Chapter 9

Chapter 9 (BPOV)

"Emmett, no. I'm taking Edward with me tonight." I was pacing around my living room with my cell phone pressed to my ear. "I don't care if you want to go for the free food, you beast! You've gone with me enough times. Let someone else have a chance."

"Why are you taking him?" He whined. "I thought you were pissed at him. Wait...are you two fucking?" I could feel the anger in his voice seeping through the phone. I pulled the phone away from my head, looking at it in disbelief.

I sighed. "No, Emmett, we are not fucking, as you so crudely put it. We're friends. Always have been, I guess. We just lost our way for a while. Now, can I go back to getting dressed?"

"Sure, sure. Just make sure he doesn't try anything. I don't trust him." His voice had gone from anger down to concern.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Okay, Emmett. I'll be fine, I promise. I'm a big girl."

"Yeah, I know you are, Bells. I just worry about you. Have fun tonight, okay? Oh, and please call Rosie. She's been feeling a little neglected lately ever since Edward showed up."

I groaned. "I know, Em, I know. Tell her I'll call her tomorrow. I'll talk to you later. Love you." I shut my phone off, tossing it on the coffee table.

My bedroom was in complete disarray, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I walked in. I had spent the majority of the morning and early afternoon rifling through my closet and trying on dresses for the charity dinner. All of the ones that I had deemed 'not right' were thrown haphazardly around the room and now rested on just about every free surface. I couldn't help my need to find the perfect dress. This dinner was one of my favorites to attend. It was held at The Met, and all of the money raised went to the Children's Hospital at New York Presbyterian. I had gotten roped into going three years ago when Angela couldn't go, and had insisted on attending every year since. Emmett, of course, attended with me, and just raved about the food for months, which was why he had begged me on the phone to take him instead of Edward. Not much stood in the way of Emmett and food.

I stepped over a few dresses and shoes that were laying in my path, and stood in front of my closet once again. I normally didn't make such a fuss about my attire, but I was going to be seen with Edward, who would probably look drop dead gorgeous, and didn't want to look wrong walking in with him. After much deliberation, I finally settled on something, and laid it across my bed. I pulled off my clothes and got into the shower, washing, buffing, and shaving every inch of my body. When I got out, I wrapped my hair and torso in towels, and headed out to my bedroom, shivering as my heated skin met the cold air blowing in through my open window. I heard my phone chime from the living room, so I scampered out of my bedroom and picked it up, scrolling to my latest text message.

How fancy is this thing? Suit or black tie? -E

My mind wandered off for a second at the image of Edward in a tux, and had a thought to tell him to wear one, but I knew that he would be overdressed, so I decided to cut him some slack this time. Besides, the man could wear a paper bag and a pair of Crocs and still look good.

A suit is perfect. See you at 7. -B

I went to lay the phone back down, but it chimed with another message.

Can't wait. xoxo. -E

I grinned and set my phone back down, hitching my towel up higher on my body and went back into my room to start getting ready. I dried my hair, and pulled it into a low ponytail, sweeping it over my left shoulder. I did my make-up, making my eyes dark and smokey, and my lips glisten a pale shade of pink. I slipped my dress over my red, lace bra and panty set, and strapped my shoes to my feet. I smiled when I glanced in the mirror and saw my reflection. Damn girl. You will look good on Edward's arm.

I was just transferring my money and other essentials to my black clutch when I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in!" I yelled, hoping Edward would hear me through the door, and finished stuffing as much stuff as I could into the small space. I dashed back into my bathroom and grabbed my lip-gloss, and about fell over my feet when I walked back into my bedroom. Edward was leaning on the doorframe, one foot crossed over the other, wearing a suit that looked like it was tailored specifically for his long, lean physique. One hand was stuffed in his pocket, and the other was holding a small hand-tied bouquet of gerbera daisies. I gasped loudly, my hand flying up to cover my mouth. My shock wasn't from the fact that he had flowers; it was from the fact that he had given me the exact flowers every year for my birthday. The sentiment of his gesture nearly brought me to tears, and I smiled at him through my slightly watery eyes.

"Oh Edward...you remembered," I said softly, taking the flowers out of his outstretched hand and burying my nose in their petals.

