A/N
As always, special thanks go to MrsK1981 and Myheroin1 for pre-reading, Marly580 for her awesome beta work and to Pattinlethr for just being amazing.
Disclaimer – Stephenie Meyer owns this, I just like to play with her characters
BPOV
I cut Jake's walk short, but the feeling of unease doesn't fade, no matter where I am or how busy the street is. I still feel someone's eyes on me—watching me. The minute Jake's ears perk up at nothing and he starts whining and pulling on his leash, I hightail it home.
I can't believe it's come to this again. My whole body is on alert. As I approach our apartment, I pick up the pace as I see Rose's truck parked out front. Knowing that someone, anyone, is home fills me with relief.
"Rose?" I yell, opening the front door with such force it bangs off the wall, and almost closes again. Slamming it shut, I lock it immediately. I let Jake off his leash and he goes to the kitchen for a drink of water. "Rose?" I yell again, walking through the apartment, turning on all the lights as I go.
I can't shake the feeling of being watched. In my head I know I'm being silly. My stalker seems to have disappeared—funnily enough, around the same time Lauren met her new boyfriend— and things almost feel back to normal. But in my heart, I know I was being watched. I could feel it.
"Bella? What the hell?" I hear Rose yell from down the hall. Sticking my head out the kitchen door, I see her standing just outside Emmett's room, her body and hair wrapped in towels.
"How long have you been here? Did you see anything weird outside?" I turn the hall light on before moving to the living room and turning that light on as well.
"Bella, what are you doing? Why are all the lights on? And what's this about seeing someone outside?" I turn to see her standing in the living room door looking confused, and kind of pissed. Her skin is damp, and some of her hair is falling out of her towel.
"Did you?" I ask again.
"See anyone? No, not that I was looking." She walks in, sits on the couch, and takes her hair from the towel and begins drying it. "Why? Has something happened?" She looks at me, no longer pissed, but still extremely confused.
I sigh and sit next to her on the couch. I explain what I felt when I took Jake on his walk—the feeling of being followed, of being watched, from the second I left the apartment.
"Did you see anyone?"
I shake my head. "No, I couldn't see anything. I thought I was overreacting, but then Jake started to freak out. After what he was like at my apartment, I rushed home."
"And the reason you felt the need to turn on every single light in the place?"
I snort. "To check that nobody was hiding out in the apartment. Like that would help," I mutter. Sighing, I lean my head against her shoulder. "I'm just being stupid, right?"
She puts her arm around me. "After everything you've been through in the last few months, you're kidding, right?" She squeezes my shoulder, pulling me close to her. "Would it help if we check out the rest of the apartment?"
I nod my head. "Yes, please," I mumble. I love my friend for going along with this. I don't know why I feel the need to check the place—whoever was watching me was outside. There's no way that they are inside. But I do appreciate her appeasing me like this.
"Just let me go put some clothes on." She gets up, leaving me lost in my thoughts.
I hate what my stalker has reduced me to: a pitiful mess. Sitting on the couch waiting for Rose to return, I try to stop my hands from shaking. I try to focus on something, anything else, but I come up blank. I want to be strong, to be able to stand up to them. But the thought of someone breaking into my apartment, going through all my personal belongings—touching my things—has me totally freaked out. And just when I thought all of this was over and things were getting back to normal.
Luckily, Rose humors me. She doesn't say anything about me being silly or needing to get over this. We inspect the entire apartment, looking for any sign that someone was inside. We even go as far as checking behind the shower curtain—very Psycho-ish, I know. Needless to say, we don't find anything. I knew we wouldn't, but I do feel better after looking.
We finish in the kitchen, so I microwave some popcorn while Rose pours us both a large glass of wine.
"Feel better?"
I turn to face my friend. "A bit. Sorry for freaking out."
She scoffs, "Stop apologizing. I would have done the same."
We're silent as the popcorn continues to pop. I lean against the counter as Rose putters around the kitchen looking for a wine cooler. Finding one, she pops the bottle in and takes a seat at the kitchen table.
She looks at me, opens her mouth, and closes it. This happens a few times before I call her on it.
"Just say it, Rose."
She smiles—we've been friends for too long for things to get past each other. "Have you thought about calling Edward?"
