Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. The beauty of fanfiction, I can play with them all I want as long as you know that fact.
Today you get to see the return of Bella Annie Oakley. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews. Please Enjoy!
Empowering and Contentment
EPOV
I woke up to my vibrating cell phone before the sun rose on Tuesday morning. I had opted for a pocket wake up call so I had a chance to meet the guys without waking the beauty sleeping next to me. It had been a long couple of days, there was absolutely no reason for her to be woken at the butt crack of dawn just to sit around a hotel room bored to tears all day while we were at training.
She moaned slightly, curling her arms around my pillow. She buried her face in it when I slid out of the bed, then she stilled once more, resuming her cute light snore which indicated she was really out. Thankfully, she didn't have any buzzsaw tendencies; instead it was more like a little hum.
I moved as stealthily as possible to wash up, sliding into my clothes. I took a few moments to write a note for her on the hotel stationary, laying it next to her on the bed. I kissed her forehead and exited the room, making as little noise as possible.
When the door was finally closed, I turned to face the amused expressions of the rest of the team who almost immediately began to guffaw loudly. I cursed under my breath, threatening to kick their asses if they woke her up. They rolled their eyes, making fun of me some more as we made our way over to the elevators. In the lobby, we grabbed a few items off the continental breakfast bar then piled in the van, heading to the shoot house.
Once we arrived, Emmett and I immediately asked George, personal friend to our chief and the owner, if there were any good shooting ranges nearby for Bella. He smiled and pointed to a long white building a quarter mile up the road, which happened to be another part of their training facilities. We thanked the man and he showed us around before we settled into work.
This place didn't provide any new information, or even come close to the intensity of last week's training at Camp Ripley, but the live fire portion of the simulation definitely added an edge. We pushed through our morning, discovering we would get an hour for lunch each day, so we decided to call Bella and swung by the hotel to pick her up.
On the way, I grabbed my phone and put a call in to Jake. I started to get concerned when the phone rang for the fifth time, but then Jake picked up, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Everything okay, Jake? You sound like you've been running a marathon!"
I heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. "Sorry, Edward, just, uh, working out."
"Making use of the gym are we? What do you think of the facilities?" I asked curious about his answer.
"Uh, yeah. Great equipment."
"So you don't mind it being in the basement? Sometimes I think it's a little dark and dank down there. I'd much rather have it on one of the upper floors, but then you're losing apartment space."
"Oh, I don't mind at all, Edward. It would be a total waste of good living space to have it anywhere else."
I smirked. He was totally lying his ass off, since the gym actually was on the ground floor and had three walls of glass that looked out at the city streets beyond. I had no doubt he was getting a workout though, it just better as hell not be in my bed!
"So, any signs of Trager? Do you think he's bought the decoy?"
I could almost hear Jacob's smile. "Oh yeah, I've seen him every time we've gone out. This morning he got really sloppy. I think he might be getting desperate, though. I don't think we'll be going out for a couple of days, just to be safe."
I smirked, not really able to blame him. If Melissa hadn't been my employee, just been some girl I met out at a club or something, I probably would have made a pass at her once upon a time.
"Okay, Jake, but do me a favor and at least go down to the first floor, or step out front for some air occasionally while sticking close, just to see if you can spot him. I want to make absolutely fucking sure he's in Chicago while we're here. Okay?"
"Sure thing, Edward. Is Bella okay now?"
"Yeah, she's fine. We're good."
"Good." I heard a rustling sound over the speaker before I heard his voice come back across the line. "Okay man, well you guys...uh...be careful and keep your eyes peeled. I'll do the same. Talk to you...later."
"Bye, Jake." I ended the call, chuckling while I slid my phone back into the neoprene case on my hip.
"What's so funny?" Emmett asked from behind the wheel of the van.
"I think Jake is enjoying his new assignment quite a bit more than I originally anticipated."
"Way to go, Jake!" Emmett boomed from the front seat. We all laughed.
