BPOV
"Okay everyone remember that our exam over the Constitution is tomorrow. It will be half multiple choice and half essay. I hope you haven't waited until tonight to study." Mrs. Jones lectures while staring us down. Doesn't she know that no high school senior studies ahead of time for their exams? We cram it in the night before.
I'm sitting in government class, my last class of the day, and the clock can't move fast enough. It's Thursday and I just want to be done with school so that I can spend some time with Edward. We are going to his house after school all afternoon until my curfew, which is 10:00 on school nights. Not that that will stop Edward from coming in my bedroom window, but my dad doesn't know that. Tomorrow morning Edward is going hunting with his family and he will be gone all weekend. He is really excited because Rosalie and Emmett will be meeting up with them in Canada to hunt and then they will all be coming home together. This is his first hunting trip since we met and I'm already feeling antsy. Lately he has been hunting fast and close to Forks so that he can do it while I'm sleeping and be back before I wake in the morning. Well he can't do that forever, so they are doing a big family trip this weekend. Carlisle and Esme hunted earlier in the week because Carlisle is on call for the hospital this weekend and Esme doesn't want to go on the hunting trip without Carlisle. I don't blame her. I'm not exactly happy about being away from my mate for so long either. Although I'm a little suspicious that Edward convinced them to stay home and babysit me. Silly overprotective man.
We are doing everything we can to lessen the discomfort when we are apart so that this weekend won't be unbearable for us. Alice has packed a bag for each of us with clothes in it smelling like the other. Hopefully being surrounded by our mate's scent will help. Also we are going to talk on the phone each night. I've been told that the Cullens' usually don't take their cell phones with them when they go hunting because it's too easy for them to be broken in a fight with a rogue bear or mountain lion, but Edward has promised to have his phone in a backpack not far from where they're hunting so he can be in contact with me if I need him. Hopefully everything will be fine and I won't have to call him more than once a day. If something happens, I'm not sure I'll ever convince him to go hunting again.
The bell rings breaking me out of my musings. I quickly gather all of my books and race out the door. Edward is in the hallway waiting for me so I launch myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck and burying my face in his chest. It feels similar to hugging the statue of David until Edward's arms go around my waist and he chuckles in my ear. Goosebumps cover my body the minute he puts his hands on me. I'm pretty sure the statue of David can't make me feel like this.
"Well hello love. Did you miss me?" he asks playfully.
"Of course. I can't believe you're going to be gone for a whole weekend. What am I going to do?" I say into his neck. My warm breath on his neck causes him to shiver.
"I don't know love. You know I don't have to go. I could just catch a few deer around here and be back in a few hours."
"No you need to hunt. It's not fair to keep you locked up with me all of the time." I tell him.
"You know Bella there's nowhere I'd rather be than locked up with you." He tells me in a low voice.
"Good because that's how you're going to be spending the next few hours. Get used to it." I reply
"Mmm I sure will." He says in my ear. His cool breath makes me shiver but I love it.
"Alright lets go" I say, reluctantly letting go of him. He takes my backpack off of my shoulder and puts his arm around my waist guiding me to the car where Alice and Jasper are already waiting.
We are going to spend the whole afternoon in his room alone. I have permission from Charlie to stay out for dinner and I plan to not see anyone else until I have to go home. Although Edward is going to insist that I eat dinner. Maybe I can order pizza. Hmmm I wonder if Esme will let me get away with that. Probably not.
"Yeah I don't think that's going to happen Bella" Alice says from the backseat. "You're more likely to get pizza if you just ask Esme to make it for you."
"Dang it. I don't want her to go to any trouble." I tell her.
"Don't worry, love." Edward says, of course having seen my plans in Alice's thoughts. "She loves to cook for you. She's cooked since she changed because she didn't want to lose the skill. She usually donates the food to a homeless shelter. Now that she has a human daughter, she couldn't be more excited to finally have someone in the house to cook for. Trust me." He throws in that last part tapping his temple and smirking at me.
"Alright, but maybe I will just ask for something simpler like a grilled cheese. She doesn't need to make a whole pizza just for me." I tell him as we pull into the garage.
