Bella - 23

A/N: Alright so the last three chapters are going to post pretty fast and the last one will finish out the month on June 30th. I won't get all mushy here yet but thank you for reading and reviewing. Thank you to my crew and thank you to Samviolawrites who made the last three chapter collages for me. It is time for the Thanksgiving chapter. Off we go.

The few weeks left until Thanksgiving break seemed to fly by in a blur. Edward and I continued to hang out together every day and stayed the night with each other during the weekends. We went on a date at least once every week. Sometimes it was as easy as just going to dinner off campus; other times, we went to the movies and dinner. Edward and I were both under twenty-one so we couldn't go to a dance club or anything. Even though everything was going great, I was nervous about meeting Edward's parents and grandparents.

I had stayed the night on the Friday night before break. For once, the frat was without its weekly partly. No one wanted to be hungover traveling to visit family. Some people had already left Friday evening. Rose and Emmett were going to see her family in New York, and Alice had accepted Jasper's invitation to visit his family in Texas. Jasper and Alice had left at 5 p.m. the night before while Rose and Emmett took a red eye at midnight. Rose swore by those flights and had no plans to change her habits.

Edward's parents lived in Olympia, which was only an hour's drive away. We were going to leave around 9 a.m. Edward's mom, Esme, tried to contain her excitement when he said he was bringing me with him, and his dad, Carlisle, just reminded him to be on time. I was currently awake, unable to fall back asleep so I just entertained myself by watching him sleep. It wasn't a creepy thing; just seeing him like this, peaceful and still, was rare.

He showed me a side of him that very few people got to see, but there were still things that he wouldn't let me see. Even though he said he didn't care, I know it hurt him when his dad was so dismissive of him, and I had to wonder how Edward hadn't already confronted him about his behavior. Maybe he did and his dad wasn't bothered that his behavior upset Edward.

I was broken out of my thoughts by Edward, stretching. "I can feel you staring at me," his sleepy voice said quietly. He rolled over and pulled me into his embrace, burying his face in my neck with a groan. It was a sound so masculine and raw that it made my entire body tingle.

"I can't go back to sleep," I whispered. "I'm not tired."

"What time is it?"

I looked over his shoulder at the alarm clock on his nightstand. "Um, it's eight."

He rolled over to his back and scrubbed his face. "Fuck. It's time to get up if we want to leave by nine." He sat up and got out of bed, extending his hand, and I took it, letting him pull me up out of the bed. We showered quickly, foregoing sex which made me sad, but we so didn't have the time.

After getting in the car, we gassed up and stopped to grab fast food breakfast, all before nine. As we pulled out onto the road, I fed Edward a bite of his breakfast sandwich. I'd set his iced cold brew coffee in the cup holder next to my caramel macchiato, and when I asked if he wanted some, he shook his head. He smirked as I grabbed my drink and started slurping on it. "You make fun of me for my boring coffee but mine has like five calories. With the shit you put in yours, it probably has 250 calories."

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

He tsked and shook his head. "No, I'm just saying I'm being health conscious."

"Really, because your coffee actually is stronger and has more caffeine in it, so really you aren't being more healthy," I reasoned, smiling.

"You're too smart for me to win any of these arguments." He groaned.

"No, it's just a girl thing. We automatically win most fights." I shrugged in nonchalance.

"Is that so?" he asked in disbelief.

I nodded. "Yup, ask your mom if you don't believe me."

"That doesn't seem fair."

I playfully stuck my lip out in a pout. "Would you tell this face that she was wrong?"

We both burst out laughing, not able to remain serious with our teasing. Edward grabbed my hand, kissing the tops of my fingers, then playfully biting them. I pulled my hand away, telling him to pay attention to driving. We both chuckled and I turned some music on, settling back into my seat. The entire drive to his parents' house was filled with us singing along to the radio and talking about random things. The time passed quickly, and any nerves that had filled my belly seemed to slip away.

I knew that his parents had money—we had talked about him being a rich kid often—but I was still surprised when we pulled up in front of their house. It wasn't a mansion, but it was large. Way too much for just two people to live there, but it was beautiful. It was a mass of stone and glass, artfully laid out. There were two expensive looking cars in front, and Edward's BMW X2 fit in nicely.

He put the car in park and turned to look at me. "You ready for this?"

"Are you?"

He seemed to be thinking and then he nodded. "Yeah. Just remember I love you."

My brows wrinkled. "Jesus, is it gonna be bad enough that you need to remind me of that?"

"My dad is an ass and my mom tries to overcompensate."

I scrunched my nose, looking at the clock on the dash. "We better get inside, so we don't piss off Daddy C with our tardiness," I said as we got out of the car.

