Happy Thursday! Here it is, the last regular chapter. The song we chose is "Sweet Disposition" by the Temper Trap, www#youtube#com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU courtesy of AshesAshes—thanks, Dory, for the rec, and here is the pictease. Anyone recognize it? fernwoodnrg#ca/wp-content/uploads/Cornerstone_Inte rior#jpg

Shoutout to our fantastic betas, AshesAshes and LJ Summers. They are aces; we are oh-so-lucky they are still with us. Thank you both for polishing our words.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Forty-Three: Reunion

I awoke early on Saturday morning, nervous with anticipation. I was eager for my date with Edward that morning. Although I was optimistic, it was difficult to push away the anxiety. I kept myself busy doing chores around the apartment and took my time getting ready but I still left well before I needed to.

I was almost fifteen minutes early, but I took a seat at a small bistro table with a view of the entrance and waited. My heart thudded in my chest when Edward pushed open the door.

As he stepped inside, I saw his eyes scan the room. I swallowed hard, drinking in the sight of him. God, he looked good. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and slate blue, button-down shirt, with the brown leather jacket I'd seen him wear once before. His hair was a little shorter, like he'd gotten it cut recently.

I stood, and a smile lit up his face when he saw me. He was carrying a bouquet of white flowers in his hand, and he held them out to me when he reached my side. It was a mixed bouquet: roses, tulips, and iris. I touched the petal of an iris softly and it reminded of the bouquet Edward had sent to me the morning after we met. I opened my mouth to say something about it, but Edward spoke first.

He held out his hand and smiled at me. "Edward Cullen. You're Bella Swan, I presume?"

I gave him a puzzled glance, but his eyes were twinkling and I automatically reached for his hand. "Y-yes," I stuttered.

His long fingers closed around mine and the familiar feel of his touch made my chest constrict. "It's very nice to meet you."

"You, too," I said hesitantly, still puzzled as to the way he was acting.

He reached for my chair behind me and helped me take a seat. I sank into it and stared at him as he took a seat in the chair across from me. We exchanged pleasantries as he asked how I was doing and commented on the weather. The waiter approached and Edward greeted the man in French and asked me if I like cappuccinos and Nutella crepes. I nodded, still feeling a bit confused. Then, as I looked at Edward, it finally sank in.

Edward was treating this date as if we'd just met, as if all of the history between us had been washed clean, giving us a fresh start. I relaxed in my chair and smiled at him. If this is what he wanted, I could play along. "So, what do you do for a living?"

He grinned widely; I assumed he realized I'd figured out his plan. "I'm a curator at the Museum of Modern Art."

"I love modern art. Tell me about your current shows," I prompted him. He spoke about an upcoming exhibition, and as always, I was enraptured.

"What about you?" he asked. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a lawyer," I said with a forlorn smile. I couldn't help the emotions that washed over me. I'd done a lot of thinking since my father and I met, but the sadness that came along with the decision to close the firm was still just under the surface. Quickly, I cleared my throat and smiled, trying to push the thoughts out of my mind.

A concerned expression crossed Edward's face, but he didn't push for more information. "Wow," Edward said, leaning forward. "I should either be impressed or scared."

"Neither, unless you've done something illegal," I joked. "Now, tell me about your hobbies," I said, remembering the baseball I'd seen on the shelf in his office. "You look like a guy who might enjoy baseball."

Edward smirked and told me that he'd played baseball growing up. Watching and going to Giants games were something he and his father enjoyed doing together. The waiter brought over our cappuccinos and crepes, and Edward launched into a story about the ball in his office that he'd caught at a game when he was a kid.

He asked about my hobbies, which brought up the fact that I'd been swimming and doing yoga lately, and we discussed the cooking classes I'd been taken. His eyes lit up at that, and he threw his head back and laughed at my description of a disastrous attempt at flipping an omelet during class one particular night.

Food and drinks had long been abandoned by the time we realized we'd been sitting in the cafe for hours and it was growing busy. There were other patrons waiting for our table, so Edward paid the bill and we went out to the street. He reached for my hand as we wandered, continuing the conversation we'd been in the middle of when we left the cafe. Although we walked slowly, and took a meandering way to get there, we eventually ended up in front of the building I lived in.

