Title: Wait for You
By: Liz
Rating: M
Disclaimers: The characters are not mine, any and all music is not mine, only the plot and my words belong to me.
Notes: A million and a half thanks to goo82 for being so awesome and being there every step of the way to bounce ideas off of and to offer up some fantastic ones of her own. This would be impossible if not for her (or it at least wouldn't be very good ;). And a very big thank you to all who have reviewed. You have all been so kind and it really means a lot. I'm so sorry it took me forever to update. Real life gets annoying sometimes.
Chapter 5
As the end of the lunch period drew near, Edward and Bella were so completely wrapped up in each other that they didn't even notice the other students filing out of the cafeteria to make their way to fifth period. Finally, Emmett decided to interrupt.
"Hey, Bella." Bella looked up from Edward's face. "What class do you have next?"
"Spanish with Mrs. Goff," Bella answered distractedly.
Emmett's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Really? Me, too, isn't that great? We can go together!"
"Um, sure?" Bella said uncertainly.
Edward groaned to himself as Emmett stood up, grinning widely. "Bella and I have to get to Spanish now," he told the others, hauling Bella from her seat. "We'll see you guys later." He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Rose's forehead. "I'll meet you at your locker after last period, baby." Before anyone could respond, Emmett was already halfway out of the cafeteria, dragging a bewildered Bella behind him as the remainder of the group stared after him in varying degrees of surprise and irritation.
Only Alice seemed unaffected. "Emmett's right, time for class," she said, rising gracefully from her seat.
Edward groaned, resting his forehead against his hand. "I'll be lucky if Bella's still even speaking to me by the time last period rolls around."
Alice rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic," she instructed him. "Emmett's not going to scare Bella off. And I think it's sweet – he's letting her know that she's accepted by your siblings. You should be happy about that."
"I'm ecstatic," Edward said flatly.
"Stop your bitching," Rose grumbled as she stood from her seat as well. "At least Bella didn't just choose to blow you off in the middle of the cafeteria."
Alice grimaced. One thing she definitely did not want was Rose getting her nose out of joint over Emmett's very welcoming attitude toward Bella. That would only make things difficult for everyone concerned. She looked up at Jasper, pleading with her eyes for him to step in and once again play his role of peacemaker for the group.
Jasper nodded almost imperceptibly down at Alice before turning his attention to Rose and Edward. "Edward, don't worry about Emmett scaring Bella away. We've all seen the way you two look at each other and believe me, it's going to take a lot more than Emmett's teasing to send her running. Besides, everyone here knows how long you've wanted to be with Bella. Emmett knows it, too, and he's not going to do anything to jeopardize that. He just wants her to feel comfortable with all of us. So just relax and focus on the good – like the fact that you get to spend last period and after school with her."
Edward nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right," he agreed.
Jasper nodded before turning to Rose. "And Rose, you know how Emmett is," he continued soothingly. "He wants everyone to get along and have fun and be happy. He just doesn't always go about it like a normal person. It doesn't mean anything's changed in the way he feels about you. Hell, everyone in this town knows that boy is ridiculously head over heels in love with you. He's trying to make Bella feel comfortable, he's just doing it in his own clumsy Emmett way."
Rose looked mollified and Alice jumped in. "Right. Emmett's just being Emmett – he acts all big and stupid and he drives you crazy, but he always does it in his own lumbering, lovable way. Kind of like a teddy bear on steroids," she finished thoughtfully.
In spite of herself, Rose smiled. "All right, enough already from the Emmett fan club. I know, he's just trying to be nice."
"Exactly," Alice said, linking her arm through Rose's. "We're going to class. We'll see you two later." As the two girls walked away, Alice glanced back over her shoulder at Jasper. "Thanks. Love you," she mouthed to him.
"An Alice/Jasper double team," Edward mused as he stood from the table. "Nice one."
Jasper shrugged. "Maybe."
"Yeah, nice try, 'maybe,'" Edward snorted. "I saw that look Alice gave you."
"Alice was really worried about Rosie getting all upset with Emmett and taking it out on Bella," Jasper explained calmly. "You know how Rose is with people she doesn't really know. And Emmett really was just being nice, but there was the risk of Rose taking it the wrong way and blowing everything out of proportion and getting everybody upset. We kind of needed to head that off before it could become an issue."