Well, I wasn't expecting her to say that. "Why would I call him? There's nobody here. I was probably imagining the whole thing."
She scowls at me, obviously unimpressed with my answer. "We both know you weren't. And even if you were, he would still want to know. He's your boyfriend, Bella."
"Thanks, Rose. I was completely unaware that the guy I've been staying with for the last six months is, in fact, my boyfriend."
"Don't get snarky with me. I'm just saying he would want to know something like this. He'll be hurt if this comes out later and he knows you hid it from him."
I sigh. "I'm not hiding anything—I just don't see the point in it. I don't want to be one of those girls who run to her boyfriend every time something happens."
She looks shocked. "You need to get over this whole aversion to relying on people. He cares for you, possibly even loves you—he'll want to know, Bella. If you don't call him tonight, you need to tell him tomorrow."
I know she's right.
Rose is still watching me as the microwave beeps. Eager to escape her stare, I turn my back and pour the popcorn into a bowl.
"Bella, you know he's different than those other guys you dated, don't you?"
I nod, turning to face her. "I know. It's just old habits, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
I sigh. "I'll tell him tomorrow. There's no point in worrying him now."
"Good." She grins, grabbing the wine cooler. "C'mon lets go get lost in some trashy TV."
I grab my glass of wine and the bowl of popcorn and follow her to the living room.
"Any requests?" She looks to me, flicking through the TV channels.
"Nope, anything's good." I curl up on the sofa, knowing I won't be paying any attention to what's on.
She settles on a CSI marathon, which probably isn't the best thing considering my mood, but since I won't be watching I keep my mouth shut.
"Bells, it's late. I'm heading to bed."
I wake and blink a few times, remembering where I am. Groaning, I stretch and stand up. "Okay, I'm going as well."
We leave our wine glasses in the kitchen and both head to separate rooms. I stop in the doorway to Edward's room. When I was in here earlier it was still light outside, so I didn't close the curtains.
Of course now that it's dark, the room creeps me out. The light from the street lamp causes shadows to dance across the room. They remind me of earlier, and I almost feel like someone could be in there—hiding, waiting. My heart begins to race, memories of the evening's events flooding my mind.
Rose pauses as she walks past me. "You okay?"
"Umm…" I shake my head, not believing I'm about to ask this. "Rose, what do you say to a sleepover?"
She smiles sweetly. "Okay, let me grab my things." She walks to Emmett's room, returning with their duvet and a pillow.
"Just until the boys get home?"
"Thanks, Rose." We both walk into the room, Rose setting up her makeshift bed while I go to the bathroom to get ready. When I return to the bedroom, Rose has pushed my duvet to the side of the bed, and she's set up her bed on the other side.
I crawl under the duvet, falling asleep before Rose even returns from the bathroom.
"Is it wrong that I find this really sexy?"
"Yes."
"Are you telling me that you don't?"
"No."
"So you do find this sexy?"
"Yes."
"You're just saying that it's wrong to find it sexy?"
"Yes."
"Okay, glad we cleared that up."
I'm woken by the not so quiet whispering of my boyfriend and his brother. Slowly, I open my eyes and find myself inches from Rose's sleeping face. Sometime during the night, our duvets seemed to have merged and we're now sharing our covers. Our legs are entwined and my arm is thrown over her waist—my normal position when sleeping with Edward.
Untangling my legs, I roll over and glance at the alarm clock, groaning when I see it's after five in the morning. Its too early to be awake.
"Rose." I nudge my friend. "Rose, you need to wake up." She groans, pulling the duvet over her head.
I sit up, looking over Rose's body to the boys at the door. "Emmett, I think this one's on you."
Smirking, he walks over to the bed. He lifts Rose into his arms, her body still cocooned in her covers. "Goodnight, guys."
Once he's gone, Edward closes the door and turns to me, his eyebrows raised. "Sleepover?"
"Can we discuss this at a more suitable time of the day?" I squint at the alarm clock. "Because 5:30 is not a suitable time of the day for anything."
"Is it important?"
"No, nothing that can't wait. Seriously, Edward." I smile. "I promise."
He doesn't look convinced, but he agrees.
I lay back down, dozing but not quite asleep, while Edward gets ready for bed.