Bella was standing right inside the door, watching for us when we pulled into the circular drive in front of the building. She ran out as I opened the door, jumping into the van with a giddy smile on her face. She slammed the door behind her, sliding into the empty seat next to me.
"I am so glad you guys can have lunch with me. I was going stir crazy in there!"
We all sat and ate as a group, telling Bella about our morning and what we learned on the shooting range. We promised to take her to that evening. I gave her the Trager update, that he's still tailing Jake and Melissa and my suspicions about the two of them. She smiled brightly and sighed, admitting that she too had noticed the chemistry between them. As we sat and talked, we managed to loose all track of time. We rushed to return Bella to the hotel and get back to the house just in time for our afternoon session.
When we were finished for the day, we all groggily wandered back to the hotel. We showered and grabbed Bella, taking her back out to the shooting range near where we were training.
We walked together as a group into the shooting range, having reserved several stalls in a row to practice and to give Bella the chance to take her time reacquainting herself with the feel of a gun. Little did we know going in that time wasn't really going to be necessary.
Bella had a wide smile on her face as she quickly walked toward the large metal doors. She nearly left us behind as we made our way into the building, each carrying our side arms. The minute the door was opened, we were met with the ear numbing sounds of gunfire and the strong lingering smell of the gunpowder residue that left a slightly metallic taste on the tongue. These sensations alone would make most girls cringe and back away, but not my Bella. No, she had a bounce in her step as she confidently walked up to the front desk to check out ear protection. When she turned to look back at us, the twinkle in her eyes and the excited smile was so contagious that we found ourselves smiling back in the same way.
She introduced herself to the man behind the desk, who eyed her rather skeptically before handing over the sets of sound dampening headphones and the five cases of wad cutters we asked for. She smiled and thanked him as she threw her headset over her ears and slid all the cases of ammo into her arms, leading the way to the indoor shooting gallery.
Once we found our booths, we settled in. We split the specially designed ammo made specifically for paper mounted target practice and began to settle into our cubbies. Emmett and I stayed close by Bella, insisting she let us load the Ruger and run her through basic gun safety, proper form, and handling before allowing her to take her first run at the targets.
She looked over her shoulder at me with a wink before picking the gun up from the counter in front of her. She anchored her weight, raised her hands, gripping the gun with expert control. She aimed a moment before smoothly squeezing the trigger of her father's Ruger Police Service Six revolver, which normally took .357 magnum cartridges, in quick succession, without any hesitation.
She laid her firearm back on the counter and turned back, looking so proud. I smiled back in an encouraging way, noticing that none of her bullets hit anywhere near the target zones indicated on the person shaped paper.
"You did well for your first time back, babe. You'll get your accuracy back quickly, I'm sure."
She bent over laughing before shooting a look at Emmett, who also joined in the laugher. Both of them had tears running down their faces. I looked on in confusion, wondering if the staff should be turning the ventilation up in the room.
Emmett pushed the button to bring the target toward us. When it came closer, I noticed that while the bullets hadn't hit the bulls eye 'kill shot zones' that shooting range patrons usually aim for, they had landed squarely in each shoulder, elbow, and wrist area of the human shape on the paper.
I turned and looked back at Bella, wide eyed, with a bit of confusion.
She giggled again. "Honestly, Edward, I'd really rather not take a human life unless completely necessary, but I do think it's a good idea to be able to incapacitate any potential attackers and inhibit use of their own weaponry."
I blinked at her a few times, listening to her rattle off her reasoning as though she were reading it directly from a training manual. I started shaking my head slowly, a chuckle bubbling up from my chest. I crossed the foot that separated us, placing a kiss on her temple, hugging her around her shoulders. God bless Charlie Swan, he most definitely taught his daughter well.
We mounted a new target and set it back to the end of the room. Bella reloaded her weapon and once again took her stance, looking sexy as hell holding the cold piece of steel in her hand with such confidence. This time, she went for the kill shots, placing two rounds dead center of the area that holds the heart, with two more landing close by within the circular target area and shifting the last two for solid head shots.
