CHAPTER 23

"He asked you to what?" Rosalie screeched.

"He wants to get a house together." I repeated.

"I need a shot."

"Of what?" I asked.

"Fucking anything. We're in a bar, aren't we?"

It was a slow Tuesday afternoon, and Rosalie came into the bar straight after work for a visit. We were practically alone except for Jasper in his office and three customers sitting at a booth in the corner. As soon as she sat down, I started telling her everything from the weekend—from Tyler and Edward's sort of fight to meeting his friends and parents—and about what Edward had asked me last night. She seemed to be in even more shock than what I was in.

I grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniel's and a shot glass. I poured her shot, and she quickly downed it before taking a deep breath.

"What are you gonna tell him?" She asked me.

"I have no idea."

"Your brother is gonna have a heart attack… and your dad. Shit, I need another shot."

I hadn't thought of that.

Fuck. I need one, too.

I looked at the clock. My shift ended in seven minutes. It was close enough. I let the other bartender know I was clocking out and poured two more shots before going to the other side of the bar. Rosalie waited for me to sit down, and we both took our shots.

"This is insane, right?" I asked her.

"Fucking completely." She said and sipped her beer. She turned to me, studying me. "Are you like legit thinking about this?"

"Honestly?"

She nodded.

"Yeah."

Rosalie smiled a little. "I mean, maybe it's not completely insane."

"No, you're supposed to be my voice of reason, Ro." I groaned.

"Who's saying it's not reasonable?"

"We literally just both did."

She shrugged. "Maybe I was premature."

I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands.

"What's wrong with you?" Alice asked as she walked behind the bar. She must have snuck in at some point during what must have been my third meltdown of the day.

I looked wide eyed at Rosalie, silently asking her if I should mention anything to Alice. Rosalie only shrugged.

"Excuse me, ladies! What's going on?" Alice asked, getting annoyed.

"Has Jasper talked to Edward today?" I asked.

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. Why?" Her eyes narrowed.

"So, you don't know anything about this weekend?" I checked.

"I mean I know about the thing with Tyler after I called Edward Friday night. And I know you met my parents? Did everything go alright with that?"

I nodded. "They were really sweet."

Alice smiled. "I told you so." Her smile fell. "So, what are you being so evasive about?"

"So, you haven't heard anything from your brother since we picked up Winnie last night?"

She huffed just as Jasper emerged from his office and started making his way towards the bar. "Have you talked to my brother today?" She asked him irritably.

"No… should I have?" He looked over at me.

"Oh, for the love of Christ." Rosalie muttered. "Edward asked Bella to move in with him last night." She blurted out.

"What?" They both yelled.

"He asked you to move in?" Alice asked slowly.

I nodded.

"Well, not exactly." Rosalie interrupted.

I sighed.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait. I need a timeline." Jasper said. "Last I heard, he was still terrified of running you off and now all of sudden, he asks you to move in?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yeah. And you wanna know why? You and that goddamn bass boat. This is your doing, Jasper Hale."

"H-what?" He asked loudly with a smirk.

"If you hadn't gotten a new boat, he wouldn't have started looking at boats. And he can't keep a boat at the apartment, so now he's looking at houses. And he wants me to look at houses with him. So that we can live in it. Together."

"He wants to get a house with you?" Alice asked.

I nodded.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." She moaned. I smiled a little. She sounded exactly like Esme when she said it. "Well, are you gonna do it?"

"I don't know."

"But you're considering it?" Jasper asked.

I nodded.

"I need a shot." Alice said.

"That's what I said!" Rosalie exclaimed.

"I think you should do it." Jasper said simply, shrugging.

"Me, too." Rosalie agreed with a head nod.

"Are you two completely fucking crazy?" Alice yelled. "They've been together for three months. They haven't even said 'I lo-" She snapped her head to me. "Have you told him yet?"

I pursed my lips and nodded slightly. Her eyes softened a little.

"I would've moved in with you after three months." Jasper interjected.

"Yeah, but we knew each other for years before we were even a couple." Alice argued, shaking her head as if to snap back into the moment before she looked back at me. "Don't you dare think you have to do this, Bella. It's your decision. If you want to, then I support it. But this is something you really gotta be sure about."

"I know, Ali. And… he said he still has five months on his lease, so he's going to start looking at houses now. But I have time to decide what I want to do."

Her expression changed completely. "In five months?"

"Yes…"

"You should do it." She said.

"What the hell? What happened to being my devil's advocate with these cheesy jackasses?"

