Chapter 10
I'm actually having a good dream for once when I feel my shoulder being shook. Groaning, I roll over, away from the hand that's trying to wake me up.
"Bella," Edward's groggy voice rings out, fully bringing me out of my sleep. Oh my god, I'm in Edward's bed. I had sex with Edward last night. Holy shit. "Bella, your phone is ringing." My hand paws at the bedside table blindly before landing on my phone. Grabbing it, I pull it to me and squint my eyes open to look at the screen. Rose's name is displayed across the top. Yawning, I answer it.
"Hello?" I mumble.
"Hey, where are you?" she asks.
"In bed, why?" I feel Edward pull me closer to him, my back flush against his front and I'm well aware of a certain part of him pressed against my lower back. I bite my lip to keep myself from moaning at the contact, not wanting Rose to be witness to it.
"Alice and I are at your house and you're not here. We have to get to Port Angeles," she reminds me.
"Oh my god, dress shopping," I realize, my eyes finally opening fully. Edward's lips make contact with my shoulder as they place soft kisses leading towards my neck.
"Yeah, so where are you?" she asks again.
"Uhm," I start, tilting my head to the side for Edward to get better access to my neck. Before I can stop myself, a soft moan escapes my lips.
"Oh my god, you're not alone in bed, are you? Did you stay the night at Edwards?" she practically yells, loud enough for Edward to hear, making him chuckle.
"Ew, Rose!" I hear Alice whine in the background.
"Yes, I did, and you woke us up," I grumble, blush creeping onto my cheeks.
"Well, get ready because we're heading to Edward's house now."
"Tell Edward I have Riley with me!" Alice calls out.
"Okay, bye," I mumble before hanging up as Rose tells me there's no time for a quickie. Breathing in deep, I sit up and Edward rolls to lay on his back. "You're actually evil, you know that?" I pout. Grinning widely, Edward pulls me towards him and I swing a leg over him so I'm straddling his waist. "I have to get ready; our sisters are on their way here." Edward groans and sits up, still holding me close. "Can I use your shower?"
"Yeah, go for it," he says before grinning slyly. "Want some company?"
"As amazing as that sounds, I don't think Alice and Rose would appreciate it if I'm any later than I already am," I giggle before leaning in to kiss him. What I intended to be a quick kiss turns heated very quickly, his hands gripping my waist to hold me to him.
"Mm, Edward, I have to get ready," I mumble out between kisses. He groans before pulling away, resting his forehead against mine.
"I'll make us some coffee," he offers as he lets me out of his grip. I plant one last quick kiss on his lips before getting up from his lap and walking over to his adjoining bathroom.
"Make sure to put clothes on," I call to Edward as he leaves the room. "Alice is bringing Riley over." I watch as he walks back into the room and grabs his boxer briefs and jeans, pulling them on. Giggling to myself, I walk over to his shower and turn the knob to start the water. "Hey, do you have an extra toothbrush?" I call, hoping he's still in the room.
"Bottom drawer!" he calls back. I open the drawer to find a few toothbrushes still in their packaging. While the water heats up, I brush my teeth, looking around his bathroom. The light grey tile flooring complements the taupe walls perfectly, with the molding around the ceiling matching the grey floors. The room is spacious and his shower is fairly big with more than enough space for two people. If I wasn't on a time crunch, I'd call him in here and take him up on the offer of showering together, but I know for a fact that if I make Rose and Alice any later, they'll have my head.
I spit out the toothpaste and rinse my mouth before putting the toothbrush back in the packaging and laying it on the counter. I'm not quite sure if I should throw it away or leave it, not wanting to assume I can just put it in the jar with his. That's a little too forward for my comfortability. Pushing the thought of the toothbrush aside, I pile my hair on top of my head and get into the shower, letting the steamy spray wash over my sore muscles. We didn't even have crazy sex last night and I'm still sore. If this is going to be my new norm, I'm going to need to start working out.
I grab Edward's soap and lather some in my hands before rubbing it all over my body, inhaling the delicious scent. It's hard to believe that I can be this into how a man smells but here I am, getting worked up over the smell of his soap. Trying to think of anything but him and how he smells, I wash my body as quickly as I can before rinsing off and getting out of the shower. I open a few cupboards looking for towels before I finally find them, rubbing one over my body before wrapping it around me. I make my way out to the bedroom and put on my underwear and bra from the night before. I decide to wait on my jeans, knowing I'm going to struggle getting them up over my damp legs.
I walk over into his closet and pick up my shirt to find it's still damp from the night before. I debate on asking Edward if I can borrow a shirt, not wanting to wear my damp one, but decide just to grab one and ask later. He said he likes how comfortable I am here, so he'll be alright with it, right? I pick a random grey shirt, pulling it on as the towel drops to the floor. I'm practically swimming in the shirt but I don't really mind. This is how I would wear my shirts in high school because they would be Jasper's size, not mine. Finally resigning to the fact that I need to put my jeans on, I walk back out to the room and pick them up, shoving one leg into them, getting my foot out through the hole at the end before adding my other leg. It takes some shimmying and jumping to get them all the way up my legs, but I finally manage it. I pull on my socks from yesterday before slipping my feet into my Vans and heading downstairs.
Edward looks over at me as he pours coffee into a normal mug and a disposable travel mug, giving me a smirk when he realizes what I'm wearing.
"That shirt looks oddly familiar," he chuckles, his tone the only indication I need to know he's not upset that I borrowed his shirt.
"My shirt was still wet from the rain," I explain as I walk over to him. "I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," he smiles before kissing me softly. "I want it back, though," he adds with a laugh.
"I'll give it back," I assure him with a giggle before leaning up to kiss him again. I can't help it, kissing him has earned its spot as one of my favorite things to do. He gently pulls me to him, his hands gripping my waist as he deepens our kiss. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hold him tightly against me. As Edward's hands start to travel beneath my shirt, the front door opens and Alice calls out her arrival. With a slight groan, he pulls away and calls back to her that we're in the kitchen. I lean back against the counter as Riley comes sprinting into the kitchen as fast as his legs will take him.
"Uncle Eddie! I brought my motorcycle!" he cheers as he hugs Edward's legs.
"Awesome, Bub! We can ride that today," Edward grins as he lifts Riley. I look over as Alice walks into the kitchen, offering her an apologetic smile.
"I forgot to set an alarm last night," I explain.
"You're lucky Rose and I got to your house early," she says but gives me a smile. "You ready?" she asks, looking over my outfit.
"Yeah, I am," I nod, looking down at my outfit, too. Dress shopping doesn't involve fancy clothing, right?
"I have makeup in the car and we can work on your hair, too," she says, managing to sound completely casual instead of condescending. Alice walks over to Edward and Riley and ruffles Riley's hair a bit, making him whine and squirm.
"I'll see you later okay, Baby? Have fun with Uncle Eddie," she coos before kissing his cheek. "Come on, Bella," she calls in a sing-song voice as she walks out of the kitchen.
"I'll call you later," I say before giving Edward a quick kiss.
"Don't let Alice torture you two too much," he chuckles before grabbing the travel mug off the counter. "Here, just how you like it."
"Thank you," I grin before following Alice. We head out to Alice's car and I get in the backseat as Alice gets in the driver's side.
"Is it okay that I have coffee in here, Al?" I ask as she closes the door behind her. I scoot to the middle seat so I can talk to and hear them easier.
"Yeah, of course," she replies as she reverses quickly out of the driveway, making me tumble forward. I quickly catch myself on the center console before she shifts into drive and I am flung backwards against the seat. Thankfully, my coffee doesn't spill, but I quickly fasten my seatbelt, having a suspicion that the whole drive is going to be like this.
"So, how was your night, Bella?" Rose asks suggestively, turning her body so she can fully look at me.
"We are not talking about this right now," I groan.
"All I asked was how your night was," she defends innocently.
"No details. Please, no details," Alice insists.
