Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the Twilight character.
TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of miscarriages.
Thank you for reading. Please review/ let me know what you think. I find it encouraging to keep writing when people review.
I'm posting this chapter early since it's part two of the last chapter. After this, I will continue Wednesday postings. I think I like the spacing of 5,000- 7,000 words chapters. If I had left them together then it would have been a long 11,000 word chapter. Too long or perfect length?
This chapter has a lot more of Edward's point of view. Do y'all want to see more of Edward's POV or do you hate it?
Another note: I absolutely love the phrasing Nightly Nuggets of Knowledge… definitely feel like that should be phrased in the story.
I also understand the incoherence of the plot being about an arranged marriage. Let's be a little open minded (I understand you can argue everything in court in 2021). I will try to work the logical explanation as I go. The arranged marriage will be important later…. I just have to get there. Both the contract and Elizabeth will make an appearance in the future. *wink wink*
SORRY FOR ANY FORMATTING ERRORS, I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THINGS CENTERED. ALL DATES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE. *SIGH*
I'm trying to not move the story too quickly while also trying to move it along. I'm ready for some spice.
—-
Tuesday
EPOV
I felt bad for yelling at Bella yesterday, especially since it was the result of me being in a bad mood. I shouldn't have yelled. Period. But it made it worse that it was Bella, the one girl who I was trying to befriend.
Bella and I had a much needed conversation that evening. We discussed the circumstances in which we were in and how we wanted to proceed with our marriage. I'm glad that she didn't jump straight to divorce when she heard that it was an option. I'm also pleased that she agreed that we needed better communication. I suggested that we have nightly conversations and she agreed. Even if she hadn't said yes, I'd find any excuse to talk to her.
Wednesday
BPOV
"Are you sure this looks ok?" I asked Rose while staring in the mirror.
"Yes! You look amazing." I tugged the bottom of my dress, hoping to make it longer.
"Bella, quit pulling your dress. You look fine, I promise." Alice gave me a small smile.
"I know." I grumbled.
I was a little out of my comfort zone. I've never been known to wear short or tight outfits. Despite this, they convinced me to wear a short black dress that was skin tight. I feel like my whole body is on display. The front was modest if you ignored it's lack of length. The neckline was reasonable and it even had short sleeves.
The back of the dress seemed shorter than the front and had the back cut out. The 'hole' stopped right above my ass. The entire design had a weird concept but it didn't look terrible. I would probably consider wearing it again if I could add another 5 inches to the bottom and stretch the fabric out from around my boobs.
My least favorite part of the outfit was the shoes. Don't get me wrong, they are cute….. just not my style. The black heels were too high off the ground for my liking and were held on to my foot by a thin strap around my ankle. Everything is too far off the ground for you.
I was happy when we finally made it into the club. There were plenty of people dancing and the music was blaring. There were also plenty of girls wearing dresses more revealing than mine. At least I don't look ridiculous or stand out.
"Bella and I will grab a table if you want to get the first round of drinks." Rosalie looked to Alice.
"Any preferences?" Alice asked.
"Something fruity please." I said.
"Something that will get me trashed please." Rosalie made no indication that she was joking. While Alice was getting the drinks, Rose and I found a booth and sat across from each other.
Rosalie's dress was a gorgeous deep red. The neckline was cut low and showed off her cleavage. Overall the dress was short and showed a lot of skin, but Rose still looked graceful. The dress complimented her long legs and aided in making her look taller. Maybe it's the heels that make her taller.
Alice also looked stunning in her dress. It was a shocking emerald green which complemented her complexion. Her dress covered more skin than Rosalie's, but it still showed more skin than I was. She had thin straps and a scoop neck that kept most of her chest covered. The back of her dress was practically nonexistent and started right above her ass… just like mine. The only difference was that her dress also stopped right below her butt as well.
I have no Idea how she moves without accidently flashing people. I would never have the courage to dress like that.
