Disclaimer: I own eBook versions of all the Twilight books, I own a piece of crap car and a few pairs of seriously hot shoes. I do NOT own Twilight or it's characters or any of the songs/lyrics used here. Those all belong to their respective writers/artists. No copyright infringement is intended.
Hugs and kisses to my kick ass beta Lynette. I heart u girl! You are the best and so freaking insightful when it comes to developing the story and where the future lies for these two (yes, she knows what's going to happen- and no- she won't share!) Thanks also to Gail (yes, the same Gail from the Karaoke contest!) for pre-reading! Keep sending your MW chaps to my inbox bb! ;-)
Thank you all for being so understanding and kind with the late update last week! To make it up to you, I've decided to post this chapter a day early! Hope you like it!
Chapter 14
BPOV
It only takes Paul and I an hour to get all of the instrumentals down for the song I came up with in the field. I had planned on the entire song being just me and an acoustic guitar, but new ideas would come as I played the song over and over. Paul suggested adding drums. He played that part himself and seemed genuinely happy to help.
Satisfied with the musical portion we move on to the next step: vocals. Paul is adjusting the filter on the microphone in the soundproof room so it captures my voice perfectly. I hope that I can get this done in one shot. I've written the lyrics out on paper, not that I needed to, but we're almost out of time and this needs to be done correctly, preferably before everyone else gets here.
"I can't believe we've produced almost an entire song in an hour," Paul says as he fiddles with the sound board. "It's been a pleasure to help you do this. It's nice to have someone listen to my suggestions for a change."
I smile at him. I like working with Paul. He hasn't been overbearing or demanding; he's made his professional opinions known to me but never forced me to take any of them. I have a brief thought that I'd definitely want Paul on my production team if I were to ever decide to sing professionally.
And that's a mighty big if.
"Well, I've never done anything like this before, so it's nice to have someone who's willing to make the suggestions," I answer honestly.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah, let's finish this. The group will be here any minute and I'd like for this to be done."
"Alright, put the headphones on. I'll count you in."
I don the large headphones and glance to Paul through the glass window, giving him thumbs up. The red "recording" light comes on and I hear his steady count down before the music fills my ears.
As the first chords play, I see the door in the other room open, Edward and the kids all file into the production room and stand behind Paul. Edward notices the red light and shoots me a confused look.
"Hey, Paul, cut it for a minute."
The music stops, the red light goes off and Edward wastes no time walking into the recording room. "What's going on?" he asks curiously, his eyebrow arched in question.
I pull off the headphones, hanging them around my neck and take a deep breath. I let it out slowly, closing my eyes. I'm suddenly nervous that he's here. Not because of him, but because of what this song means to me and how he'll take it. It scares me that he may not reciprocate what he hears and that he will bolt for the exit.
I can't let myself think like that.
I take another breath; a heartbeat later I open my eyes and look up into Edward's. He's not just my boss. He's not just some guy that I've been sleeping with. He's so much more. I can't do anything without thinking of him. I itch to touch him when he's near and I hurt to be away from him for even a few moments. I want to tell him the full truth about Victoria, and I will, but before I can do that he needs to know how I feel about him.
"This," I gesture around the room and to microphone in front of me, "is your surprise. Now, if you would kindly exit my studio, I can finish it for you."
He quirks an eyebrow at me again, "Your studio?" he jokes. "Last I checked I was the one who ran this place."
"Not today you don't," I answer as I stand up, gently pushing him towards the door.
"Not so fast." He takes hold of my arms and bends down to kiss me softly before he exits back to the production room.
"Okay, can everyone hear me out there?" I ask, as I put the headphones back into place. The kids all wave and seem impressed by where they are at. Little eyes take in all of the buttons and switches on the board and I can see the questions burning in their brains. They nod and wave through the glass. I see mouths moving, but of course I can't hear them.
Paul swivels around in his chair and speaks up. He's turned on his microphone so I can hear him explain to the kids what's going on. He tells them how I can't hear anything they say unless the microphone in there is on. After answering a few questions Paul turns back to the soundboard. "Bella, you ready?" I hear in my headset.
"Yup. Let's finish this song," I answer. "Kids, you heard me play this in the park earlier. Paul has helped me record the music and now I'm adding the lyrics. I call the song 'Probably' and I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and Edward, this is for you."
