Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
Author's Note: I'm glad everyone liked the light-heartedness in chapter 15. The sweetness is nice for a change, huh? ;) I'm also very happy that you guys agree with my decision for Edward and Bella to keep things from Emmett and Rosalie for now. I was a bit worried that they would be criticized for it because it seems a little bit selfish, but I think we all know they deserve to have this time for themselves. Also, I am extremely sorry for the later than usual chapter. I explained in all in a post in the forums so you can read it there if you want :) Enjoy this chapter!
Bella POV
"Alice, that one is perfect."
She turned around and looked at me incredulously. "Really? Isn't it a little too…poofy?" she asked, lifting the long skirt of the dress and flinging it around as if to prove her point.
When she said it like that, it did look a little bit like an upside down ice cream cone from Rite Aid—double scooped.
Rosalie and I had been spending the entire day with Alice, fitting for our bridesmaid dresses and helping Alice make a selection for her wedding dress from the options she had set aside to show us. I was surprised she had waited so long to get started, seeing as Alice was always the planner, but I didn't make a mention of this for fear of stressing her out even more than she already was.
"Seriously, Alice, that's the third one you've tried on," Rosalie chimed in. "And the other two were absolutely beautiful."
Alice nodded and let out a deep breath. "I know, but the wedding is like a week and a half away, and I am just so…ugh! I don't know." She shook her head and took deep, calming breaths. "Okay, so this one is a no," she mumbled to herself, going into the large dressing room to try on a fourth dress.
I smiled and sighed, sitting down on one of the big comfy couches with a glass of champagne that one of the women who was helping Alice had handed me.
"I hope fourth time's the charm," I teased, looking up at Rosalie. She was not amused.
Needless to say, Rosalie and Emmett had not been on good terms with Edward and I since the previous day. We weren't giving them any information and as far as they were concerned, Edward and I were still getting a divorce. I did feel guilty. I really, really did. But then I would remember the hell they had put us through and how wonderful it was being with Edward now without having to answer any of their meddling questions, that it made the guilt reside…just a little bit.
"We're going out tonight," she stated simply, leaving no room for arguments as she plopped down on the couch next to me, thanking the woman who handed her a champagne glass.
"I thought Alice and Jasper were going to go to his parents' house for dinner," I replied, confused.
"Oh, they are," she nodded, finishing a sip of champagne and looking over at me. "I meant you, me, Emmett, and Edward."
Oh…fuck.
"Why?" I asked, practically choking on the champagne I had barely just swallowed.
She shrugged noncommittally, swirling her drink around in her glass. "I don't know. Just thought a nice dinner would be…nice," she replied, almost ominously, turning to look at me with an evil glint in her eyes.
I narrowed my own eyes in return. "More games?" I hedged, annoyed.
"Why, Bella, what ever do you mean?" she asked, feigning innocence and batting her eyelashes at me.
"Enough with the subtlety, Rose. What's really going on?" I snapped.
"I don't know. You tell me," she bit back just as sharply.
"There is nothing to tell," I stated with a tone of finality.
"Oh yes there is."
"Rose, you're being immature."
"And you're keeping things from me. What happened with Edward?"
"Nothing!"
"You're lying!" she accused, seething.
"Just drop it!"
"No! Something happened! Tell me now! What happened with Edward?" she repeated, louder this time.
"What's wrong with Edward?" Alice's worried tone broke through mine and Rosalie's untimely bickering.
My head snapped in Alice's direction, eyes widening in shock at the fact that I hadn't heard her approach. "Nothing, he's fine," I answered quickly, sitting back in my seat and trying to calm my heavy breathing.
"That dress is perfect, Alice," Rosalie quipped harshly, obviously not having recovered from what had quickly morphed into a screaming match between Rosalie and I.
Alice looked at her like she had grown an extra head. "What's going on with you guys?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Nothing," Rosalie and I replied in unison.
"I just heard you guys fighting," Alice pointed out, still waiting for a better explanation.
"We were fighting over who had the prettier bridesmaid dress," Rosalie answered, smiling sweetly. I gave her a strange look.
"They look exactly the same," Alice said, eyebrows scrunched tightly together in confusion.
Rosalie must have realized how stupid her lie had sounded because she tried laughing it off uncomfortably. "Oh, well, I mean…I'm taller, so…mine is a little different. And better," she added quickly.
