Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.
This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bella felt a bit like she was cheating on her old, dependable Beast, but as she held the keys to her brand new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Crew Cab in candy apple red, she found she couldn't bring herself to care.
Shelley had been fantastic about letting Bella leave early on Saturday so she could pick out a new vehicle with Edward. Bella had felt guilty asking for a few hours off so soon into her job, but Shelley had argued that Bella had done so much prep that morning that she could just sit back and wait for the customers to come to her.
Bella had spent about thirty minutes walking around the lot, checking out each truck that caught her eye. When she saw the Colorado, though, she was reminded a little bit of the Beast back in Jacob's care and fell in love. Edward had watched her climb behind the wheel, his expression a mixture of playfulness and lust as she buckled herself in and looked at him through the open window.
"What do you think, Cullen?"
"I think we're in the Bible belt, Miss Swan, and my thoughts could be classified as most sinful in these parts," he drawled, deepening his sexy accent for effect. It worked, and Bella shivered as pleasant tingles shot down her spine.
"Why Edward Cullen, I'm shocked! I'm a lady!" Bella teased, holding her nose up in mock disgust.
Edward just chuckled. "You want to set up a test drive?"
Bella immediately agreed and jumped out of the truck, bouncing on her toes in excitement. They found a salesman pretty easily and twenty minutes later, she was driving the truck down the highway with Edward in the passenger seat.
"How does it feel?" Edward asked, watching her drive with pride in his eyes.
"Amazing," Bella smiled brightly, loving the feel of the interior and how smoothly the vehicle drove. It was a bit smaller than Edward's truck, and as comfortable as she was driving his, this was more to her liking. "I love it. I want to sign the papers right now!"
Edward chuckled at her excitement and sat back, enjoying the ride. They drove around town for about an hour before heading back to the dealership, where Bella wasted no time in filling out paperwork. The salesman began talking about financing, and Bella held out her hand.
"I'm paying for it in full," she said and the salesman's eyes lit up as she contacted her bank and her insurance company to add the truck to her policy. Edward just sat back in his chair, watching her in amusement.
Finally, an hour later, Bella stood beside her new truck proudly, clutching the keys in her hand. "Where to now, Cullen?"
Edward leaned against the bed of the truck, a smirk on his lips. "Well I have something for you, a bit of a celebration gift, if you will." At her confused expression, he pulled out his wallet, removing a card and handing it to her. She took it, laughing in joy when she realized what it was.
"You got me a season pass to Dollywood?"
"And Splash Country! We all have one and it's time you had one as well." Edward grinned. "Alice, Jasper, Rose and Em are on standby if you're up for a Cullen/Swan/McCarty/Whitlock Family Fun Weekend."
Bella's smile was so wide it was starting to hurt her face. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. "Thank you! This is awesome." She pulled back quickly, quirking her eyebrow. "Whose truck are we taking?"
"Silly question, Miss Swan," he teased, his arms still wrapped lazily around her waist. "I'll follow you back and park behind the bakery. You're my chauffeur this weekend."
Bella gave a loud, exaggerated, dreamy sigh. "You're the most perfect, smartest man I've ever met, Edward Cullen."
"My Mama taught me well," he joked, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. "I'll follow you back. I can call everybody while you pack an overnight bag and we can get on the road."
"Where are we staying?"
"My parents and Emmett's parents went in together and bought a cabin in Pigeon Forge when I was a kid. Even though we live pretty close anyway, it's nice to actually stay in town when we're there for longer than a day." He leaned back slightly, tucking a lock hair behind her ear. "You ready?"
"Absolutely." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again before pulling away and opening the door to her truck.
Edward waited until she was buckled in before jogging to his truck and climbing in. Bella adjusted the seat and mirrors before turning the key in the ignition and slowly pulling out, waiting for Edward to get behind her.
On the drive back, Bella couldn't hold back the giddiness she was feeling. She squealed in excitement, laughing at herself for her silliness. It felt good to be driving again and she absolutely loved her new truck. She had a weekend of theme park fun to look forward to with her friends and a perfect, sexy, amazing man who treated her like a princess and made her feel like she was someone incredibly special. She had a job she loved, an amazing boss/landlady/friend in Shelley Cope, an apartment that felt more and more like home to her with each passing day, and soon, she would be attending culinary courses at college.
Just a few months earlier, Bella would never have even dreamed of such happiness. Her only friends had been Jacob and Sam; she didn't have her own home or even her freedom. She felt incredibly blessed and so very content. Her heart felt light and she swore she could feel her father nearby.
