"Happy Birthday Bella!"
"Thanks Eric," I said as I took my gift from him and put it on the table stacked high with my other presents. Personally, I thought that it was absolutely ridiculous for me to be having a birthday party like this when I was turning 18.
There were pink and green balloons everywhere. Confetti from the plastic poppers Alice had bought was strewn all over the floor. Streamers hung in every nook, cranny, and corner of the room. A giant HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY BELLA banner was strung over the large door of the Cullen's massive basement. Crappy party music was blaring from the speakers and everyone wore cardboard HAPPY BIRTHDAY hats.
Alice had sprung this party on me last minute saying I "needed to celebrate being legal" and all that crap. I knew she just wanted an excuse for a party. So she had invited all 160 people of our class and forced me to wear a tight dress with a pink BIRTHDAY GIRL crown and boa.
Here I was in the middle of all this chaos that was my birthday. All I had wanted was a small dinner with my family and CLOSE friends. Instead I was surrounded by people I didn't particularly like with Jake grinding against me constantly trying to get me to go back out with him. The only person I wanted to talk to was avoiding me at every turn.
I looked to the couch where he was sitting, Jessica Stanley nagging at him. He was obviously trying to tune him out so I decided to help him make an escape. I strolled over casually and sat on his side opposite Jessica. She shot me the evil eye before continuing to talk at him. I leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Your hair looks amazing tonight, Edward," I whispered trying to look seductive to Jess so she would leave. She got the message, immediately jumping up and huffing into the kitchen to get a drink. Edward was not oblivious to the whole exchange and clearly didn't like it. He got up and walked away.
He had been ignoring me all night but the cold shoulder was starting to get old so I followed him. He walked outside and I expected him to stop on the porch. He didn't so I continued to follow him down the path from his house into the woods. The path ended at the creek. As soon as he stopped he turned around with a ferocity in his eyes that made me want to tremble. He focused all of his attention on me.
"What do you want from me Bella?"
"I was just saying that I liked your hair," I stammered. My dress suddenly felt three sizes too small and it was freezing cold.
"You like my hair? That's it? Because you've been clinging to me all night." He was pissed.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I was starting to get really offended at his attitude.
"It means you've been up my ass since you walked through that door with that tight ass dress on. I mean really, who the fuck are you trying to impress?" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air.
"I'm not trying to impress anybody!" I yelled back. Now I'm pissed.
"The hell you're not! You've been giving me that look all night."
I leaned my head back and laughed to the heavens. He actually thought all this was for him? I looked back in his direction.
"All this," I gestured up and down my body, "is not for you." I laughed again.
"Bullshit." His anger was subsiding and he took a few steps towards me.
"What?" I said oblivious to what he was talking about.
"That's bullshit and you know it." He was only a step away now. I could feel the warm air coming out of his nose, smell the noir cologne he always wore.
"No it's not. I don't get dressed up for men, and I sure as hell don't get dressed up for you," I snapped.
"Prove it." His lips were suddenly on mine. I mind was telling me to protest but my lips and hands wouldn't listen.
My palms ran down his chest and his hands rested on my hips and pulled me closer until our bodies were mashed together. I could feel every breath of his and every beat of his heart we were so close. My hands moved to the back of his head as I grabbed his hair. I pulled hard which only made him groan softly on my lips. His hands ran up and down my back as the kiss deepened. The chilly September air couldn't touch us as we were in our only little heated bubble.
The rush of the stream was rhythmic and in tune to our sporadic breathing as we finally came up for air. We never let go of each other as our breathing slowed and our hearts calmed to a steady beat. After a minute or two he finally spoke.
"Now tell me it isn't bullshit." He looked down at me, brushing the hair out of my face. He was looking at me with a gaze so deep it was like he was staring into my soul.
I was suddenly extremely self-conscious.
I pushed myself away from him and began to back up. I didn't stop backing away until I felt the muddy shore of the river. I turned my back to face him so he couldn't see my expression.
"Say it's not bullshit." I could hear and feel him closing the distance again.
"I want to hear it out loud," he whispered into my ear.
I didn't respond and instead just stood there as he breathed down on my shoulder. I turned my head away from his breath on my shoulder and stared into the empty forest.
"That's what I thought." He seemed content with himself.
