Okay I couldn't help but to snow them in. The chase is dwindling and I need to conclude soon before I pull my own hair out. They will tell each other soon I promise!!! I already have the scene in my head. Just keep reading… I'll catch you at the bottom.
SM OWNS TWILIGHT
EPOV
I could hear Jasper's hidden laughter as Esme proclaimed that Bella and I would be sharing a room.
Our eyes met at the same time, and I wasn't sure what I saw in hers.
It didn't surprise me that Esme had grouped Bella and me together. We had been best friends for so long that my parents had grown comfortable with our relationship. She had slept in my room countless times when she was really supposed to be sleeping over with Alice. Hell, she practically lived in my apartment now. There was as much stuff of hers in my room as there was mine.
"Okay, let's watch Bride Wars." Alice said as she descended from the stairs, Emmett running quickly behind her.
"Definitely not." He said shaking his head as he laced his fingers with Rosalie's.
"Don't start." I said folding my arms around my chest and leaning against the fridge.
"What," Alice said playfully. "Everyone wants to watch it, I don't see why not."
"Speak for yourself!" Jasper yelled from the couch, receiving a death glare from Alice.
I tuned them out as my thoughts whirled around Bella. I stole a glance in her direction to see her smiling at Emmett and Alice as they continued on with their antics. She looked...beautiful. Her long mahogany hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, allowing small flyaway hairs to trail along her face. Her cheeks held that small natural glow that I loved so much and her eyes pierced their way through everything and anything. It was times like this when I hated myself for not telling her how I felt. I wanted so much to wrap her in my arms, or kiss her, or simply hold her hand in mine. I wanted to touch her just for the sake of touching her.
I didn't even care that I was staring… or that Esme was watching me stare. I was having a hard enough time not jumping across the counter to just feel Bella's breath against mine. My head began to hurt as I thought about sleeping next to her later on. Having her that close. I would combust.
"Edward did you hear me." Esme said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Help me grab the plates from the table."
******************************************************
BPOV
"So let's play scrabble" Jasper called, as he climbed off the couch.
Within a few minutes we were all conveniently strewed across the living room floor, deciphering between which words we wanted to dominate with.
"Okay," Emmett laughed as he turned his gaze to me. "I'll go first."
Slowly the word SECRET arranged themselves in the center of the board. I frowned at him as he continued to smile at me but otherwise shrugged him off as I leaned to place the remaining letters of CRANE around his C.
The first round continued as EGG, RACK, RIGHT, and CREDIBLE were strewed across the board. Finally it was Emmett's turn again and I cringed as he strategically placed his new word next to his last. Suddenly the only two words that popped out to me were SECRET LOVERS. And as the game continued I wasn't surprised to find that LUST, ADMIRER, and also LOVE blanketed the checkered board courtesy of Emmett.
I sent him death glares as I realized that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. I quickly glanced around the group to see if anyone else had noticed his selective vocabulary. Sure enough, Alice and Jasper were turning red from hidden laughter while Rosalie simply looked confused. I dared my eyes in Edward's direction, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts and was barely paying attention to the game. As I let out a breath of relief, his eyes caught mine and easily held them for what seemed like forever.
"Earth to Bella" Alice called, flinging her small fingers in my face and snapping me out of my trance. "It's your turn."
I blushed as Emmett and Jasper continued to laugh. After Alice and I went, Edward reached over to place the last of his chips on the board. Suddenly Rosalie grabbed his arm and lifted his sleeve from his left bicep.
"You have a tattoo!" she squealed as she hopped up to closer examine the numbers I knew all to well. "I'm dying to get one. What do the numbers mean?"
I cringed as his eyes shot in my direction. But of course, before he could even mutter a word, Emmett's idiotic voice projected through the room.
"Oh Edward is really into symbols." He said pointing to his arm, "See that number represents the number of times a day Edward here thinks about Be--"
"Emmett!" Alice screamed before he could continue on with humiliating me. My heart was pounding as my eyes darted towards Edward's. He looked annoyed and confused as he raised a brow in my direction.
"What?" Rosalie said, releasing Edward's arm and glancing towards Emmett and Jasper who were conveniently seizing with uncontrolled laughter.
