Chapter Song: Like Coming Home by Lonestar
Characters belong to SM. The fate of these crazy kids belongs to me.
Chapter 25 – Home Sweet Home
Bella's POV
When I stepped off the elevator on Tuesday morning I wasn't prepared for the scene that greeted me. A "Welcome Home Bella" banner hung across the front of the reception desk, adorned
with purple and blue balloons on each side. A small cake sat on top of the desk, and several streamers had been strategically placed in the open area of the office.
"BELLA!" Alice's shriek was loud enough to split a person's eardrums. I dropped my bag on the floor and grinned, bracing myself when she sprinted toward me.
"Did you start working out when I was gone?" I joked as she slammed into me and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.
"Not at the gym," she said when she pulled away, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. I rolled my eyes and laughed.
"I've missed you, Short Stop."
"I've missed you too Bell!" I barely had time to grab my bag before Alice took my hand and pulled me toward her office. "There's so much to catch up on tonight at dinner!"
"Around here too I'm sure," I said, dropping down on a chair and resting my elbows on the edge of her desk. "Shall I launch right into business mode or do you have a few minutes to chat?"
Alice glanced at her watch. "I have a meeting in Jersey City in an hour that I have to leave for, but I already made Rose clear her schedule so we can go out tonight."
"Perfect! I'm in desperate need of some girl time."
"Six weeks with Edward just didn't cut it, eh?"
I stuck my tongue out at Alice and rolled my eyes. "I can't exactly talk to Edward about Edward. Well, I can, but what good would it do?"
"Someone has to feed the narcissistic side of him, right?"
"You can inquire about that narcissistic side when you see him this weekend," I laughed. "Anything I need to know before you take off?"
Alice pushed a folder across her desk. "We have a new client and I think you'd be best suited for working with her. Glance over the info and we can talk more tonight?"
"Sounds good." I tucked the folder under my arm and stood. "It's good to be back."
"It's good to have you back." While Alice flitted around the room collecting what she needed for her meeting, I made my way down the hall to my own office. I pushed the door open and
took a deep breath, smiling when the smell of office supplies and eucalyptus hit me. Everything looked the same as it had when I left, which made me happy. Alice sometimes liked to
organize and re-arrange my stuff when I was gone, despite the fact that she knew it drove me crazy. This time around it looked as if she'd merely done what I'd asked, which was to water
my plants and replace the air freshener bulb if it ran out.
I slid my chair out and took a seat, dropping the file folder on top of my desk and tucking my bag away beneath it. I pulled my cell phone out and smiled when I saw the text from Edward.
Missing you already. Is it Friday yet? – E.
I punched in a flirty response before tucking my phone away in my desk drawer. I was back in the saddle, there was work to be done, and as much as I hated it, texting my boyfriend
would have to wait.
"Victoria White?" I said to myself when I cracked open the folder. I skimmed through her contract, setting it aside and pulling out the notes that Alice had taken during their first few
meetings. It looked like she was planning another charity event – a rather large and extravagant one, nonetheless.
I picked up my phone and dialed her number. I had no idea how many other small projects Alice had found for me to handle, so I thought it best to get started on this big one right away.
"This is Victoria." Confident, calm, and slightly flirtatious; it was nice to know that some things never changed.
"Hello Victoria! This is Bella Swan. I was just looking through Alice's notes from your meeting last week and was hoping we could set up a time to get together and chat."
"Bella! I'm so happy you made it home safe!" Victoria had always been pleasant toward me, though I didn't know her well enough to call her a friend. She ran in circles with New York high
society while I didn't have any one particular circle to run with.
"As am I. I see you have a big event coming up that you need some help with?"
"You have no idea," she said, launching into the story of how her best friend and party planner took off to Brazil with his lover, leaving her high and dry and in a good old-fashioned bind.
"I'm available on Thursday afternoon if you are. We could get lunch and discuss the details, guest lists, media coverage, and talk more about the location."
