She tried to argue with me and drive herself to Cullen Family Sunday Dinner, but I wouldn't hear any of that shit. We were going together and that was the end of the discussion. It wasn't as if I didn't think she could get herself there, for cripes sake! I just wanted the first time she came for dinner with the family to be on my arm. Could you blame a guy for wanting to properly introduce the woman he loves to his family? Not to mention that I didn't want Bella walking into that lion's den without me by her side. At least, not until I had the chance to stare down my asshat of a brother and make sure he knew that Bella was sacred ground.
I picked her up and she, Masen, and I all rode to my parents' house together. The mood in the car was lighthearted, with the top down and the music up. Bella sitting next to me with that pie in her lap (which I told her she didn't have to make), and my son in the backseat, a huge ass grin on his face like the cat that had just eaten the fucking canary. Of all the reactions I imagined him having upon hearing the news that Bella and I were dating, I never imagined that he'd be this excited about the situation.
When we got to Mom and Dad's, he crashed through the door with his usual, "We're here!" But this time with the added, "And we brought Bella!" My heart could have burst from the fucking joy I heard ringing in his voice. Once again, I wondered why we had waited to tell him, but then I remembered a conversation Bella and I had about this very topic last night as we stood next to her car before she left my condo.
"You know, I've never seen him so happy. It's clear that he adores you. I was really kind of surprised by the way he handled the news about us, though I guess it shouldn't have been. Not much fazes that kid of mine." Bella lifted her mouth to mine and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips.
"Why were you surprised? How did you expect him to react?"
"I'm not sure, but he's just so accepting of it all. No questions, no concerns. I'm just in awe of him, as usual. I don't deserve that kid. He made me wonder why we even waited to tell him in the first place."
"We waited because neither of us was ready to tell him yet. That reason alone is enough to justify our decision. Plus, I happen to think that part of the reason that boy upstairs is so at ease with our relationship is because he has been watching us together twice a week for the past three months. Kids are smart, especially yours. We may not have been making out in front of him, but kids have a way of picking up on things. Masen knew something was going on between us, even if he couldn't articulate it. Give the munchkin more credit. He's his father's son, after all."
With one last kiss and plea on my part to get her to stay, I watched as Bella slipped into her car with Mr. Darcy on the seat next to her. I leaned in Bella's window and gave the beast a pat, "Take care of our girl, D." He answered with a low bark that I took for a "Hell, yeah." The mutt was growing on me.
Bella and I followed Masen into my parent's house. Of course Alice was right there to greet us. She pulled her friend into a hug after taking the pie from Bella's hands. Their friendship was another pleasant surprise for me. I loved how, little by little, Bella was winning the hearts of my family members. I introduced Bella to Mom and Dad, who warmly welcomed my girl into their home and put her at ease. Rose was next to meet her, and I was surprised when she hugged Bella as well. Rose wasn't always the warmest person, but she seemed to have already taken a liking to woman who had captured my heart.
The women all trooped into the kitchen where Mom put Bella's cooking skills to good use. Dad, Masen, and I went to the family room to sit and watch some football. Dad and Masen got comfortable on the couch while I sat in the arm chair I usually claimed, which also just happened to have a perfect view into the kitchen. It was a good twenty minutes before I realized that Emmet and Jasper were missing.
"Hey, where are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb? They aren't planning on missing the requisite Cullen Family Sunday Dinner are they?" My father's eyes never left the obscenely large flat screen T.V. when he answered smugly, "Have you ever known your brother Emmett to miss a meal? Especially a free one?"
"Point made. So where are the Tweedle Twins?"
"Your mother sent them to the store to get some last minute provisions for dinner. They should be back soon. NO!! Come On, Ref! Open your eyes! That hit was all kinds of yellow flag wrong!" My son and I exchanged amused grins while my father raged at the refs.
About that time, Bella came into the room with three bottles in her hands. Her grin was stunning as she declared, "The bar wench has arrived with libations for the men folk!" She handed Dad and me beers and Masen a root beer.
I pulled her down onto my lap as she passed by me again. "Come here, wench, and watch some ball with us!" Bella let out a little squeal. I made a mental note to make her do that more often, it was pretty fucking cute.
"I can't, sweetie, I'm busy helping your mom and sisters in the kitchen. You know, girl bonding and all? Now let me up, you rogue, or there'll be no dinner for you!"
"Please, they can manage on their own for a minute! Stay in here with me for a little while." Bella snickered at my pathetic attempts at persuading her to stay perched in my lap.
"Wow, Cullen, you want some cheese with that whine?"
"I am not whining! I'm just pleading my case. What's so wrong with wanting to spend a lazy afternoon with my girlfriend?" Okay, maybe I was whining, and behaving like a two year old, but I was beginning to get a little irritated. What was the problem with her hanging out with us for five fucking minutes? Leave it to my girl to call me on my shit.