He leaned in to kiss my cheek before speaking softly. "Of course I remembered. How could I forget?" His lips were still hovering near my cheek, and I felt the day-old stubble of his jaw graze me slightly as he whispered his next words to me. "You look beautiful."

The cab dropped us off at the front of the Met, and I slipped out of the car first, straightening my hair and dress, waiting for Edward to emerge after me. He offered his arm to me, and I tucked my hand in the crook of his elbow as we ascended the set of stairs that lead to the front doors. The night was a bit cool, and the air was heavy with impending rainfall. The doorman opened the door for us, and Edward led me through with his hand placed protectively on the small of my back as we navigated ourselves towards the ballroom.

The large, circular room was lit with huge crystal chandeliers hanging from the tall ceilings. There were small, round tables around the entire perimeter of the room, with a dance floor in the middle. We took some seats tucked away by the bar as a DJ played soft classical music in the background. Waiters and waitresses were bustling about, carrying plates of food to each table. Edward leaned over, draping his arm over the back of my chair.

"I'm going to get us some drinks, okay?" he said, running one of his fingers softly up the length of my spine as he stood up.

I could only nod; his touch causing my entire body to shiver and my skin break out in goose bumps. I watched him as he walked away, his confident swagger made my eyes glaze over and my heart race. Several women stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. Not that I blamed them, but that shit was not acceptable. He was mine, and only mine to stare and ogle at. Wait...what? I shook my head, trying to will the totally inappropriate thoughts to go away. My eyes moved across the room, taking in the vast amount of people that had shown up for the event. Most of them were older, in their 40's and 50's, and I noticed that Edward and I were some of the only 20-somethings in the room. A glass of red wine appeared on the table in front of me, and Edward sat down in the seat beside me.

"A 50-year-old woman just hit on me. She was married. I feel dirty," he deadpanned, taking a long sip of the drink in his hand.

I giggled. "Can't say I blame them, really. Look around - you're like a shiny new toy compared to the rest of the men here." Then I reached over to pinch his cheek. "And you're just so damn adorable."

He scoffed. "I am not adorable. I'm rugged, and manly, and devilishly handsome."

Leaning forward onto the table, I rested my chin in my palm and grinned. "Gee, Edward, it's amazing there's enough room for all of us in here with your inflated ego."

A waitress set plates of food down in front of us, and I was forced to tear my eyes away from Edward's perfect face. Damn him and that perfect face. We fell into a comfortable silence as we ate, occasionally passing each other sideways glances and smiles.

I finally broke the silence, turning towards Edward. "So, Mr. Five-Star-Chef, how's the food? Does it meet your approval?"

He shrugged, swallowing a bite of his food. "It'll do, I guess," Then, he grinned at me. "It's great. Thanks for bringing me, Bella."

The waitresses soon came around and took our plates, setting down dessert in front of us. I eyed up the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake like it was my only source of water after being in the desert for nine days. I stabbed a piece of it with my fork and brought it to my lips, closing my eyes as the deliciousness hit my tongue.

"Mmmm...ohmygodthisissogood," I moaned, as I swallowed the first bite. I opened my eyes to see Edward staring at me, his mouth hung open, gaping at me. I raised an eyebrow at him, but went back to eating my cheesecake. As soon as I finished, I dropped my fork to the plate and rubbed my belly. I glanced over at Edward, who had now turned completely towards me, his dessert untouched.

"Are you not going to eat that? That is a sin, Edward. Please, eat it...because if you don't, I might be forced to, and I really don't want to."

"No. I'm not going to eat it," he said, his eyes turning a darker shade of green than normal. His voice sounded a little demanding, and a lot sexy.

I groaned, and reached toward his plate. "Fine, but I'm really mad at you for making me do this, and -"

He stopped me, his hand reaching out to grasp my wrist. "Bella?" My eyes shot up to his, startled by the tone of his voice. It wasn't smooth like normal. It was laced with something else. Desire, maybe? It was low, and rough, and somehow still one of the best things I had ever heard.

He stood up, still grasping my wrist, and I looked up at him in total confusion. His expression grew soft again, and he looked down on me with something that might have been akin to adoration.

