A/N: Yeah...I know...it's been a while. Sorry for keeping you waiting. So, I told you to trust me, and you did. And here is what you've been waiting for. Hope it makes you happy.
Thank you for all the fantastic reviews. I appreciate each and every one.
Sassy, thanks once again for your input. You have the best tips and ideas. And although you deny it, you help make the story what it is...
Enjoy xxx
Disclaimer: Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
Song to listen to: Carrie Underwood & Brad Paisley - Remind me
Chapter 9 – Victory of the heart
Bella winced and jumped where she sat on the edge of the bed when she heard the front door slam shut not long after Sam had walked out of her bedroom.
He was gone.
He walked out on her, because he'd finally had enough…and it was all her fault.
She had hurt him with her actions, tonight. In fact, she had hurt herself in the process too, because her heart ached in her chest, threatening to rip her apart from the inside and steal her breath. Why she was hurting, she couldn't quite fathom, though.
She knew shouldn't have slept with Sam if she didn't want to pursue a relationship. And like Sam had said, she knew very well that he didn't do casual sex. He had abstained for the last seventeen years, just because she wasn't here. Sleeping with someone other than her had not been an option for him, proving just how much he loved her.
And then tonight had happened. She had let it go too far, simply because she wanted him. Because she couldn't seem to resist Sam Uley. And she had wanted to remember what it felt like to be in his arms, writhing in pleasure. In all honesty, it had been way better than she remembered it being back then, but she still couldn't let down her guard emotionally.
Frustrated beyond belief with herself, she pushed up from the bed and shuffled to the bathroom to clean herself up and get dressed, so she could think better. So she could figure out how to get rid of this nagging feeling inside of her, and stop the headache that was slowly making itself known, before it turned into a full-blown migraine.
In the mirror, the girl staring back at her looked like someone who had been loved well - cheeks flushed, hair wild and bottom lip a little swollen. All over her neck and shoulders were little purple marks, where she hadn't realized Sam had nipped at her skin. Everything about her screamed that she'd just had fantastic sex. But her eyes gave her away. They were wide and worried. And despite her body being deliciously sore and still feeling a little boneless, deep inside, she had an emptiness and a profound ache. And it was all her fault. Sam and she could still have been in bed together now, if she hadn't pushed him away. Heck, they would probably have found themselves lost in another round of amazing sex by now.
Down stairs, she found the living room quiet and empty. She had somehow hoped to find him sitting on her couch, for some reason - mad, but waiting for her. But all she found was her dress and panties hanging neatly over the back of the couch.
She puffed her cheeks, shook her head and blew out a defeated breath.
Sam had left, but even when he was angry with her, he still remained a gentleman. He could have left her clothes on the floor and just taken off, like any sane person would have done. But he didn't. He had taken the time to pick up her clothes - despite what he was feeling - and hung them neatly so they wouldn't wrinkle more than they already have. Despite what she had done to him, he still took the time to be nice to her. Typical Sam.
And for the first time in many months, she felt her throat tighten and swallowed uselessly against the lump in the back of her throat – a sure sign that she was going to cry. Life had forced her to become strong, and she rarely cried these days. But when the first tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheek, the rest followed without any trouble, tracking salty, frustrated streaks down her cheeks.
She was crying over Sam's impeccable manners and selflessness, as crazy as it sounded. And over her astounding stupidity.
She kept hurting him, kept taking while he gave so selflessly. He had opened his heart, and despite his hesitation and better judgement, he'd loved her so easily tonight. She had seen the hesitation in his eyes when he had wanted to kiss her - he had been afraid of getting hurt. Afraid of her pushing him away after, and despite her eager participation (she had knowingly tried to ease his mind), she had done exactly what he'd been scared of. She had thrown his love and devotion back in his face, without any concern for the consequences. And only now did she realize how much she had truly hurt him, because she had hurt herself in the process, too.
She pulled on her panties, slipped the slightly wrinkled dress over her head, and shuffled to the kitchen, wiping the tears away so she could see where she was going.
The food they had been preparing earlier - before they got distracted - was still where they'd left it. The evening had started out so well, and could have ended equally well, if she had just avoided the kiss. But no, she had gone ahead and told him that she wanted him to kiss her. It had been the truth. In the back of her mind she knew she shouldn't have told him to go ahead. But she had needed him so much in that moment - wanted him in any and every way she could get him - that she had practically jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself.
What she couldn't quite comprehend though, was why her judgement seemed to cloud over whenever Sam was near her? Why she couldn't seem to think straight in his presence? Why she was so attracted to him?
And right there in her kitchen, it dawned on her that it wasn't her judgement that clouded, but merely her true feelings surfacing. Whenever she was near him, all her mind could think of, was being close to him. Touching him. Staring at the beautiful creation that he was. And it made her realize that she was hopelessly in love with Sam. And she wanted to be with him every day of her life.
Every time she pictured her future these days, Sam was always there, right alongside Cameron. She wanted him there. She wanted to spend every night cooking with him. Wanted to have dinner each night as a family – a real family. She wanted to cuddle on the couch after dinner, and she wanted to miss Sam terribly (just like she did now), when it was time for him to go home. In fact, she never wanted him to go home. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms every night. Having sex was a welcome bonus, but in essence, she just wanted to be with him, because he made her happy. Because there had never been, and would never be anyone else for her.
But most of all…she wanted to make him happy, because he deserved it. He was such a good man with a selfless heart. He was the love of her life, and the father of her child. And it was time to let go, and give him that second chance that he deserved. That's if she hadn't already blown her last chance with him.
Bella shot up from the couch, a plan forming in her head. Her heart kicked up into overdrive and her hands started to shake nervously as her plan slowly came together. She checked the clock on the wall, finding that it was almost 22:30.
If she went over to Sam's house now, would he be sleeping already? He would hear her if she knocked, right?
She was scared beyond belief about what she was about to do, but she knew she couldn't wait until morning. She had to do this now. She had to try. She wanted him to know that she loved him, instead of having him go to bed angry and hurt.
