Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

Give Me A Little Trust

Chapter Thirteen: Moving

Edward's POV

Bella's house was a mess. There really wasn't much to it. The front of the house was almost completely gone and in its place charcoal mess and burnt wood or what was her personal belongings. Once Bella saw the house as we were still in the car she couldn't get out. It hurt too much to have lost everything.

Alice and I got out the Volvo, leaving Bella to calm and get a hold of her nerves. We wouldn't want her having a nervous breakdown. On site there were a few fire fighters and before we entered the house we checked whether it was safe. The roof as the back of the house, directly above her bedroom and bathroom, was badly burnt and could possibly collapse in on us. Therefore we were to stay away from there.

That left us with the destroyed kitchen, ruined living room, semi-destroyed study and the blackened hallways. Alice tried to salvage anything personal from the living room and kitchen but could barely find anything. I tackled the study and had more luck there. I found several address books, letters from her parents, photos or friends and family, her recipe books and files for her work.

They all could be saved so I grabbed a plastic box, that had one melted side and placed all of that inside. Alice came in and started to help, adding more contents to the box. We left with two boxes, both burnt and melted down a side but filled with sheets and photos. There wasn't any furniture that wasn't burnt so Alice wanted to use that as an excuse to go shopping. I'm sure Bella would love that.

"There wasn't much, Hun." Alice said, giving Bella a hug before we got back in the car. Alice hopped in the driver's seat and told me to sit in the back with Bella.

The two of us were standing on the lawn, staring at each other. She looked really sad as I moved towards her and pulled her into my arms. She hugged me tightly, like she didn't want to let go.

"What am I going to do?" Bella whispered.

"You're going to live with me."

"Until when?"

"Forever." I answered without thinking.

"What?!" Bella stood back startled by my response. "What did you just say?"

"Eh….well I said that you should live with me…forever." Suddenly I was all shy.

"Are you serious? You want us to actually live together, for real? Let's just forget for one moment that my house has been burnt to the ground. Would you be asking me to move in with you?"

"I've…I know it's rather soon but I have been thinking about it and yes, I'd like you to move in with me, permanently."

"You're right, it is soon." She looked around, frowning.

"Is that a no?" I was praying silently that it wasn't.

"No, yes." She sighed. "I mean yes I'll move in with you. Even though it's not like I have a choice anymore."

That made it sound like she wouldn't want to live with me if her house hadn't been burnt. Granted I probably wouldn't have asked so soon but still, I feel like there's something here between us. We may not be far in our relationship but it seems like I've known and been with her forever. So why should I hold back when I know it will work out?

"No hold on, Bella if you don't want to tell me. Hell, you don't have to live with me now if you don't want. I'm sure Alice would let you stay at hers and her apartment is much nicer than my house so the offers there. You should talk to her."

With that I got in the front passenger seat.

"What are you doing? I thought you were going to sit in the back with Bella." Alice said, giving me a glare.

"We've had a tiny disagreement."

"What?! Edward don't be a bastard and start fighting with her, she's having a difficult time as it is."

"I know Alice but I just asked her to move in with me and she said she would only because she didn't have a choice. Talk about stomping on my feelings."

"Alright so maybe she could have gone about that with a bit more tact but that doesn't mean-" Bella cut Alice off by opening the back door and practically throwing herself in the car.

"Can we just go?" Her tone of voice suggested I was in the dog house for now and that maybe it wouldn't be wise to say anything.

"Of course." Alice started the car up and drove away at the speed of lighting, clearly sensing the tension and wanting to get out of the car as soon as possible.

"Oh and Alice, can I stay at yours tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll call Rose and we can have a girl's night in. It'll be great fun."

I was clearly being shunned for my words and actions. Alice drove me back to my house and before I could ask for a moment alone to speak to Bella she had leant across me, opened my door and began to push me out. I wasn't wanted so left abruptly and walked up the path to my house.

The place was cold and empty without the presence of Bella around. Alas it seemed I had pushed my luck by asking her to move in with me. Personally I didn't see what the big deal was but there obviously was one. If I was in her place I would have been very happy to move in with me.

