Chapter 11
Waking up with Bella in my arms was definitely the way to start the day. The blow job in the shower was a plus too. I'm not sure the last time I've been so relaxed on a work morning.
I use the drive in to go over dinner last night in my mind. I truly didn't want to frighten Bella about my family but she needed to prepare for the worst. Should I talk to them about being nice to her? I wanted to stress to them how important she was to me but I also worried if I did, they would scrutinize her harder because she is important to me. It could turn into a fiasco, at least I recognized the fact that I was now reaping the effects of years of just going along with them had sown.
The more I thought on our dinner I worried maybe I had confused her last night. I found it hard to keep myself from slipping into Dom mode, but their certain things she needed to know came from her Dom and others came from her boyfriend. Having a 'vanilla' relationship as well as a D/s one was confusing and it was only two weeks. Most of the confusion was my fault, I was certain of that fact. I could see where I wanted us to end up at, now how to get there without making it harder on both of us.
As my last morning class filed out, I thought about texting Bella to see if she wanted to meet for lunch. I was on the stairs when I heard her voice, she sounded pissed.
"Once again, thank you for the offer professor but if I find I need help I will either find a tutor or stop by during office hours."
"I just want you to do well in the class Ms. Swan. You said before that my office hours aren't convenient for you. We could meet somewhere else if that works better for you?"
As I suspected, he was stepping up his game. Knowing it was going to happen didn't stop me from getting angry about it though.
"No thank you professor, while I appreciate the offer to be honest they are starting to make me uncomfortable. I am fairly intelligent on my own, believe me if I need help I will ask for it. Good day professor."
"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable Ms. Swan. The offer stands if you ever need it. I'll see you in class on Tuesday."
I caught a glimpse of Bella out a window as she left and if her angry walk hadn't alerted me to the fact she was upset about the conversation, the shaking of her head as she talked to herself would have. Judging by the looks and wide berth the other students were giving her, I would say she must have been using some fairly colorful language. I decided to let her be, after all, I would be surprising her tonight at the club.
The remainder of the day was uneventful, although I did get a kick out of listening to Afton tell his TA about how he was wearing Bella down. Dream on dickhead, she is mine and I wasn't going to give her up. After dinner, I sat down and looked over some of the HS journals that students turned in today. I know it was their first time turning them in but it truly made me nauseous reading the same things over and over. If I wasn't concerned, it might be unethical I would have Bella read some of them for me as one of her tasks. Maybe as a punishment? No Edward it's unethical, I warned myself. Still she didn't know who was in my class it would still be anonymous. I looked at the clock and it was nine, time to go the club. I decided to worry about the journals later.
The club looked to be busier than normal for a Thursday. As I entered and walked passed the bar I noticed several things, Isabella was busy tonight, I loved seeing the cuff on her, and some subs were taking quick glances between the two of us. I assume they are trying to figure out if the rumors are true or not. I spied Garrett at a table and as I approached several Dom's are now glancing between the two of us. She hadn't spotted me yet so they couldn't determine anything but I didn't like the looks on people's faces.
Garrett noticed the looks I was getting also. "So the lovely Isabella?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Dare I ask, her last name wouldn't happen to be Swan would it?" I laughed and told him it was. "I'm surprised she didn't tell you about the background check before I did."
"She didn't know about it." I offered and his face said it all, WTF? "Tell me about it. We are pretty sure Jacob Black is the one that told him about me. Not that I'm a Dom but that I am seeing Isabella." He still looked shocked. "Turns out his father is good friends with her father but because of their age difference and other things they never met until this Christmas."
"Black just couldn't keep his mouth shut."
"No he can't, plus he wants her to be his sub. At least he can't out me as a Dom, that would out him too and he doesn't want that."
"I bet. Does he know she is with you because it doesn't look like it." I turned to see what he was looking at and there was Black leaning on the bar trying to get Isabella's attention. I watched as she sat his drink in front of him and he continued to try to talk to her. He was pissing me off. Her cuff was in plain sight. He should have taken that as the sign it was and left her alone, she wasn't going to just chat with him.
"Excuse me Garrett." I said and stood to walk to the bar. "It seems as if I need to make my claim known now to some people, instead of waiting as I planned. Have a good night."
"You too Edward." His chuckle let me know he was amused by my problems with Black.
