Here we are with another update! I know a lot of you are asking many questions that we can't answer. I am not ignoring you I just can't answer them without giving everything away.
Thanks for the reviews we are loving them please keep them coming! Thanks to toocute24 and teamalltwlight for all the help that they give for this story!
The water was splashing all around me, bouncing off of my knee and into my face, but I didn't have time to worry about that. My time was almost up in the shower - I could feel it - and I still had half a leg to go. Deciding to forego shaving cream on the rest of my leg, I ran the razor over my skin as fast as I dared. I was already guaranteeing myself razor burn, as it was. I huffed in annoyance, but didn't dare stop what I was doing. I still didn't understand why he thought I could do everything I needed to do in fifteen minutes. I was just starting on the upper part of my thigh when the water shut off.
"No," I whined. I think there was even a foot stomp in there, too. "I need five more minutes."
I quickly turned the water back on and was able to do three more strokes before he shut the water off again.
"Time to get out…now," he said quietly.
I could hear everything in his voice, and I knew that he was angry.
"But I'm almost done," I said, knowing my tears were coming.
"Now," he said sternly.
I was so close to finishing that I kept going, water be damned. I knew I was just asking for trouble, but I didn't want prickly legs. Before I could touch the razor back to my thigh, Edward flung open the door and grabbed the wrist that was working on my leg. I struggled against him as he took the razor from me and helped me out of the shower.
"I just wanted to finish," I said as my tears fell; I knew I disappointed him.
"You should have asked for more time," he said, placing the razor on the counter and motioning for me to turn around so he could dry my hair.
"What's the big deal?"
"Enough!" he yelled, making me jump.
I remained silent the rest of the time as he dried my body, and when we were back in our room, he immediately placed me over his knee.
"I have no clothes on!" I yelled as his hand came down on my bare ass.
The sting of his hand ran through my entire body.
"Please stop; it hurts!" I cried as I clung to his leg.
I was grateful that he only gave me five swats. It hurt way more without any clothes on, and with my bottom still somewhat damp, it not only made a loud noise, but it had much more of a sting to it than normal. I sobbed loudly as he stood me up between his legs and rubbed some of the sting out.
"That really hurt," I whimpered.
Edward wrapped the towel back around me and rubbed my arms. "All your punishments will be given like this from now on."
"Why?" I cried.
"Because it seems to have more of an effect on you," he said thoughtfully.
I cried and laid my head on his shoulder as he comforted me. "All you had to do was ask for more time."
"Can I go finish then, please?" I asked, knowing that it was a long shot.
"No; it's time to get dressed."
I exhaled shakily and willed myself not to cry again. All I would have to do tomorrow is try to finish, and if I ran out of time, then I just needed to ask for more. Belatedly, I realized that I should have just done that to begin with. I was betting that the outcome would have been much different.
"I'm sorry," I said into his neck.
"You're forgiven," he said, lifting my face to kiss my lips. "Get dressed so I can brush your hair."
I stood up and moved a couple of feet to his right to go through the clothes that were lying on the bed.
"Edward," I said getting his attention. "There's no bra here."
"A bra would show with the dress. Don't question me," he warned.
I cringed as I pulled the dress over my head. It was really low cut, and I felt like my boobs were going to fall out. I walked to Edward as I tried to readjust myself.
"Stop," he said, chuckling.
"I think they're going to fall out," I said, pulling the fabric up over my breasts, trying to make more of it magically appear.
"Here, let me help you," he said as I dropped my hands.
I gasped in shock as Edward put his hand down the front of my dress and lifted my breast, adjusting it so that it was sitting in the built-in cup of the dress. As he moved to pull his hand out, his fingers ran over my nipple, causing it to harden immediately. I flinched at the feeling of his skin on such a sensitive part of me.
Unfortunately, my reaction was not unnoticed by Edward. "Behave."
"Sorry," I said immediately, biting my lip.
He did the same with my other breast, and I didn't understand the way my body was reacting. Both of my nipples were painfully hard, but at least I didn't feel like they were going to fall out any more.
"Thank you," I said.
"You are so perfect," he said, kissing my lips.
"Thank you. I'm sorry I flinched; it just felt…strange," I explained as he turned me around to brush my hair.
"Strange bad or strange good?"
I thought about it for a moment and remembered how his touch felt.
