CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
BELLA'S POV:
While my son may favor Edward in looks more than he does me, he did unfortunately inherit my inability to lie. The question is: why was he lying? We had had what I thought was a great day out and about the Navy Pier, and for him to want to go home now was raising a lot of red flags. What had changed in the last hour? Did Edward do something to upset him? Did I?
All I could do in this situation was look for clues, so I tried to read him. Listening to Tony, it was clear that he wanted to be alone, or at least away from Edward and I, which is why he was pushing for us to go out to eat without him. We tried to talk him out of it, but he was adamant that we all didn't have to return home. When he asked Edward to call and ask Alice to watch him, I began to get even more suspicious. Has she been meddling again? Has she no shame to get my own flesh and blood to work against me?
Against you Bella? Sounds like she's helping you get what you really want, my internal voice scoffed at me. I simply rolled my eyes at myself. Now was not the time to nitpick over word choice. Something was going on, and I wasn't privy to that information. I hate not knowing things. I tried to focus in on Edward and Alice's phone call, but I could only hear his side of things. Sounds like he suspected her involvement as well, but I doubt she would own up to it unless caught red-handed.
Edward moved the phone away from his mouth, and addressed me. "It's up to you. Alice says Tony is welcome to stay over there for a sleepover. You want to get dinner with me? Or are you too tired, and just want to head home?"
Staring into Edward's eyes, I was surprised by the look of hope I saw reflected back at me. Did he want to go out with just me?
Of course, he does Bella. You saw how flirty he's been. He told you he was stepping up his game—he isn't going to waste a perfect opportunity to get you alone, my inner girl squealed at me. I couldn't refute the claim. He has been…more…recently. That doesn't really do it justice in explaining things, but it was plain to see that he had taken a step in a direction that could someday push us to be more than friends. And so far, I haven't stopped him. You haven't exactly given him the green light either though. My inner bitch was on a roll today.
Needing to escape those hopeful eyes, I looked again towards my son to try and understand his motive here. I'm not sure what he saw on my face, but he was quick to try and reassure me.
"Go out Mommy. Have a night on the town. You never do."
"Where. Did you. Hear that? Night. On town?" I asked, surprised by his word choice.
Tony just shrugged, and explained, "From Uncle Jake."
I heard a scoff to my left, and heard Edward exclaim, "Of course." I slowly turned to look at him, worried we were going to get into another argument over my once best friend. However, when he noticed my attention was on him, he dropped the angry face, and offered me his signature smirk. "Well, yay or nay? Will you have dinner with me?"
That damn smirk was my undoing. It made me want to give into him always. I quickly averted my eyes so that I could gain back some control over the situation, but I knew the damage was already done. I was his—for the night, anyways.
Feeling a little shy, I offered him, "Free. Sitting. Hard to. Turn down." That was as close to a yes as he was going to get from me. I may be open to the possibility of more, but I wasn't brave enough to vocalize it quite yet. Despite avoiding eye contact, I could feel his lingering gaze on me. I'm sure I was the color of a fire engine at this point, but I still was too chicken to see how he took my answer.
Yet, even without looking at him, I could hear the smile in his voice. "That it is. Alright, you start thinking about where you want to go while I square things away with my sister."
Where I want to go? I don't want to decide. That's too much pressure. And, as today has already pointed out, a lot has changed in the five years I've been gone. I didn't even realize it wasn't the same Ferris Wheel—god only knows what restaurants are still around, or have folded in my absence. I don't want to suggest something, and have it not be here anymore. I don't know if I could take another loss like that today.
"But the boy's gotta pick," Tony said, bringing my focus back to him. Where is he getting all this stuff?
"Not always," Edward told him, while going back to the conversation with Alice.
"Girls can pick too?" Tony asked me, while Edward was busy. He seemed skeptical of the information Edward had just provided.
"Anyone. Can pick," I told him.
"But Daddy knows the places here better, so maybe he should pick," Tony pushed, clearly not liking me picking.
"We'll see," I said, while brushing the hair off his forehead in a soothing manner. Now that I had his full attention, I dropped my voice, and asked him, "You ok?" I thought maybe without Edward listening, Tony might be more willing to talk to me and tell me what was wrong.