"I'm not talking about it at all," I assure her before taking a sip of my coffee.
"Oh, come on, you two are no fun," Rose laughs.
"Let's focus on the wedding. What have you and Alice come up with so far?"
"Alice found this Italian restaurant that has availability to cater the reception. And we're having it at Mom and Dad's in the backyard. It's big enough for everyone we want to have there." Rose's smile as she tells me about the plans for the wedding is bigger than I've ever seen. I feel a swell of joy in my chest as I listen to her and can't help but smile along with her.
"We need to get dress ideas, too, Rose," Alice reminds with a smile.
"Okay, I'm thinking lace and form fitting but nothing too fancy. I want it to be fairly simple."
"Simple, lacy, form fitting. Got it," she smiles before turning the music up a bit. Looking out the window, I smile as Alice and Rose sing along to the music.
EPOV
"Alright, Little Man, there's something we have to do before we get your motorcycle out okay?" I ask as I crouch down to Riley's level. He thinks about it for a second, a slight pout on his face, before nodding. "You want to go to Uncle Eddie's work?" This question is more rhetorical than anything, seeing as he doesn't truly have a choice, but I know he gets excited at the prospect of going to the station so I pose it anyways. Just like I figured, his face lights up and he nods vigorously. Grinning at him, I straighten up and hold my hand out to him. He slaps his into mine and we make our way out the front door, grabbing his car seat on the way.
The first time I tried hooking up a car seat in my car, I about gave up in frustration. It's by no means difficult but the amount of second guessing I had with making sure it was hooked up safely and correctly was insane. Alice didn't show me how to do it and she never told me how nerve-wracking it would be to hook it up knowing that if I did it wrong and ended up crashing the car, I could seriously injure Riley. By now, though, I'm practically a pro at hooking up a car seat. I place it on the seat and hook it up with ease before helping Riley into it. After fastening him in, I get into the driver's seat and start up the car.
"When can I ride your motorcycle?" he asks offhandedly. I look at him through the rearview mirror to see him looking out his window at my bike.
"You're far too young, Little Man. In a few years, when you're older, you can ride on my motorcycle, okay? For now, let's stick with yours." He lets out a disappointed okay but accepts my answer. We drive the few minutes it takes to get to the station and park around back where all the officers park.
By the time I get out of the car and get the backseat door open, Riley has himself unbuckled and clambers out of the car.
"Careful, Riley," I warn as I catch him by his upper arm, guiding him down so his feet are on the ground. He grins up at me as he grabs my hand, pulling me towards the station.
"Come on, come on!" he urges as he tugs me. Chuckling, I let him pull me along, opening the door for him when we get to the building.
"Alright, I need you to stay at my desk, okay?" I instruct as I lift him into my desk chair. He sits on his knees and looks up at me, nodding. "I'm just going to be in there for a few minutes," I say as I point to Chief's office door. "If you need me, come get me. I won't be long, I promise," I assure him as I pull some paper and crayons out of my desk. There have been a few times where Alice has been out of town and I've had to bring Riley into work for a few hours so I make a habit of keeping some toys and crayons in my desk for when he's here.
He grabs a crayon and begins scrawling across the paper diligently, already in his own little creative world. Ruffling his hair a bit, I walk away towards Chief's office. Knocking twice, I let myself in. Chief looks up at me, a bit of shock appearing in his expression.
"Cullen, I didn't expect you to be in today," he says as he lays his pen down and leans back in his chair, giving me his full attention.
"I think you know why I'm here," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. I know he knows what I'm going to say but he waits for me to say it, holding eye contact with me. "Take me off this case. I mean it, Chief."
"I don't think you're in the position to be making demands in this situation," he frowns.
"With all due respect, I cannot continue on this case."
"You don't really have a choice here, Cullen. I assigned this case to you; you're going to see it through."
"Then consider this my two-week's notice because I'm done lying to Bella." The last thing I want to do is quit my job but if it's what I have to do then I'll do it. Chief seems to consider this for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face, his eyes still holding mine. "I don't want to quit, Chief, but I will. That's how much Bella means to me. I'm done lying to her. I'm still going to be with her every chance I get, but I don't want to do it while pretending I'm not an officer."
"I don't like that you're seeing my daughter, especially under these pretenses." I've heard this plenty of times before just like he's heard that I don't want to be on this case plenty of times. This is his go-to argument against me being with Bella and it's clear that we're both getting tired of hearing each other argue the same thing over and over.
"I never intended for this to happen, but it has. She's happy, Chief. And she makes me happy. I know you don't approve but you have to at least admit that you're glad she's happy. Plus, I've wanted off this case since the first night I met her. I've made that very clear."
Chief is silent for a few minutes, finally looking away from me. The release of eye contact feels like bindings that 2rhave been loosened and I can feel myself physically relax a bit. I can tell he's contemplating what I'm saying to him and I feel myself starting to hope that he'll actually let me off this case.
"You know what," he grumbles after another few moments. "Fine, you don't have to be directly on the case. I'll assign it to another officer. But you do have to stay on to help keep James away from her."
"I can do that," I agree with a nod. "Thank you." As I turn to leave, Chief calls out to me, stopping me. I turn back to look at him, wondering what else he has to say.
"When you tell her, do it gently," he requests, his voice softer this time. "This is going to hurt her and I don't want her being shattered."
"Neither do I," I nod, pausing for a moment before adding, "I want you to know that I love your daughter, Sir," I confess, looking over at him, waiting for a response. He breathes deep before leaning forward, resting his forearms on his desk.
"I can see that," he nods but doesn't speak any further. I take this as the end of our conversation and walk out of his office. Riley is still consumed in his coloring, his torso leaned onto my desk as he does so.
"You ready to go ride your motorcycle?" I ask as I get to my desk. This grabs his attention instantly and he pushes away from the desk, bouncing on his knees. I open the drawer next to him and grab the case file Chief gave me about Bella and the Swan family.
"Let's go!" he cries out as he quickly climbs down from the chair. I hold his hand to stop him from running through the station as we make our way back to my car. Once he's back into his car seat and secured, I get in the front seat and turn the car on, letting it sit for a moment while I call my mother.
"Hi, Honey," she answers in her usual cheery tone rings through my car's speakers.
"Hey, Mom," I say before looking back at Riley. "Say hi to Grandma," I tell him.
"Hi, Grandma!" he yells.
"Hi, Baby! How's my grandbaby?" she coos.
"Uncle Eddie and I are gonna ride my motorcycle!" he gushes.
"That'll be fun!" she responds, matching his excitement.
"Hey, Mom, I called to see if you and Bella talked about my work yesterday," I say, almost nervously. I'm sure they didn't because I'm also sure that Bella and I wouldn't have had the night we did if they talked about my job. I hadn't thought about telling Mom and Dad about Bella thinking I'm a doctor before they showed up at the party but by then it was too late to address it without Bella knowing.
"No, we didn't. Why?" she asks curiously.
"Well," I sigh. "She thinks I'm a pediatrician." There's a pause on the other end of the line before she questions it.
"Why would you tell her you're a pediatrician?" I can tell by how she spoke that she's frowning, clearly not happy that I'm lying to Bella. That makes two of us. Three, if you count Alice.
"It's a long story but the short version is I met Bella through a case at work. Her father is the chief and told me I couldn't tell her I was an officer. I've been trying to get off this case since the day I met her but wasn't able to until today. So, I'm going to tell her the truth. I'm going to tell her today."
"Edward," she sighs.
"I know, trust me, I know. But I'm going to make this right."
"I'm just glad our conversation didn't stray to your job yesterday. Be careful, please, Edward," she warns.
"I'm trying. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"I'll talk to you later. Bye, Riley!" she calls.
"Bye, Grandma!" he yells back before I hang up the phone. Turning my body, I look towards my nephew.
"Hey, we aren't going to talk about coming here in front of Bella, okay?" I say. "You can tell Mommy at home, but not in front of Bella."