"Good," I said slowly.
"Good," he said with a smile in his voice. "Do you want to make deal?" he asked, kissing my neck.
"What kind of deal?"
"If you are a good girl all day, and go without being punished, I will take you for a walk later," he said as I whipped around to look at him.
"Outside?" I asked excitedly.
"Yes, but you would have to be extra good and hold my hand the whole time…"
"I'll be so good! Thank you!" I exclaimed, throwing myself into his arms.
"But if you're bad," he said, holding me by the back of my neck and talking right in my ear. "You will have a bruised ass and you will be in the closet for days."
My whole body started to shake. That was the last thing I wanted.
"I promise I'll be good," I swore as tears welled up in my eyes. "I'll be good."
"You know I will do it," he threatened.
"I'll be good," I cried as I clung to him more.
"Just think about not getting out for days. Stuck in that little, tiny space with no light or comfort - all by yourself. I wouldn't even come in to the room to see you…well, I would so you could use the bathroom, but that would be it. Would you like to go without food? You wouldn't have anything at all," he said, whispering the last part in my ear.
I was so scared that I thought I was going to pass out.
"I'll be good," I whimpered.
"Would you like to go sit in there for a little bit now?"
"NO! I'll be good, I swear."
"Say it."
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward. Please, I'll be good. We met while you were out of town and I can't stand the thought of being without you. I need you - only you. I'll be so good," I cried as I straddled his lap just to get closer to him.
"Hmm…" he said, placing his hands on my ass. "Maybe you should just see the inside of the closet so you don't forget how much you love it."
"No, no, no. Please don't make me go in there again. I'll be good…I'll be so good," I promised as he stood with me wrapped around him.
I hung onto the back of his shirt so tightly that my hands hurt. "Don't put me in there, please," I cried, hiding my face in the crook of his neck.
"Look how little it is, Baby," he said kissing my jaw. "Look, Bella, or you'll go in there right now."
My whole body shook as I turned my head to see the opened door. "This is where you'll be if you make one wrong move; do you understand?"
"Yes," I said, looking him right in the eye.
I knew I was going to be on my best behavior. There was nothing worse to me at the moment, than being locked in the closet. I couldn't ever go back in there. The thought of being in there for days was crippling to me.
"Anything you want, I'll do it," I swore.
"You promise?"
"I promise," I said sincerely.
"I'm going to make you keep that promise," he said with a smile as he shut the closet door.
My whole body completely relaxed and I tightened my legs around Edward's waist, grateful that he held me until I was much calmer. I was going to be good and no one was going to make me fail. I closed my eyes and just relished in the feel of Edward's light touches. He was all I needed.
I'm losing you, my inner self whispered. You need to run.
If I ran, I would be locked in the closet and I couldn't do that again.
Tell his parents that he kidnapped you.
That thought made me stop short. Kidnapped? We met at his convention. There was no kidnapping…
"Want some breakfast, Baby?" Edward asked, bringing my attention back to him by holding my face in his hands.
I didn't trust my voice so I nodded my head.
After breakfast, we went about our day the way we always did. I did my chores…twice because I didn't want to be bad; I wanted to go outside, to breathe clean air. After that, Edward led the way to the office where I was to read a few chapters of my new book. Edward wanted me to read a book each week and then write an essay about it throughout the summer, saying that it would get me ready for my next year of schooling.
"School?" I asked, confused but still taking the book that he was offering me.
"Yes, school. You will finish high school," he said determinedly.
"No, I want to finish," I agreed. "I meant will I be doing school here while you're at work?"
Furrowing his brows, Edward crouched down so that we were at eye level. "I had actually planned for you to go to the local high school here," he informed me. "But you have to earn my trust first."
I nodded my head, knowing that trust was very important to him, but I was extremely leery at the same time. "Is doing school here an option?" I asked.
I think I would prefer doing school at home, in the environment that I was used to - that was safe. I furrowed my brows and tried to think of the last time I was in school. I could remember walking down endless hallways with nameless faces on either side of me, but the memories were so hazy; it was like walking through a fog.
"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, placing his hands on my knees.
I placed my hands on top of his absentmindedly, lost in my thoughts. "I-I don't know," I replied honestly. "I think I can remember going to school, but the memories are so vague that it's hard to tell if it was real or if it was a dream."