"Too late" Edward laughs "She heard you the moment we pulled up and she's already looking up recipes. There's no stopping her now."
I'm going to have to think of something nice to do for her. What do you get a vampire? Maybe we could take a cooking class together. I think she would really like that, and it would give me some new recipes to use for Charlie.
"That's a great idea!" Alice squeals.
"That's very thoughtful. She will love that." Edward tells as he opens the car door for me. When did he get out of the car? Stinking fast vampire.
Alice and Jasper have already run off. Something about getting an early start on their hunting trip. I wonder why they want to go alone and then it hits me. It must be hard to get any privacy in a house full of super-hearing vampires, including one that reads minds. I blush lightly.
"I would love to know what you're thinking love. What makes you blush so beautifully?" Edward asks.
"I was just thinking of why Alice and Jasper would want to go off alone before you meet up with them in Canada with Rosalie and Emmett."
"Yeah, trust me you don't want to know. They tried to guard their thoughts, but they didn't do a very good job." He shudders. I guess that would be awkward to hear about your siblings.
Walking into the Cullen house, Edward takes my jacket just like the last time I was here.
"Where are Carlisle and Esme?" I ask Edward.
"They are in Carlisle's office, it's on the second floor. Esme is on the computer looking up pizza recipes and Carlisle is reading. We can stop and say hi before we go up to my room." He tells me as we head up the stairs. I love how close his parents are. They are always together. I hope Edward and I are still like that in a hundred years.
As Edward raises his hand to knock on what I assume is Carlisle's office door, I grab his wrist and stop him.
"I don't want to disturb them, Edward." I tell him softly.
"We're not love, it's okay."
"Are you sure?" I'm not so sure. The door is shut and they are obviously spending time together.
"Yes I'm sure, don't worry about it."
"Okay well if we do disturb them you better tell them that I wanted to leave them be." I hiss at him.
"That won't be a problem, love." He whispers to me.
"Why?"
He leans in right next to my ear.
"Because they can hear everything we're saying right now." He breathes in my ear and I yelp quietly.
"Can I knock now love?" He asks chuckling.
"Yeah sure." I grumble.
He knocks once on the door before it is opened by Esme.
"Hi kids." Esme tells me, pulling me into a hug. I look over at Carlisle who smiles warmly at me over the top of the book in his hands. He's sitting on a very plush overstuffed chair with one foot propped on the other knee. He's dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. It's weird to see him dressed so casually. I'm used to seeing him when he's at work.
"Hi Esme. How are you?" I ask her.
"I'm fine dear thank you for asking." She replies warmly "Come look at these recipes I've found. What would you like on your pizza? I'm going to send Carli to the store for me to get toppings. Anything you want, name it." She tells me as she grabs my hand and gently tugs to over to the computer. It's covered in papers and it looks like she's printed every pizza recipe on the internet.
"I don't want you to go to all this trouble, Esme. A frozen pizza would be fine."
"Oh no dear!" She tells me, her eyes going wide and her hand going to her heart, "I could never serve you a pre-made frozen pizza. Do you know what kind of chemicals are in those?" she spits the word frozen like it's a curse word.
"Okay if you insist. I usually get my pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives, but if you don't have any of those that's okay. I'll just take what you have."
She just tsks at me.
"Carli has to go to the store anyway to get the ingredients for the crust. I'll make him a list." She says and before I can protest, she's gone.
"Trust me Bella sometimes it's best to just let her do her thing and say thank you afterwards." Carlisle tells me without looking up from his book. I guess he knows his wife best.
"Well we're going up to my room to spend some time together." Edward says "Mom can just bring the pizza up when it's done." He tell Carlisle and I'm assuming Esme heard him from wherever she is in the house. I want to protest that I can go and get my own food, she doesn't need to serve me, but I remember Carlisle's words and decide not to.
"Okay" Carlisle says putting his bookmark in his book and coming over to us "Well it was good to see you again Bella. Don't be a stranger this weekend. If you need anything don't hesitate to call Esme or myself. I'm sure Edward has already put our phone numbers in your cell phone for you." He tells me and I can see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Thank you Carlisle."