"Well, this is me," I said and Edward paused.

Keeping up the charade, he looked up at the tall, glass building, and said, "Nice place."

"I had a really great time today," I said looking up at him.

"I did, too."

"That's the best first date I've ever been on."

"Me, too." He smiled and released my hand, leaning in to brush his lips against mine. Just as our lips were about to touch, I pulled back.

"Edward, stop. As much as I want to kiss you, I think we should talk. Today was perfect. I mean that. Starting fresh and making this our new first date was wonderful, but there are a few things I feel like we should talk about-if you're willing." I looked at him, my eyes imploring. Edward sighed and nodded, both of us finally addressing the unspoken issue that had been looming over us. "Can we go upstairs to talk?"

"Sure." He took a step back and we both took a deep breath.

Once we were in my apartment, I told Edward to take a seat in the living room and went to grab us both a bottle of water from the fridge. I took a deep breath before I returned to him and tried to organize my thoughts. I knew what I wanted to tell him, but getting the right words out and having them make sense was suddenly evaded me.

He needed to know that I wanted to start fresh with him. The fact that he'd indicated he wanted to do the same with his "first date" idea, made me feel confident that he wanted it, too.

My knee brushed Edward's thigh as I took a seat next to him on the couch. "You look good," he said, his fingers reaching out to brush mine. "It makes me happy to see that."

"I feel good," I admitted.

He gave me a long, searching look before smiling reassuringly at me. "So let's talk."

"Yes. I just . . . As much as l loved starting out fresh, there are a few things I want to say to you before we move forward."

He stopped me with his hand, lightly gripping my thigh. "I want to wipe the slate clean, Bella. I don't want to rehash everything that's happened, and start things out with our past and your past hanging over us."

I nodded, quickly reassuring him I felt the same way. "I know, me either. I just want to be sure we are on the same page about where we're headed." I laughed softly. "I think we've both had enough of me not communicating."

"Where do you see us headed?" Edward questioned, a curious expression crossing his face.

"Well, I think we should start out with getting to know each other better, really date this time. There are so many things I held myself back from before, Edward, and I don't want to do that this time around. I want to be with you, do things right this time. I hope it goes without saying that I want something exclusive, and I hope you, do, too. As far as where we're headed . . . I see a future with you. We need time to focus on us first, but when we're ready, maybe moving in together and building a life as a couple. I don't know what that will include right now. We're going to have take it step-by-step as we grow. But my point is this, I want to figure that out—with you—together."

Without saying a word, he cradled my head in his hands and kissed me. His tongue was so familiar against mine and the feel of his arms around me had never felt so right. It had been nearly two months since I'd last kissed him, last felt his body against mine. I sighed against his mouth, sliding my fingers through the soft strands of his hair. When our lips parted, he said, "I want that, too, Bella."

For the longest time we exchanged slow, sweet kisses as we reacquainted ourselves with each other. There was no rush or desperation, just sweet relief at being in each other's arms again.

When I finally drew back, I swallowed hard, my feelings for him welling up inside me. I stared at him, feeling so grateful that I'd found him, that we hadn't lost what was so special between us. His thumbs brushed against my cheeks, his long fingers cradling the back of my head. "I've missed you," he whispered.

"I've missed you, too." I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against his for just a moment before I drew back, meeting his gaze again. My voice was fervent. "I love you, Edward. So much."

"I love you, too, Bella."

My hands were shaking as I reached for him, but rather than pull me in for a kiss, he let go of my face, pulling me in for an embrace. I buried my head against his neck, taking in his familiar smell that now seemed like home. Happiness rose in me, and I clung tighter to him, my fingers clutching his shirt. The light, crisp scent of his cologne made me light-headed as we held each other.

"Will you make love with me, Edward?" I whispered against his throat. "I want to show you how I feel."

Without so much as a word, he stood up, disentangling our bodies, and held out his hand. When I stood, he tugged me to him and kissed me.

"I want that, too," he replied when he drew back again.