The adrenaline racing through her system right now, meant she wouldn't get a lick of sleep if she didn't get it off her chest first. She knew she had to try to get him to listen, even if it all ended up going belly-up afterward.
With her mind made up, she grabbed her keys and phone from the counter, and hurried out of the house with the music still playing in the kitchen, stopping just to lock up.
It was still pouring, she realized when she stepped outside – she had been too distracted by the mind blowing, passionate sex, forgetting all about the rain – and by the time she reached the end of her lawn, she was already soaked. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but getting to Sam.
The lights in his house were on, and her stomach clenched and heart stuttered nervously as she thought about what exactly it was that she was going to say to him when she faced him now. Clearly, he wasn't asleep yet, and his truck was parked in front of the house, which meant he had to be home.
The wet grass squelched under her feet and her hair plastered to the sides of her face as she headed across his lawn, toward the porch. She squeegeed the rain from her face with an absent hand and took a deep breath as she ascended the steps at the bottom of the porch, incredibly nervous. He could either accept her apology and hear her out, or he could send her away. And she was really scared that it would be the latter.
She bounded up the porch steps in such a haste that she tripped on the second to last step, hitting her shin hard against the edge of the wood. It was going to be bruised tomorrow, but she couldn't care less right now. She was on a mission, and she'd be damned if she let anything stop her. She pushed herself up, ignoring her throbbing shin, wiped her hands on her dress, and took the last few steps toward the front door with a little more care. She sucked in a deep breath before tapping the door knocker hard. This was it - no turning back now. Not that she wanted to.
The tap, tap, tap against the thick wood of the front door was muted by the rain. She tilted her head to the side and tried to listen for footsteps, but she couldn't hear a thing over the loud rain (she wanted to curse Forks and it's terrible weather to hell). All she could do was hope and prayed that Sam heard her, and was on his way to open up so she could get dry.
She waited...
And waited...
And knocked again. Louder this time, and more insistent.
But there was still no answer.
She waited a little more, and when nothing happened, she decided to go for gold.
"Sam!" She called out, hoping he could hear her voice better than he heard the knocking. "I really need to talk to you."
Still nothing...
She had to admit that it was a little anticlimactic. She had pictured this going a little differently. She had envisioned him opening the door, still a little peeved at her. And when she told him she loved him, he'd swoop her inside and kiss her soundly...and all would be well.
But this wasn't a fairy tale. This was real life, and at thirty-four, now, she should have known better than to think life always gave you what you wanted. What you deserved. Sam and she had been true testament to that. They'd been separated for seventeen years, just because of one selfish person's actions. Happily ever after be damned. All they got was the ever after bit
She sighed and gave one last knock, just for good measure. Maybe he had taken a run? Or he was avoiding her. Although she was quite sure he wouldn't leave her out in the rain, no matter how angry he was with her. Him taking a run made more sense. Whenever Sam had been angry or frustrated, he would let off some steam by running patrols, whether it was his turn to do so or not. It was how he normally cleared his head.
But she wasn't going to give up so easily - she wasn't leaving. She would wait for him right here, until he came home.
Bella turned around and sat down with her back against the front door. This way, she would know when he came back. He had to get past her to get into the house. And she'd be here, waiting for him as long as she had to, so she could tell him that she wanted to be with him.
For a long while, she just sat staring out into the darkness, the lights from the house illuminating the front yard just enough so she could make out the rain drops as it poured down relentlessly, and in the distance, she could see her house with the kitchen and porch light burning.
In her head, she kept going over her speech, trying to get it perfect, but the one thing that kept popping up was that she needed to tell him she was in love with him. Not love, though she did love him. Always have. But she was in love. It meant something completely different to her. You love your friends, your family and your children (or in her case, child). But being in love was something reserved only for the person you wanted to share the rest of your life with.
All those nights spent cooking together, sharing subtle touches and looks. The way her heart skipped a beat when he came over in the mornings for coffee, freshly showered – smelling heavenly. Her jealousy when she went grocery shopping with him and the women were all up in her territory. Those incredible hugs they shared lately. The way her stomach clenched deliciously when she caught him staring at her. It was all proof that she was in love with Sam. Again. And she couldn't deny it anymore. She didn't want to deny it.
She couldn't quite remember when she had fallen asleep, or how much time had elapsed since then, but something had woken her up.
She blinked a couple of times to clear her blurry vision and looked around, trying to find the reason she woke up, while her eyes adjusted to the dark. There was no sign of the moon tonight – hidden securely behind the thick, grey clouds.
"What are you doing here?" A voice made her startle and jolt, her heart hammering in her chest.
It was Sam...
She looked around, and after a moment, as her eyes adjusted, she could see his outline leaning against the wooden rail at the top of the porch steps.
"Sam!" She sighed in relief and pushed herself up. Her body felt stiff and sore from sleeping against the door, but she could worry about that later. "I was waiting for you. I tried to knock, but when you didn't answer, I assumed you went for a run."
"Why?" He sounded cold and distant, and she couldn't blame him. "What were you waiting for?"
"I need to talk to you about what happened tonight." She explained, praying that he'd hear her out.
Sam sighed harshly and from the little she could see, he seemed to be dragging his fingers through his hair. He was annoyed. Or frustrated. Probably still angry too. "I think you've said all there is to say tonight, Bella. And so have I. Besides, it's been a really long day. I'm tired and I don't particularly feel like talking right now. I just want to go to bed."
"Please just hear me out?" She tried again. "That's all I'm asking."
"No, Bella. I told you I was done." He refused flat-out, shaking his head. "Done talking. Done trying. Just done with everything. I've honestly had enough of this." He pushed away from the rail and folded his arms over his chest. He looked so intimidating like this, that it almost made her want to cower and run away. But she was done running. For once, she was going to be brave enough to do what needed to be done, even if she ended up getting hurt. She needed to show him that she was willing to fight for him, even when he'd given up. Especially now, when he tried so hard to hide how hopeless and lost he felt.
