Bella
Edward and I walked to the parking lot, making small talk about work and the hospital in general. He was a tall guy. I could tell by looking at him that the top of my head would snuggle quite nicely underneath his chin. He was gorgeous, smart, seemed to have a good sense of humor, and was well liked by his peers. Was he too good to be true?
We made it to Rufus and he smiled when I told him that the Land Cruiser was mine.
“Emmett must have gotten a kick out of your truck. I’m sure that you saw is monster of a Jeep, right? He loves to go four-wheeling out in the woods, to get a little mud on the tires,” Edward said, shaking his head.
“He may have thrown a compliment Rufus’ way the other night. Who isn’t impressed with a cool chick in a cool truck?” I laughed, hoping in a silly, high school way that he thought I was a cool chick. I looked around the parking lot, trying to guess which vehicle was his. “Let me guess your car,” I said to him, scanning the parking lot. I looked around and saw a variety of vehicles. Minivans, pick-up trucks, sedans of all ages. I turned and walked to the front of Rufus and looked to my right. That’s when I was it. The silver Volvo that I had been seeing here and there since Friday.
“That’s you,” I said with confidence. “Silver Volvo. It has to be. Sleek, fun to drive, no doubt. Probably like to drive pretty fast when you can. It suits you,” I concluded.
Edward stood there staring at me with a small smile on his lips. “Very good, Miss Swan. You nailed it.”
More flirting? He was too good. “You know what they say about men’s cars and perceived masculinity. Are you trying to make up for any inadequacies, Dr. Cullen?” I challenged, returning with a little smile of my own, willing myself not to creep closer to him so that I could envelop myself in his scent.
“I’m not telling this early in the relationship, Bella. Guy’s gotta leave some mystery so that you keep coming back, right?” Taking his keys from his pocket, he passed by me, possibly a little closer than necessary, and called over his shoulder in that same sexy way he did this morning, “Why don’t you follow me, and then I’ll come over to your place.” Damn Dr. Sexy with his sexy Volvo and sexy words, sucking me another step into the Forks Vortex. The Plan had its merits, but this man was testing me. I liked it, too.
We were soon at my house, and then Edward continued on to his place around the corner. I grabbed my bag and raced inside, up the stairs and into my bathroom. Stripping out of my clothes and going into my ridiculously oversized closet, I became aware of how fast my heart was racing. I froze, willing myself to take a few deep breaths.
Edward had me all worked up into a frenzy. What was the draw? Why did I feel like I had known him much longer than less than a day? Was it because I had been thinking about him, or rather the idea of him, since Friday night? I went to my dresser and pulled out a pair of yoga pants, a t-shirt that let everyone know that I had, indeed, been to Wall Drug, and a soft grey hoodie, then continued my musings. He was single. I was single. The flirting was fun. He was also so freaking delicious that I had thought of kissing him all day. And that smile. He knew that smile was like some kind of bait for my weak will. And I wasn’t even going to fight it. I decided to just let things go with the flow. Pulling my hair out of its ponytail, I looked in the mirror. I brushed my hair, put a little more lip gloss on my pucker, gathered my dirty clothes, and headed downstairs to wait for Edward.
Edward
Pizza was ordered by the time I passed Bella’s place. I smiled to myself as I thought about my day. If someone had told me that I would be having a woman over to my place tonight, I would have laughed in their face. Not because I didn’t find them attractive, mind you, but rather because it would be a pretty bold move on my part. Rosalie’s characterization of my lack of sexual prowess wasn’t that far off the mark. I knew that there were plenty of girls that friends and family wanted to introduce to me, but I never took them up on their offers. Now that things had settled into a routine with work, maybe I was ready to venture out into the world of dating. Bella was so easy to talk to. OK. I had to call it for what it was. We flirted. We did the little dance that two people do when there is a strong physical attraction. I could close my eyes and remember how she smelled as I passed close to her on the way to my car, like strawberries and flowers- freesia, perhaps? I was still stunned that I offered to let her use my washer and dryer, and even more amazed that she agreed. I began to get a little nervous at the thought of trying to impress her as I changed into a pair of cargo pants and an olive green t-shirt that, I must admit, emphasized the fact that I worked out. Would she even notice? I did want her to notice. I slipped on my running shoes and jogged over to Bella’s.
