First of all, a big shout out to my team of pre-readers and beta: NimNimBonjangles, bevey99, and Fran. Thank you so much for all the help with this story.
Secondly, a big 'THANK YOU' to all of you, who take the time to read reviews.
I felt bad for missing yesterday's posting schedule. More details at the bottom. :)
[Bella]
Growing up, Christmas used to be my favorite holiday. Now, for the first time, I got to experience the whole White Christmas magic with all the snow in Forks.
Even though I'd told my mom I was fine, and she shouldn't worry about me spending the holiday on my own, I knew I'd be all alone during the time of year when everyone should be around their loved ones.
I might have accepted the invitation to have lunch with Jake's family in La Push, but that would last only a couple of hours.
And I doubted I'd see Edward much because he was really close to his family from what I'd learned.
He'd spent a couple of days at my place, but Emmett couldn't cover for him indefinitely. So he'd returned home, promising to come back next time he could escape the Christmas madness. That statement made me realize I didn't own any decorations.
It was early evening on the twenty-third, and I was pushing my overflowing cart through Thriftway, making sure I didn't miss anything important. I'd gotten all sorts of decorations, a medium-sized artificial tree, and all the supplies I needed to bake cookies. Baking was my favorite thing, especially around Christmas.
Currently, I was inspecting the wine section, pondering what to get, when someone's cart knocked into mine as they turned the corner.
"Oh, my, I'm so sorry!"
It was Esme Cullen.
I felt my whole face growing hot like it did every time I was around her. And I'd been around her a lot lately, helping her with a secret project for Edward. "It's okay. Don't worry." I placed the white wine bottle in my cart.
It wasn't the first time I'd bumped into her while shopping. She was a truly wonderful person, and I could see why Edward loved her so much.
"I see you plan a baking spree, as well," she said, smiling.
I glanced into her cart, seeing similar products to me. "Yeah. When's a better time to bake than at Christmas?"
"That's right." She nodded in agreement.
Just then, Edward rounded the corner, looking confused, probably searching for Esme. He had a heavy bag filled with oranges. His eyes widened when he noticed me, but he walked slowly to their cart, dropping the fruits there.
"Look who I bumped into. Quite literally," Esme said, beaming at him.
Edward turned to look at me through his lashes, unaware of the power he had over me. "Good evening, Ms. Swan."
I gripped the handle of my cart tighter. He knew very well what that title did to me when he spoke it.
"Hello, Edward." I smiled brightly. "How are you?"
He lifted a brow, fighting amusement. "You know…visiting home from college."
"That's nice. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!"
"You too, dear!" Esme said, still smiling. "We still need the cheapest wine for marinating the duck."
I pushed my cart around them, and Edward brushed my shoulder with his hand. I felt his light touch all the way to the cash registers.
That had to be the single most awkward conversation I'd had with anyone in my whole life.
When I reached my car a while later, I realized the tree was so big I'd have to lean the passenger seat back so it would fit in the car. I decided to load it last while I piled bag after bag of my shopping in the trunk and even in the backseat.
And then the struggle started. I was usually more organized than this, but I hadn't even thought about how I'd fit the box holding the tree in the car.
"Need help?" Edward's voice behind me scared me to death. "Esme all but shoved me to help you."
I glanced over my shoulder to see Esme several cars away, unloading their shopping bags in the trunk of an SUV.
"If you can work miracles and make this fit in my car, I'll share the cookies I plan on baking." I winked, stepping aside.
"Bribery gets you everywhere with me, baby; especially when it involves cookies and you," he added softly, kissing my cheek, on his way through the open passenger seat.
I dared another look toward Esme while Edward struggled and noticed her staring toward us.
Fuck. Had she seen the mindless kiss he'd planted on my cheek?
"I've got an idea," Edward muttered, straightening his back, after a couple of minutes. "I take this motherfucker in our car. We follow you home, and we all escape headaches."
"Is that a good idea?" I chewed on my lips.
