EPOV
With Hadley now in bed, Bella has stretched out on the couch with the blanket wrapped around her. I had three options; I could let her sleep out here on the couch all night, wake her up and send her on her merry way, or l could pick her up and carry her to my bed where she'll sleep with me.
I easily decide on my last option.
When I scoop her up she starts mumbling.
"Smell good," she tells me.
I chuckle, kissing her cheek.
When we're in my room I nudge my door closed with my elbow and gently lay Bella on the side opposite from the side where I normally sleep.
She groans once she's snuggled in.
I watch her eyes flutter open.
"Hey," I say hovering over her.
"Hey—I'm in your bed," she whispers.
"Is that okay?"
She bites her lip before nodding.
I get on my side of the bed when she turns to me.
"Can I take my jeans off? I usually sleep without pants on," she confesses awkwardly.
"Can't say I'm a fan of pants either," I tease.
She rolls her eyes but drowsily sits up to unbutton and unzips to shimmy out of her jeans. She looks around my room before she stands and places her jeans on the chair in the corner of my room.
"Oh no, are you starting a chair pile in my room?"
"You should consider yourself honored," she tells me, climbing up onto my bed.
She stops to sit up on her knees but doesn't get under the covers.
"Do friends sleep in each other's beds?"
My eyes roam her body before I answer. "They most certainly do," I tell her, snaking my arm around her waist to pull her down beside me.
"You took a shower," she says, running her fingers through my damp hair.
I nod bringing my lips to hers.
"Smelled like the bar," I say against her lips.
"You smell like you now," she tells me.
"That a bad thing?"
"No, good."
I wrap her in my arms, my hands roaming up her shirt while I rub her back.
She closes her eyes, cuddling into me, her hands resting on my chest.
"Who woulda thought?"
"What?"
"That you're a cuddler," she accuses with a sleepy smile.
"Go to sleep, Bell," I murmur against her temple as I close my eyes.
When I wake I feel the drool puddling through my shirt, I glance down to see her mouth wide open on my chest.
I glance at the clock on my nightstand seeing it's six thirty.
I needed to get Hadley up.
Not wanting to wake her I shift Bella off me onto my pillow. The itch to touch her more fills my fingers.
With a sigh, I decide to let her sleep.
I stop in my bathroom first so I can take a piss before I quietly creep out of my room. I shut my door so Hadley doesn't see our guest when she passes.
Opening her door I peek in to see Hadley still tucked in with her hands resting under her cheek. I take a seat on her bed and sweep her hair out of her face.
"Had," I murmur.
She shifts slightly.
"Had," I try again.
She stirs a little more.
I bend down, placing sloppy kisses from her cheek to her temple.
She giggles at this.
I grab her glasses from her nightstand for her to put on.
She sits up taking them.
"I saw a pretty scary movie on when I got home," I tease.
She giggles again.
"Bella originally wanted to put Halloween on to freak you out," she tells me with a smile.
I snort. "I bet she did."
"Dad?" she asks quietly.
"Yeah, Had?"
"I really like Bella."
"Me too, kid. Me too," I say, giving her a tight squeeze. "We got to get you moving," I tell her after I let her go.
While she gets ready, I make a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. I make sure to make enough for Bella to inhale but put hers in the microwave so it won't get cold and so Hadley won't see it.
Hadley walks out dressed in jeans and a cobalt blue polo, she hands me her hair tie and comb.
"Can you do a ponytail high up on my head?" she asks.
I don't ask why because I know it's because that's how Bella mostly wears her hair.
"So you had fun last night?" I ask her grabbing her hair up.
She nods a little in my hold.
"Bella's really funny, Dad. Like really funny," she tells me.
I grin while I comb out her knots and curls at the top of her head before I pull the hair tie on.
When I'm finished with her hair I place her breakfast in front of her.
"Ketchup, please," she says.
I grab the Heinz from the fridge and hand it to her.
Part of me wants to check on Bella to see if she's awake but I know we're not at that place for Hadley to know that she's sleeping over after four days of hanging out.
I sit next to Hadley while she eats and watch her.
I'm not overly sentimental but lately, I can feel a change heading for us. I wasn't sure if it was adding Bella to the mix or due to Hadley getting older, but I felt that I needed to cherish this time with her. It has always been just the two of us even when Rose lived with us I did most of the work when it came to raising her.
