A/N: This chapter is a lot longer than I originally intended, but oh well. I'm sure none of you will be complaining.
My flight is booked for my move back to Toronto. So if you happen to be near the airport, please feel free to drop by around 6:30pm with flowers, candy, a double double from Tim Hortons and a 2-4 of Molson Canadian. Okay, that's only funny to my fellow Canadians, but that's okay.
*I don't own twilight, but I do have some of the best readers and reviewers out there. Oh, and I have a shitload of baby clothes.
BPOV
The drive between Jackson Hole and Butte was boring as hell. I kept my eyes on the road and the bumper of the Volvo directly in front of me, but I was alone, and it bothered me. We were traveling to the exact same place, but we had to do it separately, which frustrated me beyond belief. Most of the drive I flipped through songs on my iPod, which I discovered reminded me of Edward with each and every song. I also let my mind wonder about the possibilities between Edward and me. After everything though, there was only one thing I was certain of and that was that I didn't want him to go back to L.A. in a few days.
When we stopped in Butte, Edward picked a small restaurant for lunch and we sat in peace beside each other and bitched about the drive. It was only noon and we still had at least twelve hours to go. "Maybe we should stop somewhere overnight?" suggested Edward casually as he munched on a french fry from his plate. "I would hate for something to happen because we were so tired." I nodded my head in agreement and reached into my bag for my cell phone.
"Hi Dad, yeah, I'm on my way home but I will probably be there before lunch tomorrow. I'm tired and I'm gonna stop on the way home overnight."
"If you think that's best Bella," sighed Charlie as there was a sudden silence between us. "I spoke to Jacob."
"I don't want to talk about Jacob dad. I think I mentioned that when I told you we broke up because he cheated on me." I said forcefully.
"He's sorry about everything," said Charlie remorsefully as I looked up at Edward and snapped.
"Dad, if you insist on putting Jacob before me, I won't come home for Christmas." Edward patted me on the back of my hand and I heard my father groan under his breath.
"It's fine Bella. Come home for Christmas. I've missed you."
"I've missed you too Dad, I'll see you tomorrow." I closed my phone and Edward looked at me sympathetically. "Oh boy, I can't wait to get home," I lied sarcastically. Edward picked up his phone and dialed Alice.
"Hey Sis, I need you to pick Emmett up at the airport." I watched him nod his head in time to whatever she was saying. "Yeah, I'm driving to Forks. I needed a few days to clear my head, so I'm on the way, but I'm going to stop overnight. Em will be at Sea-Tac around eleven tomorrow morning." It was only a moment later that he shut his phone and smiled up at me.
"So, where are we sleeping tonight?" I said with a wink as he kissed my cheek.
"I don't care. I'm just glad I have one more night alone with you. Why don't we stop in Spokane? That's like five hours from here, so we can have dinner and get some sleep, leaving early the next morning." I nodded my head in agreement. After lunch, we got back into our respective cars and continued down the highway towards Spokane. It was just after five when we reached the city limits and noticed a Holiday Inn just off the highway. Edward booked us a standard room and we brought our luggage up before heading to dinner. The night was casual and we were both relieved we stopped because just after eight, we both fell asleep in bed.
Edward was up early the next morning. He had already showered and dressed before I had even moved. It was just before seven when he woke me up from my dreams of him and ushered me into the shower as he left to go grab us some breakfast. I showered quickly, desperate to spend some more time with him before being back in the confines of my car. We chatted amiably as we ate donuts and coffee on the bed in our hotel room before finally leaving a little before eight. We kissed passionately as we separated, not quite sure when we would see each other again.
"Text me tonight when I can come over, okay?" he said sweetly as he closed the car door for me after I got in. I simply nodded my head and kissed him again, before driving away. I looked in my rearview mirror and regretted having to leave him, even though I knew I would see him in twelve hours or so.
When I finally pulled into the snow covered driveway at Charlie's, it was just after one in the afternoon. I had hoped to be home sooner, but the roads were a bit slick through certain parts of the state. Charlie wasn't home when I arrived, obviously still on shift at the station, so I unlocked the house with the spare key under the mat and loaded my stuff into the house. Charlie had put up a sorry looking tree, which was scattered with the various ornaments I had made throughout my youth. I stared at it nervously and wished I was looking at the tree Edward had gotten for me in Jackson Hole. Before I lay down on the couch to wait for Charlie to get home, I sent Edward a quick text message.