"But I heard you specifically ask, 'What happened with Edward?'" Alice retorted, not letting it go.
"Oh, yea. Well…the thing about that is…fuck, Alice!" Rosalie suddenly burst out, throwing her arms in the air in frustration and jumping off the couch, storming away to the restrooms. Alice and I just watched her, confusion and slight terror etched on our faces.
"Bella?" Alice quietly said after a moment of silence had passed.
I looked up at her and sighed, not sure how I was going to handle the line of questioning she was definitely about to throw at me.
"How's this one?" she asked, walking back a little to allow me to see her dress better.
I looked at her, puzzled as to why she wasn't pestering me for answers, but she just smiled softly at me. It was a mutual understanding. She could tell I didn't want to talk about it and she wasn't going to push it; she was giving me a free pass—something Alice never did. But I was extremely thankful and smiled in return, standing up to get a better view of the dress she had on.
"It's perfect," I said softly, nodding my head in affirmation.
She beamed at me before walking over to the full length mirrors and looking at it herself. "Perfect," she whispered, a single tear falling down her face.
I watched with pride and excitement as Alice had her dress fitted. Rosalie returned shortly after the outburst and apologized to Alice for blowing up at her like that. Alice accepted her apology, but distanced herself from Rosalie the rest of the day, probably for fear of a repeat incident.
Once everything was done at the bridal shop and Alice had her dress all sized up and ordered, the three of us went back to the car and headed home. Alice and Jasper left shortly after we returned and the only other people home were Emmett, Edward, and Esme.
I avoided Rosalie like the plague, instead going into the kitchen to help Esme with whatever she was doing.
"Hey, do you need any help with dinner?" I asked as I leaned up against the counter.
She turned away from the oven and smiled at me. "Oh no, sweetheart, thank you. It's a simple dish, anyway, since it's just going to be Carlisle and me tonight."
I nodded and smiled before her words finally registered with me. "Wait, why is it just you and Carlisle?"
She looked at me confused. "Rose and Emmett said they were taking you and Edward out to dinner tonight," she replied.
Oh my God.
"Oh yea," I responded, smiling tightly. "So sweet of them." Even I sensed the sarcasm in my voice.
"Are you alright, Bella?" Esme asked, concern evident in her tone as she came to stand in front of me, taking one of my hands in hers.
I nodded and let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Yea, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I forced a smile and I knew she could tell.
"I don't know," she started, searching my eyes. "Mothers just get these feelings, you know?" she smiled at me and winked. "You'll understand one day. One day soon, I hope."
My breathing hitched at her not so subtle hint and she laughed quietly at my blush.
"Carlisle and I can't wait to be grandparents. I thought Emmett and Rosalie would be the first to supply since they're the oldest," she laughed. "But I have a feeling you and Edward might be the ones to make our dreams come true first."
I had no idea what to say in response to that so I ended up just standing there, gaping at her like a fish before finally composing myself. "I hope so," I murmured, still in a daze from her admission.
"Have fun tonight, Bella," Esme said, kissing my forehead and then hugging me tightly. "And come to me for anything, okay?"
At that moment, I felt guilt. And not the kind of guilt I felt with Emmett and Rosalie—because that was conditional—but the kind of guilt that swallows you up whole and then spits you back out. I never wanted to hurt Esme, or anyone in my family, so I knew that we could never tell them what had happened. If they knew we had kept something like this from them for months, they would feel nothing but betrayed. I could never do that to them.
Esme finally pulled away from me and brushed my hair back before shooing me out of the kitchen so she could finish cooking. I laughed and kissed her cheek before going in search of Edward, making sure to look around the corners before entering any room for fear of running into—
"Bella!"
Oh crap.
I froze in place and slowly turned around. Emmett was standing there, his arms crossed as he took in my appearance. It was almost comical, the way he was standing there scrutinizing me like some sort of Law and Order detective.
"Dinner tonight," he declared evenly. "Prepare for the nightmare of a lifetime."
"What?" I snapped.
"Oh, shit, Rosalie is going to kill me. Don't tell her I said that to you," he said quickly, his arms dropping as he morphed back into the same goofy Emmett I had always known.
