True Love Way

Chapter 20

Bella made a few more cracks about her pumpkins before she let it drop. Either she realized that my blurt about her boobs in front of my family embarrassed me to no end, or she caught me ogling them a few too many times for her own comfort. In truth, my comment had been made as a joke, but I would be remiss in saying that I hadn't noticed them. They were quite mesmerizing, in fact. High, and full, and when she wore my favourite blue nightie now, they popped out revealing some sweet cleavage. They were very appealing to say the least. There was nothing about Bella that was unappealing, of course. As someone who found her toe-pinching enticing, her swollen boobs catching my eye shouldn't come as a shock.

Both of us also received a phone call from Jasper, clearing the air for his concerned wife. Alice was afraid she had offended Bella with her questions, and put me off… again. I was very used to Alice's ways, and told him such. No harm, no foul on my part. Bella seemed even less disturbed by my sister-in-law's prodding. In fact, she even called Alice herself to "put her mind at ease" or whatever. That left me bewildered, and I slipped momentarily back into my old ways of paranoia and gloom.

For just a moment, I feared that Alice and Jasper were trying to get on Bella's good side to take her away from me somehow. I wasn't certain of their full intent – whether it was to be better friends to her than I was, or to convince her that she should never, ever date the brother of an ex – I just felt that no good could come of it for me.

Then it hit me. There was no one in the world more capable of being Bella's best friend than me. Jasper knew that all along. He wouldn't be looking to maim his ego again. He couldn't be trying to dissuade her from a further relationship with me either; he had given his full blessings. I found myself turning to Aro, in my mind, recalling the methods he had taught to chase away harmful, negative thoughts. There was no proof that my brother was out to hurt me in any way. In fact, there was proof that he was completely for whatever made me happy. Looking at it freshly, I realized they weren't treating Bella as a tool to get to me. They never brought up their defunct romance, even in jest. It seemed like they were going out of their way to get to know the woman Bella had become and make her feel comfortable with my family. It was exactly what they had done when I'd brought Lauren into their lives. That was the proof I needed to talk myself out of the dumps. Jasper and Alice were treating Bella like a woman of interest to me.

Even knowing this, I grew uncomfortable when I called Jasper a few days later just to check in. He joked about me being the "slowest moving man on Earth" when I denied any further developments with Bella. It didn't feel right to be talking to him about that. I decided to voice my concerns with Rosalie when she stopped by at work the next week.

"I can understand how you feel, Edward. It would be weird with their past. But trust me, Jazz is honestly on board with this. He knows how happy you would be with Bella, and that's all he wants. That's all any of us want."

I nodded my understanding as I sipped from the coffee she'd brought me.

She gave me a coy grin so I'd know what was coming. "You are taking this kind of slow."

"I know!" I hissed out my frustration with myself. "I know that. I just… I don't know. I guess I'm afraid to change anything."

"Why is that?" she asked softly. "What is it that you're afraid of happening with change?"

I shrugged. "If she still doesn't think of me that way… I mean, if it's still a best friend thing and I try to make it more, I could lose her."

"Do you really think you could chase Bella away entirely?"

"Did it once," I reminded her.

"That wasn't you. That was our brother-turned-asshole for a year. I know she regrets it."

I eyed her suspiciously. "She told you that?"

"Yep." My sister was the master of coyness. Her smirk normally amused me; now it was irritating. "I think what you're really afraid of is rejection."

Laughing raucously, I headed for the trash can to dispose of my cup. I drained it, tossed it, and turned back to her. "Of course I am, silly sister. I would not be me, if not."

"Edward…" She placed her hands on my shoulders and stared me down. "Don't be you. Just this once, don't let your fears hold you back."

"Don't be me?" I smirked.

"Right. Forget that." Rosalie laughed softly, the warm of her love for me swimming in her eyes. "Be the best you that you know how to be. That's the solution."

"That's it?" I laughed along with her.

"That'll win her."

I stared over her shoulder, contemplating her words. Would it? Was that enough? Was I being a complete fool for stalling this way? "Thanks for the coffee. And the advice. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Can you show me instead? Emmett and I want to talk to you and Bella about something. Maybe Thursday night. Is that all right with you?"

I stooped slightly to give her a kiss on the cheek. "It's a little soon to be expecting me to have wowed her –"

"Win. Not wow."

