A/N Okay, I promised that it wouldn't take me as long to update this time and it hasn't. :) A lot of you said that Rosalie better make things right with Bella, so I address it in this chapter. Please enjoy and let me know what you think! Your reviews really keep me motivated, whether they're good or bad, so please leave me your thoughts!
Also, I wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there. Whether you have children of your own or not, you are important. You're a daughter, a sister, an aunt, or a friend. No matter what your role is, today is for you!
Chapter 53 – Interruptions
Edward was the most compassionate, loving man she had ever met. He was so worried about her being upset by Rosalie again that he was afraid to leave her alone. She had finally convinced him that she would be okay and watched as he and Emmett headed up the stairs and disappeared out of the basement.
Taking a deep breath to fortify her resolve, she turned to Rosalie. She knew it would be an emotional conversation, but she wanted to remain strong. Edward had mentioned that it broke his heart every time she cried, so she wanted to do her best not to. He was so strong for her all the time; the least she could do was show him she could be strong for him too.
Rosalie had watched the guys disappear too and it had taken her a minute to turn back around. She appeared to be trying to pull herself together enough to have this conversation.
When she finally did turn around, she immediately started walking to the couch where Bella sat. "Do you mind if I sit by you?" she asked, sounding as nervous and Bella felt.
The lump in Bella's throat kept her from answering verbally, but she shook her head and motioned for Rosalie to sit. What happened next shocked the hell out of her.
When Rosalie sat down, she sat close to Bella; so close their knees slightly touched. That wasn't the surprising part though. What surprised her was when Rosalie took Bella's hand in both of hers. She never expected any sort of physical contact from Rosalie, but the fact that it was Rosalie who initiated it made her feel hope that things would all work out. Yes, she was still hurt by the words that had been spoken earlier, but she actually felt Rosalie's remorse from those words in that one simple touch.
Bella didn't realize that she had been staring at their joined hands until she felt Rosalie give a light squeeze. She blinked a few times; fully back in the present and brought her gaze up to meet the bright blue eyes of her future sister-in-law.
She watched as Rosalie took a deep breath and assumed it was to calm her nerves. From what Edward had said about his sister, she never admitted she was wrong – ever. Bella knew this was going to be hard for her, so she sat quietly and waited for Rose to start.
"Bella, I am so, so sorry." Rosalie squeezed her hand as she spoke, perhaps to enforce her point. "I wasn't thinking about what I said earlier because I was so shocked from Edward's news. I don't know; maybe because I'm essentially a shallow person, I thought your motivation for marrying him was purely monetary. Maybe it was because my baby brother announced that he was going to get married before me. Honestly, I don't know what it was, but I was wrong.
"You have never done anything but love my brother. I saw that clearly this past weekend when he introduced you as his girlfriend. Bella, I've never seen him happier then when he's with you. I never thought he would allow himself to be happy, but you changed that for him. You showed him that he is capable of not only loving, but also being loved.
"I owe you so much more than an apology, Bella; I owe you my gratitude. Edward is whole for the first time since I've known him and it's all because of you. Can you please forgive my callousness and allow me to congratulate you like I should have done in the first place? Please?"
Bella didn't know what to say at first. Rosalie sounded so sincere with her apology that Bella couldn't help but forgive her. The one thing that made it so easy was the fact that Bella knew Rosalie loved her brother. She hadn't come right out and said it, but Bella knew it was true regardless and she could never stay mad at someone who cared so much about Edward.
"Of course I forgive you, Rosalie. I know you said what you did because you had Edward's best interest at heart; even if you could have found a nicer way to say it." She took a deep breath and exhaled before she continued. "I love Edward with everything in me. It wouldn't matter to me if he were the poorest man in the world or the richest. I didn't fall in love with him because of his money or anything else; I fell in love with him because of what's in his heart." There was no other way to put it so Rosalie would understand.
Rosalie released Bella's hand but then quickly pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh, Bella, I know you love Edward. It was completely unfair of me to imply otherwise. I know I've got a lot to make up for but I really want to try. I'd like to be your friend if you'll let me."
Bella wasn't sure what to say exactly to Rosalie's request so she said the words that filled her heart. "I'd like that too, Rosalie."
…..
Edward couldn't help the worry that overtook his every thought. Walking up the stairs and away from Bella had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. Emmett kept trying to distract him by talking about sports, but it didn't work for long. His mind kept wandering back downstairs where Bella was talking to Rosalie.
He had tried to tell Bella that she didn't need to give Rosalie the chance to speak to her but it didn't work; Bella was too stubborn to listen. Hell, if it had been him, he would have told Rosalie to go screw herself. As far as he was concerned, she lost the right to explain herself when she made Bella cry.
Bella said she didn't want to be the cause of any family contention though and insisted that she wanted to talk to Rosalie alone. Twenty minutes later, he found himself pacing back and forth in the living room, praying that everything was going smoothly in the basement. He was so angry and worried that he couldn't guarantee to anyone that he wouldn't murder his sister if she made his beautiful fiancé cry again. Bella had been through enough in the past week to last her a lifetime; she didn't need anything else thrown onto her plate.
