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 there every step of the way to bounce ideas off of and to offer up some fantastic ones of her own. She's my muse + collaborator and she is awesome! Thanks also to everyone who has stuck with me this long even when I was so bad about my last update. You guys are awesome and I appreciate every person who reads, reviews, favorites, and alerts. This is for all of you.
Chapter 6
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The next morning, Edward drove to Bella's house to pick her up for school. The Frames played loudly on his stereo and he knew he must look a little mad to people driving by as he sang along to the music with an enormous smile on his face. He couldn't help it, though. Last night had gone so well with Bella meeting his parents and he couldn't be happier. It was more than just last night, though. The past few days had been the best of Edward's life. He didn't know how he had gone this long without Bella in his life and he knew he never wanted to go back to a time when she wasn't there with him.
With a grin, his thoughts drifted back to the night before and what had happened upon his return from driving Bella home.
************
Flashback
************
Edward let himself in through the front door, his thoughts still occupied with Bella and the feel of her soft lips beneath his. "Edward?" he heard his mom call.
He made his way to the living room where he found his parents curled up together on the couch watching the end of an old movie. "Hi," he said.
Esme smiled up at her youngest son. "Thank you for bringing Bella to dinner, Edward," she said. "I was so happy to meet her. She's lovely."
Edward grinned, sliding a glance over at his father. Carlisle nodded slightly, smiling back at his son. "She's welcome here anytime," he said.
Edward's smile grew. "Thanks, mom and dad," he said. "I'm gonna go up to my room, get some work done."
His parents smiled back. "Okay, sweetheart," Esme said. "See you in the morning." She was still smiling widely at him and Edward couldn't stop the goofy smile that spread across his face in response to his mother's obvious joy.
"Night." Edward made his way up the stairs knowing full well he was not going to be able to concentrate enough to do any homework at the moment.
Edward was walking through the hallway on the second floor when he heard Rose call his name. She was sitting on her bed with her History book open on the bed in front of her and Edward stopped in the open doorway to her room. "Hey, Rose," he said. "Spending the night?"
A grimace flashed across Rose's face, the expression passing so quickly that a person who didn't know Rose better would never have seen it. "Yeah," she said, her tone ultra casual.
Edward didn't press – this was a pretty frequent occurrence and it didn't strike him as the slightest bit odd. "What's up? Need help with your homework?" he teased. Despite the way people judged Rose based on her appearance, she was quite intelligent and rarely, if ever, needed assistance on any assignment.
"Funny," she said with a smile. "I just wanted to see if you had talked to Carlisle and Esme about Bella. They were both really happy for you and Esme couldn't stop talking about Bella after you guys left."
Edward grinned widely. "Yeah?" Rose nodded in affirmation. "I saw them when I came in. They told me they were happy for me, but it's nice to get it from another source, too."
"How did Bella like them?" Rose asked, genuinely interested.
"She said she likes everyone a lot," Edward said, a proud smile on his face. "She said everyone is great to her and she felt very comfortable here."
Rose smiled. "I'm glad, Edward," she said sincerely. "I'm really happy that you two found each other."
Edward smiled back at his sister at the unexpected words. "Thanks, Rosie," he said.
Rose smiled back and then pursed her lips slightly. "All right, you can get out now," she told him. "I have to finish this crap before I can go to bed."
Edward grinned, Rose's sudden change in tone not fazing him in the slightest. He knew it was her way of dealing with a situation that she found too uncomfortable or emotional. "I'm gone," he told her. "Night, big sister."
He slipped out of the room before Rose could respond but Edward saw the soft smile that crossed Rose's face at his words. Edward continued on to his bedroom, ready to climb into bed and dream about Bella until he could hold her in his arms again. However, he had no sooner changed into his pajamas than he heard a quick rapping on the door. Edward sighed but couldn't help smiling. He knew exactly who was at his door. "Come in, Alice," he called, dropping down to sit on his bed.
Alice bounced into the room, the excitement rolling off of her in waves. "So, that went great, don't you think?" she said. She sat down at the foot of Edward's bed, her legs tucked beneath her. "Mom and dad really liked her. Was she okay? Was it too weird for her or anything?"
Edward grinned at the words that spilled fast and furious from Alice's mouth. "Bella said she felt very comfortable here and she likes everyone very much. You guys have all been great to her." He looked directly at Alice. "Thanks for that."
Alice waved it off. "She makes it very easy, Edward," she replied. "She's a great girl and you two are so perfect together. We're all really happy for you."
Edward smiled, thinking of Rose's words to him only minutes earlier. "Thanks, Alice," he said. "I'm kinda thrilled myself," he admitted.
Alice smiled. "Mom is, like, beyond thrilled," she told him. "After you guys left, she couldn't stop talking about you guys. Dad smiled and said Bella seemed very nice before excusing himself – you know how he is. Emmett and Jasper got out of there pretty quick, too, but Rose and I stayed with mom for a little bit. Mom couldn't get over how happy you guys looked together and how wonderful and sweet and smart Bella is."
Edward smiled, his expression far away. "She is," he agreed. "All of those things and more."
Alice smiled fondly at her brother. "Okay, well I'm going to go to bed," she told him. "I just wanted to make sure you knew how everyone felt and see how Bella felt about us."
"Thanks, Alice."
"Sweet dreams," Alice said with a smile before practically dancing out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
Edward smiled, pulling back the covers on his bed. He turned the bedside light out then curled up beneath his comforter with a sigh of utter contentment. Tonight had gone perfectly and soon he would be with Bella again. He closed his eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep and dreams of the two of them together.