"I can't wow?" I scoffed. "Thanks for the show of faith!"

"Just win, Edward. See you Thursday?"

I nodded and hugged her. "See you Thursday. Prepare to be wowed."

~ 0 ~

I was actually grateful to my siblings for nudging me forward. I'd spent a third of my life in love with this girl who was now right within arm's reach. Not only that, but the friendship we'd had – the inexplicable bond – was just as intense as it always had been. It was ridiculous to be afraid to move forward. She deserved to know how I've always felt about her. My only problem was determining how to go about it. I didn't want it to be a simple revealing of my teenaged crush on her. It was more than that. In all honesty, I'd fallen in love with her all over again these past months. If I'd just met her, I'd be falling at her feet, begging for a chance with her. I felt that if I could combine those two somehow, that would be the ultimate way to go about it.

My solution came to me by helping a friend after work. Ben had arranged to adopt a kitten for his niece as her birthday gift. He was on a lengthy call and was going to miss his pick-up time at the shelter. I ran out to retrieve the kitten for him while he finished up. It was there, waiting for all of the animal's papers to be checked out that inspiration hit.

Pooks flashed into my mind – the tired old stuffed dog that sat in Bella's room at Gran's house. The replacement for the puppy she'd had to give up. Before I could think it over and talk myself out of it, I was inquiring about an adoption of my own.

~ 0 ~

It was difficult for me to contain my excitement and keep the secret for the two days the shelter was holding the puppy I'd selected. They were running final tests on him to ensure he was in good health since he had been abandoned. The little guy was malnourished, but they felt certain he'd perk up with a little loving and a lot of food. Bella's puppy would get plenty of both.

"What are you grinning about?" Bella asked as we carried our garbage-filled trays to the trash can. "You've been like a kid at Christmas all week. Do tacos thrill you this much?"

I had pestered her all day to not cook for us. I wanted to get to the shelter as soon as possible so I made her agree to meet me for a dinner out. I'd planned to take her to a little restaurant across the street from the animal shelter, but Taco Bell lured us in on the way. It wasn't the most romantic setting, but it did cut down the waiting time until we could get her puppy.

"Double-stuffed? Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't be excited by that?" I took her hand as she headed in the wrong direction, tugging her in the opposite way.

"Aren't we going home?"

My shit-eating grin grew to enormous proportions. "Nope. I've got a surprise for you."

She raised an eyebrow at me, squinting in disapproval. "I don't need anything, Edward… unless it's ice cream."

I rolled my eyes at her dramatically. "If you keep up with this ice cream thing, I'm gonna get fat again."

"More of you to love!" She dashed ahead of me, only to turn around and give my sides a squeeze.

My smile couldn't get any bigger, and my heart felt like it was swollen four times its normal size. God, I loved this woman. "Come on, he's waiting for us." I took her hand once more and practically raced to the shelter.

"What…? Edward, what are we doing here?" She paused, looking up at the sign outside the shelter.

"Remember I told you that I picked up a kitten for Ben the other day? Well, this is your surprise." I held the door open for her and followed her inside. The same lady who I'd made the arrangements with was behind the counter.

"Edward! Right on time. He's all ready for you."

"That's awesome, thank you."

"This is your friend you told me about?" She smiled, tipping her head towards Bella.

My arm went proudly around her waist. "Yep. Bella will be the owner."

"Owner…?"

"You didn't tell her?" The woman looked skeptical.

"It's a surprise. It'll be fine," I assured her hurriedly. "She'll fall in love with him the minute she sees him, too. Trust me."

"Edward?" Bella turned to me with a hesitant smile. "Who will I fall in love with? What did you do?"

Another employee led Bella's puppy out from the back on a leash. The puppy came right to me when I squatted down to greet him.

"Hey, fella! Remember me?" I clamped my eyes shut as he covered my face with his own greeting. "I guess you do. Or do you kiss everyone that way?"

Bella laughed as she squatted down beside me. "Nothing like doggy kisses, huh? Is this a friend of yours? We haven't met." Holding her hand out for the puppy to sniff, she knelt down to get more comfortable. The puppy sniffed then licked her hand before she gave him some ear-rubbing.

