~The Snowball Effect~
BPOV
"Hey."
"Hi. I come bearing gifts…well food, actually. It'll be an easy night. Gnocchi in Bolognese sauce, salad and garlic bread, good?"
"Yeah, sounds great! Come on in."
I hold the door open with a smile as he brushes past me, laying the brown shopping bags on the kitchen island and starting to open and close cabinets and drawers.
"Got a can opener?"
"Umm, yeah," I step behind him, take it out of the drawer and hand it over, "can I help with anything?"
"Just pour us some wine, I'm gonna get started on the sauce."
Twenty minutes later, I'm salivating. The salted water is almost to a rolling boil, the salad is prepped, the garlic bread needs about five more minutes in the oven, and Edward is standing over the saucepot, stirring every few minutes.
I mean, don't get me wrong, the dinner smells fantastic, but watching Edward move through the room like he owns the place has gotten me all hot and bothered. I like seeing him in my kitchen…I like watching him concentrate as he seasons the ground beef, adds the tomato puree and then the other essential ingredients he's got spread all over the counter…speaking of which...
"So, I take it you enjoy the cooking aspect of the business as well? Not just being the money and numbers guy?"
"Oh yeah, I mean, James and I both learned a ton of stuff from our mom and grandmothers; our family has always been really close. We've held onto recipes…it just came naturally, being brought up surrounded by so many talented cooks in our family. James perfected his skills at the CIA…but mine's more of a raw talent, still a little rough around the edges," he adds with a damn wink, donning his crooked smile.
I swallow hard, holding eye contact with Edward.
He has to know what he's doing to me.
I'm pretty sure I started melting after hearing him say the words "raw and rough" within a few seconds of each other.
Jesus. Is it hot in here?
"So, is this your standard sauce?" I ask, trying to shake the undeniable rush of heat I feel between my legs.
"Standard sauce?"
"Yeah, you know, the one you put on all the different kinds of noodles?" I see Edward stiffen and visibly cringe. "What? What did I say?"
He places the ladle down on the spoon rest, turns to me, puts both his hands on my shoulders and says, "Promise me you will never…EVER…refer to pasta as 'noodles' again…it's a cardinal sin, Bella. Seriously, I'm pretty sure it might even be the eleventh commandment."
I chuckle and then stop, realizing he's dead serious.
"Ohhh, okay. Pretty serious about your pah-stuh, huh?" I tease, enjoying the easy banter.
"Well, you don't have to say it like that," he laughs, "I'm just letting you know that the only noodles on the planet are Oodles of Noodles, lo mein & Chinese noodles and egg noodles. Everything else is pasta, macaroni, or you can refer to the specific type of pasta…like tonight we're having gnocchi."
"Gnocchi."
"Yes, gnocchi, it's made from potatoes and flour and no, this isn't my 'standard sauce', it's just the kind that goes best with this type of pasta, in my opinion. I probably make about six different sauces. But for this sauce, I'd use gnocchi or cavatelli."
"Well, we have the ground beef I seasoned with some garlic, tomato puree, pesto, mushrooms, wine and some water."
"It smells fantastic. I guess you'll just have to make me a different kind of pasta some other time, so that you can show off a new sauce."
He looks at me thoughtfully and smiles, "You've got a deal."
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
After dinner and almost two bottles of wine, we head out onto the back deck, refreshed glasses in hand, ready to talk.
This has felt suspiciously like a date all evening.
I'd love to believe that was the case, but his engagement party is five days away.
I've gotta stop torturing myself.
This is just a friend coming over for dinner and a chat.
We've been able to keep the conversation fairly light until now, but I know Edward is ready to open up…especially regarding that freak of a woman at the bar tonight.
"So…what can you tell me about that girl tonight at the bar? Brooke something? I didn't even get her last name. How did I know her?"
"Her family rented a cabana for a chunk of time every summer. They weren't there the whole time, usually about a month, I think. Anyway, she uhh, she liked your boyfriend, a lot actually. She was always really jealous of you."
"Okay, but all of those hateful things she was saying make me think this went way beyond being jealous of me 'cause she had a crush on my boyfriend from afar," I state, still unable to make the pieces match.
"Yeah, I don't know how 'afar' it actually was, though."
I raise my eyebrows in silent question. Is he saying what I think he's saying?
"Alec was cheating on me? When was this?"
Edward shakes his head and spills the proverbial beans. "I don't know when it started, but I actually walked in on them at one point. I think it was my third year working the cabanas."
