Chapter 10

Bella

"Damn, that came down fast," he mumbles, looking out into the snowy wonderland that is his front yard and driveway now.

"What's going on?" Ej asks, finding us crowded around the window. "Wow! Look at all the snow!"

Edward shakes his head, muttering about cleaning it up. I stand there gaping at the mounting pile of snow covering my car and just about every other surface outside.

I'm more worried about how I'm possibly going to make it home tonight.

"He remembered," Ej whispers quietly, and I turn to him, giving him a questioning look.

"Who remembered, buddy?"

"Santa. I asked for snow," he answers softly, stretching his arms above his head. "This is going to be the best Christmas yet."

I stop myself from frowning and find Edward doing just about the same.

"Well, you're not going to be able to make it home tonight," Edward states, glancing at me. "Not in that, especially," he adds, pointing to my car that is now pretty much buried.

My eyebrows dip together. As much as I want to disagree with him and get to my own house, he's right. There's no way that's happening tonight. My car just wasn't made for the kind of snow that dropped on us tonight.

"Where would you be more comfortable, my room or the couch?"

My eyes go wide at his first suggestion, though there's a naughty voice telling me to shut up and take the first choice.

"I mean, obviously, alone," Edward says, fumbling over his words. He's adorable. And if I'm seeing everything correctly, I do believe the tips of his ears turn pink while he's at it.

"The couch is fine," I say with a light laugh.

He sighs and nods. "Okay, and, um, would you like a shirt or some, uh, I don't know, sleep pants to change in to? You know, to be more comfortable."

I resist the urge to giggle. Edward is killing me right now. I just hope that he can't see it; that I'm hiding it well enough. "Sure, that would be wonderful. Gosh, I'm sorry. This so inconvenient."

He waves me off.

"Wait. Is Bella sleeping over?" Ej asks, looking very excited.

Edward rubs the back of his neck, looking really sweet. "Yeah, but not…ah…just for tonight."

"Cool!" he shouts. "This is great! You're going to be here on Christmas morning."

I laugh and give him a little hug. I'm happy he's so jazzed about me being here. Some kids aren't so easy to adjust, even to just an overnight visitor. Not that it would ever be anything more than that.

"I just have to let my friend know I won't be home, as long as you're sure it's okay with you that I'm staying here tonight."

"It's more than fine, Bella. Besides, I don't think you could get out even if you needed to."

I take another look out the window and shake my head. "No, probably not."

"Okay then, Ej and I'll go find a movie to watch. And you can make your phone call, alright?" he says quietly, getting ready to nudge Ej in the direction of the living room.

"Sounds good."

Before I turn I notice the smile brimming on his lips and the slight sparkle in his eye. If I didn't know any better I would say that he's pretty happy that I'm stuck here tonight.

I have to do something I'm dreading. Not only am I going to get an incredible amount of shit from my best friend for not telling her that I was going to be Edward's, but she's going to be all over the fact that I'm now staying the night here.

But despite all that, I dial her number anyway.

I take a deep breath as I hear her answer, trying to compose myself and silently begging for mercy. God knows she's going to eat this shit up with a spoon.

"Bella?" Alice asks, sounding like she dove head first into a bottle of SoCo. I smile. This could go in my favor.

"Hey, um, I just wanted to tell you that I won't be home tonight," I murmur softly, hoping she's drunk enough she'll just let it go.

"Huh?" she asks.

I roll my eyes and repeat myself just as calmly and quietly as I did the first time.

"Where are you?" She wonders, almost sounding mystified.

I facepalm in the middle of Edward's hallway, wishing this conversation was over.

"I'm at a party, but the snow's really starting to come down heavy, so I'm staying the night."

"What party? I thought you were just going to drop off Mrs. Winters a new order because hers was messed up?"

Fuck, I curse under my breath. Alice is nowhere near drunk enough to get away with this. I need to come up with a new strategy.

"I did," I insist. "And then I went to a friend's party, but like I said it got bad, so I'm staying here tonight."

I listen as the noise in the background fades; she must be going in a different room. "Bella, sweetie, what friend's party are you at?"

I swallow, garnering every ounce of courage I have left. "Edward's," I whisper, not able to lie to my best friend.

I hear a cackle of a laugh pierce through the phone and I shake my head.

"Shut up, Al, it's not like that."

"Bow, chica, bow, bow."

I shake my head.

"Someone's getting lucky tonight," she sings to the tune of Frosty the Snowman.

I roll my eyes, but realize she can't see me.

"Alice, I just wanted to let you know, so you didn't worry."

"Uh huh. Remember to tell Santa to wrap it up, just like all of his other presents. Unless you want a little something extra under the Christmas tree next year."

I can't help but chuckle. "It won't be like that, Al," I tell her quietly.

"You keep telling yourself that tonight, Mrs. Claus, while Kris Kringle is jingling his balls over your face later."

"Oh. My. God."

"Good luck though, Bells. Be safe. I love you and I'll see you in the morning," she says before breaking into song and dance again. "Bow, chica, bow, bow."

I hang up mid song and head back over to Edward and Ej. "It's all set. At least this way my friends won't worry."

"Good," Edward whispers with a smile brimming on his lips. It makes me wonder what he heard.

Damn it Alice!