I woke up back in my bed the next day. I had made Edward let me drive home and I found that he was also not a good passenger. It was like driving with a kid who just got their permit. They sit and correct every little mistake you make and Edward was taking great pleasure in doing so.
I was happy to be home and just relax, but I already missed that cabin. We had had a great weekend there, and I was anxious for Friday to come again so we could go once more.
An hour before lunch, I wandered to Edward's room, wondering where he would be. Esme and Carlisle both had full days of work for the next week so it would just be the two of us. Edward was lying across his bed on his stomach, his arms folded and his head buried in them.
I tip toed across the wooden floor and jumped lightly on the bed and fell on my stomach next to him. I mirrored his position putting my chin on my folded arms and facing him. Edward looked up with raised eyebrows.
"Whatcha doing?" I asked innocently.
"Sleeping." And with that he put his head back down.
"Liar," I accused.
"Gee, what gave it away?" he asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, even though it was a wasted gesture considering he didn't see it.
"No need to get snippy with me," I teased, kicking his ankle lightly.
"Actually, I was thinking that I should probably buy a cell phone," Edward went back to the original question after giving me a nudge back.
"You don't have one? Whose did you call me on?" I asked, laying my head down to face him.
"Emmett's. I was thinking that I should be able to call the guys and you when I want." I'm not going to lie and say I didn't want to grin to find out that I was included in that group.
"Yeah, it might be a good idea," I agreed, allowing myself a small smile that was supposed to appear encouraging. It was more of selfish smile actually. Edward nodded. I waited a minute. "Do you miss your guys?"
"I guess I don't like it when I'm not there to watch there backs," Edward confided. I nodded, well sorta, given the awkward angle and all.
"So you miss them," I concluded.
Edward agreed with a quick nod. "Pretty much, yup."
"You're a good sergeant," I noted with a smile.
Edward shrugged modestly. "I don't know about that. I just give a shit about them. I want them to get back to their mom's and girlfriends."
I noticed that well Edward was extremely confident and downright cocky about almost every subject, he wasn't as sure of himself when it came to being a sergeant. A note to file and return to later I guess.
"Isn't that Emmett and Jasper too?"
"Most sergeants are. There are hardasses who still get concerned when it matters. And then there are real bastards who honestly don't fucking care. There's only a fewn but they're there." I processed the bitterness in his tone.
I wasn't sure if I knew where he was going with this, but I took my best shot at it. "Who was your sergeant during your first deployment?"
"Back when I was Private Masen?" Edward grinned, remembering the time rather than the leader. I smiled and nodded. "Being a private, those guys and girls have it made. I get jealous of Alice. She's not in charge of the well being of ten men. Though she sure as hell could do it," he added with a chuckle.
"The sergeant I had my first deployment was one of those few and true bastards. I met him and the rest of my first squad at basic training. And God was that hell. I was still a little, well. . .not in shape for one thing, and still rebellious. The guy, Sergeant Volt, instead of making at least a decent introduction, sent us out to run eight miles. In an hour. I somehow managed to do it by about three minutes but there was a guy behind me who missed it by a minute and the man made us all run four more miles in a half hour. It was a really nice sign of what we would be getting for the next year. We all hated him. Even Emmett; and Emmett doesn't hate anyone."
"I guess you weren't exactly jumping at the chance to make him pie."
Edward looked at me like he found something particularly funny. "Jumping at the chance to make him pie? What kind of saying is that? What is the origin of it?" Now he was mocking me.
So I straightened my shoulders and gave him the only answer that would make sense.
"Canada."
"Of course," he agreed, again, mockingly.
"So, no pie for Sergeant Volt," I prompted.
"Hell no. And it's not like he had a wife to bake it for him. A woman in prison wouldn't even marry the man. One of the guys in the squad was running literally seventeen seconds late to a training session. Volt made the guy do push-ups until his nose actually started to bleed. That doesn't make you stronger; it breaks you way more than you should have to be. That man took Army Strong to the extreme. And he was always calling us shitbags. And let me tell you, not in the endearing 'hey ya little shitbag' way. No, more like the, 'you are such a shitbag that your country is unfortunate to have you stand for them.'"
I listened quietly and watched Edward start to get visibly upset as he continued talking about the man. It almost shocked me when I started to feel really protective over him. I wanted to tell this Mr. Volt (which was a real dumbass name if you asked me) what to shove up his dumb ass.
"But hey, you and Emmett," I prodded, wanting to hear more stories that were fun to hear verses these.
Edward laughed loudly. "I don't think he could've been hated more by Volt if he tried, and believe me Emmett tried. He was dumb and reckless and was always subtly pushing his buttons, like this one time. . ." Edward launched into a tale about Emmett being stupid.
That's really what we did for the whole day. Until we were both hungry, we laid on Edward's bed and I listened to him tell stories that he couldn't have conveyed nearly this well in a letter. Then, when we both got hungry, I fixed us some BLTs which we ate outside on the grass. And then for the afternoon, I told him stories of the trouble that Rosalie and I had gotten into over the years. It was a really relaxing and good day. Yeah; it was a good day.
