Prompt: Lemonade
I almost made this one into two chapters because it's so long! (twss) Thanks for your patience.
unbeta'd
"Where're we going?"
"Not tellin'"
"C'mon," I whine.
"No."
"Please tell me?"
"Uh uh."
"Why?"
"'Cause."
"'Cause why?"
"Because...I don't want to."
"Do I get my present now?"
"No," he says, exasperated.
"Better be good," I tease. I have an idea, though. He told me to wear jeans and sturdy boots and this tree-lined, winding two-lane road we're driving on only leads to one place that might require boots and jeans.
I think.
"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't," he says, feigning indifference.
"Not even a little hint?"
"Nope."
"What if I hate it and you went to all this trouble for me. For my birthday. At least give me a hint so I can prepare an appropriate facial expression. And, you know, it's my birthday so you have to do what I want." Looking out the window, I dangle my hand out, holding it steady against the wind and hide my smile from Edward.
He pinches my thigh. "Have you always been like this?"
"Like what?'
"A pain in the ass."
I look back at him. "I believe so, yes."
"So, you're telling me this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of our lives?" He pulls the corner of his bottom lip in with his teeth.
"Don't think making that face and saying things that could possibly turn me to goo will distract me," I say. "Tell me and I'll stop, but keep saying stuff like that, and also keep biting that lip, too."
"Bella."
"What."
He laughs. "Shut up."
We're at Great Falls National Park, and as Edward hoists a backpack out of the back of his SUV he regards me, curiously waiting for my reaction.
"I love this place," I say, and Edward swings his arm over my shoulder; I wrap my arm around his waist, fisting the hem of his t-shirt. "Well, I haven't been here since I was a kid, but I loved it then."
"I know."
"How?"
"You said something about it one time."
"And you remembered?" He nods. "Why are you so sweet?"
Edward shrugs with one shoulder. "I dunno. Just am I guess."
"That you are…Okay, we're hiking then?"
"Yeah," he says as we walk on the dirt path. "Check out the falls, climb a few rocks...if you're not too soft to do stuff like that."
Abruptly, I stop. "Did you just call me soft?"
"I said if you're not too soft. I run almost daily; I have stamina," he teases, ushering me along.
"Well, I really wouldn't know now, would I?" I laugh.
"Not yet, anyway." He bites his lip again
"You're so sexy when you do that," I say, trying not to think about his stamina. Ignore, ignore, ignore. He leans down then bites mine.
Mid-morning sunlight dapples the path ahead, and the faint sounds of the rushing Potomac begin to grow louder. We've been walking for a while, talking about little things. Edward adjusts the strap of the backpack on his shoulder when we turn onto the dirt trail that leads to the overlook. When we get to the very end, the closest we can get without having to climb down the rocks, Edward tosses the backpack on the ground, and I pull my phone out of my back pocket.
He positions himself behind me, and I scoot between his legs, leaning back against his chest. "It's so pretty," I say, threading my fingers with his, and we watch the river gush over the lower rocks. "You forget that these things are right here, you know? We should bring Garrett sometime, he'd love it."
"He would, and the dogs too. Make a day of it?"
"Yeah. That'd be nice." I pick up my phone, snap a picture of the falls then turn it, snapping another of Edward and me.
The thing about being with Edward is that we don't need to do anything to be content. We don't have to fill quiet with talk, or go places, or do something to enjoy each other. Like now, we're just together and it's nice.
I can't think of any place I'd rather be.
Edward moves my hair, kisses me just below my ear. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Mmhm." I trace tiny circles over the back of his hand; he moves his other to the inside of my thigh.
"Would it be such a bad thing if we didn't wait?"
I turn to look at him. "But I thought—"
"I know what I said before, but the more I think about it, it seems so…I don't know…We're adults, and it's not like this is some temporary fling. I just want to move forward, with everything, and…" He laughs to himself, trailing off, and tilts his head back. I turn around completely, sitting back on my knees, and Edward looks back at me. "I mean, would it?"