"I hope you mean that – I have a feeling you'll be getting a lot of doggy kisses. He's yours, Bella. I adopted him for you."

She sat back on her feet, staring at me in disbelief. "You…? He's…? You got this puppy for me? For real?"

I nodded, smiling as she embraced the puppy. As predicted, he loved her up in his own special way, leaving one side of her face dripping with puppy slobber. I laughed, wiping her cheek with my sleeve. "I think he's in love with you already," I stated softly. I crouched down close to her. "Is this okay?"

Still hugging the dog, she nodded frantically as her eyes pooled with tears.

I gave him a quick rub as I placed a kiss on the top of Bella's head. "Then let's get him home. I've got some stuff for him already. I've been stashing it in the car in the garage."

"So devious," Bella scolded playfully as she wiped away her tears. Her smile was unbelievably beautiful. "Can we take him now? Really?"

It was as simple as that to make Bella utterly blissful. This dog was a reject. A mutt. He clearly had some Beagle in him, but I couldn't figure out what else. The folks at the shelter felt he was part Doberman. His legs were long and spindly. He looked awkward and bounced around with so much enthusiasm, he was hilarious to watch. And Bella loved him already; I could see it in her eyes.

We walked home as the puppy dictated: sometimes at a trot, and other times at a standstill. Whichever way, her arm stayed firmly around my waist, gripping my shirt and squeezing my side from time to time. Her other hand happily held the leash, though I would occasionally grab hold to help her control the puppy when he got too carried away. The last thing I wanted was for Bella to strain herself and set back her recovery. I offered to run in and get her a cone when we neared our ice cream place, but she declined.

"I just want to get him home."

I pulled her just a little closer as I gave her waist a squeeze of my own. It truly felt like it was our home. I hoped I could pull off the remainder of my plan. Suddenly, I was afraid this adoption seemed a little desperate – as though I needed a reason to ask her to stay forever.

At home, I went to retrieve the puppy supplies while Bella took him up to our apartment. It was a struggle hauling the twenty pound bag of kibble along with the two bags of canned food, dishes and toys, but I made it with everything intact. Maybe I could haul stretchers up and down the stairs. I chuckled at myself for comparing this to an impossible job.

Bella was on the floor with him when I came in, dropping the goodies just inside the door. "Bella! What are you doing?" I rushed over and lifted her to her feet. The puppy began rummaging through the bags with excitement. "You're still recovering from surgery – you shouldn't be on the floor that way."

"I didn't want him to get on your furniture," she explained with a furrowed brow. "What if you are allergic?"

My stomach sank. Hearing her refer to the furniture as 'mine' was like a kick in the gut. "I'm a big boy, Bella. If I didn't think I could handle having a dog in the apartment, I wouldn't have adopted him for you."

Her eyes lowered in embarrassment. "Sorry. Of course you know what you can handle."

Furious with myself for acting like a child and making her feel bad, I guided her over to the couch. "I've had tests. I'm not allergic to dogs. Or cats. There are certain chemicals and grasses that irritate me, but my mother's worry was for nothing. Having him here won't worsen my asthma or hinder my health in any way." Glancing over towards the door, I saw the puppy happily chewy on a squeaky toy bone.

She smiled warmly at me. "That's good. Really good." Her head dipped down shyly, and she reached for my hand. I turned my palm to accept her hand in mine and our fingers closed around each other's. "I can't believe you got me a puppy!" She rested her head on my shoulder and began laughing almost hysterically.

"What's so funny?" I had intended this to be a sweet gesture – had I done something really asinine?

Controlling herself, she placed a soft kiss on my jaw. "Only you would do something like this. Edward… we have a problem."

I shifted to ease away from her. My heart was pounding, and I didn't want her to feel it. "You don't really want him?" I asked tentatively.

"No!" Bella twisted to face me. "I absolutely want him! He's adorable, Edward! Who wouldn't want him?"

"Then the problem is…?"

"I have to go back to Phoenix, remember? It's really bad timing."

Phoenix. Right. She was leaving. "Oh. Right."

"I'd take him with me, but we're flying –"

"Flying?" My brows lifted in confusion. I didn't know she had made arrangements yet, and she was flying there? Seriously?

"I don't want to be afraid of flying all my life," she explained quietly. "Better to get back on the horse, right? My dad will be there with me."