I loved to talk. I was a very expressive person and when I told stories, I really got into them; I'm talking hand gestures, changes of voices, facial expressions. It was so nice to have someone listen to me with their full, undivided attention and laugh with me.
The day after that I was really excited. I had another surprise for Edward. I couldn't be sure, but I felt he would like this one just a little bit better than the cake I baked. I was really eager to see how he would react to it.
I had my phone in my hand all day, waiting for texts from Carlisle. If Edward noticed, he didn't indicate it. He was too busy beating me in Grand Theft Auto over. . .and over. . .and over. I think he may have still been a little annoyed that I was a better water-skier than he was. I mean, by the eighth time of getting my ass handed to me, we switched to Call of Duty.
When I did get the text from Carlisle, I had to tell Edward I would be back in ten minutes. I asked him to wait for me in the front yard when I got back. He agreed even though he gave me a weird, apprehensive look.
Carlisle had gone to the airport to pick it up and met me at the hospital to transfer it into my truck. I sped the entire way back to the house, just wanting Edward to see it again. When I pulled into the driveway, sure enough Edward was just shutting the front door and jogging slowly to the middle of the grassy yard.
Grinning to myself I shut off the truck and hopped out. Then I walked around to the passenger side and opened the back door. Edward was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows which I ignored.
Once the door was opened, a golden retriever leaped out of the vehicle and ran as fast as his legs would take him to his owner. I watched Edward's mouth literally fall open in such genuine surprise that assured me it was all worth it. Ares flew at Edward, literally, and brought Edward tumbling down on the grass from the impact. Edward rolled around with the dog from the fall and started petting his hands all over the golden body. I leaned against the truck and watched with a content smile.
Edward recovered from the shock and I watched as the biggest beam I had ever seen settle onto Edward's face. He knelt on the grass, still wildly petting the tail-wagging animal. Ares was attacking Edward's face with his tongue and Edward was laughing gladly.
"Hey bud," Edward greeted enthusiastically, blinking his eyes and moving the overly affectionate dog away from his face. Ares let out his own happy bark and shoved his nose into Edward's neck, nuzzling it with hyper love.
I hadn't met Edward long ago at all. Last week to be specific. But I've known him for months. And it genuinely made me happy to see Edward, who deserved so much and had nothing, to be able to connect with the life he had before he joined the army. I would do a lot of things in this life to be able to see him smiling like that everyday.
"How'd you do this?" Edward asked in breathless amazement. Edward had managed to stand up after a couple more minutes and Ares was prancing around his owner eagerly. Edward was bent down at an angle to continue and pet the affection wanting dog. "I called the woman who was watching him but the phone was disconnected. . .so I just assumed. . ."
I nodded while I crouched down on the driveway to pet Ares. "She did pass away actually. Five months ago. That's why you got the disconnected line when you tried." I looked from Edward back down to Ares who was panting from excitement and the June heat. "How 'bout we get you some water boy?" The dog barked in approval and I grinned. Edward helped me up from the crouch I was in and we went inside to get water for all of us.
I explained to Edward that while the woman had died, she had a very prominent son who was a lawyer in Chicago. Oh the things Google can do for a curious one. Anyway, I called his firm and after some charming and a tiny bit of lying on my part (the receptionist patched me through after I convinced her I had accidentally murdered nine people and this was my one phone call from jail), I talked to him about Ares. Turns out he had two daughters that had been taking care of Ares until an owner could be located. I told him who I was and we got to talking and he was very gracious, arranging transport for Ares and whatnot. He had also mentioned something else of Edward's that he had.
"You got my motorcycle back?" Edward asked disbelievingly. I pressed my lips together as he had interrupted me. I watched his eyebrows go up and his greens eyes start dancing. . .no, not dancing; salsaing, for an answer. Then I nodded slowly, waiting for his reaction.
Edward's eyes brightened considerably and beamed again. He opened his mouth and inhaled, about to say something most likely explicit and mock-able by many counts. I watched with a smile and raised an eyebrow. He met my eyes and exhaled with a whoosh. "Cool," he finally said with a shrug and underlying smugness at his restraint. I rolled my eyes as Edward held his head high with pride.
"Is it fast?" I hedged on, still amused by his happiness, amused and thrilled at the same time.
"Fuck yeah! There is nothing like going 80 with that thing down the highway. . ." Edward launched into an extravagant tale of another one of those dumb antics stories and I just laughed at him.
Rose called shortly after that. Edward and I agreed that Ares was in need of some supplies. There was never a question that he would be living here. So I figured he needed some food and maybe a bed. I was glad Carlisle liked dogs and Esme was 'down with it.'
Edward was over getting food while I was looking at cow hooves. Apparently they were good for teeth. I told her about Edward and the motorcycle and the store I was in currently. Emmett and her were having a lazy day apparently and he was sitting by her when I mentioned the motorcycle.
"Let's go! I'm driving," I heard shuffling of fabric, most likely of the couch as Emmett got up enthusiastically.
"We'll be at your house in ten," Rosalie sighed endearingly. I laughed and closed the phone.
