CHAPTER 21 –

On Saturday morning, I was woken up by the alarm on Edward's phone, and I groaned. I reached over and hit his arm a couple of times. I heard him chuckle and the alarm stopped. I snuggled deeper into the blankets.

"Wake up, baby. We need to get a move on."

I opened one eye and glared at him before sighing heavily and sitting up. I held the sheet to my chest as I turned my body towards him. "Just because you're a morning person doesn't mean I have to be."

He smirked. "Stop being cranky. I'll get you a coffee on the way, but it's a four hour drive, and I'd like to get there about lunch time."

"Five minutes?"

"I already gave you twenty. The alarm's gone off three times now."

"Seriously?"

He nodded and got out of bed. I noticed then that he was only in his jeans and looked freshly showered.

"Okay." I sighed and got out of bed. I walked over to my bag and tried to figure out what to wear. I wanted to be comfortable since I'd been in the car for four hours, but I was also meeting his parents. I ended up in the jade Free People dress that Rosalie and Alice had given me, wearing it with my sandals and a lace bralette. Once I was dressed, I quickly put my hair in messy fishtail pigtails, did some simple makeup, and put on very simple gold rings and earrings.

"Ready?" Edward asked as he saw me zipping up my very full duffel bag.

"Ready."

We made our way to his truck, and he helped me in. When he got to the driver's seat, he started the truck, and I silently offered up a prayer to anyone that was listening to make the drive drag on like the one from Texas did. I was excited to meet his parents, but I was also quite intimidated. By the time I finished my offerings, we were crossing the state line into Mississippi.

"Scenic route?" I asked.

"I like this way the best. It takes a little longer, but the other way just feels like it drags on with all the highway driving. This one goes through a lot of small towns. There's really no convenient way to get there from Baton Rouge, which is part of the reason I don't like coming down."

"So, you didn't like going to visit your grandparents much?"

He shrugged. "I liked it once we finally got where we were going. They had a nice place on the water, so it was fun once we got there. They both died when I was in law school, so I haven't been back down there since my Maw-Maw's funeral."

I nodded and looked out of the window.

We talked a little bit more on the rest of the ride, but I mostly looked out of the window, taking in the scenery. There were some small towns, but a lot of the ride was long stretches of fields and trees. After we passed through Monroe, the remainder of the ride seemed to fly by. There were more people on the road, and since we were back on the interstate, Edward picked up his speed some. He had actually followed the speed limit in the little towns we passed through, but from what I could tell, that was only because the towns were definitely covered in speed traps.

We passed through Ruston on the interstate and took an exit a few miles down. Edward drove for about fifteen minutes before he turned off on a little gravel road in the woods. Eventually, the gravel road turned into a concrete driveway that led up to a gorgeous, two story farm-house that was painted a soft peach with dark green shutters and had a large wrap around porch. Off to the right about a dozen yards was a fenced pasture with cattle grazing and a large metal white barn with black trim back even further behind the fence about a hundred yards.

Edward pulled up behind a black Suburban and white King Ranch truck and shut off the truck. He looked over at me with a smile. "Ready?"

I nodded.

We got out of the truck, and Edward led me up the porch to a side door. We entered the house through a mudroom and then walked into a very open living space shaped like an L. The doorway led right into the gorgeous kitchen with a large, cozy living room on one side and dining room on the other.

"Ma!" Edward called and looked around the kitchen. There was a cooling rack of cookies near the stove, and he walked over and took one.

Just as he was taking his last bite, a petite woman with long reddish-brown hair that was just beginning to gray a little walked in from a hallway off the dining room. Her hair was pulled back with a clip, she wore a black cotton jumpsuit, held a coffee mug in one hand, and her feet were bare. I knew instantly that it was his mother, Esme.

"Edward Anthony!" She scolded. "Those are not for you, son."

Edward finished chewing and swallowed. "Oops."

She reached up and lightly knocked the side of his head with her hand before shaking her head at him with a smile. She pulled him in for a hug with her free arm. "How was the drive, my love?"

"Long." He replied as she released him. Edward reached for my hand and pulled me closer to his side. "Momma, this is Bella. Bella, this is my mom, Esme."

Esme smiled warmly at me and pulled me in for a tight hug. She was surprisingly strong for someone so little. "It's so nice to meet you, honey." Her voice was sweet and motherly, and it calmed my nerves a great deal.

"It's nice to meet you, too. Your house is gorgeous."