I rolled my eyes, confused, but decided I didn't care enough to have him elaborate. Instead, I made my way to the den, hoping to find Edward there.
"Just tell me," came Rosalie's frustrated voice from inside. I rounded the corner and stopped in the doorway. Rosalie was perched beside Edward on the couch while he scrubbed his hands roughly over his face and sighed.
"Rosalie, shut up," he complained, dropping his hands and looking at her. He must have noticed me shift from his peripheral vision because his eyes snapped over to me. He smiled every so slightly before catching himself, causing Rosalie to turn her head and look at me.
"We're leaving at eight," she stated matter-of-factly as she got up from the couch and brushed past me.
I watched her go, making sure she was out of sight, before closing the door and walking over to Edward, plopping down beside him as he put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head.
"I missed you," he breathed into my hair. I smiled softly at his simple statement and pulled away to look up at him. I placed a chaste kiss on his lips, lingering there for a little bit before pulling back and sitting up to face him.
"How did the dress fittings go?" he asked, turning off the t.v. before focusing his attention on me.
I shrugged. "Fine. Oh, Alice found her dress," I said, my mood brightening immensely.
"That's great. She was worried about that," he smiled, placing his hand on my knee.
I nodded and then groaned, my good mood dissipating as quickly as it had surfaced. Edward noticed and his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
"What is it, love?" he asked softly.
I looked up at him and let out a deep sigh. "Tonight," was all I said. It was all that needed to be said because Edward's eyes lit up with understanding and he nodded.
"I know," he replied. "I didn't think this would happen. I thought they'd just…let it go."
"Do Emmett and Rosalie ever let anything go?" I retorted, letting out a humorless laugh.
"No, I guess not," he answered, chuckling darkly.
"Let's just go and get it over with. Maybe after tonight, they'll let it go." I didn't even find myself convincing.
He nodded, stroking my knee gently with his thumb as he watched the movement intently. I stared at him, once again struck by how beautiful Edward really was. It may have been odd to call a man beautiful, but when I said it, I wasn't merely talking about his physical attributes—though those could be considered insanely gorgeous—but I also saw…him. Edward. Edward was just…beautiful. In every possible, palpable, significant way.
I reluctantly pulled away from him after a few minutes, knowing we had to go get ready. "Come on." I grabbed his hand and pulled him out with me and up to our bedroom.
We got dressed in relative silence. Every now and then we would have a short discussion about discretion and how Emmett and Rosalie didn't need to know anything we didn't want to tell them, and that we didn't need to tell them anything if we didn't want to.
True to their word, at eight o' clock sharp, Emmett came knocking on our door, asking if we were ready. With a deep breath and a meaningful glance at Edward, I opened the door and we headed downstairs.
Rosalie drove her red convertible to the restaurant/bar we were going to. I couldn't help but steal glances at Edward in the backseat, only to get caught every time because he was stealing glances right back.
We got a tall round table near the back of the restaurant and Emmett ordered two pitchers of beer for the table as well as six glasses. I shot him a confused look as I sat in the stool beside Edward; Emmett and Rosalie sitting across from us. It was then I noticed that there was an empty seat between Rosalie and I and one between Emmett and Edward.
"I thought Alice and Jasper weren't coming tonight," Edward said, sounding just as confused as I felt.
"Oh, they're not," Emmett replied, smirking and glancing at Rosalie as the pitchers and glasses arrived.
"Then why did you order six glasses, Em?" I asked.
Rosalie turned around in her seat and seemed to be looking for someone. "Oh, there she is," she said excitedly, turning to look at Emmett before hopping off her stool.
A brown haired girl appeared from between the tables and crowds and Rosalie greeted her with an enormous hug. "Angela!" she squealed. "I'm so glad you could make it!" Rosalie turned around, taking Angela's hand, and led her to the chair between Emmett and Edward. "This is Edward," Rosalie introduced, smiling brightly. "Edward this is Angela."
Edward stared at her for the longest time before finally extending his hand out to her and forcing a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Angela."
"You too, Edward. Rosalie's told me a lot about you," she replied quietly. She seemed like a shy, sweet girl. Definitely someone that I would be friends with in high school. But that didn't stop the confusion I felt as to why Emmett and Rosalie had invited her without telling us. And better yet, why Rosalie was only introducing her to Edward.