He smiled to himself as he continued his pacing. Bella was so incredibly strong; perhaps one of the strongest people he had ever met. She took the news about James with stride. That crazy son of a bitch was still out there somewhere, possibly stalking her every move, but she didn't let it throw her off.
After another fifteen minutes, Bella and Rosalie came up the stairs laughing and joking with each other. What the hell? He was completely dumbfounded as to what had happened. If he didn't know better, he would have assumed they had been best friends for years. He never would have guessed that less than an hour ago Bella had been in tears from what Rosalie had said.
As soon as Bella spotted him, she ran up to him and threw herself into his arms, quickly wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her lips to his. "Hi," she said a little timidly.
He was taken aback by everything but he still managed a semi-coherent response. "Hi yourself." He smiled at his beautiful girl before asking her, "Is everything okay?"
Bella returned his smile and pressed her lips to his once more. While keeping her forehead pressed against his, she spoke with complete confidence. "Everything is perfect, Baby. Thank you for trusting me when I said everything would be okay. Rosie and I worked everything out and she really wants to be friends."
He was shocked by Bella's words, but her eyes were shining brightly as she looked at him; he knew she wasn't just trying to appease his worries, she was genuinely happy with what had happened. If Bella was happy then he was happy, and he wanted to show her just that.
Without even thinking about where he was or who was around, he pressed his lips to hers again while pulling her body flush against his. Lost in the moment and needing to be even closer to her, he lightly licked her bottom lip, seeking entrance into her mouth so he could deepen the kiss. She was just as eager as he was and quickly parted her lips. When their tongues met, the rest of the world melted away.
He wasn't sure how long they kissed; the only thing he really understood was his growing need for his fiancé and the tightness of his jeans. All other coherent thoughts left his mind as he continued to twirl his tongue around hers.
"Oh my god you two! Get a fucking room! You're worse than Rosie and me and that should say something, sheesh!" Emmett's voice was like pouring cold water over their heads and they immediately pulled apart.
Bella tried to hide her face in the crook of Edward's neck, but she didn't unwrap her legs from around his waist. He could feel her heated cheek pressing against his neck and knew she was embarrassed.
Edward chuckled as he answered his obnoxious brother. "Jesus Em, why do you have to be such an ass?" He tightened his grip on Bella, pulling her closer into his erection. Her surprised but almost silent gasp told him he had achieved the desired effect. "We'll be upstairs in my room. Why don't you make yourself useful and talk to Mom and Dad about what you missed earlier. We have a meeting with Pastor Webber in the morning and then we're going shopping. You'll need to be there to get your tux. Goodnight."
Without another word, he turned with Bella still in his arms and bolted up the stairs. Once they were in his room, he quickly locked his door and then smashed his lips against Bella's, kissing her with all the passion he could muster. It had been a really long day and so much had happened. All he wanted to do was make love to her to show his appreciation for everything she had done for him.
"I love you so much my beautiful girl. Just think, in less than forty-eight hours I'll be making sweet, passionate love to my wife instead of my fiancé." He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face when he said that. In less than two days, Bella would become his wife. Nothing could ruin his euphoric mood; nothing.
"I love you, too, Handsome." All the embarrassment from a few minutes ago was gone from Bella's face and now she seemed hungry and full of lust. Her fingers twisted into the hair at the nape of his neck and she spoke in a sultry voice. "Make love to me Edward. I need to feel you inside me, please?"
She moved slightly so her face was close to the side of his neck. Seductively, she ran her tongue from the base upward until she reached his ear. Without wasting a second, she sucked the lobe into her mouth and ran her teeth across the sensitive skin, making him shudder with both want and need.
He groaned at the sensation while he moved them closer to his bed. His hands were securely gripping her ass while hers left his neck as she started fumbling with the button of his jeans. When they reached the bed, he gently placed Bella on the mattress and pulled back a few inches. The need burning in her eyes matched his own and he quickly did away with her shirt before removing his own.
Reaching behind her, he made quick work of her bra and as soon as the offensive piece of material was free of her body, he tossed it to the floor. His lips immediately found purchase on her supple pink nipple and he savored the taste of her delicious skin.
Not able to wait any longer, he unbuttoned her jeans and slipped them off her legs along with her lace panties. He smiled at how perfect she was; everything about her was absolutely beautiful and it was all his. He slid his own pants down and stepped out of them. It was easy and quick because Bella had already undone the button and slid the zipper down.
As he positioned himself between her legs, he reached his hand down and ran his fingertips through her slick folds, eliciting a groan of anticipation from both of them. Bella was absolutely drenched and he couldn't help but smile with the knowledge that he was able to do that to her. It was him that excited her this much and he prayed that nothing would ever change that.
He was just about to penetrate her hot center when there was a loud knock at the door. "Goddammit! If that's Emmett, I'm going to murder him!" he huffed in frustration as he quickly rose and started hastily throwing his clothes on to answer the door.
