Pinned but Fluttering

Chapter 54

This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend, NamelessOne, who writes *amazing* stories and also helped me out of an awkward bind when a reader was quite accusatory and unkind to me this week. Thank you, my friend!! Go read her delightful Harry Potter fan fic stories if you haven't already--she is one of the best writers here on Wattpad!! :)

Chapter 54        

     Several hours later the adjoining door between my and Edward’s bedrooms in the big house opened. We had decided to keep using our rooms in the house until we were married, rather than living together at the cottage…for Edward’s sake.

     And, yes, for my sake, too, I finally admitted to myself…and to him.

     As badly as I wanted Edward physically, I understood and agreed with his wish to hold off on our intimate relationship until we legally and morally belonged to each other. Despite my desire to be a “modern woman,” I was a little surprised to discover that I possessed a definite old-fashioned streak, one which truly appreciated the idea of making love with my husband for the first time on our wedding night.

     Plus waiting for our physical union was increasing the hunger of anticipation deliciously—something which my generation, so devoted to the need for “instant gratification,” was certainly missing out on.

     Big time.    

     However, I knew that this tentative opening of my door had nothing to do with romance.

     Unfortunately.

     I knew that Edward was checking on me, making sure that I was all right after all that had happened earlier today at the river.

     “Hey,” I greeted him quietly from the bed, shifting onto my side to face him.

     “Hey there,” he smiled gently, walking around to the other side of the bed, lying down, curling up behind me, and spooning my back against his broad chest.

     We just lay there together, his arm slung over my waist, his hand clutched in both of mine against my silent heart as we listened to the rain pattering on the roof. Content in our own little world, we basked in the bliss of relative peace and quiet after so much violent upheaval recently.

     I’m not sure how long we lay there, drawing strength from one another’s presence and serenity from one another’s touch, before the announcement sounded throughout the house, reaching everyone’s sense of hearing despite the fact that the words were spoken at a normal conversational level.

     “Family meeting,” Carlisle stated quietly but in a tone that brooked no opposition. Within a second, I could hear the muted conversations between couples as we moved to congregate in the rarely-used dining room, obviously to discuss the occurrences of early this morning at the river and their ramifications.

     As we gathered, the rain continued its gentle descent outside as Edward, his arm nonchalantly wrapped around my waist, escorted me into the rather grand formal dining room, its eight armchairs upholstered in cream-on-cream stripes which matched the wallpaper perfectly, the pattern striking yet classical against the dark cherry of the deceptively simple antique dining table. A matching cherry china cabinet graced one wall and a long serving table of the same wood was topped with an ornate silver tea service against the far wall. A few armchairs from the living room flanked Carlisle’s chair at the head of the table—seats for Eleazar and Carmen.

     Surprised, I looked around for Kate, but she didn’t seem to be present as we took our places.

     “Where’s Kate?” I asked Edward quietly, but he motioned toward Carlisle who apparently was going to answer my question for the benefit of the whole family.