AN: *peeks out from behind a corner* Hi everyone. I told you I would update. Just took me a while. But, once again, it's longer. This chapter is about twice as long as the prologue. And - if you've looked down a few lines to see the chapter title - don't get too excited yet. We are getting closer to Bella-leaving-James-for-Edward time, but we're not there yet. You need to be patient. Now, I have a few points to cover before we get to the chapter. If you want to skip them, fine, but I would really appreciate it if you stuck with me fore a minute. The chapter will still be there.
So, first point. I got a couple comments in the reviews about the title of the story. I know it's incredibly cliche and it would be a hell of a lot more intriguing if I changed it. Normally, I name my work towards the end, but it's a little harder to do that with Fanfiction. So I used the title of the song I based it on. But, even I'm kind of sick of the title. I would really appreciate it if in the review I know you're all going to leave *hint hint* that you let me know whether or not you like the title and/or if you have a suggestion for a newer, better title that I could use.
Second point! I need to apologize. Again. I didn't have anyone proofread this chapter so it probably sucks. So, I'm sending the plea out into world for an actual, honest-to-God Beta. I've never had one before so I don't have a list of people that I can go beg to do it. But, if you would like to, please let me know!
See, that wasn't so hard. Now onto the disclaimer, then the chapter.
Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie. I don't own anything to do with Twilight except worn copies of the books, a copy of the DVD, and a cardboard cutout of Edward my friend got me as a gag gift for my 18th birthday.
Chapter 3 – Escape
BPOV
"This is one of your own personal requirements, Bella. You can't really fight it," Jasper reminded me as I prepared for a date with James. I had begged for Alice to help me get ready and, of course, Jasper tagged along, only to sit there and watch his wife flit around the room.
"I know," I groaned, trying not to wince as Alice curled my hair. "But it wouldn't be an issue if your brother wasn't such a…." I trailed off, looking for an appropriate word.
"Douche? Asshole? Retard? Really, you won't offend me with anything. I don't associate with them anymore," my friend said with a smile.
"I was think mentally incapacitated ape, but retard works too," I chuckled. "Maybe I can just train him. I mean-"
"You will never make it out of this room alive if you keep moving your head, Bella," Alice threatened from behind me. I could see her wielding the curling iron as a sword to help prove her point.
"Alright, I'll let you work your magic," I said, rolling my eyes.
Twenty minutes of curling, pinning, and pulling later, Alice finally declared that I was ready to go. I stood up and looked in the mirror to see what my best friend had transformed me into. I knew the red dress that I was wearing was designed to make someone of my figure look good, but it wasn't bordering on slutty like the outfits Alice usually tried to force me into.
My hair was swept into a curly half-up style that only Alice could manage to create. She made the curls even and bouncy, but toned down the dress to make the ensemble more elegant. At my request, she kept my makeup subtle.
These were all things that I did in an attempt to make James see that I wasn't one of those girls who would bow to his every whim. I wouldn't wait on him hand and foot. I wouldn't come whenever he called.
I would not be owned.
"Well, I think you've certainly outdone yourself this time, Bella," Jasper chuckled. "James will probably try something as soon as the two of you are alone."
"Let's see him try," I smiled, knowing that I had defense training on my side.
"So, when do you want me to save you?" Alice said, now absently flipping through a magazine as I slipped on my shoes.
"I'll shoot you a text," I decided, not knowing how soon I would want to get out of there. "Who knows? I might actually make it all the way through this one." I chuckled and hugged my friends before they left.
I sighed and took a deep, calming breath before heading downstairs to face my mother. She was waiting impatiently a few feet away from the end of the stairs, tapping her toes as she waited for me. When she spotted me, her anxious expression grew softer.
"Oh, Isabella, you look wonderful," she said. She took my hands and led me into the living room to wait for my fiancé to show up.
"Thank you, Mother," I said. "Now, tell me, what else in my life would you like to plan today?"
"I do not plan your entire life," she corrected. "I simply try to help you make the right decisions."
"Right, thanks." I resisted rolling my eyes.