"Perhaps we could meet at the Waldorf for lunch?"
"If that's what you'd like, I'm more than happy to accommodate. Then we can arrange our next meeting as well, which will be with their event planner."
"I'm so happy you and Alice were able to take this on," Victoria gushed. "I just know everything will turn out perfect."
"That's a very high compliment coming from you, Victoria."
I heard some papers rustling on the other end of the line before she spoke again. "I can do twelve-thirty or one on Thursday?"
"Let's plan for twelve-thirty. I'll take care of the reservations."
"Thanks again, Bella. I look forward to seeing you Thursday!"
"The same goes for you, Ms. White. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!"
I jotted the meeting details down in my planner and pulled up the Waldorf Astoria website, reserving a table for two at Peacock Alley on Thursday.
I spun my chair around and looked out the window, enjoying the familiar view that greeted me. A smile crept across my face and a sense of calm settled over me.
It felt good to be home.
-=- HC -=-
Alice was waiting at the restaurant when I finally got there. Rosalie was, as always, running fashionably late.
"When did this place open?" I asked, glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"About two weeks after you and Edward left. We've only been here a few times, but Rose is always craving mashed potatoes now, and theirs are good so I decided this was the place!"
"Oh, Rose." I smiled wistfully. For some reason we hadn't connected as much as I'd have liked while I was gone. I missed her every day, however, and couldn't wait to give her a big hug.
"I should probably warn you, her hormones are out of control." Alice slid into the booth next to me and shrugged her coat off. "She's cried more tears in the past month than I think I've
seen her cry in the twenty-nine years leading up to it."
"Talking about me, are you?" Rose's voice was hard, but a playful expression danced on her face. I smiled, pushing Alice back out of the booth and throwing my arms around my best
friend. She squeezed me tight against her and sniffled.
"You're going to make me cry too," I whispered, pulling away and cupping her face with my hands. Tears shone in her eyes, and I wiped my thumbs across her cheeks to rid them of the
ones that had already fallen.
"I'm a fucking mess," she joked, loosening her grip on me and letting her eyes roam over my figure. "You're looking great, Bell! All those horizontal aerobics are good for the bod, huh?"
I rolled my eyes and smacked her shoulder lightly. "In the grand scheme of things, you're winning the horizontal aerobic contest." I put my hand on her small baby bump and smiled.
"Oh, please, I'm just the only one to walk away with a permanent souvenir from it so far." She covered my hand with hers and returned my smile. "I'm so happy you're home."
"Me too," I whispered.
"Okay gals, enough of the theatrics. They're never going to let us back here again," Alice joked. Rose and I rolled our eyes at the same time, causing all three of us to burst out laughing.
"Where are Emmett and Jasper tonight?" I asked when we were all seated.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure they're out with Edward. Guys have to catch up on their gossip too, you know," Alice said.
"Especially those three," Rose pointed out. "If I didn't know any better I'd think they were a trio of old women disguised in mens bodies."
We placed our orders and Alice jumped right in. "I want to hear all about your week in Seattle!"
"And I would like to know why I had to find out Edward loved you from Alice?" Rose stuck her lower lip out in an exaggerated pout. "Christ, even Newton knew before I did!"
I held my hands up and shook my head. "One question at a time, please. My brain can only process that much at once."
"You better answer her's first." Alice nodded in Rose's direction. "Pregnancy did nothing to help in the patience department."
I bit my lip as I struggled to form an answer. "It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you, Rose, because believe me I did. You've just always been so … skeptical of Edward and his intentions," I
explained. "I was happy when he told me and I didn't want anyone raining on my parade. I'm sorry if that sounds bitchy, and you know I love you to pieces, but I wasn't sure how you'd
take it."
"Oh, sweetheart." Rose reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "I know I can be a bit of a mama bear at times-"
"That's a nice way of putting it," Alice chimed in.
