A/N: . So last chapter there was a bit of drama and a bit of fluffiness. I don't know about you, but I like fluffiness. Thanks to those who read and review. Makes my day seeing those.
....
"Bella, wake up," a voice said, while someone shook my shoulder. My eyes popped open, and I found Charlie standing over me, his hand on my shoulder. I was instantly alarmed.
"What's going on?" I asked in a panicked voice.
"Calm down. Nothing's wrong. But if you don't get a move on, you'll be late for school," he told me as he left my room.
I flopped onto my back and let out the breath I'd been holding. I must have been so caught up in everything that happened yesterday that I'd forgotten to set my alarm. Thank goodness Charlie woke me up.
Hold up. What was Charlie doing home at this time? Normally he was at the station by now. I scrambled out of bed, only to find myself tangled in the sheets, causing me to fall off the bed and hit the floor with a thud.
"You okay, Bells?" Charlie called up the stairs.
"Yes," I grumpily yelled back.
I untangled myself and quickly made my way to the bathroom, where I began my morning ritual. Once I was dressed, my hair brushed and hanging loose, I headed downstairs and found Charlie sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. I grabbed a pop tart and a glass of orange juice and sat down across from Charlie.
"Shouldn't you be at work?"
He looked up from the sports section of the paper and set down his coffee.
"I took the day off."
I almost fell off my chair. Charlie taking a day off? That never happened.
"Are you sure nothing's wrong? You never take time off."
His fingers reached up to smooth his mustache as he said, "I promise everything is fine. Sue and I are going to go visit Esme this morning so we can start discussing plans for the renovation of the attic. We'll probably end up discussing wedding plans as well." He gave a small shiver after he said that.
"Sounds fun. Tell Mrs. Cullen that Seth wants purple walls and hot pink carpet."
Charlie let out a snort. "Now, Bells. Don't go trying to torture the boy just yet. At least wait until he's moved in before you go picking on him."
I put on my best pout. "I can't help it, Dad. I'm just excited to have a little brother." And I really was. I saw how well Edward and Alice got along, and while I realized that not all siblings were as close as they were, it gave me hope. Besides, Seth was a sweet kid and had a great sense of humor.
"How do you feel about getting an older sister?"
"Uh . . . well . . . yeah." I really didn't have much to say about that. I could care less if Leah and I got along.
Charlie gave me a small smile. "Sue went over to Leah's last night to have a talk with her, but I don't know how well it went. I think Leah's having a hard time letting go of Harry and feels that I'm trying to take her dad's place. Hopefully, she'll come around. If not, at least we tried."
I nodded as I put my glass in the sink. Honestly, I didn't really care if she and I became friends or not. Noting the time, I told Charlie I'd see him later, grabbed my backpack, and started up Chuck. I was in such a rush after talking with Charlie that I didn't even have time to process the fact that I was going to see Edward today. The man had freaking kissed me, and I had no idea how I was supposed to act. Was it just a friendly kiss on the cheek, or was it an "I want to be more than friends" kiss on the cheek?
Just earlier this week he had said he wasn't ready to start dating again, so should I just assume that this was a friendly kiss? And who kisses their friends? Oh man, I was starting to give myself a headache trying to figure it all out.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I pulled into the school parking lot which was mostly full. A quick glance at the clock on my stereo told me I had five minutes to make it to homeroom. Well, crap. I climbed out of Chuck and ran toward the front doors. Flinging the door open, I dashed toward homeroom. I had almost made it when my wet shoes slipped on the floor, and I started going down.
"Whoa, Bella!" Edward's warm voice said, as he reached out and caught me before I fell. "In a hurry?"
"Thanks, Edward," I said, feeling flustered. "I totally forgot to set my alarm this morning, then Charlie wanted to talk, and by the time I got to school, I realized I was running late, which meant I had to run to class -- and you know how good I am at running," I rambled as my hand gripped his upper arm in an attempt to steady myself.
He looked down at me and shot me his signature panty-dropping grin. "No problem. But you do realize that you have plenty of time, right? Homeroom doesn't begin for another ten minutes."
Huh? I reached over, grabbed his left arm, and looked at his watch. His very fancy, expensive watch. Well, what do you know? He was right. I had just endangered myself for no reason.
"Chuck's clock must be fast."
"Sure. Blame Chuck," he said with a chuckle.