"Wow. And you walked in on them…" I wave my hand in a circular motion, assuming he can connect the dots without me stating the obvious.
He nods, raising his eyebrows.
"Nice. And this was my fiancé? What a gem!" I roll my eyes, wondering what I could've been thinking when I agreed to marry this louse.
"He wasn't your fiancé at that point."
"But he was my boyfriend."
"Yeah."
"Well, what was my reaction when I found out about it? Did you tell me what you walked in on?"
"I did...at least, I tried."
"You tried. I didn't want to hear the truth, huh?" Dumb girl. I can't believe I was a dumb girl.
"No, it wasn't just that. We weren't really on the best of terms," Edward's voice gets softer as he turns away for a moment.
"Why?"
He turns back to me after I see his chest rise and fall, exhaling grandly as if this was a biggie he was about to lob over the net. "Uhh, well, we sorta ran hot and cold with each other after our break-up."
"Wasn't our relationship and break-up during your first summer working the cabanas?" He nods, taking a gulp of his wine. "Okay, so what was our problem? Why couldn't we move past it and get along?"
"Our breakup wasn't exactly easy…on either of us…and then it was made infinitely worse."
I reply with a pensive nod. If my mother made us split, I'm sure it was very difficult for us to just walk away from each other, knowing we still had strong feelings…but…
"Worse, how? What happened?" I say out loud, rather than think it.
"I set you up." He delivers, with his eyes dead-locked on mine.
"You what?"
"I set you up so that you'd walk in on something that would hurt you."
I crinkle my eyes in confusion. Hurt me? But he really liked me…maybe even more than 'liked'? We haven't gotten that far in our talk, so I can only speculate at this point.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because our break-up was torture for both of us, Bella," he explains with a slight tremor to his voice. "We had such an amazing time together for those six weeks. It was so hard to just walk away from each other…especially because we saw each other every single day, all day long. So I made a decision. A crappy, totally illogical decision, which I thought could help us both get over the hurt we were feeling." I watch him gulp down the rest of his wine and start to refill his glass.
Oh, boy.
"Okay…this doesn't sound good…even though you sorta sound like you had good intentions," I'm aware that the inflection in my voice suggests I'm questioning his decision-making skills…but he was seventeen …Lord knows I'm not enjoying being judged by what I did at seventeen, or sixteen, or fifteen…or…ugh.
"Yeah, I did. I really did, but after it all blew up in my face, I realized it was the worst thing I could've possibly done…to both of us." Edward shakes his head, still bothered by these past events.
I brace myself, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
"Okay, so spill…whadja do?"
"I made it look like I hooked up with some other girl."
"Hooked up? How hooked up?" I question, tentatively.
"She was naked with only a towel around her, and I had my pants unbuttoned with her face buried in my neck. You walked in on us in your cabana."
"Ouch. And you meant for me to see you like that?" I state, feeling a little hurt, even though it's a story being told, and not an emotional memory I'm grappling with.
"Yeah. I thought that if I could get you to be really angry with me, you'd pay less attention to me and it would make our tortured break-up a little more bearable."
"Tortured break-up, huh?"
"Yeah…at least, that's what we thought it was at the time. I mean, in all honesty, we were kids, Bella. What did we really know about love and loss at the time? It was the most adult thing we knew…and our feelings were real, but we were acting like Romeo and Juliet…like we'd never be able to breathe again if we couldn't be together."
"Jeez. So you had me walk in on the two of you." I pause, looking out toward the ocean. "And what did you do in response?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" My jaw drops open. "You let me walk away? You didn't come after me and try to explain yourself at all?"
"No."
"Yikes. That's pretty heartless, boss. Remind me never to break up with you again." I chuckle through the irony of it all.
"I know it sounds really shitty. I figured if I let you believe the lie, you would be able to pick up the pieces and move on. That you'd let me slip away quietly from the hold you had on me...from the hold we had on each other."
"And did it happen that way? Well, I guess it must've, if I ended up married and you're sitting here engaged, right?"
"If I could go back in time to change what happened, believe me, I would, because what happened next started the new chapter in our lives. The one where you tortured me on a daily basis, not only by acting like a spoiled brat, but by throwing your new relationship in my face."
"My new relationship?"
"Yeah. With Alec."
"When did I meet him?"
"The same fucking weekend I put my brilliant plan into action. I think you met him the following night," he barks while shaking his head.
"Wow. I worked quickly, huh? You must've doubted my feelings for you if I was so willing to get into another relationship with somebody else just like that."