Isabella had nodded and acknowledged me earlier as I talked to Garret so I knew she knew I was in the club. She was avoiding the end of the bar Jacob was at and I'm sure that is why she didn't see me, but Black did. I stood next to the pass thru and acted as if he wasn't there. She was wiping things down.
"Isabella." Her head snapped up and she lowered her eyes as she walked over to me.
"Master." Black stiffened, even though she had spoken softly. Her head was slightly bowed with her hands clasped loosely behind her back. Out of the corner of my eye I saw several subs were now paying attention also.
I leaned in so the eavesdroppers wouldn't hear our conversation. "Do I need to deal with him now or is he behaving?"
"Behaving for the most part Master." I pulled on her ponytail to raise her head and looked in her eyes. "Just an annoyance Master." I nipped behind her ear.
"Okay we will discuss this over the weekend." She nodded. I pulled back and spoke loud enough for others to hear. "You are not to speak to any Dom's or subs, other than what is required for your job. Understood?"
"Yes Master."
"See you at 6, Isabella." I turned her around and swatted her ass before leaving.
After the club and all day Friday I could not get my mind to settle. Thinking about Afton, Black and others was driving me crazy. The Dom in me wanted to out us now and tell everyone to back the off my girl. I knew I couldn't do that, but I wanted to badly. If it took every ounce of patience I possessed I would stick to the plan, it is the only way to get and keep everything I want. When she knocked on the door at 6 I was more than ready to play.
"Good evening Isabella."
"Master"
"Dinner is almost ready, put your journal on the table and your bag in your room. Be at the kitchen table in no more than 10 minutes, remained clothed for now."
"Yes Master" she said and hurried to do what I told her. She returned as I was setting the stuffed shells on the table.
"Remember this is a free space Isabella. I want you to speak freely but respectfully." I told her as I served us both and she nodded.
"How have you been since Wednesday?"
"Good Master and you?"
"Interesting. Good but interesting." She scoffed softly as I smirked at her. "I have a feeling life will not be boring any time soon with you Bella."
"Hey now, I am not causing problems." The offended look on her face was cute, then she lowered her eyes. "Am I? I mean I know Jacob is persistent and Afton won't let up but are there other problems?" She getting more upset the more she spoke. "Is it your family? Is…"
"Stop Bella, stop." I reached for her hand to hopefully take some of the sting out of the harshness of my voice. "I didn't mean what I said in a bad way, I was teasing you. There haven't been any issues with the university or my family that you don't already know about, now calm down."
"Don't do that to me." She slapped my arm lightly. "I am really nervous about meeting your family. Freaking me out beforehand is not a good idea."
"I'm not trying to freak you out." I don't think the fact that I was having a hard time not laughing helped my case. "We are going to change things up this weekend Bella. It is the reason I didn't have you strip a soon as you arrived."
"I enjoyed dinner on Wednesday and I loved having you on my arm. However, I found there were things I wanted you to know were coming from your Dom and things I wanted to come from your boyfriend. When I think over the night I confuse myself, there had to have been times you were confused also."
"Confused seems almost too strong of a word. I picked up on the differences between when you were speaking as my Master. That was easy, you addressed me as Isabella and the other times you addressed as Bella. I suppose my weariness came from not addressing you with some form of title. You told me not to call you Master or use your given name, the only thing left was Sir. When you were just Edward it felt wrong to say Sir but as my Master it felt wrong not to address you as Sir. Does that make sense?"
"It does and I apologize for that. I told you before I have never had a vanilla relationship and I am fumbling my way through this. However, I am trying."
"I understand and this is new to me also. I mean you know from my journals that with my first boyfriend we were trying to mix the two, that doesn't mean there weren't awkward moments."
"Good, that makes me feel better. I don't want to have you running from me, screaming all the way."
"That won't happen." She said with a laugh, "if I run from you it will be silently." I could tell she was teasing.
"As if I'd let you run, silent or otherwise." We started cleaning up from dinner. "This is what I would like to happen this weekend. After we clean this up you will meet me in the playroom. You will sleep in your room this weekend and bring me breakfast at 8 am tomorrow morning. Once you have served me breakfast our D/s time will end. I am golfing with my brothers in the morning and out for dinner later with them and their wives. So tomorrow is essentially a free day for you, believe me you'll need it after I get through with you tonight." I grabbed her ass to make my point.