"Awww! Poor baby! What's wrong, wittle Eddie? You’re not gettin' your way? Should I call the Waaaaambulance?" She dropped a sweet kiss on my pouting lips to soften her teasing words. My dad and MM were being smart and keeping their opinions and comments to themselves, pretending to watch the game. Dad started yelling at the screen again, and Masen joined him in this round of rants. With one more chaste kiss, Bella moved to get up from my lap. Reluctantly, I let her up, but grabbed her hand before she could move away and placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist. I fucking loved showing her I adored her. "Come back to me soon, okay?"
"As soon as I can, love."
It was then that I heard the kitchen door open and the booming voice of my brother as he announced, "I'm baaaaaack! You miss me, biotches?"
"Watch your mouth, Emmett McCarthy Cullen! Or I'll wash it out with soap!"
"Aw, Ma! 'Biotches' isn't a bad word. It's just slang for-"
"I know what it's slang for, Emmett. That's why I don't like it. How would you feel if someone called your sister or Rose or me that name? Would you still be okay with it?"
"Hell no! I'd kick their ass!"
"Again, language, Emmett! So, if you wouldn't want to hear someone else say it, then why would you?" It sounded like Mom was chiding an eleven year old Emmett. It was funny shit to listen to.
"Yes, Mom." I couldn't see everything from where I sat but I had a fairly good view of the kitchen. Emmett put the bags he'd brought in down on the counter as Jasper stumbled in behind him with three times the bags Em had carried in.
"Geeze, Em, you'd think the dude the size of a gorilla would carry in the bulk of the bags, but noooooo! You let the scrawny Texan do all the heavy liftin'!" Jasper dropped his burden on the floor, not even bothering to try to place it on the counter. One by one he started unloading the contents like a dutiful son. Kiss ass. Alice walked over to Jazz and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before turning her attention back to her task.
"What's your problem, Jazz? I thought Texans did everything bigger and better?"
"I'm a Texan, dammit! Not a freaking Sherpa*! While you, on the other hand, are a lazy, oversized waste of muscles." Jazz shoved my big lug of a brother good and hard and Emmett shoved him right back.
"Oh, shut your pie hole, bean pole. Speaking of pie…" The bottomless pit that is my brother noticed the pie Bella made and made a move to stick his stumpy finger in it when Alice smacked his hand.
"Hey! That's for after dinner, and nobody's gonna wanna eat that if you stick those sausage links you call fingers in there. No telling where they've been!"
"Ouch, Allie-Cat! My hands are clean! Besides, I just wanted to test it for quality control purposes. Who made it anyway?"
"Bella did!" She motioned for my girl over to the side of the kitchen they were on. She'd been over near the sink chopping vegetables for Esme's salad. "You remember Bella from the Halloween party, right?"
Emmett managed to drag his eyes from the pie long enough to look at Bella. It took a second, but then recognition lit behind his eyes. "Dorothy!! Hey, how are you? It's about time Allie invited you to one of these family things." Typical of my brother, he gathered Bella up into his massive arms and proceeded to try to squeeze the life out of her.
"Ugh. Can't. Breathe. Emmett."
"Oh, sorry, Dot!" He let her go but kept one arm draped over her shoulders. It looked like she was struggling to support the weight of the world rather than Em's tree trunk of an arm.
"Her name's Bella, not Dot, you imbecile, and stop trying to crush my best friend." Alice rescued Bella from Emmett's hold and glared at him. Bella, meanwhile, went back to chopping veggies. I could just barely see her from where I sat. Em went over to kiss and hug Rose then moved across the room to stand next to Bella. He leaned back against the counter and picked at the progress she'd made, slowly diminishing the pile of carrots and tomatoes.
"So, Dot, how've ya been? Haven't seen you since the party. What's new?"
"Well, not too much, Boy Wonder, I've been busy teaching. You do remember that I'm a teacher, right? Masen's teacher, actually." My brother snickered at her snarky reference to his "Super Man" costume from the party, but didn't try to correct her.
"Yeah, I think I remember something about you being a music teacher...."
"Huh! I'm a hell of a lot more than just a music teacher." Em's hands went up, and waved in front of him protectively.
"Okay, okay! Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm sure you're a great at macaroni art and paint by numbers, too." I could imagine Bella rolling her eyes at that comment. I could see the pile of veggies she'd been working on little by little disappearing into the gaping cavern of Em's mouth.
"Hey, Em," she mused.
"Yeah, Bells?" Bella's head snapped up to look at him, and then went back to chopping.
"Did Alice tell you that I have a famous uncle?"
"No, she didn't. Do I know him?"
"Maybe... he did the Ginsu knives commercials. And he taught me everything he knows."
"Really? How about showing me some of that fancy knife work, BellaPepper?"
"You keep calling me those ridiculous names and eating my veggies and I'm gonna go all Ginsu on your rear end. Got it? And keep your nubs off my veggies, or they're liable to end up as garnish in the salad." She waved the knife in the air for effect.
"Geesh, B! Ever considered anger management? You might even benefit from some hypnosis sessions. I hear those work too."