I can't hear them, as Paul as switched his mic off, but I can see the older girls "awwww" through the glass. I glance to Edward quickly; his eyes are glittering with excitement.
I hear Paul in my headphones again; the red light illuminates and the music beings again. I am nervous once more, but this time because of the group waiting to hear me sing. I focus my eyes down onto my microphone, but soon I feel the tug of Edward's eyes on me. I lift my head and meet his gaze and forget all about my nerves. Everyone else in the other room seems to fade away. It feels as if it's just Edward and myself now. I don't let his eyes go as I sing my song:
I probably want to hold your hand
I probably want to kiss you
You'll probably misunderstand
I'll probably miss you
Lately it seem nothing's clear
I probably need my glasses
You come in and out of focus
I wonder if you notice
I probably love you, I probably love you
The grass is probably green, the sky is probably blue
I'd probably do anything for you
I probably love you
You probably know just what I'm thinking
You probably don't feel like I do
You probably think I'm crazy
It's probably true
Lately everything's changed
I hardly know who I am
My heart pounds
I can't sleep
I've come to this conclusion
I probably love you, I probably love you
The grass is probably green, the sky is probably blue
I'd probably do anything for you
I probably love you
What is it about you
That makes you different from the rest
You touch a part of me, I didn't know exists
I probably love you
Probably do
The grass is probably green, the sky is probably blue
I'd probably do anything for you
I probably love you
I probably love you
I probably love you
Probably
As soon as the red light goes out, the door opens and Edward is at my side. He kisses me hard and turns to the microphone, "Paul, could you explain a little more of the production process to the kids?"
Paul nods and Edward promptly unplugs the microphone. No one outside of recording room can hear us now. He gently removes the headphones from my ears, dropping them to the floor.
"So, what'd you think?" I timidly ask Edward. He grabs my hands and wraps my arms around his waist.
"Bella, I fucking loved it," he says. His hands move to cradle my face as he places soft kisses all over. "Do you really feel that way? I mean, do you think you love me?"
"No. I don't think I love you, Edward," I tell him with a shake of my head. His face drops and his hands fall from my face, he starts to back away from me before I can finish. I grab his hands and hold them tightly in mine before he can get away. I squeeze gently until he lifts his gaze back to mine. "Edward, I don't think I love you. I know I love you."
"Well, there goes my secret. I love you too, Bella," he answers, his voice thick with emotion. He pulls me close again, one arm wraps securely around my waist while his other hand goes to the back of my neck. He looks me directly in the eye. "I fucking love you, Isabella Marie Swan."
"I love you, Edward Anthony Cullen."
He kisses me again, deeply and passionately. I can feel the changes in our kissing. It's no longer based in lust and desire. It's rooted in love, affection and devotion. The kiss is so intense that I briefly forget where we are. I slip my tongue into his mouth and try to get even closer to him.
"Ahem, guys?" We hear Paul speaking through the speakers.
I giggle as we jump apart, startled by the interruption; Edward runs a hand through his hair and shrugs. I mouth 'sorry' to Paul and plug the microphone in so I can answer him.
"Sorry guys, why don't you all come in here? We have a surprise for you all!" I announce to the kids.
Suddenly the room is filled and we're surrounded by small bodies. The children all talk at once, some asking what the surprise is, others asking about recording songs.
We situate the kids and get them sitting down on the floor. Edward explains more about what goes on when recording music and about Vamp Records in general. When he's done talking, Ashley addresses them.
"Haven't you guys been working on a song together as the Academy?" she asks them, already in the know about the surprise they are about to receive.
"Well, yeah, but we don't have any instruments," Jane says sadly. "Miss Leigh wouldn't let us take them out of the school."
"That's not entirely true, Jane," I reply to her. "Edward and I have a surprise for all of you. When we were driving to the park, Edward called up and had something delivered here for each of you."
"Bella's right. Behind me are all of the instruments you told me you play the most. The one that belongs to you has your name engraved on it. It's yours to keep," he tells the kids. Edward points to a covered table in the back of the recording studio.
Mouths drop and eyes widen in shock, but they quickly recover. All the kids scramble to the table, the cloth flying off as they scramble to find their instruments. The room is soon filled with sounds of violins, guitars, flutes and various other instruments being played.