Rose shot her a glare and continued. "But at the end of the day I just want to see you happy. And if Edward holds the keys to that happiness, then I'm going to be here to support the both
of you."
"Thank you."
"Yay, you kissed and made up – now how about my question?" Alice batted her eyelashes playfully and gave me the puppy dog eyes.
"I'll just start from the beginning – his first meeting with Renee and Charlie." The girls focused their attention on me as I recounted details of the week we'd spent in my hometown. They
both laughed at the thought of Edward going fishing with my dad and found no surprise in the fact that my mother not only thought Edward was handsome, but that she was pretty much in
the throws of planning our wedding already.
"Who knew Edward could be so romantic," Alice said, staring dreamily out the restaurant window.
"I don't think any of us did." I lifted my glass to my lips, taking a sip of water and letting my mind momentarily wander.
"Did the suitcase come in handy?" Of course Alice would bring that up.
"The suitcase..." My voice trailed off and I felt the color drain from my face. "Oh fuck."
Alice wiggled her eyebrows. "Is that a good 'oh fuck' or no?"
"I forgot the suitcase at Charlie and Renee's house!"
A loud, obnoxious laugh left Rose's lips. "Charlie is so going to find that! If he hasn't already, that is."
"Oh, trust me he hasn't. I haven't been on the receiving end of any irate phone calls."
"Well, I hope you at least got some use out of it before abandoning it in Forks," Alice said with a wink. My cheeks heated up and she snapped her fingers and pointed at me. "A ha! Don't
think I can't see that blush, Bell. You went through it and you liked it!"
"Okay, moving on..."
"Did you Edward talk about what you're going to do now that you're back in the city?" Saved by the pregnant woman. I have to remember to thank her later.
"Nope," I answered with a shrug. "I mean, I don't think anything has to change, ya know? We spend time together, we continue to get to know one another, and everything else will
progress at it's own pace."
"How many nights has he spent at your house since you got back?"
"None."
"Okay, how many nights have you spent at his?"
"We've only been back for one night, Rose, and I spent it alone in my own apartment, thank you very much."
She held her hands up and smirked. "I'm just saying, you spent six consecutive weeks together. I can't imagine it being easy to go back to sleeping alone after that."
"We haven't even been together for two whole months. What on Earth do you expect us to do, move in together?"
"Correction – you've been official for two months," Alice pointed out. "You were also doing some weird pseudo relationship dance for three months before that, remember?"
"Alright, alright, calm down you two. When the time is right, we'll discuss things. Until then, I'm content with just being together and seeing where life takes us."
The conversation turned to Rose then, much to my relief, and we spent the next hour talking about the baby, her fears, and our upcoming Paris vacation.
When I was walking home later that evening, Rose's questions kept coming to me. I did miss Edward, even though we'd only been apart for a day. Then again, I also enjoyed my space,
especially all of it that came with having my own apartment.
We had some things to figure out; that much was clear. How and when we'd do so wasn't.
Falling back into my old routine with the girls would be easy.
Finding a new routine with Edward, on the other hand, might not be.
Edward's POV
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in!" I shouted from my spot in the kitchen. I finished dumping two bags of Doritos into bowls and headed for the living room where I knew I'd find Jasper. The Rangers were playing
the Penguins in Pittsburg, so we opted to have a guy's night at my place in honor of my homecoming.
"Welcome back, man!" Jasper put down the case of beer he was holding and bumped his fist against mine.
"Thanks," I said, grabbing the beer and heading for the kitchen. Jasper followed close behind.
"Are you fasting?" He nodded in the direction of my fridge, which was currently bare except for a few protein shakes, a package of butter, and several bottles of condiments.
I shook my head. "Nah, I just haven't had the ambition to go grocery shopping yet."
"Understandable. How was the trip?"
I handed Jasper a bottle of PBR and leaned against the counter, twisting the top off of my own. "Fucking amazing. I could have easily spent another six weeks on the road."
