Sunday, January 10, 2010

Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks Lillie Cullen for your wonderful beta skills.

I don’t own Twilight or its characters.

Esme’s POV

I watched as my boys drove off to meet up with their sisters and Bella. We were all very excited about Bella. Last night when they got home Alice was bouncing up and down with excitement. Edward had a smile that kept playing at the corners of his mouth. I hope Bella can bring out the entire smile.

I worry about my oldest son so much. He’s been alone for so many years that I was starting to worry he’d never find a mate. Carlisle and I have had many discussions on this subject over the years. I worried that he was turned too young. Carlisle always just hugs me and gives me a kiss, assuring me that’s not the problem. He claims Edward is just too stubborn and set in his ways. I know this to be true.

The only one of my children to match him in stubbornness is Rosalie. She just doesn’t take change well. At least in this situation she seems to be trying. I know she loves Edward even though they butt heads all the time. I think she’s hoping if he has someone to focus on, she’ll get her way more often because he’ll be too distracted to fight with her.

I saw Carlisle coming up the drive from the hospital as I was walking back into the house. I stood on the porch waiting for him. I could watch that man for eternity, and I will. I smiled a little at the thought of my husband and how he makes me feel special and loved.

“Hello love,” he whispered as he came onto the porch. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a kiss that always melts my dead heart. “I take it all the children have left to pursue the ‘Operation Bella’ campaign?”

We both laughed at the name Emmett had come up with last night. Leave it to Emmett to make everything a game. I just hope he remembers she’s human and therefore very fragile.

“Yes they have. The boys just left a short time ago to meet up with the girls at the mall.” We went into the house and headed upstairs to our room. “I need to go to the store and pick up snacks for this evening,” I said. “Alice assured me she would be coming here with them tonight. I want to make her feel welcome.”

“Esme, darling, I know she’ll feel welcome. You are so loving and kind. How could she not?”

“You’re sweet, dear. I just fret because I haven’t entertained a human since I was one. I know how important this is to Edward and I want everything to go smoothly.”

He pulled me into a warm embrace. “It will. Remember, Alice saw it,” he chuckled. “We have a few hours before they get back so why don’t we spend some time focusing on us before you go to the store.”

He had that gleam in his eyes that was reserved only for me. I gladly complied.

BPOV

We were almost to Forks now and the drive had been pretty quiet. Edward seemed to have calmed down. Alice was talking softly with Jasper in the back. It seemed kind of intimate, so I didn’t want to interrupt, and Edward didn’t want to talk about what happened at the bookstore, so I wasn’t sure what to say to break the silence.

I glanced down at the bag of books at my feet when I remembered. “Edward,” I asked “do you mind stopping by your house on the way to drop me off? Emmett took my bags with him earlier by mistake.”

Edward looked over to me and smiled. “That’s not a problem at all, Bella.”

Alice leaned forward between the seats. “Oh Bella, you’ll get a chance to meet Carlisle and Esme, our parents.”

“Well, I really should get home. I’m sure Charlie is wondering where I am. I’ve never spent this much time shopping before,” I laughed.

“Why don’t you call and let him know you’ll be home a little later?” she suggested.

“Sure, I guess I could.” I pulled out my cell and called Charlie. “Hey, Dad. How did the fishing go?”

He told me it was a good day and we wouldn’t starve for at least a few months. I laughed at that. Today’s catch on top of the 3-year supply of fish already in the freezer. I wasn’t too worried.

“So Bells, where are you? I was starting to worry. You’re never out this long just to shop. Did you run away with Mike and not tell your old man?” he said, laughing.

I saw Edward frown for some reason. Alice was patting him on the shoulder from the back seat.

Charlie has been a big supporter of Mike’s pursuit since his dad gave him a new rod and reel he’d been eying for a while as a “thank you” for catching some kids trying to break into their store a few months back. I was getting a little tired of Charlie always singing Mike’s praises. I keep telling him I’ll decide soon. I hate being pushed.

“No Dad, I didn’t run away with Mike.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ve actually been shopping this entire time, believe it or not.” I laughed because I knew the answer was ‘not.’ Honestly, if I hadn’t been there I wouldn’t believe me either.