Climbing the meticulously restored steps of Bella’s house, I heard her call to me through the screen door.
“Come on in, Edward. I’ll be right there. I just need to gather my things into the baskets.”
I entered the foyer and headed back to the kitchen. “Is there anything that I can bring to dinner on Friday night? Wine? Dessert, maybe?” I asked. Esme raised me right, and I wanted Bella to know that I wasn’t a total schmuck.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw Bella. She was bent over, picking up her detergent and putting it into her basket. When she stood back up, she did this thing with her hair, like Rita Heyworth did in an old movie that I had watched with my father once. Bella had taken her hair out of its ponytail and she flipped her long, chestnut locks over her shoulders, and they continued to cascade down her back in soft, touchable waves. I wanted to put my face in those waves and see if they smelled as wonderful as they looked. I must have been staring for a while, because she blushed and smiled a shy smile.
“You really don’t have to bring anything. If you absolutely cannot show up empty-handed, then you can bring some wine, if you like. I’m making chicken Marsala. Dessert is taken care of. I’m really looking forward to being able to cook again. We will probably have to wing it when it comes to the seating situation. My little table only has room for four. We’ll figure something out, I guess. Hopefully, you guys aren’t coming by to evaluate my furniture situation,” Bella said, handing me one of the baskets.
“Hardly, Bella. The only reason Emmett and I have any furniture that doesn’t resemble frat house décor is because Mom is an interior designer. She spoils us and makes us into better men than we really are,” I said with a laugh as she tossed her keys and her phone on top of her clothes and picked up the second basket. We headed out the front door, Bella pulling it shut behind her.
“I really appreciate you helping me out like this,” Bella began as we loaded her things into the back of her truck. “It’s so nice of you to take pity on a transient stranger!”
“Think nothing of it. I’m happy to help. Plus, I get to know you a bit better, seeing as though we’ve already seen each other in a little more intimate way.” Shit…did I just say that out loud? Way to show your cards, Cullen.
Bella immediately blushed again, a beautiful shade of pink, but didn’t take her eyes from mine. She just smiled and went to the driver’s seat while I jumped in beside her. I directed her the short distance to my house, and we carried her things inside. I was desperately hoping that I didn’t freak her out with my comment about getting to know each other.
“Dinner should be here any minute. The laundry room is right through there,” I gestured to the right. “What can I get you to drink, Bella?” That’s slightly more polite than referencing the fact that we saw each other half naked earlier today. I pulled two glasses down from the dark wood cabinets.
“Um, I’ll just have a glass of water,” she said, walking toward the kitchen’s large island. “First load’s in. So tell me about Forks. Tell me about Edward growing up in Forks. It seems like a really great place.” She perched herself on a barstool, elbows on the granite, chin in her hands. She looked so adorable in that moment.
“Oh, it is. After being away for med school and my residency, I just felt like this was the place for me. I went to med school in Chicago, and did my residency in San Francisco. Big cities provide invaluable experience for an emergency room, but I’m really just a homebody. My family is pretty close, so when my dad told me that there was an opportunity to practice here, it was a no-brainer,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. I put the glass of ice water beside her and went over to my iPod on the counter by the built-in desk. I put it on shuffle, hoping that she liked Dave Matthews as his distinct voice poured through the speakers.
“Most of my assignments have been in big cities,” Bella said. “I like the adrenaline rush of the ED and of the ICUs. Phoenix had some great opportunities, but when a friend told me about how much she loved traveling, I decided that since I was and relatively unattached, I might as well give it a try.” Relatively unattached? What did that mean? She had a smile on her face, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she found being on the go constantly a little sad.
“How many places have you been?” I asked, taking a seat on the barstool next to her. She left her right elbow on the stone and turned her body toward mine, our knees almost touching. I thought I might be imagining the pull, the electricity between us. Was it just some wishful thinking?
“Well, let’s see. I began almost five years ago. My first assignment was in Dallas, where I learned to fly on helicopters. It was fun for a first assignment. I think I was really lucky they were willing to train me. I already had all of the skills for patient care. The whole idea of doing my job in a field, on a highway, or several hundred feet in the air was the new element that really cemented me in my profession. It is just such a great feeling to give everything and know that someone has another shot at living because you helped them.” Bella’s eyes were wide, and she had been talking in an animated way that brought her slightly closer to me. When she realized this, she blushed slightly and moved away a bit, taking a drink.
