The Twilight universe and everything in it belongs to Stephenie Meyer, not me. I don't own the Seattle Mariners either, or any sleepwear featuring seafood, raw or otherwise.
Bella sighed and turned over to lie on her back and gaze at the dark ceiling. She had slept on this sofa a hundred times, but tonight it wasn't happening. The beautiful, comfortable, and undoubtedly expensive sofa that Esme had so carefully selected for them seemed to have sprouted lumps every few inches, and she would be willing to swear that she had even been poked by a spring. It suddenly felt far too narrow, despite her tiny frame and the many occasions she and Edward had lay there comfortably cuddled together.
She shifted her position again, curling up on her side. The green glare of the clock on the DVR burned into her retinas, seeming to mock her.
2:17
2:18
2:19
She pushed herself against the back of the couch, wriggling in an attempt to settle into the cushions. She took in several deep breaths and closed her eyes, willing her body to relax.
Her eyes popped open, and she turned to look again at the clock.
2:23
Screw this. She rolled to a sitting position, and gathered the blanket and pillow she had borrowed from Edward earlier. She walked across the room, letting out an involuntary yelp when her toe caught the edge of a rug and she stumbled. She steadied herself and held her breath, listening intensely to the surrounding darkness. When she heard nothing, she continued down the hallway and slowly pushed open the bedroom door, wincing at the slight creak it emitted when she pushed it closed behind her.
Edward was visible in the dim light coming through the window; his long form was sprawled diagonally across the bed, leaving very little usable space. Bella sighed and wondered if she was destined not to sleep tonight. She briefly considered lying down on the futon against the far wall, but decided against it and instead sat down on the edge of the bed, nudging Edward. When he failed to move, she pushed harder, finally poking him in the ribs. His eyes blinked open, and he gazed at her with confusion evident on his face.
"Bella?" His voice was rough. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she replied quietly. "Sorry I woke you up - can you move over?"
Edward wordlessly shifted backwards on the mattress, making space for her, and she lay down facing him.
He reached out to softly stroke her hair. "I thought you said you weren't comfortable with this."
She sighed again. "I'm not, but I was even less comfortable out there," she said, nodding toward the living room. "If I want to survive tomorrow I need to get some sleep. I set my alarm so I'll wake up early and I'll go back out there."
Edward was silent so long that Bella wondered if he had fallen asleep. Then she heard his tired voice coming from the darkness.
"Bella, you're an adult. You can do whatever you want."
Bella did not reply
"And we're engaged."
"Edward, I don't want to have this fight again. I'm tired."
"Alright sweetheart. I just wish I understood what the issue is."
"I know, it's just...I don't know. It's weird."
"Funny girl." Bella could hear the smile in his voice. "Now come here and go to sleep."
"I don't know..." Bella trailed off hesitantly.
"Really?" Edward chuckled.
"Well...I suppose what she doesn't know won't hurt her." She slid over and tucked herself against his chest as his arms wound tightly around her.
"One...two...three! Ha! Paper covers rock," Jasper exclaimed, holding his flat hand in Bella's face.
"Dammit! Best three out of five?" Her voice was pleading.
"Nope. Sorry Sis. I win. She stays with you."
"But you have so much more space!"
"Bella." Jasper was suddenly serious. "We have two bedrooms. You have two bedrooms. We have practically the same apartment. It's your turn."
Bella had been terrified to tell Edward, but when she had informed him of her mother's impending arrival he had taken the news better than she expected. He asked when she would be coming and how long she would be staying, and even offered to take the Friday of her arrival off to help get ready. He had cleaned the apartment from top to bottom and held Bella close during the freakouts and panic attacks that became more and more frequent as the day approached. The only real problem had been their disagreement over the sleeping arrangements. They had agreed that Renee would sleep in Bella's room, and Edward presumed that Bella would be sleeping in his room, a reasonable assumption, since she had not slept in her own bed in weeks. He had been surprised when she complained about having to sleep in the living room, and the first of many arguments over the topic ensued.
Bella considered their conversations as she lay snuggled against him, listened to his heartbeat and felt the movements of his slow breathing against her body. Edward was right, she knew - she was an adult, and he was her fiancé. She could sleep wherever she chose, and she should not be so concerned about what her mother thought. Besides, it wasn't as if anything besides sleep was actually happening in their shared bed, and, given her mother's history, she was the last person who had a right to judge.