"Charlie's going?" Part of me felt hugely relieved that she wouldn't be alone. Another part felt left out. "I didn't know you were going so soon. I could have made arrangements to go with you."

She reached over and cupped my cheek in her hand. "Then who would look after our puppy?"

Just like that, my heart swelled again. Our puppy.

"We'll only be gone a few days. I don't want to leave Rosalie short on milk for Nathan. I've been freezing as much as possible to tide them over. It's really lousy timing to have to go do this now, especially with the puppy, too." Her gaze turned to him affectionately. "The lawyer wants to get everything finalized with the estate. I'm the last one to sign off on it. I'm sorry, Edward. It can't wait. Besides, I just found out the school is having a memorial for Marcus and Gianna this weekend as well. I should be there. It's a perfect chance to finalize everything at once."

I nodded my understanding slowly. Of course she would want to be at the memorial. I felt selfish for my first thoughts being she made all of these arrangements without me. Really, I was more concerned about her than my own selfish doubts. "You're really going to be all right flying? So soon after surgery and all?"

"It's been over a month. The doctor cleared me for that. And like I said, Dad will be with me." She focused fully on me once more. "I don't want you worrying about me, okay? The incision is healing great. My kidneys are fine. And I have to prove to myself that I'm not going to be fearful about flying after the accident. Please understand?"

I grinned at her sheepishly. "You can't expect me not to worry. But I do understand." Of course Bella would pick herself right back up. She was strong that way. It's one of the things I admired most about her. "And don't you worry about the puppy. I'll take him to work with me if I have to."

She chuckled at me. "You can't take a dog into work, Edward. What if he tears the apartment up while you're gone?"

I shrugged. "I'll fix it when I come home."

"And if he pees?"

"I'll mop it up."

"Poop?" She smirked at me.

I made a disgusted face. "I'll pinch my nose, gag, and clean it up."

"And then disinfect." She snickered, knowing that would be my routine exactly.

"We'll be fine," I assured her. In truth, having her puppy – no, our puppy – would help me miss her less. Maybe not worry for her safety any less, but I would know that she was coming back. "We can't keep calling him 'the puppy'. What are you going to name him? Pooks?" I suggested with a smirk.

Her face lit up. "You do remember! God, that was the first thing I thought of, but then I told myself I was being silly. Why would you remember that?"

I remember every detail of every minute I ever spent with you, Bella. "It was the saddest story I'd ever heard." I teased her instead of saying what was on my mind. "The minute I saw this guy, I knew he had to be yours."

"Don."

"Huh?"

"Don. That's his name. Don Everly." She beamed proudly as she named him.

"Don Everly," I repeated with a grin. "A tribute to Gran?"

"And you," she confessed. "Because every time you've sang to me it seemed like you were salvaging a little piece of my soul. You've always been there when I needed you most. Just like Gran. The two people I could always count on. The two people who made me feel safe and wanted."

I was struggling to digest her words, but I managed to stay on track. "Don Everly, it is then," I concurred softly. Don Everly decided to join us just then, bringing his new best toy along with him. He sprawled across our laps as I considered Bella's words silently. She remembered details, as well. I'd sung to her twice without her asking: once in her room at Gran's and once in her hospital room while she was comatose. The third time was her first request when she woke up. Was she only thinking of Phoenix when she asked me to sing her to sleep in the hospital? Or had she heard me in her deepest of sleeps? If she'd heard me singing, had she heard everything else I'd said to her as well?

~ 0 ~

"Don should have his own bed." Bella had the puppy between her legs on our bed when I went in for the night. "Don't you think?"

I shrugged. "Sure. We can go pick one out tomorrow – oh crap, we can't. Rosalie and Emmett are coming over."

"And my dad's coming up on Friday. We're driving to Seattle and flying out from there."

Just the mention of her departure put me in a little funk. "It's just as well then. I won't be lonely if Don's with me."

Bella chuckled as she rubbed Don's belly. "You be sure to be extra good to Edward while I'm gone, okay, Don? I won't be away for long. You can have my spot while I'm gone. Edward likes to cuddle."

I snorted as I climbed into bed. "You're the cuddler. I have no choice in the matter."

