A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind. I do not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
Edward and I text and called each other a few times over the next few days but, with Thanksgiving coming up, it was a particularly busy time for us at work. Dressing up as a Pilgrim seemed to be as popular as ever with the local school kids and, as always, I was amazed by the number of Thanksgiving events there were to report on in our small area.
Still, I didn't mind. I love this time of year when the air was fresh without being freezing and the evenings were dark enough to snuggle at home under my blanket without the threat of a snowfall in the morning. Also, work was going well for me lately. I'd been highly praised on my report of the Fall Festival, which was a minor miracle given I wasn't sure how I'd concentrated on the festival at all with Edward's presence there that day. My boss had liked my work and stepped up my solo reporting on local events, just in time for the Thanksgiving rush, which meant I'd been really busy these last few days and was glad to have the day of Thanksgiving itself off.
Therefore, this evening, the evening before Thanksgiving, I was watching re-runs of The Gilmore Girls on TV while baking my dad's favorite dessert in a blatant attempt to sweeten him up for the conversation about Edward I knew would follow the next day.
While the pie cooked I tried to concentrate on the TV. I sipped my hot chocolate, snuggled down further into my blanket and tried to resist the aroma coming from the oven. However, once the timer beeped, and I pulled the pie out, steaming hot and bubbling at the edges, I gave in and may have accidentally eaten a slice.
Or two.
It smelt so good when it was fresh and warm and once I remembered the whipping cream in the fridge, I was powerless to resist.
As soon as I took the biggest bite imaginable my phone rang. I would have sworn but my mouth was too full of creamy apple goodness.
"Mmmhi," I muttered, noting Edward's picture on my screen as I answered.
"Bella?"
"Mmmm. Yeah, hi." I swallowed, coughing slightly in my haste, and then greeted him properly. "Sorry, I was just devouring my Thanksgiving dessert offering."
"Don't you need that for tomorrow?" He sounded confused.
"Yeah, but it's soooooo good. Like...really good." I licked my fingers clean as I spoke and grinned at Edward's small moan on the other end of the line. "And I'm lacking any willpower right now."
"Really? Shame I'm not there." Yep. I'd agree with that, I'd have even less willpower with Edward here.
"So…" he continued, "Pumpkin pie?"
"Apple. Grandma Swan taught me to bake the best apple pie ever," I spoke matter-of-factly. "Maybe I should enter it at the festival next year?" I mused.
"I could taste test it for you. Check if it's up to standard," he offered jovially.
"Edward Cullen. Are you doubting my pie making skills?"
"Nope. You're very good at everything I've experienced so far. If you're as good at pie making as other things I'm sure you'd win first place."
"Are you just sweet talking me for pie? Because I really need this one to sweeten up my dad."
"Can I suggest you don't eat it all then?" he joked before his tone turned serious. "Has he said anything to you?"
"No. I'm sure he's saving that for Thanksgiving dinner so he can get me round the table where I can't escape." I wiggled my toes in my snuggly socks and wished he was sitting next to me for this conversation. "It'll be okay though, I'm not going to give up the best kisser I know, even if my dad has a problem with your past."
I could almost hear the grin on Edward's face as he spoke. "Best kisser, huh?"
"Yeah, maybe I won't tell my dad that part though?" I mused before shaking my head. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't call to hear me eating pie."
"No, just for a chat, but I'm hungry now. Save me a piece?"
"Of course. It won't keep long though."
"Neither will I. I want to see you. And not just for pie."
I squealed a little inside as images of how Edward and I could enjoy this pie together made me drift off to a vision involving Edward and whipped cream.
I was brought back to reality with a loud knock at my door. Huh? I wasn't expecting anyone. At least this time if it was my dad I didn't have a half-naked Edward stashed away. Although I kinda wished I did.
"I can't wait to see you either," I told him, heading down my hallway and pulling the door open.
"Well, you're in luck."
Edward was standing on my doorstep with his phone to his ear and a big grin on his face.
I squealed and threw my arms around him, surprising myself with how pleased I was to see him.
"I couldn't wait any longer for pie...or to see you," he whispered as I withdrew from him and ushered him inside.
He shed his coat and shoes quickly (that boded well for the future) and only a few minutes after arriving he was tucking into a slice of the still warm pie while I checked the ingredients in my pantry, wondering if I had enough of everything left to make another pie. A pie, half-eaten by Edward of all people, may not have the desired effect on my dad and Edward was munching his pie so fast I was sure there would soon be more than two more slices missing from the one pie I'd already made.
