Chapter 46

"Everywhere"

Bella's POV

It took me pretty much the whole drive to Port Angeles to recover from the appetizer Edward had given me in the car. I didn't know what it was about Edward, or if it was just the fact that we had mad chemistry, but he always managed to take our intimate moments to the next level. I silently hoped that he'd be spending the night with me, taking up where we'd left off.

Once we got to the restaurant we were greeted by an overfriendly hostess that basically drooled over Edward. This thing with every girl responding to Edward's charms was going to get old pretty quick, I thought to myself, as I watched the hostess ogling him as she showed us our table. It was also obvious that the waitress that attended us belonged to the same category of girls.

"What can I get you this evening?" she asked pleasantly as she appeared at our table.

However, it was obvious that her question was directed entirely at Edward, as she pretty much had her back turned to me. Her uniform fit her frame snugly and she was noticeably more amply endowed than I. She had thick blonde hair flooding down her back and the lighting made it shine like gold. Her lips were painted red and they contrasted her pale skin beautifully. She was gorgeous and I wanted to punch her in the nose for having the audacity to even look in his direction. I'd never been the overly jealous type before and this new sensation boggled me.

"I'd like a Coke, please", I replied curtly in an attempt to make her look my way instead. But she seemed to be unfazed by my tone and simply jotted down my order.

"Absolutely", she replied, without tearing her eyes away from him.

"Make that two Cokes. My girl is having a hard time deciding on the food, so let's just start off with some burrata al tartufo and arancini. We'll make up our minds about the main course after that", Edward said, sounding indifferent and without even casting a glance in her direction as he inspected the menu.

The waitress remained hovering at our table, probably still hoping for Edward to notice her.

He finally looked up straight at her and shot her an annoyed look, cocking his eyebrow.

"Just to be clear, this is a special evening and I'd appreciate it if we could have some privacy. I'll let you know if we need anything", Edward said callously, staring her down.

Edward was normally the epitome of politeness and I was momentarily stunned by his sudden rudeness. And the waitress too seemed to be thrown by his coarseness.

"Certainly. Yes, of course", she stuttered in response and jotted down our order with trembling hands. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

She finally turned to me and gave me a nervous smile. I felt bad for her and shot her an attempt at a comforting smile in return.

"Another one bites the dust", I remarked pointedly as the waitress scampered off in a hurry, her posture slightly humbled by the rejection.

Edward smiled and shook his head.

"She was being rude. And I don't know if you've noticed, but I've only got eyes for you. " He shot me one of those killer smiles and then turned his eyes to the menu once more.

Way to shut me up, Cullen.

"So… am I your girl now?" I asked, my voice faltering as I uttered the words. I surprised myself with my own question. I hadn't actually intended to speak it out loud, but it had slipped out of me involuntarily.

Edward looked at me from behind his menu, his face turning into a smirk.

"I mostly just said that because I wanted to shut her up", he said gleefully and then silently studied me, probably awaiting my reaction.

I nodded in assent to what he'd just said. My cheeks flared with heat. I felt as if I'd exposed myself somehow, even though he'd been the one to call me "my girl". Did I want to be his girl?

"Anyway, I don't want to rush you or anything. I think I've been doing enough of that", he added, his voice now tender and less gleeful.

I shrugged slightly at his remark, not sure how I felt about it. This dating thing was turning out to be a big can of worms in more than one way and it had left me feeling conflicted about my own feelings more than once this past week.

"However…", he continued, smiling teasingly at me, "once you do feel like you're ready to be my girl then I'll readily be your boy."

I felt my face turn into a wide grin at his words.

"That's good to know", I replied blithely.

He smiled at me and then returned to inspecting the menu.

"So I think we should go for the swordfish and the mascarpone risotto. And maybe also the osso buco. It's supposed to be good", he concluded after a minute or so. "What do you think?"

"I think that you're trying to fatten me up", I retorted jokingly.

"Well, more to love I suppose", he countered, smiling at me and giving me an indecipherable look.

Was that what this was? Love?

"Let's do it", I replied and smiled gently at him.

Let's have a ridiculously oversized dinner. Let's love each other?

Our entrees arrived soon after. The waitress served us swiftly, obviously avoiding lingering any longer than she had to at our table. She attentively took Edward's order for the main course, but this time refraining from ogling him, keeping her eyes fixed on her notepad. The food was delicious and the serene atmosphere at the restaurant was nothing less than perfect. This evening was perfect.

"So have you spoken to your mom at all since you got back?" he suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts. I could tell that he was trying to sound casual about it, but I could also tell that he was curious to know the answer.

