Hello, my loves. So sorry for the delay. Life these days, am I right? Hope you all are safe and doing well xo
A bit of a recap, since it's been a while: Last chapter was Edward's POV, we heard about all his first impressions of Bella, and then he received the phone call from Jacob. Dead cats inside her car *shudder* He's comforting his poor angel and trying to get her through this.
I found Bella in the kitchen, sipping a glass of red wine. A freshly opened bottle sat on the counter next to her and she silently lifted it towards me in question, but I declined. I leaned against the island and she walked over to stand in front of me, the hand not holding her wine glass coming to rest on my waist. She looked so tired, and I cupped her cheek, brushing my thumb over the soft skin beneath her eye.
"Word on the street is that you haven't had dinner yet."
"No, I haven't," she said with a sigh.
"How do you feel about taking a hot shower, and I'll fix you something to eat, huh? I'm at your beck and call tonight, my angel."
"You'll stay with me?" Her tone was hopeful.
"All night, if that's what you want."
"I want," she whispered, before leaning up a pressing a soft kiss to my mouth. "And a shower does sound pretty good right now."
"Good. You go do what you need to, take your time, and I'll have some food ready, okay?"
"Do you cook, Edward? I don't think I ever asked."
"I can navigate a kitchen," I said with a smile. "Come find me when you're done."
"Okay. There's plenty of stuff to choose from; I don't get to cook as often as I'd like to, but Mrs. Mavis does, and she takes care of the grocery shopping."
I nodded, certain I could put something together. As she turned and made her way towards the hall to her bedroom, I couldn't help but admire the perfect curve of her ass, encased in snug trousers. She smiled sweetly at me before disappearing around the corner.
She had no fucking clue what that smile did to me.
Bella was right about her kitchen being well stocked, and after looking through the fridge and pantry I decided to make some homemade mac and cheese. It was one of the very first things my mother taught me to cook as a teenager, and it was the ultimate comfort food. My Bella needed some comfort. I took out a block of cheddar cheese and some butter and cream from the fridge and set a pot of water to boil for the bowtie pasta I found in the pantry. Some flour and spices were quickly located, and by the time Bella made her way into the kitchen after her shower, I had everything almost done.
She looked completely adorable in a pair of pink flannel pajama bottoms and a little black t-shirt that read "You're Killin' Me Smalls!". Her damp hair hung in a thick braid over one shoulder and her face was free of any makeup. She was sweetness and beauty, and my heart clenched again at the thought that someone had done something so cruel to her.
"Feel better?" I asked as I drained the pasta into a colander in the sink.
"I do. And, I'm actually quite hungry," she replied, peeking into the pot of cheese sauce. "Mac and cheese? That sounds amazing right about now. Good choice, baby."
Letting the pasta drip for a few moments in the sink, I pulled her close to me and she snuggled in with a little hum, her arms going around my waist. The scent of peaches was fresh and luscious, and I couldn't help but press my lips to the side of her neck.
"I've missed you, by the way. I can't believe how much," I told her, my mouth traveling to her chin where I pressed another kiss.
"I've missed you, too," she replied softly, tilting her head to look at me.
I lowered my head and captured her mouth and, God, her lips were so soft and full as they molded to mine. We kissed for long, unhurried moments, reacquainting ourselves with each other's mouths, lips, tongues. With each stroke, every taste, she melted more into me. I sucked on her bottom lip, gently bit it, before sliding my tongue against hers with a groan of pleasure, just fucking losing myself in the wet heat of her mouth. I felt her fingers clutching my back, fisting handfuls of my shirt. She trembled in my arms, her sexy little moan permeating the haze of lust blanketing my brain, and I knew I had to stop before I swung her up onto the kitchen counter and ripped those adorable PJ bottoms off. Tonight wasn't the time, not yet. She'd been so upset, and I wanted, needed, to take care of her.
I slowly gentled my kisses, brushing my lips lightly over her cheeks and forehead and nose before tucking her under my chin.
"It'll just take me a minute to finish this. Where do you want to eat? In here or maybe on the terrace?" I asked her.
"In here," she replied. "Let's eat on the couch and see of there's anything good on TV."
