Vegas was fun, wasn't it? Lots more fun than my trips have been. I just come home with a lighter wallet and a hangover, LOL.
SarcasticBimbo cleans up my messes, but I tinker. Any mistakes are mine.
CHAPTER ELEVEN—BELLA
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In the two weeks leading up to Rose and Emmett's wedding, Edward and I hardly see each other. We text frequently, and manage a couple phone calls. He's working extra shifts to make up for the time off he's taken, and I've only just finished my finals, so we've both been busy. When we do manage to see each other, all we do is eat and sleep. Well, he sleeps, and I watch him. He falls asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow, and sleeps like the dead, except for his expressions. He smiles, frowns, scowls, even looks goofy at times. It's fascinating.
The night before the wedding, Edward shows up at my place around midnight, dressed in his usual wrinkled, navy-blue scrubs. His hair is a mess and there are dark circles under his eyes. But his gaze is warm and happy when I open the door, and he rushes at me with the energy of a kid.
"I'm free," he laughs, spinning me around. He smothers my cry of surprise with a short, hard kiss. "One whole, hospital-free week, and it's all mine!" He cackles maniacally as he sets me back on the floor.
I shake my head, but can't help grinning. "You need sleep. Badly."
"I do," he agrees, yawning as he collapses on the couch with a contented sigh. "But I want to talk to you more." His stomach growls with the fervor of a hungry bear. "You wouldn't happen to have any of those chocolate chip cookies, would you?"
The fool actually bats his eyelashes at me. He's so damn cute.
"I have some dough in the freezer. It will take a little bit to get the oven heated."
"I'll wait," he says eagerly, lacing his hands over his belly and resting his head back on the couch.
"You do that," I laugh, then head into the kitchen to get the cookie dough. While the oven comes to temperature, I grab a beer for Edward and head back to the living room, where he's is already sound asleep and snoring. Even his snore is adorable. Deciding to let him rest, I take a swig of the beer and set it down on the coffee table before carefully tucking myself into his side. I look up at his face, relaxed and boyish in sleep, and remember every single time I longed for this moment—that special place in time when he'd be mine and I'd be his.
It's finally here. It's quiet and simple, but it's no less monumental to me. I've dreamed of this man for so long, and though I thought I knew him all these years, now there's so much more. He's always been Emmett's friend, Emmett's wingman. I think that's how he had to categorize himself, to make it easier to keep himself away from me. But now, he's mine. He gives me everything he once held back. Gone is the brother figure, and the man is left behind. The only one I ever wanted.
The oven signals it's ready with a loud beep, but Edward doesn't stir, except to mumble, "Cookies."
Figures. I can still hear his stomach growling, even in his sleep. I make quick work of getting the cookies in to bake, stifling a yawn as I set the timer on my phone. It's almost one, and Alice will be pounding on my door bright and early. The wedding isn't until 6 p.m., but she's got a multitude of beauty treatments on the schedule, which means it's gonna be an all-day event.
I turn my attention to Edward, who's looking pretty goofy at the moment. His brows are raised, mouth pursed like he's whistling. I could spend all night watching his expressions, and the timer's going off before I know it. Reluctantly, I leave him on the couch and take the cookies from the oven. I'm sliding them onto the cooling rack when I feel a warm hand at the small of my back.
"I thought I smelled cookies." He rests his chin on my head and watches me as I transfer the last cookie to the rack.
"Pretty sure you were dreaming about them. You said 'cookies' like the Cookie Monster does, then did the Homer Simpson drool."
He chuckles. "I did not … did I?" He looks puzzled, and it's adorable.
Why does sleep deprivation look so good on him? It turns me into a cranky, hungry bitch with watery raccoon eyes. Edward gets all cute and loopy.
"No, but you did say 'cookies.'"
"Of course I did," he says, reaching around me to grab one, "these are the best cookies on the planet." Shoving half a cookie in his mouth, he moans in delight. "Thank you," he says with a full mouth, and I don't even care that it's rude.
I could live off compliments from this man.
"You're welcome. Eat as many as you want." My grin is a mile wide as I go to the fridge. "Milk?"
I get a garbled response that I assume means yes. Pouring him a tall glass and handing it over, I ask, "When's the last time you ate?"
Shrugging, he says, "I can't remember. Lunch, maybe? Too busy."
Every sentence is between huge bites of cookie. I'm guessing it was lunch, if he even ate then. I frown. "You should take better care of yourself."
He winks. "Why, when I have you to do it for me?"