"Why, Uncle Eddie?" he asks.
"Because it's a secret."
"Mommy says we can't keep secrets."
"Mommy is right, but sometimes we need to. This is the one time we need to, okay?" I ask again and he nods. I turn back around and start back towards home.
BPOV
Alice really knows how to lead the show and it makes me wonder how many weddings she's helped plan before Rose's. We arrive to our appointment and she gives dress specifications to the consultant in terms that I've never even heard of. Glancing over at Rose, I see that she's fairly lost, too. We just have to place our trust in Alice, I guess.
The consultant leads us over to a room with a platform and three mirrors next to it. The three of us are given chairs and some champagne while we wait for the consultant to go pick out dresses for me. Alice insists that I go first and we finish the day out with what she called The Main Event: Rose's wedding dress.
"So, I'm having them bring an array of different dresses for each of you. Bella, I've told them a few different types that I think will flatter your body type while still being summery. And Rose, I gave them the specifications you gave me," Alice informs us. We both nod and I take a sip of my champagne as the consultant walks over with several burgundy dresses. Setting my glass down, I stand and head over to the dressing room where the consultant hung up the dresses.
After closing the door behind me, I undress down to my bra and panties before taking the first dress off the hanger. Sliding my body into it, I straighten the thin straps on my shoulders. From the straps, a triangle of material falls over each breast, the neckline plunging down past my breasts, somehow managing to be tasteful and sexy at the same time. The skirt trails straight down to the floor with a slit coming up to just above my left knee. The skirt flows over my hips while simultaneously showing off my curves.
Looking at myself in the mirror, a shockwave runs through me when I notice a reddish-brown mark on the side of my breast. I try my best to cover it with the dress but it proves to be difficult. Groaning, I take a picture of it in the mirror and send it to Edward, letting him know that if I get hell from our sisters, he's getting hell from me. Trying one more time to adjust the dress, I make my way out of the dressing room.
"This one is a little risqué isn't it?" I ask as I continue to pull the dress over my exposed skin, hoping they'll think I'm just feeling uncomfortable with the amount of skin showing instead of realizing I'm trying to cover a hickey.
"Bella," Alice sighs, almost disapprovingly before coming over and swatting my hands away. "This is how it's supposed to look." She adjusts the material over my chest before letting out a quick "oh". Blush covers my cheeks and chest as Alice backs away. "That is definitely not part of the wedding dress code."
"Clearly," I grumble as I cross my arms over my chest.
"What is it?" Rose asks as she comes over to us.
"Bella's wearing the fun she had last night," Alice teases.
"Ooh, Bella, let me see!" Rose giggles as she gently pulls on my arms.
"No! Absolutely not," I argue as I swat her hands away.
"Oh, he really did leave a mark," she teases as she catches a glimpse of it. I groan as I cover my chest again. "Bella, don't be embarrassed, Emmett has left a few on my chest, too."
"Ew! Rose, stop!" I groan.
"Jazzy's more of an ass man," Alice adds in with a laugh and Rose turns to her, mouth dropped open in excited shock.
"Alice!" I whine. "I didn't need to know that!"
"Looks like all the Swan children got lucky last night," Rose adds in, laughing.
"I'm changing and when I come out you two better be done with this conversation," I grumble before going back into the dressing room. Picking up my phone, I see a response from Edward.
I don't remember hearing any complaints last night – E
Also, that color looks lovely on you – E
I roll my eyes but can't help the smile that pulls at my lips.
Flattery gets you nowhere, Dr. Cullen. There is definitely hell to pay – B
Setting my phone down, I strip the dress off and hang it back on the hanger. Pulling the next dress off, I slip it onto my body, pulling a thick strap over my left shoulder. The whole bust and strap is made up of burgundy lace and completely covers my chest this time. The skirt of this dress flows in a burgundy chiffon down to the floor with a slit much like the last dress. This one is much more comfortable and I'm enjoying how it looks on my body.
I walk out of the dressing room and Rose and Alice immediately give their approvals for the dress.
"This one flatters your body really well," Alice says as she comes over and inspects me.
"I like the lace on it," Rose adds in. "I think this is it, Alice. This is her dress."
"What do you think, Bella?" Alice smiles at me.
"This is the one," I smile over at Rose and she grins back at me. "I'm going to change and then on to The Main Event," I grin before going back into the dressing room. I quickly strip out of the dress and change back into my clothes before grabbing my phone and heading back out. Alice lets the consultant know that we're ready for wedding dresses and the woman walks away, leaving us to wait while she picks out dresses.
I pick up my champagne flute and take a sip as I settle into my chair next to Rose.
"So, you never did tell me. Was it good last night?" Rose smiles slyly at me.
"Alice does not want to hear this," I groan.
"I'm not listening, so go for it. I have some emails I have to answer while we wait," Alice insists, her attention on her phone. I silently curse Alice for not putting a stop to this talk. I'm not surprised that Rose is asking this, she did it when James and I first got together, too. We've never had this conversation about her love life for obvious reasons, but she does love her girl talk, whether it's stereotypical or not.
"So?" Rose urges as she brings her flute up to her lips.
"It was amazing," I mumble before downing the rest of my champagne, setting my flute on the table. She lets out a little squeal and sets her flute down with mine.
"Alright, now the important question," she says she holds her hands up, palms facing each other. She starts to widen the gap between her hands, slowly, looking at me to tell her when to stop. I give her as blank of a stare as I can, showing her I'm definitely not going to be humoring her with this. As the gap gets bigger she glances down and then back at me with wide eyes. "I'm getting a little concerned for you," she jokes.
"Rose, I'm not answering that," I laugh. "Some things are going to stay my secret."
"Fair enough," she laughs with me. "He was good to you, though?" she adds on, becoming serious.
"Of course he was," I insist. "Very, very good to me," I add on, my cheeks heating at the confession. Before Rose can question me any further, the consultant comes back with some gowns and goes into the dressing room with Rose to help her get the dresses on. I move over to sit in the chair Rose was in so I'm next to Alice. She smiles over at me before turning back to her phone.
I turn to mine to find another text from Edward.
You're not getting too much shit from Alice and Rose are you? – E
Not too much, but enough to where you're getting hell for it – B
Bring it on – E
I smirk down at his cocky response before stashing my phone in my pocket just in time for Rose to come out of the dressing room in the first dress. Alice stows her phone too as Rose stands on the short, carpeted pedestal in front of the three angled mirrors. This dress is elegant, sexy, and sleek all in one with a lace, partially see-through bodice that creates a deep V held up by two think lacy straps. The lace trails down onto the silky-smooth material of the skirt. The skirt hugs her hips, flaring out slightly the rest of the way down with a train trailing behind her.
"This is beautiful, Rose," I say in awe. She looks down at the dress, smiling.
"It is, isn't it? I'm not sure it's really me though, you know?" she questions as she looks back up in the mirror.
"This one would provide the wow factor but we need something that's going to make you come out of that dressing room with tears in your eyes," Alice adds in. Rose nods in agreement and goes back to the dressing room with the consultant.
"So, you and Jasper, yeah?" I ask, knowing I'm probably going to regret it and hoping Alice doesn't go too far into detail. She turns her body to face me, a wide grin on her face.
"He's so amazing, Bella. Thank you for introducing us," she practically gushes. "He's just so kind and he's amazing with Riley."
"I'm glad he's making you happy," I smile and she reaches over and squeezes my hand in true Cullen fashion.
"I'm glad Edward's making you happy, too," she smiles back at me.
Rose comes out in her second dress, this one being full lace with long, sheer lace sleeves and another plunging V-neckline. This one accentuates her shoulders and collarbone, and makes her look truly elegant but, just like the last one, I don't see her walking down the aisle in it and I make sure to voice that opinion.