"I'm not done." She said. "I still have something to say." She was challenging him, and even in the darkness, she could see his eyes flash momentarily. She knew she was pushing her luck right now, because he seemed very annoyed with her. But she couldn't give up so easily. He could get as irritated and angry as he wanted, but by god, she was going to make him listen, even if it was the last thing she did.
"I don't want to hear it right now." He insisted. "Besides, I've been thinking that it would be better for me to go to Mr. Ateara so he can break our imprint. Because I can't live like this, anymore. At least I'll be free of the pain, and you don't have to worry about 'hurting my feelings' anymore. Then you can finally move on."
"How can you even consider that, Sam?" The idea shocked her to the core. This was the last thing she expected to hear out of his mouth and a profound sense of dread settled in her stomach like lead, leaving a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. Surely he wouldn't really go through with it?
"How could I not?" He shot back. "All the imprint is doing now, is making life difficult for both of us. It'll be easier without it. Once it's over, you'll realize it too."
Bella gaped at him, her heart clenching in her chest. He seemed serious about it, and she needed to stop him from doing something stupid. "Breaking the imprint isn't solely your choice." She challenged him. "I'm your imprint," She jabbed a finger against her chest. "And I get a say too."
"Oh, Bella," He chuckled mirthlessly. "Let's be honest. You haven't really been my imprint for the last seventeen years. We spent so long apart that it shouldn't matter to you anymore. We were barely a couple back then. Six months of dating is nothing compared to the time we spent away from each other. I was stupid to hold onto the hope that we'd make it back to each other in the end. To hope that the imprint would be strong enough to conquer time and distance."
"How can you say that?" She took a step closer to him, tilting her head back to look him directly in the eye. "You have no idea what those six months meant to me, so don't try and diminish what we had back then. You weren't the only one who never dated after we broke up. And you have no idea how much I regret sending that text back then."
"I'm not saying that it didn't mean something to you, Bella. But what's the point of going on like this, when there is nothing left for us?"
"Like I said, it's not solely your choice to break the imprint. You haven't given me a chance to say what I came here to say."
"Of course it's not just my choice. I know that. But that's why I want you to go home and think about it. Really think about it. Think about what the point would be to continue like this, when we'll both just end up getting hurt while the imprint is still in place. And when you've made up your mind, come back to me with your answer." This was not what she had envisioned when she came over here earlier. He hasn't given her a chance to say what she needed to say. "It's dark, so I'll walk you home," He said and reached for her arm. Typical Sam. Always remembering his manners, no matter what. "Come on, let's go. It's really late and I'm sure you're tired too." He pulled her toward the stairs.
"No, Sam!" She yanked her arm out of his grip, and dug her fists firmly into her sides. "I told you I'm not going anywhere until I've said what I came here to say."
"Can't it wait?" He groaned into his hands in frustration and sighed harshly. "I told you I'm tired."
"Please just listen to me?" She begged. He wasn't budging, and her time was running out, right along with his patience, apparently. "Please?"
"Bella," He shook his head and reached for her arm again. "I honestly can't deal with anything more tonight. If you decide you still want to talk in the morning, you can come over and-"
"I'm in love with you." She interrupted him and grimaced, steeling herself for his reaction. He was in a foul mood, and rightly so. She had done nothing to put him in a good mood. She had no idea what to expect tonight, after everything she'd put him through. But at least she'd said what she came here to say, and if he sent her home after this, she probably deserved it. "I don't want you to break the imprint. And even if you do, it's not going to make one damn difference to the way I feel about you."
Sam froze on the spot for a moment, staring at her without a word. She couldn't see his face as well as she would have liked. Couldn't guage his reaction.
The seconds ticked by in deafening silence, the only thing she could hear was the rain pelting down. They had both stopped breathing.
"What?" He seemed to regain speech and cocked his head in appraisal of her, narrowing his eyes. She knew he'd be able to see her face, what with his preternatural sight and all, and she envied his abilities right now. She wished that she could see his face clearly, too. Even if just for a moment.
"I said I'm in love with you, Sam." She repeated her words, speaking clearly. "And I'm sorry for pushing you away tonight." She took a step toward him and put her hands on his chest. "You are right. I do overthink things, and it has stopped me from admitting my feelings for you." She sighed. "And I'm scared. I think that's what held me back the most, because I don't know if I could survive losing you again. That's if you even decide to give me a chance to prove that I'm serious about being with you. That I love you despite the imprint."
"You're messing with me, aren't you?" He asked. "You're just saying this now, and in the morning, I know you'll feel differently. You'll run away again. Or push me away."
"I'm not going to feel differently in the morning." She insisted and placed a soft kiss against his chest, tilting her head back up so she could look into his eyes. "I'm serious, Sam. I want to be with you. I'm done fighting my feelings."
He seemed to process her words, not saying a thing yet, a deep frown puckering between his brows. All she could do now was keep praying that he'd forgive her.
"Don't you think I'm scared, too?" He whispered, suddenly very insistently, like he was imploring her to understand. And she could see the raw truth in his eyes, as he let his guard down. "Or do you think this is easy for me?"
"I-" She sighed, and shook her head. "I don't know, Sam. You always seem so collected."
"Maybe because I know how to hide it so well." He explained. "But nothing has been easy these last seventeen years. I've had to wake up every morning, and walk through this house, the evidence of what I lost staring me tauntingly in the face. Mocking me." He sighed. "And you...you show up here after so long, and all these feelings suddenly come crashing back. And you push me away at every turn. Keep me at arms length, while I try to figure out how to get from one day to the next without losing my fucking mind just being around you. And now you expect me to believe that you want me? That you've had some incredible epiphany in the last three hours?"