Goose bumps had popped up all over my arms and legs the second I pulled away from Edward but I just starting to feel them. I instinctively began rubbing my arms with my hands for friction. A moment later I felt him drape his jacket over my shoulders. His hands rested on my shoulders a moment before he spun me around to face him. I turned my head to avoid looking at him.
"Bella," he said. I was still silent.
"Bella look at me." I watched the stream's current carrying one lonely flower petal along with it.
"Bella," he grabbed my chin and turned my head to face him. "Look at me."
"What Edward?" I responded indignantly.
"What happens now?" His tone was so soft it scared me. This wasn't something I was used to at all.
I scoffed aloud and pushed him off of me.
"You don't get to do this."
"What are you talking about?" He questioned. How nice of him to play dumb.
"Don't play stupid. We've been best friends for almost 4 years and for the last 3 I've done nothing but try to get you to notice me for more than just that. Hell, I've done everything but kiss you. You've just been to focused on other girls to notice. But now… now that you finally notice, you all of a sudden want to take things further? No. It's not your call anymore." I brushed past him and began walking back to the house. Surely they were missing the birthday girl by now right?
"Bells, it's nothing like that-"
"I'm not taking your shit anymore," I yelled over my shoulder.
"Bella!"
"I'm nobody's puppet, Edward. Especially not yours."
"ISABELLA MARIE SWAN! I have been in love with you since the moment I walked through Mrs. Wellbaum's classroom." I froze dead in my tracks.
That had caught me completely off guard. I mean, how the hell was I supposed to respond?
"Since the second I saw you sitting in your chair drawing in that notebook before you saw me. Since we first made eye contact. Since you first said hi to me and smiled your irresistible smile at me." I was still frozen with what I'm sure was a dumbfounded expression. He began slowly walking towards me again, though this time obviously with a purpose. "I have been in love with you since that very first day we met and ever since I have been trying my hardest to get the balls to tell you."
My mind was racing and yet I was speechless.
"I've finally grown a pair. Bella, I love you." The silence that followed was deafening.
I had imagined this scene hundreds, maybe thousands of times since we met but I never thought it would actually happen. Especially like this.
I still had no idea what to do, so I did the only thing I could think of at the moment.
I said, "I love you too, Edward," and I kissed him even more intensely then we had been kissing before.
The girls stayed with Emmett and Rosalie when I left to go back to the restaurant. When I got there the dinner rush was just beginning so it was getting pretty packed. Tori met me five steps past the door.
"Bella, we have a problem." Just what I needed.
"What's wrong now?" I asked.
"We ran out of the ravioli pasta." I looked at her like she was crazy.
"Well, order some more," I said in a DUH tone. The look she gave me said I didn't want to hear what was coming next. I braced myself for it.
"The company credit card was declined," she whispered.
"WHAT!" A few patrons turned to see the source of the outburst. She tugged my arm and I followed her back into my office. She turned towards me closing the door behind us.
"I called the credit card company and they told me that the card had been overdrawn by the owner."
"What do you mean 'the owner overdrew'? I sure as hell did NOT overdraw anything! I don't use that card for anything but business and I haven't used it since four days ago. The only other person who has access to my account is…"
I was dumbfounded. Speechless. Stupefied.
I was downright pissed.
"Here, take this and go buy some more pasta. I'll deal with this situation." I handed her my personal credit card, the only one that I solely had access. As she walked out of the door I picked up my cell phone and dialed the credit card company. I was met with an automated recording telling me to call back Monday so I could speak to a rep. I hung up and threw the phone on my desk.
After a few moments of thinking I remembered that I could check all of my accounts online. I opened my laptop hoping that I hadn't completely shut it down last time. Luckily I hadn't so the screen came right up. I went to the bank's webpage and logged in. As I scrolled through the past account transactions I came across something surprising.
"You've got to be freaking kidding me."
My fingers massaged my temples as my chair leaned back. I stared at the ceiling contemplating the situation. All of these charges that I'd had no idea of on the restaurant card. Now the balance is in the red and I had to make up for it.
This was a messed up situation and I planned on dealing with it as soon as I got home
A/N: Thanks again for taking the time to read this story. I appreciate everyone who does. Comments let me know what you think.