I pull the covers back as Edward returns to the bedroom, dressed only in a pair of black boxers. Indecent thoughts play through my mind, but it's too late—or early—for my body to even consider doing anything apart from going back to sleep.
My lust must be evident in my eyes, because Edward chuckles as he crawls under the covers. "Baby, just go to sleep. I'll be here in the morning."
His arms wrap around me and I snuggle against his firm chest. I smile as I begin to doze off. Here, I feel safe, like nobody can touch me.
When I'm in his arms, my stalker doesn't exist.
EPOV
Instead of being wrapped around a soft, warm body, I wake to find I'm hugging Bella's pillow. The chill from her side of the bed tells me she's been up for ages.
I could sleep for longer, but I decide to get up. Tonight's our jazz night, and although we've completed all the preparations, I want to get to the club at a decent time should anything go wrong.
After a quick shower, I find Bella in the kitchen cooking breakfast, the radio playing quietly in the background. There's no sign of Emmett or Rose, so I assume they're still in bed.
"Morning." My voice is still scratchy and hoarse from sleep.
"Afternoon." She grins at me, pointing to the clock on the wall—2p.m.—before turning back to our breakfast, which is sizzling in the pan.
I walk around the kitchen table toward her, looking for my morning kiss. "When you work until four in the morning, this is still classified as morning." I wrap my arms around her, her back against my chest, kissing her softly on the neck. As I knew she would, she tilts her head to the side, offering me more.
"Mmmm," she whimpers, the sound going straight to my cock.
"You know, if you'd stayed in bed, we could've continued this." I whisper against her neck, grinding my hardening cock against her ass.
She chuckles, pushing her ass against me. "I'm well aware of that, but my stomach had other ideas. Plus, we need to talk and I knew you would distract me."
I knew something was wrong last night—why would Bella have Rose with her in the bedroom? Is she having second thoughts about our relationship? Doubt fills my mind, as I think of all the things Bella could possibly want to talk about.
I don't even realize I'm squeezing her until she pries my arms from around her. She turns, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Hey, look at me." She remains silent until I meet her brown eyes. "It's not about us, if that's what you're thinking. It's something that will affect us, but it's not about our relationship."
She knows exactly what to say.
"Okay, so what's wrong?"
"Can we eat first? I'm really famished." She turns back to the food, plating up two helpings of pancakes and bacon.
She passes me a plate and we both sit at the table. We talk about work, starting with her upcoming interview and column, then turning to our jazz night tonight. The girls, Jasper, and my parents will all be there to show support, and they're all really looking forward to it.
Once we've eaten as much as we can, we push our plates to the side and I brace myself for what's to come.
"So…" I try to start, but I'm unsure of what to say.
"Umm, okay. This all feels pretty stupid now, but I was freaking out last night and Rose said I should tell you, so here we are."
She's flustered—her cheeks turn pink and she ramble on, "So, last night I took Jake for a walk by myself when I got in from work." I go to interrupt her, but she puts her hands up, stopping me. "I know, I know, I shouldn't be going anywhere alone. Anyway, I was about halfway home when I got this weird feeling—you know the kind that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?"
I nod, my stomach filling with dread as she continues.
"I thought it was just me, you know, overthinking things, but then Jake started acting weird too." She takes a deep breath. "It reminded me of how he behaved at the apartment when it was broken into. So I freaked out and ran home. I was close to calling you, but Rose was home and she managed to calm me down."
Silence lingers between us as I process everything she's said. After weeks of thinking we're finally moving on, that things were going so well for us—no stress, no drama—now it turns around and bites us in the ass. We don't deserve this—Bella doesn't deserve this. Whether it's Lauren or some random psycho, she doesn't deserve to be scared like this.
Even though she is just sitting opposite me, it's still too far away. I need her close, touching me. I move my chair around to her side of the table.
Not close enough.
I try to coax her from her seat. Understanding my movements, she stands and sits sideways in my lap. Her hands automatically find my neck, and I relax slightly as her fingers play with my hair—a move that seems to soothe us both.