"I do like the sleeves. I'm thinking sleeves are going to be a must," she notes, but overall agrees with me. She follows the consultant back into the room, leaving Alice and I to wait again. I find myself glad that we figured out my dress quickly. I hate dress shopping and always have. Rose used to tow me around to store after store looking for homecoming, winter formal, and prom dresses. I remember getting so discouraged when dress after dress wouldn't flatter me the way I wanted. She would always tell me to trust the process but it's difficult when every dress you try on doesn't suit you for some reason.
I pull my phone out of my pocket to, yet again, find a text from Edward.
Are you coming over again after dress shopping? – E
Going back over to Edward's is tempting indeed, but I have work that needs to be done that I've put off the rest of the weekend while spending time with him. I could take my work over there but I'm sure I won't be getting much work done if I end up back at his place.
I have to finish up some stuff for school tomorrow. Someone distracted me this whole weekend – B
"Edward kind of feels like a new beginning," I say, picking up our conversation where we left off. "I know that sounds cheesy but he just came out of nowhere and I haven't felt this way in a long, long time."
"I have a feeling Jasper is going to be that for me, too," Alice smiles at me.
"Let's just agree to keep the intimate details to ourselves, though," I giggle. "Rose hasn't quite figured that one out. Or, she has, but she tells me anyways because she knows she can get a reaction out of me."
"Deal," Alice laughs. "I definitely don't need the details."
Rose comes out of the dressing room and Alice and I turn to face her. At just the first glimpse, my jaw drops open and the tears in her eyes spill over.
"This is it. This is my dress," she sniffles.
"Rose, you look absolutely gorgeous," Alice says in a quiet awe.
This dress is like a mixture of the first two. The sheer, lace sleeves trail the entirety of her arms up to her shoulders, where they fall in line with the plunging V. The bodice is adorned with lace that trails down to her stomach with a few pieces making their way down to her waist. Once the lace ends, a smooth, satiny skirt hugs her hips and flairs out a bit at the knees. The end of the dress brings back the lace accents and ends in a full lace train that drags beneath her.
The consultant adjusts the dress as Rose stands on the pedestal, looking at herself in the mirror.
"Oh my god," I manage as my own tears come to my eyes. It really hits me in this moment that Rose is actually going to be my sister in a little over a month. I can't wait to see how Emmett reacts to seeing her in this dress. He can barely look at her in street clothes without fawning over her so I can't even begin to imagine how he'll look when he sees her in this.
"So, Rose, is this your dress?" the consultant smiles at Rose. Rose grins back at her and nods.
"This is most definitely my dress," she confirms. Alice gives out a little squeal of joy and I can't seem to wipe the grin off my face. Rose looks at her dress one more time in the mirror before turning to go back into the dressing room with the consultant close behind her.
"That was quicker than I expected," Alice admits as she shoves her phone into her purse. "You two were lucky to find your dresses so quickly."
"Do you go on many dress shopping trips?" I ask.
"No, no, but I've had a few brides tell me they spent several weeks and some a few months trying to find a dress they liked."
"That's crazy. At that point, I would just wear jeans and a t-shirt," I admit, shaking my head.
"You will not be wearing jeans and a t-shirt when you marry my brother," Alice warns with a stern look.
"Whoa, how about we don't talk about me marrying Edward just yet," I giggle nervously. "We've only been together a few weeks."
"Yeah, and you guys are already in love. You may as well just say it at this point."
"Just because I love him doesn't mean he wants to marry me at this point in time," I argue.
"Trust me, if he thought you'd say yes, he would be on one knee today," she smirks at me and my stomach fills with butterflies. I can't say that I'm completely sold on the idea of getting married again, especially seeing as I'm not even officially out of my current marriage yet, but the thought of Edward wanting to marry me makes me actually want to swoon.
Rose comes out of the dressing room and we head up to pay for our dresses. Thankfully, my dress isn't too expensive, but Rose charges quite a hefty fee for hers. That's one thing I was happy about for my wedding: my mother offered to pay for my dress. She considered it her wedding gift to me. I had a budget, but I was well under it because I just wanted something simple and sleek. I didn't go for anything with lace or bejeweled because James hated all of it.
Once our dresses are paid for, we make our way back to Alice's car, hanging them as delicately as we can on one of the handles on the ceiling of the car. Once we're all situated, Alice peels out of the lot and we make our way back towards Forks.
"So, we still need to find a DJ, photographer, and florist," Alice lists off. "That shouldn't be too difficult."
"Thank you, again, Alice. I would be lost if you didn't offer to help," Rose says gratefully. "There's a florist in town. We can see if they can put the arraignments together."
Rose and Alice fall into more wedding talk and, while I offer my thoughts and opinions at times, I'm not very much part of this conversation. While they discuss, I pull my phone out and text Edward.
If I finish my work early enough, you can come over – B
I thought I had hell to pay – E
Or don't, that's completely up to you – B
Finish your work early, please – E
That's what I thought – B
"Bella, hey, swallow your drool and listen," Rose laughs. I look up to see her body turned to face me.
"I am not drooling. We aren't even sending texts like that," I defend. "What am I listening to?"
"I want you to make a toast at the wedding."
"I can do that," I nod.
"Nothing too long, though, okay?"
"So, my fifteen-minute speech I've already prepared is a no-go?" I tease. She laughs and shakes her head before turning around.
"You can read it, but I'll cut your microphone after five," she threatens.
"Ouch, that's kind of harsh," I laugh.
After a few more minutes, Alice pulls up to Rose's driveway.
"Bella, can I keep the dress at your house?" Rose asks after unfastening her seatbelt.
"Of course," I agree with a smile. She grins at me thankfully before thanking Alice one more time and getting out, heading into her house.
"Edward's house or yours?" Alice asks, glancing at me in the mirror with a smirk.
"Mine," I giggle. "I have some work I have to finish."
"Your house it is," she smiles and quickly drives off. With the way that Alice drives, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to get to my house. Grabbing both of the dresses, I say goodbye to Alice and get out. As I walk up the driveway, I dig through my purse to grab my housekeys. The sound of Alice's engine fades as she drives away, probably to go get Riley from Edward's. I curse myself under my breath as I continue to search for my keys in my overly packed purse. I have receipts in here from who knows when, several different lipsticks, my wallet, a bunch of coins strewn about, and somewhere in this mess, my keys. I finally find them as I walk up the porch steps, quickly stopping glass crunches under my foot. I glance down to see a few glass shards strewn across the porch. Looking up, I see the window panel closest to the doorknob is missing and the door is ajar.
Before my mind can even process it, my heart is racing in my chest, anxiety filling every fiber of my body. Someone's been in my home. Someone broke in and has been in my home. Where's Jasper? Where's Rufus? I don't hear Rufus barking and glancing back, I notice Jasper's truck is gone. Truck. Get to the truck. Walking on unstable feet, I make my way to my truck and climb in, locking it behind me.
Break-ins don't just happen in Forks. There's a reason why Dad spends most of him time at the office and not out patrolling and making arrests. Sure, there are parties that get too rowdy after high school football games and sure, there's the occasional drunk old man that needs to be escorted home, but nothing like this. No break-ins.
Piling the dresses on the seat next to me, I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Dad. The ringing sounds far away in my ear, despite knowing the volume on my phone is louder than necessary.
"Hey, I thought you were dress shopping with Rose," he answers after a few rings, sounding confused.
"Uhm," I gasp out, trying to gather my thoughts. I should have thought about what I was going to say before he answered but I can hardly string two coherent thoughts together. All I can think about is the glass and the open door and who could have possibly been in my house. Of course, a name pops into my mind but could it really be him? Could he really have resorted to this?
"Bella?" Dad asks, his voice laced with worry.
"M-my house," I stumble out, still struggling to find the words. "S-someone broke into m-my house."
"Don't go inside. Go to your truck and lock yourself in. I'll be there soon," he says urgently, the sound of him shuffling around his office coming through the receiver. I nod even though he can't see me before hanging up.
