Chapter 15
I don't own Twilight
I want to just clear up a few things, answer a few questions and ask a few of my own.
MK543: Is that a compliment or? I'm taking it as one regardless ;)
lmb1: there was no need for a legal separation because Bella and Jake weren't married, just in a relationship. I don't think I implied that they were. If I did I apologise.
I'm so so so so so sorry about the delay!
Anyway - onwards with this chapter.
Bella's POV;
I was feeling an alarming amount of excitement and anxiety. It was a heady mixture and my head was starting to spin with the conflicting emotions. I took a deep calming breath and looked in the mirror again, my gaze critically assessing.
My hair was in its usual waves, but I'd taken special care to make it fall almost gracefully down my back. My face was carefully made-up, just a tinted moisturiser, a little mascara and eyeliner as well as nude lip gloss. I was hopeless with makeup and so I decided that going for the natural look would be better than me looking like a toddler who had stumbled upon their mother's makeup bag. A pair of small pearl earrings was visible as I had pushed my hair back and I admired them before casting my gaze along my body.
My waist hadn't returned to its previous size after Oliver but the additional weight had just made my figure fuller, curvier, and honestly, I liked the change. I'd always thought of my figure as slightly boyish before my pregnancy. I was wearing a simple black dress that clung to the swell of my breasts and my hips, and flatteringly skimmed my not quite flat stomach. I poked at my belly and rested a hand over it, remembering that just over a year ago I had abs ruefully before pushing the thought from my mind. 6 months ago I was carrying my son just beneath where my hand was resting. I'd feel him kick and move and he was lulled to sleep by the steady rhythm of my heartbeat.
I'd sacrifice abs a million times over for Oliver.
The dress stopped just above my knees and I inspected my legs, my eyes checking methodically for any faults. My eyes landed on the beautiful, lace covered, black heels that were gracing my feet and I took a moment to stare at them appreciatively. I was the farthest thing from girly until it came to shoes. I took a deep breath and allowed my excitement to outweigh my anxiety for a few moments.
Edward was taking me out on our first official date.
I ran my hands down the length of my dress, smoothing the material and trying to curb my nerves. Edward and I were going on a date, just the two of us! But Alice had a date with Jasper. Which meant I had to trust someone who wasn't Alice or Edward with Oliver. I had never truly been apart from him, not for an entire evening. I knew that I was being irrational and that Esme and Carlisle were more than capable of looking after Oliver and Evie but they were my babies and I was overprotective. They'd had Evie overnight before so I wasn't exactly worried about her stay. I was worried about Oliver.
What if it was one of those nights when he wouldn't sleep if Edward didn't sing to him? Or what if he woke in the middle of the night and wouldn't go back down, needing a comfort nurse from me?
I tried to squash down my panic but I could taste it on my tongue. I took a few deep calming breaths but they started coming faster and faster until I felt myself start hyperventilating. I closed my eyes and berated myself. I wasn't sending Oliver across the country; he was going to Edward's parents' house. Maybe someday he'll call them his grandparents and he needed this time to bond with them.
I needed to man up before I ruined my night with Edward.
I opened my eyes and smiled at my reflection before walking out of 'my room' at the cottage and across to the nursery where Edward and the babies were waiting for me. His eyes lit up in appreciation when he saw me, walking towards me while carrying Oliver and kissing me gently. I smiled and took Oliver from Edward's arms, noting that he'd already been changed into his pyjamas. I cast my eyes around the room and noticed that everything that both of them would need had been packed into the bulging baby bag and Evie's pink backpack that she usually took to nursery. There was also an insulated bag with a couple of bottles of milk for Oliver as well as his baby rice for the morning and a couple of teething rings that had been chilled.
I was silent as we strapped both kids into the car and drove to Carlisle and Esme's house, trying to beat down my needless anxiety. Evie babbled to Oliver in the backseat, her excitement seeping into every word and I focused on her happiness rather than my uneasiness.
We pulled up in front of the house and Edward turned to me, concern in his green eyes.
"We don't have to go if you don't want to. I can see that you're anxious." My heart plummeted at the defeat in his eyes even as understanding oozed out of his tone and sounded in my ears. I shook my head firmly, before I opened my door and walked to the back of the car, leaning across the back seat to unclip Evie and Oliver. Edward joined me at the back of the car on the opposite side, helping Evie out of her seat before gathering the bags.
Evie walked up to the house with Edward while I followed carrying Oliver, who snuggled into my chest and sucked his thumb into his mouth. Esme opened the door, her smile wide as she scooped Evie into her arms for a cuddle. Edward waited for me at the door while I walked up the steps and slipped a comforting arm around my waist as we walked into the house together.
He dumped the bags at the bottom of the stairs and I turned to walk into the living room, my mouth dropping open as I did. There was a bouncer and bassinet ready for Oliver already here, toys all over the place and a fort made up of blankets and pillows in the corner.