"Look, I know I make it hard for you to believe me. But I needed to tell you how I feel. And if you want me to go, so you can think it over and decide if you want me too, then I'll understand. But please, just know that I really do mean it. I was just afraid of the past. Of what happened. Of how stupid I was back then. I was scared something would come along and tear us apart again. I'm still scared of it, actually."
"I know, Bells," He whispered and cupped her cheek, thumb stoking gently over her face. She leaned into his warm touch, finding comfort in this gesture. Perhaps all wasn't lost. "But I promise you won't lose me again."
"You can't possibly make such promises. You don't know that for sure."
"Oh, but I do." He said, his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath against her cheeks and nose. She couldn't help but inhale, like the helpless Sam-addict that she was. When he spoke again, his lips brushed against hers. "As long as we communicate face to face, and not via text, or even via Emily, we'll be just fine."
She chuckled despite herself. They had made many mistakes back when they were dating. She made most of these mistakes. But the key was to not do it again.
"I love you too, you know?" He continued. "And over the last month, I've fallen in love with you all over again."
"You make it easy to love you." She whispered against his lips. "You know that, right? Just don't break the imprint."
But Sam didn't answer her. He merely pressed his lips against hers…and there she went. She was lost. His scent was overwhelming, and he tasted of rain and pine needles. Tasted so good...
Her body responded in an instant, leaving her panting and lusting after Sam.
He was her Sam, now.
Bella woke up, blinking rapidly to get her eyes to focus. Where the hell was she? She didn't know this room. It was still very early, judging by the sun barely peeking out above the horizon, casting a faint pink glow over the clear skies. No signs of rain.
"Hi," Sam's voice whispered next to her, and she turned her head to find him staring at her with careful, hesitant eyes.
That's right!
She was in his bed.
She was in Sam's bed!
The notion that she was naked, in his bed, made her pulse pick up speed, a blush spread over her cheeks and she smiled despite the concern in his eyes. She knew exactly what was going on in his mind. He was worried that she had changed her mind during the night. But she hadn't.
When they'd gotten into the house after her confession last night, Sam had taken her to bed, making love to her over and over for hours. Rough and needy in the beginning, almost as if the fact that she was his now, made it hard for him to hold back. And with every time after that, the sex turned softer, sweeter and more tender. It had been even better than in her kitchen, because there had been no more worry or hesitation on her part. Just clarity and contentment. She was in his arms, and she was staying.
But now, with him looking so worried, she knew she had to assure him that she wasn't going anywhere.
"Morning," She turned her body toward him, and wormed herself into his arms, deeply inhaling his addictive scent. "I love waking up next to you." She murmured against his warm chest.
She heard him sigh in relief and he tightened his arms around her. "I have to admit that I like it too. Way more than I should." He pulled back to look at her. His blank face and worried eyes were now replaced by a genuine smile and delighted eyes. "I was worried that you wouldn't be here when I woke up. Or that you changed your mind."
Bella stretched up to capture his lips, nothing about the kiss gentle. She was going to show him what waking up in his bed did to her.
She pulled back briefly. "I'm not going anywhere, Sam. Never again." She vowed and pushed him down onto the bed, flung a leg over his hips and lifted herself up onto him, hands planted firmly on his chest. She loved the fact that he was already aroused. They were still very much naked, and she liked that there were no clothes to keep her from taking what she wanted from him.
With a deliberate shift of her hips, she lifted herself up over him, and felt him push against her entrance, hot, hard and thick. With torturous slowness, designed to drive him just a little crazy, she lowered herself down onto him, and moaned as he filled her to the brim. After last night, her body took him much easier, having accommodated to his size.
"I love you, Sam." She whispered.
His hands wrapped around her hips, guiding her slowly up and down onto him, and her hands gripped his shoulders for support as the pace increased incrementally.
His eyes were trained solely on hers, alight with lust and reverence as he watched her shamelessly taking what she wanted. He seemed to have no objections to yet another round of sex, and if they continued like this, they'd be spending the whole weekend in bed. "I love you too, Bella. More than you'll ever know."
His words made her smile, even though she didn't need to hear him say it, to know that it was true.
With every up and down movement of her hips, the pressure deep inside of her belly kept building up to what was surely going to be a fantastic orgasm. She tried to keep her eyes open, loving the way he looked at her, but having him inside of her felt way too good, and she closed her eyes and threw her head back, getting lost in this sensational moment.
Bella bolted upright in bed when her phone suddenly pulled her from her blissful, post-coital sleep with Sam. They had spent a good half hour having the best kind of morning sex. Cuddling and falling asleep right after was a first for both of them, since sex way back when had usually been timed to when the adults had been away, or had gone to bed already, and they always had to get cleaned up and dressed hastily afterward. She loved that there was no more need to be quiet, and no need to rush.
She had tucked herself deeply into Sam's side afterward, and together they had drifted off into a sated sleep, not ready to get out of bed yet.
She checked her phone, and groaned. It was Cameron. She hadn't thought about how she was going to tell him that Sam and she were now back together. And she had no idea how he would feel about it.
Sam sat up too, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's wrong?" He mumbled and leaned into her back to plant a kiss on her shoulder.
"Cameron." She held up the phone so he could see. "What am I going to say to him?"
"Well, you could start by answering the call." He encouraged cheekily.
She nodded and took a deep breath, slid her finger over the screen and pressed the phone to her ear. "Morning, honey." She greeted Cameron, but winced when her voice came out a few octaves too high. If she didn't rein in her emotions, it would tip her son off that something was going on.
"Where are you, Mom?" He asked, and Bella looked over her shoulder at Sam, knowing he'd be able to hear. Her eyes pleaded with him for some help, but he simply watched with amusement, grinning.
She decided to go with the truth, since Sam was being of no help at all. "I'm over at your dad's." She explained, but opted not to go into detail. There were some things that he really didn't need to know...like the fact that she was in Sam's bed...
"Cool. I'm home now, so I'll be over in a minute. Hope you're making breakfast, because I'm starving." He said and ended the call.