Struggling to breathe in evenly, I press Edward's name and hold the phone up to my ear. He picks up quicker than Dad and I, again, have no clue what I'm going to say. My panic attack is in full swing at this point and speech seems near impossible.
"Hey, there's no way you're done already," he answers with a chuckle. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out aside from a sob and hyperventilated breath. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asks, concern tightening his voice. At this point, I can't even answer him and barely register that he's asked me a question. My fingers start to feel numb and my phone falls to the floor of the car. I stare down at the phone, barely able to hear Edward as he calls my name. The sound of his voice quickly becomes drowned out by the hammering of my heart filling my ears.
I can't think straight, I can't form any words. I feel like I've been sitting here for years at this point but I'm sure it's only been minutes. Edward's completely stopped calling my name and I'm unsure if the call is still going or if he hung up. I try to will myself to breathe in deep but I can't figure out how to control my lungs as they protest anything larger than a shallow breath. Moving on from trying to breathe, I flex my hands against my thighs, trying to regain feeling in my fingers.
I don't know how long I sit there before a knock sounds against my window. I let out a quick shriek, my eyes clamping shut and hands balling up tight against my thighs.
"Bella," Edward calls from outside the truck, the sound of his voice relaxing me slightly. "Sweetheart, unlock the door." I open my eyes and turn to find the unlock button, my tingling fingers pressing it. As soon as the door is unlocked, Edward has it opened and is gently pulling me from the truck. My arms find their way around his neck and he holds me tight, giving me the pressure I need to begin to calm down. "I've got you. You're safe," he whispers in my ear. I breathe in as deep as I can, trying to control my hyperventilating, and nod so he knows I'm listening to him. He continues to whisper in my ear as my breathing starts to level out. When my breathing finally gets back to normal, he pulls away, taking my face in his hands.
"What happened? Are you okay?" he asks, his thumbs wiping a few stray tears. I look over at the front door and his gaze follows mine. "Shit," he sighs. "Stay here, okay? I'll go check it out." As he starts to pull away, my fingers latch around fistfuls of his shirt.
"N-no," I stammer. "My dad is c-coming." He looks back at me, looking like he's about to argue, before nodding and pulling me back into his arms. I sigh as I lay my forehead against his chest, breathing in deep, thankful that my lungs are accepting air easier. Edward waits a few moments for me get my breathing under control before he speaks again.
"Are you hurt?" he asks and I shake my head.
"No, I'm alright, just a panic attack." Edward's fingers run up and down my spine soothingly and I feel myself relaxing more and more into his embrace.
"Bella," Dad's voice calls out and I pull away from Edward, going over to Dad and hugging him. He hugs me back, his embrace tense from worry. When he pulls away, he looks me over before giving a satisfied nod. "Stay out here. I'll be back out in a minute." I nod and he walks past me, giving Edward a nod as he walks by. I walk back over to Edward and lean against my truck. He leans next to me, the side of his body pressed against the side of mine. I lean my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes as his arm wraps around me.
"Let's say that you calling me mid panic attack was you giving me hell," he says, a joking tone in his voice, trying to lighten my mood.
"I'm sorry," I mumble, blush filling my cheeks. He shifts to stand in front of me and gently lifts my chin in his hands.
"Don't ever apologize for that, okay? I want you to call me mid panic attack if you need to or if you want to. I just didn't know if you were okay or what was going on and it scared me." I nod and hug him tightly and he holds me with just as much strength. "I'm just glad you're okay," he mumbles as he rests his chin on the top of my head.
"Bella," Dad calls as he comes down the porch steps. I pull away from Edward again, opting to hold his hand instead. His thumb gently rubs along the side of mine, soothing me a bit more.
"Was someone in the house?" I ask, a tinge of panic returning to my voice. He sighs and nods, his eyes locked in on mine. This is it. This is where he confirms my fears, right? That look says it all. My breathing starts to shallow a bit as I try to prepare myself for what Dad found inside.
"You room was the only target. Nothing is destroyed or missing but there's a stuffed hippo, some roses, and a note on your bed," he informs me unhappily.
"James," I whisper. It's less a question than it is a statement but he nods in confirmation.
"He didn't sign the note and I won't have proof until we sweep your room for evidence but I feel safe saying it is him." I take in a deep breath, holding it in for a second before slowing releasing it. The confirmation that James was the one who broke in is like a punch to the gut. It makes me wonder if he's been following me without me knowing. How else would he know that I wasn't going to be home for a prolonged period of time? How did he know Jasper would be gone, too?
Dad pulls a plastic bag out of his back pocket, holding it out for me to see. I hesitantly take it from him and read the note that's scrawled on a small piece of torn paper inside it.
We'll be together again soon. XX
I can feel Edward stiffen a bit behind me as I'm sure he's reading the short note with me. I squeeze his hand and he squeezes mine right back before I turn to look at him. His face is set and rigid, almost angry, something I've never seen before. When he looks over at me, his expression softens and he gives me a small smile, although it doesn't reach his eyes.
"I want you to stay with your mom and me for a few days until I can get this place swept for evidence," Dad suggests, pulling my attention away from Edward.
"Dad," I sigh. "No. You know your house and Rose and Emmett's house are going to be the first places he comes to look for me."
"And I'll be ready for him," he says as he places his hand on his gun. The gun that I'm sure he's never fired in his long career.
"No. I'll get a room at the motel or something. He won't expect me to do that," I suggest.
"Like hell you will," Dad argues gruffly. "You're going to," he starts but is cut off by Edward.
"Charlie, Bella can stay with me. James has no clue where I live or who I am."
"No, absolutely not," Dad says, giving Edward a hard stare.
"He has a point, Dad," I sigh, knowing he's about to go into protective parent mode. I've seen this before when I first started dating James. He acts like I'm a saint who can't be in the same bed as her boyfriend until the day we're married. Mom says he still sees me as his little girl but I call bullshit on that. I'm a grown woman and have been for several years and he still insists on treating me like I'm a minor living under his roof.
"I don't like this idea at all," he says, his stare still on Edward.
"You don't have to like it. I either stay at Edward's or I stay at the motel." His stare shifts to me and he sighs, knowing I'm just as stubborn as he is and I'm not giving in on this.
"Fine. Let's go get you a bag," he sighs. "I need to make sure you don't compromise any potential evidence."
"I'll be right back," I say as I turn to Edward before following my dad into the house. He leads me up the stairs to my room where, sure enough, there are yellow roses sprinkled across the bed and a familiar purple stuffed hippo on the bed.
"James won that for me at a fair at school," I whisper, unable to take my eyes off it. We had been together for about half a year at that point and it happened to be homecoming week for our football team. The university always planned something for that week and this time was a fair with games and rides. James and I were playing a dart throwing game where you had to pop balloons with the darts in order to claim a prize. I didn't hit any balloons but he managed to pop three of them. He told me to pick out a prize and the hippo was the cutest out of all of them. Now it's haunting as it stares back at me.
"Bella," Dad calls to me, pulling my gaze away from the stuffed animal. "Pack enough clothes to last you about a week," he instructs. Nodding, I go to my closet and start stuffing clothes into a bag.
"We need to call Jasper to let him know," I say as I zip the packed bag. Grabbing another, I get on my hands and knees to grab a bunch of shoes from under my bed.
"I already called him. He hasn't been here since last night. He has Rufus with him," he informs.
"So, this could have happened last night," I say before realizing what I'm admitting to.
"Where were you?" he demands, although I can tell he's trying to sound more curious than demanding.
"I was with Edward," I sigh as I stand up, willing the blush not to fill my cheeks.
"Isn't it a little early for, erm, slumber parties?" he asks.
"Dad," I roll my eyes as I reach for a third bag in my closet. "I'm almost thirty, you don't get to call them slumber parties and you don't get to tell me I'm moving too fast."