“I just wanted to let you know I’m back in Forks and I’m going to stop at a friend’s house on my way home. I’ll talk to you later. Bye Dad!” I snapped my phone shut before he could start the interrogation that would be a little embarrassing with everyone in the car listening. I’d just tell him later.

We turned off the road onto a private drive that wound through the trees. Alice was right this morning. I never would have found their drive if I didn’t know where to look. Their drive was probably a mile long before there was a break in the trees. I couldn’t get over their home. It was beautiful. It was a three story rock and glass home, very modern. In all my years here, I never even knew this house existed.

I realized Edward was holding my door open for me. I got out and walked up to the house with him. I saw Jasper’s back as he and Alice had already walked through the front door. Edward placed his hand on my lower back again, steering me onto the porch and through the door. I really was starting to like the feel of it.

Standing in the foyer were Alice and Jasper along with another couple. They were gorgeous. He was tall and blonde like Jasper. She stood next to him, coming up just to his shoulder with long brown hair. They were all looking at me smiling. I looked down, blushing. It was embarrassing the way they looked at me. It was like they had some kind of expectation.

“Bella, these are my parents, Carlisle and Esme,” Edward said. They looked too young to be parents. Then I remembered Alice said everyone was adopted. “Mom, Dad, this is Bella.” He was looking down at me with a smile as he said it.

I looked at Edward. The way he said my name at the end, it was almost with reverence. It was strange. I felt a flutter in the pit of my stomach and my heart skipped a beat. I started blushing all over again.

I quickly turned to their parents, who were grinning like Alice. “Hi, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, trying to ignore Edward beside me. He still had his hand on my back and was stroking it with his thumb now, sending goose bumps down my spine.

They both stepped forward. His dad shook my hand. “Please Bella, call me Carlisle.”

“And please call me Esme, dear. There’s no need for formalities here. We’re all family.” She gently gave me a gentle hug like she wasn’t sure how receptive I would be. I liked it. I hadn’t seen Renee in over a year and being hugged by their mom brought home how much I missed having a mom around. I love Charlie, but there’s something different about moms.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cu – Esme.” I said blushing again. This had to be going on a record. Three blushes in less than 5 minutes.

Alice started laughing. “Come on Bella. Let’s go upstairs.”

She pulled me by the hand out of Edward’s grasp. I think he actually growled. Maybe he was what I’d been hearing all day. At least it would mean I wasn’t crazy, but maybe he was.

“Edward, you and Jasper can hang out down here for a while. I’ll bring her back, I promise,” she smirked.

We walked into Alice’s room. It was decorated in soft green, white and black. It looked like half the bags from our shopping trip were on her bed. She pulled me over to sit on the loveseat, tucking one leg under her as she sat down facing me.

“So Bella, thanks so much for going shopping with us today. I had a great time. I just know we’re going to be best friends!”

“I had fun too, Alice.” I thought back to Rosalie’s interrogation in the food court. “Can I ask you a question without offending?” I looked down at my hands in my lap and took a breath. “Does Rosalie not like me?” I heard a commotion downstairs and a door slam from somewhere in the house.

Alice grabbed both my hands in hers and stared intently at me. “Oh no! It’s not that, Bella. I promise! Rosalie just has a hard time warming up to people. Please don’t worry about it. She’ll come around soon.”

She looked over at the bags and changed the subject. “So want to help me go through the bags and see if we find yours?”

I shuddered looking at all the bags. And these were only hers. I knew there was an equally large stack that belonged to Rosalie probably in her room. “Sure Alice, then I really should go soon.”

Alice started pulling things out of the bags laying them in two stacks on her bed. “Hmm, I don’t know why I bought this outfit. I really don’t like it as much now that I’m home.” She turned to me, “Here try it on and let me see how it looks on you.” She shoved the clothes in my hands and pushed me toward her bathroom.

“Alice,” I protested, “I’m not trying on your clothes. If you don’t like them just return them.”

“Please, for me Bella. Just try them on. It’s not going to hurt anything.” She stuck out her lip in a pout at me.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” I gave in. “I just don’t know why you can’t return them if you don’t like them,” I said as she closed me in the bathroom.

“Trust me,” she said through the door. “It’s more work than it’s worth to return them.”