This notion seemed to have Sam flustered, right alongside her. "We have to get dressed." He said, flung his legs over the side of the bed, and got up. "Or he's going to catch us red-handed."
Standing there in all his naked glory, Bella couldn't help but stare at Sam, barely registering the blush that was creeping steadily from her neck to her cheeks. She was momentarily distracted by his perfectly defined abs, that sexy 'v' that bled into strong hips, his firm, round ass, thick thighs and his large (even when not aroused) cock that hung between said thighs. And for a moment, struggled to remember just why she had to get out of bed. She licked her lips at the sight of him, and rubbed her thighs together. She still couldn't believe that this incredibly sexy man was now hers. Seeing him like this turned her on, all over again.
When she didn't move an inch, Sam grinned but cleared his throat to get her attention. "Later," He promised. "But we need to get a move on, baby. Our son is going to be here any moment."
Bella nodded and and shook her head to focus on what needed to be done, cheeks burning with embarrassment now. She slid out of bed, trying to cool her raging hormones. He was right. They could enjoy themselves again, later. But for now, they had to get dressed so Cameron wouldn't catch them like this. It would scar him for life.
With her feet firmly on the ground, she went in search of her dress and panties, praying that her clothes would be in a good enough condition to wear.
She found the dress in the corner of the room, wrinkled beyond salvation. And her panties were at the foot of the bed, on the floor, torn to shreds. Sam had been very impatient last night when it came to removing her clothes, and his patience had seemed to run out right around the time he'd managed to remove her wet dress, which had been a task in and of itself, because it had clung to her body like a second skin.
She swallowed thickly and tried to suppress a wanton groan at the thought of how eagerly they had made love. How they couldn't seem to get enough of each other, barely taking a proper rest, before devouring each other all over again. As far as she knew, men only had a limited amount of stamina when it came to sex, but it didn't seem to apply to Sam. Perhaps it was a wolf thing. And she loved it when he went all rough and demanding on her.
She shook her head to get her mind out of the gutter, and left the panties where they were. No point in trying to 'save' them now. She turned her dress the right side out and stared at it, contemplating asking Sam for an iron. "The dress is totally wrinkled." She huffed and scrunched her nose. He had his shorts on by now, and was fishing for a shirt in his drawers. "If I wear this, it's going to be completely obvious what we did last night."
"And this morning." He winked and grinned. Cheeky bastard.
Bella rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips.
"Here," He said and handed her a set of clothes. It was a purple shirt and white shorts, and for some reason, these clothes looked vaguely familiar. She frowned up at him. "Why do you have women's clothes in your closet?"
"They're yours. From long ago." He explained. "You forgot them in my bag when we went camping once. And I never got the chance to give them back."
"Oh," She shrugged and pulled the shirt over her head. "Guess it's a good thing I forgot to take it back. Otherwise I'd have nothing to wear right now." The shirt stretched tightly over her breasts. She had filled up considerably since sixteen, but for now, it would have to do.
The shorts still fit perfectly, she realized, as she shrugged them on and did up the top button. At least now they could keep their romp in the hay from Cameron.
"What are we going to tell Cam?" Sam wondered, looking at her with guarded eyes. She couldn't blame him for being a little skittish. After all, her hot and cold behavior had given him enough reason.
"I don't want to hide it from him." She said and stretched up on the tip of her toes to wrap her arms around his shoulders. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips, that left her craving more. But there was no more time for funny business. "Let's just do whatever feels natural, and when he notices, we'll tell him the truth."
"Which would be?" He was letting her decide how they were going to label their relationship.
"That we're dating, I guess?" She needed him to confirm where they were at, too. She didn't want to be presumptuous.
"Yeah. Dating." He agreed. "For now." He shot her a mischievous smile, making her heart stutter. And then he turned toward the bathroom, leaving her wondering just exactly what he meant with that comment. "Need a toothbrush?" He asked over his shoulder, distracting her.
"Yes, please." She desperately needed to scrub away her morning breath.
Before last night, she had never been in his bedroom, or the en suite bathroom. And this was just another obvious reminder that he had built the house for them. There was a beautiful Victorian bathtub, an even bigger shower, and a his-and-hers sink with a marble top, a huge mirror spanning the wall just above said sink. And she found herself wondering if he enjoyed seeing her in his house, using it as he had intended her to?
Sam finished brushing his teeth first, and when a knock on the door sounded, she rinsed her mouth and wiped it with the back of her hand, hurrying to follow him down stairs.
Bella opened the door for Cameron, while Sam started on a pot of coffee. For some reason, she felt like Cameron knew exactly what she had been up to, and it was hard to rein in her blush and play innocent. "Morning, honey." She waved him in and closed the door. "Your father is in the kitchen making coffee."
"Morning, Mom." Cameron kissed her briefly on the cheek and headed through the living room toward his father.
Bella sighed in relief when he pretty much appeared oblivious, and closed the door. It felt like she had a neon sign flashing above her head that said she'd spent the whole night having the best sex with Sam. But apparently, it wasn't the case. Even the too tight t-shirt didn't rouse any suspicions with Cameron, and for that she was grateful.
"How was your night?" Bella asked as she joined father and son in the kitchen, Cameron already seated at the breakfast bar, while Sam poured their coffee. She strolled past Sam toward the fridge, stroking her hand briefly but affectionately down his back as she went to get the milk for their coffee. "I'm betting that you didn't get much sleep."
"Not a lick of it. But it was so much fun." He grinned. "But I can't do it everyday, like they do. Can't sit and play games all the time. I prefer being out with Dad. Or going to the beach. Or just spending time with you guys." He explained. "Thank you for letting me skip dinner last night, by the way. I know I'm supposed to be present for all dinners, and it meant a lot to me that I got to spend time with my friends."
"You're more than welcome, honey." She said, handed Sam the milk and settled into a seat at the breakfast bar, next to Cameron. "I don't want to keep you from your friends. Especially when it's weekend. You work so hard during the week, and you deserve to relax."