"Drinks. Drinks all around." Alice cheered as she brought our drinks to the table. "Sex on the beach for Bella, Death in the Afternoon for Rosie, and a pina colada for me." She slid into the booth next to Rose.
"Thank you. How was your day?" I looked between them both. I didn't realize exactly how much I missed girl's night until now.
"My day was great. I slept in this morning and Emmett brought me breakfast in bed before he left for work. Then I got my nails done." She reached her hand across the table and wiggled her fingers at me.
"Ooh pretty." Her nails were painted in a glossy red that matched her dress. "How about you, Alice?"
"Today was rough, there was a school bus flip which packed the E.R." My eyebrows pinched together in shock. "Don't worry, no one was actually hurt. The kids were brought in as a precautionary measure." She started sucking down her drink, completely unphased by her job. "What about you Bella? How was your day and how have you been?"
"Today wasn't busy, which was weird. Overall my day was good and life is getting better. Edward and I have opened the door to better communication and tomorrow I'm having lunch with Esme." A part of me wished that Edward was here. Bella, it's girls night. You can go home to him after.
"Lunch with Esme?" Rose looked shocked that I was meeting with her mother in law.
"Yeah, she messaged me earlier this week."
We continued chatting about random things, mostly involving work, until Rosalie quieted the table. "Not to ruin the moment or cut you off, but I'm glad you girls came out with me tonight. Who knows when we'll be able to do this again." Rosalie sighed.
"What?" Alice turned to her with confusion.
"Why can't we do this again?" I asked.
"Well…" She paused. "Emmett and I are going to try for a baby."
"That's great!" I cheered. My heart swelled with happiness for her.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you." Alice threw her arms around.
I'm proud of Rosalie since this was a big step for her. She has always wanted children, even as a child. She has already suffered three miscarriages which has devastated her.
Rose fell pregnant twice with her last boyfriend, Roy Royce, who ended up beating her each time she told him. His abuse caused her to lose both babies which broke her heart further. The likelihood that she would be able to carry a pregnancy to full term was already low since she has genetic infertility issues. Rose has always known that she would struggle with pregnancy.
Rosalie was married to Emmett the third time she got pregnant. They were still fresh in their marriage so she avoided telling him for a few weeks, out of fear that he would be angry. She was scared when he confronted her with her pregnancy test. Rose's fears were quickly diminished when Emmett showed pure excitement at the idea of having a baby. He showed endless support for her and did everything to release her stress during the pregnancy. It crushed them both when Rosalie had a miscarriage at 5 months. It took a while for them to recover.
They had discussed it and agreed that they should wait before even trying for another baby, since they both were afraid of another loss. Now that they are 5 years into their marriage, I'm excited that they are ready to expand their family.
"My doctor said that it may take a while to get pregnant but we are ready." She smiled happily as she realized that we supported her.
"I think this calls for a celebration, drinks are on me. Tequila shots?" I got up to get us another round of drinks to celebrate the next step of her life.
…MMHW…
I had no plans on being, but at this moment I'm completely trashed. The shots had started flowing as soon as we decided to celebrate. Our spirits were high and we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
We were spending time on the dance floor, dancing without a care of how stupid we might look. My eyes shot open when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. Looking down, I noticed that they belonged to a man. If only they were Edward's….. Edward!
I sobered quickly and turned out of the grasp of the mystery arms. I was shocked to see that it was Mike. I wrapped my arms around my torso as I took another step back.
"Mike." I muttered. My skin felt dirty from his touch. I wish that Edward was here.
"Bella, you should have told me that you were coming. I did invite you for a drink after all." I felt sick when he tried to reach his hands back towards my hips. "Let's dance." He took a step closer to me.
I took another step away from him. "I'm ok. I'm actually about to head home." It wasn't a complete lie. I didn't want to stay out too late since I was meeting with Esme tomorrow.
"Nonsense. Dance with me." He persisted. My brain was screaming at me to get out of the situation.
"No. I've tried to be nice but you won't listen. Not that it makes a difference nor do I have to explain myself, but I'm seeing someone." I got away from him as quickly as I could before calling an Uber.