I don't say anything right away. I've thought about it. A lot. Of course, I have, but I don't want either of us to ever regret a thing, and I know he doesn't either. "Only if one day one of us thought it might."
Edward closes his eyes and groans. He half smiles then cracks open one eye. "It would've been one hell of a birthday present."
"Next year. In fact, after the new year we should commit to having sex every day."
"We will have a lot of catching up to do."
"Exactly," I say, and then I kiss him. His hands go straight to my hips, slide around and rest on my ass. I peek up and there's no one around, so gently I push him back to lie on the ground. "We could do it outside," I say against his lips.
"In the shower." He grinds me against his hips.
"In the car." I suck in his bottom lip.
"Against a wall."
"On your desk." I lick up the middle of his throat then bite at his ear, and push down against his crotch. This really, really is not helping our resolve, but… "I'd let you fuck me anywhere you want."
"God, Bella." As he pushes me off him he tells me to get up.
"What? Why? Are you mad?" Shit. I shouldn't have teased him—
"No, but we have to go right the fuck now."
Edward jumps up offers me a hand while brushing dirt out of his hair and off the back of him.
"What's wrong?" I stand and when I do he yanks me to him.
He cups his hands on my face, presses his mouth to mine, slipping his tongue inside. "Nothing's wrong," he says and there's the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. "You're going to make me come in my pants, so we're going home where I can do it in your hand because technically, that's not breaking any rules."
Well.
"Okay."
We barely get our boots off before running up the steps to my bedroom. Our hands are everywhere. My jeans are unzipped, half down my hips and he pushes me back on the bed. I scoot back as he crawls on top of me.
Edward lifts up my shirt, pulls the cup of my bra down and takes my nipple into his mouth, and – holymother – slips his fingers inside my underwear, circles, rubs then slides them inside. I arch into him, grab his hair and his eyes flick up at me. He smiles, swirling his tongue around my nipple. Edward moves to the other while he fucks me with his fingers.
We haven't done this before, always so careful, but I don't care. He's so sexy, so damn beautiful, and I love him. I am so in love with him.
Edward moves his mouth to my neck. "Goddamn, you feel good," he says, kisses me and I tense up, panting, trembling, squeezing his hair between my fingers, scratching the back of his neck as I come. "That's it, baby. Let it go."
"Ohgodohgod." I jerk against his hand, he slows his rhythm and between breaths I kiss him, tell him how much I love him then reach down, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans.
We grin at each other, and Edward helps me tug his pants down just enough for me to slip my hand inside the elastic of his boxer briefs and wrap it around his dick.
I've never touched his dick before, but he's never touched my bits either. Through clothes, yes, but Jesus he's thick, and I smile a little wider.
"Roll over," I tell him. As he does, I pull up my pants, leaving them unzipped then take off my shirt. Straddling him, I brace my hand on the mattress near his head and begin to stroke him. Slowly at first, and his hands wander up my arms, down my back, over my breasts then I move faster.
Edward moans as he raises his knees, lifts his hips and reaches up pulling my face down to his. We kiss between him groaning out expletives and then his mouth opens, his eyes clench shut, and I repeat his words, tell him to let go as he does, pulsing and coming in my hand.
He smiles lazily, humming. I kiss the corners of his mouth.
"You're doing the laundry," I say, wiping us up with my shirt. He rolls his eyes, and I hop off the bed to go wash my hands.
"Just this once," he says. "I'd rather cook the meals than do the laundry."
"In general?" I ask, walking out of the bathroom.
He's lying on his side with his head propped up on his hand, all zipped and buttoned back up. I lay next to him, and he traces the edge of my bra with his index finger, making goosebumps appear over my flesh.
"No. You wash the clothes, and I'll do the cooking."
Getting excited over chores is the silliest thing, but my heart skips like crazy.
"Make a wish, Mom," Garrett says, resting his elbows on the table, eyeing which piece of the cake he's going to ask for.