"Because of Bella or because you genuinely enjoy public speaking?"
"Both," I answered with a laugh. "Have I told you how incredible Bella is?"
"Not in so many words, but Alice has numerous times, so trust me when I say I'm well aware of your girlfriend's level of awesomeness."
I couldn't stop myself from grinning like an idiot. "Would you have ever guessed I'd be in this situation?"
"Only when pigs started flying." He smirked and took a swig of beer. "Alice said you dropped the big three words."
"That I did, my friend."
"Did a specific event inspire this or did the time just feel right?"
I tipped my beer in the direction of the living room. "Pizza and chips are essential accompaniments to this story." I was en route to my favorite armchair when another knock stopped me.
"It's Emmett," Jasper explained. "I hope you don't mind that I invited him over."
I shrugged. Most of the fondness I had for Hale had disappeared in the years after we left school, but it wasn't like I couldn't stand the guy. "He's as much a part of our newfound social
circle as you and I are."
"Wow, you must be in love," Jasper quipped, making a beeline for the door and letting Emmett in.
"This is one hell of a building," Emmett remarked, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it over the back of the couch. "I don't even want to know how much it costs you to live here."
"More than I'd be willing to pay for a rental," Jasper said. I rolled my eyes and ushered them both into the living room, settling down in my spot and grabbing the remote. Once the TV was
muted I turned my attention back to my buddies.
"I told Bella about Jess."
Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Gory details and everything?"
"Gory details and everything," I affirmed. "I shocked myself by doing it. She asked me about my previous relationship when we first got to Washington, and I just couldn't talk about it. By
the end of the week I wanted to be an open fucking book though."
"What was her reaction?" Jasper drained his beer and set the empty bottle down on the end table next to him.
"She was remarkably understanding." I thought back to that night at the restaurant and how easy it had been to have the difficult conversation with her. "I don't know, it just felt like she
got me, you know? She understood the hurt, the guilt, and the anger, and why I've been so reluctant to open up to anyone since."
"What about the promiscuity? Did she understand that?" Leave it to Emmett to toss that out there.
"I didn't give her the rundown on my sex life, jackass."
"That's because it's pretty much public knowledge." I glared at Jasper, eliciting a smirk from him.
"And it would have taken half a day to comb through that mess," Emmett added.
"Fuck you both." I flipped them the double bird and grabbed a handful of chips. "To make a long story short, I told her I loved her when we got back to the bed and breakfast, she told me
she loved me too, and now here we are, back in New York in one piece."
"Well man, I'm happy for you." Jasper smiled. "I honestly wasn't sure what would go down when you left in January."
"You're not the only one," I said, kicking my feet up. "Enough about my relationship. How do you like the new job?"
"I love it! One month there has me feeling more at home than years at The Journal ever did."
I bit the tip of my tongue, debating whether or not to ask my next question. Ah, hell, just go for it. "How is Jess?"
My words took him by surprise. "She's good. Really good, actually."
"I'm glad to hear that," I said sincerely.
Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure someone didn't hit you with a frontal lobotomy while you were away?"
"Ha ha, very funny. I wasted too much time being hostile toward her. From here on out it's all about positive thinking."
"Does that mean I should invite her to the opening of Emmett's next show?"
"Hell no!" I laughed. "I have to draw the line somewhere."
"And I thank you for doing that. I hear she and Lauren are still friends, and I'll be damned if I want to see her." Emmett cringed. I wasn't the only one who'd fallen victim to a bad college
breakup.
"So Mr. GQ Sports Editor, tell us what we can expect in the upcoming issues."
"We're doing a baseball feature in the April issue," Jasper explained. "I know that Derek Jeter and Evan Longoria are going to be on the cover, and then we're featuring another eight
players inside."
"Christ, don't tell Newton about that photo shoot! He'll be hounding you for days to get in there and watch."