After Hadley finishes her food she goes to gather her stuff for school, once her coat is on and she grabs her shoes by the door she pauses for a moment but doesn't say anything.
When I grab my own boots I notice Bella's Docs right by mine.
Shit.
Because she doesn't say anything I don't feel the need to explain.
I grab my hoodie off the hook and pull it on over my head to walk her to the bus stop.
As always she walks close to me, I keep my hand on the back of her neck and the other hand in my hoodie pocket.
I see Irina with her group and the nannies of the other children in their huddles. I almost laugh thinking about Bella's name for Irina and her friends.
Me and Hadley stay off to the side like we always do. Tinsley, like her mother, rules over a group of kids that like to pick on Hadley. If I could, I would like to tell the small girl what I think of her, she lacks kindness and is the rudest child next to Rose I'd ever met, but I don't. I keep a soothing hand on my girl.
The bus pulls up and Hadley turns to give me a hug. I crouch down, giving her a tight squeeze and a kiss on the head.
"Love you, Dad," she tells me.
"Love you too, baby," I repeat, playfully rocking her in my arms.
She gives me a squeeze before she takes off for the bus.
I stand, watching until I see that she's on.
"Edward," Irina purrs.
I sigh, seeing that she is now beside me.
"I haven't seen you at drop-off the past few days," she tells me.
"We walked," I say.
The truth was most mornings I was already ready for work, but since Bella was in my bed I changed things up. I knew if I didn't head back in to get changed I'd be late.
"I've met your new babysitter," she tells me.
"Bell's not a sitter, she's a friend," I correct, folding my hands into my hoodie pockets.
"That's right, she told me that," she says, acting like that detail slipped her mind.
I think about the two times I slept with this woman and how I should have never entertained the idea of dating her.
When I was younger I was arrogant and I knew that women were attracted to me due to my looks. It sure as hell wasn't my sparkling personality pulling them in. It was Hadley that changed my perspective on a lot of things.
So when Irina showed interest after her divorce I thought maybe we'd share being single parents in common, but she wasn't interested in talking about the girls she only wanted to say I fucked her to her mom group.
"Sorry Irina, I'm running late and need to get ready for work," I tell her honestly.
Her cheeks suck in as if she's tasted something sour but she only nods so I hightail it away from her heading back to my house.
It's quiet in the house so Bella must still be sleeping.
I walk into my room seeing her hair fanned out on my pillow and a soft snore falling from her open mouth.
I would do anything to crawl back into my bed with her but I need to meet the deadline on a grant proposal due today.
I grab my navy slacks and a white button-down from the closet then get an undershirt from my drawer changing quickly, just as I get my watch clasped on I see Bella watching me.
"Hey," I say, taking a seat beside her.
"What time is it?" she yawns.
"Almost eight," I tell her while cupping her cheek.
I can't seem to keep my hands to myself.
"Hadley?"
"School."
"So early," she groans.
I laugh leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"I made you breakfast."
She looks surprised and sits up.
"You made me breakfast?"
"I mean it's just scrambled eggs and toast, let's not think I'm Aro or anything," I downplay.
She kisses my cheek before climbing out of my bed.
I watch her ass when she grabs her jeans and bends over slightly to get them on.
Deadline.
Deadline.
Deadline.
I have to chant it or I will not leave.
I stand once she's dressed and she follows me out to the kitchen. I nuke her food while she sits at the island.
She sits with her hands under her chin and a dreamy look on her face.
I know she's fucking with me.
I hold her food above my head.
"You're not gonna feed me?" she asks in disbelief.
"You're mocking me," I argue.
She reaches up but withholds her kiss.
"Why aren't you kissing me?"
"I have morning breath," she mumbles.
I steal a kiss.
She pulls back and cups my jaw, "I wasn't mocking you, no one has ever made breakfast for me like this," she murmurs before kissing me back.
I bring the plate down sitting it in front of her.
Who wouldn't want to do things for Bella? If I had my way I'd have her around all the time so I could make her breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Bella eats quickly so we can leave.
We both get our shoes on, I grab my messenger bag and my coat. Bella steps out first while I lock up.
I link our fingers at the top of the steps.
"I'll walk you home," I tell her.
She reaches up on her tip-toes to kiss me. "You're going to be late," she says against my lips.
"Don't worry about it," I tell her in my best New York accent.
I look up and see Irina watching us as she gets into her Town Car.
The flare of her nostrils tells me she's going to start shit.