I glance up at Garrett and then at Edward who's standing behind Garrett. "What if I already got my wish?"
"Doesn't hurt to ask for another," Edward says, smiling. Garrett stands in his chair and whispers something in Edward's ear. He nods and whispers something back.
"What are you two up to?" I like how that sounds—you two.
"Nothing," they say in unison. Garrett tells me to hurry up before the candle wax drips all over the icing.
I make a wish and blow out the three candles they put on the cake because they weren't allowed any more than that. But then Garrett figured out that each candle would equal twelve years.
"Present time!" Garrett shouts. He runs into the other room and brings back a very small box and two envelopes, dropping them on the table in front of me. "Open them!"
"Okay, okay," I say. Garrett drums his hand on the table as I rip open his card first. "I love homemade cards. And look… we're Lego people." I show him, as if he hasn't already seen it, but he nods proudly anyway.
"Yeah, Edward and I couldn't find one in the—" Edward clamps his hand over Garrett's mouth.
"You went out together? When?"
Garrett sheepishly looks up at Edward but he laughs. "When you worked the wedding," Edward says. "Don't ask details. Just open."
"Yeah. No details, Mom."
"How did you do this without me knowing? Where did you go?"
"She doesn't listen very well, does she?" Edward says to Garrett.
"No." He sighs. "Mom."
I throw my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry." I ask if I should open the box or the other envelope, and again at the same time, they tell me to open the box. "Oh my God. You guys, they're beautiful," I say, pulling Garrett into a tight hug.
"That's all Garrett," Edward says, and I look at him, skeptically. "He picked them out and paid for them with his own money."
"They were on sale!"
"Must have been some sale," I say.
"Yep. We got lucky, didn't we little man?" Edward says, and Garrett agrees. I take out the earrings I'm wearing now and replace them with the diamond studs. "They look good."
"Thank you," I say, but I'm not referring to Edward's compliment. He winks. "And thank you best son anyone could ever ask for." Garrett laughs, and tells me to quit smothering him with kisses.
"Open Edward's," Garrett says, so I do.
Inside the envelope is a blank white card, and inside the card are three tickets for the circus. I glance up at Edward. At first I'm confused, but then it dawns on me, and I smile.
"First kiss," I say, and he nods. Garrett's the one who's confused now, so I ask him to cut the cake.
"Read the inside," Edward says, coming around behind me. He slides his arms around my waist. My eyes flick toward Garrett, but he doesn't give us a second glance.
I promise you everything. Thank you for making the first move.
Love you,
Edward
I spin around, hugging him. "I love you," I whisper in his ear.
"Love you, too," he says. "Happy Birthday, Bella."
By the end of September, Edward sold his house, and in the middle of October, he moved into a new, smaller place which is just a few streets over from mine.
For Halloween, Garrett dressed as Plo Koon, and Edward stayed well after Garrett went to sleep. Not overnight, though. Still not overnight and I'm struggling because it's so hard to let him go. It's hard not to be with him completely.
And things have gotten more relaxed which I think makes it even more difficult to remember limits. Edward's started coming over more, staying later; Garrett and I go to his new place; Garrett tries to teach Jack and Sparrow tricks. We continue to quickly fall into this norm that it's the three of us and not two, sometimes plus one.
I want it to be permanent. I want to actually start a life with Edward, break away from being tethered to our self-imposed rules as well as those we have to follow.
In November, I watched Edward and Garrett play around with each other, develop their own inside jokes; Edward give Garrett advice about girls; I've listened to Garrett ask "Where's Edward?" instead of "Did my dad call?" though when Sam is in town for a three-day layover Garrett's face lights up.
On Thanksgiving, the three of us drove out to my parents' place. Mom cooked the turkey and mashed potatoes. Edward and I brought stuffing and pumpkin pie. Dad and Garrett showed Edward the fishing pond and Dad's John Deere, and Mom said she's never seen me happier.
This month also marked the end of the separation waiting period, and Edward filed for divorce.
