"Are you gonna eat, dude?" Emmett interrupted Edward's thoughts, waving a plate in front of his face. Edward shook his head a little and took the plate with a smile. He piled the food on his plate and Jasper handed him a beer. He turned to see Bella watching him, and he smiled at her as he scooped some macaroni and cheese up on his fork. As soon as the flavors hit his tongue, he bit back a moan. Bella's macaroni definitely beat his mom's, but he wasn't going to tell his mom that, he thought. He looked over at her, and saw that her face was pink.
"This is incredible," he said honestly. She gave him a pleased smile.
"Thank you," she said quietly. Emmett was a lot more vocal once he tasted it.
"Holy shit, Bella," Emmett bellowed, shoveling another forkful into his mouth. "This is amazing! What is this in it? Bacon? Fuck Edward, maybe you should go out with me."
"Just so she can cook for you? Sexist pig," Rose spat, pushing her food around on her plate.
"A man appreciates a woman who can cook," Emmett said unapologetically. Edward watched Bella bite her lip and exchange a look with Alice, who also remained silent.
"Yeah? Well a woman appreciates a man with lots of money and a big-"
"So Edward," Bella interrupted frantically, turning to him. "Do you work seven days a week?"
"Um," he said, sitting up straighter and clearing his throat. His eyes darted between Rose, who was nearly purple with rage, and Emmett, who was eating as though nothing had happened, before settling back on Bella. "No. Sometimes I'll work six days a week, depending on the season, but Sunday is strictly a day of rest. The only thing I do on Sunday is check on the animals' feed and water."
"And do you guys generally hang out together on Sundays, too?" Bella asked, taking a drink from her beer. Edward watched her lips close around the top and shifted in his chair.
"Sometimes, but we haven't made a habit of it. Usually Emmett has home improvement projects, and Jasper uses his day off to catch up on his movies."
"What do you do?"
"Edward reads," Jasper volunteered, helping himself to another biscuit. "Very intellectual, this one." Alice leveled a smug look at Bella, whose eyes locked onto Edward.
"You like to read?" Bella asked. Edward could feel his ears burning.
"Yeah. You?"
"Bella always has her nose stuck in a book," Rose offered, cutting into her steak. She looked away from her food long enough to roll her eyes at the look that Bella was giving Edward. "She won't go out with us on the weekends sometimes because she's so into whatever book she's currently reading."
"Shut up," Bella protested, without heat, and without taking her eyes away from Edward. "What do you like to read?"
"A little bit of everything. I like true crime, mysteries, thrillers, fantasy," he listed. "I stay away from horror, though. What about you? What do you like?"
"She likes bodice rippers!" Alice blurted, clapping her hands together with barely restrained glee. At Edward's confused look (and blatantly ignoring Bella's humiliated look), Alice clarified, "Romance novels."
"Explicit," Rosalie added, taking a long drink of wine afterwards.
"But she only buys the ones with cowboys on the cover," Alice amended.
"Kill me now," Bella whispered, dropping her face into her hands.
"Everyone's got guilty pleasures," Edward offered, shrugging. Bella peeked at him through her fingers.
"Yeah? What's yours, then?" Rosalie challenged, arching a perfectly waxed eyebrow at him.
"Lifetime movies," Edward said, the tips of his ears turning pink, and then red. Bella dropped her hands and smiled at him.
"Me, too." His answering smile felt like the sunrise to Bella. Rosalie snorted. Emmett stopped shoveling food into his mouth long enough to glance at her.
"All right, what's yours, then?" Emmett challenged. Rosalie's face turned several shades of red before she sputtered a reply.
"Oh, so nowyou acknowledge me, when you want to know a dirty little secret? I don't think so, asshole." She folded her arms across her chest and looked away.
"Well, if it's too embarrassing to share," Emmett said, shrugging and going back to his food. Rose's nostrils flared.
"Do you actually think I'll answer you just because you call me chicken?" She snapped. "How old are you, five?"
"It's not my fault that you're embarrassed. It must be pretty bad, though, if you won't tell us. Shit, Edward watches chick flicks voluntarily and without a chick present. What could be worse than that? No offense, man," he added, looking at Edward. Edward smiled a little.
"None taken."
"I'm not embarrassed," Rose insisted. "I just don't see the point of sharing anything with you."
"Whatever," Emmett said, reaching for his beer.
"Yours is probably gay porn," Rose sniffed. Emmett choked on his mouthful of beer, and Rose wore a satisfied smirk.
