Update 1 of 2 for today! :) Happy Thanksgiving (a day late) to all those who celebrate!
-118-
EPOV
The coffee shop we find is cozy—the kind of place that has a fire going in the corner and hands out their own mismatched mugs. It's the most comfort I can ask for considering the conversation I'm about to have. I order a regular coffee, black, and suppress my smile when Bella orders a peppermint mocha because she always prefers her drinks to have more flavor.
"So," she says when we sit in the two overstuffed chairs by the fire. "What'd you want to talk about?"
"Well, first of all, I want to apologize for how I handled things."
She brings the cup to her lips, taking a sip and fixing her eyes on the drink, I assume, so she doesn't have to look at me.
"Yeah, I know you do. I'm sorry, too," she finally says.
"For what?"
"Just...that it happened. We had a really good thing going before it did."
"Yeah. Yeah, we did…" I lean forward, elbows on my knees, and keep my eyes trained on her. She still doesn't look up, though. "Bella, I need you to look at me."
She sighs, looking across the room and then finally at me. Her mask is slipping, and it's so, so fucking evident that she's hurting. That I hurt her. I want to take it all away, but I don't know how.
"I need you to know that I never intended to hurt you. Every move I made, I made out of desperation to keep you, and it was wrong, and I'm so fucking sorry. I never…" I swallow, preparing myself for the words I have to say. "I never felt even a tiny bit for anyone what I do for you. You're...Bella, you're everything. And I understand I hurt you. I understand you're angry with me, and you have every right to be. But please just give me a chance to show you what you mean to me."
"Edward, I can't just fall back into bed with you and pretend nothing ever happened—"
"I'm not asking you to. I'm not even asking you to be my girlfriend again, at least not right away. All I'm asking is that we stay in each other's lives. We remain friends; be there for each other. Let's just...take it one day at a time, and maybe eventually you can forgive me?"
She studies me for a few minutes; I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. And then she finally opens that beautiful, perfect mouth and shines light on that blossom of hope in my chest.
Jesus, how fucking corny am I?
"I can't make any promises, but I'm willing to try."