"I'm just saying. I don't want to see you get hurt again." I can tell he's being truly sincere and that he really is concerned about me so my tone softens a bit when I speak again.
"I appreciate you being concerned, but Edward is a really good guy, Dad, I swear," I promise as I walk into the bathroom to grab my toiletries. "Alright, all I need is my anxiety medication from the kitchen," I say as I sling my clothes and toiletry bags over my shoulder. I go to grab the shoe bag but Dad beats me to it, holding his hand out for me to lead the way. I make my way out of the room and down the hall to the stairs, descending them with Dad right behind me. I make a quick stop in the kitchen to grab my medicine before shoving it into the toiletry bag and making my way back out to Edward.
"I want you to leave your truck here, Bells," Dad says as we leave the house.
"What? Why?"
"That thing sticks out like a sore thumb and I don't want to make it easy for James to spot you. Rose can pick you up for work."
"I can't impose on her like that," I sigh, knowing Edward's house is out of the way for her commute to work.
"I'm sure she won't mind." The last thing I want right now is to be difficult but I'm already imposing on Edward by staying at his house, I don't want to impose on anyone else. I understand why Dad wants me to leave my truck here but it just makes me uncomfortable having to rely on so many people again.
"Alright," I sigh. "Thanks for coming out, Dad. I appreciate it."
"Don't ever hesitate to give me a call with something like this," he nods and looks at Edward. "You better take good care of her."
"Okay, come on Edward, let's go before he starts telling you he knows how to use his gun," I groan as I grab his hand, pulling him towards his car.
"I'll take care of her, Charlie," Edward calls over his shoulder before opening the car door for me. I climb in, shoving my bags between the two front seats and into the back. He makes his way around the car and gets into the driver's seat before turning to face me.
"Are you really okay?" he asks, searching my face for any signs that I'm not.
"I really am. I'm shaken up but I'm okay. The panic attack was the worst of it." I lean over and kiss him briefly before settling into my seat and pulling my seatbelt on.
"If I wasn't worried about your dad and his gun, I'd tell you that wasn't an actual kiss," he chuckles as he pulls away from my driveway.
"He's all talk. I don't think he's ever had to take the gun off his belt, let alone fire it," I say with an eye roll. "He acts like I'm still a child."
"You're his youngest, he's going to treat you like his youngest," he chuckles as he pulls my hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it briefly.
"I let slip that I wasn't home last night and when I told him where I was, he called it a slumber party," I laugh dryly. I expected Edward to join in but he doesn't seem to find it humorous. Looking over, I see his face has gone a little pale. "Hey, I won't let him shoot you," I tease, unlinking my fingers from his so I can run them through his hair. He looks over at me and gives me a smile that looks more like a grimace.
"Even with you in front of me, my head is still a good target. You're not tall enough to completely protect me from every bullet he fires at me."
"Honestly, don't worry about him," I insist as he pulls the car into his driveway. We get out and he looks at me from over the top of the car, a playful look now on his face.
"I'll take a bullet for you any day," he chuckles. "You'll never hear the end of it if I do, but I will."
"So, you will, but you'll complain the whole time," I laugh and he grins before opening the rear door, grabbing my bags. "I can take those," I offer as I walk around to his side.
"No, no, I told your dad I would take good care of you. I can't have you risking getting hurt already."
"Who says I'm going to get hurt carrying my bags?"
"Bella, I've seen you trip over your own feet," he says pointedly. "With your luck, the strap on one of these bags will break and you'll trip over it and break a leg."
"You're such an ass," I laugh as I walk up the porch steps and wait for him to unlock the door.
"You enjoy it, though," he chuckles as he opens the door, letting me go inside first. He follows me in, shutting and locking the door behind us, and sets my bags by the door.
"How about I get us a drink?" he offers as he straightens up and I nod in agreement. "What would you like? Beer? Something stronger? Something without alcohol?"
"I hear you're a whiskey snob," I tease. "Let's see what kind of whiskey you have."
"I'm not a whiskey snob," he groans. "I'm not a snob about any kind of alcohol." I follow him into the kitchen and watch as he opens a cupboard above the sink with three shelves filled with alcohol.
"Jesus, do you collect this stuff?" I ask as I walk over to see what he has. I have to stand on my tiptoes to make out most of it but, from what I can see, there's a lot of whiskey and some vodka. "Where's the tequila and the rum?" I ask.
"Tequila is in the freezer and I only buy rum if I have to," he chuckles as he grabs down a whiskey bottle. "Should we order some food, too?" he asks while grabbing two glasses from another cupboard.
"That's probably a good idea. I haven't eaten yet today."
"Chinese?"
"Yes, please," I smile.
"I'll call it in for delivery," he smiles back before pouring some whiskey into the glasses. He hands me one of the glasses and I take a sip, scrunching my nose a bit as it warms my throat on the way down. While Edward calls our food order in, I head to the living room and snuggle up on his couch, grabbing the blanket he has strewn across the back of it.
Looking around his living room, I realize it truly looks like a bachelor pad. There are very few decorations and the focal point of the living room is the very large TV. It feels like the only thing missing from this room is a football game, some appetizers, and beer. I picture Edward, Alice, and my family sitting around this living room, watching the Super Bowl as I take another sip of my whiskey. I love the idea that's running through my head but am quickly sobered, remembering that this isn't my place, it's Edward's, and I can't assume he would want that here.
"Alright, food is ordered," Edward says, pulling me from my thoughts as he sits next to me. I shift so I'm facing him as he puts his arm around the back of the couch. I take another sip of the whiskey, trying not to make a face this time.
"If you don't like it, you don't have to drink it," he chuckles.
"No, I like it," I laugh. "It just burns my throat a bit. I'm used to beer."
"Then why didn't you take up my offer for a beer?" he teases.
"Let me go on this adventure, okay?" I say as I take another sip.
"Oh, this is an adventure now?"
"Well, yeah. I don't typically drink whiskey and now here I am, sipping a brand I've never even heard of. It's an adventure; I'm being adventurous."
"I feel like you've never actually taken an adventure," he laughs.
"We can't all move to Alaska for ten years," I tease, giving him a pointed look. "What was that like, actually? Were there grizzly bears and penguins everywhere?"
"The fact that you teach our youth and are honestly asking me if there are penguins in Alaska has me concerned," he laughs. "No, there are no penguins anywhere in the northern hemisphere, actually." Taking a sip of his whiskey, he shakes his head at me. "We did have grizzly bears but I never encountered one."
"I think I would cry if I ever saw a grizzly bear," I confess before finishing the last of my whiskey. "That last sip was the easiest yet," I point out. Edward gently takes my glass and sets it on his coffee table.
"Maybe no more whiskey for you until we get food," he suggests with a light laugh.
"Okay, but what about moose? Did you ever see any moose?" I ask, disregarding that he's cut me off after my first glass.
"Why are you so interested in the wildlife I saw?" he laughs.
"Because there's nothing here aside from a few deer. Forks is boring," I point out with a slight pout.
"I mean, I could have told you that. I saw a few moose, yes. They're not really as shy as deer and you definitely don't want to piss one off," he tells. "What's the farthest you've gone from Forks?"
"Los Angeles, but I only spent, like, maybe ten days there, total, in the amount of time Jasper went to school out there. He didn't even take me anywhere cool, either. We just hung around his campus aside from a few restaurants and bars off campus."
"What were you expecting to do?" he chuckles.
"I don't know, Disneyland? Something fun? I was, like, twenty-one and, while I didn't mind going to bars, I could do that at Wazzu. That's actually how I met James," I ramble, unable to stop myself. "He was really nice, then," I add with a shrug, looking over at my empty glass on his coffee table. I'm not sure why I brought it up, I don't typically bring him up in conversation if I can help it. I'm guessing the whiskey is having some say in what my mental filter blocks and doesn't block, but there's no taking it back now. And I know Edward's curious, I can tell, but he'd never ask me about James because he knows how difficult the topic is for me. Right now, though, it doesn't seem as difficult of a topic as normal. Again, I'm sure that's from the alcohol, but why not take this opportunity to give him a little insight into my past?