“The rush is quite intoxicating, isn’t it? I’ve never flown in a helicopter, though I dealt with them a lot in San Francisco. Forks might see one every couple of months. Fortunately, I guess,” I added. “So where did you go next?”
“Well, I’ll give you the quick and dirty version,” she said with a small smile falling across her very kissable lips. I tried not to stare at them, but then when she noticed that I was, she did the most innocently seductive thing I had ever seen. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, lightly biting on it for just a few seconds. When it popped back out, it was glistening and a shade darker. That sight sent a shock right to my groin, and I struggled not to gulp aloud.
“Forks is lucky number thirteen. But after Dallas, I worked in Tulsa, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington, DC, New York City, Columbus, Memphis, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Denver. Mostly big research or university hospitals, but in New York, I worked in a small, private hospital. And then, there’s Forks General. I’m actually looking forward to a little slower pace without gunshot wounds and stabbings. I need a bit of a rest, I think.”
Still feeling the effects of her lip stunt, I couldn’t help but think that my big bed would be the perfect place for her to rest indefinitely.
“Wow, Bella,” I said, not expecting to learn that she had been to so many different places. “You have wound your way around the country, it seems. Kind of makes what I’ve been doing the last five years a little anti-climactic,” I babbled, immediately hearing Beavis and Butthead in my mind saying, ‘Heh heh heh…he’s talking about climaxes, heh heh heh.’
“Well, that’s kind of my plan. You have got to promise you won’t laugh,” she said with her radiant smile taking over her face.
“I promise, no laughing,” I said, giving her my best Boy Scout salute.
“You see, it’s like this. I just want to travel and see as much of the country as I can. Visit every state. I just got the feeling that I was missing so much by staying in Phoenix, so one day, I was talking with my best friend, Jake, and we heard the song ‘Route 66’ play on the radio. It was at that moment The Plan was hatched. A huge road trip, going all over, ending back in Phoenix, eventually. I think I just threw myself into it. My parents and Jake were surprised, but supportive.”
I felt a little jealous of Jake, whoever he was. Thinking back to her photo frame, I ventured a guess that the boy/man in some of the pictures could be him. He was her best friend? Was that all?
“So everyone’s back in Phoenix?” I asked, trying not to be as obvious as to which part of the everyone I meant.
“Yeah. My parents, Charlie and Renee are great. Charlie was here along with Jake this weekend to help me move,” she said, turning her body slightly toward the counter. She took what sounded like a larger than normal breath, almost wistful. “Jake and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. I honestly can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in my life. Having him and Charlie help me get settled is such a big help, even though lately they’ve been giving me grief,” Bella said with a small scowl on her face.
“And why is that?” I asked her with a chuckle. I could only imagine what they did to annoy her.
“Oh, just the usual. Renee wants me to settle down already. All of her friends are marrying off their kids and becoming grandmothers. Renee gets post cards from the road and the promise that once I finish my circuit of the country, I will do my best to fulfill my daughterly obligations to her,” she said with a grin across her lips. I was beginning to live for that grin. I found myself trying to think of something witty just so I could see her smile.
“It seems we have mothers who could have been separated at birth. My mom is the same way. And with both Emmett and Alice engaged, she has become relentless,” I offered. “I was hoping that two engagements would take some of the heat off of me and my lack of an acceptable love life, but I think it only makes her double her efforts!” I said with a laugh.
“What is it about mothers? My mom is convinced that by moving so frequently that I am deliberately thwarting her right to my happily ever after,” Bella said with a roll of her eyes.
At that time, the doorbell rang with the arrival of our pizza. I quickly went to the door to get our dinner and returned to the kitchen to find Bella reaching into the cabinet for plates. A small sliver of skin was showing between the top of her pants and the bottom of her shirt. Heavenly. She turned and caught me looking, for what seemed like the umpteenth time today. I was so subtle. I might as well just wear a sign stating, “Yes, Bella, I will ogle you and your body any chance I get.” Then she blushed. Sigh.