"They do this every time Evie comes to stay." Edward whispered into my ear while I just nodded mutely. I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Carlisle and Esme were seasoned parents and grandparents. They were more than capable of looking after Evie and Oliver.
A wide smile spread across my face as I realised that in a year or two Oliver would be playing in a pillow fort with Evie at their grandparents' house. I willingly passed Oliver to Carlisle and watched as Carlisle sat him in the middle of a box of pillows with a few stuffed teddies and toy cars before walking back over to Edward and I.
"Everything that you could possibly need is in the bags; bottles of milk and baby rice in the insulated bag, Evie and Oliver's night time teddies, a spare set of pyjamas each, two sets of clothes each, their blankets, nappies, wipes, baby powder." Carlisle nodded patiently as I worked my way through the list, an amused smile gracing his lips. I knew that I was babbling but I couldn't stop, I needed to run through it all so that I knew I'd packed everything for them.
"Oh, and there are a few teething rings in there for Oliver; they were in the freezer overnight so they should be fine for tonight. If there are any problems, call us."
Carlisle smiled indulgently at me before he hugged me reassuringly and I sunk into the embrace, allowing his warmth and compassion to encompass me. Esme blew us a kiss, eyes trained on Oliver and a camera in her hand, capturing all of his cute moments. Evie barely waved at us as she was too engrossed in the fort, gathering an armful of toys and arranging them inside it.
Edward's fingers wrapped around mine and he used the link to pull and steer me out of the house and back to the car. Excitement engulfed me as my panic was forgotten. I was going on my first date with Edward!
We pulled up in front of an expensive looking Italian restaurant, and I gasped in awe as we walked through the lobby to where the attractive hostess waited. I ignored the way the hostess looked at Edward and focused on the weight of his hand resting on the small of my back as we walked towards the table. He pulled my seat out for me and I forcefully pushed back memories of my first date with Jacob.
This was Edward, not Jacob. Edward. The closed off single father to a beautiful baby girl. The man with a big heart who, despite his past and the way he came to be a single father, had somehow chosen to love me and Oliver.
I smiled at him as he reached across the white tablecloth and grasped my hand in his. His thumb stroked along my knuckles as we waited for a waitress to return with our menus and I felt the tingles radiating from his touch from the tips of my fingers to the soles of my feet.
Our fingers separated when our waitress came over and introduced herself as 'Lauren.' She seemed pleasant enough, smiling widely at me when I looked over at her. Her light brown hair was tied up in an elegant bun and her uniform of black dress and apron was neat and clean. We were each handed a menu and Edward leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed and elegant. I opened mine and tried to concentrate on what I was reading but I was distracted by the fact that Edward was sat across from me. I ordered the first thing that caught my eye – the mushroom ravioli – and handed my menu back to Lauren with a quiet 'thank you'.
I looked over at Edward and gasped quietly as he traced his lower lip with his finger, completely focused on the menu in front of him. In an act of bold confidence I slipped my foot out of my heel, slid it over to his side of the table and ran in up his leg slowly, watching as the movement of his finger abruptly stopped. He snapped the menu closed and raised his head to look directly into my eyes, his verdant ones scorching with intensity.
"Sir? Are you ready to order?" I raised my eyebrow and smirked at him as my foot continued its slow path up Edward's calf.
"I'll have the spaghetti parmesan with olives, basil and plum tomatoes please." His scorching gaze never wavered and a small smile began tugging at his lips.
"And to drink?" My foot reached his knee and I bit my lip slowly before lowering it to the ground and slipping my shoe back on, my boldness slowly evaporating.
I just slid my foot up Edward's leg! What in the name of God's green earth was I thinking?
"Two glasses of Italian Chianti and a jug of iced water with lemon please." I lowered my gaze and stared at the tablecloth, my fingers wringing nervously together in my lap. Lauren smiled again then left the table and Edward leaned towards the table, and I felt his gaze probing me. I peeked up through my eyelashes and saw the confusion on his face.
He caught me staring and smiled widely at me, my lips automatically lifting upwards in response and my fingers loosening their stranglehold on each other. I found myself berating myself for the millionth time. Edward loves me. He's here with me. And I love him. I want to be here with him. Most importantly though, I wanted to seduce him.
Unfortunately seduction was not my strongest skill, but I'd try regardless.
"I have no idea what to talk to you about. I can't even ask you about your day because I know exactly what you did; you lounged about at the cottage in your pyjamas with me and our kids." Edward looked ruefully at me and a little laugh escaped my mouth at his expression.
He arched an eyebrow at me, a smile playing around his full lips. "Is my mild annoyance amusing you Miss Swan?" I merely smiled in response, my tongue darting out to moisten my lips. My heart leapt as I watched Edward follow the movement with his eyes. My smile morphed into what I hoped was a seductive smirk and reached up to tap my bottom lip lightly with my forefinger.