She beamed. "Thank you so much. I'll take you on a tour once y'all get settled in." She looked back to Edward. "Your daddy should be down any minute. He was on the phone with the clinic."

"I thought he cut his hours." Edward smirked.

Esme rolled her eyes. "That man… he can't keep still. I don't know why he thought retiring peacefully was even an option for him. He sold half of the herd and then went part time at work, and he's been driving me crazy ever since. And if he's not following me around like a shadow, he's calling the clinic to check on things there. I love him, but I think I'll kill him soon."

I smiled. Apparently, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree, and I realized quickly why Edward couldn't keep still for too long.

Edward laughed. "Are you surprised?"

"As if." Esme said and walked over to the coffee pot to refill her mug. "Do y'all want any coffee?"

Edward looked at me, but I shook my head. I was still jittery from the cup with an extra shot of espresso I'd had earlier, and I knew it would only make my nerves worse. "We're good, Ma. Thanks, though."

The man I assumed to be his father, Carlisle, walked into the kitchen then. He was about Edward's height with dark blue eyes, clean shaven, and combed blonde hair cut short. He was in jeans, brown leather moccasins, and a polo. He walked over to us and greeted Edward with a bright smile and a handshake.

"Bella, this is my father, Carlisle."

Carlisle smiled warmly at me and held out his hand. "Good to meet you, Miss Bella." His voice was very similar to Edward's, so much so that if Edward's accent started coming out, I don't know that I'd be able to tell the difference if I couldn't see which one of them was talking.

"It's nice to meet you, too." I said and shook his hand.

"Strong handshake." He complimented.

"Thank you, sir." I replied shyly.

"Are y'all hungry?" Esme asked. "I thought we could get lunch in town after you two get settled in. Carlisle's going to grill some steaks for dinner, but I figured a lunch out would be nice.

"That'll be fine." Edward replied. "I'll show Bella the room and then go get our things."

"Perfect." Esme replied.

Once we got upstairs, he pulled me down a wide hallway to the last door on the left. "This'll be us." He said and opened the door.

Edward let me go in and then walked back down to go get our things from his truck. I took the time to look around the room. It was cozy. Lace curtains framed two large windows. The queen sized bed was on a wrought iron frame and was covered with an intricate quilt and crochet blanket. The only other furniture in the room was two nightstands and a small dresser near the door. There were family pictures on the wall above it, and I walked closer to take a look.

There were some from Alice's wedding and a few of her from high school, but I focused in on the ones of Edward. There was one from high school of him in a baseball uniform, another of him in the show ring with a steer, one of him and Carlisle on a duck hunting trip, and three more with the whole family from each of his graduations: high school, undergrad, and law school.

"Don't I make gorgeous babies?" Esme's voice broke me from my trance as she stood by me to look at the pictures on the wall.

I nodded and laughed a little. "You do."

She smiled. "The door right here on the left is the bathroom." She said, pointing to one of the doors in the room. "The other is the closet. There should be extra towels and blankets in there, but if you need anything else just let me know."

"I think I'll have everything, Mrs. Esme, but I'll let you know. Thank you."

"No problem at all. I'm glad y'all stopped for a visit." She said as Edward walked into the room with our bags and set them on the floor by the bed. "Well, y'all just let me know when you're ready to go. We're not in a rush, so take as long as you need to get settled in." She left the room and shut the door behind her.

I sat down on the bed, and Edward sat next to me. "Initial thoughts?" He asked.

"Your parents seem really sweet. I don't know where you and Alice came from." I teased.

He rolled his eyes. "You're going to sleep with the barn cat if you keep it up, bellbottoms." He laughed. "Are you tired from the drive?"

"Not too much, actually."

"You're alright with going eat lunch with them, right? I'm sorry. I should have asked you."

"It's fine." I assured him with a little laugh.

"We'll probably ride separate. My dad said that he and my mom needed to run to the store before they came back home."

"Sounds good." I said and gave him a kiss.

We got up a few minutes later and left for lunch, following Esme and Carlisle. The restaurant was about twenty minutes away in downtown, which was cute and homey in the way that downtown areas in smaller cities were. Esme and Carlisle had already grabbed a table when Edward and I walked in, and we walked over and joined them. We made small talk for a little while we waited to order. Edward caught them up on how he was doing at work, and Carlisle talked a little about the farm and the clinic.

"Have you talked to your uncle recently?" Esme asked Edward.

