Tonight was the night.
Tonight I was going to introduce Edward to my friends, and I was so fucking nervous it was ridiculous.
We went shopping earlier and it really was something else. I could barely keep my hands to myself every time Edward stepped into a dressing room. He seemed as excited as I was, running around with a giddy smile and holding my hand each change he got.
After shopping, we acquired quite a few things including his outfit for tonight. Edward confessed he actually hated clothes shopping, which was no surprise since about every man I know does.
"Where do you want me to put all this?" Edward motioned to the three shopping bags in his hand and I smiled, loving the fact he'd been wearing his glasses all day.
I stood there for a beat, thinking when it dawned on me. I smiled widely at Edward and dragged him to my bedroom, through the door of my closet. His eyes grew twice the size as he looked at the racks of clothing and the very many pairs of shoes I owned.
"So this is your fashion empire?" He joked, his fingers gliding along the shelves and hangers.
"I wouldn't say empire per se, but I have to admit I'm quite proud of myself for putting this entire closet together all by myself," I grinned and noticed Edward rolling his eyes.
"Hey! It was hard, you know. I'm not that tall and my ceilings obviously are." Edward laughed and swung an arm around my shoulders, kissing my forehead.
"Let's get these drawers emptied and your stuff in it," I felt as if my heart was floating. I felt lightheaded from the emotions and from the fact that I wasn't running away from them. In the past, I would have already bolted. My head would set the disappointment in motion, would make sure that I wasn't opening my heart to anyone and make me run far and fast.
I watched Edward just stand there, awkwardly waiting for me to tell him where he could put his stuff.
"Go ahead, pick one," I said, leaning against the frame of the door.
His green eyes were on me when he turned around and grabbed the handle of the chest of drawers on my left.
"This one okay?" He asked before pulling it open, the contents almost overflowing. I got amused when he finally noticed what was in there: my bras.
"Damn, baby. You really seem to be having a lot of those, haven't you?" His grin turned devilish when his fingers curled around red lace, spinning the bra around like he was about to throw it in my face.
I burst out laughing and helped him clear the drawer. I threw the lingerie on the ground, for now, I'd figure out where to put the delicates when he was gone.
A few hours later, Edward was now a permanent piece of my apartment. He had some clothes, a shelf in my bathroom, and his fingerprints all over. Something like this was reason enough to celebrate, so before we went to meet my friends we ordered some pizza, had sex on the couch, showered and managed to run half an hour late. I didn't mind in the slightest, and when Edward stopped the car in the parking lot just outside of the bar my friends waited for us, he got really quiet again.
I looked at him, the fluorescent lighting of the street lights illuminating the side of his face, his magnificent face, and the look in his eyes makes my heart stutter.
"Edward?"
"Hmm?" His smile was back and he took my hand in his, kissing it softly.
"Please don't be nervous, they'll love you," I said it a little faster than I should have, but even though I wanted to tell him those three obnoxiously hard to say words, I couldn't get them out of my mouth.
"Well, I hope they at least like me since, you know, I l—" Edward got interrupted by my phone ringing loudly and I jumped. Did this stupid piece of technology just ruin the moment he was going to say he loved me?
I groaned at Alice's picture on my screen and answered.
"Yeah, I know we're late. But we just parked the car, be there in a second." I rattled into the phone with one hand already on the door handle.
"Come, before they actually start hating you." I joked, but there was no hint of a smile on his face anymore. Did I agitate him?
I grabbed Edward's hand before we walked around the corner, toward the entrance, and pulled him close to me.
"Sorry, that was a bad joke. I know," I sighed and buried my face in his neck. Edward had this habit of smelling absolutely amazing, a smell I wish I could bottle because it was beyond using a bomb-ass cologne.
"Oh baby, don't worry about it. I'm just a little on edge, that's all." He explained, his thumb running soothing circles on the back of my hand. I didn't want to confess to him that I was quite nervous as well.
"Remember, I'll keep you no matter what they think of you, handsome." I kissed his lips gently and felt the smile that I loved on him so much. Victory.
"Fashionably late, are we?" There she was, standing in her tall platform boots and a yellow corduroy dress that only one person could pull off.
"Hey Alice, sorry we're late. Kinda lost track of time and I couldn't find the right shoes," I blamed it on myself since I wanted them to think positive and only positive thoughts about my boyfriend.
