Thanks to Rahn for looking over this last minute! And to Hadley for her magic, but I messed with this one a lot so the mistakes are mine!
Thanks for being patient! With a newborn and a flooded apartment and now having to move, shit is wild? So. Appreciate the grace. But I'll update again Thursday!
Chapter Eight
I can't sleep the night before flying out to Austin.
My stomach is busy with butterflies, and my heart is anxious with anticipation. After months of being down and uncertain about Edward, these new nerves are a welcome feeling. They're tied with expectation and hope. It feels good to look forward to something.
Edward and I have spent the past week talking and texting and FaceTiming. We've kept things pretty casual, and we never talk for very long. But he's the one who reaches out every time. He's the one who sends a text before I fall asleep. He's the one who calls me midday just to say hi. And the two times he's FaceTimed before they've had a show, he's the one who's slipped up and said "I love you" at the end of the conversation. Of course, I said it in return. Because I do love him. I crave his attention and his affection and him. And though there's still an underlying urgency between us that needs to be addressed at some point, we keep it light for now. Simple. Uncomplicated.
XXX
The girls and I are mid-flight when the champagne hits and the gossip begins. They fill me in on what I've missed. On what Edward hadn't shared during the time we weren't speaking. Apparently there were a couple of venues that hadn't yet been confirmed, and they showed up expecting to play only to be turned away. It was Emmett's fault for not following up with the venues, and it caused some drama between the guys, creating tension when Emmett called them out for not pulling their weight.
I wonder if that's what Edward meant when he said there was tension between him and his brother.
"And Jasper said Sam's been a real diva," Alice adds with a laugh, finishing off her third mimosa.
"Really?" I ask, my body angled in the aisle to face Alice and Rose who are sitting in the row beside me.
Alice gives me a pointed look. "Really."
I don't know Sam that well, but I guess none of us do. He only joined the band six months ago because the previous drummer and his wife started a family and wanted to move closer to her parents. The dynamic has been a little off since then, but I chalked it up to Sam being the newcomer. With Edward and Emmett being brothers, and Jasper having known them since high school, there's history there. That can be a little intimidating to jump into.
"I don't really get a diva vibe from Sam," I say with a shrug. He always seems to keep to himself, but I guess the road can change people.
"No, I get more of a douche vibe from him," Rose adds, snickering.
"Diva douche," Alice laughs loudly, and I can't help but join in.
"What's his story, anyway?" I ask.
"No clue, but he's definitely a fan of nose candy," Alice says, shaking her head.
"Nose candy?" I laugh. "Real subtle, Al."
"Well, what? It's not like he's subtle about it. I always find him hovering over a table, snorting coke—"
Rose slaps Alice's arm, and Alice abruptly stops talking when the flight attendant walks down the aisle and shoots a glance our way.
"Maybe don't announce to the entire plane that someone has a drug problem," Rose says while rolling her eyes, and we quiet down after that, not wanting to bring anymore attention to ourselves.
XXX
It's mid-afternoon by the time we land in Austin.
We head straight to the guys' hotel, not even bothering to stop by our Airbnb's first to freshen up. We haul our bags up to their suite, my anxiety spiking a little when I realize I'm moments away from seeing Edward.
He invited me here under the guise of zero expectations, but I know I'm not here as just his friend. And if I'm being honest, I want there to be expectations tied to this trip. I want us to work through our shit and leave here stronger than before.
Alice pounds on the hotel room door, and Emmett opens it up as music spills into the hallway. Rose throws her arms around Em, and Alice sneaks past to find Jasper. I nod at Emmett as I walk in, and he shuts the door behind us, already announcing that we all have to do shots to celebrate our arrival.
From the looks of the room, the guys have been imbibing this afternoon, too. Beer cans and liquor bottles litter the table and are overflowing in the trash can in the sitting area. I walk through the space until I'm in the next room, and find Edward sitting on the bed, laughing at something Jasper's saying. I linger. I wait. And then Edward turns his head a bit and spots me in the doorway.
