Assumptions Chapter 19

Road Trip

EPOV

Our first stop before we pulled out of Phoenix was a gas station to top off the tank and stock up on soda and snacks. Bella picked up enough junk food for a sugar addict's nirvana. I was eager to hit the road as we had a lot of ground to cover before we hit the hotel we had reservations at tonight.

I had gone online and booked us hotel rooms at places that would allow pets because we were traveling with Princess, who, from what I could see from her spot on the floor at Bella's feet, was currently scowling at me from her carrier. Bella warned me that the only time she'd ever had to put Princess in it was to take her to the vet so she hated it, but I didn't realized that that meant that she'd try to shred me like a carrot. I currently had half a box of Band-Aids on my hands and arms from my attempt to get her into the carrier. I should have listened to Bella and waited for her because she threw a piece of lunch meat in there, tricking the damn animal, and got her into the carrier with no blood shed. I could tell right now that this cat was going to hold a grudge and get revenge on me when I was least expecting it.

We pulled into the hotel parking lot at about eight that night. We were all hungry and I had a headache from the cat yowling in her carrier for the last hour. Bella had been trying to calm her, but there wasn't much that she could do for the cat short of letting her out to run free in the truck. Bella did not want to resort to that because she'd never get her back in and was scared of trying to carry her from the truck to our hotel room without her spooking and trying to bolt.

Finally, we got checked into our room and I went to take a shower while Bella fed the cat and set up her litter box. Bella went to take her shower when I got out and I took some Aleve and ordered us a pizza. Thank God there was a place that was willing to deliver to the hotel because I was not in the mood to leave and go pick something up.

I laid down on the bed and started flipping through channels on the TV while I waited for the pizza to arrive. I looked over at the next bed and found Princess lying there, staring at me. She had the same look on her face that the rescue panther did on that insurance commercial. I just shrugged. The cat liked me before I tried to stuff her butt in that carrier, she'd get over it eventually.

I heard the shower turn off and Bella's hair dryer turn on. I could just see her standing there naked with her wet hair dripping down her body. I tried to concentrate on the TV but my eyes kept drifting over to the bathroom door. The urge to throw open that door, carry her out, throw her onto the bed and have wild sex with her all night was nearly overwhelming. I looked back over to Princess who had narrowed her eyes at me, like she knew what I was thinking and she was dead set against that plan. I shook my head. There was no way that I would be able to have sex with an animal in the room watching me. That would be like doing it in public or something. I'd be too self-conscious. Plus I didn't want something like that for our first time together.

Finally, the pizza guy showed up and got my attention away from Bella in the bathroom. I heard her shut off the hair dryer as I was walking to the door so I knew that she'd be out in a second. I was trying to pay the guy while attempting to keep Princess from bolting out of the door. It wasn't easy. She almost got past a couple of times before Bella finally came out of the bathroom and came over to get her. She held her until I was done and shut the door. I turned around to see Bella lying on the bed and the cat rubbing up against her and purring. Hmmm. I was going to have to play hard ball if I was going to get this cat to love me again.

I laid down next to Bella and we ate the pizza right out of the box. I was picking pieces of meat off my slices and feeding it to Princess. By the time the pizza was gone that cat loved me and was sitting on my lap. Bribes never hurt anyone.

We went to sleep shortly after that. All three of us in the same bed. I was really getting used to sleeping next to Bella and waking up holding her in the morning. I was going to have some major withdrawals when we got back home and she slept at her place and me at mine. We were going to have to have some sleep overs often and soon. I had not been with anyone since Tanya and I was really ready. Not that I'd pressure Bella into doing anything that she didn't want to do or wasn't ready for. Even if all we did was sleep next to each other, I'd be happy with that.

Two days later we drove into Forks. We had been delayed by a big accident and it was now three in the morning. I grabbed our overnight bags and she grabbed the cat and we made our way into her house. We agreed that it only made sense if I crashed there since I would just have to come back later and help her unpack the U-Haul. I had called Emmett and Mike from Phoenix and both of them, along with Dad, were going to help me unload the truck. Mom and Rose were going to help Bella unpack boxes and Angie wanted to do what she could, which wasn't much. She was now eight months along none of us wanted her to overdo it.

Bella let the cat out and I helped her set everything up for Princess before we walked upstairs together hand in hand. She had taken apart Charlie's bed so the only one available was the twin in her old room. That was fine with me. It just meant that for one last night, I'd get to hold her to me as tightly as possible.

BPOV:

If I thought that pulling out of Phoenix with all my things packed into a U-Haul was enough to make me come close to hyperventilating, it was nothing compared to pulling into Forks. I had a brief moment of freak out in my head over whether or not I had made the right decision or if Mom was right and I'd lost my mind. I just had to believe that I was doing the right thing now and enjoy the change of scenery that this move was going to give me. That was actually what I had really wanted and needed.

It was raining, Again. I just hoped that we'd get a break later when it came to carrying everything from the truck to the house. I was thrilled when Edward agreed to stay so easily. I wasn't ready for him to leave and to have to sleep alone again. Not that we'd done anything other than actually sleep together or cuddle at this point. We were both content to wait. He and I had each only been with one other person and it wasn't easy to put yourself out there like that again and make yourself so vulnerable. I think that is why we initially hit it off so well. We both understood each other's hesitancy to risk our hearts again.

I woke up to Edward wrapped around me in my little twin bed and I had to smile. I really could get used to this becoming a permanent thing. I carefully extricated myself and quietly made my way out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen. I wanted to make us something to eat but I didn't have anything left here. I hadn't been sure how long I was going to be in Arizona and I had emptied the fridge so I didn't have to return to a refrigerator full of spoiled food.

I figured that I would just have to run over to see if Rose had any extra bacon and eggs lying around. That is, until I walked into the kitchen and found a note on the table being held down by a canister of coffee.