Edward glanced at me. "Oh, and this is—"
"My friend, Bella," Rosalie loudly interrupted. "She's visiting from New York."
"Wha—" I started, only to be interrupted again when a dark haired man about mine and Edward's age approached the table and smiled widely at Emmett.
"Ben, my man!" Emmett greeted him, doing one of those manly high five things before looking at me and smiling hugely. "This is Bella. Rose's friend."
Ben looked at me and smiled before walking over to the empty seat beside me and sitting down. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella," he said politely, extending his hand out to me. I just stared at him, completely confused as to what was going on, but also not wanting to be rude. I put my hand in his and was shocked as hell when he kissed the back of it.
I felt Edward shift a bit in his seat beside me, but was thankful when he remained under control. I didn't want to make a scene.
"N-Nice to meet you," I stammered out. "Um, Rose, can I talk you for a second?" I pretty much demanded as I stood up from my seat and excused myself from the table, grabbing Rosalie's hand before she could even reply.
I dragged her to the girls' bathroom, closing the door and checking under the stalls to make sure we were alone before standing up straight and glaring at her.
"What the hell are you doing?" I seethed.
"Bella, calm down," she said quietly.
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down! What the hell are you doing?" I demanded again.
"Okay, okay. You and Edward are annoying the hell out of us. You're not talking—no matter what we try to do—and you're letting your marriage fall apart. So…Emmett and I figured, since you don't want to be together, maybe it's time to see what else is out there," she explained calmly.
"See what's out there?" I repeated.
She shrugged. "Yea." She noticed my murderous glare and quickly added, "We're doing it because we care about you guys and want you to be happy. If you're not happy together, maybe you'll be happy with other people." She nodded, as if trying to convince herself more than me.
And then I understood.
Those manipulative little assholes.
"You're not doing this for us," I accused furiously. "You and Emmett are doing this to mess with us…to play more games. Try and teach us a lesson. Maybe…show us that we can't stand to see ourselves dating other people?" I suggested harshly, my anger growing the more I spoke.
She stared at me blankly for a few seconds before finally letting out a huge breath and rolling her eyes. "I knew I should have stopped at the whole 'maybe you'll be happy with other people' crap," she mumbled to herself. "Okay, fine!" she snapped. "We're doing this to get back at you guys for being stupid! So what? If you and Edward are really over, it won't matter."
I shook my head and laughed humorlessly before purposefully bumping shoulders with her and stomping my way back to the table. Emmett and Ben were engaged in conversation while Edward and Angela were just sitting there awkwardly, saying one or two words to each other.
"Where did you go?" Emmett boomed happily as I took my previous seat at the table.
I glared at him before looking at Ben, feeling bad for blowing him off earlier. "Hi, sorry about that. I'm Bella."
He nodded and smiled. "I've heard," he teased.
I laughed quietly before glancing at Edward and swallowing hard when I saw he was glaring at me. I shook my head minutely, silently telling him I would explain later. His expression didn't change as he looked back at Angela.
"So," I started uncomfortably when Emmett left the table, probably to go find Rosalie. "Did Emmett invite you?" I asked him.
He nodded, taking a sip of his beer and smiling. "Yea. He called and said he wanted to set me up on a blind date, so I figured, why not?"
I nodded and managed a polite smile. I wasn't exactly sure how I could go about diffusing this situation. I was about to come clean to Ben and tell him what was going on when he started talking again.
"Where are you from?" he asked conversationally.
"New York," I replied in a clipped tone.
"Ah, the big apple. You, uh, you don't have a boyfriend back home?" he brought up casually.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Edward move ever so slightly, as if angling himself to be able to hear our quiet conversation better. I could only hear bits and pieces of the one he was having with Angela—it was mostly little questions and then there would be a gap in the conversation.
Angela seemed like a nice girl and Ben seemed like a good guy. I truly felt bad that they had been dragged into this situation, but I didn't know how to explain it to them in a way that didn't make Edward and me look completely crazy.
"Uh," I contemplated his question. Edward was sitting right there and had no idea why Emmett and Rosalie had set this whole thing up. I didn't want to say the wrong thing.
"It's…complicated," I finally stated, hating the way I saw Edward run a hand roughly through his hair.
I finally turned a bit in my seat so I could face Angela and Edward while still including Ben in the conversation.
