I have had a busy week. I hosted my moms babyshower this weekend, so I have been super busy. I will try for two post this week.
Have a great day! :)
Review if you can!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Meyers.
Edward Pov
Bella has been giving me mixed signals for the past two weeks, and I don't know what to do about it. She'll be her normal just slightly crazy, goofy self one moment, then completely closed off and distant the next moment. It's driving me insane.
She'll say or do something amazingly adorable, and I'll smile at her lovingly, which usually causes her to retreat.
I don't know what to do here. She wants to just be friends, and I'm trying that route, but it's so difficult holding in this amount of love. Some days I want to kiss her, and show her how much I really do love her, but I know what her reaction will be.
Today is my dad's birthday, and we are all getting together to celebrate. Although I don't think that confronting my dad on his birthday is the best thing to do, I haven't gotten around to speaking to him about what Bella told me. I can't believe that all of this time, everyone knew what I didn't know, and I was purposely kept in the dark.
I've barely gotten a chance to process what I'd heard from Bella because I've been so busy, but tonight I want answers.
Bella and I walk into the house full of family and friends, everyone smiles in our direction. Alice is the first to greet us, going straight for Bella.
Alice pulls Bella into a hug. "I've missed you roomie", Alice says as if she'll cry.
"I've missed you Alice. Especially waking to your fabulous fruit breakfast", We all laugh at that. Alice loves her fruit. I look down as Bella glances up at me. "You know Al, I've stayed with this guy exactly fourteen nights, and he has yet to cook me dinner", Bella puts her hands on her hips, Alice snorts.
"And you call yourself a chef", Alice says to me, rolling her eyes.
I shrug. "You've never asked, plus we get off of work so late, I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I'm so used to eating at the restaurant", I put my hands in my pockets.
Bella pokes me in my chest. "You, sir are in dire need of a night off", I laugh softly mumbling yea right. "Seriously, seven days a week, some days you work twelve hours", I roll my eyes, she looks at Alice with her thumb pointed in my direction. "I think that the day that I made him take me to see Charlie was the earliest that he has ever been off", I nod.
"Guilty", I say leaning back slightly, Alice laughs. "Sundays aren't really a busy night for me anyways", Bella recrosses her arms. I raise an eyebrow looking down at Bella. "Bella you work almost as much as I do", I furrow my eyebrows.
"Yeah, but I get two solid days off. What do you get?", I stare at her pondering how to answer.
I open my mouth to respond, but I am stopped by Esme speaking. I look in her direction. She let's us know that dinner is ready.
We all move into the dining area.
I pull Bella's chair out for her, sitting beside her on my left, with Esme on my right. I look down the table and see Rose and Emmett for the first time since they returned from their honey moon, a few of my dads friends, and his coworkers. I tilt my head at the one's that I recognize, earning polite smiles in return.
Bella and I talk pretty much the whole night in hushed tones. I'd lean over and whisper stupid shit in her ear, I think at one point I had pointed out to her that the lady at the end of the table's wig was crooked and Bella laugh like a hyena, but it was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. I smiled at her, feeling a little overwhelmed. I try shaking off the feeling.
I look over and see Esme looking at me with a smile on her face. I mouth 'what', she smiles bigger, amd motions with her finger for me to come close. I dip my head. "You two are in love", I sit upright, looking down at my plate with a small smile on my face. I look back at her absolutely speechless.
I lean to her ear. "I am. I can't say the same for her", she swats my shoulder.
"Bella has always loved you", she says with a slightly offended look on her face. I smile fully this time not moving my eyes from my mom. She leans forward. "I'm so glad that she came back to us"
I kiss her cheek. "Me too", Sitting back in my seat, I move my food around with my fork.
Bella leans close to me. "What's wrong?", I shake my head.
"Nothing, I'm just a little tired", Shrugging my shoulders not looking at her.
"Well I'm ready to go when you are.", She squeezes my thigh and my eyes instantly snap to hers. Her hand moves slowly, lightly, closer to my manhood.
I lean in to whisper in her ear. "Bella?", I slightly groan out, breathing heavily through my nose. "Please don't do this to me again. Don't tease me like this", I rub my forehead, lips still near her ear.
She doesn't say anything, she just leans away from me, picks up her fork and begins to eat. I stare at the side of her face for the longest time, completely and utterly mindfucked beyond belief. I can't fucking take this shit.
I toss my napkin, stand quickly, and go straight for the front door.
Bella's cock teasing has driven me to smoke again.
"Edward?", I hear Carlisle say. "No, Esme he does this all of the time", I turn around and face him.
