Thank you everyone for sticking with me!

Thanks to Iris, Midnight Cougar, ifyouweremine and SparklyMeg for their pre-reading/betaing skills and making this worth reading.

Chapter 27

It takes Edward three days to call.

After the awkward and gut-wrenching conversation with Tanya, I was too scared to call him back. I wanted to speak to him. I wanted him to reassure me, to tell me there was a good reason why she answered. But at the same time, I was terrified he'd tell me something I didn't want to hear.

Jess was ready to lynch him. Like a good friend, she hated to see me upset, and in her opinion, he now had too many strikes against him.

It was nearing the end of a long day when my phone rang, flashing his name.

"Hi," I answer quietly. I automatically feel awkward, and I hate it. I want to go back to the winery in Port Angeles where we were in our own bubble with no drama and tender kisses.

He sighs. "I was worried you wouldn't answer."

"I thought about it," I admit.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "It's been a weird few days."

I huff. "You're telling me."

"It's... over. It's over with Tanya, and she knows it is. She should be calling tomorrow to cancel." He speaks quietly, but his words are confident and clear. However, I've been here before, and I believed him.

"Hmm…"

"You don't believe me?"

I run my fingers through my hair and glance around my office before answering. "I don't know what to think. I wholeheartedly believed you in Seattle. You said everything I wanted to hear, yet we landed with a big bump back here. She still wants you, and I'm not sure you know what—"

He cuts me off instantly. "Bella, I want you."

"Words, Edward," I reply angrily. I hate how he does this. Every single time something good happens, something comes along to mess it up. "I told you before. You say one thing and then do another. It's one step forward and two steps back, and it's confusing. You're just messing with my head."

"I know. It's a mess, and I thought finishing it with Tanya would be the end of it. There's a lot I need to explain. Can I see you?"

"I don't think that's a good idea—"

"Let me see you. I don't want to do this over the phone."

Before I can even contemplate turning him down, he whispers, "Please," and I agree.

ooOoo

Rain batters against the window, trying to win some sort of argument with the wind that howls outside. The lights flicker a few times but don't go out. Normally, it'd be the sort of weather I hate, but tucked up at home surrounded by candles while wearing my favorite jeans and hoodie, I love it.

Nerves settle in the pit of my stomach as I wait for Edward to arrive. Earlier, we agreed to talk in person over dinner at my place. I call in our Chinese order, pour a large glass of wine, and sit in my favorite chair by the window.

Some music channel plays in the background as I try to wrap my head around everything that's happened and how we can possibly move on from this — if there's even a chance for an 'us.' Tanya's made it perfectly clear she doesn't really want to let him go, and that's without her knowing his feelings toward me. I feel physically and mentally drained. It's been nothing but drama, and we need to think about whether the hassle's worth it.

Worth the fight.

The buzzer to my apartment sounds, and I let the delivery guy in. By the time I've grabbed my purse and made it to the door, Edward's there and paying for our dinner.

He's dressed casually, as well, but is still just as striking as always. His dark jeans fit him perfectly and match the green sweater he's paired it with. I rarely see him dressed so casually, and while I love seeing him in his suits, there's something more about him when he's dressed like this. His hair's crazier than normal because of the wind outside, and his cheeks are flushed with the slightest pink color from the dropping temperatures.

I glance down at my outfit, and for a fleeting moment, I wonder what he sees in me compared to his perfect-looking ex.

She and I couldn't be more different. Her statuesque figure, her impeccable good looks, her golden hair, and her general lifestyle are on a different level than my average looks and the fact I have to work hard for each paycheck scream middle class.

I look to Edward who's joking with the delivery guy. He catches my eye briefly, winking and making me blush, and it's then I realize our differences are why he's here having take-out and cheap beer on a cold, horrible night and why she's his ex.

I smile softly as he enters. "You didn't have to do that."

He closes the door behind him, following me to the kitchen. "Yes, I did."

We plate up our dinner in silence, each of us not knowing what to say at this point. I have a million different things running through my head, but each time I open my mouth, I freeze. It needs to be him who starts.

With full plates, a refilled glass of wine for me, and a beer for Edward, we go into the front room. He sits on the sofa, frowning slightly when I opt for my chair again instead of sitting next to him. I feel bad for a second but push the feeling away, knowing I need to keep my distance if I want to keep my head clear.

The silence continues as we eat, with each of us throwing in the odd comment here and there. It's awkward and uncomfortable, and I hate it, but I feel slightly better knowing he must be as nervous as I am.

When we've finished our dinner, we sit back in the living room.

"You won't sit here?" He gestures to the empty space next to him.

"Maybe later," I reply softly. "We need to talk, and I want a little distance between us."

He sighs, looking down at the floor. "I've messed things up so badly that you won't even sit next to me."

I shake my head, even though he can't see me. "If we're going to talk, I want to keep space between us. I haven't seen you since Seattle… when we had the date… and kissed…" I trail off, feeling the traitorous blush covering my cheeks.

He looks up with a small smile on his face. "And what? You think I'll jump you?"

I burst out laughing, dissolving the tense atmosphere between us. "No. Try the other way around," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes when he grins.

He toys with the bottle of his beer, his finger delicately running around the top. I watch for a few minutes and wait for him to start. I wait for him to say something — to say anything — and then it becomes clear he's struggling and I'm going to have to start.

"Tanya answered your phone."

He winces and nods. "Yeah."

"She said she only wanted to postpone the wedding and not actually cancel it."

He takes a gulp of his beer and nods again. "Yep."

"Do you have any idea how that made me feel? It put what we had in Seattle to shit."

His head snaps up. "Don't say that. Don't even put what that was — is — with what I had with Tanya."