"Whatever, ya big ape."
"Man, talk about moody! You should meet my brother, Edward. You two would be perfect for each other: Mister and Miss Broody Knickers."
Jazz, who had opted to join the men, sat on the couch with Dad and MM. Every time Em would give Bella a smart ass answer Jazz would look over at me, checking, I'm sure, that I wasn't about to launch myself at the asstard I called brother. It was after the "Knickers" comment that I chose to join them in the kitchen.
"Hey, bro, I was just talking about you! Have you met Bella yet? She was at the Halloween party...." I strolled up behind the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist. I buried my face deep in her neck and inhaled deeply. Then, with a glance to be sure the asstard was watching, began slowly peppering her neck, shoulders, back, anywhere her skin was bare, with kisses.
"Um.... I guess that's a yes?"
Bella giggled and wrapped her arms over mine, leaning back into my affections.
"Yeah, Em. We've met."
"Wait, you're with Dorothy?" His eyes flipped back and forth between the two of us incredulously.
"Yep, Einstein. For a few months now." I probably shouldn't have taken so much pleasure in the way all this was going down, but fuck me, his expression was priceless. Alice and Mom had been quietly watching the whole thing play out and Alice busted out laughing.
"What? What's so damn funny, you tiny troll?" She tried to stop laughing long enough to explain, but only succeeded in snorting. Eventually she managed to squeak out an intelligible reply.
"Your face, Em! You look like a lemon that ate an Atomic War Head. Could it be any more sour?"
"Shut. It. Are you telling me I'm the only one who didn't know about these two love birds?" Rose joined in the fun of antagonizing her husband.
"Yep."
"Nice. What is this, 'Leave Emmett in the Dark Day?'"
"Something like that," Rose patted his arm patronizingly. Emmett looked like a lost puppy dog whose squeaky toy had just been run through a shredder. "Don't be sad, sweetie. Mom, Dad, and I just found out today, too. Seems Allie and Jazz have been holding out on us."
"Hold on... MINI, get in here munchkin," Emmett bellowed for my son to come into the kitchen. My son joined us and stood next to where I cuddled his teacher and friend. "Did you know about this, too," his uncle demanded. He looked at us together and his eyes sparkled, then turned to the oaf in front of us.
"Yeah, Uncle Em, it's kinda freaking obvious. I am his son and her student; I'm on the 'People Who Need to Know' list. Obviously."
Bella snickered at Masen sassing his uncle. Emmett glared at her and growled, "Watch it! I'll get you, my pretty- and your little dog, too."
Masen was quick to defend our girl. "Her dog isn't so little, Uncle Em, and I wouldn't mess with Mr.D if I were you. He has a mean growl and I bet if you pissed him off his bite would be pretty nasty, too."
God I loved my son!
~oOo~
The men had been relegated to the family room once again. Anyone with a Y chromosome was banished from the Land of Delectable Delights, and I'm not just referring to the food. It sucked to be told I had to leave Bella's side just so the women could have their time, but I followed orders and reclaimed my earlier seat. Hell, if I couldn't be near her then I was going to at least be able to see her. Dad and my brothers claimed the couch while Mini sprawled out on the floor. Em leaned over and socked me on the arm. Hard.
"Ow! What the hell, asstard? What was that for?"
"For keeping secrets from your big bro, pretty boy. You know better than to try to hide shit from me. Remember, I warned you weeks ago"
The next few minutes passed in silence. The sounds from the game and the soft, hushed voices and laughter floated from the kitchen, filling the air. Masen hopped up and went into the kitchen to get another root beer and to be near Bella, I'm sure. I loved that he adored her as much as I did.
Emmett leaned close to me once again, and I had to consciously stop myself from flinching away from him. Only pussies flinch. Surprisingly, he didn't punch me. No, the ass wanted to talk. He could be such a chick sometimes.
"Soooo, you've been playin' 'hide the salami' with the teacher, Edwardo? I had no idea you 'had it in you.' But I can't say I 'blame you,' if I didn't have Rosie, I'd be so 'hot for teacher!'"
I'd never seen so many air quotes used in one statement in my entire life. For a minute I thought his fingers might fall off from overuse.
"Oh, shut the fuck up, asshat, and stop using air quotes. You look like you have Tourrette's ," I hissed.
"You kiss our mother with that mouth? You had best watch your potty mouth, Eddie. Mom will have your hide if she hears you talking like that."
"Shut it. You're one to talk; if I have a potty mouth then yours is the fucking sewer!"
"True. But don't try to distract me, tell me all about the teacher. Does she smack you with her ruler? Does she wear sexy ass heels and those dark rimmed glasses? Those are hot, bro!"
I couldn't help but picture Bella in heels, wearing sexy glasses and slapping her open palm with a ruler. I was instantly hard just thinking about Teacher Bella and the ways she could school me. Then it occurred to me that my pervert of a brother was probably picturing the same thing. Well, close to it. I decided to make it very clear that shit wasn't gonna fly. I shifted in my seat getting even closer to him and crooked my finger for him to do the same. When we were inches apart I sent him a clear warning.