I rubbed the front of my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
Edward squeezed my hands in his before replying. "No, doing school here isn't an option," he finally answered. "I can't be here with you, and I think it will be good for you to have some socialization when I feel like you are ready."
"How will you know when I'm ready?" I asked, confused yet again. "I don't think I'm ready. I feel more comfortable here…at home with you," I admitted.
Edward smiled wide and leaned forward to press a kiss to my forehead. "You are more ready than I thought," he whispered so softly that I wasn't even sure I had heard him correctly.
We made eye contact then, and I couldn't look away. His bright green eyes were penetrating me with their stare, and I felt like he could see deep into my soul. He had this look about him that made me want to crawl into his pocket, or wrap myself around him, knowing that no harm could come to me as long as I was with him. It didn't make sense. But then again, not many things made sense anymore.
I was forgetting things, and when I tried to remind myself, nothing would come to mind. Late at night, while waiting to drift off into dreamland, I would try and think of my life pre-Edward. I would focus as hard as I could, but all I could seem to remember were flickers of nameless faces or ghost places that I could not remember visiting. Instead, thoughts of Edward and what he wanted me to do dominated my thoughts. I would remember the way his lips felt on mine, or the way he held me after a punishment. The closet would even creep into my thoughts, but I would quickly shove it to the side. As long as I behaved, I didn't need to worry about that anymore.
Edward finally tore his gaze from mine as he stood up, only to lean down again to place a chaste kiss to my lips.
"Get started," he demanded, throwing me a quick smile.
I nodded my head and adjusted my position on the couch to make myself more comfortable. I heard Edward talking on the phone and it made me smile. He was using the phone a lot more around me, and I knew that meant that he was starting to trust me. I certainly wasn't about to do anything to betray the trust that I had worked so hard to get.
After I was done reading the chapters I needed to, I asked to use the bathroom. He nodded his head and gestured for me to go ahead. He was letting me go alone and I didn't know why.
I walked into our room and headed straight for the bathroom.
What are you doing? my inner voice yelled. Run! Get out and get help.
I scoffed mentally at the thought of running. Edward was a cop who had a lot of cop friends. What was I supposed to say, anyway? That Edward clothed me, fed me, and gave me a roof over my head? That I was complaining because I was being taken care of? I shook my head at those ludicrous thoughts and found myself in the bathroom, ignoring my inner voice. Why was part of me still fighting this?
"Say it," Edward said as I was washing my hands, scaring me half to death.
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said sincerely, willing my heart to calm back down.
I loved the smile that spread across his face.
"How'd we meet?"
"When you went out of town for your convention."
"What state did we meet in?" he asked as I turned back to look at him.
"Um…" I said biting my lip.
This was something I should have remembered. Edward's stare was scaring me. He was waiting for an answer, but I couldn't think straight.
"What state?" he asked harshly.
My chest started to heave up and down in anxiety because I didn't know what he wanted me to say.
"Oregon," I said as my eyes started to water. "I don't know what you want me to say. I don't know if you want me to remember or if you just want me to forget," I admitted, making him smile.
That caught me off guard. Did I say the right thing?
"Your life was nothing before me," he said, stalking towards me. "I am your life and you don't need anyone aside from me. You were beaten and unloved, but that's all changed. You are loved and cared for now. You had no life before me. You will only ever remember me," he said, blocking me in with his arms on the sink. "If you speak about anyone other than me, you will be punished. I will wash your mouth out with soap, spank you, and I may even put you in your most favorite place. Don't test me today. I am your everything," he said, pushing himself into me. "I love you, Baby."
I gasped in surprise and felt the blood drain from my cheeks. He hadn't said he loved me for a while now. I thought for sure I had been so bad that he would never say it again. He has said that he has love for me, but this was the first time in a long time that he actually used those words. I felt like I was frozen, but I could feel a slight pinch in my sides from where his fingers were digging into my skin.
"I love you so much that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you and have a baby with you. You would make an amazing wife and mother. We will have such a great life together. Can you picture us together like that?" he asked, kissing the tops of my breasts.