I let the girls know that I was leaving but convinced them to stay and enjoy themselves. Having Mike's hands on my body made me feel desperate for a shower. They had also made me wish that I could feel Edward's hands instead.
EPOV
I was a little shocked that Bella was still out since it was a little after midnight. She has always gone to bed early. I pulled my phone out to text her when I heard a bang on the front door. Walking towards the front door, I noticed that the knob was jiggling.
I chuckled before unlocking the door. I was extremely surprised when Bella stumbled through the entryway. She was drunk. Completely and utterly drunk off her ass.
"Oh." She hiccuped as she stumbled. "Thank you." She slurred.
"I thought you didn't like drinking."
"Eh." She mumbled while trying to take her shoes off. She kept tipping over and reached out to the wall for support.
"Let me help you." I guided her to the couch and helped her sit before pulling her shoes off.
"Thanks." She hiccuped again. "I should go to bed." She stood too quickly and swayed to the side before toppling over.
I reached my arms out and caught her. "Bella, can you stand?" I whispered in her ear. Her body was pressed against my body.
It wasn't until my hand was on the small of her back that I noticed her dress. I stopped myself when I realized that I was stroking the soft flesh under my fingers. Her dress was modest at the top but was far too short. It would be easy to slip my hand underneath. I tore my eyes away from her and felt guilty for staring. She was absolutely stunning. What is wrong with you Edward? You're staring at the body of a drunk girl. How perverted can you be?
"Maybe." She giggled before trying to step away from me. Her knees buckled and I quickly pulled her back to my chest. I liked the way she felt in my arms.
"You'll never be able to climb up the stairs." I shook my head before bending down and scooping her into a bridal carry.
"Oh Edward." She gasped before letting out another hiccup. I was trying to not focus on how light she was in my arms. "You're so sweet." She murmured before nuzzling her face into my neck. Is she sniffing me?
I carried her to our….my bedroom to prevent myself from dropping her down the stairs. She smelt like booze and strawberries, a weirdly delicious combination. Stop sniffing her. She's gonna think you're weird.
I gently set her on the bed before heading to the bathroom in search of makeup remover. If Alice had taught me anything while growing up, it was to never sleep in your makeup. When I returned, Bella was trying to pull her dress off.
"Help me." She pouted. I sucked in a deep breath.
This doesn't mean anything Cullen. She is drunk and unable to disrobe herself. You need to keep your eyes to yourself. Bella would not appreciate you looking at her.
It felt wrong to rummage through her drawers in search of pajamas, so I grabbed her one of my tees. I took a deep breath before preparing myself.
"Turn around." I helped her off the bed. I grabbed the hem of her dress and slowly lifted it above her head while making sure she kept her balance.
I felt all the sanity leave my body when I realized that she wasn't wearing a bra, rather she was standing in front of me with just her panties on. My saving grace was her facing away from me. I inhaled deeply before pulling my shirt over her head. I helped her pull her arms through the sleeves before pushing her into the bed.
I quickly pulled the covers up over her body, mostly to cover her legs from my view. I gently wiped her makeup off her face and she was asleep by the time I was finished. Leaning forward, I left a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Good night my Bella." I whispered before leaving the room.
I took a blanket and headed to another spare room. I didn't want to frighten Bella if we were to wake up in the same bed. I'm also not sure that I could handle sleeping next to her in that state of dress.
Thursday
BPOV
I woke up with a massive headache and my mouth felt dry/fuzzy. My eyes squinted from the light that filled the room and I looked around in confusion. My room is never this bright in the morning. I was in Edward's room. Damn this bed is comfortable.
"Good morning. You should take these and drink this." He placed a glass of water and some Advil on the nightstand. I noticed that he would only glance at me quickly before turning his attention elsewhere in the room.
I looked down and realized that I was only wearing a tee shirt and a tiny pair of panties. I let out a slight gasp and gripped the sheets around me tighter. It didn't escape my notice that the shirt I was currently wearing was Edward's.