"Bella, I can't get this big ass box into your car. It will fit just fine in the back of Esme's car."
"Fine." I slammed the door shut as he picked up my tree, carrying it to their vehicle.
We left the parking lot at the same time. I noticed Edward was behind the wheel, not Esme. It made sense; he knew the way to my apartment.
It took two trips to get everything inside, with his help, too. He'd just gone back for the tree while I was sweating about what Esme was going to make of all this.
Edward returned shortly with my tree before dropping it next to the couch, cupping my cheeks in his cold hands.
"Stop worrying, woman."
"I think Esme saw you kissing me."
"I think…you're paranoid and overreacting."
I raked my fingers through his hair. "For once, do as I say, and don't try sneaking out for a while."
"Sure, sure." He kissed me, long and hard, before leaving.
.
.
.
The next morning, I woke up to one of the most frightening feelings – like I was being watched. When I opened my eyes, I understood why, but it didn't make the whole experience any less scary.
Edward was sitting in the chair in the corner of my room, staring at me.
"Morning," he said cheerfully.
I tried to make my heart settle because it felt like it would beat out of my chest. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I moaned, turning to lie on my back.
"Did I scare you?" He sounded amused.
"YES!" I met his eyes, glaring. "What are you doing here?"
"We're spending the day together. Get dressed."
"Come here," I mumbled, not ready to get up just yet. "And why would I get dressed if you're staying here?"
"Because we're going out." Edward crawled on the bed, stretching his long frame over my body. "It's a surprise. Trust me; no one will know us where we're going."
"That was disturbing…you watching me sleep," I whispered, rubbing my hands over his back.
"I couldn't wake you. Besides, watching you sleep is entertaining."
I felt my cheeks heating up. "Did I talk?"
"Yup." He pecked my nose. "I love you, too."
I melted in his arms. I'd never tire of hearing those words from his mouth.
"So, get dressed." He pulled away. "Comfy clothes. I suggest jeans, as much as I'd rather see you in a skirt."
"Okay?" Confused about our destination, I dragged myself to the bathroom.
By the time I was ready for the day, I found Edward on the couch in the living room. He was focused on his phone, but he turned my way when he heard me approaching.
"Fuck. You look so hot."
I wanted to not believe him, but he'd always been honest with me. I didn't feel hot at all. I'd stayed up late decorating the tree and the apartment, and I'd prepared the dough for the cookies, which had to stay in the refrigerator overnight.
Considering it was close to nine in the morning, I'd managed to get less than seven hours of sleep, but I still felt run over by a train. My hair was in a knot at the back of my head, ready to be hidden under a beanie. These jeans did nothing to show my figure, but they were the only thick ones I possessed, and the sweatshirt had seen better days.
"Maybe you need your eyes checked," I joked, bending to pull on my boots.
"I'll make you see how beautiful you are one of these days," he vowed, joining me in the hallway. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah." I checked if I had my phone and keys, along with my driver's license. Then, I pulled on my winter jacket and beanie, and I was ready.
After I locked up, Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders, walking downstairs. He steered me to his car.
"Any hint about where we're going?" I tried my luck once we were on the main street.
"It's called a surprise for a reason, babe."
I scowled. I really hated surprises. "Did Esme say anything?"
"It took me a while to convince her you wouldn't appreciate becoming her charity case. She was all for inviting you over for Christmas dinner because spending this holiday alone is the most heartbreaking thing in the world. Her words, not mine."
"Did you?" I choked up. "Did you change her mind?"
"I hope so." He patted my thigh. "The worst that could happen is for her to call you and invite you over. You'll have to politely decline. End of story."
"I'm actually having lunch with Jake and Vanessa."
"Good. And…I'll try to sneak out after dinner." He squeezed my inner thigh before returning his hand to the steering wheel.
