Do You Believe In Fate?
Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!
Author's Note: Hey everyone. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter out. I have a lot to do this weekend, including birthday plans (yeah!) and going to see New Moon. So I'm writing as much as I can, but I don't know exactly when I'll be posting it. So yeah.
Special
Immediately after the girls and I got back from Arizona, Edward started acting strangely. He got kind of secretive, wouldn't tell me what he was doing, or was vague, and seemed very distracted. I was getting really worried. What if he was already sick of me? What if there was someone else? What was going on?! I panicked for all of a week, and then Alice and Rose told me that Jasper and Emmet were acting just the same. After that I relaxed a bit. I mean, what are the odds that they all planned to break up with us at the same exact time? But I was still worried.
Two weeks after I got back, Edward showed up randomly at our apartment, which he never did. He always called ahead. And it was already six o'clock; what could he want this late? "Hey, what's up?" I asked. He smiled, seeming really excited about something. His good mood was infectious, especially since he'd been acting so strangely.
"Come on." Was all he said. He pulled me into my room. "Get changed. Put on something pretty." He said.
"What? Why?" I asked.
"I can't tell you. Come on, don't you trust me?" he asked in a teasing tone. I immediately felt guilty for doubting him. I smiled, and pulled his mouth gently onto mine. After kissing him thoroughly, I pulled away. Edward looked a tad surprised. Good.
"Yes, I trust you." I said. I went into my closet, grabbed a couple things, and then headed into the bathroom to change.
EPOV
I knew that Bella had been worried about me lately, what with me keeping so many things from her. But what I had planned was a surprise; just for her. I knew that Bella didn't like being put in the spotlight, but this wasn't about that. This was about making her feel special – and hopefully softening her up for my request.
I waited patiently for Bella to get dressed, but I was fully unprepared for her when she came out. She had her hair down, as usual, but everything else was… unreal. She was wearing a blue dress, made of some sort of ridiculously soft, thin material that clung lovingly to her curves. The hem swirled around her calves, and the sleeves were just off the shoulders.
Bella smiled at my surprised expression. "Alice bought it for me last year, for my birthday. She said to save it for a special occasion." She said, flushing. "Is it okay?" she asked nervously, fidgeting with the material. I shook my head sharply to clear it, and then smiled.
"It's perfect." I said. I held my hand out for her, and she took it. I looked down, and saw her small feet shod in black flats, and held in a snicker. I had seen more than one close call with Bella's inclination to klutziness.
Bella waved goodbye to Alice and Rosalie, and then we headed outside to my car. I held the door open for her, and Bella smiled. I grinned to myself as I walked around the car. God I hoped she would like this.
BPOV
On the drive to wherever it was, soft music played on Edward's radio. I didn't recognize the artist, but it was beautiful; achingly sweet, and almost fluid. I closed my eyes, and relaxed into my seat, forgetting momentarily to be nervous about whatever surprise Edward had planned for me. The key word there being momentarily. As soon as we stopped moving, my eyes flew open, and my heart went into overdrive. What can I say? I was horrible at surprises.
I needn't have worried. Apparently Edward knew me better than I gave him credit for. It was a small, cozy looking little Italian place. I smiled when Edward opened the door for me. "My surprise?" I asked. Edward smiled, and took my hand in his.
"Part of it." He said.
"What's the other part?" I asked. Edward grinned.
"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" I rolled my eyes, but it was ruined by my smile. A dinner alone, with Edward – what could I ask for more.
When we got inside, the hostess greeted us, and I tried not to notice when she sent a wistful look at Edward. I didn't succeed very well. When we turned the corner into the main dining area, I froze. It was empty, and all the tables were pushed back, spare for one table, just the right size for two. It was set with silverware, wine glasses, two slim candles, and a single red rose. I stood there, still unable to speak, while Edward walked over to the table and picked up the rose. He turned back to me, the sweetest smile on his face, and bowed, presenting the rose to me. "Madame." He said, grinning. I smiled, and blinked back tears.
"Good sir." I replied playfully, taking the rose. He smiled, and pulled out a chair for me. I sat down, and then Edward sat down across from me. He ordered us a fine French wine, and then the hostess left us with menus.
I was still having trouble absorbing everything, when Edward gently grabbed my hand. "Do you like it?" he asked softly, looking anxious. I smiled, and nodded. "It's not too much?" he asked. I laughed.