"I'm fine Mommy. Just sleepy. We did so much today," he reassured me. I tried to see if there was more behind that answer, but he quickly added, "So, I'm going to Aunt Alice's?" I saw that he was now addressing both Edward and I since he had finished his phone call.
"Yes. And she said you can sleep over there with Sophia," Edward told him.
Tony threw his fist in the air, "YES! I can't wait." He got what he wanted, and now his acting skills were already waning. Definitely had a ton of energy right there.
Deciding to push him a little, I asked, "Thought. You were. Tired."
Offering a very fake yawn, Tony responded, "I am. So sleepy. Just excited I get to see my best friend again. Well, let's go. Time to go to bed. And time for you guys to go get some food."
I could no longer avoid eye contact with Edward. I spared him a look to see what he made of this situation. I could see confusion behind his eyes as well, but there was also humor and determination mixed in there too. He offered me a shrug, as if to say, 'what are we to do.' I guess this wasn't hurting anything. I just don't want this lying to become new behavior of Tony's. I'll let it go for now though.
Edward helped me get situated in the car first before he moved to pack up my chair in the trunk. While I had a moment to myself, I grabbed my cell phone to see if I could get any more information out of the little pixie. I shouldn't have been surprised to already see a message waiting for me from her.
Don't over think things. Just enjoy the evening out. I'm sure having to spend time with my brother is such a chore-Alice
The message confirmed that she was involved. I knew it. Deciding to go with sassy, I typed out:
I'm going, aren't I? I can't be overthinking that hard—Bella
Apparently, Alice was feeling sassy as well, since instead of a true response, she sent me a clip from the movie Ms. Congeniality. It was Sandra Bullock's character singing to Benjamin Bratt's character (the one she had a crush on). "You think I'm gorgeous. You want to kiss me. You want to smooch me. You want to hug me- You want to date me ... love me and marry me." Following the clip, Alice followed with:
You singing to Edward —Alice
Even if it were true, I wasn't going to justify that with a response. Instead, I simply said,
We'll see you soon, trouble maker. —Bella
Edward was just getting into the car when my phone vibrated again. I looked down, and saw:
Denial is not just a river in Egypt—Alice
I scoffed at that. Even when I wasn't denying anything, I was still getting blamed for it. I must not have been as quiet as I had hoped, because I heard, "Everything okay?" from the driver.
Sparing him a quick glance, I simply responded, "Alice."
Edward chuckled, and said, "Enough said. Well, I know Tony doesn't have overnight stuff, but Alice says she has plenty for him for tonight and tomorrow, so we don't have to stop by Mom and Dad's first. We should be there in about twenty minutes then."
"Probably. Planned for. Tonight," I muttered.
"I wouldn't doubt that. Someone is orchestrating all of this, maybe even more someone's than we're aware. But I'm not going to complain. Not when I get you all to myself," he said, starting the car and heading out. I hoped that he was distracted while he was driving, and missed that his comment had made me blush, but his chuckle told me otherwise. "Now, did you think about where you want to go for dinner? Any certain cravings?"
"Not picky. You choose."
"Hmm, alright. Let me think. How about Italian? There's always plenty of choices there."
"Works. For me," I told him. "Pizza?"
"I was thinking that maybe we'd do something with a bit more class. Maybe even real place settings. Take advantage of being adults. That still okay?" he questioned.
"Not really. Dressed. For classy."
"Nothing formal Bella, though I'd love to take you out for that as well. I understand that this opportunity fell into our laps. But it's not like you're in sweatpants. You look beautiful, as always. We can pretty much get in most places dress-code wise. We'll be fine, trust me."
"Not too. Fancy. Want to relax."
"Leave it to me beautiful. I know just the place."
Looking into the back of the car, I saw Tony with his eyes closed. It would appear that he was out for the count, however his breathing gave him away that he wasn't asleep. He had a smile on his face, obviously pleased he was getting what he wanted. Maybe he'll be more inclined to talk tomorrow, after this dinner is behind us. I only hope sending him to Alice's won't corrupt him more.
