Chapter 7

The utter joy I felt waking up wrapped in Edward’s embrace in my old room was beyond belief. I glanced at the clock and realized that Charlie should already be at work and Tommy would be leaving for school soon, and I wanted to see him before he left.

I slipped out of bed without waking Edward and headed down stairs. Tommy was in the kitchen waiting for his Pop-Tart to cook. He always insisted on heating them up. He gave me a huge smile and handed me a package of Pop-Tarts for my breakfast.

“Morning, sis.”

“Hey, T. I see some things never change,” I said pointing towards the toaster.

“You know me, creature of habit. I’m glad you’re home. I need some serious advice.” Tommy shifted from foot to foot. He seemed nervous.

“OK, I’ll do my best. What’s up?”

“Well, there’s this girl at school, and I really like her, but I don’t know if she feels the same way. I mean we talk about everything, but sometimes I think she only looks at me like a friend. How can I tell if she likes me more than a friend?” Tommy started blushing like me. One of those wonderful Swan traits we got from Charlie.

“Does she laugh at your jokes?”

“Yeah.”

“Then she definitely likes you cause your jokes aren’t that funny.”

“Hey, yes they are. You just don’t appreciate the greatness that is my humor.” Tommy tucked my head into his elbow and gave me a noogie. I hated it when he did that.

“You better stop it or I will have Edward kick your ass,” I said with my most menacing voice.

“Tommy, I really like you and would hate to have to kick your ass.” Tommy rolled his eyes and released my head. I ran and jumped into Edward’s arms.

“Morning, love. Sleep well?” Edward kissed the top of my head.

“Best night’s sleep I have ever had in that bed.”

“Ugh. I have to go to school before all of this lovey dovey crap makes me hurl my breakfast. Kickoff is at 7:30, so be ready to leave by 6:45. I want to make sure we get good seats.” Tommy grabbed his backpack and headed to the door.

I decided to spend the day showing Edward around town. Forks was a small town, so the only place worth visiting was the town square. We ended up at the book shop. It was my favorite place to hide out on the weekends. Most of my personal library was purchased there. Mr. Jones, the owner, was excited to see me. He gave me a hug and shook Edward’s hand. He went on and on about how lucky Edward was to “snatch up a treasure like Bella.” Edward just beamed the whole time Mr. Jones talked.

At noon we headed to Forks High School to surprise Tommy and have lunch with him. We walked into the office to get visitor passes and were met with shocked stares. Mrs. Cope was surprised to see me home. Edward had her thoroughly dazzled. She couldn’t speak a coherent sentence in his presence. We quickly signed in, grabbed our visitor badges, and headed toward the cafeteria.

I spotted Tommy sitting at our usual table in the back corner. He was sitting with his friends Bill, Chris, Danny, and Harvey. Tommy had been friends with the guys since the first day we arrived. They bonded over one of their stupid video games on Tommy’s first day of school and have been tight ever since. Bill was tall and lean. He had blond hair and blue eyes. Chris was shorter than six foot with red hair, hazel eyes, and wore glasses. Danny was about Chris’s height with black hair, brown eyes, and wore glasses. Harvey was taller than Bill but also lean. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. Chris and Danny both had a major crush on me their freshman year. Bill and Harvey were always too cool for crushes. They learned pretty fast that I kept to myself and was a silent observer to their lunch time antics.

I noticed a cute girl with auburn hair and green eyes sitting on Tommy’s right and she appeared to be hanging on every word he said. Tommy spotted us and excitedly waved us over.

“Bella!” All of the guys sang together.

“Hey, guys. It’s good to see you. Been keeping my little brother out of trouble?”

“We try, but Bill and Harvey don’t make it easy,” Danny said rolling his eyes.

“I expect nothing less out of those two. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Edward. Edward, this is Chris, Danny, Bill, and Harvey, my brother’s partners in crime.”

“Bells, you’re killing me. I thought you were holding out for me?” Bill held his hands over his heart feigning heart break.

“Bill, you never stood a chance. I would have ripped your arms off if you even tried to touch her. Remember, I’ve heard your stories after a date. There is no way I would let you near her.” Tommy smacked Bill on the back of his head.