"You got all that from a look?" Edward asked dubiously. "I mean, I know Alice says you guys are 'connected' and all, but that's pretty detailed."
Jasper smiled. "Not quite. But I knew what Alice wanted me to do. We were talking about some of this stuff before everyone else showed up for lunch."
"Ah."
"I meant what I said about Emmett, too," Jasper said as the two walked out of the cafeteria together.
"You mean that he's an idiot, but we all know he and Rose are happily, sickeningly in love?"
"That, too," Jasper agreed mildly. "But I was talking about you not worrying about him scaring Bella away. He really is happy for you, you know. You should have heard him in the car this morning. I don't know who's happier about all of this, truthfully – you, Alice, or Emmett."
Edward rolled his eyes but he grinned. "Definitely me," he said honestly.
"We're all happy for you," Jasper told him. "And none of us are going to do anything to mess it up, okay? Just remember that."
"Thanks," Edward said. "I'm just, you know, I think I'm still having a hard time believing this is all real. I mean, I've liked Bella for so long, you know? But now that I'm actually with her and we're getting to know each other, it's so much more than that and I just can't believe she might actually feel the same way."
Jasper smiled gently. "I've seen the way she looks at you, Edward. Trust me, there's no 'might' in that equation."
Edward couldn't keep from beaming. "Really? No, wait, don't answer that. I trust you. I've gotta get to class. I'll see you later, okay?"
Jasper nodded. "Later." He smiled to himself as he watched Edward walk away, a slight spring in his step. He had never seen his friend so happy in all of the years that he had known him. Though he normally wouldn't approve of interfering in someone's relationship, he decided Alice was right – if there was anything they could do to avert any kind of crisis for the new couple, they should. At least in the relationship's early stages, anyway. After observing Bella and Edward together, even for such a short time, he had no doubt that the two cared enough about each other to make this relationship last a very long time without help from anyone else.
During Spanish class, their assigned alphabetical seating had put them on separate sides of the classroom, but Emmett was at Bella's desk moments after the bell rang to signal the end of the class period. Much to Bella's chagrin, Emmett insisted upon carrying Bella's book bag and they made their way into the hall together.
"Time to deliver you safely to my little brother," Emmett said with a grin.
Bella blushed. "Emmett, it's okay," she assured him. "You really don't have to walk me all the way to class."
"Yeah, but I want to," Emmett said frankly. "I like you – you're a nice person and you make Edward happier than I've ever seen him."
Bella blushed even more deeply. "He makes me happy, too," she confessed in a mumble.
Emmett grinned at her but his response died on his lips as their path was suddenly blocked by Tanya Thurston.
"Well isn't this just too sweet?" Tanya sneered down at Bella, her narrowed eyes taking in Bella's flushed face and the fact that Emmett was carrying her book bag. She turned her attention to Emmett. "Is your family taking in strays, Emmett?" she asked with a smirk. "I shudder to think what poor pathetic puppy you'll take in next."
"Don't worry, Tanya," Emmett responded. "There's a no bitches policy in my house, so there's no danger of it being you."
Emmett slung his arm around Bella's shoulder and the two walked away from Tanya who stood in the middle of the hallway, fuming. Bella couldn't help giggling and Emmett grinned down at her. "I can't stand that girl. She's always so mean for absolutely no reason and I hate that," he confessed. "So I should probably thank you for giving me the opportunity to say that to her."
Bella's lips quirked upward slightly. "Happy to help. It's hardly sport, though, is it?"
Emmett laughed loudly and hugged Bella to his side quickly. "Oh, I'm going to like having you around," he chuckled.
They turned the corner to the hallway where Bella's history classroom was located and saw Edward waiting outside of the door. He smiled tentatively at Bella, his shoulders slumping in relief and his smile becoming a full blown one when she waved and smiled happily at him.
"Safe and sound, Eddie," Emmett said, handing Bella's book bag to Edward.
Edward rolled his eyes but Bella smiled up at Emmett. "Thanks, Emmett," she said. "For everything" was left unsaid but Emmett nodded understandingly.
"Anytime," he said. "I'll see you guys later on at the house, okay?"
As Emmett moved out of earshot, Edward turned to Bella. "So, after spending an hour with Emmett, are you still speaking to me?" he asked. His tone was teasing but Bella thought she detected a slight undertone of apprehension in his question.