When he spoke, it was so soft that I barely heard him over the clatter of dishes around us. "Dance with me?"

With my hand still firmly encased in his, I nodded and stood up slowly, letting him lead me to the dance floor. When we got out towards the center, he stopped, put one hand on the small of my back, and pulled me up against his body. With the other hand, he raised my arm up and looped it around his neck, locking the fingers of our other hands together. Our torsos were pressed tightly together as we swayed back and forth. With my heels on, the top of my head just barely grazed his chin, so I tilted my head up to look at him. He smiled softly at me, his thumb making constant circles on the small of my back as we danced. This dance was so unlike the one at Jasper's show. While that one was fast and almost lust-filled, this one was slow and sweet. He held me tightly to him, and I felt at home in his arms. I heard the music in the background, and knew there were people surrounding us, but they didn't matter. Suddenly, all that mattered to me was standing right in front of me. My feelings were all over the map. He was my best friend, but deep down I knew that things were about to change. I didn't know whether to cry, laugh, or maul him, so I settled for resting my cheek against his neck. His head came down and rested on mine, and I took a deep breath, savoring his warmth and homey scent. It seemed like he was everywhere around me all at once, and at that moment, I felt calm...peaceful. The air around us had changed and I knew that we would probably come out of this night looking at each other in a completely different light.

The song changed and I heard a soft, melodic voice and familiar notes drift through the speakers around us. I started to pull away, thinking that he would want to sit down, but Edward fisted the back of my dress in his hand, and tugged me back towards him again. Well, okay then. I guess I'll stay right here.

Take time to realize,
That your warmth is crashing down on in.
Take time to realize,
That I am on your side
Didn't I, Didn't I tell you.

But I can't spell it out for you,
No it's never gonna be that simple
No I cant spell it out for you

Edward let go of my hand, and wrapped it around my waist with his other arm, and I swore I felt his lips brush into my hair.

If you just realize what I just realized,
Then we'd be perfect for each other
and will never find another
Just realized what I just realized
we'd never have to wonder if
we missed out on each other now.

As I listened to the words of the song, I couldn't help but notice how accurate it was to mine and Edward's current situation. It was beyond obvious, even to me, that we were falling for each other. I had always loved Edward, but I never imagined myself falling in love with Edward.

Falling in love with Edward.

My whole body tensed as I thought those words in my head. That was dangerous territory, and terrified me to no end. I was so scared to admit that I was falling in love with him, but at the same time, I wanted to welcome it. I lifted my head and tried to pull out of Edward's grasp, but he wouldn't let go.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

I was having trouble catching my breath as I continued to struggle against him. "Edward...I can't. I just...please...I don't want-"

"Hey, hey, is everything alright? You don't want what?"

The few couples that were surrounding us were watching, and I felt very close to having a panic attack. Edward finally loosened his grip and took my hands in his.

My eyes locked with his and I whispered. "Edward, please. I just want to go home."

He nodded, concern and sadness etching his perfect features. His hands ghosted up my arms and took residence on each side of my face, his fingers wrapping around to the back of my neck. He leaned forward, his lips brushing my forehead softly as my eyes fluttered closed. I could feel my eyes starting to prick with tears, but I blinked them away.

"Alright, Bella, let's get you home." he whispered, leading me back to the table to I could grab my clutch.

Cool rain was falling from the sky as we exited the front doors of the Met. Edward grumbled a string of swear words under his breath, grabbing my arm, trying to get me to go back inside.

"Wait inside, I'll call a cab."

I shook my head furiously, breaking free from his grasp once again. "I don't live far from here, let's walk back. It's not raining that hard." Being trapped inside the small backseat of a cab with Edward at that moment would have probably sent me into a full-blown panic attack. I needed a bit of space from him. I tilted my head back, letting the raindrops fall on my face, willing them to wash away all of my stress.

He looked at me, still clearly concerned, but submitted to my request. We were silent as we walked around the outside of Central Park. The only sounds were the raindrops hitting the ground, and my heels clicking along the sidewalk. Edward strolled next to me, his head down, and his hands in his pockets. He looked defeated in the way his shoulders were slumped forward, looking the complete opposite of the confident man that had showed up at my apartment hours earlier. We walked leisurely until the rain picked up, falling from the sky at a much more rapid pace. We were fairly close to my apartment at that point, so I did the only thing I could think of in the moment.