Got home Safe. Will Call Later -B
I laid the phone down beside me on the couch and turned on the TV to catch up on some news on CNN. Everything was about the economy and how holiday spending had been reduced by most Americans. No wonder I felt asleep only ten minutes into it. When I awoke almost two hours later, I had a message waiting for me and Charlie was pulling into the driveway. I flipped open my phone and smiled happily at Edward's message.
Glad to hear. I miss you. I'm home too. Waiting excitedly for your call.-E
"Bells, are you here?" called Charlie as he walked in the door and hung up his coat and holster on the coat rack. I stood up and stretched my arms over my head and tentatively stood from the couch, heading towards the kitchen.
"Hey Dad," I responded as he pulled me into an awkward hug.
"How was the drive?" he asked hesitantly as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, offering me one before I quickly refused.
"It was okay. I'm glad I ended up spending the night in Spokane, I don't think I could have made it otherwise." Charlie didn't ask another question for the next little while. He ordered us some pizza for dinner, both of us knowing full well he couldn't cook to save his life. After dinner, he relaxed in the living room, catching up on something on ESPN and I moved to my bedroom to call Alice. I needed to hear a friendly voice.
"Hey Alice, how are things going?" I asked tentatively. I was nervous throughout our entire phone call, trying not to reveal any sort of information that Edward had revealed me during our time together.
"Well from the sounds of it, things here at the Cullen house are better than at the Swan house," she replied with a nervous laugh. "Things are alright. My brothers are home, so that's nice I suppose. They both seem a little anxious though."
"I'm sure they are just tired from travelling from California," I replied calmly. She never mentioned either Emmett or Edward for the rest of our conversation, choosing instead to talk about Jasper and all the things I missed in Seattle while I was away. After almost half an hour of chit chat, I finally decided to take a bath and then text Edward to come over. Surely Charlie would be heading to bed by nine at the latest. "Hey Alice, before I head to bed, let your mom know I will come over to drop off the keys to the cabin tomorrow."
"Cool. Come around noon and we can go for lunch in Port Angeles. I have to do a little bit more Christmas shopping. Are you up to it?" I reluctantly agreed and we hung up, with Alice eager for our day together tomorrow. After my bath I checked on my father, and sure enough he was snoring loudly in his room. I would need to remind him in the morning to visit his doctor. With snoring like that, it couldn't be healthy. I walked into my room and grabbed my phone, quickly typing Edward a message
Fresh from a bath. Can u come over?- B
I opened my luggage and slipped on one of the bra and panty sets I purchased at Target before tossing on a pair of Edward's boxer shorts I had stolen from him, and my Kings of Leon t-shirt. I grabbed a copy of 'Emma' from my bookshelf and lay on my bed, reading quietly until I heard from Edward. It was about thirty minutes later when he finally wrote back.
Can't get free right now. Emmett knows. How late will you be up –E
I was immediately disappointed, especially after being without him for so long. If we continued this, I would have a really hard time dealing with everything when he went back to L.A.
When can you get free? I can wait up for you –B
Before I went back to my book, I put my iPod on and began listening to it on random. I was two more chapters in when I finally heard back from Edward.
Not looking good. I'll see you tomorrow when you come see Esme. Sweet Dreams –E
I tossed the book onto my nightstand and turned off my light, as I tried to force myself to fall asleep. It was a restless night and when I finally stumbled from my bed, feeling like utter crap, I noticed it was only six thirty in the morning. Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee and some oatmeal before heading to out for his shift.
"I'll be back from work in time for dinner. Billy invited us down to his place, but I turned him down, figuring that was a bad idea considering the current situation between you and Jacob," he said, trying to sound concerned for me. I simply nodded my head and poured myself a cup of coffee, sitting down beside him.
"I'm running over to Alice's today. I need to return Esme the key to the cabin and then Alice and I are heading to Port Angeles. I'm sure I'll be home for dinner. Want me to pick something up?" Charlie was trying to make a bit of an effort with me, however half-hearted it seemed.
"Sure Bells, you know what I like. Pick up whatever you want." It was only minutes later that Charlie stepped from the house and into the cold Forks morning. I headed upstairs and grabbed my book, returning to the couch in the living room to read a bit more and enjoy my coffee. At eleven, I stalked up the stairs, a little frustrated that I hadn't heard from Edward all morning. I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a light blue sweater, pulling my hair up into a ponytail. I didn't bother to do my makeup since I was spending the day with Alice, who I would look plain next too regardless of what I had done to my appearance.