She continued taking aim at target after target, her accuracy never wavering. The rest of our group, along with a few other onlookers, ended up settling behind her, watching in surprise as she continually hit her intended targets time and time again. After a while, the rest of the guys began to offer their pistols for her to try out, curious to see if her familiarity with the piece itself was leading to her accuracy, or if it truly was simple raw talent.
She continued to hit her marks time and time again, regardless of the make or model, revolver, semi-automatic, it made no difference. I found myself bursting with pride and lustful longing while I watched her time and again prove once more just how unpredictable she really was. I couldn't help but wonder how she would fare on a Swat target training field with moving targets and innocents interspersed with actual targets.
It also didn't hurt that she favored my Ruger P91 above the rest of the service pistols she tried out. The woman may have been dangerous with a revolver, but with a semi-auto pistol she was downright lethal. Watching her handle my gun with such precision made certain pieces of my anatomy sit up and take notice too. As long as I live, I doubt I'll see anything sexier than Bella using my gun.
Emmett and I watched, giving the very rare tip or suggestion, never once firing a round the entire time we were there. I didn't think it was possible, but Bella walked with even more confidence and enthusiasm as we left the range. She danced around, hugging Emmett by the neck before running up and jumping on my back for a piggy back ride to the van. Perched on my back, she let out a loud whoop, tossing her hands in the air in a victory pose. Watching her and her childlike enthusiasm made me laugh as I jogged with her to the van. I sat her on the hood where she crossed her legs, smiling like a beauty queen on the back of a convertible in a homecoming parade.
After extracting our queen from her perch on the hood, we all climbed back into the van, heading back to the hotel. We stopped at a mom and pop restaurant along the way for some comfort food, all the while bragging on Bella and her impressive skills.
Emmett began to share stories of their childhood and Bella's Annie Oakley days as the guys began to tease that she should join the force with marksmanship like that. Of course, when the conversation went that direction, Emmett and I derailed it quickly, bringing up other things to distract the guys. Neither of us were willing to ever even begin to think of Bella in that much danger. No way in Hell!
We returned to the hotel that night, each of us guys ready to pass out cold, while Bella continued to bounce like a fucking pixie. I began to wonder if she wasn't spending too much time with little Alice. My sanity might not be able to handle her being in pixie mode 24/7!
While it was a little annoying seeing her dancing around our room like a brunette Tinkerbell when I was ready to pass out cold and not wake up for the next three days, it still made me happy to see her to excited and joyful. It never occurred to me until now just how much the whole Trager situation was getting her down. Bella was not used to being helpless or a victim. I believed that her successes that afternoon on the shooting range empowered her and gave her back some of her self assurance. Tonight, Bella was far from a victim.
She finally started to calm down, sitting in one spot to work on her laptop when she noticed how tired I was. I settled on the bed, trying to catch some much needed shut eye. My sleep was restless until I felt her slide in behind me several hours later. She curled up to my back, sliding her warm arm around my waist. I grabbed her hand and rested my arm on top of hers as I tangled our fingers and finally settled into a deep restful sleep.
Wednesday morning, I once again used my cell to wake up. I crept out of our room, only this time I left the Volvo keys on the dresser next to the TV with a note. I was going to call and check with Jacob and if he had gotten visual confirmation of Trager's whereabouts, then I was going to call and let her know that she could escape the confines of the hotel room during our training.
I got a confirmation call from Jake at 8:30, so I texted Bella letting her know. She quickly responded with her thanks. When lunch time rolled around, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Bella had opted to stay in the room anyway. She drove to the restaurant we had eaten at the night before to join us for lunch, then let us know she was going to stop into a few stores in a strip mall she had passed on her way to lunch before returning to the hotel.
The rest of the day passed quickly. When I returned to the room, Bella greeted me clad in a dark blue sweater dress, her hair curled and makeup done. She was wearing a pair of black leather knee high boots with a thick heel, making her slightly taller and only leaving a small, and yet ever so tempting, strip of creamy leg visible between the top of the boots and the hem of her dress.
