely be short term, but I thought Bella especially might enjoy it."
Bella's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Esme for thinking about us like that." She paused, looking over at me. I was still trying to catch up to everything my mom had laid on me and Bella leaned over, taking my hand. "We'll keep it in mind." She looked back at mom who nodded.
"Yes, of course. I don't expect an answer for months now. But I figured I'd let you both know so that if you want to plan that far ahead, you know your options."
I scratched my chin. "Thanks, mom," I said, picking up my drink. Mom chuckled softly.
"I'm sorry darling. I seem to be distressing you. I don't mean to overwhelm you."
Bella reached out, letting go of my hand and gently rubbing my neck and shoulders.
"We'll think it over," Bella said, looking at mom. Mom smiled.
My parents picked their forks back up and resumed eating. Bella continued to rub my neck, and I looked over at her. She was handling this news much better than I was. Did she know about it already? Had it been her idea to have us tag along?
I sighed, reaching down to kiss her hand that was rubbing soothing circles into my shoulder. She smiled at me, squeezing me once more before picking up her fork. I picked up my own fork and speared some lettuce.
"So darling, what do you have going on at work right now?" mom asked. I chewed thoughtfully before answering her.
"I'm filming next week, an episode of a sitcom I'd signed for a few months back. After that, I've got a couple promo things to do in December, but I don't have to start promoting extensively until January."
Mom nodded. "What is it you'll be promoting? Surely not the latest Dax Storm?" she asked. I shook my head.
"That'll be sometime next year. I'm promoting that drama I filmed last year."
Mom nodded. "Yes, of course. I remember." She paused, looking at Bella. "When do you think you'll be done with your book?"
Bella took a sip of her water before answering. "I should have my first draft done by about January." She explained. Mom nodded.
"So, will you be joining Edward while he goes on tour to promote his new film?"
Bella looked at me.
"We haven't talked it over yet," I said, sparing her from answering. Mom nodded.
"Well, will you two be around for Christmas?"
Bella looked at her. "Yes, actually. I think my dad and his fiancé will be down. I'm actually going to help him surprise her with a wedding ceremony. I'd love it if you'd be there," she said brightly. Mom smiled.
"Oh, what a lovely idea. Thank you, dear. We will keep our diaries clear." Mom frowned. "Come to think of it, we have a friend who is an event planner. Let me know if you need any help. I'm sure she'd be happy to jump in and help out."
Bella smiled. "I may take you up on that. I'm still not quite sure what to plan for them."
Mom nodded.
Conversation continued to flow easily as we ate. I didn't say much, still a little thrown by my mom's announcement, but I tried to not let it weigh me down. Instead, I continued pouring myself more whiskey. I could feel that I was buzzed, and the alcohol was helping to ease my tension.
After dinner, mom offered us cake. Bella happily accepted, while I settled with another drink and a couple bites off Bella's plate. We sat in the parlor, chatting until Bella started yawning.
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I think being pregnant has made me incurably tired. I'm always yawning these days," she said shaking her head. Mom shook her head.
"Of course, it has. No need to apologize. It's getting late anyway."
I stood, wobbling a little. Bella stood next to me, steading me. Mom and dad led us to the front door.
"Drive safe, and if we don't see you before, have a wonderful time in Australia." Mom said, turning to us. She hugged Bella. "Darling, it was lovely to see you."
I frowned. Mom only ever called me darling. She turned to me, pulling me into a hug. "Whatever it is that has got your tail in a knot, sort it out," she hissed. "That girl is wonderful, and if you drive her away, I shall never forgive you." She pulled away from me, and I frowned at her.
"She's not goin anywhere," I pouted. Mom huffed and reached up to cup my cheek.
"Darling, I love you. Please take care of yourself." She requested. What a strange thing to say. I nodded, stepping away from her. Bella was talking to my dad, but she stopped and looked at me.
"Ready?" she asked. I nodded, diving into my pocket for my keys. We waved goodbye to my parents and headed outside. As soon as the door closed, Bella turned on me. "Give me the keys."
"Huh?"
Bella reached forward, taking the keys from my hands. "You're drunk. I'll drive us home."
I frowned, but Bella moved too quickly, and suddenly, she was at my side, guiding me down the stairs of the porch and across the driveway to my car. Bella opened the passenger door open for me and I shook my head.
"I'm going to drive." I protested. Bella huffed.