We thought that you'd need something for breakfast this morning. Rose put a casserole in the fridge. Heat it at 350 for 30 minutes. There are also some muffins in the bread box. You can pop those in the oven for the last 5 minutes the casserole is in. Cream for your coffee is in the fridge. Call us when you're ready to get to work unpacking.

Love,

Esme

I was seriously considering kissing Edward's mother the next time I saw her. This was just awesome. I started the oven preheating and took the casserole out of the fridge. I pulled back a corner of the foil and did a little happy dance when I realized that it was the same casserole that Rose brought over the first morning she'd come for breakfast. I would really have to come up with a way to thank them for everything that they'd done for me.

As the casserole warmed up and the coffee brewed the house started filling up with the wonderful smells of the food and it wasn't long before Edward came stumbling down the stairs.

"Hey Rose!" He called out as he made his way to the couch and collapsed onto it, lying face down. I laughed at him because he didn't even have his eyes open yet. He had obviously smelled her casserole and assumed that she was here.

"Edward!" I called out. The only response that I got from him was a groan. I walked into the kitchen without another word and took the casserole out of the oven. I turned to make Edward a cup of coffee and plated us both some breakfast before I returned to the living room. I held one of the plates up to his face, right under his nose. It only took a few seconds before he sat up and grabbed the plate from me.

Once he was fully awake I told him that Rose and his mom had dropped off stuff for breakfast. He agreed with me that we were going to have to do something really nice for them. They had done so much for us, and not just the food. They made sure that Edward could stay with me in Phoenix until I was ready to come back. How do you adequately thank someone for something that amazing and sweet?

As soon as we were done eating Edward and I called everyone and told them that we were ready whenever they were able to get here. While we were waiting, Edward and I dismantled the small bed in my room and moved it to dad's. I wasn't sure that I would keep it there permanently but I wasn't sure what else to do with that room. Within an hour, everyone was here and we were knee deep in boxes. Emmett, Edward, and Michael carried in the few pieces of furniture that I brought with me. Edward and Michael worked on setting up my bed in the bedroom that had always been mine while his dad and brother brought in the remaining boxes.

We girls were busy unpacking boxes. Angela was very near the end of her pregnancy and none of us would let her do much. Carlisle carried in a box of dishes and Angela set to work unwrapping all of the plates. I had used my T-shirts to wrap them for extra cushion. As soon as she was done she carried them over to the sink where Esme washed them before putting them away.

As soon as the boys were done with the bed, Rose and I set out putting everything that belonged in my bedroom.

"So, things seem to be going better with you and Edward." I smiled at how direct she was. Rose wouldn't ever beat around the bush. That just wasn't the way that she was with someone that she considered a friend.

"Yeah. We're good. We had fun in Phoenix."

"You two didn't have any fun in the hotels you stayed at on the drive up?"

"Oh my God! Rose!" I blushed.

"What? You write hot sex scenes but you're too shy to talk about your sex life?"

"We didn't…we haven't…yet."

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for?"

"To at least go on our official first date."

"You haven't yet?"

"We went a lot of places but he has something specific planned for our 'first date'."

"Tell me that you at least slept in the same bed and fooled around a little!"

"We shared a bed but the only thing we've done so far is kiss and cuddle."

"Who knew the greatest romance novelist of our time was such a prude in real life."

"Hey! I'm not a prude. I just have self-respect. He's at least taking me on one date before I jump his ass." That got Rose laughing.

Edward walked in right then carrying another box, "What's so funny?"

"Self-respect," Rose answered. Edward looked at us like we were crazy and fled from the room, leaving us to get back to work.

It took most of the day to get all my stuff moved in and put away. Without everyone's help it would have taken me days to get it done. I was so grateful for their help. By five that afternoon we were all exhausted and starving so I handed Edward my credit card and told him to order pizza from that awesome place in town he'd ordered from before. Rose sent Emmett over to their house to grab soda and milk for everyone. I'm sure that she'd have had him grab a couple bottles of wine if Michael hadn't been here. He was still on the wagon and trying really hard to keep it that way. That was fine with me, I had drunk more lately than I normally did, so a night remaining sober while hanging out with friends was probably a good thing for me.

We sat around my living room eating, joking, and laughing all evening. Michael and Angela were the first to leave. She was falling asleep in her chair so Michael took her home to put her to bed. Carlisle and Esme left shortly after that. They still had to drive home. Emmett and Rose stayed for another half hour. Bree was already crashed upstairs in my new guest room. Emmett went up to get her when they were ready to go and carried the still sleeping child home, where he and his wife would put her to bed. Edward stayed for another hour after that. Neither of us were ready to separate. Finally, he had to go before he fell asleep on the way home. I offered to let him take my truck but he said that he was too tired to drive and it would be better if he walked. We stood on the front porch, neither one of us willing for him to turn and walk away for the night. It was at the tip of my tongue to just ask him to stay but I didn't. I watched walk down the street until he disappeared around the corner.

After he was gone, I locked the doors and started wandering through my new home. It was strange to think of this as my home now. I found that I was tired and antsy at the same time. I was not ready to crawl into bed and try to go to sleep yet so I ran myself a hot bath. As I laid there letting the hot water relax all my tired and sore muscles, I allowed my mind to wander to Edward and his meadow. I wanted to go back there with him. I found myself hoping that he would take me there soon.

A/N:

Thanks to Sweetpea123 for being an amazing beta and friend. I did change some things in this chapter after she sent it back to me, so any and all boo-boo's are my doing.

It's a new year and times for new starts. I am determined to find a new job this year. That is just one goal for me this year. So, I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and an amazing New Year. Reviews will get teasers. I promise to try to get them out sooner than the day before I post. Thank you for reading.