 Episode Forty-two: Mum“Christ, no,” I mumbled. Bella glanced back at me with concern in her mismatched eyes. “Sorry, I have to, or she won’t stop,” I explained apologetically. She nodded her head, looking puzzled. “Hello, Mum. You’re up early today.” My girlfriend started to cackle meanly, throwing her head back. “Oh, no...” She whispered to herself. “Hello, Anthony! Happy Birthday!” My mother began loudly in her purposefully over-posh accent. She was putting an effort in to use her nice voice. It felt like a trap. “Thank you,” I replied weakly. This was the last thing I wanted or needed. “Are you at home?” She pondered. “No,” I answered promptly, but she was already talking again by the time it came out of my mouth. “We’re about to leave on our holiday today! I’m delighted.” I rubbed my temple, my head already starting to ache. “Yes, I know. I don’t suppose I can call you back?” I asked as I followed Bella over to the shoes. It was quieter over there and had a lot of empty chairs to sit in. I had spoken to my parents the week before about their travel plans. It was probably the seventh or eighth time. They were good at repeating themselves. Perhaps they just forgot which child they discussed it with. “No, no, no,” she stated hastily. “You know how shotty mobile service is once you get on the road. It’s better if we talk now. I won’t be able to later most likely, and I have to speak to my son on his twenty-fifth birthday!” I flopped into the seat, covering my eyes for a moment. “I see.” That was a shite excuse. I wouldn’t call her out right then. Life was too short to argue over stupid things. She was just my mother and wanted to talk to me, I reminded myself. I couldn’t blame her for it, even if she was being rude and ignoring me. “Are you working? Where are you? At home?” “No. I’m in New York this week,” I answered sharply. We had spoken about my trip at least twice, and I had talked to all of my sisters, grandparents, and father about it. There was no way that she didn’t know about it. I had even brought it up when she discussed her plans. My mother drew in a sharp breath as if I had smacked her. “You didn’t tell me you were traveling for your birthday!” Anger began to build in the back of my skull, but I needed to keep my cool. As if I had to tell her anything in the first place. I was an adult. “Yes. Yes, I did tell you.” “No, you didn’t!” She spat back, her poshness dropping with her rising attitude. I wanted to punch someone in the face. Her, preferably. But she wasn’t there. “No. No, Mum, I did. I swear, I did tell you,” I hissed through my teeth. There was no person on the planet that could push all of my buttons faster. “Are you working?” She asked again, disregarding my tone. My mother had an inability to listen, at least to me. I couldn’t imagine a human wanting to be like that on purpose, but I didn’t think she was that dim, either. Perhaps it was me she had a problem with. “No, I’m not working. No,” I repeated because I was annoyed. I was getting too old to feel this way. She was sucking all the joy out of my body. “I told you I was taking a vacation for my birthday,” I spoke the words slowly as if she was stupid. Maybe it would help. I was already starting to lose my patience. All the while, Bella was busily looking at stripper shoes. “Are you traveling with someone or alone?” She said the word ‘someone’ as if it was venomous. She thought I was wildly partying with my friends. But I wasn’t sure why. I hardly did in school. “Yes. With my girlfriend.” There was a slight pause. “Girlfriend? You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend,” my mother retorted. “Yes, I’ve told you about her.” Bella glanced over her shoulder at me, smirking. Her attention went back to the boxes. She ran her finger over some as she looked for sizes. “No, you didn’t.” “Yes,” I stated shortly, interrupting her before she could catch her breath. She huffed loudly. “No, you didn’t,” my mum repeated. “Yes.” “I swear, you purposefully keep these things from me-” She began to rant, but I wouldn’t have any of it. She was out of her damn mind. “No. No, Mum-” Of course, she spoke over me. “You didn’t-” “Mum, I did.” She tried to speak again. “Mother!” I growled her, half tempted to just hang up on her. Pinching my nose, I covered my eyes as I struggled to take a deep breath. If I had a brain aneurysm, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Bringing a pair of heels over with her, Bella sat beside me to try them on. She pouted her bottom lip a little, a bit concerned for me. My sanity was slipping, so she had a right to be. I was a weirdo who was arguing with my mother in the middle of the porno shop. “Why? Why must you be so difficult?” Mum demanded. “If we just talked more often-” Hell, no. We spoke too much, in my opinion. I could have done without hearing her shrill voice ever again. “It’s not my fault you don’t listen to me when I speak.” “Anthony!” She hissed my name. “Ugh, this is not the right time to discuss this. We will go over this later.” “Okay,” I mumbled like a fifteen-year-old. That meant nothing. She would bring it up whenever she was looking for another fight. It was just ammo. She tried to ignore me, making her voice more cheerful. “So, are you free to talk right now?” “No,” I snapped loudly. My mum paused. My answer confused her. I could almost see the way she turned her nose up. “Are you busy?” “Yeah, Mum. Obviously, I’m busy if I asked to call you back, but you ignored me. I- I-... ugh, Mum. Please? I really can’t talk,” I sputtered out desperately, tiring of the conversation. My head was pounding, and my buzz was all gone. I could have used three more mimosas and a joint. This was why I had anxiety. “What are you doing?” “I’m shopping. Shoe shopping.” “Oh!” She said excitedly. She loved to shop. It was her favorite hobby. It’s probably where I got it from. “Have you found yourself something nice for your birthday?” “No. Not for me.” Bella finished putting the heels on and examined her feet before standing. Her eyes got big, and she glanced at me. “Oh, I’m almost tall.” I smiled. She was the cutest thing on the planet. Her joy made me forget about my mother for just a minute. “No, darling, you’re not,” I replied with a wink, teasing her. She prettily scrunched up her nose. “What, sweetheart?” Mum asked in confusion. My eyes rolled hard, shaking my head. “I was talking to Bella. My girlfriend.” I would never call her ‘darling’ or any other pet name. “I swear you’ve not told me about this person,” she mumbled in annoyance under her breath. “Where is she? Hm? What is she doing right now?” “Yes, I have,” I pointlessly repeated. I wasn’t certain why I bothered. “She’s trying on shoes.” I wasn’t sure why she asked, either. It wasn’t as if I would allow her to speak to her. Anyone else in my family, I would. My sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends would eat her up like candy, but my mother lacked a sweet tooth. I couldn’t do