But despite all of his excellent logic, Bella could not bring herself to share a room with her boyfriend - or fiancé - with her mother in the house. At least not where she can see, Bella thought with a tiny giggle, before closing her eyes and relaxing into sleep, held tight in Edward's embrace.
****r~d****
Edward awoke to the tiny chirping sound of Bella's alarm. As he knew she would, she reached over and hit the button to snooze. During the night, she had rolled away from him onto her back, and her hair was spread in a tangled cloud around her head. He gazed at her face, which in sleep was more relaxed than it ever was during the day. He loved waking up next to her, almost as much as he loved falling asleep with her in his arms. He watched her sleep for a few minutes until the sound of her alarm filled the room again, causing her forehead to wrinkle in a frown. Edward reached over and turned the alarm off, then began to gently stroke her cheek.
"Bella, baby, wake up."
Bella shook her head, her eyes closed tightly. Edward chuckled. She never woke easily.
"Bella, sweets, you can stay here if you want, but you said last night you wanted to go back out to the sofa before your mom woke up."
She stretched and opened her eyes a little, then closed them again, groaned and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow.
"Do I have to?" Her voice was throaty, and muffled by the pillow.
"No, you don't. You can stay here with me all day if you want." Edward played with Bella's hair idly.
She groaned again, pulling herself up slowly. "Why couldn't she have stayed with Jasper?" she whined. "Or better yet, why couldn't she just stay away?"
Edward smiled at the pout on Bella's sleepy face. "She's your mother, sweets, she loves you."
"Hmph." Bella looked doubtful as she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."
Edward lay back against the pillows. "It's no problem baby. I hope you can get some more sleep too."
Bella exited and pulled the door closed quietly behind her. Edward closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but sleep would not come. Instead, his mind was filled with concern for the woman on the other side of the door. Her relationship with her mother had always been difficult, and he knew she was worried about what this visit would hold.
Edward looked up as the door to his dorm room burst open, revealing a slightly manic-looking Bella.
"She lied to me!"
"Who lied to you?" Even as he asked the question, Edward suspected he already knew the answer. There was only one "she" who could possibly evoke this much emotion in his normally self-controlled friend.
"Who do you think?" Edward winced as Bella slammed the door behind her and crossed the tiny room to throw herself down on Edward's bed.
"What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Bella picked up a book from the shelf next to Edward's bed and began to flip through it. Edward sat in silence, continuing to work on the composition in front of him. Bella clearly did want to talk about it, but no amount of coercion or questioning on his part would make her talk before she was ready. The room was silent for several minutes before either of them spoke again.
"You want anything?" Edward reached over and opened his small refrigerator. He extracted two bottles of water and extended one towards the girl huddled on the bed. She took the bottle from him and twisted off the cap.
"Thanks."
He nodded in reply, then returned to working on his composition - or at least pretending to work - as he waited for her to speak.
"She's living with someone."
Edward looked up from the papers on his desk, relieved that she had started talking, but still careful not to seem too interested. "Oh really? Who?"
"Some guy. His name's Fred or Frank or Francis - some stupid F name."
"Did you meet him?" As much as he wanted to go to her and try to offer some comfort to his clearly grieving friend, Edward stayed where he was. Years of experience had taught him that a false move would lead to an immediate and irrevocable emotional shutout.
"Yes."
Edward remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"I went over to her new place...I thought I would surprise her. Try to be supportive, you know? So when I got there she was all weird, and there were tennis shoes in the living room floor. They were way to big to be hers, so I asked her whose they were, and she got all shifty and wouldn't answer. So then this guy comes out of the bedroom and tries to start talking to me. I asked my mom what the hell was going on, and she said...she said..." Bella's voice broke, and tears began to stream down her face. In a minute, Edward was next to her on the bed with a box of kleenex in hand. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. Bella recovered herself quickly though, and pulled away from him. He could practically see her pulling her usual mantle of stoicism around herself like a blanket.
"What did she say?" he asked quietly.
"She said," Bella answered, her voice full of bitterness, "that she needed someone to help with the rent and that he had moved in to help. When I asked her if he had any problem living with a married woman, she told me it was none of my business and asked me to leave." Bella stood, her face contorted, as she drew a shuddering breath, clearly trying to rein in her emotions. Edward thought she would probably feel better if she just let herself cry, but he knew that suggesting such a thing would be a very bad idea.
