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Chapter 11

EPOV

11:00 PM

Everyone left Cherry's room about an hour ago and since then, she and I've been sitting here, quietly watching TV. I want to talk to her so badly, really talk to her and apologize for being such a dipshit, but it just doesn't feel like the right time. She seems perfectly content holding my hand and running the nails of her other hand up and down my arm in a lazy pattern, while giggling at the stupid infomercial that's playing; so, who am I to complain?

Often, we make eye contact and smile at each other, it's damned near impossible to keep my mouth off her hand. Being in the hospital sucks balls but being with Cherry, no matter where we are, feels good. Better than that, it feels amazing. No, it feels fucking right.

"Cherry, can I get you some water or anything?"

No answer.

When I turn my eyes to look at her, I'm blown away by her peaceful face as she sleeps deeply. Seeing her unconscious earlier at the bout had me feeling as if my insides were being pulverized in a blender. Her pale skin made the blood on her face stand out even more and I have to squeeze my eyes shut to block that image out of my mind again. But, now, she's all cleaned up and her cheeks have their warm natural blush back. It makes my heart soar to know that she's okay and that she wanted me to stay here with her.

I know the nurses will be checking on her throughout the night but I want to stay alert so that I can notice immediately if something goes wrong.

That's the last thought that runs through my head before sleep overtakes me.

1:00 AM

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder but I instantly know it's not Cherry's. Sitting up quickly, I have to blink a few times before I realize that I'd fallen asleep with my head on the side of Cherry's bed and that my glasses have slipped off. I grab them off the bed and put them on before greeting the nurse who is checking Bella's stats.

"There's a couch right over there, you know. I'm sure she'd understand if you slept over there for a while. You can even move it closer to her bed, if you'd like," the nurse says, smiling at me.

"No, thank you. I'll be fine. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Well, you can always change your mind later. If you need an extra blanket, just let me know."

I nod at her as she leaves the room before standing up and stretching. I know the couch would be more comfortable and that Bella would understand but I just can't stand the thought of not being close to her.

I softly move her hair away from her forehead before I lean down and brush my lips against her skin. She smells so good. I can't wait until my own pillows smell like Cherry. Of course, I have to man up and tell her that I'm crazy about her first, but I will, I promise to myself. Who knows, maybe she's on her way to being crazy about me, too.

That thought makes me smile and I kiss her again before sitting back down in my chair. The TV is showing nothing but static so I use the control on the side of her bed to turn it off. I'm guessing it's less than three minutes later that I fall asleep again.

5:00 AM

I'm not exactly sure what woke me up first: small fingers delicately running through my hair or the moan I let out in reaction to said fingers. Regardless, it feels fan-fucking-tastic to be touched by Cherry and the smile that now covers my face only gets bigger when I hear her sigh.

"You have the best hair, Edward. I could play with it all day."

"Sounds great to me." I reluctantly sit back, causing her fingers to slip out of my hair, but Cherry just lets them fall, until her hand is resting on my forearm. It seems as though she doesn't want to stop touching me either and I feel warm all over.

"How long have you been awake?" I ask.

"Not long. I didn't mean to wake you. You're pretty adorable when you sleep, you know."

I know the tips of my ears are turning pink at her words, so I put my glasses back on and run my hand through my hair so that Cherry doesn't notice.

"How do you feel?" I ask.

"Pretty good. My body is sore as shit, but my head doesn't hurt or anything, so that's good. I don't even want to know what my face looks like," she says as she gently presses her fingertips to her swollen, busted lip.

"You're always beautiful, Cherry," I tell her honestly.

She smiles shyly, and then catches me off guard with her next question. "Why don't you ever call me by my real name?"

I feel my eyes unfocus as my mind drifts off into space, trying to come up with a good answer for her. "I-I really don't know. I guess it's just a habit from only knowing you from derby bouts for so long," I say, shrugging. "It just fits you; I like it, but I'll call you by your first name, if you prefer it."

Cherry laughs and grabs my hand, entwining our fingers together. "I don't mind, Edward. I'm curious, though. Do you have any nicknames?"

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! What do I say? This isn't how I wanted to tell her about being "Masen" but I can't lie to her. I also don't want to piss her off by keeping a secret from her.

I'm fucked.

"Depending on who you ask, I have quite a few. Jasper and Emmett call me all kinds of names that make fun of my job and being an all-around geek. There are also the typical, disgusting nicknames that all guys call each other. Oh, and I can't forget that my mom calls me 'Snuggle Bear' or 'Bear' for short," I laugh.

I'm not lying, I'm just not telling the whole truth...not yet, anyway.

"'Bear', huh? Very cute. I suppose I'll have to come up with one that only I can call you, though. Give me time, I'll think of something. I love nicknames."