"Thank you, Daddy. For everything."
"Always Bells."
Bella smiled as she heard her father's voice clear as day.She took a deep breath and released it slowly, focusing on the road. Whenever she looked in the rearview mirror, she could see Edward's truck right behind her and she grinned each time she saw the contented smile on his face. She knew that she had a hand in putting that smile on his face and it made her crazy giddy at the thought.
In no time, she was pulling into an empty space behind the bakery. Before she could turn off the engine and unbuckle her seatbelt, Edward's truck was parked beside her and he was out and opening the door for her.
"Would I lose my man card if I admitted how much I missed you?" He asked, grinning as he helped her out of the truck. She chuckled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
"I promise I won't rat you out to the guys," she teased.
They headed up to her apartment and Bella packed an overnight bag while Edward called the others. Fifteen minutes later, they were back in Bella's truck.
"Do we need to stop at your place for some clothes?" Bella asked.
"I have some things at the cabin, no need to pack." Edward smiled from the passenger seat, his long legs stretched out comfortably. "I'm in your capable hands for the rest of the weekend."
They joked and listened to the classic rock station as Bella drove towards Pigeon Forge. She followed his directions to the cabin and her eyes almost bugged out of her head when she saw the gorgeous, massive three story cabin surrounded by forest and mountains.
"Good God," she murmured, peering out the windshield. "I didn't know your family had their own hotel."
Edward chuckled as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "With our entire family, we'd need a hotel to accommodate all of us."
She was still staring out the windshield at the cabin when he opened her door for her. With her bag in one hand, he reached for her hand with the other, helping her out and leading her towards the steps to the huge, wide front porch and double doors.
Bella stared in wide eyed admiration when she walked into the huge two storied great room. The walls and floors were matching, gleaming hardwoods, the colors broken up by richly upholstered furniture and homey, handmade rag rugs. A massive dining room table with bench seating took up a quarter of the room, dividing the living area and the grand, gourmet kitchen. The two story river rock fireplace took her breath away.
"This is amazing," Bella breathed, taking it all in. "How do you manage to leave this place?"
Edward smiled. "It makes it a little easier with it being so close to home. Doesn't take long to get here when I need some time away."
She took in everything as Edward led her up the stairs, pointing out four master suites on the second floor. Each one was roughly the same size, with matching King sized beds and beautiful walnut furniture, the only difference being the colors of the walls and bedspreads. Edward stopped at the last door on the left and Bella looked inside to see walls painted a soothing lavender and a hand stitched quilt with lavender and pale green stitching spread over the bed. Gauzy white curtains hung over the windows on one wall and the back wall showcased lovely French doors leading to the balcony. Besides the bed was a cream colored chaise lounge, a large walnut chest of drawers and a matching armoire and nightstands. Opposite the French doors was another door to the en suite bathroom, where the color scheme continued on. Bella eyeballed the antique claw foot tub with pleasure, imagining sinking down into a sea of sweet smelling bubbles. Besides the tub, sink and toilet was a good sized walk in shower. Even the towels stacked on the shelf matched the greens and purples of the bedspread.
Bella turned to Edward, grinning. "I can imagine how much fun Esme and Alice had decorating this place. It's gorgeous."
"They'll be thrilled that you think so," he said, setting her bag down on the foot of the bed. "So you're okay with staying in this room?"
"Absolutely," she looked around the room, feeling her cheeks warm slightly. "Will you stay in here too?"
Edward sat down on the bed beside her bag, giving her the sweetest look. "That's up to you, Sweet Girl. If you're comfortable with it, I'd be honored to share the room with you, but if not, I can sleep across the hall."
Bella met his gaze and bit her lip. "I like sharing a bed with you."
He smiled softly, holding out his hand to her and she immediately stepped forward to take it. She followed his lead as he pulled her between his legs, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning his head against her belly. They stayed in that position silently, his hands moving slowly up and down her lower back while her fingers played in his messy hair. Bella could have stayed like that for the rest of the weekend.
A loud crashing sound from downstairs made Bella jump, but Edward only chuckled.
"The McCarty's are in da house!" Emmett's voice rang out and Bella couldn't help but laugh along with Edward.
"I should have known a noise that loud would be from him," she admitted, smiling down at Edward's upturned face. He playfully puckered his lips and she giggled before bending down to leave a smacking kiss on his mouth.
