Merry Christmas Eve, Eve
My anxiety dissipates and is replaced by a spark of hope. Could he? "Edward," I breathe, my heart pounding against my ribcage. "Are you …" I pause, swallowing heavily. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
His lips lift at the corner. "Now look who's being vague."
My eyes fall closed as I try to gather my wits. When I reopen them, he's right there, standing so close I can almost taste him. "Do you mean with me?"
His gaze roams my face before he nods slowly. "So in love," he says, his eyes dropping to my lips and then returning to mine. "I didn't mean for it to happen. You're just so, so everything."
Elation swells inside me, and the widest smile ever spreads across my face. "You love me. Me." I palm my chest with my shaky hand. "Edward Cullen is in love with me. Bella Swan." A light, loud giggle bursts from my lips. "Why didn't you just say so?" I'm shaky and excited and over the damn moon. "All you had to do is lead with that." Crazy, irritating, sinfully sexy man. I throw myself at him, nearly taking us both down. "I love you too, Edward."
He sighs this loud, relieved sound. "Why didn't you lead with that?" He tosses my words back at me as he tightens his hold. "We're a pair, aren't we?"
I pull back, but I don't release him. "We are, but I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Good." He leans in for a kiss, and instead of being quick like I expect, he plunders my mouth. I'm breathless by the time he's done. "God, Bella," he rasps, pushing his forehead against mine. "A month ago, I was this miserable person and now I feel like I'm someone else entirely."
"I'm the opposite," I say, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth because I love him, and I can. "All my dreams were being realized. My life was good, or so I thought. It was all a lie."
"He's s stupid, meat-headed fool." Edward sways us from side to side. "Maybe I'm biased, but I can't imagine another pussy being better than yours."
"Trust me, Edward." My face flames. "He never fucked me like he was drilling into her."
"Sounds like I need to send him a thank you gift." He waggles his brows. "Without his stupidity, I wouldn't have you in my arms right now."
"I could say the same about Tanya."
His eyes cloud and he releases me, flopping on the sofa and burying his face in his hands. "I'd practically forgotten that part. Shit."
I sit beside him, confused by his sudden change in demeanor. "What part?"
When he lifts his eyes, they're that dark and stormy green I remember from the first days here, and everything comes to a screeching halt. I'm in love with an ex-porn star. He has movies out there, thirteen of them, where he's screwing other people—including skanky Tanya.
"Oh." I stand and start pacing, my mind running in circles. How do I even begin to work through this? As a fling, it was easy to put it out of my mind, but it's not a fling anymore.
I love him.
I want him in my life.
But can I live with his past?
Could you?
See you tomorrow :)