"I'm headed to work. Don't forget about your lunch with Esme."
"Edward, did…did… did we." I nervously chanced down at myself then between us.
"Bella, I want you to know that I'd never take advantage of you, especially while you're drunk. I slept upstairs last night and you're wearing my shirt because I didn't think it was appropriate for me to go through your drawers." I nodded in understanding. He didn't even want to sleep next to you.
"Have a good day at work." I waited for Edward to be completely gone before I crawled out of bed.
My eternal dialogue was screaming at me while I showered. There was the sensible side yelling, How could you be so reckless Bella? You go out, drink, and come home as a hot mess. You were so trashed that he had to undress you and put you to bed. So drunk that he removed your makeup because you were unable to. How is that being responsible? He didn't even want to sleep next to you. You're turning him away with your actions.
But the other half of me was slightly hopeful. If he removed your makeup then he cares. He was thoughtful enough to help you undress and redress for bed. Not to mention that he was respectful enough to lend me his shirt. He must care partially if he was willing to do this for me...right?
I spent most of my day lounging around before I left to meet Esme. My nerves started to get the best of me as I pulled up to the restaurant. I've never been nervous or scared of Esme, so I don't know where my feelings were coming from.
"Bella!" Esme greeted me with excitement. She wrapped her arms around me in a hug.
"Esme, how are you?" I gladly accepted her hug.
"I'm good, I'm good. What about you? How are you and Edward doing?" She asked once we were seated.
"Do you want honesty or the down played version?"
"Honestly, always." She gave me a pointed look.
"The first night was great. He was nice and respectful of my wishes to sleep in separate rooms. He was leaving me cute notes on the days that he had to go in for pre-work things. But other than that he was ignoring me, as was Alice. So overall I was feeling like shit in the situation but Edward and I hashed it out and are doing better. Alice also came by to talk to me earlier this week. Overall my relationships are trying to build or rebuild themselves but I'm doing better this week than I was last week." I didn't feel the need to hide anything from her. She had given me needed information at my wedding so there was no reason that I shouldn't give her information now.
"Oh my."
"Don't worry, everything's working out now." I was quick to add the last statement.
"I can understand how the situation would be tense." She thought for a moment. "It helped that Carlisle and I had an easy flow of conversation."
"Yeah. Edward and I have set aside time to talk every night. Well we talked Monday and Tuesday, and will probably talk tonight."
"What happened yesterday? No talking last night?" She frowned.
"Nothing! I went out drinking with Rose and Alice. Edward wasn't home when I left and I got back late and went to bed."
"Ok." She looked a little relieved. "There was actually a reason why I invited you to lunch today." She was interrupted by the waitress who came to take our order.
Once we had our food, I reminded Esme of our topic. " You mentioned that you asked me to lunch for a reason?" My nerves had already eased and I was intrigued by what she was saying.
"Oh yes. When I married Carlisle, my aunt gave me a gift. Don't ask me where she found this gift or how she could have even thought of it. But I bought you the new and updated version of it. I'm sure you can read the directions but let me give you a little information on it."
She pulled a small block out of her bag. It looks like a stack of tear off cards.
"This should help as you and your husband, Edward, get to know each other. These should help you progress in your relationship and build a tighter connection. You can leave the stack out in the open or in your night stand if you prefer. Anytime you are ready for the next step and detail of your relationship, you tear off the top card. You will be unable to read the card without tearing it off. Once you tear it, you must do it. The cards start with questions and discussion topics that should help stimulate conversation. Things will progress upward from there. You should only take off the next card if you're ready."
I could only nod my head at what she was saying. "You can tear the cards and so can Edward if y'all decide that. I also bought Edward his own set but his is different. His is full of romantic gestures. You can use the cards or not use them, it's up to you. Carlisle and I started our relationship with these but quickly forgot them."
"I'm not really sure what to say but thank you." I was slightly confused about the idea.
"It won't hurt my feelings if you decide not to use them as that's a decision between Edward and you, but I hope they can help."