"All those years lecturing Jasper and me about 'appropriate dating behavior' and 'setting proper limits' and all the grief she gave Jas when they found out about him and Maria, and now she's living with some random guy?" Bella paced around the room, gesticulating wildly. "She said they are just roommates, but it's a one-bedroom apartment! Does she think I'm stupid? She's such a fucking hypocrite. Literally." Bella laughed, a mirthless bark, and then threw herself back down on the bed. Edward was surprised at her statement - Bella rarely swore, and he was sure he had never heard her use that particular word.
"I don't blame her for leaving Charlie, it's not like he's some great prize, but it's barely been a month since she moved out! Oh, and did I mention the fact that he's like, thirty?"
"No."
"Yep. My 42 year old mother is living with some random 30 year old guy. Do you realize that means he's only 12 years older than me? When she graduated from high school he was in Kindergarten! Gross!"
"Bella..." Edward was hesitant to speak, not wanting to make her more angry. "Bella, she's still your mother. She still loves you, she's just..."
Bella whirled off the bed, turning to face him. "She's what, Edward? What the hell is she?"
Edward reached out a hand to her and pulled her back down next to him. "I don't know. I'm sorry Bella."
Edward's eyes opened, sleep now out of the question. He had forgotten how hurt and angry Bella had been at what she viewed as a betrayal by her mother. It had been months before she was willing to speak to her again, and by that time Fred or Frank or Francis had been gone and replaced by another nameless faceless man. Since that time Bella didn't ask about her mother's love life, and Renee didn't seem inclined to tell. Edward knew Bella was thankful for her mother's reticence.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood up. Maybe Bella wouldn't stay in his room, but he would be damned if her let her sleep in the living room alone.
****r~d****
"Well, isn't this cozy!" Bella's eyes flew open at the sound of her mother's voice. She was disoriented, confused for a moment about where she was and how she had arrived there. Her primary awareness was of Edward's warm presence behind her, and that she was reasonably certain she was not ready to be awake yet. She sat up groggily, perching on the edge of the couch in front of her fiancé's prone form.
"Mom? What time is it?" she asked quietly, rubbing her eyes. She glanced behind her, hoping that they had not woken Edward.
"It's after 7, lazybones! Time to be awake!" Her mother's voice was high-pitched, almost shrill, and Bella resisted the urge to cover her ears.
"Mom, please be quiet. Edward's still asleep."
"I see that." Renee's penciled-in eyebrows rose until they disappeared behind her bangs. "Do you really think this is appropriate, Bella?"
Bella inhaled sharply before she answered in a whisper. "Mother, please lower your voice. I don't think it is any of your business." She felt Edward's hand slide past hers beneath the blanket that still partially covered both of them, and then his fingers intertwined tightly with hers. I guess he isn't as asleep as he looks, she thought, thankful for his silent support.
Renee narrowed her eyes and gazed at her daughter for a moment, then appeared to decide something. "We'll talk about it later. I suppose you have towels somewhere? I would like to take a shower, if that is alright with you?"
"Yes, mom, of course. There are clean towels under the sink in the bathroom."
"Very well then." Renee turned and exited the room. As soon as she heard the bathroom door close, Edward shifted behind her, sitting up and sliding his arms around her waist, pulling until she was snug against him.
"Are you alright?" His voice was low, the words spoken directly into her ear, and were followed by a gentle kiss to her earlobe.
"I guess." Edward had shifted his attention from kissing her earlobe to nuzzling her hair, and Bella shivered.
"I'm proud of you for standing up to her."
"Yeah, well..." Bella was unsure which flustered her more - Edward's murmured compliment or the feel of his fingers caressing her sides. Either way, she found it nearly impossible to formulate a response. She relaxed back into him and let the heat from his body and his gentle touch drive the tension brought on by her mother's presence out of her body. They sat in silence until Bella felt herself start to doze off again. She was startled out of her stupor by several loud knocks on the door. She turned and looked at Edward, only to see her own confusion mirrored on his face. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged, then gently helped her to her feet before standing himself and moving towards the door. Bella followed close behind, curious to see who would be at their door this early on a Saturday. Most of the people in their life still operated on college time and probably didn't even know 7 o'clock came twice a day.