*************
End Flashback
*************
Back in the present, Edward's smile grew as his thoughts drifted to moments the two had shared. He loved her, of this he was absolutely certain. He was still a little nervous about telling her this as their relationship was still so young, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his true feelings hidden much longer. He had almost told her the night before in his bedroom before Alice had interrupted them and he now decided that he would wait for the perfect moment to tell her how he felt. Their first time making love had been on the floor of a biology closet and while Edward didn't regret it for a second, he wanted the timing to be special and perfect when he confessed his love to Bella. He began to think of possibilities for how and where and when he would tell her and before he knew it, he was pulling into her driveway.
It was all he could do to keep himself from running to her front door. He knocked on the door, waiting impatiently for Bella to answer. Finally, the door opened and Bella stood before him smiling.
"Hi," she said.
Edward stepped into the house, pulling Bella into his arms and kissing her sweetly. "Hi, yourself," he said when he drew back, a wide smile on his face. Bella blushed and Edward fought down the hot flush of arousal her reaction triggered in him. "Ready to go?" he asked, knowing if he didn't get her out of the house soon, they might actually never make it to school. Bella nodded and they exited the house together, Edward taking Bella's hand in his own as soon as she had locked the door behind her.
He opened her car door for her then walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat. "So," he said casually as they began the drive to school, "my parents really enjoyed meeting you last night."
"Really?" Bella asked nervously.
Edward nodded. "They said you were very nice and you're welcome at our house anytime." He glanced at Bella and saw that while she was blushing, there was also an enormous smile on her face. "Looks like now all we have to worry about is Chief Swan deciding if I'm good enough for his little girl."
Bella reached over and took his right hand, squeezing it gently before placing their joined hands on her thigh. "Don't worry," she told him confidently. "He's going to love you." What parent wouldn't? she thought to herself. The smart, polite, handsome captain of the football team? What's not to love?
Bella was pulled from her thoughts by a vaguely familiar song playing on the speakers. She listened a moment then smiled. "Is this Revelate?"
Edward smiled at her in surprise. "Very good," he teased her. "I knew that Frames brainwashing was going to take hold."
Bella grinned back. "I think it's my favorite," she confessed. "Something about the build up of the music and his voice. It's just very powerful." She blushed as Edward stared at her silently. "What?" she asked self-consciously. "Am I being too weird?"
Edward shook his head slowly. "Not at all," he told her. "You just seem to be reading my mind on my favorite song." Bella grinned shyly, ducking her head for a moment. Edward squeezed her hand and she looked back up. "That reminds me, I wanted to ask you something."
"What's that?"
"Well, you know how it's Spring Break and all next week." Bella nodded. "I was wondering if you would like to go see the Frames play next weekend. I thought it might be a nice way to end break."
"The Frames? Next weekend?" Bella smiled excitedly. "That sounds fantastic."
Edward smiled back. "It's going to be amazing. They're going to be in Port Angeles that last Saturday of Spring Break and Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Rose are all going, too. They rarely tour so it's already sold out – it's going to be packed."
"I can't wait," Bella told him honestly as they pulled into the school parking lot. Edward turned off the car and came around to open Bella's door for her. As he was helping her from the car, Bella spotted Alice and the others almost immediately and she and Edward quickly made their way over to where they stood, talking and laughing comfortably amongst themselves until it was time to separate for their first classes of the day.
When Bella exited the girls' locker room after gym, Edward was waiting for her. "You don't have to meet me after every class, you know," she said automatically, instantly resisting the urge to bite her tongue savagely at her own words. She loved the fact that Edward walked her to every class and she certainly didn't want him to think she wanted him to stop.
"Am I embarrassing you?" Edward asked. "I guess I'm being selfish. I really like getting to walk you to every class, but I'll stop if it's making you uncomfortable."
"No!" Bella blurted, her cheeks flushing crimson when Edward grinned at her outburst. "I mean, no, it's definitely not a bad thing. I just thought I was the one being selfish. I mean, I don't want you to feel like you have to walk me-"
Her words were abruptly cut off by Edward's lips against hers. "You're so cute when you're flustered," he teased her, taking her hand in his. Bella looked down, abashed, and Edward squeezed her hand gently. "So, should we just agree that we both get to be selfish and I get to keep walking you to class?" he asked as they entered the science wing.
Bella looked up at Edward, marveling once again that this incredibly gorgeous, wonderful boy actually wanted to be with her. "That sounds good to me," she agreed as they stopped at the door to her Biology class.
Edward glanced over Bella's shoulder and he smiled ruefully. "Here comes Alice," he told her. "And there goes my time with you."
Bella smiled back. "I'll see you after class," she promised as Alice reached them. "Hi, Bella, Edward," Alice said. She took Bella by the arm and steered her into the classroom. "Bye, Edward." Edward rolled his eyes, waving to Jasper before turning and making his way to his own class.
Inside the classroom, Jasper found Alice chattering excitedly to Bella and Angela. "It went so well," Alice was gushing. "My parents just loved her. Mom couldn't stop talking about her after she and Edward left and they're both so happy for him."
Jasper could see Bella's face getting redder by the moment as Alice continued on and he smoothly interrupted the furious babble of Alice's words. "Alice, you promised to go over the reading with me before class started," he said. "Hi, Bella. Hi, Angela."
Alice looked momentarily confused. "I did? Oh, yeah! We were going to do it last night, but I was just way too wired to concentrate," she told the two girls.
Angela nodded, smiling, while Bella continued to blush. "We'll see you guys later," Jasper said, winking at Bella as he led Alice over to their own table.
"Sounds like last night went well," Angela commented wryly.
Bella groaned softly. "It did. I mean, it was wonderful and his parents were great. I just wish that Alice hadn't felt the need to share that news with the entire class."