I ran.

Laughter bubbled up from my chest as I jogged down the sidewalk as best as I could with heels on my feet. I could hear Edward's footsteps not far behind me, his velvety laugh ringing through the air. When I got to my building, I stopped and swung around to look at his face for the first time since we left dinner. He was breathing hard and droplets of water were falling from his bronze hair, catching on his cheeks before falling to the ground. I reached up, wiping a few of the drops away and took his face in my hands.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to freak out like that. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

He smiled softly at me, one of his hands reaching up to cover mine. "It's alright, Bella. I completely understand. More than you can possibly comprehend." His eyes burned into mine and they were smoldering with undeniable passion. My heart started racing, and I think in that moment I finally realized that he felt something for me.

Things were about to get interesting.

"Let's get out of the rain, Edward," I said, releasing his face. He opened the door for me, allowing me to walk ahead of him, and I moved to the elevator, listening to our wet shoes squeak on the tile floor. I could feel him behind me, the heat radiating off of his body in waves even though we were both soaked to the bone from running through the cold rain. The chime of the elevator rang out, and my heart kicked into overdrive. That elevator ride was guaranteed to be the longest one of my life.

We stepped into the elevator together, moving to opposite sides. Edward stood across from me, his arms crossed in front of him, his dark green eyes looking me up and down unabashedly. His hair was drenched from the rain outside, and it fell haphazardly into his left eye. His jacket was strewn over his right arm and his tie loosened. His shirt clung to him, accentuating his lean muscles underneath. I leaned back against the railing, arms across my chest, trying to protect my modesty as my rain soaked dress left little to the imagination. I lifted my eyes to above the elevator door and watched as the numbers changed colors…2…3…4…5…the number 6 flashed, and I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. The doors opened and Edward held his arm out, motioning for me to exit first. I strolled down the corridor towards my apartment, digging my keys out of my little clutch. Sticking the key in the lock, I suddenly felt warm breath on the back of my neck, and turned around, startled. Edward’s gorgeous face was mere inches away from mine.

“Bella,” He breathed, resting his hands on the door on either side of my head. “Why do you keep running away from this? You and I, we belong together. Can’t you feel it? I can’t go on being just your friend. I need you...all of you.”

I felt the air rush out of my lungs in one heart-wrenching movement. If we went forward with this, there would be no going back; I knew that in my heart. I didn’t want to lose him as a friend, but if we didn’t try this, I felt like we’d be losing out on a whole lot more. Turning off the thoughts in my head, I looked up at him. I would kick myself if I let this moment get away from me, from us. I needed to feel what it was like to have his lips pressed to mine...how it felt to have his glorious body pressed up against mine.

Speak now, Bella, or forever hold your peace.

“Edward,” I whispered, my right hand trailing up his side and finally making purchase in his hair. “Kiss me…please…”

I barely got the last word out before his lips were pressed firmly to mine. I dropped both my purse and my keys before my other hand wound its way up into his locks, and my lips parted slightly, welcoming him in. We were wet from the rain, but he was warm against my body. My back crashed into the door, and he followed, the curvature of our bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. His lips, his breath, ignited a fire inside of me that I didn’t want to put out. His hands slid down the door behind me, and he wrapped one arm firmly around my waist and cupped my cheek with the other. His lips finally parted, his tongue darting out in search for mine. Our lips moved together with an intensity that I had not felt in my 26 years of existence. We stood there, kissing for what could have been seconds, or several minutes. I didn't know. All I knew was that kissing this man was one of the most glorious experiences I ever had, and I didn't want to stop. I was quickly running out of air, however, so I found the strength to pull away from his lips, leaning back slightly.

“Let’s go inside. We can get some dry clothes on and talk, okay?” He nodded with a sweet smile on his face as I retrieved my discarded items from the floor and we headed inside.

I made a beeline for the bathroom and grabbed two towels off of the shelf, handing one to Edward so that he could dry himself off.

