Chapter Twenty-Four

The next morning, I woke up a little late. Esme had been shifted into the house from the hospital by the time I had woken up. Edward had called and told me that everything was fine and I needn't worry.

I was looking forward to tonight with Edward. I didn't know how to make our relationship grow on further and I was desperate for it by this point. Jacob was supposed to be a side-line, when he wasn't there and when he was there. But it seemed that that sideline statement was just crushed by my confessions to Alice and Jasper yesterday.

My stuff was to be shifted into Edward's house by the next week and so I had begun packing my belongings.

A doorbell, and I was more than relieved and glad to get a break from packing. I opened the door and there stood Jasper.

"Hey, Jasper." I acknowledged as I hugged him. "Come on in."

Jasper looked around, taking in all the mess and I hit my hand on my forehead. I had forgotten to tell Alice and Jasper or anyone else except Charlie for that matter, that I was moving in with Edward.

"Are you shifting countries or something?" Jasper asked sarcastically, making his way into the kitchen with me following.

"Umm ... no. I forgot to tell you. Edward asked me to move in with him the day we were to meet my parents." I answered and braced myself for another explosion of his.

"You? Are moving in with Edward? And he's met your parents? Holy crap! How much haven't you told any of us!"

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've been really busy at work and what with all the issues in my life. I just ... forgot." I reasoned. "Coffee?" I asked, walking over to fill the kettle with water.

"Yes please." He paused. "I'm happy, Bella. You're giving yourself a good chance in life. Edward, by far is the best thing that happened to you. Just don't let him feel aloof." He said and I got a very good hint of where he was taking the conversation.

"Jasper, please. For once can Jacob not be the topic of our exchange? Anyhow, you tell me, how was your honey-moon? We never really got to talk properly after I came back." I said, handing him the mug filled with coffee.

"It was amazing. Alice is just – I dunno, the best thing that ever happened to me I guess."

"And I'm happy for you." I said with a smirk, repeating his words. "And I could use a hand with packing, thank you."

"What? When the fuck did I offer to help you?" Jasper played.

"You didn't. I imagined. Now come one lazy ass, I gotta pack atleast half this stuff kept outside
before I start getting ready. Got a date with Edward tonight."

"Okay, bossy. Coming right up!" he said, took his coffee along with him and helped me get the stuff packed. And I was delighted to have had him with me here, he understood and kept me cheerful, cracking jokes or playing with me every now and then, which, as a matter of fact, resulted in not even half the stuff being packed.

Jasper left at half past five after wishing me luck, a gesture that made me think as if it was my first date with Edward. I bathed, got dressed into a short- tube dress and put on the lightest amount of make-up possible, blow-drying my hair straight.

At exactly seven, Edward rang my doorbell and I went over to open it for him, after putting on my shoes and grabbing my bag.

"Hey, you look absolutely stunning. As Always." Edward greeted and leaned in for a kiss.

I pulled away and smiled at him, fixing his hair slightly. "Thank you."

The exchange was this only, as we made our way over to his Volvo and drove off for our night alone.

Edward didn't really tell me where we were headed. Truth be told, I didn't really care as long as I was with Edward. Soon, we stopped in front of a huge house. It had a conservatory, a posh drive-way, the entrance was lead with two steps, it was just a beautiful one. A perfect dream house, you could say. Most of the house had wall sized windows made of glass. It was as if the whole wall was of glass.

"Edward, is this your place?" I asked as I stepped out of the car and looked at the house with utmost fascination.

Edward snorted, "Yes Ma'am. My very own." He answered with a smirk. I looked at him and punched him lightly in the chest.

"Okay, that hurt." He said, faking all along.

I smiled at him and brought my lips close to his ear, making sure our bodies weren't touching. "And that exactly was my intention." I said before pulling back and walking off towards the house. With Edward behind me, chuckling lightly.

Edward's butler had arranged dinner in the dining room while he showed me around the house. He had a good staff consisting of a butler, a cook, a gardener and a woman and two men who cleaned the house. I was amazed at how much he had and even then he wasn't conceited or pompous. I was in complete awe of him and the way he treated his house staff. It was as if they were friends or acquaintances. He respected them and talked politely to them. If something was wrong, he'd inform them of the flaw kindly, something Bella hadn't seen in a lot of rich people.

Edward took my hand in his and gave me a tour of the house. It was just breath taking from the inside. The house had three bedrooms. One was Edward's, where I was going to share with him now, and two spare rooms.

"Well, one spare room is for Emmett mostly. It's for when Rosalie kicks him out." He explained with a quiet laugh and I snorted.

"And where would you go when I kick you out?" I asked playfully, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Well, there's a strip club down the road. I could always go there, pick a girl and then you know, go over at her place." Edward suggested with a slight shrug trying to keep a straight face. My eyes grew wide when he mentioned the strip club and I punched him on the chest once again and laughed. I turned to walk down the stairs but he gripped my waist and turned me around. "What? I may as well do that." He played.

I smirked, "So that's a warning for me to not kick you out?" I asked running my hands up his arms and resting them on his shoulders.

He shrugged and inched closer, "You may as well take it as a warning, my dear." He said and brought his mouth down to mine. The urgency and hunger was evident in our kiss. The heat and the lust mingled was a bad combination and that was it, that was what it was now.

"Ahhem." A woman cleared her throat from the bottom of the stairs and I pulled away from Edward, blushing. "I'm sorry Mr. Cullen but the dinner's ready." She said.

"It's okay Brenda. By the way," He continued as we descended the stairs, "this is my girlfriend, Bella. She'll be moving in a few days later and you shall be looking after her really well." He explained to her.

The woman looked at me with a smile, "Of course, sir. I shall make sure that she's at comfort." She finished.

"Thank you, Brenda." I said and she gave me a final smile and turned around, walking in the direction of the kitchen. "Nice staff you've got there." I complimented, turning to Edward.

"Yeah. They're really helpful and great people all of them. Now shall we?" He linked his arm with mine as we walked to the dining room.