"Hi, I'm Bella," I introduced myself politely, extending my hand out to her.
She smiled at me and shook it. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Angela."
I nodded and let go of her hand, looking around and wondering where Emmett and Rosalie had gone off to. Perhaps they had just realized how low this was of them and were trying to figure out a way to fix it. If they were smart, though, they would know not to come anywhere near me at the moment. I was livid. They had pulled some really shady shit in the past and I had let it go. But this? This was just wrong. They were bringing other people into something that did not concern them and just making everything more complicated than it already was.
"What did Rosalie tell you about us?" Edward asked Angela in a neutral tone.
"Um, nothing really. Just that you were Emmett's brother and you're visiting for Alice's wedding," she replied, shrugging.
I turned to Ben. "And what did Emmett say to you?" I asked.
He looked at me curiously before shrugging as well. "That you're a friend of the family's and you're in town for Alice's wedding…too," he finished quietly, sounding confused when he realized how odd it was that Emmett and Rosalie had set them up with two people who were somehow connected to each other.
Our conversation was interrupted when Emmett and Rosalie finally returned to the table, both looking at least a little bit guilty. I shook my head at them and decided I would mess with them a little bit. If they wanted to fuck with us, then I would fuck with them right back.
What I was about to do was wrong—using Ben like this—but I was so fueled by my anger toward Emmett and Rosalie that I just didn't care. So, with a deep sigh, I turned to Ben and placed my hand on his shoulder.
"So, uh, how do you know Emmett?" I asked him in what I hoped was a seductive tone.
Ben seemed taken aback by my forward-ness at first, but quickly composed himself and smiled, placing a hand on my knee. "We work at the same advertisement agency," he replied.
I nodded, trying to seem interested. "What's that like?" I asked, leaning in towards him a little bit and smiling.
"I'm going to the bar," Edward suddenly announced, getting up from his stool.
"You have a beer right in front of you," Emmett pointed out.
"Not strong enough," he muttered before storming past him. I watched him go, suddenly feeling like a complete and utter bitch. I was so blinded by my anger, that I hadn't even taken the most important person into account. And now I had hurt him.
"So, Bella." I jumped slightly when I felt Ben's hand slide higher up on my thigh. "What is it you do for a living?"
I looked back at him and swallowed hard, gently pushing his hand off of my leg and smiling apologetically. "I'm a journalist," I answered distractedly, looking down at my full glass of beer. I picked it up and drank half of it in one gulp.
"Bella writes for one of the most prestigious magazines in New York," Rosalie boasted.
I glared at her. "Shut up, Rosalie."
Her mouth closed with a snap, before she looked at Emmett and tucked a strand piece of hair nervously behind her ear.
"Can you guys, like, leave?" I rudely asked them after a few minutes of silence passed between us. They stared at me, a mixture of shock and remorse on their faces, as I downed the rest of my beer.
"Bells—" Emmett started softly.
"Go, Emmett," I spat harshly, slamming my glass of beer on the table roughly.
Rosalie quickly got up and grabbed her bag as Emmett's shoulder's fell and he slowly climbed off his bar stool, following Rosalie silently out of the restaurant.
Anyone else would have told us that it was mine and Edward's fault, that we had brought this upon ourselves by keeping our reconciliation from them. But that did not excuse their actions. I wasn't sure what made them continue pushing and pushing and pushing. I didn't understand what part of this seemed okay to them. Was it supposed to be funny? Was it meant to teach us a lesson? Hurt us? Because it did that. It hurt us.
I finally looked at Ben and Angela once Emmett and Rosalie were gone. "I'm really sorry, you guys. Emmett and Rosalie didn't tell you the fully story." I took a deep breath, not sure how much I was willing to entrust in these two strangers. "Edward and I are married. We had problems and were going to get a divorce. This is Emmett and Rosalie's way of getting us back together," I explained, keeping it vague and skimming over details.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Angela gasped, seeming a bit embarrassed. "If it makes you feel any better, I felt no chemistry whatsoever with Edward," she said quickly, becoming flustered.
I laughed slightly at her attempt to add some humor to the situation and wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down my face.
"Yea, and don't take this the wrong way, but…I'm kind of more into girls who wear glasses," Ben said. My eyes snapped up to him and I saw that he was looking at Angela and smiling slightly.