"Nothing." Edward said, still frowning at Emmett. He quickly pulled his sleeve back down, shading my numbers from view and continued on with his turn.
As the game continued I tried not to let it bother me that Edward hadn't told Rosalie the truth behind the tattoo. The idea that he might be ashamed or regretful of it made me sick to my stomach. My mind raced through the possibilities as my fingers nervously drummed across the carpet. Adrenaline was rushing through my body so fast that for a second I thought it the beginnings of a panic attack.
I looked around the room to find Edward leaning against a nearby love chair, arms folded across his chest, looking directly at me. I darted my eyes in another direction and continued drumming.
After about half another fifteen minutes of reading Emmett's sexual innuendos, the game finally ended. Emmett, no doubt the winner. I officially hated my brother.
I immediately requested that we watch the movie once I heard Emmett contemplating between Never Have I Ever and Truth or Dare. I could just see it now…never have I ever fallen in love with my best friend...or better yet never have I ever lived a lie. I'd be out within minutes.
****************************************************************
I think I fell asleep after only the first half hour of Bridewars. Much to Emmett's disappointment, we had all clambered into the living room to watch the movie. I don't know if it was actual drowsiness that pulled me under or the concept of best friends and marriage, but I was surprised to find Edward waking me after what only seemed like a minute.
My heart sped.
"Come on Bells, lets go upstairs." He said softly nudging my shoulder. The anxiety from yesterday was gone from his voice.
"Okay." I said, as I looked in the dark room to find that we were the only two left.
I clumsily made my way to the stairs, Edward never to far behind. Cringing as I embarked towards the first step, I began to climb. I was already an incompetent walker…and it was dark. I turned to ask Edward to lead the way but not before my right foot lost its grip on the stair and slid from under me, sending me on my back while knocking out Edward's left leg like a bowling pin. Skidding down two steps, his arm instinctively grabbed my waist while the other held on to the rail above my head for support. When we finally came to a stop, I found myself wedged in between the hard cold steps and the soft but rock hard folds of his chest. His leg was entwined with mine and something hard was pressing against my stomach. My heart sped and I was awoken from my drunken slumber as my senses zoned in on him.
"Are you okay" he whispered as his hand moved to cradle the back of my neck from the uncomfortable position it had fallen into. His face was so close that I could feel the bridge of his nose tap the bridge of mine. And I could swear his eyes shifted from my eyes to my lips more than once.
"Yeah…sorry" I stuttered as he continued to bathe my face with his breath. I could hear my own irregular breathing, which sent my nerves into overdrive. He made no initiative to move and to be quite honest I couldn't figure out why... but then again I didn't really care. His breathing eventually deepened and he just stared. So I did the only natural thing I could think of…I stared back.
Suddenly my eyes unlocked from his and shot upward as someone emerged from a bathroom at the top of the stairs. I braced myself once I realized who it was.
" Well" chuckled Emmett wiping his hands on a towel as he leaned over the railing. "Guess you guys just couldn't make it up the stairs. It's a shame," he said pointing down, "you only had a few more steps to--."
"Good night Emmett!" I snapped as Edward laughed softly into my hair.
Pulling me up, he whispered, "Maybe I should lead the way."
I nodded nervously as he grabbed my hand.
***********************************************************
I sat on the bed breathing heavily. So this wasn't working. Just smelling Edward sent me over the edge. After the batting cage incident all I wanted to do was show him that he was wrong… that I did still need him. That I was trying. But this wasn't what I had expected. I mean for fifteen years I had dealt with my desires but now that I had come so close to exposing them, it was different. In all honesty, it just wasn't good enough anymore. As much as I loved him, it just wasn't good enough. I wanted more than friendship and for once, I didn't want to settle. I didn't deserve to settle. I deserved to be with him. I wanted all of Edward. Bits and pieces just wouldn't do anymore. It was pure insanity to keep pretending.
I wiped the pointless tears from my eyes and moved to grab one of his shirts from the dresser. Once I was wrapped in the scent of him from his t-shirt, which was surely not putting my stomach to ease, I silently slid into bed. Ten minutes later the sheets raddled and I felt the vibrations of his body sink beside mine.