"Of course," she said with a bright smiling, reaching out to take his hand in her own. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Edward pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Emmett can take a little getting used to sometimes, that's all. He can be as hyper as Alice in his own right."
Bella squeezed Edward's hand gently. "You don't have a thing to worry about," she assured him. "Your family's been really nice to me and I really appreciate them trying to make me feel comfortable. I've never had brothers and sisters before. It's nice."
Edward smiled, thinking back on Jasper's words. Looked like his best friend was just as in tune with Bella's feelings as he was with everyone else's in their group. "Just checking. Ready for class?"
Bella nodded happily. "You?"
"I've been looking forward to it all day," he replied with a cheeky grin as they entered the classroom.
Bella blushed and Edward groaned internally as he watched the flush travel up past the scooped neck of her blouse to her fair cheeks, fighting back memories of the way that blush had looked on the rest of her bare skin just the other night. He suddenly had a feeling this was going to be a very long class.
Ms. Cohn, unlike the rest of Bella's teachers, didn't use a seating plan in her class, so Bella and Edward were free to sit next to each other for the hour. They quickly chose two adjacent desks that were situated halfway down the aisle on the far right side of the classroom. They had eyes only for each other as they talked quietly together, ceasing their conversation and facing front only when Ms. Cohn called the class to order.
Bella found it very difficult to concentrate during class with Edward only a few feet away from her. She honestly wasn't sure which was worse – being in class without Edward while her classmates stared and whispered or being in class with him when he was soclose to her but she was unable to talk to or touch him for an entire hour.
Finally, what seemed like an eternity later to both Edward and Bella, the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. They smiled at each other in relief and quickly left the classroom. After quick stops at each of their lockers to change up their books, they made their way to the parking lot and Edward's car.
Edward held the passenger side door open for Bella, closing it behind her and then all but running for the driver's side door. His door had not even fully closed behind him before he pulled Bella into his arms. "I thought today was never going to end," he murmured before drawing her into a passionate kiss.
Bella moaned softly as her lips parted beneath Edward's, their mouths fusing together. Eventually they parted and Bella rested her forehead against Edward's, her breath coming in short gasps. "Wow," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.
Edward chuckled softly. "You can say that again. That was." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "The longest history class." A quick kiss on her nose. "I have ever had to suffer through." He covered her lips with his own once again. This kiss was sweet and gentle without the urgency of their previous kiss and Bella melted into Edward's arms.
"I think it might have been worse being so close to you for an hour and not being able to talk to you than being in a different class entirely," Bella agreed.
Edward cupped Bella's face in his head, his thumb rubbing gentle circles against her cheek. "I have no idea what we were supposed to have learned in there today," he admitted. "All I could think about was getting out of there and getting you somewhere away from all of our nosy classmates."
Bella flushed slightly but she smiled. "So, I'm guessing the parking lot wasn't really high on that list of places."
Edward grinned. "Well, no, but I just couldn't help myself. Once again, I find you far too tempting to resist."
Bella smiled shyly, resisting the urge to deflect the compliment as she normally would have in the past. Edward's words from earlier that morning still echoed in her mind and she was trying so hard to believe him when he said such amazingly sweet things. "So, are we ready to get out of here then?"
Edward nodded. "Absolutely. We're going to stop by your house so you can let your dad know where you are, right?"
"And make sure he has dinner," Bella responded. "I think Charlie probably kept the local pizza places in business before I moved in with him."
"Not much of a cook, huh?"
Bella shook her head. "Not remotely," she said with a grimace. "Fortunately, I made lasagna last night, so all he has to do is heat it up and he'll have dinner and his Mariners game."
Edward smiled and started the car. The mp3 player started playing as the car started and Edward turned the volume up a bit from where it had been that morning as he exited the parking lot. "Have you ever heard of The Frames?" he asked Bella, scrolling through the mp3 player.
Bella shook her head. "Who are they?"
"They're an Irish rock band and they're one of my favorites. Actually," Edward amended with a smile, "everyone in my family loves them, which is definitely a rare occurrence. I think you'd probably really like them, too," he added, thinking back to a conversation about music that they had had during their picnic the previous day.
Bella smiled. "I'm always up for good new music," she said.
