Love Actually: Chapter 6
Chapter Six: Christmas Eve
Bella POV
I really had no idea why I bothered to come. Nessie and Jacob manhandled me into coming to the office Christmas party. It was nothing more than a simple get together that would end at a decent hour just in case people had plans to go with their families.
I tried to convince Nessie, that as a family, we should try to make our own Christmas tradition. Getting drunk with eggnog seemed like a good idea to me… of course, Nessie- being the happy little camper she turned into since Jacob confessed his feelings- told me our tradition could be to go to the stupid office party.
It did not help matters that Alice threatened me into coming- being part of the planning committee and all- and I had no desire to see what that pixie was capable of. In conclusion, the combined factors brought me here, to the stupid dancehall with my sister as my date.
Nessie and Jake had agreed to take it slow. Although Nahuel’s got his transfer to New York and they were officially separated, technically they were still married. So tonight they would only be friends- although, how would anyone not notice the disgustingly sweet looks they gave each other was beyond me.
“So, is he here?” Nessie asked, taking a sip of her virgin eggnog.
I looked around the room of dancing bodies. My stomach clenching when I realized he was not here. “No,” I said, not even bothering to mask the disappointment.
Part of me still hoped I would be able to explain what happened. But it seemed I would not be granted that chance.
“Here are my beautiful ladies,” Jacob taunted as he approached us.
I rolled my eyes and bit back any comments. As predicted, he couldn’t stop himself from hugging Nessie a little to long for someone who was just friendly. However, seeing my sister so happy made me smile. Who the fuck cared what these bastards thought, anyway?
“Hey, dumbass, where are your manners?” an angry voice called behind Jacob.
He stepped to the side to reveal a very pretty native American girl. Her hair was long and silky, here eyes were expressive and sad. She reminded me of exactly how I felt at the moment.
“Bella, this is Leah Clearwater, the chick you almost stole the job from.”
I punched Jake with force but it just served for him to pout at Nessie, and for her to rub his arm comfortingly.
“Jesus Christ, are they like this all the time?” Leah asked me, completely disgusted.
I laughed for the first time in weeks. “You have no idea. Bella Swan,” I said extending my arm to her.
“Nice to meet you, girlie. What do you say we leave these two alone before they start fucking and get ourselves a real drink?”
I placed a hand on my heart. “Lady, where have you been all my life?” I asked dramatically.
Jake and Nessie scolded at our teasing and we laughed. Leaving the lovebirds alone, Leah and I headed to the bar. Leah preferred whiskey while I settled for vodka. We drank quietly as we watched Nessie and Jake from a distance. It was shame neither of us were wearing green to match our jealousy.
“Heard you fell in love with your boss,” Leah asked, not beating around the bush.
I gave her a dry laugh. “You really wanna go there?”
She gave me hard look before shrugging. “Big ol’ hole on your chest?” she asked nonchalantly.
“You would know.” I was starting to get irritated by her insistence.
I glanced at her, ready to tell her to fucking mind her own business when I noticed the glazed look on her eyes.
“Sucks, doesn’t it? Bleeds so much that it feels numb after a while?”
“Oh, Leah.” I could practically feel the pain rolling off her.
I looked around the room looking for Jake, hoping he could cheer her up. I was momentarily sidetracked by a guy dressed up as Santa Claus- white beard all and- trying to politely fight off an obviously drunken Lauren sitting on his lap.
My light chuckled snapped Leah out of her daze. She glanced toward the Santa, a real laugh erupting from her. “Oh, God, wish I had Jake’s camera.”
“Santa should enjoy the attention, Mrs. Claus is nowhere to be found.”
Leah laughed even louder. “Really? I think I’m looking straight at her.”
“What?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow.
“That’s Carlisle’s son… your old boss?” Leah was having a little too much fun.
My head snapped back to the Santa who was being groped across the room. I had been paying too much attention to Lauren’s drunken tirade to notice the bronze hair peeking down from the hat.
“I say its time we grabbed what we wanted, don’t you Bella?”
With my eyes still glaring at Lauren, I simply nodded and made my way across the room. Leah abandoned me somewhere along the line, because by the time I reached Edward and Lauren, she was not behind me.
“Lauren, Tyler is looking for you.” As soon as I mentioned her husband, the bitch practically jumped from Edward’s lap and looked around nervously before walking away.
Edward looked relieved to have Lauren off him. I just hoped he wouldn’t throw me off. Before he could grasp what was happening I sat down on his lap and snaked my hands around his neck for balance. Amazingly enough Edward’s hands flew to my waist, keeping me straight so I wouldn’t topple over.
“Bella-“
“Nothing happened with James,” I interrupted and took a deep breath, preparing myself for all the words that would rush out of my mouth in the next minute.
“He was a pervert, and I’m mad at myself for ever letting myself get caught in that situation. But I sweat to you, nothing happened… It couldn’t, not when I think about you all the time, about us, about what could be. Because the thing is, I think I might love you…”
“And I don’t think anyone could ever mean what you mean to me. Even when you’re dressed as Santa Claus and I find drunken skanks sitting on your lap… and even if you might not want me, I still had to say it.”
Edward seemed to need a moment to process everything I had said. I tried to move off him but his hands wouldn’t let me.
After a moment of silence, Edward laughed and looked at me. “The costume was punishment from Alice, for being such an ass to you. I accepted without complaints with the hope that you would take my embarrassment as penitence.”
I let myself smile as he continued to explain. “I’m sorry my father moved you from department. But it was just not ethical for me to continue being your boss… because the thing is, Bella, I think I’m in love with you too.”
