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.
[Bella]
Several days had passed since Christmas.
As I had been leaving Jake's house, Esme had called to remind me of dinner at her place. I had enough time to return home and change into a nice dress before I'd headed that way.
Edward had been on his best behavior until we'd found ourselves alone in his room. I couldn't say I didn't want what had happened in there because I'd missed him while he'd been in New York. The couple of times we'd managed to see each other during his break, so far, had been short and barely satisfying.
Alice had dragged me shopping to Seattle to get the best sales after Christmas. I'd enjoyed our time together, but when I arrived back home, I was ready to fall on my bed and not move for the foreseeable future. However, when I got there, I found Edward camped in front of my door. His long legs were spread in front of him as he was intent on his phone, his thumbs flying on the screen. I could tell he was playing something.
"Hey." I kicked the sole of his boot.
He glanced up, grinning widely. "Finally! Where have you been?"
"Seattle," I groaned, unlocking the door and opening it.
Edward scrambled up, staring at me, confused. I steered him inside, closing the door behind us.
"It was a long day. Why so formal? Did you lose my key?" I half-joked.
He poked his tongue out at me. "I didn't plan to come over. I was out with Emmett and Rosalie, and I missed you so much I ditched them…and here I am."
I placed a finger against his lips when he adopted a serious look. "Don't say anything about how you acted after dinner. I understand."
He grimaced, running a hand through his hair. "Carlisle thinks I'm interested in you. He warned me about not pursuing my feelings."
"Oh, no." I leaned against the wall to unzip my boots.
"Don't worry. He was mostly worried for me…for us…about what people might say when they found out."
I let my right boot drop to the floor before I switched my attention to my left one. "They're going to hate me."
"Speaking of…when did you become friends with Esme?" he asked, amused.
"Uh, I wouldn't say we're friends. I happened to be there when she came to the school to talk to Jasper. I offered to help."
"She really likes you. She wouldn't shut up about what a great person you are, how you offered to help with my dream, how kind you are…I expected Carlisle to file for a divorce based on Esme's crush on you."
I laughed nervously. "In the past month or so, I came to know her more, and I have to say the same about her. This is going to be difficult." I turned to him, running my hands under his jacket. "How long can you stay?"
"The night. They know I'm at Emmett's." He looped his long arms around my waist. "All yours, baby."
I pressed my face into his shirt, inhaling his scent, trying to get a grip on my nerves. It felt like everything was crumbling – our happy bubble had so many cracks, it was going to explode any moment.
"When you're ready, we'll tell them first. Then…we'll let everyone know," he murmured, kissing my forehead.
"Is it selfish that I don't want anyone to know? I want you all to myself."
"Same, Bella, but it looks like we can't keep the secret for much longer." He stroked the hair out of my eyes. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was when you left, and I had to ignore you? I'd rather endure someone pulling my nails out than that torture. I don't like ignoring you…seeing you hurt."
"I understood why you did it." I kissed his neck, helping him out of his winter jacket.
He led me to my bedroom. His hands unbuttoned my jeans, pushing them down my hips, while his lips were firmly glued to mine. My fingers lifted his shirt, touching his toned stomach. The muscles there had gotten a lot more defined in the past few months.
"Have you been working out?" I asked, between kisses.
"Kate got me a discount at the gym where she works."
I kissed down his neck. "Really? Here, I thought you've decided to join one of the sports teams."
"It crossed my mind, but…enough talking. More of this." He helped me out of my shirt, wasting no time unsnapping my bra. He'd become quite the expert at that.
I sat on the bed while he undressed, nearly losing balance as he took his socks off. Then he was over me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, kissing him slowly. He tasted of chocolate, making his kisses much sweeter than usual.
"You still have condoms?" he asked against my breast, moving to pay attention to his favorite part of my body.
I tried not to laugh. "Yeah. I figured we might need some."
"God, I love you." He licked and sucked at my nipples until I was out of breath, and wetness pooled between my legs.
I tried to remind myself that we had all night and that he was in no hurry to return home. I could count on one hand the times he'd been able to stay for a sleepover. I wasn't in any position to be picky and whine about the injustice when our whole relationship was taboo.