"You mean we get to keep them? Like forever?" Little Seth asks shyly, he hasn't left his spot from the floor yet.
I walk to him and hug him tight. "Yes, Seth. You get to keep yours forever." His eyes light up and he runs to find his instrument.
Edward and I steal out of the room quietly to let the kids have some time with their new instruments.
"That was quite generous of you, Edward," Ashley says as we leave. "They will cherish them forever, I'm sure."
She smiles one more time and moves towards the kids. She helps them get tuned up and whatnot. When everyone has settled down a bit, she gets their collective attention.
"Would you like to play what you've been working on?" she asks them.
All of the kids excitedly nod their heads and rearrange themselves into position. I notice Jane moves to the microphone.
"Paul," I whisper. "Record this."
Jane glances back at the other students and with a nod of her head someone counts down a beat and a piano starts to play. The song is one I recognize. It's called "Almost There" and it's from a Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog.
Edward and I watch as the small group plays their music almost flawlessly. It's not quite the same as it is in the movie, since there are not nearly enough musicians, but it's still absolutely beautiful. Jane's voice is almost magical and I am completely entranced by the song.
"Bella," Edward whispers to me, "set up a meeting for Jane sometime next week. I'm sure we'll have to talk to Leigh about it, but this girl has a future."
I smile up at him. I couldn't agree with him more if I tried.
We spend the rest of our time playing music in the studio. All of the kids have their own favorite songs to play. Paul was wonderful enough to record all of them. Soon though, it was time to load the bus back up and take the kids back to the Lighthouse Academy.
As I said goodbye to the kids, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing freely. I had really enjoyed the day with such a talented group of kids. I can't wait until I could come see them again.
EPOV
"Are you alright, Bella?" I asked the beautiful woman in my passenger seat. We are pulling away from the Academy and she is tearing up again.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she sighs, wiping the tears off her face. "These are happy tears. I'm happy that the kids had a great day and that they are happy. I am happy that I told you how I feel. I am fucking ecstatic that you feel the same way."
I smile at her and take her hand in mine, brushing her knuckles across my lips. "I'm fucking ecstatic that you feel the same way, too," I repeat to her with sincerity. I am. I really am. I had known I was developing feelings for her, but I didn't want to blurt them out so soon; not because I wanted to keep it to myself, but because I was scared of her reaction. Crazy, I know, but it was what it was.
The drive back is comfortably silent. There's simply no need for words. I love this woman, she loves me. We are both happy and it seems we both have a perma-grin on each of our faces.
"Um, I thought I was staying with you?" Bella asks as I pull up to her building. Her eyes are full of questions and a little bit of confusion. "Didn't I put my bag in the car?"
"Yes, babe, you did, and you are staying with me. But, not yet, our day is not complete yet. I have a surprise for you and you need to change."
"A surprise? And what might this surprise be?"
I chuckle. "If I tell you, then it's not a surprise."
"What do I wear? I can't dress properly if I don't know what's going on," she counters.
I think about that for a moment. I suppose she has a point, I can give her a little bit on information. "Well, you can literally wear anything you want… or nothing at all. We aren't going anywhere fancy," I tell her.
"Nothing at all? Interesting," she mumbles.
"What you wear isn't that important. It's more important that you have everything you need for two or three days. Maybe forever," I whisper the last part to myself, though judging by the quick flicker of surprise in Bella's eyes I can assume she heard it as well.
Forever. That thought doesn't sound half bad, not if forever includes Bella.
"Just, be ready in an hour. I'll be back to get you," I add. "Pack another bag if you need to."
"Alright, I'll be ready. Now kiss me so I can go in," Bella demands.
She sure as hell doesn't have to tell me twice to kiss her. I lean over the center console and place my hand at the back of her head; my fingers weave into her soft hair. My lips meet hers and I kiss her softly, lovingly. I pull away after a few seconds and rest my forehead against hers. I know if we keep kissing that I won't stop, and then one thing will lead to another and she won't get the surprise I'm planning.
"Go, my Bella, go get ready. I'll be back soon," I say against her lips. With one last chaste kiss, I sit up straight in my seat.
Bella opens her door and gets out. "See you soon, Edward."