that to Bella. She huffed. “And are you going to be buying her these shoes?” The questions were only getting worse. I wasn’t liking where this was heading. There was an insult just waiting under the surface. I frowned. “If she wants them,” I explained slowly. Obviously, she didn’t like that. She made several unpleasant, judgmental noises under her breath. “You should be careful with women who-” I wouldn’t let her put Bella down, especially when she didn’t know her. “Actually. No, actually. She-” My mother interrupted before I could get the words out. “Is she at least British? Or Australian?” “Bella is American. She’s from Texas.” “Ah,” she drawled as if something had left a bad taste in her mouth. “Texas. I see. Interesting. And what does she look like?” “I’ll send you a picture later.” Nope, I would not. I had posted photos on my social media. If she wanted to get them, she could work for them. Honestly, the fact that she denied knowing about her was insulting. She knew how to use computers. We were friends on Facebook. There was a second of quiet. “And does anyone else in the family know about this girlfriend you’ve gotten all of a sudden?” Mum asked sarcastically. “Has anyone met her?” “Nana’s spoken to her.” “In person?” She questioned in shock. This woman was a judge. People spent time in prison because of her decisions. I knew she was smart, or at least could be. I blinked slowly. “No. Of course, on the phone, you daft koala.” My girlfriend began to giggle. “You daft koala,” she said to herself under her breath. She was walking around, stretching her arms over her head before looking at me playfully. Her ass looked incredible with the heels, her tight blue jeans giving me pause. Glancing over her shoulder at me, she raised an eyebrow. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” God, I wanted her. “You’re not helping, first off. Second, the only woman I’m kissing with this mouth today is-” “Anthony, did you say something?” She interrupted our flirting. “No, Mum.” “Oh, your father just walked in. Would you like to speak to him?” She offered. The relief was palpable. “Yeah. Why don’t you put Dad on the phone, so I can say hello to him before you have to go?” Which I hoped was soon. I wished he would drop her off on the moon and leave her crazy ass there. Bella sat back down beside me to take off the heels. They were incredibly sexy. I put them into the basket with the rest of the things. They would look amazing with any of the thigh highs that we had already picked out. “Well, well, well!” My father started brightly, his accent thick. It always was when he first woke up. I used to make fun of him and say he sounded like a pirate. “There’s my only son!” “Hi, Pops. How are you?” I smiled to myself. “I’m exceedingly well. Thank you! Happy to go out and about on a lovely little holiday.” “That’s good!” This was a normal conversation with a parent. “So, how are you doing?” “I’m very well. Thank you.” “By the way, happy birthday, my brilliant boy!. Having fun? What are you doing?” He excitedly inquired. We didn’t get to talk that much. Mum usually spoke over us, even on the phone. She must have left the room. “Oh, thank you! I am having a very good day. Me and my girl are out in Manhattan,” I informed him awkwardly. I couldn’t explain any of the ways we were really having fun. ‘Well, Pops, me and the missus went down to the ol’ toy store where I plan on spoiling her with a half a dozen vibrators at least. Mainly because I want to use them on her while we root around for bloody fucking hours. Should be legendary, mate.’ Nope, I couldn’t even say it to Jasper, and he would have found it brilliant. He chuckled. “That sounds delightful. Are you going to party tonight?” “We’re probably going to spend the evening in. I need a break,” I added quickly. My cheeks heated as I lied just a little. “Well, nothing else matters as long as you’re having fun with your girl, right? Is she taking good care of you?” I smiled to myself. “Yeah, she’s the best.” “Good. Well, we need to head out soon. We have a drive ahead of us.” “Alright, Dad.” He lowered his voice some. “Do you want to talk to your Mum more?” She definitely wasn’t in the room, but she was somewhere close. “No, don’t give me back to her. She’s fucking nuts,” I replied with a chuckle, making him laugh, too. Poor bastard. I didn’t envy him. “I’ll talk to you later. I love you both. Bye.” When I hung up the phone, I closed my eyes tightly and put both of my hands over them. My head throbbed so much. “Okay there, cowboy?” Bella asked teasingly as she put her thick black boots on. I looked at her, frustrated. “I swear to Christ, one day she’s going to make me insane. It’s like seven in the morning there, and she’s arguing with me like a bloody lunatic. I am so glad I am on another continent right now.” Her lips pursed with amusement. “She does have great timing.” “Right?!” I whined as I stood up before I offered her my hand. I was determined to forget about the conversation. “Okay. Let’s try this again, shall we?” Thanks to Gina for proofreading this episode! Episode Forty-one: Kinda AwkwardI woke up on the morning of my birthday with my beloved nude by my side. We had made love before dawn, and she had lost her nightgown and panties amongst the covers. Bella looked so beautiful and comfortable. Her arms were underneath her head with her wildly curly hair spilling all over her face and back. Before I got out of bed, I leaned down and kissed several of her tattoos slowly. She hummed softly but didn’t wake up. Going to the bathroom, I brought my phone with me to check my messages. I had sent dozens of pictures to my family and friends the day before to show off my first American Thanksgiving experience. I even shot a video with Bella in my lap as we ate our shared plate of desserts. She giggled as she told everyone, ‘Happy Thanksgiving from Brooklyn!’ cheerfully before taking a bite of pumpkin pie. It got a little whipped cream on her lips. It ended with me kissing it off of her sweet mouth. Her head tilted back with a smile as her eyes fluttered shut. We both looked so content. I also put that one up on Twitter. It had gotten thousands of likes and retweets. I titled it, ‘Starting my birthday off early with the prettiest photographer in the world, and she’s feeding me some pie!’ ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ was repeated in all caps several times in my group chat with my sisters. My brothers-in-law, aunts and uncles, and a few cousins had also sent me texts or messages online. I had spoken to my Nana a little the evening before on the way to the hotel in the car. Jasper sent me a photo of a drawing he made that was elaborate and colorful, done in markers. The picture said ‘happy birthday, darling’ in elegant lettering. It had every cartoon or video character I had done around it. It made my heart flutter with joy. It was so beautiful, and it had to take him days. “That’s stunning. I hope I’m actually getting it. I need it in my office.” “You are. It’s already in the mail,” he answered within a few seconds. “Happy Birthday.” After I washed my hands, I called him since he was awake, and my girl wasn’t. “Thank you.” I smiled when he picked up. “Having a good day so far?” He questioned in a lively tone. “It hasn’t started yet,” I chuckled at his enthusiasm. He had more energy than me. “I just woke up, and Bella’s still out like a light. She worked so hard yesterday and deserves a little extra rest.” “What do you have planned?” He eagerly asked next. “In New York City, you could do literally anything. It sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait to visit someday.” I laughed. We could do anything, that was true. But that wasn’t what was going to happen. “And what I’m going to do is Bella, after we go to the sex shop. At her suggestion, mind you.” Jasper chuckled softly before clicking his tongue. “Well, good for you. I mean, that seems like the perfect way to spend any day. I’m even more jealous now.” Sighing, I smiled to myself. “It really is. I miss you, though. I wish I could spend some time with you, too.” “Oh, kinky,” he said dryly. “A birthday threesome? It might be awkward, but I’m down.” I barked out a loud laugh, shaking my head as I flushed. I was grateful that I was alone. It turned me on a little, but I wouldn’t tell him that. If they were half as fun as some of my dreams, I would have been all for it. “Oh, well, you know… I think that’s something Bella might be down for, too. Apparently, she was wild in uni,” I said to deflect. “Oh!” I remembered something I hadn’t told him yet, getting distracted. “She’s pansexual, by the way. She confirmed it yesterday.” There was a long moment of silence. Jasper swallowed before clearing his throat roughly. “Really?” “I’m just going to assume you know what that is because I googled it to be sure when she wasn’t looking.” “I do,” he blurted out. “She doesn’t care about gender, basically. I wonder if she’s ever dated anyone trans,” he mumbled to himself. Shrugging, I shook my head. There were so many things I didn’t know about my sweet little girlfriend yet. It delighted me to learn them all. “Mm, I don’t know. Maybe one day we’ll discuss it. Not today, though. I also discovered that Bella used to fuck her best friend. A lot apparently. And she is a knockout, too.” I blew out a breath. Jasper snickered again, then hummed. “Got a picture?” “I’ll send you some later. I’ve told you about her. To be honest, I feel a little guilty,” I confessed, turning away from my reflection in the mirror. “Man, they’re the ones who had sex, don’t feel guilty about thinking-” “No,” I chuckled, interrupting him. “I feel bad because Alice… She’s still in love with Bella and has been for fucking years. Years. Since they were teenagers. And she’s honestly a great person, and I know that Bella cares about her, too. Loves her. She told me they dated when they were kids, but she was miserable because Alice isn’t affectionate enough.” “That’s not a problem you have,” he replied in an almost monotone voice. “No,” I agreed quickly. “And Alice broke up with her. Now, I wonder if Bella would have dated her if she asked again after Aiden died.” He grunted. “Does it matter?” The question lingered for a moment. He had a point. “I guess not, no. If Bella wanted her, she could have gone after her. She’s aggressive when she wants to be. Honestly, the only thing missing from their relationship is sex.” “I understand how she feels,” he grumbled as if it annoyed him. It confused me. “What?” “Our relationship when we were living together. It was everything but fucking.” Snorting quietly, I shook my head again. “You never cuddled with me. Apparently, they snuggle. They hug and kiss a lot, too. It’s adorable.” “Well, big boy, I didn’t know you wanted them,” he barked back sarcastically, making me laugh in shock at his tone and pitch. “Come here, darling.” He made several smooching noises. “You’re a dumbass.” I grinned a little. My cheeks were on fire, thinking about holding him. We enjoyed wrestling around, but that’s not something we had ever done. I wouldn’t have hated it. “I miss you loads.” He sighed heavily. “I do, too. This is the first birthday of yours that we haven’t spent together in over a decade.” “I know. It’s weird.” “It’s okay, though! You’re about to have a fabulous day with your future bride,” Jasper joked more vigorously, his voice bright. “Your first birthday with her.” “Yes. You’re right. One of many. But the next one, you will be with us, too. I promise. Even if we have to go to you.” I would figure out a way to make it happen. The idea of Bella coming to Australia with me to meet not only him but my family popped into my head. I wanted it so badly, but it scared me because it was too soon to even propose it. She had just agreed to travel with me for several occasions, and I didn’t know how much I could push it. “Well, I’ll go ahead and take the day off then,” he quipped. “Yeah, you do that.” I glanced at the clock. My stomach was talking to me, and it was getting later in the morning. “Hm… I think it’s about time to wake Isabella up. I’m starving. Have a good day, lovey.” I sarcastically blew him a kiss. “Alright, darling. Have fun and misbehave for me.” He didn’t have to tell me twice. Crawling into bed, I kissed up the back of Bella’s bare thighs and over her ass. She giggled quietly, reaching behind her to scratch her nails through my hair. Moving up her spine, she squeaked softly when my half erection poked her in between the cheeks. “Good morning, birthday boy,” she murmured sleepily. “How are you?” “Hungry,” I growled in her ear. She arched her back some, rubbing against me purposefully. Bella wiggled her ass before glancing over her shoulder for a moment. “What would you like to eat?” “Room service?” I began to suck on the nape of her neck. Nodding her head, she sighed at my touch. Bella turned her face to the side and kissed my jaw. I adjusted a little so that she could roll over underneath me. “Champagne and weed while we wait?” She asked with an impish smile, running her fingers over my lips. I nodded too. “I think there was orange juice in the minibar.” I pecked at her fingertips. “Perfect.” I got the menu as she put on a silk robe. Bella made us each a flute, bringing mine before crawling back into bed with her own. Curling at my side, she was obviously very relaxed and happy. It seemed to rub off on me, making me feel cozy, too. “Everything sounds good,” she murmured, caressing her nails over my stomach lightly. “I don’t know what I want.” There was an easy way to inspire her. I reached over and grabbed the bag of vape pens to let her pick. She giggled, taking one. I had only taken that one hit and hadn’t needed them. It surprised me. I usually slept for shite when I traveled. I took smaller drags, but it still made me cough. By the time we were walking to the adult toy store, my brain was buzzing loudly, but I couldn’t