Edward walked over to the passenger door and pulled me into his side. "Okay, I know that was done to mock him but please don't call him that again."

"You don't think a man like that would enjoy a sweet eighteen-year-old calling him daddy?" I joked, giggling.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are a naughty girl."

I stood up on my tip toes so I could reach his ear. "What if I told you I wasn't wearing underwear again."

"Jesus," he muttered as the front door opened. A beautiful lady with caramel-colored hair and the same piercing green eyes as him smiled warmly from the threshold. She was dressed in casual clothes, but she still screamed sophistication and class.

"Edward!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. Her eyes sparkled, and the love she had for her son was written all over her face. She ushered us inside and gave him a huge hug. He smiled back at her and returned the embrace. Edward pulled me close to him when she let go of him.

"Mom, this is Bella. My girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Really?" She looked at him with barely contained surprise and excitement. "It's so nice to meet you, Bella. He has never brought a girl home. You're so beautiful." She pulled me into a hug. It was so unexpected but it felt how I imagine a mother's hug should feel. Warm, safe, and comforting. My eyes shut as I hugged her back, soaking in the feeling. She was stepping away before I could ponder on it more. When I opened my eyes, I froze. There was a man standing behind her and I could tell by his appearance that he had to be Carlisle. While he had blond hair and blue eyes, he had the same cocky air and smile as his son had in the beginning. There was no mistaking they were related.

"Edward." His dad shook his hand and clapped his son on the back. No hug, no nice to see you, just cool detachment. I understood a whole lot more about Edward in that moment, and I hated that he had learned his core attitude from his father—the one person that was supposed to prepare you for the real world with guidance and patience, love, and advice.

"Dad," he replied, his tone formal. The warmth he used to address his mom was gone, and in its place was nothing but iciness. "This is my girlfriend, Bella."

I pulled together my best manners and polite tone for this man. Regardless of how much I immediately disliked him, he was Edward's father and I was in his home. My dad had taught me to always respect my elders. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen. Thank you for allowing me to stay at your house for the holiday."

He nodded and shook my offered hand. He seemed surprised by my firm shake, not wavering in the slightest. My shoulders were square, head raised, and feet planted. I knew how to handle his son, so I had no qualms about staring this man down. He seemed to like this and smiled at me, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Pleased to have you, Bella."

Esme told Edward that he could put our bags in his old room and I followed him, carrying my own bag. When we walked into his room, I was surprised. I don't know what exactly I'd expected, but it wasn't the room I got. His walls were a heather blue color; the curtains and bedding were a navy blue color. It was tidy and smelled faintly of Edward, but it wasn't the same as his room at the frat house. There were no bookcases stuffed with books, or his CDs and DVDs sorted alphabetically and lined neatly on shelves near the TV. It felt empty of personal effects, cold and hollow. I put my bag down by the bed and he did the same, flopping onto the bed.

I flopped down right next to him. "Well, that was certainly interesting." I could already tell that the persona Edward showed the world was all his dad, one hundred percent. The side he showed to me and partially his friends was his mom. He had both of them inside him, and I hated that he showed the cold one to everyone else. At the same time, it made sense. People weren't always so kind, so he could only trust the insecurities and uncertainty to the ones who proved they wouldn't take advantage of them. I imagined that was another lesson his dad had bestowed upon him.

"Yeah, those were my parents."

I surprised him by straddling his chest, threading my hands with his. "I get it now. So much makes sense. You know what?"

"What?" he asked, quietly.

"It makes me love you more. The fact that you had that as your example of how a man should act…the way you treat me is in complete contradiction of him. You have your mom's warmth with those you care about."

He drew my lips to his and then pulled my forehead to his. "I love you, Bella, and I told myself that if you gave me a second chance, I would do everything in my power not to hurt you again. With you, like this, you're right. It's as easy as breathing."

I smiled at him. I laid my head on his chest, just listening to his strong heartbeats and his even breaths. "It really is. Nothing else has been this easy."

We didn't have much time to spend alone before Edward's mom was calling us down to eat lunch all together. We gave each other sideway glances in preparation. As we descended the stairs, Edward grabbed my hand, stroking my palm with his thumb. I tangled my fingers with his, squeezing his hand in reassurance, ready to be there for him. We could do this together.

xXCraveXx

It was a few days before anything noteworthy happened. Edward's dad wasn't around much; he was a doctor and worked a lot it seemed. Esme told us that he always had to work more before the holidays so that he could have Thanksgiving and Christmas off. Esme was completely welcoming and I had a great time getting to know her better and sharing things about myself in turn. She was easy to talk to, so it wasn't difficult to open up to her. The time we spent together was nice because I never had a mom to show me how to bake or talk to me about boys, especially ones as challenging as Edward. As his mother, she knew this better than most, and she let me share as much as I felt comfortable with, offering me kind smiles and advice. Obviously, I didn't tell her the more salacious aspects of our relationship. No mother needed to know how good her son was at making a girl come.

On Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving, Carlisle decided to summon Edward to his study to talk. As he rose from his seat next to me, Edward sighed and kissed the top of my head. "If I'm not back in twenty minutes, please come save me."

I nodded and held his hand before he had to let go. I watched him go and hated that I couldn't go up there with him, but I was helping Esme do all the stuff she needed to get done tonight. The turkey was brining and we had just pulled the pies out of the oven to cool. His grandparents were coming over tomorrow morning, and I was looking forward to meeting the remaining nice members of the family.

We were talking in the kitchen when we heard raised voices coming from upstairs. "Oh, shit," Esme whispered. Her outburst was surprising to me because she had chewed Edward out for saying 'ass' earlier. "I told him not to do this."

"Why do they have such a stilted relationship?" I asked. I knew the answer but I wanted to see how Esme saw it.

"As you already know by now, Edward is an only child. Carlisle always had high expectations and aspirations for Edward. Over the years, it became apparent that Edward was his own person and wasn't interested in his father's expectations. I only ever wanted him to be happy. Carlisle wants the same but he doesn't think that he can have that without money and prestige."

"I don't want to be divisive, but he doesn't know his son very well."

"Is he happy, Bella? Really? He has always tried to shield me from most of his personal life but then he comes here, with you, and I haven't seen my son smile like that since he was a preteen." She looked weary but also hopeful. She wanted to know that her son could find happiness, even if it was away from her. She was shredding a paper napkin.

I covered her hand with mine, stopping her anxious tic. "He's happy, Esme, but honestly he is only here for your benefit. The way Carlisle is dealing with his disappointment is by taking it out on Edward, and whether he wants to admit it or not, that weighs on him."

Esme's eyes were watery and I felt bad for making her on the verge of tears, but something needed to change or this cycle would just continue. All I wanted was Edward to be happy, and eventually this treatment from his father would lead to him no longer visiting.

The yelling got louder and I stood up. "Can you tell me where Carlisle's study is?"

She looked stunned for a moment and then explained it was up the stairs and to the right. I followed her directions and soon found myself standing in front of the solid wood door. It was slightly ajar.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, Dad and I won't stand here and let you talk about her like that." Edward's voice drifted to me. He sounded pissed.

"Come on, Edward. She's beautiful and young. Your money is all she wants. You're gonna have a trust fund when you get out of school." Carlisle hissed.

"She doesn't know anything about that. My family's money means absolutely dick to her."

"An English degree is going to get you nothing."

I'd heard enough, so I knocked on the door. Both men stopped talking, and I heard footsteps cross the room to the door and then it was opened wider. Edward's eyes came into view and I gave him a small smile.

"I have something to say. I overheard the conversation," I said loud enough for Carlisle to hear.

Edward moved out of my way and I walked closer to Carlisle's desk. I squared my shoulders and lifted my head. "When was the last time you spoke to an employer in regards to why having an English degree is a bonus? Because if you were to actually ask several employers, or read one of the numerous studies that have been done, most of them would be willing to hire someone with an English degree above other common degrees."

Carlisle had a small condescending smile on his face and my fingers flexed with the urge to hit him. "Really? Why is that, Bella?"

"Because we are quick analytical thinkers. We know how to problem solve and look at things from an out-of-the-box perspective. No other degree teaches those skills. Plus, we're book geeks so we don't cause a lot of drama," I joked.

Edward snorted a laugh and I got a real genuine amused smile from Carlisle. "No one has taken the time to explain that to me in such an eloquent way. I still have my reservations but it seems Edward's judgment isn't as faulty as I assumed." He sat back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him, with a puzzled expression on his face.

While what he said could still be seen as an insult, I imagined from someone like Carlisle, it was as much of a compliment as he was able to muster. It seemed for the meantime we had a tentative understanding. My body relaxed slightly, my fingers unfurling at my sides. A gentle touch to my fingers was followed by Edward grabbing my hand, holding it in his. As he tugged slightly, I broke my gaze from his dad. I looked at Edward, seeing the weight of his exchange with his father slowly seep off his face. With my focus redirected, I mouthed the word easy and we left the room without a word. All I could hope for was that maybe someday Carlisle would pull his head out for his ass before he lost his son for good.

A/N: Well she didn't deck the douche but she maybe gave him something to think about and she didn't back down. Esme as always was welcoming and amazing. What did you all think. Let me know and leave a review. See you soon lovelies!