The List

Chapter 14: Advice and Plans

EdwardPOV

The week hadn't gone exactly how I thought it would. My purpose in proposing the 'time-off' dare was to try to cool us down. It hadn't really worked, a lot of which was my own fault. The phone had turned out to be a massive temptation for teasing Bella, and I had greatly enjoyed doing so. It was freeing to find a way to express our sexuality without the constant fear of my harming her. I was continually surprising myself these days, doing and saying things I never for the life of me thought I would. But it was so enjoyable, liberating, really. Though all week I ended up as aroused as I intended her to be. So much for cooling us down.

In addition, my brothers forced me into an overnight hunting trip. That was better than what they initially intended, a bachelor party which involved - Emmett hoped - scantily clad dancing women. I had no such interest, not only because I had eyes for only one woman, my beautiful Bella, but also because there was nothing at all attractive or enjoyable about the kinds of thoughts I knew I would hear in such an establishment. So they recast the event as a male-bonding experience with, Emmett, again, hoped, lots of opportunities for offering me unsolicited marital advice. I finally relented in the hope that it would make the time pass more quickly until I could see Bella again.

Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and I departed for Goat Rocks on Thursday afternoon. They were all acting...weird. For starters, they all seemed to be working hard to control their thoughts around me. Occasionally one of them would let their mind relax, and something would catch my attention. But almost as quickly they would rein their thoughts in again. It just all seemed too...controlled. Something was up. In addition, several times I caught Jasper smirking at me in a knowing way. Between his own ability and Alice's, I had no doubt that they were about as well informed about the progress of my relationship with Bella as anyone possibly could be. And then, add to that Emmett's...hyperactivity... regarding Bella. He literally seemed to be bouncing off the walls asking me all sorts of strange questions about Bella. On the surface they seemed innocent enough: "So, how's Bella doing these days?" "How are you and Bella getting along?" "Anything new with Bella?" But the way he said them was always so full of smugness and innuendo. So, yeah, they were all acting weird.

I tried to ignore it and just enjoy my time with my father and brothers. We hadn't all gone out together like this in a long while. It was nice, for once, to have everything so settled around our family and just be.

It started late Thursday night after a full day of hunting. I was sated beyond all reasonable capacity.

We were lounging around a cabin Carlisle had reserved for us to get us out of the rain Alice had foreseen up in the mountains. They were all staring at me, with similar thoughts on their mind, wondering who was going to speak first. Ah, so this was a coordinated strike.

"You three are killing me with your anticipation. You do remember that I can hear your thoughts, right?"

Emmett guffawed loudly and Carlisle and Jasper joined him.

"Dude, you're getting married," Emmett proclaimed.

I couldn't help but smile. And nod. I settled my back into the soft couch cushion and stretched my legs out in front of me.

"So where are you taking her on your honeymoon?" Emmett continued with the same innuendo I had been hearing in his questions about Bella.

"Not a chance, Emmett. You'll know when Bella knows." I smirked at my big brother. He hated to be out of the loop.

"Okay, then," I looked at Carlisle and Jasper - Chickens. They were leaving this up to Emmett to begin. - "So, are you two planning to, uh, consummate your marriage during your honeymoon?"