Her jaw dropped. "Oh my god! Does it bother you? You never said anything! Well now I feel stupid –"

Laughing, I snuggled up to her, resting my head against her shoulder. "I'm teasing, Bella." I gave Don a quick pat before throwing my arm around Bella's waist. "I would choose to cuddle with you anytime."

"I am a good cuddler," she boasted. Her right hand left the dog and came up to stroke my hair. "You're not bad either," she said softly. She continued running her fingers through my hair as Don rolled onto his back for a one-handed belly rub.

"Jesus… if this feels this good, I wonder how Don feels. Is it wrong to be jealous of a dog?"

Bella snickered against my head. "You want a belly rub?"

"Yes, please," I responded, laughing. I was only partially joking. Just in case she wasn't joking, I rolled over on my back next to her and lifted my t-shirt.

Instantly, Bella was in stitches. I began to lower my shirt but hesitated when she stopped laughing abruptly. Her eyes wandered over from the dog to my exposed torso. They moved slowly, taking in every detail – much the same way I stole looks at her. Her tongue flicked over her bottom lip before she bit down on it. Her left hand moved hesitantly towards me. Don had the right hand. I silently cursed him for being the luckiest dog. I flinched at the first contact. Her fingers seemed to send an electrical current through my veins. I could feel her in every nerve ending. She didn't draw her hand away, instead, placing it flat at the edge of my rib cage.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Ticklish."

"I knew you'd be ticklish." Her voice was soft and breathy. I'd never heard her sound this way. "You seem like you'd be ticklish."

"It's not really a bad thing," I informed her. It was rather arousing, truth be told. Particularly when it was accompanied by that sweet, husky voice.

I expected her to make a joke of it – at the very least pull her hand back. Instead, her fingertips roamed the lay of the land, so to speak, searching for tickle spots or just trying to drive me insane. I huffed out a breath with a shiver when she swirled around my bellybutton. It was better than growling. She glanced over at me with no sign of teasing or shyness in her eyes. Her palm flattened against me and moved towards my chest.

"My arm won't bend that way," she announced. "I wanted to see what other reactions you'd have."

There was a glaringly obvious one if she'd look down. Our eyes were locked on each other, however, and something told me it was the moment I was waiting for. "I want to kiss you."

The corner of Bella's lips twitched, and her eyes fled briefly to my mouth before locking gazes again.

"I really, really want to kiss you right now. Would it be okay?"

Her response was nonverbal. She lowered her head towards me, wetting her lips lightly with the tip of her tongue. I reached for her, cupping her face as she bent over me. I could feel the warmth of her mouth even before it met with mine. My heart was thundering, and I had a sudden wish that I'd taken a hit off my inhaler before I'd stretched out in the first place. Time seemed to be frozen with our lips just a breath apart. And then they met. Warm, sweet and welcoming – so amazingly welcoming.

The feel of her lips on mine was better than anything I'd ever imagined, and I craved more. I needed more. Protests began running through my head: This is Bella… Is this right? It's too much. Slow down. Don't take too much. She could hurt –

"Bella," I murmured against her mouth. We each took a breath and went back for more. This time, she seemed to have the same cravings, the same needs I did. Her mouth pressed more aggressively against me, and her lips parted. I took her cue and trailed the tip of my tongue over them. This is Bella. And she's mine! And I moaned.

We both broke to chuckle a little. Of course our first kiss wouldn't be without some awkward comedy on my part. I eased my hold on her to give her the chance to escape, if that's what she wanted. I smiled at her when she grabbed hold of me instead. Her right hand finally joined in, taking a tour of my stomach while her left gripped my head and pulled me towards her. I went up on one elbow to meet her halfway, and our kiss exploded into hot lips melting together and tongues timidly poking at each other. My neck was twisted oddly so I switched sides, but then she was at a strange angle and we switched it up again, frantically searching for just the right position. We banged noses at one point but kissed through our laughter. We were both in the same place at the same time – both striving to find a way to make this kiss work and be momentous.

Just when we got it going really well, her fingers took on a life of their own below, sending tantalizing shivers through my body. She swirled the hair around my navel and stroked my abdomen in a frenzied rhythm. Oh dear lord… if she didn't stop that I wouldn't be able –

"Umph!" I cried out in shock and agony as pain travelled from my groin straight up to my teeth.

Bella pulled away in confusion. "What happened? What did I do?"