The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, as we let Tony think he had us fooled. Edward even carried the "sleeping" boy in, to keep up with the whole charade. I have to say Tony was better at fake sleeping then all that obnoxious yawning he was doing earlier. It just made me all the more curious about what I was missing. When Edward came back out, the atmosphere in the car seemed to get awkward. We didn't have our usual buffer anymore. And while going to get a simple meal didn't seem like that big of a deal, this most certainly felt like it was a date. In the silence, I was starting to overthink things, even though I told Alice I wasn't. Was I truly ready for this? Didn't I say I wanted to be friends first? I told him I needed time, meaning weeks or days for my heart and head to catch up. This wasn't giving me time! What was Edward expecting from me? God, do I even remember how to date? Is it the same? The last date I had been on was with Edward—and yet that wasn't a comforting thought. Was dating the same? How many people had he practiced on since?
I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt a hand on my thigh.
"Relax Bella. We're just going to get something to eat. Nothing has changed."
"Feels. Different."
"That's just the nerves, which you shouldn't have. We've been working on our friendship the last few weeks. This doesn't have to be any different. I just want to be in your company, as opposed to bothering you over text messages."
"Easier. To talk. On phone."
"You're doing much better Bella. We manage to converse just fine. But we can always just text each other, if you prefer," he jested, trying to make light of the situation.
"Obnoxious. To be. On cell. With other person."
"I don't care what other people think. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy," he said, as he pulled up to a parking garage in the middle of the city. After he parked, he helped me into the wheelchair, and headed towards the street. I looked left and right, and still couldn't tell where we were at.
"Where. We going?" I asked, looking at the skyscrapers, trying to get a general sense of where he had in mind.
"RPM Italian. It's just down the street," he told me as he pushed me in the right direction.
"Giuliana's restaurant?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, that one. Didn't think I would remember your obsession with E News, huh? It's been on my radar when they opened, but I've never had a reason to come. Thought you might want to check it out," Edward explained.
Not many people were aware of my guilty pleasure to know all things celebrity. I DVRed ENews every night to watch Jason Kennedy and Giuliana Rancic tell it to me straight. Spending every night with them made me feel like I knew them personally—like they were my friends. Which is why I followed them on social media, and kept up on their lives. I never imagined I would ever get a chance to actually eat at G's restaurant though. Could we even get in?
"Need. Reservation?" I asked, worried to get my hopes up.
"I wasn't sure if we needed one, but I sent in a request on OpenTable while we were at Alice's."
"Always. Prepared." I said, as a smile took over my face. I was excited for the evening we were gifted now.
"I try to be. Here we are," he said, holding open the door to allow me to make my way inside.
We made our way up to the hostess stand, and I noticed the poor girl's eyes widened at the site of Edward. I couldn't really blame her; he was a fine specimen to look at. You could see she was mentally preparing herself to flirt with him, which rubbed me the wrong way. I was right here, at his side. It was obvious he wasn't available. Wasn't it?
As if he could sense my agitation, I felt Edward place his hand on my shoulder, his thumb kneading into the side of my neck. I saw that the hope in the woman's eyes dimmed a bit at his actions, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Good evening. We have reservations under Cullen for 7:00pm. We're slightly early," he told her.
"Welcome to RPM Italian. I see your reservation right here. We were going to put you in a booth, but a table might be easier with the wheelchair. You may have to wait a bit longer for something to open up since we weren't aware of your needs," she told us. Maybe I was already pissy because I felt like she was encroaching on my territory, but I didn't like this chick's attitude. Most restaurants should be about inclusivity, and making sure everyone is comfortable. This chick however, felt it was necessary to highlight my handicap. I'm sorry, but I didn't think it was necessary to spell out a person's disability when making a reservation. I know she was trying to be helpful, but instead, she was making me feel very uncomfortable.
Turning to me, Edward offered me a wicked smile, before asking, "Darling, would you like to cuddle up with me in a booth, or should we try and keep things PG at a table?" I noticed the woman's mouth opened in shock at Edward's question, and I so wanted to put her in her place.
"Booth, please," I said, putting my hand on top of Edward's on my shoulder, and giving it a little squeeze.
Addressing the woman, Edward said, "You heard the lady. We'll take that booth. We can store the chair at the coat check."