We spent a few minutes chatting about our recent work assignments and our respective Thanksgiving plans while I set about measuring more flour and peeling more apples.
As our polite chat continued I interrupted, I couldn't wait any longer to broach what had been on my mind since he arrived. "So, not that I'm not thrilled to see you but..."
"What am I doing here?" he finished for me, sparing me from asking the question.
I nodded, groaning a little too loudly when he licked his thumb. Gah! He was quickly learning how to distract me.
"I came for pie." He grinned around his next mouthful, showing off his shiny straight teeth before sinking them back into the pastry with a moan.
I set down the peeler and apple I was holding and turned to him. "You didn't know I was making it." I managed to reply to him without taking my eyes off his mouth...his lips.
When I looked up at him, he merely shrugged, unable to speak with a mouthful of apple and sugar. His playful mood and sparking eyes dimmed slightly as I realized he was about to change the atmosphere surrounding us.
"I figured you had questions that needed answering, preferably before you saw your dad tomorrow."
I nodded before he continued.
"I was serious the other day. I want you to know the truth about my past from me, not from town rumors."
I dried my hands on a tea towel, the replacement pie forgotten for now as I joined him at the table.
"And the truth is..." I prompted.
Edward sighed and ran his hand through his hair, tugging it slightly at the ends.
"Hey," I squeezed his arm gently in what I hoped was a reassuring manner. "You don't have to justify or explain yourself to me. But I think you're right, having the full story would be really helpful for us moving forward. I just want to know any details you want to give in case my dad brings your past up again. I can't allay his fears or contest what he's saying if I don't know your side of events." I released his arm and wiped frantically at the flour I'd left on his sleeve.
"Just remember I was a seventeen-year-old. I'd do things differently now."
I smiled in an attempt to encourage him to talk and with a deep breath, he started.
"Emmett and I were very into cars as teenagers. We knew all the makes and models, bought all the magazines, knew all the stats. Emmett even had a Saturday job at the mechanics in town. We'd meet every Friday and Saturday night to check out any decent cars in town and generally fool around. Anyway...Emmett got carried away one night and stole a high-end car."
Edward stopped, ran his hands through his hair again, and turned to me for a reaction.
"What happened next?" I asked, straight faced.
"He crashed it."
"Was anyone hurt?"
"No, thankfully. He crashed it into an abandoned building and managed to get out before the car caught fire." The relief at that was still evident in Edward's voice after all this time.
"Wow! I'm glad no one was hurt."
Edward nodded before continuing. "I don't know what came over him. I wasn't even with him, maybe that was the problem, if I had been there I could have stopped him. I think that's why I did what I did, I felt guilty for not being there myself."
He shook his head before continuing. "Anyway, a witness saw a tall guy wearing dark pants and a black hoodie flee from the crashed car. I was caught on security camera at a 7/11 around the corner from where the car went missing. I was wearing clothes matching the description. Em and I both played on the same soccer team and had the same club hoodies. We'd had training that night so we both still had the kit on. The police scanned CCTV for and clues and saw someone, me, matching the witness's description, a few hundred yards from where the car went missing."
"But that's all circumstantial. How did the police get the charges to stick?"
"They assumed it was me and I didn't correct them. I went along with their suspicions and played a bit dumb to deflect their attention away from Emmett. They didn't look for anyone else because they were convinced it was me."
Edward buried his face in his hands, tugged a little at his hair and a few seconds later he lifted his head and continued. "I was sure it would all be written off as a juvenile prank gone wrong and I'd get a slap on the wrist, but of course, it wasn't that straightforward. We later found out that the car belonged to a local lawyer who didn't take kindly to the destruction of his pride and joy. He was out for blood. I was in too deep then, and I couldn't retract my statements without appearing even guiltier and dropping Emmett into it. One small lie started getting really complicated."
Edward sighed, bit his lip slightly, and then continued.
"The trouble was that Em was already eighteen. Given the case was personal to the lawyer; Em would have been facing prison, real prison. I was still seventeen so for me it would be less harsh, juvenile prison or community service."
"That's still pretty serious," I stated.
"I know." Edward paused, took a deep breath and continued.