It's amazing what her touch can do to me. Seconds ago, the rage was bubbling inside me. I was shaking at the thought of this unwanted person coming back into our lives, coming between us again. And now, with a simple touch I feel my whole body relax. Having her here in my arms reminds me that even though the drama may be back in our lives and Bella may still be in danger, but she's here now. Unharmed.
She doesn't speak, knowing I need time to think about this.
"You can't go back to your apartment."
"Okay."
"Did you want to?" I pull back to look at her. I don't want to dictate what she can and can't do, but God, the thought of her moving back to her apartment if she isn't safe is unbearable.
"No, this has me freaked out again. I don't want to go back there yet." Her voice is shaky.
"Okay. And maybe not take Jake on any more walks alone—or going anywhere else on your own for that matter."
"Yeah, I know." She sighs, leaning her head against my shoulder. I feel horrible, wishing I could do so much more for her. I wrap my arms around her, holding her to me.
"We'll just have to go back to being careful, huh?"
"Yeah, just to be safe, baby. It might be nothing, but I'm not going to take that risk with you." I feel her nodding against my shoulder, but she remains silent.
We're still sitting like that when Emmett and Rose enter the kitchen. Rose's smile automatically drops when she sees her friend curled up on my lap, and the look on Emmett's face tells me that she's filled him in on everything.
I open my mouth to say something but Rose shushes me, gesturing to Bella who is now sleeping.
I close my eyes tightly, just wishing none of this happened. Wishing I'd met Bella under normal circumstances and we were free to pursue our relationship at a normal rate and not have to worry about all this other drama.
I open my eyes and look over Bella's shoulder to Rose. "Are you guys coming tonight?" I whisper.
She nods, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I know I won't be able to do much or to spend much time with them but having Bella there will make me feel better. I know if she's at home, I'll constantly be worried about something happening to her.
"I'll drive her back here after as well." I go to argue but she quiets me again. "Edward, she can't stay until close. She has a big interview on Monday—she can't go in tired. You know how important this is to her." As much as I hate to admit it, Rose is right.
Bella stirs in my arms and we both look at her. I pull the hair away from her face, my hand gently cupping her cheek as I look down at my girl. Even in her sleep she looks troubled, a small frown on her face.
I hate that this is happening to her, to us. I will find out who is behind this and stop them.
"You should take her to your room. She obviously needs some sleep," Rose whispers, her eyes softening as she watches her sleeping friend.
She helps me stand as I try to not wake Bella. Making sure her arms are still wrapped around my neck, I hook my arm under her legs and slowly go back to the bedroom. She mumbles incoherently, but settles as soon as I put her on our bed.
I can't find it in me to leave her yet, so I pull back the covers on my side and crawl in next to her. It doesn't take long for sleep to pull me under as well.
We sleep for much longer than we should have—well I do, anyway. I should have been at the club in the early afternoon to help Emmett prep, but instead of waking me, he headed to the club alone.
I have a text on my phone telling me he understands that I need my time with Bella right now and that I owe him one. After the awesome wake up from my girlfriend, followed by the unbelievably hot shower sex, I don't think Emmett realizes just how much I owe him.
But I hate the thought of leaving her, even if only for a little while. After what happened last night, it makes me nervous.
Finally, after some more groping, I leave her in our bedroom getting ready, with Rose just down the hall.
Locking the door behind me, I glance around the parking lot, making sure there isn't anyone lurking around. I know Lauren wouldn't be stupid a second time around, but I still check anyway.
There are a few cars in the lot as I pull up to Eclipse, but I recognize all of them. That puts me at ease. I head straight for the office, knowing Emmett will be there finalizing the details for tonight.
I meet him on my way there. "Hey, bro, nice of you to finally join us."
"Shut up," I mutter, "You could have woken me."
"Nah, Rose said Bells needed you. How's she doing?"
Emmett's gotten close to Bella, and I know he thinks of her as a sister. That's a positive change for me, as he's never approved of my previous relationships as much as he does now with Bella. In fact, his relationship with Lauren was pretty much non-existent.
"She was shaken, but I think she's doing okay now. We just need to keep an eye out again."
He claps me on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, we're here for you. We'll get through it."
I smile, glad that he always has my back. "Thanks, Em."
"Right, now let's get this place ready."
Two hours later and right on time, our guests start to arrive. Bella and Rose are first, followed closely by Alice and Jasper. They get their drinks at the bar before I meet them and show them to the booth I've reserved for them.