"After you get off work you will return to your bedroom here. You do not need to make breakfast in the morning but we need to leave by 10:30 am for my parents." She was nodding as I explained the weekend. I took the plate she was holding from her and took her hands in mine. "I really hope that after brunch we can come back here and spend some time in the playroom. It will probably be close to our end time and because of that you have the option of saying no."
"I think we will both need time in the playroom at the end of the weekend."
I agreed with her, it was the reason we were playing tonight as well. I felt we both needed to be centered to get through this weekend with our sanity. Nothing centers us like the playroom. Hopefully it would also help even us out when the weekend was over.
"I'll finish up down here. I want you in your waiting position in the playroom in 15 minutes. Go Isabella."
Tonight was going to be all about release. Release all the tension, anxiety and hopefully relax us both enough to get through till Sunday. Now, what I had planned for Sunday would be all about reconnecting with each other.
After I finished I went to my room and put on the dark jeans I only wore in the playroom and looked at the clock. I made my way to the playroom, 25 minutes had passed and when I pushed open the door there she was, kneeling on her pillow waiting for me.
God, she was a vision and all mine, eat your heart out Black. She would never be like this for him, high ponytail, up on her knees, head down, hands clasped behind her back, with her honeypot dripping the best nectar I have ever tasted on her pillow, such a waste. I picked up her collar and took the studded riding crop down. Slowly circling her I ran the crop over her shoulders and down her back. I caught the small shiver as she felt the studs on the flat part of the crop.
"Head up Isabella," I told her and held up her collar. "Do you accept this collar as a sign of your submission to me? Knowing that you are safe and your pleasure and pain are under my control. You may answer."
"Yes Master."
"Stand and accept my collar Isabella. Your submission is gift I truly treasure." I locked her collar in place and stepped around her, taking her in. "You will answer direct questions and I want to hear all of your noises pet, understand?"
"Yes Master."
"Up on the table pet, ass in the air, I want to see how much you have missed me." I swat her with the crop as she scampers onto the table. She is on her knees on the table, ass in the air and her forehead touching the table. She is a vision. She had her hoops in today and I reached under her tugging on her nipple rings.
"Did you remember to bring your jewelry for me to look at?"
"Yes Master." She moaned as I tapped her perfect, pink pussy with the crop.
"Good girl, do you remember your safe words?"
"Yes Master."
"Remain completely still my pet." As I gave her the order I started tapping the bottom of her feet with the crop. Isabella was ticklish, I knew this, she knew this, my girl was not going to be able to keep still.
Running the tip of the crop up and down her thighs I slowly started to stroke her lips with one finger. She was literally dripping onto the table and I could see her tense, trying not to move or laugh.
"You look so good like this Isabella, spread for me." I leaned down and licked her slit before slowly circling a finger barely inside her. I caught her whimper but that slight shiver would get her in trouble. "Completely still Isabella. Do you understand?"
"Yes Master."
"Good," I told her and gave her ass a swat with the crop. She actually got wetter, I love how responsive she is to me. So did my cock, I popped the top two buttons on my jeans to give him room. I moved the crop feather light down her right side. Her breathing picked up, she was holding still but I was pretty sure it was killing her to not move.
After two scenes together I picked up on the fact that Isabella tapped things out with her fingers when she wasn't allowed to cum. That was her distraction technique but there would be times, like now, when she wouldn't be able to use it, she needed to be learn to do it mentally. I also wanted to tie her to my whipping bench and turn her fine ass pink so we could both release some tension.
"You are so wet for me, my pet." I pushed two fingers in her firmly and rubbed her sweet spot. She moaned and her fingers twitched. I tapped the crop against her breast and was rewarded with another shiver. "Isabella," I said firmly, "Do you need to use your safe word?"
"No Master, I'll do better."
"Distract yourself pet, concentrate on something else." I told her softly. I removed my fingers and slowly trailed then up her ass and circled her rosebud. "You're an English major, pick your favorite passage and recite it in your mind." I applied pressure. "Get out of the habit of tapping your fingers." Tapping the crop between the inside of her thighs I slowly slid one finger in. "What is your color Isabella?"
"Green Master."
As I worked my finger in her ass I quickly tapped the end of the crop against her left nipple. She was moaning and trying not to move, it was an impossible task. I knew this, she knew this, it was only a matter of time before she failed. I worked a second finger in her and moved my thumb to play with her clit ring.
"Please may I cum Master?" She begged after the third tug on her ring.
"No." I swatted her ass with the crop to make my point. I was adding a third finger when it happened.