"He's announced himself every time he walks through that front door, ever since our parents bought the place." Edward stood up, taking her hand back in his. They headed downstairs to find Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper hauling in heavy looking suitcases. Bella's eyes bugged out.
"I thought we were only staying overnight?" She blurted out. The guys laughed while Alice sighed in exasperation.
"I never leave without the bare essentials," she declared. Rosalie just rolled her eyes, carrying her own modest duffel bag.
"One would think she would buy another set of these 'bare essentials' to leave here instead of making us haul them back and forth,"
Alice glared at Rosalie, her hands on her little hips. "It's a good workout. And not all of us can roll out of bed looking like a supermodel."
Rosalie shrugged nonchalantly and headed towards the stairs. "While you enjoy your workout, I'm taking this one bag with mine and Emmett's stuff up to our room." She grinned at Edward and Bella as she passed them. "You two in the lavender room?"
Edward nodded and Bella blushed at the blonde's saucy grin. She didn't say a word though, as she climbed up the stairs and disappeared down the hall.
Bella watched as Emmett and Jasper struggled with Alice's luggage, while the pixie herself supervised, carrying only a small travel bag. Edward led Bella out of their path as they watched the trio head up the stairs.
"What on earth does she think is essential?" Bella whispered in wonder.
"Believe me, she has enough in those bags to start a full fledged spa," Edward shook his head in amusement. "Hopefully, though, we won't have to wait for her to unpack before getting to the park."
Thankfully, Alice's unpacking didn't hold them up. Within thirty minutes, they were all piled into Emmett's Ford Expedition and excitedly headed towards Dollywood.
Bella was practically vibrating with excitement as she showed off her season pass with the others and made her way into the park. They stopped off first in front of the Palace Theatre, asking an elderly couple to take their picture in front of the Dollywood sign for her Facebook page.
They walked around and Bella took in the different shops and restaurants, the live music giving her a bounce in her step that made Edward chuckle. She shared a cup of Dippin Dots with Rosalie before they got in line for the River Rampage ride, a round six seater raft that went around a white water rapids type river. Alice and Rosalie sat in the raft with their feet up on the wheel in the center and Bella followed suit, not wanting to walk around all day with soaked socks. They spun around the river along the rapids, getting sprayed and splashed and they laughed at Alice's shrieks when her hair got wet.
Bella screamed along with the girls on Daredevil Falls and Blazing Fury while the guys teased them. Emmett shook the toboggan they were in on the Mountain Slidewinder to scare them, but screamed like a little girl when they rode the Tennessee Tornado and the Thunderhead roller coasters. Jasper and Edward teased him mercilessly but Emmett didn't care in the least. Edward impressed Bella with his ability to keep a hold of his phone on the Firechaser Express while he secretly filmed Emmett's girly screams.
"To post online later," he whispered at the end of the ride, making Bella laugh in glee.
They stopped for cheesesteaks and sausage and pepper sandwiches at Market Square and then went to The Grist Mill to buy the "famous" cinnamon bread. Bella eyed the individual sized loaves with interest and Edward pointed out the cups of homemade icing that came with it. They bought extra to take home, Rosalie joking that Carlisle would never forgive them if they came back from Dollywood without bringing him one of his favorite treats.
Once outside, Edward tore off a piece of the bread and dipped it in the icing, holding it up to Bella's mouth. He grinned at her blush as she opened her mouth, moaning in pleasure at the flavors that burst over her tongue.
"Please tell me you can make this, Bells," Emmett moaned through his own mouthful and Bella nodded, still chewing in bliss. She was pretty sure she could recreate it at home.
They sat outside on benches devouring their food and Bella could barely move when she was done. She was grateful when Rosalie suggested they rest their gluttonous selves by riding the Dollywood Express, a twenty minute train ride through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.
The sun was just starting to set during the train ride and Bella's breath caught at the scenery. She was surrounded by beautiful deep green forestry and above that, the sky exploded in rich oranges, pinks and purples. She took out her phone and snapped dozens of photos, some of just the landscape, some with her friends cheesing for the camera. Beside her, Edward reached out, taking the phone from her and holding it out far enough to capture all of them.
"You're the main attraction of this trip," he murmured in her ear, making her flush warmly. "There will be no posting of photos without you in them."
Bella still felt giddy at his words when the ride ended and they departed the train. They slowly started heading back towards the main gate when Alice started bouncing up and down.