As soon as I see she's safely inside, I drive the three blocks to my destination. I haven't told Bella yet, but my apartment is finally finished and is ready for me to move in. I checked out of the Sorrento Hotel this morning before picking her up. Tonight will be my first night in my new place and I wanted to share that with Bella.
I gather Bella's bag from my trunk and ride the elevator to the top floor. I enter my apartment and check over things quickly. The dining room table is set for an intimate dinner for two. It is situated in front of floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Seattle skyline. The Space Needle is visible in the distance. When the sun sets, we will be able to gaze down on the sparkling city below us. I can't wait to show Bella.
"Is everything to your satisfaction, Edward?" I hear from behind.
"Yes, Mrs. Cope. It's perfect," I turn to answer the older lady.
Mrs. Cope has been a maid for my family for years, ever since we settled in Seattle. She was with us part time when my mother was alive, but moved in after Esme passed to help my father out with chores and raising me. She still lives there and helps my father, though I'm sure Carlisle doesn't really need the assistance anymore. He would never fire her though. She's part of the family, which is why she's at my place now.
When my father told her I was moving back to Seattle she called me and insisted that she would be around to help me out. I really don't need the help, but again, she's family. She's been almost like a second mother to me over the years. I can't say no to her, so she will be coming over twice a week to help out. Tonight she came to see the new place and has prepared a feast for Bella and myself.
I head to the master suite and take a shower; redressing in jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I pull on my favorite pair of boots and run my fingers through my damp hair. I don't know why I bother trying to tame the mess on my head. It's just not possible. Sighing, I walk back out to the living room and kitchen area.
"Mrs. Cope, I'm heading out to get Bella," I tell her as I enter the room, gathering my keys. "We're walking, so we should be back in half an hour. Will everything be ready by then?"
"Of course, dear! I'll have everything ready on the table for you when you get back!" she replies enthusiastically. I think she's as excited about tonight as I am. "I'll be gone when you get home, so I'll see you on Wednesday."
I smile and thank her as I walk out the door.
It only takes about ten or fifteen minutes to walk back to Bella's building. I can't help but think it is fate that our places are so close to each other. It's almost as if the world is determined we'd be together. If we hadn't met at work, then surely I would have run into her in the neighborhood. Our relationship is far from perfect, but it's so much better than the only other one I've ever had. Even then I didn't really consider it a relationship. Bella is not like her at all. Thank fucking God for that.
That 'her' would be Angela fucking Weber. What a mess that shit was. I met Angela in college. She was pretty, with long light brown hair and soft brown eyes. She had a decent body, but wasn't overly beautiful; she was the sweet, nice, girl next door and exuded innocence. I fell for her, hard. She was as close to a girlfriend as I ever got, well before Bella anyways. I never actually called Angela that, but that's more or less what she was. We talked on the phone all the time and we'd go out on dates over the weekends. We constantly had sex and for a time I thought we were falling in love. She would tell me I was the only one for her, I'd tell her the same. It was true, too. Angela was the only woman I was with during the short time we were together.
Six months into the non-relationship relationship was when everything went to shit. I learned Angela wasn't the nice girl I had believed her to be. 'School slut' would be a more accurate term. Of course I found that out the hard way, when she came to me and told me she was pregnant. I freaked out. Angela had told me she was on the pill we had always used condoms. How in the hell could I have gotten her pregnant? She managed to calm me down, but only long enough for her to tell me she had no idea who the father was.
To say I was livid would be the understatement of the year. How could this woman, who was supposed to be innocent and nice, and more importantly, mine, be pregnant? How could she not know who the god damned father was? The whole truth came out. She had never been really been mine, had never been faithful. She didn't care about me or my feelings. She stuck around because I had money and never hesitated to spend it on her. She confessed everything, crying for me to help her. I couldn't deal with it, and I certainly wasn't going to deal with her or help her when she was going to have some other guy's baby. But the rational side of my brain piped in and reminded me that it very well could be my child. I knew it wasn't likely that it was, but it was still possible.
I demanded and paid for her to have a paternity test immediately. I had to wait several months for the test to be performed, but as soon as it was confirmed that I was definitely NOT the father, I told her to leave and never come back. For once, she listened. I never heard from Angela Weber again, but that didn't matter. She'd already left her mark on my soul.