Walking with me, Bella takes my hand, squeezing it softly. I look down at her.
"Thanks for earlier. I kind of freaked out a bit."
"Anytime, Bella." I mean it. I can't imagine walking away from her—ever. Finally, my head seems to be catching up with my heart.
Rose slides into the booth and Bella follows her. She turns in her seat and I crouch down so I'm eye-level with her. "Will you stay and leave with me tonight?"
"I don't think so. I don't want to be yawning through the interview tomorrow."
I knew she wouldn't, but I had to ask anyway. "Promise me you'll go home with Rose, then. I don't want you going anywhere alone. If she can't take you, I'll drive you home and come back."
She smiles her beautiful smile, "Of course, baby."
"I just want you to be safe, Bella," I murmur, cupping her face in my hand, my thumb stroking her soft skin.
It would be so easy just to tell her how I feel, with those three words bubbling to the surface. I didn't think I was ready to admit it, but having her here in front of me, knowing she might be in danger again, is more than I can bear. Closing her eyes, she leans into my touch. Again I find myself cursing that it might be my fault that she's going through this. She opens her eyes and they meet mine. I can't look away. I feel like we're in our own little bubble, our friends forgotten. It's just the two of us now.
"Oh! Edward, Emmett! This place is fabulous! Carlisle, will you just look at it!" My mother gushes as she looks around the club.
Bella blinks, snapping us out of our bubble. Her cheeks are tinged pink, and I feel she's been affected by our moment as much as I have.
Part of me is still scared as hell, but now it's a good nervous feeling. The kind of butterflies I got as a kid on Christmas morning or at the airport waiting to go on vacation. The thought of telling Bella I love her has my heart pounding, but now the good feelings outweigh the bad. I know I have to tell her soon.
I stand and turn to face my mother who is still gushing about the club. "Mom, Dad, glad you could make it." I hug them both before turning back to Rose and Bella, who are nervously standing behind me. I refrain from rolling my eyes, knowing how much my parents love them both.
They've only met Bella once—at the eventful lunch a few weeks back—but they've spoken on the phone a few times since then. Rose was introduced to them earlier this week, after telling Emmett she didn't want tonight to be the first time she met them.
"I was hoping to see you both before you have to run off. Is Emmett around? Mom asks as my father gets their drinks from the bar.
"I'm here, Mom."
"Oh, Emmett! The place looks great—I'm so proud of you both!" She steps into his open arms and gives him a hug. He's grinning from ear to ear, and I know he appreciates her praise as much as I do.
I glance around and notice more guests are appearing. It'll be time to cut the music and announce the band soon. "I'm sorry, guys, but we're going to have to leave you and get back to work."
"Of course, of course." My mom looks around, grinning, "I can't wait!" My father returns from the bar, drinks in hand, and they all take their seats.
Bella murmurs a quiet "good luck," and I give her a quick kiss before Emmett and I leave our small group. As the girls join our parents, I can't help but smile when I hear my mom gushing over how great they both look. He heads to behind the bar and I go to the stage, where the band is setting up behind the curtain. Once they're all in place, I kill the background music and step up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen." I pause, waiting for the crowd to settle. "I want to thank you for coming to our first jazz night here at Eclipse." I hear catcalls and whistles from the back and I smile, knowing my friends well. "I hope you all have a great time, and we'll see you back for more of these special nights in the future. Now, it's my great pleasure to introduce to you all, The Bojanglers." Applause fills the air, and I step aside as the curtain opens, revealing the band.
The night is a success. Everything is flowing seamlessly—the band is great, we've got a good crowd, the bar is quite busy, and most of all, everyone seems to be having a great time. Tonight is a big deal for mine and Emmet's baby and I'm so happy to see it's a success. I can definitely see nights like this becoming a regular occurrence for Eclipse.
With everything going well, I let my thoughts fall to Bella. I was worried that the possible return of her stalker would affect her night, but I see there's no need. At the moment, she's sitting close to my mother, both giggling away, so it seems to be a good night for her as well. Seeing her laughing and joking with my parents makes me smile. The fact that they already have a great relationship means so much to me.