"Bella… listen to yourself, honey. You hate commitment. You can't even get a tattoo because you hate commitment so much. You haven't dated a guy longer than a couple weeks in the past two years. You never even considered it. Hell, my brother caught you trying on a fucking wedding dress and you still didn't freak out." I cringed a little as she continued, "And now you're sitting here in front of me, telling me that you are seriously considering moving in with him in five months when you'll have been together for roughly eight months by then? That doesn't seem like a sign to you?"

My jaw dropped, and I shook my head. "I need a smoke." I hopped out of my barstool and walked outside to the patio section.

I was halfway through my cigarette when Jasper walked outside. I offered him one, and he took it. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Jasper spoke.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed this or not yet, but Edward's extremely driven. Kinda intense at times. He doesn't really half ass shit, ya know? It takes something special to capture his interest, but if he's in, he's all in. He's been that way ever since he graduated law school. With work, investments… relationships. I know it can be pretty intimidating for someone who doesn't have that same kind of competitive spirit, but as intense and passionate as he is, everything he does is extremely calculated. He doesn't take risks unless he's comfortable with the consequences. And woman… asking you to move in with him was a pretty big fucking risk."

I nodded and tapped some ash off of my cigarette. "I do know that, Jas. But he didn't even tell you that he asked me to move in with him. He tells you everything. You don't think that, in this one instance, maybe he acted uncharacteristically impulsive?"

He smirked and shook his head. "Nah. I think he leaves the impulsivity and spontaneity to you."

I rolled my eyes and smiled a little before taking one last drag from my cigarette.

"Bella, have you thought about the fact that he was with Tanya twice as long as he was with you, and he never even thought about asking her to move in? She was literally begging him to, and he broke up with her for it. That doesn't make you feel any more confident in his decision at all? Hell, maybe even a little cocky?"

I laughed. "Maybe a little." I admitted. "But I tend to leave the overconfidence to him."

Jasper chuckled and put his cigarette out in an ashtray. "Just keep thinking about it, alright?"

I nodded. "I am."

He walked back inside, and I hopped up on the banister and leaned against a post. My phone started ringing and I pulled it from my back pocket, smiling when I saw Edward's name.

"Hey, you." I greeted.

"Hey, baby, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna be stuck at the office until late catching up. I don't think I'll be able to do dinner."

I pouted to myself a little. "Okay, that's fine. Do you want me to go let Winnie out and feed her?"

"That would be very sweet of you, but you don't have to."

"I don't mind. I'll get Alice's key."

"Thank you, bellbottoms. I'll see you when I get home. Love you."

"Love you, too." I hung up the phone and passed inside to let the others know I was leaving and to get Edward's apartment key from Alice before going to my car.

When I got to Edward's apartment, Winnie greeted me excitedly at the door, and I grabbed her leash and brought her downstairs to use the bathroom and walk around for a bit. Once we were back inside, I fed her, flipped on the television, and wondered what I was going to do about dinner. Nothing that had delivery was sounding very good, and Edward's apartment was pretty bare since he had been gone since Thursday.

I settled on whiskey and a piece of the pie Esme had sent back with us.

Once I finished eating, I showered and changed, poured a fresh drink, turned off the television, and hooked my phone up to his speakers before going outside and curling up in one of his balcony chairs. It was a warm, spring air, and the sun was setting. Winnie came to lay at the foot of my chair, I smiled a little to myself remembering my conversation with Edward the first night he watched the bar for Jasper and Alice when they were out of town. It seemed like ages ago, and I never expected to turn into the old man in the CMT movies myself.

At about nine, the front door opened, and Winnie ran over to Edward as he walked in. He looked mentally exhausted, but he had a sweet smile as we walked toward me.

He bent down and gave me a kiss. He raised an eyebrow when he pulled away, smirking. "Are you tipsy?"

"Maybe a little." I admitted in a playful whisper.

"What are you drinking?"

"Bird Dog."

He made of a face. "Of all the…" He chuckled and sat down in the chair next to me. "Nevermind." Winnie hopped up in his lap.

"What?"

"You're sipping Devil Dog in April? Do you really miss winter that much already?" He teased as he scratched Winnie's ears.

I shrugged. "Paired well with the pecan pie."

He smirked. "Did you have pie and whiskey for supper?"

"Maybe." I giggled.

"Honestly doesn't sound too bad." He mused.

"How was work?" I asked him.

"Busy. And Long. Thank you for coming and taking care of the duck pup."

"Of course."

He nudged Winnie off of him and sat forward on his seat a little. "I'm gonna go shower. Was there anything in the kitchen?"

"Beer, pie, and some thoroughly frozen steaks."

"Fuck, I need to go to the store tomorrow." He grumbled before standing up and kissing my forehead. Edward walked back inside, and I finished my drink before following behind him.