focus on that. It was cold as fuck, and it felt as if I was being stabbed through my clothes. Bella tried to reassure me I only needed better attire, but I wasn’t sure that I believed her. I would go the following day while she was preparing for the show to get said warmer clothing. It was worth a shot. Once we were in the shop, I was happy just not to be in the cold anymore. I took one of the little baskets with a big grin, swinging it around playfully to make her giggle. She took my hand, leaning against me as we walked to the racks. “I’ve never known what to get. Vibrator wise.” She began to look through the corsets before glancing up at me. “What’s your favorite color?” I shrugged. It depended on the day of the week. “Blue. Or red. Purple.” I started to scan through the underwear selection, too. I brought something up that looked like a torture device. “Wow. That looks painful.” She sexily smirked. “It’s not supposed to be on long.” “Yes, true.” “Do you see something you like?” She asked from underneath her eyelashes, her lips ever so slightly parted. She was the most sensual woman that I had ever seen. I swallowed heavily as heat crawled up my neck to my ears. “I’m feeling very shy suddenly.” Biting her lip for a moment, she lowered her voice. “I want you to pick something for me. Anything. Really. I just want to see. Costumes, kinky, weird. Basic as fuck. I don’t care.” “I don’t know where to start.” Bella grinned. “Look around. We have all day. It doesn’t have to be any of this. It can be stockings or shoes. A collar. A funny hat, perhaps?” I laughed a bit at her attempt to make me more comfortable. “No. No hats, I think.” Holding my hand, she led me over to a different part of the store with all the hosiery. She tapped her lip for a moment before taking a pair of thigh highs with a tiny bow on the back and put it into the basket. Then she glanced at me expectantly. My girlfriend wanted me to pick something sexy out for her and didn’t care what. I had the money to buy whatever she or I desired. Frankly, I was acting like an idiot. I got some simple white ones with thick lace at the top. She giggled quietly, smiling at my choice. “I like the red and white striped for Christmas,” she said with a bit of a chuckle in her voice. Without a thought, I seized it. Laughing louder, she put her hand up. “Wait! You don’t have to grab everything I point out.” “No, I like them, too,” I assured her. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Then, at least get the right size!” I hadn’t even looked at that. I was a bigger moron than I realized. “Oh, right. Sorry.” I laughed nervously and got the correct size. I leaned in so that I could whisper in her ear. “I might like taking pictures of you in these.” I enjoyed snapping photos of her in anything, but nothing but a pair of those would be the best. Her skin got pinker as she peeked up at me. “We should look for stuff to match. Maybe silky green, like the bow. It’s very Christmassy.” “Yes, I like that idea.” She pointed to the circular racks again. I put my hand on the small of her back as she moved in that direction. My confidence was building, or maybe my horniness, and I was ready to search more seriously. Annoyingly, my phone began to ring, and I knew right away who it was without having to look. Dread immediately filled my body.  Episode Forty: BoobIt was late by the time the party wound down. People started saying goodbye, hugging, and whispering things in ears about how much they loved and missed each other. Rosalie, Alice’s sister, began to sniffle as she embraced Bella. Her eyes turned a little red, but she held it in. “I hate that you won’t be at Christmas,” she complained when she pulled away. “I just can’t spend that much time in Texas. It feels…” She shook her head, then frowned. “I don’t want to put myself through that right now.” “I understand,” Emmett said, making his eyes wider behind his wife. I stood behind Bella, rubbing her shoulders as they spoke. Rose glanced back, and he shrugged at her. “It’s hard for me to go home, too.” Bella smiled at them, leaning back into me. “I have better plans now, anyway.” “Jealous,” he mumbled under his breath before moving down to kiss her cheek. “Have fun in LA. Hey, maybe you can go to the Rose parade?” I had no idea what that was, but I would look it up to see if it was something that would interest Bella. I knew she loved flowers. She giggled and shrugged. “I don’t know what we’ve got planned, but I’m not getting up at the crack of dawn on New Year’s. If I’m awake, it better be because we didn’t go to sleep,” she purred as she looked at me, running her fingers under my jaw for just a second. Oh, that sounded like more fun than flowers any day of the week. Alice took the laundry basket they brought with them and stuffed it with leftovers. She would eat well for a while. Or at least through the weekend. She stood beside her sister. “I’ll walk out with you. Bella, are you going to stay at the apartment or the hotel?” “Mm, hotel,” she replied as she took my hand. “Do you want to go see the Brooklyn Bridge first? I’m a little wound up, and I think I need to walk off some of this food.” “I’d love to,” I smiled eagerly. Demetri gave her a big hug. He was drunk on eggnog, as was his husband. They were lying sleepily on the couch, laughing at old cartoons from the nineties. “Wait! Let me redo your lips first!” He mumbled, rushing over to his kit that was still set up because he spent some time doing other girl’s hair and makeup. Bella just rolled her eyes and followed him with a smile. It only took a minute. “Pretty, pretty, pretty,” he said when he was done, booping her on the nose with the tube. “Go to bed before you pass out on the sofa,” she teased them as we left, her arm wrapped around mine. It was stupidly cold, and I hated it, but I wouldn’t let her see it if I could help it. I focused my mind on other things as we made our way to the park by the bridge. My thoughts went to her spending time in Los Angeles. She stated that she had better plans, but I wanted it to be more than ‘better.’ I wished for it to be a trip that she would never forget. It would be a memory to share with our grandchildren and, hopefully, our great-grandchildren. “Where shall we go on our snow trip?” I began lightly, gazing at her with a smile. Bella bit her lip before shrugging, looking back after a moment. She scrunched up her nose in worry. “I don’t know. I don’t really want to ski. It scares me, to be honest. You can if you want to. I’d love to take pictures of the mountains, though. Maybe we could go hike.” Bella swiftly shook her head. “I don’t know. I mainly want to be with you. Why don’t you just surprise me?” She jested with a giggle. She wasn’t serious, but I could accomplish that. “I could do that. That could be fun. Yeah. Okay. I can plan the perfect romantic weekend away for us.” Gasping in a soft breath, she looked at me in shock. “I don’t mean for you to do all the work. I was joking.” I shook my head in return. It was perfect. I could go all out. “No, it’s not working. It gives me something nice to plan out. It’ll give me something to look forward to when I have to be away from you again.” I dragged my fingers across her cheek, and she leaned into them with a smile as her eyes sank closed for a moment. When she opened them again, she said, “I’d want to put money towards that.” Nope, not going to happen. I was going overboard in the biggest way ever, and I wouldn’t look at the cost for even a second. I had all the money that I could ever want, and I would spend it on spoiling her as she deserved. “No. I got it.” She instantly began to pout. “That’s not fair.” Who fucking cared about that? Life was unfair. I was okay with that. I wanted to treat her so that I could make the time as special as possible. For a moment, I searched my brain for a solution that would make us both happy. “Alright. Then you can pay for the next weekend trip. You plan it out and make it a surprise. Then it’ll be fair.” “I’m going to hold you to that,” she declared seriously. It made me so excited for our future together. “Good. I hope you do. What do you think? Again in January or shall we have a quick trip before I go to Sydney in mid-February? Spring seems like such a long time to wait for another little trip.” I wanted her to just stay with me forever, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. Not yet, anyway. She sighed softly, her head leaning against my shoulder as we continued to walk on the concrete path. “We’ll have to look at your schedule.” “How about you figure out a date, and I’ll make the time.” Bella was more important, and it was far enough away to rearrange anything with no consequences. Finally, she pulled back with a grin. “Alright. Let me do some research then, on what I want to do exactly. I want to make it a good trip.” My girl was a cute little nerd. I loved how excited she got about it. It was another weird thing we had in common. “Research? Sounds exciting,” I teased lightly. “I want you to know I’m going to take out all the stops. And bring your passport, just in case.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh, Canada could be fun. You know if you bought yours, we could go to the Falls. You could probably make a video about it.” I didn’t want to think about work, but I loved that she thought about those sorts of things. “That is something to consider.” We went around a curve, and the Brooklyn Bridge came into sight. A carousel in a building made of glass was lit up in the darkness in front of it. Manhattan glowed just beyond the shimmering black water that was choppy with the wind. It took my breath away. “This view is stunning.” “I like taking pictures here.” “I’ve never gotten to do much in New York besides work,” I admitted. “I’m glad I can explore with you. I feel I might have the best guide. I want you to show me all your favorite spots.” Bella made a face. “I’m not sure how much you’d enjoy that. Some are kind of out there. And so weird. It’s not the normal tourist stuff.” As if I expected anything less. I embraced her tightly, my arms around her waist as I pulled her towards me. “Good.” “Sunday then. Why don’t I take you to a couple of places that I really like? We’ll have to rent a car. It’s just easier that way.” “Sounds great.” She bit her plush bottom lip for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she peered up at me almost innocently. “What do you want to do tomorrow? You really haven’t said anything. I want your birthday to be perfect.” “I really, really, really just want to stay in bed with you. Like, for reals, though. All-day,” I said in a tiny voice before lightly pecking the tip of her nose twice. “And be naughty.” “There is one place we could go then,” she giggled. “Where?” She smirked a little. “A toy store.” “A toy store on Black Friday? Why? Wouldn’t it be very busy?” I blurted out before I had any time to consider it. I had heard horror stories about the day in America and wasn’t interested in getting crushed by a crowd for a cheap toy. My girlfriend looked at me like I was just… dumb. “Stop and think for a moment,” she spoke slowly. The only toys that would be helpful in my plans would be the kind used to get her off more. I really hated myself sometimes. “Oh. Right. Adult. An adult toy store. I am a naïve boob. Wait, do you mean it?” I asked, gaping at her in surprise. Her ‘wow, you’re stupid,’ look remained. “Why wouldn’t I?” She had a point. She just caught me off guard, and my inexperience was shining through. Vicky would have never stepped foot in a sex shop. Either I went by myself, or I ordered it. “I don’t know. I just said I was a naïve boob, Bella.” Her grin grew mischievous. “I guess if you don’t want to, we could always order stuff online and have it shipped, but we wouldn’t get to play with it tomorrow.” She shrugged and pouted a bit. A little shiver ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. “What would you like to get?” “Anything you’d like. I don’t have anything right now. And tomorrow we can do whatever you want with it,” Bella promised seductively as she ran her hands up my chest, her large eyes batting at me. “Whatever, eh?” “Whatever you want,” she repeated. A million happy and dirty thoughts came to mind at once. “Ooo… That feels dangerous. I don’t even know where to begin.” She pressed herself closer to me. “Do you need some ideas?” Oh, I had plenty of those. I brought my hand up to her cheek so that I could rub my thumb over her temple. “I just don’t want to do something you don’t like.” Smirking, she turned her eyes towards me. I knew that she was about to tease me. “Alice once printed out this fun, crazy long BDSM list of things that you could put if you were into it or not. Yes, no. Maybe. Done it, hadn’t done it. Everything from kissing to extreme fetishes. I feel like I need to just fill that out and give it to you for some light reading.” Frankly, I didn’t give a flying fuck if she was joking. I needed it. “Yes, please. That would be very handy. I’ll take any printed manuals I can get.” She instantly giggled. “Why don’t we do something you’ve never done before? Is there anything you’ve wanted to do? Any position? Any toys? Anything you want me to wear? We can do those pictures we were talking about.” She was so indulgent, but I wasn’t sure how far she would let me go. “I think I’d like to think about that for a little while before I answer. But I would like to go to the store with you. We should, at the very least, find something to keep you company while we’re not together,” I responded before giving her a kiss. “I haven’t had anything like that in a while. I don’t even know what I’d want.” “We could get a few different options and test which one is the best.” Nothing was that expensive. I was sure we could find something that she would enjoy if we got a bunch of different things. Her cheeks began to glow as her smile grew again. “These