Edward opened the door to reveal a man Bella had never seen before. He was tall, with the powerful build of an aging athlete who has not entirely let himself go. Bella judged him to be in his mid to late thirties, and she repressed the urge to giggle at the sudden thought that it looked like his hairline was fleeing in fear from his heavy eyebrows. He smiled hesitantly, and Bella inhaled, about to greet the stranger, when her mother swept in from the room behind them, swathed in a silk kimono and smelling strongly of some perfume Bella did not recognize.
"Phil!" Renee wrapped her arms around the stranger and stood on tiptoes to kiss him briefly on the cheek. She turned to face her daughter, who had been struck dumb by the events of the past few minutes. "Bella, Edward, I would like you to meet my husband, Phil."
****r~d****
Breakfast probably didn't need quite as much attention as Edward was giving it, but he knew it was a better idea to focus on cooking than to involve himself in the conversation currently happening in the dining room unless he had to. He listened as the pancakes sizzled, alert for any sounds of distress from Bella. He wasn't sure what he could do exactly, but he would figure something out if the need arose.
When he considered the matter, Edward decided that conversation might not be the right word, given what he was hearing, or not hearing, from the next room. There hadn't been any yelling, which to some might appear to be a good thing, but Edward knew better. Angry loud Bella was infinitely preferable to cold silent fury Bella, and furious she was, indeed. Edward had let Renee and Phil back into the apartment after Bella had slammed the door on them while they stood in the hallway after Renee's introduction, and it had taken no small amount of persuasion, ranging from pleading to shouting, from Renee to get Bella to emerge from Edward's bedroom and come to the dining room, where the three of them, Bella, Renee, and Phil, currently sat.
Edward's attention was pulled away from eavesdropping on Renee's sporadic monologue by the vibration of the phone in his pocket.
We're on our way up.
Edward slipped quietly from the kitchen, grateful that he did not have to pass through the dining room to get to the front door. He had wasted no time sending an urgent text message to both Alice and Jasper, asking them to come over, and to hurry. He opened the door and entered the hallway, waiting for the arrival of his soon-to-be brother and sister-in-law. They emerged from the stairwell with distressed expressions - Alice's worried, Jasper's angry.
"What did she do this time?" Jasper asked, his voice exasperated.
"She got married." Edward had been sparing with the details in his text messages, but he thought it best to give Jasper some warning about what he was about to walk into.
"She what?" Alice's voice was so high pitched on her last word that Edward was surprised it didn't start the neighbor's dog barking.
She got here last night, and then this morning a guy showed up at our door at Renee said he was her husband. His name is Phil. That's all I know."
"How did Bella take it?"
"Well, she didn't punch anyone - but she did shut them out in the hall." Edward chuckled at the memory of Renee's shocked face the instant before the door slammed. "She hasn't really said much since then."
Jasper inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders. He raised his eyebrows ruefully at his wife, then walked though the door.
Alice looked at Edward, concern puckering her delicate features. "What should we do?"
"You can come help me cook breakfast and listen in, if you want - unless you want to go join the fun?"
"Hells no. Cooking it is." They crossed the living room and entered the kitchen, where Edward flipped the pancakes on the griddle before joining Alice at the tiny table where she listened intently to Renee's voice floating in from the dining room.
"Honestly Bella, I don't understand where this hostility is coming from. It's not as if there is anything wrong with me getting married."
It was Jasper's voice they heard reply. "Some warning would have been nice, mom. How would you feel if some random guy showed up at your door and announced he was Bella's husband?"
"Don't be ridiculous Jasper. This wasn't some evil plot, Phil didn't think he could come, and he caught a last-minute flight. I was going to tell you this weekend! Besides, I would be thrilled if Bella ever managed to catch a husband, not angry."
"Mother, I am engaged." Just from the tone of her voice, Edward could picture Bella's expression - her mouth would be tight, and her eyes bright and strained from unshed tears.
"Yes dear, I know you said that, but you haven't even set a date yet!" Renee's laughter was like shattering glass. "And from what I saw this morning, I doubt there ever will be. No man is going to buy the cow when he can get the milk for free!"