"Please Master?" She begged again.
"No pet, do not cum." I heard it before I saw her move, she was whimpering as I worked her ass, clit and tapped on her nipple ring with the crop. She was tapping her fingers, I immediately stopped everything and brought the crop down on her ass, hard.
"Really Isabella? Off the table and in your waiting position by the punishment chair."
She kept her head down as she moved as ordered. I unbuttoned and removed my jeans on my way to the chair. I was going to turn her pale ass red then fuck the shit out of her, giving us both the mental and physical release we needed.
"Over my lap Isabella." She complied and I situated her where I wanted her. "Why are you being punished pet?"
"I didn't hold still as ordered Master."
"No you did not and now you will accept your punishment."
"Yes Master." I heard the quiver in her voice, part of me felt bad for giving her a task I knew was impossible but the rest of me knew she needed this. She was nervous and on edge, if I asked I doubt she would be able to tell me why. This would settle us both.
"Ten warm ups, then ten for punishment. Color Isabella?"
"Green Master."
As I alternated cheeks giving her the warm up swats, her arousal was coating my thigh. The fact that my hard on is rubbing against her doesn't help her condition at all. She took the warm up well and her ass was a nice shade of pink.
"Such a good girl. The next ten will be harder." I warned her before bringing my hand down. She cried out and I was surprised when she didn't start crying until the fifth swat. I was moving my hand around and not getting the same spot twice but, damn, my girl has a fairly high pain threshold.
"Half way there, pet." I cooed to her and rubbed her cheeks. "When I'm done with your punishment I am going to fuck you so hard Isabella." She whimpered. I gently ran my fingers over her lips and noticed she was wetter, I didn't think that was possible. I quickly administered the last five swats as she cried out with tears on her flushed cheeks.
Without a word I picked her up and moved us to the tantric chair, bending her over the high curve, placing her legs over my forearms and spreading her wide I braced my hands on the chair and rammed into her.
"Fuck yes Isabella." I growled out as her heat encased me.
"Master," was her answering shout and her hands desperately searched for something to hold onto for leverage.
"I want you loud pet. I want to hear what it does to you to have my cock fuck you." The pace was slow and the strokes long and hard. "Who fucks this pussy pet?"
"You Master."
"And does my pussy get well fucked?"
"Oh God, yes Master, so good." She whimpered out a barely heard "please" at the end.
"Do not cum Isabella."
The sound of us was driving me crazy, the wet sucking sound had me pumping into her faster. I couldn't get deep enough and the scent. The scent of us together was further clouding my mind.
"Best pussy in the world pet, so soft…wet…hot…" I locked her legs behind my head, pulled her body up flush against her legs and thrust back in. "Holy fucking shit." It was deep.
"Fuck," she squealed sharply. If I had my wits about me I would have stopped to check if she was alright. "Master," she moaned next and I refocused on fucking her hard. I looked down at us and could see her muscles squeezing me as well as feel them.
"Damn, you…are…tight…this way." She was balanced on the high end of the chair with her legs against my chest and my arms wrapped around her back clasped tight to hold her in place. Her head was thrown back with that ponytail of hers swinging and skimming the low point of the chair. We were both groaning and grunting, none of the sounds coherent; the sight, sounds, smell and just the feel of us became too much suddenly.
"Shit! Cum. Now." My release was intense, it came out of nowhere and went on forever. I heard Isabella shout also and we both were quivering from the intensity of what was occurring. Before my legs turned to jelly I turned us and sat down on the chair, leaning her back against it and pulling her legs down. We were still connected and she was straddling me as I leaned back against the higher end, it took all my energy to get us that settled.
Once my breathing calmed down and it felt as if my legs could support me I moved us into the bathroom for a soak in the tub. Isabella looked as if she would fall asleep right then.
"Such a good girl," I whispered to her as I gently washed her body. "How are you feeling Isabella?"
"Boneless, like jelly, tired and my ass is sore, Master." I chuckled at her response.
"Your ass will probably be sore for a few days. When we are done here I have some balm to take most of the sting out."
"I don't feel the tension that I did before. I think that was the reason for the task you gave me."
The tub was one of her free areas, especially after playing, so she didn't have to call me Master but she hadn't ask me a question either. I waited for her to continue, when she didn't I decided to confirm her suspicions.