We're quiet for a few minutes before Cherry softly says, "Thank you for staying with me."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

I'm just about to lean in and kiss her when the nurse bursts in. Of course.

After checking Cherry's vitals for the millionth time, the nurse tells us that the doctor will be in soon and that Cherry should be discharged before lunch.

"Excuse me, Nurse? Will she need someone to stay with her once she leaves the hospital?"

I see the nurse glance over at Cherry before looking back at me and answering, "Her concussion wasn't very severe, so it's not really necessary." She must notice the sudden slump of my shoulders, because she quickly adds to her statement. "But, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on her just to make sure she's okay. You know, as an extra precaution." The nurse turns to leave with a grin on her face. I pretend I don't notice the wink she gives Cherry before closing the door.

I don't give a shit if she's yanking my chain, I now have medical advice encouraging me to spend another night with Cherry.

After Cherry's discharged with instructions to take it easy for the next few days, I drive her to her house so that she can pick up a few things that she'll need while at my house.

My house.

Cherry is staying at my house. Holy shit! Sweat breaks out across the back of my neck and my chest heaves as I try to catch my breath. I obviously didn't think this through. I can't remember what state of array my house was in when I left it last night. Were there dishes in the sink? Trash overflowing? How disgusting is my toilet? When was the last time I changed the sheets on the guest bed? Or my bed, for that matter? Wait, what if Cherry wants to sleep in my bed? Fucking hell, that brings up a whole new set of things to worry about. Will she want to snuggle? How am I going to hide my morning wood that will undoubtedly be showing itself if she's anywhere near me?

While in my panicked state, I apparently don't hear Cherry put her bag in the back seat or sit down next to me and buckle up. I'm not sure how long she sits there before she puts her hand on my arm and shakes it a little.

I finally snap out of my pseudo-anxiety attack and look into her apprehensive eyes. I'm such a bastard.

"Look, Edward, I can call Alice or Rose to come stay with me. I don't want to put you out."

"No! No, I want you to stay with me. I really do. I just...I'm just nervous," I admit, letting out a deep breath. "It's been quite a while since I've had a girl over at my house, besides my mom, of course." I find my thumbnail very interesting at this very moment, so I pick at it while I wait for Cherry to either laugh at me or reject me altogether.

Instead, I feel her soft lips on my cheek. Once. Twice. My body relaxes and I'm finally able to turn and look at her again.

"I want to stay with you, Edward. I really like being with you, I thought you knew that. I don't give a rat's ass what your house looks like. I'm just thankful that you care enough to want to take care of me."

"I do care. Very much," I whisper.