When we left Forks, it became clear we were headed to Port Angeles. Edward interlocked our fingers halfway to our destination, keeping a decent speed. It reminded me of last summer and our beautiful adventures. I missed that freedom of being able to touch and kiss without constantly checking over my shoulder.
Edward pulled up near the park, taking my hand once again when we stepped out of the car.
"A stroll in the park?" I laughed.
"Better." He winked, pulling me after him.
A sea of people was visible not far away, near the artificial lake, now frozen and turned into an ice-skating rink. It took me too long to realize why we were headed that way.
"Wait. No." I stalled, tugging at his hand.
"What's wrong?" He stared at me, worried.
"Remember me tripping over air?" I joked nervously. "You're going to have to explain to Dr. Cullen how you played Superman for me outside the city where I'd dared to ice skate and broke my legs."
"You won't get hurt. Trust me. I'll hold your hand."
"Edward, I've never done this before."
"It's fun," he insisted. "Look. We'll book only thirty minutes, to begin with."
"It will be a waste of money. I'd rather sample the mulled wine."
He laughed, walking me to the booth where you rented the skates. I decided not to make a scene and start crying in panic. I'd let Edward see for himself what a disaster I was on the ice.
My hands shook as I traded my comfy warm boots into the rigid cold skates. Edward helped me tie them tightly, and then off we were.
True to his word, he held onto my hand harder than he usually did. When I stepped on the ice for the first time, my free hand curled around his open jacket. I might have whimpered, too.
"Slide your feet slowly. You won't fall."
Still clutching to him like a baby monkey, I frowned at my trembling legs. I slid my feet over the ice, and when I didn't end up on my ass after a few attempts, I straightened my back, gaining some confidence.
That was my first mistake. My left foot went wide, and only Edward's quick reflexes saved me from ending up like a starfish on the ice.
"Easy. Keep your legs closer together and try not to think about what you're doing."
"Easier said than done."
"Hold still." He took both my hands in his, skating until he was standing in front of me. "Don't let go."
Then, he was skating backward, grinning crookedly. I couldn't say I was skating since I allowed him to drag me along with him. It felt nice, but I wasn't going to loosen up my tensed muscles.
"Shit!" I pulled him toward me when I noticed — too late — he was going to crash into the edge of the rink.
Edward's eyes widened as his arms curled around me as we went down.
"Can I die?" I mumbled.
He started laughing, slowly getting up on his knees. As he helped me up, several people came over to check if we were okay. Edward dismissed them with a hand, keeping a stronghold on my elbow.
"You okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah. I didn't realize you were going to crash into the edge."
"It's my fault. I didn't think to look back." He brushed his fingers over my cheek. "Let's try again. This time, you're my eyes."
"If we fall again, it will be so humiliating."
"We won't," he promised. His fingers curled around mine. "Ready?"
"No."
Chuckling, he checked over his shoulders, and then he started moving backward again. "It's fun, Bella."
I squeezed my eyes shut when he decided to up the speed.
"Do you want us to fall again? Open your eyes," he said, amused.
I quickly complied, tugging softly on his left hand. He steered us to the left, avoiding a family of four.
"See? We're a great team."
The only thing that kept me from falling to the ground shaking like a leaf was his confidence and his skating skills.
When our time was up, I had to admit that as terrifying as the whole thing had been, it'd been fun. Edward returned our skates while I put my boots back on my feet.
He looked visibly upset when he returned to my side but put on a smile when I tried searching his eyes.
We walked around the park for a while until we stopped at a remote bench.
"What happened back there?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.
"I hate to say it, but you were right. The way people see our relationship is going to test my nerves," he muttered. "The guy who rented the skates said it was nice of me to take my mom ice skating."
I choked on my spit. "How old do I look?"
"That's not the point, Bella! The point is we're going to bump into all sorts of morons, and I'll have to restrain myself from punching them all."
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him against my side. There was nothing to say. We could only hope that with time, the age difference would stop making people point and comment.
"Let's grab something to eat," I said after a while. "Don't let them get to you."
.