"Of course it's too much." I said. "But I love it. It's sweet, and romantic, and I forbid you to tell me how much it costs." I said. Edward laughed.
"Agreed." He said. He ordered classic spaghetti, and I ordered the mushroom ravioli. The waitress that took our order flirted, but I couldn't have cared less. Edward obviously cared for me; otherwise he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.
The food was excellent, as was the wine, though I only sipped at that. I had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Edward and I talked, and laughed, and he held my hand through the entire meal. I couldn't believe my luck. After getting a really yummy something chocolate for dessert, Edward got quiet. He seemed thoughtful, and a bit antsy. I finally grinned at him. "Edward, whatever you've been holding in, spit it out now before it burns a hole in your tongue." I said. He grinned back, making his dimples show.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked. I nodded. He sighed. "Well, I have something… important to ask you." He said. My heart stuttered.
"Okay." I said slowly.
"Well, I've been thinking lately… since Thanksgiving really that, maybe… if it's not too much to ask that is…" he paused again, seeming very uncertain.
"Spit it out! The suspense is killing me!" I said finally. Edward smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. Well, would you like to come home with me for Christmas?" he asked, talking really fast. I blinked.
"Home? Like, to meet your family home?" I asked. Edward nodded. I bit my lip. That was a big step. God, I'd only known him for a few months! I barely knew him, and he was asking me to come home and meet his family. But god, I cared for him. I wanted to be with him all the time, and the second he was gone, I was counting the minutes until he was back.
"Okay."
There were so many ways that it could go wrong. What if they didn't like me? What if… wait a minute, did I just say okay? I blinked in surprise as my brain struggled to catch up with my mouth. Well, now…
"Really?" I heard Edward ask. "Are you sure? Because if you're not ready…" he said anxiously. I smiled, and leaned forward to kiss him softly.
"Don't worry. Apparently I'm more ready than I thought. I want to meet your family." I said. Edward smiled, and kissed my hand.
"I want you to meet them too. I warned my mother that you might be coming." He said, looking sheepish. I laughed.
"I guess you were a bit eager?" I asked. He grinned.
"Maybe just a bit." He said. "Emmet and Jasper will be coming too. And right at this very moment I imagine they're doing the same thing I am." He said. I blinked.
"They're asking Alice and Rose to come?" I asked in surprise. Edward nodded.
"That, and if they say yes, I imagine they're wondering, like I am, how in the world they got so lucky as to have someone so amazing give them so much as a second glance." Edward's emerald gaze was intense, to say the least. I found that the same intensity settled over me, and I touched his face gently.
"How could I not? You're kind, gentle, fun, smart, and make me feel so incredibly happy." I murmured. Edward laid his hand over the one I had on his cheek, his eyes still on mine. For several moments we didn't say anything, just sat there in the quiet and candle light.
"Are you ready to leave?" he asked quietly after a while. I nodded. Edward called for the check, and then we left.
The entire ride home, Edward held my hand, and soft classical music filled the inside of his car. I was so relaxed, and so happy I felt I might just burst from it. It was cozy in the car, the night flew by me, the music was so soothing, and Edward held my hand and made me feel safe. Before I realized it, I fast asleep.
EPOV
I couldn't believe it! She'd said yes! I was about ready to spontaneously combust from the happiness of it. It had taken everything I had to keep the 'L' word from simply leaping out of my mouth. I knew it wasn't the right time yet; timing would be everything with Bella. She always seemed so unsure of herself, which was infinitely confusing. Bella was the most amazing person I'd ever met; how could she possibly have to be self-conscious about? But when the time was right, I'd tell her just how much I loved her.
I was so distracted with thinking about it, that it took me several minutes to realize that Bella had fallen asleep. I grinned, remembering what she'd said the last time she'd fallen asleep. I waited patiently waited for her to start speaking. The first few minutes were gibberish, and I had to try really hard to laugh quietly as to not wake her. She said something about Rosalie trying to make her dance on a bar, and Alice forcing her to wear 'deathtraps' which I meant high heels. And then she said the same thing she'd said the last time. She asked me to stay with her. I smiled, and kissed the back of her smooth hand. I was the luckiest man alive.
BPOV
I was having such a strange dream. I was with Edward, and we were together in a… yard? We were sitting together, talking about something, but my mind felt so heavy, I couldn't make out the words. But whatever it was, it was upsetting us both, because suddenly we were holding onto each other desperately. Then it was weird, because he was shaking me. Not hard, but enough to get my attention. Then I heard his voice. "Bella. Bella wake up."