“Are these ok?” she asked, referring to the plates, I’m sure, but I was still focused on her.
“Um, yeah. They’re fine,” I said, placing the pizza box on the island reaching for her glass to refill it. After seating ourselves again, I served up a slice for each of us and resumed our conversation.
“So Charlie and Jake give you a hassle about being on the go, too?” I asked, zeroing in on the subject that I wanted to hear the most about…the best friend.
“Actually, Jacob and Charlie are my biggest defenders. Charlie knows that I will land on my feet. And Jake is just happy that I’m happy. I’m bracing myself for the worst, though. Jake is going to tell Renee that he’s getting married, and that will only increase her efforts to ‘find Bella a man.’ I love her with all of my heart, but when she starts messing with my life like that, it really makes me not like her much,” Bella said and then took a ceremonious chomp of her pizza.
Was this sad news to Bella because she wanted Jake? Or because of her pestering mother. I had to ask.
“Is it not ok that Jake is going to get married?” I asked, trying not to sound like a hurt puppy dog.
Bella saw right through me. She laughed and told me, “It’s fine! Really. Jake and I dated back in high school and a little in college. We determined that even though everyone else thought that we were a cute couple, we really were better off being friends. He’s like a brother and a best friend all in one. And since I don’t have any siblings, it fits pretty well. And his girlfriend, or rather, fiancée, Leah, is perfect for him. The three of us get along great. She is accepting of my relationship with Jake for what it is. And anyone I end up with would have to offer the same to Jake.”
Bella
Well, shit, Bella, just scare him off, why don’t you? What on earth made me say that, like as a prerequisite to dating me, you have to pass the Jake test? And things were going so well…
“Are you trying to warn me to play nice with others, Bella?” Edward asked with that sexy half-smile and an eyebrow arched. Then he laughed at himself, shaking his head. “I think it’s wonderful that you have someone like Jake looking after you. You seem pretty defenseless, after all.”
I laughed and gave him a polite shove. “This after our rather unorthodox introduction this morning? I can hold my own, Cullen. I can handle you,” I said, looking directly into his hypnotic green eyes, holding the gaze for longer than necessary. And there it was, another stupid step into the stupid Forks Vortex. He swallowed slowly, and then absentmindedly licked his lips. I was starting to get all tingly from the intensity of the stare when the buzzer for the washer went off, startling us both. I noticed that we had begun to drift toward one another again. I quickly got up and walked over to the washer. I took a deep breath, willing my heart to beat slower. It was a fruitless effort as long as I was within eyeshot of Edward Cullen. I found myself opening up to him, letting him in. I was good at doing the superficial getting to know you stuff, but wtf was up with me spilling about how Renee made me feel? About Jake and Leah? I just felt connected to Edward, and his eyes just seemed to hold me with some sort of power.
I groaned internally as I discovered that I hadn’t removed my bras and panties from the basket before I started my laundry. Ugh! Edward didn’t need to be seeing my unmentionables. I was just glad that my taste in undergarments was less Wal-Mart Hanes Her Way multipacks and more silky, lacey and barely there. Wearing scrubs all the time, I enjoyed having pretty things next to my skin. It made me feel confident for some reason. Cotton granny pants would be total fail.
I pulled the bras and panties out as I loaded the dryer and put them on top of the dryer, working quickly so as not to attract unwanted attention. The next load was placed into the washer and started, and the undergarments placed in the bottom of one of the baskets I had put on the dryer, hoping they would dry a bit from the residual heat. Not like hanging them up was an option right now.
I felt the need to take control of the situation. I couldn’t let Edward continue to make me feel like a giddy teenager, all hormonal and infatuated.
“San Francisco is next for The Plan,” I began, returning to the island for my drink. “Any advice for me?” I asked him, keeping a safe distance so as not to be captured by his gravity. If that happened, I was fairly certain that all bets were off.
For a millisecond, I thought I saw a bit of a frown on his face, but then it was gone. Was there something, or someone, that he left behind when he returned to Forks?
“When are you planning on going there?” Edward asked.
“Around the first of December,” I said. “I finish up here right before Thanksgiving, and then I’ll take a few weeks off in between jobs. That is all subject to change, of course. I have opted to stay longer at an assignment before.”