"I was actually out with a few of my friends from my American literature class. It was the end of the semester and we were celebrating exams being over before going home for winter break. James came over and asked if he could buy me a drink. I told him no, but I told every guy no. You never know what they could be putting in your drink. That's something Dad drilled into my head before I went off to college," I ramble.
"Smart," Edward mutters as his fingers push some hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.
"So, he asked me if I would consider going on a date with him after break instead. My friends laughed behind me but I figured, what could be the harm in a date? So, I accepted and we exchanged numbers and went on our way. We came back from break and went on a few dates and the rest is history, I guess. He ended up moving back to Forks with me after we graduated. We bought a house together and, soon after, he proposed. Up until that point, I felt like I had the best life anyone could ask for. But when the wedding planning started, he started to get mean." I pause, trying to figure out how to go about this next part. The only person I've told outside of my family about this is Dr. Greene and it feels foreign to be talking about it with Edward but I truly want him to know. He's been so patient with me and I appreciate it and I feel it's time that he knows.
"Hey, you don't have to tell me if you aren't ready," he whispers, seeming to know what I'm thinking. I smile up at him and take his cup, taking a sip of his whiskey before giving it back, making him chuckle.
"I want to tell you. I'm ready to tell you, it's just tough." His hand makes its way back to my hair, his fingers twirling a strand as I muster up the courage to talk about this.
"The first time it happened, I had come home late from work. James always had a jealous streak but up until then it was harmless. If I went out with friends, he would get jealous if I got too close to a guy, but he never really did anything about it. Sure, we had a fight here and there but I felt he actually trusted me not to cheat on him. This night, though, he proved me wrong and I realized he really didn't trust me and we had a huge fight and he hit me," I say as I touch my fingers to my left cheek. "There was a second after where we both just stood there, frozen, before he started apologizing again and again. I remember that silence before his apologies seemed to last so long it was almost unbearable. When he did start apologizing, he said it would never happen again and he didn't know what came over him and I believed him. I actually comforted him until he would stop apologizing. But then it just never stopped. He always said it would, but it didn't."
Edward and I are silent for a moment, me lost in my thoughts, and I'm sure him trying to figure out what to say. The silence isn't uncomfortable by any means, so I don't mind.
"No one deserves to be treated the way you were," he says after another moment. His hand goes up to where my fingertips just touched, his thumb rubbing along the apple of my cheek and I close my eyes, leaning into his touch. "Bella, you deserve to be loved, properly." I open my eyes to look at him and I can see a bit of shock on his face, as if he didn't expect to say that. Little does he know, this is another thing I've been working on with Dr. Greene. In one of my first sessions, I told her that maybe I had created the abusive version of James because that's what I deserved. I confessed that I felt I didn't really deserve someone to love me kindly and that I got what I was actually meant to have. To hear Edward voice what I've worked so hard to convince myself of, what I'm still trying to convince myself of, makes tears well up in my eyes. Trying to blink them away, a few fall down my cheeks.
"Hey," he whispers as he wipes the tears away. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
"No, no, you didn't," I insist with a slight laugh as I wipe my eyes with the back of my forefingers. "That's just something I've heard before but I'm still trying to convince myself of it," I admit, looking down as blush fills my cheeks.
"I'll keep telling you until you believe it," he assures me softly as he puts a hand under my chin to lift my head back up. He leans in, stopping just before his lips reach mine, and I close the gap between us. This kiss is slow and tender, as if he's trying to show me exactly what he feels I deserve. It's like he's pouring how much he cares about me into this single kiss. There's no rush, no lustful hunger, just pure, raw emotion and it's almost overwhelming. I've never experienced a kiss like this, which I know sounds like such a teenager thing to say, but it's true. In all of my twenty-seven years, I've never been kissed with this much feeling; with this much love. Not even on my wedding day.
When he pulls away, I rest my forehead against his, my hands cupping his jaw, not ready to completely lose contact yet.
"Thank you," I whisper a few moments later as I pull away.
"I kiss you all the time and you're just now thanking me?" he jokes and I roll my eyes with a smirk, pulling back completely.
"You sure know how to ruin a moment," I laugh. He chuckles along with me before finishing his glass of whiskey, placing the empty glass next to mine.
"Maybe I just like to hear your laugh," he points out.
"Okay, where did you come from?" I giggle. "Every other guy I've seen has dropped corny lines and it made me literally cringe but you give me lines like that and I," I trail off, trying to figure out the right words.
"Swoon," he finishes for me with a grin.
"I don't swoon," I argue.
"Oh, but you do," he laughs. "You definitely swoon."
"No, you know who swoons? The poor women who you dazzle throughout the day. Like that waitress a few weeks ago!"
"Again with the waitress?" he laughs. "I didn't dazzle the waitress."
"Okay, well, then let's talk about the women we walked past in the store yesterday morning that did a literal double take when they saw you," I continue, my voice getting louder with my laughter.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're so oblivious and it's infuriating," I laugh. "Do you not know how attractive you are? Is that what this is?" He's about to respond to me but a knock at the door stops him. Shaking his head with a small grin, he gets up to go get our food. "We're not done here!" I call after him.
"You're ridiculous," he calls behind him with a short laugh. A few short moments later, he comes back carrying a plastic bag and a bottle of whiskey.
"Are you trying to get me drunk, Dr. Cullen?" I tease as he sets the bag down.
"No, you're going to eat before you drink anymore," he chuckles as he pours some whiskey into his glass, leaving mine empty. I untie the knot on the top of the bag and start pulling out the take-out containers. Opening up the packages, I find white rice, orange chicken, lo mein, dumplings, and fried rice.
"Ooh, you got a variety," I muse. Edward hands me a pair of chopsticks as I settle back into the couch and I take them with a smile, breaking the two sticks apart.
"I made sure to get a large order of lo mein this time," he chuckles as he grabs said lo mein container and sits next to me, propping his feet up on the coffee table.
"I see that," I giggle as I reach over and take some lo mein from him. "Now, we need to talk about this," I mumble around the mouthful of noodles. After swallowing my food, I continue, "Do you seriously not notice women staring at you?"
"Why are you so interested in this?" he chuckles as he twirls some noodles around his chopsticks. I notice a bit of color fill his cheeks and it only amps me up further, loving that he's the one embarrassed this time. I reach over to the table to grab the chicken before responding to him.
"Because I notice it and I'm shocked you don't," I insist before popping a piece of chicken into my mouth.
"Whatever I say is going to make me sound vain," he laughs, almost nervously.
"So, you do notice it," I conclude with a triumphant smirk and he looks up at me, trying his best to look irritated, fighting the smile that's trying to pull at his lips.
"Yes, I notice it," he gives in and I let out a victorious, "I knew it!" right after. He chuckles and pokes my side, making me squeal and squirm away from him a bit.
"You don't get to do that!" I laugh. "I don't do that to you when you embarrass me!"
"You could try, but it won't get you far," he laughs. Narrowing my eyes a bit, I reach over to poke his side and he barely moves, his body barely bending away from my prodding finger. "You've got to be kidding me," I say in disbelief as I poke him again. "What are you? Because it's not human. Ridiculously handsome and immune to the side poke? There's no way."
"I've said this before and I'm sure I'll say it again, but you're so weird," he chuckles as he pulls my hand away from his side. "Not everyone is ticklish," he adds on.
"You don't have to be ticklish to react to being poked in the side," I argue as I take another bite of chicken. He reaches over and grabs a piece from my container, popping it into his mouth.
"That's why you react to it," he chuckles. "You have to be ticklish there to react to it."
"You said ticklish there," I point out. "Does that mean you're ticklish elsewhere?"