I mixed the sauce and noodles together, and even though I'd already eaten at my parents, I still scooped myself some and brought our bowls to the living room area. We sat together on the couch and she found a cable channel that was playing Pulp Fiction. Eating and talking, watching the movie, she became more and more relaxed. Ginger and Maryann wandered around for a bit before they both settled onto the plush ottoman. When we had finished the mac and cheese, I set the bowls on the coffee table and Bella snuggled up against me.
"I'm really glad you're here," she eventually murmured.
"I'm so sorry this happened, but please don't ever hesitate to call if you need me, okay?"
"Okay. Also, you make fuckawesome mac and cheese."
I laughed at her proclamation, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"My mom taught me how."
"Then your mom is fuckawesome, too."
"I would agree."
The movie played and little by little, I felt her melt more and more against me until it was obvious she had fallen asleep. My poor angel. I held her quietly for a while, half watching the TV but my mind was still thinking of everything that could be done to find out who had killed those poor cats and scared the everloving shit out of Bella. Animal cruelty and breaking into a car were serious charges, and I really hoped evidence was found that could point us in the right direction. Maybe it was some weirdo who had heard about her in the news recently.
Eventually my arm started to fall asleep and I had no choice but to move. I tried to pull it out from behind Bella as gently as possible, but she still stirred.
"Don't go," she mumbled, her eyes slowly blinking open.
"I'm not," I assured her. "But, my arm went numb. Come on, lets get you to bed."
I stood and offered her my hand, which she took. We made our way to the bedroom and the cats followed us, meowing loudly.
"Wait, I have to feed them," Bella said with a wide yawn. "They know it's that time."
"You get ready for bed and I'll take care of them. Just tell me what to do."
"In the laundry room, there's a blue cabinet with a container of food and their bowls. There's a scoop inside the container, and they each get one scoop. And will you check that their water bowl is full?"
"Sure thing. I'll throw the dishes in the dishwasher, too. Be right back."
I found everything where Bella said it was and left the two cats happily munching on their kibble as I took care of the few dishes in the kitchen. I half expected to find her asleep when I made it to the bedroom, but she'd pulled the duvet back and was sitting up against the headboard, her arms wrapped around her drawn up knees. She was staring down at something in her hand. As I got closer, I saw it was a tiny pill. She looked very small and young in the huge bed, and I sat down next to her.
"The doctors gave me these in case I had trouble sleeping," she said quietly. "I never took even one after I got out of the hospital. I wanted to be able to put it all behind me on my own, without any drugs. And for the most part, I have. But, tonight... I don't know, Edward. Tonight I feel like I might just need a little help. Does that make me weak?" Her voice cracked and I felt my heart break for her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.
"Absolutely not," I assured her. "It makes you human, Bella. Take it from me, there are things that you see in life that you'll never forget, as much as you wish you could. And for you, I think what happened tonight is one of those things. It might fade eventually, but it will never fully disappear from your mind. And right now, while it's still so fresh? You do whatever you need to, my angel. There's absolutely no shame in taking that pill."
She sniffed and quickly put the pill in her mouth, swallowing it dry.
"Do you need anything else?"
She shook her head. "Just you."
"You have me," I promised. "I told you, I'm here for you tonight."
"I don't want my car anymore," she announced abruptly. "I can't get back inside it, Edward. I know even if it's all cleaned up I'll still see the blood." Her voice rose in pitch and I heard the edge of panic. I was glad she'd taken the pill. Despite her little nap on the couch earlier, I feared she'd be unable to settle down and sleep much at all without the pharmaceutical help.
"Then you get a different car," I soothed. I knew the events of the day had her overwrought and on edge. "I'll make sure all your things get removed from it, and you never have to see it again, okay?"
She nodded against my shoulder.
"This is different than James," she eventually whispered. "I wasn't hesitant about coming home afterwards, even though his attack happened here." A soft tremble went through her and I rubbed her back. "He hurt me, yes, but it was only me. I recovered, and I think I've done a pretty good job of moving on with my life." She sat back a little and lifted her hands to cup my face between them. I could see the raw emotion in her beautiful brown eyes. "Especially since I have you, now." She pressed a fleeting kiss to my mouth before continuing. "But this, someone actually set out to kill two poor, innocent animals for the sole purpose of scaring me to death, and I can't help but feel like I'm somehow responsible for them being dead, Edward."