"Ladies and gents, we want to thank you for being a fabulous crowd tonight. We've had a great time and we hope to see you all again soon. This is our last song so please find that special person and take it to the dance floor."
My eyes find the only person that matters to me in this moment. I can think of nothing I want more than to have my girl in my arms, moving to the slow beats of this song—to feel her, to be secure in our own little bubble again.
Her brown eyes lock with mine as I make my way across the bar to her.
She stands, meeting me halfway before stepping into my open arms. She feels like heaven, her warm body moulding perfectly to mine.
"Hi," I murmur, looking down into her shining eyes.
"Hey, yourself. Are you sure you're free for a dance?" She hugs me tighter as if she's dreading my answer. As if I will ever pull away from her.
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now." Laying my cheek against her hair, we slowly move with the music.
The band finishes their last song, but when nobody moves from the dance floor they start another one, dedicating it to the couples on the dance floor. I smile, recognizing my favorite Ray Charles song, "I Can't Stop Loving You."
It's a bit ironic—here I am dancing to a song about love, when I can't even summon the courage to tell my girlfriend how I feel about her. I know I need to do it soon, and I will. I need to plan the perfect night—she deserves the works, some wooing and romance. She's admitted she likes the idea of fairy tales—girls being swept off their feet—I want to be able to do that for her. I hum to the tune, hoping Bella is listening to the words. Even though I can't say them yet, I do feel them, and she's it for me.
I can't stop loving you…
I can't stop wanting you…
The song may primarily be about a lost love, but those two lines are the ones I hope Bella hears right now.
BPOV
I don't recognise this song—I've never been a huge jazz fan—but clearly Edward does, as his arms instantly tighten around me. He's even humming along. I let myself focus on the words as Edward places a chaste kiss on my head.
My breath catches as the lyrics sink in.
I can't stop loving you…
I can't stop wanting you…
My heart is beating so fast—I'm sure Edward must be able to feel it.
He pulled me closer when the song started, and he's humming it to me—does it mean that he loves me?
Is this his way of telling me? He's admitted to being scared—is that what he was scared of?
I can say first—show him he doesn't need to be scared—that I love him no matter what. I want him.
Before I have the chance to even contemplate what this all means for me, for us, Edward's pulling away from me. I look up, shocked to see Felix behind me, his eyes locked on Edward. I was so caught up in the song, in Edward, that I didn't even notice him approach.
Understanding that work requires his attention, I give him a quick kiss and make my way back to our friends. I didn't think I'd get any time with him tonight, so I'm going to relish the time I did have.
As I approach the table, Esme and Carlisle are getting ready to leave. I hug them both, promising to come over for dinner soon.
After they leave, I take my seat with my friends who have decided to have a couple more drinks before leaving.
My friends are animated, laughing, and joking, generally enjoying their night, though I barely hear them. My thoughts are consumed by a green-eyed, bronze-haired man who now owns my heart.
When we first met, we were both so scared. There was always a chance that we'd be hurt, and we both knew we couldn't go through that again. Now, after letting the walls around our hearts fall, we have the chance at something better than we ever could have imagined.
A content smile appears on my face now that I've admitted to myself that I love him. I feel the need to tell him—not tonight, but soon. It doesn't matter if he's not ready to say it back—I just need him to know how I feel.
My eyes roam the room, now emptying, as Edward approaches. He catches me searching, a small smile on his face.
"Bella…Bella!"
I turn to Rose, who's now wearing her jacket, her glass empty in front of her.
"Earth to Bella—where were you? I've been trying to get your attention for a few minutes." She follows where I was looking a few moments ago, a smirk forming on her face. "Oh, say no more."
"Are we leaving?"
"Yeah, you okay to leave?"
"Of course." I gather my stuff, putting my jacket on. "Just let me go say bye to Edward."
"I'm right here, beautiful." I turn, laughing when I see the pout on Edward's face. "You have to leave?"
"You know I have a big day tomorrow, baby." Grasping his shirt, I pull him to me. He comes willingly, wrapping his arms around me, his hands finding my ass.
"I won't be too much longer. We'll start throwing out the last of the customers soon, and then I just have to count the tills."
"Okay, I'll see you soon." I stretch up on my toes, kissing him softly, pulling away before he deepens it.
