AN: The reviews have been so great, thank you! Sorry for the little wait, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it.
Dislclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, the brilliant Stephenie Meyer does.
Edward simply stared at me. I stared back. No words were uttered in fear that the walls we had just broken down would appear once again. And the surprising thing was, it wasn't awkward. Edward's green eyes were piercing, yet welcome. I didn't feel the need to flinch or fidget nervously. I was comfortable.
I glanced at my half eaten burger, no longer hungry. I desperately wanted to ask Edward what he was thinking. Was he repulsed, shocked, nervous? His defined jaw clenched minutely. Oh God, he was so hot when he did that.
Embarrassed by the drastic turn of my thoughts, I flushed a light pink. I could feel the warmth radiate from my face. How humiliating.
"What are you thinking, Bella?" Edward finally asked, leaning forward to brush a hand across my cheek. It was so tender, so loving, that I couldn't contain a small sigh.
"I'm thinking that this would make a good movie," I laughed, sounding winded. "A girl and boy proclaim their feelings in a diner, how cliché is that?"
Edward chuckled and placed both hands in his lap. His laugh was something I never wanted to forget. It was so beautiful, smooth as velvet.
"It doesn't feel cliché. I don't know about you, but this doesn't usually happen to me." His mouth twisted into a crooked grin as I blushed darker.
"No, it doesn't really happen to me either," I replied softly. I pushed away my plate in hopes he would get the hint. He did.
"Maybe we should leave. Are you finished?"
I nodded and slid out of the booth as he dug for something in his back pocket. Finally, he pulled out a ratty looking wallet and dropped several bills on the table. I waited for him to lead the way out, but instead, he did something that sent butterflies to my stomach. He grabbed my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine.
"You don't mind, do you?" he whispered, squeezing our entwined hands.
"N-no," I managed to mutter over the pounding of my heart. His touch was warm and soothing, able to envelope us in our own little bubble.
"Good," he stated simply and gently tugged on my arm. We walked to his car in silence. Once again, he opened my door and closed it behind me, breaking our hold. I sighed at the loss of contact.
However, I didn't have to wait long. Edward slid into the driver's seat and immediately placed his hand over mine. They stayed intertwined the entire way back to his house.
"This is nice," I commented while glancing at our hands. His thumb continued to slowly stroke my skin, leaving a tingling trail each time it passed.
He flashed me a quick smile and parked the Volvo with one hand. Even if he was a crazy driver, he was talented none the less.
"I would have to agree," he added and turned to face me. Our heads were so close that it would have been too simple to lean in for a kiss. Surprisingly, he didn't. "Let's head inside and discuss what all of this," he motioned to our hands, "means."
"You know," I began, shutting the front door slightly harder than I'd intended. I winced but continued anyway. "I keep expecting to wake up from some bizarre dream. I mean, Edward Cullen would only date me in my dreams, right?"
His chuckle resonated throughout the house as we trekked to his bedroom. Curse him for living on the third floor. "I understand the dream, but not the part about dating you. That would be in my dreams."
"Yeah right," I muttered. "You've dated practically every girl at Forks High, what is there to dream about?"
He shook his head, obviously annoyed. "You view yourself so poorly, Bella. It truly amazes me."
I made a very attractive noise that sounded similar to a whinnying horse and plopped onto his couch. "Whatever you say, Edward." My eyes roamed the wall opposite me. He had quite the selection of books. "You're into the classics?" I questioned while eyeing the cover of Moby Dick. A paperback of Tom Sawyer poked out from between a few hardbacks, catching my attention.
"I read from time to time."
"That would explain your very diverse vocabulary," I commented, more to myself than to him. "I've never heard a teenage boy speak the way you do."
He shrugged. "My vocabulary changes with my company."
I laughed softly. "That makes sense. I wonder what you sound like when you're with your friends."
"It's very different," he said with a light chuckle. "I don't think you would view me the same way."