He looked guilty for a moment. "No, I know I need to call him."

"He and Lizzie are thinking about moving back down south. He's retiring in August."

Edward looked shocked. "Back down to Paw's place?"

"Ha. Could you see your Aunt Lizzie living down there?" She shook her head.

"No, probably not." Edward chuckled.

"I told him to think about Bossier." Carlisle said. "But I'm getting the feeling that's still a little too quaint for them. I wouldn't be shocked if he moved out to Dallas or Houston."

"That does seem more on Aunt Lizzie's pace. I'll call him this week when we get back and tell him to let me or Alice know if they come down to look for places in Dallas."

Our food came, and we all started to eat.

"Well, if you want us to come out there while they're down, just let us know." Esme said, giving Edward a pointed look.

I briefly wondered what that was about because Edward only nodded once, glancing over at me briefly and smiling sweetly. It looked to be almost reassuring, and I got the feeling Aunt Lizzie was not as sweet and welcoming as her name sounded.

After that one awkward moment, the rest of lunch flowed with an easy conversation. Esme and Carlisle asked me a little bit about growing up in Fort Worth and my family, but they never asked about college or work. I was partially grateful and somewhat embarrassed and curious to know if Edward or Alice had given them a heads up about my patchy resume.

When we finished eating, we parted ways, and Edward told his parents he'd see them back at the house. Once we were in the truck and moving, Edward started pointing out a few different places in downtown.

When we were getting back on the interstate, I looked at Edward. "Can I ask why I get the feeling your mom doesn't get along well with your aunt and uncle?"

Edward sighed. "Well, she does get along with J.R. She talks to him once or twice a week at least. Lizzie is just a little… high maintenance, and you've met my mom. She's a very salt of the earth, genuinely grounded person, and J.R. is too. That's just how they were raised. So, it's just very hard for Momma to deal with the fact that he married someone that doesn't really live by the same principles."

I nodded in understanding. "And so, she offered to come be a buffer for you and Alice if your aunt and uncle came down."

He shook his head. "No, baby. She offered to come for you."

My eyes widened.

"Lizzie loves Alice and me. They never had any kids of their own, so the two of us were the closest to her own kids that she had. And both of us moved off to the city and have good jobs and nice places to live. She thinks that we've 'made something of ourselves'." He said the last sentence in what seemed disgust. "Alice and I know how to show face to her and let her comments roll off without a thought. We've been doing it for our entire lives. My mom is worried about Lizzie running you off."

"Seriously?"

He looked at me for a moment and smirked. "My parents like you, Bella. A lot." He looked back at the road and sighed heavily. "And Lizzie liked…" He trailed off, but I knew who he was talking about. Tanya.

"Yikes." I muttered.

"Exactly."

"Your parents just met me, though." I murmured.

"But they know that you're authentic and sweet and polite. That goes a long way with them, especially my mom. My dad is pretty laid back. He can get along with just about anyone. But my mom's tolerance for bullshit and fake people is incredibly low. Probably even lower than yours is." He chuckled.

That's pretty fucking low.

I didn't realize it, but we were back near his parent's house. Edward turned down the gravel driveway and parked where he had before.

"Do you want to get a little lay of the land here? I can go grab a four wheeler, and we can take a ride." He asked as he opened my door.

"Sure, sounds like fun."

He smiled. "Okay. Meet me by the garage. I'll go get the key and meet you there."

I nodded and hopped out of the truck. As Edward headed inside to grab the key, I walked to the large wooden barn garage that was catacorner at the back right side of the house. It was painted to match the house, and it blended in flawlessly. It butted up to the pasture, and I walked over to the fence to look at the cattle. I turned around when I heard one of the garage doors rolling up. Edward went into the barn, and I followed behind.

Inside, there were a couple of four wheelers, a boat, a classic truck with the hood popped open, a bunch of large metal toolboxes, and a lot of wood working equipment and supplies.

Edward got on the bigger of the two four wheelers and started it. "Ya comin'?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

Hmmm. There's my country boy.

I nodded and hopped on behind him, lightly resting my hands on his waist. I realized then that a dress was definitely a bad choice, but I tried my best to bunch it tightly around my legs. He backed out of the garage and then took off towards the woods, and I quickly wrapped my arms tight around him. I should've known better than to think he'd go an average speed. He slowed down some once he got into the tree line and on the trail in the woods. After about fifteen minutes of riding and a couple of turns, we came up by a little clearing on a creek, and he parked.