"Umm… Not really, no", I answered hesitantly while nervously folding the napkin that was on the table in front of me. "Or I mean, I asked Charlie to tell her that I wanted some space when she called. I'll talk to her eventually."

I could sense his eyes on me, waiting for me to further divulge on the subject.

"I'm just still…I don't know… I'm still pretty mad at her for putting me in that situation. Or well, I mean…" I heard my voice falter. It wasn't as if I was trying to diminish my own part in what had gone down. It was just that it would probably never have happened had I known that there was a risk of me bumping into Dan.

Edward remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

"It's just the kind of thing she would do. I should have expected it", I finally said. "She's been asking me about him ever since I came here and I know she hasn't really let go of the thought of…" I trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"That she really likes you and Dan together?" Edward completed my sentence for me.

I looked at him, trying to determine what he was feeling right now. But his face was illegible, leaving it to my imagination to decipher what he was feeling about the current topic.

"Something like that, yes", I shrugged and looked down at my plate.

"I suppose that it is not entirely crazy why she would think that. Given your history, I mean", Edward replied matter of factly.

"Why would someone want that for their daughter though? I mean, he wasn't particularly nice to me in the end. He was an ass, really. And I'm not entirely convinced our relationship was that healthy. Or our friendship for that matter", I rebutted, a bit more heated than I had intended for it to come out.

"Maybe she doesn't know all the details?" Edward tried.

"She knows more than enough. You don't have to defend my mother."

Edward nodded slightly in response to what I'd just said.

"I'm sorry that I brought it up. My curiosity got the best of me, like always", he finally said after remaining quiet for a long while. He shot me an apologetic smile and shrugged.

"It's fine. I like talking to you about everything. Even the complicated stuff", I replied and returned his smile.

His face broke into an even bigger smile and he proceeded to reach across the table to grab my hand. As he took hold of it he gently squeezed it and ran his index finger along the back of my hand. His touch made the skin of my hand tingle and I felt a cluster of warmth form in the pit of my stomach.

"So do you think your mom would like me?" His face was a mix of curiosity and anxiety as he pronounced the question and I could sense his index finger circling my hand at an increased pace.

"She would love you", I asserted firmly, smiling as I squeezed his hand in affirmation. "This Greek-god-with-good-manners-and-brains-thing you've got going must have gone down well with previous mother-in-laws as well?" Now I was the one prying, looking for validation.

He smiled and rolled his eyes at me.

"I think I've been pretty transparent about the fact that I haven't really had any mother-in-laws or anything of the sort previously", he said with a gleeful smile, cocking one eyebrow at me.

"I'm just asking", I tried to reply casually, but also sensing the color of my cheeks betraying me.

"No you're not. But it's adorable", he replied, looking at me with affection.

I smiled awkwardly at him.

"Do you think your parents will like me?" I countered, suddenly feeling very self-aware. If his parents knew anything about me at all or our history, or whatever it was, I doubted the fact that they would like me.

"They like you already. Rose and Emmett have been hyping you up for months now. You're all the rage at Casa Cullen." He smiled timidly at me and gave my hand an encouraging squeeze.

I smiled slightly at him, still doubting the fact that they would like me.

"I don't tell my parents everything that goes on in my life either, you know", he continued, as if he'd read my mind. "To them you're just a girl I've been pining over for the past couple of months. They don't ask too many questions as long as I maintain my grades and don't get in trouble with the law."

"It must be nice, having relaxed parents like that."

"It has its perks, yes. Anyhow, they'd really like to meet you", he spoke gently and shot me an inquiring look. "When you're ready, that is", he then added hesitantly.

"I'd like that." And I meant it. Sure, I was nervous as hell at the prospect of meeting his parents. But if Edward and I were going to become a more permanent thing his parents were part of the package. And I really wanted them to like me.

"Okay then." He nodded, looking pleased by my answer. "No pressure though."

I nodded and smiled in assent.

It was almost ten o'clock when we finished our meal and then started our drive back home. We spent the majority of the drive arguing about which music to play on the stereo. Edward made snide remarks about my obvious lack of taste in music and I roasted him right back for having too many albums with classical music in his car. However, in the end he let me pick whatever music I wanted to play and reluctantly admitted that not all songs by Radiohead were entirely dreadful.

"This whole evening was perfect. Thank you", I said, smiling blissfully at him as he parked the car outside my house.

"Yes, I think we did pretty good as far as first dates go."

He looked at me with affection.

"However, this is the part where I'd like to switch our relationship back to our previous state", Edward continued, his voice now filled with glee.