I briefly wondered what her reaction would be if I had said that I didn't want to marry James in favor of starting a relationship with Edward. He had mentioned it more than once and he was getting more and more insistent each time. It was getting harder to resist. The last time he mentioned it was a few weeks after my engagement to James was announced.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Edward," I said as I came running into New Moon Pizza. He quickly came out of the booth when he heard me and caught me in his arms before I fell over something.
"You really need to be careful," he chuckled. "I'd rather have you here late than in multiple pieces."
I smiled sweetly up at him and went to sit at the table. "I really am sorry. Everything's been crazy around my house," I said apologetically. "I had trouble even leaving the premises."
"They finally find you a decent man, then?" Edward joked. My expression morphed into sadness and I leaned forward to rest my forehead against the table, not wanting to look at Edward. "Oh no," he breathed. "Bella, no, I'm so sorry. I didn't actually think-"
"It's okay," I said weakly. "I'm just still wrapping my head around the idea. It's just a lot to take in and my mother has been throwing the whole thing in my face trying to get me to make decisions. It's too much right now, that's all."
I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and raised my head a little to look at Edward. His eyes were filled with different emotions that I couldn't decipher. "You know my apartment is always open as an escape," he said. He probably didn't trust himself with saying anything else at that point.
I smiled weakly and put my hand over his. "I know and I really appreciate the offer," I said. "But I really just need to get used to it. It would be better if I stayed." I sighed and finally willed myself to sit up again. "Okay, sorry about that. I think I'm okay."
"Bella, don't apologize. You know you can tell me anything and I'll listen to whatever you have to say," Edward said. "As long as I don't find you in an alleyway again, I won't mind listening to anything that you have to say. So, let's get the basics out of the way. Who is this guy, do I have to beat him up, and why the fuck don't you have a ring on your finger?"
His last question was enough to pull a laugh from my mouth and Edward granted me a smirk in return. I was amazed that he had noticed the lack of a ring at all.
"Well, if you must know, he said that he didn't get me a ring yet because he – and I'm quoting here – felt the need to tell me was more important than a fucking rock." Edward's jaw dropped and he sputtered. My lips were pushed together in a tight line, trying not to laugh.
"He wants to marry you and he's saying things like that? Doesn't he know that girls dream about their engagements rings?" he finally managed. He looked adorable, reaching for the right words and barely finding them as he went to speak. This was one of the few times I seriously regretted shooting him down when he told me he loved me.
Even that thought sent my heart into hysterics.
The irresistible man across from me, worked up because some idiot had arranged to marry me without getting me a ring, was in love with me.
How the hell had I resisted him? I'd spent almost two and a half years asking myself that question. I was no closer to an answer and still in the same predicament.
"Yes, Edward, I'm sure he does. But he's a stuck up rich kid. He just doesn't care," I explained.
"He should care about you if he wants to marry you."
I smiled sweetly at him. "Sadly, not many guys are hopeless romantics like you, Edward."
"Will you at least tell me who this guy is so that I know who to hunt down and beat the shit out of the next time I see him?" Edward's teeth were clenching and he was hissing as he talked. If I wasn't working so hard to resist him, his possessiveness would have made me putty in his skilled hands.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. "You remember me telling you about my best friends? Specifically Jasper?" Edward nodded, confused as to why I was mentioning my married best friend. "My fiancé is Jasper's older brother, James."
His brow furrowed. "So, shouldn't that be a good thing? Everything that you've told me about Jasper has been overwhelmingly positive… I don't get it."
"Jasper was the only good seed in the family," I said sadly. "And there was no one for him but Alice."
"So, this James… is he more teenage, druggie, bad boy or mobster, gang rapist bad?" My green-eyed love interest looked confused beyond belief.
"More like rich kid wannabe-mobster type bad," I said, trying to get a clear picture for him. "Not dangerous, but not the best kid in the area. I know I can handle him." I smiled at Edward, subtly referring to the self-defense he'd been teaching me for the past two and a half years.
"I'm sure you can," Edward chuckled. That small laugh went straight through me, settling between my legs. Yet another thing that made me consider leaving my cozy little world of the rich and famous: James would never have that effect on me. Edward's expression grew somber. "Promise me there won't be a need for it," he begged, his body visibly tensing as he spoke. "Promise me there will never be a reason to find you in an alleyway on a dark night. Please, Bella."