"Funny." I may protest, but I'll gladly do it for him.
Six cookies and two glasses of milk later, Edward sighs in contentment. "Best dinner ever."
"Not the most nutritious," I laugh, "but I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thank you."
A frown mars his handsome face. "I guess I should get home. I'm sure Rose and Alice expect you early tomorrow morning."
"Why don't you stay here and sleep? It's after one, and I'd worry if you drove like this."
"As much as I'd love to sleep here, I'm not sure it's a good idea."
"I need the sleep as much as you do. Please, stay here. I'll worry otherwise."
Finally, he shakes his head, grinning. "Okay. But hands off the goods," he jokes.
"Same to you," I retort, happy he's agreed.
He pouts. "Well, that's no fun."
"We'll just cuddle."
Laughing, he says, "I think that's my line."
I giggle, and take his hand, leading him to my room. I quickly brush my teeth and dress in an oversized t-shirt, then let him use the bathroom while I get settled in bed. My heart is pounding, even though I know we're just going to sleep. It's new and exciting, an intimate first that I'll never forget.
He strolls out of the bathroom in a pair of boxer briefs that should be illegal. God, he's so hot, and I'm addicted to the sight of him. He should be classified as a controlled substance. I don't know how I'll keep my hands off him once he gets in this bed, but we both need to sleep. As much as my lizard brain wants to ride him like a jockey on a thoroughbred, the rational, logical part knows I don't want to deal with Alice even more sleep deprived. Because once Edward and I get to the good stuff, I don't think we'll be able to stop.
"Don't you own a shirt?" I joke, smirking his way.
That cheeky grin appears on his face, making my stomach drop in the most delicious way.
"I do, but it smells like hospital."
Wrinkling my nose, I respond, "Yuck."
"Exactly."
"Okay, I guess it's okay. Just this once."
Rolling his eyes, he sets the alarm on his phone, then flops onto the bed, flat on his back, his arm landing on my chest. I push it off, and it lands over his face.
"Hey," he protests. "My arm was enjoying your boobs."
"Your arm doesn't exactly do it for me, Edward."
Moving his arm, he gives me a hurt look. "I thought you liked all of me. I'm devastated."
I roll onto my side and look down at him. "I do. But the back of your arm isn't exactly dextrous."
"I'll show you dextrous," he promises in a mock serious voice. Pulling me down with a hand on the back of my neck, he gives me a demonstration, with his very dextrous tongue. When he's finished, I'm lying fully atop him, thoroughly enjoying the feel of all his body parts.
"Why do we have to sleep again?" I ask, in a daze.
He sighs. "I'm not sure. I'm too sleep deprived to think."
"Oh. Yeah, that would be the reason."
Arms wrapped around me, he gives me a tight hug. "Tomorrow," he whispers, placing a sweet kiss behind my ear.
We maneuver in the bed until he's spooned behind me, tucked in tight. I sigh in bliss, wishing, hoping, that one day soon, we can do this every night.
"Good night, Edward."
I wait for a response, but all I get is a tightening of his arm around my waist. He's already asleep. I follow not long after, dreaming of the day we don't have to hide how we feel about each other.
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—x—
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The wedding goes perfectly. The flowers arrive on time, there are no dress mishaps, and Rose remembers to bring all her lingerie. It was her biggest fear, that she'd forget her underthings. Weird, on the scale of bridal idiosyncrasies, but at least she didn't make us dance down the aisle to Bruno Mars. Which Alice was all for, by the way. She's crazy.
I follow Alice down the aisle to a perfectly mainstream Canon in D, smiling at my brother, who looks so handsome in his tux. A boutonniere of one white rose and a single violet is pinned to his lapel, the splash of purple against creamy white beautifully set off by the stark black of his jacket. He tosses a happy grin my way, but I can tell his eyes are focused on the back of the church, waiting for Rosalie to appear. I lock eyes with Edward and stumble when my toe snags on the carpet runner that leads to the altar. Emmett is so fixated on waiting for his bride that he doesn't even bother to steady me. Edward and Jasper both move to catch me, but Edward gets there first, a gentle hand on my arm.
"You okay?" There's a knowing smile on his face. "You look beautiful," he adds, whispering.
I nod, trying not to fall under his spell in front of all these people. "Thanks."