"We have to have an old timey photo taken!" She declared, clapping her hands. "We've never had one with Bella before!"
The others agreed and ten minutes later, Bella found herself staring in a mirror at the black and red saloon girl getup she was wearing. She rolled her eyes heavenward as Alice bounded towards her in her own purple and black ruffled monstrosity, a red feather headband in her grasp.
"Smile, Bella, you love it," Alice teased, reaching up to attach the feather to Bella's head. "And you make a downright adorable saloon girl, I might add."
Bella chuckled, looking past her to see Rosalie dressed in a similar costume in green and black. Emmett was shirtless in a pair of overalls, Jasper sported a Confederate soldier's uniform, and Edward looked particularly sexy as a gunslinger in a long brown coat, leather gun belt, bandanna and a cowboy hat.
They took a group photo in front of the "bar" setup, one of just Bella, Alice and Rosalie sitting cross legged on top of the bar, and one of each couple. Rosalie changed into a tank and a pair of overalls and posed with Emmett carrying a banjo while he held up a moonshine bottle. To mesh with Jasper's Confederate look, Alice traded in her saloon girl costume for a heavy looking Scarlett O'Hara outfit of pink taffeta, white lace and hoopskirts. Edward and Bella decided on a 1920's theme for their photo, and Edward donned a three piece pinstripe suit and fedora while Bella changed into a short red flapper style dress with another red feather headband, a black boa and a long cigarette holder a'la Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Bella almost drooled all over her pretty dress when the photographer had Edward lounge against the door of an old Model T in front of a jailhouse set, holding up a Tommy gun. She was then instructed to lean against his side with her high heeled foot resting on a bag of money on the floor, showing off the red garter and white pistol high on her thigh.
"Woohoo, sexy Bella!" Emmett shouted from the other side of the room. Bella groaned and Edward chuckled, his left hand squeezing her hip gently.
"You do look pretty hot there, Sweet Girl," he murmured, green eyes sparkling with pleasure. Bella grinned back, feeling a bit bold. She reached out and gave his Tommy gun a quick stroke.
"There's something about a man in a suit…" she let her words drop off, giddy at the sight of his darkening eyes.
They posed for two shots and changed back into their street clothes before meeting the others with the photographer to pick up their photos. Bella bought copies of each photo and Edward bought all of the ones with Bella in them. Alice bought an extra copy of Bella and Edward's gangster photo "for Esme", claiming that her mother would be brokenhearted if she couldn't display it with the other family photos.
With photographic evidence of their trip in hand, they headed towards the exit, stopping at the Sweet Shoppe along the way so Bella could pick up a box of pralines to take back to Shelley.
The drive back to the cabin was loud and full of laughter and Bella soaked it all in, loving every second of it. She listened while Emmett and Alice argued over where they would go for breakfast the next morning before going to Splash Country and what movie they would watch first when they got back to the cabin. Bella didn't bother joining in on the conversation, preferring to just remain silent and savor the warmth emanating from Edward's arm that was wrapped around her. His fingers ran a slow path from her shoulder to her elbow and back up, leaving little trails of electric shocks in their wake. His scent surrounded her like a fog, a delicious mix of woodsy outdoors and Irish Spring soap. She felt high from him and barely noticed when Emmett pulled into the driveway.
"So we all agree, movie night in the rec room?" Alice asked. Bella blinked herself back to the present, nodding along with the others.
They all went their separate ways once inside and Bella showered and changed into a pair of cotton sweatpants and a Hello Kitty tank top before meeting Edward in the kitchen. He smiled at her over his shoulder as he cranked a Whirley Pop on the stove. Beside him on the counter were two batches of popcorn waiting to be eaten.
"Wow, no microwave popcorn here, huh?" Bella teased, standing beside him and surveying the different flavored salts available.
"No ma'am," he drawled, leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "We used to use an air popper, and then these came out and Alice went crazy. She bought one for everybody."
She helped him divide the finished popcorn up into large bowls, seasoning each one with something different; bacon and cheddar, dill pickle, caramel, buffalo wing. In a bowl of plain butter, he added in a handful of M&M's and gummy bears. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised and his ears turned slightly pink.
"For Alice," he explained and Bella just laughed.
Rosalie appeared then, dressed adorably in a pair of pink plush footed pajamas, her damp hair twisted in a knot on top of her head. Bella had to admit, as gorgeous as the blonde was every day, she looked the most beautiful in her natural, just out of the shower makeup-free state.