His hand had curled into a fist as he spoke. I wasn't sure if he knew it, but it would hurt him if he kept it like that. I took his hand in both of mine, gently working his fingers open. I refused to meet his gaze, not sure how I would react. I took a deep breath and responded to him, trying to relax his hand as I spoke.
"I don't want there to ever be a reason for that to happen again," I answered honestly. "But the world works in strange ways. Maybe ending up in a dark alleyway is where I'm supposed to be. Maybe it will mean being with the one man I'm meant to marry. Maybe it will lead me away from my shithole of an existence."
Edward's hand had relaxed at my touch and I was absently tracing the lines in his palm until the last five words of my speech. Then his fingers curled back, trapping my smaller hand within his.
"Sorry, I forgot your opinion on my lack of self confidence," I mumbled. My eyes were still focused on our hands. I saw his hand squeeze mine once before relaxing again. I resumed lightly tracing the patters in his palm. We sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of us content to break the silence.
"What if it was me?" Edward murmured a few minutes later. I looked up at him, shocked, only to find him staring down at our hands. I kept staring at his expression, willing myself to figure out what he was talking about.
"What do you mean, Edward?" I whispered.
He didn't move. It was almost like he didn't hear me. His eyes were sad as they looked at my hand. There was a spark of something there, but I couldn't decide what it was exactly.
"What if you weren't meant to have another run-in with an alley? What if the first one was the one? What if I'm the ticket out of riches?" His voice helped me detect that spark in his eyes.
Hope.
I knew he loved me. He made sure I knew. He spent so much of our time together making sure that I knew.
And all I did was reject him when I knew I loved him back.
What was wrong with me?
"Edward, you have been my escape these past few years. You've kept me sane," I said sincerely. "Isn't that enough?"
He sighed, nodding. "For now," he added quietly, so quietly that I believed he didn't intend for me to hear him. He finally looked back up at me. "But, Bella, you know that you can do anything you want. No matter what your family says. If you want out of this marriage, you need to tell them."
Edward never could let anything go, but it was nice to know that he cared so much. It was nice to know that not all men were like James.
"Isabella, did you start daydreaming? I hope you don't do this during your time with James," my mother scolded me. "It's not polite for a woman to ignore the man that she's with. Unless he is incredibly dull, but you don't have to worry about-"
"Mother, let me assure you that I do not daydream during my time with James."
That was mainly because he barely gave me room to think.
"Well, that's good to hear. Now, I want to know where the two of you are going tonight. The girls want to know everything and I promised that I would fill them in on every little detail." My mother looked so excited to be transforming into the town gossip. It almost made me not want to burst her bubble.
Almost.
Then I remembered all the things that I she'd done to me that I was less than thrilled about. The set ups, the parties, the engagement.
"Sorry, Mother. You're not getting anything out of me tonight," I said with a smirk. I heard a knock at the door and breathed a sigh of relief. I never thought I would be happy to see James.
"Have fun! Don't get into any trouble!" my mother called after me.
If only I could have fun. It would make my life so much easier.
I opened the door to find James looking handsome in crisp dress pants, an ironed black shirt, and a white tie. He was holding a single red rose out for me.
I took the flower gingerly and smiled down at it, knowing it was probably going to be the only worthwhile gift I would ever get from him. My smile dropped as soon as I realized that the only reason he was giving it to me was because it was expected of him. Or maybe Jasper told him to, but that wasn't likely.
"Thank you, James," I said. I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice. "Let's just go. My mother is determined to squeeze every tiny detail out of us to tell her friends. And I'm sure you don't want to miss the reservations."
He laughed. "Well, I'm sure it would be easier to tell her after anyway." James held out his arm for me, as always, playing the part of a gentleman. "Let's be off then."
It took us ten minutes to get to the restaurant. It was a five-star place downtown, designed to be the perfect date destination for couples like James and I.
We sat at a comfortable table for two near the front window. Another one of James' brilliant ideas to show me off and another one of the things about him that I couldn't stand.
"So, Isabella, how have you been?" he asked once we sat down.
"James, you've seen me every day this week. You know how I've been," I said bluntly, not even bothering to look at my menu. James was one to order for the girl without asking her. "It's not like much has changed since last night."
