AN: This chapter was actually a dream I had that started this entire story. The middle section that takes place in Edward’s hotel room was the very first words of FF I ever wrote. I told many of you that this chapter was nearly done. However, upon going back over many chapters, I realized that 1) it was a very short chapter, and 2) there were many adjustments and additions to be made. After many rewrites of the top and bottom sections, I have finally finished this chapter and I apologize for the long wait. I do believe you will enjoy this chapter and, hopefully, it will bring you a lot of *squeee’s* and giggles!
Rita01tx: Just remember Icy’s words from MotU: “Anticipation is the key to seduction and I’m really into delayed gratification.” Well, as long as it’s not delayed too long LMAO!
Thank you all for reading and for commenting. MWAH!
WAITING IN THE TWILIGHT
Chapter 16
BPOV
For the next several hours, I felt like I was being swept along inside a tornado. It was all I could do to think, or even breathe, during the entire ride to the bookstore in the limo. Edward was sitting quite close to me, as if we’d always been friends instead of complete strangers. I thought, with him being so shy, he would have been more distant, but he wasn’t. If I were deprived of all my senses but sight, I would still have had a difficult time just sitting there trying not to jump on him. Unfortunately, all my senses were in perfect working order and I could feel the warmth of his body next to mine. The very smell of him, mingling with his cologne, was intoxicating. The sight of that panty-melting smolder, the wild sex hair, the glorious blue gray eyes, and the sound of his smooth as silk voice, all put my resolve to maintain my composure to the test. The short ride to the Starlight bookstore seemed to take forever, and yet it was over far too soon.
Emmett and Dean had been following closely behind us and, the moment we pulled up in front of the bookstore, they lunged from their car and descended on the limo. Edward had explained to me that they would normally ride with him, but he felt that it might intimidate me so they had agreed to follow the limo in a separate car. The crowds surged and roared with screams for Edward as soon as he emerged from the limousine. He didn’t stop to sign autographs because that was the whole reason we were here. Instead, he took hold of my hand as he helped me out of the limo and never let it go. He paused every few minutes to wave and smile at the crowd, always smiling down at me at every stop and gesturing towards me. He even stopped and applauded me a few times until I had no choice but to grab his arm and make him stop. I was grinning like a crazy person the whole time. I couldn’t help myself…I was completely besotted by him!
Still, I was dreading the two hour book signing session. I remembered the video I had seen where the screaming fan girls were literally deafening, and how badly I’d felt for Edward having to endure all that. I don’t know if it was being with him, or if it was because it was all so new and exciting to me, but what should have seemed like an eternity passed by quickly. The sound of the screams was unbearable at times, but Edward was hilariously funny and that seemed to distract me from the sound. He complimented me every time someone asked him questions about the final scene, he constantly seemed to bring me into the conversations, making sure the spotlight was on me, and I didn’t understand his reasoning for it. I hadn’t done anything in comparison to his talent and work in the Twilight saga. It finally occurred to me that perhaps he was being paid to turn the questions back on me at every opportunity. Maybe it was part of his responsibility in the whole writing contest thing.
Once we were back in the limo, Edward informed me we would be taking an hour for lunch and asked me where I would like to go. I had no idea of what restaurants were in California and all I could think of from my conversations on MEoW and EA was “In and Out Burger.” I had never been to one and, when I made the suggestion, purely because I could think of nothing else, Edward laughed out loud and said, with a huge grin and a ridiculously cute giggle, “God, I love you!” Then he turned to the driver and told him where to go. I was too stunned at hearing those words come out of his mouth and directed at me to say anything. I knew it was just one of those random things that flew out of his mouth. He was famous for his word vomit, after all. Even if he said it because I amused him, it took my breath away and stilled my heart. He asked me what I wanted to eat when we got there and, since I had no idea, I left the choice up to him. Sure enough, ten minutes later, we went through the drive-thru of an “In and Out Burger” in a limousine. Poor Nick had driving duty today and he was not amused, swearing under his breath as he tried to navigate the stretch limo through the narrow turns of the drive-thru. Edward, however, found it hysterically funny. His laughter was contagious and had both of us rolling around in the back seat, holding our stomachs and giggling like a couple of idiots. He made me feel so at ease most of the time, as long as he wasn’t giving me the sexy smolder or touching me. Edward really was the most amazing man. He was everything the MEoW girls and I thought he was, and more. Every moment I spent with him was a treasure I’d cherish for the rest of my life!
After enjoying the most delicious burgers I’d ever eaten, we returned to the hotel to change for the taping of Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. I was really nervous about this whole thing. Edward appeared on TV all the time, so he was used to it, but I never had. And knowing it was Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen? Oh, my God! They were capable of anything! Would they be nice to me? Would they make fun of me? I felt like throwing up!
Adding to my building stress level was the fact that I had no idea what to wear. The clothes I had chosen this morning were for the entire day, or so I had thought, and now I was stuck. I wasn’t expecting to have to change so soon. Summit was providing my clothes and that included casual outfits. I knew Edward never dressed up for these talk show appearances and I wondered what he was going to wear. Thinking about what Edward was going to wear, or rather the fact that Edward was just in the next room getting undressed, had me sidetracked. My mind started to wander and, before I knew it, Dean was knocking at my door telling me we had to leave in five minutes. Crap! I didn’t have time to try and dress to impress Edward now. I grabbed the first top I could find, which turned out to be a silky dark blue wraparound, but my feet were begging me not to put on the black heels, so I opted for my own favorite pair of Converse. I twisted my hair up loosely, pinned it in place and sighed. This would have to do.