Angela glanced around them noticing that some of their classmates did seem a little too interested in what was going on at their table. Angela waved a hand. "Who cares about them? The important thing is that you met his family and you all got along."
"And tonight he's coming for dinner and meeting Charlie," Bella said. "God, what was I thinking?"
"Bella, relax," Angela said, patting her arm comfortingly. "Your dad's a little quiet, sure, but he's not going to be mean to Edward or anything. Just watch, everything will be fine."
Bella sighed as Doc Marin called class to order from the front of the room. "I hope you're right, Ang."
If possible, Bella found that the day seemed to go both incredibly quickly while at the same time dragging. She was nervous about Edward and Charlie meeting, but at the same time she just wanted to get it over with so she could stop worrying about it. By the time English class was over, Bella found herself still in two minds about the coming evening. The sight of Edward waiting outside of her classroom, however, was all she needed to put her mind at ease.
Ignoring everyone else around them, Edward pulled Bella to him and kissed her softly. "I missed you," he said softly.
Bella smiled up at him, the butterflies rushing crazily around her stomach. "I missed you, too," she said.
Edward caught sight of something over Bella's shoulder. "Incoming," he muttered. "Let's get out of here."
Bella glanced behind her and saw Lauren Mallory walking purposefully toward them. "Definitely time to go," she agreed, the two quickly making their way to the cafeteria.
In the lunch line, Edward stood behind Bella with his hands lightly skimming her hips. Despite the stares they were getting, Bella found she didn't much care and rested her hands on top of Edward's. Angela was right, who cared what anyone else thought? She had Edward and they were happy together, there was no reason she should have to hide that from anyone.
They paid for their lunches and made their way across the room to a table where Edward's other siblings were already seated. The second she sat down, Bella immediately popped back up from her seat. "Whoops. Forgot a fork. I'll be right back." She stood again and walked over to the area of the cafeteria where the utensils and condiments were kept. Edward and Jasper started talking to each other but their conversation was soon interrupted by Emmett.
"Uh-oh," Emmett said. "Looks like someone didn't get the memo on Edward and Bella."
Edward raised an eyebrow, refusing to allow his older brother to bait him. "How's that, Emmett?" he asked, keeping his tone bland.
"Looks like Hurley's moving in on your girl," Emmett said with a grin.
Edward turned in the direction Emmett was staring and saw Aaron Hurley and Bella standing near the utensil station, talking and smiling. Aaron was standing rather close to Bella and Edward's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight. Bella smiled at something Aaron said and then turned to walk back to the table. Edward quickly turned back to face the table so that Bella would not see him staring and waited impatiently for her to take her seat next to him once more.
Bella sat down next to Edward and placed an individual sized bottle of Diet Pepsi on the table in front of her. "Where did that come from?" Edward asked, trying and failing to keep his tone casual.
Bella smiled. "Aaron Hurley gave it to me," she told him. "He said he forgot to give us the soda we ordered on Saturday night so he felt he owed me. I thought it was very nice of him." She opened the soda and offered it to Edward. "Want some?"
Edward shook his head, fighting down the unexpected surge of jealousy he felt at Bella's complimentary words about Aaron. When Bella put the bottle back on the table, Edward picked up her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "What do you want to do next week during break?" he asked.
Bella smiled. "I don't know. Did you have anything in particular in mind?"
Edward shrugged. "It might be nice to do something special or go somewhere," he replied. "But as long as I get to spend it with you, I don't care what we do."
Bella blushed and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Edward's lips. "Agreed," she said softly.
"Hey, Bella," Emmett said, interrupting the moment.
Edward groaned but Bella turned to Emmett with a smile. "What's up, Emmett?"
"Well, your dad's the chief of police," Emmett began, a big grin on his face. Bella nodded for him to continue. "Does he ever bring his gun home? Or does he have a couple special ones he keeps at home for when you bring guys over?"
"Funny," Edward growled. He was nervous enough about meeting Bella's father – he didn't need his big brother's teasing to add to his stress.
Bella ran her thumb in gentle circles on the back of Edward's hand and he felt himself relax almost immediately. "He always brings his gun home, Emmett," she told him. She turned and looked directly into Edward's eyes. "But I don't know about 'special' guns – I've never brought someone home to meet him before."
Rose smiled at the way Edward and Bella seemed able to communicate with only their eyes. The nervous expression left Edward's face completely then and Rose elbowed Emmett none too gently when she realized he was planning on continuing to torture Edward about meeting Chief Swan.
"What are we doing next week for break, Alice?" Rose asked, directing the conversation away from Edward and Bella.
"Does anybody have any ideas or preferences?" Alice asked. She continued before anyone could speak. "I think we should do a few day trips – the beach, Seattle. Maybe we could do an overnight trip to Portland or something. This amazing new French boutique just opened in Vancouver and I'd love to have a chance to check it out."
Everyone groaned at this, knowing full well that to Alice 'checking it out' meant spending an entire day doing nothing but shopping. "What?" Alice said defensively. "I'm not that bad!"
Jasper wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "No, of course not," he said soothingly. "But maybe we should figure out something we can all do together that everyone can get really excited about."
The rest of the lunch period was spent discussing various destinations and the pros and cons of each location and the activities each place offered. When the hour was over, Bella and Emmett said their good-byes to everyone before heading off to Spanish together.
Edward watched the two walk across the lunchroom. Emmett was obviously telling a story, his hands expressively waving in front of him, and Bella was laughing. "Looks like Emmett has another little sister."