"Get in the car." She shoved me, and I stumbled a little, sliding into the seat. She made sure I was in the car before she shut the door. I groaned and let out a long breath.
Bella climbed into the driver's side, adjusting the seat forward. "My mom likes you more than she likes me." I said, my head hitting the headrest. Bella looked at me.
"What the fuck are you babbling?" she asked, starting the car. I nodded.
"tits true," I said. I frowned. "Tits. Tits." I knew it wasn't the right word, but I couldn't quite wrap my mouth around the right word. "Wrap my mouth around tits." I said shaking my head. Bella barked out a laugh as she pulled us out of the driveway. She pulled out onto the street and I sighed. "You and my mom are going to be best friends forever and leave to go live in Narnia." I moaned.
Bella snorted. "Babe, just sleep."
I looked at her. She looked a little blurry. "Did you plan this with her?" I asked. Bella glanced at me.
"What?"
I wove my hands in front of me. "Your fancy new life together. Hows come you'll go with her anywhere but when I want you to come with me for work it's, no, I can't, I don't want to, we shouldn't see each other that much."
Bella huffed. "I'm going to ignore you because you're clearly drunk."
I looked out the window. "You and mom and baby makes three. You'll see. You'll be happier with her." I nodded, my mouth feeling dry. "I guess dad and I could move in together. We could be sad roommates."
"For fucks sake, Edward."
I looked over at the sound of my name. "You know, you're the first person who I've ever told I love you to."
Bella glanced at me.
"I mean," I paused, shaking my head. "I tell Rose and Em because they are family. But it's you. It's always been you." I sighed. "I'm so sad when you're gone." I felt the pain of her absence now, right in the hollow of my chest.
"Babe, I'm right here." She said, reaching out to me. I looked up at her, taking her hand and resting it over my aching heart.
"I love you so much it hurts sometimes," I said shaking my head. "How come you love everyone else more than you love me?" Bella tapped my chest with her fingernails, and I sighed. "You're gonna love the Pip more than you love me. And one day, he's gonna love someone with all of his soul and you're going to love that person more than you love the Pip. That's the circle of mom." I looked back out the window, but we were moving too fast for me to get a handle on what we were passing.
I must have passed out at some point, because the next thing I knew, Bella was pulling open my door. "Come on," she said, tugging on my limbs. I felt heavy and exhausted.
"Let me sleep here," I moaned. Bella huffed.
"Up, now."
I stood up, stumbling a bit. Bella supported some of my weight as she led me through the garage into the house.
"Why the fuck do I have an upside-down house?" I moaned when we started downstairs. Bella laughed and I leaned into the sound. "That's my favorite sound," I told her. "Well, that, and the one you make when I lick your pussy." Bella made a sound and I snickered. "Not quite. Shall we try to make that sound?"
"Keep walking downstairs, perv." She said laughing. I sighed.
We made it downstairs, somehow, and Bella led me to our room. "This is our room now. Not mine." I said, smacking my mouth. She set me on the bed and started unbuttoning my shirt. "Is it moan time?"
Bella laughed quietly. "No, babe. It's sleep time."
I hummed, leaning back on the bed. "Sleep sounds good." I sighed. Bella worked on my pants and I looked up at her. "Moan time?"
She yanked my pants off and shook her head. "Sleep." She pulled back the cover on the bed, helping me get under the blanket.
"Where are you going?" I asked. She shook her head.
"I have to change. I'll be right back." She placed a quick kiss on my cheek, and I hummed.
I passed out before she'd made it as far as the bathroom.
AN: I won't lie, Drunk Edward was a surprise in this chapter, but he turned out to be a crack up to write. He very obviously still has quite a few issues he needs to deal with, and honestly it's a good thing he got drunk because he strikes me as the kind of guy to bottle up those issues.
On a little bit of a more serious issue, right now California is on fire. It is fire season, so it's not that surprising (unfortunately), but some freak storms and record breaking heat have been trigging more fires than expected. I am in currently located in the middle of a few fires, but thankfully safe. However, I also am trying to finish my masters dissertation next week, so unless I snap and need a break from real life, I'm taking a week off next week from posting. I have so much to catch up on, while trying to make sure that I'm prepared for fire, blackouts, or any other disaster that decides it wants to rear it's ugly head.
Right now, I have posting set to resume Wednesday, September 2. Thank you all for understanding, and I'll see you then, post-dissertation and hopefully post-fires and heatwaves.