"Mean." He pouts again, letting go before heading to his office.
Rose, Jasper, Alice and I leave the club, saying goodnight at the door, promising to do something soon.
The journey home is quick and the dark roads cause my eyes to droop. Rose asks if I want to stay up for a drink with her, but I politely refuse. I need to be refreshed for my interview tomorrow.
We say goodnight and I make my way to Edward's room. I pull on one of his old t-shirts and crawl under the covers, a huge smile on my face. Tonight was great for pulling my attention away from my stalker, and I know I have my friends and boyfriend to thank for that.
?POV
This is going be harder than we thought. The plan isn't working.
They should be pulling away from each other, but they look stronger than ever.
The way he holds her as they dance. The way they look at each other.
They may be on a crowded dance floor, but they are clearly in their own private bubble.
We need to move faster.
BPOV
I wake before the alarm goes off, with a smile on my face and my boyfriend's body wrapped around mine. I try to think of another time I was this happy. I come up empty.
I glance at the alarm clock, which is now due to go off. Not wanting to disturb Edward, I reluctantly crawl out of his warm embrace. I let him sleep since I know I'll have to wake him when I leave for work. Everything is now back to the way it was after the break-in, and that includes being accompanied on the way to work. This time I'm not going to moan or complain about it. I'm too freaked out to worry about relying on my friends too much.
With a last lingering glance at Edward, I climb out of bed. Grabbing my clothes, I head to the bathroom to get ready. I need to get my thoughts away from Lauren. I have my first real assignment with the newspaper today. I have to focus. This means so much to me. Someone is finally taking a chance on me and I won't have some psycho ruining this.
After a quick shower, I get dressed and return to the bedroom to wake my boyfriend. I smile. He's sleeping peacefully, a small frown on his face as he hugs my pillow. It's almost worth leaving him to sleep and going to work alone, but I know he would freak out.
I walk to my side of the bed and kneel on the mattress. Slowly leaning down, I kiss him softly. "Morning, baby." Another kiss. "It's time to be Bella's taxi. First stop:
Starbucks." I smile against his lips as he slowly wakes, registering that it's time to get up.
"Five more minutes," he grumbles, rolling over, taking my pillow with him.
"You've already had twenty," I whisper, moving further onto the bed, leaning over him.
He turns quickly, his strong arms wrapping around me. I squeal, caught off-guard as I tumble onto the bed. He chuckles quietly before releasing me.
I try and right myself before turning back to him. He's now rolled onto his back, watching me, his green eyes dancing with mischief.
"You were awake?"
He grins. "I was awake. You really think I don't notice when you leave my bed?"
"You looked dead to the world. I thought you might like some more sleep."
"Yeah, but had you woken me, we could have showered together." He winks at me, his eyes roaming my body.
I blush under his intense gaze. "We both know I would never make it to work if that happened." We'd tried that before and didn't even make it past the front door. "And this is one day I really can't be late."
His smile drops slightly. "You're right. I'm sorry. Let me just grab my jeans and a t-shirt."
"Hey." He looks up at me. "You never need to apologise for that." I grin at him. "Just hold onto that thought."
There's no sign of the black car, not that I thought there would be. I look for it from the moment we leave the apartment, until Edward pulls up outside Starbucks. Just having Edward here in the car with me makes me feel a lot better.
"Do you want anything?" He shakes his head as I step out of the car.
"I'll just wait here for you, baby."
Even though I can see my office from Starbucks, Edward refuses to leave until he sees me walk into the building.
Thanks to the early-morning rush, I have a bit of a wait for my latte, but I do actually make it to work on time. When I arrive at my desk, I'm not shocked to see Angela already there.
"Do you ever go home?"
She looks up at me, smiling. "Yeah, of course. But when I have an interview, I just like to make sure I'm properly prepared for it."
I start to unpack, but she raises her hands to me. "I wouldn't bother. When Victoria gets here, we'll leave right away."
I stop and sit in my chair to wait. "Where is she?"
She gestures down the hallway towards the bathrooms. "Morning sickness."
Half an hour later, Victoria is well enough to leave for the interview. We're meeting Kate at her hotel, the Sheraton, which is only a short drive downtown.