"I'm not blaming Chuck; I'm just stating a fact. His clock told me I had five minutes before class started."
"Uh huh. I think you just wanted to run and slide across the floor in hopes that I would catch you when you began to fall," he said, smirking at me.
My mouth fell open. Conceited jerk! "Whatever, Cullen," I told him with an eye roll.
"It's true. You can't resist me or my sexy arms."
And they were sexy arms, indeed. I still had a hold of his arm, and I gave him a quick squeeze as he flexed his bicep for me. "Am I that transparent? I want you, I need you, oh baby, oh baby."
"Did you just quote Ten Things I Hate About You to me?"
I shot him a grin as I reluctantly removed my hand from his arm. "Perhaps."
He shook his head at me. "Come on, Swan. Let's get you safely to class."
...
The week flew by quickly, and I found myself becoming even more enamored with Edward, if that was at all possible. I didn't know if it was his beautiful smile and small glances that he sent my way, or the sweet and casual touches that he would give me. Whatever it was, it made my blood pump and my heart soar. I had to keep reminding myself that he wasn't interested in dating at the moment and to just be satisfied with the playful banter that we had. And I was. I enjoyed seeing that playful side of Edward and was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
That was how I found myself agreeing to go to a dance club in Port Angeles on Saturday. It was Friday at lunch, and Alice was going on about some new dance club that had just opened up.
"We should totally go! It'll be so much fun!" she exclaimed, in true Alice fashion. Rose quickly agreed and, much to my surprise, so did Angela.
"How about it, Bella?" Rose asked me.
"Um . . . you all know how I feel about dancing. A place like that would be a disaster for me."
Edward leaned over and said in a soft voice, "Come with us. Please? It'll be fun, and I won't let anything happen to you."
Well, hell. How could I say no after that? I looked into his eyes and felt myself giving in. Let's hope he never asked me to commit a crime, 'cause I had a feeling I would give in too easily.
"If Charlie says it's okay, I'll go."
The girls cheered, and Alice launched into fashion mode, lecturing us on what was proper dance club attire and what wasn't. I had a feeling my entire wardrobe would be listed in the non-proper attire category.
Meanwhile, Edward had slung his arm over the back of my chair and was busy discussing football strategy for the game that night. I leaned back in my chair and half-listened to the various conversations going on around me. I was in the mist of being berated for my lack of fashion sense, when I felt fingers entangling themselves in my hair. Could it be? Was Edward playing with my hair? I looked up at him from under my lashes at the same time he looked down at me and gave me a small smile. Pleasure rippled through me as I refocused my attention back to Alice. She wasn't fooled. She, Rose, and Angela all gave me smug looks, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered at that moment was Edward.
All too soon, the bell rang, and we extracted ourselves from our table. Edward removed his fingers from my hair but slung a friendly arm over my shoulder and we headed off to class. I was in total swooning mode. Part of me didn't believe that this was real. I mean, what could Edward Cullen possibly see in me? The other part of me was all too eager for whatever this was to continue.
Once school let out, I said goodbye to everyone and headed home. It had become a ritual to go to the Friday night games. I dumped my bag in my room and changed into an old hoodie and a pair of jeans. Might as well be comfortable while sitting on a bench freezing my ass off. Charlie had left me a note telling me that he was at Sue's house, so I decided to give him a call.
"Hey, Bells," he said in his gruff, yet cheerful voice.
"Hey, Dad. Just wanted to let you know that I'm heading to the game with the gang. We'll probably go out afterward, but I should be back around eleven."
"That's fine."
"So, um . . . the Cullen kids, along with Rose, Emmett, and Jasper, are all going to a dance club in Port Angeles tomorrow night. I was wondering if I could go?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, and I steeled myself for the resounding "no" that would be coming my way.
"Esme and Carlisle are letting Alice and Edmund go?"
"His name is Edward, Dad. And as far as I know, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen are fine with it."
"Hmmph. I'll call them and find out. If they are letting them go, then you can go. But no drinking! That goes for everyone, especially that streaker-kid."
"Of course."
"I'm going to give Esme a call, then I'll let you know."
"Thanks, Dad. So, did you have fun today?"
"Sure. We'll go with that. It was fun, up until all that wedding talk and nonsense."