He looked over his shoulder at me and nodded me to move to the front of him. "Come see."

I shook my head at him, smiling and got up only for him to back up a bit so I could sit by the handlebars, facing him. I threw my legs over his on either side and rested my feet on the back of the four wheeler, and he pulled me in close and kissed me. "How many times did this get you laid in high school, Cullen?"

He smirked. "Well, I never used this particular move, but I'm sure it would've been quite successful."

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I love you." His eyes were bright with mischief, and he was still smirking. It didn't hinder the sincerity in his voice, and I couldn't help but smile softly back at him.

"I love you, too." It was only the second time saying it out loud, but it already felt more natural than I had ever imagined.

His phone started ringing, and he pulled it from his back pocket. "Hello?... Yes ma'am. I'm just showing Bella the trails. We'll be back in a few minutes… Alright. Bye, Ma." He hung up and pecked my lips. "My parents just got back, and my dad has a few things he wants to get done with the cattle this weekend that I offered to help him with. I'm sure my mom will have some sweet tea or blackberry wine waiting on the back porch for you." Edward chuckled.

"Sounds lovely." I smiled.

"Do you want to drive back? I'll tell you where to go."

I nodded eagerly, and he laughed as I quickly turned to face the right way. It took us a little longer to get back to the house when I was driving. I didn't know the trails well enough to go as fast as he had.

Esme was sitting on the back porch swing, sipping on a glass of wine when we walked back to the house from the garage. "Y'all didn't have to rush back up here." She said.

"Dad's got some work I'm going to go help him with." Edward explained.

"Is that why he was rushing me all through the grocery store? So he can come home and work cattle with his little mini me?"

Edward shrugged, smiling apologetically.

Esme laughed. "You go on. Bella, you'll keep me company, right, honey?"

"Yes ma'am. I'd just like to change first." I was tired of having to be careful how I sat in this dress.

"No problem. Edward can show you where the wine and wine glasses are when you come back down. Just meet me out here when you're finished."

I nodded and followed Edward into the house to the room we were staying in. I went over to my bag and pulled out some leggings and a flowy white t-shirt that hung off my shoulder. When I looked back up from digging, I saw that Edward had changed his shirt and was rolling up the sleeves of a khaki cotton work button down that, like all of his other shirts, fit his biceps snugly. Gah, he looked good. I pushed the thoughts away and rushed to get changed. When I was finished, Edward threw on a worn out baseball cap and pulled me out of the room with him. I followed him, barefoot, still slightly in a daze and caught up in my farm boy fantasies.

"Well, shit, I'm sorry, baby, but I think my mom drank the house damn near dry." Edward joked as he looked in a wine cooler at the wet bar in the dining room.

"It's fine. I'll just take a water or whatever."

"You sure?"

I nodded.

He walked to the fridge in the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water. He cracked it open and then handed it to me.

When we walked outside, and Esme saw the water in my hand, she frowned slightly. "You're going to make me drink alone?" She teased.

Edward laughed. "Well, Ma, she doesn't have a choice. You only have about a half glass left in the bottle in the cooler."

Her eyes widened. "For true?"

"For true." Edward responded, mimicking her voice dramatically.

"Well shit, you go on and help your daddy. Bella and I are going to go on a field trip. That's just not gonna last us the weekend."

Edward shook his head at his mom before he kissed my forehead. "Please make sure she behaves." He laughed.

Esme huffed. "Oh, go on, you. I named you after the wrong damn person, Carlisle."

He chuckled and then jogged down the steps towards the pasture gate.

"You don't listen to them, my girl. Just for that, we're not bringing them anything back from the liquor store." Esme giggled. I couldn't help the little smile I had when she called me 'my girl'. Edward was the only other person who ever called me that, and it made me feel just as loved and adored coming from her as much as it did coming from him.

"Sounds good to me." I laughed.

Esme and I went inside to get our shoes and purses and then loaded up in her Suburban. We went back towards town, and Esme turned into a liquor store right off the interstate. I had to admit that it was quite convenient in its location.

When she parked, she turned to look at me. "You're not a whiskey snob like my son, are you?" She asked.

I laughed loudly. "No, ma'am."

She smiled brightly. "I knew I liked you. Let's go." She said and opened her door.

We were in and out of the store quickly, and when we got back to the house, we each got ourselves a drink before going back outside and sitting on the back porch swing.

"So, Alice told me that the two of you are close?" Esme asked.