Alice smiled broadly and came up to give me a hug since she seemed to be waiting for drinks by the bar.
"Wow, sweetheart. You've outdone yourself, what a hunk!" She whispered in my ear before she let go. Alice sauntered over to Edward, who looked at my friend with a curious smile and those twinkles in his green eyes. It was safe to say that Edward looked absolutely adorable right now.
"You must be the infamous Edward Cullen, I'm Alice." Instead of reaching for the hand, Edward held out for her, she went in for the hug: because Alice Whitlock simply did not shake hands unless you were having a bad case of the flu.
Edward looked surprised as Alice embraced him but luckily went along with it.
"Okay, Alice. Hands off, you've got your own man, remember?" I joked and draped myself along Edwards's arm again, enjoying his warmth and feeling him so close to me.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course, I remember, how could I not? But Jasper's running late, he had a last-minute change of clients, you know how he can't say no to people who need him." She explained.
Alice leads us over to the table where Rose was already canoodling with Edward's brother: Emmett. It was safe to say that I was impressed by the way she looked: so happy. I hadn't seen Rosalie smile like that in ages and it made me feel so good.
"Hey, lovebirds." Alice placed their drinks in front of them as they reluctantly broke their little embrace with a soft kiss.
"Edward, come here, bro!" Emmett pushed out the chair to his right for Edward to sit in. It was a little weird seeing the resemblance in their facial features even though the two brothers seemed total opposites.
After we settled down at the table, I realized it was the moment I'd been waiting for. I cleared my throat after I took a sip of my beer and smiled at the man who made my heart beat faster.
"So, obviously I'm not alone and I know you've heard about each other from me, but this is my boyfriend —officially: Edward Cullen and he is the best. Edward, from little to not so little: this is Alice and Rosalie: my two best friends in this entire world. I would trust these women with my life." Edward smiled as he went in to give my leading ladies a handshake, which they both declined -opting for a hug instead. I rolled my eyes as Alice hugged Edward for the second time, her smile all giddy as she side-eyed me and winked.
"Well, Edward, welcome to the crazy side. I hope you're up for this," Rosalie laughed and lifted her glass into the air.
"Babe, you're the one who's stuck with the crazy, trust me. You've got two Cullens on speed dial now, don't forget." Emmett's laughter boomed all over the place. I couldn't believe I was here right now: happy, with a boyfriend who I loved dearly and the best friends in the world.
"So, are you taking Edward to the wedding?" Alice asked me, her voice low and discreet as she turned her body toward me.
"Yeah, I guess I am. Even though my mom doesn't want him there." I realized I wouldn't bother anymore about everything my mom stood for. If she wants a family event, she should be able to set aside our differences for at least one night, right?
"Good for you, Bells. She's not worth worrying about. Remember, if she causes a scene, you're out of there. Run and never look back. If she only wants her perfect, little family with Bree, that's her problem. It's not your fault she can't handle having a drop-dead gorgeous, amazing daughter like you." Alice managed to get a smile on my face, as per usual.
Somewhat later, between the drinks and the laughter, I needed to use the restroom. Rosalie accompanied me, of course, and filled me in on all things Emmett Cullen. She gushed about his work-ethic and about his bistro, along with the fact that he was a complete animal in the sack and that she was grateful for my advice on the matter.
As we approached the table again, I could hear a glimpse of Alice and Edward's conversation. It was so peculiar how Alice seemed to be able to read people perfectly, and as I heard her take on the role of Momma Bear, I smiled. I was really lucky to have her as a friend.
"You better take care of my Bella, she seems quite taken with you."
"Let me go get the next round of drinks, same thing for everyone?" I asked, startling Alice mid-conversation.
As I stood by the bar, a friendly, warm voice enveloped me. I looked up and smiled at Jasper, happy that he made it to our little get-together.
"Well, hi there, stranger." I greeted him before he held out his arms for a hug.
"I heard from a little bird that we have an important guest in our midst tonight?" Jasper's blue eyes sparkled as he shot me a lopsided grin. He and Alice were a perfect match, especially in terms of drama. Even though Alice had a flair for the true dramatics, Jasper was always able to tone her down, asking about the facts and the true events. His job as a psychiatrist gave him several advantages in exploring problems and solving them. I couldn't even imagine Jasper having any other job since it truly was his calling.