"No problem sweetheart. Now I'm going to go find my wife and see if she has my list ready. Is there anything else you need from the store? The cabinets and refrigerator are fairly stocked for you so there should be drinks and things in there."
"No I think I'm fine. Thank you." I tell him and he walks out the door.
"Ez where are you?" I hear him say in a normal voice in the hallway. I'm assuming she responded because less than a second later he's gone.
"Come on love" Edward says grabbing my hand and pulling me to the stairs. He lets me walk up the stairs on my own this time, thank God.
The first thing I do when we finally get to his room is go over and put some music on. I love classical as much as the next guy, but sometimes a girl needs a break. Finding the cd I want, I pop it in to the stereo and adjust the volume so it's not too loud.
"John Mayer love?" He asks chuckling "Are you that tired of classical?"
"Not tired of it really just would like a change."
"Mmhmm" he hums in reply.
"I need a few human minutes if that's okay." I tell him and head into his in-suite.
Edward's bathroom is ridiculously extravagant for a vampire who only bathes every now and then. It has a glass shower with two shower heads and a complicated looking control panel on the wall. Next to it is a Jacuzzi tub that looks like it could hold forty. Man I would love to spend an evening soaking in that tub. There are two sinks with lighted mirrors hanging above each and a separate room to the side with the toilet in it. Everything is done in dark blue and cream including the tile. Opening a closet next to the shower, I find it full of towels in various sizes; all thick and plush, of course. Only the best for the non-bathing vampire. Under the sink I find all kinds of bath soaps, shampoos, conditioners, bath salts, and bubble bath in many different scents. I doubt these are all for Edward, so I assume Alice stocked his bathroom with items for me. My suspicions are confirmed when I find pads and tampons in the next cabinet. I guess Alice doesn't know that I don't have a period because of the accident. After I'm done snooping—yes I admit I was snooping—I do my business quickly and head back into the bedroom. Edward is sitting on the bed reading and looking way too yummy.
"Did you find anything interesting, love?" He asks me smirking. He probably heard me snooping.
"No not really. Though I do think the bathroom is a little overboard considering you hardly ever use it."
"Well I suppose it was, but now I have a gorgeous human who is going to be spending time here. Luckily, I have the best to present her with."
Rolling my eyes, I just huff at him.
"What are you reading?" I ask purposely changing the subject.
"Wuthering Heights. I bought a copy the other day. I know you said it was your favorite book and I thought I should read it again."
"But can't you remember it perfectly from the last time you read it?"
"Yes I can, but now I have a whole different perspective. I'm reading it as a man in love, you see, it's completely different now."
"Alright smooth talker." I say playfully and go to the stereo to change the song.
"Guilty as charged, love. Come here." He says patting the bed next to him.
"Oh I see, you're saying sweet things cause you're hoping to get me into bed. Well I'll have you know that I'm not that kind of girl." I tell him sternly, but I can't keep myself from moving towards him.
"Oh believe me I want to get you into bed, but only to hold you for right now." I blush when he says 'for right now'
"Okay but I'm keeping my eye on you" I tell him climbing up onto the massive bed.
"Good because I can't take my eyes off of you." He says gathering me into his arms.
"You're so cheesy sometimes." I whisper.
"Yeah but I mean every word."
About an hour or two later there's a knock on the door. Edward quietly invites them in. They aren't interrupting anything, we've just been laying together and talking. I read Edward some of my favorite passages from Wuthering Heights, and he read me some of his favorite passages from other books. Of course he didn't actually have to go get the book because of his perfect memory.
I look at the door to see Esme coming in carrying a tray.
"I brought you your dinner Bella. I hope it's okay. I couldn't get my crust to rise like it was supposed to." She scowls before setting the tray in my lap. There's a few pieces of steaming pizza, some breadsticks, and a giant salad.
"Thank you so much Esme. It looks so delicious. I didn't even realize how hungry I was until now." I tell her honestly.
"It's no problem sweetie. Now I didn't bring you a drink because I didn't know what you would prefer. We have sodas, bottled water, lemonade, and a few different kinds of juice."