"Well at least we know yours isn't porn. You're too much of a frigid bitch for that." And Rose's satisfied smirk was suddenly gone, morphing into barely contained rage.
"I need to go to the bathroom," Alice declared, jumping up suddenly. She grabbed Rose's hand and tugged on it. "I can't go alone. Come on, Rose." Rose followed Alice into the house, but shot withering looks over her shoulder at Emmett.
"Jesus, Em," Jasper said, exhaling slowly. "Do you have a death wish or something? She looked like she was about to take your head off just now."
"I can't help it, man. She brings out the worst in me. She's such a bitch. Sorry," he added, shooting Bella an apologetic look. She shook her head and looked down at the table, toying with the label on her beer bottle.
"I don't understand why you guys keep fighting," she admitted. "Why did you sleep with her if you hate her so much?"
Emmett frowned, but didn't answer.
"So," Bella began, clearing her throat. "You and Alice, huh?" Jasper's grin could only be described as what Bella had once heard referred to as 'shit-eating.'
"Yes, ma'am."
"That was fast."
"What can I say? When you know, you know. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on her that she was the one."
"The one?" Emmett scoffed. "You knew from one look?"
"Didn't you?" Jasper wondered aloud. Emmett's frown deepened.
"Fuck this," he breathed, standing up and walking away from the table. Bella watched him go, and then turned to Edward.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll be fine."
"He's fighting it pretty hard," Jasper observed, watching as Emmett went about putting together a makeshift fire pit.
"Fighting what, exactly?" Bella wondered.
"He is so attracted to your friend; I think it's scared him shitless."
"They already had sex," Bella said, confusion etched across her features. "And they've done nothing but fight like cats and dogs today."
"Anger is a passionate emotion," Jasper said, shrugging. It was at that point that the two women returned to the table. Alice lowered herself into Jasper's lap and pressed her lips to his quickly before turning back to the table. Rose seemed a little calmer – at least her face was back to its normal shade. Bella didn't miss the way Rose's eyes darted around until they found Emmett, though.
"What did we miss?" Alice asked.
"Edward and Bella and I were just discussing how you know when you've met the one." Jasper smiled softly at her, and Alice snuggled a little closer to him. Rose frowned.
"When you know, you just know." Alice shrugged, and Edward and Bella exchanged amused looks. "What is Emmett doing, anyway?"
"He's getting the fire pit ready," Edward said, throwing a glance over his shoulder. "When the sun sets completely and it's dark, we can go sit around the fire and roast marshmallows for dessert."
"Dessert," Bella said, perking up. "I made a dessert."
"What did you make?" Alice asked, looking pointedly at the abundance of food still on the table. "I'm not sure I could eat anything right now."
"I made a caramel apple pie," Bella offered, looking around at the men.
"Forget marshmallows," Edward said quickly, pushing his half-full plate away. "I think I want a slice of that pie right now, before I finish my dinner."
"I'll go get it," Rose suddenly offered, rising from the table and disappearing into the house. Alice frowned after her, but didn't say anything.
"So," Alice began, glancing between Edward and Bella. "How are the two of you getting along?"
"Just fine," Edward said, looking a little bewildered. He looked sideways at Bella, who looked just a little bit embarrassed.
"We're getting along very well, Alice, not that it's any of your business."
"So what are we doing tomorrow?"
Edward blinked at Alice's sudden change of subject.
"We as in, you and I?" Bella asked, gesturing between them. Alice rolled her eyes.
"No, we as in you and Edward."
"Well, that would be between he and I, wouldn't it?" Bella asked defensively. Alice's eyes widened, and she took in the small smile that curved Edward's lips upward.
"You're staying the night!" Alice accused shrilly. Bella's jaw dropped open, and Jasper wrapped his arms around Alice to keep her from falling right off of his lap.
"How in the hell-" Bella sputtered, her cheeks pinking.
"How did you do that?" Edward asked at the same time. It was Jasper's turn to look surprised.
"You mean it's true?" he asked incredulously. Bella chewed on her bottom lip, and Edward's leg bounced up and down nervously.
"It's something that I think we'd like to keep between ourselves," was all that Edward would say. Jasper stared at his friend for a long time in silence before a slow smile curved his lips upward.
"When you know, you know." Edward turned his eyes down to look at the table, but not before glancing at Bella and smiling almost shyly.
"We are not finished discussing this," Alice promised, pointing at Bella. "But I have to ask… where are Emmett and Rose?"