I was nervous. Isabella Marie Swan was never nervous. Anxious, yes. Apprehensive, definitely. Irritable, yep. Nervous? No. When I had made my decision I stuck to it and followed through with meticulous planning and detail. Nervousness did not fit in with the planning. But that was different, then I had control, tonight I wouldn't. Should we tell everybody about our thing? Was it even a thing? It was most definitely a thing. Probably. But not a relationship. Was it? Did I want it to be one? Yes. No. No. Yes? Shit.
Okay. Calm the fuck down. It's the Cullens. Second family. Goofy Emmett, Bubbly Alice, calm Esme, quiet Carlisle and... Him. Charming, gorgeous, witty, kind, aggressive, humorous, godlike Edward. I sighed and rubbed my palm across my forehead and chin in thought. Don't overthink this one. Let it work itself out. It always do.
With that mantra firmly ingrained in my mind I closed up the shop after the last pickup order had left and went home. I needed to run. I needed loud music. I needed to flee my own mind. I needed the steady beat of drums in my ears and the firm pounding of feet hitting mossy trails.
Said and done I went home. My home was in the form of a normal sized house- for a family of four. But hey, I needed the space. It was at the edge of town with the forest as my backyard. It had a hiking trail that was big enough for one person and it was were I did my usual rounds. So after changing to a tight fitting top and shorts I plugged in my earphones, put on a playlist that was full of songs with a heavy beat and started running.
After a hour and a half of rough terrain, steep climbings and uneven ground I could se my house again, which was well needed- the lactic acid in my legs were killing me. I stopped by a bench just at the edge of the forest to stretch said legs. I groaned at the release of tension when I started walking to my front door when I stopped abruptly.
"Hi." On my front porch sat no one less than Edward Cullen, smiling a dazzling smile at me.
"What are you doing here?" I spluttered. "Not that you aren't welcome, I just wasn't expecting to see you until tonight."
"I tried calling you about 5 times and when you didn't answer I got worried."
"Oh. Sorry about that, whenever I run thru the forest my cell reception basically disappears."
"I can tell."
"And how exactly did you know my address?" I said smirking, I wasn't really surprised but you know, I was curious.
"Ehm, I might, perhaps, kind of have ordered Jasper to... Erhm... findoutandsecurethearea." The ramble was cute- until I realized what he said.
"You what?" I went to him, grabbed his wrist and rejoiced a bit at the faint glimmer of fear in his eyes. I took out my key, opened my door and dragged him through.
"Why exactly did you feel the need to 'secure the area'?" I said while releasing his arm and making quotation marks in the air, heavily emphasizing the sarcasm.
"Ehm, well I..." He was obviously trying to think up a answer that would not upset me, to bad I wasn't mad, I was just trying to figure out exactly how far he had gone. The dragging-part was in the name of inconspicuousness. Okay, I might have been slightly irritated as well.
"What does secure the area mean? Did you only scout the area for security cameras? Take over every phone line in a mile long radius? Hack everyone of my neighbors computers? Buy all the houses surrounding mine? Exactly how far did you go Edward Cullen?" I raised my eyebrow quizzically at him.
"We didn't do the last one, and almost not the second one as well." He looked defensive. He actually thought that he needed to protect me from my own neighborhood! I sighed and decided that I needed to show him, just not right now- since I was sweaty and dirty and didn't have the time. So reassurance was key.
"You do realize that there is no need? I know what's happening around here. Aaand it's kind of creepy that you did that after seeing me 3 times." I laughed slightly to show that I wasn't going to blow up.
"I know that now, I didn't know that back then..." He trailed of slowly when he realized his admission and his eyes widened.
"When did you order this 'securing'?" From the sound of things it was before the mission.
"Only after yesterday." I could see that he was lying, a part of me dancing at the thought of my reading him so well, so soon.
"Tell me." I wanted truth.
"No." Stubborn bastard.