"I'll take a sprite if you have it."
"Coming right up" she says before she disappears. Am I ever going to get used to vampire speed?
Taking a bite of my pizza, I moan embarrassingly loud. Oh my gosh this is the best thing I've ever tasted. I have to get her recipe.
Just as I'm about to take a second bite Esme comes in with a cold bottle of sprite for me and a few napkins.
"I thought you could use these" she tells me winking and putting the napkins on my lap.
"Thank you. Esme seriously this is the best thing I've ever eaten. You have to teach me to make it."
"I would love that Bella! And I'll be sure to save the rest for you to take home tonight." She tells me as she turns to leave.
"Hey Esme" I call out and she faces me again. "I was thinking of taking a cooking class in Port Angeles. Would you like to come with me? We could do it together."
"That would be amazing Bella. Thank you for thinking of me. I've been dying to get some new recipes, and I would love to spend more time with you." She comes over to kiss me on the cheek and run her hand over my hair before disappearing again.
Wasting no time I dive back into my pizza. I know I'll never be able to eat all of this, but dang it I'm going to try.
Once I'm done, Edward takes the tray and puts it on the nightstand. Pulling me back into his arms he says, "I swear watching you eat is one of the most erotic things I've ever seen."
I just blush and bury my face in his neck.
We spend the next couple hours watching a movie and cuddling. Edward let me choose the movie so of course it was a chick flick, but he didn't complain at all; of course, who would complain about watching P.S. I Love You? It's a great movie. While watching it I realize how happy I am that I'm never going to lose Edward. We are going to be together forever. I'm unbelievably thankful for that. I couldn't survive losing him and I know he couldn't survive losing me either. That's just the way it is with vampire mates.
When it's finally time for me to go home I reluctantly tell Carlisle and Esme goodbye and climb into the Volvo. Edward is carrying the bag of his clothes that Alice packed for me and he puts it in the back seat before getting in himself and driving to my house. The drive is quiet, and I know neither one of us is looking forward to saying goodbye.
When we get to my house, Edward walks me to the door like always. Kissing me softly on the lips he promises to be back in my room in just a few minutes.
All of the lights are off when I walk in the door but I can see that the TV is on so Charlie is awake.
"Hey dad" I tell him, taking off my shoes and going to sit next to him.
"Hey B. How was your evening?" he asks while picking up the remote to mute the TV.
"It was good. Edward is going to be gone all weekend on a camping trip with his family so it was a little sad saying goodbye."
He puts his arm around me and I lay my head on his chest. This is how we always sat when I was little and now whenever I'm upset we tend to end up like this.
"It's only a few days, B. He'll be back before you know it." He tells me and kisses my forehead.
"I know." I say sadly.
I spend some time just sitting with my dad and watching tv. We didn't have dinner together so I haven't seen him all day. Plus I know Edward had to go home and return his car before coming back here.
Dozing softly on Charlie's chest, he shakes me awake.
"You better go on up to bed, baby. Goodnight."
"Goodnight daddy." I tell him and drag myself up to bed.
Edward isn't there when I get to my room and I'm too tired to do anything but take off my jeans and bra before climbing into bed. I set my alarm and turn my bedside lamp off. When I feel a cold breeze, I know Edward is here and I smile a little.
"Sorry I'm late, love" he says climbing into bed with me. "Carlisle had a few more questions about our mating connection."
"It's okay" I tell him putting my head on his chest. I throw my arm over his stomach and tangle my feet with his.
"I love you Edward. Wake me before you leave okay?" I ask with my eyes shut.
"Of course love. Sleep now." He says softly, running his fingers through my hair.
It feels like merely minutes before I'm being awakened by cold kisses all over my face and cold fingers on my back under my shirt.
"Wake up Bella. I have to leave. I'm supposed to meet the others in Canada in just a few hours."
Looking at the clock I see that its 3 am. Barely opening my eyes, I kiss him softly on his perfect lips.
"I love you. Hurry back to me" I tell him. Hopefully he can understand my sleepy grumbles.
"I will. Be safe. I love you." He says and with one last kiss to my forehead, he's gone.