Only two updates today! I will be at Disneyland all day, but I don't want to leave you all hanging! One this morning and the other ... later?
BPOV
"Bella?" I crack open my eyes and see Edward standing over the bed, smiling at me. "Your phone has been buzzing off and on in your bag for about an hour."
I sit up, groaning, and look over at his alarm clock to see the time. It's a little after six, and he's not even dressed yet. "I'm sorry. Do you have to work today?" He shakes his head and tells me he's going to get me a cup of coffee and hands over my bag.
I might have planned for the worst when it came to sleeping over at Edward's house just by packing a clean pair of underwear and a small toiletry case into my oversized purse before I came over. I also had my laptop, but that was only in case I didn't get up early enough and I needed to log into my work program on time.
Pulling out my phone, I see that Alice has been trying to get ahold of me.
5:02 AM: I don't think we need to involve any lawyers, Bella.
5:13 AM: I know you get up early. Don't ignore me.
5:28 AM: Okay, we'll pay for the cabin. You guys just reimburse us for the food and the car?
5:34 AM: I don't appreciate being ignored, Bella! I'm offering you an olive branch.
5:46 AM: Fine. You two don't have to pay anything back. Whatever.
5:57 AM: Nothing? Fine. I don't want your money, and I don't want you as my MOH.
I realize I'd been holding my breath when I let out a huge sigh of utter relief. I look up as Edward walks in with two coffee mugs, handing me one before sitting on the edge of the bed. I show him the texts. "Alice spiraled. Looks like I'm off the hook."
"Lucky you." He snorts. "Jasper texted me too, about ten minutes ago. But he didn't say anything about not wanting me to be his best man."
I sip at the coffee before setting it down on the nightstand. "I think that's up to you then. Alice has always been like this. I've been doing a lot of thinking since we got back, and even though we were as close as sisters, she's always been selfish. Do you think she's just influenced Jasper?"
Edward sips at his coffee before responding. "I hope so. Jasper is a really good guy. I just don't like this version of him."
"What are you gonna do?" I watch as he sets his cup next to mine and moves my purse to the floor.
"I'm not going to focus on that right now." He pulls at the sheet I have wrapped around me. "Are you still naked under there?"
I laugh as he pounces, and we share a quick shower after the morning quickie. After I get dressed in last night's clothes, I grab my bag and coffee mug and head downstairs to find Edward on the phone.
"Okay, great. Thanks, Em. Yeah, let's grab a drink this weekend. Sounds good." He ends the call, turning to look at me. "Apparently, Jasper called Emmett last night to ask him about everything. Emmett advised him not to go after us for money."
I scoff. "And to think Alice made it out like she was being nice. She even used the term 'offering an olive branch'. Ugh." I load my empty mug into his dishwasher and turn to face him. "Well …"
"Yeah, I'll walk you out." Edward follows me to his front door and walks me to my car.
"Oh, the protein powder!" He laughs and tells me to pop the trunk, and we make quick work of unloading it onto his front porch.
"You didn't have to buy all of this," he says, and I shrug.
"I figured I owed you." Before I realize what I'm doing, I reach up and press a quick kiss to his lips.
He catches me before I pull away. "You could work from here today. I have a pretty nice office."
I pat his chest and step away. "As tempting as that is, I actually have to work today. I'll talk to you later."
He watches from the porch as I climb into my car and drive off.
When I get home, I log into work and make a bowl of cereal. Liam is messaging me about setting up a formal meeting about an in-house promotion, and we set up a time for Tuesday. The day passes fairly fast, even though I tend to find working from home tedious. I don't really realize what time it is until I hear someone knocking on my front door. It's just after six, and I've already logged an hour of overtime. I log out quickly and rush to the door, peeking through the peephole, hoping for Edward. What I see instead is Rosalie Hale, holding a white plastic bag and a cup carrier with two large Styrofoam cups.
I open the door, smiling. "Rose, hi. What are you doing here?"
"I want to know all about you and Edward Cullen." She brushes past me, and I shut the door softly.
I'm screwed.
Walking into my kitchen, I find Rose unloading boxes of Mexican food, and my mouth waters a little. She's good. "Is that from Lolita's?"
"It is." She eyes me from my small dining table, and I sigh.
"You couldn't leave it alone, could you?" I plop down into a chair, and she hands me a cup of horchata. She hands me a container, and I open it to find a full order of carne asada fries. "What do you want to know?"
She laughs, taking a seat across from me with her nachos, placing a bag of hot carrots between us. "Make it make sense."