"Probably just as much as you doubted my feelings for you after you walked in on the set-up. But I swear Bella, I swear that nothing happened with her. She was someone you knew…well, that your family knew. You called her parents 'aunt and uncle', but they weren't related to you. Anyway, they had a daughter who was older than you, older than me, too, actually, and it just sorta…happened. It was a spur of the moment thing, I hadn't even really planned it…it just came to my mind and..."
"Okay, you can spare me the details, Edward. I mean, I know I don't remember any of this, but I'm already feeling uncomfortable thinking about you hooking up with some other girl and allowing me to walk in on you, making me think you had sex with her, when you're saying it didn't even come close." I take a huge gulp of wine to settle my nerves.
"It didn't. We barely even kissed. She'd been throwing herself at me the whole week that they stayed with you. When I realized that if I allowed you to see me and her together, you'd probably walk away, I just did it. It was cruel and stupid and started a snowball effect of events that I never expected to happen. I don't know what else to say, except that I'm sorry."
I remain quiet. I don't really know what to say at this point. Edward is telling me that he made an epically stupid decision after we were forced to break up by my mother. And this decision didn't only solidify our breakup, but set in motion the events that led to my relationship with Alec, my two-timing boyfriend/fiancé and now dead husband, as well as Edward's current relationship status with Tori. If not for my mother's interference and his dumb set-up…would we still be together?
My brain is on overload. This is what I asked for, though…answers to questions that only he knew. I just never thought what Edward knew, what Edward did, was such a huge piece to my history.
"What are you thinking?" he asks, not looking at me, but at his fingers, which are lazily playing at the stem of his wine glass.
"Lots of things, I guess. Mostly about my mother and what a wretch of a woman it seems she always was. But I'd like to ask you the same question, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I'm a little bit drunk, actually. I needed liquid courage to get through all that shit I just dumped on you. Mind if I make some coffee?"
I smile at his candid response, but I understand the deflection. I'm feeling pretty tipsy myself. I grab his wrist to look at his watch as the blurry numbers slowly come into focus.
"Holy smokes! It's 12:30! I can't believe we've been talking so long! Do you really wanna drink coffee at this hour?"
"Nahh, not really. But I need to try and sober up to drive the rest of the way home. If I tried to walk the two miles, I'd end up passed out in the dune grass somewhere, with sand fleas biting the crap outta me."
Before thinking it through, I blurt out what I really desire.
"Do you want to just stay here? I can even offer you a mattress with blankets and pillows! Much nicer than the accommodations you provided for us on Friday night." I give him a sarcastic grin, get up from the table, grab our wine glasses and head for the door as Edward stands up behind me.
"Hey! Was that a dig? I was trying to make the best of it, Miss Klutzy McTripsalot! YOU were the reason we turned into human popsicles!"
I whip my head around to give him a snarky retort and lose my balance over the small lip of the slider door. Thankfully, Edward has lightning-fast reflexes and grabs me around the waist before I fall face-first onto my kitchen floor.
"Whoa! Up you go. Sure you're okay there, Klutzy?"
He's holding me tight to his chest, my body perpendicular to his. I look up to see I'm mere inches away from his fantastically stubble-covered jaw.
Didn't I say once that I wanted to lick this thing?
Yup. I'm sure I did. Lick it like a lollipop.
I stop swooning over his spectacular, manly features and playfully bite back with, "Hardee har-har. Do you wanna stay here or not?"
"Are you inviting me into your bed, Bella?" He drunkenly teases, and quirks his sexy-as-fuck eyebrow.
"No. I'm inviting you into A bed…not MY bed. YOU have a fiancée who would be mighty pissed off to hear that you've cuddled with me two nights in less than four days…especially the week before your engagement party, buster."
Aaaaaaand, silence.
It's like a car just came to a screeching halt on a sleepy street and the brakes made that grating "ERRRRRR" sound.
Way to mention the fiancée, Bella.
Debbie Downer…that's me!
Edward attempts to straighten his slouch and widen his eyes to wake himself out of his drunken stupor.
"I'm just teasing. But yeah, I mean, I'll just crash right here on the couch if you don't mind."
"Are you sure? I mean, I have six bedrooms upstairs, Edward. Five of them are collecting dust. I think you should come upstairs with me and sleep in a bed like a normal person. You'll feel refreshed in the morning and then we can talk more about…us."
"Us?" Edward repeats, with his brows furrowed.
