Chapter 15 – Always Be My Baby

You'll always be a part of me, I'm part of you indefinitely, boy don't you know you can't escape me, ooh darling 'cause you'll always be my baby – Mariah Carey

"It makes my leg look flippin' ginormas," Emmett sulked, shooting daggers at the bulky black contraption that enclosed his healing leg.

"That's not even a word, crazy," Rosalie giggled as she pushed her black rectangular Prada reading frames higher up on the steep slope of her nose.

Doctor Cullen had taken off Emmett's cast and said he no longer needed the crutches as long as he promised to wear the walking boot. Emmett had been waling about the excess material the entire cab ride.

"Stop whining, at least you don't have to use the crutches anymore," She said only half paying attention. Rosalie had to leave early to take him to the hospital, so now she sat cross-legged on his couch with a laptop full of e-mails that needed addressing in her lap.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said sitting next to her and taking his leg out of the metal cage to gently rest it on top of the wooden table.

When Emmett got into a story about how her dad was letting him assist in a really important case, Rosalie tried to make it look like she was paying attention by nodding her head at the parts that seamed important.

Gosh, why did people find the need to send her so much information?

Because you're their boss, silly!

Oh, right.

"Emmett?"

"Yeah, babe," he said still keeping his eyes locked on the Laker vs. Magic playoff game.

"You're staying in the city with your family for the holidays, right?" she asked pressing send on what felt like the hundredth message and flexing her fingers just to make sure they were still attached to her the rest of her hand.

"Um, yeah…why?" he asked, taking her hand in his to massage the crapped muscles.

So sweet…

"Well, it's kind of a tradition. Bella, Alice and I, we all go down to Times Square during new years," she said watching his reaction carefully.

"Do you wana come? The doctor said you could put more weight on your leg with the brace now, right? It's always really cold, but it's fun too. I don't know who is performing yet, but we always get there really early for a good spot. I think Edward and Jasper are coming too..."

Kissing the top of her hand, he smiled, stopping Rosalie's rambling.

"Sure, it'll be fun."

"Next on our agenda, I want someone to cover the Dash show tomorrow," Bella's editor announced in his deep demanding 'I'm way better than you' voice. The middle aged man with the salmon colored sweater had been speaking for over an hour, a long boring hour.

Bella tried not to fidget around in the metal seat as she waited for the mandatory style section meeting to finish.

Edward had given himself a metal health day off. After deciding that they hadn't been spending enough time together, he said that he would be making her dinner around eight-ish.

Quickly so that her boss wouldn't notice, Bella hit the screen of her IPhone under the long oval table to check the time…7:45

Ugh x 10

"Last but not least…" her boss said rubbing his bald head. "I got a phone call from Vogue today."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bella could sense every body in the room freeze.

Jessica had been jotting down notes…her hand froze. Alex had been getting up to grab a bottle of water…he stood immobile.

A call from Vogue meant an interview. And an interview with anyone from the Vogue team was front page of the entire paper worthy. Not just the style section, the entire paper.

Interviews with designers or producers were sliver, they could jump start any career. An interview with head editor Anna Wintour was gold. Those interviews sent a reporter to the top and it took more than five bad articles to damage their record.

Breathing out of her peach gloss covered mouth, Bella crossed her middle and pointer fingers and her nude colored knee high slouch D&G boots under the table for good luck.

"Isabella," her boss said looking up from his folder.

Clearing her throat so talking clearly was actually an option, Bella said, "Yes, sir?"

"I want you to cover the Wintour interview."

"Yes, of course," she said nodding her head and scribbling the information he listed on her brown leather note pad.

She could feel every single stink eye and dirty look burning a whole through her navy Ralph Lauren cardigan from envy, but she cared less than when she heard that Paris Hilton and Doug what's his last name broke up.

After the cab screeched to a halt, Bella threw a twenty over her shoulder and raced up to her boyfriend's building.

Trying not to completely freak anyone out, Bella speed walked to the elevator.

When the elevator stopped Bella squeezed past an elderly looking couple, bee-lined down the hallway, and ran the door bell quickly.

"I'm so sorry. I know I'm late, and I suck at being a girlfriend, but guess what?" Bella cried as soon as the door was opened.

"How about…Hi amazing boyfriend of mine, I missed you so much," Edward said with his arms crossed.

Bella could tell that he was trying to act angry because she could see the sides of his mouth that were starting to curl up in her favorite smile.

"I'm going to interview Anna Wintour!" Bella squealed as she did her own variation of Alice's happy dance.

"Should I know who that is, or should I just be mad that you haven't kissed me yet," he sulked.

"Oh, my bad," she said smiling as she leaned up to kiss him.

"Go call Rose and Alice, I know you want to," Edward said breaking their kiss and rolling his eyes.

Slipping off her black pea coat, Bella squealed for what felt like the tenth time in a half an hour, and searched through her silver Zac Posen bucket bag for her IPone.

"Hey B," Bella heard Alice's voice say.

"Al, can you get Rose on the phone too?" Bella asked. They always did three way calls, but Alice usually set them up.

"Yep, hold on for me will ya," Alice said. She did notice the slight accent that was rolling off her tongue, but Bella sure had.

"Oh, Rose is right. You are turning into a cowgirl!" Bella said smiling into the phone.

"I am not turning into a cowgirl! See, I can pronounce every single syllable!" Alice screeched into the phone, Bella could hear Jasper's laugh in the background. "Now hold on while I get Rose, or else I'm not helping you."

Rolling her eyes, Bella plopped down on Edward's couch and waited for the call to go through.

"Okay, everyone on?" Alice asked.

"Wait, let me put you guys on speaker first," Rosalie said.