Then I heard a thud through the phone and heard Charlie telling Sue to stop hitting him. I let out a laugh. Good for her.
"Bella, you go on ahead to your game and have fun. I have to go put Charlie in his place," Sue said to me, obviously having taken the phone away from Charlie. I had a feeling that "putting him in his place" was a euphemism for something else. Ugh! That was a disturbing thought.
The game was a lot of fun, and the Spartans won again. It was a close game, and the three of us shouted ourselves hoarse screaming for our team. It was comical to see how far we had come, school spirit wise, since the beginning of the year. As we headed down the bleachers, I came face to face with Esme and Dr. Cullen. I loved the fact that they were so supportive of their children and made it a point to come to every game.
"Bella, dear. I talked to your father earlier," she said after wrapping me up in one of her warm hugs.
"About the dance club?"
"Yes. Carlisle and I know the owner, Felix Volturi. He's a nice man, and the club caters to those sixteen and up. I assured Charlie that it was a nice place. Volturi doesn't have or allow alcohol on the premises. It's just a nice place for kids to kick back and have a good time."
I instantly felt a bit safer, knowing that there wasn't going to be alcohol. It's not like I'd never had a drink before; I had. I just didn't want to have to deal with drunken losers trying to hit on me and whatnot.
"So, Dad said yes?"
"Yes and, if you'd like, you can spend the night at our house. I'm sure you all will be getting back late."
I thanked her, hugged her once more, and then Angela, Ben, and I left for the diner. Per usual, the diner was crowded with the student body from Forks High. We found our table in the back and sat down, waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. I saw Victoria arrive, followed by Lauren and Mike. They looked so pathetic, following her around like they were her lapdogs, but whatever. I just hoped she and her band of idiots didn't come over and start trouble. I was lost in my internal musings and was a bit startled when Emmett jumped into my line of sight.
"Hey, Rachel Ray! How's it hanging?"
I knew for a fact that if I asked him that, he'd come up with some reply that had to do with his dick or something equally inappropriate. I told him I was fine as he sat down across from me, pulling Rose onto his lap. She struggled to get away, but he had a tight grip on her and not two seconds later, they were making out. I was slightly disturbed.
"Gross, isn't it?" a warm voice whispered in my ear. I turned around and found myself eye to eye with Edward.
"Totally," I said, a bit breathlessly.
"It's even worse when I have to watch Alice and Jasper. Some things a brother just doesn't need to see," he told me, sitting down in the vacant chair next to me.
"Oh hush, Edward. It's not like I haven't walked in on you in compromising situations," Alice said, sticking out her tongue at him.
I really didn't want to think about Edward and compromising situations or positions. Oh boy. I felt the blush start to work its way up my face. Think about something else, Bella. Anything else.
"My dad said I could go to the club with you guys," I blurted out.
"Suh-weet!" Emmett yelled, giving a fist pump in the air. I had to shake my head at his enthusiasm. Such a goofball.
"Yay! I'll come over to your house tomorrow and raid your closet. I'm sure you must have something that's club appropriate." Then she was off and running about clothes and who knew what.
I leaned over to Edward and whispered to him, "I don't have the heart to tell her that I have nothing in my closet that is club appropriate."
"I'm sure you'll look good in whatever you wear," he said, a smile on his face.
Swoon. Seriously. I think I just swooned.
"Thanks."
"And don't let her bully you into wearing something you aren't comfortable in. She can be a force of nature when it comes to clothes."
I nodded my head. "I've dealt with Hurricane Alice before. For the Sadie Hawkins dance, she practically forced her dress and shoes on me."
"That's right. I forgot about that. You looked really pretty that night."
"Just that night, huh? So, I don't look pretty all the time?" I teased him.
"What? No. That's not what I meant. You always look pretty," he replied, a light blush staining his cheeks and a full on blush staining mine. "I just meant that you looked really great that night. That shade of blue on you is stunning."
Holy hell. I wasn't aware that Edward had even noticed me that night. I figured he was so busy being angry at me that he never noticed. Apparently, I was wrong.
Our waitress came over to take our orders, and I was grateful for the distraction. Not that I wasn't enjoying my conversation with Edward, but I was afraid I was going to spontaneously combust if he gave me any more compliments. Emmett ordered enough to feed the table while I ordered a simple cheeseburger and fries. Conversation flowed freely, and we all enjoyed the tales that Emmett, Jasper, and Edward told about the game while we were eating.
