Good Morning, Loves!
All mistakes are on me.
Fifteen: Edward
August 29, 2022
Los Angeles California
"Are you ready?"
I look over at my sister. She's got her car keys in her hands, her purse over her shoulder. I nod to her, turning to scoop up my bag. "Bella?" I call into the guest room. I can hear her grunt.
"Hold your panties, Cullen!" She snaps.
Alice looks at me. "You going to be good over there without any sort of backup?" She's mostly joking, I know, but there is a tiny kernel of truth to what she's saying.
"I'm used to her trying to kill me," I say dismissively. "But…" I pause, my eyes flickering to the guest room. "I'm a little worried about Bella being too lonely." I look at my sister as realization dawns in her eyes. "I'm taking her from everyone she knows, and I know she's tough as hell, but she's going over there with no one but me. I'm worried that won't be enough to keep her totally fulfilled."
Alice nods slowly. "I hear what you're saying," she says softly. "I'll do what I can to encourage her to branch out from here."
I let out a breath and nod. It's something I've been worried about, but haven't voiced yet. I know Bella loves me, but she's uprooting her life and moving to a country she's never been to just for me. I want her to be just as happy and fulfilled with her dreams there as she's been in LA.
Bella comes out before I can say anything else, her bag slung over her shoulder. "Should I take these sedatives now, or at the airport?" she asks, holding up a small travel pill container.
"Sedative?" Alice asks.
Bella sniffs. "I've never flown this far and I'm not going to lie, it sounds like a fools game. My plan is to knock the fuck out through it."
I know she's anxious about the flight, even if she's not really come out and said it directly. I take a breath and stand up, moving to her side. "If you are set on taking them, wait until we're at the airport. We have a few hours ahead of us until we're on the plane, and I can't be hauling you through LAX."
She smirks, but nods, putting the pills in her pocket. I can see her nervousness in her shoulders and in the tension around her jaw and eyes. I feel like utter shit that I'm putting her through this. Why did I pick Cambridge to go back to school? There are plenty of universities here that would offer just as good of a program. Hell, UCLA is down the street from us, and where Bella graduated from with her BA.
I open my mouth to suggest the idea of staying, when Bella leans up and kisses me hard. It catches me off guard, and I grip her shoulders.
She pulls back and smiles at me. "All right, Cullen. Let's do this."
