New First Dates

"Dinner was wonderful, thank you."

"You're more than welcome. Next time, you're paying though, I didn't know you would eat that much."

I rolled my eyes at him.

We had just gotten back and it was only a little after ten thirty. We were sitting in his truck with the heat on. I had turned myself in the seat and put my feet in his lap. He was rubbing them absentmindedly while we talked about anything and everything.

There had always been something very intimate about sitting in his truck at night. The only light came from the dash and it cast a green tint on everything it touched. Something about the tight, enclosed space made it feel like a safe place. A happy place. A place where it didn't matter what was wrong in the world, because everything was right in here. We had spent a lot of time in his truck when we were younger talking like this. It was one of the things that I had missed most.

"Gosh, I can't believe that Emmett and Rose are engaged. They've only been dating for, like, three months. I mean, I'm glad that she's gonna be my sister, but it just seems like it happened a little too fast."

When I had gone in to the living room Rosalie was waiting for me on the couch. I didn't see Emmett, but I could hear him down the hall. I didn't see him in the bathroom when I had passed it, so was he in my mom's room?

Rosalie asked me about what had happened with Edward, and I couldn't lie. I told her the gist of the story, but left out all the details. She sat on the edge of her seat the entire time. When I was finished she still looked excited, but I didn't know why.

I remembered that she said she had some news and asked her what it was. She held her hand out and I noticed something sparkling on her finger. I was dumbstruck. All I could do was sit there with my mouth hanging open.

When I finally snapped out of it we hugged and jumped around like a couple of school girls. Emmett came down the hall with my mom, he had been back there telling her about it. One of the reasons I was so happy about it at the time was because everyone was focused on them for the moment, which meant I was safe.

"Well they've known each other for a really long time. When it's right, it's right, I guess. Maybe when you're supposed to be with someone, you just know it. And if that's the case, why wait?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just don't know how someone can get that serious that fast. I'm just not sure people can see past the euphoria of a new love and see what's ahead."

"So, do you mean that if I wanted to propose, you would say no?"

"No, that's different. We have a history."

"So do they, it just isn't as mixed up as ours."

"You're right, it was kind of crazy how everything happened so fast once I stopped denying my feelings. Tonight was a great idea, it felt somewhat normal. It's nice to know that we can already go on a date without automatically expecting something to happen at the end of it."

"Who said I wasn't expecting something? I paid for you to eat, and I'm rubbing your feet. You owe me." He winked and puckered his lips in my direction.

I laughed, "I know you're lying. Otherwise we wouldn't be parked in my mother's driveway with the engine running."

"Well, I'm not eighteen anymore. I like spending time talking to you, you make me laugh. I just want to show you that I'm not in this just for one thing. I want more with you." He looked back down at my feet. I almost didn't hear him when he spoke again, "Bella, where do you see this going? What are we doing? I mean, I always hoped this would happen, but I never thought about what we were supposed to do after."

I didn't know what to say so I thought for a minute. "Hmm. I see this eventually going back to where we were, only better. I think we are enjoying being with each other, and there isn't any one thing we're supposed to do. I think we should just do what feels right when it feels right. No pressure."

"I'm afraid that I'm gonna scare you off. I want to be with you all day, every day. I want you all day, every day. I can't stop thinking about you even after we've been together for hours. That all feels right to me now." He gave me a half smile, and his green eyes were sparkling , but behind the smile and the sparkle there was concern.

"I know what you mean. I don't know exactly how to behave here either. We both have lives outside of each other but it's so easy to forget everything and everyone else. Part of me wants to leave right now and go somewhere so we can get married. Another, more reasonable, part of me knows that I don't have a job, and neither one of us owns a house. We just have to be smart about which parts to listen to."

He nodded his head, "I guess I should listen to my smarter parts and take you inside now. It's getting late, and I have some work to do first thing in the morning." As he said it he ran his hand up the back of my leg and caressed my calf. He sighed with a wistful look on his face.

He helped me out of the truck and he walked with his arm around my waist. When we reached the door I invited him in for some hot chocolate, but he declined.

"If I come inside I know what you'll do to me. I'm trying to be good here. Let me." He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you."

I wrapped my arms around him, "I love you too. And just so you know, I'll let you be good. I'll also let you be bad, naughty, dirty, rough, and or insatiable any. Time. You. Want." I punctuated the last few words each with a lingering kiss to his adams apple.