EPOV
The entire day had been one thrill after another, from the moment I learned the contest winner was, in fact, my EDGe…my dream girl. There had been an intense moment when we first got into the limo as I accidentally kicked her with my big feet. She was so small and delicate that I was afraid I’d broken her ankle, but she had smiled and calmly said, “I’m fine, darlin’.” It took all of my self-control to behave when that Southern accent of hers went right through me like a sensual caress. I wanted nothing more than to grab her and kiss her senseless, but I knew it would scare her. Being this close to her and not being able to hold her in my arms was the most delicious torture I’d ever felt!
I wanted everyone at the Starlight to learn what an incredible woman she was today. As we stepped out of the limo, I heard applause and several people calling Bella’s name, as well as my own. Apparently, they’d already bought the new edition of Breaking Dawn with her rewrite in it and now they all knew her name. I stepped back to applaud her myself, letting her know how proud of her I was. She just blushed bright red and grabbed my wrists, pushing them down to make me stop before hiding her face in my shoulder. I certainly wasn’t complaining. Anything I did that brought her physically closer to me and made her smile was something I’d just have to keep doing. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and we continued in to the book signing. I could tell she didn’t give herself enough credit…they asked her just as many questions as they did me and I saw that, in a few young girls’ eyes, she had become a role model. Bella didn’t see it like that at all, though. She seemed to think their flattery and admiration was part of the prize package and that, when this weekend was over, she was going to go back to a normal life. From what I’d seen so far, that was never going to happen. She didn’t realize it yet, but she was famous. I knew she had a contract with Little Brown and, if she turned out a novel half as good as that rewrite, her name was going to be a household word in no time.
Once we left the Starlight for lunch, I offered to let her choose where to go and the first words out of her mouth were, “In and Out Burger!” I knew she chose it because it was a restaurant she knew “her Edward” went to a lot and was probably the only one that came to mind at that moment. But the thought of the limo going through the drive-thru was hilarious to me. I was only sorry I hadn’t thought of it before. It was exactly the type of thing she and her blogger friends had missed while I’d been confined to the BD set, and the kind of thing they expected of me now that I was free. Well, this was my chance to oblige them and I was more than happy to do so. Nick, however, didn’t think it was at all funny and asked me twice if I was sure before he headed in that direction. He was under strict orders not to leave me alone, so he knew he couldn’t just park and then go in and order for us. Emmett and Dean were following close behind and I could hear Nick talking over his headset, begging one of them to go in and get our food. Since there was no way they’d separate to do that, not with this much promotion going on over such a long awaited movie, Nick was forced to maneuver endlessly before making it up to the drive-thru window. I turned and looked out the back window at Emmett and Dean. Dean had his forehead resting on his hands on top of the steering wheel, his shoulders bobbing up and down, while Emmett was wobbling back and forth in his seat, wiping his face in both hands. I wondered what the hell was going on with those two. Oh well, I’d ask them once we got back to the hotel.
After we’d eaten, Nick drove us back to the hotel to change clothes for the taping of Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. I walked Bella to her door with Emmett and Dean following a few feet behind. I took her card key and unlocked the door but, just as a precaution, I stuck my head inside the room to make sure no paps had broken security and were lying in wait for her in her room. Finding no reason to linger, except that I hated to leave her side for any reason, I returned her key and then took her by the hand.
“Dean will come back for you when it’s time to leave and I’ll meet you at the elevator,” I told her.
Then I kissed the back of her hand and walked away, leaving her with her mouth hanging open. My chest might have puffed up a little, knowing I had that effect on her.
Thankfully, Emmett and Dean realized I wanted as much privacy as I could get with her and stayed as far behind as they dared while Bella and I were together. But, the minute her hotel room door was closed, all bets were off. Emmett moved in on me while Dean went ahead and thoroughly checked out my room for a security breach.
“Classy, Edward. Real classy. You’ve been locked up too long, bro,” he snickered.
“What did I do?” I demanded.
“Dude! Lunch was basically your first date with Bella and what do you do? The damn In and Out Burger! For real, Edward? In a stretch limousine, no less? Jesus! It looked like the damn limo was having sex with the drive-thru…back and forth, back and forth, in and out, in and out. Being confined to the set has turned you into a real freak, bro.”
Oh, my God! Did he have to mention sex while Bella was changing clothes in the next room? I didn’t hear anything after that. My mind took a nosedive into the gutter from that moment on. I went to the bathroom and started to shave but I kept sliding back into the damn gutter thanks to Emmett and the knowledge that Bella was half naked next door.
The next thing I knew, Emmett was back in my room banging on my bedroom door.
“Let’s go, Casanova! Bella’s waiting for you. You have to be at the studio in thirty minutes.”
I quickly evened out my half start on shaving, which basically turned into the beginnings of a goatee. I grabbed the first T-shirt and jacket I could find and quickly changed. Alice would give me shit for dressing this way later, I was sure, and for not shaving…again. I rushed out the door with Emmett in tow to see the beautiful Bella in the most luscious shade of navy blue. That color on her soft translucent skin made certain parts of my anatomy stand at attention. I fidgeted with my jacket to try to cover the fact and folded my hands in front of me, but it was hard to think clearly with her beautiful face smiling up at me in awe. She’d tied her hair up loosely and the tiny tendrils that curved and curled around her face and neck made me absolutely positive that I did, indeed, have vampire tendencies toward this woman. I desperately wanted to bite her neck and then kiss it to soften the blow. More importantly, I wanted to feel her squirm beneath my touch and hear her call my name. Fuck! I had to stop thinking about things like this. Damn Emmett, and Fan Fiction too, for putting these thoughts in my head.