As he spoke the words, the mental pictures flew through my mind: me sitting on the porch swing, my hands on top of my swollen abdomen that housed his child. I could picture Edward and me on the floor playing with a little girl with bronze colored hair and bright, green eyes. I saw myself taking care of Edward the way a wife was supposed to care for her husband; the way it was portrayed on television and in movies. The last image though, is the one that stuck out to me the most; Edward looking down at me with love shining through every part of him, his lips tenderly touching my own. I could see him picking up the little girl that would complete us as a family. A family…something I don't think I had ever had before.
"Yes," I whispered out as his mouth moved to my own. "Yes, yes," I whispered as tears slipped from the corner of my eyes.
His kiss was gentle, sweet, passionate, and I couldn't get enough of him.
"I can't wait until we are married…" he said, trailing off at the end.
He kept kissing me, and my lips tingled with every stroke. I wanted him in every way.
Run, Bella; run far away. You need to get away from him. Please, you need to run! my inner voice shouted inside my head.
I mentally flipped her off and wound my fingers through Edward's hair, trying to bring him even closer. In one swift move, Edward lifted me up and sat me gently on the bathroom counter, our lips still locked in their own embrace. My knees parted automatically and he stepped between them, pressing his upper body to mine.
"You didn't say it back," Edward noticed, breathing heavily with his forehead rested on mine.
I sucked air into my lungs and tried to calm my racing heart, but it felt like I had swallowed a piece of ice. Was he mad that I didn't say it back? Would I be punished for it?
"I can't," I whispered.
Edward jerked his head up sharply and I clung to the front of his shirt. "I don't know what love is!" I cried quickly.
When I saw his stance relax I rambled on, hoping to keep him from getting angry. "I've never had it before…I don't think. I don't remember what love is. I don't know what it is," I repeated, finishing in a whisper.
During my rant, Edward had managed to wrap me in his arms once more, and I sobbed both in relief and frustration. What was love exactly? Was it the fluttering in my stomach that I got when he held me or kissed me?
"I want to love you," I said as the voice in my head started to cry. "But I don't know how."
"You sweet, sweet girl," Edward whispered, bringing his lips back down to mine. "I will teach you everything you need to know."
Nothing else needed to be said as I attacked his lips once more, never wanting the feeling to end. I felt like the most beautiful person in the world, like I mattered. I groaned as I felt Edward's erection against my leg, but at the same time, I was completely terrified at what that meant.
"I've never…" I stammered, blushing.
"You've never what, beautiful girl?" Edward asked, lifting my chin up so he could see my eyes.
"I don't know how…to please…you," I whispered, looking down at the tent in his pants.
To my surprise, Edward let out a dark chuckle and hugged me close. "I know, and I can't tell you how much that pleases me."
I smiled greatly at the thought of pleasing him when I didn't even mean to.
"We won't be moving our relationship forward until after we are married," Edward continued, stroking my back with his fingers.
A part of me was relieved at the thought of that, but at the same time, if we continued with the way we were going now, I had no idea how I was supposed to make it until we could be married.
No Bella! My inner voice screamed. You don't want this! What are you doing?
I smirked at how desperately half of my brain continued to fight, but how weak the voice was now compared to just a few days ago. Edward was my everything, and I didn't need anyone but him.
After I washed my face per his request, we headed downstairs. He told me to set the table for four people, and I did so without question. I kept placing and replacing the dishes to make sure everything was perfect. My hands felt a little shaky from my nerves, and I didn't know how to calm down. Once each seat had a place setting, I went to find Edward.
"Hey, Princess, is the table all set?" he asked as I smiled.
I loved it when he looked so happy.
"Yes, but do you want me to cook something?" I asked as he shook his head.
"My parents are bringing lunch. Come sit with me," he offered, opening his arms for me.
I rushed to his side and sat on my knees as close to him as I could get. I closed my eyes as he put one hand behind my back and kissed my chest. I think he liked the dress.
"I love having a woman that likes to cook," Edward said, running his fingers through my hair.
I giggled as his fingertips tickled the side of my neck and I squirmed into his side. "Why is that?" I asked, somewhat confused.
"Because you are an awesome cook and know your way around the kitchen," he complimented. "Which means that I don't have to cook every night when I get off work."
I nodded and snuggled into his side. "I'll cook whatever you like," I said with a happy sigh. "I just might need some cookbooks for some recipes."
"I can get those for you," he said, brushing his lips against mine.
As our tongues became tangled up in one another, I had a thought come to mind that I couldn't help but voice.