Emmett's attempt to hold back his laughter failed, and he let out a loud whoop. Jasper was next to go, and pretty soon we were all three clutching out stomachs.
"Oh man, can you imagine what would happen?" Emmett wiped at his eyes and shook his head.
"A restraining order or two would surely be in place after all was said and done," Jasper joked.
"And then Whitlock here would be out of a job," I added in.
"And then I'd have to kick Newton's ass, and that jut wouldn't be good."
"It's good to be back," I said, grabbing the remote and turning up the television's volume.
"It's good to have you back," Emmett said, much to my surprise.
I smiled at both him and Jasper, and then fixed my attention on the hockey game. As much as I loved spending time with Bella, I couldn't deny how good it felt to have a night with the
guys.
Ah, yes, I thought to myself.
There's no place quite like home.
Bella's POV
The rest of the week passed quickly, and soon Friday arrived. I had just gotten home from work and was sorting through my mail when one particular item caught my eye. I tore the letter
open, disregarding the envelope and scanning over the contents.
I didn't have a lot of money to spend when I first moved to Manhattan, so finding a good deal on a nice piece of real estate was a top priority for me. Luck was on my side, and I managed
to find an elderly couple that had just retired to Florida and were looking to rent out their apartment. My rent never went up, and as a result I hadn't had to move since arriving in the city.
Now, the words that stared back at me indicated that the couple was planning on selling the apartment and had come up with an asking price, which they were willing to negotiate with me
if I was interested. According to the letter, I had until April 30 to negotiate and make some type of decision. If I opted to move, I would need to be out of the unit by June 30.
"Knock, knock." I turned to find my front door open and Edward's head poking around it.
"Security is getting a bit lax around here," I joked, pulling the door open all the way and stepping forward to kiss him.
"Mmm, you should blame your downstairs neighbor." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. "I slipped in the door behind her and she never even blinked."
"You're early," I noted, kissing his cheek one more and pulling away. He tossed the duffle bag he was carrying on the floor and kicked off his shoes.
"I got out of my last meeting earlier than I thought I would," Edward explained, heading for my kitchen. He grabbed two beers from my fridge and opened them, handing one to me and
tipping back the other.
I glanced at the clock on the wall and then at my boyfriend. "The New York Times called me today. They want to interview you." When we got back from the book tour we made a rule: no
discussing work-related things after five. Evenings and weekends belonged to us, and that was when we could drop down the walls of professionalism and just be together.
"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow up and smirked. "And why is that, might I ask?"
I strode across the kitchen, closing the space between us and setting my beer down on the counter next to where he was leaning. Standing on my tip toes, I brought my lips up until they
were almost touching his ear. "Your book made their best-seller list," I whispered.
"You're joking, right?" His arms were around me in an instant. "This is insane! Don't get me wrong, it's the best news I've heard all week, but it's still insane! I'm a New York Times best
seller! I have to call Esme!"
I laughed and watched on as he dialed up his parent's number to share the news. His excitement was contagious, and the animation on his face reminded me of a child on Christmas
morning.
"There's so many people I want to call," he said when he hung up. I grabbed the rest of my mail off the table and grinned.
"Call away. I'll be in the living room."
The letter regarding my apartment sat on the top of the stack, and while Edward got busy calling Embry and Jasper, I started to think about my living arrangement. I didn't want to deal
with the hassle of moving, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to stake a permanent claim on the unit. Then again I probably wouldn't find as good of a deal in another building. One look at the
price the couple had listed told me my monthly payment wouldn't be much more than it was now, which would leave me with room in my budget to save money and indulge in things like
vacations or spa days with the girls every now and then. It would make more sense for me to invest my money in some form of equity, but what if I decided I wanted to leave the city
someday? I'd have the option to sell, but that was a hassle too, one that I didn't know if I wanted to deal with the headache of.
"Okay, I think I'm done freaking out." Edward dropped down on the sofa next to me and rested his head against my shoulder. "What's that?"