He followed me into the master bedroom and his eyes met mine when we were standing at the foot of the bed. He didn't ask, but I could see the slight hesitation in his eyes, the unspoken question about me bringing him into a room I'd never invited him in before.

I smiled reassuringly at him. "There are no ghosts in here, Edward. Not in my apartment, not in my life, not in my heart. All that remains is the two of us and our future." I placed my hand over his heart and he pulled me into a deep, searing kiss, full of desire.

I remembered our first night together as he slowly undressed me, letting my clothes pool around my feet on the floor. He took his time, kissing my neck and shoulders, trailing his fingertips across my whole body. Only this time, I touched him back, caressing his cheek, kissing his chest, letting my fingers re-learn every inch of his body as I removed his clothing, as well. I kissed every tiny scar and freckle, things I'd never taken notice of before, committing them all to memory.

As the flush began to build, I felt the familiar ache between my thighs. My hands gripped his biceps as the tips of his fingers traced along my spine and his lips softly feathered across my collarbone. I felt weightless and dizzy, overwhelmed by my feelings for him. He gently moved me to the bed, his lips traversing my body as if he'd never touched it before, exploring every minute reaction it caused. When they danced over my nipple, it tightened and he moved to the other to do the same. When his lips skimmed my hipbone, I broke out in goose bumps. When my thighs parted to let him taste me, I shivered. His eyes never left mine as he settled between my thighs, his mouth gently but eagerly devouring me. I came with a soft, shuddering cry. Touching his temple with my fingertips, he turned his head to kiss my hand. I coaxed him up to me and parted my thighs to let him slip between them. I held him close and thought again how grateful I was to be loved by someone like him.

He pushed into me a little ways and I saw his jaw clench tightly. I knew exactly how he felt. Both the emotional and physical pressure had built up in the time we'd been apart, creating an intimacy unlike any I'd ever felt before.

He stilled and looked at me. "Bella." The intensity in his voice and the look in his eyes made me tremble and I felt my heart thump in my chest at the enormity of what was between us.

"I love you, Edward," I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.

"I love you, too." He bent forward and brushed his lips over mine as he gently pushed the rest of the way inside me and stilled. We kissed, slowly and sweetly, savoring the taste and feel of each other. There was no reason to rush, no desperation, no fear of when this would end. There was only the heady promise of the future.

When he began to move it was the most natural feeling in the world and I wound my arms around him and pulled him close, fusing my body with his. Every slow glide of his body in and out of mine made my skin tingle with anticipation and I moved with him, gasping his name as I felt the pressure build inside me.

I couldn't stop touching him, wanting my hands on every inch of him, and his on every inch of me. I wanted him so fiercely it hurt; my chest ached with the feelings inside of me. I didn't want to stop, but the physical and emotional closeness pushed me over the edge.

I kissed him fiercely as I shuddered around him, and when he came, I held him tighter, wondering if I could ever get enough of him. After, we both fell into a sated haze, the sheets casually strewn around us.

I was still burrowed into Edward's arms when I felt him shift beneath me, and I rolled over to lay beside him. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" I lifted my head to look at him and he shrugged sleepily. His hair was mussed and a five o'clock shadow was just coming in along his jaw. I ran my fingertips across his skin and he relaxed into my touch. I laid my head down on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart beneath my ear.

"Do you want me to go?" His fingertips softly traced up and down my arm.

I sat up and looked at him, shaking my head. "You're not going anywhere, unless I'm with you. You're stuck with me now, Edward."

With that, I laid back down and felt the rumble of his laugh. He pulled me closer, pressing his lips against the top of my head. "There's nowhere I'd rather be."

Sooooooooooooooo. . . what do you think? Do you feel cheated there wasn't a long, rehashing of everything or did starting fresh on a new first date work for these two? They do nothing normal, so why not do something a little different, eh? Let us know what you think. We have just the epilogue left and we're finished! Woot Woot.

For those of you looking for a new story to read, check out "The Space Between" by AshesAshes twilighted#net/viewstory#php?sid=16925 It is her new story and it's off to a fantastic start. Send her some love.

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