Chapter 16

"Hello again!" I said when I answered.

"You sound happy to hear from me," Edward's wonderful voice came down the line.

"Now why would that be?" I mocked him.

He laughed and I felt my smile spread from one ear to the other. "Are you in bed?" he asked.

"No," I responded slowly. "Why?"

He laughed again as he said, "I'm not being dirty, Bella, just wondering if you found the little something I left you yet…"

"You left me something?" I was confused.

"Have a look under the covers on the bed," he told me.

I yanked the covers down and there, in the middle of "his" side of the bed, was the shirt he'd been wearing the day before he left. I squealed as I picked it up and breathed in his scent.

"I take it you found it," he chuckled.

I was mortified. "You heard me breathe?"

"No, it was more the squeal," he teased.

"Yeah, well, I stuffed something in your suitcase too," I shot back, slowly getting myself under control.

"Hmmm…guess I'd better unpack then," he replied.

I heard the locks on his suitcase click open, then his musings as he rummaged through the contents. "Mine…mine…mine…" There was a pause. "Definitely not mine."

Oh crap, I thought. The ratty pj shirt was going to far.

"Uh, Bella?" he asked, sounding confused. "I don't want to offend you, but when you said you stuffed something in my suitcase, I take it you meant the blue panties?"

My breathing stopped, followed closely by my heat. I'd done what? Panties? I thought in a panic. No, it was definitely a shirt. Unless… Suddenly it hit me. With everything going on with Edward, there was a good chance that some of my underwear hadn't made it to the laundry hamper. Which meant there was an equally good chance that I'd balled something up in my t-shirt.

"Bella? Are you still there?" he sounded worried.

"Yes," I squeaked out.

"Is something wrong?" I could hear the giggle in his voice.

"Um…the panties weren't the surprise," I started explaining. "The surprise was…"

"The t-shirt?" he asked. "I just found it."

"Yes, it was the shirt," I confirmed, still totally mortified.

He started laughing uncontrollably and I joined in for a few minutes. "I should've known the panties were an accident," he said once he caught his breath. "Not that they're not a nice surprise…"

I could see him smiling in my mind. "Edward!" I admonished. "I'm not some horny chick who sends underwear home with her boyfriend."

He laughed again before answering, "I know you're not the chick that sends her underwear home Bella, but even you have to admit you're horny."

The blush came back in half a second. "Only when you're around," I mumbled under my breath.

I heard his sharp intake of breath over the phone. When he spoke, his voice was husky. "Well, we'll just have to be around each other more often then, won't we?"

I felt a tingle go from the base of my stomach to the tip of my toes. "And you think I'm killing you?"

We spoke for about another ten minutes before I remembered that Edward had only just arrived home.

"Did you want some time to unpack and take a shower?" I asked, hoping he'd say no.

"Yeah," he sighed, "but the shower won't be as fun without you."

I smiled softly then replied, "Ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Nope," he said, popping the p. "I'll call you when I'm going to bed silly!"

"You don't have to do that," I assured him, even though I wouldn't complain.

"What time do you have to start tomorrow? I can't remember and you told me just this morning!" He was so considerate – I knew he understood how tough shift work was when you didn't get enough sleep.

"I start at 8 tomorrow morning – nothing awful!" I told him, double checking my roster that was on the floor next to my bed. "And considering its two hours later there, I should be more worried about you being tired! Don't you start back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I'm still calling you when I'm going to bed." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm not going to win this, am I?" I conceded.

"Nope!" he exclaimed, popping again. "I'll talk to you soon, ok?"

I shook my head as I responded, "Ok, but doctor's orders are that you get a decent amount of sleep tonight."

"I wouldn't want to go against doctor's orders," he mocked me. "I'm going to go unpack, shower and eat something, then I'll call you again, ok?"

"All right. Enjoy your dinner," I told him as I said goodbye.

Once I was off the phone, I went down the hall and cleaned my teeth. I could hear Alice talking to Jasper on the phone through her door. "No, I love you more!" I heard her chirp.

I yelled out, "And I love you the most!"

I heard her laugh as she called back, "Jazz says he loves you too Bells!"

I kept smiling as I walked back into my bedroom. It was still only 9pm so I decided to get ready for work tomorrow. I laid my cornflower blue scrubs out on the old green chair in the corner of my room, along with a grey t-shirt and clean socks. I usually prefer to change at the hospital but the thought of being semi-naked in the locker room with Dr Newton made my skin crawl. I wasn't even sure if he was on the next day but I didn't want to take the chance.

I headed out to the kitchen and made myself a salad for lunch. No more cafeteria food if I can help it, I vowed to myself.

With lunch made and my clothes laid out, I decided to crawl into bed and read until Edward called again.

I tucked myself in under the covers, no longer in the middle of the bed but on "my" side. I couldn't stop myself from leaning over and smelling Edward's pillow.

I lay back against my own pillows and grinned at the ceiling for a few minutes before I reached over and picked up my book. It was pointless – I couldn't focus. My mind kept drifting to Edward – how fast things were moving, how much I didn't care that things were moving fast, and how happy he made me.

I still couldn't settle so I decided to get up and cook. I knew I had graveyards and afternoons coming up so Alice would be at home by herself. And there was no way I was going to let her eat her own cooking for five days. That had to be against my oath or something.

By 10, I had two chicken casseroles, a beef stroganoff, an apple pie and some spinach and ricotta pastries in the freezer.

I was just loading the last of my dirty utensils into the dishwasher when Alice shuffled in.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, filling a glass with water and downing half of it in one go.

"Just waiting until Edward calls again before I crash," I told her. "There's enough food to feed a small army in the freezer."

"You're the best, mum," she teased me with a grin. She drained the rest of her water and reached out for a hug.

I gave her a squeeze in return. "I think I'm about ready to go to bed now," I announced. "I'll just stare at the ceiling or something."

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, turning on me with wild eyes. "You can't let him do this to you!"

I held my smirk in as I replied, "You're right. I'll go pee first." I lost it then, breaking into hysterical giggles. "Oh Alice," I choked out, "you should have seen the look on your face!"

"Hmmph!" she huffed, storming out of the kitchen.

I chased after her and grabbed her elbow. "Aw, come on, you have to admit that was at least a little funny!" I teased.

"Yeah, it was," she said with an impish grin. "I should've known you wouldn't let this get you down."

My phone chimed as I read the text message that had just arrived with Alice reading over my shoulder;

Miss you baby, will call you in 10. Edward.

"That's so cute, but…" Alice's voice drifted off.

"But what?" I was a little scared.

"Not, 'love Edward', or even a hug or kiss?" She seemed upset.

"There's no love Alice, at least, not yet," I told her hesitantly.

"That's sweet Bella – I know you won't use the words until you're sure, and even though Edward can be impulsive, he won't either," she said reassuringly. "Anyway, you need to go get tucked in before Romeo calls!" She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Sweet dreams!"

"Night pixie," I replied as I headed back to my room to wait for Edward's call.