I handed him the letter, resting my own head on top of his and sighing. "My landlord wants to sell this unit."
"Wow." His eyes skimmed the letter before he set it on the couch next to him. "How do you feel about that?"
"I don't know," I answered. "I've lived here for almost six years. Moving isn't something I've ever considered, but neither is buying. Do you own your place?"
He shook his head. "Up until about four months ago I was afraid to commit to anything – apartments included!"
"Would you ever buy a place in the city?"
"I think so." He sat up and turned to face me. "I don't have any intentions of leaving Manhattan, so it would probably make sense down the road."
"How far down the road?"
"Is there a motive I should be aware of behind this question?"
"Not really," I answered honestly. "Inquiring minds just want to know."
"I don't even know. A few years?" He reached out and pinched my arm playfully. "Or maybe a few months if you want to shack up together."
I had no idea how to respond, which was evident by the word vomit that came pouring out. "I'm not sure we can shack up, Cullen. I mean, you snore, leave your whiskers in the sink after
you shave, and in Atlanta there was-" Edward reached out and covered my mouth with his hand.
"I was just kidding," he muttered. "But thank you for giving me a rundown of all my less-than-desirable domestic qualities."
I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away while my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry! I couldn't tell if you were kidding, and then I didn't know how to respond, and I just
started blathering."
"Relax, Bella." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. "You do realize we all but lived together for the past six weeks?"
"I know."
"And we're going to be all but living together every weekend from here on out."
"I know, but-"
"And you don't have to make any decision about your apartment until the end of April, right?" I nodded. "So that gives us two months to see how we fare now that we're back in the city.
Living together isn't an option right now, but maybe we can revisit the topic when it's closer to the time you need to make your decision by."
"We've only been together for two months," I blurted out. "It'll be four months at the end of April. Doesn't that feel rushed to you?"
"If you were to ask me to move in here tonight, yes I'd tell you it felt rushed." He brushed a wayward strand of hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek with his palm. "But on the same
token, had you asked me four months ago if I would be in a committed relationship right now, I'd of asked what the hell you were smoking. Things change with time. Who's to say that
option will still feel rushed come mid-April?"
He had a point. Life, relationships, and everything else evolved with time. Emmett and Rosalie had only been together for four months, but they agreed to have a baby and raise it together,
which was a hell of a lot bigger of a commitment than moving in with someone. Maybe Edward and I would be ready to cohabitate when the four-month marker rolled around as well.
"You're right." I stood abruptly, grabbing the letter and folding it up. "I'm going to keep this tucked away for now, and we can revisit it together in the future."
"Perfect." He stood as well. "What do you feel like eating tonight?"
"Chinese? There's a couple menus in the drawer next to the oven."
"Sesame chicken, fried rice, and a side of wonton soup?"
"Perfect." I headed to my room, tucking the letter away in my nightstand and making a mental note to jot something regarding its whereabouts down in my planner.
Edward was seated on the couch when I got back, legs crossed beneath him and TV remote in hand. A small stack of DVDs sat on the coffee table, along with two fresh beers.
"Ready for a romantic night of couch potatoing?"
I snorted. "Did you really just make the phrase 'couch potato' into a verb?"
"I did." He patted the empty space next to him and grinned the grin that always managed to turn me to mush. "It's one of my many unknown talents."
"Oh really? And what would some of these other unknown talents be?"
He scratched his chin, pretending to be lost in thought. "I'd tell you, but-"
"You'd have to kill me?" I finished. He laughed, pushing me over on the couch and climbing on top of me. He leaned forward, brushing his nose against mine and kissing me gently.
"I love you, Bella Swan. Neurotic tendencies and all."
"I love you too, Edward Cullen. Log sawing nose and all."
His lips met mine once more, and I melted against him.
Two months had brought us here.
I couldn't wait to see where the next two months would take us.
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