"Certainly. Right this way sir, ma'am." Once she got us to our table, Edward helped me get situated, and thankfully that was the last we saw of the hostess. I was slightly worried the rest of the staff was going to be just as stuck up, but our server was a breath of fresh air.
"Good evening folks. My name is Zafrina, and I'll be your server this evening. Is this your first time at RPM Italian?"
"Yes, it is. My Bella here is a fan of the Rancics, so it's been on her bucket list to try. Do you have any suggestions for us?" Edward said. My heart skipped a beat at his possessive nature. His Bella? I should be offended, but my inner voice was screaming, Me like it!
"Ah yes—that is a common reason for why people stop by. But the food often speaks for itself, and we get many repeat customers here. I can certainly offer suggestions, as well as answer any questions that you may have! Are we in the mood for anything specific?" she asked. I was pleased to see she was maintaining eye contact between the both of us.
Edward looked to me to answer. I remembered that the pasta dishes are what were often highlighted when I looked into this restaurant, so I wanted to stick to that genre. "Pasta. Homemade?"
"If you're a fan of Giuliana, then you know most of the recipes are Mama DePandi's, and it would be sacrilegious to serve pasta out of a box. It is made fresh daily, and is definitely what we're known for. My suggestions would be the Short Rib Bolognese, if you are looking for something heartier, or the Lobster Ravioli, which is prepared in a spinach dough. You can't go wrong with those two."
"Thank you," I said, while looking at the descriptions under those.
"You are welcome. I'll leave you to look over the menu. Can I get you started with drinks? Perhaps a nice wine to pair with your pasta?"
"We'll take a bottle of your best red. And two waters please," Edward told her. I was worried about drinking while on my medication, but Edward was quick to point out, "We don't have to drink the whole bottle Bella. I glass won't hurt—I would know."
"Okay."
"What are you thinking of getting? I'm sure you've heard reviews on your show when it opened."
"Can't believe. You remembered," I told him, honestly surprised something so trivial stuck with him.
"You're impossible to forget, sweetheart. You'd be surprised how much reminds me of you around the city."
Not wanting to get into such a serious conversation, I pointed out the several menu items that I recognized to Edward. There was the Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad, the Truffle Garlic Bread, and the Prime Rib Meatballs, all of which sounded good to me. As well as what Zafrina offered.
"Do you have a preference for your entrée? Those both sounded good to me. Want to get one of each, and try each other's?" Edward offered, which was what I was hoping he would say. I smiled at him, and nodded, showing my appreciation. "Okay. Do you want to get the salad? I was looking to maybe try the King Crab Bruschetta, if you are interested in giving that a go. We could share the garlic bread too, if you want."
"A lot. Of food." I said, worried our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.
"We can always take it home for leftovers. Or we could come back and try new things next time. Whatever you want."
"Let's try it."
When Zafrina came back with our wine, I let Edward do the taste test. I was no wine connoisseur. I was just as happy with a box of wine that cost $5, so I wouldn't trust my palate to pick out a faulty bottle. He was pleased with her suggestion, and once both our glasses were poured, he placed our orders for us. She promised our appetizers would be out soon, and left us to our alone.
Edward raised his glass, and I mirrored his actions. "Wine, to strengthen friendship and light the flame of love." He clinked his glass with mine, then took a sip.
"Beautiful," I said, before taking a sip myself.
"I heard it once at a wedding, and it always stuck with me."
"Working on. Friendship. Never hurts," I added.
"They say true love is passion rooted in friendship."
"Do they?" I questioned, interested in hearing more on the topic.
"Romance comes and goes, but those relationships with a true solid bond often are the ones that stay fresh and alive for a lifetime. Look at my parents if you need proof."
"Makes sense. How long. Together now?" I asked him, not remembering what anniversary they were up to.
"Thirty-three years, though they still act like newlyweds. I used to be disgusted by it; I mean, what teen wants to walk in on his father inappropriately palming his mother in the kitchen. But now, I just want to be like them. To be that in love and devoted to another."
"Cute together."
"That they are. Are you in cuteness overload living with them?"
"Not. Too bad. Carlisle works a lot. Probably hiding it. From guests," I rationalized.
"Lucky you. Give it another week or two, and I'm sure you'll happen upon a heated make out session."
