Happy Hump Day everyone! I have to say, you all have blown me away! Thank you so much for not forgetting about me while I was away for two weeks during the holidays. The Love of a Friend has eight-hundred and one reviews! Holy Canoli! You all blow me away with your love. I may not have the time to respond to every one of you, but please know this; your words are so special to me. I read each and every one of the reviews that are left. They all touch me in a special way. No matter if is just a quick "Great Chapter" or a lengthy review telling me what you enjoyed best. I love them all!
I don't usually do this, but this review was so special to me, it really made my night and made me cry. I received an email alert of the review as I was trying to go to bed last night. It was from another cullen fan. Honey, you made my night. It is because of readers like her and all of you that keep me going forward with this story. Thank you all so much for being my strength.
In the words of Renne "Enough with the heavy." Let me give a quick shout out to my beta, queen cullen0527 for the amazing work you do. Thank you so much for all of you help. You truly are a life saver. I bow down to you!
All of Twilight belongs to the awesome Stephanie Meyer.
BPOV
I woke up the next morning, stretching and yawning. Geez, my muscles were achy this morning. As I arch my back, I feel an arm pull me back towards a body. "You need to stop doing that!"
I giggle as Edward is pushing his morning erection into my back. He begins to kiss my neck running his hand up my stomach and landing on my breast. As soon as his fingers begin playing with my nipple there is a knock at the door. He quickly pulls his hand away pushing me away from him. "Breakfast in twenty minutes you two." We hear mom say through the door.
We both look at each other and laugh. "Why do I feel like we were doing something bad?" He asks.
"Because your mom just interrupted us while we are lying naked in bed. I used to sleep in as a kid!" I laugh. "It isn't like when we were younger and we were trying to stay up late to watch a movie and got busted!" I push away from him and climb out of bed.
I cross to my closet and grab my robe. As I am putting it on Edward comes up from behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist, pushing my hair aside as he begins kissing my neck.
"I need to head to dads office. We need to talk some things over."
"About Charlie?" I ask. Just hearing his name makes me shiver.
"Yes. Baby, trust me. I am not going to let anything happen to you."
"I know that. It's...just..."
"I know." He says, turning me around to hug me.
"I need to take a shower." I say to him pulling back and walking to the closet. "I'll see you downstairs." I say giving him a kiss.
After my shower I head down stairs. Mom is busy in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Something smells amazing mom!" I say to her as I walk into the kitchen. "What can I help you with?"
She smiles at me and points to the kitchen counter. "Can you cut up the grapefruit please?" I nod yes to her, and walk over to the counter to start working. We stand in silence for a little while when I hear sniffling. I turn to mom and see she is crying as she watches me. "Mom?" I ask, walking over to her.
She grabbed me and pulled me to her. "I am just so...Bella, your back. I am so happy you're back." She tightens her hold on me. "I died a little everyday when you were gone Bella." She whispered to me. That set me off right there, now we were both crying like crazy.
"Mom, understand that...I know it was so selfish of me to leave like I did, especially without coming to you and dad first. I knew that you would just try and talk me out of it. Knowing dad, he would have locked me up in the house somehow." I say through my tears. "I...I don't know how much you know, but I got the results from the first paternity test that was done. Erik's sister Angela called in a favor for me and got the results." I pull back from her a bit, "For whatever reason I didn't think that she would fake the test results."
"Don't get me started on that bitch!" Mom says, and I laughed, wiping away my tears.
"Trust me I knew that as far as Edward's reputation was concerned, he wasn't an angel. I never once held that against him because to me, once we were together, that was it. I knew in here" I say putting my hand over my heart. "That Edward would never cheat on me. The past will always be the past. He gave his heart to me not those other girls. I knew that he would always be faithful to me. What I didn't plan on happening was that someone from his past would come back, and come back with his baby or claims it was his baby." I say stopping trying not to cry again. "You raised him right mom. He wasn't going to let that baby grow up without his name. As far as the Families are concerned, he had to be married to the baby's mother in order for his heir to take over for him. I couldn't..." Fuck, I couldn't hold in the tears anymore.
"Baby!" Mom says, wiping my tears away.
"My heart couldn't have survived staying here and watching him have a family without me. When all I could dream and see was me having his babies."
"I can understand. I don't like it, but I can understand why you left." She said. "It doesn't matter now anyway so let's stop wasting tears over it! You're home and you are never leaving me again." She says, giving me the mom look pointing her finger at me. I throw my head back and laugh.
"God, how I missed that sound" I hear Edward say. I spin around and see him and dad walking into the kitchen. When he reaches me he picks me up and kisses me. He leans down bringing his mouth to my ear. "We are going to talk to mom and dad at breakfast. Tell them about our engagement. I don't think I can keep it from them."
I smile. "I can't either. I almost just told mom." I whisper back.
"Stop hogging her." Dad says as he comes to me giving me a hug and kissing my cheek.
"Morning dad." I say kissing his cheek back.
"You know, I love it when you call me dad." He says, holding my cheek, and kissing my forehead. He steps back taking my hand in his as he leans against the counter that I was cutting the grapefruit on. He puts a new phone in my hand. "Do not go anywhere without it close by, it is chipped. In case anything happens to you we can track it through GPS. It is all programmed in for you. Edward is one, I am two, Emmett is three, and Jasper is four. Felix is five, Jake is six, Sam is seven, and Seth is eight. Everyone else you can just find them under their name. Can you remember those numbers?"