"Not… you…" I hissed between clenched teeth. "Don."

She looked at the puppy now sprawled on my belly, panting happily. "Did he bite?"

"No!" I groaned. "He must have been going for your hand. Don Everly sacked me! Oh Jesus…" I turned onto my side, rolling him off my body as I cupped the jewels. He wasn't a massive dog, thank heavens, but being sacked in the state I was in was the most agonizing thing I'd ever experienced. I remembered Jasper crying once when we were kids. He'd been doing stunts on a BMX bike and landed wrong. He took the front of the saddle to the nuts and he was down for the count. I didn't think it would hurt that much more than a broken bone, let's say, and I'd had plenty of those. I suddenly felt my brother's pain. He was fucking right. This was worse than a fracture. I just prayed it wouldn't take six weeks to heal like a bone did.

Bella pulled the puppy away so he wouldn't jump on me again. He was in a playful mood. She hugged him against one side and reached for me. "Jesus… I'm… Can I do anything?"

"Uh…" A strangled, high-pitched sound came out of my throat, and Don Everly replied with a yelp of his own. "You! You just wait pal… you are so gonna be neutered."

Bella put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh. It didn't do any good. There was laughter in her eyes. "I'm sorry!" She spewed an apology that I knew was sincere.

I pulled the pillow over my head to hide my pained expression. I was currently at the point where I didn't know if I would laugh along with her or cry. The bed shifted as Bella got off, and I heard her struggling with the dog. Then the door closed and she was beside me, sitting on the edge.

"I'm really sorry, Edward. I wasn't laughing at you. It was… the neutered thing…" Her hand stroked my back.

"It's okay," I mumbled from under the pillow. "I know. I'll laugh about it, too. Once I can breathe."

There was only a moment of hesitation before she proved herself to be female. "Is it that bad?"

~ 0 ~

I still wasn't ready to laugh about it when we were all alone, trying to fall asleep. I had been able to walk, miraculously – enough to take Don out for a pee anyway. Of course, I'd locked myself in the bathroom beforehand, performing a thorough examination on myself, ensuring I still possessed two intact testicles. The searing pain in my lower abdomen didn't allow me to laugh quite yet. It was just my luck that the puppy I'd hoped would demonstrate the depth of my love for Bella would be the very one to destroy our first romantic moment.

"I'm going to go buy him a bed tomorrow," Bella told me quietly. Don was currently locked out of our bedroom and clawing at the door in defiance. "Do you think he'll be all right on his own for about half an hour?"

"I'll go on my way home from work."

"Your sister's coming –"

"I know. The store is on my way. You have to pack. I don't want you over-doing it."

Don began whining along with his clawing.

"We shouldn't have let him in here to begin with."

I snorted. "I'll get the dog bed tomorrow."

Don whimpered.

I groaned. "He sounds so pathetic out there."

"I know." Bella turned onto her side, facing me. "I'm sorry that happened," she said softly. "That was really nice."

I raised a curious eyebrow.

"I mean the kiss – not the puppy jumping on you and me laughing. Shit, I feel so horrible about that."

I managed a grin at least. "It was really nice."

Now she looked shy. She tucked her head down and scurried over to lie against me. "I'm glad it happened now. Before I go to Phoenix."

"Yeah?" I curled my arm around her, snuggling her in even closer. "I thought maybe it was too soon."

I felt her body tense up as her head tipped back to look at me. "Don't make me laugh again."

"What?" Finally, a chuckle escaped. "We've only known each other ten years."

"Twelve. It will be twelve in September," she corrected me.

Since the kiss – pre-sacking – had gone so well, I felt bold. "When do you think it should have happened?"

"Twelve years ago in September." There was a few long beats that my heart inched up into my throat before she laughed. And then she kissed me. It lacked the fire of the kiss that had been cut short, but it ranked just as high. It was sweet and tender, and it told me there could – and would – be more.

"Mmm, sweet…" I mumbled as we parted with several soft pecks. "Jesus, he's driving me nuts. I can't stand that he's out there crying."

Bella sat up. "I know! Should I go out there with him?"

I shook my head. "That's setting a bad example. Don Everly is not stealing my girl from my bed." I smirked at her as I got up. "I'm gonna go get him. Be right back."