"It's not going to be any easier when I go to college." He shrugged. "So I'd better get used to it, because I'll still be working for Dad when I study."
"I don't want you to feel that you have to work. I don't mind you helping me out during holidays, but when you're at college, I'd prefer you to focus on your studies. Believe me, it's a lot of pressure to be at college and work at the same time." Sam said over his shoulder as he stirred milk into their coffee, and she suppressed the urge to lick her lips as the muscles in his forearms flexed almost imperceptibly. How was it possible for a person to be this attractive? She knew without a doubt that it wasn't just the imprint that left her feeling this way. It was obvious enough from their shopping trips that other women found him equally attractive. Luckily for her, Cameron was oblivious to what was going on in her head, as he explained to his father that he wanted to gain experience where he could, and that he would help out when there wasn't studying to be done.
Sam left the carton of milk next to the coffee pot for later - she knew he'd want another cup soon. He was probably the only other person that loved coffee as much as she did.
He turned around, catching her staring blatantly at him, strolled over toward them with the coffee in hand, wearing a smirk so sexy that it should be illegal, and handed Cameron and her their mugs. She tried to hide her blush at the look he was giving her, and when he winked playfully, she was certain that he knew exactly what he was doing to her. Smug bastard that he was.
"So what did you two get up to last night, because you clearly didn't finish dinner?" Cameron asked as Sam joined them at the breakfast bar. It was the question she had hoped he wouldn't ask.
Sam spluttered into his coffee at the innocent question, and Bella clamped her lips together in an attempt not to laugh. Cameron was very observant, and it seemed Sam was a little nervous about how his son would react to the news of them being in a relationship. She had completely forgotten that she hadn't cleaned up the kitchen. And she hoped to god that he wouldn't put two and two together. At least not where the sex was concerned.
But, you see, answering Cameron's question was the tough part. They had to tell a little white lie, despite their intentions not to lie to him. But there were certain personal details that couldn't be shared. Shouldn't be shared.
"Neither of us were hungry," Sam explained artfully, having recovered from his initial shock at almost being caught out. He wiped the coffee from his chin where it had dribbled down, and shrugged casually. "So we skipped dinner and talked instead." She was glad he had taken the lead on this, because she would have had no idea how to answer the question. She didn't have the ability to lie convincingly. She was too transparent.
"Mmm..." Cameron narrowed his eyes just a little, almost like he knew they were hiding something. He was suspicious, and she needed to do something to distract him, before this turned into a very embarrassing situation.
"So, breakfast?" Bella tried to save the situation with the mention of food. "I bet everyone is starving." She pushed her chair away, and got up, giving Sam a pleading look. She hoped he would understand what she was trying to do.
"Yes, please." Came Cameron's eager reply. Her distraction seemed to work, and she suppressed the urge to sigh in relief. "I could wolf down a dozen eggs right now."
"I'll help you with breakfast." Sam offered, catching on, and got up from his chair, draining the last of his coffee.
"What can I do to help?" Cameron wanted to know, always willing to help. Over the last month, they always divided their tasks when preparing food. And when he wasn't busy with homework, he enjoyed cooking with them. They truly functioned as a family, and that's exactly what she had wanted for her son. But now, after recent developments, they were really going to be a family. Or at least, they were slowly headed in that direction.
She wondered what it would be like to live with Sam someday. Did he have a specific room in mind for Cameron? She had seen all of the rooms, except for Sam's. Until last night. She didn't want to snoop - a person's room was his own personal space, and if Sam had wanted her to see it before last night, he would have shown it to her. The house had four bedrooms, two of which were guest bedrooms at the moment. There was a large study, with a personal gym (Sam had mentioned that he liked to work out when he got frustrated with work), and then there was his own bedroom, of course. Cameron would probably get the larger of the two guest bedrooms, if she had to hazard a guess.
"You can make us some more coffee if you don't mind?" Sam suggested, pulling her from her thoughts. "I'll do the bacon and eggs, and your mom can do the toast. If that's okay?" He turned to her and snaked a subtle hand around her waist, squeezing affectionately.
"Sure." She agreed, stood on the tips of her toes and planted a chaste kiss on Sam's lips, in a not so subtle display of her own affections toward him. This, Cameron would surely notice, but he had to find out somehow.
They turned around to find Cameron staring at them, much like she had expected. He looked shocked, but not disgusted or horrified by their affectionate display. Just taken by surprise. It took a minute for him to gather his thoughts enough to speak his mind. "What's going on here? Am I missing something? Or is kissing the new 'friendly normal' for you guys?" He asked, pointing between Sam and her.
"I don't know?" Sam shrugged, playing dumb? "What does it look like to you?"
"It looks to me like that kiss you just shared might have had something to do with the fact that you didn't have dinner last night." He said, hitting the nail on the head. Nothing got past him.
Bella blushed, and looked back at Sam who was wearing a smug smile, but neither of them said anything.
"Are you back together?" Cameron kept at it. "Please don't make me guess. Just tell me."
"Yeah," Bella nodded and blushed even more. "We decided last night that we're going to try again."
"Thank god!" He exclaimed. "That's awesome!" A massive smile broke out over his face. "So, does this mean that we're moving in with Dad and that I'll get to change my last name to Uley when you two get married?"
"Whoa!" Bella was taken aback by his eagerness. "You're getting way ahead of yourself here. We've only decided this last night. A relationship. Right?" She looked to Sam for some help.
"Well, obviously I want you and your mother to move in. And yes, I do want to marry you." He said to her and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "But we'll take things at a pace that your mom feels comfortable with." He kept his eyes trained on her. "I don't want to send her running for the hills."
For a moment, her heart stuttered at the idea of moving in with Sam. She would love to wake up next to him every morning. But in all honesty, that would be moving a bit fast if they moved in with Sam right now. "I think let's go with what feels natural. No pressure. No time limits. Doesn't mean I don't want any of those things." She told Sam. "Because I do. But all of this happened not twenty-four hours ago, so let's just get used to being in a relationship for now." She didn't want Sam to doubt her feelings for him, and judging by his expression, her answer seemed to be good enough for him.