The blonde eyed Bella's own clothes and smiled. "Well hello, Kitty. I've come to help with the popcorn."
The three of them carried the bowls downstairs where, besides another two bedrooms and bathrooms, there was a massive den with comfy, lumpy sectionals, bean bag chairs, a wet bar and a home theatre system with an insanely large projector screen on a tripod.
"Good God, you have your own movie theatre too," Bella blurted out.
"A necessity, my dear," Alice declared, hauling a basket of movie theatre sized candy boxes out of a cabinet. "There's nothing worse than sitting in a theatre with whispering kids and hormonal teenagers."
"Especially when Alice is one of those hormonal teenagers," Rosalie joked, setting the two bowls she was carrying on the coffee table. "Babe, I've got the buffalo wing here."
"Ooh, my favorite!" Emmett rushed over, scooping up a handful and shoving it into his mouth before plopping down on the sofa.
Bella chuckled, setting her two bowls down and thanking Jasper as he handed her a cold bottle of Cherry Coke. She selected a box of Milk Duds before settling down on the sectional beside Edward, who was in the corner with his legs stretched out.
They started out watching "Death Proof", where Alice attempted to recreate Butterfly's lap dance for Jasper, which led to Emmett and Edward hissing and booing her while throwing popcorn at her head. Bella laughed at that, but hid her face in Edward's chest during the gruesome parts. She made it halfway through Alice's movie choice, "Burlesque", before the day finally caught up with her and she fell asleep with her head in Edward's lap, his fingers gently playing through her hair.
*.*.*
Bella woke up the next morning in a state of sheer bliss. She was sprawled out across Edward's chest in the bed, his fingers running from the top of her scalp down to the middle of her back. She actually purred as she lifted her head just enough to meet his sleepy green eyes.
"Good morning, Sweet Girl," he murmured, leaning his head down slightly to brush his lips over hers. Bella moaned into the kiss, not even caring about morning breath. He slowly moved his lips from her mouth to her cheeks, forehead and her chin before placing one last kiss on the tip of her nose, laughing softly when she twitched it a'la Samantha from Bewitched.
"Best wake up greeting ever," she sighed in pleasure, laying her head back on his chest. Edward hummed in agreement as they just lied there in silence, enjoying the peace and comfort of the early morning.
Bella knew she was young and inexperienced when it came to men in general, but she never thought it would be possible to find a man who seemed content to just lay in the bed with her cuddling with no sex involved or even expected. Although she had never actually gone out on a date before Edward, a few of the guys from high school- including a very taken Mike Newton- would try to get her to go out with them, their voices and body language insinuating that they expected for the date to end up with her legs spread in the backseat of their car. As if sharing pizza and a movie meant she owed them sex. And while that may have been just perfect for the likes of Jessica Stanley or Lauren Mallory, the thought alone disgusted Bella.
Maybe it was the age difference or maybe it was just his upbringing, but Edward was nothing like the guys back in Forks. They could share a bed or a few heated kisses and she didn't have to worry about fighting off groping hands. She didn't even have to explain herself on not being ready to go further. What was more, she had a feeling that even if she tried to go further than she was ready for, Edward wouldn't allow it.
Bella thought back to her father's letter and she knew that Edward was the kind of man that Charlie Swan would want for his daughter; someone kind and funny, who worked hard and treated her with the utmost care and respect. She imagined that if she had been given the chance to introduce Edward to her father, he would have still brought out the guns to clean just because it was something he felt was his right as her father, but he would have loved Edward. Bella knew her father would have appreciated the fact that on their first date, Edward took her somewhere that he knew she would have fun. That he made sure she had everything she needed and always showed her how special she was to him.
Charlie would have never admitted it, but he would have been impressed by the daily flower ritual that Edward had started.
Warm and comfortable, Bella was just about to doze off again when the sound of a door banging open in the hallway broke through the silence and Alice's excited voice rang out.
"Up up people, chop chop!"
Edward groaned, tightening his arms around Bella. "I swear she's worse than an alarm clock."
Bella mumbled in agreement, burying her face in his chest. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of the blissful cocoon she was wrapped up in.
It wasn't a minute later before Alice's shrill commands were accompanied by the loud banging of her fist against the closed bedroom doors.
"Be gone with you, Devil Pixie!" Emmett's gruff voice rang out from the room next door. Bella giggled as the cousins argued back and forth through the closed door. Edward just groaned, rolling over to partially cover Bella with his body, pulling the comforter over their heads.
