"Are you sure you don't want to check on Jake?" Edward is locking his door behind us as I shake my head.
"No." I hoist my bag up. "Do you mind if I go change?"
He nods, and I walk to his bedroom, into his bathroom, and shut the door behind me. I take a deep breath before pulling out my comfy clothes and changing out of my dress. If my mind drifts to Jake for a moment, I try to push the thought away.
Taking a long look in the mirror, I sigh. Although Jake treated me like dirt, said terrible things to me, and let his boyfriend say awful things as well, there is a small part that wonders what brought him to my doorstep tonight.
Just as I start to think that maybe I should give Jake a call, Edward knocks on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"
Opening the door, I smile. "Yeah, just lost in my own thoughts."
He's changed into some dark blue sweats with the US Navy seal on them and a long sleeved thermal. "Why don't we sit down, and you can tell me what you're thinking." He holds out his hand to me, and whatever anticipation I had from earlier this evening, the thoughts about Jake, all of it flies out of my head as I reach for him.
Edward leads me to his loveseat, and when we sit down, it takes a few minutes for us to get comfortable, but when Edward grabs my legs and drapes them over his thighs, we both sigh at the contact, and he smiles.
"I wanted to say that I appreciate that you're willing to give me a second chance. I don't deserve one; I shouldn't have asked for one. But you knew there was more to me than that asshole, and I'm grateful for that." Edward smiles like a weight has been lifted off of his chest.
"I'm not a perfect person, and if you need a second chance, then so do I." I pull my hair up into a bun as I'm talking. "I just hope that the changes you're making are for you, not for me. You can't do it for me alone, Edward."
"It's for me … you're the bonus." Edward tugs playfully on one of my toes, and I giggle. "I know what I want for my future when it comes to my career, but what I need to know is where you fit in with that bigger picture."
"What happens if you pass the exam? You make Chief, and then what happens?"
"Well, if I'm lucky, I get to stay on my current ship and advance. There will be a deployment or two or three." He rolls his eyes. "But there is a bigger chance that I'll get a new duty station."
"Moving to a new state?" I'm feeling nervous.
Edward nods. "Possibly even a new country. It really depends."
"I didn't realize. I mean, I know that the military means moving frequently. Are you ready for that?" I'm curious because while we've talked about why he wants to be Chief, we haven't talked about all that comes with it.
"I guess that depends." His face flushes.
"On what?"
"On whether you would think about coming with me." Edward gazes at me, not with excitement or desire but concern. He's coming straight out of left field with this.
"I never once thought about it for my life." Pulling my legs off Edward's lap, I stand and start to pace.
He sits forward. "What are you thinking?"
"What are you thinking? You just asked if I would consider moving with you, and mere hours ago, you told me you wanted a relationship. I don't know what to think." I might be having a panic attack.
"Bella, I want to be with you." Edward stands and stops my pacing. "But I wouldn't want you to come, at least not at first."
"What?" I can feel myself slump in his arms.
"Bella, there's a lot to do. Aside from getting a place and setting it up for us, I have to check in for duty. I don't want you to have to worry about anything except what you're doing for yourself when and if you come with me." Edward stoops a little to look me in the eye.
"We need to back up a little here." I guide him back over to the couch and sit down. "Are we trying this for real? Is that what you want?"
"Yes."
"And if you move, you want me to come with you … eventually?"
"Yes."
"Okay, okay." I stand up again, but instead of pacing, I just stay firmly planted in one place. "Okay." I turn to look at him, smiling from ear to ear.
"Just like that? 'Okay'?" He stands when I nod, pulling me into a hug.
"I can't explain it, Edward. People will say that I'm crazy for giving you another chance, for diving in head first, but something tells me this is right." I want this to be right. I can feel it in my gut; something about being with Edward feels right.
Edward grabs my hands earnestly. "I can't promise you anything, except that I will try my hardest not to screw this up." He pulls me back down to him, grasping the back of my neck and bringing my head down to his.
This kiss, unlike the more recent ones, is heated and draws me in so quickly that I don't realize that he's pulled me onto his lap until I can feel his hardness rubbing at my center through our sweats. He pulls me away, and as I try to catch my breath, Edward smiles.
"Let me take you to bed."