Disclaimer: SM owns the characters, I just get a great feeling from writing this.
Huge thanks to my friend Mari, who words cannot describe. Love You!
As always, please read A/N at the end.
Chapter 9: Slow Surrender
"I was about half in love with her by the time we sat down.
That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty... you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are."
J. D. Salinger
"Can I ask you a question?" I breathe into the phone.
"You just did." She says mocking me.
I roll my eyes at her antics. I decide not give importance to her remark and just ask her. If not, I would simply lose the opportunity to do so.
"If you've been living on your own for a while now, why couldn't I call you before?"
It's ten o'clock of a Thursday night. I've been laying in bed for about an hour now, just talking to her. After today's day at work, I needed a distraction. What better distraction than her? I kept thinking about our date tomorrow, and I ended up losing it. Although I already know what we will be doing, that doesn't mean that she'll like it.
I decided to text her asking her if I could call her. She didn't send me a text back. She did even better. She called me herself.
We've been talking about nothing and everything for the past fifty minutes. I still felt a bit weird about calling her, even though I know she wasn't working and she wasn't with him. That's why I couldn't help it; I had to know why she had an aversion to my calling her, and if she still has it. I also need to know why, if she's going through a divorce, she got so mad at me last time I called her.
I have so many questions about her. She's not only surrounded by this hard shell, she's also a puzzle. I figure if I'm going to be with her for real now, I have to know her for real too. I'm just smart enough not to ask the heavy questions right away. Besides, the hardcore, twisted, dark secrets she may have are not the only thing I want to know.
I want to know the smallest bits. I want to know the selfless girl who took care of her mother. I want to know the opinionated girl who wanted to be a journalist. I wish to find out what makes her smile when nobody's watching.
I should write a list. It'd be never ending.
"Despite what you might believe Edward, I'm really careful with my job. I don't need distractions. You've been distraction enough as it is. If I made you think calling was okay, then I'd be waiting for your call each time my cell phone rings, and you know that it's a lot."
I mull over her words first. I know how dedicated she is to her work. But maybe that's just a self defense mechanism. Maybe she uses work as a distraction to her feelings. This is a thought we're not ready to approach yet, so I don't mention it.
Instead I focus on the fact she said she'd be waiting for my call. I smile.
"What do you mean enough distraction as it is? I'm confused." I tell her honestly.
She sighs into the phone.
"I just had to juggle you into my life. I had—have a crazy work scheduled, and I had to deal with James, as little as it was. Then, all of the sudden, I find myself having another situation going on. I thought constantly about how to make it work; when I was going to see you again. That was a distraction." She sighs again, tiredly.
I realized perhaps this wasn't as light as I thought it would be. It's not surprising.
"But I can call you now, right?" I ask timidly, trying to put an end to this subject.
"Yeah, I guess. You can call me now." I don't hear much conviction in her voice. In the past, I would've left it at that. I would've been happy with anything she gave me, but now I just can't settle. I want her to be truthful to me about anything. I want her to be sure about everything she decides; everything she tells me.
"Jeez, don't sound so certain about it." I tell her. Maybe if I use sarcasm she'd pick up on the fact that I'm not so serious.
"Don't be like that."
"I'm just kind of offended you know? Here I am, laying in bed in the middle of the night, dedicating precious time of my life to talking to you…" I joke.
I'm trying to keep us from spiraling into an argument.
Halfway through my sentence, I noticed I sound like Emmett, who hasn't called me yet. I don't dwell on that fact because the melodic, rare sound of Bella's laughter on the phone is enough to bring me a lifetime of happiness.
"The middle of the night? It's not even eleven!" She exclaims, as if I'm not aware of this. As if I haven't gone to sleep later than this. For some reason, the emotion behind her voice, although she's probably joking, makes me smile.
"Yeah, well, it's still late. I thought you were enjoying talking to me." I say with attempted humor in my tone.
"I am enjoying talking to you. I always do." The seriousness in her voice lets me know that she knows me too well.
"So do I Bella. So do I."
Friday night comes too fast, or too slowly. I can't decide. I went to work and the minutes wouldn't pass. Then, when I finally got home to get ready for my date, I don't know where the time went. I don't want to be late. After a bit of coaxing on my part, Bella agreed to let me pick her up. Therefore, I need to spend a little more time driving than I'd like, but I don't mind. Tonight is going to be perfect. I hope.
I took a quick shower and threw on my favorite jeans, a new dark blue shirt and a black leather jacket. I was completely sure these clothes were the right way to go. However, now as I stand barefoot in front of my mirror, I'm not so happy about the way I look anymore.
I don't have time to act like a high school girl, worrying about outfits. Although, I admit I do feel pressured to look my best. With a sigh, I decide that I look good enough for the place we'll be going. I go a little overboard with the perfume, but I can't help myself. I'm nervous.
After noticing, for the thousand time in my life, that I can't do much about my hair; I grab my keys and leave. On my way to the car, I text Bella, letting her know I'm about to be on the road.