Jasper helped carry the drinks to the rest of our company, and Alice didn't even look up from the conversation she was having with Rose, Emmett, and Edward -which was strange. I wondered what they were talking about now, it seemed important.
"Please, Emm. Why did you have to go there? You promised," Edward sounded agitated with his brother, but Emmett looked up and spotted us before he answered, opting for an elbow nudge instead. I frowned, itching to know what this was about.
Alice looked at my funny, but her face turned into a big smile once she saw her husband standing next to me.
"Jazzy!" She exclaimed happily as Jasper leaned down to give her a sweet kiss.
"I'm so glad I don't have to drive anymore." I giggled, struggling to keep up with Edward and his long strides to the Lexus.
"Yeah, me too. Guess someone doesn't know her limits, does she?" He teased.
I blew a raspberry and he kissed me, deeply -as if his life depended on it. Somewhere along the night, the atmosphere shifted and he got a little more clingy. I liked it, sure, but I wanted to know if it had anything to do with the talk he had with my friends and his brother.
"Stay over, please?" I pouted as we drove up to my place.
Edward smiled and ran a hand through his hair.
"Okay, one more night." He kissed my forehead and walked over to my side of the car, opening the door for me and taking my hand in his.
"Why, thank you, sir." I smiled widely, glad to have him close to me for one more night. He'd have to go home tomorrow since he had to get up early again on Monday morning.
The second we entered my apartment, he was all over me. I was a little tipsy, but I didn't care, throwing my heart and soul into our make-out session instead. Maybe I got a little too wrapped up in it, but somehow it blurted out of my mouth out of nowhere, while Edward was kissing the sensitive flesh of my neck.
"I love you."
He stopped kissing me instantly, grabbing my face in between his hands and looking me straight in the eye. I felt sober in a heartbeat, my chest almost exploding with feelings and anxiety.
"I love you," he said.
Just like that, we were a whirlwind of hands and grabbing, stripping out of our clothes as we stumbled and kissed our way to my bedroom. Edward walked me to the bed, grabbing my waist and throwing me down on it. His gaze was cloudy with lust, his mouth practically never leaving my skin.
Edward parted my legs with his knee and I hitched them up, locking them around his waist. I could feel him, his excitement where I wanted it the most. As he leaned up on one elbow, he teased my slit with the tip of his erection, making me squirm beneath him.
"Please," I moaned, my clit throbbing and my head in the clouds, aching for a release.
He grinned at me, clearly teasing and loving the effect it had on me.
"Please, what?" He asked me innocently, his teeth nipping at my nipple, his tongue playing with my piercing.
I wiggled underneath him, telling him what I wanted.
"You want this?" Edward ran the tip of his cock along my entrance, making me absolutely crazy.
I nodded profusely and we both moaned when he entered me.
"Oh fuck, you feel so good." He groaned into my neck, moving in and out of me hard, but slowly.
He picked up the pace, just how I liked it and I couldn't stop myself from grabbing a fistful of his hair, tugging on it.
The air around us grew thick and whilst my eyes were closed, focussed on the exquisite things Edward could do to my body, I knew what he looked like. He was biting his lip, or his mouth was slightly open. Never had a man's noises turned me on this much, but with Edward, everything was different.
I could feel the tension build with each thrust, and although this position was never my favorite, I was soaring and the sparks were building rapidly.
"Oh baby," I moaned, tugging on Edward's hair so his lips would meet mine. We kissed and licked and nipped at each other's skin until the pleasure was almost unbearable.
"I'm so close," he grunted. I hummed, letting him know it wouldn't take much for me to topple over the edge now. Edward took my cue, placing one of my hands and guiding it to where we were joined. I reveled in the fact he liked it so much to see me touch myself. His sounds were borderline animalistic as he kept up the pace, the veins in his forearms more pronounced from his efforts, shaking almost. My orgasm crept up on me, causing me to be very, very vocal when I came. My walls fluttered around Edward and I could sense him letting go, allowing himself to finish as well. As he came, he bit my neck and I felt the sheen of sweat on his upper lip mixed with his scruff.
Edward rolled off me, we were both panting like we'd run a marathon. It felt a little different like we were having a deeper connection now. I loved it, as much as I loved him.