Eventually, the owners of the diner kicked us out and we all went our separate ways. Ben and Angela dropped me off and I headed inside to find Charlie and Sue cuddling on the couch, exchanging small kisses. Not something I wanted to see, yet incredibly sweet at the same time.
"Hey, Bells. How was the game?" Charlie asked as I came in.
"It was fun. We won again. So far, we're undefeated," I said, excitedly.
"Now, why can't you show this kind of enthusiasm when I watch a game?"
Sue interrupted me before I could answer. "Probably because the boys on the school team are much cuter than the ones you watch."
Charlie's face turned an interesting shade of red. "I don't want to hear that."
"Too bad, Charlie. Bella will be dating before you know it."
I watched, amused, as Charlie started to sputter. "That's not going to happen. Bella's going to wait until she's in her thirties before she starts dating."
Sue and I busted out laughing. If I had my way, I'd be dating Edward Cullen right this second.
"Sorry, Dad. I plan on dating before then."
I sat down in Charlie's recliner, and we talked about the game, the wedding, and the Clearwaters' move into our house. Sue told me that Seth was excited about moving in, and he had big plans for the attic upstairs. Before long, exhaustion set in, so I excused myself and headed upstairs. I logged into my Facebook page and noticed that I had a message from Edward. I sat on my chair, doing a little dance. I clicked on the message and read what he said.
Hey, Bella. Hope I didn't embarrass you too much tonight, but I meant what I said. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'm glad that you're going with us tomorrow night. I'm sure we'll have a great time.
Aw. He was so freaking sweet. Now, if only he would just ask me out and then make out with me, life would be fantastic. I decided to message him back, once again thanking him for his compliment, and letting him know that I was excited about tomorrow night as well. I finished the night up playing some games, logged off, and was asleep before I knew it.
Saturday morning, I woke up around eleven, which was unusual for me. I lay in my bed, stretching my arms over my head, thinking about the evening to come. I still couldn't believe that Charlie was letting me go. I was partially terrified and partially excited. I'd never been to a club before and was terrified of making a fool of myself. I didn't know how to dance, and I really didn't want to make an ass of myself in front of Edward. I wondered if he'd dance with me tonight. I really hoped so. I was still lying in my bed when I was bombarded by a tiny, squealing person.
"Bella! Bella! Bella! Wake up! We've got a busy day ahead of us," Alice yelled, bouncing up and down on my bed.
"Ugh! Who let the tiny demon in?" I hollered.
"I did!" Charlie yelled back to me.
I looked at her and asked, "So, why are you here this early?"
"Because silly, I've got to raid your wardrobe and teach you how to dance."
"Alice, I don't dance. I'm gonna make a complete fool of myself tonight," I whined.
"No, you're not. That's why I'm here. Now get up, shower, and get dressed. Put on some comfy clothes and I'll forage around your closet."
I quickly obeyed, terrified of incurring the wrath of Alice. After my shower, I went back to my room only to find that a hurricane had hit. Clothes were thrown all over the place, and I could see only a tiny pair of feet sticking out of my closet.
"Uh . . . Alice," I began, surveying the mess.
"Shhh! I'm busy. I put some yoga pants and a shirt on your computer chair. Put those on, grab me something to eat, and then come back."
I raised an eyebrow. Did she just order me to grab her something to eat? I snatched up my clothes, headed back to the bathroom, and got dressed. Once clothed, I headed downstairs into the kitchen to figure out what to make for her. Opening the fridge, I noticed that we had the fixings for some cold cut sandwiches, so I chose that. Carrying two plates, I headed upstairs, scared to see what was left of my room. I peeked around the door and saw that Alice had arranged my clothes into piles.
"I made you a sandwich. Hope that's alright."
"Thanks, Bella!" she beamed at me. Taking a bite of her sandwich, she pointed to the different piles of clothes that were now covering my bed. She informed me that the pile on the right was to go in the garbage or be burned. Glancing at the pile, I noticed that she'd included some of my favorite shirts and flannels. I made a sound of protest but zipped my lips immediately upon seeing Alice's look. The pile on the left was my keep pile. Well, hallelujah, at least I had some clothes left.