As I pulled up the driveway of the Cullen house, I immediately felt nervous, which I had never felt before. I grabbed the key to the cabin from the console and headed up the stairs, to what was surely going to be an awkward encounter.
"Hi Bella," said the deep voice of a muscular curly haired man I had never met before. I automatically assumed it was Emmett, but couldn't say that aloud. "I'm Emmett," he said as he extended his hand and I shook it easily.
"Bella," Alice chirped as she practically ran down the stairs from her bedroom. Her cheeks were flush, but she looked excited to see me. Edward probably hadn't spoken to her yet, I thought to myself as Esme walked in from the kitchen, pulling me into a gentle motherly hug.
"Bella, how was the trip?" she asked curiously as I followed her towards the kitchen.
"It was lovely Esme, thank you very much for loaning me the cabin for a few days," I replied genuinely as Emmett coughed in the background and I handed her back the keys. "Are you alright Emmett?" I asked as I glared angrily at him. He said nothing, choosing instead to walk from the room and steer clear of me altogether.
"I'm glad you could enjoy it sweetie. We rarely get to enjoy it as much as we should." Esme was working in the kitchen, making a batch of peanut butter cookies for the family. The entire scene made me envious of the Cullen's yet again. They had such a close and loving relationship, I wished that Charlie and I could have something even relatively normal.
"So, we're heading into Port Angeles. We should be home in time for dinner though. Bella do you want to come over for dinner?" asked Alice as she grabbed her purse from the counter and wrapped her arm in mine. I looked around the main floor again, but there was no sign of Edward. I felt a little heartsick, because he had promised to be here, and he wasn't.
"Thanks for the offer Ali, but Charlie and I have dinner plans." She nodded in acknowledgement of my words, but then Esme spoke up, and surprised the hell out of me.
"You know Bella, if it's just you and Charlie for the holidays; you are more than welcome to come spend Christmas Day with us. Lord knows I always make more than enough food, and Charlie and Carlisle are practically friends now thanks to their involvement in the police auction. It would be nice if you could join us." I heard Emmett laughing from the living room once she finished speaking, but I didn't find it all that funny.
"I'll mention it to Charlie tonight and I will let you know tomorrow. Thank you for the invitation Esme."
"It's a shame you couldn't meet Alice's other brother Edward. He had to run into Seattle early this morning. If you come on Christmas though, you'll finally meet the entire family." I nodded my head at her as Alice led us from the kitchen and I glanced down at Emmett on the living room couch, still laughing at the situation between Edward and me.
EPOV
When I finally stepped into the house after almost a year of being away, I felt comfortable, almost at peace again. I hadn't felt this relaxed since I left the cabin and Bella. The final leg of the drive had been tiresome and I was actually glad to get out of the car and into the prying eyes of my family. Emmett and Alice hadn't yet arrived, so I got to spend a little bit of quality time with Esme.
"You're looking well Edward. L.A. agrees with you," she said sweetly as I laughed in my head. If she only knew. Emmett and I had agreed not to tell her about the move until Christmas day, so I kept my mouth shut and smiled happily at her. "Your dad had been worried about you after your last visit, but I'm sure he will be relieved to see you now."
"Thanks mom. What's going on here these days?" She talked nonstop for the next thirty minutes as she whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, with me testing them out only moments after they came from the oven. Esme explained to me about Bella borrowing the cabin, and I just nodded my head, as though it wasn't important. My mother really didn't need to know how significant that cabin had been to both Bella and me.
Alice and Emmett strolled in just after three, talking casually about the benefits of living in Seattle versus L.A. Alice was clearly not abreast of the move either, which surprised me that Emmett had managed to keep his mouth shut. When Emmett brought his bags up to his old room, he cornered me on the stairs.
"Up to your room, now." I simply nodded and let him lead the way. I sat down on my old bed as Emmett took a seat on my couch, his eyes glaring at me in frustration. "You're different."
"How am I different?" I stammered nervously.
"You are sleeping with her, aren't you?" asked Emmett. Apparently I really did look different, because he was the second person in an hour to notice a change.
"No, I am not sleeping with Bella," I said in a low whisper, not sure where everyone was in the house. Emmett stood from the couch and closed the door so we could talk more freely.
"Stop lying to me. Is she the reason you want to move to Seattle?"
"No, she's not the reason. I had been thinking about moving back for a while and talking to her at the cabin, just helped me to realize that this was something I needed to do, for me." I was running my hands through my hair nervously, which Emmett noticed.
