Friends with Benefits

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven

Things I own: my sanity (though, that's debatable at times), not enough time to write and incredible friends and family!!

Things I don't: Twilight, Edward and Bella (Damn. It.)

Chapter 137

EPOV

Bella came out with two cups of coffee and a bag of Hershey's Kisses. "I figured we both needed some chocolate after the past couple of days."

"I'm not going to say no to that," I said, unwrapping a candy and popping it in my mouth. "Bella?"

"Hmmmm," she replied, idly turning her coffee mug.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," I murmured, handing her back the letter. "But, I'm confused."

"About what?" she asked.

"About your reasoning that I saw you as a little sister?"

"Edward, I was Alice's friend. When we met, I was a hot mess. Bad skin, frizzy hair, braces and boobs that were too big for my body," she snorted humorlessly. "You were in college. I thought you were the sexiest thing I ever saw."

"I was a flipping twig with acne and a hat permanently attached to my head," I laughed.

"But, you were nice. That's what stuck with me. All of the guys in Forks were douchebags or highly immature. Alice and I clung to each other because we were the only two normal people in that Podunk town. Or so we thought at the wise age of fourteen. Whenever you were home, you were never rude and you always included us in whatever you were doing. When I hit eighteen, I was ready to make my move. You were home for winter break from law school. I wanted to show you that I wasn't just Alice's friend, but a woman who wanted you. Unfortunately, you were so sick with the flu. You puked on me."

"No!" I gasped. I thought for a few moments, my eyes widening... "Wait a minute...at Easter...you were trying to recreate that?" She nodded, blushing furiously. "I really puked on you?"

"Projectile vomit, Edward. I was scarred for months. I knew you were delirious because you collapsed on the floor shortly after you puked. I had to get your dad," Bella explained. "You were admitted for dehydration and a nasty concussion." Gently, I pulled on her hand and positioned her on my lap. She gave me a face before relaxing against me.

"What's with the puss?" I asked.

"I'm too fat. This cannot be comfortable," she said.

"Bella, you are not too fat. You're beautiful and perfect. You look like a woman," I said, pinching her ass. "I'm sorry but those anorexic, supermodel-wannabes make me sick. I want to buy them a hamburger or something. If this wasn't comfortable, I wouldn't hold you like this. So, deal with it, woman." We sat like that, with me stroking her back for a few moments. I reveled in the feeling of her soft body pressed against me. We were on sex lockdown until we both got the all-clear from our respective tests. "Why didn't you pursue us further? After Christmas?"

"You were bogged down with school and had said that you were spending the summer on campus for some internship or whatever. I figured that you'd meet some hot lawyer and want to be with her, not some high school girl. I got together with Tyler Crowley after that and well, he popped my cherry in the back of his van on prom night. Thus began my relationship hell."

"You never expected me to feel the same?" I asked.

"No, not really. In my mind, you were unattainable, older and my ideal. Why would you? It wasn't until we had sex the night of the benefit that I realized you did have some sort of feelings toward me," she shrugged. "Honestly, you can't have sex like we did and not have some sort of connection. When I suggested that we become friends with benefits, it was my way to try andkeep that connection alive. I didn't think you'd want to date me."

"You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you that our arrangement meant more to me that just us getting our jollies off. Bella, I may not be the most experienced guy when it comes to relationships, but what we have is special. Yes, it started in an unconventional way, but I've always loved you. From the moment I met you, I felt drawn to you. When we met, it would have been highly illegal for us to be a couple, but now? I've got the best of both worlds."

"What do you mean?"

"Bella, not many people can say that they are in love with their best friend, but I can. No one can make me laugh like you. No one can keep me on my toes with your wit and that killer shot you have when throw my socks at me."

"Put them in the hamper and I won't have to throw your socks at you," she chuckled, lightly pinching my arm.

"Proof that I'm not perfect," I said, kissing her neck. "But, we're able to laugh, have fun, be silly. At the same time, what we share is so amazing, Bells. Whenever I'm with you, I feel whole. I never expected that I would find love. I'm so driven by my job and always had been. Now? I know that I can't just live at the office. I want to share things with you. I want to be with you. Should I have told you about Paul earlier? Yes. I wanted to get proof before I told you, though. Should I fight your battles foryou? No. Originally, I began the crusade against Paul Lahote because I wanted to take him down for you because I love you. Now, I want to take him down because he used his position as a teacher to lure young girls into his bed and that is wrong on so many disgusting levels." Bella shuddered, making a face. I laughed, pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

"Throughout all of this though, I learned an important lesson, Bella. I don't ever want you to hurt, or to cause you to be hurt, but only you can get over that pain. It killed me to be away from you last night. I wanted to come back and hold you because I knew that you were probably very upset."

"That's putting it mildly. I was grateful that Alice was with me," Bella said, snuggling closer to me. "But, you won't always be there."

"Bella, that's where you're wrong. I will always be there," I argued, kissing her soft hair. "I'll always be there because I love youand I'm not leaving you."

"Promise?" she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"I vow it, Bella," I whispered back, right against her ear.

She melted against me, looking into my eyes. Tears were streaming down her face. Abruptly, she threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you," she murmured. I held her close, letting her cry against my shoulder. Pulling back, she gave me a watery grin. "I love you, so much, Edward. The fact that you feel the same..."

"Is wonderful, love," I said, kissing her lips. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I want nothing more than to hold you and sleep until our bodies tell us to wake up."

"That sounds really good," she laughed, wiping her face. Together, we carried our mugs into the kitchen and putting them intothe dishwasher. Locking up the apartment, we went up to our room. Bella went to wash her face and I stripped out of myclothes, tossing them into the hamper. I was fluffing my pillow when a white ball flew at my head, knocking me at the temple causing my glasses to fall off. Picking up the ball, I saw it was my socks. "Edward, I love you and all that, but socks in the hamper!"

"Yes, dear," I quipped.

A/N: Up next...a date...with some good news! Leave me some!