After my experiences with her, I vowed to never have girlfriends. I did not allow women to kiss me on the lips and I didn't date them. I'd fuck them and make them leave. I guess that's when I got my reputation of being an ass as well. I also didn't take kindly to liars. It's not something I can tolerate, no matter how small. Hell, I'd even fired one of my previous assistants because she lied. She called in sick and then I ran into her having lunch later that day with her boyfriend. I told her not to bother coming back to work…ever.
Thankfully, I'm not that much of an asshole anymore. I still don't take kindly to liars, but coming back to Seattle has tamed me somewhat. Part of that may be because I'm back at home, but I'm pretty sure that most of the credit should go to Bella. She put me in my place on my first day of work here and I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by that. Yeah, I was pissed off at the time, but she had balls to stand up to me the way she did. Since then, she's been by my side, both professionally and personally. She keeps my professional life in perfect order and won't hesitate to tell me when I'm being an ass. She has taught me that it's alright to allow someone to get close, to let someone in. Bella is smart, beautiful and I trust her completely. She loves me, I love her. I know she would never betray me. I don't think she has a dishonest bone in her body.
I can't wipe the stupid grin off my face as I knock on Bella's door. She is the best part of my life and I can't imagine a future without her in it. I don't want a future without her in it. As soon as she opens the door, I attack her lips, my hands grabbing her ass to pull her closer. She gasps in shock, but it is swallowed by my kisses. A second later her body molds itself to mine. It's like we're two pieces to a puzzle; we fit perfectly together.
We make out like teenagers in the doorway for a few more minutes before Bella pulls away. "That's a nice way to be greeted," she whispers against my lips. "A girl could get used to that."
"I missed you, what can I say?" I smirk at her. "I love you; I don't like being away from you."
I kiss her again. I can't help it. Her lips are so damn soft and inviting.
"I love you too, Edward. Shall we go?"
"Sure, you have everything you need?" I ask.
She grabs her purse before closing the door, locking it and turning to me with a smile. We head to the elevator and soon we're walking hand in hand out the front door of her building.
"Come on, we're walking," I tell her once we're outside; I tug gently on her hand.
She looks at me with a confused expression. "Walking? Where are we going?"
"That, my dear Isabella is a surprise," I reply, leaning over to give her a chaste kiss. "Now stop asking questions and let's walk."
Bella smiles and allows me to lead the way. We make small talk as we walk and soon we stop in front of the building that is now my home.
"Here we are," I tell her.
She looks up, having to tilt her head all the way back to see the top of the thirty six floor building.
"Where exactly are we?"
"Home," I answer her simply. "Rather, my home. Surprise! No more hotel! My apartment got finished this week and tonight will be my first night in my new place. I wanted to share that with you."
"Oh, Edward," she sighed, kissing me firmly on the lips.
"I really hope you like it," I breathe out. Reaching up, I rub the back of my neck nervously. "I, uh, well…"
"Just spit it out, Edward," she tells me jokingly.
"Well, I love you and you love me. I hope that someday this will be not just my place but ours." I stammer out, looking down at my boot covered feet.
"Edward," Bella calls my name. I can't see her face, but I already know she's got a smile on her face, and her left eyebrow is quirked up, waiting for me to look at her.
"Yes, Bella?" I still don't look up.
"Look at me. Please?" she gently asks. I can't deny her what she wishes. I don't think I will ever tell her 'no' if I can help it.
She waits until my eyes lock onto hers before continuing. I was right, her left eyebrow is slightly raised and a sweet smile graces her lips. "That sounds marvelous, living with you. Someday we will share a home. I know we will. Let's not worry about the future tonight. Let's just go up and enjoy our weekend together now."
I smile back. "That sounds like a wonderful plan," I tell her.
Taking her hand again, I lead her into the building and into the elevator. Today has already been great, and I know the rest of our weekend will prove to be the same.
Squee! Aren't these two so freaking CUTE? They love each other! (But we all knew that before they did!) What do you guys think about Bella letting Edward in a little bit? She's getting there guys! She knows Edward needs to hear her secret! It's coming up...
Leave some reviews! Tell me how you think she'll tell him! Tell me songs you want to see in the future!
Til Next Friday...
~Robin~
Songs:
"Probably" by Lisa Loeb
"Almost There" Disney's The Princess and the Frog soundtrack