"By that point, I needed a lawyer and because this was all kicking off around the time of college applications, I had to declare the pending charges. Most scholarships have clauses regarding behavior and I had to be available to travel to Canada for matches, which I couldn't have done. It didn't matter anyway because my soccer club didn't like that the crime had been committed in club clothes. The security camera images with the club's logo on them were splashed all over the news so they wouldn't give me a reference or a recommendation. I couldn't go to college without a scholarship because my family couldn't afford the tuition, not with paying lawyer's fees."
"What a mess," I whispered.
"Yeah! I consoled myself with the fact that when everything was resolved, I'd start college a year later, you know like I'd have a gap year... but that didn't happen and, well, I never made it back." He shrugged and ran his long fingers over the pattern on my tablecloth as we sat in silence.
"So how were you cleared?"
"My lawyer was good. He found more security camera footage, this time of me at an ATM on the way home at the same time that the car's time-stamp recorded the airbags being deployed."
"Cars record that information?"
"High end ones do."
"Wow!" Who knew?
"Yeah. The charges were dropped, and I was cleared immediately." The relief in his voice was evident as he finally looked me in the eyes.
"Edward, that whole situation must have been awful," I sympathized.
He shrugged. "I try not to think about it anymore. I've grown up since then, it was like it happened to a different version of me."
I agreed. The Edward I knew was honest and trustworthy. I was sure of that.
"Were your parents mad when they found out you'd been lying to the police?"
"Yeah, but by the time they found out it was all over and Emmett and I were in the clear. I don't regret protecting my niece and sister. Rose would have fallen apart if Emmett had gone to jail right when she needed him the most. I couldn't have done that to her but, I do admit I could have handled it better."
"It's in the past Edward; I'm not judging you on it."
"Is your dad?" Edward suddenly looked very venerable.
"To be honest, I don't know. We haven't spoken since the other night."
"Well, I know your dad didn't take kindly to being proven wrong. He thought I'd made a fool of him and he took it personally that I'd stretched the truth when taking to him."
Yep. That sounded like Charlie.
"Anyway..." Edward straightened his shoulders and I could tell he was done reliving his past. He cracked his knuckles before turning to me with a smile. "I don't hold any grudges; he's a good cop, Bella. Someone I'd want on my side if I ever needed it."
"Well, let's hope you don't!" I smiled; pleased Edward was so honest about the whole incident.
"Yeah, I've had enough dealings with the police to last a lifetime."
"But, obviously if you and me...if we..." I gestured between us and he nodded.
"I know. I knew going into this if I wanted to date you and we became serious I'd have to face your dad again. I didn't know I'd have to do it half-naked though!" he joked, referring to the last time he was here in my kitchen, shirtless. Hmmm, Edward topless...why wasn't he topless again? No Bella, don't get sidetracked, back to our serious conversation.
"I'll talk to my dad tomorrow. I won't let him change my opinion of you though. Edward, you're a good guy, and I'm sure Emmett agrees. He owes you big time!" I joked, resting my hand on his arm again, not caring this time about the flour I left there. If his shirt got dirty, he could always take it off again!
"Don't worry," he rested his hand on my arm and squeezed. "That has its benefits. I mean, when I have kids I'm set for life with a babysitter!"
The grin on my face faltered. Babies? Babies!
"Too soon for baby jokes?" He asked with a furrowed brow and his grin wide.
"A little," I nodded.
He merely winked at me, squeezed my arm and excused himself to use the bathroom.
I watched him walk away; marveling at how he'd turned his life around. Locals in the town had really supported Edward and how he'd looked out for Emmett and Rosalie. Most people in the town knew him as an excellent soccer coach and general good guy. I was so please that he'd managed to move on from the whole incident.
Once he was out of sight, I resumed my baking, intent on making another pie so Edward and I could eat more of the one I had already baked. Once he returned he snaked his arm around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.
"More pie?"
"Yeah, I think you deserve another slice of that cooked one."
The groan he let out told me he was pleased with this plan. I felt his lips nuzzle closer to my neck as he agreed.
"Mmmm, yes please." I batted away his hand as he picked up two cut apple pieces and munched them down. Had he not eaten all week? "Especially if there's more whipping cream left."
Visions of Edward's chest covered in pie and cream came crashing into my head but I managed to resist coating him in food and licking it off. Instead we talked about much less serious topics, laughed at his bad jokes and ate more pie. A lot more pie.
A/N: Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.
Thanks to my Beta EdwardsFirstKiss and my PreReaders Sarcastic Bimbo and RebAdams who are always at the end of an email to help. Also, thanks to M-Sparkle who has made some awesome banners for this fic x