He gestures toward the bride's side of the altar and lets his hand slide from my arm. Each fingertip leaves a burning trail on my bare skin, and I shiver. I take my place next to Alice, smoothing the fabric of my violet-colored sheath dress back into place. The gentle music of the Canon fades, and chords burst into the regal notes of Trumpet Voluntary. Of course, only the music from Princess Diana's processional would be good enough for Rose.
The bride in question appears at the base of the aisle, beautiful in a simple, fitted strapless gown. Emmett's face lights up as if Rose is his sun, and he's forever caught in her gravity. I smile at their obvious love, and let my eyes drift over to Edward. He's watching me with a single-minded stare, not even paying attention to the bride's entrance. Blushing, I tilt my head in her direction, and he focuses on Rosalie with a small smirk. It's a good thing Emmett can't see past his tunnel vision, or he'd notice Edward's blatant stares.
Rose reaches the altar and hands me her flowers with an excited smile. Before I have the chance to return it, she whirls back to her groom, and they disappear into their own little world. Edward is still watching me, that heated stare giving me goose bumps. I look away, scanning the church, finding my father watching Emmett with a critical eye. I briefly wonder why he looks so intense … but then I realize he's actually watching Edward. His eyes bounce between the two of us, assessing what's happening in front of him. I studiously avoid Edward's gaze after that, hoping Charlie will assume Edward is intently watching Rose and Emmett.
The ceremony is over quickly, and soon Edward offers his arm as we follow the newlyweds down the aisle.
"Beautiful wedding," he says, dipping his head so he can speak softly. "Beautiful view."
I catch him staring down the front of my dress. My cheeks heat in a blush that probably goes down as far as his gaze. "Stop it. My dad was watching you—while you were staring at me."
Edward straightens, trying to look a little less familiar. "No he wasn't," he denies.
"How would you know? You were staring at me the whole time."
"Can you blame me? I want to rip that dress off you."
"Don't make promises you won't keep." I frown at him. He's had quite a few chances to have me by now, but he's holding back. I'm done waiting.
He dips down and speaks into my ear, lips brushing my earlobe ever so slightly. "Who says I won't keep it?"
I suddenly feel like a cat who ate every single existing canary.
Let's get this party started—and then get it over with.
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—x—
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After dinner is served, Edward stands to a chorus of exaggerated 'oohs and aaahs,' with an almost evil grin on his face.
"Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen. Before I wrote this … speech," he uses actual air quotes, making me shake my head, "I asked Emmett if there was anything I shouldn't say. He assured me Rose knows everything there is to know, so he gave me free rein. I think he must've forgotten how long we've known each other. So, Rose, this whole speech is really Emmett's fault." Everyone laughs politely, and Edward starts to look a little nervous, like a stand-up comedian afraid of bombing a set. This is one of the times I can stare at him freely, so when he catches my eyes, I give an encouraging nod.
"They say this speech is the worst five minutes of the groom's life. And Rosalie … well, the worst five minutes of yours will come in a few hours."
The crowd loves it, including Emmett and Rosalie. I think it's pretty damn funny, too, except I don't want to think about what my brother is doing on his wedding night. Now, what Edward and I will do, that's a different story.
Pleased with himself, Edward continues. "Worst ten minutes aside, I'd like to point out how beautiful Rose looks today. She is every bit the beautiful bride. Emmett definitely married up." This gets more laughs. "As for Emmett … Mom always said if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." My brother shakes his fist in Edward's direction. "What else can I say about Emmett? Well, he's stubborn. You might think that's detrimental, but it got him Rose in the first place. He asked her on at least fifty dates before she agreed."
"Oh, come on!" Emmett heckles. "It was only twenty-five!"
Rose covers her mouth as she laughs.
"You didn't think I remembered that, did you?" Edward asks with a smirk, in his element now. "So, we all know Emmett tries hard. That's what he does. And his personality, well, I guess that's okay, too. Makes up for his looks."
The whole ballroom is laughing by now, and I'm beyond proud of Edward. I'm a shitty public speaker, which is why Rose let me out of making a speech. No one wants to see that train wreck. Alice, however, is a motormouth and will talk anywhere, anytime. Problem solved!
"Now that I've finished the roast, I should introduce myself. I'm Edward, and I've known Emmett since preschool. We've been friends ever since I shoved sand down his overalls and he whacked me with a Tonka truck in retaliation."
"You better tone this down or I'll give you another black eye," Emmett jokes, grinning.
Edward chuckles and holds up his hands in a gesture of peace before continuing. "Like I said, I'm Emmett's oldest, most handsome, smartest, suavest … okay, okay, I'm his friend."