I don't move, but neither does he. His eyes shine, all lit up, as they rake over me. He nods me over, but I shake my head, being coy. If he wants me, he can come over here. He tries again, even patting the mattress. I don't give in, and he fights a smile before he leaves the bed and walks over to me.
Before either of us can say hi, he pulls me into a hug, ending my awkwardness about how we should greet one another. With his arms around me tightly, he lifts just enough that my feet are barely off the ground. He holds me, breathes me in. I hug him back just as tightly. It feels good to see him, to touch him. Slowly, he puts me down, but he keeps his hands on my waist.
"You shaved," I say, eyes roaming over his scruff.
He smirks. "Trimmed it up a bit. Was fucking unbearable with this heat." I nod in agreement, loving that his hands are still on me. "You've been getting some sun in Seattle?"
"A little."
His fingers brush over the bridge of my nose. "You have more freckles. I didn't notice them on FaceTime."
My stomach flickers with flirtatious energy. "Well, you usually call pretty late, and it's dark, and…" I'm suddenly nervous, and I think he picks up on it.
"Bella?" I watch his throat bob when he swallows.
"Yeah?"
"I'm so fucking glad you're here," he murmurs, and drops his other hand from my hip. I'm momentarily disappointed until his thumb brushes over my lower lip.
"I'm glad I'm here too," I say seriously. Because I am. I was nervous and nearly second-guessing this before we arrived, but now that I'm here, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
He keeps his hands to himself then, but his eyes are on my mouth. He starts to say something, but Emmett's yelling out again for everyone to take a shot to celebrate our arrival. So, we migrate toward the balcony, and we drink.
Eventually we all make our way to a bar down the street—the one the guys are gonna play at tomorrow night. It's loud and rowdy, and everyone's in a good mood. The evening feels light. Like old times, even.
We hop from bar to bar, and as the evening bleeds into night, the less I fight my urge to keep my distance from Edward. But I guess I wasn't trying very hard to stay away, anyway. The more we drink, the more we fall into our old selves. Our old habits. His hand on the back of my neck, sweeping my hair to the side. My hand on his knee under the table. Soon enough, he pulls me to sit in his lap. I'm trying to carry on a casual conversation with Alice, but my heart is beating rapidly from the way his fingers desperately press into the exposed skin of my lower back.
When his other hand moves just barely between my thighs, just grazing over where I'm burning for him, I look at him. He's talking to Jasper, carrying on like he's not driving me fucking crazy. I squirm. His fingers press harder, until one finger dips between the material of my jean shorts and my underwear. I'm shameless when I part my legs wider. But no one can see, and if they did, I don't even know if I'd care at this point. His fingers move gently until he's beneath my underwear, exploring how wet I am. My breath hitches. He's still talking to Jasper, but he smiles, knowing exactly what he's fucking doing.
"Hey," I blurt, my breath heavy. The pressure increases, and he brushes my clit. "Edward."
His eyes are on my face, then, before he looks between us, watching what his hand is doing. It's too much. His fingers and his face and the way his mouth parts like he's so fucking turned on by seeing his hand between my legs. I can't take it. I lean forward and crash my lips against his. Finally, finally kissing him. Finally putting an end to this game.
He pulls his hand away from my shorts and cups my face, kissing me back. Our teeth hit. Our tongues brush, like we can't kiss fast enough or hard enough. I can hear someone nearby laugh, and I'm sure all of our friends have been waiting for this. Edward and I have been dancing around each other all night. It was only a matter of time before both of us caved.
Our kiss slows, and his forehead presses to mine.
"Let's get out of here," he murmurs over the loud music.
"And go where?"
"You know where," he nearly growls.
"The bathroom?" I ask, mostly teasing, but he laughs breathily, like I'm killing him.
"Let's go back to your Airbnb. I'm gonna stay with you tonight, okay?"
All I can do is nod before we walk out of the bar, hand in hand, ignoring the drunken hollers of our friends.