“You look lovely, Bella.” I said as I shifted my weight uncomfortably.
She seemed a little stunned and nervous around me and, once again, I was wondering if she was disappointed in “her Edward.”
“So, do you…I mean…um. Thanks, Edward. You look great,” she stammered.
Her cheeks filled with a bright blush as she turned away and I was sure she was mentally kicking herself. Ah ha! She wasn’t disappointed…she was attracted! Yes! I tried not to laugh or smile, which ended up putting the smirk on my face she mentioned so often, which, in turn, made her blush even more. Finally, she had called me by my name, as opposed to Mr. Cullen. I loved the way my name sounded coming from her sweet mouth. Then my mind took another nosedive into the gutter as I imagined hearing my name escaping her lips in a sexy sigh, then a moan and…awww hell!
Lord, I had to find a way to tell her who I was as soon as these shows were over. It wasn’t going to be easy and, the longer I waited, the more difficult it was going to get. Maybe I could get her to admit to blogging about me and then I could kind of mention a friend of mine I called EDGe and let her tell me she was EDGe. Nah, that was too close to deceit. As the elevator doors closed, it was still hitting home with me. After three and a half days of worrying, waiting, and wondering where she was and if she was safe, I found it hard to believe that EDGe, the woman I had fallen in love with before I ever met her, was the diminutive beauty standing beside me and she didn’t even know it. How the hell was I ever going to reveal who I was and that I was madly in love with her?
BPOV
Even though he was dressed very casually in a navy blazer, heavy metal T-shirt and jeans, Edward was panty meltingly gorgeous. How the hell he managed to dress down and still be hotter than any clean-cut guy in an Armani suit was beyond me. His beard grew so fast you could almost watch it happen. I had guessed he was returning to the hotel to shave, as well as change clothes, but, apparently, he had opted to destroy all remnants of my ability to form a coherent sentence by returning with a goatee. There were hints of gold in his bronze goatee and, somehow, it made him shine even more radiantly than before. This man’s sex appeal knew no boundaries. He seemed a little more aloof now that we had been apart for half an hour and I wondered why. He stood straight and tall with his hands folded neatly in front of him. He seemed to have something weighing heavily on his mind and I wished desperately that I could help him. He didn’t know me at all, though, and I knew that, no matter how sincere my desire was to help him, he wouldn’t trust a stranger with his problems. If only he was more like EC, we would talk about the problem, regardless of what it was and, in the end, we would both feel better and even have a laugh or two. Except for the fact that I didn’t know what EC looked like, that seemed to be the one major difference between Edward and Extremely Curious.
I still often wondered what it was EC did for a living. I understood that there was a reason he couldn’t tell me, but it didn’t stop me from being extremely curious about him. Was he a musician, a writer, British superspy, bodyguard to someone famous like a president or foreign dignitary? It didn’t matter, really, other than that I worried for his safety at times. When I allowed myself to dream that we could have a relationship, I thought how wonderful it would be to co-write a novel with him. It would be great to sit side-by-side with him and write, discuss plots, theories, and character traits. With his undoubted life experiences and my wild imagination, it would be one hell of a book. I couldn’t help smiling to myself at the image my mind conjured up of an Edward look-alike and myself sitting together, talking about our novel and cuddling close on the sofa. I stole a peek up at Edward at the thought and couldn’t help but blush. Edward played the part of a mind reading vampire and, if he could actually see and hear the thoughts in my head, we would both be highly embarrassed.
The interviews went quickly, as well. Edward and his word vomit had Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen both roaring with laughter and teasing him about the things he said for so long that there was only a little time for them to introduce me and ask me a couple of very basic questions. I was glad that I wasn’t involved that much and even happier when it was over. At least I was until we returned to the limo and Edward hit me with something I hadn’t expected.
EPOV
“Bella?”
“Yes, darlin’?”
She had called me “darlin’” again and it thrilled me every time I heard her say it.
“The rest of the evening is ours to do whatever we want. If you don’t have any plans, would you like to have a nice quiet dinner with me?” I asked.
She didn’t answer immediately and I wasn’t sure if she was in shock or just debating the issue…she looked surprised by the invitation. I hoped she would say “yes,” because I needed to find a way to tell her that I was EC, and that I knew she was my EDGe, as soon as possible. The thought of what her reaction might be was both thrilling and terrifying.
“We could return to the hotel first. I’d like to shower, put on a suit, and take it from there,” I said.
“Um…sure that would be nice, thank you,” she finally answered.
A part of me wondered if she felt like she would be cheating on EC by having dinner with me. She wouldn’t have to worry about it for long because I was going to tell her tonight…somehow.
Once we were back in our separate rooms, I was running the name of every nice restaurant I knew through my mind, trying to decide which one would be the best and the safest, so we wouldn’t be accosted by the paparazzi. I had no sooner closed my bedroom door than the perfect answer presented itself.
Alice, in her own inimitable way, had made sure I knew she hadn’t approved of my Jimmy Kimmel attire by laying out a light blue, Helmut Lang dress shirt, and a navy blue, almost black, Armani blazer on my bed. I knew how Alice could be and I also knew they had put her in charge of Bella’s wardrobe for the entire premiere. I was curious and slightly embarrassed at what Bella must have thought when she returned to her room and found an evening dress draped across her bed, as well.
I showered, dressed and took care of dinner, but I couldn’t decide whether I should go to Bella’s room to get her, or if I should call her room, or what. I decided the gentlemanly thing to do would be to go to her. It had been just over an hour since I dropped her off and I hoped that would be enough time for her. I was anxious to be near her again and couldn’t wait.