"I agree." He planted a kiss on top of her head. She always loved it when he did that, and it was no different now. "Let's see where this goes."
"I'm just so happy you guys finally got it together. For a while I thought it wasn't going to happen. You were both so stubborn."
"I wasn't the stubborn one." Sam defended. "Had your mother given me half the chance, I would have made her mine already. I've wanted to do that since the day you two showed up here."
"I don't know about that." She disagreed with Sam's statement. "You looked so angry and intimidating that day at your mom's funeral. And you very nearly chased me away."
"Of course I did." He agreed. "You were standing in front of me after so many years, and it was such a shock that I had no clue what to say or do. I was very surprised that you actually came back, because at that point I had almost given up hoping you'd come back. And I was angry that you just up and left me." He explained, giving her a little more insight into his mind. "And then I found out the real reason why you left."
"What matters now is that we did make it back to each other." She pointed out. "Just took us a long time."
"About the last name though," Sam changed the subject. "If you don't have a problem with it, Cameron is more than welcome to change it to Uley. We don't have to wait until we get married."
The words made her breathless. Sam brought up the idea of marriage with so much ease, like it was the most normal thing in the world. But the weirdest part was, the idea of marriage didn't scare her. Not in the least. If she thought about how their relationship was going to progress, it seemed like marriage was simply a natural step in the future. But hopefully moving in with him wouldn't be so far off. She wanted to move in, soon. Not because of this amazing house and heavenly kitchen. Or because Cameron wanted it. But because she was in love with Sam, and she wanted to spend every waking moment with him. She wanted them to be a proper family, like they should have been years ago, already. And the idea of going home after today, was painful to think about.
Later that afternoon, as Sam and Cameron were talking work while casually sitting on the pool steps, she was drifting blissfully off into dreamland on the lounge chair in the sun. She didn't get much sleep last night, and she was starting to feel the effects of it now as the warm sun baked down on her skin. She was finally starting to get some color, but the unusually warm weather of October was slowly starting to dissipate. The days were becoming increasingly cooler, with more rainy days lately, than warm ones, and she was going to miss spending time swimming with Sam and Cameron, having late afternoon barbecues or just catching a tan next to the pool.
Her phone suddenly rang loudly, pulling her from her doze.
She reached down to grab her phone lying beside the chair, and didn't look before she answered. She should have known better, because the caller at the other end was her father. But in all honesty, she knew she had to talk to him sooner or later, like she had promised Sam she would.
"Bella?" Came Charlie's slightly nervous voice from the other end.
"Dad!" She sat up suddenly, wide awake. "Hi."
She looked up to find Sam and Cameron watching her. Sam whispered something to Cam that she couldn't hear, but when he started chuckling, she knew Sam had told him about her run-in with Sue and her father.
"Are you mad at me?" Charlie asked. "About what happened yesterday?"
"No," She sighed. "Of course I'm not mad."
"Well, why aren't you opening the door for me?" He asked. "I keep knocking, and I can hear music playing in the house. So you're obviously trying to avoid me. And you never called me back yesterday."
She must have forgotten to turn off the iPod in her rush to get to Sam. "I'm not trying to avoid you, Dad." She rolled her eyes. When had he become so...so...Reneé-ish? Cameron and I are over at Sam's."
"Do you mind if I come over so we can talk?" He wanted to know. "Sue is with me." He added hesitantly, like this might affect her answer. Contrary to what Charlie believed, it wasn't the fact that he was dating Sue that had her all flustered yesterday. Or now. It was the fact that she had been kept in the dark, and had to witness a very personal moment between the two. A moment a daughter should never have been privy to.
"No problem, Dad. Just let yourselves in. We're outside by the pool."
"See you in a minute." Charlie said and ended the call. He seemed eager to talk about what happened, and she guessed she couldn't blame him. He was probably looking forward to the fact that he didn't have to hide his relationship with Sue. Not that he had to. At least, not for her benefit.
Charlie knew about Sam's and her close relationship these days. They talked about it often when having lunch. Or on the odd nights here and there that she invited him over for dinner - nights when Sam wasn't there. But he had no idea (obviously) about the recent developments. And she hoped it would be a welcome surprise, since he was rooting for them so openly. She was going to tell him about Sam and her relationship - fledgling as it might be - instead of hiding it like he did with her.
Bella sighed and put her phone down next to the chair again, grabbed her kimono to make herself look decent and steeled herself for the looming talk. No point in delaying the inevitable.
When she looked up, she found Sam and Cameron looking at her. "You don't mind, do you?" She realized she hadn't asked Sam's permission. She knew he heard everything.
"No, of course not." He said and pushed up from the pool steps, heading out. And there it was again. Him without his shirt. It made her stomach flutter every time she saw him like this. And even now, when he grabbed his towel and dried himself off, she simply couldn't seem to tear her eyes away as each muscle in his strong body contracted and released with the effort, highlighted by the glistening drops of water as the sun hit his toffee skin. She hoped to god she never got used to him. Never got used to how incredibly sexy he was.
He looked up at her, and when he realized she was staring (she had no need to look away anymore, since he was hers), he smiled and sauntered lazily over to her, leaving Cameron to enjoy the waters for a little while longer.
"See something you like?" He asked as he reached her chair, and leaned over her to steal a kiss. It was chaste, but his lips lingered just a second longer, and she sighed against him. This was heaven. And she was a very lucky girl to have him in her life; to get a second chance with him.
"I see something I like very much." She whispered her reply and looked up into his eyes. His dark eyes were playful and...happy. And she loved knowing the reason for it was because they were finally together. She was happy too.
"Love you," He whispered and stole one last kiss, before pulling back and looking up in the direction of the house. About ten seconds later, Charlie and Sue emerged from inside, hand in hand.