Edward seemed determined to enjoy our uninterrupted time together by driving me crazy with his kisses and touches.
When his mouth pressed against my womanhood, I moaned so loudly I was sure my neighbors were aware I was having some fun. He kept my folds parted with two fingers while licking and sucking at my clit. I arched into his face, gasping loudly as fire coursed through my veins. My insides felt like a volcano, ready to erupt. I clamped a hand over my mouth when Edward pushed a finger inside, curling it ever so slightly.
As tentative as he'd been our first time with oral sex, he had since learned a lot. He even seemed to enjoy it because I doubted he'd do it if it repulsed him.
He brought me to the brink before pulling away.
I whimpered, staring at him with wide eyes, trying to understand why he'd stopped. I'd bet he wasn't into edging if he even knew what that was.
But then, Edward leaned to get the box of condoms from my nightstand.
"I need you," he said as an explanation.
He positioned himself between my legs, gripping one of my thighs as he slid into me. I grabbed his shoulder and around his neck, anchoring myself. My right leg curled around his ass, pulling him closer. Edward's hand clamped tightly around my thigh, his lust-hooded eyes staring into mine.
I lifted my hips, moaning at how good he felt inside me. His answering groan made me bring him closer, seeking his mouth. He panted into the desperate kiss we shared.
"Let go. We have all night," I reminded him.
"Fuck," he breathed out. "Oh, fuck…Bella." He looked between our bodies where I'd moved a hand to rub my clit. I knew it was going to be a quick one, and even though I was on the brink, so was Edward.
It didn't take long for either of us to fall over the edge.
He flopped on his back, discarding the condom and letting it drop to the floor. I stretched beside him, running the tips of my fingers over the planes of his rapidly rising and falling chest.
"All night," he said lazily, turning his head to meet my lips in a heated kiss. "I've missed this so much."
"I know." I snuggled closer, pressing my face into the crook of his neck.
"Think we could sneak a visit before Easter?" he asked wistfully.
I chewed on my bottom lip. "We'll have to check the calendar and see if the public holidays fall on a weekday, which we can tie with the weekend."
His fingers grazed over my spine. "Sounds good. I just…don't think I can make it 'til Easter without seeing you."
"Don't be dramatic. There are other couples out there who don't see each other for much longer than a few months."
"I can't live without you, as pathetic and cliché as it may sound. Garrett called me a sick puppy in love, the other week when I stared at your picture on my phone for an hour straight."
I felt tears gathering in my eyes. I refused to start crying. "I miss you just as much. I often find myself staring at Teddy and wondering where you are, what you're up to…"
"Teddy?" Edward asked, confused.
"The teddy bear sitting on my desk at school."
"Oh. Lucky fucker."
I slapped his shoulder half-heartedly.
"Hey! I just realized. Do we even have a picture of us?" He peered down at me, one eyebrow lifted.
"Is that a good idea?"
"Yes," he said seriously, pulling away from me. He returned shortly with his phone, resuming his position. "Smile." He held the phone's screen down, showing a picture of our flushed faces and sparkling eyes.
Edward took several photos – in some, he kissed me; in others, he just gazed at me as if I were the most important person in the world; I understood that feeling because he was the most important person for me, as well.
When the photo session was over, he covered my body with his, and we made love, taking our time this round.
.
.
.
"These are so amazing," Edward moaned, stuffing another cookie in his mouth. "I swear, I could live only on these."
"I only bake this type once a year – for Christmas." I refrained from bursting out laughing at how he looked like a chipmunk with his cheeks puffed out as he tried to chew all the cookies he'd crammed into his mouth.
"It will be like Christmas every day," he said, or so I thought since he was still struggling to chew.
"I'm not going to ship cookies to college," I deadpanned.
"You suck." He took a gulp of coffee.
I waited for him to swallow, so he wouldn't choke upon hearing my answer. "I could," I said once he reached for another cookie.
Edward licked his lips, leaning closer to kiss me. "Mhmmm. I recall you do good sucking."
I snorted, placing my open palm on his face and pushing him away. "You can be so immature sometimes."
His eyes clouded, and I regretted saying that. "Takes one to know one, Ms. Swan," he teased.
"Shut up, you."