As I left my room, I told Dean and Emmett about my plans. Dean, ever the professional, just nodded in reply, whereas Emmett, my lovable yet pain-in-the-ass brother-in-law, grinned like an idiot.
“That’s more like it, bro,” he said.
“You need to get a life, Emmett. Seriously,” I snarled at him.
I walked the few steps to Bella’s room, since it was just a door away, but, before I could knock, her door opened. In her rush to leave the room, she didn’t notice me standing there and plowed right into me. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around her waist to steady her. Her hands, one holding a small sequined handbag, were flat against my chest while the rest of our bodies were plastered against each other. She stiffened momentarily as she realized what had just happened. She wasn’t the only thing that was stiff between us.
Bella slowly raised her head and peeked up at me shyly through those wickedly long lashes of hers, and it was one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen.
“Hello, beautiful,” I said, smiling down at her.
She wore a simple, strapless white dress, with a black ribbon belt cinched at the waist. Her high heeled shoes had black ribbon ties that crisscrossed and tied above her ankles. Damn, even her ankles were sexy.
“Oh, my…! I…um… Hi…” she sighed when her eyes finally met mine.
I stroked her warm, pink cheek with my left thumb, unable to resist touching her beautiful face.
“Since it’s premiere weekend, and the paparazzi are lurking everywhere, I thought we could have room service bring dinner up to my room. We can avoid the public that way and, I assure you, it’ll be just as elegant as any restaurant we could possibly go to,” I told her.
It suddenly occurred to me that she might think I had designs on getting her into my bedroom. While the thought of Bella in my bed had crossed my mind many times today, that was not my intention. My main concern was having time alone with her, without interruptions, so that I could tell her I was EC. Looking down into those doe like brown eyes, I knew I had a difficult task ahead of me. Bella was quiet and shy, demure and sweet. Edge was all those things, as well, but I knew from our private messaging conversations that she could be fierce when something hurt or angered her. Usually, those things were when someone said something bad about me, or when the paps accosted me. She was usually the first one to climb up onto her soap box, as she put it, to defend me. Now, I wondered how she would feel when she found out I had withheld information from her in order to protect myself.
“Um, that sounds…lovely,” she managed.
Oh, how I wished I could read her mind right now. I didn’t take my arm from around her waist as I walked us back to my room. As Bella entered the room, I made the mistake of looking at Emmett. He had a crooked grin on his face and then proceeded to wiggle his eyebrows at me. I mouthed the words, “SHUT UP,” and punched him in the gut before Bella could catch us. Bella wasn’t that kind of girl and, frankly, I wasn’t the kind of guy to take advantage of her, or any woman, even if they were more than willing.
I’d just closed the door and asked Bella to sit down when room service arrived with our dinner. Just as I’d promised her, it was as elegant as any restaurant. The table was set with the finest linens, a floral centerpiece, and candlelight. As the waiter left, he dimmed the lights and I grinned, knowing Emmett had put him up to that. Bella blushed profusely.
Alice had taken the liberty of setting up my iPod to the sound dock. I had no idea what music was on there, but I trusted Alice’s choices. At least, when it came to this situation, I did.
“Might as well do it up right,” I said as I hit Play so that we could have music with dinner.
I thought it was going to be alright when I heard the soft tones of Chicago starting to sing the words… “I thought it wouldn’t matter…” and I knew instantly that the song was “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love.” True enough but, damn Alice, let me tell her who I am before I admit that I’m in love with her! I knew Emmett had talked to Alice at some point and told her everything that I’d said on my way to meet Bella this morning. Damn siblings! Oh well, the music was playing softly and, if I was lucky, Bella wouldn’t notice. If she did, hopefully, she wouldn’t make too much of it. I couldn’t very well turn it off now that I had started it!
I opened the wine and poured us both a glass, thinking I would die when I heard the beginning notes of “Waiting for a Girl Like You” begin to play. Mental Note: Never trust Alice’s song choices! Conversation! I need to get her talking so she wouldn’t notice the music.
She took the bait when I asked about the re-write and the Twilight saga. When she kept using words like “we” and “all of us,” I knew she was talking about her blogger friends. I thought about asking her who “we” was so I could confess to knowing about MEoW, LTE and Ed Attack but, the more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of her finding out the truth from her Edward. I know it didn’t make much sense in the overall picture, but I thought she would take the information better coming from EC. Sitting here in front of me, her lovely face happy and animated with excitement, talking about how much she loved writing, I was amazed that she hadn’t put it all together. She kept inadvertently referring to her blogger friends without realizing she did so. I half expected her to stiffen as realization dawned on her, but it never did. Her warm brown eyes sparkled in the candlelight and I knew I could quite easily get lost in them. In the background, I heard Michael Bolton singing, “To Love Somebody” and I cringed inwardly, all the while thinking how fitting the song was. Tendrils of hair curled around her face and spilled over one shoulder, caressing the tops of her breasts. At that moment, I would have given anything to trace that same path with my fingertips.
Over desert, both Bella and Alice continued to haunt me, Alice especially, with her next two song choices, the first being “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars. Thinking back on the day, I realized how that song fit my Bella. Everyone had instantly fallen for the dark haired beauty that sat before me and I couldn’t blame them. She was stunning and irresistible. That song was quickly followed by Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loved You.” If ever there was a song that fit our situation, it was this one.
As the song played, Bella tortured me by eating whole strawberries dipped in whipped cream. Heaven have mercy on me! I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and yet I was unable to take my eyes from her face. I didn’t know what captivated me more, her lips, her eyes, her hair, her voice or her scent wrapping around me like a lover’s caress. She was too beautiful to be real. Maybe I had dreamed her into life. But it was true, I knew I loved her before I met her, and I knew I had to find a way to tell her who I was.