I'm slashing days off my mental calendar with a thick black marker.
They say it can take up to six weeks for a judge to sign off—we're hoping for less. I don't even care about going to the Caribbean anymore; I just want Edward.
Two more weeks pass by and I barely noticed the inevitable shift that happens in the beginning of December: when storefronts become festive and the air changes from crisp and colored leaves to icy and something a little bit magical. I've busied myself so much by helping out Angie with a corporate holiday party, picking up last minute things for our trip and Garrett's to Vegas, and Christmas shopping for my family, Edward's, and even Alice that I almost missed it.
Edward, Garrett, and I put up a Christmas tree and Garrett threw around unsubtle hints of what he wants while Edward untangled lights. We said we weren't going to buy each other gifts since we're going away, but I'd already bought something for him. Oh well.
And then I finally met Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Edward is so much like his dad it's unreal, right down to the way they hold their forks. And Esme, well, she's amazing. Both of them took to me and Garrett like we were already a part of their family. That afternoon when we were at their place for lunch Esme pulled me aside. She kissed my cheek then said, "I've been waiting for you. Take good care of my boy." I told her I would.
It's been a whirlwind. Everything happening all at once but at the same time I'm still holding my breath. Not because it's been so busy that I've forgotten to breathe, but because I don't feel like I can, yet.
Our office holiday party tomorrow, the 14th and still no word from the courts. I don't think about the probability that they've become overrun with whatever the hell boggles up the court system. I don't think about Edward's decree being buried under a stack of papers when it only needs a simple signature. And I don't think about how my stomach is in my throat because we're so close to being together for the first time.
I did think, and maybe stupidly so, his divorce would be final by Saturday and reserved a room at the hotel where our office party is going to be. But it's Friday and still nothing.
I pick up my phone to dial the hotel to cancel my reservation, and after punching the first three numbers I hang up.
The room is really nice and we'll be drinking, so…I'll just continue to risk carpal tunnel on him and he'll cramp up his fingers on me. We'll just be in a different place is all. We'll be like teenagers only legal with credit cards to purchase fancy hotel rooms for the night.
Yep. Just another day.
What's another week in the scheme of things anyway? Life, lemons, lemonade, etcetera.
But I don't want lemonade.
I want sex. I want lots of sex. Sex with Edward. Lots and lots of sex with Edward.
I lay my head down on my desk frustrated and deprived as I think about Edward's fingers and the way his hips move against me when I sit on his lap or when he has me pinned against a wall.
I dial his office. "I'm guessing you and your mailman don't have a close enough relationship so he might call you when you receive something official in the mail."
"Unfortunately, no," he says, laughing. "I want you, too."
"Sorry. I'm being whiny."
"No, you're not. Believe me this waiting thing sucks for me too."
I sit back up. "I love you," I say just because I want to. "Pack a bag for tomorrow."
"I love you too. Bag for what?"
"I got us a room for after the party."
"Oh, yeah? When did you do this?"
"Last week. I just thought, you know…it'd be nice."
He sighs. "It is nice. I'm glad you did. Now I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night," he says. "Hey, I have a couple of things to wrap up before we get out of here. See you in about an hour?"
"Okay."
45 minutes go by and Edward pops into my office. "Ready?"
"Yep." I shut down my computer, lock up the office, and we head down to his car. He's a bit more smiley than usual. "What?" Edward turns the ignition.
"Just you and me together. Locking the world away, pretending nothing else exits but us for a few hours."
I smile as he pulls out of the lot. It's true, we haven't had any alone time in weeks, but Edward never complains. "This is what I love about you."
"Really?" he says. "Not because I'm so damn good looking? A fine specimen of a man?" I shake my head, rolling my eyes. "No?"
"No."
"So, I'm not good looking."
"Not really."
"Huh."
"I know."
"Maybe I should cover my head with a paper bag from now on."
"Can I draw a face on it?"
"Are you capable of drawing a better face than the one I already have?"