"Emmet, listen closely, 'cause I'm only saying this once. It is none of your fucking business where I hide my salami, so just don't go there. And since we're on the topic of my love life, I think it's only fair for me to warn you that if you so much as make my woman uncomfortable with your asinine comments and juvenile jokes, I will not hesitate to ensure that you won't be enjoying any conjugal visits with your wife. Because I will kick you so hard in the nads that they'll permanently reside next to your spleen. Got that?"
"Easy there, muffin! No need to get your panties in a wad, I was just curious."
Before I could remind him to mind his own fucking bee's wax, Mom called us all to the table.
"Dinner's served, boys!"
I shot one last warning look at Emmett to keep his big trap shut. He made like he was making out with the back of his arm, and I flipped him a bird. I tucked my hand into my pocket just as Mom turned around and tried to look innocent. It probably looked more like I was constipated, though. I never could "do" innocent.
All the men filed into the dining room as the women folk were setting the last of the dishes on the table. Cullen Family Sunday Dinner was always a big deal; no one ever missed it unless it was an emergency or they were dead. We all took our usual places at the table. Bella sat between Masen and me, right where she belonged. The plates of food were passed around and conversation filled in the silences between the clinks and dings of silverware on china. Mom always insisted on using the good stuff. She said it made the weekly meal special.
Mom spoke to Mini from across the table, "Masen," she never called him by his nicknames, always Masen, "How's school coming, sweetie?"
"Really well, Grandma. We're doing this awesome group project for music appreciation."
"Well, tell me about it then!"
Mini looked to Bella, seeking reassurance. She smiled down at him and elbowed him gently in the ribs. He squeaked a little before looking back to his grandmother.
"We have to pick a popular modern song and remake it. We can put our own spin on it, or simply sing it straight, but we have to play all the instruments ourselves, and record the music and lyrics in the studio at school."
"That sounds very interesting, MM," Rose interjected. "Sounds like you have a pretty amazing teacher." She punctuated her compliment with a wink.
"Yeah, she's okay, I guess." My son returned Bella's nudge.
"Hey! I definitely rate at least a 'cool' on the teacher-meter. Watch it or I might make you regret those words!"
"Sure, B. Whatcha gonna do? Make me stand up and do the Macarena in front of the whole class?"
"Pft! No way! Worse- the chicken dance," Bella deadpanned.
Mini's eyes got huge, and then he turned back to the conversation with his grandmother. Bella mussed his hair to reassure him that she was kidding. The entire table was intently watching their interaction. Alice and Rose were grinning like two Cheshire cats. Emmett was smirking behind his fist, his fork dangerously close to poking his own eye out. I swear, that guy was a menace to himself and society. Jazz was nodding and Dad exchanged knowing glances with Mom. They were all falling for her. Like they had a choice. She's irresistible!
"Anyway, like I was saying.... It’s a really fun project, and if we want extra credit then we can film a music video to go with the song."
"What song did your group choose, M?" Jazz seemed very interested in my son's fourth grade music project.
"We picked the best song ever!"
I was just as interested because he hadn't told me that they'd picked a song yet, "Yeah, Me, what did you end up choosing?"
"Are you ready for this? It's off the hook good," he wiggled in his chair to sit up straighter. "'Ice, Ice Baby’ by Vanilla Ice!”
I nearly choked on my bite of potatoes. The rest of the table erupted in similar sounds and guffaws. Everyone minus Bella and my son, that is. Those two weren't in on the joke.
"What's so freaking funny about 'Ice, Ice Baby'?" Masen demanded.
"I'm not sure, sweetie. Apparently we aren't in on the inside joke." Bella said.
Nothing, sweetie," my mother soothed. "Your aunts and uncles are just recalling a less than stellar moment in their shared history."
"What are you talking about, Grandma?"
"Your grandma's right, it’s really nothing, Mini. Don't worry about it," I interjected.
"No, Dad! I want to know why everyone's laughing."
He obviously wasn't going to let this one go, so I thought maybe he'd be happy with part of the embarrassing truth.
"Well, when we were younger your uncles, a few of our friends, and I made our own video and I'm sure they were just remembering that, right guys?" Everyone nodded in agreement.
I thought to myself, Thank fuck that was over and now we could get back to-
"What song, Dad?"
"Huh?"
"What song did you make a video for when you were younger? And how old were you guys?"
Damn! My son was way smarter than I gave him credit for. I looked around the table for some support from my brothers in fuckery. That's a hell of a lot like brothers at arms, but much less cool. They just stared back at me, no help whatsoever. Finally, after several moments of silence and countless glances that were shot back and forth across the table, I relented and told him. With a deep, centering breath, I huffed out the whole truth.
"Mase, when your uncles and I were in high school we made a video for a popular song..."