Edward turned to see Rose watching the pair as well. "He's just being-"
Rose held up a hand. "Friendly, I know. I'm not worried about that. In fact, I think it's sweet. I think Bella could probably use a big brother or two to look out for her when it comes to some of the girls in this school. And the guys."
Edward nodded at Rose, thanking her without words for her apparent acceptance of Bella. "I'm going to class. Alice, you coming?" Rose asked, abruptly changing the subject. The four teenagers rose as one from the table and set off to their fifth period classes.
When the bell rang at the end of the school day, Bella felt her stomach twist nervously for a moment. This was it, Charlie and Edward were really going to meet in just a few hours. Taking a deep breath, she gathered up her books and turned to Edward with a smile. No sense in making him nervous by adding her own anxiety to the situation. She just had to trust that Charlie wouldn't let her down and would give Edward a chance.
She and Edward collected the books they would need from their lockers and then walked out to the parking lot. As Edward was holding Bella's door open for her, Rose's car drove past them. "Bye, guys!" Alice called.
"Good luck," Emmett added with a wicked smirk.
Edward looked down at Bella and noticed she suddenly looked a little nervous. "Hey." He bent down, cupping her face in his hand. "Don't worry, okay? Emmett's just being stupid. He does that. Everything's going to be fine."
Bella smiled weakly. "I know," she said. She didn't say anything more and Edward gently closed her door before walking around and climbing into the driver's seat.
"Aren't I supposed to be the nervous one?" Edward teased. "You know, meeting the chief of police's only daughter as the first guy she's ever brought home."
Bella forced a smile. "I know. It's just, well, I can't help it. This is just all so important, you are so important, and I just want you guys to really hit it off and get along. I know I'm being silly, but…"
She trailed off and Edward pulled her into his arms. "You're not being silly," he told her gently. "And I know you're nervous, but this is all going to work out. Your dad loves you and he only wants what's best for you." He pressed a tender kiss to her lips. "And it's up to me to show him that that is me." The serious expression in his eyes belied his cheeky grin and Bella felt herself calming.
"You're right," she said. "I'm overreacting." She reached a hand up to his face and Edward's eyes closed as he leaned into her gentle touch. "And I trust you," she said.
Edward opened his eyes and met her gaze with his own, smiling softly. "Thank you," he said, leaning forward to kiss her again. This kiss was more passionate than their previous one and Bella had to hold herself back from climbing onto Edward's lap. Finally, Edward pulled back. "We should probably go," he said, regret clear in his voice.
Bella nodded, not trusting her voice yet, and settled herself back into her seat, fastening her seat belt around her. Edward took Bella's hand in his own as they drove to Bella's house in comfortable silence.
"So," Edward said when they had arrived at Bella's house. "What's on the menu for tonight?"
"Chicken pot pie," Bella answered as she unlocked the front door and let them into the house. "It's pretty easy and it's one of Charlie's favorites, so win-win."
Edward followed Bella into the kitchen where she immediately began to pull out pans and ingredients. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
Bella shook her head. "Nope. You can do work or watch TV or whatever you want to do."
"I'd rather stay here and talk to you," Edward responded, settling himself into one of the kitchen chairs.
Bella flushed, a pleased smile on her face. "Works for me," she said happily. "Tell me about your favorite places you've ever been on vacation."
Edward told Bella about several different family trips to Ireland, Australia, and South Africa, his vibrant descriptions making Bella feel almost as if she had been there, too. An hour later, the pie was ready to be cooked and Bella slipped the pie into the oven and turned the timer on. "There. Now we wait about 40 minutes, and we're all set for dinner." She turned to Edward. "Want to go watch TV or something while we wait?"
Edward nodded and the pair walked into the living room together. They sat down on the couch but when Bella picked up the remote, Edward gently took it from her hands and laid it on the end table next to the couch. "I'd rather just talk," he said honestly in response to Bella's questioning look.
"Okay," Bella replied. "Anything in particular on your mind?"
"I was kind of wondering about your plans after school," Edward confessed. "After next year, it's off to Dartmouth and then what do you want to do after that?"
"I never said I was definitely going to Dartmouth." Edward looked at her in surprise. "Why would I want to go to Dartmouth?" Bella tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help grinning at Edward's expression.
"Tease," Edward said. He pulled Bella into his lap. "And I could think of a good reason or two for you to go to Dartmouth," he murmured before capturing her lips in a heated kiss.
When they finally separated, Bella was flushed. "Well, that seems like a good reason," she said. Edward grinned. "However, I'm not sure I'm convinced."
Edward raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He pressed a kissed to her throat then trailed kisses up her neck and down her jawline. "How about now?"
"Mmm, nope," Bella said.
Edward's lips moved back up Bella's jawline and behind her ear. He felt her shiver as he gently bit her earlobe. "Now?"
"Mmmm, it may have possibilities," Bella said, her voice breathless, "but I'm still not sure."
Edward growled low in his throat before his lips crashed down on Bella's. Bella's lips parted on a moan and she pressed herself flush against Edward. Her hands drifted down to the hem of Edward's shirt and then up underneath it, her nails scraping lightly against his skin. Edward moaned, his hands tangling in Bella's hair, pulling her even closer.
One of Bella's hands slipped from underneath Edward's shirt and traveled down between their bodies. She could feel Edward's erection pressing into her thigh and she gently slid her hand over him. Edward groaned before pulling back, setting Bella on the couch and standing up quickly.
"Now who's not playing fair?" he said, breathing heavily.
Bella looked up at him in wide-eyed innocence. "What do you possibly mean?"
Edward mock glared at her. "The death of me, Bella, I swear." He flopped down next to Bella on the couch once more. "Not exactly the impression I want to make on your father," he said, taking her hand in his and lacing his fingers through hers. "All I can figure is you're either trying to torture me to death, or let your father do the job with his service gun."