The whole drive to Bella's apartment I'm a wreck. I spend the whole time wishing I could call Emmett for advice. I've had my fair share of dates, both good and bad. A night like tonight can go either way. It would've been nice to sit and have a chat with my brother.
I will myself to stop thinking about that and focus on my Isabella. I hope she likes where we're going. It's a food place I discovered a while ago in a mindless drive I did. I don't go much, because it's too romantic to go by myself. I'm beyond happy that I can share this with Bella.
I arrive to her place with no trouble whatsoever and for this I'm glad. It would've been horrible if I got lost. I park in the street in front of her building. For a moment, I'm not sure what to do. Do I call her and ask her to come down? Do I ring her so she let me in? I don't think she told me which number her apartment was.
I'm starting to panic a little bit when a slight movement in front of me distracts me. Directly in my line of sight, the silver screen door that gives way to the inside of the building opens widely. Bella emerges, striking as ever, walking with firm steps towards me. As she makes her way, I take my time to take her all in. She's wearing knee high boots, fitted jeans and a loose top. Her look is finished with her long wavy hair flowing with the wind.
I stare at her dumbfounded. She's breathtaking. My body is already reacting to the way she looks. My mind is already conjuring ways to do her tonight. When she meets my eyes, she smirks in a devilish manner, as if she can tell what I'm thinking. Without realizing it, I step forward, burning with the anticipation of finally having her next to me.
When she's finally in front of me, I take a moment to appreciate her face. Her creamy skin seems to glow and her eyes are bright. Apparently my seconds of appreciation are too long for her, because she places her hand on my chest and pecks me on the lips. I smile and touch her hand on my chest. I tread my fingers through hers and kiss her palm.
"Hi." I say simply. I can't manage more than that.
She lets go of my hand and reaches for my hair. She removes the locks that fall on my forehead and makes her way towards the back of my head. She pulls softly, eliciting a groan that makes her smile.
"Hi, handsome." She says finally. "I thought you were going to go bald if I didn't come down any sooner." She says with an eye roll. I look at her in confusion, asking her to explain.
"I saw you when you got here from my window. I thought you were going to ring me or call me to let you in, but you just started pacing and tugging your hair."
"And you just stood there watching me go crazy, didn't you?" I rebuff playfully, holding her hand again.
"Yeah, well. You looked cute, all flustered and nervous." I lower my eyes, ashamed of not looking as put together as I want. She starts walking towards the street, pulling me by the hand. "Come on, let's go. Where are you taking me?" The emotion in her voice brings a smile to my face.
"I'm not answering that." I say with a smile still in place. We reach the car and I open her door. She smiles kindly, thanking me.
I walk to my door, get in and we're on our way. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she speaks.
"I don't really like surprises."
Of course she doesn't, I muse internally. A woman who's so used to having control wouldn't like the uncertainty that comes with surprises.
"I'm hoping this one can be the exception."
The rest of the drive is filled with light conversation. By the time we get to the place, I'm starting to feel positive about tonight. We get to our destination and I park the car in the area that's reserved for clients. There are no cars parked in here.
Even though everything's been so far so good, when I go around the car to open her door, I get a little nervous again. I look at her apprehensively, waiting for a bad comment about where we are. When it doesn't come, my nerves calm down a bit. Or maybe she hasn't realized where we are yet.
I start walking but she doesn't follow. I turn around and she looks petrified.
"Where are you going?" She asks in exasperation.
"We're having dinner, remember? You have to follow me." I say calmly, trying not to laugh out loud.
"Yes, I know we're having dinner, but you're going into the woods." She says slightly irritated.
I smile internally. When I chose this place to bring Isabella, I didn't know how she was going to take it. The restaurant we're going it's a 1950's inspired fast food place called W&S. It's located in the outsides of a little rounded meadow of a forest. I love this place. It's fun and casual, but the secluded location makes it perfect for dates.
When Jessica gave me the reference about burgers, I immediately thought of this. The combination of the food and the '50's decoration, plus the innovation of being hidden makes for a nice place to come and just chill.
The owners are a lovely middle aged couple that started off with a hot dog stand. I've been coming here for a few years now, only once or twice a year. However, each time I come, Joseph and Valentina treat me like I'm an everyday costumer. I called last week to reserve what I consider the best table and ask them to accommodate anything Bella may want.
"Did you just notice that? Where do you think we were going when I parked here?" I decide to play a bit with her, although I'm not sure if that's the best way to approach her doubtful look.
"I don't know! That's why I don't like surprises! You parked here in this strange place and I don't know what's going on. I decided to just wait and see, until you started walking off to the woods and I couldn't stand it anymore."
I sigh and tug my hair. She's really agitated. I don't want that.
I go back to her and take her hand. I kiss her forehead, because I can't help it, and decide to coax her into following me.
"Bella, babe, calm down. I know this doesn't look great to you now, but please just come with me. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep…" I murmur softly, seductively in her ear. I run my nose through the side of her face, getting high on her scent. I feel her sag against me. She looks up at me with an unreadable expression.