When we were finished eating, I poured us both another glass of wine and asked her to join me on the sofa.
BPOV
Edward stood and held out one arm to shepherd me to the sofa, flashing a half smile that caused me to blush furiously. He held my chair for me as I got up and walked the few steps to reach the living room. Edward waited for me to sit down before joining me and I couldn’t help smiling when he sat closer to me than I had expected.
It was late and he looked tired, but strangely excited at the same time. He leaned his elbows on his knees and ran his long fingers through his hair repeatedly. He sighed heavily and leaned back on the sofa closing his eyes. I began to worry that my being here was keeping him from his rest. The girls and I had talked many times about how tired he sometimes looked and how we wished they’d just give him a break for a while…just give him time to be Edward, the man. On the one hand, I didn’t want to contribute to his exhaustion but, on the other hand, I really wanted to stay. Being with him like this, so easy and “normal,” was more than I could ever have dreamed, but I cared too much about the man to stay. I wondered if he was trying to stay awake on my account. Maybe they’d made him agree to be my babysitter this whole weekend. Who knew, really, but I couldn’t let him continue this way when he was obviously exhausted, I didn’t care what he’d agreed to. I put my glass down on the coffee table.
“You look so tired, Edward. I think I should leave and let you get some rest,” I said, standing up to leave.
With lightning fast reflexes, he reached out and grabbed me gently by the wrist. Before I could fully turn to face him, he was standing in front of me, just a breath away. He was so close that, if I moved just a fraction of an inch, I could lay my head on his chest. So close that, if I raised my head, I’d bump into his chin. I stood frozen, unable to breathe, think or even move. Oh, my heavens!
He took a ragged, shaky breath. “Stay,” he whispered.
Surely I just imagined hearing what I so desperately wanted him to say. He had whispered that single word as a plea. My mind was racing…was this real, or was it another of my wild daydreams, induced by the magnificence that was Edward Cullen? My legs started to tremble, my knees threatening to buckle, and my hands were shaking. Wake up! my mind screamed. Oh, God! Let it be real!
I felt his hand release my wrist and slide gently, slowly up my arm in the softest caress. His long, elegant fingers left a trail of fire in their wake and a thrill of anticipation lead the way. When they reached my shoulder, he stopped…his thumb brushing lightly back and forth,
“Please stay,” he whispered as he kissed the top of my head. His lips lingered there, waiting for a reply.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, which felt like my heart, but it wouldn’t go down. I couldn’t speak. I nodded my head in agreement and he seemed to sigh in relief. He placed his hand on the side of my face and kissed my temple.
“Thank you,” he said in a breathy whisper. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or to God.
He lifted my chin with a finger and looked relieved. Because I said I would stay? Surely not. For one insane moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. Boy, I must be dreaming. None of this was real. Eventually, I was going to wake up back in my own dreary little world, in my generic bedroom, in my own mundane existence. I would look back on this extremely detailed dream with joy and amazement.
“Sit. Please?” he asked.
I swallowed and looked away. With Edward so close…Edward touching me…Edward’s voice in my ears, his scent surrounding me, and his warm breath in my hair, I couldn’t bear to look at him. My heart was incapable of a holding all that I felt for this man and his beauty, too. But, there is another that you love, my evil side reminded me viciously.
Nodding my agreement to both Edward and my evil, snarky side, I sat back down. It seemed to please him. Edward Cullen could have any woman on the planet. I knew this for a fact. Hell, I talked to hundreds of them every day…why did he want me to stay with him? He sat beside me, close enough that I could touch him with minimal effort. If I merely splayed my fingers, I could touch his thigh. The fan girl in me squeee’d and fainted at the thought.
Edward put his arm across the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. I took advantage of the fact that those beautiful blue-gray eyes weren’t looking back at me and memorized his face. Even though I had it memorized from photos, this was different…so very different. He really was as beautiful as we all thought…more so, even. I had believed many of the photos we saw were photo-shopped, or air-brushed in some way, but now I saw that wasn’t true. If they touched them up at all, they took away from his beauty and charm. Like the three perfectly aligned freckles on the left side of his face, right at the line of his five o’clock shadow. I knew they didn’t appear in every photo, but I loved them. I wanted to kiss each one of them, repeatedly. He just sat there for the longest time, eyes closed, with a content look on his gorgeous face. I could have sat there forever staring at him, but I felt guilty. He was obviously tired and felt some measure of responsibility to be with me due to this contest. I didn’t want him to think he had to spend one more moment with me than necessary.
“Mr. Cullen, I…” I began.
I didn’t know why I kept calling him Mr. Cullen. I thought of him as Edward, but something about him made me feel like he needed to know that I wasn’t just a screaming fan girl who wanted something from him.
He opened one eye and looked at me disapprovingly. Gah! I’d rather die than upset him. He seemed to realize what I was thinking and the corner of his mouth turned up in a tiny, knowing smile to soften the blow.
“…err, Edward,” I corrected myself.
His smile grew then to reveal his beautiful white teeth.
“Yes, Bella?” he asked.
He opened both of those hypnotic blue-gray eyes and trained them on me.
Oh, God! What was I saying? Shit!
He chuckled when I just stared at him and closed his eyes again. He shifted a little closer to me, his arm across the back of the sofa, practically draped across my shoulders.