"Yeah, I got that part, what was the song, Dad?"
"'Ice, Ice, Baby.'"
"No way!"
"Believe it, little man, your dad was quite the Vanilla Ice fan!"
Could my asstard of a brother ever keep his big mouth shut?
"Really, Dad? I'm surprised!"
"Oh, yeah! He had the fade, slashed brows, baggy pants, and all!"
Apparently, not only could Em not shut the fuck up, but he felt it was his personal mission to destroy what little street cred I had in my own damn home. Both my woman and my son had front row seats to the "Emasculation of Edward Cullen." Fun times.
"No way," Mase continued; his dinner abandoned, forgotten.
"Yes, way! He had all the moves down cold! We thought he was gonna give himself whiplash with all the head flailing and chicken flapping he was doing. It kinda looked like a Cornish hen having a seizure when he would dance. It was the funniest fucking thing I've ever seen!"
Yep, he was out to decimate me.
"Emmett McCarthy Cullen. You use that manner of language at my table again, your butt will be so sore you won't be able to sit for two weeks, got it?"
"Yeah. Sorry, ma. But it was hilarious, Mini! I think we might even have the video still. We can look for it after dinner."
He winked conspiratorially at the fruit of my loins. After nearly ten years of unwavering adoration, my clusterfuck of a brother finally succeeded in turning my only begotten son against me. Masen's eyes twinkled at the thought of seeing the video. Promises were vowed to dig up the offending leg humper of a video after dinner and watch it. I'd never hated my brother more. But as the saying goes, "Don't get mad, get fucking even!"
"Like you have room to talk, DJ EmC-Squared!" Yeah, I threw my brother under the bus. Hell, if I was going down so was he! He was just as much a poser as I was back in the day. I was about to make sure my entire family remembered that piece of info, too.
Masen looked at Emmett, his mouth hanging open. The kid was speechless. Maybe even for the first time in his life.
"Don't believe a word your old man says, Mini. He's just trying to deflect attention from himself."
"Not true, Em. You know very well, you were an aspiring DJ. He was so cute behind his little turntables, wearing his thick chains, and let me tell you, he could rock the Hammer pants!"
"Hey now! Don't knock the Hammer Pants! They were fu- uh, freaking awesome! I still have a pair of them in my closet."
"No, you don't," Rose cut in without looking up from her plate.
"Yeah, I do, babe. In the back where I keep all my old Halloween costumes. Maybe you've never seen the magnificent magic Hammer pants, but they are in there. If you're really good I may even put them on for ya later."
"No, they aren't. And I've seen them. In fact, the last time I saw them was the day after Halloween when I was putting away your costume. I found them shoved in a back corner, and I may have thrownthemaway..." It took that information a few seconds to sink in for Em, as the last words of her confession were mumbled and ran together. The moment he did catch on registered clearly on his face as shock and disbelief.
"Rosie! You did what? Please tell me that you're joking! There's no way you could have thrown those out! They were a part of history!"
"So were pet rocks, but you don't hear of people stashing them in the back corners of their closets. Baby, they were a part of history best forgotten. Move on."
Emmett looked like someone had killed his cat. I kinda felt bad for the fucker. He really loved his cats; he was a pussy man. Slowly, he picked up his fork and began eating again.
Suddenly, Emmett said to Bella, "So, BellyButton, it's obvious you're uber into my brother and his spawn; what are your thoughts on the Wicked Bitch of the West moving back here?"
I froze. The table went silent. Alice dropped her fork and it clanged against the plate. But that was the only sound other than the occasional breath. I looked at the woman next to me just as she looked up to me, a questioning, pleading look on her face. We could all see that she was confused. Who could blame her, seeing as I hadn't told her yet that Jess was moving back. I could only imagine what was going through her mind.
Emmett looked around to the assortment of faces staring open mouthed at him.
"What? Why's everyone looking at me like that? I just asked a simple que- Oh. Wait. Bella didn't know yet did she? Aw, fuck!"
Bella's eyes met mine and we locked gazes. No one spoke for a moment. Then she shifted in her seat to face me. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Edward, what is your brother talking about? Am I hearing him correctly? Did he just say that your ex-wife is moving back into town?"
I thought to myself, Well, I guess now is as good a time an any to tell the woman I adore that the woman I despise and secretly think is the devil incarnate, is moving to the same zip code that we live in.
"Bella, I'd wanted to tell you about this, but the timing was never right. I wanted to wait until I'd told Masen first and I just told him yesterday. I know I should have told you sooner but I was stalling...."
"But why, Edward? Why didn't you just tell me? When is the timing ever right for this kind of conversation? Do you think now is really the optimal time to be having this discussion? I sure as hell don't." Her voice was calm, but firm. I had the distinct feeling this was her "teacher voice."
"No, of course not, sweetie. I never imagined this conversation going this way."
"Well, then when? How? Did you plan to do it over a romantic dinner one night? Or would a stroll through the plaza have been more appropriate? Or were you just not going to tell me at all and hope I didn't notice when a woman who looks a lot like your son starts showing up at Parent Nights at school?"