I giggle, because all of those are true. I've always thought so.
"Imagine preschool Emmett, and you'll get pretty much what you see now. That know-it-all smile, curly hair … those meaty fists. He's usually smiling, and always looks pleased with himself. He should be—he dominated every sport offered at our school, was senior class president, attended U-Dub on a football scholarship and graduated with a GPA of … well … he graduated. But he finished top of his class at the academy and made detective faster than most rookies make it off beat-cop duty."
"Emmett is the kind of guy who looks out for you. Makes sure you're doing okay, even if he's teasing you while doing it. He's a friend who'll come get you at three in the morning, no questions asked. Not that I've ever had to ask."
Somehow, I doubt that. It's still funny, though.
"He's the kind of friend you keep for a lifetime. The kind of friend who pushes you to be a better person. I could keep going, but the message is that Emmett is an amazing friend."
"Of all his accomplishments, marrying Rose is the greatest. He's committing all those qualities to his wife and best friend, along with every bit of that love and devotion I know he has in that giant heart of his."
"So please, join me in a toast to the happy couple! Emmett, Rose, congratulations!"
The applause is almost thunderous, and I can see the absolute relief on Edward's face. He grins at Emmett and Rosalie, but catches my eye over the rim of his champagne flute. I'm transported to a time when we might be sitting at a table like this, with me in a white gown and Edward by my side. It's over all too quickly, as Alice begins her toast, which is just as witty as Edward's but much more coherent than mine would have been.
Rose and Emmett take the floor for their first dance, and they sway and swirl to U2's "All I Want Is You." I had to talk her out of picking "One," because no one should have their first dance to a break up song. We all laugh when Emmett dips Rose and then pretends to drop her. Personally, I find the murderous look she gives him in response much more entertaining.
"They're so cute," Alice sighs, gazing longingly at the dance floor. "I wish Jasper and I could dance."
I give her a questioning look. "Why can't you? Wedding party is up soon, right?" My face heats when I picture dancing with Edward. How the hell am I going to keep my hands under control? They're gonna be all over the place. His biceps, his ass, his abs, his… Yeah. I'm not gonna survive this.
"Jasper hates to dance. He danced with me at our wedding. One. Time." She shoots a death glare in his direction, but he responds with a grin and a shrug, and continues talking with Edward. "According to him, he paid his dues at the wedding. Jerk didn't even dance with me at the club in Vegas. All he had to do was stand there and let me grind on him, but—"
"Okay, that's a little more than I wanted to hear, Alice."
"Speaking of the club, what was up with that headache, Bella? You showed up for like fifteen minutes and then disappeared for the rest of the night." Her eyes light up. "I know you found a hottie and got laid."
It's so hard to keep the panic off my face, especially with Edward eavesdropping. He looks half alarmed and half smug. Weird, but it works on him. Everything works on that man.
"As much as you wish I was that interesting, Alice, I had a headache and went back to the room." With Edward. Where we proceeded to do "everything but."
Not the actual butt. Never the butt.
Alice pouts. "We did do a lot of day-drinking. I should have made you drink more water." She nods, confirming her own statement.
Glad she's mostly moved on to another topic, I laugh. "You're not my mom, Alice. But thanks for the concern."
"It's just that you're younger than the rest of us. We should look out for you."
Edward looks down at his feet, jaw clenching, and I can tell he's still eavesdropping—and he's giving himself a guilt trip.
I bristle at both of them, but try not to let it show. "I'm just fine on my own. I don't need anyone to look out for me."
Alice looks me up and down in appraisal. "You don't look so young in that dress. You're rocking it, little one."
"I'm taller than you, 'little one'!" I laugh, "But thanks for the compliment."
She keeps eyeing me, looking for something I can't see. Her eyes drift over in Jasper's direction and narrow in suspicion.
"Edward has been watching you all night. More than usual."
"He usually looks at me?" My voice wavers, my cheeks heat, and she jumps at my insecurity like a shark on a seal. Her eyes widen like she's had a lightbulb moment.
"He disappeared around the same time you did."
"When?" If I keep playing dumb, she won't figure it out. She won't.
"In Vegas. You were both gone, all night. You were together, weren't you?" She grabs my arm and drags me a couple feet away so the men can't hear us. "I know you were!"
"Alice, I told you, I had a headache. I went back to our room to sleep. I was alone when you and Rose came back to the suite, remember?"
She shakes her head, grinning. "Edward could have come and gone by then." Cackling, she says, "Get it? Come?"