“You are?” I asked bewildered, my eyes threatening with happy tears.
“Silly, Bella, all I want for Christmas is you.”
I was sure my cheeks would hurt in the morning for smiling so much, but I didn’t care. I ended up pulling Edward’s fake Santa-beard down and kissing him like no one should kiss Santa Claus.
Edward’s enthusiastic response earned a few catcalls and hollers in our direction. The crowd’s applause making me blush enough to end the kiss just so I could fan myself. Edward chuckled and kissed my cheeks as I laughed happily.
I never lived down kissing Santa Claus at the office Christmas party.
Leah POV
I stayed at the office party only long enough to see the room erupt with laughter and teasing as the designated Santa practically had his way with Bella in the middle of the party.
Seeing those two and Jake and Nessie being so happy made all my stupid concerns fly away.
I knew what I wanted… and damn it, I was going to get it.
Once I was able to secure a flight, I typed a quick message for Jake to explain to my mom why I wouldn’t be able to see her this Christmas and made my way to the airport.
The flight back was completely uneventful, which only made my jitters grow. I tried to fall asleep to make the time go faster, but it was a lost cause. I drifted in an out of sleep the whole flight, only to be awakened by the stewardess the moment I felt like I was getting some actual rest.
I ran through the airport as fast as the damned heels could carry me. I had no idea what time it was here. I knew it was the Christmas night, possibly even passed midnight on to the twenty-six of December. The sky was completely dark and I was lucky enough to find a cab that would drive me all the way to the cabin.
Alex had mentioned him and his family always celebrated the holidays there. I just hoped I had not misunderstood. When we got to the cabin I could see several lights coming from inside. I was relieved to know if I didn’t find Alex, maybe I could find someone to tell me where he was.
After the cab left, I ran towards the front door holding my coat tightly around myself. It had not been this cold before I left. I knocked the door, waiting impatiently and hoping from one foot to another to make me a little warmer.
The door opened after a moment, and even though I was looking for him I was not prepared to see him. It was silly to think he would change in a week, but I had convinced myself the attraction I felt was an illusion, only because I thought it would make things easier for me.
I was wrong.
The attraction was still there.
The gravitational pull was very real.
He looked just like I remembered.
“Leah,” Alex said, his mouth hanged open in shock.
“Volvi, *I came back*,” I said, hoping he could understand my thick accent. I had practiced on this speech, hoping one day I would have the courage to come back. I didn’t expect it to come to me so suddenly.
“No se que fue lo que paso entre vosotros, pero se que yo no puedo seguir viviendo sin decirte que… Te amo. Nose si todavia me quieras aqui, pero si si, entonces quiero que sepas que no me marchare nunca… porque la verdad es que no puedo vivir sin it. *I don’t know what happened between us, but I know that I couldn’t live another second without telling you that… I love you. I don’t know if you still want me, but if you do, then you should know that I don’t plan on going anywhere… because the truth is: I can’t live without you*.”
I’m sure I butchered up more than a few words, and that my grammar would make even a child cringe. But I hope he understood every word I said, because I meant every single word.
“You really are out of your mind,” he said, his accent a lot better than it had been the last time I saw him.
“But, I love you still.”
I didn’t even try to contain the girlish squeal that erupted out of me. Alex laughed and caught me as I jumped into his arms much like I’d done at the airport. This time, however, the kiss was not a goodbye; it was a promise of so much more.
One year later.
Bella POV
“Give me, give me,” I chanted as I snatched my peppermint coffee out of Edward’s grasp.
“No ‘thank you’, kiss?” he asked, slightly offended by my manners.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a quick peck on the lips before going back to my coffee. This morning’s traffic had been a little hectic making us late to pick up Nessie, Jake, Leah and Alex from the airport.
Edward knew from experience a non-caffeinated Bella was not a happy Bella. The moment we arrived to the airport he made me wait by the terminals, while he went to the Starbucks conveniently located inside the premises.
Thankfully their flight was just the tiniest bit behind schedule, making us arrive on time. Nessie and Jake were coming back from their first vacation as a real couple. They took a tour through Europe, conveniently ending in Spain where they met with Leah and Alex.
The four of them would travel back to Seattle in time for the holidays. After spending the better part of the year in Spain, Leah and Alex were coming back to stay. Now that Leah was pregnant, they wanted to stay in the States for a little so Leah could have her mom’s help.
Like clockwork, people started coming through the long hallway. I didn’t even have to stretch to know where they were. Jacob and Alex were taller than most of the other passengers.
Nessie squealed as she saw us and almost knocked me down with her hug. “Bells, I missed you!”
“Did you bring me presents?” I asked obnoxiously, making her laugh.
I turned my attention to the current fight Leah and Jacob were having. “Did they drop you by the head when you were a baby? There’s no way in hell, I’m naming my baby after you!”
Jacob looked offended. “I’m your best friend, Leah! Least you could do is honor me by giving your firstborn, my name.”
Edward snorted and I couldn’t even blame him. The worst part was that Jake was serious. Ignoring him, I turned to Leah and touched her small belly.
“Hello, baby Jacob- Ow,” I cried when Leah slapped my hand away.
Jesus, freakish pregnancy strength.
“Guys, please stop teasing her. I’m the one who has to deal with her later,” Alex reprimanded us.
Jacob and I gave him an apologetic look and Leah glared at him. She didn’t mean it though, since the moment Alex wrapped her arms around her and set his hands on her growing belly she smiled.
“Okay, people, enough lets get going.” I said, motioning towards the exit.
Everyone moved and I took Edward’s hand as we followed them. My wishes had come true, it had been a very happy year.
Chapter 5
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