"Not particularly Mr Cullen. I'm sure we can think of something else to do to pass the time." I cocked my head to the side and slowly bit my lip as I lowered my eyes and looked up at him through my eyelashes, smiling inwardly at his sharp intake of breath.
The waitress made her way back over to the table and filled our water glasses and wine glasses with a flourish before informing us that our food would be 'right out.' I looked up at her and smiled in thanks, surprisingly noticing her looking at me appreciatively. I felt a blush stain my cheeks and looked at Edward, who was watching me intently.
I reached for my wine glass and took a long sip, my tongue darting out and gathering a little wine that was resting on my bottom lip. Edward moaned quietly before he moved his chair from directly across from me to next to me. I looked up at him in surprise before he captured my lips in a kiss. His lips moved gently against mine, and I felt his hand tangle in my hair. I opened my mouth and felt his tongue slip in, exploring the inside of my mouth. I moaned quietly into his mouth and felt his responding moan reverberating around mine. My hand tangled into his hair and tugged him closer. We broke apart slowly our foreheads resting together and our breaths coming out raggedly.
Our moment was shattered when Lauren came to our table with our food. Edward moved his chair back to its original spot across from mine.
"If there's anything that I can do for you, let me know." The waitress looked straight into my eyes and smirked. I felt my eyebrows rise in shock. Edward looked a mixture of amused and annoyed and cocked his head at the waitress, who left quite hurriedly.
I raised an eyebrow at Edward who smirked back and picked up his fork. I followed suit and speared a ravioli square, moaning aloud when the pasta practically melted in my mouth. I blushed and peeked up at Edward who was regarding me with a mixture of amusement and longing.
We ate in comfortable silence, both of us preferring to relish the food and atmosphere. We each finished our glass of wine and moved onto water, Edward because he needed to drive and me because I would probably nurse Oliver in the morning.
We gorged ourselves on chocolate lava cake, sipped our coffee, and walked into the cool spring air hand in hand. I felt my nerves rise again as Edward drove towards the cottage. Would he want to have sex tonight? Was I ready for that?
The truth was I wasn't ready. I knew that I wanted to be with Edward but I definitely wasn't ready for sex yet. My experience with Jacob was just too new, too raw. I just hoped that he would respect that.
We pulled up in front of the cottage and made our way into the living room, heading for the leather sofa. Edward pulled me into his arms and my head automatically rested on his shoulder. I sighed loudly in contentment, a wide smile resting on my face as my eyes closed.
"What are you thinking love?" Edward whispered in my ear. I shivered from the feeling of his warm breath running along my neck and snuggled closer into his side. He grasped my chin gently and turned my face, my eyes fluttering open so I could look into his.
Without warning his mouth descended passionately onto mine, his tongue thrusting into my mouth. I moaned as the taste of chocolate and coffee as well as the unique taste of Edward flooded across my tongue and leaned deeper into his kiss, my hands fisting in his hair as leverage to pull him closer. We broke apart slowly and leaned our foreheads against each other, trying to get our breathing under control.
I met Edward's hooded gaze and felt a rush of desire that was tinted with a hint of panic. I wanted Edward but not like that, not tonight. Would he understand? Edward wrapped an arm around me and I buried my head into his chest
"I want you so badly but I know that we need to take this slowly. Our relationship is so new and it's too important to me for us to rush."
I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded my head against his chest, smiling widely at the fact that we were in sync.
"That being said, my bed is too big without you. Stay with me?" The unsure tone of Edward's voice had my resting my chin on his chest and lifting my gaze to meet his. I read the hopefulness in his eyes and smiled up at him.
"Where else would I sleep?" Edward grinned down at me and lifted me into his arms without warning, carrying me up the stairs and ignoring my squeak of surprise and my commands to be put down until we got upstairs. He tried to pull me to his bedroom put I chuckled and pulled away, shaking my head.
"I need to get ready for bed, it won't take long." I rolled my eyes at Edward's pout – ignoring how sexy he looked when he pouted – and walked to the spare room to get a pair of pyjamas before heading over to the bathroom. I washed my face, brushed my teeth and got changed into a pair of sleep shorts and one of Edward's t-shirts. I brushed my hair and tied it into a bun high on my head, groaning as the shorter strands escaped.
I opened the door and walked straight into Edward's bare, toned chest. He pulled me in for a quick hug before sidestepping me and heading for the bathroom. I took a few calming breaths before shaking my head at myself and getting into Edward's bed. I immediately rolled onto his side and breathed in his scent from his pillow. I curled my body around it, inhaling deeply.
I felt the bed dip behind me a second before strong arms circled me from behind and pulled me into a hard chest. I sighed as Edward kissed my temple and relaxed into his arms.
Best first date, ever.
So I'm aware that this chapter is a little shorter than my usual ones but it's still pretty big. Right? And it was their first date! Do I get points for that? Can we pretend that I haven't been lax with my updates? Please.
The date for this chapter is 1st May.
As always guys read, review and enjoy!