"Oh no, we are not getting into that," he laughs. "Eat your food," he demands lightly before taking a sip of his whiskey. He sets the lo mein down and picks up the white rice and soy sauce before looking over at me. "Do you like soy sauce?" he asks.
"How else do you eat white rice?" I respond.
"For all I know, you eat it plain," he chuckles as he opens a packet of soy sauce, dumping it on top of the rice.
"That's so bland," I giggle.
"Well, you never know with you." He empties another packet on top before picking some up with his chopstick, shoving it into his mouth quickly before any can drop off.
"Wouldn't it be easier with a spoon?"
"Well, yeah, but you're the one that wants an adventure. May as well continue it by eating rice with chopsticks."
"Oh, so this is all part of my adventure," I muse with a smile.
"I actually think this is our adventure now," he quips.
"This adventure needs to come to a pause for a few minutes so I can call Rose about picking me up tomorrow," I frown as I pull my phone out of my pocket.
"I can drive you to work," he offers.
"I'm already staying here, I don't want to impose any more than I am," I argue lightly.
"You're not imposing at all, Bella," he disputes, shaking his head. "Honestly, I'll drive you and then head to work from there."
"Are you sure? Like, absolutely sure?"
"One hundred and fifty percent sure," he nods and I let out sigh before thanking him.
"I'm still going to call Rose and let her know about today."
"Go right ahead," he smiles, kissing my cheek before getting up and setting his take-out container on the coffee table. "Do you want a water?"
"Yes, please," I smile as I bring my phone up to my ear. It only rings once before Rose's near-frantic voice fills my ear.
"Bella! It's about time you called! Dad told us what happened but made me promise to let you call me," Rose rushes out without a greeting, a slight pout in her tone by the end.
"I know, I'm sorry. Edward and I came back to his place and had some dinner. I just needed to unwind a bit before thinking about calling you or Jasper."
"Well, Jasper is here, so no need to call him, I'll just put you on speaker."
"Rose, I don't think that's necessary," I frown.
"Too late, say hi to your brothers," she demands lightly.
"Hey guys," I sigh as I lean further into the couch. Edward walks back into the living room and settles into his spot next to me again, handing me a water bottle. I cradle the phone between my shoulder and ear as I open the bottle, mouthing a thank you to him before taking a sip.
"I swear to god, Bella, if I see that fucker, I'm going to wring his neck," Emmett barks.
"Yeah, so he can press charges against you?" I grumble.
"Dad won't let that happen."
"He's the chief of police, not the president. You're not immune to legal charges," I remind him. "Rose, I really just called to tell you that Edward's going to drive me to work. That way you don't have to drive past the school to come here only to drive back."
"It's no problem coming to get you," she assures me. "But if he wants to drive you, that's fine, too."
"He said he's really sure that he's okay with driving me so I'll take him up on it. Thank you for being willing to, though."
"Anytime, Bells," she says before pausing and I can already tell what's about to come out of her mouth before she says it. "Are you really okay?"
"I'm shaken up and I'm getting anxious, but for now I'm okay. This is the second time this weekend that I've had a run-in with him and I don't think I'm going to be able to avoid actually seeing him much longer."
"Hopefully, Dad can get enough from your room to put out an arrest warrant for him. That's breaking his restraining order," Jasper pipes in.
"Yeah, I know. Hey, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, alright?" I ask, hoping to finish up this call. I will talk to my siblings all day, any day, but talking about this is putting a damper on the good mood Edward got me into and I don't want to go back to feeling how I did back at my house. My siblings and I say goodbye to each other before I hang up the phone, setting it on the coffee table.
"They worried?" Edward asks and I nod, looking over at him.
"Yeah, Emmett's threatening to wring James' neck if he sees him."
"That sounds like Emmett," Edward nods. I reach over and pick up Edward's glass of whiskey, taking a big gulp of it. "Leave my whiskey alone!" he laughs, taking the glass from me.
"You haven't given me more," I giggle as I hold my hand out to show my empty cup. He reaches over, setting his cup down on the coffee table, and picks up the whiskey bottle, pouring me a new cup.
"Happy?" he asks as he hands me the cup, picking up his own once I take mine.
"Very," I smile before taking another gulp. The liquor warms my body and I can actually feel the relaxation it's making me feel. Or maybe its numbing? I can't decide which, all I know is that I'm starting to come back to my good mood and I don't want it to go away for at least the rest of the night.
"Do you still have friends in Alaska?" I ask after a moment. I take another drink from my glass before setting it on the coffee table and grabbing the fried rice. I'm not as graceful with the chopsticks as Edward so I place the take-out container in the space between my crisscrossed legs and hold my hand under the chopsticks as I bring it to my mouth.
"A few but not many," he shrugs before taking another bite of rice. "I had quite a few friends in college but after graduation most of us drifted apart. I've kept in touch with some of them."
"I haven't really kept in touch with my college friends. They all kind of bailed after I stopped going to hang out with them. I don't blame them," I shrug. "What made you want to move back here? The lack of penguins?" I ask before finishing off my whiskey. Edward chuckles as he sets his take-out container on the table.
"You're caught up on those penguins," he teases.
"I mean, I didn't know if that's why you moved back or not," I laugh.
"It's not, I can assure you of that," he laughs with me. "I moved back because I wanted to be closer to Riley. Alice and my parents, too, but Riley's a pretty big part of my life."
"I love that," I smile. "Did he have fun on his motorcycle today?"
"Yeah, Alice had to basically pry him off of it to get him home," he chuckles.
"I can't wait until Rose and Emmett have kids," I smile. "I've already told them to expect their kids to be spoiled. Between Mom and me, their kids are going to have everything they could ever want."
"I'm sure with you as their aunt, they'll have a whole library by the time they can walk," he chuckles.
"And what's wrong with that?" I laugh.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," he smirks before finishing off his whiskey. "Are you done eating?" he asks as he sits up.
"Yeah, thank you for dinner." I stand as Edward does and pick up two of the takeout containers and my glass before making my way to the kitchen. He gathers the rest of the containers along with his glass and the whiskey bottle before following me. I open the fridge and set the containers on one of the shelves before taking my cup to the sink to start washing it.
"You can just leave it, I'll wash them later," Edward insists as he sets his containers in the fridge.
"No, no, it's alright, I don't mind." As I wash the cup, Edward grabs a dish towel and leans against the counter. I hand him the clean cup and he takes it, handing me his dirty cup. As he dries my cup, I wash his, handing it to him once it's clean.
"How about we put on a movie or a show?" he asks as he sets down the dry cup.
"What're you thinking?" I ask, taking the towel from him and drying my hands with it before hanging it on the handle of the oven door.
"Anything besides another chick flick rom com," he chuckles.
"Alright, how about Game of Thrones?"
"That's quite the shift in genres," he laughs.
"You said no chick flicks," I defend lightly. "Game of Thrones isn't a chick flick. Have you seen it before?"
"Yeah, I watched it as the seasons aired." He leads us back into the living room, settling back into the couch. I sit next to him and his arm drapes across my shoulders, almost instinctively.
"Alright, Game of Thrones it is," he smiles as he turns the TV on. I snuggle further into him as he turns on the show, starting at the first episode.
I let out a satisfied sigh, unable to stop myself from thinking back on the rollercoaster of a day I've experienced. It's comforting knowing that Edward is far enough into this to not be scared off by the crazy that's unfortunately starting to seem like a typical part of my life. He's here and he's showing me every day that he's here to stay. While I don't want to take advantage of this and rely on him, I'm beginning to realize he's someone that can bring me out of the darkness with ease and I appreciate it. I sneak a glance at him, his focus on the show, and I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. A smile breaks out on my face as I look back at the TV, enjoying this moment.
Hello, everyone!
I have no excuse this time other than sheer laziness and I'm sorry. I've been working on the last two pages of this chapter for well over a week and they just didn't come as naturally as the rest of this chapter did.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought in the reviews, I love seeing what you guys think!
Until next time,
Twilight What?