Bella snickered, resting her head against Edward's shoulder. "You started it," she reminded him.
"And I would be only too happy to finish it," he said honestly. "But, like I said, it's not exactly going to endear me to your father if he walks in on that."
Bella couldn't help smiling at Edward's words. "I wish we could finish, too," she mumbled, hiding her face in his shoulder.
Edward smiled, tilting Bella's chin up so she met his gaze. "Maybe we should stick to talking," he said ruefully, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Seems like the safest way to pass the time for now."
Bella blushed, nodding her head in agreement. She pulled back a little from Edward and sat sideways on the couch facing him, her legs tucked beneath her. "So, where were we?" she asked.
"I believe I was asking what you were planning on doing after Dartmouth. Hypothetically, of course, provided you go to Dartmouth."
"Of course," Bella said with a grin. "Actually, I was thinking of becoming a social worker," she responded immediately. "Or maybe I'll go to law school and be a public interest lawyer. Just as long as I'm doing something where I can actually help people, you know? Something where I'll be making a positive difference in someone's life. Otherwise, I'll just feel like I've wasted those four years at school." Bella stopped, her cheeks going pink. "I sound unbelievably cheesy, don't I?"
Edward shook his head, captivated by the earnest tone of her voice. "You sound unbelievably wonderful," he told her softly. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Not that I'm surprised, of course. You are the kindest, most caring and wonderful person I've ever been lucky enough to know."
Bella was blushing furiously now but she couldn't help the happiness that flooded through her at Edward's words. They sat in silence just gazing at each other for a few moments before Bella broke the silence. "What about you? What are your plans?"
"I was thinking maybe about medical school. I know it's not very original, you know, son of a doctor going to medical school," he said.
"But there's something else," Bella guessed.
Edward's head darted up and he smiled at her. "Sometimes, you're too perceptive," he mused.
Bella shrugged. "Well, you sound kind of lukewarm about med school. I mean, I'm sure you would be a wonderful doctor, but I also imagine that you would have a, um, a certain passion about what you want to do with your life and I'm not hearing it when you talk about med school." She blushed and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. "Or I could just be way off the mark," she mumbled.
Edward could only stare at Bella a moment, stunned at just how well she was able to read him. How on earth had he lived this long without her in his life? He saw that Bella was blushing and he hurried to speak. "You're not off the mark," he assured her. "There is a part of me that does want to go to med school like my dad, to live a life where I can give back and help people." He paused, raking a hand through his messy hair. "And then there's the selfish side of me," he said with a sigh.
Bella reached over and took his hands in hers. The look on her face was reassuring and Edward continued. "I wasn't, um, completely honest with you last night at my house. When you asked me if I play piano, I believe what I told you was "a little." He grimaced slightly. "That was pretty far from the truth."
"Are you telling me you don't play at all?" Bella asked in mock horror. "Oh, Edward, I thought I knew you!"
Edward gave her a look but couldn't help smiling. "No, I do play, that's the thing," he told her. "I play a lot and I play very well. I've even composed some of my own music."
"Edward, that's wonderful," Bella said. "Can I hear you play sometime?"
"Maybe," Edward replied. "You'll have to earn it though," he told her, a teasing glint in his eye.
Bella smacked him in the shoulder, laughing. "So there's a part of you that wants to go to school for music, yes?"
Edward nodded. "I know I have a little time to figure it out, I just wish I knew for sure which one I want to do. I envy you – you're so definite about what you want to do. It must be such a relief, just knowing like that."
Bella shrugged again. "Yeah, it kind of hit me one day and that was it," she said. "So, what do your parents think about you pursuing music?"
Edward smiled. "They're supportive of whatever I choose to do," he told her. "That's the way they've always been with all of us." He paused and looked down at Bella. "My family and now you are the only ones who know about this possibility." He hesitated a moment. "Would you mind terribly not mentioning it to Angela or anyone else? At least not yet, not before I've figured out what I want to do?"
"Of course," Bella said, curling up against his side.
Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Thank you," he said softly, pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head.
They sat on the couch together for awhile in contented silence until they heard the stove timer go off. "Dinner calls," Bella said with a sigh, reluctantly pulling back from Edward's side. He stood and helped Bella to her feet then followed her back into the kitchen.
Bella pulled the pie from the oven, testing it to make sure it was done and then nodding in satisfaction as she turned the oven off. "Is there anything I can do?" Edward asked.
Bella shook her head automatically. "No, we should be all set. Let me just make a salad and we'll be good."
"Bella." Edward stood between Bella and the refrigerator. "Can I at least make the salad? You've done all this work, I have to earn my keep somehow."
Bella smiled. "I think you do that just fine already," she told him, leaning up to kiss him gently. "But if you insist, I'm not going to stop you." She pulled out some vegetables and a large salad bowl, laying them out on the counter. "Have at it," she said with a grin.
While Edward threw together the salad, Bella set the kitchen table, conversation flowing easily between the two the entire time.
Edward had just returned the remaining vegetables to the refrigerator when he and Bella heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Bella tensed immediately and Edward hugged her. "It's going to be fine," he promised, kissing her lips lightly before stepping back. "Trust me."
Bella nodded, taking a deep breath as she heard the front door open. "Bella?"
"We're in the kitchen, dad," she called back. As her father approached, Bella threw up a quick prayer to whoever might be listening that the evening would go well.
"Hi, dad," Bella said as Charlie entered the kitchen. "Dad, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, my dad."
Edward stepped forward, holding out his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, sir," he said.
"You're Doctor Cullen's son, that right?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, sir," Edward responded politely.