"How can I not? You tell me it's over, that you want me, and then when I don't hear from you for days and decide to call you first, she answers and she thinks that you're still engaged." My voice wavers, which I hate. I promised myself I'd be strong and not cry.

His eyes soften as he looks to me, but his voice is strong and clear. "I handled it wrong. I won't make that mistake again."

"Why did she answer your phone? Where were you? Were you at her place?" I hate that my insecurities probably show all over my face, but I can't help it. I have to ask.

He sighs and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I was with her, yes, but not in the way you're thinking. We met up, in public, to discuss things. I didn't— I don't… trust her, so I declined her offer to go over to her place."

I roll my eyes, because of course she tried to get him to go to her place.

"She saw your office number on my phone when I'd gone to the bathroom, so she answered."

"She was adamant—"

He nods. "I know. But you know what she's like. Nobody turns down Tanya Turner. We're meant to say how high when she says jump. I majorly messed up her perfect plans by calling it off now." He smirks a little, and I can only imagine how she reacted. I almost wish I'd seen it.

"It's over?" I ask quietly, my heart hammering in my chest.

I watch as he stands and walks over to where I'm sitting. His gaze never wavers from me, even when he's directly in front of me. He takes one of my hands and sits on the arm of the seat.

"It's over, and I made sure she understood that completely this time. No postponing, no making sure I see things her way, and definitely no working things through." He smiles as I look up at him. "Yes, I heard her say that to you. I made it very clear to her I want the wedding canceled." He smirks. "And then her dad told her if she didn't, he would."

"You brought her dad into this?" I gasp, taking my hand back and thinking of all the ways my company's about to crumble to the ground.

He reaches for me, squeezing my hand when I don't fight him. "He was already involved. When I quit, he made it perfectly clear I wasn't to marry Tanya, unaware I'd already ended things with her. He told me to go back to her that day and finish it." He laughs softly. "Amazing how quickly 'family' can change on you like that." He slips down the arm of the chair, lifting me so he can take a seat and pull me onto his lap. I go willingly, the fight slowly falling out of me.

"It was strange. Tanya just couldn't accept it was over. She tried being more… attentive." I grimace, trying not to focus on that. "No matter what I said, it just seemed to go right over her. I agreed to see her so we could 'talk,' not telling her I'd also invited her dad. Without his approval, without me having that job, the wedding was never going to happen. Like I said, she didn't seem overly heartbroken, just annoyed at the bad publicity."

"I can't believe they're that shallow." I think back to the first phone call with John, the first time I met them all. "They seemed so nice."

"Oh, they are… if you run in the same social circles and earn a shitload of money."

"They were nice to me. I'm neither of those things."

"You…" He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "You were planning the wedding of the year. They had to be nice to you."

"Oh," I murmur.

"Are you really bothered by that?" he asks, his fingers tangling with mine.

"No." I sigh and choke out a laugh. "She's a horrible person, Edward." He hums his agreement but doesn't say anything.

I glance at him, ducking my head when I see he's still watching me. His gaze is intense… waiting. We stay like that as I process everything he said, and he lets me. The silence is comfortable, the tension from earlier gone.

"So, what now?" he asks after a few moments.

"I—"

"I'll prove it to you, Bella. I'll show you it's you I want. I want what we had in Seattle, I want more, and I want it with you."

I can't fight the smile and the flip my stomach does at his words. He's here, he wants me, and it's over with her. He's also remembered he needs to prove it to me.

"Yes, but—"

"Slowly," he says, kissing the back of my head.

"Slowly," I repeat.

ooOoo

We spend the rest of the night watching The Goonies on TV. It feels easy, it feels right, and I know the last few weeks have been worth it.

That he's worth it.

I know it's for the best, but I can't help but pout as he stands to put on his shoes to leave. I was so cozy while wrapped in his arms as we watched the movie, and I can already feel the loss.

In more ways than one.

"Don't look at me like that. It's hard enough leaving you without you watching me with that look on your face." He smiles in that way I love, and I want to forget about going slow.

"What look?"

"Don't play innocent," he says, walking toward me until I'm backed against the wall. He trails his fingers down my cheek, over my throat, and finishes at my collarbone. Instead of watching me for a reaction, his eyes are on his fingers, watching as he touches me. They leave a warm trail in their wake, making me shudder and him smirk.

"So soft," he murmurs, pushing my top so it falls over my shoulder.

I close my eyes. "Edward…"

"I know. Slow." His fingers tease me, and I can feel my nipples pebble against the material of my bra. "I just… It's so hard staying away from you when all I want to do is—"

My lips meeting his cut him off. I can feel him smile before he kisses me back. I wrap my arms around his neck, anchoring him to me, desperate to feel more. It's a lot like our first kiss, yet it's so much better. It's so much more. There's no hesitancy this time as he kisses me determinedly, pushing me even more against the wall. His lips are confident as they move against mine, continuing to tease me. He pulls away, kissing me softly once, twice more, before he takes a step back.

He grins that grin that makes me want to kiss him all over again.

"You said slow."

"I did."

"That didn't feel slow."

I close the distance between us. "It is slow."

"Yeah? How do you figure?"

"'Cause I'm not asking you to stay."

ooOoo

Thank you for reading! Merry Christmas to everyone that celebrates when the time comes – I'm off to start my Christmas Shopping!

Fic Rec - A Snowfall Kind of Love by TheFicChick - There's one thing on my grown-up Christmas list, and while it includes a number of specifics in varying degrees of dirtiness, it really all boils to the one thing I've wanted for a year and a half: a do-gooder with unruly hair and a Mister Rogers sweater, and a lifetime of nights that would land me squarely on the naughty list.