"I'm not too shabby with stick figure heads."
"Hmm. How about a mustache? Like one of those thick ones that curl up at the ends? I've always wanted one of those."
"Sure," I say. "Matching bushy eyebrows?"
"Okay, but not too bushy because that would be unattractive."
"True."
"Why are we talking about this?"
"I don't know."
He pauses. "So, you said you love me."
"Yes."
He slows for a red light. "How much?" he says, glancing at me from the corner of his eyes.
"What do you mean 'how much'?" I ask and a tiny part of me wonders if he's still joking around or if his question comes from doubt that I had no idea existed. Or is this one of those things where he's done something stupid. "Why," I say, suspiciously.
The light turns green and we drive a little further before turning into our neighborhood. Edward pulls up to the curb, and now I'm nervous. He unhooks his seatbelt and shifts to face me, his expression is unreadable: his eyes are smiling but his mouth is flat. "All this time spent just waiting for the moment when it really is you and me. When that time's up…I don't want to wait another second. When there's nothing holding us back anymore I'm planning to jump in with both feet."
"I don't understand. I thought we—"
"Are you in the same place?"
"Of course I am. You know this, don't you? Have I done something to make you think otherwise?"
"No, but I need to hear you say it. Know where you are."
"But we've sort of talked about this, right?"
"Not really." He grins, lifts his eyebrows.
I wrack my brain thinking of conversations we've had over the past few months. We talk about everything, but I thought it was just assumed that we'd, I don't know, be an official couple? I mean we talked about our future but it's all been talk, no actual planning. "We really haven't, have we?" He shakes his head. "Huh. Well, I'm right there with you, standing at the edge of a cliff dangling one foot over."
"Okay," he says, then pulls away from the curb.
"Okay? That's all you wanted me to say?" I confirm, and he nods.
"Kind of cheesy how you put it, though. Don't you think?"
"You're mean." I laugh.
"Says the girl who'd put a bag over my head." He parks in my driveway. "I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow."
I lean over to kiss him. "I'd never cover your face with a bag, sir."
"Good thing because then I'd have a hell of a time doing this," he says, kissing me one more time.
"You're sure you're all right? No doubts about us or me?" I ask, and look at him, try to see if there's the slightest flicker anywhere in his eyes, but there's none.
"I've never doubted anything about us, Bella. See you tomorrow."
Close to three hours ago my parents picked up Garrett for the night, and in those three hours I've checked my overnight bag about a zillion times, twisted my hair up, let it fall back down, tried on too many pairs of shoes to wear with my dress that I'm not sure I love any longer.
The thing with trying to find the perfect cocktail dress is nearly impossible if you're a) not 16, b) not a whore, and c) not a grandmother. But when you do, you sing a quick chorus of hallelujah then pray no one else happens to have found the same dress because really, unless you're about to socialize with people who have one of a kind designer dresses made for them, the chance is there.
It's 6:55 p.m. and I take another peek in the mirror. I do like this dress. I'm not a lacy kind of girl, but I like the way the black lace overlays the burgundy silk and how it's cut like a silhouette down to my knee, but not so tight so that I can't sit. And I like the capped sleeves, but I especially like the V-back and imagine feeling Edward's hand there against my bare skin.
Okay, not bad and my boobs look fabulous, thanks to my new bra, so…okay.
At 6:57, Edward knocks on my door, and I smooth down my hair one more time.
I swing it open and even though a burst of cold air rushes in, I don't feel it because Edward looks so, so good.
"Wow," he says, and I flush under his gaze. "You're beautiful."
"So are you," I say, and he is. Black suit, black tie, his messy hair a little shorter than it was yesterday. I reach up to touch the back of his hair, but he takes my wrist and presses his mouth to the inside of it.
"C'mere," he says, lifts my chin and his warm breath washes over my cheeks. "I love you so much, Bella."
His lips are suddenly on mine, soft and gentle, and I'm taken completely off guard. He sweeps his tongue against mine, and he tastes like mint. He sucks at my bottom lip, and I slide my hands up around his neck, floating up just a little bit higher.