Fucking Mike Newton. All hot and pilot-y. All sad that I was leaving until he found out I was staying. The fucker.
“Well, maybe we won’t be able to go on without you, either, Bella,” Edward said with a cute little smile. “I’m rather enjoying your company this evening.” Vortex eyes. Must…look…away.
“The feeling is mutual,” I said, followed by a bit of an awkward silence. The iPod shuffled to Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.” I let out a sigh and closed my eyes.
“I love this song. I took piano lessons so that I could learn this song, but my skills didn’t progress much past ‘Heart and Soul’ and ’Chopsticks,’ I’m afraid. This song just puts me in a happy place,” I said, feeling the music wash over me.
“Let me show you one of my favorite possessions, then,” Edward said, gesturing toward the door to the living room. I walked in front of him, smelling his Edward-ness and sidestepping the gravity.
In the beautifully restored room of rich wood and leather furniture stood a baby grand piano.
“I’m guessing you play then,” I said to the handsome man next to me. Automatically, I looked at his hands, noting how long his fingers were, knowing that certainly, his hands were proficient at things other than the piano.
“It was a gift from my parents. My mother started me with lessons when I was four,” he laughed. He sat at the bench, the last light of the day filtering through the windows. Then Edward began to give me my own concert. Snippets of “Clair de Lune,” “Fur Elise,” and the prominent melody from “Rhapsody in Blue” greeted my ears, all from memory. He ended with a totally embellished version of “Chopsticks.” Motioning me to the bench beside him, he snagged me with the Vortex Eyes.
“Give me a hand with ‘Heart and Soul.’ Do you remember it?”
I drifted next to him, but I don’t remember doing it. Sitting down next to him, I fumbled a little, finding the beginning note of the top part of the song. He began the familiar chords and began to sway a bit as he played. I was on sensory overload. I could see his long, agile fingers grace the keys. I could smell his scent as I pecked out the melody. I could hear his music, his breathing, my heart. I could feel the electricity between us, deliciously uncomfortable, as if contact with each other was the only thing that could soothe the discomfort. The only thing left was his taste, and I desperately wanted that, too.
As we played the song, him proficiently, and I as well as someone with six months of lessons could peck out, I felt myself start to lean into him just as I had when we were talking earlier. It was a natural action that our bodies seemed to have. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Edward smiling as we finished up our duet. As the last note died away, he turned to me, beaming.
“I don’t think I have ever heard a better duet,” he said with a laugh.
“I think it could be better if you practiced more,” I teased, gently leaning into him with my shoulder. Then, I lost my balance on the narrow bench and began to fall backward. Two strong arms caught me and I was thisclose to Edward’s beautiful face. I surveyed his eyes, green and mesmerizing, and then, his perfect lips. It seemed like forever that we sat there like that, and then the buzzer to the dryer jerked us from the moment.
“Saved by the bell,” Edward sheepishly said as he released me, stood, and offered his hand to help me from my seated position. It was a gentlemanly gesture that seemed to fit him well. I didn’t quite know what to say, so I just smiled, and blushed, of course, and began to walk toward the laundry room. He followed behind me.
I gathered my warm clothes from the dryer and placed them in the basket, which Edward immediately took over to the island to fold. I put the second load of clothes in to dry, quickly collected myself and returned to help him.
“So how do they divvy up the holidays as far as scheduling goes?” I asked. I was in avoidance mode, hoping to keep the conversation away from my pounding heart and the blush that gave away my interest in all things Edward.
“Well, we pretty much just alternate. If you work Memorial Day, you have July 4th off, then you work Labor Day and have Thanksgiving off, work Christmas, then New Year’s off. I know that many of the people who don’t have young kids offer to take Christmas for the ones who do so that they don’t miss out on seeing the faces of the little ones when they see what Santa has brought.”
“That’s really nice. Were people always that considerate of your dad when you were little? Letting him be there for moments like that?” I asked, grabbing a warm shirt and folding it.