"What are you waiting for, then? Let's go." She smiles reassuringly at me and I automatically smile back.

~~~~~~~~CZ~~~~~~~~

"Really, Edward, you can stop fluffing the pillow now. It's perfect. Everything's perfect," Bella says, as she sits sideways, leaning backward into the pillow I grabbed from my bed and placed against the arm of the couch.

A relieved breath rushes out of my mouth before I grab a quilt and cover her up to her waist.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous, I guess."

"I've been here before when we were working on the derby app and you didn't seem nervous then. Why now?"

"Oh, I was nervous then, too, trust me," I laugh softly. "Are you ready for something to eat?" I ask, hoping to avoid answering her question for now, at least.

Cherry narrows her eyes at me, but she lets me slide. "Sure. Want to order something to be delivered?"

"I, um, was going to cook for you, but if you'd rather order something, that's cool."

"No way! I'd much rather taste your...specialty." My mind must be in the gutter, because I feel my face flame up at her words. Surely, she wasn't being suggestive with me. I mean, she needs to rest, not think dirty thoughts...about me.

She quirks an eyebrow at me and I immediately start choking on whatever the fuck is in my throat at the moment. Holy shit, she is thinking dirty thoughts...about me!

I pound on my chest with my fist a few times before clearing my throat and attempting to speak. "Well, I was just going to cook spaghetti. I'm not sure I'd call it my 'specialty', but it's not too bad." I make a hasty retreat to the kitchen, mentally chastising myself the entire time.

I'm such an idiot. Cherry actually flirts with me and I act like an innocent schoolboy by getting embarrassed and running away. I have no idea why she'd even want to be with me. Maybe I shouldn't tell her how much she means to me. That way, I won't have to witness her running away and laughing at me when she tells me she's not looking for anything serious and, basically, that this all is just a game.

She's the one-night-stand type - a love 'em and leave 'em kind of girl, right? At least that's how she used to be, according to what she's told me and what I've heard from others. Why would things be different for me?

While I'm hanging my head and leaning over the kitchen sink, I feel Cherry's arms slowly wrap around my waist. She grasps her hands together and tightens her grip around me, placing her cheek between my shoulder blades.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she says softly.

I abruptly turn around and grab onto her shoulders. "No. Don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I-I still get so flustered around you and it boggles my mind that you want to spend time with me at all, much less flirt with me."

Fuck it!

"Cherry, I like you. I mean, I really, really like you and I have for a long time. Only in my fantasies did you actually want me, too. I never thought you'd give me a chance, that you might like me the same way."

"Edward, I really, really like you, too. You're different than any other guy I've known and I love how sweet and shy you are, but..."

"But?" Here it is. She's going to dump me before we even get started.

"But, I can't keep trying to convince you all the time. When I say that I like you and I want to be with you, I mean it. There's no reason for you to doubt my feelings so, trust me, okay? Accept what I say, just like I accept what you say."

Her eyes hold me captive for what feels like ages, showing me nothing but sincerity and truth.

"I will, Cherry. I do," I say, as I cup her face with both my hands. I take a deep breath and explain myself further. "I need your help. I'm not good at this...at relationships. I had one girlfriend in high school and only a couple in college. That's it. I've never dated casually and my sexual experiences have been about as vanilla as you can get. I want more, I want you. Wait, did you just say you wanna be with me?"

She giggles before answering. "Yes, I did and I'm glad to hear you say that you want me, too. Don't be ashamed of your past relationships, though. Remember, my past isn't that great either. What's important is that we're here together and that we move forward...together. Besides, I kinda like that you aren't very experienced." She presses her body against mine, bringing our mouths together. "It means I can teach you everything I like and help you discover what you like."

She kisses me again and I surprise her by grabbing her ass and pulling her even closer so that she feels just how much I want her.

"I already know what I like," I say, allowing myself to grind on her one more time.

Cherry fucking moans and I feel her hot breath on my throat. "I like it, too, believe me." She moves to wrap her arms around my neck, but suddenly winces. "Shit!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just forgot how sore I am."

"Fuck, Cherry, I'm an asshole. I let myself get carried away when I'm supposed to be taking care of you."

"You are taking care of me. We just have to wait a little while longer before we can take care of each other," she says, cocking that eyebrow again.

I smile down at her, before gently kissing her full lips. "I'll wait as long as I need to. I'm not going anywhere."

"That's good because I'm not going to let you get away. Now, what do I have to do to get some food around here?" she says.

"You gotta sit your pretty ass down on that couch, that's what."

Laughing, she turns to walk back to the living room, but not before I playfully swat her on that glorious ass I was just speaking of. She yelps then wiggles her butt for me before plopping down on the couch.

I can't believe Cherry wants me; and I can't help but wonder if this is a dream, but then I notice my dick is still trying to work its way out of my jeans, telling me that what just happened was real.

After we stuff ourselves with spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread, we decide it's time for bed. I don't even bother offering the guest bed to Cherry. I want her with me. Besides, how else am I going to check on her throughout the night? Yeah, I know. I'm full of shit. Sue me.

We both change into pajamas and brush our teeth before crawling into my bed. I'm surprised to see that Cherry seems a bit shy all of a sudden and that just won't do. This is my comfort zone and I want to make her feel comfortable, too.

I lie down on my back and extend my arm out to her. "Come here," I quietly command and, when she scoots closer to me, I gather her up in my arms and pull her to where she's resting her head on my chest.

"I have a question for you."

Stifling a yawn behind her hand, she tells me to continue.

"Do you have plans next Tuesday night?"

Her head quickly pops up and she gives me a curious look before answering. "No. What's up?"

"I just thought it'd be fun to see the live performances at Willie's. You seem to really like them so I'd like to check them out, too."

I know she must be feeling my heart banging in my chest, but she doesn't show any kind of reaction. Maybe she thinks I'm only nervous because I finally asked her out on a real date. That fact only plays a small part in why my heart rate is increasing. The real reason is because I'm going to admit to Cherry that I'm Masen on Tuesday night, and that both scares me and thrills me.

A/Ns:

We just wanted to say THANK YOU for reading our story and for the reviews, rec's, etc! You guys are awesome! Also a shout-out to our super awesome beta, Mauigirl60! Thanks for all you do, B!

We're hanging in Chi-Town with Katie Cutabitch...

Jenny Kate: Welcome, KB! How'd you like the chapter?

KatieCutaBitch : Ummm it was amazeballs per the usual!

Jiff: So glad you liked it, KCB!

Jenny Kate: Iz too tired for ANs...this is turning out lame ass.

KatieCutaBitch: I need to go to sleep, but I don't wanna say goodbye.

Jenny Kate: "say goodbyeeeeee...never say goodbye-eee-eye"

Jiff: It's good to be back doing A/Ns and review replies and to have Katie Cutabitch with us tonight! We've got another long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we're calling it a night from 2809.

Jenny Kate: Peace out, yo.

Katie Cutabitch: Goodnight! See ya on the flipside.