"Bella," he whispered.
I stared into the dark, afraid to move. I knew he would just pester me about our friendship. A friendship that I couldn't handle anymore. So I didn't say anything.
"Bella, are you sleep?" he said again, inching towards me in the darkness. I could feel his breath against my ear and my cervix immediately reacted by clenching down tight.
After I failed to reply a second time he sighed deeply and there was silence.
*******************************************************************************
EPOV
I stared at Bella's unmoving body for a minute before I spoke. My heart pounded as I realized that she was wearing an old jersey of mine. I liked it.
I hadn't talked to her all night-despite our awkward hellos. I just wanted to hear her voice. Especially since I hadn't heard it in so long. When she didn't answer me I assumed her sleep. That was until she got up and left two hours later.
BPOV
After awhile of listening to Edward's sleeping breaths, I couldn't take it anymore. I shook my hair out of its tight ponytail and slowly descended from the bed. How I made it down stairs without falling is still a mystery.
I turned on the lights as I made my way towards the kitchen. I needed comfort food…fast. While searching through Esme's pantry for a minute, I finally found the hot cocoa that I was looking for and went to boil some water. Turning around, I almost had a heart attack as Esme smiled back at me.
"Oh my God Esme, you scared me" I said, placing a hand on my chest.
"Sorry hun, I came to get some tea. What are you doing up? It's two in the morning," she asked, yawning.
"I couldn't sleep." I admitted as I sat on the countertop.
"Oh don't drink that," she said pointing to the cocoa mix that I still held in my hands. "I'll make you some real hot chocolate from scratch."
I rolled my eyes at her hospitality as she rummaged through a nearby cabinet.
"What's on your mind?"
"Nothing really." I lied drumming my fingers against the granite.
"So how long have you been in love with my son?" she asked point blank, her back still facing me.
***************************************************************
EPOV
After five minutes of contemplating what to do, I slowly made my way downstairs. As frustrated as I was with Bella for not trying and as much as I hated myself for not fighting, I didn't want to lose any quality time with her.
When I turned the corner, I stopped and frowned as I heard my mom's voice. They were talking about me. And even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn't help perching behind the door to listen.
*********************************************************************
BPOV
I couldn't do anything but look at Esme as my body froze. I should have known that she would have figured it out sooner or later.
She turned around winking at me.
"Fifteen years." I said, surprising myself. Besides Alice, I hadn't told anybody directly.
She looked at me…I mean truly looked at me and then softly shook her head. Finally when I didn't think my nerves could take anymore, she spoke.
"You know, Carlisle almost married another woman."
"What?" I asked surprised.
"Yep"
"So what happened?" I said smiling. The thought of Carlisle loving any other woman besides Esme was mind blowing to me. I couldn't imagine any one else who was more beautiful or passionate.
"I objected at his wedding." She said in a matter of fact sort of way.
I sat there stunned as I stared at her. I could only imagine the sweet and reserved Esme standing up before a huge crowd of unexpected wedding guests and waving her disapproval.
"You mean like in the movies when they ask for objections and someone raises their hand at the last second? I didn't think you could actually do that."
"Love makes you do crazy things." she said smiling.
My heart unsurprisingly sped up as I took a minute to reply.
"So you think I'm crazy for not telling Edward." I said as I looked at my hands.
I heard her let out a long sigh.
"I'm saying that time wont wait for you Bella. It took me awhile to figure that out. I almost didn't get my happy ending because I was too afraid of being vulnerable. But the ironic thing is," she said as she chuckled to herself, "I ended up putting myself in the most vulnerable position of all."
"I really want to tell him" I said as tears sprang from my eyes. "I just--"
"Shhh" she whispered as she reached over to hug me. "I know."
After a minute of just holding me she stood and looked me in the eyes. "Bella I've watched you and Edward grow in the same direction for years. I've watched you guys experience things in ways that people only wish for. And I've watched you commit to each other in a way that very few married couples know how to do. You guys do have love Bella… And it's not platonic."
"So…how long have you known?" I said whipping my eyes and smiling at her.
"Fifteen years" she said back.
****************************************************************
I told you its coming together! I must have written 343 versions of this chapter...so review and tell me what you think