At these words, Edward rose from the table and started for the dining room. As much as he hated to get involved, there was no way he was letting Bella face this alone. He was so focused on getting to her that he nearly ran her over on her way out of the dining room. He took one look at her face, then took her hand and pulled her towards his bedroom. Once they were closed in it's relative safety, he enfolded her in his arms. She stood stiffly for a moment, then seemed to sag against him. He felt moisture on the fabric covering his shoulder, and then felt her begin to shake with quiet sobs. He guided her to the bed and pulled her down next to him, settling them both back against the pillows so she could lay comfortably against him as she cried. He took a moment to say a quick prayer of thanks that, unlike that occasion a few years prior, Bella would at least allow herself to be comforted, instead of corralling all of her pain inside her carefully constructed walls.
He continued to cuddle her until her sobs slowed to an occasional hiccup. She lifted herself off his chest and rolled over onto her back, rubbing her face.
"This has not been a good day. And it's not even eight yet." Bella sighed deeply.
Edward propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her face. Even blotchy and covered with tearstains, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"I love you."
Bella looked back at him, raising her eyebrows in what looked like mild disbelief, but a tiny smile had begun to lift the corners of her mouth.
"And I'm dying to buy the cow. We can go find a nice cattle auction and buy it today if you want."
Her smile was unmistakable now.
"And as far as the milk goes...that's priceless, and I'll bet it's fantastic." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, which prompted a giggle from Bella. Edward scowled at her. "What are you laughing at woman? There is nothing funny about livestock!" Then, without warning, he pinned her to the bed and began blowing raspberries against the skin of her neck until she was shrieking with laughter. She managed to wiggle her arms free and retaliated, poking his sides where she knew he was most ticklish. The tickle fight continued until they both collapsed breathlessly onto their backs.
"I bet the pancakes are burned."
"That would be a shame," Bella replied, reaching over to pat his hand. "You make awesome pancakes."
Edward flipped his hand over and caught hers, weaving their fingers together. "Maybe Alice saved them."
"One can only hope."
They lay in silence for a little while, until Edward got up. "C'mon," he said, pulling Bella to her feet. "We've gotta to go back out sometime, might as well be now."
Bella resisted, collapsing like dead weight back onto the bed. "Do we have to?"
"Yep," Edward replied, pulling her back to her feet and into his arms. "But no matter what, you can always come back - you'll always be safe here with me."
****r~d****
Bella really, really hated to admit she was wrong. She hated to even admit the possibility that she could be wrong. But by Saturday evening, she had begun to have a tiny suspicion that maybe she had been a bit hasty in her judgment of her new stepfather.
Phil wasn't so bad. In fact, he was kind of...nice. And somehow, by extension, he made her mother nicer too. Phil's last-minute arrival had not been the only surprise; he had managed to acquire tickets to a Mariners game that afternoon, so the six of them made their way to Safeco field for the afternoon. Bella was not much of a baseball fan, but she had fun letting Edward and Jasper try to explain the game to her, occasionally squabbling over various points of information. She found a certain pleasure as well in Edward's solicitous attention. Alice's eyes glowed as she watched them together and admired the diamond sparkling on Bella's hand. After perusing Bella's choice of jeans and one of Edward's t-shirts, Renee commented with a sigh that she "would love it if she had a really feminine daughter", but after Phil stepped in and said he thought Bella looked nice, Renee made no more critical comments. By the end of the game, she was almost mellow, laughing at Jasper's jokes and even telling Bella that she liked the way she had worn her hair. Bella was astounded at Phil's influence on Renee, since she was normally as tense as an overwound spring.
After the game, Phil offered to take them all to dinner, since, as he said, "they hadn't made it to the wedding" - Bella resisted the urge to point out that they had not actually been invited to the wedding, since she did not want to disturb the tenuous peace that had been struck among her various family members, but she exchanged an eye-roll with Jasper when her mother wasn't looking.
They found a sports-themed bar and grill near the stadium, and had a fun dinner, full of light conversation. They learned that Phil was a plumber who had played baseball when he was younger, but his dreams of going pro, along with his college scholarship, had disappeared when he had torn his ACL - sadly enough, it hadn't even happened while he was playing ball, but in a waterskiing accident. He asked lots of questions, and seemed genuinely interested in learning about not just his two new stepchildren, but their significant others as well. He discussed a civil war documentary he had seen on the History Channel with Jasper, and although he swore he knew nothing about fashion, he listened attentively as Alice described the new summer designs. He chatted with Edward about music, even writing down some of the bands Edward said he liked so that he could look them up. He admitted to Bella that he had never been able to comprehend Shakespeare, and said he was impressed that not only did she get it, but that she loved it. Renee sat quietly through most of the conversation, occasionally commenting on the food or asking a question. Bella could not remember having a more pleasant evening in the presence of either of her parents, and by the end of the evening, she was both pleased that her mom had married Phil, and mystified at how on Earth she had managed to wind up with such a nice guy.