Edward wrapped his arms protectively around my waist and growled at Bill. “I refuse to let her go, so every other guy is going to have to live with disappointment. Bella Swan is off the market until further notice.” Edward placed a kiss on my cheek, and then pulled out the chair in front of Tommy for me to sit in. I heard a dainty cough to my left. Tommy had failed to introduce me to the girl sitting next to him.

“Oh my god, I’m such a dork. Bella, this is my friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is my big sis, Bella.” Tommy gave me the “this is her” look.

“It is so nice to meet you, Elizabeth. I hope you aren’t letting these guys corrupt you.”

“Please call me Bitt. Chris and Danny are harmless. Tommy, Bill and Harvey are another story.” Elizabeth winked at me and poked Tommy in the ribs.

We spent the entire lunch catching up on the happenings of Forks High. The guys wanted to hear all about college life, the girls, and the parties. They were fairly disappointed to hear that college wasn’t one big frat party. Edward got along great with the guys. It felt like we had only been there five minutes when the bell rang signaling lunch was over. I gave Tommy a hug and said a quick goodbye to the guys. Edward put his arm around my waist and started to lead me through the cafeteria doors toward the exit. I faintly heard my name and glanced back to see Amy staring at me in disbelief. She was the one person who made it her personal mission to make me miserable. She was a year younger than me but was the most popular girl in school. That of course meant she was also the cruelest girl. She took every opportunity to make me break down or freak out. I gave her a smirk and headed out of the school.

Edward and I spent the afternoon at my house. He insisted on looking through our photo albums. I pulled them all off the bookshelf and brought them to the kitchen table. Edward took his time sifting through the albums while I made a lasagna for dinner. I sat next to him once I placed the lasagna in the refrigerator until it was time to cook it. It took Edward two hours to go through every album. His favorite pictures were the one of Tommy and me in the tub when I was three and he was one, and the one of me in my costume for the one and only dance recital I participated in.

Tommy and Edward set up the Xbox in the living room and played video games while I finished preparing dinner. Edward felt like part of the family. He fit perfectly with us.

Dinner was finished shortly after Charlie got home. He spent the entire time questioning Edward. They talked about his family, his major and future plans, and of course they ended up on the topic of sports. They would have talked for hours if we didn’t have a football game to get to. We headed out the door with blankets in hand and Charlie telling us to have fun.

We arrived at the stadium at 7:00 and found Bill and Harvey saving us seats next to the band. They always sat there so they could visit with Danny and Chris when they weren’t playing. We settled in our seats and talked until the game started. Edward and I were cuddled up together with a blanket wrapped around us. I was so happy I was glowing. Forks actually had a decent team this year and were leading at half-time 21-7. Edward and I headed to the concession stand for some hot chocolate once the Forks marching band had finished their half time show.

“Bella,” a girl sneered from behind me. I groaned and rolled my eyes when I realized it was Amy. Any trip home wouldn’t be complete without the mandatory torture of Amy.

I slowly turned around and greeted her. “Amy.”

“And this is?” Amy batted her eyelashes at Edward as she asked.

“This is my boyfriend, Edward.” I gripped his hand tighter as I introduced him. He noticed the tension between the two of us. Edward wrapped his arms around me and looked past Amy instead of at her. “It’s nice to meet you, Amy.”

Amy walked up to Edward and placed her hand on his arm. “Now that you see the best Forks has to offer, how ‘bout we ditch this game and get to know each other better?”

Edward pushed Amy’s hand away and gave her a disgusted look. “I already have the best Forks has to offer.” He pulled me into a tight embrace and cupped my cheek. “Bella, I found the only woman I will ever want that first morning I saw you sleeping.” Edward lightly brushed my cheek with the pad of his thumb and molded his lips to mine. He darted his tongue across my bottom lip, encouraging me to open to him. This time, I did not freeze. I slowly opened my mouth to him, and he eagerly sought my tongue with his. I had no clue what to do, so I just relaxed and went with my instincts. We massaged each others tongues a few seconds and Edward slowly pulled away from the kiss. He rested his forehead against mine and stared into my eyes.

