Chapter 18
BPOV
"Wow, those are beautiful flowers." Angela propped herself on the edge of my desk.
Even though we worked in the same building, it had been a while since I'd spoken with her. Once I ended things with James, our workouts and lunch dates seemed to come to a halt. Honestly, I didn't take any offense to it. Her husband was best friends with my ex-fiancé. It was obvious that she'd stick beside him.
"Oh, um, thanks." I couldn't help but smile as I looked at the beautiful bouquet Edward sent earlier in the morning.
"Are you seeing someone new?"
I frowned as I looked up at her. "Ang—"
She busied her hands by smoothing out her skirt. "Look, I've been a really shitty friend. I told you you'd be my friend even if things didn't work out with you and James. And when they didn't, I left you high and dry. I really am sorry. It was just all so awkward, but I handled it badly."
"Hey, it's okay. Of course it was awkward. James is Ben's best friend. I'd never ask you to choose between us."
I never had a lot of girl, or guy friends growing up. Usually, I felt pretty replaceable, and I was used to being left to the side when people had to choose. Rose didn't chase after me to keep our friendship when things with Edward went sour the first time. Not that I couldn't have reached out to her, but it all hurt too much at the time. My heart had been broken, and someone who I'd considered a friend couldn't even be bothered to check on me.
So, Angela's apology actually meant the world to me.
She looked over at me, her eyes watery with tears. "But that's the thing, Bella. There's no reason that I had to choose. It's not as if I can't be friends with you both. You don't have to, but I hope that you'll trust me again. I really want us to still be friends. I miss you."
"It's fine, Ang. I truly mean that. Of course, we're still friends."
She smiled warmly, reaching for a tissue and dabbing her eyes. "Okay, then tell me about who these flowers are from!"
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Remember the guy at Outlier?"
"I knew it!" she shouted, before covering her mouth. A few people turned around to look in our direction. "I knew it." She was much quieter this time, a grin on her lips. "Are you happy?"
Things with Edward were so new, yet it was as though I'd been with him for hundreds of years. His past was rough, and it caused him to occasionally shut off, but he was trying. We both were. "Yeah, I'm really happy."
"Good." She leaned over, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, giving me a squeeze. "That's all I want for you. I hope I get to meet him soon."
"Sure, we'll have to plan something."
"Okay, great. My break is over, gotta get back to work, but I'll call you later, okay?"
"Sounds good." I smiled, glad to have my friend back in my life.
—SB—
The rest of the work day was slow moving, and time dragged by because of it. So, when the clock finally struck five, I was up and out of my seat, bag in hand.
"Hey, baby." I heard as I walked out the door and onto the sidewalk. Turning, I came face to face with Edward.
"Hey, I didn't expect you here. Everything okay?"
He smiled as he walked toward me, pulling my body against his and kissing me soundly. "Everything's fine. I wanted to surprise you. How does dinner sound?"
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I gazed up at him. His eyes were bright and happy, but there was a bit of tension there as well. But if he said everything was okay, I wouldn't push him. "Dinner sounds great, and thank you for my flowers. They're beautiful. You're spoiling me today."
He pressed his forehead against mine, swaying me gently. "You should be spoiled every day. Where do you want to eat?"
"Anything Italian sounds amazing right now."
He pecked my lips. "If the lady wants Italian, the lady gets Italian. There's a great place down the street. You up for a walk?"
I pulled back, reaching for his hand. "With you? Always."
—SB—
I placed my fork down, pushing the plate away from me. "That was amazing."
He smiled at me before taking a sip of his beer. "I'm really glad you enjoyed it."
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, staring at him. He was in a good mood. We chatted during dinner about a couple of the tattoos he'd done during the week, but still something seemed off with him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm fine, I promise. But I was wondering about something, and I guess I'm a little nervous to ask."
I reached across the table, resting my hand on his. "You know you can tell me or ask me anything, Edward."
"I know, baby." He took a deep breath, holding it for a second before letting it out. "Would you stay the night with me at my apartment?"
"Would I…Edward?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, a slight blush painting his cheeks. He glanced around the restaurant. Lowering his voice so only I could hear him, he replied, "Probably not the best place for this conversation, but I want this with you. I've thought about it a lot. I don't think I can wait much longer. Every touch, every kiss, I'm about to lose my damn mind, baby."
"You're sure? I don't want you to rush into this."
He shook his head, reaching over and clasping his hand over mine. "Bella, I love you. I'm not rushing. I want this. I want you."
I swallowed thickly. For years, I'd fantasized about what it would be like to be with him. How it would feel to have him above me, the weight of his body against mine, how he'd look when he came. But now, those thoughts were filled with a healthy dose of nerves.
"If you don't—"
"No!" I nearly shouted. "No, it's not that. Believe me, I want to. But maybe we should get out of here and head back to your place? I think we'd both be more comfortable continuing this conversation there."
His fingers brushed over my knuckles, his gaze never leaving mine. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
—SB—
The feel of his hand on my lower back as we walked through his door, and the way his thumb rubbed a steady slow circle, lit a fire inside of me.
He pulled me against him so that my back was to his front. I sucked in a deep breath, feeling the evidence of his arousal against me. He wrapped one hand around my waist, fingers playing with the small strip of skin exposed there. He brushed my hair from my neck with his other hand, nuzzling into me. "Can I get you anything? A glass of wine?" He breathed against my ear, sending a chill up my spine.
"I'm okay."
"I want this, Bella. Trust me, okay?"
"Okay," I whispered.
And he was right. I needed to trust him and the fact that he knew what he wanted. If he was ready, I'd follow his lead. He was the one in control tonight.