It was only after they returned to Edward and Bella's apartment and were seated in the living room that Renee again broached the subject of her daughter's pending nuptials.
"Bella dear, if you are serious about this engagement you really should choose a wedding date. Plane tickets are expensive, you know, and the sooner we can buy them the better."
"Well..." Bella trailed off and looked at Edward, a question in her eyes. He nodded and smiled in encouragement.
Bella took a deep breath before addressing her mother. "Mom, it's going to be a while until the wedding. I've been offered a fellowship to study in London, and I've accepted."
Renee's eyes widened, but before she could speak, Bella found herself tackled to the couch by a flying ball of squealing Alice. "Bella! That's so amazing! Is it the Stratford thing? Ohmygosh that's so great! I knew you would get it, I just knew it!"
Jasper laughed at his wife's antics. "Alice, stop jumping up and down on Bella before you puncture her lung or something. Congratulations, baby sister. I knew you could do it."
Bella blushed deeply and buried her face in Edward's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"Dear, are you sure you want to do that?" At Renee's question, the the room fell silent.
Bella turned to her mother, confused. "What?"
"Are you really sure you want to do that? Do you honestly think it is a good idea?"
Bella looked her mother in the eyes. "Yes mom, I do. I'm sure. Why on Earth would I pass up an opportunity like this?"
Phil tried to interrupt his wife, but it was no use. "No Phil, she needs to hear this, I am only looking out for her best interests." Renee shrugged off Phil's restraining hand and spoke as if she were explaining the rules of Candyland to a very small child. "You've found a man who says he wants to marry you. It seems very silly to give that up just to go read some old plays."
Bella's eyes filled with tears, but before she could say anything, Renee continued. "After all, you can read plays anytime, but you never know if another man will come along who wants you. You really should snatch him up while you can. Stop that silly crying, I am just saying this for your own good."
"The Stratford fellowship is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Bella said, rising from the couch, "and besides, I am not giving up anything. Edward is coming to London with me."
Renee stood as well, and faced her daughter. "That is unacceptable. You will do no such thing."
Bella's eyes blazed behind her unshed tears. "Mother, this is not your decision to make. It is mine, and I have made it. I am going to London, and Edward is coming with me. End of story." She turned to walk away, but Renee grabbed her arm.
"Young lady, you stay where you are and listen. It is bad enough that you are living with him here, but you are absolutely not going traipsing off halfway around the world to live in sin with your boyfriend just so you can study more useless nonsense. The only way I would even consider letting you go is if you marry him first."
Bella took a deep breath, but before she could speak, she felt Edward's strong hand on her arm, above where her mother still gripped tightly. He gently extracted Renee's fingers and stepped between the two women. When he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet, but it carried unquestionable authority.
"Renee, I am going to have to ask you to leave."
"What?" Renee's voice was high with disbelief.
"We appreciate you coming, but if you are going to continue to speak to Bella this way, you are no longer welcome in our home. Please get your things and go." Edward turned away from Renee and took Phil's hand, shaking it politely. "Phil, it was very nice to meet you. Thank you for the game and dinner. I apologize if my decision inconveniences you, but I am sure you understand that I cannot allow this conversation to continue." Phil shook Edward's hand in silence, and put a hand on Renee's back.
"Come on, let's get your things." He led her out of the room and closed the door to Bella's bedroom behind them, effectively silencing her protests. The four that remained in the living room sat in silence for a few moments until they re-emerged with Phil carrying two suitcases.
Edward stood and met them before they got too far into the room. He put his hand gently on Renee's arm and spoke softly. "If you would be willing to apologize to Bella, I am sure she would try to work this out. I know she would love to have a real relationship with you."
Renee looked at him, scorn apparent on her face. "I will do no such thing. I am not apologizing when I have done nothing wrong. She always was a completely unmanageable child. Good luck with her. I wash my hands of the both of you." She shook off Edward's hand and strode out the front door, leaving Phil standing in the middle of the room.