"Oh," I responded quietly, looking back and forth between the two as they continued staring dreamily at each other. I then noticed Angela was wearing glasses. "Oh!" I laughed at myself and reached into my purse, pulling out my wallet and a few bills, handing them to Ben. "Here, you guys go buy yourselves some drinks. On me."
"Bella, we don't want you're money," Ben urged, shaking his head.
"As an apology for tonight," I offered, still holding the money out to him.
He smiled slightly at me before taking the money. "Thank you," he replied sincerely.
"Yea, thank you, Bella. And I'm so sorry about all of this," Angela repeated, standing up from her seat as Ben walked over to her.
I shook my head. "Please. Don't apologize."
My breathing hitched when I caught sight of Edward's bronze hair as he made his way back through the crowd. He approached the table holding a half empty glass of whiskey and looked at the three of us in confusion.
"Ben and Angela are leaving," I stated dumbly.
"Yea, Bella told us everything. We're so sorry for the trouble," Angela said sweetly.
Edward, still not knowing what Emmett and Rosalie had set up, just nodded slowly, the biggest look of bewilderment on his face. "Oh, uh, no problem." It almost sounded like a question.
"It was nice to meet you guys," Angela smiled, waving at us as Edward sat in the stool next to me, obviously still trying to make sense of everything that was going on.
"Yea, later, guys," Ben called as he lead Angela through the crowd toward the bar.
I turned in my seat to face Edward as he played with his half empty glass. "Edward," I started quietly, not sure if he was upset with me. "Em and Rose…they set this up."
"Yea, I gathered that," he mumbled quietly, still not looking at me.
"They did it to…teach us a lesson or something. Another one of their games." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd be holding. "They went too far."
He looked up at me when he heard my voice shake slightly on the last part. All of the anger and hurt I was feeling toward Emmett and Rosalie was mixing with the guilt and pain of possibly having hurt Edward and it was starting to make me an emotional wreck.
"When I flirted with Ben, I did it to get back at Rosalie and Emmett. I didn't even consider what you would think. I'm so sorry, Edward." I shook my head at my own stupidity and waited with baited breath as I tried to gauge his expression. He was silent for a few moments before he finally spoke.
"It killed me…seeing him touch you. I had to get up and leave just so I wouldn't rip his arms off," he said in a low voice, staring at me intently.
"You're not mad at me?" I asked in a small voice.
He reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear before placing his hand on the side of my face and stroking my cheek gently with his thumb. "No. Because we trust each other, remember?" he whispered.
I smiled through tear-filled eyes and leaned in, pressing my lips gently to his, neither of us making a move to deepen the kiss. When we finally broke apart, I got up off my stool and threw my arms around his neck, resting my head in the crook of his neck and standing between his parted legs.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me to him tightly, kissing the side of my head. "So, where did Emmett and Rosalie go?" he asked, gently rubbing his hand up and down my back.
"I told them to leave," I sniffed, wiping some tears away with my hand. "I was so angry with them." I pulled away to look at him, but made no move to distance my body from his. "They told Angela and Ben the truth about us, just leaving out the fact that we were married." I laughed humorlessly. "I think they thought that…if we saw each other becoming interested in someone else, that it would somehow…make us want each other again."
"Good in theory," he mused, kissing my nose.
I smiled slightly at him and nodded. "Horrible when executed."
He chuckled and squeezed my hips gently. "You know, they did a lot of fucked up things these last few weeks, but this definitely topped it all."
I nodded, having been thinking the same thing earlier. "And to think I was actually feeling guilty for keeping this from them," I said, motioning between the two of us.
He sighed and leaned in to rest his head in the crook of my neck, wrapping his arms securely around my waist and pulling me to his chest once again. I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head as he let out a content sigh.
"Let's go home," he whispered, kissing the side of my neck before looking up at me and slowly getting up from his seat, taking my hand in his and kissing me once more on the lips before leading me out of the bar.
We had to call a cab since we had come with Emmett and Rosalie, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed the time alone I had with Edward, sitting in his arms, holding his hand, and kissing him as much as I wanted.
We paid the cab driver and Edward held my door open for me before leading me up the porch steps to the front door, taking out his key and unlocking it. He pushed it open and motioned for me to go inside first.