A wry smile breaks through what I hoped was a frown. "Now who's the kid, Alice?"
"You're not denying it," she sings, grabbing my arms and hopping up and down a little.
"I denied it twice." I still have that damn smile on my face, and it's not helping my credibility.
"Okay, okay … but I'm on to you two."
I roll my eyes. "Alice…"
"You guys are cute. You fit somehow. He's not so distant anymore. He's … happy."
There's a knot in my throat the size of an apple, so even if I wanted to speak, I couldn't anyway. Alice's words make me want to go over there and give Edward a hug, then plant one on him that leaves no doubt as to whether we're together or not.
Before I can ruminate any more, the Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances end, and the DJ announces it's time for the wedding party to join the bride and groom on the floor. Alice and I walk back over to Jasper and Edward, where Alice holds out a hopeful hand to her husband. To her surprise, he takes it and leads her to the dance floor. Her grin is blinding as she practically bounces along behind him.
Edward comes closer, holding out his arm for me to take. "May I have this dance?"
Sometimes he can be so old-fashioned. Tonight, it's endearing, but when he's not letting me have my way with him, not so much. I take his arm and he leads us to the floor. A decidedly more uptempo song explodes from the speakers, and all of us grin. I usually find it hard to dance to a song this fast without looking like Elaine from Seinfeld, but with Edward, it's effortless.
Oh don't you dare look back
Just keep your eyes on me
I said, "You're holding back."
She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"
The lyrics remind me of our beginning. The push and pull. Edward's reluctance, my insistence. I smile to myself as I think about how it all worked out. I've got it all, right here in my arms.
After the chorus, the DJ invites all the guests to join us on the dance floor, giving us a bit more privacy, ironically.
Edward leaves his arms around me, and it feels so good I don't even worry what we look like to everyone else. I doubt anyone is paying attention, anyway. I drink in his presence, the closeness, the heat between our bodies. He smells amazing, like crisp aftershave and warm skin. I want to strip off his tux, piece by piece, until he's naked before me. Then I want to get my hands on every inch of his body before I let him do the same to me.
"Bella," Edward murmurs with a soft laugh.
I blink out of the trance and look up to find a pained smile on his face.
"Your hand is wandering."
Taking physical inventory, I realize my hand is low on his side, inching toward his ass. In fact, my fingers are there already. I quickly pull my wayward appendage upward, but it seems to have a mind of its own, and wanders up his chest.
A soft moan escapes his lips. "You're going to kill me."
I dig my fingers in, then force myself to move my hand to a more appropriate location. "I can't help it. I like dancing with you."
"You like feeling me up."
"I cannot tell a lie," I admit, trying my best to look innocent.
"Okay, George Washington." He peers down at me, mockingly serious.
"You know that's a myth, right? He never really chopped down a cherry tree."
"Thank you for the history lesson," he laughs.
When the song ends, it's hard to let him go. "I wish we could dance all night."
With a smirk, he offers, "We could do the Electric Slide."
I snort, glad there's some bubble gum pop song to cover it up. "No way."
"No Macarena?" He pulls away and attempts a few movements.
I grab his arms, trying to contain my laughter. "Oh my god. Stop it!"
His face scrunches up the way it does when he's thinking. Finally, he gives up. "I'd love to torture you more, but I can't think of any other clichéd wedding line dances."
I blow out a breath. "Good. I thought you were gonna bust out some Achy Breaky Heart."
His face lights up. "Oh, I've got it! How about the Boot Scootin' Boogie?"
I fell right into his trap, dammit.
"You're the worst, Edward."
The sexiest grin plays on his lips. "Oh, Bella. You know that's not true."
"Not yet," I toss back, raising an eyebrow.
"You will," he all but growls, then looks around the crowd before whirling me toward the bar, leaving me with a parting slap on the ass.
I should hope no one saw that … but I can't bring myself to care. I'm so dazzled, I can't tell up or down, wrong or right. I take that back—I know what feels right, and that's Edward.
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Funny story - I forgot my bra at my wedding, and by the time I realized it, we didn't have time to go back to my house to get it before the ceremony was supposed to start. Good thing I had a two-piece dress with a boned, corset-like top. No one could tell. But I freaked the fuck out.
I did google best man speeches. It's a thing. Who knew? I based this speech roughly on the one my brother-in-law gave at our wedding. He probably googled best man speeches, too.
The song mentioned is "Shut Up And Dance" by Walk The Moon.