Oh, I get it. I slowly dragged myself out of my dream, and was rewarded with Edward's mouth sliding gently over mine. Well hot damn! I wrapped my arms around his neck, and slide my fingers into his thick bronze hair. I traced my tongue over his bottom lip, and his mouth parted. I moaned softly. God he tasted sweet.
When he finally pulled away, I gasped. He was leaning through my open door, his hands gripping the seat on either side of my head, and his eyes were scorching. "That's one hell of a way to wake a girl up." I gasped. He grinned mischievously, and tugged on a strand of my hair.
"I couldn't resist." He said. I laughed with him, and took his offered hand. He pulled me out of the car, and I snuggled into his side. It was chilly out, and he was warm. He walked me to my front door, and smiled. "I had a wonderful time tonight." He said.
"Me too. The best." I said, and meant it. His eyes seemed to melt, and his entire face went soft and warm. I loved that about him. How he never seemed to hide his emotions. He just let them shine through. He took my face in his hands, and kissed me softly.
"Goodnight, my love." He said. My heart stuttered, and struggled to say something, my mind still foggy from the kiss.
"Goodnight." I breathed. I walked then turned and walked unsteadily inside.
The minute I was in the door, Alice and Rose pounced on me. I could hardly make out their words through the screaming female voices and giggles, as well as the flurry of arms. "Wait, wait, wait!" I laughed. "One at a time." I said.
"We want to know every detail! Don't get mad, but we sort of watched you through the peep hole." Rose said sheepishly.
"Yeah, and we totally saw that kiss! Tell us everything!" Alice demanded. I laughed.
"Okay. But only if you guys return the favor." I teased. They both rolled their eyes.
"Duh!" they said in unison. I laughed.
"Okay, so what do you want to know first?" I asked.
"Where did you two go?" Alice asked. That was really the only question that mattered. I sighed, and smiled.
"We went to this little Italian place, a couple miles from campus. It's family owned I think. He rented the place out, so it was just the two of us. There was wine, and candle light, and wonderful food. Even the flirtatious staff seemed part of the atmosphere." I said, wrinkling my nose while grinning. Alice and Rose laughed, then sighed.
"Wow. That's so amazing." Alice said, smiling. I nodded.
"No arguments here. And then… well, I imagine you know what he asked me." I said, blushing. Alice and Rose nodded, each, I assume, thinking of their own evenings. "I said yes." I said. Alice grinned.
"So we gathered from that kiss outside." They said. I glared at them, and threw one of the couch pillows at them. They just laughed.
"So what about you, Alice? Where did Jazz take you?" I asked. Alice got a dreamy look on her face.
"He took me back to his place, and cooked me dinner. He is an excellent cook, just so you know." She said, grinning. He ate dinner, and then we curled up on the couch, and watched a movie. Then he asked me. I said yes, too." She said. We both turned to Rosalie at the same time, and she smiled.
"Em took me to a fancy French restaurant. We sat on the balcony, and had the most wonderful food. Then we went for a walk in the town square, with all the Christmas lights twinkling. It was amazing. Then I got cold, and Em gave me his coat. That's when he asked me. I said hell yes." She said, grinning. We all laughed. I sighed.
"Look at the lot of us. The three luckiest girls in the world." I said, leaning back into the couch. The both sighed.
"Yeah. I can' believe we're really going to meet their family." Alice said.
"Well, not their biological family. But their real family." Rose said.
"What do you mean?" I asked. Rose sat up.
"Well, Emmet explained that the three of them grew up together."
"And that they were always over at the Masen's." Alice added.
"Neither Em or Jasper gets along really well with their families, so they started going home with Edward for the holiday. His mom always welcomed them." Rose said. I remembered Edward mentioning they were coming, but he didn't mention why. I had a feeling I'd like Edward's mom. Any woman, who welcomed her son's friends during the holidays as her own, had to be one incredible woman.
Ending Note: Hey everybody! I'm so sorry I haven't uploaded in such a long time. My computer has been majorly acting up. My family accuses it of being a Decepticon. Lol. Maybe I should name it Wheelie. Heehee. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. The next one should be up tomorrow (I hope), and it will be the Christmas scene. And there will be many important events. I'll leave what those might be up to your imagination. Lol, I'm so evil! Anyways, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! You know I love them!!! Peace!!! ~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~