"Oh, I'm sure it has. You always come up with crazy stories. And I'm sure that you spent some time with my brother and his… wonderful wife. Nothing happened with them, then?" he said, barely looking up from the menu.
"Nothing worth noting, no," I answered. I didn't feel like divulging any of my time with friends to him. Even if he was my fiancé, I didn't consider him a friend. "Unless you consider Alice and I talking about her latest shopping trip while Jasper sat on the side and read for a while something worth noting."
"I've heard that those stories can get long," James commented as the waiter came up. "Ah, yes. Can we get a bottle of Chardonnay, one order of grilled salmon and an order of chicken parmesan? We won't be ordering dessert, so we'll take the check as soon as it is ready."
The waiter nodded and wrote down the order before walking away. I came so close to calling him back and ordering chicken alfredo for myself, but I resisted the urge. Maybe I would get lucky and the chicken parm would be for me.
"So, where was I? Right, my day. Well, you know my job is all about selling to clients…" James settled into telling me about his pointless job. It was always the same. Clients with problems. Clients want money. Clients withholding information. Clients trying to con him out of money. And yet he always fixed it. He was the hero of the office.
I zoned out and started imagining him as an actual superhero of his office. I'd been there before, so it was pretty easy to picture the setting.
Picturing James as a hero, on the other hand, was not so easy. I tried a Clark Kent-type image, with the suit that pulled back to reveal red and blue spandex. I hid my laughing fit as a cough, but he barely noticed. He continued with his rant.
I tried picturing him as Batman, the normal guy who managed to be extraordinary. I threw out that option as soon as it came up. There was no way he could ever be extraordinary.
I went through Wolverine, Aqua Man, Iron Man, Mermaid Man, Cyclops… every superhero I could think of. But the only image that even remotely fit was Robin. Batman's high school sidekick. He couldn't even measure up to the big guys.
A smile spread across my face as a picture of Edward as a superhero popped up right next to James as Robin. Edward was a few inches taller, filled out the suit in all the right places, and looked much more modest. James didn't come close to looking close to looking the part. Edward was obviously the better choice in that comparison. My smile faded as the realization that I could never have Edward seeped back in and my mind fell into reality.
"So, it was really only one tiny little mistake that ruined everything, but they were all too incompetent to notice," James continued, not even aware that I hadn't been paying attention. "I had to jump in to be the hero. Again."
"That's wonderful, James," I said, playing along. "I'm so glad for you."
"Yes, well, it's all in a day's work," he said with a proud smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to leave for a minute, my sweet." Ew, I thought. I think I threw up a little in my mouth from the pet name. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
I smiled and nodded, trying to hide my enthusiasm at a moment alone. As soon as his back was turned I pulled out my phone and shot a text to Alice.
Ten minutes. Maybe less. I don't know how much more I can stand. –B
I shut the phone and took a deep breath. I almost pulled my fingers through my hair before I remembered the curls Alice would kill me for ruining.
I checked the time. We had already been at the restaurant for forty-five minutes and James barely even recognized that I was there. He had to be one of the worst dates in history.
My phone buzzed and I whipped it open, hoping to find Alice's confirmation.
How's your night going? Any hot dates? ;) –E
Edward. Of course.
I smiled again, knowing he would be able to cheer me up. I typed in a quick reply telling him that I was with "Lame James" for the night, but trying to escape. I knew Edward would appreciate the stupid nickname that I had for my fiancé. The only thing I could hope for was that he wouldn't offer any more advice today.
Alice's reply came first.
Eight minutes and counting. –Ali
I knew there was a reason I loved her. She was always there when I needed her. Edward's message came soon after.
Prince Charming's got the white steed ready to go if needed. –E
It was hard to turn him down, but somehow I managed.
Sorry, the woodland pixies have got it under control. I'll call you later. –B
I spotted James coming back to the table so I had to stash my phone in the top of my purse before he could see it. He didn't need to know it was there until Alice called.
"Well, that's taken care of now," he said as he sat back down, scooting his chair closer to hers. "Now, let's talk about-"
Bless Alice. My phone started ringing three minutes early.
"I'm sorry, James," I said, planting an apologetic smile on my face. "I told Alice not to call me unless it was an emergency. I hope it's not too bad… Hello?"
"So, am I awesome or what?" Alice started cheerfully. "Now, which story are you going with tonight?"