I was completely blown away by that kiss. I didn’t think anything could be that amazing. If he hadn’t been holding me up I would have been a puddle of goo on the ground. “Breathe, love.” I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath. I took in a deep long breath and shook my head to clear the lustful haze.

“Ahem. Well, you obviously don’t know how crazy she is.” Amy spat the words out in her frustration.

“I know everything about Bella. I wouldn’t have her any other way. Now, if you will excuse us, we have a game to finish watching.”

Edward pulled me past Amy toward our seats. I glanced back at her and couldn’t help but smirk at her again. I wanted to flip her off but decided not to stoop to her level.

We made it back to our seats with hot chocolate for everyone. I was surprised to see Bitt was there. I didn’t think she would be there since she wasn’t there for kickoff. She was sitting next to Tommy with a look of total adoration on her face. This girl was definitely head over heels for him. I couldn’t believe he had no clue. I noticed both of them giving each other little shy glances. I had enough. It was time to play matchmaker.

“So, Bitt, any cute guys you got your eye on?” Her eyes bulged in panic. She looked like she was about to start hyperventilating. I looked directly in her eyes and grabbed her hand. I mouthed the words, “I know,” to her and nodded toward Tommy. She nodded yes and started to calm down. I leaned in and whispered so only she could hear me. “I’m trying to help you with that. Just work with me.” She nodded again and took another deep breath.

“Well, there are a few.” Tommy’s head shot in our direction. He suddenly seemed very interested in what Bitt had to say. “There’s one in particular, but I’m not sure he sees me like that. I’m not that pretty, so it’s hard to compete with a lot of the girls at school.”

Tommy got a disgusted look on his face. “Bitt, you are one of the prettiest girls in school. Any guy would be lucky to be able to go out with you,” he said blushing.

“Would you think you were lucky to go out with me?” She was good. All it took was a little push and she took off.

“Yes,” Tommy whispered.

Bitt’s eyes brightened and her smile spread across her face. “Tommy, you are the only guy I want to notice me.”

“Really?” Tommy was shocked. “Bitt, would you go out with me after the game for some pizza?” Bitt nodded her head and grabbed Tommy’s hand.

The rest of the game I was cuddled with Edward, Tommy had his arms wrapped around Bitt, and Bill and Harvey teased the freshmen in the band. Forks High beat Port Angeles 35-7. It was a total win for me as well. I survived my confrontation with Amy, and I helped set Tommy up with the girl he likes.

Charlie was already in bed when we got home. Tommy rode with Bitt so they could get pizza. Edward and I took turns using the bathroom to get ready for bed. Edward was already in bed reading a book when I was finally finished with my nightly routine. He put the book down and opened the covers for me. We lay on our sides facing each other.

“Edward, thank you for coming to the game with me and putting up with Amy. I know she can be a pain in the ass.”

“I enjoyed spending the day with you, love. I will face the likes of Amy any day to get an amazing kiss like that again.” Edward leaned in and captured my lips. I got lost in the kiss. We only separated when our lungs were burning due to lack of oxygen. “We have a long day tomorrow with Charlie and Tommy. We should probably get some sleep.” Edward kissed me one more time before he pulled me closer to him and hummed me to sleep.

Charlie woke us up at the crack of dawn on Saturday. He insisted that Edward go fishing with him. I packed them a cooler with some sandwiches, sodas, and beer. I kissed both of them on the cheek and they were on their way to the lake by 6:00. I knew they would be gone until at least 5:00 in the afternoon, so I decided to spend the day hanging out with Tommy.

I made him a big breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. Tommy inhaled three platefuls before he decided he couldn’t eat another bite. We spent the day in front of the TV watching movies and just talking.

“So, how did the date go with Bitt?”

“B, she is great. I mean we have been friends for the last two years, but last night we just clicked. We talked for hours.”

“Don’t hold out on me, T. I know you, so I’m sure talking wasn’t the only thing your lips were doing.”

“Yes, there was some lip action.” Tommy was blushing. He never blushed when he told me about his dates and kissing a girl.

“Oh my god. You really like her. You never hesitate when giving me the kissing details of a date, and you definitely never blush. I need details, little brother.”