"And by that you mean…?" I inquired curiously.

He leaned in towards me, giving me a lingering kiss. He then pulled back slightly and looked me in the eyes.

"Well, I know it might be a bold request in the light of the fact that this has been our first date. But would you mind terribly if I climbed your window tonight?" His voice was husky and as I looked at him I could see his eyes brimming with lust.

"I want to spend all my nights with you", I spoke, more earnestly than I'd meant to and smiled at him.

What I'd just said seemed to change his emotional state altogether and his suddenly lustful eyes lost their edge and went soft with devotion.

"I'll take that as a yes then", he spoke tenderly and leaned in to kiss me once more. He caught my mouth with gentle compassion and carefully stroked my cheek.

His sudden deluge of affection left me instantly breathless and I sensed my mind become foggy at the touch of his lips. I drew a sharp breath and reveled in his divine scent. I would never get accustomed to this. Ever.

"Charlie's staring at us from behind the curtains, so I'm not going to push my luck any further. For the moment that is", Edward whispered teasingly and let go of me.

I turned my head in the direction of my house to determine if Edward had been joking or not. But sure enough, there Charlie was, barely visible, peering out from behind the curtains. I threw my head back and sighed.

"I thought he was cooler than this", I muttered. I had actually expected Charlie to be a bit more relaxed than this since I knew he actually liked Edward. But apparently I'd been too optimistic.

Edward smirked.

"Well, I don't think he likes me quite as much as he used to", he chuckled.

"Yes, it seems like you're one of Forks most wanted these days. Well, I should go. See you in a bit?"

"Yeah, I'll just find someplace inconspicuous to park my car. I'll be there in 15 minutes or so."

I nodded and then reached for the car door. As I walked up to the house I cringed in advance at the awkward talk Charlie and I would be having once I got inside. I knew Charlie wasn't as relaxed as Renee, but I'd still thought more highly of him than to spy on us. As I hung my jacket I could see him sitting in his chair in the living room, trying to act as if he was casually watching tv.

"You can drop the act. We both saw you spying", I muttered.

His eyes instantly darted in my direction. Charlie was as good at lying as I was and I could see red flames forming on his neck.

"You can't blame a cop for being a cop", he grumbled grumpily.

"Last time I checked, dating wasn't a criminal offense", I retorted, annoyed.

"Well…" Charlie started, but then trailed off, not being able to come up with a valid argument.

"I had a really good time by the way. Thanks for asking", I continued coarsely.

Charlie sighed resignedly and got up from his chair, throwing his hands up.

"I'm sorry, Bella. This is just all very new to me. And I'm glad you had a good time. And I should probably thank Edward for bringing you back ahead of curfew and saving me a couple of gray hairs, even though I said you could stay out a bit later if you wanted to", he spoke apologetically.

"It's fine, dad. But you've got nothing to worry about here. It's Edward. He's nice. He's polite. He's responsible. He's a safe bet. You could do a whole lot worse, as a wise man once said", I replied, my voice gentler this time.

"I know, I know", Charlie grumbled. "Edward Cullen is great and I'm being a pain in the neck for no reason."

"Yes, you are", I agreed affectionately.

"I'll get used to it. I suppose", Charlie continued. "It's just a strange feeling. It feels like I'm losing you when I just got you back."

His words made my heart ache a little. It was no secret that Charlie had wished to be a bigger part of my life ever since Renee and I had left Forks and it was no secret that it was my mom's ceaseless wanderlust that had gotten in the way of him becoming a more permanent element in my life. Our relationship had always been on Renee's terms.

"We're just dating, dad. No one said we're getting married or that I'll be moving in with him", I said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Charlie shuddered at my words.

"Ugh, don't even say things like that. I'll consider letting you get married once you've turned thirty. Consider being the operative word", he said, sounding horrified at the thought of me growing up and becoming an independent person.

"I hear that twenty-five-ish is the expected age to marry here in Forks though", I replied teasingly, referring to his and my mother's marriage.

"Yeah, and we all know how that turned out. Let's stick with thirty."

I laughed and nodded at him.

"Let's leave it at that", I agreed.

"Speaking of the devil, your mother called earlier tonight. She's still waiting for you to call her back", Charlie continued, his voice suddenly careful.

I just nodded in reply. I hadn't told Charlie all the details regarding what had happened during spring break, but I was pretty sure that Renee had filled him in on the parts that I'd left out.

"Don't be so hard on her, okay? She's a hopeless sucker for love. It just didn't turn out great this time", he added compassionately.

"That's one way to look at it."

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled faintly at me.