“You know, they really were. One of the older docs, actually, the doctor I replaced, Dr. Gerandy, always split the day with my dad when we were young. His kids were older and would return for the big family dinner, so they would so a twelve hour shift going from 4 am to 4 pm. Carlisle was able to be home and see us open presents and we would have an early dinner, then Dr. Gerandy was able to have an evening with his family.“ Edward was smiling, lost in his memories for a moment.
“Well, I am working Memorial Day,” I said, “so I guess I’ll be off for the fireworks. I love that! It’s my favorite part of the summer. It makes me feel like a kid. I love to watch all of the colors. I ‘oooh‘ and ‘aaah’ as loud as anyone.” Internally, I snickered at the double meaning, hoping my blush wouldn’t be triggered.
“That’s great… we’re on the same rotation, it sounds like. We usually have a big picnic at my parent’s house on the 4th. You’ll have to come. Forks has a pretty decent fireworks display every year. It’ll be great!” Edward said, grinning like a ten year old. It pleased me to no end that we would be working a lot together. That also meant we would have a lot of the same days off together.
I grabbed the last set of scrub pants from the basket, and Edward reached into the bottom and brought up a slightly damp pair of lacy midnight blue boy shorts. I let out a squeak and tried to take them from his hands. He laughed loudly and immediately raised them over his head. I was mortified with his little game of keep away, but after all of the flirting and sexual tension mounting, I was also slightly turned on. In for a penny, in for a pound, I realized, so I located the matching bra in the tangle of lingerie at the bottom of the basket. With a smug smile, I tossed the bra to the good doctor. He had a puzzled look on his face, so I explained.
“It’s a matching set. One’s no good without the other. Why be just a panty thief when you can have the whole set, Edward?” I then took a step toward him, tucked the bra into his waistband and loaded my folded clothes into the basket. Game. On.
Edward just stood there with an incredulous smile on his face while I walked past him to the powder room. I needed a moment to myself.
Edward
The door to the powder room shut and I was left there with her sexy panties in my hand and her bra tucked next to my left hip. Shit. I had grabbed the panties as a joke, to tease her a little. It appears that I am the one being teased. I looked in my hand at the lacy fabric. I recalled how creamy and smooth her skin was this morning with perfect clarity. This shade of blue would look lovely next to that skin. I stopped and tried to clear my head. I hadn’t had this much fun getting to know someone, well, ever. It was like we were two halves of the whole, even though I barely knew Bella. She was smart, gorgeous, funny, and playful. More importantly, she was making me feel all of those things too. I felt that I could let down my guard with Bella. And I could tell that she was letting some walls down as well. I could tell despite her brave face that her best friend getting married was going to be difficult for her. I felt much the same way about the nuptials of my siblings. It’s hard when you’re the odd man out. I felt as if the gods had been very generous to me in sending Bella my way. I decided that it was time to accept gift before me, and it wasn’t just the lingerie.
Bella emerged from the powder room and met me with a smile, simple and sweet. I looked down at my feet and cleared my throat.
“Bella, here are your, um, things back,” I said, offering the bra and panties. She continued to smile at me and didn’t reach for them.
“No, Cullen, you won this round of capture the flag. Enjoy your victory. You earned it,” Bella said with a sinful smile and an arch of her eyebrow. I swallowed hard, not really sure why. I felt like that look she gave me shot straight to my Johnson. How can one woman be so cute and innocent and wholesome, yet so utterly sexy, too?
“Well, why don’t I show you the rest of what Emmett did with this place?” I said, trying to change the subject, and not entirely sure about what I should be doing with Bella’s underwear. Like a lame ass, I opted just to carry it around like it was an everyday occurrence.
“You have a fantastic fireplace there,” Bella noted, pointing to the formal dining room. It was one of 3 fireplaces in the house, the other two being in the piano room and the TV room. I steered her toward the staircase and encouraged her to go up.
“Emmett has always been a builder. Whether it was sand castles or Legos, he was always designing, revising, making it better. I know for a fact that he has enough Legos to fill two 55 gallon drums! His kids are going to be so lucky!”
I showed Bella my office, the guest room, and guest bath. Then I paused awkwardly in front of my bedroom. Would she think I was weird or creepy showing her my room? Get real, Cullen! The girl stuffed her bra in your pants. I opened the door and she went in.