I got up to pour myself more coffee. We'd fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning, and I wasn't used to losing a night. I hadn't done it in a long time. That's why coffee was my best friend this morning.
I leaned against the counter, watching Edward wolf down the cookies while emptying his cup of coffee. He glanced my way, grinning. I went over, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, kissing the back of his neck.
"Love you," I whispered.
His large hand took one of mine, squeezing it. "I love you, Bella." He turned into the stool he was sitting on, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer between his legs. "Do you have plans for the New Year?"
"Not exactly. Why?" I narrowed my eyes, hoping he didn't plan to skip seeing his friends that night to be with me.
He shrugged nonchalantly, but his ears turned red.
"Edward?" I insisted, feeling wary.
"Okay, look…Emmett knows. Rosalie won't talk. I just want—"
"Absolutely not," I interrupted him. When his eyes dropped, I stroked his hair. "You know I want that as much as you, but it's not an option for us right now."
"Yes, it is," he hissed. "We can bring them here if it makes you feel better. They don't even have to stay for more than a few hours. Please."
"No, don't start begging. I can't deny you," I pleaded.
"Please." His fingers sneaked under his Ramones T-shirt I was wearing at the moment – the one I'd stolen months ago. "They won't judge."
"Edward…" I knew I'd cave to his pleas, but I was curious if he'd keep insisting.
His thumbs ran over my nipples, making me gasp. Of course, he decided to play dirty. It shouldn't have been a surprise. He'd never played fair.
Suddenly, he stuck his head under my shirt, kissing my stomach. Then, I felt his tongue leaving a wet trail from my belly button to the valley between my breasts. While pinching one of my nipples between his fingers, he wrapped his lips around my other, sucking and tugging.
I pulled the shirt over my head, making him look up at me with wide eyes. A smirk formed on his supple lips as he flicked his pink tongue over my nipple.
"Yes," I breathed out.
"Great doing business with you, Ms. Swan," he teased, pulling away.
"Oh, no, you don't!" I pulled him towards me, and he stumbled, making me nearly lose my balance. Edward wrapped his arms around me, keeping me on my feet.
He shook in laughter.
"What am I going to do with you, Bella?" He kissed a line from my ear down my neck, nosing my shoulder. "I'm partial to sharing you."
"After all that trouble?" I mock-gasped.
"Ha." Edward steered me to the sectional before disappearing down the hallway.
I was sure he'd gone after condoms, or maybe to the bathroom, but after several minutes he finally returned. I felt underdressed, so I crossed my arms over my naked chest.
Instead of sitting next to me, Edward stopped behind the couch, moving my hair over one of my shoulders. Then something cold touched my chest and shoulders as he tied it behind my neck. When he let it drop, I got a good view of what he'd placed on me.
It was a delicate necklace with an hourglass pendant filled with fine green sand; the color was so close to the one I loved when looking into Edward's eyes.
"I've been carrying this around since Christmas," he said, amused, joining me on the couch. "Do you like it?"
I stared at the brass pendant resting in my palm. "I love it," I said honestly, turning to meet his forest green eyes.
"It was pretty difficult to find it in any color other than white, black, or pink. But I wanted the sand to be your favorite color." He winked, catching my lips in a soft kiss.
"Forks showed me how beautiful green is, but your eyes made me fall in love with the color," I confessed, cupping his cheeks, letting go of the pendant. It came to rest between my naked breasts, cold, yet the feeling was pleasant.
"I love you so much, Bella." Edward leaned me down until I was lying on the couch. "I keep trying to remind myself that it's just a few more years, but it feels like an eternity."
"I love you, too." I stroked a piece of his hair behind his ear. "Have you thought about…after?"
"Can we have this conversation another time?" He looked uncomfortable at discussing our future. Suddenly, it was me who started worrying about our relationship. "Bella, there will never be a time when I won't need you. I want to talk to you about what happens when I finish college, but not now." He pushed down his boxer briefs, kicking them to the floor. "Now, all I want is you…to get lost in your body for a little while longer."
I nodded, my throat closing up. How could a nineteen-year-old bring me to tears with his maturity and soft words? Edward had always been more than just a teenager; at least, in my eyes, he was. Even before I acknowledged my feelings for him, I'd noticed how smart and mature he was.