"Wow, you look nice." I said as I crossed the room, wrapping her in my arms and burying my nose in her fragrant curls.
"That's because I'm taking you to dinner tonight! Go shower and get dressed."
"Wait a minute...I'm the guy. I'm supposed to take you out on dates, not vice versa!"
She crossed her arms and gave me a dirty look. "Don't you start that macho bullshit with me, Masen! Get your ass in that shower and be out in fifteen, or your ass is grass!
I shot her a fake salute, "You've been spending way too much time with Alice and Rosalie!"
I smirked at her, trying to dodge her hands when they landed a couple of smacks on my arm before I disappeared into the bathroom. I emerged from the shower ten minutes later clean and ready to find out what my beautiful girl had on her mind.
Beside the sink, on the counter lay a set of clothes for me. I slowly unfolded the black pants and royal blue button up that sort of matched her dress. After sliding the belt around my waist, I attempted to tame my wild hair. I was soon dressed and ready to go. Upon opening the bathroom door, I earned a gasp from Bella.
I smirked, crossing the room to the place where she sat in front of her laptop, her legs crossed daintily at the knee. I reached my hands out to help pull her to standing.
"I'm ready when you are, love," I whispered in her ear, making goose bumps rise on her arms and neck. I leaned in to kiss just below her ear before leaning back again, picking her purse up off the table and handing it to her before offering her my arm.
She tucked her hand into my elbow with a smile as we walked out to the door. I made sure it locked behind us before leading her to the elevator and out toward my car. When we reached it, I tossed her the keys after opening the driver's side door for her. She looked a bit confused.
"You're calling the shots; I figure I might as well let you drive us there rather than giving me directions. Besides, it's not like you get many opportunities to drive."
She smiled and shrugged before sliding behind the wheel gracefully. She waited for me to close the door and slide into the passenger seat before she started the engine. Living in Chicago and having most of her life within easy walking distance of her apartment, Bella never bothered with the expense of owning a car. The insurance alone in a city like that was astronomical and with as little as she would utilize it, it would be a waste. Several times a year, Jasper or I would take her out of the city in our cars, giving her a chance to drive to keep her skills and just to give her the chance to enjoy getting away from things.
After reversing out of the parking spot, Bella pushed in the clutch and slid the car into first. I cringed a bit, as she dumped the clutch when she took off. I grabbed hold of my knee, willing myself not to say anything when she looked over sheepishly in apology.
"Sorry, I'm not used to driving with heels. I promise I did a lot better today when I was tooling around in my sneakers."
I sighed with a bit of a chuckle at the end when the mental picture came to mind. "It's okay, Bella, I never really thought about that before. I'm sure I'd probably dump the clutch a few times if I tried to drive in those things too."
She giggled, reaching down and shifting the car into fourth as we reached the speed limit on the road heading toward the center of the suburb. After the initial first gear dump, she had shifted quite smoothly between the other gears, especially considering her choice of footwear and how long it had been since she had last driven. We continued on for about ten minutes before pulling in front of a French bistro with a valet waiting out front.
She walked in with an air of confidence that I suspected was still a remnant from the empowerment she gained from her successes last night at the shooting range. The girl before me now was definitely more pre-drama Bella. The ups and downs of the past month or so, with us sorting our shit out, and the Trager mess, had definitely taken its toll on Bella. I was glad to see that tonight she walked straight and tall. I found myself puffing up in pride to have her on my arm.
She sauntered directly up to the hostess, who stood behind the podium with long flaxen hair and a tight dress that showed off curves that were most likely surgically enhanced, telling her we had reservations at seven for Swan. The girl eyed her speculatively before looking over at me with a flash of lust, then looking back at Bella again with a slightly cool demeanor.
I glanced at Bella, waiting for the flash of self consciousness that she often seemed to have in situations like this, but tonight there was none. Bella nodded to the hostess when she told us it would be just a couple of minutes, and then turned to me with a radiant smile, folding herself into my side. She wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her nose in my neck. She kissed me there gently, making my eyes roll into the back of my head a bit.