Maybe she didn't like me as much as I liked her and that was why she practically rejected my offer. I was falling for her but I think she felt we were just getting to know each other. I was past that by now. She knew my problems before everyone else and was a great friend before a lover hence why I thought we had already been through the getting to know each other stage.

Whatever the problem was I'd have to wait until I found out. Maybe Alice would tell me though that is doubtful.

Bella's POV

"What happened?" Alice asked the second Edward got out the car. As she drove away from his house I crawled over the seats and into the front.

"He asked me to move in and I freaked. I hurt him when I didn't mean to."

Although I would love to live with Edward I wouldn't want us to rush things. Then again I was in love with him and this seemed like the right step to take. I guess I was just being stubborn. After all it seemed like he was only asking me due to pity.

"Oh, well what did you say when he asked?" I told her the whole conversation, word for word. "Now I understand why he got all pissy. Bella you practically told him that you were only moving in with him because you had nowhere else to live. It was like you didn't want to live with him."

"But I do Alice. I really do want to live with him." I stressed.

"You should tell him that!"

"I plan to."

"Then why the hell are you sitting here talking to me?"

"I don't know." Alice laughed and did a u-turn in the middle of the road, pissing off loads of the other drivers.

She drove me back to Edward's house as fast as she could. I bounded out the car and raced up to the front door. Without knocking I threw it open, slammed it behind me and starting calling out Edward's name.

"What is it? What's happened?!" He gushed, running from his kitchen.

"I want to move in with you, for real. Not because my house got burnt down and not because I have to, because I want to." He cocked his head to the side and gave me a bemused look.

"And you came charging in to tell me this?" There was a small smirk playing at his lips.

"Yeah." Edward took two strides towards me and then had my back pressed against the wall.

"Thank god. I would have hated to live here without you."

"But you've been doing that all along."I pointed out, kissing his face.

"I know but I had set myself up to live with you. I could imagine it all and didn't want that dream to disappear." He said while stroking my hair and making sure it was away from my face.

"Really? And what happened in this dream?"

"We were always together. I brought you breakfast in bed on the weekends and we spent Sundays in bed together. I could imagine you cooking in the kitchen and coming home to you looking gorgeous in an apron. We would wake up next to each other every morning and never be alone again." He kissed me softly.

"Sounds nice."

"It will be. So what made you change your mind?"

"I was talking with Alice and she basically asked why I didn't want to move in with you when I did and all of that earlier seemed stupid."

"It was stupid and I'm sorry about my behaviour. Sometimes I convert back to the bratty child that I was growing up."

"I accept your apology and hope you accept mine. I shouldn't have made it sound like I was only going to move in with you because there were no other options for me. That was not the case. I was just taken by surprise. So I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." Edward kissed me again and then gave me a crooked smile, making me weak at the knees.

"Now let's go christen our bedroom." I pulled on his belt and took him upstairs.

Edward's POV

With Bella moving in things changed, specifically with our sex lives. Before we lived together we kissed along with some heavy petting. Now there were no boundaries and I loved it. At first I was a little hesitant as sex led to babies and that was something I couldn't produce but Bella assured me she didn't care and she just wanted to show me how much she loved me.

Well she did and hasn't stopped since. Things changed drastically for us but in a good way. We were now closer and I was soon going to be telling her I loved her irrevocably. I admit that if she doesn't say it back I will be a little gutted but know that good things come to those who wait so would be patient and not pressure her into saying it until she meant it.

I had arranged a special dinner for us at what I found out was Bella's favourite restaurant. We were going there just for the heck of it, or so she thought. I wanted to tell her how I felt in a place she had fond memories so hopefully she could add another. If it backfired I'm sure she'd never go there again but that wouldn't happen.

The worst case scenario was that I told her and she freaked, ran away from me in the restaurant and broke up with me. The best case scenario, she's says I love you back. Obviously I'm hoping for the latter.

We were ready to leave the house at eight for our reservations at eight thirty and I knew tonight would be special the minute I saw her. Bella looked radiant in a dress Alice had bought her that was of course dark blue as I loved that colour on her and she knew it.

With my date looking that gorgeous only good things could happen and I wanted to make sure that her smile was a permanent feature on her face all night.