He looked at the four of them sadly. "I'm really sorry things turned out like this. You all seem like nice kids." He paused briefly, the raised his eyebrows hopefully. "Ok if I look you up on Facebook?" At his words, Bella rose and nodded at him. She hesitated for a moment, then crossed to him and placed her arms briefly around his neck. He hugged her back, then hoisted the suitcases and followed his wife out the door.
Bella dropped back onto the couch, and Edward sat down beside her and picked up one of her cold hands. "Are you ok?"
"You just threw my mother out." Bella blinked and shook her head, as if she was trying to clear her vision.
"Bella, sweetheart, are you alright? She was awfully hard on you..."
"You just...you actually...you threw her out."
Edward's voice was filled with concern. "I know that baby, I was there. But I am more worried about you."
"I'm...I'm good, I think. I'm great, actually. It's kind of a shame about Phil though - I liked him." Suddenly Bella flung her arms around an unexpecting Edward, knocking him off balance. "You just threw my mother out! Will you marry me?"
Edward laughed as he righted himself and placed a squeaky kiss on Bella's cheek. "Anytime, baby. You just name the day."
****r~d****
Edward was pulling his comforter down when he heard the familiar knock on his door, followed by the voice he loved more than any other in the world.
"Everybody decent?"
He crossed quickly to the door and pulled it open to reveal Bella in the pajamas he had bought her for her birthday her senior year of high school - the Buffy-inspired "yummy sushi" pajamas. He laughed as she spun around.
"Like them? I was looking for something in a drawer and I found them. I had totally forgotten I even had them here."
Edward grinned down at her. "You look delicious, just like yummy sushi." He circled her waist with his hands, then bent down and bit her shoulder, right over a picture of a California roll.
"Hey! No biting! My sushi!" Bella tried to pull away, but he held her fast and moved his mouth from her shoulder to her neck, kissing gently. Bella ceased struggling and melted against him. "That's better."
With more willpower than he knew he possessed, Edward eventually stepped away from her. "Let's go to bed. It has been a long, difficult day." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "May I assume you won't be sleeping on the couch tonight?"
Bella plopped herself onto the bed. "Nope. Thanks to you."
Edward got into bed next to where Bella was wiggling her way under the duvet. He lay his arm out behind her and she snuggled into his side.
"Are you ok with everything that happened? I feel bad - it wasn't really my business. I just couldn't stand to watch her treat you like that."
"Are you kidding?" Bella turned and propped herself up on his chest so she could see his face. "Edward, no one has ever stood up for me like that. No one. Not even Jasper. He defied them, sure, and he was always on my side, but what you did..." Bella scrunched her face up and dropped her head onto Edward's chest. Her voice was muffled as she continued, "that was amazing."
They lay together quietly for a long time, Bella's head resting on him and his fingers stroking slowly thorough her hair. Edward reached over and switched off the lamp beside the bed, then resumed his previous ministrations. He could feel the tension gradually leaving Bella's body, although he could tell she was still awake.
"We could, you know." He spoke quietly into the dark room.
"We could what?" Bella's voice was sleepy.
"Get married. We still have a few weeks before the fellowship begins. We could go ahead and do it now, before we leave. I know you don't want to elope, but I bet you and Alice and Esme could pull something together.
Bella was quiet for so long that Edward began to wonder if he should have said anything. Finally she replied, her voice uncertain.
"I don't know, Edward. It's all so fast, and there's so much going on - I haven't even heard back from the Stratford people yet, I don't know what housing is like, and I have no idea how heavy my workload will be, and it might affect what the fellowship pays for..." Bella trailed off, but Edward could feel that the tension that had so recently left her had returned.
"It's ok baby, we don't have to do anything. You're right, too much is up in the air. Forget I mentioned it." Listening to his words, Edward thought he had been successful in keeping the disappointment out of his voice. He hoped he had. "Go to sleep, sweets, you've had a hard day." He ran his fingers up and down her back, stroking the muscles there, until he could tell she had fallen asleep. But despite his fatigue, Edward spent much of the night watching the lights from outside reflecting on the ceiling, his mind too full to fall asleep.
A/N Thanks so much to everyone who has read my little story. Every review or story alert email I receive is like a very tiny Christmas morning!
If I may take a moment to rec, go check out Coming Through The Rye. Lots of fun ,plus Scottish accents! http :/ www . fanfiction . net/s/6048208/1/Coming_Through_the_Rye