The One That Got Away

Chapter Thirty-Three

For those of you who read the Get Your Southern On contest entries, this is my contribution. I am tickled at the results ... first place in public vote and third place for the judge's choice. I've decided to break this up into smaller, drabblish chapters and it will be continued. The contest contribution is the first six or so chapters, roughly. I don't know how long it will be, but I do have it planned. Thank you to Bridget for betaing this for me and for Clo, who created the banner.

Thank you for those of you who have read this! I hope you continue to do so! Without further ado ...

This is the beginning of the extension of the original contest entry. ALL NEW! Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this!

Anyhow, up next will be Bella's conversation with Edward about the movie deal, plus her arrival to Tampa. Plus, we're going to hear from the whore in this next chapter as well. It's not going to be all puppy dogs and rainbows.

After lunch, Bella walked back to the library. She was overjoyed about the movie deal, but that was overshadowed by the lingering insecurity about why Bella hadn't been formerly introduced to the kids. It was early in their relationship, but on their first date, Edward proclaimed his love for her. Shaking her head, she tried to not focus on it. She checked back into work, going up to her usual haunt on the seventh floor. A few of the high school volunteers had arrived from their early release to fill in at the front desk.

The afternoon breezed by and Bella decided to get some overtime, shelving books before driving home around eight at night. She wanted to write, but was on hold until Alice gave her some notes about the first ten chapters she'd written for Out of the Darkness. Heating up some leftover chili, Bella showered and changed into a pair of loose sweatpants, curling up on the couch, nibbling on her meal as she flipped through the channels. She settled on a rerun of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, mindlessly watching Detective Olivia Benson get all of the asshole rapists out there. Toward the end of the show, her cell phone rang on the cocktail table.

"Hello?" she replied.

"Hey, sweetness," came the honeyed voice of her boyfriend. "I've only got about fifteen minutes before I have to go back on the floor. I wanted to call you while I had a chance."

"You're working tonight?" she asked.

"Filling in for a coworker who graciously switched with me so we could go to Busch Gardens on Saturday," he chuckled. "I've only been at work for almost forty-eight hours, but it's all good."

"I couldn't even imagine," Bella sighed. "Aren't you tired?"

"Exhausted, but I'll be able to get some sleep tomorrow. I'm off at eight and I don't have to go in until eight at night. Then, I'm off Saturday and Sunday," he replied. "Unfortunately, I can't take you to the airport on Monday since I have to go in at six Monday morning, but we can at least sleep together."

"Would that be wise? Um, with your children in the next rooms? And your parents?" Bella squeaked.

"Bella, my parents know that I'm an adult. Yes, my mom tends to mother me because she's my mom and my dad usually speaks his mind, even when it's not warranted, but they don't molly-coddle me. They know I have sex. Hi, I have two kids. They weren't conceived by Immaculate Conception," Edward snorted. "In regard to the children? I may be a dad, but I'm still a man. Now, can we go to bed naked? Um, no. My son likes to come in and get early morning snuggles. And daughter, I've gotten plenty of nut jabs from her bouncing on me. They know about you and I've talked about you nonstop. Lucy is excited to meet you. Liam is shy, but happy in his own right to see if you're good enough for me."