Soon we were led to our table, where she deferred to me to order the wine since she had relatively little knowledge on good wines. Aunt Esme made sure I was practically an aficionado. I glanced over their selection, making a choice and investigating the sample they provided before approving the selection, allowing the waiter to pour us both glasses and leaving the bottle behind in an ice bucket.
After we ordered, we sat in the dimmed light, sipping our wine and holding hands as we talked about anything and everything. Bella looked so beautiful as she occasionally pushed her hair over her shoulder or twiddled a curl between her fingers when she explained something or mused over a memory. I was practically spellbound as I sat across from her, drinking in every word. I savored the moment we enjoyed together, away from the stress and the drama of Chicago and Trager. It was just the two of us and it was very freeing.
As the food arrived and we began to dig in, Bella looked up from her plate with a frown.
"So I called Alice today. She started looking into places for Tanya. The real estate agent didn't find many places that would be in her price range that weren't in scary areas. I don't want to drag her back to Chicago just to put her in a worse position than the one she is in already. I'm not sure what to do."
I frowned, looking down at my duck and nodding along as she continued. "On the plus side, Alice thinks we could get her a job at the hospital in reception. They're looking for some new hires to work the desk in the ER, processing paperwork for insurance and public aid. I don't know if she'd be interested, but I think we could definitely get her in that if she were."
I smiled up at her, reaching across to grab her free hand, rubbing my thumb across the back. "I'm sure she'd be thrilled. Thank you for looking into everything."
"I was thinking maybe I'd call her tomorrow and talk to her about it. I'm reluctant to do that though, while I still have no leads on places for her to live. I guess if worse came to worse, she could always sleep on the couch at my apartment until she found a place, or maybe if Alice could delay moving in a bit longer, then she could have her room."
I glanced up at her, my chest tightening as an idea that I liked a whole lot more than I ever dreamed hit me over the head. I blurted it out before I had really measured the statement.
"Or you could just move in with me and let her have your old room."
Her eyes shot up to meet mine. I could swear her heart stopped mid beat and she stopped breathing, staring at me in shock.
I snickered at her after a second, leaning forward and brushing my hand across her cheek. "Breathe Bella."
She sucked in a loud gasp, blinking wordlessly at me a few seconds before her mouth opened and closed a couple of times. After several minutes of this, she finally composed her thoughts completely.
"Edward, that's a big step...a huge step...I mean we haven't even...and you've never been in a...and I've never lived with anyone besides...I...I just don't know if now is the right time. It sounds really wonderful, but I can't help but worry if it's too fast."
I placed my finger over her lips to quiet her. "Shh love, its okay. Calm down. It was only a suggestion. If you don't want to then I understand."
She kissed my finger that was resting on her lips before reaching up, pulling it away gently. "It's not that I don't want to. I do...this past couple of weeks staying with you, sharing a bed with you, doing basic chores together, it all felt so...right. I just don't want to screw things up by moving too fast and making that permanent before we've really had a chance to figure everything out. I...you...us...this thing between us...it's too important to me to risk it by taking too big of a step too soon. Does that make sense?"
I smiled, cupping her cheek with my hand, caressing her mouth with my thumb. "It makes perfect sense, but just know that I had never even considered ever living with anybody before. Like you said though, these past few weeks have just seemed right. I love you, and I love us. I don't think I want to spend another night alone in my bed. It feels wrong sleeping without you; it feels wrong not being with you. I know we only recently figured our relationship out, but we've known each other longer than most couples do between meeting and marrying. We have seven years of experience and personal knowledge about each other. I have no doubt that we would be fine...no, more than fine...I think it would be great. So I just want you to know that this offer stands. Just think about it for a few days before you answer. I'll love you no matter what, but I've wasted too many years that I could have been with you to lose another minute."
I slid my seat around the side of the table to get closer to her, tipping her face up to mine to place a gentle kiss on her lips. Our lips lingered on one another sweetly for a while before we finally broke apart and I shifted my plate so I could stay closer to her.