She was getting more upset with each scenario. I took her face gently in both of my hands, trying to get her to listen to me.
"Babe, I know this is upsetting, but let's go in the other room so you can yell at me all you want in private, okay?"
I wanted her to be able to say whatever the fuck she needed to me without all those eyes on her. Even if she was going to be mad as hell at me. I took her hand and silently pleaded with her to follow me as I stood. To my shock and horror she resisted. She pulled me back down onto my chair.
"No, Edward. Sit down. Let's not ruin dinner over this. We can talk about it later. Just... just tell me everything's gonna be okay."
All the anger had just melted away. What remained was insecurity. It was dripping from her voice and it nearly killed me to hear how it pooled around each pause. I caressed her cheek with my knuckles, just the faintest brush against the blush that had bloomed there. With every fiber of my being I assured her, "Sweetie, I promise you this: everything will be fine. Jessica's moving into town will not change anything, understand? And we can talk about this as much or as little as you want, just say the word. But I assure you, Jess will have little impact on our lives."
She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing briefly. When they opened, the self assured, spitfire of a woman I knew and loved was back.
"Okay, then. We can discuss this later," she said, looking around at my family members. "I'm sorry I interrupted dinner. I hope my outburst didn't ruin anyone's appetite."
Rose spoke first, "Absolutely not, Bella. You didn't ruin my appetite; that was destroyed earlier when the guys were describing Edward in his Vanilla Ice stage. Ugh, think I'm gonna be sick just thinking about it."
After that, dinner went pretty smoothly. Bella and I held hands under the table when we could. Everyone took turns asking her questions about herself and her family. She answered all their questions and asked them a few as well. Her mood improved and lightened as the dinner went on. Occasionally I'd feel her fingers brush against the denim on my thigh, her touch sending shock waves of electricity shooting through me and straight to my groin. At one point I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, trying to subtly readjust the bulge in my jeans. I wondered if Bella was getting as turned on as I was.
Puppies and Grammy. Puppies and Grammy and splinters being rammed under my finger nails. Puppies and Grammy and splinters under the nails and a kick to the nads.
I tried chanting in my head the things I thought were the farthest things from turn-ons, but Edwardo was still eager to see Bella's lady bits. I had a feeling that he'd gone past the point of no return; the only thing capable of getting him to stand down now was either being buried in my woman or the shock of a near tragedy. And since this area wasn't known for its bear population, and the chances of my brother being mauled by one were slim to none, I started plotting how and where I could sneak Bella away from the others. Even of just for a few moments. I just needed her hands on me. That was when her fingers, which had been tracing innocent enough circles on my thigh, brushed against my erection. My traitor body jerked in my seat and I gasped. I shot her a warning look but she wasn't paying any attention to me. When she did finally look at me she simply winked and palmed my length through my pants. And in the time it took me to realize what the little minx was up to, her hand retreated to the safe circles it had been carving into my leg. I looked at her, in a way that could only be interpreted as the "What-the-fuck-are-you-thinking-giving-me-a-stiffy-at-the-dinner-table-in-front-of-my-family" look. She just winked again and gave my thigh a gentle squeeze. Fuck how I wished that was my dick she was squeezing and not my thigh! The dinner conversation continued, the rest of the table blissfully unaware of the delicious torture I was being subjected to right under their forks.
~oOo~
After dinner the Cullen men, Jasper included, cleaned the dishes. It was tradition, and it seemed only fair. Besides, how hard was it to load a fucking dishwasher anyway? The women took Bella around the house and showed her the house. She hadn't seen much of it during the Halloween party and the few rooms she had seen were littered with death and dismemberment.
Once we had finished up in the kitchen, the cleanup crew went out to the pool house to change into their suits. This was another tradition when the weather permitted: either the beach or the pool. I went looking for Bella after I changed into my suit. I had her bag in hand as I jogged up the stairs. I heard the laughter coming from the third floor and had a pretty good clue they were in or near my old room. Mom had kept all of our rooms as we had left them after we left. All but Alice's. The vertically challenged diva had insisted that her room be made over to suit her more mature tastes. I smirked as I passed the open door to Alice's room, seeing the browns and blues that covered the space. I stopped at the entry to my room and chuckled at the sight of my mother, sisters and the woman I loved hovering over old yearbooks, baby albums, and memorabilia spread across the bed. I looked around at the walls, still peppered with posters of my favorite bands at the time. Trophies and medals sat on shelves, some from when I was a small boy, younger than my son, others from high school and college. Stashed between the accolades of victories past were my Transformers and G.I. Joes. After a few moments of standing there the ladies looked up to see me resting against the door. The wise women in my life took my presence as their cue to leave. They excused themselves, assuring B that they would see her downstairs.