"Tell me." Firmer this time.
"No." Clenching his jaw in determination. I changed my approach. I sauntered towards him, putting my hand on his firm chest and pushing him against the closed door. Then I started caressing his chest, looking up under my lashes at him.
"Tell me." I purred.
"No." I could see his resolve weakening. I dragged my hand up to caress his jaw and neck.
"Please?" He leaned into my hand.
"Fine, I gave the order on Friday." He reluctantly said. "But I didn't get the info after you left yesterday..." Rather then feeling the triumph I had suspected to feel, my heart swelled. He cared after only seeing me twice. This man wanted to protect me without knowing me. I... I...
I kissed him.
Hard, quick and furiously passionate.
Edward responded and kissed me back for a few sweet seconds, before I pulled away. His hands were at my waist holding me to him and kissed along my jaw. I tried to pull away again.
"No." He protested and held me even closer. He moved from my jaw and down my neck, placing featherlight kisses that made my resolve melt.
"Have to go..." My sentence trailed off when he put his hands under my shirt, caressing the skin of my sides and lower back. His hands were cool against my heated skin.
"Why?" He seemed casual, but you could hear the desire in his lowered voice.
"Shower... Sweaty... Dinner... Late." Edward nipped at my pulse point, making me gasp.
"Mm, I think I like you sweaty." By now Edward had started placing open mouthed kisses on my shoulder, making my legs turn into jelly.
"Yes but I'm quite sure your parents won't." At those words Edward actually did pull way, wearing a frown.
"I do not need the image of my disapproving parents in my mind when I'm trying to seduce you."
"And I don't need to be seduced when I'm in a hurry." I retorted. "By the way, what time were I supposed to be there? Esme really didn't say."
"I think about 6, but that's us siblings, so that she can boss us around and make us do stuff." He huffed in feign annoyance.
"So 6 it is then, should I bring something?"
"Bella, no. Mom's got it covered."
"Do you wear suits all of the time? Exactly how dressy should I be? Because I'm feeling hoody's today."
"Then wear a hoody, we are not in our suits of free will at dinner, we're just to lazy to change." A slight quirk graced his lips.
"Aah, that makes sense." I could totally see that being Emmett's reasoning.
"Sooo, should we go there together?" One of Edward's hands had drifted and fidgeted with the knot of his tie.
"I think I'll meet you there, I have some things I have to pick up. If that's alright with you?" I saw his face drop in disappointment for a few short seconds, before he put up a mask of indifference- I hated it.
"Yep. Okey. Sure." mouth was pressed into a straight line and his words were clipped. Fuck. I hugged him around his waist and rested my head on his chest. His hands were hanging limply by his sides.
"It's not that I don't want to go with you Edward, I just think I shouldn't."
"Why not?" I wanted to look into his eyes to see what he was feeling, but he wouldn't look at me.
"Because 1. Esme would pitch a fit and Alice would probably follow and Emmett would never shut up and 2. This is new Edward, and I don't know how to describe it, do you? And I might just want to keep you to myself for a bit..." I trailed off at the end of my admission, waiting for his reaction and when I felt his deep sigh and his arms coming up to hold me, I released a breath.
"Alright, that makes sense." His statement was followed by a kiss on the top of my head and a tight hug. Seeing that I was forgiven for my faux pas I backed away again, I really had to hurry now.
"And then you know, I thought you would want some time to prepare for my father." I wiggled my eyebrows showing that I was teasing when I saw his saucer-like eyes, before I ran away towards my shower. Halfway there I turned back and ran to him. He was standing with the same scared expression on his face, when I said:
"Go home Edward, I'll call you on my way over and don't worry about my father, he's a calm one." He murmured "Yeah, a calm assassin, how confidence inducing."
"Sarcasm- I'm so proud of you, now go home Edward." I kissed him and then pushed him out of the door and then kissed him again before waving him off and closing my door.
Right. Shower.