"Excellent." Edward found what he was looking for and started the mp3 player. Seconds later, soft music filled the car and a man began to sing softly.
Edward and Bella were silent as they drove along, with Bella completely focused on the music and Edward completely focused on Bella. "That was beautiful," Bella said when the track finished. "What was that one called?"
"'Your Face,'" Edward replied. "It's one of my favorites."
"Can we hear it again?"
Edward smiled. "Of course." He hit a button on the mp3 player and the song began again. Bella sighed as the opening notes filled the car once more and leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. Edward looked over at her as often as he could without completely driving off the road, enjoying the way she seemed to immerse herself completely in the song.
The song came to an end for a second time as Edward pulled into Bella's driveway and turned off the car. Bella opened her eyes slowly. "That has to be one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard."
Edward grinned as he exited the car and went around to Bella's side to open her door. He helped her from the car and the two walked up the driveway and into Bella's house. Once inside, Bella headed straight for the kitchen, setting her bag down on one of the kitchen chairs as Edward settled into the other chair.
Bella pulled a pad of paper from the kitchen junk drawer and hastily scribbled a note to Charlie, telling him she was at a friend's house for dinner. She then reminded him that there was lasagna in the refrigerator to heat up for dinner and promised she wouldn't be home late.
"Ready to go?" Edward asked, rising to his feet.
Bella hesitated. "Am I okay?"
Edward looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Bella gestured to herself. "This, my clothes. I mean, are they too casual, should I change?"
Edward caught her hands in his and pulled her to him. "You look absolutely perfect," he assured her quietly.
"Are you sure? I mean, it's your parents, shouldn't I look a little nicer?"
Edward leaned in and placed a soft kiss at the juncture of her shoulder and neck before beginning to trail light kisses up her neck. "You're beautiful, Bella. And that color blue looks wonderful on you," he murmured between kisses.
Bella sighed, tilting her head to the side to give him better access. "You're doing it again, you know," she murmured.
"What's that?"
"Distracting me."
"Is it working?"
"Maybe," Bella admitted. "But you're still not playing fair."
She could feel Edward smile against her jaw. "All's fair," he said softly.
Bella shivered. 'All's fair? As in "all's fair in love and war?" Surely he couldn't mean that. Surely he didn't feel the same way about her that she felt about him. Her thoughts were cut off as Edward tilted her face toward him, meeting her lips with his own in a gentle kiss.
Bella sighed softly when they finally separated and Edward reached up a hand to caress her cheek. "Do you trust me?"
Bella opened her eyes and looked up at Edward. "Yes," she answered without hesitation.
Edward smiled gently. "Then please believe me when I say you don't have anything to worry about. I promise."
Bella bit her bottom lip. "Okay. Should we head over to your house then?"
Edward nodded and took Bella's hand, leading her back out of the house and to his car. Once they were settled in the car again, Edward started the car and turned on the mp3 player. As he began driving, he reached over and took Bella's hand in his, resting their joined hands on his thigh. Despite her worries about making a good impression on Edward's parents, Bella couldn't help but feel content as they drove along. Edward's hand held hers tightly while more gorgeous, soothing music flowed from the speakers and she felt like she and Edward were in their own happy, perfect little world together.
Bella wasn't sure how much time had passed when Edward suddenly turned off the road they were on and onto an unpaved road that Bella had not even noticed was there. The car drove down the road, passing quickly through a stand of trees whose sweeping branches formed a canopy over the road, and suddenly they were in a large grassy area and a large, three story house loomed in front of them. Bella stared at the majestic older structure, thinking how none of the stories she had heard of this mansion did it justice. "It's beautiful, Edward."
Edward smiled. "It's home," he said simply. He quickly exited the car and came around to open Bella's door. "Ready?" he asked, helping her from the car.
She took a deep breath before grasping Edward's hand and standing. "As I'll ever be."
"They don't bite, I promise," he teased.
Bella wrinkled her nose. "Funny. Just remember, tomorrow you have to meet Charlie. We'll see who's nervous then."
Edward grinned. "It'll be totally worth it," he told her, pulling her to him for a quick kiss. They then made their way across the lawn, hand in hand, up the steps to the house's wrap around porch. Edward opened the door and they stepped into an open, airy front room. To Bella's left, she saw a large curving staircase that led up to the second floor. The wall opposite to where they stood was lined with floor to ceiling windows and she saw a beautiful grand piano sitting in one corner by the windows.