"I don't know how I view you now," I answered truthfully. "I mean, I thought you were this tough, bad boy who gets into trouble all the time. Now that I've been with you, my viewpoint has totally changed. You're not the Edward Cullen everyone talks about."
Edward nodded thoughtfully. "I don't think you've been with me long enough," he said with a grimace. "I'm definitely not considered an honorable person." He cracked his knuckles, watching his hands intently. "You'll see."
"I don't believe that."
His responding glare was fierce. I pretended to ignore it.
"Let's just change the subject," I suggested, noticing how his face immediately relaxed. "We could start with our earlier conversation, the one in the diner."
"I know just how to sum up that conversation and the perfect solution," he said confidently. His lips turned up into his infamous crooked smile, increasing my heartbeat exponentially. Good thing he can't hear that…
"Oh you do?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at his presumptuous smirk.
He quickly pushed a hand through his hair, twisting several strands with his fingers. "Yes, and it's simple. You should be my girlfriend."
I swallowed loudly, my eyes bulging in surprise. My expression must have been frightening because he nervously bit at his lip. I would never admit how attractive that little reaction was.
"Oh, uhm, uh, really?"
"I wouldn't joke about this, Bella. I really want you to be my girlfriend," he said, his voice smooth and controlled.
"I-Isn't this a little fast?" I sputtered.
"If it feels that way, you can decline, but I've been thinking about this longer than you probably know."
My heart melted. Edward Cullen wants to date me. My mind was bursting with different questions. How long has he liked me? What would people think? Could he handle this? I took a deep breath, deciding to actually answer his question before he combusted.
"Edward, I want to be your girlfriend. I really do, but what about all the girls you date and then dump? That's not going to work with me." My confidence surprised me. Nobody questioned Edward Cullen.
"It won't be like that, Bella. I will kick my own ass before that happens," he said, throwing his hands in the air wildly. "I want this."
I sighed, a smile playing at the corner of my lips. "Well, I guess I'll be your girlfriend. I don't have anything else to do…"
In one fell swoop, Edward had me trapped to the couch, his arms wound protectively around my waist. "I'll ignore your lovely acceptance," he said, his face so close that I could smell the sweetness of his breath.
I inhaled, savoring everything about the moment. It felt so right to be encircled in his arms.
"Okay," I said breathlessly. It was extremely difficult to concentrate with his lips slowly inching forward.
"I'm going to kiss you now," he murmured. "Warn me if I'm about to be pushed away."
I giggled. Yes, I actually giggled. My cheeks burned in embarrassment, but Edward didn't take notice as his lips made contact with mine. I gasped, pursing my lips in response. His mouth moved confidently and slowly, something I wasn't used to with the two boys I had kissed prior. I reveled in the feelings his movements ignited in me. I yearned to pull him closer, but he pulled away gently, giving my lips several pecks in the process.
"Was that alright?" Edward asked, his thumb lightly grazing my lips. His mouth lifted into a smug grin.
"I'm sorry I didn't let you kiss me earlier," I sighed with remorse. A humorless laugh escaped me. No one had ever kissed me the way Edward just had. His lips, warm and soft, seemed to match perfectly with mine. A silly thought considering all the practice he's had.
He softly squeezed my waist and sat up, tugging me with him. Since I was already positioned on his lap, I remained there, laying my head on his shoulder. This felt normal, yet completely strange at the same time. I had a difficult time wrapping my mind around the whole situation.
"So this will be different?" I whispered, lifting my head to watch his reaction. He simply smiled and brushed my mahogany hair from my face.
"Yes, you can trust me." He said the words so confidently; it was tough not to believe them.
"I believe you," I murmured and relaxed back onto his shoulder. "This is just so," I hesitated, "weird."
Edward chuckled and pressed his lips to my forehead. "It's only going to get weirder."
AN: So, what's the verdict? It may be early for them to have a relationship, but I truly believe that's how it would go. Edward's been watching her for quite some time, just as Bella's been watching Edward. Heck, I'm just a hopeless romantic :)
By the way, future chapters will be longer. This just seemed like the perfect place to end.