It was past eleven and everyone had work the next day, so I was surprised to see a dim light coming from the living room. As I heard Edward close the door behind us, I rounded the corner of the foyer and saw Emmett and Rosalie sitting on the couch, both looking lost in thought. There eyes snapped up when they heard Edward's heavy footfalls.
"You're mad," was the first thing Rosalie said as she jumped up from her spot on the couch and looked at us guiltily.
"Understatement of the fucking century," I spat back.
"Tonight we went too far," she added quickly.
"You think?" Edward bit back, laughing without humor.
"It was wrong," Emmett chimed in, standing up next to Rosalie. "But, you know, when you're coming up with a plan, you're thinking…'wow, good fucking plan.' And then it's executed and you see the consequences and you're like…'shit, bad fucking plan.' You know?" He smiled a weak, dimpled smile at us, looking a lot like a frightened child about to be scolded by his parents.
"We're sorry," Rosalie finished.
"Really fucking sorry," Emmett tacked on.
I didn't want to get into it with them now. They seemed sincere in their apologies, but that didn't make up for what they had done. Suddenly, Edward and I keeping our little secret seemed like a really good plan. Maybe we could have some fun with them for a little while and see how they like it.
"I'm really tired, so goodnight," I said quietly, smiling weakly at them.
They offered a weak 'goodnight' in return as I started walking up the stairs, Edward following close behind me. I was surprised he had kept his temper in check with them, but I was also extremely relieved. We definitely did not want to start something up with them, especially not tonight.
We went through our normal nightly ritual of brushing our teeth and changing into our pajamas before climbing into bed together. However, there was something different about Edward's demeanor tonight. He didn't pull me to lie on his chest like he usually did when we were about to go to sleep. I was about to ask him what was wrong when suddenly his lips attacked mine.
I was startled for a moment and didn't react, but eventually threaded my hands through his hair and held his face closer to mine. These kisses were fervent, passionate, and I didn't even know where they had come from.
He trailed kisses down my jaw to my neck, sucking the sensitive skin there. When I finally caught my breath enough to speak, I had to ask.
"Edward?" I whispered shakily as he continued kissing and sucking my neck. "What are you…oh." God, it felt so good. "What are you doing?"
"Having to sit next to you tonight, pretending you weren't mine," he breathed, sucking my earlobe into his mouth and causing me to gasp. "Seeing his hands on you and not being able to do anything about it…fuck…I just wanted to throw you down on the table and show everyone who you belonged to."
I moaned again when he gently bit down on my earlobe. It had been so long since I had heard Edward talk this way. His voice was dripping with pure lust and sex and it only succeeded in causing my panties to dampen even more than they already were.
"Show me who I belong to," I whispered breathlessly.
He froze, and for a minute, I thought I had said something wrong. But then he trailed his lips down my neck again and then back up to my ear.
"Are you challenging me, love?" he whispered into my ear, causing me to shiver slightly.
"Only if you think it's a challenge," I teased, shifting my hips underneath him, causing a growl to erupt from somewhere deep within his chest.
I had missed this playfulness between us—this fiery, all consuming passion. The time apart had only seemed to amplify our feelings because at the moment, I wanted nothing more than for Edward to just…take me.
"I'll show you who you belong to," he growled into my ear before roughly pulling my pajama bottoms and panties down my legs and wasting no time slipping two fingers inside of me. "Shit, Bella. Do I do this to you?" he asked as he slowly began pumping his fingers in and out of me at a steady pace.
"You're the only one who does this to me, Edward," I breathed, kissing his neck and moaning a little too loudly.
"Fuck," he hissed as he curled his fingers inside of me. I couldn't handle the teasing any longer.
"Edward, please, just take me," I pleaded, my breathing starting to pick up.
He pulled his fingers out of me and slipped his hand into the elastic of his pajama pants. I was kissing his neck and wondering what was taking him so long, when I looked down and…holy hell.
He was stroking himself in his pants.
Unable to wait any longer, I pulled his pants and boxer briefs down all the way, causing him to gasp and grip himself tighter as his hand continued pumping his shaft.
I sat up slightly and lifted my t-shirt up over my head, my braless breasts bouncing slightly when I lay back down on the bed and continued watching Edward stroke himself. He suddenly stopped and reached behind him to grab the back of his t-shirt and lift it up over his head, throwing it to the side of the room.