Bella pushed up from her chair and followed Sam to meet them. Charlie seemed his normal self, but Sue was wearing a blush, which made Bella think she was still heavily embarrassed about what happened yesterday.
"Something to drink?" Bella offered, and motioned for them to take a seat at the table on the deck, overlooking the pool and some of the hidden back yard. "We've got beer, lemonade and cola. Or coffee?"
"I'll take some lemonade, thank you." Sue accepted awkwardly as she met Bella's eye. She gave Sue a small smile, trying to get her to relax. Sue didn't need to feel embarrassed. It was over and done with, and she hoped they could move on from here and just forget that yesterday ever happened.
"Beer for you, Dad?" She knew she didn't even have to ask. He always wanted beer.
"Thanks, Kiddo. That'll be great."
Cameron joined them, keeping his grandfather and Sue company while Bella and Sam headed for the kitchen. On her way in, Bella looked over her shoulder to find Charlie and Cameron engaging in conversation about school and how work was going with Sam. It had been a while since they've gotten a chance to properly catch up.
Sam helped her get the drinks for everyone. She was going to join Sue with a glass of lemonade - it was Sam's mother's recipe, and she honestly had never tasted lemonade as good as this.
Sam pulled a tray from one of the cupboards - she still didn't know about everything he had in his kitchen - and placed the lemonade and glasses on the tray. He grabbed two beers from the fridge, and when he walked up to her, leaned in to get a proper kiss from her.
Bella moaned into the kiss, hungry for more, despite having company. She couldn't get enough of Sam, and it only took one kiss, or one touch to light up her body. She was putty in his skillful hands.
She wrapped her hands around his shoulders, stood up on the tips of her toes and pulled him closer into her, deepening the kiss. His addictive taste made her forget about her surroundings for a moment.
"Bella," He whispered and pulled away from her. "If we carry on like this, I'm gonna have to take you right here in my kitchen, and that would be really inappropriate, since our son, and your father is here."
She grinned up at him. "Sorry. You're just so hard to resist."
"As are you." He planted another brief kiss on her lips. "But let's save it for later, when we're alone."
She nodded in agreement. He was right. It was probably best to quit while they were ahead, before someone walked in on them. "Later."
Sam adjusted himself in an attempt to hide his arousal - he couldn't very well walk out like this. It would be really awkward and suspicious. "Shall we?" He picked up the tray, and handed her the beers, guiding her out to the deck with a hand on the small of her back.
Outside, Cameron was busy telling Sue and Charlie about the game night he had with his friends last night. Charlie pretended to be interested, but Bella could see his eyes cloud over. Charlie was a simple man - technologically retarded - and he had no idea what Cameron was talking about. It was comical to witness. As a grandfather, she could see that he was doing his best to share Cameron's enthusiasm, but she felt like she needed to rescue her dad.
"Your beer, Dad." She interrupted Cameron and placed a beer in front of Charlie.
"Thanks, Kiddo." He popped open his beer and took a large drink.
Sam poured three glasses of lemonade. One for Sue, Cameron and her, and handed it off respectively. The atmosphere was stiff and awkward, and Bella wondered if she should say something to break the ice and get the conversation going. But Charlie beat her to it.
"I'm sorry for not telling you about Sue and I." Charlie apologized. "It wasn't my intention to hide it from you."
"So why did you, Dad?" She needed to know the reason. Needed to know why he thought she couldn't handle the truth.
"You were so hard to convince to stay in the first place." He said with a deep frown, looking intensely down at the beer, turning it around in his hand. "And when you finally gave in, you still had to get settled. You had a lot on your plate, and I didn't want to add to your stress."
"It wouldn't have added to my stress, Dad. I'm happy that you have someone in your life. Someone to take care of you."
Charlie's whole body relaxed, and his mustache twitched with a smile. "You sure, Kid?"
"Of course I am. Besides, I don't think you could have picked anyone better that Sue." Bella said and looked over at the dark haired woman who was silently wringing her hands in her lap. It was a ridiculous concept that two adults needed her approval.
"Thank you Bella. It means a lot to us." Sue looked up at her, smiling in relief. "I love your father very much. He's such a good man, and I promise I won't hurt him."
"I know that." She grabbed Sue's hand from across the table, giving a gentle squeeze.
"How long have you guys been dating?" Cameron wanted to know, and she was glad he asked. She was curious too.
"About two months now. And we're thinking of moving in together, soon." Charlie stated proudly. That would explain why Bella never saw anything related to Sue in Charlie's house. Had Sue been living with him before Cameron and she came back to town, she surely would have noticed more feminine touches in and around Charlie's house. It would be a good thing for Sue to add her own touches. To make it Charlie's and her home. The place still screamed Reneé. Charlie hadn't changed much over the years, and it was about time someone breathed new life into the house. Into his life.
"I'm really happy for you." She said again. She wanted them to know that she was fine with their relationship. Not that they needed her permission.
"My parents also have an announcement." Cameron chipped in, prompting Bella to reveal the news of Sam's and her relationship. She momentarily gaped at Cameron in shock, but seeing him so excited that his parents were in a relationship, made all her nervousness disappear.
"That's right." Bella said and looked up at Sam, giving him a wink and a smile. He pulled her into his side and wrapped his arm around her. "We've also started dating."
"Again." Sam added cheekily, but he seemed proud. Happy.
"It's fairly new." Bella shrugged. "But it's long overdue, I guess."
"Finally." Charlie chuckled breathily. "I was starting to think that it was never going to happen."
"So did I." Cameron agreed. "Two of the most stubborn parents I've ever known. It's so clear that they belong together."
"Hey, now." Sam defended, lifting his hands to absolve himself. "I wasn't the stubborn one."
Bella rolled her eyes at Sam. "Yeah, yeah. I know." She grinned. "It took me a while to realize what I wanted."
A/N: Hit me with your thoughts. I'm curious to hear what you thought about the chapter.