"Your dad's a good man," Charlie said with a nod, shaking Edward's hand briefly. "I've worked with him on a couple of cases. He has a real good bedside manner, too – he's helped us get statements out of some of our more reluctant witnesses in the past."
Edward smiled. "I'm very lucky," he responded serenely.
His words were directed at Charlie but Charlie did not miss the utterly devoted look Edward gave Bella at these words and he rolled his eyes, hoping he wasn't going to have to sit through an entire evening of the two mooning over each other.
Charlie glanced over at the stove and saw the pie cooling on top of it. "Chicken pie, Bells?" he asked with a small smile.
Bella nodded. "Yep. And Edward made the salad," she added, carrying the pie to the table while Edward set the salad bowl down next to Charlie. Charlie only grunted in response and began cutting the pie into slices. Bella glanced helplessly at Edward but he only smiled soothingly at her, holding her chair out before taking his own seat across from her.
They ate without any conversation for a little while and Bella found her anxiety increasing with the length of the silence. Finally, she not so subtly nudged Charlie with her foot, looking at him imploringly when he glanced up at her. Charlie groaned silently. The last thing he wanted to do was make polite conversation while he was trying to eat. But, he had promised Bella he would be nice and hated the thought of disappointing her. Quickly racking his brain, he came up with what he figured was a relatively safe, if dull, question. "So, Edward," Charlie began, "you, uh, you thought about what you're doing for college yet?"
"Yes, sir," Edward replied. "I-"
"Edward's been accepted to Dartmouth early, too," Bella blurted out.
Edward raised an eyebrow at Bella, his expression amused, but Bella just shrugged, raising her glass to take a drink of water. "Really?" Charlie said, clearly surprised. "So, is that how you two met? Some kind of early college prep thing?"
Bella nearly choked on her water and Edward hurried to answer. "Bella and I sit next to each other in History," he said smoothly.
"Oh," Charlie said, nodding slightly. They ate in silence for a little while until Edward spoke up.
"Bella tells me you like to fish, Chief Swan."
"Yep," Charlie said, barely looking up from his dinner. Bella gave him a pleading look and he sighed internally. "Do you like to fish, Edward?"
"My father used to take us all fishing when we were younger," Edward replied. "There was this spot he loved, off of Jumper's Hole Road."
Charlie raised an eyebrow, interested in spite of himself. "Really? Never tried that one."
"You might want to check it out," Edward told him. "It's been a few years since we've been, but we had some of our more successful fishing trips there. It's best to go right before sunrise or right at twilight, from what I remember."
"I'll have to check that out," Charlie said, nodding. "So did your dad teach you all fly fishing or what?"
Edward and Charlie began talking about fishing – spots to fish, lures, rods, reels, and bait – while Bella watched silently. She had absolutely no idea what they were talking about but she was thrilled that they were talking. Charlie wasn't the most talkative person in the world but right now he seemed very animated as he and Edward shared fishing stories and Bella hid a smile as she watched the two most important men in her life talking so comfortably with each other.
Edward and Charlie continued talking about fishing through the rest of the meal. Bella brought out dishes of ice cream for dessert and they moved on to discussing the Mariners and a recent pitching acquisition. As he was finishing up his bowl of ice cream, Charlie caught sight of his watch. "The game's started," he said, standing from the table. "'Really want to see what they're going to do to keep A-Rod's bat quiet tonight." He looked over at Edward. Edward, you staying for the game?" His voice was almost hopeful and Bella turned away so Charlie wouldn't see the huge grin on her face.
"I would love to," Edward said. "But I really should get going. I still have some homework I need to get to."
"Okay, well, some other time, then," Charlie said, sticking his empty bowl in the sink. "Nice to meet you, Edward," he said.
"You, too, Chief Swan," Edward replied.
"Charlie," Charlie said, shaking Edward's hand firmly.
"Charlie," Edward repeated.
Charlie nodded. "Night," he said as he walked into the living room.
"Goodnight," Edward called back. He and Bella shared a smile as they cleared the remaining dishes from the table.
When they had finished, Bella walked Edward out. They stood on the front step, Bella shutting the door quietly behind her. Edward began to say something when a buzzing from his pocket cut him off. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. He glanced at the text message on his phone then smiled at Bella. "Alice is calling for a movie night tomorrow night," Edward said. "Do you want to come?"
Bella pretended to consider. "Well, that depends," she said. "What movie are we watching?"
"Well, that's up to Alice – it's her turn to pick," Edward told her. "However, if you need time to think about it…" He trailed off, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
Bella smiled. "I'd love to come and I don't care if we watch the weather channel for two hours," she told him honestly.
Edward pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Good answer."
"I can't come right after school, though," she told him regretfully. "Angela and I were planning to get together tomorrow at school to study for the English test on Thursday. We shouldn't be too late, though. Maybe 5:30 or 6:00."
"Well why don't I just pick you up when you're done and we'll go back to my house? We can order pizza and watch the movie."
"You don't mind?"
"I should probably study for that test, too." Edward and Angela did not have the same class period as Bella but all three shared the same teacher in the three separate English classes she taught during the day and all of her classes were going to be taking the same test that coming Thursday. "I just doubt I'd get much work done if I studied with you," Edward told her with a smile.
Bella blushed and Edward chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her again. This kiss was slow and sweet and Bella found herself wanting it to never end. Eventually, though, they parted and Edward rested his forehead against Bella's. "You should get back inside before I ruin any good impression I might have made on your father," he told her.
Bella made a face but reluctantly agreed. "See you tomorrow?"
Edward smiled, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. "I'll be here," he promised. "Goodnight, love."