"Edward," I asked, pulling away. "How do you know that I like to cook?"
I concentrated hard, but couldn't remember cooking myself. How did he know?
"I know you, Bella," he said, smoothing out the crease between my eyebrows with his thumb. "And you like to cook for me. You've said it yourself."
"I have?" I asked, even more confused.
This time Edward chuckled and hugged me close. "You silly girl; of course you have. You love to cook and you're very talented in the kitchen. My favorite, of course, is when you make your famous beef stew."
I was more confused than ever, but knew that there was no reason for Edward to lie to me. I just wished I could remember cooking for him and instantly felt terrible that I didn't.
"Well, as soon as I get those cookbooks, I will cook it again for you," I said with a smile.
"Say it," Edward whispered, trailing his lips around the corners of my mouth.
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I whispered, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes with the weight of my words. "I would marry you if it made you happy," I said, shifting to sit into his lap.
"I want you to marry me because you want to, not to make me happy," he countered, rubbing his nose against mine.
"I want to because it will make you happy," I said, moving back to him. "Because when you're happy, I'm happy. I don't understand it," I admitted, "but I don't want to fight it."
"What's your name?"
"Bella Cullen," I answered without hesitation.
"What's your father's name?"
I opened my mouth but quickly closed it. I was so confused that I didn't know what he wanted me to say anymore.
"Charlie." I met Edward's stare and cringed back slightly from his intense gaze. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked.
Edward seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance he was in before smiling and hugging me close once more. "Not at all, but I want you to think about something. I am all you need to know now. I am your past, your present, and your future. You don't need to know or remember anyone else besides me. Do you understand?"
His voice dropped as he went on, and I found myself nodding in agreement before he had even finished speaking.
"I understand," I whispered.
"You need to tell yourself every chance you have that I am the only person that matters. There is no one before me. Your life started with me," he said as I nodded.
"Only you," I confirmed.
"That's right, only me," he said as I stood and stared at him. "Do want to be with him?"
"Charlie?" I asked as he nodded. "No never. He beat me...he was horrible to me. I never want to see him again."
"That's right. He never loved you."
"You saved me," I said as he smiled.
"I would do it again."
"Can I give you a kiss?" I asked, hoping this would make him happy.
When he nodded his head, I hurried back to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body to his. I softly placed my lips to his and tentatively deepened the kiss. I lightly swiped my tongue across his bottom lip, waiting for him to grant me entry to his mouth. I let out a shaky breath when I felt his hands wrap around my waist. I smiled into his mouth as I felt his lips part. His tongue met mine in the middle, and I was instantly lost in the taste of him. We broke apart, both breathing heavily as I laid my head on his chest, my arms still wrapped around his neck.
"Say you love me," he whispered into my ear. "The more you say it, the more you will feel it."
I looked up at his expecting gaze and swallowed hard. I would do anything he wanted.
"I love you," I said.
The words felt foreign as they came out, but his smile made it worth it.
"I love you, too," he said, kissing the top of my head.
No other words were spoken as our declarations hung in the air around us. It was quiet and peaceful, and I was enjoying just being held by Edward. He wasn't angry, and I wasn't in trouble…it was just us, enjoying one another's company. The sound of the ringing doorbell caused me to jump and I clung tightly to his shirt.
"It's okay; it's just my parents." He untangled me from his body and he took my hand as we went to the door.
I moved myself so that I was behind him, hiding myself from immediate view. Edward looked back at me and chuckled lightly while shaking his head and opening the door.
"Hey," Edward said happily. "Come on in."
I kept my eyes on the ground as I heard some shuffling around ahead of me; I didn't want to disrespect his parents by staring at them.
"Edward, how have you been?" a woman asked; I assumed it was his mother.
Edward let go of my hand to hug her, and as soon as he was done, I attached myself to him again.
"You look well," his father's deep voice said.
"Thank you; you, too," he said trying to peel me off his arm.
My heart was racing. I didn't want to mess up. I wanted that walk. I wanted Edward to be proud of me. I wanted his parents to like me. Suddenly, his parent's approval seemed like one of the most important things I could have.
"She seems to have come a long way in a month," his father commented. "Did you do everything I said?"
"I did. All the information you gave me was very helpful," Edward said as he pulled me off his arm. "This is Bella. Bella, these are my parents, Carlisle and Esme."