I pulled my shirt over my head and slipped out of my jeans and boots. I pulled the royal blue fitted shirt down over my waist and put on what I had thought were shorts. It turned out to be a very short denim skirt. I liked the shirt, but I wasn’t much of a skirt person. It’s hard to look good in a skirt if you’re always tripping over your feet.

“Come on Bella, let me see!” Alice yelled.

I opened the door to see Alice standing there. I laughed, gesturing with my hands down the front of me. “I don’t think so, Alice. The skirt is too short. But thanks for the thought.”

“Oh no, you don’t. It’s perfect on you. I think the shirt looks even better on you with your coloring than it did on me.” She looked back at the stacks on the bed. I noticed one pile was gone. She must have gotten those hung up already. “In fact, I don’t like any of these others either.” She gestured to the stack still on the bed. “So I guess you’re just going to have to take them all.”

I opened my mouth to protest when she interrupted me. “So what do you think of Edward?”

That was so out of left field that my brain couldn’t even process the change in conversation. I completely forgot what we were talking about. “Um, he’s okay?”

Alice had set me down in front of her vanity and was brushing my hair. I was still trying to think of my answer even though I’d already given one.

“Just okay?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t know. I just met him today. He’s very attractive, but he doesn’t talk much. Then when he does, he just seems to piss me off.” I thought back to his criticism of Romeo and Juliet and the stuff with Josh, which reminded me that I needed to get his copy out of my bag along with Alice’s CD.

“There,” she said, patting my shoulders with a big grin on her face.

I looked up at her in the mirror. I hadn’t even realized what she’d been doing to me. My hair was curled and I had a touch of make up on. How did she get make up on me without me knowing? I guess I was distracted thinking about Edward. Yeah he annoyed me, but I has to admit I loved his smile.

“Thanks, Alice. I don’t know why you did all this. I’m just going home.” I smiled, not wanting to hurt her feelings. No matter how you dress me up, I’m still just plain Bella.

“Well let’s go down and see what the guys are doing.” She pulled me out of her room before I had a chance to change back into my clothes.

I walked carefully down the stairs behind Alice, following her into their living room, where I could hear her family discussing which movie to watch. I could smell spices and jalapenos in the air. It reminded me I hadn’t eaten since lunch.

Alice ran ahead of me into the living room. I turned the corner into the room and Edward looked up at me. He stopped midway up from the sofa he’d been sitting on. His eyes looked like they’d gotten darker and were slowing traveling up my body.

I started blushing and looked down, unsure of myself.

He came up to me, lifting my chin with his fingers while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with his other hand. He was gazing into my eyes with a strange emotion I couldn’t pinpoint. “Bella, don’t look away. You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

I blushed again, but couldn’t look down. My eyes were locked into his. I knew I wouldn’t be able to look anywhere else without first getting permission from his eyes to ever look away. I felt like I was lost and there were only his eyes.

He dropped his hand and turned as we heard everyone start laughing. Emmett seemed to be trying to cover up a comment with his hand. I could have sworn it sounded like ‘get a room,’ but that wouldn’t make any sense.

Edward pulled me over to sit on the sofa with him. I finally noticed his entire family was sitting in the room watching us. He sat down beside me, handing me a drink from the coffee table.

“Thank you,” I whispered, taking a sip. My throat felt very dry all of a sudden.

“Alright, now that we’re all here, let’s start this puppy!” Emmett bellowed. He turned off the lamp next to him with one hand while hitting ‘play’ on the remote with the other.

It was dark in the room other than from the movie on television. They were watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Everyone groaned. “Again, Emmett?”

“Hey, I like Johnny Depp. So deal.”

Rosalie was curled up with him in the recliner and kissed him on the cheek. She looked over to me and sighed. “Thanks for going shopping with us today, Bella. It’s going to be nice having a friend already when school starts.” She shot a look at Edward before turning back to the movie.

Edward handed me a plate from in front of us. There was a chicken dip with tortilla chips that smelled heavenly. It was covered in melted cheese. I tried it. Wow, you could make a meal out of it. I love Mexican food and this was perfect. I’d need to ask his mom for the recipe.

My eyes started to get heavy and I was fighting to stay awake. I felt myself being lifted and held in his arms. I felt a blanket being placed over me and he was stroking my hair. I didn’t have the energy to protest, so I just closed my eyes the rest of the way and drifted off.

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