rating videos are getting out of control.” I wanted to giggle, but I stopped myself. “We’ve done the lube. Now the vibrators. Whatever will we do next?” I played along with her a bit too loudly. She enjoyed it, laughing as my arm went over her shoulder. “Ready to get out of the cold?” She asked, bumping her hip into mine. “Yes, please.” When we got to her place, Alice was asleep on her stomach in a pair of Llama pajamas. Bella went to check on her, biting her lip as she smiled to herself. She kept the door open a crack for Patty cat so that she could come and go as she pleased. The kitty followed us back to her room. Swishing around my legs, she was hoping to get attention. My girl shooed her away before shutting the door. The things that I had brought with me were already organized in my backpack. It only took her a minute to shove stuff into her bag. I noticed that she put my gifts at the very bottom. It made me smile. “Oh, wait,” she said right before we were about to leave. “I forgot something.” Bella turned and hurried towards the kitchen. Quickly, she packed a bag of her chocolate chip cookies and passed them to me. “For when you can eat again.” I took one out and put the rest in my pocket. She giggled, taking my offered hand as we went to wait for the car. As I ate the lovely dessert in the lobby, she smirked at me a little. She leaned up on her toes and kissed my mouth lightly. “Mm, I like it when you taste like chocolate.” My other arm went around her waist, pulling her to my side. I realized then that this was how Bella was telling me that she loved me. With food, with her touches, and her gentle smiles. She wasn’t ready to say it out loud yet, and that was okay. I would give her time. I would make every moment of ours together as special as possible for her. If she didn’t have enough to rebuild, I could give her everything she needed. I knew that Rome was not built in a day. I decided that I would tell her at Christmas that I was in love with her, before whatever insane trip that I was planning. And hopefully, she would give me the gift of her words in return, while awake, anyway. Thanks to Gina for proofreading this episode! Episode Thirty-nine: WarningA chubby middle-aged man opened the red door for us while still wearing sleep pants. He waved us in, taking things from Bella’s hands. “Hi, sugar. Demetri is still asleep,” he drawled in a thick southern accent. My girlfriend stopped in the foyer, rubbing her fingers through his beard. It was bushy and black. “I love it so much.” It made him smile, his eyes disappearing behind his thick glasses. “After November, it’s getting trimmed. Demetri hates it. It’s for No-Shave November,” he explained. I had no idea what that was. “Cancer research,” he added quickly. “Oh, it will look good when it’s all trimmed up. You should keep it thicker.” “Maybe.” He shrugged before looking over at her best friend. She had not woken up gracefully. Or at all. “Al, how are you?” She simply put her milk crate of stuff onto the countertops before turning and leaving the room. She stomped towards a set of stairs, slamming the door behind her. Bella snorted, shaking her head as she walked over to the stove. Once again, she owned the kitchen. This was a much bigger and nicer space to work in. Riley and I helped in any way we could, but she mostly ordered us to wash things. It took her hours until she got to a point where she didn’t have to babysit the food. It was still stupidly early in the morning, and I had already eaten four doughnuts and drank three mugs of coffee. “So, do you like video games?” Riley asked conversationally as we watched her beginning to decorate. “She has a vision, it’s best just to let her go,” he whispered. I chuckled to myself. “Yeah, love them. What are you thinking?” “I got a bit of everything. Want to do a fighter, racer, or something like that?” “I always love a good fighter.” We were deep into our match on the couch, both of us wearing headphones so it wouldn’t get too loud and bother all the sleeping people in the house. I kept stealing glances at my girl as she danced around the room, making everything perfect for the day. Suddenly, someone was touching the top of my head. My hands stopped moving as my body got stiff in surprise. Bella started to giggle. “Why are you petting my boyfriend?” “What?” The tall skinny man said as he squinted his eyes at me. It was evident that he was blind as a bat. “Fuck. Sorry. Wrong head. Hello.” “Uh, hi,” I began to chuckle nervously, looking over at his husband, who was rolling his eyes and shaking his head. He started to pat him instead. “Good morning, baby.” “Go put your glasses on,” Bella shouted at him. He just pouted. “Go get laser surgery then. This is embarrassing.” Amused, she shook her head and rolled her eyes at her friend, too. “I don’t have the time to be blind,” he snapped. “That’s not how that works. The laser fixes your blindness.” Riley cleared his throat, looking up at him as he continued to get petted. “He’s scared of it.” My girlfriend looked confused. “But, you get work done all the time.” “But it’s my eyes!” Demetri whined loudly, huffing a little. “Fine. I’ll go get ready and put my contacts in. Bells, then I’ll do you.” “Got it.” She smirked before saluting him dramatically to be a ham. “Also, that’s what she said.” He snorted as he disappeared back into his bedroom to get ready. He emerged, looking like Jeffery Star’s twin brother. It wasn’t a bad outfit, just shockingly pink. Bella never sat down in the hour that it took him to get dressed. He looked around when he came out again, putting his hands on his slender hips. “It looks great!” “I don’t know. How can you tell?” She quipped meanly. He made a face before ignoring her. “I left some shampoo and conditioner out I want you to try. I got some free samples. I think I want to do it curly today.” “Whatever you want to do.” She shrugged, dusting her hands off before heading into the kitchen. When she did, Alice finally came out and stomped to the couch. She plopped down beside me. I offered her the bag of doughnuts from the table. She gave me a weak smile, settling in to watch television with me. Riley had to work on something in the kitchen, so we had paused our fighting match. Bella kissed the top of my head before she went to get ready in the same bedroom that Demetri had disappeared into earlier. About five minutes later, she popped out. “Eddie, can you bring me my bag? It’s by the front door.” “Yeah, sure,” I instantly agreed, darting off the sofa. I brought it to her, slipping inside to have a private moment with her. Then I realized that she was only in a towel. With no thought, I shut the door and tugged her to me. I kissed her lips, my hands sliding down her body. I pulled on the thin fabric that was keeping me from seeing her perfect breasts. “I wasn’t expecting to see your tits in the middle of the day, but I’m not mad about it at all.” “If there weren’t so many people in there, I would