Once the room had cleared out of all but my beautiful girl I went to her and stood before her. She spanned the few feet that separated us instantly, not hesitating even a second. Her arms went around my waist, her hands sliding up my back and hooking up over my shoulders, pulling me tightly to her. Her deep sigh was a contented one, as if she had needed this contact all through dinner. I wrapped her in my arms, burying my face in her dark hair and inhaling her scent. We stood like that in silence for a long while before I broke the peace and manned up.
"Bella? I'm really sorry, baby," I murmured into her neck, "I should have told you about Jess when I first found out she was coming. It was really stupid to keep it from you. Will you forgive your asshat of a boyfriend?"
Silence. Nothing. Not a sniffle, not a "yes" or a "no," not a tirade of curse words. Fucking nothing.
This is so not what I was expecting. I wish she'd say something, anything!
I tried to encourage a response from her, "Bella, honey, whaddya say? Forgive me?"
"I'm thinking..."
"Thinking? About whether or not you forgive me?"
Fuck. I was in more trouble than I thought.
"Pretty much. I mean, I forgive you. Of course I forgive you, but I'm thinking about what I want, no, need to say to you."
She stepped back, still keeping her arms tight around my middle, and asked if we could sit. I guided us to sit on the edge of the bed and we laid down. She tucked into my side where she belonged. I waited patiently for her to start. After a loud sigh she began.
"Edward, I can understand why you didn't tell me about Jess at first, really I can. I think what bothers me is that you failed to tell me after it was clear that she was definitely moving. I know we jumped into this relationship quickly, getting serious early on. We’ve only just now told your family, but I would think that this is something you would have shared with me. It affects both of us, greatly. Actually it has the potential to affect ‘us.’ So, can you see where this would upset me?"
I really did see her point, but in my defense I didn't intentionally keep her in the fucking dark. It just looked that way.
"Bella, I was wrong. I handled this all wrong, and I am sorry for that, but I never wanted to keep this from you. I did plan on telling you, believe me, I did. At first I just hoped that she'd change her mind and not move. When it was obvious that wasn't happening I knew I had to tell Masen. I figured he should be one of the first to know. Once I told him then I had planned on telling you. I only just told him yesterday, right after we talked about you.
"I hate that you found out like you did, and believe me, the first chance I get I'm gonna give that fucker brother of mine an Indian burn for that shit he pulled at dinner, but I am glad that you know. Now we can decide how we will handle her moving back. As a family."
I felt her hold her breath. I wondered if I'd said the wrong shit. When she released the air trapped in her lungs she whispered my last words, "As a family.
"I haven't been a part of a real family since the accident. After Reese died everything… everything just fell apart. We were never the same again. We loved each other, but we couldn't ever see past our own individual pain to be together, like before. I'm not sure I know how to be that anymore. What if I can't? I don't want to hurt you or Masen. I love you too much to do that."
I gasped at her words. The honesty and fear was thick in her voice. The insecurity I had seen at dinner returned, and the strong, fearless woman faded into a scared little girl. I realized how hard that must have been for her to say, even to me. She had just told me she loved me. For the first time. It made my heart soar and pound against my ribs. Then it struck me: not only did she love me, she loved my son. She wanted to protect us both. Not just from the Wicked Bitch of the West, but from anything that might hurt us; even herself. But I knew she never could. She was worried over nothing.
I shifted us, and pulled her against my chest, so she could feel the pounding of my heart. I prayed to God that she heard what I was about to tell her and believed it.
"Bella, you could never hurt us. I hate that your family was torn apart by a terrible tragedy and that you lost the one person you were closest to in this world, but baby, you can be part of a family. You already are. Sure it's brand new, but we're yours for the taking. If you'll have us."
Her hand, resting on my chest over my heart, fisted the thin cotton of my t-shirt. I sat us up so I could look in her eyes.
"I love you, Bella Swan. I love and adore you. And I happen to know of at least one other Cullen man who feels the same way. We love you, sweetie, and we know that you love us. Are you ready to be part of a family again? Because it's not just us two adorable guys you'll be getting. The whole clan of clusterfucks down there come with us. Think you're ready for that?” I paused, hesitant. “I know it's a little early for this kind of discussion."
Oh, god! Please be ready for that! Say you want us as much as we want you.
Tears streamed down her face. I gently brushed them away. Taking her face in my hands I kissed each cheek, then her forehead, and finally her sweet lips. When I looked in her eyes again I saw the woman I loved.
"Yes."
"'Yes,' what, Bella? Are you agreeing it’s too early or that you want this fucked up family as your own?"
"Yes, I want you. And Masen. And your parents, and your siblings. All of them. I want them."
"Even Emmett? 'Cause, I don't even want him. It must be love if you want that fucktard."
"Even Emmett. I think. Wait- can I get back to you on Emmett?"
"Sure, baby, we're all still on the fence with Emmett. Except Mom. She's kinda partial to him seeing as she hatched him and all."
We both laughed at the turn the conversation had taken. Then she got quiet again.
"Edward?"
"Yeah, baby?"