.
.
.
New Year's Eve found me preparing a few plates of finger food. At least, that was what I'd been trying to do, but ever since Edward had arrived earlier, he'd been handsy and a big distraction.
"Take this to the coffee table." I pushed a plate in his hands.
"How do you expect me to behave when you're dressed like that?" he protested loudly, carrying the plate to the living room.
"Blame Alice. She made me buy this dress." For me, it was just a strapless dress with a sweetheart cut over my breasts, ready for disaster to happen if I bent the wrong way. The length could have been more generous, but I'd learned that shopping with Alice meant putting my best assets in view. The skirt of the dress was hugging my hips, stopping several inches above my knees. The deep blue and black stripe combination made the dress interesting, but nothing to earn such attention from Edward.
"Tell her I approve," he said cheekily.
"Remember, she's not supposed to know we're dating."
"Right. Tell her your secret admirer loves the dress."
I laughed, busy with another plate, when Edward's phone rang. He froze for a second, tension radiating from his every fiber before he came to the kitchen island to retrieve his phone from the charger.
"Hey, man." He met my eyes, a smile forming on his lips. "It's apartment 17, second floor," he said quietly, reaching for a cherry tomato. "Yeah. Great. They're downstairs," he told me after hanging up.
"I figured that." I rolled my eyes.
"Don't be nervous. I promise they won't judge."
"It's so weird, Edward. They were my students last year!"
"So was I," he said hotly. "That's over. We're Edward and Bella. They're Emmett and Rosalie. We're two couples having fun on New Year's Eve." He kissed me chastely, hurrying to open the door when there was a knock.
"Hi, buddy!" Emmett said loudly. "Hi there, Ms. Swan!"
I took a deep breath, joining them at the door and closing it behind Rosalie. She looked a little lost … as if she'd just found out what was going on. Knowing that Emmett had kept Edward's secret, it wouldn't surprise me if Emmett hadn't told her until this moment.
"Hello. It's Bella, please." I tried catching Rosalie's eyes, but she wasn't looking at me or anywhere in particular.
Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders, which relaxed me immensely.
Emmett was as casually dressed as Edward in a T-shirt and jeans, while Rosalie had a short, pink tulle dress. They left their coats and boots by the door, following Edward into the living room. I returned to finish plating the food.
Edward came to my side, stroking my back. "It's gonna be okay, baby. They'll get used to it like I did with them." He scowled in their direction. "Though, it took me a while to get over Emmett's betrayal."
I snorted. "I'm sure you saw it as betrayal," I said, amused.
He shrugged, taking the plate from my hands, before curling his fingers around my right hand. "I'm right here."
"You like Klimt," Rosalie whispered, from where she was inspecting the lid of the puzzle I'd decided to start a couple of months ago.
I should be the one impressed that she knew Klimt. "The Kiss is one of my favorite paintings."
A small smile graced her lips. "My mom bought a copy some years ago. I was fascinated by the pure and intense feelings it gave me."
"Yeah, and delicate and tender, too."
Her smile stretched as she nodded. "It must be difficult to do it as a puzzle," she said after a few moments.
I grimaced at the right corner and the few other scattered pieces I'd managed to fit before I'd decided to take a break. "I started it at the end of October. Unfortunately, it's not going so great."
Rosalie placed the lid back on the floor, meeting my eyes, a solemn look on her face. "Emmett just told me about this. I'm still shocked."
Just like I'd imagined. "I'll understand if you don't agree with our relationship. It's a lot to take in."
"Actually, some things I'd seen in Bio are starting to make sense."
"I doubt you saw much." I glanced at the boys, seeing them on the couch, talking animatedly. At that moment, I didn't regret accepting Edward's suggestion to bring over his friends. Even if Rosalie didn't accept me, it wouldn't matter.
"Are you sure about calling you by your first name? It feels so…impolite."
I tried not to laugh. "I'm no longer your teacher, Rosalie. Please, call me Bella."
"Then, I insist you call me Rose. I swear I have no idea what my parents were smoking when they chose such a pompous name."
I did laugh this time, and she joined me. I caught Edward's eyes, and he winked as if to prove to me I was silly to worry about this evening.
More people know, but not the important ones.
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