"And miles to go before I sleep…" She responds finally. I stare at her, shocked.
"You know Robert Frost?" This is the kind of information I want to know about her.
She rolls her eyes at me, for the tenth time tonight.
"Who doesn't?"
"And here I thought I impressed you with my outstanding knowledge…" I say with mirth.
"You don't have to quote anyone for me to know how smart you are. It comes out without you even trying." She says with a serious look on her face.
Her compliment tingles all over my heart. I feel warm inside. I want to smile brightly but instead I pretend to pout. "Do you mean I come off as a nerd even though I try not to?"
That gets her talking on and on about how I do not know what being a nerd is. She proceeds to tell me all her stories involving nerds, as we walk toward the W&S's entrance. When we reach the little path that leads to the door, I hear her gasp quietly. In all honesty, it's hard for me not to gasp along with her.
The path is filled with twinkle lights and colored scented candles. From our point of view, we can see two other couples sitting comfortably inside. The red and white walls of the restaurant greet us happily. Everything looks better than I remembered.
"I can't believe this…" She murmurs almost to herself. She's gaping. She hadn't notice the place till we got right here to the front, since the tress and darkness of the night cover almost everything from the outside world.
Before I can respond to Bella's out loud thought, Valentina comes out of nowhere to receive us.
"Cielo!" She exclaims in Spanish, while wrapping her arms around my shoulders, "You're finally here! Joseph and I were starting to worry about you, jovencito. I thought you got lost." She says with a severe look on her face. I know where she's going with this. It's the same every time I come. She pretends she's worried I got lost; because it's been so long since the last time I was here.
Before I can stop her mini melodrama, she gasps loudly. "Dios Mio! She's lovely, Edward. Introduce her to me." She tells me loudly. I chuckle at her antics and turn around to grasp Bella's hand. When I turn around, I see the pleading look on Bella's face. She looks scared. I try to give her a reassuring look.
"Valentina, this is Isabella Swan. Isabella, this is Valentina White, or Tina how she likes to be called." Isabella is apprehensive at first, almost shy, but she composes herself and greets the lovely woman with polite grace.
Valentina, being her, hugs Bella as if she's her long lost child while gushing about how beautiful she is. She takes us to our table while engaging us in conversation. Isabella smiles in all the right places and looks attentive enough. I hope she's not putting up a show and it's truly enjoying talking to Tina.
We get ourselves set in our table and get a few minutes alone before ordering. I take this time to find out what's going through Bella's mind.
"So, do you like it?" I ask, gesturing with my hands to the restaurant.
She looks at me with a strange face and remains silent. I start to think she'll tell me she won't like it, but then I remember the awe in her face when we were outside. While we sit there without speaking, I think back to the nervous edge she seemed to be having since we entered the place. I recall her unusual shy self with Tina and let's face it, if she hated the place she would've told me by now.
There must be something else. I know there is. I know she wants me to figure it out on my own. She doesn't want to tell me. What I don't understand is why. Isabella's never been afraid of speaking her mind to me. What can possibly be going on?
"You've been here before." I state after a minute. The realization hits me after considering this is the one of the few reasons she could feel uncomfortable here. I think with joy that she's been so apprehensive about telling me this, out of consideration for my feelings.
She looks at me with a mix of surprise and amazement. It's almost as if she wanted me to figure it out but wasn't quite sure I'd get it right. In a slow motion kind of thing, she shrugs.
"When?" I ask her.
"A long time ago." She breathes and in her eyes I see she doesn't want to tell me more."
"Can you be more specific…? Please…" I add softly.
"I used to have breakfast here…with my mom." She says quietly. "I think she was already an addict, I guess I was too young to notice. Maybe that's why I had fun here…because I didn't know." She surprised me by telling me this. Not only did I think she wasn't going to expand the tale, but I also didn't expect this kind of news.
It makes me sad to know this. In my head I see a lovely, innocent girl playing with the ketchup bottles of the table in front of a stoned mom. I cannot bear this thought and when I look up and see Bella with her head bowed, I feel even worse.
I breathe a long sigh. "I'm sorry Bella. I guess this ruins our night."
She comes out of the hiding place her hair had provided and looks deeply into my eyes. She grabs my hand across the table with an intensity that disarms me.
"No Edward, this makes it perfect."
Link to Bella's outfit: lisstar . polyvore . com/
(Remove the Spaces)
I'm not even going to try to explain myself. I'm just going to say I'M SORRY in big shouty capitals and hope you all believe me, because I really mean it.
And, I'm going to say THANK YOU, if someone it's still out there.
This chapter was supposed to include the whole date, but I kind of felt it ended well here, next one we'll see more date time, plus maybe some sexy time, yes? ;)
Please review, even if just to shout at me. (by the way, I'm FINALLY going to see Breaking Dawn today!)
PS: If you want to read my random semi bipolar rambles, follow me on twitter LisbethTejada.
Till next time, xo.