"Do you play?" Bella asked, gesturing to the piano.
Edward didn't meet her eyes. "A little," he hedged. "Come on, I want to introduce you to my mom."
Bella knew that Edward wasn't being completely truthful for some reason but she went along with him silently, all of her energy now focused on not making a fool of herself in front of Edward's mother. The two entered the kitchen and were greeted by the sight of a petite woman whose chestnut hair framed her face in soft waves. She turned from the cabinet she was rummaging in at the sound of Edward clearing his throat and her face broke into a wide smile at the sight of the couple in front of her.
"Mom, this is Bella," Edward said with a smile as his mother crossed the kitchen to where they stood. "Bella, my mom."
Edward's mom fairly beamed at her as she took Bella's offered hand in both of hers. "It's so nice to meet you, Bella. You are very welcome here."
Bella smiled shyly. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Cullen. I'm sorry it was such short notice."
Edward's mom waved her hand dismissively. "Not a bit," she said. "We're always happy to have another friendly face at the table. And please, call me Esme."
Esme and Bella stood smiling at each other for a moment before Edward cleared his throat again. "Can I get you guys anything to drink? Do you want a snack?" Esme asked.
Edward looked down at Bella. "Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you," she said.
Edward turned his gaze back to his mother. "No thanks, mom. I'm just going to show Bella the rest of the house and then we'll probably hang out in my room until dinner."
Esme smiled again. "Okay. Well, if you guys change your mind, let me know. I'll send somebody to get you when dinner's ready."
"Thanks, mom."
"Thanks, Mrs., um, Esme," Bella said.
"It was very nice to meet you, Bella," Esme said.
"You, too," Bella said, Esme's warm nature making her feel far more comfortable than she would have believed possible only a few moments earlier.
The two exited the kitchen and made their way back to the room they had first entered. Emmett and Rose had just descended the stairs and stopped when they saw Bella and Edward.
Edward nodded in greeting. "Hi, Rose, hi, Emmett," Bella said quietly.
"Hey guys," Emmett said with a big grin. "Did you introduce Bella to mom yet?" he asked Edward.
Edward nodded. "I'm just going to show Bella the rest of the house before dinner."
Bella saw the slightly wicked gleam in Emmett's eyes and she hurried to speak before he could. "What are you guys up to?" she asked, seeing that Rose was practically pushing Emmett toward the kitchen.
"I'm just trying to get Emmett to get his butt in the kitchen," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "You guys traded off so it's his week tonight, right?" The latter part of this was directed at Edward.
Edward nodded. "His week?" Bella asked, slightly confused.
"It's something my parents set up for making dinner on family nights. Whenever we have a family dinner, it rotates between either mom or dad plus one of the five of us," Edward explained. "That way no one gets stuck doing all of the work all the time."
"Yeah, and it's actually Eddie's turn to help this week," Emmett told her. "But since I'm such a wonderful older brother, I let him trade off with me tonight." He grinned at Bella. "And now that you're part of the family, you'll get a help night, too. I say you should be on for next week."
Rose smacked Emmett's shoulder. "Stop tormenting Bella and go help Esme in the kitchen," she instructed. "I'd like to eat before midnight."
"Good luck with that, Rose," Edward said, taking Bella's hand and leading her away from the other couple. They reached the second floor and Edward pointed out different rooms as they walked to the end of the hallway where Bella saw another, smaller staircase. Edward referred to the room next to Emmett's as Rose's room and Bella remembered what he had said the other day about Rose and Jasper being like siblings.
"So Rose and Jasper both have rooms here?" Bella asked curiously.
Edward nodded. "We still have two extra guest rooms if you want to claim one as your own. One of them is next to mine," he told her with a grin.
Bella grimaced. "Yeah, I could really see Charlie going for that."
"Hey, it's chaperoned," Edward responded. "My parents' bedroom is right there," he said, gesturing back to the first door they had passed upon reaching the second floor.
Bella smiled. "I think I'll wait on that argument for the moment," she told him. "So why do they have rooms? Are they just here so much?"
Edward shrugged. "That's part of it, yeah. Like I said, they're like two extra siblings." Once again, Bella got the feeling that Edward was not telling her the whole story but she didn't press him on it as they climbed the smaller staircase to the third floor.