"I don't care what you do with the girl, but if she's made you happier and shit, then I'm happy for you."
"Please don't say anything, to anyone. Please." I was practically begging him not to out Bella and I, and it felt awkward. Once again, like I was a fifteen year old kid trying to hide his first girlfriend. "Yeah, we're spending time together, and I really like her. She's nervous about Alice's reaction, so we're keeping it under the radar until we can talk to her. Please Emmett, keep it quiet."
"Sure thing man, just play it safe. Okay?" I nodded my head and he walked from my room with a smug grin on his face. I felt a little relaxed having someone else know our secret, but nervous that it would be revealed before we had a chance to talk to Alice. She was the catalyst of all this. Bella loved Alice too much to ruin their friendship, but if Alice didn't approve, I wasn't sure I could stop my feelings for Bella.
Bella and I had exchanged some messages earlier in the day to let each other know we were home safe, but it wasn't until later in the evening when I started to miss her terribly. She sent me a quick text message around nine and I immediately gasped from the images that it caused.
Fresh from a bath. Can u come over?- B
Unfortunately at that moment, Alice had strong-armed Emmett and me into a game of Monopoly, which seemed to last forever. When I excused myself to use the bathroom, I replied to Bella's message.
Can't get free right now. Emmett knows. How late will you be up –E
Before I even had a chance to leave the bathroom, she had texted me again. I looked down at the phone eagerly and smiled.
When can you get free? I can wait up for you –B
She wanted to wait for me, and I wanted to go to her so badly. I didn't respond to her text right away. I headed down into the family room and tried to get out of the game anyway I could. I pretended to be sick and then tired, but Alice could see through me. We continued playing and I finally snuck into the kitchen almost half an hour later to respond her. I prayed I wasn't disappointing her too terribly by canceling.
Not looking good. I'll see you tomorrow when you come see Esme. Sweet Dreams –E
When the game was finally finished, Alice had won, and it was almost two in the morning. I was pissed I had missed time with Bella, even though I had technically enjoyed my evening with the family. I dragged myself up to bed, frustrated at myself for losing time with her, when pretty soon I wouldn't see her for an entire month.
"Edward, someone named Jack Denis called this morning, wanting you to call him back as soon as you can," said Emmett with nervous smile. I glanced at the clock and it was seven o'clock in the morning. It didn't surprise me that we were up at the normal time, but I had been hoping for more sleep. Emmett had checked our messages at the office and that was the most pressing one. I had called Jack from Jackson Hole and asked him to look into commercial property in Seattle for the new location for Cullen Advertising. I grabbed my cell phone and called him back, eager to hear what he had to say. He had found several properties available, but his wife had surprised him with a Hawaiian vacation for Christmas, so today was the best day to visit the sites. I agreed to meet him at noon at his office.
Emmett, of course, opted not to come. He was never interested in these details for the company, but it was fine with me. Emmett would love whatever space I chose. As I barreled down the highway towards the city, I realized I was missing out on seeing Bella at the house this morning. Alice had told me about their plans to go shopping in Port Angeles last night, and I was immediately envious of her for getting to spend quality time with my girl. I reached down for my cell phone, wanting to give Bella a quick call, but I noticed it was dead. I threw it against the passenger side door in frustration.
When I got to Jack's office, I realized I couldn't call Bella again because Alice would surely be with her. On a positive note, the properties Jack ended up showing me had a lot of potential. There was one down near the heart of the city in a large skyscraper that I was particularly fond of. It was over six thousand square feet and had a conference room and two large corner offices, which would be perfect for Emmett and me. When we left the building, I felt confident that this was going to be our new office, but advised Jack I would talk it over with Emmett and let him know when he got back from his vacation. Perhaps this move to Seattle would be easier than I thought.
"Dude, you missed her," whispered Emmett when I finally walked in the door just after seven. Alice had returned from shopping with Bella only an hour earlier, according to Em. "She didn't look happy dude. What did you do?"
"I never told her I had to run out today, I was supposed to be here to see her this morning, and I we had planned for me to see her last night, so pick one of the screw ups and amuse yourself," I said angrily as I headed up the stairs to find my cell phone charger in my luggage.
When I came back down, Esme was in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner and handed me a plate of meatloaf, potatoes and carrots that she had saved for me. "Thanks," I replied as I took a seat at the kitchen counter and eagerly ate the food she had prepared.