“I really love the colors and textures that your mom has chosen for the rooms, Edward,” Bella said. “It feels warm and cozy, like you could just stay in this room all day without a care in the world. A personal retreat of sorts.”
“That’s exactly how I see it. My mom knew I would be busy and stressed as I was starting out, and she told me she wanted to create a personal sanctuary for me,” I commented, looking at Bella in the soft light.
“That is just how I feel about my bedroom and bath. It’s like your mom crawled into my head and picked out what I wanted most. I am still stunned that I get to live there!” Bella said excitedly. Her eyes shone and I just wanted to touch her hair, her cheek.
From downstairs, we heard the dryer again. I absentmindedly put Bella’s undergarments on my bed and descended the stairs with her. I watched her walk toward the kitchen, taking in the details of my home. She stopped in front of a photo I had on my wall. It was taken right after I had returned to Forks. Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, and I were sitting on an outcropping of rocks near the river on my parents’ property. Esme had taken the picture and gave framed copies to each of us last Christmas.
“You guys are pretty close,” Bella said softly, turning her head to look at me.
“Yeah, we are. We’ve been friends pretty much since birth. I really did miss them while I was away. I remember the day that picture was taken. I had just closed on this house and moved in. Those guys helped me unload all of my stuff in 90 degree heat, and the next day, my mom had a party to welcome me back. Emmett asked Rose to marry him about an hour after this,” I said with a smile. It was a fantastic day.
“Isn’t that funny,” Bella said. “They helped me unload my things when I moved in, too. Alice was all drill sergeant, while Emmett and Jasper did just as she asked. It was so hilarious!”
“Well that sounds like my sister. She likes to say the reason she is so small is because I took up all of the room, so she’s just making up for her stunted growth by being bossy,” I said with a laugh. I made a mental note to have lunch with Alice soon. I began to help folding the rest of her clothes she took from the dryer, and then I froze. “I’m not going to find any other unmentionables, am I?” I asked with a glint in my eye. I have to admit, part of me was hoping I would.
“No, my pervy new friend, just shirts and shorts here. But I will be doing a count of my garments, just in case,” she said with a wink, placing a red shirt in the basket.
I folded the last shirt and placed the yellow article on top of the others. I looked at my watch and noticed that it was already 9:30. It seemed like Bella had just gotten here. I saw her check her watch as well.
“Goodness!” she said, blowing all of the air from her lungs. “I didn’t mean to keep you this late, Edward. I’ll get out of your hair so that you can relax. I know that I have another exciting day tomorrow at 7am. You too, right?” Her eyes were hopeful.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m on days Wednesday and Thursday, and a rare three day weekend off. Of course, I’m on the following holiday weekend, but I guess I knew that my schedule would be nuts when I signed up for this. I don’t think I could get used to steady clinic hours,” I confessed, picking up the basket.
Bella grabbed her detergent, phone and keys, placing them in the other basket. As we headed out the front door to her truck, Bella giggled. ”I’m glad that you volunteered to help me in my wardrobe’s time of need,” she said, “even if I had to make a sacrifice to the lingerie gods!”
Honestly, I don’t know what made me do it. We had been dancing around each other since this morning, really. I knew that the attraction wasn’t one-sided. But my severe lack of skills as a player wasn’t going to stop me from at least letting Bella know that I was definitely interested. After she closed the gate on her truck, I reached over and softly cupped her elbow.
“I’m glad I was able to spend time with you tonight, Bella. You’re like a breath of fresh air to me in this small town.” With that said I leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly. She blushed a beautiful shade of dark pink, but kept looking at me. A smile crept across her face. It was glorious and I thought I felt my heart flutter. I felt as if I was in some serious uncharted territory, but I had an overwhelming feeling that this was right, whatever it was that I was feeling.
“Thank you, Edward. You’ve helped me out in more ways than one,” she said, squeezing my forearm. I dreaded that she would have to break the touch and go home.
I went the short distance with her to the driver’s seat, opened the door for her, and closed it securely behind her. She started Rufus and squeezed my arm again. “See you tomorrow morning?” she smiled.
“Absolutely,” I said with a goofy grin. As she drove away around the corner, I waved, then brought the hand to the back of my head and scratched mindlessly. I liked Bella Swan. It was going to be a fun summer with her here.
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