They reached the room at the farthest end of the hall and Edward motioned Bella to enter before him. "This is my room," he told her, following closely behind as she stepped into his bedroom and closing the door behind him. Much like the front room on the first floor, the wall opposite the door was mostly taken up by floor to ceiling windows. A large, comfortable looking couch sat in front of the windows and a bed to Bella's right took up a good portion of the room. The wall opposite the bed was taken up by two sets of shelves, one holding books while the other was absolutely filled with more CDs than Bella had ever seen in one place.
Bella looked around slowly, taking everything in, before turning back to Edward who stood next to her with an expectant look on his face. Bella meant to tell him how wonderful she thought the room was, but instead found herself blurting out what was really on her mind. "Your mom is okay with this?"
Edward looked puzzled. "With what?"
Bella gestured around her. "To this, us being alone in your room together." She was fairly certain Charlie would have a minor heart attack if she and Edward were at her house in her bedroom with the door closed.
"My parents trust me," he responded simply. He paused for a moment and a wicked smile crossed his face. "Of course, if they knew what I was thinking right now, they might think that confidence is a little misplaced at the moment." He winked at her and Bella smiled shyly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Is that all you ever think about?" she teased.
Edward moved closer to her and took her hands in his. "No," he said seriously. "Being with you is wonderful, Bella, more amazing than anything I could ever have imagined. It's more than that, though."
"More than sex? For a teenage boy?" Bella joked nervously, trying to lighten the mood, not sure she was ready for whatever Edward was going to say.
Edward reached a hand up, gently tucking Bella's hair behind her ear and then tenderly cupping her face in his hand. "Yes, Bella. What we've shared is definitely more than just sex." Bella leaned into his touch as he continued. "Being with you, having you in my life, I just, it means so much to me. And I just wanted to-"
Whatever it was Edward was about to say was lost forever to the sharp knock at his bedroom door. Edward groaned, swearing under his breath as he dropped his hand and stepped back from Bella. "Yes?"
The door opened and Alice came gliding in. "Can I help you, Alice?" he asked tightly.
"Mom said Bella was here," Alice said with a bright smile. "I just wanted to say hello."
"And this couldn't have waited 'til dinner?"
"Why would I wait? Hi, Bella!" Alice said happily.
Bella turned to Alice, her expression dazed. "Hi, Alice," she said distractedly.
Alice glanced from the dreamy expression on Bella's face to the tense posture of her brother and realized, belatedly, that she had interrupted something. "Um, okay, I'm going to go now," she said meekly. "I'll, um, come let you guys know when it's time for dinner." Neither Edward nor Bella responded and Alice hurried from the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Edward looked at the door a moment and sighed before turning back to Bella, knowing the moment was lost. "Remember what I said about wanting to kiss and kill my family at the same time? I think I'm leaning toward the latter right now," he said dryly.
Bella smiled a little shakily, still remembering the look in Edward's eyes as he looked at her before Alice had interrupted them. The expression on his face had been so heartbreakingly tender, so sweet that she felt tears prick the corner of her eyes. Edward walked over to the stereo that sat on a table next to the bookshelves and Bella took the opportunity to quickly wipe any telltale moisture from her eyes.
Edward turned on his stereo then moved to the couch. He tucked himself into the corner of the couch and held his arms out invitingly to Bella. She didn't hesitate, quickly dropping next to him and settling herself comfortably against him. His arms wrapped around her and she rested her head against his chest, sighing happily.
"More Frames?" she asked, as music began to play softly.
"Yes," Edward said and Bella could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm trying to brainwash you."
"That's fine," Bella said, cuddling up even more closely to Edward's side.
Bella wasn't sure how long they sat there, listening to music while Edward gently played with her hair. Between the feeling of Edward's hand in her hair and the comforting sound of his steady heartbeat beneath her ear, Bella knew she had never before felt so safe or so right in her life.
Suddenly, she felt Edward shift slightly beneath her. "Sorry to do this to you," he said. "But would you excuse me for a moment?" Bella reluctantly shifted and sat up straight. "Thanks," Edward said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before standing. However, instead of walking out of the room as Bella had expected him to do, he turned to face her.
"May I have this dance?" Edward asked, holding out a hand.