"It's nice to meet you," I said, keeping my eyes trained on the floor.
"She's very shy. You are the first people she's met since we've been together," Edward explained to his parents.
"They all are at this stage. Your mother wouldn't speak to anyone for a long while," Carlisle said. "Esme, go make the plates."
"Would you like me to help?" I asked, only looking at Edward.
"Yes," Edward said, giving me a small kiss as he maneuvered my body so that I was facing the right direction.
I rushed away from his side and went through to the dining room to get to the kitchen, where I was assuming Esme was.
This is your chance, Bella; tell his mother that he kidnapped you, my inner voice demanded. I really wished the voice would go way; it did nothing but get me put in the closet.
As I entered the kitchen, I saw a woman standing at the sink with her back to me. She had caramel colored hair that was just past her shoulders and she was petite, yet not grossly so. I walked over to her quietly and stood at her side.
"How may I help?" I asked, shaking off the nagging voice.
"Oh, how sweet of you," she said, smiling brightly at me. "Scoop a little from each container on to Edward's plate."
I noticed that her eyes were green just like Edward's, and that alone eased my tension allowing me to feel close to her already. I smiled back and watched her for a moment as she carefully made her husband's plate. I started to do exactly what she did, not wanting to mess up.
"So, have you and Edward talked about getting married?" she asked gently, throwing me another smile.
I blushed and looked back down at the plate to see what I was doing. "Yes, we have talked about it, but I don't know any details."
"Oh good. I can't wait to have another girl around," she said sweetly. "How did the two of you meet?"
"While he was at his convention," I said automatically.
"Oh! Was it love at first sight?"
I opened my mouth, not really sure how to answer her. Luckily, Edward cut in just then, causing me to jump once more. I really needed to get that under control.
"It was," Edward said proudly, gesturing for me to come to him.
"You scared me," I breathed.
"She's a little jumpy," Carlisle said, following his son into the dining room.
I quickly glanced at his father's face and saw disapproval all over it. I knew I had messed up.
"She's working on it," Edward said as he ran his hand down my back to my thigh and then pinching me.
I knew that was my one and only warning.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly.
As we all gathered around the table, Edward sat at his usual seat and gestured for me to sit beside him. I did so, folding my hands into my lap. Carlisle sat in front of Edward as Esme set his plate before him, and then she took the seat directly across from me, sending me a small smile. I smiled back, relieved that my jumpiness was dismissed so easily. After a few minutes of everyone eating, I felt a hand on my bare thigh.
"Are you okay?" Edward asked.
"Yes…may I have some?" I asked quietly as he smiled.
"You may," he said handing me a fork.
My eyes grew wide as did my smile. He was going to let me feed myself. I knew this was a test and I was determined not to fail. I slowly started to eat as Edward and Carlisle started their own conversation. Esme looked blissful as she ate, and I noticed that she was sitting with her body turned towards her husband.
"You are going back to work on Monday, correct?" Carlisle asked, bringing my attention to them.
"Yes. Would it be alright if Mom sat with Bella during the days that I work?" Edward asked.
"That is very smart of you. Yes, she can be here every day. What does her schedule entail?"
"Right now, I am just getting her used to the housewife role. We try to do the same thing every day," Edward said.
"You try?" Carlisle asked condescendingly.
"She's had punishments and lectures that have interrupted our day, but each day gets better."
"That's not acceptable," Carlisle said, raising his voice.
I flinched at his tone and Edward gently rubbed my leg.
"Do you have any suggestions that would help?" Edward asked, as if the matter was no more important than the daily weather.
"Longer bouts of time in her special place will help immensely. Ignore her; have you done that at all?" Carlisle asked as if he knew that answer.
"That's hard," Edward admitted.
"It will help. Less sleep will correct any problem quickly," he said as I glanced at Esme.
She was nodding in agreement with her husband, and I couldn't help but find that odd.
"You know you can call and ask me anything any time," Carlisle offered, taking a sip of his drink.
"I know; I will. I thought I was doing well," Edward said, sounding disappointed in himself.
"You are, but you could do better," Carlisle said with a pointed look. "When does Reverend Webber need to be here?"
"Next weekend. She's ready. I'm going to be obtaining the license this week."
"You need to take her with you; you do understand that, right?" Carlisle questioned.