He slid his hands down and cupped my ass roughly, grinding me on to him, and groaning low and loud. Then he smacked me on the ass, but not hard enough, and laughed.

"Jesus, woman. Do you want me to fuck you on your mothers porch?"

"Edward, I want you to fuck me everywhere we go."

He jumped back like I had burned him. "I have to go, NOW. You can't say... You can't expect me to not... you... you, just... I'm leaving. I'll talk to you later, Bella. I love you."

He turned to jog back to his truck so I raised my voice to make sure he could hear me, "Call me, when it feels right, no pressure." He threw me a smile and a wave, then he left.

I opened the door hoping that he knew I was serious about not pressuring him. I didn't want to rush back in to things too quickly. I didn't want to lose this again because of some stupid mistake.

I had noticed that my mom wasn't home, again. She'd been gone a lot lately. I wasn't sure if that was because of me, or something else. I just hoped that if she were upset with me she would talk to me about it. Then again I hadn't given her much of an opportunity to with everything going on.

I walked back to my room and started undressing. I heard my cell phone beep and saw that I had a text message from Edward.

Too soon? ;)

I smiled and turned to look out the window and saw his light on. I texted back:

Never. I miss you already.

I miss you 2

You left me with a problem Edward, come help a girl out?

...don't tempt me, go to bed

only with you

better be, only me. Love you Bella.

I turned off the light and climbed in to bed. I watched through the trees until his light went off too. I was tired enough to sleep, but too happy to miss this moment.

I hung up my phone and stared at it in disbelief. That was one phone call that I never expected to receive. After the way she had pretty much handed me my ass in the grocery store, Elizabeth Masen was the last person I expected to get a call from.

I had to know what inspired the need in her to apologize to me. Edward must have said something to her. Crap, now she probably thinks I was tattling on her. I decided to send him a quick text and find out what was going on.

Just got an interesting call from your mom... care to explain?

I waited for a minute, but there was no response, so I decided to look over my new hire packet that the hospital had given me. One week after the new year, I had gotten a call about an opening in their department that handled patient accounts, and dealt with insurance and payments. It wasn't my first choice, but it was a job. When I went for the interview I found out that I would get to help people track down funds that may be available to them from different organizations, so they wouldn't have to pay as much out of pocket. I liked the idea of helping people.

Luckily for me, one of my mom's friends called in a few favors and I was given the job. I couldn't wait to start. Though I would miss getting to see Edward as much. The few weeks we had been back together had been nothing short of perfect.

We talked, a LOT, about everything, and there were still things we needed to work out, but it was getting better. The best part was that we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. One of the welcome side effects of a good sex life was that the desire to be naked with Edward completely overrode whatever irrational discomfort I had with actually being naked. I couldn't dwell on it when he put his mouth and hands-

Sorry, hands were full. Good conversation?

Full of what? Maybe, why?

Wood. Just curious.

Thinking of me? Good, but odd, what did u say 2 her?

Always. Just what needed 2 be said.

Don't fight over me, not worth it.

Totally worth it.

Arguable. Coming for lunch 2day?

I heard a knock at the back door and looked up to see Edward grinning and waving shyly at me. I smiled and crossed the room to let him in.

"Since when do you knock?"

"Since I wanted to make sure you weren't mad at me. I swear it was nothing. I was just talking to her and explained that we're back together, and that she was under quite a few misapprehensions based on what all she had heard from Tanya. I told her the truth and she thought it would be a good idea to apologize."

"Well, thanks. It's kind of nice to know that my boyfriend's mother doesn't want to kill me with her bare hands."

Edward wrapped his arms around me and breathed in my hair.

"Is that all I am to you? Just a boyfriend?"

"No, but no one else understands, and there is no word that encompasses how much you mean to me."

"Hm. I feel the same way."

He leaned down and kissed me slowly before straightening up and smiling down at me.

"So, is there something specific you want me to make you for lunch, or are leftovers okay?"

I turned to go in the kitchen, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to him. He kissed me long and hard, until I couldn't hold myself up any more.

"Actually, Bella, I was hoping we could skip lunch and go for some afternoon delight."

I swallowed hard. "Edward, do you want me to fuck you on my mother's living room floor?"

"Yes, Bella, I do."

That was all I needed to hear. I knew my mom was at work, and we had hours before anyone would be here. We didn't waste any time, but that was okay, because we had plenty of time ahead of us.

THE END