Bella grimaced. "Not if you value your feet," she told him honestly. "I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not exactly the most graceful person alive."
Edward smiled. "It's all in the leading," he told her, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. He pulled her close to him. "And I promise I won't let you fall."
Bella forced herself to relax and rested her head against Edward's shoulder with a sigh. "Well, this part isn't so bad anyway," she murmured as her eyes fluttered closed.
Edward smiled contentedly as he closed his eyes and let his head rest against the top of Bella's. "This is definitely my favorite part," he agreed softly, his arms wrapping tightly around her back and holding her close.
"So, how was the rest of your day?" Edward asked quietly. "I hope you didn't have to deal with a lot of stares and gossip."
"Nothing I couldn't handle," Bella said lightly.
Edward knew Bella was most likely downplaying her discomfort with the attention she had received throughout the day and he hugged her close for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said gently.
"For what?" Bella asked, drawing back to look at Edward in confusion.
"For all the crap you had to deal with today. I wish other people in this town had better things to do with their time."
"Trust me," Bella said, looking up into his eyes. "I'll take this trade off any day."
Edward smiled down at her, his eyes soft. "Thank you." He pulled her close again and kissed her. Bella responded readily, her lips parting beneath Edward's as she gave herself over completely to the kiss and the powerful emotions raging through her.
They were pulled abruptly from their embrace by a knock at the door. "Edward, Bella, dinner's ready," Alice called cheerfully.
Edward sighed. "Thanks, Alice," he called. "We'll be right down." He looked down at Bella. "To be continued," he promised, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He drew back reluctantly, still holding her hand, and led Bella downstairs to dinner.
The two walked into the dining room where the rest of Edward's siblings were already setting up for dinner. Alice was filling water glasses while Rose, Emmett, and Jasper carried in bowls of pasta, salad, and a basket of bread.
"Is dad home?" Edward asked Alice.
She nodded. "He's in the kitchen with mom if you want to go introduce Bella." She smiled reassuringly at Bella and Bella smiled back, once again nervous at the prospect of meeting more of Edward's family.
Edward squeezed her hand. "Ready?" he asked, so softly that only Bella heard him.
She smiled up at him. "I trust you," she responded simply.
He smiled down at her and led her into the kitchen. Esme was pulling salad dressing out of the fridge while talking with a tall, handsome blond man who was pouring red wine into two glasses. "Hi, dad," Edward said.
The blond man looked up at smiled. "This must be Bella," he said, putting down the wine bottle and walking over to the two of them. "Bella, I'm Carlisle," he said, reaching out and shaking her hand. "It's very nice to meet you."
Bella smiled shyly. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you, too." Esme came over to stand next to her husband, two bottles of salad dressing in her hand. Looking at the extremely attractive couple in front of her, Bella found it was easy to see where Edward, Emmett, and Alice had gotten their good looks.
"Do you need us to carry anything in?" Bella asked.
Esme smiled at her. "Thanks, sweetie, but I think we've got everything. Carlisle and I just need to bring in our drinks and the salad dressing and we'll be all set. Why don't you guys go have a seat and we'll be right behind you?"
Edward nodded. "Thanks, mom." Hand in hand, he and Bella walked back into the dining room. Jasper, the only one Bella had not yet seen, was seated on the far side of the table next to Alice. "Hi, Bella," he said easily. "Glad you could make it."
Bella smiled. "Thanks." Edward pulled out the chair opposite to Alice's seat for her and Bella sat
down. Edward took the seat next to her with Emmett on his left and Rose sitting across the table next to Jasper.
Carlisle and Esme entered the room and took their seats at the heads of the table and the food began to make its way around the table. The conversation flowed easily with everyone including Bella in it seemingly without thought. Bella for her part found herself relaxing quickly in the friendly environment, loving how everyone felt the freedom to be themselves and share what they really thought as they all talked and teased and laughed. Even Rosalie, Bella noted, was talking and open and smiling more than Bella could ever recall seeing her smile before.
When dinner ended, Jasper, Alice, and Carlisle cleared the plates from the table. "Clean up crew," Edward said softly in response to Bella's questioning look. Bella only nodded, relieved that she would not have to risk the possibility of breaking dishes and ruining any good impression she might have made on Edward's family thus far.
The family sat around the table awhile longer, talking, before Edward glanced at his watch. "I should get Bella home," he announced.