"Bells, are you in there?" The sound of Charlie's voice right outside his bedroom door made instantly deflate. Talk about a cock blocker.
…..
Once Rosalie apologized in the basement, everything seemed to improve exponentially. She wasn't sure how long they sat downstairs and talked, but she knew it had been a while. Edward was probably worried sick about her, so when she finally mentioned to Rose that she needed to go up and find him, Rose wholeheartedly agreed.
After they both stood, Rose pulled her into another tight hug and Bella couldn't help but hug her back just as fiercely. Things were definitely looking up as far as Rosalie was concerned. She really felt like they could be good friends and it warmed her heart.
Once they broke the hug, they started moving toward the stairs. They had agreed that Rose and Em would come down to visit for the weekends more often so that they could work on their budding friendship. As they ascended the stairs, they laughed about the stupid things Emmett was bound to say about it when Rose didn't give him a choice. She knew then and there that she and Rose were going to be great friends despite everything that had happened.
As soon as she saw Edward, she ran up to him and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her legs securely around his waist and placing a kiss on his lips. "Hi," she said, a little embarrassed about her actions. There were people around but at the time, she forgot about that and it was just she and Edward.
"Hi yourself," he replied with a smile on his face. Apparently he liked it when she was over exuberant. "Is everything okay?" He looked between her and Rose like he wasn't quite sure what to think.
Bella returned his smile and told him everything was perfect. She thanked him for trusting her to handle the situation and explained that she and Rose had worked things out and wanted to be friends. She let everything she was feeling show in her eyes and she tried to get him to understand. She was truly happy to be able to count his sister as a friend and she wanted him to be happy too.
He gazed into her eyes for a minute and she saw that he finally understood. When realization hit, his smile grew wider and he crashed his lips into hers as he pulled her body flush against his. When his tongue touched her bottom lip, she quickly opened her mouth and her world exploded. Kissing Edward was like nothing else in this world. When their tongues danced with each other, it felt like nothing could ever go wrong. Time ceased to exist when they were kissing; at least until Emmett popped their little bubble.
"Oh my god you two! Get a fucking room! You're worse than Rosie and me and that should say something, sheesh!" With his statement, Bella immediately turned her face into Edward's neck. She was so embarrassed and could feel her blush rise up her neck and face and heat her ears.
Squeezing her while he chuckled, he answered his brother. "Jesus Em, why do you have to be such an ass?" As he said this, she felt his ever-present cock press firmly into her hot center and she let out a quiet gasp of surprise. "We'll be upstairs in my room. Why don't you make yourself useful and talk to Mom and Dad about what you missed earlier. We have a meeting with Pastor Webber in the morning and then we're going shopping. You'll need to be there to get your tux. Goodnight."
Without saying anything else, be turned and bolted up the stairs, securely holding Bella in his embrace. When they got to his room, he shut and locked his door and then pressed his lips against hers. His kiss held so much passion she thought she would spontaneously combust.
"I love you so much my beautiful girl. Just think, in less than forty-eight hours I'll be making sweet, passionate love to my wife instead of my fiancé." His smile was so genuine and excited that it warmed her heart. He was right though, in less than two days, she would no longer be Bella Swan; she would be Bella Cullen. That thought alone put her on cloud nine.
"I love you, too, Handsome." As soon as they were alone in his room, she felt free to show him just how much she needed him. Twisting her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck, she spoke with a voice full of need. "Make love to me Edward. I need to feel you inside me, please?"
He didn't need to be seduced, but that didn't stop her from licking up his neck and sucking his earlobe into her mouth before gently grazing it with her teeth. The shudder than ran through his body at her touch affected her as well. His groan shot straight down her body, pooling in her panties.
With his hands firmly on her ass holding her in place, she removed hers from his neck and started working on the button of his jeans. She was so lost in her desires, she didn't even realize he had moved to the bed and set her down. It only took a second for him to remove both of their shirts and go for her bra. Once free of it, his lips met her breast and he sucked her left nipple into his mouth. Her body was on autopilot now as she arched her back, pushing herself closer into him.
She lifted her hips as he pulled her jeans and panties down her body and tossed them aside. He looked at her naked body and smiled brightly. He seemed pleased with what he saw and that made Bella smile as well. Seconds later, Edward's pants were gone and he was climbing onto the bed with her.
He positioned himself between her legs, but before he entered her, he reached down and ran his fingers down her dripping wet entrance. She groaned at the sensation, needing so much more than just his fingers. He groaned at the same time and she knew he needed her as much as she needed him.
He was just about to push himself into where she needed him most when there was a loud knock at the door. "Goddammit! If that's Emmett, I'm going to murder him!" Edward muttered as he hurried to get dressed. His reaction made her smile widely. He wanted this as much as she did and it was frustrating to be interrupted.
Her inner thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt as the voice outside called through the door. "Bells, are you in there?" It was Charlie. Shit.