"To release the tension that was building in both of us was one reason. But Isabella, we both know you use your finger tapping as a way to distract yourself." I let that statement hang out there for a moment to see if she would disagree. "There will be times, at the club, play parties or in this playroom when you will not be able to move or use that technique. You must become accustom to doing something mentally to calm and distract yourself. Find a passage or a piece of poetry that you enjoy, learn to recite that, practice your breathing. There is a reason the stage we are in now is called training."
"I understand Master. I will work on finding something to help me."
After we left the tub and dried off I applied balm to her ass, I knew I would love the way she looked with a pink ass, and shooed her off to bed. I went downstairs and locked the house up before grabbing her journal and returning to my room. I placed her journal on my night stand deciding to read it in the morning as I ate breakfast and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I was having the best dream, I was laying in the hammock out back with Bella enjoying the day. I could smell the coffee? What was that doing in my dream. I could definitely smell it though. It felt as if someone was staring at me right before I heard a whispered, "Master." I actually flinched as I rolled away from the voice and onto the floor.
"What the fuck?" I heard her giggle and sat up looking across the bed, she was kneeling with her head down and trying, unsuccessfully, to get herself under control.
"It is 8 Master. I have your breakfast."
"Are you laughing at me Isabella?"
"No Master, I would never…"
"Uh-huh, it sounded like you were giggling."
"No Master." She ruined it with a soft laugh.
"It's fine, I'm sure it looked amusing. Rise Isabella." I moved behind her and opened the lock on her collar. "Thank you for your submission Isabella, it is truly a gift." I kissed the back of her neck and set down her collar.
"Go ahead and have breakfast in the kitchen Bella, when I am done I will bring the tray down and we'll talk about the day. Remember from here on out it is just Edward and Bella."
"Okay, I'll get dressed and meet you in the kitchen Ma- Edward." I smiled at her almost slip.
"Good catch Bella. I'll be down after I eat and get a shower." She nodded and left my room. I settled in bed and pulled the breakfast tray over as I reached for her journal.
Entry #1
Master-
I admit it is unclear to me why you want to know about James and how we began but it is not for me to question, only to comply.
It was the end of my freshman year and the two year anniversary of Nicholas' death was approaching, James was the doctorate candidate assigned to proctor one of my final exams. I was exhausted, mentally and physically, from studying. After the exam I sat on one of the benches outside and broke down. James saw this and after the last student finished came over to sit with me. We talked, not about Nicholas, and it forced me to realize that I was going through the motions but not truly living my life.
In the fall we bumped into each other several times by accident before we started to meet for coffee and became friends. This friendship helped me realize that I missed companionship. I hadn't realized how much I had truly cut myself off.
We met for dinner and then returned to his apartment to talk, I'm still not sure how the conversation started. After a few drinks he admitted he knew I was a submissive, he had seen me behind the bar at the club, and ask if I was in the market for a Dom. I said no but still explained that I missed certain parts of it. I missed how it helped center me, I missed just feeling and I definitely missed the release I knew it would give me. As much as I missed those things I also knew I wasn't ready for any type of emotional commitment, it would need to be kept purely physical.
It was several months later before I agreed to a scene. That one scene was everything I remembered and missed about a D/s relationship. That is how we began a two weekend a month arrangement.
Isabella
James Hunter had a reputation as being a good Dom. I'm sure Bella would have checked him out and there wasn't anything bad to say about the guy, before the incident with Bella. The instances that she thought were random, I wasn't so sure about that. He would have done his homework on her also and I bet he felt much for her before he approached her about anything D/s. That could explain why he reacted as he did when she refused anything romantic with him. I would need her to explain more before I could truly guess at his motives. I need to know his motives to judge if he would be a threat or not once he was released.
Entry #2
What do I want to do with my master's degree? A very good question, if I only had a good answer. Ultimately I would love to write. A novel, a short story, a poem, a grocery list…I love to write. I do have an idea for a children's book I am developing and I have an outline for a young adult book.
Realistically I will need another form of income will I wait to be discovered and I hope to teach. Either at a college level or advanced high school level. I would prefer to teach a specific course based on novels rather than a general English course. In a perfect world that is what would happen.
She wants to write. I will have to ask her more about this later. I bet she is good, very good. She mentions needing another form of income, I will have to find out about that also. It almost confirms my hunch that she already has some money and the club is supplemental.