Edward holds my face, running his thumbs over the bottoms of my ears, and there's a certain reverence in the way he kisses me tonight, like he's doing it for the first time. Something new wells up inside me.
He kisses me one, two, three more times each lasting a little longer than before until he pulls away, barely, brushing his nose alongside mine, and I'm spinning.
My eyes flutter open. "Hi."
"Hi," he whispers.
"What was in that kiss?" He smiles. "Do we have to go?"
"For a little while."
I can see my breath cloud up in front of me as we walk to the entrance of the hotel; Edward tucks me into his side. It's colder than it usually is this time of year, and it smells like snow.
The outside of the hotel is decorated in thick swags and wreaths, red and gold ribbon, and white lights. In the lobby there's a Christmas tree that stands nearly twenty feet high adorned with golden balls, wooden drummer boys and turtle doves among other ornaments and a thousand tiny white lights. If the fireplace weren't on the opposite side of the lobby the whole scene would make for a traditionally perfect postcard.
We head toward the room where they've slated our party.
"We can still skip it," I say, but Edward laughs and shakes his head.
"We'd never hear the end of it."
So in we go, and we're met with Nat King Cole's soulful voice, clinking glasses and laughter. It's warm and dim and almost sleepy.
Edward and I pass the time making small talk with others, drink champagne, dance a little, but since we've been here I can't keep my eyes off him.
He's hardly left my side. He touches my back or holds my hand, he whispers in my ear, or his lips find my cheek or brush against my hair. And I reciprocate everything he does, though unintentionally. I touch his arm, lean in to him, kiss his lips when no one is looking because any absence of contact feels wrong. Conversations barely hold my attention since all I can think and see is Edward.
It's not the champagne or the temperature of the room or that the ambience is carefree; something is different tonight.
Edward looks down at me and smiles. "We'll stay for another hour then say goodbye to everyone, okay?"
"Sure."
"Or would it be bad if we left now? It'd be easier to disappear if there were more than fifty people here."
I smile. "We haven't been here that long. Maybe everyone is drunk enough they won't notice?"
Edward and I both look toward the bar: Rose and Carmen are doing shots. Mike is leaning against it, beer in hand and when he sees us he lifts his palms, tilts his head as if to say I'm still here, Edward. Edward shrugs then kisses my temple, and Mike holds a hand over his wounded heart.
"How does it feel to be so wanted?"
"You tell me." He runs the back of his hand over my stomach. A waiter approaches us with a tray of hors d'oeuvres, asks if we'd like one. "Hungry?" Edward asks me but neither of us turn toward him.
"No, thank you."
"None for me either, thank you," Edward says, and the waiter walks away. He runs a strand of my hair between his thumb and index finger. "You know that cliff you mentioned yesterday? I was wondering what was at the bottom."
"Not sure, exactly, but I know it's something so spectacular that I'll want to stay there forever," I say and the corner of his mouth lifts.
A roar of laughter erupts by the bar. Edward slides his hand around my waist, keeping the other in his pocket. The DJ invites people to dance. I tug on the end of Edward's tie. Angie breezes past asking Edward and me to join them. By the small of my back Edward pulls me closer, leans down, grazes his teeth on the lobe of my ear, and I shiver.
He whispers, "Guess what came in the mail."
We don't say goodbye to anyone. Instead we quietly leave and ride the elevator up to our room.
I thought this moment would be different, like expelling air from my lungs that'd been trapped there forever then shouting out to anyone who'd hear me that Edward Cullen is finally mine. But it's not.
This moment is Edward. It's always been him, and I've been aware of this the entire time I've known him, but now I can feel it, all of it. It fills me up, and keeps me warm. He makes my heart beat and flutter and my skin tingle.
Edward wraps around me in the sweetest way because yes, he always was and will forever be mine.
A/N: Edward gets the last chapter. Thanks SO much for reading. xoxo