"Bella, my dear. You are sadly lacking in the fashion department. Your closet is crying for help, and I am making it my mission to fill it with fashionable clothes. Pack a bag, 'cause you're spending the night with me. We're gonna head to my house in a few. I have a bunch of clothes that I never wear, and they need a good home. Your closet will do just fine. Secondly, we are going to spend tomorrow shopping!"
I shook my head. Oh no. I wasn't going shopping. Not happening.
"I already asked your dad if it was okay and he said yes. So, pack your bag, grab your purse, and put on your shoes. We're leaving in ten." Then she flounced out of my room and down the stairs.
How could my own father sell me out like that? I quickly sent Edward a text begging him to help me get out of shopping tomorrow. My phone chimed a few seconds later.
Sorry, Bella. You're on your own
Traitor.
Lol. Ive learned not to get b/w alice and her shopping
Jerk.
I can't believe that he wasn't going to help me. I contemplated throwing myself down the stairs but ultimately decided the pain wasn't worth it. I made my way downstairs where Charlie handed me a wad of cash.
"What's this for?"
"Your shopping spree."
"I've got some money saved up, Dad. You don't have to give me any."
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. There should be a couple hundred there. Take it. It's not often that you go shopping."
Grudgingly, I took the money and put it in my purse. I gave Charlie a hug goodbye and headed toward Alice's Porsche. She chattered the whole way to her house and was positively beaming at the idea of playing Barbie Bella. I, on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled about it. But then I remembered how good she'd made me look for the dance and decided I wouldn't complain too much. I said a quick hello to Mrs. Cullen before heading upstairs to Alice's room. Within minutes, she had flung open the doors to her massive closet and started throwing clothes in my direction. Forty-five minutes later, I had acquired a small collection of very expensive clothes.
"Alice, there's no way I can accept all this."
"You can and you will. Don't argue with me, just take them. I don't wear them anymore and you are in dire need of new clothes."
I realized that resistance was futile, so I just accepted the clothes and thanked her. She even found an outfit for me to wear to the club. I had images of tight miniskirts and halter-tops and was relieved when she handed me a cute dress with red roses. I pointed out that it was October in Forks and that I was going to freeze. Alice argued that we were going to be dancing in a club with a ton of people and lights and that we'd probably get warm, but she handed me a bomber jacket to put on top of it.
Once the clothes situation was sorted out, she turned on her iHome stereo. She scrolled down to a playlist she had made and cranked up the music. Rihanna's Only Girl in the World blared out, and Alice started dancing around her room. I was in awe of her moves and told her so.
"Silly Bella. It's not hard. Just move your hips and shoulders. Watch me." And I did. She made it look so easy. I figured since we were in the privacy of her room, I could give it a shot and not make too much of an ass out of myself. I stood where I was, attempting to move my hips the way she was.
"There you go. You got it!"
I felt a bit silly as I stood there, undulating my hips to the rhythm of the music. I had no idea what to do with my arms, and I saw Alice lifting hers over her head or sliding them over her hips and thighs. Well, what the hell. I'll give it a shot. So I wound my hands up in the air, while wiggling my hips, and I really started to get into it.
"Ow, ow! Looking fine, ladies!" Emmett's voice boomed from Alice's doorway, where he and Jasper were standing. Immediately, I stopped what I was doing, and my face turned bright red. Emmett must have noticed my discomfort because he was quick to reassure me.
"I mean it, Twinkletoes. You got some moves, girl. You just need a bit of confidence, and you'll be driving the dudes crazy. Although, I think we all know that there's only one dude you want to drive crazy," he smirked, giving me a wink.
I was mortified. Emmett knew I had a crush on Edward. My face was fire-alarm red, and I mumbled, "Is it obvious to everyone?"
Emmett came over and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side. "Hey now, Ginger Rogers. It's not obvious to everyone. I just know about it 'cause Rosie told me. We have no secrets, so don't be mad at her for telling me."
Jasper came into the room and stood behind Alice, his arms around her waist, his chin resting on top of her head. "Don't be embarrassed, Darling. I think it's a pretty safe bet that Edward likes you back."
"Well, yeah. We're friends."
"Darlin', I'm positive Edward likes you for more than a friend."
"Totally! I mean really, Bella, how many of your friends kiss you on the cheek when saying goodnight?" Alice asked me.
Shit-eating grins spread across both Emmett and Jasper's faces. They reached out and gave each other fist bumps, leaving me confused.