I wasn't completely sure on which story I would choose, so I gave her a code phrase for which level I wanted. "Oh no, that's terrible!"
"Alrighty, then, let's see what we got," she said. I heard rustling in the background and I assumed she was pulling out the list of stories we made. "Family medical emergency? Robbery? Breakup?"
I needed something a little better than that, so I knew I had to try a different approach. "Aw, honey," I said, faking sympathy. I peeked over at James to see how he was taking it.
He looked appropriately concerned. Perfect.
"Okay, not family then. Something better. Robbery's still a key player. So is breakup… maybe both?" Alice suggested, clearly confused.
And we have a winner. I quickly formulated a story in my head and decided it would work for my purposes. "He took everything? He had no right!"
"Oooh, new plotline. I like it. You know you're going to be telling me exactly how this plays out later, right?" Alice said excitedly.
"Don't worry about anything, I'll be right over," I said. I sighed dramatically and set my phone down in front of me, taking a second before I turned to face James. "I'm so sorry, James, but I really have to go. One of my friends' psycho ex boyfriend broke into her apartment and took everything. The bed, the TV, the furniture, the food…. I really need to go make sure she's okay. I might be with her for a few days. She'll need all the help she can get. I need to be there for her. Don't be surprised if you can't reach me." I stood up to leave and lightly touched his shoulder. "I'm really sorry I had to bail on you."
He smiled up at me. "It's fine, Isabella. You go make sure your friend is okay."
"Thank you for understanding," I managed to say before I turned and walked briskly out of the fancy restaurant.
I pushed open the front doors and breathed a sigh of relief as the cool night air washed over my face. It was chilly enough that I should have brought a sweater with me, but I didn't particularly care.
Jasper was waiting in a nondescript car near the edge of the parking lot. He waved me over as soon as I saw him.
"You owe me," he said simply as I slid into the passenger side seat.
"Ok, you came to this restaurant on this side of town in the Getaway Car," I retorted. "I don't owe you anything."
"I hate it when you call it that," Jasper grumbled. He started the car and had us on the way to his apartment in no time.
"You and I both know that it looks like something out of an old mafia movie. There is no better name for it," I said, stating my case. "It sticks out like a glowing alien on this side of town."
It took fifteen minutes to get back to my friends' new home. The ride was calming for me. It gave me a chance to breathe and a chance to realize that I now had a few days of fiancé-free, party-free, mother-free Bella time. My body relaxed into the seat and I leaned my head against the window. I was half asleep by the time the car stopped.
Jasper helped me out of the warm car and led me into their apartment. He let me rest my head on his shoulder as he helped me inside.
Alice was waiting inside, practically bouncing in place. "So, Bella, what happened? Don't forget you promised to tell me about the new story," she said. "Come on, we haven't had girl talk in so long!"
I cringed more into Jasper's shoulder. "No talk," I mumbled. "Must sleep."
Alice crossed her arms and stalked closer to me. She stopped a few inches in front of me. "Liar," she gasped as she inspected my face. "Dirty rotten little liar! You just don't want to talk to me. Is that it? Am I not good enough?"
"Uh-oh," Jasper muttered. He made the smart decision to let me go and move out of the situation even though I was using him as a crutch.
"Ali, please don't hate me right now. I just need a couple hours to myself," I begged. "I promise I'll tell you what happened. Hell, I'll even cave and give you a few more Edward details. But for right now, I'm just going to lock myself in the guest room and enjoy the feeling of being alone for once."
The tiny figure in front of me held my gaze for a minute. Something in my expression must have tipped her off that I really was telling the truth. Her face softened and she wrapped her arms gently around me.
"I'm sorry, Bella," she said quietly. "Take all the time you need." She looked up at me with a mischievous grin. "But the second you come out of that room, you're getting the interrogation of a lifetime." Alice giggled and kissed my cheek before skipping into the kitchen.
"And that is my lovely wife," Jasper chuckled. He put his hand on my shoulder. "I'll try to get her to go easy on you, Bells. Go relax."
I smiled up at him. "Thanks, Jasper. You're the best."