"If we're quiet, maybe she'll think we're not here," he whispered. "And if she barges in, this blanket makes us invisible."
Bella bit back a combination laugh and moan, instead committing the feeling of Edward's body pressing her into the mattress to memory. Even first thing in the morning, he smelled phenomenal and she fought the urge to lick his neck to see if he tasted just as good.
Her warm fuzzies disappeared, though, as the banging started on their door.
With a groan, they both dragged themselves out of the bed, yelling to Alice that they were up. Bella used the bathroom first, washing her face and brushing her teeth before heading back to her overnight bag to change into a blue one piece swimsuit, pulling on a pair of shorts and a tank top over it. When Edward emerged from the bathroom in black board shorts and an orange tee shirt, she sat down hard on the bed.
"Maybe we can just tape the pixie's mouth shut and stay in here for the day?" she suggested playfully.
Edward laughed, his eyes twinkling as he leaned over her, effectively caging her on the mattress. "If I thought that would keep her quiet, believe me, I would have no issues with that."
Bella enjoyed a few more kisses before the yelling started again in the hallway. One last longer, heated kiss and she was in a daze as Edward grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.
They stopped for breakfast at a crowded diner, Bella and Edward splitting the chicken and waffles and the apple crepes between them. Even taking their time, laughing and joking around, they all made it to the front gates of the water park just as they were opening.
Bella had a blast, racing Emmett down Fire Tower Falls before they all piled into a raft to ride the Big Bear Plunge. They spent the day racing each other on different slides and lazing around on the Downbound Float Trip. Bella blushed in pleasure when Edward tied their tubes together with one of the bungee cords he used on his keychain, enjoying the warmth of his hand around hers as they peacefully floated down the "river". They ate burgers and fries at the Campsite Grill, sharing a huge cup of vanilla soft serve and strawberries at Berries & Cream before starting all over again on the slides.
They left the park around three fifteen, heading back to the cabin to get their overnight bags and Alice's plethora of luggage before heading home in time for Sunday dinner at the Cullen's. Bella chuckled at the sad look in Carlisle's eyes when she didn't walk into the house with one of her homemade desserts, but his eyes lit up when Rosalie held up the bag of cinnamon bread from Dollywood.
"All is forgiven," he teased, blue eyes sparkling as he kissed all three girls on the cheek before heading towards the kitchen with his treat.
Dinner was a joyful affair, everybody laughing and teasing around the table as they feasted on Esme's fabulous Jambalaya and Cajun shrimp cornbread. Bella was so full afterwards she considered unbuttoning her shorts and slouching in a food coma, much like Emmett was doing across the table from her.
"I have got to get a gym membership if I keep this up," she groaned.
"Silly girl, you don't need one," Alice declared, reaching for her sweet tea. "We have a home gym downstairs. You can use it any time."
Bella laughed, looking around the table at her "adopted" family. "I should have known. You guys prepare for everything."
The rest of the evening was spent much like dinner, talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company. Bella was sad to see it end, but she was exhausted and had to get up early for work the next morning. After a flurry of hugs and kisses from everybody, she followed Edward out to her truck. The drive to the bakery was made in comfortable silence and before she knew it, she was parking beside Edward's truck in the lot.
"I'm not ready for this weekend to end," he admitted quietly, squeezing her hand.
"Me neither," she whispered, her voice sounding loud in the quiet of the truck cab. "Can you stay over?"
His smile was serene and her heart fluttered. "I'd be honored to, Sweet Girl."
She blushed, looking down at their clasped hands. "Then you can consider this an open invitation to stay over whenever you want."
His finger appeared then, lifting her chin so she had to look up at him. The adoration and happiness in his eyes was plain to see. "I really want to make 'us' official, then. Bella, will you be my girlfriend? Will you let me tell the world that you're mine and I'm yours?"
Bella felt her eyes sting with happy tears as a half laugh/half sob escaped her lips. Without pausing to think, she launched herself out of the driver's seat and into Edward's lap, hugging him with everything she had in her. Edward chuckled, hugging her back just as tightly.
"Is that a yes?" he teased.
Bella nodded against his shoulder, managing to mumble a "hell yes" before she leaned back slightly so she could press her lips against his.
I'm Edward's girlfriend, I'm Edward's girlfriend!
*.*.*
A/N: I am so so sorry for the long wait. Real life is a pain and writer's block is a bitch.