I nodded. "She and Jasper have both been really good to me since I started working at the bar."

She smiled. "Those two are both something else. And that Jasper… I always hoped those two would find a way together somehow. Ever since he and Edward first became friends, I liked him for her."

"They are sweet together." I agreed. "And she's honestly probably one of the best friends I've ever had."

"She's very loyal." Esme said, and she looked more serious for a moment. "Don't you let those two push you around, no. They're both their daddy's children. Edward, even more so. I know how they can get, and if they need to be put in their place, don't be afraid to."

I smiled reassuringly at her. "I know, and I do."

"I can tell you've got it in you, but I just wanted to make sure I got that across. They're my babies, but they can still be pains in the ass." She joked before sighing heavily. "I feel like there's one more person you need a disclaimer on. I'm sure you heard us talking about Lizzie at lunch."

I nodded. "Yes ma'am, and Edward explained a little bit of it." I replied softly.

"I'm sure he tried to be a gentleman about it, but Bella, honey, there's no other way to put it besides just saying she's just kind of a bitch."

My eyes widened at Esme's bluntness.

"It seems harsh, but I just want you to be prepared for when you meet her. You're a good girl, and you're good for Edward. She's not been known to make newcomers feel welcome, and I don't want her to be a possible cause of a rift between the two of you." She shook her head.

I was touched at her concern for me and my relationship with her son. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Mrs. Esme." I said and sipped my beer.

It wasn't much later than that when we could see Carlisle and Edward walking back to the house. The sun was just beginning to set. Carlisle and Esme went back into the house to start working on dinner, and Edward took his mother's spot next to me on the swing. He was sweaty and looked exhausted as he slouched against the wood slats. I handed him my nearly fresh beer, and he smiled sweetly at me before taking it from me and taking a long swig from it.

"How was the field trip?" He teased as he turned his cap backwards.

I laughed and turned to sit sideways and face him. "Your mom's really cool," was all I replied as I rested my head on my hand and pulled my legs up on the seat.

"Yeah. She is." He chuckled. "The first time she found alcohol hiding in my room, I was sixteen, and she got pissed not because I was drinking it but because I was hiding it and not planning on sharing."

"Seriously?" I giggled. My dad would've grounded me for life.

He nodded. "They had their rules. We knew what was expected of us in school and work and extra curriculars, but when it came to doing dumb teenage shit, we got pretty lucky to have the type of parents that never got on our asses too much about it. We knew we could call them if something ever happened and that the consequences wouldn't be too harsh unless we really fucked something up. Usually, all that happened was that my dad would get us up right before daylight and haul our asses to the pasture to work cattle, hungover as hell."

"Alice worked in the pastures?" I asked disbelievingly.

Edward laughed. "Watching her out there really is quite hysterical. Sometimes, I think my parents purposely waited up for her more times than they had for me, just to get some entertainment the next morning."

"Ruthless." I laughed.

"She showed up there in her favorite shoes the first time, and my dad refused to let her go back in and change. She learned after that. Really she should've known better from the get-go."

He continued to tell me stories about growing up here, and I laughed so much that the corners of my mouth were starting to ache a little from the large smiles.

"Dinner's ready, you two." Esme said she poked her head out the back door, smiling brightly as us for a moment before ducking back inside.

Edward and I got up and headed inside. We had dinner at their dining room table, and I enjoyed feeling like I was part of their family. It was nice to be a part of what seemed like the stereotypical family that got portrayed in movies and shows. I never thought families like that really existed.

I had a good childhood, but it was no secret that being raised by a single father and an older brother that acted like a second father wasn't exactly the ideal situation to grow up in. And I was lucky enough that Emmett was so much older than me that I'd also had Rosalie in my life as that female big sister figure since I was eleven. I loved the three of them to pieces, but a part of me wondered how different things would have turned out if Renee actually had been a decent human being. If we had been a real family, would I have made half the decisions I did?

But it all came right back to the fact that those decisions led me right where I was. And even if I wasn't part of an idyllic family then… I had one through Edward now.

When dinner was finished, Edward and I went into the bedroom. The long drive was catching up to me, so I knew he was probably even more ready for bed than I was. I let him shower first, and I waited quietly on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and letting my mind wander. After about twenty minutes, I heard the shower shut off, and Edward emerged shortly after, shirtless in some loose athletic shorts. He laid down next to me in bed and threw his arm over me.

"So, what's the agenda for tomorrow?" I asked him softly.