"I … I don't know if I can." I begin to tell her everything about our stay at the cabin. The bickering, the mud fight, the sex outside and in the shower. "I was over at his place last night."
"Are you guys like seeing each other now?" She nudges her box toward me, and I switch with her.
"No, but I was really excited to see him last night. We haven't seen each other since we got back."
I pick at a tortilla chip, and she points her fork at me. "So, this is all unresolved sexual tension? Your lust for each other was buried in the hate?" I nod, and she gets a thoughtful look on her face. "Emmett owes me fifty bucks."
"What?"
"Girl, Emmett and I had a bet going on you two for like the past five years. I was sure you two would fuck before any of us got married." She sucks down some of her drink, and I roll my eyes.
"What was Emmett's bet?"
"That you two would elope."
She shrugs, and I start laughing. I needed this. I needed a girlfriend to talk to about Edward. Someone who wouldn't judge me or try to talk me into anything.
"Thanks for coming by," I tell Rose, and she smiles.
"Alice called and asked me to be her MOH. I figured some shit went down. I said no, and I'm all ears for that story too." We close up our boxes, and I take our drinks to the living room where I fill her in on all things crazy-Alice related.
"You know, when Emmett said he had some friends in Seattle and I'd get along great with them if I moved with him, I wasn't anticipating any of this." Rose rests her feet on my coffee table and looks over at me. "I never understood why you and Alice were friends. You two are so opposite. She makes you small, makes you blend into the background when she's around. That's not a good friend or a good person, Bella."
I know all of this; I always have. "She's been my friend for forever—"
"Make new friends." Rose shoots me a pointed look, and I nod.
"You wanna go to the movies or something?" I ask suddenly, and she smiles.
"I can't tonight; I'm going to karaoke with some friends from work. Unless you want to come?" She flashes me a huge smile, and I nod, happily.
"I'd love to! As long as I don't have to always sing the guys' parts on duets," I say, reaching for my horchata, and Rose groans.
"Alice is the worst. Let's go pick something out for you, and then we can go to my place. The girls are picking me up." She jumps up and reaches out for my hand.
"Are they going to be okay with you just inviting me?"
"Absolutely." She drags me down the hall to my room. "Have you been to the Pop Culture museum lately? I really want to go, but Emmett isn't into it."
"I'm so down!"
Rose throws clothes my way, and once she realizes that everything she's ever seen me in has either been approved by Alice or picked out by her, she tells me that I should go shopping for my own style. I can't disagree, and we make plans to go together for after my job change.
After the car ride to her place, then meeting Kate and Siobhan, we spend the evening at a drag bar, singing to our hearts' content. Rose's friends are very kind and funny, making me feel very welcome right away.
I step away from our table to use the restroom and check my phone. I smile when I see a missed text from Edward.
Emmett said Rose took you out. Hope you're having fun. Be safe.
Smiling, I make the decision that midnight is late enough for me and take a chance by calling Edward, even though he texted me almost two hours ago.
"'Lo?"
"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Edward. Go back to sleep."
"Bella? Are you all right? Is something wrong?"
"No, I …" I sigh and shake my head. "I was just being silly. Go back to sleep. I'll talk to you later."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I swear."
"Okay, text me when you get home."
"Good night, Edward."
I haven't been drinking at all tonight, but I suddenly wonder what compelled me to call him. Was I going to engage the booty call? I just saw him last night and this morning. I make my way back to the girls to find Rose closing out her tab.
"Kate is drunk. Siobhan is ordering an Uber for us. Are you ready to go?" I nod, following them out, and when we climb into the car, I tell Siobhan to split the fare with me, and we talk quietly about her and Kate joining Rose and I for our trip to the museum.
I'm closest on the drive home, so I get dropped off first. I say my goodbyes and thank the girls for such a fun night. I'm walking up the small path to my condo when I see a figure standing under my porch light.
"Edward?"
"I couldn't go back to sleep."
"What if I had been out for a few more hours?"
He shrugs. "I hadn't really thought that far."
"Come on." I unlock the door, pulling him inside and locking up behind us.
"Have I been here?" He looks around curiously.
"No, I moved when your mom had that surgery, and you flew out to be with her and your dad. You haven't seen this place yet." I push him toward my bedroom, and he flops onto my bed unceremoniously.
"I'm just going to get ready for bed." I dash into the bathroom to brush my teeth and face. I can't be more than ten minutes, but when I come out, Edward is softly snoring, wrapped up in my comforter. I change into some pajamas, turn out the light, and crawl into bed next to him.