"Can't. Really sneak. Up on them. They'd hear. Me coming," I joked, hoping to not interrupt them in their home.
"Wanna bet on it? They're incorrigible. God, could you imagine if Tony happens upon them? The questions he would have for you after that." Edward laughed.
"Keep it hidden. Hopefully," I said, not wanting to open that can of worms.
"If it gets too bad, you can always come stay with me," he hedged, smiling.
"Don't think. So." I said.
"I know, I know. But a man can dream, can't he?" He said, still smiling.
"Like our. Set up." I said, hoping we weren't going to revisit this discussion.
"As do I. Like I said, there are plenty advantages of you staying with my parents. Like good meals, and free baby-sitting. Speaking of, that was some act your son was putting on this evening. Any ideas what that was about?" he questioned.
"Not sure. Has Alice all. Over it," I told him.
"I would agree. She didn't seem too surprised when I called to ask for her babysitting services. But she's always sworn to be psychic, so maybe she just foresaw that we would be needing her services."
"Corrupting Tony. Shouldn't use him."
"Maybe. Or maybe, he enlisted her?" Edward offered.
"What do. You mean?" I asked, wondering if he knew something I didn't.
"I'm not entirely sure, but with all that romantic talk—I think Tony might have some ideas on the brain."
"Yea, that was new," I said, remembering him mentioning watching movies for Sophia, but even that sounded suspect.
We were temperately distracted by the appetizers being brought out.
"I'm sure this is the first of many attempts from him. But I don't mind, if it gives me time with you." Edward took a bite out of his appetizer. After he finished chewing, he asked, "Do you mind?"
Was I bothered by spending alone time with Edward? No, of course not. My heart was on board—it was my head that needed to catch up and learn to trust him again. But I was willing to try. Was I worried what my son made of all of this? Yes. I didn't want to confuse Tony more than he already was—if he is going along with this plan to get us together, then he already is expressing an opinion that he wants both his mother and father together. And I didn't want that sort of pressure. The question was, how to answer Edward's question without ruining everything.
"Don't mind. Just," I paused, trying to think of the best word to express myself. "Hesitant."
"Glad to see you like spending time in my company as well. But what makes you hesitant?"
"Don't want. To confuse. Him. Or blur lines."
"Blurred lines? Like what Bella?" Edward asked, pushing his plate away to give me his full attention.
"Living together. Confused him. I think."
"That was only temporary Bella."
"All this. Is new. He liked that. Wants to keep. That," I tried to explain, worried I was mincing my words.
"Yes, this is all new for him Bella. But once things settle down, I'm sure he will understand that my staying with you guys was just for that little bit. He knows about my apartment, and living nearby. If anything, your time here in Chicago will be more like what our future will hold. We will try to see each other every day, but live separately." Edward rationalized, though he had a frown on his face at the end of his speech.
"What's wrong?" I asked him, unsure of what depressed him.
"Nothing. It's nothing. It was just hard for me to say that out loud."
"Why?"
"Because it isn't exactly how I want things to be. Living separately. But l'm not looking to rush things either Bella. I too don't want to confuse Tony. Slow and steady is fine with me, as long as I get you both."
"Slow Edward. Can't just go back. To way. Things were."
"I know that Bella. Sometimes it's just harder to explain that to my brain. In some ways, nothing has changed and I just want to pick up where we left off five years ago. Yet, in other ways, you and I are both different people and I just want to spend time with you and fill in the blanks and gaps I'm missing. Regardless, the solution is being with you, and taking up as much time as you are willing to give to me."
Figuring that it was time that I was open with Edward, I lowered some of my walls, and offered him, "Open to. More."
"That's all I needed to know, beautiful. I know I've been pushing lately, but sometimes you are hard to read in terms of if the advances are wanted."
"Wanted," I told him, with a shy smile. When he returned the smile, I pressed on, "Just slow. Work on. Bond."
Edward smiled at my brief explanation, "Whatever you need Bella. What hurt us last time was lack of communication—as long as you are willing to talk things out with me, I think we definitely can make progress here."
"I agree. Still lots. To relearn. Too," I added.
"I'll just have to take you out more often then. I'll have you know that I can be pretty 'mantic when I put my mind to it," he jested.