Bella looked at the time and reluctantly agreed. She and Edward stood and Bella was embarrassed to see that the rest of the family rose as well to say goodbye. Alice bounced around the table and hugged Bella. "I'm glad you came, Bella," she said sincerely. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Bella couldn't help smiling at the enthusiastic pixie. "Thanks, Alice."
From her position next to Bella, Esme stepped over to Bella and gave her a gentle hug. "Thank you for coming, Bella," she said, pulling back and holding Bella's arms gently. "Remember, you're welcome here any time."
"Thank you, Esme," Bella said, blushing only slightly. "And thank you for having me."
The others said their farewells and Edward and Bella eventually exited the house. Edward held Bella's door for her and then crossed in front of the car and slid into the driver's seat. "Not so terrible, right?" he said, looking over at Bella.
Bella could see how nervous Edward was and she smiled quickly to ease his worries. "Not at all," she said. "Your family is wonderful, Edward. They were all really nice and I didn't feel nearly as awkward and out of place as I thought I would."
Edward's smile was equal parts relief and happiness. "I'm glad," he told her, leaning across and kissing her. "Otherwise, I was going to have to go out there and find a new family," he teased when he pulled back.
Bella rolled her eyes but she was smiling. Edward grinned back before starting the car and turning around in the drive. He took possession of her hand once more, resting it in his lap, and didn't release it until they were in front of Bella's house.
Bella found that she felt oddly like Cinderella at midnight when Edward shut off the car and turned to face her fully. "Guess this is my stop," she said, trying to hide the strangely empty feeling that was suddenly taking up residence in her stomach.
Edward smiled wistfully. "Unfortunately," he agreed. He hesitated a moment before speaking again. "Would you let me drive you to school tomorrow?" Edward asked, his expression both shy and hopeful at the same time.
Bella smiled happily. "I would love that," she told him honestly.
Edward beamed back at her. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said, running a hand softly down her jawline.
Bella smiled dreamily. "Okay. Goodnight, Edward."
Edward leaned forward to kiss her once, twice, before pulling back. "Goodnight, love," he said, smiling tenderly at her.
Bella reluctantly opened the door and climbed out of the car. She walked to her front door and turned back to find that Edward had not moved. Smiling, she waved at him and let herself inside. Only when she was safely inside with the door closed behind her did she hear Edward's car start up and drive away.
"Bella? Is that you?" Charlie called as Bella closed the front door behind her.
"Hi, dad," Bella said, walking into the living room. Charlie sat in his favorite chair, an empty plate in front of him and the Mariners game on the TV.
"Dinner at Angela's?" Charlie asked, looking over at her.
Bella braced herself. "Um, no, actually I was at Edward Cullen's house." Charlie opened his mouth and Bella raced on before he could speak. "He invited me to have dinner and meet his parents because we're, um, we're sort of dating now. And he's coming over tomorrow night for dinner because he wants to meet you properly. And, um, yeah. So is that okay?"
Charlie looked surprised and for a moment could only stare back at Bella. "Um, okay?" he said finally.
Bella smiled in relief. "Thanks, dad."
"You said Edward Cullen. Is that Dr. Cullen's son?"
Bella nodded. "His youngest son." She put special emphasis on the word. No need for Charlie to freak out if he for some reason confused Emmett and Edward and decided that he was too old for Bella. "His oldest son, Emmett, is a senior but Edward and his sister Alice are juniors like I am." She hesitated a moment. "And, um, he's really important, dad. To me. So please be nice to him."
Charlie studied her face a moment. "Okay, Bells," he said finally. "I'll be on my best behavior." He turned back to the Mariners game and Bella breathed a sigh of relief. That was Charlie's way of saying the conversation was over.
"Thanks, dad," she said again. "Um, I'm just going to go up and do some homework and then go to bed."
"Okay, Bells. I'll see you in the morning," Charlie said distractedly, leaning forward as the Mariners' center fielder caught a fly ball and sent the ball flying toward home and the runner approaching the plate.
Bella stopped in the kitchen to grab her bag from where she had left it earlier and headed upstairs to her room. Well, that had gone a lot better than she had hoped, she thought as she sank down onto her bed in relief. She grinned to herself, making a mental note that in the future she should always talk to Charlie about important matters while the Mariners were on.