be tempted to have a quickie.” I would have taken it out and bent her over something in a second, regardless of the people outside, but I knew for sure she wouldn’t let me do that. So, I felt her up as much as possible before I was told to behave. I massaged one of her breasts, making her nipple get hard against my palm. “That would be terrible of us. We can’t, but let me kiss them goodbye before they go away.” Then I wrapped my arms around her thin waist, bringing her up towards my mouth to cover them with kisses generously. She moaned softly, her head falling back as my fingers gripped her ass cheek. Sadly, she started to pull away. I plucked each of her nipples before she left my grip. Aroused, Bella blushed. She bit her lip, looking me over. “Don’t worry. You can play with them all day tomorrow if you want to.” I smiled at her words. “I was planning on it…” She began to pout a bit. “I wish you could join me so you could come play with me. But I guess I will just have to masturbate in the shower all alone.” She was so evil. Fuck. My cock begged for attention as she grinned wickedly. I whined a little, smacking her ass as she pranced away. It took a few minutes to get myself to calm down enough to go back into the living room. When I did, it was my turn to plop down beside Alice. I glanced at her with a smirk. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what you two did in college,” I said sarcastically. I wiggled my eyebrows at her playfully. “Was it dirty?” Alice raised a brow in my direction. There was a little powdered sugar on her cheeks, and her spiky black hair was everywhere. It was cute. She looked like a teenager on Christmas morning. “Oh, we fucked. We fucked a lot.” And then that came out of her mouth. “Mary Alice!” Demetri snapped at her in surprise. My jaw hit my chest, and I couldn’t say anything. “What?! It’s true.” He sighed. “What if she didn’t want him to know that?” She shook her head, rubbing her hand over her cheek as she did. “It’s not like she’ll keep it from him. Bella won’t lie to him, and she wouldn’t want me to either.” “You still shouldn’t say it like that,” he mumbled as he went into the kitchen to help his husband with something. Once again, she looked over at me. “Sorry, I’m kind of blunt. But, yeah, we fucked a lot in college. And high school,” she stated more quietly. “I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. It’s been years.” “Um, no.” I shook my head quickly. “I’m just surprised.” “I seriously didn’t mean to out her earlier.” She frowned, picking at her pajamas. “She used to flirt with Aiden like that all the time. I just thought you two were doing a thing, and I was… cranky. And jealous.” I shook my head again. “As I said, I kind of figured. I didn’t know about the pansexual part, but I didn’t even think of it as an option. I thought bi. She’s made jokes about women’s butts…” I trailed off. She laughed a little. “I decided to let her come out to me. I just figured it was best to let her do it when she was comfortable.” “That’s good. Yeah, I think that was the right thing to do with her. Bella really isn’t an open book, even if she acts like she is. She is honest to a fault and will always tell you the truth, as gently as possible. She’s just not one to talk.” “She sometimes does,” I commented. Alice stared at me hard, considering what she wanted to say to me. She glanced back towards the kitchen for a minute before looking at me again. “So, Eddie, I like you, so I will be honest with you. You seem like a great guy, and I want you to know that I am on your team, as long as you’re on hers. Her happiness is all that is important to me, so I will do whatever I can to ensure that. And if that means helping you, that’s what I’ll do.” “That’s awesome… Thank you,” I mumbled awkwardly, blushing a little. “I appreciate that.” She lifted her finger. “I’m not done.” “Oh. I’m about to be threatened, aren’t I?” I joked. She snorted and nodded. She lowered her voice even more. “If you hurt her, there is a line of people that will happily cut you and put you into the ground. But they won’t get to you before I do. Bella is my best friend and the love of my life, and even though I’m not hers, I will protect her as much as I can because she’s been abused too much.” She was serious. “You’re in love with her?” I whispered. Alice sighed. “Does she know?” She nodded once more, frowning. “She cares for you, too. I-” “We dated for a while when we were kids, but we don’t work like that. I can’t give her what she needs, and she was miserable with me. So, I broke up with her,” she explained even though I didn’t ask her to. “What couldn’t you give her?” I blurted out in surprise. “I mean, you’re lovely and smart. Generous. She loves you, too. She called you the love of her life earlier.” Rubbing the back of her neck, she shook her head. “She was joking, though.” She considered my question for a minute. “Bella needs a lot of affection. I don’t know if you’ve noticed. She needs to be touching, hugging, kissing, all the time. And I hate it. I loathe being touched when I don’t want to be. Which is most of the time. And the girl loves to fuck,” she said bluntly. I laughed. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” she repeated more sarcastically with her eyes wide as she looked at her lap. “Yeah,” I chuckled, clearing my throat. “She is… affectionate. I wouldn’t say it was overly so.” “Oh! No! Not at all,” she hurriedly agreed. “And you seem like a loving guy which is what she needs. I’m… not. And I couldn’t force myself to be when we were together. I mean, if I were in the mood to fuck, it would be her that I’d want to do it with.” I sighed. “Have you ever considered trying again now that you’re older?” She shook her head. “Honestly, the last three years that we’ve lived together has probably been my ideal relationship. Separate beds with cuddles only when I want them. Zero expectations of sex while coming home to homecooked food and a clean apartment. And I love it, and she’s… It’s killing her spirit. I didn’t realize how much so until you came into the picture.” I didn’t know what to say. Looking down at my hands, I ran my thumb over my knuckles. “I don’t know what has been said, or if I’m telling you information that you don’t already know, but Bella is in love with you. She hasn’t admitted it to me. But it scares me because I don’t know if she has enough in her to rebuild again. She’s been broken down so many times.” “I love her,” I whispered. “She’s not told me, and I haven’t told her. She’s said it in her sleep, though.” Alice laughed. “She talks so much, doesn’t she? If you ever want to know what’s on her mind…” she trailed off. Once again, she glanced at me. “But like I said, I’m on your side. Make her happy, and we’ll be fine.” “Thank you,” I repeated. “I’m sorry.” She shrugged, shaking her head. “Don’t be. I’m relieved that my friend is smiling again.” A moment later, Bella came out of the bedroom. She had changed into