An hour later, I was still wound up. I couldn't find a single thing that would calm me down. Every little sound had me paranoid, like my parents had figured out exactly what happened and were coming to lock me away in a tower with no doors, no stairs, and a single window at the very top. They would plan to have James come rescue me and somehow it would change my mind…
The stories kept getting wilder as time went on. I was pacing around the room, my fingers pulling through my hair, no longer caring about the curls. Nothing was helping at that point.
I noticed a small light on my cell phone indicating that I had a text message. There was no way that James would be contacting me already, so I decided that it couldn't hurt to look.
When I opened the message, I smiled to see a new message from Edward.
Are you all right? You said you'd call… are you okay? –E
I forgot that I said I'd call him. Paranoia tends to make a person forget about simple promises like that. I deleted the message and hit Edward's speed dial number before flopping onto the bed. He answered in the middle of the second ring.
"Bella? Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you?" he said hurriedly, sounding overly concerned. I had to laugh.
"I'm fine, Edward. I promise," I told him calmly. "Alice called in with a fake emergency and Jasper drove me back to their place. I'm going to just hang out here for a few days."
I could hear him take a deep breath, no doubt calming himself down. "Okay. As long as you're sure," he said. "Are you still going to make it on Saturday?"
My eyes widened and I groaned. "That's this Saturday? Shit, Edward, I totally forgot. But yes, I will find a way there even if I have to hijack Jasper's car," I said with conviction.
"If we need to move that date, Bella, we can," he said. It was hard to miss the sadness tinting his voice.
"No," I countered. "We are not changing the date. I don't want to and there's no reason to. Stop freaking out, Edward."
"I know how you get after you go on one of these 'dates' with James. Sometimes you need a few days to recover," he said softly.
"And sometimes I just need to talk," I said. "Right now, talking to you is helping more than anything."
"I suppose bringing up the possibility of just leaving your family won't help the situation?"
"Not at all, so please don't try."
"So, what story did you use this time?" he asked, his voice taking on a lighter tone. "Robbery? Drunken neighbor? Family medical emergency?"
I chuckled. "No, I came up with a new one. Good friend's ex broke into her place and took everything so I'm staying with her for a few days to make sure that she's safe and has everything she needs."
"Wow…. That guy sounds like the biggest asshole in the world," Edward said with a laugh. "It's a good thing he doesn't exist."
"I'm sure you'd give him a piece of your mind if you ever met him," I said, smiling. "He'd be lucky if he left the room in one piece."
"And you know I'd do that to any guy who ever hurt you, right, Bella?" he asked. His tone was now serious. There was no getting out of answering his question.
It was conversations like this that I hoped to avoid after seeing James. All I wanted to do was run over to Edward's apartment, jump into his arms, and never leave his side. But I knew I couldn't leave.
"Of course I know, Edward," I managed. "And I appreciate that more than anything."
"It's no big deal," he continued. "It's just the Prince Charming complex in me. It makes me do all sorts of crazy things. Saving girls in dark alleyways, offering up my trusty steed, feeling compelled to keep some clumsy girl from breaking her neck."
I had to laugh at that. Edward was always trying to keep me from being depressed. "Yeah, well, keep it up," I joked. "Who knows when that complex will come in handy again?"
We talked for another ten minutes about random clients that Edward's had over the past week since we'd had enough time to talk for more than a few minutes. He mentioned an influx of Trekkies all wanting the same thing. Then there were the sorority girls all wanting the same tramp stamp in the same spot for each of them.
He was going on about a new sleeve that he started on one of the regulars when I came up with an idea.
"Hey Edward?" I asked, hesitantly interrupting him.
"And he suggested – oh, sorry, Bella. What did you want to say? Ugh, I've been rambling, haven't I?" he said.
"If I cared, I would've interrupted you like five minutes ago," I laughed. "No, this doesn't have anything to do with that. I was wondering if it was about time to introduce you to Alice and Jasper. Alice has been threatening to track you down and I want a more civilized meeting than that."
I could hear the smile in his voice when he replied. "You're worried about introductions? You of all people should be beyond that," he said.
"No, I'm just worried about you making it out alive," I said nonchalantly. "Alice has been known for giving suffocating bear hugs. You'd never make it if she snuck up on you."
"You make her sound like a bear."