"I remember," I said, softly. Thinking about the past was bittersweet. It seems that we can't really get far in a conversation without something reminding us of the fact that we have history, and lost the last few years together.
Probably sensing my mood was taking a nose dive, Edward changed the subject. "How is the salad? Was it what you were thinking?"
"Good. Nice combo. Heavy on. Dressing though." I explained, offering him a forkful to try. Not a fan of Brussel sprouts normally, Edward was surprised he didn't mind it prepared this way. In return, he offered me a bite of his starter. Usually bruschetta is just tomatoes, so the King Crab was an interesting addition, pairing nicely with the acid notes.
We spoke more about our day, and our favorite reactions from Tony. Seems like even when he's not around, he still manages to be the center of most of our conversation. Zafrina stopped by to clear our plates, and present us with our meals. Edward and I often stole bites from each other's plates, pleased with our selections, though I think the Lobster Ravioli was better. In between bites, Edward expressed other ideas he had for future family fun days. Sounds like our next few weeks are going to be pretty busy while in his hands.
Zafrina came around to check on us, and handed us the dessert menu to peruse. I was so stuffed, I knew I couldn't handle another bite, so I shook my head no in Edward's direction.
"I think we'll have to hold off until next time Zafrina. Maybe skip the appetizers to save room, or something," Edward said, handing the menus back to her.
"You can always get something to go as well. I don't know about you, but I have a wicked sweet tooth, and I'm always looking for something in the middle of the night."
Edward raised an eyebrow in my direction, asking if I would be interested. Hmm…a late-night rendezvous over chocolate? Sounds like a recipe for trouble. Especially when I'm asking for slow.
"Save for. Next time."
"You heard the lady. It'll give us an excuse to come back and see you," Edward reemphasized.
"Certainly. Well, I will leave the bill with you, and I will head off to get your chair ready for you."
"Thank you Zafrina," Edward said, while reaching in his back pocket to grab his wallet.
When we were alone, I said, "Wait."
"What's wrong? Change your mind about that dessert?"
"Let me. Pay?" I asked. Edward was shaking his head, but I held up my hand to show I wasn't finished. "You paid. All day. Let me treat."
"Why don't we let today be my treat, and you can worry about the next one?"
"You probably. Won't let. Me pay. Then either," I pouted.
Edward chuckled at my antics. "Probably, but we'll worry about that next time. At least it guarantees there will be a next time. Sounds like a win-win to me."
"Halfs?" I asked, still trying to plead my case. But it was too late, because Zafrina swung by with the chair, and took the folder with Edward's card in it away to charge the meal.
"I know I haven't been on a date in a really long time, but I didn't think people went Dutch anymore," Edward mused, as he helped to lift me out of the booth and into the chair.
"Twenty-first. Century. Anything goes," I said, still pouting.
"Anything? I will keep that in mind then, Ms. Swan," Edward trilled, as he put his returned card back into his wallet, and pushed me towards the restaurant exit.
"Don't. Be dirty," I griped back.
"Who said anything about being dirty?" Edward leaned down, and whispered in my ear. I just snorted at his antics. "Truthfully, I was just imagining a scenario where the female knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to take it. All this talk of you paying made me wonder if you're going to make the first move this evening, or will I?"
That made me pause. Oh shit! I hadn't even thought about the conclusion of the date. Was he expecting a kiss? That's what he must be referring to right? Why did he have to say something? This evening had gone rather smoothly, and now he just placed all this pressure back on it. Should I kiss him? Let him kiss me? Stick to just the cheek? What message did I want to send here?
I must have been more in my head than I realized, because we were quickly back at the car, and Edward was lifting me up and into my seat. I was startled when I felt both his hands on my cheeks, bringing my face to look directly at him. He was crouched down next to me on the passenger side of the car.
"Calm down Bella. I was just joking. Don't freak out on me now."
"Not. Freaking. Out," I tried to sell, but he wasn't buying it.
"Just like your son, you suck at lying Bella. Now, I'm sorry I brought attention to this—I was trying to be flirty, and it backfired. Truthfully, since I realized we were going off on our own tonight, I wondered if this would be a possibility, and I would shoot myself if I just blew it now." I looked into his eyes, and saw true remorse there. He really thought he botched the evening.