"Yes," Edward said with a nod of his head.
"I really hope this doesn't bite you in the ass. What are you going to do if she tries something?" Carlisle asked, looking directly at me.
I cringed away from his penetrating stare and moved closer to Edward.
"She won't," Edward said confidently.
"Okay then, I will set it up," Carlisle said with a smile.
I let out the breath I was holding as my body relaxed. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I knew that they were discussing me. It sounded as if Carlisle didn't trust me to not run away from Edward, but I found that I didn't really care to have his trust. I only cared that Edward knew I wasn't planning to run away. Edward was the one that I wanted to keep happy at all times. I really needed a drink, so I took my chance since the men seemed to be done talking.
"May I have a drink?" I asked, clearing my throat.
"You may," Edward said, handing me his drink.
I took a small sip, noting that his drink was low.
"Um…would you like me to refresh everyone's drink?" I asked.
I was so nervous, and I didn't know what he thought was acceptable or not.
"I could use a refill," Carlisle said, giving me a smile.
Edward gave me a nod, and I left the table to get the pitcher of tea. Once I was back at the table, I filled Edward's cup first before making my way to where Carlisle was sitting. I filled his glass and then started to fidget. I saw that Esme's glass was almost empty, but I didn't know if I should fill her cup or not. I didn't know why I thought such a thing, but it seemed appropriate.
"Would Esme like some more as well?" I asked as Carlisle held my eyes.
I couldn't look away, and I felt like I had done something wrong.
"You've done very well, Edward. I am impressed," Carlisle said, finally breaking our eye contact.
I quickly looked to Edward and saw that he had the widest smile I had ever seen on his face. He looked so happy.
"You may fill Esme's glass."
"Thank you, Carlisle," Esme said, placing her hand over his on the table.
Once the glass was filled, I quickly put the pitcher back in the kitchen and then sat back at Edward's side. The rest of the afternoon went pretty well. Edward laughed and smiled a lot, and continually whispered in my ear how good I was being. I knew that if I kept this up, then I would be getting my walk that he had promised me for sure. Edward continued touching and kissing me, and I knew he was proud. Every time he would touch me or smile at me, Esme would look on tearfully and would smile at me as well. It was like I had pleased her somehow…though I couldn't figure out how. After the final plans were set for the week to come, Carlisle and Esme left.
As soon as the door was shut, Edward firmly put me against the wall. I thought I was in trouble, but his smile said differently. He lowered his face to mine and pressed his soft lips to my own. I pressed back firmly, and the moan he let out gave me confidence that I didn't know I had. I tightened my hold on him as his hands held me. Our lips and tongues moved with each other, and I couldn't help but press myself even closer to him. Edward had his hands all over me, and it was in a different way than what I was used to, yet it felt so right. He was running his hands up and down my entire body, and I ended up with goose bumps across my skin. As we kissed, his hands wandered near my breasts and down my sides, until I felt his fingers slide under the skirt of my dress. I moaned as Edward grabbed a hold of my ass, pressing me into his hardness. He moaned as my body made contact with his, and I just knew that I was doing something right.
"I love you," he said, holding me tightly to him.
"I-I love you, too," I whispered, giggling when he nibbled on my bottom lip.
"I think I owe my little girl a treat," he said as I bounced with excitement. "Do you need to use the bathroom?"
"No," I said with the biggest smile. "I'm ready."
"Okay," he said with chuckle. "Are you going to be good?"
"Yes! I will hold your hand the whole time," I said happily.
Edward chuckled and held his hand out to me. As my hand met his, he locked his arm around mine before moving us to the front door. I was so excited at the prospect of getting to go outside, that I felt like squealing. As soon as we were on the porch, I took a deep breath, smiling at the smell of the crisp air. Edward leaned over and kissed my cheek, and when I laid my head on the side of his arm, he kissed the top of my head.
"Thank you, Edward," I said with a smile.
"Thank you for being such a good girl today. Keep up with your good behavior, and you can sleep with me with no cuff on tonight," he said, kissing me quickly.
We headed off the porch and down the driveway. I didn't ask where we were going, and he didn't offer up the information. Instead, I took in the scene before us and happily snuggled into Edward's side. I knew then that as long as I was good, and did as I was told, life would be good. The little voice in my head was finally gone.
See you all next week!