If I relaxed just a little, and tilted my head just a fraction, I could be resting my head on his chest with his arm around me. God, how many times had I dreamed of doing just that? I could feel the warmth radiating off of him. Damn, Stephanie Meyer! I knew Edward was in no way a vampire, but she’d mentioned “Robert” being ice cold to the touch so many times that some small recesses in my mind held onto that and I had half expected Edward to be cold to the touch, too. All this warmth, both physically and in his warm, fun-loving personality, was leaving my mind all mushy. Holy shit! He must think I’m a total blithering, star-struck idiot! Damn him for realizing the truth.
Coherent thought finally returned and I decided to try again, only this time I wouldn’t make the mistake of looking at him.
“Edw… um. Edward, it’s obvious you’re very tired. I…”
Edward put his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. Did he just smell my hair?
“I’m not tired, Bella,” he said, cutting me off. “I’m trying to find a way to tell you something and I don’t know how to do it. I’ve been trying to figure it out all day, but it’s hard for me to think clearly when I’m looking at you.”
“Wha…?” was all that came out when I opened my mouth. I was in shock. No I was dreaming! There was no freakin’ way on this planet that Edward Cullen just said those words to me.
He chuckled yet again.
“It’s true. Why do you find that so hard to believe?” he said, looking down at me.
His fingers were now drawing lazy, comfortable circles on my shoulder. I opened my mouth a couple of times to speak, but nothing came out. Looking up into that glorious face, I saw his beautiful blue-gray eyes staring back at me with an admiring look in them. His “just f*cked” hair screamed at me to run my fingers through it. That “trying not to laugh” smile tilted his soft lips in such a way that they were begging to be kissed. Light, golden bronze scruff only enhanced his glorious smile and inhumanly beautiful face.
Holy *poof* SHIT!
He smiled then…a warm, heart melting, almost sad smile.
“Are you afraid of me, Bella?”
“No, darlin’…not at all,” I said, suddenly finding my voice.
I knew Edward already had a self-deprecating opinion of himself. The only thing that could have brought me out of my “staring at his beautiful face” stupor was someone insulting or hurting him, including himself. The protective lioness in me jumped to life.
“Why is it so difficult for you to believe that I find it hard to think clearly around you? That I find it difficult to form a thought, looking into your beautiful eyes?” he said.
His voice was sincere, yet held a certain sadness I didn’t understand.
“Because you are YOU and I’m just me!” I said, sensibly.
Anyone could see that I was plain and he was perfect. I was mundane and he was divine. It was obvious, right?
“The Pretty,” he exclaimed, shaking his head.
I’d never actually heard anyone *snickersnort* before but, if I had, I imagine it would sound just like the noise that escaped Edward’s mouth.
“The Precious! Pffft! I’m hardly divine. I smoke, I drink, and I cuss way too fucking much. I have no mouth filter and no brain filter, either,” he protested.
I couldn’t help myself, I had to grin.
“Don’t you see, Edward? That’s why we all love you so much! You never let all the fame and attention go to your head. You’re just you! You don’t put on some big show, or act all ‘holier than thou.’ It’s not the vampire we love, and it’s not your looks (although they sure as hell didn’t hurt, I thought to myself). It’s not the golden eyes, or the old fashioned morals of the vampire from 1901 that we love and admire. We know that’s what you think, but it’s just not true. Can’t you see? It’s the Drunkward who grins as he makes his way home from a fun night out that we smile at so fondly. It’s giggly, happy, playful, ‘adorkable’ Edward Cullen that we love.
“It’s your wonky legs and your wild ‘sex hair.’ It’s the way you take your time with your fans by taking pictures with them and signing autographs. It’s you, Edward! The heart and soul we hear in your singing moves us to tears. The guy who shops at thrift stores, despite the fact that he has money, warms our hearts. We love the guy who goes to In and Out Burger for dinner, and says things like, ‘I don’t see nothing wrong with a bit o’ bump and grind,’ or ‘Just the tip’, or ‘I’m just a tool…a big hard tool.’ It’s not the character, but the man who has us so spellbound,” I finished, running out of breath.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. By some screwed-up, divine plan, I had been the one chosen to sit before Edward Cullen and say all the things that all of us on Ed Attack, MEoW and LTE had talked about and debated for months and months. I certainly was making an idiot of myself tonight, but it was worth it if I’d gotten through to him.
“Bella, I need to do something. Would you excuse me for a moment?” he said, his brow wrinkling as he spoke.
“Yes, of course,” I assured him.
Holy crap, I’d pissed him off. What was I going to do now? Suddenly, my heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings in my chest.
He walked around behind me to the bar where I could no longer see him, unless I turned to face him, which I wasn’t about to do. Too many people pried into his privacy and I wasn’t about to be one of them.
I could hear him behind me. It sounded like he was pacing. Then I faintly heard my cell phone ringing in my hand bag. Oh shoot! No one ever called my cell unless it was an emergency. It could be Andrea. I decided to answer it, but only because Edward wasn’t here at the moment.
When I fished my cell out and opened it, I was shocked by what I saw. The number came up as Unknown but, in the subject line, it said, “It’s EC Plz Reply.” What the hell? It was a text message from EC? How had he gotten my cell phone number? He was texting me? Here? Now? Oh, God help me!
At the same time, I was thrilled that he was texting me. I had missed talking to him so much over the past few days. Hell, I missed him! I was scared to open it, though. The last thing I’d said to him was that I had fallen in love with him. Then I had run out on him without an explanation. How would he feel if I told him I had come to LA to meet Edward? That I had won the contest he had tried to get me to enter. That I had lied to him every time he had asked me to enter and I said I couldn’t do it? What would he think about me not telling him any of this? What would he say? What would he do? It couldn’t be that bad, right? I mean he had wanted me to enter it. It wasn’t my fault there was an NDA, right? If he had gone through the trouble of getting my cell phone number, then it must be really important or he would have just walked away, right? Maybe he just wanted to tell me off. Oh, shit!