"Just call her. Okay?"

"Sure", I said resignedly. "I'll call her sometime during the weekend."

He nodded in approval.

"I'm going to bed now. Good night, dad", I said and turned my back to him to head upstairs.

"I'm glad that you had a good time tonight. Sincerely", I heard him say just as I'd reached the foot of the stairs.

I halted my step and turned to face him again. Coming from Charlie, a man of few words and even fewer displays of affection, a confession like this meant a whole lot.

"Thanks, dad", I said, smiling affectionately at him, and then headed up the stairs.

My room was empty when I entered it and by looking at the time I could tell that only ten minutes had passed since Edward had dropped me off. He'd probably be a couple more minutes. I quickly headed for the bathroom and proceeded to wash my face and brush my teeth thoroughly. To be sure I smelled nice I put on some new deodorant and also brushed my hair. I then re-entered my room to scavenge my wardrobe for decent-looking nightwear, but came up short. I'd never had a big collection of sexy lingerie and I'd thrown away the few items I'd had when moving to Forks, not wanting to leave them unattended in Phoenix in my absence but also not wanting to have to explain to Charlie why I was in possession of a red silk negligee. Not that Charlie ever did my laundry. But still, it wasn't a situation I wanted to risk being in.

I cursed my lacking wardrobe but in the end I opted for a plain, blue cotton nightdress. I knew that Edward didn't really mind what I wore and that our clothes would probably come off pretty quickly. Even so, it would have been nice to be able to surprise him with something out of the ordinary. Especially on a night like this. I made a mental note to order some nice lingerie ASAP.

I quickly changed into my nightwear and then gave myself a once-over in the mirror. I didn't look sexy, or even remotely enticing for that matter. But I did look clean and I smelled good and that had to count for something, right?

A gentle rap at my window cut off my train of thought and I turned around, inexplicably startled by the sound. Edward smiled and held out a flower to me as he sat on the sturdy branch of the tree closest to my bedroom window. One day that branch would break and he'd injure himself severely, I thought to myself. I walked over to the window and opened it.

"My lady" he said, faking seriousness as he offered me the flower he was holding.

"Good sir", I humored him, accepting the flower, and then stepped to the side so that he could enter my room.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, miss Swan", he said tenderly, catching me by the waist as soon as he'd closed the window behind him. He enveloped me in his embrace and held me tightly as he buried his face against the top of my head. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him firmly in response. For a long moment we just stood there, holding each other. I couldn't speak on his behalf, but I was somewhat overwhelmed by all the feelings that had overcome me this evening.

"I'd like to lie down for a bit and just hold you, if that's okay?" he murmured into my hair. "I promise I'll be serving you dessert later, but I'd appreciate it if you'd let me be a sappy fuck for a few minutes first. Just let me bask in this moment."

I shivered at the mention of the word "dessert", as he put it. But also at the deep affection in his voice. For the thousandth time this week I asked myself why I'd fought this so much before? Why hadn't I allowed myself to explore this relationship with Edward?

Because you could get hurt, Bella. That's why.

I quickly pushed the thought aside. This wasn't the time nor the right occasion to be doubting my decisions.

"Yes", I whispered faintly.

As he let go of me I walked over to the bed and crawled down under the covers. He turned off the light and then joined me in bed. He wrapped me up in his embrace and once more buried his face in my hair, breathing me in.

"Thank you for not giving up on me", I suddenly said.

I could sense him tensing up slightly and then he squeezed me tight.

"I'm not entirely sure I could have even if I wanted to", he murmured into my hair. "You are a nuisance to be smitten with though, just FYI", he added teasingly and kissed my forehead.

"I'm well aware", I agreed apologetically and buried my face deeper against his neck.

We remained quiet for a while.

"So does this mean that you're happy that we're doing… this?" he continued, his voice hesitant.

"I am", I answered earnestly.

He pressed another enthusiastic kiss against my forehead.

"So does this mean I get to wine and dine you every weekend from now on?" he said teasingly while stroking my back.

"I think you'll have to run that past Charlie first", I answered, a hushed laugh escaping me.

"Man, does he hate me now? I've been working so hard for him to like me", Edward said, feigning disappointment.

"If it's any consolation, I think he's trying really hard not to hate you."

"I'll take whatever I can get", he chuckled.

He then took a hold of my chin and raised it to meet his face. He gave me a long, ravishing kiss.

"So, are you ready for some dessert?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.

"Yes, please. I'd like to try every dessert that's on the menu", I whispered softly, smiling blissfully at him.

"Coming right up", he said, smiling at me as he started trailing kisses down my neck.