“It was amazing. I’ve kissed plenty of girls before, but none have ever made me feel like this. It was like we were in our own world. Nothing else existed around us. I saw fireworks when our lips touched the first time. Was it like that the first time you kissed Edward?” I looked at the floor and started fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

“There were definite fireworks. Tommy, I think I’m in love with Edward. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I can’t think of another word to describe how I feel about him. My heart aches when I am away from him. He makes me feel safe and complete.” I hesitantly looked up at Tommy, afraid to see the look of doubt in his eyes. I was surprised to see a look of acceptance.

“Bella, I know you protect your heart more than you protect me. You have let your guard down with Edward, and I can see the difference he has made in you. You never spoke with the guys like you did at lunch yesterday. The first few months after they met you, they thought you were mute. I know they tried to include you in our conversations, but you still just sat in the background. They noticed the difference in you with Edward there. Have you told him yet?”

“No. Things are so wonderful between us, and I’m afraid I would scare him off. I don’t know what I would do if I lost him. Right now, my heart is hurting so bad being away from him. It’s the same feeling anytime we are apart. I don’t know what I would do if I knew he wouldn’t come back to me. This hurts bad enough knowing I will see him in a few hours.” The pain of being away from Edward topped with the pain from the thought of losing him was too much to bear. Tears started streaming down my cheeks. Tommy pulled me into hug and gently stroked my hair.

“Bella, I don’t think you could do anything to chase Edward away. We talked quite a bit when I was in Portland for your birthday. He was devoted to you then and you weren’t even going out. I honestly think he feels the same way about you. I think you should take a chance and tell him. I have a feeling he will return the sentiment.”

When did my little brother become so smart with relationships? I felt so much better after talking to him. He helped me decide to tell Edward that I loved him. I just had to find the perfect moment to do it.

I had dinner finished and the table set waiting for Charlie and Edward to get home at 5:00. I started to worry the closer it got to 5:30. Charlie was never out this late fishing. I hoped he didn’t do anything to scare Edward off. Around 5:45 I heard a car pull up in the drive way. I started reheating dinner as they walked through the door.

“Bells, something smells great. Too bad we didn’t get back early enough to have fish for dinner. Edward is quite the fisherman.” Charlie gave me a kiss on the cheek and headed upstairs to get cleaned up.

I turned around to find Edward leaning against the door frame staring at me. “You are so beautiful, love. I could watch you all day.”

It always thrilled me to hear Edward call me “love.” Maybe Tommy was right, and Edward did love me too.

“Did you have a good time with Charlie today?”

“Actually, I did. It was nice to get to know your dad. He is very quiet and reserved, but once you get him talking he is pretty cool. The only problem with today was missing you.” Edward wrapped his arms around me and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.

I crinkled my nose at him. “You really need to go upstairs and cleaned up for dinner. You smell like dead fish.”

He chuckled and headed up the stairs. I finished heating everything up and was putting the last glass on the table when Charlie and Edward came down the stairs laughing. I stared at them in complete shock.

“We ready to eat, Bells?” Charlie asked.

I shook my head to clear it. “Yeah. Get Tommy in here and we can get started.”

Dinner was a surreal experience for me. Charlie and Edward talked like they were old friends. Tommy even jumped into their conversation. What happened on the lake today? After the phone conversation with Charlie when I told him Edward would be sleeping in my room, I never thought he would be best buddies with him. Edward and I were going to have a long talk on the way back to Portland tomorrow.

We spent the rest of the evening in the living room watching a movie. Charlie glanced at me a few times. Each time I saw something different in his eyes. First, was a look of sadness. Next, there was a look of love. Then, a look of joy. Finally, he gave me a look of acceptance with a slight nod. This must have been his way of telling me he approved of mine and Edward’s relationship.

It was harder than I expected to leave the next morning. I was anxious to get back to my friends, but sad to leave my dad and brother. So much had happened in this short weekend home. I truly believed Tommy found love. Charlie accepted Edward. I think they even bonded some yesterday. All the men in my life were happy, which meant I could be too. My only worry now was when to tell Edward I loved him.