Glancing at the clock I notice I need to get a move on if I'm going to meet my brothers for golf on time. After taking a quick shower and dressing I head down to the kitchen to meet Bella. She is leaning against the island reading a book, her hair is up in a ponytail and I want to wrap in around one hand and pound into her from behind. Her tight tee shirt and low ride jeans aren't helping my hard on any. She's barefoot and her dainty toes are painted an electric blue color. Fuck she is gorgeous and golf is the last thing on my mind as I wrap my arms around her waist.
"Good morning Bella."
"Good morning Edward, did you enjoy breakfast?"
"I did. I love your waffles."
"Thank you."
"Do you enjoy cooking or is it something you are good at but hate to do?"
"I love it. Cooking and cleaning calm me and help clear my mind."
"Good to know. What are your plans for today?"
"I have a paper I need to get started on, it's an analysis of Steinbeck. I have a hard enough time reading his work and now I have to analyze it, I'm getting an early start because I know this paper is going to take a while to write." I chuckled at her statement, he was not an easy author to read, especially some of his work.
"I also plan on cleaning the playroom today. With brunch at your parents tomorrow I don't know if I will have time to do it or not. That's really it until I leave for Eclipse around 8 tonight. I shouldn't be required to stay to closing, so I hope to be back here by 1 am."
"Sounds good. I need to leave in the next half hour to meet my brothers for golf. We will probably have lunch there then stop by and see my parents. I'm not sure about the rest of the evening but I should be home before you. You remember the code to the alarm?"
"Yes, I do."
"Okay. I will have my cell on me if you need anything. When you get home tonight please poke your head in my room so I know you're safe."
"I can do that."
I met up with my brothers at the country club, as we worked our way through the front nine I was pleasantly surprised they were able to keep their comments and talk off Bella. We talked about their wives pregnancies, looking for houses and how work was for all of us. It was nice to be able to relax with them.
We were on the 16th hole and I was kicking both their asses when I heard their cell phones ping. They each gave me a worried look and put their phones away.
"Is there a problem?" They both chuckled and shook their heads no.
Over lunch is when the questions started. Was Bella coming to brunch? How were things between us? Was it as much fun fucking a hot co-ed as it sounded? That came from Emmett. Didn't I feel comfortable with women my own age? That was from Jasper.
"Stop guys, listen. Bella is nervous about tomorrow. She knows that the family has an issue with our age difference."
"You told her?" Jasper asked.
"Of course I told her. I can't bring her into that kind of situation unprepared. I need assurances that you and your wives will be on your best behavior tomorrow." I caught the quick smirk they gave each other. "I mean it guys, she means a lot to me. Give her a fair chance and you'll see she is really great." They held their hands up in an it's not me way.
"I'm fine Edward but you know Rose is going to grill this girl. Her and Alice have been trying to fix you up forever and with each rejection she became more determined. She has always thought you weren't capable of finding a woman on your own. Now you have, of course she is wondering what is so special about this girl when you have turned down her friends."
"Rose needs to take her aggravation out on me not Bella. It isn't her fault that none of the girls Rose set me up with appealed to me. They never would have been able to give me what I need to be happy."
"And at 22 Bella can?"
"You need to let go of your age issues and just get to know her. I don't see her as a 22 year old co-ed, I see her as the only person to ever make me come close to feeling complete. She fulfills my every need and no one has ever been able to do that before." I was starting to get pissed off. "Can any of you have an open mind about her? Give her the benefit of the doubt?"
I was dreading brunch more than ever. I was debating if I should just call the whole thing off but I didn't Bella to think I doubted her ability to take care of and defend herself. I would need to stress to her again that she was not to let any of them walk all over her, not even my mother.
"Let's drop this for now and go to mom and dad's. We can figure out what to do for the evening there."
"What about Bella? She won't be lonely tonight?" Emmett asked in a tone of voice that hinted to the fact he was trying, a little.
"No she's working tonight."
"Right, you said she is a bartender. Quite the career choice." Emmett mumbled the last part as if he didn't want me to hear it.
"She is a graduate student that supplements her income by tending bar. She has class during the day. Listen, let me spell this out for you. I am not saying you have to love her or worship the ground she walks on but I am saying I expect you to be civil and respectful to the only woman I have ever brought to a family meal."
I answered his comment as we walked out to my car. We drove around looking at the locations of some houses Jasper thought Alice may be interested in seeing. Bella was not brought up again and the afternoon returned to a more relaxed atmosphere. We picked up Chinese to take to mom and dad's for dinner for everyone. The plan was to stay in, enjoy each other's company and talk about the moves.