"Told ya he was crazy about her. You owe me ten bucks," Emmett boomed out at Jasper.
"Dang it! I knew he liked her, but I didn't think he'd have the guts to make the first move."
Huh? My brain was trying to comprehend the fact that apparently Edward liked me for more than a friend. I just couldn't see it, though. Alice turned around and looked up at Jasper.
"Mind telling us what you're going on about?"
Emmett spoke up. "I bet Jasper ten bucks that Edward would make a move on Bella before the end of the week. Jasper bet me it would be at least two weeks before he made a move."
I stood there in shocked silence as I watched Jasper pull out his wallet and hand Emmett ten bucks. Before Emmett could take the money, I grabbed it out of Jasper's hand and tucked it in my back pocket.
"Thanks."
Emmett turned and stared at me. "What?" I asked, innocently.
"You took my money!"
"And I'll be sure to spend it wisely," I told him with a smile. Jasper and Alice were cracking up at the look of disbelief on Emmett's face.
"What's going on here?" a voice came from the doorway. I'd know that voice anywhere. Edward. I looked over and saw him leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest. Damn, he looked good. Emmett caught me staring at Edward, and an evil look came over his face. Oh no. That wouldn't be good. I had to say something before Emmett did.
"Emmett's mad 'cause I took his ten bucks that he won in a bet with Jasper."
Edward strolled into the room and stood next to me. I swore I forgot how to breathe. "Good for you. What were they betting on?"
Did I dare tell him? "You."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Uh huh. So I guess the ten bucks is really yours," I said, fishing into my back pocket and handing it to him.
"Thanks. Not sure what I did to win it, but works for me. Thanks, guys," he said then, turned to look at me. "Want to go get an ice cream? I just won ten bucks."
If my smile got any bigger, it'd split my face. "Sure." We left the room, leaving a shocked Emmett and Jasper, and a giggling Alice behind us. We made our way downstairs and headed out to his Volvo.
"No mom-mobile comments or you're walking," he warned, pointing a finger at me.
"I promise. I won't make any mom-mobile comments. For now."
He shook his head, as he held the door open for me. I climbed in and was immediately surrounded by the smell of leather and Edward. Yum. I watched as he climbed into the driver's seat, and then we were off. He drove through town until we reached the little ice cream shop. We walked into the shop, and the girl behind the counter began eye-fucking Edward the minute we walked in. Not that I could blame her, but it still irritated the hell out of me. I wanted to tell her to back off, that he was mine, but he wasn't. Not yet, anyway. The girl asked him what he wanted, flirting all the while, and completely ignoring me. Now, I was just getting pissed. Edward wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him.
"See anything you want, Bella?"
Oh, that was a loaded question. I saw something I definitely wanted, standing next to me with his arm wrapped around my waist.
"Yep. I'll have a double scoop of strawberry in a waffle cone," I told the girl, giving her a smug smile. She shot me a dirty look and then turned away to get my ice cream.
Once we had our cones, we headed outside. It was cold out, but for once, it wasn't raining. Edward suggested taking a walk while we ate, and I agreed. We walked around the little downtown area of Forks, eating our ice cream and talking. It felt so natural. We found a bench outside of Newton's and sat down.
"Sorry about earlier," he said. "I didn't mean to grab you like that, but that girl wouldn't stop staring at me like I was a piece of meat."
"It's okay. You never have to apologize for grabbing me."
Oh God. I did it again. Verbal vomit. My brain seemed to abandon me whenever Edward was around, and I said the stupidest things. Face bright red, I did my best to ignore the gorgeous man next to me and eat my ice cream, acting like nothing had happened.
He let out a loud laugh. "I love the things you say. You crack me up, Bella. So, you will be saving me a few dances tonight, right?"
I swung my head around and met his gaze. His green eyes memorized me; there was a firing burning in them. "Of course," I told him in a breathy voice. Good God, I sounded like a porn star.
"I look forward to it."
"I'm a horrible dancer!" I blurted out. "Alice was trying to teach me how to dance earlier, but I don't think I'm very good at it."
He put his finger under my chin and tipped my head up towards his. "I'm sure you'll do great. Besides, slow dancing is easy. You just sway to the rhythm of the music. I'll guide you. As for the fast music, just go with the flow. You sure as hell can't look any worse than Emmett when he gets on the dance floor. He gyrates all over the place. It's terrifying."