During the drive, Angela explains that although I've done a lot of writing for the column, she and Victoria will be conducting the interview so I can watch and take notes. I'm not overjoyed at getting pushed to the back, but I suppose I do need to learn about how they function as a team.
When we arrive to the hotel, the reception staff calls Kate's room to let her know we're here.
A tall, curvy blonde opens the door for us as we arrive. "Morning, ladies. I'm Heidi Turner, Kate's manager." We all shake her hand before stepping into the room. I can't help but be a bit intimated by Heidi. She looks slightly older than me, dressed sharp in a power suit, her long blonde hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, with minimum make-up highlighting her natural beauty. But her genuine smile soon soothes any nerves I have.
"Please take a seat, Kate's just finishing getting ready." She gestures to the couch in the living room area of the suite. Angela and Victoria sit down, while I pull over a spare seat from a nearby table.
Heidi excuses herself, heading in the direction of the bathroom, while the three of us get out our stuff for the interview. Although I won't be asking questions, I'm still going to be taking notes, something we can all compare back at the office.
Kate and Garrett exit the bedroom minutes later, holding hands and both of them grinning and joking. The news mentioned they had recently gotten married, and right now, they are the radiating the happiness that comes from being in the honeymoon stage.
Heidi steps into the room in front of them. "Ladies, this is Kate and Garrett. Guys, this is Angela, Victoria, and Isabella."
We all greet each other before taking our seats, ready to begin the interview.
Kate is the picture of ease throughout the whole interview, both comfortable and confident in answering questions. The passion she has for her career, whether it be song writing or performing, is evident in her eyes whenever she speaks.
As far as I can tell, the interview was a success. Kate didn't make any diva demands, there were no upsetting questions, and the whole interview just flowed really well. After we finished, they invited us to stay for lunch. Something, Angela informs me, never happens. I'm glad that my first impression of Kate is correct, and I hope that even as she continues further success, she remains the same.
"Are we going back to the office?" I ask. We're in the car, stuffed after an amazing lunch.
"Yeah, just for a little while. We need to compare our notes, see what we have, and then Victoria and I will get started on the column." Angela catches my eyes in the rear view mirror, and I nod my understanding. "We should be finished about six." I look to Victoria, now dozing in the passenger seat, and I wonder what my chances are of finishing early.
"Perfect. Thanks, Ang. I'll let Edward know." I take out my phone and send him a text.
"Do you guys have any plans tonight?" Angela asks. My phone beeps, Edward letting me know he'll pick me up and asking what take-out I want for dinner. I quickly type my reply before focusing on Angela.
"Not really. Edward's always pretty beat after the hours he puts in on the weekend, so Monday night is always really lazy for us." I gesture to my phone. "Tonight is take-out and a DVD on the couch."
"That sounds like heaven," Angela sighs. At my confused look she continues. "I have a problem switching off and I always take my work home."
"Well, we can't have that. How about one night next week you come around to my place for dinner?" She looks hesitant, but I continue. "Edward works late most nights, and he's going to be planning another jazz night soon, so that means even later nights." I can't help but sound excited about this. I've never really had a job where I socialized with people outside of working hours.
"Sounds great. I mean, I know at the time, you'll be dragging me kicking and screaming. But I really could do with a break, and learning to "let my hair down."
I grin. It sounds like Angela needs to be introduced to drinks at Eclipse one night.
"It doesn't help that, thanks to Eric's hours, I go home to an empty house most of the time."
"Eric?"
"My boyfriend. He's a fireman, so a lot of the time we only see each other in passing. I'm asleep when he comes home from work and I'm getting up way earlier than he ever will." She sighs. "It sucks, but we both love what we do so we just deal with it."
"I know that feeling. Edward's hours at the club are almost opposite of mine." Now it's my turn to sigh.
A comfortable silence falls as we pull up outside our building. My phone beeps, signalling an incoming text:
I can't wait to see you tonight. xo E
A/N
So, I know it's been a while and I apologise. Real Life has been kicking ass lately.
Thanks to a few girls on twitter for their help – Blondemel47 helped me with the name of the band and shelikesthesound for helping me find the perfect song for Bella and Edward to dance to.
I would love to know you're thoughts….
xox