Bella smiled shyly. "Goodnight, Edward."
With a final squeeze of her hand, Edward departed. Bella stood on the front steps until he was out of sight then went back inside, locking the front door behind her. Okay, time to find out what Charlie thought of Edward.
Bella found Charlie deeply engrossed in the ball game when she returned to the living room and she sat on the couch for a few moments until the inning ended. She glanced over at Charlie, hoping he would say something about Edward, but his attention remained on the screen. She stood and stretched. "Well, dad, I'm gonna go upstairs and do some homework and go to bed."
"Okay. Night, Bells," Charlie said. "I'll see you in the morning."
Bella waited hopefully for a moment but Charlie didn't seem inclined to say anything else and she sighed, turning and leaving the room. She had just reached the doorway when Charlie's voice stopped her. "Bella?"
She turned around, her body tensing up suddenly. "Yeah?"
"He seems like a nice kid," Charlie said, looking over at her. "Not that I'd really expect anything different from one of Dr. Cullen's kids. But, yeah."
Bella smiled, nearly giddy with relief. "He is. Thanks, dad."
Charlie held up a cautioning hand. "He is still a teenage boy, though, Bella. I was one of those once, so, um, just, uh, just be careful, okay?"
Bella could feel her cheeks burning and Charlie looked equally uncomfortable. "I will," she said. "Okay, homework. Night, dad. And thanks."
"Night," Charlie responded, returning his attention to the screen as the game came back from its commercial break.
Once upstairs, Bella rushed through her Trig homework, her mind only half on the task in front of her. When she had done as much as she knew she was going to get done that night, she closed up her books and got ready for bed. Climbing into bed and snuggling under her covers, Bella couldn't stop herself from grinning wildly as she thought about how well the night had gone. "Perfect," she sighed aloud to herself, drifting off into a peaceful slumber moments later.
The next morning, Bella was up before her alarm went off, practically racing through her morning routine before heading downstairs for breakfast. She so ahead of her own schedule that morning that Charlie was still finishing up his own breakfast when she joined him in the kitchen.
"Dad, I'm going to stay after school to study with Angela for an English test and then I was going to go over to Edward's to watch a movie with him and his family. I won't be late," she promised before Charlie could say anything.
He smiled knowingly at Bella's gleeful attitude but only asked her to please be home before 10 and wished her a good day at school as he left for work.
Bella finished her breakfast quickly then sat to wait impatiently for Edward to arrive.
Though it felt like a half an hour to Bella, it was really only a few minutes later that she heard Edward knocking on the door. She raced to the door, pausing a moment to compose herself before throwing it open, a large smile on her face.
"Morning," she said, practically bouncing into his open arms.
"Good morning," Edward chuckled, holding her close. "I take it this means Chief Swan didn't forbid you from ever seeing me again."
Bella locked up and followed Edward to the car. "Not even close," she said with a grin as he held the door for her. She waited until Edward had climbed into the car as well to continue. "He said you seemed like a 'nice kid.' Trust me, from Charlie, that's high praise," she said happily.
"So I guess this means we don't have to have any forbidden, clandestine romance then, huh?" Edward said. Bella just smiled. "Darn," Edward said, pretending to be disappointed. "That always sounds so cool in the books and movies."
Bella grinned and leaned toward him. "Guess you'll just have to deal with boring," she teased.
Edward slid a hand behind Bella's neck. "Somehow, I doubt very much that any time I spend with you could count as boring." He kissed her slowly, taking time to thoroughly explore her mouth with his tongue while Bella tangled her hands in his messy locks and pulled him closer.
Edward eventually pulled away, resting his forehead against Bella's. "We'd better get to school," he warned her. "Otherwise, this 'nice kid' may never let you leave this car."
Bella blushed, gulping slightly when she saw that Edward was only half joking. They each sat back in their own seats, adjusting hair and clothing before Edward finally turned the car back on and they made their way to school.
The days were beginning to settle into a comfortable rhythm for Bella and she found herself wondering what she had ever done without Edward before quickly banishing that thought from her mind. She and Edward were happy and everything was perfect at the moment. There was nothing to worry about and she vowed that she was not going to let anything or anyone ruin the joy she felt at being with Edward.
That promise to herself met its first challenge when Bella exited her English classroom looking for Edward. She glanced around a moment before finding him, her eyes narrowing at the scene before her.
Lauren had Edward pretty much cornered against the bank of lockers across from the English classroom. She was standing uncomfortably close to him and only the sense of politeness his parents had instilled in him and his siblings kept him from physically moving her away from him. His manners were severely taxed in the next moment, however, when Lauren laid her hand on his chest.
Edward was trying to come up with a polite way to tell Lauren to get the hell away from him when Bella appeared at his side. "Hi," she said with a bright smile. "Lauren, I'm sure you don't mind if I steal my boyfriend for our lunch date." Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Edward's arm and quickly tugged him away from Lauren.
Lauren glared at Bella but then looked up at Edward with a sugary smile. "I'm glad we had a chance to talk, Edward," she cooed. "We'll talk more later."
"Um, yeah, sure," Edward stuttered uncomfortably. "Bye."
Then Edward was the one practically dragging Bella down the hall away from the blonde. "I think you're going to have to sit right at the door so you can be the first one out of that class. Either that, or I'm going to have to find somewhere out of Lauren's line of vision to wait for you," Edward said, the expression on his face telling Bella that he was only half kidding.
"I'll protect you," Bella said. "Unlike you, I have no problems telling that girl to piss off."
Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's shoulder. "Smart, beautiful, and feisty," he said with a smile. "How did I get so lucky?"