After a few more bites of her meal, she sat down her fork and began to babble again. I inwardly cheered because she was most definitely thinking about it.
"Even if I did move in, I couldn't put Alice in that position. She doesn't even know Tanya. That would be totally unfair to her!"
I smiled, smoothing the back of her hand with my thumb, shrugging. "Maybe Jasper would want to move in with Alice and then Tanya could sublet his place or something. I think he was whining the other day about his lease being up again soon."
"Could Tanya even afford his place?"
I nodded, "I think so. It's tiny and his rent is a bit high for the square footage, but affordable. It might be an option."
"We can't push them to move in together just for Tanya though. That's not fair."
I laughed, tossing my head back before shaking. "Bella, love, I don't think they've spent a night apart since they got together unless Alice was working graveyard, or of course we were gone. At this point, I'm pretty sure it would simply be a formality!"
She laughed with me, "I guess that's true. I warned Alice up front that she better soundproof her bedroom and keep the sex in her room. Talk about traumatizing, that would be nearly as bad as walking in on Emmett!"
I grabbed her hand tighter and looked hopefully into her eyes, "So does that mean you might reconsider?" I never dreamed I would not only hope for, but basically beg a woman to live with me, yet there I was, fuck I probably would have gotten on my knees if it'd help!
She sighed, nibbling her lip with her cute little brow furrowed tightly. "I'll think about it. I don't want to jump before I consider everything okay?"
I reached over, kissing her temple. "I would expect nothing less, my love. Would you like another glass of wine?"
She nodded, so I reached for the bottle sticking up out of the pile of ice, filling her glass and topping off my own. I felt myself melt a little when she hummed into the glass, taking another slow sip.
When we finished our meals, the waiter brought the check, setting it in front of me. When I reached for my wallet, Bella snatched the folder holding the bill from in front of me, shaking her head. "No, no, I plan the date, I pay the bill."
She growled at me when I began to argue, "Bella! Don't be ridiculous! I want to pay; it's my job to pay."
She cocked her eyebrow at me, her head shifted to the side and her jaw tightened. "Sexist much, Masen? This was my idea. I fully intend to pull my weight in this relationship, and that includes meals out when it is totally and completely my idea to do so!"
I narrowed my eyes at her. "This is about what Elizabeth said, isn't it?"
She looked down at her debit card, sliding it into the card portion of the binder. She slammed it closed, placing it on the far side of the table.
I tipped her face up to look me in the eyes. "Bella, don't let what she said get to you. Besides, she apologized, realizing how wrong she was soon after that. I want to do nice things for you. I know beyond all certainty that you don't care one little bit about my money, and that makes me want to spend it on you even more. Please let me pay for this, Bella."
She shook her head defiantly, grinding her teeth as she watched for the waiter to hand him the leather folder. I sighed in defeat, trying to think of ways to sneak the money back into her purse later.
The waiter came and took the bill, casting me a funny look when he returned with the signature slip. I shrugged and shook my head. He smirked at me before taking back the signed copy and wishing us a pleasant evening.
Bella and I sat back and enjoyed the last of our glasses of wine in silence before she sighed, turning to look at me with a huff.
"If we did this, you need to know up front that you are not paying for everything. IF we did this, I would pay you rent, a portion of the utilities, and my half of the groceries."
I shook my head. "Bella, come on. Be reasonable."
"No, Edward, I insist."
"Bella, I don't pay any rent, I own the building, so rent would be completely unnecessary." Her mouth dropped open a moment before she finally pulled it closed with a snap.
She took a deep breath and a long sip from her wine before she continued. "Fine, but I would have to insist on helping pay the utilities and the groceries."
I smiled excitedly, feeling butterflies rumbling in my chest...she was caving...she was going to move in with me, I just knew it!
"That sounds fair," I said more to get her to agree than anything.