I parted my legs wider for him as he balanced himself with his palms on either side of my head, positioning himself at my entrance.
"We have to be quiet," he whispered, looking straight into my eyes as he let just the tip slip inside of me.
I nodded fervently, ready to be filled by him completely. I held my breath and sat up on my elbows, watching as he slowly pushed himself inside of me inch by magnificent inch. I bit my lip to keep the moan that was threatening to escape from my mouth as I lay back down.
Edward's thrusts started out long and slow, but he eventually picked up the pace and began driving into me with more force.
"Harder, Edward. You said you'd show me who I belonged to," I challenged breathlessly, trying to get a rise out of him and enjoying it when his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared as he went even faster.
I grabbed onto his forearms and lifted my hips so I could wrap my legs tighter around his waist as he continued thrusting into me.
"Shit, Bella, you can't say that kind of stuff to me," he hissed, panting heavily as he spoke, his thrusts not faltering once.
"Why?" I breathed, moaning quietly when he hit a very sensitive spot deep inside of me. "Cuz you can't deliver?" I teased.
He chuckled distractedly as he continued driving himself into me. He shifted to rest on his forearms and trailed one hand down to where we were joined, rubbing furiously at my clit, watching my expression intensely as I neared my climax.
"You're playing with fire love," he whispered, just as he hit the spot again and pressed down on my clit. My orgasm rocked through my entire body, from my fingers down to my toes, and I had to bite Edward's shoulder to keep from screaming.
Seconds later, I felt Edward explode inside of me, moaning my name as his movements slowed down and eventually came to a stop.
"I may be playing with fire," I started, still gasping for air as he lay on top of me, making sure not to put his full weight on me. "But as long as it's with you…then I don't mind getting burned."
He chuckled into my neck before placing a gentle kiss there and then slipping out of me to lie on his back. I cuddled up beside him after we had both caught our breaths and he wrapped his arm tightly around me while I laid my head on his chest.
"That was…"
"Intense," I finished for him.
"Good word."
I laughed quietly into his neck as he kissed the top of my head.
"You bit me," he said after a moment's silence.
I bit my lip and looked up at him only to see him staring down at me, his expression a mixture of lust and surprise. "I'm sorry," I responded quietly, probably turning three shades of red.
He shook his head and rubbed his hand gently up and down my arm. "You can mark me all you want," he whispered. "I'm yours."
I finally released my lip from my teeth and leaned in to press my mouth firmly to his. He kissed me back gently, placing one hand on the side of my face before I finally pulled away and laid my head back on his chest.
"What are we going to do about Emmett and Rosalie?" he asked, tracing lazy patterns on my arm and back.
"I don't know," I sighed. "I thought we could…have some fun with them." I paused, not sure if he would be up for messing with them a little bit. "I mean, I'm pissed as hell, but since we're still pretending we're not together…maybe we can be creative like them. Come up with something."
"And what exactly did you have in mind?" he asked, humor evident in his voice.
"I don't know yet," I shrugged. "But if Emmett and Rosalie can come up with sneaky little schemes, then I think we can, too."
I felt him nod against my head before placing a soft kiss into my hair. "I like when you're feisty," he murmured seductively.
I giggled against his chest and wrapped my arm around his waist. We lay there silently after that and eventually I felt Edward's breathing even out, leaving me alone to ponder the events of the night.
I still could not believe how far Emmett and Rosalie had gone. Part of me wanted to laugh in their face and tell them that Edward and I were together and madly in love, but then they would be smug as hell, knowing full well they had something to do with it.
The other part of me wanted to get mad at them like always. Cuss them out and verbally bitch slap them. But then that was what had always happened and it got us absolutely nowhere. I decided that I didn't want to get angry or hurt or annoyed or frustrated anymore.
I wanted to get even.
Author's Note: Don't worry, two Edward POV's coming up :)
***PLEASE READ: I am taking a week off from posting just to de-stress a little bit before second semester of school starts, so next chapter will be posted Sunday 1/24. I also want to use the time to edit and perfect the next chapter and be able to write a couple more. After that, normal Sunday updates will continue. Thank you, everyone, for your never-ending support. You all mean so much to me.