He propped himself up against the door frame. "You wouldn't happen to have any more of Emmett's clothes lying around, would you?"

I let out a laugh as I slid past him into the hallway. "Actually, yeah, I do. He had me do his laundry once several weeks ago - when Rose was out of town, he practically begged me - and some of his stuff somehow wound up with mine. I've never bothered to give them back and he's never come looking for them."

Edward followed me into the guest bedroom and as I rummaged through the closet to find the clothes, I could feel his eyes practically burning a hole in my back. I broke out into a furious blush and I quickly produced the items for Edward to wear.

He chuckled and I turned to face him. "What's so funny?" I asked, walking up to him. He took the clothes from my hands and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"That it takes virtually no effort at all to make you blush." His finger traced the shell of my ear, dragging down my neck and along the neckline of my dress. "It's beautiful."

He winked at me and strolled away, heading for the bathroom. I stared at his retreating form, flustered beyond belief. If he could reduce me to a pile of mush that easy, I was in trouble. Huge trouble. I grabbed some dry clothes for myself, and headed out to my kitchen after I finished changing. I put a pot of water on the stove for tea, and was grabbing mugs out of the cabinet above my head when I felt warm, strong arms snake around my waist.

His head bent down, and I felt the stubble from his face brush against my cheek. "Hey there, pretty lady. Whatcha doing?" he asked, squeezing me around the waist.

"Making tea. Want some?" I asked, taking the tea bags out of the cabinet. He nodded, and the motion tickled my face. He turned his head, inhaling deeply into my hair.

"Mmmm...you smell like rain and Bella," he said softly, kissing me on the head and then releasing me.

"Go sit down, I'll bring your tea out to you in a sec," I said, shoving him out of the room. I wasn't completely ready for our discussion yet and I needed to mentally prepare for it. If we started 'the talk' in the kitchen, I was liable to just jump him on the hard tile floor and nothing would get accomplished. Once the water was finished, I poured it into two mugs and brought them out to the living room, along with the tea bags. Edward was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, and his head thrown back onto the cushion. His eyes were closed, and his damp hair was half sticking up, and half falling into his eyes. I took a few deep, cleansing breaths and lowered myself onto the couch next to him.

"Wake up, sunshine." I chortled, smacking him lightly on the knee.

He lifted his head and smiled at me, taking the mug out of my hands. I picked up my own mug from the coffee table and stared into it as if it would give me all the information and answers I was looking for; like a Magic 8 Ball. I was far too nervous for my own good, which was ridiculous, since it was just Edward.

Just Edward. Right. It's now or never. Let's do this.

"Edward," I started, finally looking up at him. "I'm scared."

His eyebrows furrowed with concern, and he leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on his knees. "Scared of what, Bella? You don't need to be scared of me."

I shook my head. "I'm not scared of you per se. I guess I'm just scared of this." I motioned back and forth between him and myself. "Of us. I'm scared that if us being in a romantic relationship doesn't work, then I might lose you forever as a friend because things are weird between us."

He sighed and set his tea down, lowering himself onto the floor in front of me. He sat on his knees and took my hands in his.

"Bella, look at me," he said, and I raised my eyes to meet his. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, next week or a month from now. What I DO know is that I feel something for you that I haven't felt for anyone else. I think we would be stupid not to give this a shot. I don't know about you, but I felt something outside that door when we kissed. We can't turn our back on that. Give me a chance...give US a chance. I'm not going to break your heart, Bella."

"I did feel something, Edward. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. What if this doesn't work? What if we end up hating each other? I can't bear the thought of not having you in my life," I said sadly, dropping my eyes to my lap.

His finger grazed under my chin and he lifted my face back up. "But what if it does work? What if we miss out on something huge? Bella, I don't want to just go on a few dates with you and go back to the way it was. I'm not a one-night-stand kind of guy. Just please, let me take you out on a real date."

I smiled softly and brushed some of his hair off of his forehead. "Okay," I said simply.

He beamed at me. "Yeah?"

I nodded and he smiled wider. He took my hands in his again, and sat up on his knees, pressing his forehead to mine.

"You won't regret this, Bella. You'll see."