She looked over at me suspiciously. "I'm not saying yes, I'm just discussing what ifs. Even if I do lean toward moving in with you, I refuse to leave Alice in a lurch if she would be uncomfortable living with Tanya, or the idea of Jasper moving in, or however this all works out."
I nodded, smiling as my heart expanded in my chest.
"Understood," I whispered. I leaned in closer, tipping her face up for another kiss. She sighed into my mouth as we deepened the kiss. My heart began to speed at the sensation.
She insisted that I drive back to the hotel since she had been drinking far more wine than I had. Once we arrived, I couldn't resist holding her close the whole way to our room. I smothered her in kisses as soon as we got back to our room, massaging the temping strip of flesh on her thigh that had been teasing me all night long.
Knowing there was only a thin wall separating us from Emmett, we only engaged in a bit of heavy petting before turning in for the night. As I held her tightly in my arms, I began to daydream of moving her in with me and combining her belongings and knickknacks with my own. In some ways, it would be hard. Giving up my exclusive rights to my inner sanctum and my bachelor ways would be difficult at times, but in other ways, it would be so easy. The second she stepped into my room, I knew she belonged there. She belonged by my side, in my home, and in every part of my life. I couldn't help but beg her in my mind to say yes.
Thursday morning, Bella woke up before me, helping me arise with a very pleasant wake up call, the visions of which stuck with me all morning as I walked through the steps of our training schedule.
Bella drove my Volvo to the restaurant to meet us for lunch again, a wide excited smile on her face.
"You seem excited, what's going on, love?" I asked as we settled into a long table in the middle of the diner.
"I got a call from Tanya this morning. I didn't go into detail, but told her that I might have a job for her if she was interested in moving back to Chicago. When I told her what it was, she jumped at the opportunity. I didn't tell her about the housing situation yet, but told her that I was working on finding a place for her. She's so excited Edward!"
I smiled and pulled her onto my lap crossways as she wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging herself close to me and kissing my cheek.
"She also said that Elizabeth called her, thanking her again for giving you the information and helping the two of your reconnect. She said that Elizabeth seemed even happier than ever. She also said that she couldn't stop talking about how proud she was of you and how nice she thought the two of us were together. It was a good morning!"
I kissed her head, squeezing her waist. "I'm glad, love. Any more news on the apartment front?"
She shook her head 'no', glancing awkwardly at Jasper and then back to me. I smiled, kissing her temple again, before sliding her back into her chair next to me, grabbing her hand in mine.
Alice replied to a text Bella had sent her earlier in the day. Bella left early to call her and discuss our apartment ideas with Alice while she was on her lunch break. We finished up lunch and returned for our last afternoon of training. We really enjoyed the last of our day before we said our goodbyes to the staff and made our way back to the hotel.
I loitered out front after we returned to make one last call to Aunt Esme. I wanted make sure everything was set for the next evening before heading back up to the room I shared with Bella. I stepped in to our room to find Bella napping. She was curled up on the bed, her hair splayed out over her pillow as she lay clutching my pillow to her chest.
I tiptoed past her to grab a shower. A few minutes later, I stepped out to find her sitting up on the bed with the remote control in her hand, channel surfing with my pillow clutched to her chest.
"Hey beautiful, did you have a nice nap?"
She sighed, looking at me with a small smile. "Not as good as when you're there, but it was refreshing none the less."
I climbed into bed next to her, leaning against the headboard and pulling her into my side. We snuggled in to watch a movie on the TV in comfortable silence. It wasn't passionate or romantic or emotional, it was better...it was peaceful and comfortable and safe. It was then that I realized that THIS is what being in a real relationship was all about, being content even in the most mundane of moments. With Bella at my side, I truly was.
We turned the guys down when they suggested going out to a steakhouse in Minneapolis for supper. We opted instead to order pizza and have a picnic in bed with some Sandra Bullock movie that I would normally avoid like the plague, but sort of enjoyed with Bella. Afterwards, we settled in curling up with one another, enjoying a peaceful night's sleep, while I obsessed about tomorrow...and more importantly tomorrow night.