"It's okay. Nice to see. You aren't. Perfect. Always," I tried to joke back, and lighten the mood.
Edward gave me a smile, but it didn't alleviate his mood much. "Bella, I don't know if you were aware, but I stole a kiss from you when you were in the hospital. It probably wasn't uberly ethical, but I couldn't help myself, and I made a promise that the next kiss I give you, you would be ready and willing. I intended to stick to my promises."
Was I aware? Of course, I was! Did he not remember how my traitorous heart set the alarm off? I was hoping it had been forgotten with my miraculous recovery and all, but apparently not. Now that he brought it up, it had to be addressed.
"Stole a kiss? Inner fem-inist. Appalled."
"I know in the age of Me Too, I shouldn't have acted without your consent. It's appalling, despite if we both enjoyed ourselves. But its why I'm before you now, asking may I kiss you, please?"
Deciding to make him suffer some more, I focused on his earlier statement. "Both enjoyed. Ourselves? How do. You know?"
He let out a sigh, clearly seeing I was messing with him. "Apparently I make your heart soar even when you are unconscious sweetheart. Unless you were hoping it was someone else. I guess we'll never really know. But that isn't the point right now. May I taste those sweet lips of yours?"
"Nice. To be. Awake. This time," I told him. I barely finished getting the words out of my mouth when his lips came forward and swallowed my words. The kiss, though desperate, was not demanding. Edward took his time, placing soft gentle kisses on my lips, while the fingers that were holding my face left my cheeks, and made their way into my hair. Our lips melded together, again and again. Now that I've had a taste, I felt like I couldn't get enough of this man. Trying to center myself, I placed my hand on his chest, and I could feel his heart pounding under my own fingers. Apparently, I wasn't the only one whose heart soared due to the other. I could taste our shared breath on my tongue, igniting a fire within me. I had no concept of time as Edward continued to kiss me senseless. My chest continued to burn due to lack of oxygen. Not wanting our first kiss to be my last, I slowly pulled back, and allowed my lungs to fill with air. Edward rested his forehead upon my own, as he too caught his breath from the epic moment.
Pulling back to stare into my eyes, he told me, "Even better than I remembered." He quickly pecked my lips twice, before standing back up, and closing the car door. As he walked around the car to his side, I brought my fingers up to my still tingling lips, and I could feel them curling up into a glorious smile. It certainly was better than I remembered as well. I wouldn't mind doing that again. Not wanting to get caught, I brought my hand back to my lap, and waited for him to get settled into his seat.
He started the car, then reached over and grasped my hand. "Is this okay?" he asked. I loved how one minute he could be so confident and suave, and then the next, he was second guessing himself. I knew a lot of that had to do with me and my mixed messages. But no more. I didn't want him doubting himself, or us, anymore.
"More than. Okay," I told him, giving his hand a squeeze back. The drive back to his parents was spent in silence, but neither of us minded. You could tell that we were both content, and lost in our own thoughts. I was pleased that I wasn't overanalyzing the kiss, but instead focusing on when we could do that again. I could only imagine where Edward's thoughts were taking him. I spared a glance at him, and saw that he had such a serene look on his face. I was happy that I could bring him such peace for a change, as opposed to heart ache and uncertainty.
Pulling up outside his parents, Edward shut the car off, but made no move to go inside. He turned towards me, and said, "I'm sure there is a lot of things that we need to talk about and work out, but I don't want to talk tonight. I want to give you one more kiss, and drop you off, and end the date here. I don't want to lose this feeling. Are you agreeable?"
I leaned forward to give him a small kiss, and told him, "Works. For me."
"That doesn't count as the final kiss," he said, eyebrow raised, as if I was going to challenge him on it.
"Hope not," I told him, offering him one of his classic smirks. Leaning forward again to collect my debt, I took a moment to savor this feeling of contentment. Edward was on to something here—I didn't want to lose this feeling either. I only hope that we can keep this going as we navigate things these next few weeks. We deserved a bit of happiness after the cards we've been dealt recently. Let's just hope I can juggle a new relationship with my recovery, and co-parenting.