"Yes." I answer taking it all in. I am overwhelmed but I know it is needed. I let out a shaky breath.
"Jake is going to be driving you while Felix is riding with you. You will never be anywhere without Felix by your side. There will also be another car driving behind you with Sam and Seth on you at all times. When in public you won't see them but, just know that they are there."
I let out another shaky breath.
"Hey. You are safe. This is just me and Edward being overly protective."
"No, it's not that. I just...why now? Why has he waited all these years to try and get to me? I just don't get it. Do you think it is about money?"
"Baby girl, I don't know. I wish I did." Dad says, hugging me again.
"OK. Enough of this talk. Breakfast is ready." Mom said, while putting down the last plate of food at the island in the kitchen. This is where we always ate breakfast together growing up. It is much smaller and intimate than the huge dining room table where we have family dinners.
Once seated we say grace, then dig in. We don't exchange much while we eat. About half way through Edward knocks his knee into mine. I look at him and he gives me the sign that we are going to tell them now. He clears his throat. "Um, dad. I was wondering if I could ask you something." He lets out a breath. "I was wondering...um...well...see I would..." I can't help but giggle as he stumbles for his words. He looks at me and smirks. "You think this is easy, you try it." He says to me, leaning back in his chair thinking he has me stumped as to what to do. HA! I simply hold out my left hand for mom and dad to see the ring. Mom shrieks and runs around the island to me and envelops me into a hug, dad just looks up at us. I look over at Edward and smirk at him. "Whatever!" He says laughing.
Dad walks over to Edward and gives him a hug. "I was wondering when you were going to do it."
"It just felt right last night after you and mom left us in Bella's room. I...I...shit I wanted to ask your permission. Because...well, I know that I am your son, but you are Bella's father too. I just..." He is so adorable when he stammers. "I promise that I will protect her and love her forever with all that I am." He stammers out to dad. "It's just...is it weird that I am asking your permission even though I already asked her?"
Dad just laughed. "Calm down son. The worst is over, she said yes!" He laughed a big belly laugh. "As for asking my permission, thank you. Bella is my daughter and I can't think of anyone loving her more than you. You both have my blessing." He says, giving Edward one more hug. "Questo è un grande passo per voi. Più a diventare il Don One." [This is a big step for you. One more to becoming the Don.] Then walking over to me and hugging me. "Congratulazioni per la mia bambina. Presto sarà la principessa Cullenza." [Congratulations my baby girl. You will soon be the Cullenza princess.]
Mom makes her way to Edward. "My babies are getting married!" She says, cupping his face and kissing his cheek.
"We want a quick wedding. We just don't want to wait anymore." Edward said, pulling back from his mom and pulling me back into his arms.
I laugh out loud as dad cocks his eye brows at us. "Seriously! Dad, I have been gone for five months!"
"Carlisle!" Mom slaps his arm.
"What! Sorry!"
"When were you thinking baby?" Mom asks, pulling me from Edwards's arms. I hear Edward chuckle.
"Well, I always wanted to get married on Christmas Eve. But, I want it to be really small mom. I don't...I don't want big. I know that we will have to have a big party for the Families, but I want the actual wedding to be just us, just family, here on Christmas Eve. Do you think you think we can do it?"
"We have to ask Alice; we can do it tomorrow if you want!" Mom laughs.
I laugh because she is right. "OK. We can start planning, soon, but first I want to go over to NYU and see if I can get my spot back for next semester. I was ahead in the program from taking spring and summer classes, so I shouldn't be behind." I say.
"I actually already spoke with them after you first went missing. I told them that you had some family issues out of state and wouldn't be attending until the after the New Year." Dad says,
I feel the smile take over my face. "Really?"
"Yes. I knew that we would find you, and that once everything was out, and talked over, you would want to continue with school. I know how important it is to you."
I can't help myself; I run over to him and throw my arms around him. He just holds me and kisses me on the top of my head. "I still should go and speak with Madam Irina. Oh God, I need to call Erik too!" I turn to look at Edward. "Does he know that I am home?"
"Yes. I called him while you were sleeping that night in the hotel room." He said smiling. "He said once you are settled to just call him to meet up."
"First thing first. Let's get Alice and Rose over here to make a schedule to get the wedding planning going." Mom says. I smile and nod yes.
"Dad and I have some work to get done, and then we can go home."
I smile. "The penthouse?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, but, you're not going back to your apartment. We can go and get some of the things that you want from there. But, until all of this with Charlie is cleared up I want you staying with me."
I just smile and give him a kiss. "Whatever you think is best. Do I still have a few things at your place or do we need to go there tonight?"
"Of course your things are still there. Plus we have clothes that Emmett and Jasper packed from your place in New Orleans."
"Good." I say, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "I want to get home quick. I have plans for us and your bed all night long!"
He groans. "Just the bed?" He whispers.
"We can be creative."
He pulled me in for a quick kiss. "Come on dad, let's get this done quick."
I laugh as he and dad walk away. Mom and I make our way back to the kitchen to clean up and get Alice and Rose over. Let the wedding planning begin.
Up next, a nice lemon for all of you. Then, a few surprises in store for next week. I need to get to writing. Lots of love to you all, and please, give me some love!