Emmett was quite disappointed when he pulled in the driveway with Rose sitting next to him, right after Edward and me, and realized we weren't on a motorcycle. I had already explained to Edward that the lawyer was handling shipping. Turns out the motor death trap and the dog were the only things he left with the woman.
Rosalie coddled Ares the moment she walked in the door and fawned over how pretty he was for about ten minutes straight. Emmett admired that dog too but his mind was still on motorcycle so Edward and him jumped into a conversation about that. Rosalie and I went into the kitchen to get some snacks after Emmett suggested a game of Rock Band.
"I've left you alone all week and now you're going to tell me what the hell you two have been doing," Rosalie demanded. She stood up from the crouch she was in by Ares and turned her interrogating stare on me.
I chose to ignore her comment and pretend I didn't hear her. Instead, I busied myself by studying the pantry intently.
"I don't know how you two haven't hooked up yet. His look just screams sex and he has this mysterious, bad boy solider thing going on. It's hot," Rosalie concluded knowingly with an impressed nod of approval.
"Where did you get ever get bad boy from?" I asked her, focusing on a container of Oreos and inadvertently dodging her questions.
"A motorcycle? Come on, Bella. A motorcycle."
"I don't know what that's supposed to mean. So stop saying it like it's the Holy Grail."
"Hell it is!"
"I don't even like motorcycles," I shrugged honestly while I put the Oreos back on the shelf and picked up the cookies instead. Motorcycles really didn't appeal to me. Esme's reasoning was they were just jet skis on land. I had to disagree; if you fall off a jet ski, you get cold water in your face. A motorcycle on the other hand, you break a few bones. . .or die.
"Then why the hell did you find it for him?" Rosalie had finally made herself useful and was rummaging in the fridge for drinks. All the while she kept up the steady stream of…I wanted to say lecture but that sounds too light.
"Because I like to think I'm generally a nice person."
Rosalie snorted. I thought she would be done and leave it at that but no. With Emmett's arrival I swear to God she had gotten impossibly more annoying.
"You know who else is a nice person?"
I was pretty sure I did not like where she was going with that suggestive comment.
"Jesus?"
"Holy and nice are two totally different things." Rosalie shut the fridge. I glanced at her hands and saw two cans of Coke and two bottles of beer for the guys. My brows furrowed as I looked at that. I had never really thought about the fact that Edward was of drinking age. I hadn't offered him a beer the entire time he had been here. Lovely, Bella; you are such an amazing hostess.
I blinked as she waved her hand that was holding the bottles in my face. "What? Oh yeah. I agree. Completely different things." Now I was distracted, wondering about other things that Edward might want that I hadn't thought about at all. Rosalie either didn't notice or chose not to give a damn.
"But holy fucking sexy is just another meaning of nice," Rose raised her eyebrows up and down yet again, suggestively.
"I am fairly sure that it does not say holy fucking sexy in the dictionary under nice."
I wasn't entirely sure why I wasn't talking to Rose about my thoughts on Edward right now. I just didn't know what I was supposed to be feeling about him or what crossed lines. Right now I just wanted to keep it as simple as possible. It was working pretty well and I didn't want Rosalie advertising him like a piece of pork. It would just complicate things. And it wasn't like I was disagreeing with any of the things she had pointed out.
"Read between the lines, deary," Rosalie winked before shutting up because we were entering the living room again.
Emmett and Edward were lounging across the couch and an armchair. They had been talking about something before Rose and I walked in but they instantly looked up when we walked in and shut up. I looked at Edward curiously but he didn't give me an answer, he was just looking at me like he was seeing something new, and by the looks of his expression, not bad.
I felt my stomach flutter under his stare, Rose's words ringing freshly and annoyingly in my mind. I set down the pile of junk food and broke the eye contact I had with him. I took a seat across from him on the loveseat where one of the plastic guitars was waiting. I would have sat next to him; Lord knows that's where I wanted to be despite all the thoughts. But he was sitting on the armchair and I don't think I was quite ready to plop down on his lap. Besides; he had the drum set in front of him.
Read between the lines.
When Rose had first said it I rolled my eyes. But as we started playing an intense game, I thought about her words and the way she said it. The more I mulled it over, I realized she had meant it in more ways than one.
I thought I knew Edward, and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I didn't have a pretty good idea of who he was. But I wanted to be more to him. I wanted to really know him, and for the first time in my life, I wanted someone to really know me.
Whatever the hell that meant for us.
Honey you are a rock
Upon which I stand
And I come here to talk
I hope you understand
That green eyes, yeah the spotlight, shines upon you
And how could, anybody, deny you
I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter, now I've met you
And honey you should know, that I could never go on without you
Green Eyes, Coldplay
-That was the last chapter of pure-who-effing-cares-fluff! I promise! Now we can start getting into the good stuff from here on out(:
-I wanted to thank you all for your fantastic reviews! I'm sorry I don't have time to respond to all of them, but I've been busy trying to figure out how I'm going to end this crazy story...(don't worry, that won't be for at least another 30 chapters;)
-I'm on Twitter, 2carm2carm2, follow me for my complaining and occasional teasers!