"I figured we could just stick around the house during the day and then tomorrow night, we could go out for dinner with a couple of my buddies and their wives and girlfriends. If that's alright with you."

I turned to look at him, and he already looked half asleep with his eyes closed and his slow, even breathing. "Sure, that's alright." I reached up and scratched his scruffy cheek. "I'm going to go shower."

His eyes opened just a little to look at me as he nodded.

I kissed his nose and slid out from under his arm to go to the bathroom.

While I was showering, I kept thinking about the day and meeting Edward's parents. As awful as it was, it hadn't really occurred to me that if I was meeting his parents, Edward should probably meet my dad.

I had visited my dad a handful of times since I'd been back in Fort Worth, usually between running errands. And I'd try to call or text him at least once every other week. He never asked me to stay at his house for very long when I stopped by, and we didn't say much when we talked. I could tell how happy he was that I was back in Fort Worth, and part of me knew that he was worried about pushing me away. Though we had never had the type of relationship to sit and talk for hours anyway. We were both too quiet for that.

But before I could even think about introducing my dad to Edward, I had to tell him about Edward. I hadn't brought a guy home since Jacob, and I wasn't sure how well that would go over.

My thinking kept me in the shower too long, so I shut the water off and wrapped myself in one of the big, fuzzy towels Esme had out in the guest bathroom. When I walked back into the room to get some clothes from my duffel, Edward was scrolling through something on his phone, brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him as I dug through my bag for my hoodie and shorts.

"Apparently, Jasper got a new boat this weekend." He started, and I tried to hold in my giggle. I couldn't believe Alice actually gave in. "Honestly, I think I want one. I'm looking at them now, and really, I don't think it would be a bad idea."

"Do you even fish?" I laughed, pulling out my clothes.

"I mean, I don't not fish. I have fished. It's been a while, though."

I shook my head at him and went into the bathroom to put on my clothes and brush my teeth. I came back out and leaned on the doorway. "You live in an apartment, E. Where are you going to put a boat?"

He shrugged. "I could get a house. Winnie could use a yard anyway."

I shut off the lights in the bathroom and bedroom and crawled into bed next to Edward. He was still scrolling through bass boats on his phone when I cuddled into his side.

"Do you really need one if Jasper has one?"

Edward snorted. "Bellbottoms… that's exactly why I do need one."

I rolled my eyes and flipped over to go to sleep. "You two are ridiculous." I giggled. "Is the Volvo going to pull a boat?"

"I have a truck. We drove my truck here." He argued as he wrapped his arm around my waist and slid his other arm under my neck.

I nestled into his embrace and closed my eyes. "E… honey. That truck is…" I shook my head. "She's a little wore out."

"Nah."

I giggled.

"And you're one to talk, '02 Firebird. Pontiac doesn't even exist anymore."

I pouted. "I love my car."

"I love my truck." We stayed silent for a few more minutes before he started talking again. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say. "But ya know, if I'm already going to get a new house and new boat, why not a new truck, too?"

"Yeah, I knew that was coming." I laughed.

Edward adjusted a little and pushed me down onto my back, and my eyes flew open to see him over me. "You think you're so smart, don't you?" He taunted.

"Oh, I know I am." I said confidently.

He smirked and leaned down to kiss me. Before long, his tongue had slipped into my mouth and one of his hands was under my hoodie, sliding up my stomach.

I laughed against his lips and caught his hand. "What do you think you're doing?"

He pulled back and raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, baby, I think it's pretty obvious." He leaned in to kiss me again, but I turned so that his lips fell on my neck. He looked at me and pouted. "Seriously? They're all the way downstairs and across the house."

I shook my head. "No, sir."

He pursed his lips and rolled off of me to lay on his back beside me. I closed my eyes, and we laid in silence for a couple of moments. "Ya sure?"

"Edward Cullen." I chided playfully.

"I love you." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I love you, too." I replied. "But you're still not getting laid tonight."

"Tomorrow morning?" He asked hopefully.

"Law school… I'm gonna beat your ass."

He chuckled, wrapped an arm around me, and kissed my cheek. "Goodnight, baby."

"Night, E."

A/N We are nearing the end, and while it's very bittersweet, it has been so fun for my to write this story and then be able to view it from y'all's perspectives through your reviews. There's six chapters, a little bit of drama, and an epilogue still left. And I'm glad y'all have stuck around for this story. Until the next one, bebs.