Bits and Pieces

Telephone Calls and Dinner Dates

Synopsis:

Ship: Bella/Edythe

Notes: This is the second portion of Bella and Edythe's short love story, starting with 2am Shopping Trips and Notecards. I didn't originally  intend to write more, but a friend of mine asked me to and who am I to disappoint? AbbeyStew this one is for you :) Hope you enjoy all 4,082 words of it!

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 Bella looked at the notecard clutched in her hand, and then at her phone, then back to the notecard. Left and right, back and forth, over and over again. Her hands were trembling and she thought she was going to pass out.

"Bella, do you want me to dial for you?" Edward asked from the fridge. He was welcoming himself to the leftovers from last night's dinner that Charlie didn't take to work. "Really, it's just a phone. It won't bite. And, I mean, you've already kissed her. Punching in numbers should be a walk in the park compared to that."

Bella gulped. That kiss was a spur of the moment action, and it wasn't like she kissed her! "I can't do it. What if she doesn't pick up? I can't do this. Edward, we said one conversation and then-"

"But now she's interested! C'mon, Bell, isn't this what you want?"

Bella squeezed her eyes shut and tried to take a deep breath. She wished she wasn't so scared. She wished she were normal, able to call up the girl she liked and initiate conversation without feeling she might die in the process.

"Deep breaths," Edward reminded her.

Bella tried to take a deep breath and this time it worked. In and out, she focused on nothing but her breathing. She heard Edward rooting through her cupboards, and then she heard the faucet turn on. When she opened her eyes again, he was leaning against the countertop, a glass of water beside his plate full of food.

"Thanks, by the way," He said with a grin as he nodded towards the plate.

"No problem," Bella said softly, turning back to her phone and Edythe's number.

"Here," Edward walked over to Bella and placed his head on her shoulder. "Let's take this one step at a time, okay? We'll do it together. Can you open the calling app?"

Bella unlocked her phone with slightly less shaky hands. She pressed the calling app and opened the keypad.

"Alright, now, let's punch Edythe's number."

"What if she doesn't answer?" Bella asked. "Do I have to leave a message? Do I try again? What if-"

"Breathe, Bella."

Bella took a deep breath.

"We'll worry about that later. Let's just get these numbers in, okay? Focus on one thing at a time."

Bella closed her eyes, took another deep breath, opened them, and began punching in the numbers. As she did, Edward raised his head from her shoulder and walked back over to his food. When she finished, he was polishing off his mashed potatoes.

"You know we have a microwave, right?" She reminded him.

"I got hungry and didn't feel like waiting." He said with his mouth full. "Your cooking is better than Alice's."

Bella laughed softly. "She burns everything."

"Don't I know it. Okay, are all those numbers-"

"Ready to go,"

"Alright, well, are you calm?"

Bella grimaced. "Does maybe count?"

Edward shook his head as he gnawed on a drumstick. "Nope. The last thing I need is you having a panic attack when Edythe says hello. Go get your notecards. I know there's a stash in your room."