Laughing, the two entered the cafeteria together, quickly making their way through the lunch line before joining the rest of Edward's siblings at their usual table in the corner. Angela had taken Bella up on her offer to join them for lunch and she and Alice were already deep in conversation by the time Bella and Edward sat down.
As had become routine, Emmett and Bella walked to and from Spanish class together, Bella's face lighting up at the sight of Edward waiting for her outside of their History classroom. When the bell rang signaling the end of the day, Edward walked Bella to her locker where she was meeting Angela for their study session.
"So, I'll meet you in the parking lot at 6:00?" Edward asked.
Bella smiled. "Sounds good to me."
Edward made a face. "Not me. Now I have to go home and pretend to concentrate for a few hours when I'd rather be spending the time with you."
Bella blushed, still smiling. "It's only a few hours," she reminded him. "Besides," she teased, "you don't want to lose your spot in the rankings, do you? Dartmouth might decide to revoke your acceptance and then I'd have to go to New Hampshire by myself."
"No fair using logic," Edward grumbled, but he was smiling as he pulled Bella close and kissed her. When they separated, he saw Angela standing nearby. "Hi, Angela," he said with a smile, releasing Bella.
"Hey, guys," she said, walking over to them. "I don't want to interrupt, but-"
"No worries," Edward said. "I was just leaving. Need to study for this test myself," he added, grinning at Bella. "I'll see you at 6:00?"
"Yep," Bella agreed.
"Okay." Edward kissed her quickly. "See you then. Bye, Angela."
"Bye, Edward," Angela responded.
When Edward was finally out of sight, Bella turned to Angela. "Okay, so do you just want to go study in the library? Edward's supposed to pick me up at 6:00, do you think that will give us enough time?"
Angela nodded. "Absolutely. We both know this stuff pretty well, it's just always good to be prepared for one of Sorenson's exams. With her, it's either ridiculously easy or something you would take in Grad School, so I always feel better after you and I review for these things together."
"Me, too," Bella agreed. She dumped her bag in her locker, pulling out the books and notes she and Angela would need for their study session, and the two girls made their way to the school library.
At around quarter to six, Bella and Angela decided that they had had enough studying and gathered up their books and papers before heading back to Bella's locker. "So," Angela said as they made their way down the deserted hallway where Bella's locker was located. "We haven't really had a chance to talk since this weekend. Am I ever going to get the whole story?" she teased as they stopped at Bella's locker.
Smiling, Bella explained how she and Edward had gotten locked in the closet on Friday afternoon. "And we spent the weekend together after that, and, well, it's kind of gone from there," she said, glossing over some of the more personal details for the moment.
"It sounds like it's going really well," Angela said. "Alice couldn't stop talking about how much their parents love you all during Bio yesterday."
"I can't believe how well this is all going. I keep waiting to wake up, you know?" Bella smiled.
"I can't imagine what you mean, Bella," Angela teased. "Doesn't everyone find her soulmate when she's locked in a biology supply closet with him overnight?"
Bella giggled. "I'll never look at that closet the same way again," she admitted. "But, Ang, it's really just so amazing, Edward is so amazing. Being with him is like nothing else. And even though Friday night was the first time for both of us, it was just, oh God, it was wonderful. I never thought it could be that good – I thought that was just for movies and romance novels. But Edward…" She trailed off, sighing, as Angela's eyes widened.
"So you two really had sex?" Angela practically squealed. "I mean, I had my suspicions given the state you two were in and the fact that Edward was shirtless. But, still, wow! How was it? Was it amazing?"
Bella smiled dreamily even as her cheeks flushed again. "Oh, Ang, I can't even begin to describe it," she told her friend. "It was incredible. I've never felt anything like it. And, well, this may sound silly, but it wasn't just sex. It was so much more than that." She smiled shyly. "I thought I was the only one who felt that way, but Edward said the same thing to me the other night."
Angela smiled fondly at her friend. "Well, I'm happy for you, Bella," she said honestly. "You guys seem really happy together and anyone who looks at him can tell how much he cares for you."
Bella smiled again. "I love him, Ang," she confessed in a hushed tone. "I've never been in love before but I know that's exactly what this is." Her smile faltered. "I haven't told him yet, though."
"Why not?"
"Well what if it's just me? What if he doesn't feel the same way?" Bella's expression was anguished. "I mean, I think he does, but what if I'm just projecting how I feel about him? I don't think I could handle it if I told him and he didn't feel the same way."
Angela put a comforting hand on Bella's shoulder. "Bella, relax," she said softly. "You'll tell him when you're ready to tell him. And as far as him not feeling the same way, well, I really don't see that happening. Like I said, I've seen the way he looks at you, Bella, the way his eyes always seem to search you out first, even in a crowded cafeteria. You don't have anything to worry about. Edward Cullen is smitten with you."
Bella giggled. "Smitten?"
Angela smiled, glad she could pull Bella out of her musing. "Smitten," she confirmed. "Or to put it another way, the boy is totally head over heels in love with you. Don't worry so much. You two will tell each other when the time is right. Until then, just enjoy being with him as much as he obviously enjoys being with you."
Bella smiled. "Thanks, Ang," she said. She glanced down at her watch. "I'd better go. Edward's waiting outside." Angela agreed, and the two started to the parking lot where Edward had arranged to pick up Bella and where Angela's car was parked.
As the two girls walked down the hallway, they were completely oblivious to the fact that their conversation had not been entirely private.
A few minutes later, Lauren Mallory stepped out of the empty science classroom by Bella's locker. Her smile was vicious as her mind ran through the possibilities of what she could do with the information she had just overheard. There was one thought, however, that made itself heard clearly above all the rest. This is going to be fun.
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