I opened the text, deciding that, if he was mad, I could answer him later tonight when I was back in my own room.
To:Bella
From: Unknown
Subject: It’s EC Plz Reply
“I’ve missed you. I was very worried. Are you ok?”
Lost without you
EC=Extremely Curious
Awww! He missed me, too!
I quickly assigned his name to the phone number so that any future text from him would not be missed or overlooked. EC=Extremely Curious. I thrilled at the sight of it in my phone and grinned as I hit the reply button.
To: EC
From: Bella
Subject: The feeling is Mutual
“I’m Fine Darlin’ I missed you too. I’m sorry I left like I did. I honestly had no choice. I can explain laters and I will I promise. Are you ok?”
xoxo
EDGe
I pushed send and waited with bated breath. I was very grateful he was a fast typist. I never had to wait long for his replies.
To:Bella
From: EC
Subject: True Confessions
“I’m fine now that I found you. There’s no need to explain Love. And Bella, there’s a couple things I think you should know. You are stunning in that dress. You were made to wear beautiful things. And I am deeply in love with you too.
Longing to hold you.
EC
YES! I hugged the phone to my heart as though it were EC himself. My heart was doing the Snoopy happy dance. EC loved me, too! Oh my! I wanted to shout and jump up and down and…blouse? Whoa! I was stunning in this dress? I was made to wear beautiful things? Bella?
Frowning in puzzlement, I held the phone out in front of me to re-read the text message just to be sure I had read it right. Oh, crap! He really was a British superspy! He must have tracked me down and seen me somewhere tonight. A thrill went through me thinking that my EC really was some dangerous British spy…my very own James Bond. Visions of my “Edward look-a-like” in a tux, wielding a gun and protecting me from some mobster, jumped into my brain and I couldn’t stifle the giggle that escaped me. I wasn’t afraid of that fact; instead, my adrenalin was running at an all-time high. Hell, he could be watching me right now, for all I knew. Crap! He could be watching me sitting all comfy cozy with Edward on the couch! No! That’s impossible!
To: EC
From: Bella
Subject: WTF?
No Fair Mister British Superspy!!! I want to see you too! How do you know what I’m wearing and how do you know my name?
Now I’m “just curious.”
EDGe
To: Bella
From: EC
Subject: Curiosity killed the cat
LMAO! God how I have missed you! I am not a British super spy. Never have been, yet. I’ll keep it in mind though lol. You want to see me? Then turn around. I know because I am standing right behind you.
Laters baby,
EC= Edward Cullen
Wait! What? EC=Edward Cullen!?!
OH. MY. GOD!
I stood up and spun around, a very dangerous move for me under normal conditions, but I felt like I was moving under water. I looked towards the bar where Edward stood holding a cell phone between two fingers and jiggling it at me with a sheepish smile on his face, his cheeks pink from blushing. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
With my cell phone in my hand, I walked around the sofa in what still felt like slow motion. Once I was clear of the sofa and could see Edward clearly, my feet suddenly froze to the spot. I looked at Edward. I looked at my cell phone with my EC’s familiar way of writing, and then looked back at Edward, taking a tentative step forward.
“EC?” I asked, my voice barely strong enough to produce a whisper.
Edward nodded slowly in reply. He also took a tentative step towards me, as though afraid to approach me, now. He started to say something, but stopped.
“You’re…” I said, pointing a trembling finger at him and then pointing at my cell phone.
I couldn’t speak. I tried, but the words wouldn’t come out. My hands were visibly shaking and I wasn’t sure how much longer my legs would hold me. Edward nodded and smiled, his blush only outdone by his ever-widening smile, as he took another tentative step towards me. He was obviously unsure of what to say or do, himself. I’m sure my Edward thought my reactions were amusing, but I knew my EC was worried about how I was handling this.
“You’re…” I tried again. “…my EC?” I managed.
“Always yours, EDGe. Your EC…your Edward.”
I knew Edward Cullen well enough to recognize the uncertainty in his voice. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that EC’s words were coming out of Edward Cullen’s mouth. I lifted my cell phone, typed in a quick message and hit Send. Edward’s cell phone rang immediately. That, in itself, made my heart slam in my chest.
I watched as he opened the message with some trepidation.
To: EC
From: Bella
Subject: satisfaction brought him back
NFW! *dying*
EDGe
As Edward lifted his head from reading the message, I heard his laughter. When his sparkling eyes finally met mine, his arms opened wide for me and I ran into his arms. I was in shock, fighting back tears and laughter at the same time. All I could do was close my eyes and listen to him talk.
Edward wrapped both arms around me and lifted me several inches off the ground. “Oh, EDGe! My shy, sweet, funny, beautiful girl, how I’ve missed you! How I’ve longed to hold you!” he said.
He sat me back on my feet, but never let go. He was kissing the side of my face between sentences. “I’ve tried to find a way to tell you all day. I couldn’t believe it, at first. I’m so glad you entered that contest,” he said.
We both had so much we wanted to say that we ended up talking over the top of each other.
“I wanted to tell you but, in order to enter, I had to agree to an NDA and I couldn’t tell you. I’m sorry it was kind of like lying, but I had no choice. I knew you wanted me to enter and I did it for you.”
“I found out you were the winner and, moments later, I realized I was in love with you. I kept thinking of things we had talked about and things we had said to each other and I…”
“Oh, my God,” I whispered, as realization began to dawn on me. It was all starting to hit me. EC was Edward Freakin Cullen! I started remembering some of the things I said to EC about Edward and, as it all slowly started to sink in, I began to panic.