"Hey, hey, this is not your fault, Bella," I protested, sliding my hands up her arms and holding her by the shoulders, making sure she looked at me before continuing. "The only person responsible for those poor cats being killed is the sick fuck who did it. You didn't do anything wrong."
She let out a little hiccuping sob, and I held her while she cried.
Everything I knew about Bella, had learned about her, told me she was a very strong and capable woman, and it was heartbreaking to watch her go through this. Whoever the asshole was that had done this, they'd hit her where it really hurt. Her heart was so tender when it came to her cats, and animals in general. She just adored them.
"Will you sleep here, in my bed with me, Edward?" she asked me when she'd calmed down.
"Yes, if that's what you want."
"I do. I want to be close to you tonight. Will we still be able to have our weekend? I don't want this to change our plans."
"It won't," I told her. "You heard Eric; these things take time. There's nothing we can do at the moment until the results from your car come back, and he'll let us know if they find anything else. Tomorrow I'll run home and take care of a few things and then come and pick you up, okay?"
"Okay," she said tiredly. "I left you a new toothbrush in my bathroom. And there's a pair of shorts in there, too, if you want them. They're Seth's and they're clean."
"Thank you, I'll be right back."
I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then changed into the navy basketball shorts. I left my t-shirt on. Not that I didn't want the feel of her against my bare skin, because fuck did I ever. But tonight wasn't the time for that; she was still overwrought and I was hoping the sleeping pill would help her get a good night's rest.
When I returned to the bedroom, she had closed the blackout shades and the only light now was coming from a nightlight on the wall next to her closet. I could see enough to tell which side of the bed she was on, and I walked around to the other side, setting my phone down on the nightstand. As soon as I slid under the duvet, she moved towards me and I tangled our legs together, rubbing her back as she settled. She felt so good in my arms.
"Wow, you were right," I murmured against the crown of her head. "This bed really is like a cloud."
I felt her shake lightly, heard her soft giggle.
"I did tell you," she said.
We were quiet for a while and I thought maybe she had fallen asleep, but then she spoke quietly, not moving except to burrow just a bit tighter into my chest.
"You're the first man that's ever been in this bed," she said, surprising me.
"Am I?" I couldn't deny that the thought pleased me.
She nodded slightly.
"James never was. He rarely ever came up here. Like I said in my statement, we would usually meet downstairs or out somewhere. He was out of town a lot. We went away on a couple of weekend trips together, and I stayed at his apartment twice, but he never stayed here. Looking back, I guess it's odd that he never did, but now I'm just so glad. I have no real memories of him in this room, or this bed, and I like it that way."
"I do, too," I admitted.
"Before James, I hadn't had a steady boyfriend in years. When the hotel first opened I was just so busy, not even thinking about getting into a relationship. I'm not saying I lived the life of a nun," she said with a little snort. "But nothing was ever serious enough that I wanted to bring anyone to my home, or my bed. I had fun, and I was responsible, but yeah. Until you, I've been quite happy to keep my bed off-limits."
She still hadn't moved from her snuggled position, and I rubbed my cheek against the top of her head.
"I'm quite happy that you have allowed me in," I told her.
"I don't think I ever had a choice, Edward. Honestly, from the very beginning, there was just something about you. Something I couldn't ignore, and didn't really want to."
She raised her head finally, and pressed her soft lips to mine in a sweet and tender kiss.
"Thank you," she whispered against my mouth before laying back down again. "Thank you for taking care of me." Her voice was beginning to slur a bit and I knew the sleeping pill was kicking in.
"Like you said, I don't think I ever really had a choice," I said softly. And it was the truth.
Yeah, I really REALLY didn't like the thought of James in that decadent bed. Yuck. So, I have it on good authority that Edward really DOES make a fuckawesome mac and cheese. Just sayin'. Also, the best Paella ever is in Ybor City at the Colombian restaurant, OMG amazing. Guh, now I want some. Thank you all so much for reading! Let me know your thoughts.