"Spend five minutes with her mad at you. You'll think she's the most intimidating thing in the world," I said bluntly. There was no denying the ferocity of Alice. She was a fireball when she got pissed. "I would very much like to soften that introduction. Having Jazz and me there should help. Now can you please stop avoiding the question?"
He burst out laughing at my frustration. "I was wondering when this topic was going to come up," he said. "I've actually been toying with the idea of asking you about meeting Emmett and Rose. What do you say to that?"
"If you wanted me to meet them, why didn't you just ask?"
"Bella, for the last three years, you've been worried about what would happen if we were closer than good friends," Edward started. "By introducing you to the people closest to me, wouldn't that be moving past your comfort zone?"
"Well, yeah," I admitted.
"And you can't honestly tell me that you wouldn't have called me out on it," he said, obviously smirking. "But if you're at the point where you want me to meet Alice and Jasper, then maybe you've expanded your comfort zone. You probably finally told them about me."
I opened my mouth to answer before the last part of what he said sunk in. "Wait, how do you know I didn't tell them the second I met you?" I contested.
"Because whenever I brought that topic up, you found the first reason that you could think of to get out of talking about it," he said. "And they weren't always good reasons either."
I buried my face in my pillow and groaned, the phone falling in the middle of the bed. I thought I was doing so well at hiding those transitions. Apparently, I didn't do very well at all. Edward saw right through me.
His gentle laughter reached me and I quickly pulled the phone back to my ear.
"Edward, I'm-"
"If you say that you're sorry, I will hang up this phone right now," he said sternly. "It never upset me or offended me or anything like that, Bella. I knew what I was dealing with and I respected your boundaries. I am glad that you told them though."
I smiled again and rolled over to lie comfortably on the bed. "Yeah, so am I. I just hope I won't regret it."
"So, I take it our little group of two for Saturday has now tripled in size?" he chuckled.
I sighed. "Yes, I believe it has."
Edward and I wrapped up our phone conversation then since I mentioned that I needed to go tame the wild beast – Alice. He promised to call me with new details for our little "get together" later in the week.
After I hung up the phone, I took a few deep breaths before I ventured out into the living room. I literally peeked around the door to see if I could get an idea of what I was getting myself into. That turned out to be a bad idea.
"Isabella Marie Swan, you get your cute little ass out here right now or I will barge in there!" Alice threatened.
I grabbed a white shirt that was lying on the floor of the guest room and held it out the door in front of me in surrender. "I'm coming," I said. "And I have a deal in exchange for not being hurt or interrogated to the point of torture."
I slowly walked into the room to see Alice standing with her arms crossed and tapping her foot. Never a good sign, but at least I had her attention.
"Well," I started. "What would you say if I told you that I talked to Edward about him meeting you guys?"
She cocked an eyebrow at me. "I'd say you better not be fucking lying to me because I'll rip your head off." Her voice was completely level as she said it, but that was what scared me. If she wasn't bubbly and bouncy, there was reason to be afraid.
"Thankfully I can keep my head attached then," I said softly, rubbing my neck to make sure everything was still attached.
Alice's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"Why would I lie when my head is in danger of being ripped off?"
The tiny thing in front of me emitted a high pitch squeal and launched herself at me for a bone-crushing bear hug. Jasper was leaning against the doorway to their bedroom shaking his head, a smile playing at his lips.
"She's yours for the night," he said. "Good luck. You'll need it."
I sighed internally. He was right; I'd need all the luck I could get dealing with Alice.
She unwrapped her arms from around my body and hauled me over to the couch before sitting near me. She used all her strength to turn my body to face her.
"So, first tell me exactly what the new escape story is," she said. Then her lips curled into a smirk. "After that, I would like to know exactly what you talked to Edward about for an hour after pacing for the same amount of time when you couldn't just talk to me instead."
Aw, shit. What had I just gotten myself into?
AN: Hi, I'm still here. This is when I beg for reviews. I'll even make a deal with you. If I get more than ten people to review this chapter, there might be a little bit of action for our favorite couple during the Saturday get together. Come on, you all know you want Edward and Bella to make out. Don't deny it. So, please, please, please review!
Next time: The Saturday get together, Bella meets Emmett and Rose, Edward gets attacked by a pixie, and an E/B make out scene? It's up to you!
-Kaylee