"Thank you Esme, truly thank you." I placed both card stacks into my purse.
"I might add that some of these cards are mild, others can be heated, and sometimes they appear out of order."
"Out of order?" I questioned.
"Yes. Sometimes you might think that they should be in a different order than they are….but it will all work out in the end. Also, I must say that they have no off limits topics. I also have no idea what Edward's cars could say."
"Thank you. I'm happy with anything that can help us have a stronger relationship."
The rest of our lunch went by with easy conversation. We talked about different things that led back to her welcoming me to the family.
…MMHW…
EPOV
I walked into the kitchen as Bella was peering into the fridge. I must have startled her since she hit her head on the fridge. It smelled absolutely amazing here which caused my stomach to growl.
"Ouch." She muttered. My eyes went straight to her outfit when she stood up.
She had already showered and was already dressed in pajamas. Her hair was still wet and was leaving a soaked spot on her shirt. Her shirt was loose on her but did nothing to cover her bottom. Rather her legs were on full display as her shorts were the tiniest pair of 'shorts' that I've ever seen. They weren't overly tight but they barely covered her.
"This smells great!" I complimented her food while staring into the pot. I love spaghetti. "If you want, we can eat on the couch and maybe watch a movie." I suggested.
"I'd love to watch a movie…. Or we can have one play in the background as we talk. I want to tell you about the conversation I had with Esme." She turned away from me which gave me a great view of her ass. Head outta the gutter. "I'll get the bowls if you get napkins and silverware."
I couldn't help but watch her as she grabbed the plates. As she reached onto her tiptoes, her shirt rode up and showed off more of her smooth skin. My whole body urged me to reach out to her. I inhaled a shaky breath before trying to focus on grabbing the napkins. We filled our bowls in silence before walking towards the couch.
On the way, she dropped her napkin and bent to pick it up. I was not ready for the sight of the bottom of her cheeks sticking out from under her shorts. I quickly diverted my eyes to avoid her catching me staring. What has gotten into you lately? Why are you being so perverted towards Bella? She wouldn't appreciate your advances.
Bella wasn't thrilled about our relationship, I know that. I was also trying to respect her wants and boundaries but it wasn't stopping me from being attracted to her, no matter how hard I tried not to be. After last night, I could only think about how she has the longest, creamiest legs that would look lovely wrapped around my waist…. or neck. Her long brown hair looked both silky and soft. I was begging to be able to run my hand through it. Her eyes were also a gorgeous deep brown that made my knees buckle everytime she looked at me.
All I could think about was kissing her pouty, pink lips especially when she bit them. I could only wish that Bella wanted me as much as I wanted her.
"What do you want to watch?" Her question pulled me out of my thoughts and I realized that I had been staring.
"Anything you want. I agree that it will just be background noise."
"Finding Nemo it is." Such a strange choice, but I did say anything.
"Esme gave me these two blocks of…. I don't know if you would call it a game or cards. The point is that she gave us a gift that is supposed to strengthen our relationship. If you're interested then so am I. We also don't have to complete the whole deck if we don't want to. Each time we are ready to take the next step in our relationship, we just tear off the next card."
"Ok?" I wasn't sure what she meant.
"Esme said that it started off with conversation starters and progressed from there. Is this something you're willing to do?" She looked at me hopefully.
"If you want to, then yes." I couldn't help but smile when she lit up with excitement.
"I think we should wait until tomorrow since I'm a little nervous." I nodded in agreement.
I wasn't completely sure what she meant when she said progressing our relationship with tear off cards but I was willing to do anything for her. I guess I'll wait until tomorrow to understand our game.
We sat in silence for a moment, just eating our food quietly. The difference was there was no tension or awkwardness. It helped me to relax knowing that she was as willing to talk to me as I was with her. It absolutely thrilled me that she was interested in progressing our relationship. Even if it was with a weird 'game' that my aunt provided.
"We could always go to work together. Save the gas and money." I mentioned nervously. I wasn't nervous to talk to her but was nervous that she would reject the idea. Truthfully, I wanted a reason to spend more time with her.