Listening, Bella could hear Emmett say 'you girls better make this quick. I'm missing out on my Rose time…och Rose! Why did you hit me?'

"Okay we're here B. What's up?" Rosalie asked giggling.

"Is everyone sitting down, because you might faint five times after hearing this."

"Hold on." Alice sounded out of breath. "Hold on…hold on…keep holding…aannndd…sitting. Now spill."

"Guess who I'm interviewing?"

"Zac?"

"Nope."

"Issac?"

"No."

"Marc?"

"No."

"Alexander?"

"No."

"Stella?"

"No."

"Kellan Lutz?"

"No! Rose you seriously need to stop your fantasies about him!"

"Pul-ease! I do nawt have fantasies about him and it's not my fault he looks exactly like Emmett but with shorter hair!"

"Keep guessing."

"Come awn and tell us already," Alice said.

"Fine I'll tell, ready?"

"Yes!" they both shouted.

"Anna Wintour!" Bella shouted kicking her legs up in the air in excitement.

With in twenty minutes, Bella had explained every detail of the meeting and the girls had calmed down to a reasonable level…sort of. After saying their goodbyes, Bella slipped off her boots and let her socked feet sink into the mesh carpet as she walked into his kitchen.

"I'm all yours now," she said smiling as she rapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into the back of his white long sleeved T.

"Good, I don't like to share," he said turning to kiss the top of her head.

"What are you thinking about? You got really quite there," Bella said as she played with the thread that was coming loose at the hem of his shirt.

After dinner they migrated to his couch to watch Iron Chef America. Bella's head rested on his chest and his arm draped over her shoulder, holding her close.

No mater how many girls nights she had or Jane Austin books she read with Ralph Lauren at Home blankets around her body, this position would always be her favorite.

She would always take the most comfort wrapped up in his arms...always.

He's touch made her forget about her deadlines on the paper or the next interview she was assigned. It was just easy.

"I'm just thinking about you."

"Oh, good things, right?" she asked hesitantly looking up at him.

"Always good things, sweetheart," he said running his hand through her long locks. "Bella?"

"Umm," she said watching Bobby Flay crack open a coconut with one hand.

"I have to tell you something, but I'm not sure how you're going to react."

Um okay? Bella could feel his heartbeat increase under the thin cotton of his shirt. What was he so nervous about?

"Why don't you just tell me, and then you can see how I'll react," she said turning her head and giving him a cheeky grin and then turning her head back around to play with his shirt again. Maybe if he didn't have to look at her face, he would be more confident.

"Bella, I love you..."

Twisting so fast that she probably strained all the muscles in her neck, Bella studied his face.

There was no trace of humor, only what looked to be love. The expression pored from his jade eyes.

With out giving it a second thought, Bella whispered back, "I love you too."

"Okay, hand warmers?" Alice shouted from her clip board.

The group had met up at Alice and Bella's apartment since it was the closest to Times Square. Alice was going through the list of necessary items for the bitterly cold, but extremely new years night they were going to endure.

"Check!" Edward shouted holding up the small miniature brown bags.

"Gloves and Coats?"

"Check, Mom!" Emmett shouted from the corner of the room.

"Rose smack him for me."

"With pleasure Al," Rosalie said smiling as she whacked Emmett in the back of the head.

"Ouch! That really hurt! Can you kiss it to make it feel better baby?" Emmett said trying to get Rosalie to kiss his head.

Rolling her eyes and turning away from the couple, Alice slipped on her belted brown colored BCBG Max Azria pea coat.

"Ready?" Alice asked Jasper as he zipped up his black North Face wind breaker.

"Yep," he said as he rapped the soft baby blue scarf around her neck.

It was going to be one heck of a fifteen and bellow degree night!

"I'm so over it, I've been there and back, changed all me numbers and just in case your wonderin' I got that new I'm a single girl swag, got me with my girls and I'm singin' it!" The girls shouted out, trying to be heard over the thousands of other New Yorkers.

Alice couldn't believe the guys had actually agreed to go see Kristina Debarge, rather than 3OH!3. It had to be that whole 'love' thing.

"All right New York! We've got two minutes until we start the countdown to the new year!" Ryan Seacrest shouted out from his platform above the street.

"Freezin' yet," Jasper asked, his breath visible as he rapped his arms around Alice's small frame.

"Nope," she said leaning into him.

Even though she couldn't feel her fingers or toes, Alice was still having the best new years night.

"Thanks for invitin' me, Alice."

"Thanks for coming and keeping me warm," she said tilting her head up to smile at him.

"Anytime," he said pressing a kiss into her hair.

"And the count down begins! 10...9...8..." Ryan Seacrest shouted into the black microphone.

"Happy New Years Jazz," Alice said turning to rap her arms around his waist.

Alice was vaguely aware of the streamers falling from the tall buildings, the bull horns going off, her fellow New Yorkers pushing their way closer, and the enormous ball covered in lights falling down the latter.

"Happy New Years darlin'," Jasper whispered as he melted into Alice's cold lips.

Life moves pretty fast. Faster than a Calvin Kline fashion show, faster than a Michael Kors board meeting, even faster than it takes an article from the style section of the New York Times to run off the press.

If you don't stop to look around, and smell the New York air once and awhile...you could miss it.

~The End~

There you have it! I ended with my favorite couple. Yes!!! Did you like the story as a whole???

I have to thank my awesome x 10 readers, weather you reviewed or not thanks so much for staying with me.

I got some good responces back for Match Point, so look out for it in a month or two.

As always thanks for reading

xoxo

Lex

P.S. Just so I don't get sued...yes I did end the story with my favorite line from the movie Faris Bueller's Day Off : )