I remembered the last time I'd seen Emmett and his gyrating hips and gave a shudder. We finished up our cones and headed back toward the mom-mobile. The ride back was quiet, and every once in a while, I would catch him looking at me. A small smile formed on my lips as I watched the scenery go by. Perhaps the boys were right. Maybe he did like like me. We arrived back at his house and headed inside, only to find Dr. and Mrs. Cullen in a heated embrace. Oh my. Edward let out a groan and grabbed my hand, tugging me away from the sight in front of me.
"Sorry about that. I swear, sometimes they forget that they have two teenagers living in the house," he said, while leading me upstairs toward his room.
"I think it's sweet. How long have they been married?"
"Twenty years. Mom was twenty and Dad was twenty-two when they got married. They had us three years later."
"Wow. I can't imagine that. Charlie and Renee divorced when I was ten. Renee took off after that and went through a slew of husbands. Apparently she's got a new one now," I said, my voice growing bitter.
Edward stopped outside his room and opened the door. I made a beeline for his couch, throwing myself on it. I let out a sigh as I felt myself sinking into the leather couch.
"I'm going to marry your couch," I told him, while stretching out.
"Fine by me. But the couch stays here," he grinned.
"I've got no problem with that. Although Charlie might."
"Oh, yeah. Don't want your dad coming after me with a shotgun," he agreed, flinging himself on his bed.
We spent the next few hours talking and laughing, just getting to know one another. I was really enjoying my one on one time with Edward, but I knew it wouldn't last. Sure enough, Alice came bounding in and jumped on Edward's bed, followed by Jasper and Emmett.
"What up, love birds?" Emmett boomed, throwing himself onto my couch. I kicked him in an attempt to move him, but he wouldn't budge.
"You're on my couch," I told him.
"Your couch? I'm pretty sure this is Edward's couch."
"He gave it to me."
Edward raised his eyebrow at me. "Oh, I did, did I?"
"Don't you remember? After declaring your undying love for me, you told me I could have it. You even offered to move it for me."
"Uh huh. I don't quite remember it like that," he said, then he threw a pillow at me but managed to hit Emmett instead. Of course, that started a huge pillow fight, and soon enough the five of us were sprawled out across Edward's bed, attacking one another.
"What in the world is going on here?" Mrs. Cullen asked from the doorway.
"Pillow fight!" we all yelled, which sent us into peals of laughter. She shook her head and informed us that dinner was ready. After a delicious dinner, Rose came over, and Alice whisked us away to get ready for the club. I was terrified and told them so.
"What's got you so scared?" Rose asked me.
"I'm afraid of making a fool out of myself on the dance floor. Sure, Alice showed me what to do, but I just know I'm going to look like an idiot. And then earlier today, when Edward and I went for ice cream, he asked me to save some dances for him. So, now I'm going to dance with Edward, and I'll probably end up breaking his toes!"
"Whoa, Bella. Calm down. Now go back to the part about you, Edward, ice cream, and dancing," Rose said.
I took a deep breath and explained that Edward wanted me to dance with him and that I was so afraid of ruining his night by breaking him. Of course, Alice and Rose busted out laughing, assuring me that it would be fine. Before long, we were dressed to the nines in our dance clothes, hair and makeup done. We headed downstairs to find the boys waiting for us.
"Ow, ow! You ladies are looking good tonight!" Emmett exclaimed when he saw us. As annoying as he could be, he was good for my ego tonight.
"I have to agree. You ladies look hot," Jasper drawled, pulling Alice to him.
"Stunning. Absolutely stunning," Edward said, staring at me. I glanced shyly up at him and told him thanks. The Cullen parents told us to have fun and be careful on the way home. We had agreed that Emmett's vehicle was the best one to take since we all fit into it comfortably. Before long, we were headed down the road to Port Angeles, music blaring, getting ready to get our groove on. It was going to be a night to remember.
....
a/n: Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Yay for dance times coming up! Tell me, do you dance? And if so, what is your favorite dance song? Me? I'm a horrid dancer. I have no rhythm whatsoever. It's quite embarrassing. My dance song: Till the World Ends by Brittany Spears. Which is funny 'cause I'm not a Spears fan at all. Next update will be Monday.