"Yeah…hey, didn't we have this conversation but in reverse earlier today? Well, yesterday, technically? In your office?" I grab his hand and start leading him up the stairs to one of the spare bedrooms.
He doesn't put up much of a fuss.
"Oh yeah, we did. Huh. I guess "us" has been on both our minds lately," he murmurs.
I stop at the bedroom next to mine and turn to face him.
"Yeah. I guess it has." I swallow hard trying to get back on track. "So…umm…here's where you can stay. If you need towels or anything, they're all set up in the bathroom across the hall. I even have fresh toothbrushes and toothpaste. Feel free to take whatever you need."
He leans against the door jamb, eyes at half-mast and whispers, "Thanks, Bella. If I'd known we were having a sleepover again, I would've packed my jammies."
"Well, I could let you borrow mine, but you'd probably look silly in my Cookie Monster tank top and coordinating cookie crumb sleep shorts. I suppose you'll have to improvise. Just do what you normally do!" I add with a smack to his upper arm as I sway trying to keep my balance.
"I normally sleep in my boxers."
"Well then, there ya go," I say as I feel my blush creeping up my neck.
Next thing I know, Edward is towering over me, with his head bent toward my ear, his hot, sweet wine breath blowing in my ear, "But see...problem is, I'm not wearing any."
I close my eyes, my head lolling back… intoxicated not only by the wine, but by the man standing in front of me.
I'm completely under his spell.
I need to get my wits about me before I do something we'll both regret, like jump on him like a jungle cat.
No. Not when he's engaged.
I back up a few steps and look up, making eye contact. "Sleep well."
He nods and continues to watch me step toward my doorway.
"Goodnight Bella."
"'Night."
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
EPOV
 |
| Top floor; the Swan's penthouse suite; Bella's balcony on left |
"Nope, oh well! *HICCUP* Guess we can go back to the parrrrty!"
"Forget it. Just reach into my front pocket, I have the master in there."
In the ninety seconds the elevator took to reach the penthouse, Isabella managed to fidget and readjust her body until she's wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs are in a vice-grip around my waist like a baby koala holding on for dear life.
"Okay, I have to let go of your neck then…don't let me fall."
"I've got you, I promise."
I feel her slink both hands into my back pockets and squeeze my ass while searching for the key.
"No key, Edwaaaard," she whispers seductively next to my ear, tequila breath wafting over to my nose.
"I said front pocket, silly girl. You were just trying to cop a feel."
"Oops! You found me out," she giggles and I have to roll my eyes. This girl's gonna be the death of me, I know it.
"*HICCUP* Aha! Here we are…oh, and hellloooooooo," she adds, waggling her eyebrows and grazing my ever-hardening dick, which is perched precariously beneath her scantily-clad bottom. I can fuckin' feel the heat she's giving off.
God, I'm so dead.
"Here you go! *HICCUP* Need help putting it in, stud?"
"No, I can put it in just fine, thanks."
"Mmhmmm, I'm sure you can." She tries winking at me, but it looks more like she's got sand in her eye.
"In you go, Princess. Welcome home."
"Awww, you're too good to me," she murmurs, centimeters from my lips. "You just carried me over the threshold. You're my prince. Shall we commence the wedding night festivities, now?"
 |
| Bella's bedroom in the penthouse at the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, NJ. |
"This is a good quality bed we've got here, my prince…the springs are almost silent. My parents won't hear us…care to join me and test out its shocks, lover-boy? *HICCUP*"
She gets herself up on all fours and wiggles her sensational ass in my face, which, in turn, causes me to let out an inhuman growl of sexual frustration. I seriously don't even know why she bothered to wear the bikini…it's covering jack-shit at the moment.
"Isabella, your parents won't hear us 'cause they're in Atlantic City for the night. And as much as that was a really lovely invitation, ass-wriggle and all, I'm gonna have to pass. You're drunk as hell, and I guarantee once you sober up and daylight hits, it'll be Groundhog Day all over again; and you're gonna hate me again. Just like you always do. Every. Single. Day."
My words seem to startle her. She gets quiet and collapses on her belly, tucking her arms under her face and turning her head to the side to face me.
I sit down on the edge of her bed after pulling the comforter up to her shoulder blades and gingerly removing the rubber band from her pony-tailed hair.
"I could never hate you, Edward," she whispers, sounding pained. "I miss you. Every. Single. Day."
I see a tear fall over the edge of her gorgeous brown eye as she continues, "…more than you'll ever know."
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