a sweater and blue jeans, her curls damp. She smiled at both of us, walking to the couch so that she could lean over it and kiss the top of my head again. “Demetri,” she sang. “I’m ready for you…” They set up, and he began to do her hair and makeup while bossing people around for her since she was too quiet to do it properly over the noise. I sat with them, watching with fascination as he started to paint her eyes as an artist would a canvas. He covered her in gold. “I bought her some pretty gold lipstick, and it looks very nice on her,” I mentioned when he complimented the shade on her. “I’ve seen! I like your style of gift-giving,” he replied with a sassy little wink. I smirked. “Carpet bombing style? One of them is hopefully going to be a hit?” “No, outrageous. Exactly how it should be.” Demetri waved around the lipstick that he was holding practically in my face. “I’m going to do a plum lip. It says more fall.” He turned his attention back to Bella as he took her jaw. He lifted it some, leaning in. “Something matte.” “That’s what I was thinking,” he concurred with a nod before looking at me. “You should spoil this fine lady. She’s my best girl, and she deserves top-quality everything.” “I couldn’t agree with you more.” His face became serious, and he squared his shoulders. “Good. Because I will fuck you up if you make her cry. I’m her big brother. Got it?” I kind of laughed, unsurprised at this point by the threats. I put my hands up in acceptance. “Got it. Dr. Zucker gave me the same warning already, pretty much. He may have been a bit more graphic on how, as a doctor, he could get rid of my body if I do anything untoward to his daughter.” I wouldn’t tell her about Alice’s. I felt maybe that one should be between the two of us. Bella flushed red and began to laugh. “Oh, no. Sorry.” Her friend quickly turned to look at her. “He met Aiden’s parents? How did that go?” My girl beamed like she was proud of me, looking down at her lap as she did. “Oh, god. They all loved him. Claire fucking flipped. We went to the cemetery, and Esther was there. I couldn’t tell her no, so we went back to the house and spent the day there. I don’t think it was too bad,” she finished, peeking up at me worriedly. Smiling, I nodded. “It was great. I am still full.” Demetri shook his head. “I love that woman’s cooking. She’ll feed you until you pop. She reminds me of a less racist version of Riley’s Grandma.” Snorting, she closed her eyes. “Yeah, she’s definitely not a racist. She’ll feed anyone no matter their color, gender, or sexuality. And keep feeding you, and feeding you, and…” she giggled. I chuckled with her. When he began to paint her lips, she reached over and squeezed my hand for just a minute. Her eyes were still closed. People started filing in not long after, all of them coming to greet her warmly. They lit up when they saw her, genuinely excited to be with their friend again. Everyone was telling me how wonderful and kind she was as if I didn’t know. She was having a great time, constantly laughing as she leaned into my side. Bella got so many hugs. “This is my boyfriend, Edward,” she would introduce me, smiling up at me happily. Her gorgeous mismatched eyes peered into mine adoringly. I thought about Alice’s words constantly. After a while, a stunning couple came in, and everyone got excited. They called their names and embraced them. Alice and Bella popped off the couches to go greet them. I realized as the new woman and her best friend hugged that she had the same face. She was taller, though,because of heels, and blond with a much larger chest. She also wore a faceful of makeup while the other had none. They were both beautiful, but I might have preferred the latter’s look. I thought her roommate’s freckles were cute. The man that was standing beside her was bigger than I was. He was probably close to seven feet tall and three-foot across. His arms were thicker than my thighs, and he looked like he could have hefted me around. His smile when he saw my girl was jovial, his face glowing as he picked her up and kissed her many times all over her cheeks. “Put my sister down.” The blond snapped at him. She made a face, and he quickly put Bella back on her feet so that she could give her a hug herself. “I’ve missed you so much.” She leaned her forehead against hers, taking a deep breath. “Oh, Roe… I’ve missed you, too.” Pulling away, she looked between my girlfriend and me several times before she high-fived her. I could have died right there of embarrassment. Bella cackled, throwing her head back. Rolling his eyes, her husband smirked as he shook his head. He glanced over before offering me his hand to shake. “Hey, man. Emmett.” I returned it. “Eddie. Nice to meet you. Bella speaks so warmly of you both.” He gazed at her, pretending to be confused. “Girl.” Emmett smacked Bella’s shoulder lightly. “Why are you lying to this man?” Cocking her head to the side, she peered at him as if he was stupid. “Sweetheart, I can’t go around telling people you’re a dumbass. It would embarrass Roe.” My girl was mean, and I hated myself for loving it and finding it funny. I pinched my lips together hard so as not to laugh loudly. Alice’s sister brought her finger under his chin, holding his gaze. “Everyone already knows he’s a dumbass,” she purred. It was clear by his expression that she just turned him on. My girlfriend had joked about Alice being kinky, but I don’t think she was the only one. She flicked her eyes to Bella. “Now, tell me what to do, so I can help.” Sighing, he looked at me again. Emmett appeared rather lovestruck. His expression was dreamy. “We’re being dismissed.” I figured he knew better than I did. I peeked back at the television, where the game was still going on. “We’re playing Smash Brothers if you’d like to join us.” Instantly, he got excited. “Hell yeah. Let me get a beer first.” “Could you grab me one, please?” I asked as I sat back down on the couch. Alice was playing against Demetri and kicking his ass. “Sure!” A moment later, he returned and sat beside me. He passed me the bottle. “Thanks, mate. Cheers.” “Yeah, no problem.” He grinned. We watched them play for a couple of minutes. “So, you’re the new guy?” I nodded my head. “I believe so. I think she prefers the term gentleman over ‘boyfriend,’ though,” I chuckled. “Classy,” he chuckled, too. He looked at me over his drink, taking a long drag. “Well, you seem like a nice enough dude, so I’ll cut right to the chase. Bella has been one of my friends for a decade, and my wife considers her a literal sister. So that makes her my sister. You hurt her, and I will make your death look like a mob hit.” I began to laugh. I couldn’t help it. He seemed confused. I shook my head, smiling to myself. “Man, you know a girl is worth it when your life gets threatened four times in twenty-four hours. Wow.” “Four?” Emmett asked in shock. He glanced over at Alice and Demetri. “That’s it?” Thanks to Gina for proofreading this episode! |