I didn't even have to leave the room. I opened the door an inch, and the anxious puppy barrelled through, straight to the bed. He snuggled up to Bella for some much needed sympathy, and I took what space was remaining. Working together to calm him, we spoke in hushed tones and petted him soothingly to let him know it was time to wind down.

"So… eventful day." Bella continued to speak softly even after Don Everly was fast asleep between us.

"Yep," I agreed with a light chuckle. I rubbed at my eyes, tired through and through but unwilling to let them close. I wanted to look at Bella every second that I could. "What's more monumental? The puppy or…"

Bella wiggled to get a little closer to me without disturbing our newest roommate. "Definitely 'or.'" Her fingers traced my jawline as she smiled at me. "I've been waiting a long time to hear you say that."

"Seriously?" My voice came out loud and surprisingly high for any man.

Bella giggled and clamped her hand over my mouth. "Shhh! You'll wake the puppy!" She then replaced her hand with her lips, soft and warm. "Seriously."

"In that case, why didn't you ever say it?" I whispered.

She shook her head. "I couldn't."

"Couldn't say the words? Or do it?" This was a very interesting development.

"I almost did… once. You kinda freaked out."

My hand ran through my hair as I struggled to recall when that would have been. When had Bella ever tried to kiss me?

"It was just… I couldn't. I couldn't do that to you. Forget it. I'm just glad you finally made the move. I wanted you to know that, now that we don't have someone whining at the door." Her teeth clenched onto her bottom lip as she fisted some of my t-shirt. "Anything you want to say?"

"Are we being completely honest here?"

"Completely," she whispered against my cheek.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and spewed, "You're on my side of the bed."

I felt her huff against my skin. Didn't see the look of astonishment on her face since my eyes were closed, but I could envision it. I'd seen the expression many times when I spouted off something completely unexpected. I opened one eye so I could focus better and see if she was at the amused stage yet. She was getting there.

"Seriously. I sleep on the right. I've given it up to you because you were pregnant and then recovering, and you seemed to settle right into it. But I miss it. That's my side. You're sleeping on my side."

Her body shook with restrained laughter. I even tried to help her stay quiet by kissing her. She laughed through that too. This was us – comfortable together. Sure, I realized that I should have told her the other truth – the one about being in love with her for twelve years in September, but that would come. It would need a lot more talking, and I didn't want anything to mar the memory of our first kisses.

"You're sure that's all you want to tell me?"

I cocked an eyebrow at her haughtily. "You're a persistent little thing! Okay, fine… Bella Swan, you are the most gorgeous human being I've ever laid eyes on. Honestly."

My t-shirt pulled taut as she grabbed handfuls again. "Edward…"

"Are those happy tears?" I asked softly as I brushed them away with my thumb. "Honestly."

"Happy tears, Edward. Ecstatic tears. Now get up."

"What?" There was no possible way I could get it up. Not after the trauma I'd taken just hours earlier. The tight knot was still sitting low in my abdomen, and my dick had all but turtled up inside.

"Get up. I'm going to crawl over Don. You can have your side of the bed back."

"Ohhhhh!" I laughed at my own stupidity, although I swear something twitched. It was deep within sad, hanging skin, but it was there, reminding me that it wasn't out for the count forever. I got out of bed and padded around to the other side just in time to enjoy the view of Bella on all fours. Definite twitch.

She snuggled into the spot I'd vacated, burying her nose in my pillow. "Mmmm. I love the way you leave the bed smelling."

I remained very still, lying on my side staring at her.

"What? Oh, don't tell me you need this pillow too."

"Forget it!" I held my hands up in submission. "Just forget it. Keep that pillow. I'll get used to this one."

"Honestly…" Bella shook her head at me, exasperated, but I could still make out the smile on her face. "Listen –" She held her hand up to stop me from saying anything further. "Is that…?"

"Oh my god," I groaned in disbelief before we both gave in to over-tired giggles.

"You picked a puppy that snores!"

A/N ~ Hope all the beautiful moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. :)

As always, thanks to Shug, my awesome beta-reader. msj, my encouraging friend and pre-reader. And a special thanks to theonlykyla for bumping me past that ominous number. lol

Does everyone thank Jasper for making Edward pick up his pace? ;) Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next Monday! XX ~ SR