MR. Sex on Legs, God’s-gift-to-women.
“Oh. My. God!”
My body stiffened in his arms as I remembered the things I said about him in our first conversation.
Sofa King HAWT, Prince among men, Rock My World Gorgeous.
“Oh. My. God!”
I pulled back to look at his face, searching his eyes. My hands were still on his shoulders.
“What’s wrong Bella?” he asked, suddenly realizing I was on the verge of a major freak out.
Still more memories of our conversations flooded through my mind.
The List! I just want to curl up in bed and have him sit beside me and sing to me! See where it leads *giggle*. His just F*cked hair. His hands *raaawwr*.
This was truly a nightmare I had never imagined. Memories of the things I had said were rushing at me like a flood, entering and exiting my mind so quickly that each one was like a slap in the face.
“OH. MY. GOD!!” I exclaimed, as I pulled free of his arms and backed away from him.
His sexy eyes *D-I-E me*. Long elegant fingers. *GutterNutter*. His lips, (They just beg to be kissed and often!) *volunteering for that job!*. Lord knows I would find it difficult to show restraint when it comes to Edward!
“EDGe, what is it sweetheart? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I don’t believe… Oh, God!”
I clutched my stomach, feeling like I was going to be sick.
Editussin Dm (Dreamy Man!) LMAO where the hell can I buy that at? Tell me PLEEAASSE? I’ll buy a case!
I was back by the sofa now and the recollection of the Editussin comment was more than I could bear. I picked up a throw cushion and buried my face in it. All this time I had thought I was completely anonymous, safe and secure and well hidden behind my laptop’s monitor. That anonymity had made me brave, brave enough to say the things I truly thought, and I never had to worry what anyone thought because I was anonymous. Now, the man I had been describing was standing before me telling me he had heard every single word I had said!
I just got an image of Sexy, Sultry Edward with the sexeyes and the IwantyouandIKNOWYOUWANTME sex look on his face whispering….(never mind….keeping that to myself!!! *WEG*) As he’s slowly, knowingly backing me into the bed room…*Gah…* me shutting up now…”
“EDGe, please, tell me what is going on!” he said, his voice sounded stricken and, though the floor was carpeted, I could hear him coming towards me. I turned on him then.
“You knew?” I exclaimed.
Edward Cullen stopped dead in his tracks, his face as ashen as mine surely was.
“Bella, I…” he began
“All this time you knew?” I said, cutting him off. “Sofa King? The List! All those conversations? You knew?”
Edward looked pained and I…I just wanted to die right there on the spot.
“You let me make a fool out of myself all day? All day, hell! All these months!”
In the sheer aggravation that often accompanies humiliation, I threw the sofa cushion straight at his head.
Edward ducked and the velvet cushion sailed through the air, crashing into all the crystal glasses and bottles on the glass and mirrored bar. The sound was deafening. A long low whistle escaped Edward’s lips as he turned to face me. I hadn’t expected him to duck, nor had I expected the total decimation of the bar. My hands flew to my mouth in shock! Before either of us could react, the door to the hotel room burst open and Dean and Emmett both charged into the room with guns drawn, searching for the deranged fan, intruder or assassin trying to get at Edward.
“It’s OK, guys,” Edward said, waving them off. “Just a little pillow fight…nothing to worry about.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at the ground in defeat. Emmett looked at me, still frozen wide-eyed, with my hands covering my mouth, and he grinned at me as he holstered his gun.
“Bad ass!” he said to me, with a wink and a grin. Then he turned to Edward as he began closing the door.
“Freaky, bro! Real freaky!”
As the door clicked closed, I heard Edward take a deep breath and let it out with a heavy sigh as he raised his head to look at me.
“Bella I…”
I couldn’t help myself. I started to giggle. I tried to stop it, but then the giggle built until I was laughing out loud. Edward looked confused at first and then, slowly, he started laughing, too. Seeing Emmett and Dean with guns drawn made me realize just how dangerous being Edward Cullen really was. He couldn’t tell me the truth and I realized that now. He told me as soon as he could, at the most opportune moment we had been given all day, where he could reveal the truth and we had time to talk it over.
I rushed into his arms then and he welcomed me with a chuckle.
“Am I still Sofa King Hawt?” he smirked, fighting a full on laugh.
“Yeah, you are. And you’re lucky you’re so pretty,” I said, burying my face in his chest.
“Why? What would happen if I wasn’t?” he asked, still hugging me close. I could feel him grinning against my hair.
“I’d kick your arse,” I told him.
“My arse, huh? And, since I am? What will happen now?” he wanted to know.
I heard the humor in his voice and, in my mind, I could see his smile.
“I’m going to love you for the rest of my life and, when I get over the shock of all this, I’m still going to kick your arse,” I said, grinning.
At that precise moment, all the glass shelves of the full mirrored bar, along with whatever remained of the smashed contents, gave way under the strain of the cracks and slid to the floor. The sound of all that glass, mirror and fine crystal hitting the floor was amazingly loud. Emmett and Dean burst into the room yet again. They looked at me and Edward with our arms wrapped around each other, staring at the devastated bar in disbelief, and then they looked at the bar.
“What the fuck, Edward?” Emmett asked, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.
AN: I hope this Chapter makes up for the long wait and that those of you who were upset with me will forgive me now. 
I have to give a special thank you to Rita01tx and to Cared for all the help, suggestions, editing, pre-reading and pimping that they do on my behalf. I would be lost without them. Thank you both, for everything!