I received a text from Bella around 8 telling me she was heading into work and hoped I was having a good evening. I reminded her to wake me when she got home and to set her alarm early enough so we could talk before lunch. She sent one back saying we definitely needed to talk in the morning. It seemed cryptic for her and I wondered what could have happened today, one question from Rose let me know Bella and I would definitely be talking.
"So Edward, who is sleeping in your spare room? I mean, shouldn't your girlfriend be sleeping in your room, with you?"
"How would you know anyone was staying in the spare room Rose?"
"Well, when Alice and I were scouting out some of the houses today one of them is in your neighborhood. We noticed a car in your drive and decided to stop in and meet your girlfriend. No one answered the door so we let yourselves in and went looking for her. She wasn't there but we did notice some clothes and textbooks in the spare bedroom. So I ask again, if she is your girlfriend why is she in that room?" She didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed.
"Who stays in my house and where they sleep isn't any of your business. If no one answered the door why go in?"
"I told you, there was a car parked in the driveway and we were curious." I glanced at Alice and she seemed nervous about the conversation. What ever happened at my house she had not been happy about. "As I said she wasn't there, unless she was hiding from us. I was surprised you keep the attic door locked, or maybe she was hiding up there." I gave her a hard glare. She sounded as if it was game and I was far behind. "Honestly Edward, we just wanted to say hello."
I thought over what she had said so far, if Bella's books and laptop were there plus her car, she had been in the house somewhere but why hid from them. Unless she was cleaning the playroom, she had mentioned doing it today because she was unsure of her available time tomorrow. Fuck, in there she wouldn't have heard them until they were close to her room and that is only if she had the door open. No wonder she hid. I looked at each member of my family before speaking.
"Listen, I know that until now I have gone along with all the setup's, invading my house whenever and everything else without one word of complaint. I understand how this has caught everyone off guard. However, you need to understand that Bella is different, she is very important to me and the fact that I have agreed to bring her tomorrow should be a sign to all of you of her importance to me. Is she the one? I don't know but I honestly think she could be and we are going to explore our feelings as far as they go, hopefully they go for a long time."
I looked around the table again to make sure I had their attention. Oh I had it alright and they looked shocked.
"I have accepted your choices," I said looking at my brothers. "I expect you to accept mine and give her a fair chance. No condescending, no sarcasm, just an honest chance. Do that and if you still don't like her I will truly listen to your arguments. They won't change my mind but I will hear you out."
"Of course she will be treated with respect tomorrow Edward." My father said but looking at Rose and my mother's face I had my doubts.
"One last thing, my house is off limits. I am going to have the locks and security code changed. Do not stop by when I'm not there. Who stays there, how often and where they sleep is my business. I am taking back control of my private life and keeping it private."
I stood from the table and went to kiss my mother and hug my father before leaving. "Don't question Bella about staying at the house, she won't answer them. If you have questions of that nature, ask me."
As I climbed in my car I thought about going to Eclipse to see Bella and make sure she was okay and find out what happened this afternoon but didn't. It was close to 10 and the club would be in full swing by then, I couldn't distract her from work. Instead I went home and wrote two new assignments in her journal to give back to her. Doing that made me thankful I had left it in my bedroom, hopefully thinking that it was mine kept the nosy twins from looking through the journal. That would give them more information than they ever needed.
It felt as if I had just fallen asleep when I heard a soft knock on my door and Bella slowly poked her head around the door.
"I just wanted to let you know I was home." She said softly. I looked at the clock it was almost 1:30 am.
"Thank you Bella. We need to be there around 11 tomorrow, I would like to talk beforehand so will you meet me in the living room at 8:30?"
"That's fine."
"How was your night?" Something flashed in her eyes and then it was gone.
"Good, busy but good."
I swung out of bed and went to her. "Are you sure?" I rested my hands on her shoulders rubbing her upper arms.
"Positive, but you're right, we need to talk tomorrow." I pulled her to me for a hug and kissed the top of her head as I felt her kiss my chest.
"Goodnight Bella, sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams Edward." I watched her walk down to her bedroom, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
A/N: Thanks for reading and please review.
Sorry for the long wait between updates – I swear I am trying to get better about it.
I really wanted to have the brunch in this chapter bit it is long enough now. The brunch will be next chapter.