She looked at me. I felt like she was looking through my eyes and seeing my soul.
"I love you."
"I know, Sweetie. Say it again."
"I love you, Edward Masen Cullen."
"God, I love that coming from your lips."
"Good, because I plan on saying it a lot now." She nuzzled my neck, covering the skin there with sweet kisses.
"Fuck, yes! Bella?"
"Yes, my love?"
"I love you. So very much."
"Hmmmm, I love that coming from your lips, Mr. Cullen."
"Good, because I plan on saying it quite often."
"In the immortal words of a very wise and eloquent man, 'Fuck, yes!'"
Hearing her swear did wild things to my body, especially my dick. What I wanted to do more than anything at that moment was show her how much I loved her for hours and hours, but I couldn't do that with our entire family downstairs waiting for us. Our family. I loved the way that sounded. So I settled for kissing her to within an inch of her life. Just when things were moving past the kissing/heavy petting stage into the manual stimulation stage, I heard the angelic voice of my devil of a son carry up the stairs.
"Dad! B! Where are you guys? Everyone's already in the pool! Stop smoochin' and get your arses down here!"
Bella answered him, "We'll be right down, Little Man!" She looked at me, adding, "Did your son just say 'arses'?"
"Yep. Probably a result of Emmett's good influence."
She laughed. I loved that sound. I loved this woman. And I would never stop being thankful that she loved me too.
~oOo~
Bella quickly changed into her suit and wrapped a long skirt around her waist, tying it at the hip just above her tat. We walked down the stairs hand in hand. Emmett was leaning against the banister at the foot of the stairs, obviously waiting for us. Bella stopped on the first step, almost bringing her eye to eye with the ogre.
"Bells, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure thing, big guy. What's shakin'?"
"Well, I...I just...What I want to say is that I know...I mean... DAMN!" Em's hand went to the back of his neck and he looked down at his bare feet.
Bella shot me a look like "What's his problem?" I suppressed a snicker that would surely get me thumped on the head or punched in the arm. I just shrugged instead. Her laugh cut the tension that hung in the air.
"Sorry, Shrek, I don't speak crazy. You're gonna have to spit it out."
He glanced up at her, and seeing her smile, smiled as well. His voice was so quiet when he said, "I'm really sorry for being an ass back there at dinner. I shouldn't have just blurted that out. Sometimes I don't think before I speak. I really need to learn to fucking do that. It would keep me out of a lot of trouble with my wife."
Bella hands went to his shoulders. She said in the sweetest voice, "Hey, it's okay, ya big asstard. I know you didn't mean to upset me. It wasn't your fault that the man I love is a bigger asstard than you and failed to mention that his ex-bitch was moving back into town. Don't beat yourself up over it. Thank you for apologizing, though. I love ya for it."
Her hands slapped against his skin as she dismissed his guilt. Then out of the blue, Emmett suddenly roared in disgust, "Uhhhhh! You just gave me a wet willy!" It was fucking loud, too. His ear was covered by his giant mitt of a hand, his face contorted in what appeared to be pain. Bella squealed and sprung from the stairs darting past us and out to the pool at break-neck speed.
"That's what you get for spilling the beans, Jolly Lame Giant!"
"Get back here! You are so gonna pay for that shit, BellieTubbie," he took off after her and I followed close behind him. Bella shrieked as she tore through the house and out the open doors to the pool. Em caught her just before she could reach the assured safety of the family.
"Gottcha," he flung her over his shoulder and maneuvered her kicking form to the edge of the pool; her screams could probably be heard across the Atlantic. "That shit's just gross, and unsanitary, Bells. You are gonna have to be taught a lesson. It's time for a Cullen Ass Kicking..."
The rest of the family began shouting at him to put her down and not do what we all knew he was planning on doing. Their voices blending with hers as she berated him and pounded on his back.
"Don't even think about it, Emmett Cullen. You put me down right now or you will really feel my wrath. And this time there won't be any childish pranks involved! Put me DOWN!"
Without another word, Emmett did just as Bella had commanded him. He heaved her tiny form up over his head and chucked her into the pool like she was no more than a Frisbee. Arms and legs and hair went soaring through the air, then a loud splash sent water lurching out onto the deck. Bella came up gasping and shoving her sopping hair back from her face. She swam to the side and lifted herself from the water, and the image of her wet and pissed gave me a semi. Then again, when didn’t something about this woman get me aroused? She prowled over to where my brother and I stood, crooked her finger for him to stoop down to her height, and stage whispered in his ear, "Wrong choice, Hoss. I will get you back. It might not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but I assure you, the second you forget that you crossed me will be the instant that sweet justice will rain down on you. Watch your back, Em, 'cause I've got a meat cleaver with your name etched on it." She patted his cheek hard and went to sit near the others.
I wasn't positive, but I thought I saw Emmett shiver.
~oOo~
*Sherpa- a Mountain guide in the Himalayan Mountains who carries all the climbers' gear.
~oOo~
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