I laid down on the couch with my eyes closed, listening to the music and thinking more about my decision and what it might be. My mind drifted to a cozy little two story house in the suburbs. It had crown molding, plants tucked on every shelf and table, animal mounts mixed in with big, textured paintings on the walls, and an antique buffet in the dining room that was stocked with half full bottles of whiskeys I had never even heard of. There was a comfy leather sofa and velvet loveseat in the living room with homemade quilts and fluffy throw pillows. Everything was mismatched and chaotic, but it still made sense. It felt like home.

I could see myself sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace at Christmas time, wrapped up in Edward's arms as we laughed at—

My eyes shot open, and I sat up straight. I blinked a couple of times, trying to bring myself back to the present.

Nope. No. Stop it. There will be no thoughts of green eyed toddlers yet. Get a hold of yourself.

"You okay, baby? You look like you just saw a ghost." Edward said from the kitchen.

I turned, surprised to see him there. I hadn't heard him come in. "Close enough." I muttered under my breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing! I'm fine."

"Alright." He didn't seem convinced, but he went back to eating some pie straight from the pan.

"E?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm gonna go to bed." I said softly, getting up from the couch and walking over to him.

He swallowed his bite and nodded before giving me a kiss on the forehead. "You sure you're okay?" He checked. He looked adorably concerned, with his brows furrowed behind his glasses and lips pursed slightly.

I nodded. "The whiskey just made me sleepy." I lied. I wasn't tired. I was wound up as hell.

"Alright. I'll be there in a little while."

"Okay." I said, standing up on my tip toes and giving him a peck on the lips.

I walked down to his room and laid down on my back, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He came to bed about twenty minutes later, and I pretended to be asleep as he laid down next to me and wrapped an arm around me. When his breathing slowed and I knew he was asleep, I slipped out of bed and to his office down the hall.

My guitar case was leaning up against his piano, and I took my guitar out and sat down with my back resting against the wall. I strummed mindlessly for a while, just needing to focus on anything but my earlier daydreaming. Slowly, my own playing started to lull me into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~ COFFEE & BOURBON ~

"Bella." A deep voice said softly, and I felt a thumb softly stroking my cheek.

I rubbed my eyes and stretched, surprised to feel the chilly tiled floor on my back instead of Edward's bed. I opened my eyes to see Edward squatted down and looking at me questioningly. I looked around. "I'm in your office?"

He nodded. "You are."

I sat up and stretched some more. Slowly, I started to remember coming into the office when I couldn't fall asleep. "I couldn't sleep. I came in here for my guitar." I explained softly.

"That's what I figured had happened, but um… you were asleep when I came to bed last night?" I'm not sure if he meant for it to be a question, but that's how it sounded.

"Right."

Edward sighed and sat down on the floor across from me, one of his legs crossing over mine. "What's goin' on, baby?"

I leaned my head on his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat and trying to think of the best way to explain what was going on in my mind when I really didn't even know myself. He hugged me close and kissed my temple. I pulled back slightly and held up my pinky. "You're not going anywhere?"

He grinned and wrapped his pinky around mine. "I'm right here. What's wrong?"

"I need more time."

He nodded in understanding. "I told you. Take all the time you need."

"I don't know how much time I need." I admitted.

His stare was penetrating as his green eyes searched my face. "Do you need time, or do you need space?"

I looked down at our intertwined hands on his knee and shrugged. "I don't want space." I whispered. "I just need to catch up. This thing is just moving really fast, and I just feel like I don't even know what I want anymore. It's like I woke up one day and you were there and now we're here and I don't know where I am." I looked at Edward, and he looked pensive and perplexed.

When he realized I was done talking, he took a deep breath. "Okay, so what does that mean, Bella? Do you need a break? A self help book? A new hobby? You're getting a little over my head here."

I laughed sadly. Not knowing how to fix me was driving him crazy. "I don't need a break, law school. I just need time." I said and kissed him. "I do love you, but that's about all that I know for sure right now. And I didn't raise all the hell I did the past three years just to turn into a spoiled brat housewife waiting for you to come home every day. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I need more than you."

He smirked and nodded. "I know what you mean, bellbottoms."

"I wanna be with you, but I wanna figure me out, too. And I can't go any farther with you until I do that."

Edward kissed me sweetly. "Just let me know when you do need me, alright?"

"I will." I nodded and kissed him again.

He pulled away for a moment. "How much slower do you need?" He asked suggestively, his lips mere centimeters from mine.

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Not that slow."

I only caught a glimpse of his mischievous grin before his lips were on mine again.

A/N So, we're at the point that we're so close to the end, that I just want to drop all of the chapters now. But they're not edited, I'm still finishing Silent Sweetheart, and work is crazy lately. But do know that I am as ready to post the final few chapters as you are to read them. As soon as I have edits made, they'll be up. Until the next one, bebs.