.
.
In the early evening, we returned to my apartment.
"I can't stay," he said after parking next to my car.
"It's okay. I won't be fun anyway. I'm going to bake the cookies."
"Oh! Save me some."
"I will," I laughed, leaning over the console to kiss him. "I had fun today."
"Yeah? I'm glad." He grinned, stroking my cheek. "We have to do this more often."
I hummed in answer because the truth was, such stolen moments were hard to find, especially when he'd be on the other side of the country in a week.
As planned, I baked until late at night, making me wake up after ten in the morning. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept for so long. But it had felt good, especially after the trip to the park yesterday.
I had enough time to take a shower, pack some cookies, and head to La Push.
.
.
.
Vanessa greeted me at their door. I could hear Maya wailing from somewhere inside the house.
"Hi! Merry Christmas," I said.
"Hi!" She gave me a big hug, pulling me inside. "Jake said he could take care of her. It's been an hour since I left them alone."
"Has she been crying for one hour?" I asked, shocked. Not that I knew much about babies, but crying for so long was definitely not good for them.
"On and off. Billy tried to help, but Jake kicked him out." She rolled her eyes.
I followed her into the tiny living room. The couch had been pushed against a wall, so the middle of the room was occupied by a small round table and four chairs.
"Hey, Bella!" Billy greeted me enthusiastically from where he was placing dishes on the coffee table so we'd have them close. He had several plates on his lap, taking advantage of being stuck in a wheelchair.
"Hi, Billy." I went to hug him. Whenever I was close to him, I missed Charlie a little more.
"Hon, go and see what's wrong. I can't listen to this anymore," he said softly, turning to Vanessa.
She sighed, clearly frustrated, stomping down the little hallway.
"It must be so tough for her," I mused.
"She's doing a pretty good job at the whole mom thing, but it's clear she's a hot-headed teenager. When I thought Jake had finally grown up and I wouldn't have to deal with teenagers again…he went and fell for one."
It never ceased to amaze me how blasé Billy was about this whole thing. During my visits here, he'd never once blamed Jake for sleeping with a minor, let alone impregnating her and uprooting her from her home. He was so cool with it; it gave me hope about my situation with Edward.
"They're so lucky to have you." I squeezed his shoulder. "Let me help with these."
"Please, you're the guest, Bella."
Not too long after, Jacob joined us, looking visibly upset. I'd seen that look from him often lately, with all the drama between him and the seniors. He sent a small smile my way as Vanessa appeared from down the hallway with Maya in her arms, frowning.
I felt really bad. Neither of them deserved what happened, especially the baby, who had no clue her parents were fighting because of her.
Vanessa placed Maya on the couch, taking the chair closest to her, on the other side of Jacob. Billy parked himself between them, closer to the couch.
"Are we expecting anyone else?" I asked, confused.
"Clearly, you didn't check your phone today," Jake said, trying to sound teasing, but it came out as terse.
"No," I admitted.
"I wrote to you earlier that you were welcome to invite Loverboy."
He kept telling me to bring Edward to these meals we shared, but I knew neither of us was ready for that.
"He's going to spend the day with his parents."
"Oh. Of course."
"Why do you keep insisting on me bringing Edward?" I whispered, leaning closer so he'd be the only one to hear me.
"I know how difficult it is to get some alone time. Also, I want to show you I'm not judging, even though I might have acted like an ass when I found out."
"Thank you. I know you understand, Jake." I patted his arm. "But you don't have to worry about us."
Reviews are love.
For those who aren't in my FB group...I'll try to keep the posting schedule for the next two weeks since this story is complete in my computer. I might have gotten covid (I'll know for sure on Wednesday)...until next time...stay safe!
Don't forget to check out the facebook groups where I share teasers for my stories
- addict_writer fanfiction (my group) www dot facebook dot com/groups/274198112656668
- It All Started with Twilight (Fran's amazing group) www dot facebook dot com/groups/896806390388220