"Maybe… It would need to be on days when our schedules align." My face fell as I realized she was right." But I'm not saying no." The slight addition to her words brought my spirit back.
I nodded my head in understandment. "When are your days off this week?" I wanted to do something nice for her, even if it meant a date at home.
"Today and tomorrow." I could almost smack myself for being stupid. Of course she was off today, that's why she had lunch with Esme.
"I'm off tomorrow and Sunday. I'm moving my schedule to only work weekdays with the occasional weekend shift."
"That's not a bad idea. I wonder if I'll be able to do the same." She was thinking out loud. "How was your day?" She asked as she took our bowls to the sink.
"Not bad but I definitely had nurses in my way," Bella's eyes narrowed to mine. "Not like that, everywhere I turned Ms. Stanley was standing. I felt like I was tripping over her all day. What is her problem?"
"Oh. I completely understand that." She laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" I questioned. Was I missing something?
"I think we should keep our relationship to ourselves for a bit. Jessica and Lauren both have their eye on the new toy."
"New toy?" Now I was just confused.
"You, Edward. They made it clear to me that I was prohibited from going after you. They thought that me yelling at you was a ploy to get you to bang me" She rolled her eyes. "But they also informed me that questioning your judgement was no way to attract a man. I think that they are trying to bed you." She started laughing.
"First off, I have no intention of bedding them and that's just gross. I'm their boss."
"I hope you're not planning to bed them because, I quote 'this is not an open relationship.' You aren't going to have sex with them, but let them make a fool of themselves. I want to see them fight to the death." She was mocking me by bringing up our conversation about Jacob, which I also found funny at this moment.
"If I asked you something, would you be completely honest?" I asked her.
"Yes. What's wrong?" She bit her bottom lip. My tone probably worried her.
"Nothings wrong. I was just wondering about why you wanted to keep our relationship a secret. Are you embarrassed of me?"
"No!" She looked at me with wide eyes. "I'm not embarrassed of you or our relationship. I want us to build a bond without interference. I know that we would be the talk of the hospital and everyone would have something to say. I want it to be just us for a while so that we can get to know each other personally….without everyone's opinions. I hope this doesn't offend you." She looked worried. "If it does, then we can announce it."
"I was just wondering. I can see your point of view about not wanting interference."
"You can tell someone if you want. I thought about telling Angela and it would only be fair if you were allowed to do the same." She was talking extremely fast.
"Calm down Bella. I don't plan on telling anyone. I just wanted to know why you didn't want anyone to know." I pulled her into my side and draped my arm around her. "We will let everyone know when the time is right. Ok?"
She looked shocked at our close proximity but didn't pull away.
"Ok." She agreed with a nod. "I really do want to see Jessica and Lauren make a fool of themselves before we announce. Just don't let them be too handsy." She joked.
BPOV
I had already showered and changed before making Edward and I some dinner. It was spaghetti and despite being boiled noodles and sauce, I was worried that he wouldn't like it.
He put my worries to rest by devouring his plate. We spent the whole night chatting while Nemo was playing quietly in the background. It made my heart swell when he asked to carpool with me. I really wanted to say yes but I also didn't want to face any backlash at work if anyone found out about our marriage. Screw what people think. Edward and your relationship only includes Edward and you. No one else.
I was torn between Edward letting the blond bimbos fight it out for his attention or setting them straight. I knew that he'd probably end up making the right decision when it came down to it.
It also made me excited that he wanted to further our relationship with the cards. I was both nervous and excited about how it was going to work out. It was even more of a surprise when he pulled me into his side. I could feel the warmth radiating off his body and he smelt absolutely wonderful. After our conversation, I fell asleep with another smile on my face. I could only hope that I was in Edward's bed instead. Not only was it comfier and bigger but it also had Edward. I would do anything to have the chance to snuggle with him right now. Especially after I got so close to him when he carried me last night. I can still remember how good he smelt and how soft his hands were. But that was about it.