The Effect of Fondness by DeeDreamer
Review by Frankielynn
*This Story is No Longer Available*
*This Story is No Longer Available*
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward/Bella
Summary: Best friends Bella and Edward develop strange feelings. Is there more between them than friendship? Alice thinks so, but Bella's not so sure. After a shopping trip for a new bed for Edward, Bella begins to change her mind.
* waves * So I'm back again, with yet another review for you guys. Now, Edward-Bella fics are still not my go to read... I'm a Jasper girl all the way. But when this little fic popped in my inbox, I thought I'd give it a try as well, again being pulled that much closer to the dark side.
I'm glad I did. This story is a sweet fic about Bella and Edward who have been friends and only friends for years. But one moment can change everything as shown in this story.
I reached in and pulled out the baking sheet, but misjudged the placement of the hot pads as I grasped the tray. "Fuck!" I gasped as I felt the burn on my right index finger. I quickly set the baking sheet on top of the stove with a clang. In an instant, Edward was in my face, turning me by the shoulders to face him.
"Are you okay, Bella? Did you burn yourself?" he grabbed my right hand, inspecting it as he turned it over with his wrist. There was a little more panic in his voice than I would have expected. The sound of it caused me to look up at him and furrow my brow in confusion.
"Um, yeah. I'm so stupid, I just grabbed it too fast and you know me, I'm a frickin' accident magnet," I said, still caught in his direct gaze. For some reason, I couldn't look away from his burning green eyes. I felt mine were locked with his and a strange feeling was surging from where his hand held my wrist. It was...electric? It was...weird.
After a shopping trip for a bed no less, these two start to see each other in a different light. Of course once you realize you're in love with your best friend, how do you go about telling them?
"Come and join me, wifey," he said as he patted the left side of the mattress next to where he lay.
"In your dreams, Ted," I said, looking for anything to break this sudden tension I was feeling between us. But I stood up and walked over to the third mattress and sat down.
"This one's comfy, Bells. C'mon, lie down and try it out," Edward said as he folded his arms up to the side of his head to form a little pillow under his neck.
"Um, okay," I mumbled as I swung my legs up onto the mattress and started to shimmy into a lying down position. I mirrored him and made a pillow with my hands, too. Our elbows touched where they met in the center of the bed.
I didn't understand why I suddenly felt so self-conscious. We'd slept in the same bed a few times before, on road trips with friends or when crashing at someone's house after a night out. Once, we even both passed out laying next to each other smooshed up on Alice's couch.
For some reason, this felt different.
He was different.
I was different.
And that's when it happened.
Along the way we learn that maybe Edward had been hoping all along for more than just friendship, but are they willing to pursue something when their friendship could end up on the line?
"Edward," I moaned as I arched against him yet again. At hearing me speak his name, Edward froze, stopping his sweet assault on my neck. He tucked his head down into the crook of my neck and just laid there, breathing heavily, his body heaving steadily above me.
"Edward?" I asked quietly, not knowing why he'd suddenly stopped making me feel...glorious.
"Bella, I..." Edward panted, his chin still tucked and resting above my left shoulder, "I can't lose control with you like this. I – I care about you – too much..."
"I don't understand," I shook my head slightly in confusion. Edward lifted his head and propped held himself above me with his arms so his face was directly above mine.
"Oh, Bella," he said looking down at me, his eyes full and glassy, "if you only knew how long I've dreamt of hearing you say my name like that. I've wanted you like this for years."
He sighed as he continued, "But on top of all of that, you're my best friend. I can't – I don't want to fuck things up between us. I'm too...fond...of you to let myself act with such...abandon with you."
I found myself smiling up at him, my eyes welling with unshed tears. "I...I didn't know," I whispered. "I'm..." I struggled to find the right word and settled on the one he'd chosen since there was little else I was prepared to say. "I'm...fond of you, too. I don't want to fuck this up, either," I admitted.
At eighteen chapter's plus an epilogue, this is a light, sweet, romantic story. If you want to put aside the angst for a bit, give The Effect of Fondness a read, you won't be disappointed.
Until next time, Frankie