"Actually, Carlisle, I need to speak with you outside", Carlisle looks down and clears his throat excusing himself. I allow myself to look at Bella, but only for a second. She looks a bit uncomfortable, with her eyebrows pushed together.
Carlisle and I step outside.
"The hell is your problem, Ed-", Carlisle asks as soon as we reach the bottom step.
"I don't know dad, you tell me?", I begin to pace. He stands there perplexed.
"Why did Bella move?", I ask as I still. He rubs his head and turns on his heels, but quickly turns back to face me. "I know the truth now, but I need to hear you say it"
"Where's this coming from Edward?", He asked, one hand still rubbing his head, the other raised palm up in my direction. .
"Does it matter", He doesn't reply. "Why did she leave?", I pronounce my words firmly. He rubs his hand across his face.
"Son, this was a long time ago. Move on, she's here now-"
"Yes, she's here now. Except that she's not. Bella is different, yet the same. I don't know who she is, yet I know every fucking thing there is to know about her and she-",I sit down on the step putting my head in my hands. "She doesn't know what she wants, and for that reason I'm scared that I will never be in her life again. And I just want to know the pathetic excuse behind that reason", He sits next to me.
"Son, dwelling on the why's and what ifs in life wont change anything", I shake my head.
"But if she wasn't forced to leave, if Renee didn't accept Elena's offer maybe we would be together right now",He pats my shoulder. A moment of silence passes between us.
"Renee made the offer, Edward. She wanted to get away from Charlie.", I looked up. What did he say? Renee made the offer?
"Bella's mom went to Elena", He nods. "Why would Elena agree to that? What has Bella ever done?"
"Tanya begged her mom to take the offer to get rid of Bella", That I can believe. I scuff.
Just my fucking luck.
"Where do you and Charlie fit in all of this?", I look at him. He sighs.
"Charlie asked me to make sure to keep you two apart, and to help with a few other things involving Renee. Son, I have told you pretty much everything. It all goes back to Renee. No matter how badly we all wanted you two separate, we would never have dreamed to do it the way that Renee had done"
"But you let her go through with it." It wasn't a question. "Why would he allow her to take Bella", I was absolutely perplexed.
"He fought for joint custody and lost.", I looked back down. "Look Edward I did play a big part in keeping you and Bella apart but only because I honestly felt that your relationship with Bella wasn't healthy", I stare ahead trying to process his words.
"What are you saying?", I said through gritted teeth.
"Bella is special. We long noticed that Bella was different, but it never affected you, until one day I noticed how affected you really were." He looked down. That confuses me, and I voice my thoughts. "Bella is not in tune with her emotions. It's partly because of the way that she grew up.",He sighs. "You would have to carry the relationship like you've always done, and that's not a fair predicament, nor am I okay with you facing that"
"Who are you to decide that for me, dad.", His face fell. "It's my decision. I have to live with it, not you, or Esme, or Elena.", I stand. "Just me.", He opens his mouth to speak. "Carlisle, I am in love with her.", He nods his head. "Do you know what these years have been like for me? What kind of closure was I allowed? Do you think that that was fair?"
"I know that now son, but-", He held his hand up palms down.
"Are you sure this has nothing to do with money?", I ask him. His eyes snap to mines.
"What?", He face rages with anger at the implication.
"Carlisle is this all because you want me with someone whose family has money?", He stands.
"Don't insult me Edward-",He dismisses the idea with the wave of a hand.
"-Charlie told Bella that's why you wanted us apart", Carlisle's head snaps to my face as rage fills his eyes.
"He did WHAT?", Carlisle shouts. "Are you fucking kidding me, after all of the things that I have done for him", He turns around with his hand to his forehead. "That ungrateful bastard threw me under the bus. I'm the bad guy in this situation. They made me the bad guy. I don't want Bella in my fucking family because she doesn't have money? I love Bella like my own kid, and that son a bitch told her-", He rubbed his forehead again pacing around. "-I can't even say it."
"Charlie made that up?", It's all starting to make sense now. Carlisle didn't even have to answer. I know my family, and they are not those kind of people.
"We have never given anyone that impression-", Carlisle starts.
"I knew that it couldn't be true", I still can't believe that they would go to this extreme to keep us apart. I don't even understand how our relationship has ever been unhealthy. "One thing that I don't understand is how our relationship wasn't healthy?"
"You two were so co-dependent on each other. You two were always together, never making time for anyone else. You and Bella were-", He searched for the right word. "You two are like magnets, you move, she moves. She moves and you move, even in there a few minutes ago. To be completely wrapped up in someone to the point that some times others don't exist is-"
"-It's love.", I interrupt. "You all ripped our love apart for your own selfish reasons-", I shake my head and begin walking up the steps.