Monday afternoon, somewhere around three p.m., I met Alice at the coffee truck that was just outside our building. I hadn't seen her all day, which was a tad odd. She looked at me and smiled, but it wasn't entirely genuine. She was hiding something from me, I could tell.
"Alice?" I linked my arm with hers and lead her over to one of the benches, so we could enjoy our afternoon break in the sunlight.
She looked at me and furrowed her brow before she took a sip of her matcha latte.
"Alice, what's wrong?" I pressed. She just sighed and looked at me funny, but her shoes quickly got more of her attention than I did.
"What did I do?" I worried.
"Oh honey, nothing. I just," she sighed again. "I just promised I wouldn't talk to you about it, but it feels so wrong to keep stuff from you. It's so not like me." I was glad she thought so because she was right. Alice was never good at keeping secrets, not from me and Rosalie.
"What's it about?" I asked.
"Promise you won't tell it was me, okay?" I nodded. "So, Saturday while you were getting drinks we got to talking about our hobbies, the gym, just casual conversation. Then Emmett accidentally told us about something that Edward did, but it seemed to have been a secret. So me, Rose and Emmett know now, but we had to promise Edward to never tell you and well, that's not just something I take lightly. I don't keep any secrets from my Bella, especially not since your boyfriend is involved. It's just not okay, and I won't stand for it. If he didn't want it getting out, he shouldn't have done it, or he shouldn't have told his brother for God's sake." Alice was rambling, but all I could focus on was that it was about Edward and something he'd done. Was he cheating on me? Was it something bad? I felt anxious and held onto my black coffee for dear life.
"Alice, focus, please. What's going on?" I pleaded, she took a deep breath in and out.
"So, Emmett began talking about Rose and how she was everything he never knew he wanted. Obviously, Edward joined in the conversation, telling him how happy you made him and how he couldn't seem to find the right words to even express his feelings. Emmett laughed and flapped it out: 'Well, you surely don't seem to have any problems writing about it.' Rose and I looked at each other because we had no clue what Emmett was talking about. Edward immediately seemed very angry and annoyed with Emm, and he even raised his voice a little, calling him names for not being able to keep a fucking secret. After a lot of badgering, Emmett told Rose that Edward had a blog and he was writing all about you. Edward ran off to the bathroom, and Emmett continued: telling us that he felt a little awkward knowing what went on between your and Edwards sheets before he even got the chance to get to know you," my eyes widened and I was sure my jaw dropped.
"What?" I felt mortified. Completely and utterly mortified and stupid as hell.
"Bella, it's nothing." Alice tried to shush me, but it was no use.
"Nothing? You're telling me that Edward Cullen is writing about me? About our sex-life? About us? I thought we had something special, something real. And he's just throwing it out there? To think that he was mad at Jake for talking about me behind my back to his buddies at the gym, and then he's doing this?!" I was absolutely furious, rage building up more with every second that passed.
"I haven't read it, because even though I'm a curious bitch, I respect your privacy," Alice confessed, and I believed her.
"Rose has though, and it's fairly explicit, so she loved it. She said it had real erotic-fiction potential." She said, her voice soft and low.
"Oh, so my life is a novel now? What the actual fuck?!" I ran off, upstairs, and grabbed my bag. I was dead-set on putting in some overtime hours, so I could leave right away and eat my body weight in chocolate chip cookies but ran into Victoria instead.
"Bella, glad I found you here. Can we talk about New York?" She said, her hair a halo of copper curls dancing around her shoulders.
My rage was still there and I had not cooled off in the least, running away from the very deliberate Alice Whitlock. My pulse was racing and I craved to get out.
"Yeah, sure. About that, Victoria: I'm going." I plastered on a fake smile when Victoria's enthusiasm hit me. She was so genuinely happy that I couldn't do anything but pretend to at least be joyful.
"Oh, you have no idea how big this is going to be for your career," she said. "But, there is one thing, though, the date moved up. They are expecting you to start next Monday. You have an apartment ready, two blocks from the HQ and it's all furnished and ready to go. I could book you a flight on Wednesday, so you have some time to settle in."
Victoria's words were like music to my ears. It was my chance to run from the mistake of opening my heart.
"Perfect, I can't wait."