"I want both of you on your best behavior on Christmas," sighed Esme as she put the last plate in the dishwasher and wiped off her hands.
"When have we ever not been well behaved?" laughed Emmett as he walked over to our mom and gave her a big bear hug.
"Charlie Swan and his daughter Bella have agreed to join us for dinner," she started to say as I spit a carrot across the room and onto the floor. Emmett patted me on the back and continued to laugh at my misery. "Don't spit food ; that would be a good start when they get here. Chief Swan and your dad work together on a charity for the local police force, and you both know that Alice and Bella have been best friends for about six years, so just make them feel comfortable."
"I'm sure you know how to make Bella feel very comfortable," whispered Emmett into my ear as he ran from the room laughing. The moment I finished eating, I rinsed off my plate and shoved it in the dishwasher. I ran upstairs and pulled out my laptop, googling the home address for Charlie Swan and scribbled it down on a piece of paper I had ripped from a magazine. I grabbed my coat and was running down the stairs, only to be caught by Emmett again.
"Where are you off to Romeo?" he asked with a smirk.
"Exactly where you think I'm going, so cover for me. If anyone asks, just tell them I went for a drive or something." Emmett nodded his head and I continued my sprint down to my car. It was only fifteen minutes later that I found myself in the Volvo outside of Bella's house. There was a light on in the front bedroom, and since I could tell the walls were yellow, I assumed it had to be her room. I looked down at the clock and it was almost ten. The rest of the house looked deserted, so I parked my car down the road a bit and walked back to her house, staring at the large Oak tree the entire time.
Bella had been right, with the proper movements; one could easily access her bedroom window with the tree. Unfortunately, I didn't think I had the ability to do it. I hooked my foot up on some of the bark and grasped a decent sized branch in my hands. I was practically doing a pull up on the sturdy branch to get myself up into the tree. It was strenuous climbing the tree, and if I came over again, I was definitely texting her first and making Bella open the door for me. As romantic as this may seem, my thighs were definitely going to hurt in the morning. I caught a glimpse of Bella in the window, and she looked as beautiful as ever. Curled up in her bed, reading a book with her cell phone on the bed right beside her. She was waiting for me to call her, except I couldn't because my phone was still at home charging.
I grabbed a small twig from one of the branches and threw it heavily against her window, trying to get her attention. After two more tries, she finally looked up from her book and saw me sitting there on the branch, desperate for her to open the window. I was shivering like crazy now, wishing I had thought this out a bit more. She climbed from her bed and I noticed she was wearing my boxers. She looked adorable in my clothes, I thought to myself as she unlocked the window and opened it up to me. When I finally stepped onto the floor of her room, she looked at me in frustration and climbed back into her bed, reaching for her book.
"Are you mad at me?" I asked anxiously as I slipped off my wet shoes and double checked that her bedroom door was locked.
"Why on earth would I be mad at you?" she snapped sarcastically. "Could it be because you were supposed to come over last night, or maybe because I was supposed to see you this morning? Maybe it's because you didn't answer any of my seven text messages or four phone calls? Yeah, I think that one's the winner." Bella bent her head down and went back to reading her book, although I could tell she wasn't actually reading.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't get out of the house last night. Alice would barely let us take a piss break, let alone leave for the evening. As for today, I went to see some properties in Seattle for the new office. My real estate agent, Jack, is leaving for Hawaii in the morning and it was the only time I could go," I said anxiously. I wasn't sure if Bella would believe a word I was saying, but I prayed she would. I didn't really want to revisit the bitchy Bella I had met my first few days in Jackson Hole.
"As for the messages, my phone died this morning and I didn't have my charger with me. It's currently charging at home, so if you message me tomorrow, I'll definitely get it," I replied with a smile, that Bella clearly didn't find endearing. "Am I forgiven?" I asked as I watched her put her book down on her nightstand. She nodded her head slowly and I slipped my jacket off and crawled onto the bed beside her.
"I'm sorry I was mad," she explained as I kissed her cheek softly. She repositioned herself on the bed until her head was resting on my chest and my arms were around her.
"I'm sorry I was out of touch. If you think the chief won't wake up, I can make it up to you," I said with a smirk as I ran my finger down her arm slowly and took her hand in mine.
"Sorry babe. No sex in my dad's house. He's got a loaded gun and I like you too much." Damned logic.
A/N: Whose excited for Christmas Day with the Cullen Family? Christmas is my second favorite holiday, after my birthday. What's your favorite holiday?