"Son, you don't understand. You don't see what others see-", I stop walking and turn to face him. "-I am so sorry that this happened to you, and I wish that I could take it back.", I nod, acknowledging his apology. "I only did what I did so you wont end up like Charlie, trying to be the emotional backbone of your relationship."
"Why do you think that you get a say so in this?", I ask complete perplexed, eyebrows furrowed. "I love Bella, and that's it. There's no other option for me dad",
"Edward, son, please listen", He begs. "Don't go digging into this-", He shakes his head. "-it can be messy"
"Its a simple fact Carlisle. I just needed to hear the truth", He nods in understanding.
"Just can't believe that Charlie and Renee stabbed me in the back like that", I can believe it. "I mean I am far from innocent, but definitely not the bad guy. They made me the cause?", He begins to pace. "I told them to do this civilly, I even asked for custody. I was adamantly against her moving away. I practically raised Bella", I look down with pursed lips. "They didn't want to be together anymore, and they ended up putting Bella in the middle. This wasn't supposed to be about Bella."
"I believe you", I say quietly. Silence passes between us. "I'm sorry I brought this up. Today is your day and I-" He holds his hand up towards me.
"You can always come to me. With anything, Edward, and I mean that", He wraps his arm around my shoulder, we start up the stairs.
"Dad, I'm going to head out. Rose starts back tomorrow, so I have an early department head meeting in the morning", He nods as we continue up the stairs. I stop walking when we reach the door and turn to him. "Happy birthday dad", He hugs me patting my back. We part and walk back into the house.
Bella catches my eye when I walk back in and she smiles. I follow my dad completely into the dining room. I lean down to Bella's ear, her sweet aroma filling my nostrils, causing me to instantly regretting our close proximity. My dick twitches and rises uncomfortably.
"Ready?", I say trying to adjust myself.
"Sure, yea, let me just say goodbye", I nod and stand back up, walking over to Esme. I lean down to kiss her cheek.
"I'll see you later mom", she smiles up at me.
"Of course", she smiles. I wave at everyone else as Bella and I make our way out of the front door. We start down the steps.
"Edward, you remember when I would stay the night and we all would make a tent out of our covers in the living room", she giggles, glancing over at me.
"Ah, the infamous fort", I point out. She nods smiling brightly at my memory.
"Remember you suggested the fort because I was always so scared of all of the windows", I nod.
"Because that one night Alice made us watch jeepers creepers?", She laughs, and stops walking and turns her body towards me, I mirror her motion when we reach the bottom step.
"I wasn't scared of the windows because of Jeepers Creepers", it's my turn to laugh. "I was scared of what I could see. Jeepers creepers just made me more aware of the amount of windows your parents houses has. I was convinced that someone was after me"She looks up at me, as I look down at her, hands in my pockets.
"Yeah, you scared me with that shit. I wanted to be protected by the fort too", She laughs a full out belly laugh, I join in. She blinks up at me. "Even without the fort, I knew that you would protect me", I nod. "I knew that you loved me", she whispers.
My eyes widen, not expecting her to say any of what she said. She turns and starts towards the car. It's now or never. I'm tired of her walking away from me.
Walking away from us.
I quickly grab her arm stopping any further motions with a tug pulling her to me into a kiss. Our lips move together with desperation. I feel her hand in my hair, as mines move farther to her waist pulling her closer.
She breaks the kiss, turning her face slightly, breathing heavily. We stare into each others eye. Herwords touch my heart in a way nothing ever has. It's the confirmation that I needed. Her words were what I needed to continue fighting for us.
I smile, releasing her, but reaching for her hand to continue to my car.
I walk to the passenger side opening her door. She releases my hand and slides in. I hurry to my side, swinging the door open, and sliding in next to her.
We have a silent trip back to my place, only occasional glances and smiles.
I turn the car off, and look over at her. I open my mouth to speak, but she starts. "I know that we still have a lot to talk about but-", she looks down. "-but can you just be with me tonight", I start to speak again. "I've missed out on a lot of time with you.", I nod, exiting the car with her.
When we get up to my apartment, she takes my hand, and leads me into the room that she's been sleeping in and closes the door. "Lay with me?", she asks. Since I can't deny her anything, I pull my shoes off, and lay on the bed, reaching out for her. She smiles, and crawls up the bed to me. I lay there holding her, feeling her warmth, snuggling her closer, nuzzling my nose to her neck.
"Bella?", she replies with 'hmm?' "I loved you then", Even in the dark I see her face twitch into a smile through her sleep. I kiss the side of her face, slowly drifting to sleep.