DISCLAIMER: This story deals with drug and alcohol abuse as wells death of a loved one.
Story is mine character names belong to Stephanie Meyers.
Chapter 2:
Edward and I went on our first date in early December, and I remember being nervous for the moments leading up to our meeting at the restaurant. When he walked in, a big smile was brought to my face, and I couldn't have changed it even if I wanted to. I felt an instant connection to him. He knew how to put me at ease from the start, I had ordered a salad with chicken, and I hated it from the first bite. But me being me, I pretended that to love it, even from the start, he could see through my bullshit. "That chicken looks burned; I would have made it so much better." I later learned that Edward could make every meal so much better. I started laughing and admitted that it was pretty bad. "I know," he said. The conversation moved freely after that with a few stolen glances at one another. I remember thinking does he feel this too? This connection, I want to see this guy again. When it was time for us to go our separate ways, Edward turned and walked away, but then he quickly turned around and gave me the biggest hug that I had ever received. When I got into my uber, the driver said, wow, that looked like a great date…you have no idea, I replied.
The night after our first date, my mother and I got into a big fight that turned physical (she attacked me). Emotions were heightened because it was the night before my Grandmother's funeral. All I could think at that moment was how dare she ruin this perfect day I had meeting Edward over me not wanting to eat a piece of chicken. When I told Edward what happened, he was saddened for me and said he would never cause me pain, and I believed him.
No, the pain he would later cause me would be ten times worse; it would be earth-shattering.
I did not see Edward for a few weeks due to traveling for my job, but we constantly talked. The night before I came home, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend. We wanted to be committed to each other in every way. The day I got home, I saw Edward, and we took a long walk by the water in my neighborhood; I was nervous; I was his girlfriend now, but we had never kissed. He could sense my nervousness, and he leaned in and kissed me; I wish I could say fireworks went off because it was so good, but that was not the case. The kiss was awkward, and we both felt the same way about it "it will get better." He said, and he was right, they eventually did. On our second date as a couple, we went and played mini gulf, and he saw first-hand that I was a gigantic clutz and uncoordinated. He could not hold in his laughter any longer after watching me trip over the gulf club for the third time.
After our time playing mini gulf came to an end, we headed to the beach to walk by the water. Edward had me in tears of laughter over his pretended attempts to fall in the water in his nice clothes. He was crazy, and I was falling for him. That night he took me to his favorite sushi restaurant that is near the beach. We talked about our childhoods and realized they were similar to each other. Both were raised with our parents in the upper-middle class. Anything we needed, we did all the after-school activities we wanted. We both had siblings we picked on us and full bellies every night. It was hard for me to find in his childhood that would make him become an addict to his degree, but I wanted to hear everything he would tell me.
When Christmas rolled around, Edward wanted me to meet his Dad and brother on Christmas eve; I learned earlier on that his mother died from cancer the year before. I was nervous about meeting his family but eager to meet the men that molded Edward into who he was. The night of Christmas eve, we headed to his brother's house and were met at the door by Edward 's very drunk brother. I was instantly shocked that he would be in that state, knowing his brother was in recovery from drugs and alcohol. But I pushed those feelings away and tried to get to know his brother through the drunkenness. He turned out to be a very nice guy. His Dad was a quiet man and was also in a drunken state, which he later told me was because it was the first Christmas without his wife. Edward's Dad was also amazed that someone had feelings for his son, and throughout the night, he kept on asking me, "so you really like my son?" of course, my answer was always yes. The night ended up being a good one, and I was happy to meet the people who Edward held dear to him.
New Year's Eve was a quiet one spent on my parent's boat. We were able to watch the fireworks go off at midnight. That night was the first time I had ever spent New Year's Eve with a significant other and got a kiss at midnight. in between kisses, we made promises to each other for the new year.
The next month went just like that Edward would go to his NA meeting, then work, and when he was free, he would come and hang out with me on my parent's boat, or he would take me out. He always insisted on paying, and the first few times, I would let him because I could see how much it meant to him to do that. But after the fourth time, I insisted that I pay for my part because we were equals. He finally admitted to me that he was struggling a bit financially and appreciated my offering to pay. That moment was the first time I saw the crack inside of him. He was suffering in silence and was not letting me in. I quickly learned with Edward that the things that bothered him the most he held deep inside. I just wish he had known that I was someone he could of let fully in.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review for feedback, follow, and share!